Education Commons^™

Creating A Three Dimensional Ngss Aligned Unit On Motion And Energy For Middle Grades Students, Spencer M. Rudie

Honors Capstones

A study was conducted to see how the attitudes of middle school aged students would change with respect to science and engineering before and after participating in a ten-lesson unit. Students from the Barb City STEAM team (n=5) participated in the unit and attitudes assessment The unit was based on the principles of motion and energy, concluding with an engineering challenge where the students analyzed the motion and energy of a mousetrap powered car that they built from common craft materials. Their attitudes were assessed before and after the unit with seven questions using a five-point Likert scale, and the …

Snail Races: An Inquiry-Based Approach To Learn Invasive Species Ecology, Emma Grindle, Heather E. Bergan-Roller, Ashton Johnson, Grace Lunaburg, Jennifer A.H. Koop

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Inquiry-based lessons allow learning that is hands-on and student-driven, fostering engagement and retention of knowledge in any discipline. Here, we use this learning framework to engage students in exploring the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on animal dispersal as a means of connecting students to multiple ecological concepts. Instructors are provided with a guided lecture on key ecological concepts including the impacts of invasive species, dispersal mechanisms, and species interactions with the environment. Furthermore, the interactive lecture introduces students to the snail study system and explains the experimental process, which involves low-cost, readily available materials (e.g., kiddie pools). Students …

Multilingualism And Augmentative Alternative Communication: A Review Of The Literature, Hannah N. Lamarca, Natalie R. Andzik

Honors Capstones

Purpose: Individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) are often offered English-only AAC systems that do not meet their language needs. Devices that host multiple languages often only offer one at a time.

Method: The authors reviewed the literature by searching relevant databases using a variety of search strings. Following our inclusionary and exclusionary criteria, 15 articles were yielded for analysis.

Results: Authors found that more than half of the included articles were discussion-based papers on AAC delivery, barriers to AAC and multilingualism, and codeswitching using AAC. The included interview studies aimed to …

Norms Of Mathematical Definitions: Imposing Constraints, Permitting Choice, Or Both?, Rachel Rupnow, Brooke Randazzo

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Definitions play an important role in mathematics by stipulating objects of interest to mathematicians in order to facilitate theory building. Nevertheless, limited research has examined how mathematicians approach writing definitions or the values of the mathematical community that are upheld through norms related to definition use and writing. Based on interviews with nine algebraists/category theorists, we characterize two mathematical values upheld through definitions: clarity in and for communication, and freedom of choice in the use and writing of definitions. Further results highlight the norms and values related to defining that participants do and do not claim to discuss through their …

Examining Early Word Recognition Instruction: Synthetic Phonics Vs. Analytic Phonics, Jenelle Gallagher-Mance

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This single subject experimental design study used an adapted alternating treatment design to examine the effects of a synthetic phonics intervention and an analytic phonics intervention on oral reading accuracy, oral reading rate, and letter-sound correspondences among first grade students. Students who were reading at least two levels below guided reading level expectations and scored below the 25th percentile on the AIMSweb R-CBM (2017) fluency probe and the Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory (Baer et al., 2007) were selected to participate in the study. Five participants received daily instruction based on a synthetic phonics intervention (systematic directed phonics) or …

The Relationship Between Campus Dining, Student Learning, And Student Success, John Boswell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Campus dining does more than provide sustenance to a campus community. Campus dining is an integral part of student success and learning. Limited research has looked at the impact of campus dining, particularly in the areas of student success and learning. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how campus dining directors in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) perceived how themselves and their dining programs impact student learning and success. Data was collected through interviews with MAC campus dining directors and through observations made on their campus dining websites. Three themes emerged from the research on ways campus …

Herstory 101: Examining The Representation Gap Of Bipoc Women Educational Leaders, Kinasha Brown

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how lived experiences influenced perceptions of leadership self-efficacy amongst Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (BIPOC) women educational leaders in order to minimize future representation gaps in educational leadership. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 BIPOC cis-gender female leaders who worked in a large school district in the southwestern region of the United States. Results: Examining the social constructs of race, gender, leadership makes clear how BIPOC women are socially constructed as inferior and how that played out in this educational leadership settings. The interconnectedness of both approaches contributes to …

Well-Being In Graduate Health Professions Education: Exploration Of Programmatic Interventions, The Student Experience, And Students’ Support Preferences, Katherine Schultz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Healthcare provider well-being is a growing area of professional concern. Beyond the negative impacts on the clinicians’ health, stress, burnout, and other manifestations of decreased clinician well-being can directly affect the quality of patient care. Research suggests that well-being concerns begin in graduate health professions education programs, during which students undergo rigorous academic and clinical training for future careers as clinicians. The aim of this study was to explore programmatic interventions to promote well-being in graduate health professions education and the students’ experiences of well-being while enrolled in graduate health professions programs.

