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Full-Text Articles in Education

Implementing Social Emotional Activities Into The English Language Arts Curriculum, Allison M. Sherbel Aug 2023

Implementing Social Emotional Activities Into The English Language Arts Curriculum, Allison M. Sherbel

Masters Theses

Over the last decade social emotional learning has revealed itself to be an important element in students' academic growth. Social emotional learning requires students to learn the skills necessary to effectively communicate with others as well as maintaining a positive classroom environment, where all students feel supported, safe and heard. When students become more connected to their own emotions, they are developing an essential skill that will help them inside and outside of the classroom. Research shows that implementation of social emotional lessons can improve both immediate and long-term social-emotional ability as well as academic growth. Despite this research, teachers …


Equity Audits For Schools Within Restrictive Settings, Matthew Phillp Milanowski Apr 2023

Equity Audits For Schools Within Restrictive Settings, Matthew Phillp Milanowski

Masters Theses

This project creates a framework and process for conducting facility wide equity audits for schools within juvenile justice and restrictive settings. To accomplish this, an extensive review of existing literature in both the field of education and the field of juvenile justice and existing frameworks and processes were reviewed to create the new framework, Milanowski’s (2023) Facility Wide – Equity Audit Framework, suitable for juvenile justice and restrictive settings. The new framework was then used to guide the development of a process, data collection tool, improvement planning tool, and fidelity instrument to evaluate the implementation of the overall process. This …


The Construct Validity Of The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale Of Intelligence, Second Edition (Wasi-Ii) And The Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales, Second Edition (Rias-2), Mckenzie K. Sopoci Jan 2023

The Construct Validity Of The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale Of Intelligence, Second Edition (Wasi-Ii) And The Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales, Second Edition (Rias-2), Mckenzie K. Sopoci

Masters Theses

The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II; Wechsler, 2011) and the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales, Second Edition (RIAS-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) are two intelligence tests created to assess general intelligence, using four subtests reflecting two verbal and two nonverbal (perceptual reasoning) tasks. Both tests overlap to assess individuals between the ages of 6 to 90, and while the WASI-II is specified by the publisher as a screening measure, the RIAS-2 is not. Tests like the WASI-II and RIAS-2 may provide more efficient assessment of general intelligence, which can reduce assessment time and allow professionals to engage in …


Evaluating The Assessment Of Resident Assistant Training, Diego Ulloa Jan 2023

Evaluating The Assessment Of Resident Assistant Training, Diego Ulloa

Masters Theses

This poster provides the findings from a qualitative study of four housing professionals responsible for Resident Assistant (RA) training at four institutions in the Great Lake Association of College and University Housing Officers (GLACUHO) professional association that includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. This study looked at how those four institutions assessed, evaluated, and improved the centralized training provided to RAs by the department. Key findings include the importance of the use of learning outcomes for training sessions, developing, and maintaining strong relationships with key campus partners, and the issues around prioritizing session topics and departmental needs …


Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird Dec 2021

Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird

Masters Theses

The Jamaican music education landscape has had a positive shift in the demand for music teachers who are educated to become classroom music teachers. Despite the growing need for trained music teachers to be placed in many high schools in Jamaica and the implementation of two curricula, there has been minimal study that assess how music teachers use the music syllabus from the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) in teaching and learning. The study joins a set of vibrant discussions on the development of music education in Jamaica and examines the use of the NSC at the lower secondary level (grades …


Unchallenged And Obedient: Status Of Nigerian Junior Secondary School Social Studies Curriculum, Toluwalase Solomon Jan 2021

Unchallenged And Obedient: Status Of Nigerian Junior Secondary School Social Studies Curriculum, Toluwalase Solomon

Masters Theses

Bolstering best practice social studies pedagogy is crucial to raising analytical, responsible, moral, and civic-minded students in Nigeria. This study, using content analysis research methods, examined the contents of Nigerian junior secondary school (JSS) social studies curriculum materials to determine the extent to which the curriculum aligns with major social studies teachers’ epistemologies (citizenship transmission, social sciences, and reflective inquiry). Though there have been numerous studies on examining the major social studies teachers’ epistemologies—citizenship transmission, social sciences, and reflective inquiry—yet few have examined the extent to which Nigerian social studies curriculum materials aligns with these epistemologies. Three major findings emerged …


The Ibc-Why Model: Juggling Structure And Rhetorical Theory In The First-Year Composition Classroom, Jessica Anne Cyphers Dec 2020

The Ibc-Why Model: Juggling Structure And Rhetorical Theory In The First-Year Composition Classroom, Jessica Anne Cyphers

