Education Commons^™

Technology Integration In Secondary Mathematics Classrooms: Effect On Students’ Understanding, Megan Sheehan, Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas

Technology use in secondary mathematics courses has the potential to bring about broad changes in learning environment and teaching pedagogy, allowing students to communicate and collaborate in new ways and to conjecture, justify, and generalize findings. However, this potential is only realized when teachers use technology in ways encouraging these outcomes (Galbraith, 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine the integration of technology in secondary mathematics classrooms and to evaluate the effectiveness of its use in relation to students’ learning outcomes. This self study research was conducted in honors geometry and AP calculus classes. Data sources included transcripts …

Characterizing Preservice Teachers’ Mathematical Understanding Of Algebraic Relationships, Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas

Through The Eyes Of Student Teachers: Successes And Challenges In Field Teaching Experiences, Tyler Ferber, Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas

“The most important aspect in the learning to teach process is the field experience, i.e., the opportunity to stand face to face with the challenges and demands of the teaching profession” (Caires & Almeida, 2007). This study presents the successes and challenges encountered by preservice teachers while conducting a semester long student teaching experience. This is a qualitative study with data collected using anonymous questionnaires and case-study interviews involving elementary and secondary preservice teachers. Challenges regarding classroom management, cooperating teacher interactions, and university demands emerged from the questionnaire and interview data. The interview data revealed a more in-depth perspective of …

Making A Difference: Accommodating Students With Autism In A General Education Classroom, Luci Ottaviano

Leah A. Nillas

“Increasingly, parents and professionals are looking to inclusive settings to provide social interactions and opportunities for children with autism that might otherwise be lacking in a self-contained setting” (Boutot, Bryant, 2005). However, most general education high school teachers have limited experience and knowledge regarding autism, and the purpose of this study was to determine how to accommodate and modify curriculum to address the needs of students with autism. Data was collected in two phases: the first phase took place during student teaching and was comprised of observational journals from my experience; the second phase consisted of three interviews with special …

Basic Math Skills: Can High School Students Do The Math?, Samantha Sebastian

Leah A. Nillas

This article examined high school students’ basic mathematics skills. 126 Students participated in a study that lasted ten weeks in which a pretest and post-test were taken. In between the tests, students took weekly quizzes to refresh and relearn the following basic mathematics skills: adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers, decimals, and fractions; proportions; conversion between percents, decimals, and fractions; and order of operations. The scores of the pretest and post-test were analyzed to see if improvements were made. Scores were compared by gender and grade level. The study showed an overall improvement on students’ ability to do basic …

Breaking Language Barriers: Connections Between Foreign Language And English Language Arts, Lauren Booth, '09

Leah A. Nillas

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between foreign language and English language arts. In previous literature, foreign language has been shown to positively affect students' performance in other subject areas as well as developing their cognitive abilities. When I thought about my own teaching experiences, I made direct connections between foreign language and English language arts in terms of vocabulary acquisition and grammar. Through interviews I found that other teachers are also aware of those connections and deliberately use them to enhance their instruction and defend the study of a foreign language. Upon investigating foreign language …

Literacy Work Stations: Effects On Students’ Reading Comprehension And Fluency, Amy Burns

Leah A. Nillas

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, “Despite recent national attention to the importance of teaching early reading skills, many children in America continue to struggle with reading. Forty percent of U.S. fourth grade children read below a ‘basic level’ and have ‘little or no mastery’ of the knowledge of skills necessary to perform work at each grade level” (Choutka, Jitendra, Edwards, Starosta, Sacks & Jacobson, 2004). With this data in mind, the purpose of this research is to determine how literacy work stations are affecting students’ literacy skills. This research was conducted in a fourth grade classroom at …

The Impact Of Extracurricular Activities On High School Students’ Academic Success, Nicholas Cooprider

Leah A. Nillas

“Although we cannot conclude from the data that extracurricular activities alone caused these improvements, we can say with virtual certainty that when we help a student move from no participation in extracurricular activities to engagement in three or four such activities, it does not harm academic performance” (Reeves, 2008, p.2). Previous research concluded that participation in extracurricular activities does correlate to academic achievement in the classroom. This research examined how students perceived their involvement in extracurricular activities affected their academic performance. Surveys were distributed to a local, rural high school and students were asked to document the amount of time …

Modern Novels: How To Make Them More Relevant To High School Students, David Wendler, '09