This study was conducted across three phases. Phase …

Covid-19 Online Learning: Characteristics And Perceptions Of Newly Struggling High School Students, Kristine Webster

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide closures of schools resulting in a sudden shift to online instruction for a large population of students. For many students, this shift caused a decrease in academic performance. This four-paper dissertation explores the impact of this shift on newly struggling high school students. These students earned a D or F as their final course grade in two or more classes during the first semester of 2020 online learning but earned zero or one D or F final course grade during the first semester of 2019 with in person instruction.Using a correlational research design, the first …

Does The Degree Matter? Understanding Employer Hiring Perspectives On Community College Health Information Technology Program Graduates, Tricia L. Broughton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Health Information Technology (HIT) is an in-demand occupation across Illinois and as such community colleges offer related preparation programs in the form of one-two semester Career and Technical Education (CTE) Certificates and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees. Community college applied programs aim to meet the needs of local employers and the interest of students to obtain employment within their communities. Research suggests that employability as perceived by employers goes beyond the technical skill requirements of the job. This dissertation project aimed to better understand employer’s hiring perspectives on community college health information technology (HIT) program graduates and ultimately whether …

Diagram Affordances And Their Impact On Students’ Answers About Rivers And Groundwater, Daniel R. Curtis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Diagrams are important tools for conveying information in geoscience education. Choosing what imagery to use and assessing its effectiveness is not straightforward. A diagram needs sufficient affordances (i.e., details, dimension) for the viewers to comprehend the intended message without adding too many details that will confuse and distract the viewer. Prior research suggests that the viewer’s knowledge and experience impact how diagram affordances are interpreted. Understanding this interaction between knowledge, context, and diagram affordance is critical for education and assessment.To investigate how changes in affordances affect student interpretation of images, we surveyed undergraduate students (N = 201) in introductory Earth …

Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologists’ Knowledge, Beliefs, And Practices Surrounding Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Assessment Practices For Dual Language Learners, Rebecca Lynne Jarzynski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Early intervention (EI) speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are required to provide culturally and linguistically responsive assessments for dual language learners (DLLs) within an increasingly diverse population. Previous research has documented gaps between SLPs’ beliefs related to assessments for DLLs and their implementation of best practices within school-based and pediatric outpatient settings. The purpose of this present research study was to better understand the current knowledge, beliefs, and practices of EI SLPs in relation to the use of culturally and linguistically responsive assessment practices within the context of EI programs. A total of 134 EI SLPs completed a nationwide survey in which …

Who Helps The Helper? A Phenomenology Of The Impact Of Secondary Trauma During Covid-19 On Student Affairs Professionals In Dean Of Students Offices, Case Management Roles, Residential Housing And Cultural Resource Centers, Jeffrey M. Salmon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Student affairs professionals (SAPs) are no strangers to experiencing secondary trauma as their work in multiple fields brings them in close contact with students in crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education found its world turned upside down and students were facing heightened trauma due changing class modalities, problematic finances, disruptive living situations, lack of basic needs, as wells as virus-related death and sickness. This phenomenological research study examines the essence of secondary trauma specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by SAPs who work as Deans of Students, Case Managers, Housing Professionals, and Cultural Resource Center Professionals. This research interviewed …

Blended Learning Motivation Support At The Saudi Electronic University: Utilizing Self-Determination Theory, Mona Alenezi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Blended learning has been implemented in different designs and significantly impacted the learning process. It has been reported that students learned more when online classes were added to traditional courses, and it improved student interaction and satisfaction. In Saudi Arabia, more research is needed to understand the challenges and implementation of blended learning, because it is becoming more popular. This study aimed to use self-determination theory to examine psychological needs satisfaction in blended-learning courses at Saudi Electronic University. The study used the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) instructional design approach to investigate the level of student motivation in blended …

