Education Commons^™

Using The Instructional Congruence Model To Change A Science Teacher's Practices And English Language Learners' Attitudes And Achievement In Science, Hania Moussa Salame

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of adapting the instructional congruence model on the English Language Learners' (ELL) attitudes and achievement in science. Changes in teacher's views and practices were documented. The mixed-method approach was adapted. Data sources were the "Attitude Towards Science" survey, VNOS-C questionnaire, Luykx and Lee (2007) observational instrument, Gee (1997) discussion categories, video recordings, and pre- and post-tests. A science teacher and a class of 24 ELL female students in a charter school participated in this research. The results of this study indicated that student achievement increased significantly and students' attitudes …

Examining Academic Engagement Among Elementary Students: The Role Of Parent-Child And Teacher-Student Relationships, Courtney Brooke Tolinski

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore academic engagement and academic achievement among elementary-aged students and examine the role of students' relationships with teachers and parents in academic engagement. The participants (n=354) were students enrolled in the third, fourth or fifth grade from a rural school district in southeastern Michigan. Academic engagement varied by grade, where students in 5th grade displayed lower levels of engagement than students in the third and fourth grade. Males were also found to display increased levels of behavioral disaffection than females. Relational support was correlated with academic engagement across both the parent-child and teacher-student …

The Impact Of A Professional Development Program On Teachers' Practice And How Context Variables Influenced Such Practice: A Case Study, Sandra Lynn Yarema

Wayne State University Dissertations

This case study investigated how context variables influenced the impact of a state-funded longitudinal professional development (PD) program on the participant teachers' practice. Data was collected to compare differences in Science Content Knowledge, Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and the teachers' practice over the course of the PD program. Contextual variables related to district restructuring and school implementation of district policy evidence a direct effect on time spent on science instruction, specific instructional strategies used, and on the development of a professional community among the participants. This case study substantiates the implication that districts and school policies must provide adequate support …

College Student Adjustment: Examination Of Personal And Environmental Characteristics, Aleksandra M. Stoklosa

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study used a multi-dimensional model of college adjustment to examine the relationships between multiple layers of personal influences and college adjustment (academic, social, personal/emotional, attachment to the institution, and overall adjustment) among emerging adults in a large urban university. The sample included 177 undergraduate students, ages 18-25, attending Wayne State University, who completed on-line questionnaires. Race and cumulative college GPA were related to academic adjustment. Being Arabic/Middle-Eastern was a consistent predictor of college adjustment. It was found that higher college GPA and being White was related to higher academic adjustment, while being Arabic/Middle-Eastern was related to lower academic adjustment. …

An Evaluation Of Wayne State University's Educational Evaluation And Research Program, Willie L. White Ii

Wayne State University Dissertations

This is a mixed-methods evaluation of the Educational Evaluation and Research program at Wayne State University. The process of evaluation involved determining the efficacy of triangulating qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluation in order to access the EER program's goal acquisition. The process of evaluation commenced with a qualitative method of interviewing faculty members and was triangulated quantitatively with a likert scale survey that was modified from Wayne State University's Student Evaluation of Teaching Survey (SETS). The Student Evaluation of the Educational Evaluation and Research Program (SEEERP) was designed to measure graduate students' perspectives of EER goals and objectives acquisition. …

The Effect Of Arab American Parental Involvement In School-Based And Home-Based Activities That Support The Academic Performance Of Their Children During The Elementary School Years, Rola Bazzi-Gates

Wayne State University Dissertations

Parental involvement can have significant impacts on student academic performance during elementary school years. The current study intended to examine the importance and effect of Arab American parental involvement in the success of their students during their elementary years. The study also provided information about the resources that allow parents to be involved at their children’s schooling, and the barriers that prevent them from being involved and participate as much as they would like in their children’s schooling.

The present research applied appropriate approach, principles, and findings. This research examined the effect of Arab American immigrant parental involvement and participation …

Investigating University Instructors’ Experiences And Uses Of Mobile Technology In Teaching And Learning In Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim K. Alali

Wayne State University Dissertations

The use of mobile technology in teaching and learning has become a worldwide phenomenon. Many university instructors in Saudi Arabia have also started using their own mobile technology in their teaching and for communication with students. But there is limited research on Saudi Arabian university faculty’s experiences of using mobile technology in their teaching practices. This mixed-method study adapted the R2D2 (Reading, Reflecting, Displaying, and Doing) model (Bonk & Zhang, 2006, 2008) to investigate faculty’s uses of mobile technology in Saudi Arabian universities, including both instructors’ own teaching and learners’ activities.

An online survey, with both Likert-scale items and open-ended …

The Influence Of Student Engagement On Student Retention At A Midwest Urban Research Institution, Denise Williams Mallett

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the importance of student retention and persistence and the role that student engagement has on those areas. Three research questions were posed for this study. The questions looked at the differences between national outcomes as compared to those in an urban-commuter, University in the Midwest; the differences between African American students and Caucasian students at this Midwest institution and the perception of engagement of freshman and senior level students. Student engagement was measured by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) five factors (i.e., level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student interactions with faculty, enriching …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of High School Principals With Regard To Bullying In Their Schools, Cornelius James Lewis

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined attitudes and perceptions of high school principals/assistant principals with regard to bullying in their schools. Bullying is a pervasive, unacceptable form of aggression that has negative consequences, both for the bully and the victim. School principals are charged with the responsibility of creating a safe environment for students, by effectively combating any aggressive behavior that could harm a student. The extent to which principals are able to combat bullying, may depend largely on their attitudes and perceptions of bullying behavior in their schools. This purpose of the study was to compare the attitudes of high school principals …

Beginning Algebra Student's Conceptual Understanding Of Variables In The Context Of Solving Equations: A Conceptual Change Inquiry., Darrlyn Harrison

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation aims to illuminate novice algebra student’s conceptual understandings of variables, solving equations, and the juxtaposition of the two. The goal of this study is to design a curricular intervention for a beginning Algebra 1 course and document, analyze, and interpret conceptual changes beginning algebra students experience in their understanding of variables and solving equations. Previous literature in this field indicate that students are not grasping a concrete conceptual understanding of algebraic topics starting at the very basic building blocks of algebra. This study advances our understanding of how we can alleviate some students’ frustrations and misunderstandings of variables, …

A Recursive Service Learning Program: Empowering Students Of Color Traveling Within Community Borders, Cindy Lynn Mooty-Hoffmann

Wayne State University Dissertations

tbd