Education Commons^™

Pediatric Anxiety Disorders And Their Accommodation In The Elementary Classroom, Olivia Hobson

Scholars Day Conference

This presentation will give an overview of my research into the nature, impacts, and best practices for accommodating pediatric anxiety disorders, with special emphasis on the elementary classroom setting.

The Science Of Reading And The Use Of Decodable Texts In The Classroom, Anna Hudson

Scholars Day Conference

This Scholars Day presentation discusses the honors thesis of the same title and includes a definition and explanation of the Science of Reading research, decodable texts and how they are used in the classroom. Additionally, the author explains her creative process in writing a decodable text, "Can Meg Get In?"

Comparative Analysis Of Japan And United State School Lunch Programs, Julie Phillips

Scholars Day Conference

A comparison of the school lunch programs in Japan and the U.S.

Learning Styles And Gender: How They Influence Academic Performance, Keilee Holcomb, Katie Cofer, Emily Adams, Graceann Covington

Scholars Day Conference

The current study examined whether biological sex and learning style had an influence on a student’s academic performance. The participants were asked to take a nineteen-question survey. This survey included sixteen questions from the VARK questionnaire. Three additional questions were added asked for the participant’s age, biological sex, and grade-point average (GPA). The answers were recorded anonymously. These answers were then entered into the VARK questionnaire to determine the participant’s learning style. The results revealed no main effects or interactions. These results are important to studies of academic performance and what aspects can influence it.

Reducing Barriers To Education Around The World: A Systematic Approach Using The Community School Model As A Framework, Isabella Bejarano

Scholars Day Conference

Reducing barriers to education is crucial to meet development goals relating to education. Community Schools are an evidence based approached to make this happen.

Putting The Fun In Foreign Language: Defining Leisure Language Learning And The Implications For Foreign Language Educators, Graca Webster

Scholars Day Conference

Leisure language learning is the pursuit of learning a foreign language out of one's own volition, rather than out of necessity, to fulfill an educational requirement, or for a job requirement, and for the primary purpose of pleasure and self-fulfillment. Leisure language learning can inform the way that foreign language educators prepare students for individual and personal success in a foreign language beyond the classroom. This work seeks to provide a complete definition of leisure language learning, discuss applications of this concept in the university level foreign language classroom, and present a layperson’s guide to becoming a leisure language learner.

History, Methods, And Psychology Of Illustrations In Children's Literature, Kelsi Coleman

Scholars Day Conference

This was a two-part project that included a research element and a creative element. The essay paper includes research in multiple areas within illustration in children’s literature including the history of how illustration has developed in children’s literature, some of the methods in which children’s illustrations are created, and the psychology behind the effects of illustration in children’s literature.

The second part of the project was the creation of a children’s book. This book is designed to educate readers on the basics of illustration methods and to inspire children to value creation and creativity!

The Impact Of An Academic Summer Bridge Program For At-Risk College Students, Emma Bynum

Scholars Day Conference

Often at-risk students face emotional, social, financial, and academic challenges that can potentially hinder their scholarly performance. The Tiger Success Bridge Program, organized by the Academic Success Center at Ouachita Baptist University, actively allied with at-risk students to encourage and equip these students for success in their undergraduate education. This study analyzed quantitative data collected from the Tiger Success Bridge Program (TSBP), as well as, included qualitative research from TSBP and the Peer Mentor Program. Overall, results show a positive impact of the TSBP and the Peer Mentor Program for at-risk students at Ouachita Baptist University.

Perceived Vs Actual Learning In Virtual And In-Person Classes, Elizabeth Byrd, Bella Bevel

Scholars Day Conference

We studied students perceived and actual learning in online versus in-person classroom environments. Participants attended a lecture that was either in person or on Zoom. After the lecture, they filled out a survey about perceived learning, and then completed a quiz over the lectured material. Results found no significant difference in scores from either environment, but the data was trending towards higher in-person quiz scores, as well as higher perceived learning for in-person environments. This is important in helping our understanding of classroom environmental effects on learning, specifically in higher education.

