Education Commons^™

High School Teachers’ Perspectives On Formative Assessment In The Virtual Learning Environment, Tiffany Mcbean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Formative assessment in the virtual learning environment is a beneficial complement to teacher pedagogy and student learning. But there is little research on high school teachers’ perspectives on the use of formative assessment in the virtual learning environment. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to address this research gap. The conceptual framework was Black and Wiliam’s theory of formative assessment. Two research questions guided the study. The first addressed high school teachers’ perspectives on formative assessments in the virtual learning environment. The second addressed how teachers used formative assessment in the virtual learning environment. Semistructured interviews were conducted …

Fourth Grade Teacher Perspectives Of Instructional Practices To Support Students With Reading Deficits, Juanita Carter Robbins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was the focus of this study was that only 30% of fourth grade students in the United States read at or above grade-level proficiency. Lack of reading proficiency affects fourth-grade students’ ability to master content presented in subjects across the curriculum and may limit their educational attainment. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore fourth-grade teachers’ perspectives of instructional practices to support students with reading deficits, the challenges teachers encounter, and the resources teachers need to meet those challenges. The conceptual framework comprised Tomlinson’s model of differentiated instruction. Three research questions explored the instructional …

Historically Black Colleges And Universities' Faculty Experiences With Online Course Design, Ashley Burton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Quality online course design requires course designers to make carefully informed decisions based on current resources and considerations for the learner. Some faculty at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) design online learning without the assistance of instructional designers, training, or a technological infrastructure that supports online learning. To date, there is a shortage of scholarly research about how HBCU faculty design online courses and what supports or barriers exist for them. Thus, this basic qualitative research study aimed to understand faculty’s online course design experiences at HBCUs. Instructional design, adult learning theory, and the HBCU context formed the conceptual …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Social Emotional Learning Instruction And High Residential Mobility Students’ Reading Literacy, Janel Dorene Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Based on recommendations from research, leaders in a north Texas public school district implemented social emotional learning (SEL) to address academic gaps among high residential mobility (HRM) students. Incorporating SEL instruction improves academic achievement 11 percentile points on average; however, in Adoniram School District (ASD), 2021 passing rates fell 8% from 2019 despite adopting SEL curriculum. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how ASD elementary teachers instructed SEL, and their perceptions of how SEL techniques influenced HRM elementary students’ reading literacy development. The study on social and emotional skills (SSES) conceptual framework guided this study because …

University Interdisciplinary Linked Block Schedules And Developmental Student Success, Linda S. Reeves-Wymer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Developmental education is the starting point for many 1st-year college students, especially from underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation populations. One such 1st-year program linked block-scheduled academic skill-development courses with a required interdisciplinary general education science course where instruction was provided simultaneously in a lecture format to college-ready nondevelopmental students and developmental students in three skill-development courses: reading, writing, and combined reading/writing. Although this program had existed for over 20 years, the effectiveness of the program, meaning whether the linked skill-development courses were associated with academic success, had not been assessed. Guided by Tinto’s integration theory, a causal comparative design with the …

Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Training Needed To Apply Personalized Instruction, Christina Armstrong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem at a Southwestern private school is that secondary teachers have insufficient training to apply personalized instruction (PI) with fidelity to meet the needs of students with severe to moderate cognitive impairments. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the secondary teachers’ perceptions of the training they need to apply academic interventions using PI. The conceptual framework that grounds this study was Bruner’s theory of instruction. The theory is used to focus on the process of gaining knowledge beginning with predisposition toward learning, in this case, the teachers’ attitudes toward PI. According to the theory, individuals …

How Elementary Teachers Implement The Eureka Mathematics Curriculum To Improve Mathematics Outcomes, Shannell A. Swan-Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many states use research-based mathematics curricula as an instructional tool to improve mathematics performance outcomes on state assessment scores. The problem was that despite the implementation of a research-based curriculum, students at XYZ Elementary School (pseudonym) had underperformed on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers standardized mathematics tests since 2018. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to discover the implementation practices of teachers using the Eureka Mathematics Curriculum to improve student outcomes at XYZ Elementary School. Dewey’s experiential learning theory was used to support and explore ideas involving the influences of curriculum implementation on …

