Education Commons^™

The Universal Art Class: Integrating Disability Studies Into Art Curriculum To Create Engaging, Equitable, And Inclusive Lessons For Diverse Learners, Stephanie Mccoy

Theses

This paper examines the transformative potential of integrating Disability Studies into the Art Curriculum, establishing “The Universal Art Class” as a framework for creating engaging and inclusive lessons tailored for diverse learners. The exploration begins by illuminating the foundational principles of Disability Studies and its relevance in the context of art education. Subsequently, the study navigates the intersection of Disability Studies and Art Education, highlighting the significance of this interdisciplinary approach in fostering a more inclusive learning environment. The research expands on practical strategies for integrating inclusivity into the art curriculum. These strategies encompass adaptations and modifications, collaboration, and observation …

Stacking The Deck In The Learner's Favor: Behavioral Skills Training Improves Safmeds Implementation, Lauren Olsen

Theses

“Say All Fast Minute Every Day Shuffled” (SAFMEDS) is a structured, evidence-based protocol for using flashcards. The protocol is a sequence of steps that are designed to promote accurate and quick responding to learn the information presented on flashcards. Although the benefits of using SAFMEDS have been well-documented, much of the literature fails to adequately describe the methods used to train participants on how to use the protocol. In addition, few studies measure participant procedural integrity (i.e., the extent to which the protocol is implemented as planned). To date, no study has systematically examined the effects of different training methods …

High School Curriculum Outline And Unit Plan For Unit 3: Researching And Referencing For The Comparative Study, Kendra Bomar

Theses

Before beginning the International Baccalaureate Art program, most high school students will have already spent a significant amount of time studying a variety of art genres and will have a solid understanding of art terminology and methods. This is because the program is designed to build upon prior knowledge and experience. This is true for the majority of schools that participate in the IB program. It is common practice for educational institutions that provide tough programs to insist that students complete prerequisite coursework before they are allowed to enroll in the challenging programs that the institution provides. This is done …

Assessing Self-Esteem In Uae Students With And Without Special Needs: Pilot Study Using Adapted Rosenberg Scale, Malak Mustafa Alsaad

Theses

Self-esteem is known to be the way that a person values and perceives him/herself. It is affected by many factors and impacts on the person’s life. The main objective of this study was to investigate possible differences on self-esteem between typical students and those who have been diagnosed with special educational needs. In addition, the study explores teachers’ awareness on the importance of self-esteem on children’s life and their recommendations for improving their students’ self-esteem in UAE schools. The study used a mixed methods design and was conducted in two phases. During the first phase a sample of 40 students …

‘A Healthy Mtu’ A Mixed Methods Baseline Programme Of Research To Empirically Inform A Campus Health Promotion Initiative Within An Irish Higher Education Setting, Andrea Bickerdike

Theses

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been called to lead global health promotion actions, yet there remains a dearth of empirically informed ‘Healthy University’ (HU) initiatives. This thesis constituted a baseline mixed methods needs assessment to inform a settings-based health promotion (HP) initiative (‘A Healthy MTU’) within a multi-campus ‘case’ HEI in Ireland (Cork campuses of MTU, formerly CIT). Specific aims were to (i) investigate student and staff health metrics, and (ii) identify the cultural and environmental determinants of health and wellbeing within the case HEI setting. Using a phased, mixed methodology (QUAN-QUAL), five sequential empirical studies were undertaken. Quantitative data …

The Characteristics Of Senior Leadership Teams In High Performing Western Australian Catholic Composite And Secondary Schools, Daniel Michael Groenewald

Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of principals, senior leadership team members, and middle leaders regarding the characteristics of senior leadership teams (SLTs) in high-performing Catholic Education Western Australian composite and secondary schools (CCSS). The study investigated the characteristics that enhanced and inhibited SLTs. It explored the resources and professional learning that could improve SLTs and the role of the principal in the SLT. This research is the first study of SLTs in CCSS.

The study's literature review identified six areas of literature that formed the conceptual framework of this thesis. These six areas were: the …

Why Post- Leaving Certificate Students In Ireland From Disadvantaged Backgrounds Are Less Likely To Proceed To Third-Level Education, Edward Hayes

Theses

Educational disadvantage continues to be a cause for concern, and addressing it remains at the forefront of education policy in Ireland (Houses of Oireachtas, 2019; Weir et al., 2017). This research extended across the academic years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and during the period of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed public health measures, and enforced an emergency online digital learning environment. A socio-economic profile of Ireland’s student body registered an attainment gap between rich and poor, finding that young people from backgrounds of disadvantage continue to be underrepresented at third-level when compared to their middle-class counterparts (HEA, 2020). The primary …