Leah A. Nillas

There have been numerous studies conducted researching ways to reinvent how we teach outdated texts that are increasingly losing relevance to the current generation of students because of gaps in interest and culture. Because of this irrelevancy, students do not understand these books as well and are not thinking critically about the issues that they present. My research follows along the same lines, but deals specifically with the increasing irrelevancy of modern novels. I distributed a questionnaire to the class I observe at a local high school. My findings have been that modern novels, while lacking relevance with many students, …

Motivation In Secondary Mathematics: How Lesson Structure Impacts Student Engagement, Vicki Beata

Leah A. Nillas

The purpose of this research is to see how students are engaged emotionally, behaviorally, and cognitively in different types of math lessons. Shernoff, Csikszentmihalyi, Schneider, and Shernoff (2003) found that students had a higher quality of experience (mood, esteem, intensity, and motivation) when they were involved in individual or group work. This study analyzed transcriptions, observations and student work from three pre-calculus lessons, a survey about students’ engagement in different types of lessons and an open-ended survey about the researcher’s teaching style. The results of the study were that students enjoy and are more engaged in lessons that require the …

Multicultural Social Studies Curriculum: A Content Analysis, Bryan Throckmorton, James Carver

Leah A. Nillas

The increasing diversity of society is affecting schools across the nation, as each student who enters the classroom brings his or her own background and experiences. Given this vast variety of backgrounds, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that teachers are able to employ a curriculum which affirms students’ cultural identities and prepares them to understand and interact with the many cultures within our global community. Social Studies has traditionally been the content area that handles the historical and social issues, which promote students’ sense of cultural identity and social preparation. Yet, with the diversity of our country’s populace, …

Music To Their Ears: How Playing Music In The Elementary Classroom Affects Behavior And Motivation, Lauren Fischer

Leah A. Nillas

The purpose of this study is to find how music affects students’ behavior and motivation in an elementary school classroom. A fourth grade class that regularly uses music served as the study group. Interviews with the teacher were also conducted. It is expected that results will show that music has a positive impact on both behavior and motivation. According to a study done by Robin Lock in 2006, music played in the classroom can stimulate brain function and promote motivation. Also, Chalmers, Olson, and Zurkowski (1999) found that the number of behavior problems in an elementary school cafeteria decreased when …

Reading Rainbow: Assessing Effectiveness In Literacy Technology, Liz Russ, Erin Meehan

Leah A. Nillas

“Children’s Television Workshop and the University of Nebraska created a program, ‘Reading Rainbow’ to promote recreational reading in early readers” (Tarnauskas, 1995). Since its creation, this literacy technology has thrilled and delighted first and second grade audiences, but little to no research has been done on the effectiveness of this program. What is the outcome of the Reading Rainbow program on students’ literacy? This research study investigated the effect of the Reading Rainbow program on literacy of 21 diverse first grade students. Data was obtained through qualitative methods including observations and focus group interviews with students, as well as interviews …

Alternative Assessment: Effects On Students’ Perception And Achievement, Kristen Kopf, Andrew Parker

Leah A. Nillas

This research investigates the effect of alternative assessment on students’ perception and achievement in six, 9th grade biology classrooms. Students’ perception was determined through the use of a Likert scale questionnaire which compared confidence levels and preference for traditional verses alternative assessment. Achievement was measured according to academic grades from both types of assessment. Our findings indicate a significant student preference for multiple-choice exams as well as greater achievement in traditional assessment methods. The results suggest a further investigation of assessment practices is needed in order to more accurately describe the relationship between assessment strategies, student perception and student achievement.

Breaking Barriers: Elementary Teachers And Technology Integration, Jaimie Clapp, Katie Rojek

Leah A. Nillas

“The nation has spent over 38 billion dollars to bring technology and internet access to schools” (Benton Foundation qtd. in Franklin, 2007, p. 268). Growing availability of technologies in schools require teachers to be prepared for and accepting of technology integration. This research study investigates current elementary school teachers’ technological knowledge and beliefs to determine barriers inhibiting the most effective use of new resources. Using surveys distributed to two local study sites, participants were asked to reflect upon their competency and attitudes concerning technology. Responses analyzed for common themes and trends revealed that many teachers felt competent in their technological …

Keys To Successful Learning, Michael J. White, '09, Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas

A nationwide push for the use of technology has influenced classroom teaching in the United States. This study examined the use of technology in elementary classrooms. Specific aspects of technology such as PowerPoint and word processing were examined in relation to developing skills in writing. Data from 46 fifth and third grade students as well as self-evaluation interviews with teachers were used to understand the overall comprehensive value of technology in teaching how to write. I expect my results to support previous research findings which assert that using computer technology in writing motivates students to do better work and is …