Education Commons^™

Efficacy Of North Haven’S Response To Intervention In Reducing Over-Identification Of Specific Learning Disabilities, Karyn B. Gallagher

EDL Sixth Year Theses

In 2006, a reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act led to changes in how the state of Connecticut determined special education eligibility for a student with a specific learning disability. The Response to Intervention (RTI) approach replaced of the discrepancy model in making this determination. This retrospective case study looked at the perceptions of North Haven Staff on the efficacy of the RTI process in reducing the over-identification of students with specific learning disabilities. A mixed-methods survey was administered to 337 professionals in North Haven, CT. Of the 86 responses received, 73 were determined to be useful …

Experiences Of Professional School Counselors With Children Of Incarcerated Parents: A Case Study, Emily Courtney Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the experiences of professional school counselors (PSCs) with children of incarcerated parents (CIP). The study addressed three research questions: In what ways do PSCs conceptualize the needs of CIP? In what ways do PSCs work with CIP? and How do PSCs experience barriers in their work with CIP?

An instrumental case study design (Stake, 1995) was used to consider the experiences of PSCs in a single school district in a Southeastern state. Data sources included interviews with fifteen PSCs, observation of PSC professional development, and document review of policies and …

Writing Attitudes And Practices Of Content Area Teachers After Participating In The Central Utah Writing Project Summer Institute, Joseph P. Anson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study of four case studies looks at how secondary math, music, science, and social studies teachers' attitudes and classroom practices were affected by their participation in the Central Utah Writing Project (CUWP) summer institute. Participant interviews, observations, and artifacts were analyzed by looking at themes for effective professional development: a participant's personal interpretation of the experience (phenomenon), construction of one's own learning, active learning/participation in the professional development, the inclusion of authentic tasks, collaborative support community, inclusion of prior knowledge and/or experience, self-efficacy regarding one's own writing and the teaching of writing, motivation as a teacher, motivation as a …

Experience Of The Neophyte Science Teachers: Through Their Eyes, David Thornton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A variety of lenses were used to examine the world of the novice science teacher. A degree of agency was provided by looking through the eyes of the beginning teacher. Previous studies focused on researcher or program’s orientation, the successes of various educator preparation programs, or were limited in scope to elementary teachers of science. This study was conducted to better understand and appreciate the high school novice science teacher’s view of science, teaching, and teaching science in the today’s contextual setting. Experiences encountered during the initial year of teaching high school science and as perceived by teachers without previous …

A Double Degree Program In International Communication: An Exemplary Case Of Global Citizenship, Zhe Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study applies David Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory and Lynette Schultz’s critical global citizenship framework to explore whether and how students’ experiences participating in an international double degree program (IDDP) in transnational communication shape them as global citizens. Fostering global citizenship has become a significant aim that is embedded in many post-secondary institutions’ documents. A qualitative case study was conducted by Skype-interviewing past participants who completed the IDDP in transnational communication. The findings indicate students recognize that the value of this double degree program has positive impacts on their perceptions of global citizenship. However, both Canadian students and Chinese …

Freshman Student Perception Of Institutional Engagement Strategies, Donald J. Comi

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Technology, socio-economic disparities, and an increasingly diverse population base have changed the nature of American communities and thus the educational and occupational landscape. Access to higher education is functionally the gatekeeper for technical and professional careers. The gap between the number of students starting a four-year degree and the number completing a degree is discouraging. As a student transitions to college, many factors influence personal resiliency. Familial support, pre-college preparation, peer-to-peer relationships, and institutional connection all influence a student’s resiliency. However, higher education’s traditional engagement and transitional programming does not always engender connection nor promote academic success. This qualitative case …

Evaluation And Student Learning Objectives In Connecticut Schools, Vittoria Fielosh

EDL Sixth Year Theses

Over the past several years, states across the country have been restructuring their teacher evaluation models due to changes in federal education policies. The focus of many of these models has become student achievement, and there are many ways states are measuring a teacher’s impact on student achievement. Connecticut, along with more than 20 other states, uses student learning objectives to measure a teacher’s impact on student learning. Unlike other states, Connecticut has not specified what assessment be used to measure student growth. This case study, of one school district in Connecticut, examines the type of assessments used as a …

Gifted Culturally Linguistically Diverse Learners: A School-Based Exploration, Robin M. Greene

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore educators’ perceptions of characteristics, needs, and practices relating to gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners. The research questions guiding the study included the following: What are educators’ perceptions of the characteristics, needs, and practices related to gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners? How do educators describe gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners? How do educators describe their understanding of culturally responsive teaching as it relates to diverse gifted learners? What are school-based practices for gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners that support or hinder learning?

This study focused on an elementary school within Colorado. Seventeen …

Students Perceptions Of Interactions In A Blended Synchronous Learning Environment: A Case Study, Sheri Lyn Conklin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Social presence has been analyzed in online asynchronous environments within higher education. The current study was designed to garner insight into students’ perceptions of social presence within the Blended Synchronous Learning Environment (BSLE). This environment is unique since it includes both the face-to-face classroom and an online synchronous classroom in one environment. The research described in the current paper was a case study designed to examine the experiences of graduate students in two blended synchronous classes. Specifically, the research examined students’ perceptions of interactions within the BSLE. Analysis included an examination of how students described interactions with their peers, the …

A Descriptive Case Study Of Writing Standards-Based Individualized Education Plan Goals Via Problem-Based Learning In A Virtual World, Peter J. Blair

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The goal of this study was to examine the professional development experiences of two participants while they were creating standards-based individualized education plan (IEP) goals using a virtual world called TeacherSim. The focuses of the study were how did special educators engage with the task of creating standards-based IEP goals using TeacherSim and how did TeacherSim support or hinder this? This research used a descriptive case study selecting two participants from the larger data set of seven participants. The data was analyzed using qualitative coding which compared the observed experiences with the case propositions. This case study demonstrated that special …

Perception Of Factors That Facilitate Or Inhibit Associate Degree Completion At The Community College Level: A Case Study, Cathryn J-C Hughes Miss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of students, administrators, and faculty of one community college on the factors that facilitate or inhibit collegiate student success toward associate degree completion. Degree completion was defined as graduating with an associate degree. The following research questions guided this study:

1) What support systems or resources are in place at the community college to assist students with degree completion?

