Education Commons^™

The Importance Of Teaching Social-Emotional Skills To Young Children, Stephanie Valdez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My capstone project enhances the social-emotional skills of preschool children, which are fundamental for relationships, emotional management, and empathy. Children lacking these skills may struggle in learning, behavior, and socializing when they progress to elementary school. Studies have shown that social-emotional competence and cognitive competence are critical predictors of academic accomplishment (Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Student Benefits: Implications for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Core Elements, n.d.). Children in preschool who lack these skills may experience difficulties in learning, behavior, and socializing as they progress to elementary school (Amy Morin, 2019). A significant issue arises when children encounter obstacles …

Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge In Pieces, Nicholas Eric Witt

Dissertations

Productively integrating technology is a vitally important part of teachers’ practice (Barlow, 2021; Bezuk et al., 2017; NCTM, 2018). To adequately prepare Prospective Mathematics Teachers (PMTs) for the demands of teaching professionally, we need to understand more about how teachers and PMTs learn to integrate technology into their classroom. Some models exist related to teachers’ knowledge of integrating technology (e.g., Mishra & Koehler, 2006; Rocha, 2020). However, these models do little to conceptualize the knowledge resources that are activated in the moment of designing technologically-enhanced, conceptually-oriented mathematics tasks. This dissertation draws on ideas from the Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) (diSessa, …

Learning The Legislative Process With A Board Game, Michael Posadny

Honors Projects

Standard methods of teaching classroom material can generally work effectively for educating the majority of a class’s students, but some students may still struggle to find the information to be comprehensive, enjoyable to learn, or even necessary. Alternative methods of instruction can be used to educate students in different ways, and this study looks into the educational merit that a board game can provide to learning new material. Previous research has shown the effectiveness of board games on various elements of education, and this project addresses the findings of previous works to predict the effects that a game will have …

Perspectives On Movement In The Classroom And Strategies That Keep Students Engaged, Darley Desormo

Honors College Theses

Within this study, the question of “what are teachers’ rationale for incorporating kinesthetic learning in the elementary classroom '' will be addressed. The purpose of this study is to gain insight from elementary teachers’ perceptions and their rationale on the use of movement-based learning in the classroom. To examine further into this research, interviews were conducted. Participants of the study were elementary classroom teachers. During seven online meetings, the researcher interviewed using consistent guiding questions asking elementary teachers about their implementation and rationale of movement-based learning in their classroom experiences. The researcher also asked questions to gain an understanding of …

Blackstone Launchpad University Of Montana Strategic Analysis/Jacob Treece Honors Capstone Report, Jacob R. Treece

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Assessing Virtual Free-Choice Agricultural Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach, Richard John Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

Since the mid-19th century, agricultural museums and living history sites, first in Scandinavia and then in the United States and Canada, have provided historical, cultural, and, sometimes, scientific information about farming to visitors. Many of these visitors have been school children on field trips. Assessment of this learning, however, has been scant, particularly within the free-choice style inherent in these types of educational venues. At the same time, assessment of free-choice learning, often analyzed through the Contextual Model of Learning (Falk & Dierking 2000), has taken place at educational sites like zoos, natural history museums, and science centers. This study, …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Augustine’S Philosophy Of Education, Erik D. Thomas

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

A philosophy of education consists of varying values and beliefs that coalesce to form a coherent and structured approach to curriculum and instruction. Today, a diverse number of philosophies exist, each with its own set of standards, priorities, and points of emphasis like intellectual and vocational development. However, philosophies emphasizing moral development as an integral feature of both intellectual and vocational development are not as popular. Although some forms of moral education exist, disagreements over its value, purpose, and implementation remain prevalent. The following qualitative study examined the works of Augustine of Hippo, a proponent of moral education, to identify …

The Application Of Adult Learning And Development Theory In The Undergraduate Classroom, Jennifer Flewelling

Educational Studies Dissertations

Instructors in higher education may have a limited knowledge of ways adults learn and develop. That lack of theoretical understanding may have inhibited the pedagogical practice of faculty in the undergraduate classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore how university instructors described their understanding of adult learning and development in undergraduate settings, and to identify factors that influenced the design and implementation of instructional practice as reported by undergraduate faculty. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design. An online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data from 95 university instructors in Northeastern Massachusetts. Follow-up interviews were …

Examining Changes In Learning And Engagement Of Higher Education Students In A Fully Online Flipped Learning Distance Education Classroom, James David Riel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The challenge of implementing effective online distance education courses for academics and institutions is a centuries-old task. We can look across early developments in the 18^th century with the creation and delivery of correspondence courses; into the 20^th century with teaching and learning across analog methods such as audio and video; and now in the current era of digitized mechanisms that enable the online classroom. This includes advances in internet technologies and computing abilities that are the empowering the backbone processes, bridging connectivity between the student and the instructor. As society has trended toward massive increases in online …

Student-Centered, Interaction-Based, Community-Driven Language Teaching, Sharon Lyman

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation that highlights some of the author’s accomplished work while in the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University (USU). Organized into sections that reflect the author’s teaching and research perspectives as a MSLT graduate student and instructor, who taught intensive English reading, writing, and conversation courses for the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI).

