Education Commons^™

Academia Will Not Save You: Stories Of Being Continually “Underrepresented”, Lynette Deaun Guzmán

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

My entire life I have had to navigate educational structures labeled (by other people) as “underrepresented” in my fields—mathematics and mathematics education. As many people who are similarly labeled in this way know, this meant I had to navigate oppressive structures that positioned me as lesser (e.g., white supremacy, patriarchy). Making sense of these repeated interactions, I wrote my dissertation as a series of three articles, each prefaced with an essay that situated a broader social, cultural, and political context and also connected to my lived experiences navigating academia. These essays were some of my most personal academic writing, and …

Finding Teaching Inspiration From Gorgias: Mathematics Lessons From A Sophist, Ann L. Von Mehren

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The logos or rational language of the fifth-century BCE teacher, Gorgias, as contained in the fragment On the Nonexistent, challenges a reader to understand the relationship between the existent and the nonexistent; yet the text also offers an accessible idea of logos. Inspired by William M. Priestley's approach to the study of logos through ratios, and by Ivor Grattan-Guinness's recommendation to broaden the study of historical texts in the history of mathematics and mathematics education, and pursue their significance in a heritage sense, this article suggests that this ancient non-mathematics text by Gorgias may inspire and refresh elementary mathematics educators' …

Fun With Math On Valentine's Day, Kristin T. Kennedy

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This article describes various love-themed activities the department of mathematics at Bryant University hosted during a college-wide celebration of love called "The Arts and Science of Love", held during Valentine's Day 2018. Inspired by Susan D'Agustino's article "To Fall in Love with Math, Do This" [1], Bryant mathematicians came up with many creative and engaging activities that brought mathematics and its practitioners closer to the students on campus. Much fun was had.

What Is Humanistic Stem And Why Do We Need It?, Debra T. Bourdeau, Beverly L. Wood

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Getting students who are planning on technical careers to value their general education courses, particularly in the humanities, is not an easy task. The experiences of two professors from disciplines that cross the so-called divide between STEM and Humanities motivate not only a series of courses blending the two to the advantage of their own students but also a virtual pedagogical community to support efforts taking place elsewhere.

Symmetry And Measuring: Ways To Teach The Foundations Of Mathematics Inspired By Yupiaq Elders, Jerry Lipka, Barbara Adams, Monica Wong, David Koester, Karen Francois

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Evident in human prehistory and across immense cultural variation in human activities, symmetry has been perceived and utilized as an integrative and guiding principle. In our long-term collaborative work with Indigenous Knowledge holders, particularly Yupiaq Eskimos of Alaska and Carolinian Islanders in Micronesia, we were struck by the centrality of symmetry and measuring as a comparison-of-quantities, and the practical and conceptual role of qukaq [center] and ayagneq [a place to begin]. They applied fundamental mathematical principles associated with symmetry and measuring in their everyday activities and in making artifacts. Inspired by their example, this paper explores the question: Could symmetry …

The Mathematics Orientation Seminar: A Tool For Diversity And Retention In The First Year Of College, Salvatore J. Petrilli

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this article I describe Adelphi University's Mathematics Orientation Seminar, a new course that was introduced into the mathematics major to help students find their passion in mathematics and to strengthen the educational community within our department. I discuss quantitative and qualitative results of surveys among students in the Mathematics Orientation Seminar in Fall 2016 and Fall 2017, which suggest that this might be a useful course for other institutions to utilize within any major. Finally, I explore faculty perspectives and describe what I believe to be the final version of this course.

'If I Don't Have That, No Learning": Significance Of Student-Centered Affective Labor Among Public High School Teachers In Tacoma, Wa, Delaney Dawson

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores how public high school teachers in Tacoma, WA, USA conceptualize the values and rewards of their career through their professional interactions at various levels of the educational institution. By analyzing teachers’ career motivations, goals, and definitions of success, it becomes clear that these teachers most highly prioritize their affective labor and the relationships they build with their students. Teachers consistently emphasize the non-financial, student-centered elements of the compensation they receive for their work, and their grievances about the structure of the school system primarily center around the constraints placed upon their performance of student-centered affective labor by …

The Influence Of The "Emotionally Disturbed" Classroom Label On General Education Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy, Giovanna Perricone

