Education Commons^™

Keynote Panel: Creative Research Methods At Govstate - Possibilities For Cross-Pollination And Collaboration, Ujvala Rajadhyaksha, Katherine Carl, Frank Czuba, Christopher A. Dignam, Megan Vangorder

Research Days

No abstract provided.

Unlocking The Potential: Unraveling The Impact Of Standardized Testing On 3-8th Graders In Illinois, Khalliah Gardner

Research Days

This presentation examines the impact of standardized testing on students in grades 3 to 8 in Illinois. I will explore how standardized tests affect students' grades, fairness in education and their overall happiness using existing research and data. I will also investigate the perceptions and attitudes of teachers, parents, and students towards standardized testing. My findings indicate that while standardized testing may provide valuable information about student performance and help identify areas for improvement in education systems, it also has several negative consequences. Big tests can make teachers only teach for the test, instead of teaching everything. Big tests worsen …

Links To Parent Involvement And Higher Education Success Literature Review, Tiffany M. Weathers-Fincher

Research Days

Parental involvement in education is a topic of ongoing debate and research due to its impact on student's academic and social development. This literature review explores parental involvement in higher education, focusing on transitioning from K-12 to college. Epstein's Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence guides this study, emphasizing parents' critical role in nurturing a conducive learning environment.

The review highlights the complexities, challenges, and impacts of parental involvement in higher education, emphasizing the need for effective partnerships between families, institutions, and communities to nurture student success. While parental involvement is familiar in K-12, it becomes less clear in college, …

Parental Involvement In Urban Schools, Tiffany M. Weathers-Fincher

Research Days

Parental involvement continues to decline in urban schools, and their engagement is critical to closing growing educational gaps. As a result, this research aims to explore the perceptions of elementary school principals and teachers and parents' experiences relating to promoting parental involvement. The researcher examined existing research to explore this topic and utilized Epstein's Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence, commonly used to study family involvement within schools. Research suggests that the participation of parents is at the core of student academic success, and the lack thereof is a consequence of the disconnection of the spheres of influence, which are …

Post Secondary Leadership: Promoting Leadership Development In Average Achieving Students, Deborah J. Clair

Research Days

This proposed research seeks to explore the intersection of leadership and average-achieving high school students. Specifically, the study aims to shed light on the experiences of adults who were once perceived as average-achieving high school students but possessed innate talents and abilities that were overlooked and excluded from leadership opportunities during their time in high school. Despite facing deficit thinking by school administration due to their grades, these individuals went on to become successful leaders in their careers. While there have been anecdotal claims and media coverage of the success of average-achieving students, there has been limited formal research conducted …

University Honors Program: Enhanced Learning Experiences, Jonathan C. Cruz

Research Days

The role in any university honors program is to provide an enhanced learning experience. Students who are enrolled in the honors program could gain hands on practical experiences and can be utilized in the real world. Additionally, honors program students can participate in research projects and potential internship approaching graduation. With these opportunities in mind, The GSU Honors Program seeks to expands its initiatives focusing on three strategies: connection, engagement, and long-lasting professional relationships with its alumni (Chaney et al., 2020).The purpose of this paper is to establish a framework correlated to the role of the University Honors Program’s strategic …

Synchronous Learning In K-12, Jonathan C. Cruz

Research Days

During the period of COVID-19, K-12 students continue to learn in-person, remotely, or in hybrid formats. This presentation provides an opportunity to provide techniques and concepts to keep students active and engaged, regardless of environment. This presentation will also describe various interactive platforms to guide students in their academic success.

Supporting Students In Elementary Statistics, J. Christopher Tweddle, Maxwell Luetkemeier

Research Days

General Education mathematics requirements can present a significant hurdle for student progress towards attaining a degree. Nationally, students enrolled in introductory college-level mathematics classes successfully earn credit towards a degree about 65% of attempts. GSU is no exception. Since we began admitting first-year undergraduate students in 2014, we have offered different support opportunities to promote student success. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the interventions and the data on student success in Elementary Statistics. Additionally, we'll provide preliminary information on pilot offering of a corequisite support model.

