Education Commons^™

Using Critical Literacy With 4th And 5th Graders In A Book Club Format, Danielle N. Barbato

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research how fourth and fifth grade students interact in a book club when presented with the provocative text, Bud, Not Buddy (Curtis, 1999). Students were provided with an open forum to discuss controversial topics such as race and social class during one of the most difficult times in American history, The Great Depression. The study was an open observation of the evolution of the book club, individual student responses, and peer communication. The study evaluated (1) how provocative text play a role in the discussions that the students have, (2) how teacher questioning …

Perceptions Of Mattering And Marginality: A Study Of International Students At Rowan University, Katelyn Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the theory of mattering first developed by Rosenberg and McCullough (1981) that was later adapted to a higher education setting by Schlossberg (1989) and applies it to an international student context. More specifically, this study aims to measure the degree to which international students feel as though they matter to Rowan University across six subscales: general college mattering, mattering versus marginality, mattering to counselors, mattering to instructors, mattering to students, and perception of value.

Using the College Mattering Inventory (CMI) instrument developed by Tovar, Simon, and Lee (2008), 132 international students at Rowan University were surveyed on …

Kindergarteners' Use Of Oral Language When Interacting With Texts, Carrie Lee Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research inquiry is to study how kindergartners use oral language when interacting with texts during guided reading, read aloud books, and literacy discussions. Six students were selected from a Basic Skills Instruction (BSI) intervention program to participate in this study. As the academic demands have increased in the kindergarten classroom, it appears that there is a decline in the oral language skills that are the foundation for success as an emergent reader. This study examines the effects of engaging students in talk about books to promote their oral language and reading skills. Characteristics of literacy talk …

Yoga And Mindfulness In The Self-Contained Classroom, Deborahlee M. Wehner

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the effectiveness of the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) intervention of yoga and mindfulness in a third through fifth grade self-contained classroom. Specifically, the study analyzed the effects of yoga and mindfulness on (a) self-efficacy and (b) self-regulation. Ten students participated in the study, five males and five females. This research used an experimental/control group design. Prior to the six-week intervention period both the control group and experimental group completed a questionnaire rating their self-efficacy in the areas of academics, social and behavior. Post intervention the students completed the self-efficacy questionnaire again. During the six-week intervention period …

Effects Of Online Program Vs. Handheld Flashcards On Multiplication And Division Fact Knowledge Of 4th Grade Learners With Exceptional Needs, Lindsay M. Siegman

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a time series design to investigate the effects of a computer-based math fact program called Xtramath.org vs. the use of traditional handheld flashcards. Students were given a baseline assessment before beginning the school district's method for learning basic math facts: Xtramath.org. They were tested again after 6 weeks and then began to use traditional handheld flashcards. Students were tested again to compare the results. Eight 4th grade students (5 male and 3 female) with special needs were included in this study. These students attend school in a wealthy, suburban area with a predominantly white population.

Fluency in …

Gender And Organizational Citizenship Behavior In Library Technology: Mixed Methods Study, Sharon Whitfield

Theses and Dissertations

Academic librarianship continues to be a feminized profession, yet there are specializations within the profession that tend to be gender segregated, such as library technology. In this mixed methods study, women technology librarians' behaviors are examined through the gendered lens of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), which are discretionary, voluntary acts that are outside an employee's job description (Organ, 1988), but help shape the organizational culture and facilitate organizational functioning (Podsakoff & MacKenzie, 1997). This mixed methods study uses a survey to inform the extent of differences in organizational citizenship behaviors between men and women, and interviews to provide new insight …

The Lived Experiences Of Black Men Creating A Third Space At A Predominantly White Institution, Steven E. Radwanski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Black men creating third spaces at a predominantly White institution (PWI). The use of the third space theory permitted the researcher to examine both the student's current cultural experiences and the campus climate to understand better how Black men create a third space (Bhabha, 1994). Many Black men have found themselves in between two cultures their previous cultural experiences, and the campus climate of the institution they are attending.