In the first section, teaching perspectives, the author describes her desired professional environment, shares her personal teaching philosophy statement, and accounts for her professional development through classroom observations. In the second section, research perspectives, two research papers and …

El Uso De Canciones En Inglés Como Recurso Didáctico Para Facilitar El Aprendizaje De La Habilidad De Comprensión Oral En Los Estudiantes De Cuarto Grado De La Institución Educativa Distrital Jóse Felíx Restrepo, Liyin Lesson Cordoba Chala, Diego Andres Rocha Lara, Sandra Milena Vanegas Guardo

Maestría en Didáctica de las Lenguas

La presente investigación se planteó como objetivo formular una propuesta de intervención pedagógica que, mediante el uso de canciones como recurso didáctico, facilitara el aprendizaje de la habilidad de comprensión oral en inglés en estudiantes de grado cuarto del colegio José Félix Restrepo. Este objetivo implicó la adopción de un enfoque mixto, mediante un método de investigación exploratorio que involucró el desarrollo del diseño instruccional ADDIE (análisis, diseño, desarrollo, implementación y evaluación). Dichas fases contribuyeron a la consolidación de la propuesta y a la recolección de información durante su implementación, la cual se realizó a partir de una prueba diagnóstica, …

Me, Myself, And I: The Impact Of Metacognitive Strategies On Student Locus Of Control And Critical Thinking Skills, Danielle Kuchler

All Master's Theses

We live in an era when a college degree is essentially required for entry into good-paying careers, and yet achievement of a college degree is unacceptably low. Only 60% of students who enroll go on to graduate from 4-year colleges and universities in 6 years or fewer (National Center for Higher Education 2018). Why is this happening? What are the long-term intellectual and economic implications of ill-prepared students? We must ask ourselves if students are really prepared with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be successful in college and whether those attributes are developed while in college. Two of the …

Explicit Inclusion Of Fun In Instruction As A Catalyst For Academic Success, Kimberly Tyskiewicz

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Low graduation rates, rising drop-out rates, and increasing apathy and disengagement in learning has prompted the need for new strategies and interventions in education. This case study provides an analysis of the perceptions of high school teachers related to the impact of the explicit, intentional inclusion of fun in direct instruction. The participants included approximately 20% of the faculty in a semirural high school of approximately 1,325 students. The case study involved individual interviews with half of the participants and the other half participating in a focus group conversation. Six participants in each group were observed. All comments and concepts …

The Effects Of Student Learning When Subtitles Are Added To Videos, George T. Taylor

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This project investigated whether adding subtitles to educational videos increases learning among middle school students. A convenience sample (N=387) of Technology and Engineering middle school students were separated into two groups during the third term of both the 2018 and 2019 school years, where one group of students viewed videos with subtitles and the other group viewed the identical videos without subtitles. After viewing the videos, students immediately took a multiple-choice test. The test scores were used to analyze the variance between the two different groups. The results reveal that students who viewed videos with subtitles had slightly …

Behavioral Effects Of Outdoor Learning On Primary Students, Makena Cameron, Samantha Mcgue

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Children have an innate sense of curiosity about nature. “When children come in contact with nature, they reveal their strength” (Montessori, 1967, pg. 69) and therefore, outdoor education can be a useful learning tool for students. Whether being outdoors or bringing the nature-based activities inside, children have the opportunity to work with all of their senses. A growing number of schools around the United States have begun adding outdoor learning to their curriculum (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998) to bring a positive outcome to students’ behavior. Outdoor learning provides another environment that children can thrive in and hopefully benefit from. As …

The Connection Between Learning And Achievement Of Gifted And Talented (Gate) High School Students Using A Personalized Learning Framework From The Perspective Of High School Teachers, Roseellen Shea

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe how expert teachers at the high school level perceive the impact of rigor, relevance, and personalized learning on the learning experience and achievement of gifted and talented (GATE) students.

Methodology: Data collected for this study included classroom observations, interviews, and documents. The target population consisted of public high school teachers of gifted learners in grades 9-12. Moreover, teacher participants were chosen using both purposeful and emergent sampling procedures.

