Education Commons^™

Culturally Responsive Teaching And Learning Achievement, Jose Rivera

Education Dissertations

Over the last decades the United States demographics reflect an increase in student diversity and multilanguage learners have changed the landscape of the education system. Educators are having a difficult time connecting, reaching, and teaching many of these diverse and multilingual learners. As a result, culturally and linguistically diverse students are not successful in school and are pushed out of secondary schools at an alarming rate. The United States educational system faces a glaring discrepancy of teacher and student demographics. In America 84% of teachers are White not Hispanic, only 6% of teachers are Latino/Hispanic, 8% are Black and less …

Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First: Exploring School Principals’ Stress And Workplace Well-Being, Dl Alex Alexander

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to highlight the importance of studying and promoting well-being to help manage stress and prevent burnout among school principals, examine potential gender disparities, and to consider implications for future practice. Grounded in a positive psychology framework, this study examined the correlations among school principals’ workplace well-being, perceived stress, self-compassion, and intent to remain in their roles using a non-experimental, descriptive survey method. In Washington State, 124 school principals responded to an online survey over a span of 11 weeks. Descriptive, correlation, moderation, independent t-test analyses were performed on quantitative data, and qualitative data was …

Holistic Teaching Practices Through A Growth Mindset Lens: A Case Study Examination Of Ela High School Classrooms, Joshua R. Gallegos

Education Dissertations

A prevalent issue that exists in education is students who demonstrate a defeated or fixed mindset—that is, when students view their intelligence and academic abilities as something that is inherent and cannot be changed overtime. Most of the research on growth mindset takes place in math classrooms, as the literature suggests that math is more frequently viewed as a subject area in which students have fixed mindsets. Additionally, most of the research on growth mindsets involves the use of quantitative research methods as opposed to the use of qualitative methods. Furthermore, there is a lack of research that examines teaching …

Predictors Of Secondary School Students’ Future Technological Academic And Professional Readiness: A Study Of Teachers And Students’ Factors In Learning Online, Autumn H. Ottenad

Education Dissertations

This research endeavors to investigate the factors that influence satisfaction with online learning among secondary students in hybrid or blended environments in the United States. With a focus on social-emotional learning and digital citizenship, the study begins the exploration and the impact of teacher interactions, teaching presence, self-management of learning, and academic self-efficacy on students’ satisfaction with learning online and how this satisfaction can impact their future readiness to use technology effectively. The study involved a sample of 320 secondary students and a supplemental survey of 32 teachers who completed online surveys that took no longer than 10 minutes to …

Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction And Social–Emotional Teaching Practices For Linguistically Diverse Learners In The United States, Wing Shuen Lau

Education Dissertations

This dissertation includes two previous research studies with a central theme to sustain and advance culturally and linguistically responsive practices in literacy instruction, which are essential for promoting diversity and equity. This work highlights the need for a more holistic approach to English language teaching that integrates culturally responsive teaching and social–emotional learning. Culturally responsive teaching recognizes the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity in the classroom. Social–emotional learning focuses on developing students’ emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, which are critical for academic success and overall well-being. Both studies call for a greater diversity of language teacher preparation curricula and …

The Impact Of Embedded Coaching On Educational Leader Professional Practice, Heather J. Sanchez

Education Dissertations

School and district leadership is complex work. Educational leaders today are charged with a myriad of responsibilities, ranging from everyday operational duties to strategic development of school improvement plans. Leaders are expected to be experts at everything ranging from transportation to transforming teaching and learning. Gone are the days when a leader was expected to manage the school or district. Today leaders are expected to meet the robust needs of staff, students, and families inclusive of social-emotional needs, academic needs, and physical needs. Today’s leaders are expected to be transformative, to have skills sets that enable them to effectively partner …

The Relationship Between Systems Thinking By Building Leaders And Academic Outcomes For Marginalized Students, Dunham Obadiah

Education Dissertations

Despite the attempts by lawmakers to legislate a closing of the achievement gap, persistent gaps in performance for students based on ethnicity, race, economic level, disability, and first language persist throughout public schools in the United States. Occasionally, a principal will receive attention for raising the performance of minoritized groups in their school. However, while admired, the principal’s efforts are not easily replicated. Furthermore, principal development programs fail to produce building leaders that can reliably achieve the change marginalized communities need.