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses the issue of structure in the composition classroom. In particular, it looks at the history of the five-paragraph essay and the scholarly debate that has surrounded it for more than fifty years. By doing a stasis analysis, the author discovers that scholars have been talking past each other at the level of definition. Based on this finding, the author proposes the development of a new organizational model—the Introduction-Body-Conclusion (IBC) model—by which student can improve their understanding of structure across genres. In addition, by applying the IBC model to the Composition 101 program at the University of Tennessee, …


Stability Of The Learning Behaviors Scale, Nikki Davidson Jan 2020

Stability Of The Learning Behaviors Scale, Nikki Davidson

Masters Theses

Learning behaviors are observable actions, habits, and manifestations of attitudes that facilitate learning, such as persevering at difficult tasks, showing interest in academic subjects, demonstrating care and concern about classwork, and graciously accepting feedback (Buchanan, McDermott, & Schaefer, 1998). Assessment of these learning behaviors is an essential first step to effective intervention. It is important to know which learning behaviors to target and the degree of deficit in order to remediate learning problems. The present study examined the medium length (two-month) stability of scores obtained from the Learning Behaviors Scale (McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 1999). Fifty K-8 teacher rater …


Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scales (Basc-3 Trs): Comparisons With The Adjustment Scales For Children And Adolescents (Asca), Shannon Burback Jan 2020

Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scales (Basc-3 Trs): Comparisons With The Adjustment Scales For Children And Adolescents (Asca), Shannon Burback

Masters Theses

The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scale Child Form (BASC-3 TRS-C) and the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA) are both teacher rating scales which may be used by school psychologist to assess youth behavior problems. The BASC, BASC-2, and BASC-3 have limited replicated research of the studies reported in their respective manuals. Therefore, it was important to empirically compare the BASC-3 TRS-C with the ASCA to examine construct validity (convergent, discriminant, and divergent) as there were, at present, no published studies replicating BASC-3 Manual research. The present study analyzed BASC-3 TRS-C and ACSA ratings which …


Developing Text-Based Writing And Working Through The Revision Process, Valerie Clark Jan 2020

Developing Text-Based Writing And Working Through The Revision Process, Valerie Clark

Masters Theses

A narrative continuation is designed to assess a student’s ability to comprehend a text selection and use their own creativity to redesign the text’s conclusion. This study took a narrative continuation writing assessment and analyzed the process which 41 sixth grade students followed, specifically looking at the prewriting and revision procedures. The goal was to determine if the supports and resources provided were effective for the type of writing and student population. Throughout the process, students’ behaviors which indicated motivation levels were noted (participation in discussions, level of focus, attentiveness, and amount of redirection required). Student work was then reviewed …


Urban Biodiversity Experience And Exposure: Intervention And Inequality At The Local And Global Scale, Evan Kuras Mar 2019

Urban Biodiversity Experience And Exposure: Intervention And Inequality At The Local And Global Scale, Evan Kuras

Masters Theses

As cities expand globally, researchers must clarify how human activities and institutions shape biodiversity and conversely, how ecological processes shape human outcomes. Two features of contemporary cities motivate this thesis. First, urban residents, and especially children, are spending less time in nature and consequently, miss out on healthy and formative experiences with biodiversity. Second, residents with the least access to biodiversity tend to be those with the lowest socioeconomic status (SES). Together, these patterns convey a multi-layered environmental injustice: not only might urbanites become increasingly estranged from biodiversity, disinterested from its conservation, and disconnected from its benefits, but these outcomes …


Juxtaposing Primary- And Intermediate-Elementary Trade Books’ Historical Representation Of Amelia Earhart, Rachael A. Burkhardt Jan 2019

Juxtaposing Primary- And Intermediate-Elementary Trade Books’ Historical Representation Of Amelia Earhart, Rachael A. Burkhardt

Masters Theses

Amelia Earhart can be used in the classroom not only to interest students but can also be used to cover Common Core State Standards (CCSS), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) framework, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). When teaching Amelia Earhart, textbooks, trade books, and primary sources can be used, however one must be careful with the misrepresentations each resource can portray. To look at what is misrepresented, omitted, and included within primary and intermediate grade level trade books, 32 books were scrutinized. The trade books being analyzed were found to have some historically representative and misrepresentative elements …


Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Opportunities And Challenges, Shelby Eversole Jan 2019

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Opportunities And Challenges, Shelby Eversole

