Education Commons^™

A Framework For Evaluating Learning Progressions On Features Related To Their Intended Uses, Jennifer L. Kobrin, Sarah Larson, Ashley Cromwell, Patricia Garza

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

In recent years, learning progressions (LPs) have captured the interest of educators and policy makers. There have been numerous efforts to develop LPs aligned to college and career readiness standards, to unpack these standards, and to provide more clarity on the pathways students follow to reach them. There is great variation, however, in the structure, content, and features of LPs, and these have implications for the LP’s most appropriate use. The purpose of this research was to devise a framework to understand and evaluate key features of an LP, including its structure, content, usability, and validity evidence. We maintain that …

The Effect Of Textbook Format On Mental Effort And Time On Task, Antonio Tango Thomas

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Using Astin’s theory of student engagement as a framework, the purpose of this study was to determine whether a significant difference in engagement, as indicated by mental effort and time on task, existed for college students who used a digital game-based textbook versus students who used a traditional print based textbook. The results showed a statistically significant difference in engagement, Hotelling’s T2 (2, 52) = 25.11, p < .001, D2=1.86.

The Current State Of Evidence-Based Practices With Classroom Management, Peter Ross, Bruce Sliger

The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership Publications

Education has been calling for evidence-based practices to help validate it as a bona fide profession (Gable, Tonelson, Sheth, Wilson, & Park, 2012). Lack of evidence-based practices presents an unusual irony in education since the literature has been addressing this research-to-practice gap for years. In particular, evidence based practices in classroom management and discipline have been nearly absent. Skinner noted as far back as 1968 (Skinner, 1968) that most teachers simply incorporate personal experiences into classroom practices rather than embracing science-based methods.

The Current State Of Evidence-Based Practices With Classroom Management, Peter Ross, Bruce Sliger

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Education has been calling for evidence-based practices to help validate it as a bona fide profession (Gable, Tonelson, Sheth, Wilson, & Park, 2012). Lack of evidence-based practices presents an unusual irony in education since the literature has been addressing this research-to-practice gap for years. In particular, evidence based practices in classroom management and discipline have been nearly absent. Skinner noted as far back as 1968 (Skinner, 1968) that most teachers simply incorporate personal experiences into classroom practices rather than embracing science-based methods.

Motivation And Career-Development Training Programs: Use Of Regulatory Focus To Determine Program Effectiveness, Peter J. Anthony

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The purpose of this study was to focus on the relationship between career-development training programs and the motivation of employees. The study used a qualitative method and a phenomenological design using semistructured interviews conducted with a script of open-ended questions. Two main components of the research design were the modified van Kaam method for exploration of experiences and the purposive selection of the participants. The 20 participants in the sample were project managers and consultants from south-central Texas, all of whom had experience with governmental projects. Based on interview responses, the findings of this study highlighted a concern from the …

A Phenomenological Study Of High School Teachers' Motivation As Related To Teacher Performance Management, Richard Hugh Wildman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher motivation factors prominently in the sustainable development of educational institutions, and relate to self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and retention. Prior motivational research in education has addressed factors relating to teacher motivation, but there is a dearth of research into the impact of performance management on motivation. This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of 5 teachers in relation to the performance management process in the selected school. The project study was guided by Bandura's social cognitive theory, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. In-depth, semistructured interviews were used to extract the essence of the lived experiences as expressed …

A Mixed-Methods Investigation Of Heterogeneously Grouped Inclusion Students At Southeast High School, James Paul Ferry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion education led to academically-homogeneous grouping of students at southeast high school. Administratively, the decision was made to increase rigor, inclusion students would be grouped heterogeneously in senior economics classes. Guided by Dewey's pragmatic theory, the purpose of this sequential, explanatory, mixed method study was to investigate whether a significant difference exists in the course passing rates, end-of-course test (EOCT) scores, and graduation rates between inclusion students in heterogeneous classes and those in homogeneous classes and how participants perceived the grouping. Archival data (N = 42) on student instructional grouping, passing rates, EOCT scores, and graduation rates were analyzed using …