There have been numerous studies that have shown that principals impact the academic performance of their students. For the …

An Exploratory Study Examining The Effects Of An Online-Based, Curriculum-Embedded Gratitude Intervention For College Students, Cristina Bistricean

Education Dissertations

The present study examined the effectiveness of a curriculum-embedded, asynchronously delivered gratitude intervention with a first-year college student sample. Hypotheses included that the gratitude intervention would lead to decreased levels of depression, anxiety, and stress and increased feelings of gratitude and psychological wellbeing/flourishing. Furthermore, race, gender, and college generational standing were examined for their moderating effects of the gratitude intervention on the same outcome variables. Participants self-selected into two sections of an Introduction to Psychology course, with 72 participants engaged in the gratitude intervention and 97 in the control condition. Gratitude activities lasted five weeks, including a video presentation on …

Equitable Hiring Practices For Hr Directors: It Is All About The How, Jennifer B. Harlan

Education Dissertations

District Human Resource departments are tasked with developing rationale, policies, and a hiring process that prioritizes hiring high quality applicants that reflect diverse backgrounds with proven experience and success with district student populations. Staff must hire diverse candidates but to do so, they must examine the implications for equitable hiring practices and remove obstacles and barriers currently in place. The purpose of this paper is to research district action plans and system changes that are taking place in schools to hire a diverse staff. State laws, district policies, and action plans are a great step but how the steps are …

A Situational Analysis Grounded Theory Study Of University Inclusive Physics Learning Environments, Tali Hairston, W. Tali Hairston, Wilford T. Hairston

Education Dissertations

Different teaching and learning strategies have informed physics educators on addressing the cultural meanings and practices of physics that have sustained homogeneity within university programs. However, literature evidence physics learning environments are under-theorized in dismantling homogeneity and conceptually changes physics student learning for those struggling to learn physics. The purpose of this situational analysis grounded theory study was to explain a theoretical construct of inclusive physics learning environment strategies of eighteen college and university faculty, collected from interview data in a 2017 study. The research question guiding this study was to describe the sociocultural theoretical structure emergent in the inclusive …

Retaining And Supporting Female Faculty Of Color: Addressing The Oppressive Nature Of Tenure And Promotion, Shevell Thibou, Shevell Thibou

Education Dissertations

Faculty of color can experience an array of challenges during their professional journey in higher education. When gender and race intersect, additional injustices are experienced by faculty of color who identify as women. The research available draws attention to the discrimination, exploitation, and isolation faced by female faculty of color during their professional journey in higher education. Using a grounded theory research design, this study explored if administrators and faculty are aware of the challenges imposed on women of color during the tenure and promotion process, and if institutions are working to address these challenges.

Computational Thinking: In-Service Elementary Teachers Developing Knowledge, Understanding, And Confidence, Shannon L. Thissen

Education Dissertations

Computers infiltrate almost every aspect of our lives, including our homes and cars. For work, education, or personal fulfillment, computing has increased dramatically. The need for an educated workforce is expanding as technology devices become smaller, faster, and more powerful. We can teach students how to use math, logic, and computational thinking, a problem-solving process that allows the functionality of computing devices as part of innovative solutions. Teachers who receive professional development and resources to incorporate computational thinking can enhance problem-solving activities in all curriculum areas. Different instructional methods support the knowledge for problem-solving processes using computational thinking. Strategies to …

An Examination Of Culturally Competent Transformational Leadership Influence Of Student Achievement And Stake-Holders Perception, Andre E. Stout

Education Dissertations

This research consists of a non-experimental, descriptive and correlation research design to analyze the relationship between principals’ leadership style as well as principal cultural competency and their impact on student achievement and stake-holders perception. The study took place in the South Puget Sound region of Washington state in one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. The researcher investigated the impact of transformational leadership in education based on research that posited that transformational leaders inspired and motivated followers to exceed performance expectation and commitment to a shared goal (Bass, 1985a; Burns, 1978;). The study relied heavily on prior educational …

Almost Like Being There: Embodiment, Social Presence, And Engagement Using Telepresence Robots In Blended Courses, Karen G. Hickenbottom

Education Dissertations

As students’ online learning opportunities continue to increase in higher education, students are choosing not to come back to campus in-person for a variety of personal, health, safety, and financial reasons. The growing use of video conferencing technology during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed classes to continue, but students reported a sense of disconnectedness and lack of engagement with their classes. Telepresence robots may be an alternative to video conferencing that can provide learning experiences closer to the in-person experience, which also provides a stronger sense of embodiment, social presence, and engagement in the classroom. This study explored the use of …

The Implementation Of Restorative Justice Practices: An Exploration Into Administrators' Experiences, Sacha Starr Helling-Christy

Education Dissertations

In this paper, transformative learning theory and restorative justice practices, as well as the empirical research done to link theory to practice, are explored. As Mezirow (2018) stated, transformative learning is “the process by which we transform problematic frames of reference (mindsets, habits of mind, meaning perspectives)—sets of assumption and expectation—to make them more inclusive, . . . open, reflective and emotionally able to change” (p. 116). In other words, people’s life experiences help shape their opinions and worldviews, and most people are resistant to change these ideas the more solidly they are planted in one’s minds as being correct. …

