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Full-Text Articles in Education
Exploring The Role Of Virtual Reality Perspective Taking On Teachers’ Cognitive Empathy: An Action Research Study, Dong Bin Shin
Exploring The Role Of Virtual Reality Perspective Taking On Teachers’ Cognitive Empathy: An Action Research Study, Dong Bin Shin
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Empathy is an important instructor variable that improves learning outcomes by creating a safe learning environment (Herbek & Yammarino, 1990). Advancements in virtual reality technology and 360-degree videography allow individuals to empathize with others through a perceptual illusion called embodiment (Bertrand et al., 2018). The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to explore the effect of virtual reality perspective taking (VRPT) on teachers’ cognitive empathy. Additional goals included examining how teachers’ beliefs about cognitive empathy impacted teacher-student interactions and teaching practices. Lastly, the study sought to understand teachers’ perceptions regarding the efficacy of VRPT as a viable, professional …
A Program Evaluation Of Fundations In A Private Urban Elementary School, Megan Storey Hallam
A Program Evaluation Of Fundations In A Private Urban Elementary School, Megan Storey Hallam
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Early reading skills are strongly associated with long term academic and life achievement. Despite the recognized importance of literacy, indicators point to a literacy crisis in the United States. Research and policies have highlighted the necessity of selecting reading programs with documented effectiveness and implementing them with fidelity. This mixed methods program evaluation investigated the extent to which the Fundations reading program is being implemented with fidelity at a private urban elementary school and if there has been a change in student reading performance since introducing the program. This study also explored teachers’ perceptions regarding program strengths and challenges along …
A Program Evaluation Of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports In Two Elementary Schools, Ashley Reyher
A Program Evaluation Of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports In Two Elementary Schools, Ashley Reyher
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This program evaluation assessed fidelity of implementation and teacher perceptions of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) in two elementary schools in Virginia. SWPBIS is a prevention framework that seeks to proactively address behavior in schools through proactive systems and practices. SWPBIS is founded on prevention science and research that compels schools to address student behavior in order to avoid future social problems. The fidelity of implementation of this program was assessed through quantitative and qualitative measures, seeking to answer evaluation questions related to the extent that the core features of SWPBIS related to leadership, practices, and use of …
A Program Evaluation Of A Secondary Co-Teaching Professional Development Program, Donice Davenport
A Program Evaluation Of A Secondary Co-Teaching Professional Development Program, Donice Davenport
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Most students with disabilities in public schools are served in inclusive environments by teams of special and general education teachers working together to support their access to the curriculum and their disability related needs. This program evaluation sought to understand the knowledge, skills, and efficacy of a group of co-teachers following their participation in an in-service secondary co-teaching professional development program which focused on effective use of the station teaching, parallel teaching, and alternative teaching models to deliver specially designed instruction in co-taught classrooms. The program evaluation was based on Stufflebeam’s CIPP model of program evaluation and used a mixed-methods …
Online Faculty Development: Disorienting Dilemmas In Learning To Teach Online, Katalin Wargo
Online Faculty Development: Disorienting Dilemmas In Learning To Teach Online, Katalin Wargo
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This dissertation explores how faculty development for online teaching in higher education might facilitate transformative learning and the transfer of instructional practices across teaching modalities. The first manuscript examines how the essential constructs of transformative learning are promoted in online faculty development and which elements of faculty development help to foster transformative learning. The second manuscript describes a case study that emerged from a university faculty development seminar to prepare instructors to teach online. The purpose of this study was to examine how, if at all, the Online Faculty Development Seminar changed five participants’ perspectives of teaching. This study found …
What's In A Name? Selected Secondary English Teachers' Experiences Of Engaging In Formative Assessment, Sarah P. Hylton
What's In A Name? Selected Secondary English Teachers' Experiences Of Engaging In Formative Assessment, Sarah P. Hylton
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Formative assessment’s evolution over the last 50 plus years has led to the ubiquitous use of the term and ostensibly its practice, yet very little research has specifically addressed teachers’ experiences of formative assessment, particularly in the realm of secondary English. This study’s goal, therefore, was to gain insight into how teachers experience engaging in formative assessment. By exploring their experiences, this descriptive phenomenological study sought to discover what meaning selected teachers ascribe to formative assessment and to thereby elevate teachers’ voices in the formative assessment conversation. This research question guided the study: What are secondary English teachers’ lived experiences …