How Gender Biases Affect Perceived Competence, Jay Brumsey, Saba Esho, Dawson Goodwin, Annika Jostad

Scholars Day Conference

We investigated whether participants' gender biases had an effect on their ability to learn a new task. To study this, participants either watched a knot tying or macrame tutorial taught by a male or female instructor. Participants then completed two surveys, one that measured their perceived competence on the task, and another that measured their own gender biases. To measure gender biases we used the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory which had no effect on the results. No significant results were found between instructor gender and type of task when measuring perceived competence.

Child Abuse And School Performance, Rachel M. Smith

Scholars Day Conference

Data reports that child abuse impacts a large number of children. Because of this, a child's learning experience can be negatively impacted. Even though the percentage might be relatively small, when looking at the collective number on a national level, it means that a large population of children are affected.

Reading Between The Lines: Exploring Literacy, The Science Of Reading, And The R.I.S.E. Initiative, Ashly Stracener

Scholars Day Conference

I am passionate about the topic of literacy and believe it is a fundamental human right. Through my thesis, I explore why literacy is so important for individuals and society as a whole by exploring the history of how reading has been taught, how the science of reading has impacted how reading is now taught, such as with Arkansas's new Reading Initiative for Student Excellence reading initiative. Ultimately, by exploring the process of reading and the new initiative, I want to provide a new and deeper appreciation for the value of literacy.

Les Femmes Capables: A Supplementary Curriculum Teaching Survival English To Female Senegalese Ells, Abigail Morse

Scholars Day Conference

My thesis examines the contrast between a Muslim man’s opportunity to learn English versus his wife's, who, in a traditional context, would be limited by social obligations to her home and family's welfare. I look specifically at the roles of Muslim Senegalese women. I provide basic cultural context and teaching methods to ESL teachers. I also provide basic vocabulary lists and lesson plans about important situations such as "going to the doctor." The language needed to complete daily tasks is not taught in general language classes, and my goal is to change that.

The Effects Of Communication Disorders In Individuals With Down Syndrome And How To Help Them Succeed, Shelby Louise Bradley

Scholars Day Conference

According to recent studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in every 700 babies born is diagnosed with Down syndrome, resulting in almost 6,000 babies diagnosed in the U.S. every year. Down syndrome, also referred to as DS, comes with some physical and mental differences. Because of these differences, individuals with Down syndrome and their families face many challenges when communicating, and these challenges affect all aspects of life. An increased awareness and knowledge could hopefully and effectively address some of these communication challenges for patients with whom the speech-language pathology profession may work with …

Visual Arts Education For Grades 6-12 In Arkansas And Its Changes Since The Twentieth Century, Callie Anna Dunlap Oxner

Scholars Day Conference

The field of education in the United States has changed greatly in many ways since its foundation. No longer do students meet in small log cabins with all ages together to learn the basics of a few practical subjects before returning to regular life. The federal government seeks to provide consistently updated standards for how children of all ages should be instructed and have frequently modernized the education system. From creating mandated subjects of learning, such as math, science, reading, writing, foreign languages, and art, raising teacher salaries, and instigating assessments to ensure complete subject literacy, America has shown in …

Village Saints And A Little Black Magic: The Benefits Of A Mission Trip Opportunity For Natural Science Students In A Culturally Diverse Southern Mexico, Brooke Sanderford-Bester

Scholars Day Conference

My thesis project shares my personal experiences of a Summer 2019 medical mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. An Honors travel grant allowed me to walk the dirt roads and streets to learn the fascinating history of these people, to visit their shrines and churches to better understand their religious beliefs, and to travel mountainous, hand paved roads to a remote village that welcomed me with coffee sweetened with cane sugar and fresh bread baked in outdoor ovens. The groundwork has been laid for future Natural Sciences students to serve through an annual medical mission trip to Oaxaca.