The Impact Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Esl International Students’ Reading Comprehension And Metacognitive Awareness In College, Fatima Benlyazid

Education Dissertations

Many ESL international students struggle with academic reading, which hinders their success in American colleges. Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) is a multi-component approach that trains struggling readers to apply a set of cognitive and metacognitive strategies to enhance their reading comprehension and content area reading. This quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest study aims to evaluate the effect of CSR on ESL international students' reading comprehension and their metacognitive awareness in college. The researcher employed Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) and Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) measurement tools to collect the data. Capturing students' perceptions of CSR in the …

Examining Relationships Between The Wakids Gold Social-Emotional And Cognitive Subtests Of Executive Function And Kindergarten Reading Readiness, Amy J. Wright

Education Dissertations

Executive function skills, which are defined as a person’s ability to regulate behaviors such as attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, play a role in a child’s successful transition from preschool to kindergarten. The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the relationship between executive function in early childhood, as measured by the WaKIDS GOLD^TM social-emotional and cognitive subtests, and early reading readiness. The research design was both correlational and predictive (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2006). The target population is kindergarteners in a suburban Washington State school district. The study is based on data collected at the …

Educator Mindsets And The Impacts To The Teacher-Student Relationship: An Exploratory Case Study, Tammy Fisher Huson

Education Dissertations

Teacher-student relationships (TSR) have long been demonstrated to have significant impact on student outcomes. There has been far less research, however, focused on identifying the specific mindsets that educators’ hold which influence their actions toward students. As relationships are situated and contextual and qualitative in nature, this case study sought to explore the specific qualities of effective TSR through the perspectives of both educators (n = 31) and students (n = 65) in two alternative schools in Northwest Canada. Staff members in both the middle school and the high school participated in a professional development TSR intervention designed to coach …

Academic Success Indicators Associated With Immediate Postsecondary Enrollment, Alexandria C. Johns

Education Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to examine the predictive relationship between human capital academic success indicators and student enrollment or non-enrollment in a postsecondary institution or program. For this study, the researcher analyzed academic records, demographic information, and National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) reports from two comprehensive high schools in one school district to address the research question. A direct logistic regression was used to examine the predictors that influenced the decision of high school graduates from the class of 2017 to enroll in a two-year college, technical college, four-year college, or non-enrollment immediately after graduation from high school. …

Using Metacognitive Reflection To Improve Student Learning, Eric Howe

Education Dissertations

The study of art, especially perspective, involves the use of specialized vocabulary words. Vocabulary words can be difficult to comprehend, but when students learn to use the specialized vocabulary or academic language of a subject, the learner is better able to think about the content. While academic language is only a part of a visual art curriculum, students need support from the teacher to learn it. Metacognitive reflection (MR) offers a method to increase student learning of academic language in art specifically, and other subjects in general. Teacher feedback naturally occurs in response to students’ reflections and gives the learner …

The Role Of Hope Among College Students’ Academic Achievement, Esther Choe Penzar

Education Dissertations

First-generation college students historically face barriers to succeed academically in post-secondary education as observed through lower graduation rates, lower GPA, lower rates of persistence in college, and prolonged time to graduate compared to non-FGCS (Cataldi, Bennett, & Chen, 2018; Chen & Carroll, 2005; Ishitani, 2006). Internal factors such as hope and academic self-efficacy have shown to have a distinct and significant impact on academic achievement (Feldman & Kubota, 2015).

In the present research, the relationships between Snyder and colleagues (1991) Trait Hope Scale (THS), Chemers and colleagues’ (2011) Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and academic achievement, as measured by self-reported GPA, …

Training School Counselors To Use Motivational Interviewing: How School Counselor Preparation Programs Provide Motivational Interviewing Training, Reagan A. North

Education Dissertations

In a data-driven educational landscape, it is essential that School Counselor Preparation Programs (SCPPs) train School Counselor Trainees (SCTs) to use effective counseling techniques (Goodman-Scott, 2015; Perusse, Poynton, Parzych, & Goodnough, 2015), especially given their high caseloads (ASCA, 2012, 2018b; Astramovich, Hoskins, Gutierrez, & Bartlett, 2013; Moyer, 2011; DeMato & Curcio, 2004). The primary researcher for this study investigated how SCPPs train SCTs to use Motivational Interviewing, an evidence-based counseling style that utilizes person-centered techniques to increase clients’ motivation to make positive changes in their lives (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). The researcher used a qualitative, multiple case study design to …

Interorganizational Collaboration In Education For Community Change: An Exploratory Case Study, Stacy Marie Mehlberg