Improving Math Performance In Adult Female Community College Students: An Evaluation Of Project Independence, Robin Tim Frodsham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project Independence (PI) is a community college immersion program dedicated to assisting women returning to college. The focus of this study and associated summative evaluation was to understand how the PI program addresses anxiety and other learning deficiencies associated with math. Knowle's andragogical models portray adults as motivated and self-directed, and the American college campus fosters a culture of independence. This culture is foreign to many minority, first-generation, and working class adults who learn through interdependence. This qualitative instrumental case study and evaluation is the first to examine the efficacy of PI. The guiding questions of this study concern early …

An Evaluation Of Military Education Assistance Programs From Participants Perspectives, Ella Bolling-Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An Evaluation of Military Education Assistance Programs From ParticipantsF Perspectives

by

Ella Bolling-Harris

MS, Capella University, 2008

MS, Capella University, 2004

BS, Park University, 2000

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

August 2015

Military education programs exist to assist military members in completing their college education prior to exiting the military. At a southwestern United States Army Installation, members have expressed dissatisfaction with the education programs. The purpose of this case study was to examine the education programs from the participants' perspectives. Mezirow's transformative learning theory was used …

A Case Study Of Mastery Learning Activities In Kindergarten Literacy Centers, Crystal Bateman Cowen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study examined the problem of below-grade-level reading scores among kindergarten students despite the use of literacy centers in a large Title 1 public elementary school in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether application of the literacy center model might be connected to student performance. Specifically, the research question concerned whether implementation of literacy centers was consistent with principles of mastery learning based on differentiation by ability. This study was guided by Bloom's theory of mastery learning, which suggests that higher levels of learning may be achieved if each child is …

Contextual Factor Profiling: Teacher-Created Classroom Website Design In Texas High Schools, Carolynn Mortensen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With increasing student access to technology and the Internet, Texas school districts have invested in content management systems (CMS), improved technology infrastructure, and professional development with little research available about best practices and current use of class websites. Using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, this study investigated how contextual factors predicted the number of website components related to the teacher information, communication, classroom management, and teaching content section of a class website designed by a Texas high school teacher. This quantitative, predictive correlational research design included data collected from a proportional allocation of 191 Texas high school teacher …

Evaluating Retention Strategies For At-Risk Undergraduate Nursing Students, Joanna L. Ramsden-Meier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As there continues to be a nursing shortage and a lack of diversity in the nursing profession, it is important to retain at-risk students who have been admitted to nursing programs. The purpose of this program evaluation was to compare at-risk students who had not received retention services to at-risk students who had received retention services at a Midwestern college. A formative evaluation was conducted using information from three sources: the college, the students, and the community. Guided by a constructivist theory defined by Ponticell, this study examined the effectiveness of the retention program in terms of its impact on …

Reforms In Relation To Research-Based Theories Resulting In Successful Test Results, Veronica Renee Christian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study school in Bibb County, Georgia had a passing rate of approximately 60% on 9th grade literature and composition End of Course Tests (EOCT). An instructional paradigm was needed to help provide quality instruction and facilitate students' efforts to meet the mandate for performance. Research supports differentiated instruction (DI), instructional technology (IT), Gardner's multiple intelligences, and Vygotsky's theory of constructivism as the foundation for quality instruction. This ex post facto study used a cluster sample to explore 2 questions. One research questions explored the effect of DI enhanced with IT on students' learning in 9th grade literature and composition …

Self-Efficacy, Locus Of Control, And Parental Involvement On Students' Academic Achievement, Helen Faye Clay-Spotser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minority students are lagging behind their non-minority peers in academic achievement. Compounding this problem is the lack of research on minority students' perceptions on their connections to school, their feelings of autonomy, and their relationship with their parents. These variables are important considerations in this problem, as Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory suggests a strong relationship between student performance in school and students' perceptions of their intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. To address that gap, this cross-sectional, quantitative research study examined the relationship between minority high school students' perceived self-efficacy, locus of control, and parents' educational involvement on their self-reported academic …

Restructuring High School Science Curriculum: A Program Evaluation, Cathy Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One rural Midwestern high school discovered a discrepancy among school, state, and national science skill attainment, verified by ACT scores. If students do not acquire vital science skills, they may not perform proficiently on science tests, thus impacting future college options. Inquiry based instruction and constructivism provided the basis for the theoretical framework. This study questioned associations between ACT scores, inquiry science technique usage, and ACT standard usage (Phase 1), and teachers' views on science instruction (Phase 2). This sequential explanatory mixed methods program evaluation included 469 ACT scores, surveys sent to 9 science teachers, and 8 interviews. Phase 1 …

Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted to the U.S. Senate the need to focus on air traffic control (ATC) training to meet job qualification and attrition rates within the career field. One U.S. Department of Defense military service assists the FAA in providing worldwide ATC services. This service is referred to as the agency throughout this paper to ensure confidentiality. The agency's ATC career field manager echoed the FAA's call for action in his 2014 Strategic/Action Plan. In August 2013, the agency's ATC trainer program was published. As of December 2015, the program had not been evaluated. The …

Exemplary Teachers' Perspectives On Effective Teaching Elements In Danielson's Framework For Teaching, Derek Jon Olson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reforms in teacher evaluation are enacted to increase student achievement. Although there is research on teacher evaluation and teacher quality, there is little that addresses effective teaching as conceptualized in Danielson's Framework for Teaching, a commonly used evaluation tool. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine which of the 4 domains and 76 elements of Danielson's framework are viewed by award-winning teachers as having the greatest impact on effective teaching and learning. Constructivism formed the theoretical basis for this study. The research questions examined to what extent state and national teachers of the year perceive differences in the …

A Case Study Of Rti Data Teams, William Lee Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study addressed the persistent achievement gaps in annual measurable objectives (AMO) data at a public rural elementary school in the Mideast United States. Response to intervention (RTI) data teams from 2010 did not produce expected student gains after 5 years of implementation in the school under study. Based on Mandinach and Jackson's data-driven decision making conceptual framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the work of the RTI data teams as they attempted to improve student learning and close achievement gaps. A purposeful sample of 13 staff members involved in the RTI implementation process was …

The Relationship Between Science Curriculum Aligned To Common Core State Standards And Scientific Literacy, Amber Lee Struthers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supporting the development of scientifically literate students is a priority in public school education, and understanding how that development is influenced by the Common Core State Standards is vital to quality science education. However, little quantitative research has been conducted about how the Common Core State Standards impact science education. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine how the alignment of science curriculum and instruction to the Common Core English Language Arts State Standards impacts the development of students' scientific literacy skills. Bybee's framework for scientific literacy provided the theoretical framework. Participants included 7 middle school students in …

Assessing And Guiding Instructional Practice: Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Framework For Teaching Evaluation, Latonya Patrice Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School officials in a large district adopted a research-based teacher evaluation system, the Framework for Teaching (FFT). Despite a 4-year phase-in of the FFT, teachers' evaluation ratings increased while student achievement results decreased. This disparity impacted the school district's growth targets as set by the State Department of Education. If target growths are unmet, school administrators must relinquish school operations to the state. A bounded, qualitative case study was designed to explore administrators' and teachers' perceptions of the FFT and its influence on school administrators' assessment of teachers' instructional practices. Social constructivist and andragogy theories formed the study's conceptual framework. …

Evaluation Of A Supplemental Kinesthetic-Based Reading Program For Disabled Students, Kenneth W. Hodges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research study addressed the need for an evaluation of the effectiveness of teacher-written supplemental reading lesson plans for elementary students with significant disabilities. The participating elementary school implemented the supplemental kinesthetic-based reading program in the 2010-2011 school year in order to improve the reading test scores of these disabled students. The theories of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences and Maria Montessori's individualized learning process guided this research. The research question focused on exploring the effectiveness of the lesson plans. Participants included 6 students and their parents, 3 teachers, and 1 principal. Closed- and open-ended survey responses were collected from each …

Impact Of Professional Learning Community On Coteaching, Lalita Karpen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A professional learning community (PLC) is designed to increase pedagogical knowledge and encourage collaboration amongst teachers. Many schools are using a variety of PLCs to increase collaboration and improve teaching and learning. The study school implemented a PLC, but collaboration and effective coteaching practice have not improved. Guided by social constructivism and social cognitive learning theories, the goal of this research was to explore coteachers' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about the overall effectiveness of the PLC coteaching model to improve instructional strategies. A qualitative case study with semistructured interviews to collect data and a narrative analysis for reporting was utilized. …

