Education Commons^™

There’S Action In Silence: An Action Research Study On The Impacts Of Diverse Narratives In An Advanced Placement United States Government Class, Ashley Kristen Wright

Theses and Dissertations

In this action research study, I facilitated and evaluated student exposure to politically, socially, and economically diverse source material within my Advanced Placement United States Government classroom, seeking to resolve students’ apparent disconnect from experiences that differ from their own, which had made connections to topics like civil rights challenging to grasp. Because the supplemental material I had chosen for my government classes failed to provide opposing narratives for my students to make these connections, this study arose as a way to research and ultimately correct this problem from within my government classroom.

Over the course of a semester, I …

New Approaches To Peer Leader Training, Nadia Kennedy

Publications and Research

This paper describes a Peer Leader training course that has been modified to include innovative components focusing on developing content and pedagogical knowledge, practicing rehearsals, generating action research projects, doing poster presentations, and writing a reflective letter to new Peer Leaders. Through these innovations, four types of reflection–on relevant research and theory, on students’ experiences, on peer practice, and on one’s own practice–have been incorporated into the course. The new course components promise to offer more opportunities for trainees to practice peer leading in a structured and safe environment in which immediate and supportive feedback is available, and group practice …

White Blindness: An Investigation Into Teacher Whiteness And Racial Ignorance, Mary Katharine Brasche

Theses and Dissertations

White supremacy and domination are the backbone foundation of the United States and have been long documented in its history. The prevalence of whiteness and white supremacy is not isolated to social situations or commerce but fundamentally ingrained in the education system. While Brown v. the Board of Education abolished the notion of separate but equal, the education of a diverse American student population remains predominantly at the hands of White, female educators. This action research study, using an investigative mixed-methods design, attempted to address educator whiteness at a small, rural high school in the Southeastern United States. Treatment …

The Impact Of An Interactive Simulation Program On English Language Learner Achievement In A Middle School Science Classroom, Scott Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how a particular technology program, Gizmos, would impact English language learner students in demonstrating their verbal and written comprehension of science content at a proficient level. Gizmos were incorporated as an intervention to facilitate the teaching of two different topics, convection cells and hurricane motion. This study involved three English language learner students with varying World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) proficiency levels between one and four. Semi-structured interviews, semi-structured observations, and work samples were conducted and collected from each of the participants. My analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between the use …

“Anyone Can Be A Scientist”: Examining The Influence Of Diverse Scientist Representation On High School Students’ Perceptions Of Science And Stem Careers, Sydney Rubey

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This action research study examined how implementation of diverse instruction of scientists within a secondary astronomy course could affect students’ perceptions of scientists and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. The study also looked at how the intervention could influence students’ perceptions of themselves as scientists. The researcher collected data through surveys, focus group interviews, student artifacts, and fieldnotes. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, and qualitative data was analyzed through the constant comparative method. The three major themes which emerged are representation matters, humanization of scientists, and you don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy science. …

The Effects Of Game-Based Learning On The Motivation And Engagement Of Career Technical Education Students In The High School Chemistry Classroom, Samuel Lackey

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of practice in this dissertation in practice focuses on the lack of motivation and engagement exhibited by career technical education (CTE) students within the traditional high school chemistry classroom as a response to textbook and teacher-centered pedagogy. This qualitative action research study utilizes a game-based learning intervention that is ultimately based upon the personal interests and sociocultural discourses of the six case study participants and analyzes its impact on both the motivation and engagement of this particular sample of rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged, CTE secondary students. During the intervention, a total of five chemistry video games were played by …

Action Research: Hand Signals' Impact On Student Mindset And Performance, Katelyn Niehaus

Honors Projects

Hand signal use as a form of alternate mode of communication in the classroom offers potential for developing a growth mindset in students and, by this, improving student performance. This paper explores the work already done on various response systems. Research shows response systems typically accomplish their intended goal, and may help students to develop a growth mindset. Additionally, development of a growth mindset is associated with improvement in student performance. The action research discussed in this paper shows there may be an increase in growth mindset as a result of hand signal use in the classroom.

Empowerment By Design: Classroom Innovation And Inquiry Through Design Thinking And Action Research, Cory Rayala

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly standardized and assessment-driven educational systems are failing to meet the needs of many students, replacing their love of learning with a fear of failure. Importantly, the fear of failure is a common mindset of not only students but also teachers, administrators, and policymakers. This qualitative, action research study is situated in a design thinking/growth mindset conceptual theory that posits that the design thinking process can serve as a meaningful growth mindset opportunity for teachers and students. The prototyping mindset inherent in design thinking may mitigate the fear of failure by focusing on rapid iteration rather than striving for perfection. …

The Power Of Connections: An Online Doctoral Program's Use Of Strategic Onboarding To Enhance The Doctoral Experience, Jeri Heileman

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

A positive doctoral experience is rooted in an understanding of the expectations and reality of doctoral–level work. Students need specific knowledge, skills, and mindsets to complete coursework, critically analyze research, and write and defend a research dissertation. Despite a mutual commitment to academic achievement and graduation by faculty and students, attrition in doctoral programs remains high. This rate is even higher for those in online programs. Additionally, there are many challenges doctoral students experience outside of the core curriculum. The challenges facing students vary depending on the phase of the doctoral journey and the individual development of each student.

This …