Education Dissertations

In the fields of business and healthcare, researchers have found that organizations are more successful at serving their clients when they collaboratively share knowledge, resources, and time using a multidisciplinary approach. There is less empirical evidence supporting these interorganizational collaborations (IOCs) in education. In 2013, the Cold Spring School District (CSSD) established an initiative to improve student and community outcomes. To do this, the district created an IOC to guide their work. The purpose of this current study was the exploration of this IOC to better understand how the IOC was developed, supported, and sustained. Through analysis of interviews, surveys, …

School Board Members' Perceptions In Relation To Selected District Demographic Variables, Lisa Truemper Scott

Education Dissertations

The study presented in this dissertation explored the relationship between school board members’ perceptions and selected district demographic variables. Chi-square tests for independence were employed to analyze school board members’ categorical perceptual data and district enrollment size, district urban-centric locale, and district socio-economic status. The findings suggested a significant relationship existed between district enrollment size and district socio-economic status, both with regard to school board members’ prioritization of educational issues and perceptions of reasons that adversely affected the board’s ability to increase student achievement. The implications of these findings for school board members and superintendents are also discussed.

The Role Of Resilience Among K-12 Principals And Administrators Leading Transformational Change, Paige Evans Wescott

Education Dissertations

Abstract

The United States government holds high expectations for principals and administrators, as they are responsible for enacting significant change to actualize school improvement and meet national agendas. Schools have specific characteristics that make change extremely challenging to implement, and it is within this context that fostering resilience holds promise. This study was a quantitative, correlational study that looked critically at the relationship between self-perceived resilience and self-perceived transformational leadership among US principals and administrators in K-12 settings. Peer-reviewed research studies addressing resilience and transformational leadership in K-12 education have been minimal, although similar questions in research continue to be …

The Effect Of Book Provision On Family Shared Reading Patterns Among Women Participating In The Nurse-Family Partnership, Susan Marie Knutsen

Education Dissertations

This study sought to determine whether a book provision intervention delivered to low-income mothers participating in the Nurse-Family Partnership had an effect on family shared book reading patterns and family attitudes toward shared book reading. The 25 participants in this study were low-income, first-time mothers, aged 18-25 with infants, newborn to 12 months of age at recruitment (13 male, 12 female, M = 6.7 months of age) currently participating in one of three Nurse-Family Partnership agencies in Washington State.

A pretest-posttest experimental design with random assignment was conducted. A mixed factorial analysis of variance found that the book provision intervention …

Case Study Analysis Of Minority Stress Regarding The Academic And Social Emotional Health Of A Transgender Student, Laurie Vallieres

Education Dissertations

In a single case study, a transgender student in Scotland is given a voice to provide in-depth information about his school experience and journey navigating the school system, and sharing his raw feelings about harassment, bullying, depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, school policy, and a discriminating staff. Through the application of the minority stress model, the researcher uncovers how challenging it is for a transgender teenager growing up in a rural town within a small high school of approximately 125 students. Transgender students currently face hostile school climates while negotiating their own proximal stressors. Compared to their Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual …

Design, Implementation And Perceptions Of A Preservice Mentor Development Program, Jill R. Heiney-Smith

Education Dissertations

Teacher education programs support their mentor teachers through a variety of resources and professional development, but generally lack a dedicated curriculum for pre-service mentoring. This study was designed to learn what kinds of resources, tools, trainings, and experiences would better support mentor teachers in a teacher education (or pre-service) program. The study was grounded in social learning theories and empirical research on mentoring, as well as research on teacher induction and professional development. Mixed-methods data were collected in three sequential phases with a total sample of n = 199 mentor teachers. Results indicate that mentors have sophisticated expectations for their …

A Case Study Analysis Of Elementary Teachers' Attitudes About Student Discipline And The Implementation Of Restorative Justice, Kaitlyn M. Spore

Education Dissertations

This study examined the attitudes of elementary school teachers regarding student discipline and the implementation of restorative justice practices. The present research was conducted at a public elementary school in the greater Seattle area. All participants were teachers at the public elementary school, and were purposefully selected based on their years of experience, age, gender, and grade level taught. The study utilized qualitative case study methods to analyze the participants’ attitudes regarding discipline, specifically the use of exclusionary discipline, and their views on implementing restorative justice practices as an alternative to exclusion.

Key Words: restorative justice, school discipline, exclusions, suspensions, …

Differences In Performance On A Commercially Available Competency-Based Exam Between Traditionally And Alternatively Prepared Teacher Candidates: A Causal Comparative Study, Lara Denise Cole

Education Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Alternative route teacher education programs have increased to address personnel shortages in key areas such as special education, mathematics, and science. Alternative route programs may serve as a means to address such shortages, but require evaluation to ensure that candidates emerging from these programs demonstrate skills commensurate with those that complete traditional teacher education programs. Although studies examining aspects of alternative route programs exist, few studies comparing alternative route programs with traditional programs have been conducted. Differences in definitions used to describe alternative routes programs compound efforts to compare programs. Nevertheless, research reviewed compared outcomes for alternative and traditional …

The Relationship Of Self-Regulated Learning And Academic Risk Factors To Academic Performance In Community College Online Mathematics Courses, Jim E. Dunnigan Dr.