Program Evaluation Of A Tutoring Program To Prepare Disenfranchised Students For College, Rhonda Lee Petrini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2001, the San Colombano Project has provided the College-Bound Tutoring program for disenfranchised prospective first-generation college students in a southwestern community of the United States. However, an evaluation of the program had never been conducted. The purpose of the study was to conduct a qualitative, responsive program evaluation in a naturalistic setting using a case-study approach with a constructivist lens to create a narrative portrait of the program. Guided by critical race theory, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Wlodkowski's motivational theory, the study explored the effectiveness of the program. Interviews were conducted and archival data were examined to …

Development Of A Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (Nicat), Alphonsa A. Rahman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing workforce competency in informatics is crucial to providing safe patient care, improving quality, and reducing healthcare costs. Assurance of informatics competency in a workforce with increasingly diverse educational preparations, demographics, and informatics skills poses significant challenges. The question addressed was the lack of nursing informatics competency assessment tool relevant to bedside nursing. The purpose of this project was to develop and review a new nursing informatics competency assessment tool designed to address the individual educational needs of newly hired nurses. The tool was designed to measure nurses' competency in computer literacy, informatics literacy, and informatics management skills recommended in …

The Impact Of The Sra Corrective Reading Program On Standardized Testing, Tony Oyola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The implementation of effective reading programs for special education students is paramount for school success due to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the reauthorization of Individual with Disabilities Education Act. One local school implemented the Science Research Associates Corrective Reading Program (SRACRP) because their special education students did not meet the required proficient or advanced reading scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). The purpose of this quantitative within-group study was to determine if special and regular education students demonstrated growth in reading comprehension after the implementation of the SRACRP. The theoretical foundation …

An Evaluation Of Math Assessment Policy Process In A Southwestern School District, Alicia O'Brien

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An Evaluation of Math Assessment Policy Process in a Southwestern School District

by

Alicia Taber O'Brien

EdS, Walden University, 2011

MA, Western Governors University, 2004

BS, New Mexico State University, 1994

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Teacher Leadership

Walden University

September 2015

This project study addressed the lack of evaluation of a math assessment policy in a rural elementary school district in the southwestern United States. This district implemented a math assessment policy in the spring of 2005, yet no evaluation had been conducted to determine whether the policy …

Perceptions Of Retention Among Bachelor Of Social Work Graduates At A Historically Black College And University, Monique Eileen Holsey-Hyman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student attrition from universities carries high costs for individuals, universities, and society. Despite these costs, there has been limited research on the problem from the students' perspectives, specifically the perceptions of university graduates about what factors may have influenced their own retention at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). African American students complete college at the lowest rate compared to other ethnic sub groups. Guided by Tinto's theory of student departure, this qualitative consensual research study focused on the perceptions of 15 bachelor of social work graduates regarding (a) the factors that helped them to persist to graduation at an …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Standardized Testing And Remediation On Students With Disabilities, Janie M. Mora

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At ABCD High School, students with disabilities (SWDs) pass state-mandated English High School Assessments (HSA) at a lower rate than do their nondisabled peers, even with remediation. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of appropriate remediation for preparing SWDs for the English HSA. The theoretical foundation for the study was based on social constructivism with an emphasis on individual experiences. The 3 key research questions investigated how teachers perceive their role in the delivery of remediation, how they describe the remediation program, and what factors they say influence their ability to remediate SWDs effectively. Data were …

K-5 Elementary Balanced Literacy Reading Program Implementation Evaluation, Suzanne Marie Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who struggle with reading in their elementary years are likely to make poor academic progress, leave school before graduation, and struggle in the workplace. The district leaders at 24 K-5 elementary schools in a large Midwestern district were interested in a formative reading program evaluation to determine reading program effectiveness. This mixed methods study, approached from a cognitive and social theoretical framework, was a formative evaluation of the Balanced Literacy Reading Program implementation at these elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to capture the K-5 classroom teachers' (n = 113), instructional coaches' (n = 18), and principals' …

Student Success And Reading Comprehension, Laura Theresa Lottes-Bishop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing administrators are exploring interventions to increase student retention rates in order to decrease college costs, improve faculty effort and time developing courses, decrease administrative resources, and to continue their accreditation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there was a correlation between the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) reading comprehension scores, American College Test (ACT) reading comprehension scores, Comprehensive Computer-Adaptive Testing (COMPASS) reading comprehension scores, and the cumulative college grade point average (GPA) of the first-year nursing student. The theoretical foundation for this study was Tinto's retention theory, which claims that students' past academic …