It’S All About The Climb: Problem-Based Learning In The Arts & Sciences, Alexis Harvey
It’S All About The Climb: Problem-Based Learning In The Arts & Sciences, Alexis Harvey
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method of instruction that challenges students to answer questions in a practical manner using their understanding of learned course content. The question at the heart of this study concerns if and how faculty in one institution are currently using PBL. I used an exploratory descriptive case study to research the perceptions of Arts & Sciences (A&S) faculty on the use of PBL as an instructional approach to support the academic learning of students. The use of PBL is suggested in the university’s general education requirements, and yet may not be familiar to the all Arts …
Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Rise Framework When Implemented With Second Grade Students Reading Below Grade Level: A Program Evaluation, Heather France Gentry
Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Rise Framework When Implemented With Second Grade Students Reading Below Grade Level: A Program Evaluation, Heather France Gentry
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Ensuring that students are reading on grade level by third grade is a critical factor that is correlated with future success both in the classroom and in future career and earnings potential for each child (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2012 ; Sum et al., 2009). National data focused on the number of students reading below grade level depicts an alarming number of students who are not meeting grade-level benchmarks for reading (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). When students struggle to meet grade-level expectations in reading through participation in instruction within the regular classroom, a pull-out intervention program is often …
Virginia Local Homeless Education Liaisons' Approach To Student Supports During Covid-19, Cathrine Anthony
Virginia Local Homeless Education Liaisons' Approach To Student Supports During Covid-19, Cathrine Anthony
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act, reauthorized witheducational mandates in 2015 by Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is federal law that protects and supports the educational rights of students experiencing homelessness. The law requires local school districts to appoint a local education agency (LEA) liaison responsible for coordinating identification, enrollment, and outreach efforts. This study investigated the implementation of job responsibilities and practices of Virginia LEA liaisons and changes in the responsibilities that may be attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The research questions addressed time, effort and mitigating factors of LEA liaisons using …
An Evaluation Of A Gifted Education Program To Examine The Influence Of Teacher Participants’ Implicit Mindset Of Intelligence And Conceptions Of Giftedness On Pedagogical Decision-Making, Andrew William Sytsma
An Evaluation Of A Gifted Education Program To Examine The Influence Of Teacher Participants’ Implicit Mindset Of Intelligence And Conceptions Of Giftedness On Pedagogical Decision-Making, Andrew William Sytsma
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Implicit mindset of intelligence influences teachers’ conceptions of giftedness which can influence pedagogical decision-making that relate to gifted students. Teachers implicitly view intelligence as either a limited quantity or a quality that can be developed over time (Dweck, 2008b). The mindset of intelligence that a teacher holds impacts the expectations that are placed on students. However, general education teachers may not have a solid conception of giftedness (Kaul & Davis, 2018). Thus, a gifted program which relies on general education teachers for instructional delivery may not adequately meet the academic needs of the gifted students within the program. The program …
Leaning On One Another: An Exploration Of The Relationship Among Social Connection, Alcohol Use, Resilience, And Loneliness In Lgbtq+ College Students, Nathaniel Mason
Leaning On One Another: An Exploration Of The Relationship Among Social Connection, Alcohol Use, Resilience, And Loneliness In Lgbtq+ College Students, Nathaniel Mason
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This research study served to examine casual inferences within the relationships between social connectedness, drinking, resilience, and loneliness for both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual-identifying college students. The literature reviewed identified there is likely a relationship between these constructs whereby social connectedness was expected to significantly predict drinking (in a negative direction), and the relationship was mediated by the presence of resilience or loneliness. A total of 253 full-time college students between the ages of 18 and 28 were surveyed , 135 of which identified as LGBTQ+. The participants completed the Social Connectedness Revised (SCS-R), revised version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale …
Examining How Vertical Transfer Students Make Sense Of Their Transition Through The Transfer Admission And Enrollment Process During Covid-19, Evanne Christine Raible
