Education Commons^™

A Systematic Review Of Practices Utilized By Administrators To Support Teachers With Classroom Management, Ciara Waggoner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An administrator’s role in supporting teachers has been a topic often discussed in literature. A less mentioned administrative function is their role in supporting teachers in classroom management strategies related to teaching and setting expectations. Problem behaviors in the classroom have a negative impact on student outcomes. Administrators can help address problem behaviors through the use of four effective administrator practices areas identified by Grissom et. al. (2021): (a) instructionally focused interactions (b) building a productive school climate (b) facilitating collaboration, and (c) managing personnel and resources. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify: (1) Which of the …

Change In Academic Self-Efficacy Across Gender And Year In School For Undergraduate Sport Management Students, Jarid Morton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Academic self-efficacy (ASE) is a construct derived from social cognitive theory developed to assess an individuals perceived competence in academia. It has been found to significantly relate to academic achievement. Students scoring higher in ASE are more likely to obtain higher cumulative grade point averages and higher test scores. Studies assessing ASE have examined degree programs such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (i.e., STEM), business, and the humanities. Despite the wide scope of fields studied, sport management programs have yet to be assessed. This study aims to fill this gap. Part of the study aimed to construct a valid …

Classroom Technology Policies, Technology Usage, And Mind-Wandering, Halley Stecht

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Technology usage has been rapidly increasing in college classrooms since 2019. This has shown to be a challenge for educators in higher education due to the increase in off-task usage. Many educators try to combat technology usage in their classrooms through technology policies in their syllabus, in hopes of reducing off-task behaviors such as mind-wandering. The purpose of this study was twofold: first we determined whether classroom technology policies impacted students’ technology usage. Then, we investigated whether access to technology in the classroom was associated with more mind-wandering during class. Two hundred sixty-eight college students completed an online survey that …

Internationalization Of Higher Education: Leadership Roles And Challenges Senior International Officers Face In Their Efforts To Internationalize Regional Comprehensive Universities In The United States, Ibrahima Yaro

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study investigated the leadership roles and challenges senior international officers (SIOs) face in the internationalization of regional comprehensive universities in the United States. The study also explored senior international officers’ understanding of internationalization in the context of regional comprehensive universities, and the strategies they utilize to address the challenges they face. A qualitative approach, specifically an interpretive phenomenological analysis, was employed to conduct this research. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with SIOs from five U.S. regions: West, Midwest, South, Southeast, and Northwest. Findings show that senior international officers at regional comprehensive universities perceive internationalization as a tool to train …

The Role Of Leaders In Implementing Effective Leadership Strategies Towards The Educational Barriers Of Us-Based Refugee Students: A Qualitative Case Study Of Congolese Refugee Students, Faustin Busane

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This qualitative research study explored the experiences of three families of refugee school students, two school officials (a Superintendent and a Principal), three teachers, and one humanitarian agent all living in a Southeastern U.S. city. The results of the study revealed that the language barrier is the main academic challenge that refugee students encounter when they enroll in U.S. schools. The study also found that educators conceptualize their responsibilities toward refugee children by emphasizing the importance of high-quality teaching, and establishing through establishing strong relationships between parents, school officials, and exercising patience in the process. This study poses important implications …

Using Improvement Science To Address Early Elementary Teacher Efficacy And Competency When Addressing Trauma-Induced Behavior, Laura Hayes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As more research sheds light on the effects of trauma on school-age children, educators must learn to apply the research and make adaptations in the classroom and school settings. While the body of literature has grown, limitations still exist in research focused on specific strategies and applications for classroom teachers. Many teachers feel ill-equipped and exhibit low self-efficacy when working with students affected by trauma. As a result, many students receive disciplinary action rather than constructive practices that promote healing. Some teachers feel that more targeted and specific training and resources would improve efficacy, confidence, and effectiveness. In this study, …

Giftedness In Dance: Equitable Audition Procedures & Program Development, Lauren Case

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explored the perspectives of dance specialists and gifted and talented resource teachers in a large school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Six educators who teach dance, work in auditioning and identification of gifted and talented dancers, and provide service options for gifted and talented identified dance students were interviewed in this qualitative study which focused on best practices in gifted and talented dance identification. Dance specialists’ perspectives of audition structures and characteristics of dance giftedness were examined. Three themes emerged from interviewees in this field of education: audition structures, opportunities and access of dance …

Understanding Administrators' Perceptions Of Gifted Ell Students, Abigail Eaton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Students with gifts and talents are identified in school districts across the nation. However, there is severe underrepresentation of minority groups in gifted education programs, specifically students with ELL backgrounds. This issue is important because students from diverse backgrounds are the fastest growing group of the K-12 population. If the issue is not addressed, many talents will be overlooked and underdeveloped (Peters & Engerrand, 2016). The purpose of this study was to analyze administrators’ perceptions of gifted ELL students.