Leadership Influence On Collective Teacher Efficacy In Multi-Cultural Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study, Yaru Zhou

Education Dissertations

As evidence for positive effects of collective teacher efficacy on student performance and teacher well-being grow, increasing efforts have been made worldwide to understand how teachers’ beliefs in the team’s capacity form in schools. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach; 90 teachers from seven international schools in China participated in the survey, and eight teachers from these schools joined focus group interviews. This paper seeks to understand the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of instructional school leadership and collective efficacy, and how individual leaders’ character strength of encouragement and structural factors, including school levels and cultural dimensions, affect the relationship. Quantitative …

Measuring Self-Efficacy Of Elementary General Education Teachers Serving English Language Learners With And Without Disabilities, Stacey L. Mccrath-Smith

Education Dissertations

The K-12 student population across the United States has experienced a growth of students whose native language is not English (Piazza et al., 2020). These culturally, linguistically diverse students, also known as English Learners (ELs), are placed in classrooms of teachers who lack the training necessary to effectively serve language and content learning needs (Ortiz & Robertson, 2018). A model that has been routinely used to provide teachers with an instructional framework to address the needs of ELs, is the sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2017). This study sought to develop a valid and reliable tool, …

Using The Community Of Inquiry Framework To Examine Instructor Strategies For Emergency Remote Online Teaching During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth A. Ebersole

Education Dissertations

The pivot to emergency remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for both students and instructors in the majority of higher education settings. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and self-efficacy theory, this study examined the teaching practices of higher education instructors during emergency remote online learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during Spring 2020. Regarding the three CoI presences, both students and instructors reported high teaching presence and high cognitive presence, as well as moderate social presence during emergency remote online learning. Correlations were found between student CoI scores and student satisfaction and perception …

Elementary Principal And Special Education Teacher Perspectives Of Instructional Leadership For Special Education, Jennifer Norton

Education Dissertations

Focus on instructional leadership for school principals continues to be prominent in educational research and reform, as accountability for student achievement increases. The relationship between instructional leadership and special education needs more representation in research and literature. In this study, a review of relevant historical and current research regarding principal instructional leadership is presented with a contemporary conceptual framework of instructional leadership. Using the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS), perceptions of principal engagement in instructional leadership behaviors were examined through the viewpoints of elementary principals and special education teachers in the State of Washington. Data generated by the PIMRS …

The Role Of Mentoring In The Induction Experiences Of Novice School Counselors: A Phenomenological Study, Kelsey Nugent

Education Dissertations

As novice school counselors [NSCs] begin their careers, they transition from receiving supervision in their preparation programs to being on their own. This transition, or induction period, can be fraught with challenges as there are often discrepancies between the anticipated and actual role of school counselors. To extend and enrich the school counseling program, it has been recommended by numerous studies that continued supportive relationships, such as mentoring, can help first year school counselors transition into their profession. Mentoring is a way to help guide novices towards success, as it emphasizes an ongoing guiding and caring relationship between a mentor …

Corpus-Based Data-Driven Learning In Reading English For Academic Purposes, Ira Rasikawati

Education Dissertations

One of the second language (L2) instructional approaches perceived as promising is data-driven learning (DDL) – the use of computer-generated concordances for language teaching and learning. DDL provides students with the opportunity to analyze language forms across contexts found in the concordance output. Notwithstanding the growing research support, DDL has not been widely adopted in L2 classrooms. Studies examining the use of DDL have mostly been carried out in a case study context with a small sample size. To bridge the gap between research and instructional practices, more empirical studies are needed to corroborate the claim that exposing students to …

Does Expectation Influence Relationship? A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Parental Expectation And Parent-Child Relationship Among Chinese Family Groups 期望是否會影響關係？華裔家庭中父母的期望對親子關係的影響之研究, Sharon Chiang, Sharon Chiang, Sharon Chiang

Education Dissertations

Abstract

Parental expectation, particularly among Chinese family groups, is understood to be formative upon their children’s identity, behavior in family relationships, educational success and decisions in career choices. China's long history of traditionalism in its social values, heavily based on Confucian philosophy of the family, bears this out. Significant social changes have happened in recent years due to political shifts, modernization, capitalization, immigration, and government population control policies. However, expectation is an element on which both academic study and educational research are rather limited. Current study has touched on the topic of parental expectation and raised some awareness, but the …

Effects Of Metacognitive Training On The Academic Self-Regulation Of Japanese College Students, Noyuri Sugitani

Education Dissertations

The ability to self-regulate is important for students at any level, especially for those in college, as they need to process a large volume of information and material a short span of time as they study. Competent self-regulated learners have the knowledge and strategies needed to learn and remember information along with the ability to apply the skills to specific learning task (Bembenutty, 2009, 2011; Ruban, 2006; Schunk & Zimmerman, 2011).