Promoting Literacy In A Virtual World: Success Stories Of Two University Student Clubs, Katherine R. Drish, Stefanie Flory, Dr. Katy E. Hisrich, Dr. Amy Vujaklija, Dr. Amy Kelly, Dr. Lisa Pennington

Research Days

The Student Education Association and Kappa Delta Pi at Governors State University has a main goal this semester, which is to promote literacy in a virtual world. The purpose of this is to help all young individuals become strong readers. Our organization was fortunate enough to receive a grant from the National Education Association (NEA) that allowed us to purchase children’s books, invite guest speakers, and create workshops about varying social issues. This was in collaboration with a local library. Some of the social issues that were highlighted in our workshops are community and activism, women’s rights, and identity. We …

Cultivating Community And Wellness In Honors, Melanie D. O'Connell, Lauren Cleary

Research Days

The 2019 National Collegiate Honors Council Conference in New Orleans was a beneficial experience for our honors program here at Governors State University. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to speak with other honors student council members from all across the Nation. These other honors programs have established impactful learning opportunities that have greatly increased the involvement in their honors community. As a relatively new honors program, we are looking into new ways of implementing opportunities in the community of Governors State University. Our goal during our time here at Governors State University is to build a stronger community …

Activities In A Virtual World: Engaging Students, Faculty, And The Community, Katherine R. Drish, Rama Diab, Stefanie Flory, Dr. Lisa Pennington, Dr. Katy E. Hisrich

Research Days

The Student Education Association and Kappa Delta Pi at Governors State University prides itself on the amount of time and thought that is put into planning and hosting our very own virtual events and socials. Our organizations have worked rigorously to create varying outlets and resources for our members. With computer screens acting as barriers for real life interaction, we were determined to find a solution to gather people together safely to have fun, stay connected, and extend learning. We have had tremendous success in reaching this goal early on in the semester. Our first social, a Virtual Pet Show, …

Post-Secondary Leadership And Success: Promoting Leadership Development In Academically Low-Achieving Students, Deborah J. Clair

Research Days

At successful high schools, professional educators hold high expectations for all students to become leaders regardless of the grades students may receive in high school, including grades of “C” or “D.” When all students are supported and held accountable, and the college buzz is in the air, students remain engaged and committed to attending post-secondary education- a key factor in student leadership development (Fazekas & Warren, n.d.). Educators need to use an anti-deficit framework approach in leadership education for students who perform below average and highlight how students out of classroom experiences (for example, students who may be musically inclined …

First Generation Students Sense Of Belonging In Higher Education, Abrea Ramadan

Research Days

The purpose of this poster presentation is to highlight the struggles faced by first-generation college students at their institution and identify where this support is needed. This poster presentation identifies the multiple learning curves and obstacles experienced by first-generation college students towards degree completion. It is recognized that first-generation college students and their paths through higher education are notably different compared to their continuing generation peers. The identity revolved around being a first-generation college student starts with the relationship with their family because they are the first in their family to obtain a bachelor's degree. With the appropriate support given …

Crisis Communication During Covid-19, Jonathan C. Cruz

Research Days

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Kankakee County and surrounding schools since March 2020. This crisis has had an educational impact for the Kankakee Area Career Center. Primarily focused on hands on learning in various trades, the transition towards remote learning lasted throughout the 2019-2020 school year, and has continued periodically in the Fall 2020 semester. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the actions and outcomes on the Kankakee Area Career Center’s COVID-19 response when it comes to remote learning, communications for its stakeholders, and potential recommendations to streamline this process during times of crisis.

The Impact Of Gsu Faculty Research: A Review Of The First 50 Years, Paul Blobaum

Research Days

Background: Since its founding in 1969, Governors State University Faculty and staff have created new knowledge and disseminated research results, impacting knowledge globally.

Objective: This study seeks to measure the impact of GSU faculty and staff research. Who are the most productive authors, and what are the top most cited publications? What is GSU's impact on our region, state, and beyond?

Methods: A descriptive study to identify methods for reviewing primary sources and research tools for reviewing faculty research outputs retrospectively for a 50 year period. Tools available to GSU such as Web of Science, Digital Commons, were utilized and …

Supporting The Success Of Honors Commuter Students, Isabella T. Hollingsworth

Research Days

This paper will review a variety of ways to support commuter success on campus, specifically for Honors Students. Honors Students typically have an intense workload that expects detailed focus into a variety of specific areas for class purpose as well as an expectance in extra-curricular activities and volunteer work. Because of the high expectations Honors students face, there is a need for universities to provide support networks for students. Universities can support their students in a variety of ways, however specific emphasis needs to be placed on Honors students who commute to campus. The author argues two influential ways that …

Breaking Down Common Core Math, Dialah Azam

Research Days

Common Core has been at the very front of parent and teacher criticism alike for some time now. The reason there is such a gap between the excitement for a better way to teach and the utter confusion on specifically Common Core Math is the understanding of the rationale behind it. The aim of this research and presentation is to bridge that gap by introducing the background of why the math curriculum has changed, how to understand the new math strategies that have resulted from this change, and how to pass that understanding on to make math and Common Core, …

Welcome And Opening Session: Presentation Of The First 50 Years Of Gsu Faculty And Student Research And Beyond, Elizabeth Cada, Elaine P. Maimon, Shailendra Kumar, Paul Blobaum

Research Days

No abstract provided.