Masters Theses

This study investigates the perspectives of opportunities and challenges of middle school mathematics’ teachers. To gain these perspectives, an ethnographic study was conducted by interviewing four middle school mathematics teachers in central Illinois. The results of this study imply that teachers of different backgrounds and teaching environments have varying perspectives about challenges and opportunities in the classroom. Limitations of this study include but are not limited to, the researcher having one year to conduct the research, only four teachers from two schools being interviewed, interviewees teaching different grade levels, no rural setting involvement, one educator having little teaching experience, teachers’ …


Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Canadian Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-Fifth Edition For A Sample Of First Nations Students, Jessica Hanson Jan 2019

Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Canadian Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-Fifth Edition For A Sample Of First Nations Students, Jessica Hanson

Masters Theses

Native Americans and First Nation students are overrepresented in special education and underrepresented in structural bias research of the intelligence measures that place them there. There are several empirical studies of test bias on the Wechsler scales due to their popularity within the school system, however there is little exploratory factor analysis research on these scales with the Native American Indian population. Further, the Native American Indian and First Nation population is a relatively small minority group compared to other racial and ethnic groups in North America and this group is underrepresented in government statistics and overlooked in funding for …


Limited By Design: Expanding The Boundaries Of Schooling Policies From Demanded Passivity To Transformative Practice, Natalia T. Carvalho-Pinto Dec 2018

Limited By Design: Expanding The Boundaries Of Schooling Policies From Demanded Passivity To Transformative Practice, Natalia T. Carvalho-Pinto

Masters Theses

Schooling is often imagined as the great equalizer and the primary venue towards personal and collective liberation. However, hegemonic ideals and practices have limited the ability for educators to craft and utilize policy in a way that best benefits their students. In this thesis, I utilize the state of Michigan’s Common Core curriculum to examine the limits beyond policy and practice. Specifically, I argue that the demands for student passivity and institutional measurable as signs of success, prohibit student growth. Throughout the document, I describe hope in the ability to instill a variety of transformative educational theories and practices that …


An Ethnohistorical Study Of The Dowagiac Chieftains, Kathryn A. Bishop Dec 2017

An Ethnohistorical Study Of The Dowagiac Chieftains, Kathryn A. Bishop

Masters Theses

This research uses ethnohistorical methods to examine the use of imagery appropriated from American Indian cultures by the Dowagiac Union Schools. High School yearbooks from 1899- 2014, along with other artifacts, were identified as sources of information to describe students’ experiences. Applying Brayboy’s (2005) Tribal Critical Race Theory, an off-shoot of Critical Race Theory, combined with the research of historical and theoretical scholars like Davis (2002), Pewewardy (2001), and Deloria, King, and Springwood (2001), a case is made for the removal of American Indian mascots used by educational institutions, including the Dowagiac Chieftains. Though over 1,750 occasions of American Indian-appropriated …


The Quick Analysis For Principals In The Alignment Of Administrative Plans Within The School Improvement Framework At The Middle School Level, James Vanden Heuvel Jun 2017

The Quick Analysis For Principals In The Alignment Of Administrative Plans Within The School Improvement Framework At The Middle School Level, James Vanden Heuvel

Masters Theses

High performing schools require administrators to align the continuous improvement efforts with the professional development activities while evaluating teaching and learning for fidelity. The administrative plans of school improvement, professional development, and teacher evaluation systems systemically aligned begin with an administrator who can see the important interaction of these three plans. The increased pressure for improved achievement from stakeholders, coupled with competing demands on time for the school administrator, leads towards a need for efficient tools for improvement. School administrators are creating administrative plans that are in isolation or disconnected from each other which leads to a lack of cohesion. …


Killing Me Softly: The Missed Education Of African American Females, Margaret Daphne Cattenhead Apr 2017

Killing Me Softly: The Missed Education Of African American Females, Margaret Daphne Cattenhead

Masters Theses

Using a literature review and personal experience, this paper aims to examine the paradoxes and barriers of African American girls in education. The educational system has left black females without support to ensure consistent results across a variety of settings and environments. There are a variety of voices on what barriers African American girls face and how those barriers influence their educational progress. Despite some progress, many African American girls are at risk for suspension, expulsion, and grade retention. They are at risk to be pressured into dominant culture norms for behavior, to be regarded as subordinate, to be negatively …


Teachers' Perspectives Of The Common Core State Standards And Computer-Based Standardized Testing, Lisa Flynn Jan 2017

Teachers' Perspectives Of The Common Core State Standards And Computer-Based Standardized Testing, Lisa Flynn