Though more than a few decades have passed since academic self-regulation has been a focus in the field of educational psychology in Japan, the focus on self-regulation has concentrated …

Video Analysis In Educator Preparation And Its Impact On Teacher Performance Assessment, Kirsten Koetje

Education Dissertations

The researcher analyzed data from two online cohorts of preservice teachers at a small, liberal arts university in Washington State. The researcher conducted a correlational analysis to determine if standardized writing scores and the quantity of video analysis conducted during the educator preparation program (EPP) predicted performance on the national Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA). Contrary to the researcher’s hypothesis, academic writing ability did not have a predictive positive relationship with edTPA performance, r = -.004, p = .98. The total quantity of video analysis, both of self and of other, resulted in a statistically significant positive correlation with …

Bringing College Classes To High School, Stephanie M. Wieland

Education Dissertations

Recent education reforms have focused heavily on increasing academic rigor for secondary students attending public schools with a goal of improved academic outcomes for all students. A common practice for increasing rigor school-wide is the adoption of college-level curriculums such as dual-credit, Advanced Placement, and the International Baccalaureate in U.S public secondary schools.

This study examined the relationship between the implementation of one or more college-level curriculum(s) in a public secondary school and overall student academic achievement. Academic achievement was measured by student performance on the Washington state standardized End of Course exam in Biology and the Smarter Balanced exams …

Use Of Metaconceptual Scaffolding In The Science Classroom To Promote Conceptual Change, Erin Duez

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of providing metaconceptual awareness questions on the conceptual change and metaconceptual awareness of students in the chemistry classroom. This quasi-experimental study with a repeated-measures design analyzed the effects of providing metaconceptual awareness questions on the conceptual change and metaconceptual awareness of high school chemistry students. The intervention consisted of providing metaconceptual awareness questions nine times to the experimental group over a three-week period. The chemistry conceptual knowledge of both groups was assessed three times: pretest, posttest, and a delayed retention test. The metaconceptual awareness of the students was assessed twice …

Principal Leadership And Student Academic Achievement, Brigitte Karin Manns

Education Dissertations

This case study is an analysis of the relationship between principal leadership and student academic achievement. This research is based upon two dominant leadership theories from the past four decades, namely transformational leadership, which has been studied extensively by Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio among others, and instructional leadership, which has been researched most notably by Philip Hallinger and colleagues. More recently, several researchers have proposed that transformational leadership and instructional leadership may be related to increases in student learning when used simultaneously by a school leader. This case study is an examination of the leadership style of a principal …

A Case Study Of Communities Of Practice In Schools, Stephanie Ann Knipp

Education Dissertations

Abstract

This research is an examination of a community of practice, how it generates teacher social capital, and the implications for school leadership. Grounded in situated learning theory and social capital theory, this case study of teachers in a small school analyzes how communities of practice can generate teacher social capital, and how school leaders can help foster its growth. Situated learning theory is creating meaning from the real activities of daily living, and its implications for educational research and application are extensive. Developed by anthropologist Jean Lave and computer scientist Etienne Wenger in the 1990s, situated learning theory is …

Student Perception Of Digital Technology Usage In Higher Education Classrooms At Seattle Pacific University, Jason E. Profit

Education Dissertations

Abstract

Student Perception of Digital Technology Usage in Higher

Education Classrooms at Seattle Pacific University

By Jason Profit

Chairperson of the Dissertation Committee:

Dr. Nyaradzo Mvududu

School of Education

Since 2004, EDUCAUSE has been assessing the use of digital devices in higher education classrooms. Seattle Pacific University (SPU) had never participated in an ECAR Student Technology Survey until April, 2017. This study aimed to establish a baseline understanding of how SPU undergraduate students compare to other small, private, liberal arts institutions in regard to technology usage in the classroom. The broader purpose of this study was to add to the …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Effects Of Reflective Self-Assessment On Academic Achievement In Primary And Secondary Populations, Jeffrey James Youde

Education Dissertations

Recent empirical research studies indicate that reflective self-assessment as a classroom approach can have a positive impact on student achievement. Reflective self-assessment, a form of metacognition, allows a student to think about past, current, and future learning performance. Although several discrete empirical studies have supported such hypotheses, a quantified exploration and summary of the relationship between classroom techniques of reflective self-assessment and student academic achievement is needed. The results of the current study, a meta-analysis of surveyed empirical studies from the past 26 years, indicate that reflective self-assessment has an overall effect size of .46 on academic achievement across grade …