Education Commons^™

The Coveted Souls Of Oppressed Persons, Connie L. Gibb

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Marcus Aurelius (167 A.C.E. III. 16) stated that: “[b]ody, soul, intelligence: to the body belong sensations, to the soul appetites, to the intelligence principles.” In my philosophical inquiry (my play) I argue it isn’t that simple and that the concept of soul is much like what Aristotle (1994, II, 1, 412 a 28) wrote, "The soul, therefore, is the primary act of a physical body potentially possessing life." Or, like Fincher (2007, p. 32) who wrote, “My soul is me, and I own all of my soul’s abilities and experiences…” I also discuss that the intelligence of human beings could …

Learning To Walk In Two Worlds: An Examination Of Soul In My Pedagogy, Colette M. Polite

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Who exactly is a teacher without soul? The answer is complex. First, this study will explore the concept of soul in education. There are varying cultural, religious and spiritual ways to examine soul. This inquiry does not seek to prove the existence of soul. Its existence is considered to be complex, and even abstract, but exists nonetheless. Soul is explored from a cross-cultural approach, which includes an emphasis on a Native American philosophical worldview and discourse. My approach involves teacher autobiography and auto-narrative to provide insights to teacher identity and the presence of soul in education. This project utilizes métissage …

An Investigation Of The Soar Study Strategy For Learning From Multiple Online Resources, Tareq Daher

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation investigated the effects of the SOAR study strategy for learning from multiple online resources. SOAR includes the components of Selection, Organization, Association, and Regulation. In past research, the effects of SOAR training were investigated with one online resource and with students studying provided or partially provided materials following training. This dissertation examines the effects of SOAR when learning from multiple online resources and when students create their own study materials following training and thus addresses this research gap. One hundred thirty-four (134) college students were assigned randomly to the control or experimental groups. All students participated in online …

Laptops And Language Learning: A Mixed Methods Study Of Technology Integration And Student Engagement, Ginger R. Starks-Yoble Ph.D.

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Student engagement and motivation have been a common focus among educational researchers over the last forty years. Self-determination theory and the inclusive definition of self-regulated learning have identified that both cognitive and motivational engagement are paramount for successful language learning. Within this canon of research, few have looked at student engagement as a result of effective technology integration during the language learning process. This mixed methods study explored students’ perceptions of engagement while learning with technology integration in a first-year language class. Qualitative data was collected from a sub-sample of ten students, in the form of semi-structured interviews, journal reflections, …

Supporting Representation-Rich Problem-Solving In High School Physics, Lyrica L. Lucas

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The literature on physics education research (PER) promotes the use of multiple representations (such as pictures, diagrams, written explanations, and mathematical expressions) to enhance the problem-solving ability of students through instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of a scaffolding strategy that involved the use of multiple representation tasks in problem-solving in a modeling physics class in high school. Another class with similar background was selected as a comparison group. In 12 in-depth problem-solving interviews of students drawn from the two classes, I investigated in detail how the students responded to the multiple representations tasks and …

A New Approach To Middle School Reading Intervention Balancing Self-Determination And Achievement, Amanda Mancini-Marshall

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While research on Response to Intervention (RTI) has focused almost exclusively on elementary education, an increasing number of middle and high schools are adopting this framework as a way to match student needs with instruction that accelerates academic growth. Without age-appropriate models, curriculum, or interventions, secondary schools often attempt to simply replicate elementary practices with limited success. These attempts typically take a prescriptive approach to reading instruction for struggling below-grade-level readers. However, this self-study examines how one research-practitioner designed, implemented, and modified a middle school Tier II RTI reading course with the goal of improving student self-determination as well as …

Creating And Using Interactive Presentations In Distance Education Courses: A View From The Instructor's Chair, Karen K. Hein

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors of distance education courses have many choices when it comes to designing course materials and learning experiences. One approach has been to develop interactive presentations – audio voice-over slide presentations or presentations incorporating voice-over narration plus other interactive elements. Some of the previous research has focused upon the impact of these types of instructional materials on student academic achievement (Stephenson, Brown, Griffin, 2008; Lents & Cifuentes, 2009; Savoy, Proctor, & Salvendy, 2009; and Geri, 2011). Others have examined interactive presentations from a limited instructor perspective, focusing on the tools and preferences in specific disciplines (Pace & Kelly, 2006; Burke, …

Racking Up Cultural Capital And Eliminating Labels: The Culture Of Teaching And Learning In The Juvenile Justice System, Sarah Clarke Staples-Farmer

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

How do we educate the student who is “bad ass” or “delinquent”--the youth who finds himself locked up with every aspect of his daily life now controlled? By law, every child, no matter his/her status, must attend school and be provided an education. Thus, education typically makes a point of ensuring accommodations are provided for each student. Yet, what accommodations are made and what attention is given to youth who have broken the law, repeatedly run away, been truant, or removed from their homes due to adverse circumstances? Addressing the particular needs of these youth is both a mystery and …