Participants in this study include six administrators from a small, rural district in Southcentral Kentucky. All of the administrators participated in …

Educator Beliefs On Procedures For Identifying Gifted And Talented Students In General Intellect And Specific Academic Areas, Katherine Perraut

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explored teacher beliefs regarding procedures used to identify students as gifted and talented in the areas of general intellect and specific academic areas. Measures were identified that educators indicated most effective for identifying gifted and talented students as well as the measures that educators felt were less effective in identification. Educators across one school district were given the opportunity to complete a survey and/or an interview in this mixed method study. Representatives from all grade and school levels have been represented in the data. This research study revealed themes related to bias in nomination, understanding gifted characteristics, choosing …

Teacher Perceptions Of Advanced Ability English Language Learners (Ell), Dena Redmond

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explored teacher perceptions of English language learners and giftedness. High school content teachers participated in an interview identifying behaviors that indicate advanced abilities from a series of three vignettes about English language learners. A total of four participants were interviewed. The four emergent themes were (1) critical thinking (2) rate of language acquisition, (3) motivation, and (4) use of language. The themes were behaviors that teachers perceived as demonstrating potential or demonstrating limited potential for advanced learning in English language learners.

A Systematic Review Of The Relation Of Restorative Justice Principles & Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports In K-12 Schools, Katherine Richardson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Alternatives to punitive punishment and discipline have gained popularity as research has supported the advances towards safer and more positive school communities. This includes multi-tiered service models, such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Additionally, a restorative justice (RJ) approach can offer non-punitive, relationship-centered practices for avoiding and addressing harm, responding to violations of legal and human rights, and collaboratively solving problems. However, limited research has been conducted looking at the connection between RJ practices and frameworks such as PBIS, which are already implemented in a many schools. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to review the …

A Review Of Traumatic Brain Injury In School Psychology Journals, Casey Gillispie

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

TBI is the leading cause of childhood injury, death, and disability. School psychologists play a key role in providing students with TBI services within the school setting; therefore, it is essential for school psychologists to be familiar with TBI research. Previous research indicates a lack of TBI literature within school psychology journals. The current review examined TBI publications in school psychology journals over the past 38 years to provide an update on issues raised by Smith and Canto (2015). Eight school psychology journals were examined to gather data about the frequency of articles related to TBI, types of TBI articles, …

Finding Our Gifted English Language Learners, Lois Stokes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explored teacher referrals of English Language Learners (ELL) also called Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students for gifted identification and services in a medium sized school district in the southern United States. Five educators who have successfully referred an ELL/CLD student were interviewed in this qualitative study. Discussion focused on teachers’ recognition of the characteristics of giftedness in these students, understanding teacher perceptions about ELL/CLD potentially gifted students, parent understanding and involvement, and training opportunities for finding gifted ELL/CLD students. Four main themes about how teachers find gifted ELL/CLD students for referral stemmed from the coded interviews: positive …

Applying Functional Analysis In A School Setting, Elizabeth Young

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Literature has implied that the use of functional analysis (FA) procedure within the school setting can be beneficial in determining the function of problem behavior. However, conducting an FA in a school setting can be challenging due to the expertise, resources, and experimental control needed to complete such an evaluation. The purpose of the current study was to examine the feasibility of conducting a FA within the school setting to determine the function(s) of severe problem behavior. The research questions are: (1) Can a multielement FA be used to infer the function of a student’s problem behavior in a public …

A Systematic Review Of Cultural Adaptations Of School-Based Social, Emotional & Behavioral Interventions For Students Of Color: A Replication & Update Of Brown Et Al, 2018, Courtney Coleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Underrepresented minority students are excluded from schools for disciplinary reasons at a higher rate than majority students. School-based positive social, emotional, and behavioral interventions could be implemented to support URM students who have behavioral needs. These interventions might need adaptations to meet the needs of diverse students in K-12 schools. However, there have been limited syntheses of these adaptations. The purpose of this review is to update Brown et al.’s (2018) systematic review of culture adaptations to social, emotional, and behavioral interventions. The current article pool consisted of seven articles from 2016 to 2021. The seven articles for the current …

