Education Commons^™

Exposing The Brilliant Facets Of Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Collective Case Study, Kristina Kaljo

Theses and Dissertations

A tremendous cultural richness exists throughout today's urban communities. From language, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, PK-12 pupils enter the classroom with a multitude of lived experiences and academic proficiencies. In particular, it is the range of academic proficiencies and the inadequate preparation of urban educators that perpetuates a visibly widening achievement gap between urban pupils and their suburban counterparts. Add to this a skeleton curriculum and endless high-stakes assessment exams, the future success of urban pupils becomes bleak. A deep foundation in pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), also known as the amalgam of rich content knowledge …

Why Teachers Stay: Elementary Teachers Share Perceptions Of The Job Since Legislative Reforms In Wisconsin, Catherine Marie Clarksen

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

WHY TEACHERS STAY: ELEMENTARY TEACHERS SHARE PERCEPTIONS OF THE JOB SINCE LEGISLATIVE REFORMS IN WISCONSIN

by

Catherine M. Clarksen

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014

Under the Supervision of Dr. Leigh Wallace and Dr. Latish Reed

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of elementary public school classroom teachers who remain in the teaching profession amidst legislative reforms that impacted their wages, benefits and working conditions. The study involved ten teachers who were perceived by their building principals as having a direct impact on positive student achievement. Additionally, each participant was required to have taught for a …

Determining The Reliability Of An Early Expository Comprehension Assessment, Tammie Harding

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the reliability of the revised Early Expository Comprehension Assessment (EECA), a measure that looked at preschoolers' comprehension of expository text. Thirty-seven preschool children between the ages of four and five were administered two comparable versions of the measure by two examiners. Scoring procedures were created and the protocols were scored and compared for reliability. The data was analyzed using a mixed models Analysis of Variance for repeated measures and a maximum likelihood estimate of variance components. Results from the analysis showed that version and order had no significant effect on three of the response task scores (Purpose …

Components Of Effective Writing Content Conferences In A Sixth-Grade Classroom, Paul Ricks

Theses and Dissertations

Students are now required to show proficiency in writing through performance on standardized tests. Educators and researchers are looking for ways to improve persuasive and argumentative writing created by students. The writing content conference setting gives educators and students opportunities to discuss student writing in a one-on-one format in which students receive feedback. Ideally, this helps them to create multiple drafts of writing that improve with each revision. Many practitioner guides have been created that offer suggestions as to how conferences can be conducted and what types of interactions can theoretically occur. Few, however, have examined what actually happens during …

Supporting Ongoing Language And Literacy Development Of Adolescent English Language Learners, Jason T. Jay

Theses and Dissertations

Literacy proficiency is critical for success both in and out of school; yet adolescent English language learners (ELLs) are not performing at the level of their English-speaking peers. This qualitative study focused on ways in which one successful high-school teacher facilitated literacy events as a way to provide language and literacy support for these students. The findings describe the actions of the teacher, the affordances made by these actions, and how the students took up those affordances. Teacher actions included creating a safe and comfortable atmosphere, following a routine, and participating in sharing activities. Affordances included opportunities for using vocabulary …

Contradicting Conventional Wisdom: Women Presidents' Abilities To Forge Purposeful And Instrumental Relationships For Institutional Outcomes, Susan Amy Woollen

Theses and Dissertations

CONTRADICTING CONVENTIONAL WISDOM: WOMEN PRESIDENTS' ABILITIES TO FORGE PURPOSEFUL AND INSTRUMENTAL

RELATIONSHIPS FOR INSTITUTIONAL OUTCOMES

Susan A. Woollen

268 pages May 2015

There is a perception in the literature that women presidents are weak in the function of instrumental relationship building. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the practices developed and utilized by women presidents of 4-year institutions to identify and build relationships with key constituents whom they recognized as having resources that could lead to institution building and to learn how the presidents secured those resources.

Through an interview format, 12 presidents elaborated on the internal …

Articulating The Experiences And Perceptions Of Graduates From An Inner City Field-Based Teacher Preparation Program: A Sociocritical Perspective, Cynthia Lucretia Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

ARTICULATING THE EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF

GRADUATES FROM AN INNER CITY FIELD-BASED TEACHER

PREPARATION PROGRAM: A SOCIOCRITICAL PERSPECTIVE

Cynthia L. Thompson

208 Pages May 2015

Teacher preparation has been the center of educational reform in the United States for many years. A review of literature suggests that many universities are

addressing the educational challenge of developing stronger teacher preparation programs by collaborating with neighborhood schools to implement field-based teacher preparation programs. However, little research is available to determine the effectiveness of field-based teacher preparation programs. In order to improve programs of this nature programs, it is pertinent to explore the …