The Irish Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Scheme Is Free And Universal, But At Whose Expense?, Johanna Forde

Theses

This research addresses the historical and current influences on quality practice and provision by reviewing national and international literature debating quality in the Irish Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme (DCEDIY, 2021a). To understand quality components the regulations and policy frameworks that inform and guide the ECCE scheme (DCEDIY, 2021a), including ECCE practice and the implications for provision standards, are explored. Four research questions ask: (1) What constitutes quality provision for children attending the ECCE scheme (DCEDIY, 2021a)? (2) What has informed ECCE regulation and policy in Ireland? (3) What are the identified challenges associated with the ECCE scheme …

Investigating Teachers’ And Lead Teachers' Perspectives On The Impact Of Stream On Enhancing Teaching, Learning And Professionalism In The Emirates Schools Establishment, Hosam Rashad Badawy

Theses

STREAM education is the latest development of STEM and STEAM educational approaches in the United Arab Emirates schools. It is gaining traction because of the global market's massive economic and technological advancement, as STREAM employment is in growing demand. Educational policymakers and leaders in the UAE advocate for the development and implementation of STREAM to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship skills, leading to a drastic shift in teaching, learning and professionalism. According to the study, the STREAM approach enhances teachers' professionalism, students' creative skills and the learning of 21^st century survival skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, digital …

Investigating The Factors Impacting School Leadership’S Feedback And Feedforward Receptivity And Learning As Perceived By The Emirates Schools Establishment Staff, Hesham Rashad Badawy

Theses

This thesis is concerned with “Investigating the Factors Impacting School Leadership’s Feedback and Feedforward Receptivity and Learning as Perceived by the Emirates Schools Establishment Staff”. The study aims to identify if there is any existing interplay between the four domains: mindset, feedback orientation, feedback environment, and learning climate and how they impact feedback receptivity and learning. The study utilizes an explanatory sequential mixed research method. The rigorous quantitative data from the 5-point Likert scale survey was used as a basis for the semi-structured interview discussions after calculating the scores for each domain and staff member. The findings of the first …

English Language Teachers’ Perceptions Of And Experiences With Online Project-Based Learning, Jocelle Marianne M. Barican

Theses

The main objective of this research is to investigate schoolteachers’ perspectives on the use of online Project-Based Learning (PBL) in English classes in the UAE during the COVID19 pandemic. The research explores the teachers’ perceived benefits and challenges of the PBL approach. Another aim of this research is to identify if teachers’ gender, years of experience, and familiarity with PBL have an impact on how they view the use of PBL in their classes. The study utilized two instruments to collect data: a survey with close-ended and open-ended questions, and a semi-structured interview. The survey responses were collected from 87 …

Bullying: How Feelings Of Fatalism May Influence Youth Choices To Offend, Tammy Shartzer

Theses

School age bullying continues to be a source of intense research as it is commonly linked to increased levels of delinquency in adolescents. In an effort to understand the process through which bullying victimization is linked to increased levels of delinquency, researchers continue to explore environmental and psychological components. This study used both OLS regression and negative binomial regression to examine the relationship between traditional and cyberbullying victimization and delinquency to assesses if fatalism mediates or moderates this relationship. An individual with fatalism often feels they are stuck within a revolving cycle of bad happenings and are powerless to change …

The Effect Of Google Docs-Based Collaborative Writing On The L2 Writing Quality Of High School Students In The Uae Public Schools, Aliyyeh Abdulrahman

Theses

This study investigated the effect of implementing collaborative writing using Google Docs on students’ writing quality in English. The study also explored students’ and the classroom teacher’s perceptions of Google Docs-based collaborative writing (GDBCW). Two intact classes with 46 students from a public school in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates participated in the study and were divided into an experimental group and a control group. To collect data, the researcher employed a pretest- posttest design, distributed a post-treatment student survey, and conducted an interview with the classroom teacher. Data were analyzed quantitively using a Mann-Whitney U test analysis, and students’ …

“Every Beat You Make Has A Time Of Day Or Color”: How Producers And Rappers Changed The Course Of Sampling Music, Elvin M. Castellanos

Theses

This thesis demonstrates the importance of the producer and artist relationship in hip hop songwriting and sampling, focusing on producers The Alchemist, Madlib, Sounwave, and Terrace Martin, and artists Freddie Gibbs, MF DOOM, Prodigy, and Kendrick Lamar. Topics covered range from sampling lawsuits and their impact on producers and artists in songwriting; what a producer and artist relationship looks like and how they benefit from their relationship; and the quality of music that comes from a close relationship between a producer and artist. I build upon research about the effects of sampling on hip hop by musicologist Amanda Sewell; sampling …