Impact Of Students' Off-Task Technology Use During Instruction On Teachers, David Lancaster

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The increase of technology in educational classrooms has changed the way instruction is delivered and received, positively and negatively. When technology is used for off-task purposes, negative effects on student learning are well-documented. However, little research has been conducted on the effect of student off-task technology use on teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of off-task technology use during instruction on K-12 teachers, while including more modern devices. Two hundred sixty-two Kentucky K-12 teachers completed online surveys in which their perceptions of multitasking, views of the impact of off-task technology use on students, and on …

Improving Stakeholder Involvement In High Schools Using Community-Based Student Internships And Student Information Systems, Richard Lee Dooley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Stakeholder involvement in education, according to literature, has been shown to decrease steadily as students progress from elementary to high school. Stakeholder involvement in this study included community involvement in the form of community advisory councils to assist in increasing the number of secondary students’ internship experiences available for a small, rural high school made up of approximately 300 students. Stakeholder involvement also included increasing parental involvement using technology in the form of student information systems and access to parents and students via smartphone apps and computer access.

This improvement science, mixed-methods project included two iterations of interventions aimed at …

First-Generation Leaders: A Qualitative Examination Of Characteristics, Traits, And Identity Of First-Generation Graduates In Leadership, Jamie Woolery

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study looked at first-generation college graduates and their paths to successful leadership roles. First-generation college students are defined by the National Association of Personnel Administrators (NASPA) as students from families in which their biological parents did not complete a four-year college degree (NASPA, 2017). An investigation was conducted on demographics, access to education, opportunity, and other factors that lend themselves to successful first-generation leaders who changed the narrative for themselves and their communities. This study looked at the previously conducted literature to provide background support for the need of the research, along with further recommendations and interviews which added …

Effective Practices Of Feedback Of Elementary School Administrators During The Post-Observation Conference, Michael Galvin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research identifies two purposes for teacher evaluation: measurement and professional growth; however, the literature provides limited research on the impact of the post-observation conference in teacher evaluation on professional growth (Marzano, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to examine the perceptions of Indiana public elementary school principals on the impact of the post-observation conference on professional growth of teachers. The study uses an Elementary Administrators’ Background Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to gather an in-depth understanding of administrators’ perceptions.

Four research questions framed this study as I examined public elementary school administrators’ perceptions of post-observation feedback within the …

Responses From Young Children Not On The Autism Spectrum On Selected Questions From The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (Ados-2), Lauren Lamar

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) is a widely used instrument in the assessment of autism spectrum disorder. One of the modules requires students to answer questions requiring relatively high-level language skills but that module could be given to children as young as four years of age. It is unclear how young non-spectrum children would respond to such questions. This study analyzed types of responses provided by kindergarten, first, and second grade students when asked questions from a subtest on the ADOS-2, Module 3. The sample was largely made up of typically developing students (n = 146) with the …

Agriculture Education Teacher Perspectives On Stem In Secondary Classrooms -A Delphi Study, Nicholas Kyle Porter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Recent statistics tell us that the number of jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related fields are growing at a rapid rate, it is projected that STEM related careers will grow 17% between 2008 and 2018 (Langdon, n.d.). Within these areas lies agriculture. Given the shift of career opportunities, such as in the areas of research and development, a change has to be made in the way students are educated within agriculture. The ultimate goal of all educators is to better prepare students for their future careers and endeavors because these students are the future of our food …

Autherine Lucy & The University Of Alabama Integration At U Of A 1952-1956, Tamera Lott

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the University of Alabama was chartered in 1820 and is Alabama’s oldest public university. Prior to 1956, the University was segregated; admission was limited to white men and women. On February 3, 1965, Miss Autherine Lucy stepped foot on campus for the first time to attend classes at the University; history was made as she was the first African American present. Lucy’s attendance stirred conflict throughout campus and the state of Alabama. Unbeknownst to many, Lucy’s attendance garnered both national and international attention. The central argument here is that Lucy’s experiences at the University of Alabama …

The Impact Of Teacher Perception Of Gifted Individuals On The Instruction Of Gifted Students, Justin Moreschi

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explores the impact of teacher perception on the instruction and identification of gifted students. All certified teachers in a local elementary school were invited to complete a survey addressing the state of gifted training opportunities and personal perceptions of giftedness in multiple capacities. Results from the survey led to the discussion of four themes: the support for gifted students in the traditional classroom, the amount of professional training for teachers, the identification of gifted students, and the fact that all teachers impact gifted students and their instruction.