Perceptions Of Cooperating Teachers Concerning The Student Teaching Field Experience, Dawn Marie Paulson

Theses and Dissertations

PERCEPTIONS OF COOPERATING TEACHERS CONCERNING

THE STUDENT TEACHING FIELD EXPERIENCE

Dawn Paulson

142 Pages December 2014

This study explored the views of cooperating teachers on (a) their work with student teachers and university supervisors, and (b) ways to improve the student teaching process. In a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study, 153 cooperating teachers answered closed-and open-ended questions using an electronic survey; then a subset of 12 participated in follow-up interviews. All participants taught at rural or semi-rural middle schools and high schools in Central Illinois; all had experience with student teachers from a mid-sized institution in that area.

Major findings of …

Exploring The Relationship Between Faculty Perceptions Of Chairperson-Faculty Member Communication Exchanges And Department Climate, Jodi Lynn Hallsten Lyczak

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership communication has many consequences: those that affect an organization and its outcomes, and those that affect the followers. In academia, one of the most important leadership roles is that of the departmental chairperson. Through her or his communication, the academic chairperson influences nearly every aspect of departmental life for faculty, including organizational climate. In fact, it can be argued that the chairperson helps both create and sustain the department climate for faculty.

One perspective of leadership and communication posits that leadership is enacted in the dyadic communication that occurs between the leader and the follower. According to Leader Member …

A History Of Academic Freedom In America, John Karl Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the history of academic freedom in America through the focus of three interpretive models--the Gentleman Scientist Model, the Liberty Model, and the Professional Model--to show how the concept evolved over the past century. It examines violations of academic freedom, AAUP statements, and debates about the meaning of academic freedom to show how it remains a contested concept. It concludes that by studying the origins and changes in the idea of academic freedom in America, current controversies can be better understood.

An Editing Framework Guiding Students Toward Self-Correcting Errors In Writing, Stacey Gasper

Theses and Dissertations

In order to have a successful school experience, a student must be able to write effectively. It is a skill that transfers to nearly every content area, especially once students reach the high school level. From our first year of education to our last, teachers stress the importance of working through the writing process. Unfortunately, for many students getting started proves a struggle to organize ideas, developing those ideas is exhausting, and by the time they complete a draft they want to turn it in without looking back. Furthermore, struggling writers often do not know where to begin analyzing their …

Building Parent Support For Implementation Of Assessment For Learning ( A4 L ) At The High School Level, Sarah Highfill

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers articulate the positive effects of parental engagement with education. Networking with parents has become a recent focus for educational leaders working to enhance learning. With parent presence diminishing within secondary schools and emphasis on formative assessments rising, this study examined the possibility of family support to supplement the Assessment for Learning (A4L) reform implementation. Using an action research framework, four research questions were addressed. These included what attracts parents to support Assessment for Learning (A4L) reforms at the high school level, the value parents place on assessment reform, and what affects parent perceptions and influences their support of the …

Validity And Rater Reliability Of Peer And Self Assessments For Urban Middle School Students, Lucas Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

This project studied the validity and reliability of self and peer assessments used for group work. The targeted population is middle school students in urban schools. The sample includes 45 sixth graders selected from a public middle school in a large Midwestern metropolitan area. The students worked in groups to complete a classroom project. Self and peer assessment forms were used to rate each member's contribution to the group work. A Generalizability Theory design was used to evaluate the reliability of self and peer assessments. The validity of student ratings was assessed by comparing them to those assigned by the …

The Effects On Using Ipads In Teaching Sight Words To English Language Learners, Samantha Funaro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to (a) examine the effects of using iPad technology to teach high frequency Dolch sight words, in terms of identification and application, to beginner English language learners (ELLs), and (b) evaluate satisfaction and motivation among participants in the use of iPads in sight word acquisition. The participants consisted of two fourth grade and one third grade English as a second language students (ESLs). A multiple baseline single subject design with AB phases was used. During the baseline, each participant's performance was assessed using flashcards and cloze sentences. Their scores were recorded. During the intervention, …

What Matters Most? The Everyday Priorities Of Teachers Of English Language Learners, Johanna Boone

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers work within a context of competing stories, including pressures regarding English language learners (ELLs), a deficit view of teachers, and high-stakes testing and accountability, all of which impact teachers' emotions. Within this context, teachers prioritize what is most important to them. This self-study using narrative inquiry methods lays the author's stories of teaching alongside those of two other teachers of ELLs. The author conducted a series of interviews with the participants, analyzed the interviews for themes and tensions, negotiated meaning with participants, and created interim texts to represent the participants' priorities in teaching ELLs. Three teachers' priorities, as indicated …

