Education Commons^™

Exploring Relations Between Motivation, Metacognition, And Academic Achievement Through Variable-Centered, Person-Centered And Learning Analytic Methodologies, Wonjoon Hong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The three studies that comprise this dissertation examine relations between student characteristics, motivations, metacognitive learning processes, and academic achievement. Methodologically, the dissertation demonstrated the potential of multiple types of approaches

and data resource types. By employing multiple approaches including variable-centered, person-centered, and learning analytics, researchers can understand learning processes from various angles. In addition, through this triangulation by multiple types of methodological approaches, educational theories could be more thoroughly verified and supported by various empirical findings. Multiple types of data resources are related to analytical methods.

The purpose of the first paper was to examine relations between achievement goals and …

Research Mentoring And Scientist Identity: Insights From Undergraduates And Their Mentors, Rachael D. Robnett, Paul A. Nelson, Eileen L. Zurbriggen, Faye J. Crosby, Martin M. Chemers

Psychology Faculty Research

Background Mentored research apprenticeships are a common feature of academic outreach programs that aim to promote diversity in science fields. The current study tests for links between three forms of mentoring (instrumental, socioemotional, and negative) and the degree to which undergraduates psychologically identify with science. Participants were 66 undergraduate-mentor dyads who worked together in a research apprenticeship. The undergraduate sample was predominantly composed of women, first-generation college students, and members of ethnic groups that are historically underrepresented in science. Results Findings illustrated that undergraduates who reported receiving more instrumental and socioemotional mentoring were higher in scientist identity. Further, mentors who …

Evaluation Of Innovative Medical School Facilities And Consultant Recommendations, Tripp Umbach

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

In August 2018, The Lincy Institute1 retained Tripp Umbach2 to provide consultation to evaluate and identify best practices for medical school facilities and development models as the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and the community embarks on the development of a home for the UNLV School of Medicine. To complete this assignment, Tripp Umbach completed a comprehensive process involving secondary data analysis and actively sought and received input from stakeholders including leadership at The Lincy Institute, UNLV School of Medicine, previous Tripp Umbach clients, leading design professionals with experience developing medical schools, and potential donors to the proposed project. …

Understanding Teacher Turnover In Two Charter Schools: Principal Dispositions And Practices, Dana L. Bickmore, Margaret Mary Sulentic Dowell

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

US charter schools experience higher rates of teacher turnover than traditional public schools. The purpose of this study was to examine charter principals’ professional dispositions and practices that might contribute to teacher turnover. Specifically we asked – How do charter school principal professional dispositions and practices affect school working conditions and impact teacher commitment to remain or leave a charter schools? The study design was an embedded three-year case study of principal leadership in two charter schools. Data sources included principal and teacher interviews, school observations, and artifacts. Themes were derived from two constant comparative analyses, one of principal dispositions, …

Five Years Of Video-Based Assessment Data: Lessons From A Teacher Education Program, Peter D. Wiens, Matthew D. Gromlich

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

Teacher education programs are under considerable pressure to evaluate their effectiveness in training new teachers. Over the last several decades there have been repeated calls for more systematic research on preservice teacher preparation programs. One institution has heeded this call, using the Video Assessment of Interactions and Learning (VAIL: Jamil, Sabol, Hamre, & Pianta, 2015) to annually assess teacher noticing of teacher student interactions in preservice teachers. While there was no significant difference in first-test and last-test VAIL scores, VAIL scores were shown to be related to final college GPA. Additionally, there was a difference in student effort on the …

Meta-Analytic Procedures For Career And Technical Education Post-Secondary Researchers And Practitioners, Conrad Oh-Young, Howard R. D. Gordon, Xue Xing, John Filler

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Meta-analytic studies are syntheses of literature in which researchers use statistical means to summarize the findings presented across primary studies. They are of great interest in the fields of medicine and social sciences with numerous examples published in peer-reviewed journals. However, it appears that career and technical education (CTE) researchers are either not performing these research syntheses, or are not publishing their findings. Thus, there are three purposes to this manuscript. The first is to present CTE researchers and practitioners with a rationale as to why meta-analyses should be performed. The second is to provide guidelines that researchers and practitioners …

Merits Of Creating A Revised Cte National Research Agenda For 2020, Jeanea M. Lambeth, Richard M. Joerger, Jack Elliot

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This article promotes the idea that clearly focused scholarly inquiry needs direction developed through a collaborative and informative process. The authors propose that the National CTE Research Agenda adopted in 2008 should be revised and updated to reflect the contemporary issues and policies of the career and technical education profession. The aim of this discussion is to propose a systematic research approach with the potential to influence policy for career and technical education. The challenge for our profession will be to create a united and informed agenda that will transform policy, promote innovation in scholarly endeavors, and foster improved outcomes …

Breaking The Language Barrier: Equitable Assessment In General Chemistry, Eshani Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Because language provides the framework through which knowledge is constructed, it is crucial to consider the ways in which students with limited English proficiencies are able to express their understanding. English language learners (ELLs) make up a significant portion of the student body in the education system and represent many ethnic and racial minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) fields (Burke & Mattis, 2007). Despite the national push to build a more diversified, STEM-ready workforce, there is little research that considers the way ELLs are assessed in STEM courses at the postsecondary level. Literature reports that science tests …