Scripps Senior Theses

Students identified as “emotionally disturbed” face resistance to inclusion in classrooms with typically-developing peers on the part of the general education teachers. This study aims to address whether the classroom label of “emotionally disturbed” affects teacher efficacy and whether this relationship is moderated by the amount of applied inclusion training a teacher has received. General education teachers will read identical case studies of a student who either spends some of his school day in an “Emotionally Disturbed Class” or a “Self-Regulation Skills Class.” They will complete a measure of student-specific teacher efficacy and then report how many hours of inclusion …

Pension Effect On Out-Of-State Teacher Turnover In North Carolina, Daniella Henry

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper examines the impact on pension generosity on teacher turnover in North Carolina Public School teachers. It specifically focuses on the impacts of vesting, employer contribution, and pension generosity for out-of-state teachers in their first five years of teaching. High rates of teacher turnovers, especially teachers in their early career, have been shown to negatively impact North Carolina students. As states search for solutions to decrease turnover and recruit more qualified teachers, the effects of pension programs on teacher turnover has yet to be thoroughly examined. This paper found that there was a slight negative correlation between teacher turnover …

Learning Through Privilege: My Teaching And Educational Journey, Grace Birkenbeuel

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This ethnography traces my journey teaching kindergarten in the Pico Union neighborhood in Los Angeles. Its purpose is to understand the macro and micro levels of the community to inform my teaching practices and support my students and families. On a micro-level, I conducted case studies on three specific students. Data analysis of in-home interviews, personal interactions, and assessments allowed me to create action plans to best support these students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. On a macro level, I studied my students’ environments: community, school, and classroom. Attending community events, learning about my school’s mission, and reflecting on my …

Affirming Indigeneity In Public Spaces: Indigenous Mexican Testimonios About Higher Education, Gabriela Kovats Sánchez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide a deeper understanding of the lived experiences and identity formation of Indigenous Mexican students in U.S. higher education. Latinx critical race theory and critical Latinx Indigeneity served as conceptual frameworks for this study, and a decolonial lens was employed to distinguish the unique educational experiences of Indigenous Mexican students from the broader Latinx student population in the United States. A testimonio research design was used to explore two research questions: (a) What is the role of higher education in the identity formation of Indigenous Mexican students? and (b) How do Indigenous Mexican …

The Professionalization And Socialization Of Adjunct Instructors In A Southern California Community College, Nancy Roemi Ramirez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the professionalization and socialization of adjunct faculty into the culture of a community college campus in Southern California. Because adjunct faculty are the majority faculty at most colleges, it is vital to orient and support them for maximum effectiveness. A review of literature revealed that well-socialized employees are more committed to organizational well-being; however, few studies examine community college English Department part-time faculty in this light. This qualitative case study does so, using the model of organizational socialization (Tierney & Bensimon, 1996) as its framework, and focusing on this research question: How are part-time English Department faculty …

Realities Of The First-Year Of Teaching Research On The Inspiration Behind, Reality Of, And Effects Of A First-Year Teacher., Rebecca Peterson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the factors which lend to and negatively impact student success, taking a specific look at the Pomona area and tracking the experiences of one first-year teacher and three of their students throughout an entire academic year in the charter school setting. Beginning with research on the experiences and beliefs which motivated an individual teacher to join the field of education, it then assesses how the academic and cultural backgrounds of three different students lend to their overall identity and school success. The latter research identifies factors within the city itself which affect …

Parent Involvement In Contested Times: A Brief Analysis Of The Effects Of Anti-Immigrant Policies On Latinx Immigrant Parent Involvement, Maria Isabel Morales

CGU Theses & Dissertations

How do perceived community and school cultural values affect Latinx immigrant parents’ decisions to engage with their children’s schools? What lessons might their experiences have for our understanding of parent involvement beyond the parameters of traditional models of parent involvement? Engaging parents as advocates for school success in the home is particularly important for English Language Learners (ELs). Tapping into the experiences of EL parents is a resource educators can use to increase parental involvement and, consequently, student academic achievement.

This qualitative case study grounded in Critical Inquiry and Cultural Historic Activity Theory examined the perceptions and experiences of 5 …

Teachers Make The Difference: Accessing A Black Woman's Specific Funds Of Knowledge To Make A Difference In The Classroom, Morgan Goodman

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnography was to examine the elements of my personal goals and aspirations of being an elementary school teacher with the real experience of teaching students within my classroom. Through the lens of an ethnography, and grounded in the research components of culturally inclusive education and, this thesis provides a critical and needed pedagogical approach to how teachers can make a difference in the lives of their students, and in the process learn that they are really the ones being taught.