Examining How Vertical Transfer Students Make Sense Of Their Transition Through The Transfer Admission And Enrollment Process During Covid-19, Evanne Christine Raible
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Students transfer from one institution of higher education to another for many different reasons, and students’ decision-making processes and enrollment patterns can be complex. This, coupled with a declining postsecondary enrollment nationally and the number of high school graduates leveling off, has forced the transfer admission offices to think creatively as they work to help fill an emerging enrollment gap and maintain current enrollment levels. This program evaluation took place at Liberal Arts University (LAU), a small, primarily undergraduate, liberal arts university in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States and used a case study approach. The theoretical framework that …
A Program Evaluation Of A High School Student Advisory Program, William Samuel Shipp
A Program Evaluation Of A High School Student Advisory Program, William Samuel Shipp
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this study was to determine the quality, relevance, benefits, and teacher preparedness of a student advisory that was implemented in a high school to improve student connectedness to the school. Students' and staff perceptions and ideas were collected and analyzed for the purpose of understanding whether the advisory was meeting its stated goals and for the purpose of providing guidance for the next phases of the advisory. One year of extant student and staff surveys were collected and a focus group with staff were held to elicit their thoughts, perceptions, and ideas of the advisory program and …
The Pandemic Pause: Investigating The Impact Of Covid-19-Related School Closures On Student Learning And The Socioeconomic Achievement Gap, Kristin Schweitzer
The Pandemic Pause: Investigating The Impact Of Covid-19-Related School Closures On Student Learning And The Socioeconomic Achievement Gap, Kristin Schweitzer
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the school closures that occurred in the spring of 2020 on student learning. Using reading and mathematics MAP Growth data from four consecutive academic years, this study compared changes in student outcomes to determine if students, especially those who had economic disadvantage, had different academic outcomes than their peers. Research concerning typical student learning trajectories, patterns of summer learning loss, and existing academic achievement gaps was used to develop the hypothesis that fifth-grade students who experienced the pandemic would begin sixth grade significantly behind …
Maintaining High-Quality Community And Academics In Distance Learning: A Covid-19 Action Research Case Study, Michael Riley
Maintaining High-Quality Community And Academics In Distance Learning: A Covid-19 Action Research Case Study, Michael Riley
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This action research study aimed to better understand the experiences with distance learning in a small, regional Catholic school during the 2020-2021 school year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers, students, and parents each have unique perceptions of distance learning. An explanatory, mixed methods design was used to assess their feelings around community and academics. Mixed methods allow for multiple data sources which creates triangulation of data, increasing the validity of the study (Creswell, 2014). Self-report surveys were administered to all three stakeholder groups. Data were collected and analyzed. Each stakeholder group was broken into subgroups with an emphasis on in-person …
The Impact Of Selected Special Education Co-Teaching Models On Math And Reading Student Achievement And On Student Behavior In Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade, Amy Page Hauser
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Providing special education services for students with identified special education needs in the least restrictive environment continues to be a challenge for schools. The co-teaching model of special education service delivery provides an opportunity for students to receive individualized instruction, remediation, and practice in the general education classroom by the general education teacher or the special education teacher. Given the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of co-teaching, there is a need to evaluate the practice based on its effectiveness in the specific setting of a small-town elementary school and based on important criteria of the specific setting. The purpose of this …
Bullying In Student Affairs: Our Little Secret, April Joy Palmer
Bullying In Student Affairs: Our Little Secret, April Joy Palmer
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The intent of this narrative dissertation was to uncover how staff members in divisions of student affairs experience bullying, how it has affected their trust for the profession and their colleagues and supervisors, and how the power dynamic within workplace bullying has an effect on the experience for professionals. It is important to recognize bullying does exist in student affairs, an area focused on positive development and growth for students, and to understand more about the effect of bullying in student affairs on staff. Bullying experiences can result in good student affairs professionals leaving the profession. The frameworks used in …
What Keeps Student Affairs Professionals In The Field: Perspectives Of Mid-Level Administrators, Wilmarie Rodriguez