The research gathered and analyzed through this study indicates that the third space theory can be situated to the student's …

Kindergarten Students' Interactions With Texts During Independent Reading, Tracy L. Schaper

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how emergent readers interact with texts during independent reading. Audio recordings of student talk, video taped observations, notes in a teacher research journal, a book selection chart, and concepts about print assessments were all analyzed to determine how emergent readers interact with texts. Findings were that students interact with familiar, unfamiliar, and leveled texts differently including varying levels of conventionality and prosody of language, the comprehension strategies and skills they use to make meaning, and the concepts about print they apply. Findings also included trends for the types of teacher support students …

How Third Grade Students Respond To The Multiple Perspectives In Read Alouds Of Critical Texts, Kathryn Elizabeth Zeck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how students respond to weekly read alouds of critical literacy texts. The specific aim was to see what type of critical stances students adopt as they respond to the multiple perspectives present in the texts. Student written reflections, audio recording of student talk, and anecdotal notes are all analyzed. The implications for implementing weekly read alouds of critical literacy texts as it relates to students' social awareness are discussed.

Integrating Technology Into The Literacy Curriculum Within A First Grade Classroom, Christina M. Hargrove

Theses and Dissertations

Technology is ingrained in almost every part of our culture, affecting the way we live, work, play, and learn. Most careers in this day and age require professionals to be proficient in the new literacies of 21st-century technologies. Thus, it only makes sense that technology be used in classrooms with even our youngest learners to help prepare our students to be successful in their futures. This research explores what happens when technology is integrated into the literacy curriculum within a first grade classroom. To this end, technology was integrated into a multitude of literacy lessons and classroom routines. Results revealed …

Self-Reflection Among Teachers Of Culturally Diverse Learners: An Intervention Study Exploring The Influence Of Cultural Identity, Susan A. Dube

Theses and Dissertations

Student achievement is at the forefront of conversations related to education, yet culturally diverse learners continue to experience academic success much less than their White peers (Ajayi, 2011; Alviar-Martin & Ho, 2011; Aronson & Laughter, 2016; Ladson-Billings, 2009). Persistent gaps in achievement, graduation rates, and completion of college degrees indicate that educators need to reflect on how students from marginalized groups are prepared to participate in the global economy (Crouch, 2012; Ford & Moore, 2013; Frankenberg, 2009; Pennington, Brock & Ndura, 2012). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a structured intervention program would increase in-service teachers' racial …

White Faculty Perceptions Of Diversity And Diversity Work, Ariane Hutchins-Newman

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education has become increasingly diverse over the past 100 years. Women and people of color have integrated and, in many cases, assimilated into the academy. However, not all groups have gained access equally. While certain groups, such as women, have experienced measurable growth, African Americans have lagged in their presence within the academy. Representation of Black scholars in the faculty has been constant over a nearly 20-year period. Black faculty comprised 5% of the faculty in 1998 and 6% of the faculty in 2015. Colleges and universities dedicate significant resources to diversity and inclusion. However, there continues to be …

College Readiness: The Disconnect Between High School And Community College, Elizabeth C. Giacobbe

Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of students attending college continues to increase and college remediation rates remain considerably high, particularly at community colleges. This study explored high school teachers and community college perceptions of college readiness in the area of English. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was employed to develop a better understanding of teachers' perceptions of students' preparedness for the academics rigors of college English. This study was motivated by three research questions. How do community college professors describe college-readiness in the area of English? How do high school teachers describe college-readiness in the area of English? What aspects of college-readiness …

Measuring Undergraduate Student Satisfaction As An Indicator Of Customer Service In Higher Education, Sanaz Shahi

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to measuring undergraduate students' satisfaction at Rowan University. The theoretical framework that guided this study was Tinto's Theory, Astin's IEO Model, and Hezberg's Theory. This study use the quantitative method, which includes a survey focused on students' satisfaction of seven areas including: university staff, services provided by the university, academic advisor, class availability, academic major, and campus safety. One hundred seventy nine subjects completed a Likert-type survey using a five-point scale to assess their satisfaction in the seven focus areas. The Statistical Program for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to input all …

Culture Matters: Professional Development And The Implementation Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Leslie M. Septor

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, ethnographic case study was to explore how teachers and teacher support personnel internalize and implement the tenets and strategies associated with professional development on culturally responsive pedagogy to gain a better understanding of the role professional development has in educational decision making. Data were collected data from a group of teachers and support staff who attended cultural competency training and who received subsequent mentoring. The study found, overall, that professional development is important to educators and was effective in shaping their understandings of cultural competency and how students learn in environments that are reflective of …

The Influence Of Pentecostal Social Networks On Latino Student College Choice, Michael J. Farrow