Safe At Home: My Journey From Student To Teacher, Elena Fregoso

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnography is to examine my journey through my first full year teaching. The main subjects of this work are myself, along with my 10^th grade World History students from Monte Vista High School. Through an examination of my personal history, as well as interviews with students and their parents, I have traced my effectiveness as a first-year teacher, through my ability to meet each student’s needs, as well as the development of relationships with each of my three focus students. Through personal anecdotes and the examination of assessment data, I have tracked my student’s progress …

Veteran K-6 Public School Teachers: Remaining Committed And Staying Engaged In Their Careers, Leslie Young

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study involved 15 veteran K-6 public school teachers – each having taught a minimum of 24 years - from several districts in Southern California. It identified and examined what factors influenced the ongoing commitment and engagement of these teachers over the course of their careers. Factors mirrored the study’s theoretical framework and included: 1) the teacher’s challenges, 2) the teacher’s personal characteristics or attributes, and 3) the teacher’s professional life phases.

A majority of the teachers interviewed spoke to the escalation of the environmental challenges they confronted while on the job, such as, student behavior, administrative and …

"Tinkering" With Student Rights: School Walkouts And The Implications Of Discipline Practice And Policy On Students' Right To Protest, Hannah Weissler

Scripps Senior Theses

In this study, I examine the extent to which students’ rights to free speech and expression were violated in response to the nationwide school walkouts that took place during the spring of 2018. Students hold the right to political speech and expression under the landmark Supreme Court Case, Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). However, the rights students maintain to participate in protest during school hours is somewhat unclear. Using a two-pronged case study analysis, I explore the question of student rights and potential violations in the face of protest through examining school disciplinary responses alongside disciplinary policy and disciplinary policy …

Island Invasion: The Silent Crisis In Hawaii, Sophia Janssen

Pomona Senior Theses

Keeping out invasive species may, upon first review, seem like a trivial environmental cry from ecologists and deep environmentalists; a belated wish to return to an undeveloped world where nature was pristine. However invasive species create problems that impact all of us and can have far more severe consequences than changing a stunning landscape. These problems are heightened in islands like Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystems have developed over centuries of evolution and adaptation. The introduction of a disease-carrying mosquito can put the people of Hawaii at risk to many vector-born illnesses and create an epidemic, taking human life. The …

The Impact Of Four-Day School Weeks And Fifth-Day Programs On Delinquency And Problem Behaviors In Adolescents, Emily Collins

Scripps Senior Theses

In recent years, tightening budgets have forced school districts to find new ways to save money. One way that has become increasingly popular is to shorten the traditional five-day school week to only four-days a week. This change is budget friendly and may act through efficiency wage theory as a recruitment tool for better teachers. Despite the increasing prevalence of districts running on four-day weeks, many of the effects of the shorter week on students are still unclear. Utilizing district-level panel data from the Colorado Department of Education, Study One took a difference-in-differences approach to determine the effect of the …

Doggone Smart: A Canine-Assisted Reading Program And The Effect On Self-Efficacy And Standardized Test Scores, Valerie Daifotis

Scripps Senior Theses

The use of dogs in a reading program is not a new concept. However, this study addresses the gap in the literature by exploring the connection between reading to dogs, reading self-efficacy, and reading standardized test scores. Using an experimental control group design, this study will look at below-average readers in the fifth grade with half randomly assigned to read once a week to a certified therapy dog and volunteer and the other half randomly assigned to read to just an adult volunteer with no dog. This study will use a reading self-efficacy questionnaire (Carroll & Fox, 2017) and the …

Labor Experiences Of Public High School Counselors: Neoliberalism, Productivity, And Care, Avery Harwood

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the day-to-day realities for public high school counselors inside their schools. The national average student-to-counselor ratio in public high schools in the U.S. is 482:1. This is almost double the recommended counselor caseload by the American School Counselor Association, which recommends 250 students per counselor. However, counselors’ inflated caseloads are not the only reason why counselors are overworked. Using a year’s worth of ethnographic research, I analyze the bureaucratic and care labor practices of counselors and the ways in which their labor exploitation reflects years of neoliberal discourse influencing the functioning of public education. This neoliberalization of …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status On College Students’ Experiences, Shaafi A. Farooqi