What Keeps Student Affairs Professionals In The Field: Perspectives Of Mid-Level Administrators, Wilmarie Rodriguez
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Mid-level student affairs professionals are leaving the field at an alarming rate. Even though many studies have given considerable attention to the reasons employees leave, less attention has been given to the reasons they decide to stay. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to examine factors influencing mid-level student affairs professionals’ retention at two public, medium to small size, 4-year universities in the Mid-Atlantic region. First, the administration of a survey to student affairs professionals at two selected institutions occurred to assess their job embeddedness at the institutions. Interviews, through a narrative approach, with select mid-level student …
The Process And Power Of Owning Intellectual Limitations: A Grounded Theory Of Intellectual Humility In Undergraduate Education, Johann Ducharme
The Process And Power Of Owning Intellectual Limitations: A Grounded Theory Of Intellectual Humility In Undergraduate Education, Johann Ducharme
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Intellectual humility is understood as the attentiveness to and owning of intellectual limitations and operates as an Aristotelian golden mean along a spectrum of its absence (i.e., intellectual arrogance) and excess (i.e., intellectual servility). This study investigates the nature and formation of intellectual humility contextualized to an undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences education. A grounded theory approach was employed to conceptualize and develop two models of intellectual humility: a process for unlearning as an appropriate response to owning intellectual limitations and a way to cultivate intellectual humility in undergraduate students. This qualitative study comprised of tenured faculty from a highly …
The Stories We Choose To Share: An Application Of Q-Methodology Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs And Decision Making In Text Selection For Read-Aloud, Jane A. Core Yatzeck
The Stories We Choose To Share: An Application Of Q-Methodology Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs And Decision Making In Text Selection For Read-Aloud, Jane A. Core Yatzeck
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
AbstractTeachers make decisions about which resources to use in their classrooms daily, including text selection for read-aloud. This impacts students in classrooms nationwide, as these decisions validate some voices and marginalize others. This study used the Q-methodology in a concurrent mixed-methods design to explore what beliefs influence decision-making as teachers in Grades 3-6 select texts to share for read-aloud and where these beliefs originated. Teacher participants identified priorities in text selection using a forced-rank Q-sort and reflected individually on their text selection process for read-aloud. Data were then analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to delineate factor groups with similar …
Teacher Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy And Instructional Practices Through Instructional Coaching In Mathematics: An Action Research Study, Jason Strong
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Through decades of research and practice, evidence has consistently revealed that math instruction focused on the development of conceptual understanding through reasoning, dialogue, revision, and reflection has the greatest long-term impact on success and self-efficacy in mathematics. Despite these findings, many classrooms continue to employ instructional approaches that emphasize procedural practice. The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to examine the impact of instructional coaching in mathematics on teacher self-efficacy and instruction as they relate to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics teaching practice of facilitating mathematical discourse. Participants in the study included a mathematics instructional coach …
Collective Efficacy Beliefs And Their Sources In Ncaa Division I Soccer Players, Brendan Bourdage
Collective Efficacy Beliefs And Their Sources In Ncaa Division I Soccer Players, Brendan Bourdage
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Instruments for the measurement of collective efficacy beliefs in college athletes do not provide domain-specific information that reflects the unique nature of collegiate athletics or the characteristics of specific sports. Without domain-specific measures, interventions designed to enhance collective efficacy beliefs in collegiate athletes will not be optimized. This study proposes new scales to measure the collective efficacy beliefs of NCAA Division I soccer players and identify the sources of those beliefs. Additionally, this study aims to measure how well collective efficacy beliefs are predicted by their individual sources and how the academic, social, and structural background factors present in the …
A Program Evaluation Of Technology-Rich Instruction In A Public Charter High School, Veronica Elizabeth Warwick
A Program Evaluation Of Technology-Rich Instruction In A Public Charter High School, Veronica Elizabeth Warwick