Anxiety Patterns In Gifted Adolescents From Parents' Perspectives, Felicia Moreschi

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explores the connection between giftedness and anxiety. Families of gifted adolescents were invited to participate in a survey to identify themes of anxiety within the school and home settings. The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, parent report (Spence, 1999) was used as the survey instrument. A total of 18 participants responded. Several themes were revealed based on the responses to questions on the survey. The themes that emerged have been identified as patterns of anxiety, including separation anxiety, physical injury fears, and social anxiety.

An Examination Of Mentoring As An Intervention For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Candace Michele Bone

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite evidence demonstrating that mentoring may be an effective intervention for neurotypical students, there is limited literature investigating the impact of mentoring on outcomes for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using a comprehensive review of the available literature, the present specialist project provides a summary of available mentoring literature which implemented mentoring programs with students on the autism spectrum. After eliminating irrelevant literature from an initial search, a small sample of relevant articles were reviewed (N = 8). These studies demonstrated that ASD mentoring programs are often limited in scope to higher functioning young adults. Additionally, the reviewed articles …

The Academic Outcomes And Adverse Childhood Experiences For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jeralyn Danielle Kessler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to review the literature to examine the academic outcomes and experiences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There were three research questions to examine academic outcomes, experiences of ACEs, and determine if research has addressed the possible interaction between academic outcomes with ACES for students with ASD. A systematic literature review was completed. Twenty-two articles were coded for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and math and reading achievement outcomes. Studies included within the review indicated that children with ASD are at an increased risk for …

College Students Level Of Educational Success And Social Capital: A Comparison Of Traditional And Nontraditional Students, Travis Jacklyn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study investigated how female/male nontraditional and traditional college students’ educational success could be influenced by both the social capital their family and friends provide and the responsibilities those close to them require. However, gender socialization may influence how certain networks, such as family and peers can help or hinder college students. Previous research found family and peers could help college students’ educational success (Betts et al., 2013; Seon, 2019), however, they can also be detrimental (Dill & Hayley, 1998). This study examined whether (1) gender and traditional/nontraditional student status are associated with educational success; and (2) whether support …

Barriers, Racism, Discrimination, And Stereotypes Against An Adult Immigrant Pursuing Adult Education: A Case Study, Kendra Mccracken

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Barriers, racism, discrimination, and stereotypes are experienced by immigrants every day. These problems are especially important when immigrants are seeking education. Education is critical for immigrants because it allows for integration, which is vital to an immigrant’s life in the United States. The study asked a participant, who had come to the United States for a degree, for a description of their experiences in the United States. The study confirmed that barriers, racism, discrimination, and stereotypes are experienced by immigrants when pursuing education in the United States. Taking a pedagogy approach may improve learning outcomes in immigrants. Education on racism, …

Addressing The Needs Of All Learners: The Art Of Accommodation, Angelica Lynn Garnett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Schools in Kentucky identify gifted students at a young age. Those students are labeled and should be provided with services based on their gifts throughout their educational career. It is the teacher’s duty to provide these services in their individual classrooms. This becomes progressively difficult as the student increases in grade level. Supporting teachers in their ability to recognize and manage the different levels in their classrooms does not always happen. The research question of this study focuses on how teachers meet the academic needs of gifted students in their classrooms in middle and secondary schools.

Participants included forty-four teachers …

Differentiation For Gifted And Talented Elementary Students: What Teachers Know And Implement, Karyn Michelle Andrews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research was to measure the ways elementary school teachers are differentiating instruction for their gifted and talented students and to gauge their awareness of the need for implementing appropriate differentiation strategies they use in their classrooms. The study surveyed elementary teachers currently teaching in one large school district in Kentucky. Teachers responded to 38 survey items, indicating how often they use specific practices with their gifted students versus with their average-achieving students.

The results indicated that there is much work to be done to increase teacher awareness of the importance of differentiated instruction for gifted and …