Special Needs Assistants In Primary Schools: An Investigation Of The Role, Function, And Expectations Of This Post In Ireland, Imaobong Maria Essien

Theses

This study aims to examine the role and function of the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) in Irish Primary Schools. The minimum requirement for a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) is three grade Ds in the Junior Certificate or an equivalent qualification. Existing research suggests that the role lacks clarity and has evolved to include taking on administrative, pedagogical, behavioral management, and therapeutic roles (INTO, 2017; Butler and Quinn, 2014; NCSE, 2011). This study explores the disparity between the SNA job descriptor to recognise the impact and importance of the SNA’s role in the education system. This study is underpinned by the …

Perspectives Of Reading For Pleasure Pedagogy In Western Australian School Classrooms, Jessica Nailer

Theses

Australian children read for pleasure less and less as they move through primary school, with a noticeable decline emerging in the middle primary school years. Reading for Pleasure at School (RfPS) also appears to have become de-prioritised in primary schools, with greater emphasis in the broader literacy education dialogue placed on instructional reading pedagogy and standardised literacy testing. This research focused on the pedagogy that meaningfully supports RfPS in Years 3-6, within a framework of school culture, teacher practices and the physical environment. This investigation aimed to explore the perspectives of three key stakeholder groups from one Western Australian independent …

The Personal And Professional Experiences Of Female Principals In Catholic Education Western Australia (Cewa) Composite And Secondary Schools, Maria Loreta Outtrim

Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the personal and professional experiences of female principals in Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) composite and secondary schools. The study investigates factors that encourage female educational leaders to become principals, the expectations and demands of being a female principal, factors that support and sustain female principals, and the challenges that female principals face in CEWA composite and secondary schools (CCSS).

The review of literature highlighted four areas which formed the conceptual framework in this research. The four areas were relevant to female principalship in CEWA composite and secondary schools. These areas included …

What Does It Mean To Be An Assistant Principal In Catholic Primary Schools In Western Australia? An Exploratory Instrumental Case Study, Lisa Gallin

Theses

This research aimed to explore the role of assistant principal in Catholic primary schools in Western Australia and is the first empirical study of assistant principals in this context. This research was predominantly qualitative and used interpretivism, specifically symbolic interactionism, as its theoretical perspective. An exploratory instrumental case study methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the viewpoints of assistant principals regarding their role. Data collection methods included an online survey and semi-structured interviews as the primary sources, with a document search and researcher field notes adding further information. Miles et al.’s (2020) interactive data management and analysis …

Developing Mathematical Identities: Australian Children’S Gendered Constructs In The First Formal Year Of School, Rachelle Glynn

Theses

Researchers have been intrigued by the dichotomy of similar achievement levels between boys and girls but disparate mathematical attitudes, which show that girls are much less likely to enjoy or engage with mathematics or choose professions involving mathematics (Kyriacou & Goulding, 2006; Vale, 2008). Although studies have explored differences in boys' and girls' perceptions of their mathematical identity from age seven, there has not been research conducted on students as they begin school to see what gendered perceptions they bring to their mathematical learning. This study seeks to answer the question: How are girls’ and boys’ mathematical identities being informed …

The Process And Impact Of A Catholic School Amalgamation: A Mixed Method, Single Case Study, Stephen Gough

Theses

This research provides an investigative analysis of the impact of a large-scale change process involving the amalgamation of two long-standing Catholic schools in a capital city of Australia. The study explores how a change process impacted staff, student and parent stakeholders within the initial year of a school amalgamation by examining Catholic school life and culture, student learning and wellbeing, the physical learning environment, and leadership and administration. The objective is to better understand the process and the impact of the change that took place during the amalgamation, in order to further inform the planning and leading of future Catholic …

The Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training On Staff Member Implementation Of Behavior Intervention Plans, Riley Young, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Behavioral skills training (BST) is a well-researched and empirically validated teaching method that typically involves the use of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to improve staff and client performance (Leaf et al., 2015). Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of BST across a wide variety of populations and skill sets, including within educational environments (Kirkpatrick et al., 2019). However, limited research exists on the use of BST to improve staff member implementation of behavior intervention plans (BIPs), particularly for staff members who have a history of incorrect implementation. The current study examines the effectiveness of in-person BST in a school …

The Use Of Differential Reinforcement Of Other Behavior To Decrease Scripting, Kathleen Egbert, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Vocal scripting is a behavior commonly targeted for reduction with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when it occurs at a rate or severity that interferes with learning (e.g., Koegel & Covert, 1972). Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) has been shown to be effective for reducing scripting in previous research, however additional replications of these results would add to the research literature to continue to support its use for this issue. The purpose of this study was to implement a DRO schedule with a young girl with ASD to reduce vocal scripting. The results showed a slight decrease in …