Investing In Teachers: Understanding The Relationship Between The Standards Assessment Inventory And School District Spending On Professional Learning, Ankhe Bradley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation in practice will focus on gaining insights into the relationship between money spent on professional development and the Standards Assessment Inventory Scores. The Standards Assessment Inventory is an assessment tool aligned with the Standards of Professional Learning and provides insight into the perceptions of professional learning, the degree of success or challenges of professional learning, and systematic ways to provide decision makers with information on how to align professional development, educator effectiveness, and student achievement. The standards for professional learning include the following key areas: learning communities, leadership, resources, data, learning designs, implementation, and outcomes. Learning Forward’s Standards …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: An Understanding Of How To Educate Black And Latinx Students, Darius Jackson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This case study examined culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) with a primary focus on students and their culturally responsive perspectives through qualitative interviews and focus groups with students and teachers at an alternative high school in Chicago. Using an engaged scholar and insider researcher approach, I was able to have deep and meaningful conversations with the participants that supplied a rich bond and foundation for data analysis. The overarching purpose of this study was to supply an understanding of how students and teachers understand cultural responsiveness to find cultural curriculum changes. A series of interviews, focus groups, and analysis of artifacts …

The Quality Of Centers Of Teaching And Learning: What We See And What We Don’T, Darrell H. Robin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

An institution of higher education will create a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) as a hub for pedagogical and professional development for its faculty. While CTLs have developed over the past fifty years, their administrators and staff have endeavored to develop, strengthen, and enhance quality pedagogical skills for anyone who teaches for the college from adjunct instructors to tenured professors. Specifically looking at how Illinois community college CTLs provide professional development opportunities for educators, this critical summative content analysis considers what CTLs value in their professional development along with the types of support they provide faculty. Relying on the …

Using Utuat To Investigate Corporate Acceptance Of Optional Online Training Programs In Saudi Arabia, Asma Albahli

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The pandemic and post pandemic job market showed the importance of online professional training for employees to improve professional skills necessary to acquire skills to adapt to the new environment and get promoted in their current professions, while contributing to organizations’ success. The present dissertation study utilized the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTUAT) as the theoretical lens to examine the effect of performance expectation (PE), effort expectancy (EE), and social influence (SI) on the behavioral intention (BI) of Saudi Arabian corporate employees working at organizations and companies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to use optional online training …

K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences In Their Teaching Practices Of Utilizing Multimedia Integrating With Online Classroom Technology, Rateeba Turki Algoufi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation aimed to explore how teachers perceive and engage with multimedia integration in their online teaching practices to effectively involve students. The study specifically focused on teachers in grades three through seven at an international school in Saudi Arabia. The research questions delved into teachers' descriptions of their perceptions and experiences when using online technology and utilizing appropriate multimedia to engage students. The literature review highlighted the existing gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application when it comes to integrating technology and multimedia in the learning environment. The research presented the TPACK framework and multimedia cognitive theory as guiding …

From Rookie To Researcher: Integrating Information Literacy Into Undergraduate Research, Larissa K. Garcia, Dee Anna Phares, Kimberly Shotick

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

Undergraduate research is a specific pedagogical practice with an impact on teaching and learning, and the definition of what counts as research continues to expand to include different types of projects, mentors, and institutions. Diversity, equity, and inclusion in librarians’ work with students and faculty are present and growing. Collaborations between faculty, librarians, and students are furthering student knowledge in new ways. This community and an awareness of students’ non-academic challenges demonstrate the library’s contribution to students’ overall sense of belonging within their institutions. This chapter describes the involvement of an academic library with an undergraduate research program.

Forest County’S Historically Underrepresented Rural Students And Barriers To College, Tracy Ash

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study used newly collected survey data from the Perceptions of Educational Barrier Scale – Revised (PEB-R; Gibbons, 2005) to examine the reported educational barriers of students who are currently enrolled at the University of Midwest and who graduated from one of the five designated rural high schools in Forest County, Illinois. The research sample consisted of 29 students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the PEB-R mean scores of reported educational barriers to post-secondary opportunities of historically underrepresented students who graduated from any of the five rural high schools in Forest County and …

University Faculty Perceptions Of Mandatory Online Training As Related To Training Self-Efficacy, Motivation, And Utility, Tori Austin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Organizations spend millions of dollars training employees in ways to improve their skills –recently through mandatory professional development delivered virtually or through online asynchronous platforms. This research investigated how social exchange theory and self-efficacy theory inform faculty participants’ motivation to transfer such knowledge and skills from mandatory online trainings into their workplace practices. Faculty who had attended mandatory online training were asked to complete a 25-item survey about their motivation to transfer information from the training into their workplace practice as well as their perceived utility of training and their training self-efficacy. This study examined the extent to which motivation …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Physical Therapists’ Pyschological Characteristics And Feedback Methods, Dustin Cox