Online Student Discussions In A Blended Learning Classroom: Reconciling Conflicts Between A Flipped Instruction Model And Reform-Based Mathematics, Lewis L. Young

Theses and Dissertations

Two ideas are prevalent in teacher professional development today. Teachers are finding new and innovative ways to incorporate technology into their classroom. The use of video and social media is increasing. One type of pedagogy that has emerged among the blended learning pedagogies is flipped instruction, where students participate in some of the instruction outside of the classroom. Another prevalent idea is the focus on inquiry learning and reform-based mathematics instruction. This pedagogy adheres to the idea that students can use their problem solving skills to understand complex mathematics. This qualitative content analysis outlines how one researcher sought to find …

More Than A Personality Match? High School Administrator Views On The Process, Factors Relevant, And Effectiveness Of The Selection Of Cooperating Teachers, Julie Lickfelt Pavlini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the factors perceived relevant to high school administrators in selecting cooperating teachers in English, math, and science. Qualitative research techniques were used; themes from the data were organized by the research questions and analyzed through the conceptual framework of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Effective Teaching. This study included semi-structured interview probes and two activity components.

All five participants were complimentary of their school's cooperating teacher selection process and identified several traits and factors as important in selecting cooperating teachers: commitment to professional development and continuous learning, enthusiasm for teaching, varied but not …

The Effectiveness Of Using Manipulatives To Teach Fractions, Jaime Gaetano

Theses and Dissertations

The current study will focus on the effectiveness of using manipulatives when teaching fractions to elementary school students. Learning the concepts of fractions can be one of the most difficult skills to master for elementary level students. With so many different ways to expose students to manipulatives and enhance their fraction learning experience, it is important to examine how effective these teaching tools can be with respect to student achievement. The current study will discuss the effectiveness on student achievement when manipulatives are used during the teaching process. The main focus will be on student growth after being taught concepts …

Parent Reasons For Enrollment At One Dual-Language Chinese Immersion Elementary School Program, Aaron W. Andersen

Theses and Dissertations

While foreign language immersion programs have been increasing in number and popularity throughout the United States, their growth in the state of Utah has been particularly dramatic. Utah contains more foreign language immersion programs than any other state and is home to one-fourth of the nation's elementary school Chinese immersion programs. This descriptive study explored the reasons why parents of children enrolled in Utah's Long Hill Elementary School Chinese Immersion program chose to enroll their child. Long Hill Elementary's Chinese Immersion program is 4 years old, with over 200 children enrolled across 4 grade levels. A household survey was developed, …

An Analysis Of Program Evaluation In Community College Learning Assistance Centers, Doug Franklin

Theses and Dissertations

Learning assistance centers exist in varied formats at many colleges and provide services to support the educational mission such as tutoring, support for special needs students, study skills instruction, writing or math instruction. This study seeks to add to the small body of research on evaluation measures used within learning assistance centers and the program evaluation practices of such centers by determining the prevalence of program evaluation and what measures learning assistance directors perceive they should be using in the evaluation of their program compared to those actually being used?

Learning assistance center directors at 61 public two-year institutions, out …

Latino Emergent Bilingual Students' Experiences With The Middle School Transition, Kerry Pecho

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports the findings of a qualitative study that examined how Latino emergent bilingual students anticipate and experience the transition from a bilingual elementary school program to middle school. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who were native Spanish-speakers participated in focus group discussions. Overall, participants described positive transition experiences, and much of the content was not unique to these students (e.g., feeling nervous, looking forward to more activities). Other content, though, revealed transition experiences that may be unique to this population (e.g., dramatic shift in ethnic and linguistic backgrounds of peers). Participants' responses suggested that they experience a …

Reflecting, Seeing, Learning: Using Autoethnography To Critically Interrogate Racism, Classism, And Selfhood, Stephanie Nook

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this self-study was to engage in autoethnography that focused on the interactions of the auto (self) and the ethno (culture) components of this qualitative method of study. In an effort to be more culturally aware of my selfhood within the classroom, I sought to "story" pivotal moments in my personal history where class, race and privilege intersected. I aimed to interrogate these intersections and their role in shaping and informing my identity, while also harvesting new knowledge and understanding through the very act of retelling. I argue that the act of autoethnography was influential in dismantling unproductive …