Education Dissertations

Completion of required mathematics courses in a community college program of study can be a critical factor in a student’s academic success and degree completion. Underprepared, nontraditional students who take mathematics courses online in a community college face barriers to success that are different from those found in traditional face-to-face courses in four-year universities. Research suggests that motivation and self-regulated learning skills are potentially related to student success in online learning. The preponderance of research on student academic success in online courses is predominantly conducted with traditional, better-prepared students in four-year universities. Yet, there is little research on the effectiveness …

Smarter Balanced Math Assessment: An Examination Of Its Construct Validity For Students With Known Reading And/Or Writing Disabilities, Dana A. Bailey

Education Dissertations

Abstract

For students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in reading and/or writing, meeting standard on the currently mandated Smarter Balanced Math Assessment (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction [OSPI], 2018; SBAC, 2018) presents unique challenges. On the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), students are expected to solve math problems that require language skills, specifically skills which are deficient in students with learning disabilities in reading and/or writing. In particular, Claim 3 (SBAC, 2018) requires students to explain your thinking, and construct and evaluate an argument. These are examples of test questions that, for a student with learning disabilities, may …

Metacognition As A Mental Health Support Strategy For Elementary Students With Anxiety, Kathi Weight

Education Dissertations

Mental health issues affect learning and performance in profound ways. Schools tend to lack a comprehensive approach to address the needs of students with anxiety, due to the limited training staff receive in mental health identification and support. As teachers work to address barriers to learning, schools must develop a system to fully address the growing needs of students with anxiety. Metacognition plays a significant role in clinical psychology and is used as a mental health intervention and support in clinical settings. The possibility of the application of a specific cognitive strategy to classroom settings in order to support elementary …

Examining The Complex Morphology Within The Kindergarten And First Grade Exemplar Texts From The English And Language Arts Common Core State Standards In Light Of What Is Currently Known About The Importance Of Morphology For Literacy Instruction, David L. Ray

Education Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to identify and categorize the morphologically complex words in the Kindergarten and First Grade Common Core State Standards English and Language Arts (CCSS ELA) Exemplar Texts. Four text types were analyzed: student-read fiction, student-read informational text, teacher read-aloud fiction, and teacher read-aloud informational text. The results revealed that students will encounter many inflectional morphemes in both the books they learn to read and the books read-aloud to them. These texts thus provide strong support for meeting the CCSS ELA Conventions standards for kindergarten and first grade, which primarily address inflectional morphology. However, the …

Measuring Cultural Competency In Educators: The Educators Scale Of Student Diversity, Ronak A. Patel

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to uncover a rich theoretical basis of cultural competency and awareness in education and create an instrument, Educators Scale of Student Diversity (ESSD), which reliably and validly measures cultural competency in educators. Current measures lack in both a wide theoretical basis of cultural competency as it relates to educators in diverse teaching environments and in reported psychometric quality. The ESSD derived from a wide range of theoretical constructs that encompass the experience of modern teachers in diverse environments. The original 50 items, which were written after an extensive literature review, were reviewed by a …

Experiences Of Teachers And Staff Sustaining Pbis Practices At A Rural Elementary School In The Pacific Northwest, Omar Flores

Education Dissertations

There are many challenges faced by rural school communities in the Pacific Northwest. Problems such as social isolation, poverty, limited resources, and the disappearance of traditional industries such as, timber production, farming and forest service professions are often reflected in local school culture. While rural schools pose interesting challenges, there are limited studies that explore the experiences and perceptions of staff sustaining multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) such as positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS). The purpose of this phenomenological study is to examine the perceptions and experiences of administrators, teachers, specialists and support staff at a rural elementary school …

Sustainable Change In Public School Districts, Angela Cheri Franklin

Education Dissertations

Reform is a reality for many school districts and schools. When faced with reform movements, districts and schools must address both the immediate implementation and the sustainability of the reform. This dissertation study is informed by two theories centered on reform implementation and sustainability: Organizational Learning Theory by Leithwood, Aitken, and Jantzi (2006) and Coburn’s (2003) Theory of Sustainability. Current empirical research in this field identified particular factors that lead to successful implementation of reform and long-term sustainability. A monitoring tool was used to investigate factors such as: vision for reform, decision making, professional development, innovation and change, effectiveness of …

Morphological Awareness And Advanced Efl Learners’ Listening Comprehension, Xu Bian