Reimagining High School Writing: A Multi-Case Examination Of The Impact Of External Pressures On High School Writing Contexts, Nicole Elizabeth Klimow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research concerning teachers’ pedagogical beliefs shows a strong relationship between planning and instruction; however, the sources of pedagogical beliefs have not been researched thoroughly. Because teachers bring their histories and experiences to their interactions with students, their pedagogical beliefs may also be present in their instruction, mediating the relationship between knowledge (planning) and action (writing instruction). Framed by Sociocultural Theory (SCT), the purpose of this qualitative, multi-site, multi-case case study was first to understand teachers’ expectations for teaching writing based on their beliefs about learning. A secondary intent was to examine ways in which high school English teachers’ learning expectations …

Usability And Psychosocial Impact Of Decision Support To Increase Sexual Health Education In American Indian And Alaska Native Communities, Christine Markham, Jennifer Torres, Stephanie Craig Rushing Phd, Mph, Gwenda Gorman Bs, Cornelia Jessen Ma, Amanda Gaston Mat, Jennifer Williamson, Robert C. Addy, Susan R. Tortolero Emery, Belinda Hernandez, Melissa Peskin, Ross Shegog

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Despite sexual and reproductive health disparities, few evidence-based sexual health education programs exist for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, with even fewer tools available to assist AI/AN communities in adopting, implementing, and maintaining such programs. iCHAMPSS (Choosing And Maintaining effective Programs for Sex education in Schools) is a theory- and web-based decision-support-system designed to address dissemination barriers and increase the reach and fidelity of evidence-based programs (EBPs), specifically sexual health education programs. To investigate the potential of iCHAMPSS in AI/AN communities, we pilot-tested iCHAMPSS with adult stakeholders (N = 36) from agencies across …

A Multi-Method Investigation Of Literacy And Language Practices In Mexican Early Childhood Programs, Laura M. Justice, Gloria Yeomans-Maldonado, Jorge Gonzalez, Alain Bengochea, Anita Mccormick

Educational & Clinical Studies Faculty Research

This study was designed to examine the literacy and language development processes and practices used in Mexican preschools. Participants were 18 early childhood teachers from three schools selected to represent the range of available programming. Research methods included focus groups, teacher questionnaires, and classroom observations. Results suggested that classrooms mostly had narrative books with few other genres, and that displaying the alphabet and children’s names were common practices. Teachers indicated a strong reliance on bottom-up instructional approaches and direct skill instruction. These findings contribute to our understanding of preschool literacy and language practices of Spanish-speaking children living in Mexico.

Self-Assessment In The College Curriculum, Joe Ervin

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The use of self-assessment in the college curriculum is an extensive and wide-reaching endeavor. In essence, through a variety of pedagogical and curricular methods, students are given the opportunity to think about themselves.

Voluntary Web-Based Self-Assessment Quiz Use Improves Exam Performance, Especially For Learners With Low Prior Knowledge, Jenifer C. Utz, Matthew L. Bernacki

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

We examined students’ voluntary use of digital self-assessment quizzes as a resource for learning in a large anatomy and physiology lecture course. Students (N = 238) could use 16 chapter quizzes and four analogous unit quizzes to rehearse and self-assess knowledge. Repeated use was uncommon (12%), as was lack of use (13%). Most students (75%) engaged in occasional use of self-assessment quiz items. Exam performance differed between repeated use (84%), occasional use (76%), and no use (72%) groups. Differences were greater among students who lacked prior knowledge of course topics. Quiz use improved performance more for low prior knowledge students, …

Applying An Infomation Literacy Rubric To First-Year Health Sciences Student Research Posters, Xan Goodman, John Watts, Rogelio A. Arenas, Rachelle Weigel, Tony Terrell

Library Faculty Publications

Objective: This article describes the collection and analysis of annotated bibliographies created by first-year health sciences students to support their final poster projects. The authors examined the students’ abilities to select relevant and authoritative sources, summarize the content of those sources, and correctly cite those sources. Methods: We collected images of 1,253 posters, of which 120 were sampled for analysis, and scored the posters using a 4-point rubric to evaluate students’ information literacy skills. Results: We found that 52% of students were proficient at selecting relevant sources that directly contributed to the theme, topic, or debate presented in their final …

Design Considerations For Education Scholars Interested In Complex Systems Research, Gwen C. Marchand, Jonathan C. Hilpert

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

As complex systems approaches to research gain a foothold in educational research, educational researchers may be faced with unique study design challenges. Studies that do not target appropriate levels of analysis or do not capture variable change over time at a fine enough granularity run the risk of missing complex, dynamic, and emergent properties that are the hallmark of complex system behavior. By taking into account context, multiple levels of analysis, and change over time complex systems approaches generate evidence for dynamic processes in education. This paper draws upon three example areas from educational psychology to illustrate important design considerations …