Pitzer Senior Theses

This qualitative research project examines the role of socioeconomic status in shaping the experiences of students attending Pearson College, an elite liberal arts college in Southern California. One hour-long, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) students in order to better understand APIDA student experiences and their views on the college’s efforts to support class-based diversity and inclusion. Findings include insights into challenges faced by college students, how they understand privilege and identity, and where college students find support. These results have implications for Pearson College, and similar liberal arts colleges, to implement changes to …

Putting Educational Reform Into Practice: The Impact Of The No Child Left Behind Act On Students, Teachers, And Schools, Timothy Song

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on U.S. student achievement and teacher effectiveness. By combining the results from various data sources, I am able to indicate the levels of student preparedness, school spending, and specific classroom practices. After an analysis of my results, I suggest that NCLB has found moderate success in increasing the level of math preparedness for younger students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. On the other hand, the data also suggests that there have been no statistically significant gains in reading achievement after the implementation of NCLB. Additionally, spending …

The Role Of Quality Education In The Economic Development Of Mexico, Betzayra Perez

CMC Senior Theses

Mexico’s education system ranks among the lowest in terms of quality and achievement levels. Given the importance of education for a country’s economic development, it is crucial to understand how improvements in Mexico’s education quality can result in economic growth for the country. This thesis aims to create awareness about how the quality of learning rather than total schooling can result in improving Mexico’s economic development. First, a general literature review provides significant findings of the quality of education, the difference between learning and schooling, and educational equity, and its effects on economic development. Moreover, a detailed overview of the …

Re-Evaluating Bilingual Education Within The U.S. Public Education System, Stephanie Nunez`

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the potential of bilingual education for the future of American (U.S.) democratic society. It places an assessment of bilingualism in the larger history of the relationship between education and a vision of American democracy. The research focuses on the importance of being multilingual for a democratic society, and argues why bilingual education should be made available to students during the elementary years of their education. This study analyzes the state of California’s educational policies and concludes that viewing bilingual education through assimilationist lenses hinders students’ character and professional opportunity. It promotes acculturation and accommodation without assimilation as …

Hidden Cracks In The Leaking Stem Pipeline: Retention Within First-Generation Latinx Students In Baccalaureate Stem Programs At Predominately White Institutions, Kevin Kandamby

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis documents the lived experiences of first-generation Latinx students navigating

through predominately white institutions while attaining or attempting to attain a STEM degree. To examine this, twelve students from five different institutions were interviewed in semi- structured focus groups to better understand the educational trajectories of students in STEM. Inadequate high school preparation, educational disparities, mental health, and lack of institutional support were some of the reoccurring concerns students had across all focus groups. Students also highlighted that cultural competency across faculty in STEM, support from identity groups, and returning back to their Latinx community to serve as professionals …

The Continuous Journey, Bailey Jackson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The following work has compiled over the course of my time spent at Claremont Graduate University. Through my time in the program I have not only developed as an educator but an individual as well. My journey began simply by looking at myself and who I am. I thought I knew who I was, but as I continued with my courses, spent more time in the classroom, and engaged in professional relationships I began to wonder. Throughout this ethnography, I will share my experiences and journey through this roller coaster year. However, as I reflect now, I can begin to …

Thoughts Of A First Year Teacher: Know Your Students, Caitlin King

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This Ethnographic Narrative is a research based look into the lives of socially disadvantaged students in a low-income area. It breaks down the assets and needs of each student individually and discusses how to better help them academically and socially based on their individual personalities and needs. The narrative also discusses the community in which these individual students live and attend school, it looks at research on the community to determine how each student is affected by the city that they live in. Finally the narrative concludes by looking at the teacher over the course of this past year and …

Ethnographic Narrative Project, Kimberly Goodwin

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This paper details the journey of a first-year teacher. It is a highly reflective exploration of their inner landscape – one that documents the development of the teaching self in relation to students and society at large. Separated into four distinct sections, this work serves as an account of personal motivation to teach, getting to know students beyond the classroom walls, immersion in the community to situate educational work, and a comprehensive reflection upon teaching effectiveness and the evolution of the educating self. Development as a professional educator as stated in Teacher Performance Expectation (TPE) 6 demands continual introspection and …