2) What factors in the college student success course at this community college facilitate or inhibit successful degree completion?

The case study was conducted in a single community college inNorth Carolina. …

English Language Learners Transitioning From High School To College: A Case Study On The Upward Bound Program For Ells At Rowan University, Margarita Olivencia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine and document the role the Upward Bound program played in Upward Bound alumni's transition from high school to Rowan University applying Maeroff's (1999) four-sense model of effective educational programs. This study gave ELL Upward Bound alumni students a voice using a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. A total of 10 former Upward Bound alumni were interviewed, all of who were current Rowan students. Key findings of the study indicate that the Upward Bound program contributed to their academic, social development, and motivation to seek institutions of higher learning and played a significant …

A Qualitative Case Study Describing The Relationship Of Physical Activity And Classroom Behaviors Expectations For Elementary Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Steven Robert Wehrle

Theses and Dissertations

This case study examined the relationship of elementary age students' participation in a before-school physical activity program and their adherence to the behavioral expectations in the morning homeroom period. Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) demonstrate behaviors such as impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. One theory that as to the cause of these behaviors is the lack of a synaptic connection in the Executive Functioning brain area, which is caused by the lack of dopamine and norepinephrine which increase during physical activity.

This case study was conducted using three student participants diagnosed with ADHD and their classroom teacher. Data collection …

Technology Integration In Context, Joanna Marshall

Dissertations

This study employed an ecological framework to examine how multiple contextual variables from the state biosphere, district biome, school habitat and classroom niche impact how teachers decide to integrate technology. It was an opportunity to observe how a teacher's Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge operates in a classroom in response to the building, district and state contexts. It was conducted in multiple classrooms in one school and with science teachers. It included a self-study component. It provided an opportunity to directly observe the interactions between students and teacher as distinct species in the classroom when technology integration occurred. This allowed me …

"Serviam": A Historical Case Study Of Leadership In Transition In Urban Catholic Schools In Northeast Ohio, Sarah M. West

ETD Archive

The purpose of this historical case study was to explore, through the lens of knowledge transfer, answers to the following two questions: how did the Sister-educators from one community in Northeast Ohio prepare themselves for leadership, and when it became clear that the future of their urban school depended on transitioning to lay leadership, how did Sister-principals prepare their religious communities and their school communities for that change. This qualitative study focuses on six members of one active, engaged, service-based community which has supported schools Northeast Ohio for over a century. The research revealed that a successful Sister-to-laity leadership transition …

A Teacher Retrospective Of A Decade Of One-To-One Devices, Sarah J. Irish

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One-to-one electronic devices have become commonplace in many educational settings across the globe, but it has been unclear how long-term teaching practices using such devices have evolved and how they relate to recognized best practices for using technology in the classroom. This study examined what a generation of teachers has over time identified as best applications of using these devices; their benefits, drawbacks, and challenges; and whether their use reflected previously identified best application of technologies in the classroom. This case study, conducted in one school system in New England, used the theories of Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition (SAMR) …

The Gap Between Engineering Education And Postgraduate Preparedness, Abdulla Farah Warsame

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engineering students entering the workforce often struggle to meet the competency expectations of their employers. Guided by constructivist theory, the purpose of this case study was to understand engineers' experiences of engineering education, deficiencies in practical skills, and the self-learning methods they employed to advance their technical and professional competencies. Working engineers were asked about their experiences overcoming practical skill deficiencies and bridging the gap between education and practice. Interviews with 15 chemical, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers were analyzed by coding for common statements and identifying themes. Firsthand experiences of the participants captured 3 themes: overall perceptions of engineering …

Principals' Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership Development, Carla Brabham Brabham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional leadership is an important aspect of student achievement and the overall success of schools. Principals, as instructional leaders, need continual reflection on their competency. Job-embedded professional development (JEPD) for teachers is implemented and monitored by instructional leaders. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceived instructional leadership development of two principals at two schools where JEPD was used. Weber's model of instructional leadership guided the research questions on how the implementation of JEPD affected the principals' instructional leadership growth and development. Data collection occurred through interviews, observations during principal-led JEPD sessions, and document review after which …

A Collective Case Study On Vocabulary Instruction In Fifth Grade Classrooms, Farrukh Nazir

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this qualitative research study, I investigated how vocabulary instruction takes place in two fifth-grade classrooms from both teachers’ and students’ perspectives. Vocabulary knowledge holds key importance in learning to read, academic success in all school subjects, and achievement in life beyond school (Graves, 2016. p.2). Due to the importance of vocabulary, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) also put an increased focus on the process of vocabulary acquisition. Recent vocabulary research has found that vocabulary instruction in classrooms is weak, thin, and not research-based (Carlisle, Kelcey & Berebitsky, 2013; Graves, 2016; Wright & Neuman, 2014). To investigate vocabulary instruction the …