Masters Theses

Theorist Jean Piaget in the 1920's abandoned standardized testing which he viewed as, "forcing children to respond into artificial channels of set questions and answers" (as cited in Crain, 2011, p. 119). Piaget decided to create a different type of assessment which included an open-ended interview, "which encourages the flow of spontaneous tendencies" (as cited in Crain, 2011, p. 119). John Locke (2003), believed that an individual learns through experiences. Jean Rousseau (2003), believed more in the natural child-centered, and experience-based learning. Pestalozzi (2003), believed that children learn by doing, and that children should be educated physically, emotionally, and mentally …


Warrior Health: A Study Of Female Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Who Engage In Outdoor Adventure Recreation, Julia Smith Nov 2016

Warrior Health: A Study Of Female Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Who Engage In Outdoor Adventure Recreation, Julia Smith

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to show the impact of outdoor adventure recreation on female veterans who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study followed a phenomenological approach in order to gain an overall view of what the veterans experienced, using observation and interviews in order to gather information. Conclusions showed female veterans desire female-veteran-only activities; desire relationships with fellow female veterans; and enjoy outdoor adventure recreation that includes teamwork, planned activities, and relaxation. In order to ensure the best possible avenue for PTSD health in female veterans, future research may include a focus on the impact of …


Advisory Councils In School-Based Agricultural Education Programs In Tennessee, Samantha Renee Ogle May 2016

Advisory Councils In School-Based Agricultural Education Programs In Tennessee, Samantha Renee Ogle

Masters Theses

Advisory councils are essential to successful, working relationships among school-based agricultural education programs and the surrounding community. The purpose of this study was to describe how school-based agricultural education programs implement and utilize advisory councils in Tennessee and to determine agricultural education teachers’ perceptions of program advisory councils. Findings indicated 76.5% of program respondents had an active advisory council. The results indicated a positive perception of advisory councils; however, most teachers felt they could better utilize their advisory council. The belief that the agricultural education teacher is the leader of the program’s advisory councils was also implied. Future research is …


Caseload/Workload Study Of Speech Language Pathologists In Missouri Public Schools, Jinyu Du Jan 2016

Caseload/Workload Study Of Speech Language Pathologists In Missouri Public Schools, Jinyu Du

Masters Theses

"A survey was distributed to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Missouri public schools to obtain statewide information regarding caseload number, workload related activities and SLPs' level job satisfaction on various aspects of their job. An online questionnaire was sent to school-based SLPs in Missouri to solicit factual information on average monthly caseload numbers, factors that impact caseload assignments and the percentage of time spent on various professional responsibilities and job satisfaction ratings. Results indicated that 24% of the respondents had caseloads that exceeded the maximum state regulated caseload number for SLPs. Respondents were also largely unaware of the maximum caseload regulation …


Examination Of The Internal Structure Of The Learning-To-Learn Scales (Ltls) In A Primary And Secondary Education Sample, Michelle Restko Jan 2016

Examination Of The Internal Structure Of The Learning-To-Learn Scales (Ltls) In A Primary And Secondary Education Sample, Michelle Restko

Masters Theses

Assessment of children’s learning behaviors is a method to inform academic skills development and create successful interventions (DiPerna, Volpe, & Elliott, 2001; Malecki & Elliott, 2002; Schaefer & McDermott, 1999). Learning behaviors are motivational and behavioral mechanisms that children use in order to be successful when engaging in learning tasks (McDermott et al., 2011). Learning behaviors are an research to address noncognitive factors of academic achievement. It is necessary that constructs a scale proposes to measure such skills is known. The present study investigated the factor structure of the Learning-to-Learn Scale (LTLS; McDermott et al., 2011). Analyses included item based …


Idealism, Pragmatism, And Student Motivation: Implementing Grading Systems, Practices, And Policies In Context, Kaleigh Mcroberts Jan 2016

Idealism, Pragmatism, And Student Motivation: Implementing Grading Systems, Practices, And Policies In Context, Kaleigh Mcroberts

Masters Theses

This thesis argues for the implementation of contextually-appropriate policies and practices that not only clarify the meaning of grades for teachers, parents, and students, but also give students more autonomy and improve their intrinsic motivation to learn. The literature about motivation reveals that the conventional wisdom—the use of contingent rewards—works when students are asked to complete simple, algorithmic tasks such as turning in assignments on time, but not when they're asked to complete complex, heuristic tasks such as those articulated by the Common Core State Standards. The literature about grading and grading systems reveals similarly misleading conventional wisdom: Educators often …


Assessing High School Science Students’ Abilities To Use Cross Cutting Literacy Skills And Scientific Argumentative Writing Skills In A Mid-Western School District, Ellen M. Karel Aug 2015