(Re)Envisioning Placement For 21st Century Writing Programs, Jessica Nastal-Dema

Theses and Dissertations

Writing assessment has continued to gain prominence within educational settings and public discourse in the United States throughout the past century. Placement into First-Year Writing, however, is consistently ignored in the scholarly literature, despite its central role within writing assessment and the university. This dissertation argues that placement is central to all students' university experiences, and deserves more attention. Placement is at the heart of composition: it affects each student, each instructor, each writing program, each institution. It significantly influences retention, instruction, budget, and even national reputation, since student retention and graduation rates are key factors in national rankings such …

The Impact Of Feedback In Response To Self-Disclosure On Social Connection: A Possible Analog Component Model Of The Therapy Relationship, Kevin Haworth

Theses and Dissertations

The efficacy of psychotherapy interventions has been demonstrated on a wide range of disorders. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms that influence symptom improvements. The therapeutic relationship, a well-established common factor of treatment, has been suggested to provide significant impact on treatment outcome and may be a potential mechanism of change in psychotherapy. The current study evaluates a theoretical micro-mechanism model of the therapeutic relationship; specifically, the process of providing feedback to self-disclosure statements with the intention of increasing feelings of connectedness. Ninety-eight undergraduate students were randomized to either 1 of 2 brief connection-generating dyadic interaction groups receiving …

An Examination Of The Psychological Contracts Of Contingent Faculty Teaching At Urban, Proprietary Colleges, Ann Marie Marlier

Theses and Dissertations

Even though proprietary colleges and universities continue to gain market share in the higher education landscape, negative perceptions about proprietary institutions remain including reliance on contingent faculty to meet fluctuating student enrollments. Little research about the experiences of contingent faculty teaching in proprietary settings exists, and even less research exists about the unwritten expectations, or psychological contracts, contingent faculty bring with them to the employment relationship with an institution. As heavy use of contingent faculty continues, campus administrators need a more comprehensive understanding of how to best manage the expectations, benefits, challenges, and resources of this type of employment relationship. …

Student's Perception Of Teacher Immediacy Behaviors On Student Success And Retention, Rebecca Rae Mullane

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation tested the relationship and the fit for a causal model between both verbal and nonverbal teacher immediacy behaviors in the classroom and affective learning, cognitive learning, and student success and retention. Data was collected from two distinct populations, a large Midwestern university and a Midwestern community college. Results indicate that both verbal and nonverbal teacher immediacy behaviors independently predict or cause a level of affective learning and cognitive learning, and affective learning predicts or causes cognitive learning, further supporting that path model. Practical implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for areas of future research development are …

Examining The Role Of Motivation In The Relationship Between Perceived Academic Stress And Coping Among Freshmen, Ying Dong

Theses and Dissertations

First-year college students commonly face academic stress that is negatively associated with academic achievement and persistence. It has been found that problem-focused coping (PFC) effectively decreases stress, but emotion-focused coping (EFC) exacerbates stressful situations in the long term (Carver & Scheier, 1994; Kim & Duda, 2003). Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) posits that cognitive appraisals determine the selection of stress coping. In the current study, two motivation indicators, causal attributions for academic stress and value of college education, were recognized as cognitive appraisals that were respectively placed into the TMSC to test their role …

District Size And Implementation Of High School School Improvement Grants, Marla Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employs organizational theory, the history of school reform, the role school district leadership, and the impact of district size to provide a foundation for study of high school reform implemented in twenty high schools with histories of academic challenges. The Federal Department of Education School Improvement Grant Program was created to financially support reform in persistently failing schools. The schools in this study are all located in the same Midwestern state; however, they have wide-ranging student enrollments and are located in suburban, urban, rural, and metropolitan school districts of differing sizes. The mixed method study includes two phases. …

Teacher Preperation For The Global Stage: International Student Teaching, Jacob B. Chacko

Theses and Dissertations

As globalization lessens the distance between peoples and diversifies the common classroom, Teacher Education (TE) programs lag behind in producing globally-minded educators. One approach used by some TE programs to remedy this issue is to offer International Student Teaching (IST) experiences. While the literature related to these programs is rather positive, information related to why students choose to participate in IST experiences and the challenges they encounter while abroad is limited. This study attempts to fill this gap in the literature. Drawing on interview data from current (n=3) and former (n=2) participants, as well as two program administrators, this multiple …

Exploration Of Co-Teachers' Best Practices Within A Vocational Technical School District, Eric Menell

Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is defined as a situation in which two educators, one a general education teacher and one a special education teacher, work together to lead a classroom that contains both mainstream and special education learners. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study using a convenience sample of 15 (10 general education, 5 special education) co-teachers in a New Jersey vocational and technical school was to explore participants' working relationships, factors that contribute to successful working relationships, and best practices that can be derived from an examination of successful co-teaching relationships. In-depth interviews and a brief, post-interview survey were employed to …