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A Study Of Computational Thinking Skills And Attitudes Towards Computer Science With Middle School Students, Lorien W. Cafarella
A Study Of Computational Thinking Skills And Attitudes Towards Computer Science With Middle School Students, Lorien W. Cafarella
Theses and Dissertations
Many middle school students come to Computer Science (CS) classes without any previous CS instruction or any Computational Thinking (CT) skills that are needed to be successful. To overcome this, many curriculums and programming environments have been used to engage students and to instill a love of CS. Which curriculum should be used to develop CT skills that will also increase positive attitudes towards CS so students will continue in this field of study in higher grades? The purpose of this mixed method action research study was to evaluate how Code.org’s block-based programming curriculum affects middle school CS students’ CT …
Exploring New Jersey’S Middle And High School Health Educators’ Decision-Making On Sti Content And Instruction: A Qualitative Collective Case Study, Brianne Siderio
Exploring New Jersey’S Middle And High School Health Educators’ Decision-Making On Sti Content And Instruction: A Qualitative Collective Case Study, Brianne Siderio
Theses and Dissertations
STIs in youth in New Jersey is a growing concern. According to New Jersey’ Public Health Data Resource (2020), the total number of STIs in youth from age 15-24 totals 19,698. The current STIs-related sex education programs vary widely in New Jersey in terms of scope, the accuracy of content, emphasis, and effectiveness (Thrive New Jersey Coalition, 2019). Therefore, students may have quite different levels of awareness on the prevention of STIs. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore the Θ (theta) (Stake, 1995) of the “why” and “how” of health educators’ decisions in designing STI …
Cultivating Community In A Sixth-Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Weller Wells
Cultivating Community In A Sixth-Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Weller Wells
Theses and Dissertations
Students who experience trauma bring this trauma to school with them in the form of exaggerated behaviors—acting out or withdrawing, being violent or extremely passive, or exhibiting rudeness or academic difficulty. Because students react to trauma in many ways, there is no one way for teachers to respond. The classroom community is vulnerable to the sheer unpredictability of behaviors. Grounded in ecological systems theory, whole-child theory, and compassionate teaching theory, this study explored my efforts to mitigate the results of trauma and increase the sense of community and well-being in my sixth-grade classroom. During the last few weeks of the …
Implementing Meaningful Problem-Based Learning In A Middle School Science Classroom, Celestine Banks Pough
Implementing Meaningful Problem-Based Learning In A Middle School Science Classroom, Celestine Banks Pough
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this action research study was to explore the impact of problem-based learning on science instruction in my eighth-grade college preparatory classroom. Constructivism was the framework for this study. Problem-based learning is based on constructivist principles, and it served as the instructional model for this study. PBL can foster the use of problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and communication skills, which are needed in the 21st century. This research study was centered around three research questions. The first question asked about the impact PBL has on students’ science achievement. The second question asked how does PBL impact students’ …
A Phenomenological Case Study Of Teacher Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of Project-Based Learning, Dawn Bartz
A Phenomenological Case Study Of Teacher Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of Project-Based Learning, Dawn Bartz
Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative phenomenological case study explored the experiences of three middle school social studies teachers as they implemented a unit of instruction using project-based learning (PBL) in their eighth grade, social studies classrooms. Middle school is often where we see student engagement significantly diminishing and national scores on reading, writing and mathematics declining; the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this. PBL, as an instructional methodology that promotes hands-on learning and a strong connection between the classroom and the outside world, and first introduced in the early 1900s by John Dewey and William Kilpatrick, may help to stem the pandemic’s effects that …