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Technology-rich instruction is described an important instructional component for fostering the development of 21st century skills (U.S. Department of Education, 2017) and an effective pedagogy for teaching at-risk students (Darling-Hammond et al., 2014). The purpose of this qualitative case study program evaluation was to explore technology-rich instruction implementation at a public charter high school designed for supporting students at-risk of not graduating high school. The evaluation specifically investigated the stated, foundational curriculum, teacher knowledge and perceptions, and classroom practices. A document analysis, teacher surveys, teacher interviews, and classroom observations were used to provide about data about the alignment of the …
Promoting Kindergarten Family Efficacy Through A Virtual Workshop Series: An Action Research Study, Jessica Anderson Brown
Promoting Kindergarten Family Efficacy Through A Virtual Workshop Series: An Action Research Study, Jessica Anderson Brown
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Families play an essential role in their children’s academic, social, and emotional development. Many families want to support their children’s learning but are unsure of how to do so. It is an important task of schools to find ways to engage students’ families and help them support their children’s learning at home. This study explored the effects of a virtual workshop series designed for the families of kindergarten students on participants’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and family practices at home. Three research questions were addressed: After participating in a workshop series, how do participants describe their knowledge of family practices that support …
Toward Fostering A Sense Of Community Among Online Adjunct Faculty: Strategies Of Selected Higher Education Administrators, Alexandra Catherine Blankinship
Toward Fostering A Sense Of Community Among Online Adjunct Faculty: Strategies Of Selected Higher Education Administrators, Alexandra Catherine Blankinship
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Higher education institutions are increasingly turning to adjunct faculty to teach online courses to accommodate online course enrollment growth. While many adjunct faculty are attracted to the flexibility of online teaching, they also face several challenges, such as feelings of isolation and disengagement, negative stereotypes, and lack of professional development opportunities. These challenges can be detrimental to their instructional performance and, therefore, the student learning experience. Thus, fully integrating online adjunct faculty into an institution’s community and creating an environment in which they feel supported is critical to the success of an institution’s online programs. Research suggests that higher education …
Liberal Arts Colleges And Covid-19: A Quantitative Study Of Student Perceptions And Experiences During The Pandemic, Ashleigh Marie Brock
Liberal Arts Colleges And Covid-19: A Quantitative Study Of Student Perceptions And Experiences During The Pandemic, Ashleigh Marie Brock
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially disrupted normal operations at liberal arts colleges (LACs) across the United States, as well as the lives and educational trajectories of their undergraduate students. This dissertation collected data from 775 undergraduate LAC students enrolled in two colleges in the U.S. South during the spring 2021 semester about their fall 2020 semester pandemic college experiences. The purpose of this study was to elicit students’ perspectives on their LACs and the college experience during the pandemic— as well as their reported sense of belonging and intent to graduate from their current institution— in order to identify potential short- …
Know, Navigate, Negotiate, And Contribute: Exploring Experienced New Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Formal And Informal Induction And Transition Experiences, Joshua Wesley Wilson
Know, Navigate, Negotiate, And Contribute: Exploring Experienced New Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Formal And Informal Induction And Transition Experiences, Joshua Wesley Wilson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Induction is a process in which teachers that are newly hired to a school district are provided an opportunity to learn about the needs, expectations, and obligations of their school, community, and students. A formal induction program is implemented through such experiences as assigning mentors for a newly hired teacher and requiring participation in pre-school professional development. Informal induction occurs outside of the structure and mandatory nature of the formal induction process and can include experiences such as speaking with colleagues or a new teacher finding a trusted companion in their building. The induction process is most often tailored for …
A Historical Narrative On The Formative Years And Organizational Culture Of Ave Maria University: 2003 To 2011, Patricia Lourdes Moran
A Historical Narrative On The Formative Years And Organizational Culture Of Ave Maria University: 2003 To 2011, Patricia Lourdes Moran
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
In this study, I focused on the history of Ave Maria University during its formative years in Florida from 2003 to 2011 to answer the research question: How did a new, conservative Catholic university emerge in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century? Understanding the history and culture of Ave Maria informs how the institution came about and is still operational today, even when other small institutions are closing their doors. The study utilized a historical narrative approach to uncover and document Ave Maria’s early history, the physical transition of moving campus locations twice, the accreditation process, …