Perceptions Of Professional Supports And Early Career Teacher Attrition, Thomas J. Kolbe

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Early career teachers are moving within or from the profession at an alarming rate. The intent of moving schools, districts, or exiting the profession creates instability in the profession. This is costly to student learning, improvement efforts and financially. Teacher attrition tends to be higher in schools where the need for high quality teaching is the greatest: high-poverty and low-performing schools. Improving teachers’ work environment and professional developments are more cost effective and influential in convincing teachers to remain.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that K-12 early career teachers indicate for the intent of attrition …

Student Characteristics, Prior Experiences, And The Perception Of Mixed Methods As An Innovation, Sydney E. Brown

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There are persistent challenges to teaching mixed methods and innovative solutions are sought in order to address the needs of an increasingly diverse global audience seeking mixed methods instruction. This mixed methods study was conducted to gain insights to course design by more fully understanding the relationships among graduate student characteristics and prior experiences with research approaches with the perceived characteristics of the innovation of mixed methods.

Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered using a self-developed survey. Correlational analyses were done between measures of quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and overall prior experience and the perceived innovation characteristics of relative advantage, …

Instructor Perceptions Of A Collaborative Learning Classroom At A Midwest University, Bradley S. Severa

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is a growing interest in the use of technology in the classroom in a way that is more interactive and engaging than generally has been a part of traditional college instruction. We see this on campuses worldwide. Research suggests that active learning as demonstrated by student engagement increases student learning. While many studies examine the learning outcomes, much less work has been aimed at asking teachers what they think of these approaches. The goal of this study is to sample some instructor’s perceptions of a classroom space designed specifically to utilize technology and to provide a collaborative workspace for …

Digital Print Concepts: Conceptualizing A Modern Framework For Measuring Emerging Knowledge, Kristin H. Javorsky

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation sought to produce and empirically test a theoretical model for the literacy construct of print concepts that would take into account the unique affordances of digital picture books for emergent readers. The author used an exploratory study of twenty randomly selected digital story applications to identify print conventions, text features and book handling methods present across digital picture books which were then mapped against the traditional paper reading experience. Combining study results with existing research in the reading literature, a structural model of digital print concepts as a second order measurement model accounting for five factors of concept …

Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulation While Learning In A 1:1 Laptop Environment, Joan M. Carraher

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

1:1 Laptop initiatives continue to grow throughout Nebraska schools. There are many questions regarding their effectiveness in improving student learning, justifications for expenses, and the process to guide such an initiative.

The purpose of this case study was to explore students’ perceptions of academic self-efficacy and self-regulation while learning in a 1:1 district where students in grades 7 through 12 have 24/7 access to a school-issued laptop. Students in their first (8^th grade) and third-year (10^th grade) of learning in a 1:1 environment at a Nebraska school district participated in this study. Data was collected from an online …

Planning And Enacting Mathematical Tasks Of High Cognitive Demand In The Primary Classroom, Kelly Georgius

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study offers an examination of two primary-grades teachers as they learn to transfer knowledge from professional development into their classrooms. I engaged in planning sessions with each teacher to help plan tasks of high cognitive demand, including anticipating and planning for classroom discourse that would occur around the task. A detailed description of the planning and teaching that took place during the study provides information about how a teacher can learn and what a teacher learns to consider in order to plan and implement meaningful mathematical lessons. This design experiment describes the work of two teachers who participated in …

What Did You Learn In School Today?: The Recursive Relationship Between Media Coverage Of Public Education And The Crafting Of Education Policy, Elisabeth Reinkordt

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

How does the public learn about issues in contemporary education policy? While changes in the economics of the media industry have shifted the mass media landscape, local communities continue to receive information about the state of their local schools primarily through local newspapers or television stations. It is arguably the most important task of a local paper to provide education coverage, as the schools are often the primary beneficiary of local tax revenues. This thesis reviews the literature surrounding the interface between education reporting and the crafting of education policy, examines the way in which education stories are framed by …

Cheating In Business Online Learning: Exploring Students' Motivation, Current Practices And Possible Solutions, Martonia Gaskill

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cheating has been an area of concern in educational institutions for decades, especially at the undergraduate level. A particular area of concern is the increasing reports of the rise of cheating behaviors and the perceived cheating potential in online learning. As online learning continues to grow and become an integral part of education, concerns exist regarding academic integrity due to anonymity and the isolated nature of online learning. The purpose of the current study was to analyze cheating behaviors in an online environment, and determine students’ perceptions and motivation towards cheating. Another aim was to understand how and why online …