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the experiences of Latino Pentecostal students of traditional college age with regard to their college decisions, along with the influence of Pentecostal social networks on Latinos' college choice. Much research has focused on Latino students' college choice processes but Latino Pentecostal students as a specific subgroup have received little attention. This dissertation provides a more nuanced approach to the college decisions of the increasing number of Latino Pentecostal students in the United States. Applying a phenomenological research design, I conducted semi-structured interviews in which participants described their Pentecostal social network's role in their college choice process. In …

Impact Of A Leadership Development Intervention On Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Of Community College Students: A Quasi-Experimental Research Design, Sarah Jane Mcelroy

Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this quasi-experimental research study was to determine if a formalized leadership development program had an effect on a community college student's level of career decision-making self-efficacy. This research study utilized the Career Exploration & Decision-Making Learning Experiences Scale (CEDLE) and the Career Exploration & Decisional Self-Efficacy Brief Decisional (CEDSE-BD) questionnaire to determine a student's level of career decision-making self-efficacy before and after participation in a leadership intervention (n = 411). Propensity Score Matching was utilized to account for a variety of confounding variables and self-selection bias. Results showed that community college students who participated in a …

How Do Teachers, Counselors, And Administrators Describe Their Roles In Working With English Language Learners?, Myrtelina Martinez Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine, through a social justice lens, how teachers, counselors and administrators describe their roles when working with English Language learners (ELLs). The study was conducted with four (N = 4) general education teachers ranging from grades 9-12, one ESL teacher (N = 1), one counselor (N = 1), and three administrators (N = 3) in one suburban school with a culturally and linguistically diverse student population. Qualitative data was collected through interviews. Results indicated that teachers lacked the necessary pedological skills and training to effectively instruct ELLs. Furthermore, the study revealed …

Disciplinary Literacy Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Dlpck) Today: An Exploration Of Disciplinary Literacy Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Middle And High School Science, Social Studies, And English Language Arts, Linda M. Saraceno

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this exploratory qualitative study were to a) gain an understanding of middle and high school science, social studies, and English language arts teachers' disciplinary literacy pedagogical content knowledge b) explore teachers' dispositions towards disciplinary literacy and c) to determine whether teachers dispositions influenced disciplinary literacy instruction in the classroom. Using a pre - and post-survey, semi-structured interviews, professional development workshops, teacher reflections, and classroom observation field notes, this study discovered teachers' disciplinary literacy pedagogical content knowledge was a combination of generic literacy and disciplinary literacy skills knowledge. Teachers dispositions towards disciplinary literacy were found to be favorable …

Understanding Alternative Education Student Self-Efficacy Related To Experiential And Organizational Factors, Megan Maczonis Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The need for a high school diploma or equivalent is a social justice concern as the consequences of not earning a diploma or equivalent degree are lower income, higher crime rates, and poorer health (McClatchy, 2013; NCES, 2015; NCES, 2017; Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007; Thrane, 2006). The median earnings of young adults with a high school diploma and young adults with a bachelor's degree were 22 and 100 percent higher respectively than those of young adults without a high school diploma. Additionally, lower levels of educational attainment are related to higher rates of arrests and incarceration (Eby, 2013). Lower levels …

Effects Of Cooperative Learning Strategies On The Academic Self-Concept Of Special Education Students, Leah Flora Feldman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of the cooperative learning strategy referred to as "think-pair-share" on the academic self-concepts of students both in general education classrooms and inclusive education classrooms. This study included 55 third grade students, nine of them with exceptional learning needs. The study took place during a 65 minute reading block in three different classrooms; two being general education and one being inclusion, over a period of eight weeks. One of the general education classrooms was held as the control group.

In both the non-control group general education class and inclusion classroom, the think-pair-share technique was implemented to …

Gateway To Student Satisfaction: A Mixed Methods Study For Redesigning Student Services From A Legacy Model To A 21st Century One-Stop Model, Debora Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the student experience, in a One Stop Center at a public comprehensive community college located in the Mid-Atlantic region. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods analysis to assess the perceived impact of the centralization of functions on student satisfaction. Using expectation confirmation theory, customer satisfaction theory, and the researcher's professional experiences as a framework, the data collected allowed insight into the student experiences within an integrated one stop student service delivery environment. Five key findings demonstrated that further exploration of student needs and more frequent evaluation of services to meet …