Findings: For this phenomenological study, there were 15 teacher participants from both Los Angeles and Orange County. The …

Estilos De Enseñanza De Los Profesores Y De Aprendizaje De Los Estudiantes Del Programa De Filosofía Y Letras De La Universidad De La Salle, Wilson Guerrero Gómez

Maestría en Docencia

Este estudio presenta los resultados de un estudio realizado en el marco del Programa de Maestría en Docencia de la Universidad de La Salle durante al año 2018. En este contexto la presente investigación tuvo como objetivo establecer las relaciones entre los estilos de enseñanza de los profesores y de aprendizaje de los estudiantes del Programa de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de La Salle. Se empleó un diseño seccional y se adoptó el modelo propuesto por Grasha y Riechmann (1992), el cual conjuga el perfil docente, el proceso instruccional empleado en las clases y los estilos de aprendizaje …

The Role Of Icts In The Initial Education Of Foreign Language Teachers, Heisson Javier Sánchez Peña, Andrea Yulitza Castro Gómez

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

Este informe de semillero de investigación presenta tres constructos teóricos que sirven como base para entender los procesos tecnológicos implicados en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. De igual manera, permite conocer los resultados del análisis de un cuestionario que recoge las opiniones de los estudiantes de primero a sexto semestre, de la Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras, de la universidad de La Salle, sobre el valor de una herramienta tecnológica - curso Pearson English Interactive de la plataforma My English Lab de Pearson- para el aprendizaje del inglés y potenciar el desarrollo de la autonomía, …

Play It Forward: Cooperative Learning & Structured Play During Recess, Tyler Elwin, Mary Rossi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Cooperative learning and structured play (CLASP) are two things that have gone unappreciated in the modern educational setting. This is an important issue for many local low-income schools as the dropout rate is so high. CLASP ideals come with a wide array of positive outcomes that look to brighten the futures of affected youth. CLASP provides an incredible number of scholarly benefits: increased school involvement, higher GPA, improved interpersonal relationships, increased ability to work as a team, etc. This capstone identifies these critical benefits and addresses the best way to properly utilize CLASP within the school setting. The three primary …

Enhancing Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills Through Computer-Based Scaffolding In Problem-Based Learning, Nam Ju Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this multiple-paper dissertation is to identify students' several difficulties in Problem-based learning and to address these issues by suggesting the design of computer-based scaffolding. In addition, the effectiveness of suggested design was confirmed through meta-analysis and the empirical research. Learner-centered Scaffolding Systems (LSS) is presented to improve students' perception of optimal challenge by addressing students' learning issues in PBL. LSS enhances students' experience in autonomy and competence by providing multiple types, modalities, and customization of scaffolding in accordance with student' different needs and difficulties in PBL. Bayesian meta-analysis for identifying the effects of suggested LSS indicated that …

A Learning Model Of Community Collaboration In West Virginia, Tracy L. Bradley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study tested a grounded theory model, Getting it Together: A Learning Model of Community Collaboration, developed during a six-year study (2004-2010) of a statewide substance abuse prevention program funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). The model features the perceptions and experiences of those who were active in community-based collaborative and educational work in West Virginia focused on substance abuse prevention. The study revisited community coalitions from three counties that were part of the original ethnographic research used to develop the community collaboration theory. The grounded theory …

A School District's Change To Standards-Based Grading: A Conduit To Student Learning, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

Nothing can be more important in a student’s learning process than feedback. This study looks at what is needed to effectively guide an elementary school district from a traditional letter grade system to a standards-based grading system. Survey data were collected from 91 teachers across the district in order to measure their understanding of standards-based grading. A standards-based grading pilot was conducted with six teachers from the elementary and middle school level. Four of these six teachers participated in a group interview to share perceptions of this pilot. Survey data were collected from the 54 students involved in the pilot. …

The Effects Of Time-Compression And Learner-Control In Multimedia Instruction, Jason Alan Pittman

CCE Theses and Dissertations

There is a significant gap in the body of knowledge concerning time-compressed multimedia instruction. Although research indicates that there is no loss in learning through well-designed multimedia instruction compressed at 25%, research is lacking that analyzes the effects of time-compression with learner-control included in the multimedia instruction. The aim of the study was to address this gap in the research by integrating learner-control into the interface of a time-compressed multimedia instructional lesson using similar methodologies from previous research.