Assessing High School Science Students’ Abilities To Use Cross Cutting Literacy Skills And Scientific Argumentative Writing Skills In A Mid-Western School District, Ellen M. Karel

Masters Theses

This study sought to determine to what extent a centrally focused initiative concentrated on how to teach students to not just write, but how to think, read, and speak about real world problems in a persuasive manner based on multiple sets of data related to science concepts, increased scientific argumentative writing proficiencies among high school students. A secondary area this study attempted to explore was the correlation between the implemented processes in the initiative and high school students’ scientific argumentative writing proficiencies. The study was conducted in a mid-western high school, population 1,088, with a select group of students in …


Student Perceptions Of Institutional Crisis Management, Preparedness, And Response: The Case Of The Active Shooter, Jared Allen Grimsley May 2015

Student Perceptions Of Institutional Crisis Management, Preparedness, And Response: The Case Of The Active Shooter, Jared Allen Grimsley

Masters Theses

Institutional crisis management is becoming more relevant with every passing tragedy and crisis event. This study utilized a modified existing survey to collect quantitative data from students attending a large four-year public research institution located in the Southeastern region of the United States. A stratified random sample of commuter students and non-commuter students was analyzed to compare statistical similarities and differences between the groups. The largest group of student respondents were full-time, freshmen, female, involved, and currently live on campus. Students perceived their institutions to be moderately prepared to respond to both general crises and active shooting situations, although a …


Examination Of The Internal Structure Of The Academic Competence Evaluation Scale - Teacher (Aces-T), Stephanie A. Zegadlo Jan 2015

Examination Of The Internal Structure Of The Academic Competence Evaluation Scale - Teacher (Aces-T), Stephanie A. Zegadlo

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the factor structure of the Academic Competence Evaluation Scale-Teacher Form (ACES-T; DiPerna & Elliott, 2000) Academic Skills (AS) and Academic Enablers (AE) scales with a convenience sample. Analyses included item-based exploratory factor analyses (higher-order EFA with Schmid-Leiman transformation; Schmid & Leiman, 1957) for subjects with complete data (AS N = 433; AE N= 466), and omega reliability estimates (Reise, 2012). For the AS scales, EPA identified an oblique (correlated) three-factor model. A second-order EFA was completed along with a Schmid-Leiman transformation and found the majority of the apportioned variance was associated with the general Academic Skills …


The Impact Of Homework On The Achievement Of Students With Varying Science Aptitudes In High School Physics, Matthew Deets Jan 2015

The Impact Of Homework On The Achievement Of Students With Varying Science Aptitudes In High School Physics, Matthew Deets

Masters Theses

When students in a high school physics class are separated into high, middle, and low aptitude levels, it was discovered that they do not all show the same benefits from completing homework assignments. The focus of this study was to analyze the relationship between the amount of homework that students complete and their performance on quizzes and exams. The results indicate that middle and high aptitude students benefit from completing greater amounts of homework, however, low aptitude students show no improvement by completing a greater number of problems.


Construct Validity Of The Learning Behaviors Scale And The Academic Competence Evaluation Scales, Taryn L. Smith Jan 2015

Construct Validity Of The Learning Behaviors Scale And The Academic Competence Evaluation Scales, Taryn L. Smith

Masters Theses

This research examined the convergent and discriminant validity of the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (ACES; DiPerna & Elliott, 2000) and the Learning Behaviors Scale (LBS; McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 2001). The Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA; McDermott, Stott, & Marston, 1993) was compared with the ACES and LBS to examine discriminant validity. Pearson product moment correlations were obtained to examine convergent and discriminant validity. Paired samples t-tests were conducted on the ACES and LBS total and subscale scores to compare the mean scores. The ACES Academic Enabler (ACES-AE) total score was significantly, positively correlated with the …


The Impact Of Acute Bouts Of Two Types Of Physical Activity On Cognition In Elementary School-Aged Children, Aslynn Courtney Halvorson Dec 2014

The Impact Of Acute Bouts Of Two Types Of Physical Activity On Cognition In Elementary School-Aged Children, Aslynn Courtney Halvorson

Masters Theses

Purpose: To determine the effect of acute bouts of two types of physical activity on cognition in elementary school-aged children. Methods: Subjects were 21 6-11 year old children (8.8 ± 1.6 years) who were free of any cognitive or learning disabilities or delays. Children participated in three randomly ordered conditions. The control condition included watching 20 minutes of TV while seated, the cycle condition included 20 minutes of cycling on a pediatric cycle ergometer at 60% of estimated heart rate maximum, and the play condition include 20 minutes of semistructured free play activity. After each condition, the children completed 2 …