Training Strategies To Improve Salesperson Confidence And Production, William B. Bronson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many sales leaders need strategies to improve the productivity and confidence of their sales personnel. Ineffective sales training programs cost organizations billions of dollars in annual revenue and profits. Grounded in adaptive leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative mini-ethnographic multiple-case study was to explore successful strategies used by sales leaders that combine and balance virtual and online resources with traditional face-to-face training methods to increase the productivity and confidence of sales personnel. Data were collected by interviewing eight salespeople and two sales managers spanning two Texas insurance companies and reviewing company documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step process …

Instructional Practices Teachers Use To Improve Elementary School Students’ Mathematics Achievement, Kwanza Lee Atkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2016, third to fifth-grade students at a Title I elementary school have not met adequate yearly progress because 70% of students have not scored proficient on the end-of-grade mathematics assessment. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the instructional approaches that elementary school teachers use to teach mathematics to students at the Title I school and to investigate which instructional strategies teachers believed to be the most effective in improving mathematics test scores. This study was grounded in social constructivism, based on the impression that the individual creates knowledge based on mental ability. Data for this …

Arkansas Teachers’ Perspectives And Experiences Implementing Stem In Kindergarten Classrooms, Aranda House

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kindergarten teachers in one large district in Arkansas are inconsistently implementing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-integrated lessons into their curriculum despite a systemic plan for increasing equitable access to high-quality STEM-focused education for all students by the state department of education. While researchers suggest that barriers for lower elementary teachers in implementing STEM include low STEM content and pedagogical efficacy, few studies explore how kindergarten teachers implement STEM lessons with their students. Hence, the purpose of this descriptive-interpretive study was to explore Arkansas teachers’ experiences with and perspectives on implementing STEM lessons in their kindergarten classrooms within the context …

Community Circles In Response To Restorative Justice Research And Critique, Hannah Edber

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Zero-tolerance discipline in schools has resulted in disproportionate referrals, suspensions, and expulsions for Black students, students with disabilities, and low-income students of color. Restorative Justice (RJ) seeks to intervene in these patterns by emphasizing community interconnectedness and a discourse of harm, accountability, and repair. Although RJ has been shown to increase school connectedness and decrease suspensions and expulsions, teachers and students using RJ (as a response to discipline issues) report varying degrees of satisfaction with the framework. Frustrations can include limited time and limited depth of conversations with students who have caused harm, so that root causes of behavior are …

Effective Teaching Of Literature-In-English In Nigerian Secondary Schools: The Persistent Problems, Eucharia Okwudilichukwu Ugwu

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Literature-in-English is a major school subject that equips students with language and other soft skills needed for entry into the workforce. For students to acquire the skills, effective teaching, which is dependent on the availability of basic teaching–learning resources, is essential. Education is underfunded in Nigeria. This affects the quality of teaching and impedes learning. The rate at which students fail Literature-in-English, which is getting worse each year, indicates that there is a problem in the teaching–learning process. Using a mixed-method research design, this study investigated the problems of teaching Literature-in-English in 51 public senior secondary school in Ibadan metropolis, …

A Winning Approach: Teaching Science Communication Skills Through Small-Group Workshops, Serena B. Gumusoglu, Maria Noterman Soulinthavong, Jennifer Barr

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Research almost always culminates in the communication of findings. Despite the necessity of grant and manuscript writing throughout academic careers, scientific trainees often receive little guided practice in written communication. To fill this gap, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a voluntary writing initiative for biomedical students at a research-intensive (R1) university in the midwestern United States called Writing Initiative in Neuroscience (WIN).

Method: WIN consisted of didactic and workshop components. The didactic component included discussions with topic-specific experts on writing grants and manuscripts for the public and for non-academic scientific careers. The workshop component consisted of small group-based peer …

Synchronous Communication Technology For Remote Academic Advising At A State University, Charles Xiaoxue Wang, Michael Houdyshell, Matthew Plescia

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The use of synchronous communication technology has significantly increased in recent years for communications in online learning and instruction, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Synchronous communication technology, such as Zoom, Google Meets, and Microsoft Teams, is widely adopted by academic advisors to continue their advising services as many universities were forced to move their traditional in-person academic advising to remote academic advising (RAA) in an online format. In this context, we explored the knowledge, experiences, and perceptions of students and academic advisors at a state university using synchronous communication technology for RAA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study includes data …

Global Issues Spanning Higher Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue (Volume 12, Issue 1) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2022. While the pandemic waxes and wanes, students in many parts of the world are returning or have returned to face-to-face instruction. It will take some time to fully understand the impact of the pandemic on higher education and what lasting changes will result from it. The Special Issue, Education Technologies and COVID-19: Experiences and Lessons learned, for which we are continuing to review manuscripts, should provide some insight into this question.This letter also contains article summaries.