The Effects Of Preference Assessments On The Duration Of Independent Play For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elise Amo, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Plays skills are important within typical development and independent play has shown to lead to the development of other skills, such as increased social interactions (Edwards et al., 2018). Previous research has demonstrated increases in independent play for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who display skill deficits in this area. However, research has been largely lacking for increasing independent play for individuals with ASD who simply display a preference for interacting with adults. The current study examined the effectiveness of incorporating a multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment to increase the duration of independent play for a child with …

Exploring The Impact Of Guided Writing Strategies On Fifth-Grade Efl Students' Narrative Writing Skills, Haya Husam Mustafa Sabbah

Theses

This study is about investigating the effects of guided writing strategies on Arab students' EFL narrative writing skills and their perceptions regarding the use of such a strategy. For the study, a quasi-experimental design was used to obtain data from 30 EFL fifth-grade students in an American-curriculum school in Al Ain, UAE. Participants were divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey and a writing test containing a set of criteria for narrative writing skills. The results of the study showed that students in the experimental group were positively affected …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teaching Mathematics Online In Elementary Schools In Al Ain., Kamar Fayez Kamar

Theses

Online learning is an active method of learning in our lives, and it has been implemented in all the schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Many methods such as platforms, online educational websites, and other applications were used by teachers to support online learning, and to be able to assist students to achieve their goals and accomplish what is required from their curriculum. The main objective of this study is to examine teachers’ perceptions toward teaching mathematics using online learning in elementary schools. Data was collected from 90 (n= 90) elementary teachers in Al Ain City, UAE, during the …

Game-Based Learning: Building Competence In Visual Literacy Through Simulation, Carol Record

Theses

Game-based learning is an ideal experiential learning framework for introducing the critique process to reduce student anxiety and create competence in visual literacy and self-assessment. Critique, the assessment, and analysis of one’s work is an essential step in any creative process. It is an integral part of art school. However, it can also be a source of high anxiety for new students. This paper discusses the importance of critique, the challenges associated with teaching critique, and the benefits of utilizing game-based learning. Examples of game-based learning solutions are explored, including the development of, and response to, Lumen, a card game …

The Role Of School Principals In Fostering The Teamwork Success In Al Ain Schools From Teachers’ Percpective, Afra Mohammed Al Shamsi

Theses

The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of principals in fostering teamwork success. This study explained the leadership practices in fostering teamwork as perceived by teachers. Notably, the teamwork and its importance are neglected most of the time. Additionally, very little work was found in context of UAE. A sample of 334 public school teachers from Al Ain completed the online survey about their satisfaction about teamwork rates, their views regarding principals fostering teamwork, as well as recommendations and suggestions that could promote teamwork among school teachers. Descriptive statistics is adopted to analyze the quantitative items …

The Impact Of An Enrichment Program On Uae High School Students’ Creative Problem Solving Skills, Alyazia Sulaiman Alshehhi

Theses

Training human resources to be creative and innovate in the UAE had become a significant matter recently to stay within the stage of progressing towards a more dependable economy rather than oil. Gifted and talented individuals are the country's main resources, and way to progress. This study, therefore, aims to explore the impact of an enrichment program on improving UAE high school gifted students’ creative problem-solving skills. The sample included 78 gifted students from Abu Dhabi government schools. The students were grouped randomly into a control group (27 students), and an experimental group (30 students) who were exposed to a …

The Impact Of Digital Games Based Learning (Abacus) On Students’ Performance In Fraction For Fifth Grade Students In Al-Ain, Haneen Mazen Almassri

Theses

ABACUS active learn is an inclusive online site for teachers and students to illustrate and learn Mathematics in the primary level. ABACUS is considered as an online innovation that enables the students to have the ownership of their learning through interactive activities that can be done independently in the classroom or spend their rewards in online learning games. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of using ABACUS on students’ performance of 5^th grade while studying Fractions. This study designed to be tested in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. A quasi-experimental design was used to collect …

The Relationship Among Social Competence, Social Skills, And Academic Achievement For Students With Specific Learning Disability In The Uae, Amna Salem Al Yahyaee

Theses

The objective of this study is fourfold. To examine the relationship between a) parental involvement in their children’s education and social competence, b) parental involvement in their children’s education and their children’s academic achievement, c) parental involvement in their children's social competence and their children’s academic achievement, and d) parental involvement in their children's social competence and their children’s social skills. Thirty parents of children with specific learning disabilities participated in this study. Quantitative analysis was used in this study to answer the research questions. The results of this study revealed that there was no statistically significant relationship between parents’ …