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Providing treatment interventions to clients with chronic pain is a complex task for any professional. Research suggests that clients with chronic pain experience declines in physical, emotional, and psychological quality of life. Client’s that have chronic pain have complex effects from dealing with this condition in their lives. Hashmi and colleagues found that clients with chronic pain (i.e., pain lasting > three months) process pain through the emotional and reward circuitry in the brain. The literature base provides evidence that clients with chronic pain who receive psychologically based interventions along with physical rehabilitation have better outcomes than individuals with chronic pain …

The Perspective Of Financial Aid Personnel On Middle-Income Student Loan Borrowing, Nicole Lacognata

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the financial aid personnel’s perspective on the impacts of middle-income student loan borrowing. Student loan borrowing is a concern for many due to the current debt reaching extraordinary amounts. This research explored the impacts specifically on middle-income students as opposed to low- or high-income students. Middle-income, for the purposes of this research, was defined as students who are above the threshold for need-based aid, but still have a remaining need. Four themes occurred as a result of this research: 1) payment opportunities for middle-income students 2) opt in and opt out loan …

Black Male Sense Of Belonging At Predominantly White Institutions, Christopher M.D. Mitchell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to identify the sense of belonging of Black male students attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). In many cases, Black males feel they do not belong in collegiate environments in the United States. Thirty-nine Black males attending a mid-sized Midwestern university were surveyed using the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfactions and Frustrations Survey and the College Persistence Questionnaire. One interesting result was a significant correlation between social integration and relatedness satisfaction, indicating Black males feel like they belong in the collegiate environment when they are integrated socially with students and faculty who look like them. This …

Faculty Engagement With Universal Design For Learning In The College Classroom, Erin Wilhelm

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore faculty engagement with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the college classroom. Specifically, this study sought to uncover how instructors of record of Middleview University (MU) use and experience UDL-based tools and pedagogy. The lived experiences of the participants were examined to reveal any possible challenges, benefits, and level of professional preparedness concerning UDL principles and their application to the classroom.Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and the collection of course artifacts and institutional content were the primary sources of data. The findings of this study revealed that, although the participants did …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Factors Associated With Burnout Among Early Childhood Education And Care Providers, Lee Wells

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Burnout among the early childhood workforce has gained widespread attention in research and policy due to greater awareness of the negative impacts on children, providers, and organizations. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers create supportive and nurturing environments that facilitate early learning and development for young children. Accordingly, ECEC providers are the connective tissue between program intentions and outcomes. Despite the critical nature of the field, early childhood providers continue to be underpaid, under-resourced, and undervalued, leading to a high risk of burnout. With turnover rates of ECEC providers higher than ever, the link between burnout and attrition has …

Interventions Utilized To Improve Attendance Amongst Secondary Students Experiencing School Refusal Behaviors, Kristen E. Bronke

Dissertations of Practice

INTERVENTIONS UTILIZED TO IMPROVE ATTENDANCE AMONGST SECONDARY STUDENTS EXPERIENCING SCHOOL REFUSAL BEHAVIORS

This study examined the interventions utilized to improve attendance amongst secondary students at a Midwest suburban high school as well as their relationship to the research-based interventions presented in the literature review. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 student services faculty members to identify what interventions are being utilized to help students with school refusal, which interventions they felt worked best for returning students experiencing school refusal behaviors to consistent attendance, and in what ways the school district can best support school student services personnel when working with …

"Leaving My Mark In White Spaces": A Critical Qualitative Case Study Exploring Black/African-American Undergraduate Women's Perceptions Of The Campus Environment's Influence On Persistence At A Hispanic-Serving Women's Institution, Keri Anne Alioto

Dissertations of Practice

"Leaving My Mark in White Spaces": A Critical Qualitative Case Study Exploring Black/African-American Undergraduate Women's Perceptions of the Campus Environment's Influence on Persistence at a Hispanic-Serving Women's Institution

One of the most overlooked populations in university environments and in research are students who identify as Black/African-American undergraduate women (B/AAUW). B/AAUW experience the intersectionality of both race and gender discrimination in higher education, often leaving these students silenced and marginalized while navigating their college experience. The purpose of this critical qualitative case study was to better understand how B/AAUW perceived the campus environment contributing to their sense of belonging and academic …

Middle School Grow Your Own Teaching Program, Andrew J. Vondran

Dissertations of Practice

Middle School Grow YOur Own Teaching Program

This dissertation addresses the teacher shortage in the United States of America. The profession of education has struggled to find teachers to fill vacancies and it is being felt throughout the country. This is not just in the rural areas or areas of low socioeconomic status. Even high paying districts are feeling the squeeze. Many school districts are trying to combat this problem in different ways, especially Grow Your Own teaching programs. Many of these programs run by school districts are focused on high school students, although there has been a lack of …