Perceptions Of Employability Skills Of Undergraduate Business Students In A Developing Country: An Exploratory Study, Wise Mainga, Reuben M. Daniel, Luis Alamil

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of different employability skills for business graduates seeking initial employment.

Method: Semi-structured survey questionnaires were administered to human resources representatives from industry, business lecturers, and graduating business students to determine gaps in perceptions between the three stakeholder groups.

Results: There was some alignment and moderate discrepancies in perceptions of the relative importance of different employability skills between the three stakeholder groups. There were statistically significant differences in perceived importance of communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills between graduating students and employers. There is evidence that employers were satisfied with …

The Effects Of An Undergraduate Research On Pre-Service Teachers’ Notions Of Stem Education And Educational Research, Erin Pearce, Jesse Brock, Phillis Bunch

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Pre-service teachers (PSTs) often lack the self-efficacy necessary to effectively implement STEM education into their classrooms. Undergraduate research experiences (URE) can help fill this void by providing opportunities for PSTs to engage with STEM content and K–12 students in a field-based research context. This case study details the impact a URE had on PSTs’ STEM self-efficacy and views on research. The URE consisted of STEM curriculum development, teaching the curriculum at a local middle school, gathering research data, and presenting results at academic conferences. Participation in the URE positively influenced the PSTs’ self-efficacy in STEM and changed their perceptions regarding …

Elementary Teachers’ Use Of Data-Driven Instructional Practices, Kristi Cathcart Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A school in South Carolina developed a strategic plan to implement a professional learning community structure in the school, where teachers work together to evaluate student data to improve instruction. However, teachers at the school did not understand how to use data-driven instructional practices to drive classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore understanding of elementary teachers at this school in South Carolina how to use data-driven instructional practices. The framework for this study was the learning target theory of action, focusing on researching the data-driven instructional practices teachers used when working with data. The research questions …

Assessment Literacy Of Middle School Music Educators, William Gordon Daines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a school district in the Southwestern region of the United States, middle school music educators did not participate in district-wide initiatives to improve teacher assessment literacy, which encompasses the assessment knowledge and practices of teachers in support of student learning. The educators varied widely in their grading and assessment knowledge and practices. The purpose of this qualitative explanatory case study was to explore the middle school music educators’ perspectives of their assessment knowledge and practices in the classroom and how they used assessments to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills in music. Xu and Brown’s teacher assessment literacy in practice …

Nigerian Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Integrating Literacy Strategies Into Science Instruction, Joy Oghogho Isa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reading problems among students in Nigeria prompted the implementation of a literacy across the curriculum initiative in a cluster of schools within a district, where all teachers were required to integrate literacy strategies into their lessons. The problem investigated in this study was that the teachers’ instruction of science at Beta Schools had not produced the expected results with respect to integrating literacy strategies into the science lessons. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the teachers experiences and perceptions of literacy integration in science lessons. Grounded in the content area literacy conceptual framework, the research questions …

Perspectives Of Adult Esl Teachers On The Use Of Direct Vocabulary Instruction With Adult Ells, Erica N. Pettis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWith the growing number of non-native English speakers, improving communication through direct vocabulary instruction (DVI) is important. The problem investigated in this study was that English as a second language (ESL) teachers were not using the strategy DVI, in the ESL classroom. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore ESL teachers’ perspectives about DVI for adult English language learners (ELLs) in a Midwestern state. The conceptual framework was drawn from Vygotsky’s constructivist theory because ESL teachers construct meaning from their experiences and what they have learned about vocabulary to improve reading comprehension for adult ELLs. The research …

K–12 Teachers’ Perceptions Of Professional Development In Instructional Technology, Angel Ann Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational organizations have experienced a transition from traditional to digital, online, or blended learning instructional platforms. Scholarly literature lacks research studies pertaining to the perceptions of kindergarten–12th-grade (K–12) teachers regarding professional development (PD) to support use of instructional technology. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate K–12 teachers’ perceptions of PD that supports the use of instructional technology. The conceptual framework for this study was Puentedura’s substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition model. Research questions were designed to explore K–12 teachers’ perceptions of PD to support the use of instructional technology. Participants included nine K–12 teachers who participated …