Effects were analyzed of time-compressed learner-controlled multimedia instruction on learning and perceived cognitive load. Additionally, the researcher employed a participant population from …

Integration Of Content In Early Childhood Education, Sara Rayburn

Honors Projects

In order to effectively engage students in today's society, teachers must be willing and prepared to be innovative in their methods. Integration of the content areas is one such way that teachers can build upon prior knowledge and develop meaningful learning experiences for young children. An event titled "Flight Partners for Life" was developed in order to practice integrating content, as well as to serve a need in the Sibs-n-Kids Weekend 2015 schedule at Bowling Green State University. In this specific example of content integration, Language Arts standards were taught in collaboration with Christian religious education curriculum.

The Space Between The Notes: The Effects Of Background Music On Student Focus, Duna L. Strachan

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Student behaviors were tallied in three similar Montessori early childhood classes while children practiced social, motor and academic skills with and without background music. Teacher impressions of work period productivity were tallied along with information from teacher notes and student self-assessments. Music came from Pandora stations such as “Relaxation Radio” or “Yoga Radio.” Music was selected for slow tempo (approximately 60 beats per minute or the rate of the adult heart) and relaxing instrumental quality, played at a soft volume and during times when students were not expected to pay attention to other auditory input such as stories, songs, lessons …

Aprendizaje Y Evaluación Auténtica De La Argumentación Oral A Través Del Debate Escolar, Jorge Ricardo Cortés Roncancio, Alexandra Franco Vargas, Carolina Franco Vargas

Maestría en Docencia

Nuestro proceso investigativo hizo parte del macroproyecto Aprendizaje y Evaluación Auténtica de la Maestría en Docencia de la Universidad de la Salle, orientado por la tutora Luz Helena Pastrana Armírola. Para su desarrollo se empleó el método de Investigación Acción que por su carácter cualitativo, permitió una permanente interacción dialógica y reflexiva de los investigadores frente a la teoría y la realidad. El proyecto surge de la necesidad de mejorar el proceso de aprendizaje de la argumentación oral en estudiantes de quinto grado y cómo éste contribuye a potenciar la comunicación. En nuestras prácticas como docentes podemos evidenciar diferentes dificultades …

Didáctica De La Enseñanza Del Inglés En Los Semestres Primero, Quinto Y Octavo De La Licenciatura En Lengua Castellana, Inglés Y Francés En La Universidad De La Salle, Jenifer Pérez Morales, Diana Yessenia Ramírez Roncancio

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente trabajo de investigación da cuenta de la descripción de las didácticas del inglés en la Universidad de La Salle de la Licenciatura en Lengua Castellana, Inglés y Francés, así como la identificación de los procesos de enseñanza, la revisión del rol de los actores principales en el proceso didáctico (docente-estudiante) y la explicación de la didácticas de la enseñanza del inglés. Para la fundamentación teórica, se tuvieron en cuenta algunos autores como Alicia Camillioni (2007), Jeremy Harmer (2011) y Nunan (1999) citando a Stephen Krashen, entre otros autores importantes en el tema de esta investigación, la didáctica (didáctica …

Engaging Fyc Students With Quality Work Design, Candace Deal

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Students learn at deeper levels when engaged with their work; however, engaging students in writing is one of the biggest challenges all composition teachers face. This qualitative study asked Kennesaw State University students to describe the work in English 1101 and English 1102 that they found meaningful and engaging. The data collected was then aligned with research about engaging students in grades K-12 based on the work of Phillip Schlechty. Results from this study reveal that many of the same engagement qualities identified by Schlechty have application in the FYC classroom for engaging students and improving learning.

Problem-Based Learning (Pbl) In The College Chemistry Laboratory: Students’ Perceptions Of Pbi And Its Relationship With Attitude And Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Lloyd Madalitso P. Mataka

Dissertations

A convergent mixed methods research study was used to investigate whether or not students who participated in the problem based learning (PBL) environment improved their self-efficacy beliefs (SEBs) in and attitudes toward chemistry. The study also investigated the students’ views of the PBL environment. The Chemistry Attitude and Experience Questionnaire (CAEQ) was used as a pre- and post-test to determine changes in students’ attitudes and SEBs. The PBL Environment Inventory (PBLEI) was used to investigate students’ views of the PBL environment. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to re-validate both instruments with the study group: students in general chemistry laboratories at …

Movement In Learning: Revitalizing The Classroom, Marcus Van

MA TESOL Collection

Movement is a vital part of our every day lives, and it is also important for a healthy brain. The following paper examines the shift from movement based learning to a more restrictive rote format, which often has adverse effects on learning. This work discusses the ways in which teachers are under pressure to “teach to the test” instead of creating student-centered classrooms. Some of the side effects of a test-centered approach are low self-esteem (from not meeting strict academic requirements) and behavioral problems in students.

Adding more movement to lessons can provide variation and relief from the rote-only system. …