Education Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between morphological awareness and advanced EFL learners’ listening comprehension by deconstructing three multi-dimension constructs, morphological awareness, vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension. The variables under morphological awareness were compounding and derivational morphology; vocabulary knowledge included both reading and listening vocabulary; listening comprehension was assessed by two different listening tasks whose aural texts and response formats were interviews and multiple choices, and one mini lecture and the gap-filling. Participants were 152 third-year English-majors in two universities in China. The main findings were (1) morphological awareness was a significant predictor of listening comprehension when the latter was measured …

International School Director Turnover As Influenced By School Board/Director Relationship, Zakariya Palsha D+Z30:Ae30

Education Dissertations

In recent years, public school superintendents have faced increased demands from rigorous federal and state accountability standards. Yet, researchers have reported that academic improvement does not happen by chance but rather through effective leaders with ample time to implement broad, sustainable reform. The purpose of this study was to examine the self-reported causes of turnover of international school directors, specifically, whether the relationship between the school board and the international school director is linked to length of tenure of the international director. The theoretical framework that addresses superintendent turnover as influenced by internal board dynamics, including school board/superintendent relationship, is …

The Effects Of Morpheme And Prosody Instruction On Middle School Spelling, Margaret Anne Dornay

Education Dissertations

A single case design was used to investigate the impact of two types of instruction on middle school students’ spelling. Phase 1 emphasized morphology awareness instruction (MAI) and phase 2 employed the addition of prosody awareness instruction (PAI). In order to compare the effects of MAI and PAI, spelling scores were gathered from eight students over a 12-week period. The children attended two 30-minute sessions each week. Two of the participants were high performing students, three were typical learners, and three students were experiencing pronounced difficulties in all areas of literacy. The scores of seven out of eight participants indicated …

Predictors Of Identified And Introjected Religiosity In Upper Elementary Age Children, Heather Ingersoll

Education Dissertations

The rise of research investigating children’s spirituality along with the emerging

view of children as social actors in their development provides the impetus to expand research investigating children’s voices around their religious experiences. A significant number of children regularly attend Christian education in church and yet there is limited research investigating how those programs support children’s faith (Bunge, 2006). The investigator designed this study to fill a gap in the literature by investigating the church as a context which supports children’s religiosity. The study was guided by theological reflection on the human spirit and self-determination theory as the theoretical framework. …

An Assessment Of Integrating Authentic Research In Undergraduate Science Curricula, Daihong Chen

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of integrating original research projects in undergraduate science curricula on student learning outcomes. Integrating original research projects in undergraduate science curricula has been promoted as an effective approach to involving large group of students in authentic scientific inquiry. The study defines course-based undergraduate authentic research experiences or authentic scientific inquiry based on situated learning, and conducted a systematic literature review of the impact of undergraduate research experiences in science related disciplines. Based on an extensive literature review, a unique survey entitled Student Science Learning Gains (SSLG) was developed and validated …

Dynamic School Psychology: Perceptions Between School Psychologists, Teachers, And Administrators On School Psychology And Paradigm Shift Theory, Homero Flores

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this research paper is to gain current perceptions of school psychology services and paradigm shift theory in school psychology by school psychologists, teachers and administrators within public school systems. The paper will focus on the history of school psychology, federal legislation, and IDEA. Surveys were collected from school psychologists, teachers and administrators regarding perceptions of school psychology and paradigm shift theory in school psychology services. Although the results were non-significant, results of the surveys indicate similar results to previous perceptual surveys. While teachers and administrators would like more services in general from school psychologists, school psychologists remained …

Cognitive Style And Conflict On Superintendent-School Board Teams, Douglas J. Asbjornsen

Education Dissertations

Abstract

Cognitive Style and Conflict on Superintendent-School Board Teams

By Douglas J. Asbjornsen

Chairperson of the Dissertation Committee:

Dr. Thomas Alsbury

School of Education

Quality learning and high student achievement are primary goals of K-12 public school education. Superintendent-School Board teams can have a positive impact on both. Collaboration is critical to these teams’ effectiveness and efficiency. Research has suggested conflict can have a negative impact on collaboration and may be related to the diversity on the team. One type of diversity is cognitive diversity within the construct of cognitive style, as defined by the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Theory (A-I Theory). …

The Effect Of A College-Going Intervention On The College-Going Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Middle School Students, Kaley D. Mitchell

Education Dissertations

The need for students of all backgrounds to access and persist in postsecondary education informs a need for additional support related to postsecondary attainment for all people. Social cognitive theory (SCT; Bandura, 1987) and social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) both support the design, implementation, and measurement of college-going interventions that work to enhance self-efficacy, a mediator in college interest, choice, and attendance. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a college-going intervention on the college-going self-efficacy beliefs of a group of diverse middle school students. Specifically, this study examined the …