International Teachers’ Perceptions Of Mandated Curriculum And Instructional Practices, Jasmine Audrey Matterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractInternational teachers who arrive in the United States from developing countries often experience challenges adjusting to the U.S. classroom environment. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of international middle and high school teachers at a rural school district in the southern United States on the challenges that they face with adjusting to mandated curriculum and instructional practices that may influence classroom management and effective instruction for student achievement. The conceptual framework for the study was self-determination theory which indicates that when individuals have autonomy, relatedness, and competence, they will perform at their highest level …

Developing Soft Skills: Faculty And Employer Perspectives And Recommendations, Naveen Ramnanan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many employers are concerned that recent business graduates lack expertise in soft skills needed to be effective in their professional roles. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the urgent need for workers with soft skills competence in communication, flexibility, and resilience. Guided by Goleman’s conceptual framework of emotional intelligence, this qualitative study examined potential solutions to reduce this gap among business graduates. The research questions investigated faculty and employer perceptions of and experiences with soft skills development and their recommendations to improve graduates’ soft skill proficiency. Eight semistructured interviews were conducted after purposeful sampling. The data were analyzed using open, …

Effects Of Scaffolding On Reading Comprehension, Renee L. Rose Latson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractReading comprehension in high school involves students developing knowledge, skills, and experiences to understand, retain, and apply concepts of English as a written language. For ninth grade students to gain mastery in reading comprehension, ninth grade teachers implemented scaffolding teaching techniques to support their students. This study addressed how English language arts (ELA) teachers support ninth grade students’ reading comprehension and retention through instructor-led scaffolding in high schools in the Happy Valley Independent School District (HVISD). The purpose of this narrative analysis qualitative study was to investigate how ELA teachers support ninth-grade students’ reading comprehension and retention through instruction using …

Elementary Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning In The Digital Classroom, Sarah Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning is an instructional model in which instruction is delivered using a combination of traditional teaching methods and online learning materials such as digital textbooks, virtual textbooks, and teacher-made videos. The problem was that elementary teachers in local schools were not implementing blended learning as intended by the school’s improvement plan. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of elementary teachers in Grades 3-5 who have experience using blended learning. The framework for the study is the complex adaptive blended learning system (CABLS) because it helps examine the blended learning elements and the changes that result …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Use Of Cognitively Guided Instruction In Mathematics Classrooms, Irin Sultana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary teachers in California were tasked to use cognitively guided instruction (CGI) strategies in mathematics classrooms, but it was uncertain if they had the self-efficacy, confidence, resources, and support to do so consistently. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate K-5 teachers’ perceptions about their self-efficacy and confidence in using CGI strategies in the mathematics classroom and what resources or support they felt needed to implement CGI strategies successfully. Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which emphasizes four sources of self-efficacy, was used for the framework analysis. Research questions supported teachers’ self-efficacy and confidence through research questions- What challenges …

The Effect Of Instructional Coaching On Third-Grade Reading Achievement, Jane Ann Schmidt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching has been implemented in schools to improve student achievement; however, literature shows a lack of evidence of the efficacy of improving student reading achievement. The problem addressed in this study was that school districts have implemented instructional coaching to improve student reading achievement, but the effectiveness was unknown. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of instructional coaching on third-grade reading achievement. Guided by Walberg’s theory of achievement, the overall research question investigated the effect of instructional coaching on third-grade reading achievement. In this quantitative, comparative study, ratio-scale data from students who received instructional …

Elementary Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning In The Digital Classroom, Sarah Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning is an instructional model in which instruction is delivered using a combination of traditional teaching methods and online learning materials such as digital textbooks, virtual textbooks, and teacher-made videos. The problem was that elementary teachers in local schools were not implementing blended learning as intended by the school’s improvement plan. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of elementary teachers in Grades 3-5 who have experience using blended learning. The framework for the study is the complex adaptive blended learning system (CABLS) because it helps examine the blended learning elements and the changes that result …

Teachers’ Integration Of Writing In Career, Technical, And Agricultural Education Classrooms, Caryn L. Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers’ instructional practices of integrating writing into their courses can improve students’ writing abilities and better prepare students for postsecondary education and career success. At ABC College and Career Academy (pseudonym), career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) teachers were required by the Common Core State Performance Standards to integrate writing into their courses, but 60% of teachers were not complying with that requirement. The purpose of this study was to explore how CTAE teachers at ABC College and Career Academy integrated writing into their courses, their challenges regarding integrating writing, and needed aids for integrating writing. The conceptual framework for …