Education Commons^™

Resilience And Academic Achievement In Minority Students, James A. Britton

Theses and Dissertations

Students can thrive within school programs and sustain their capacity for success despite seemingly overwhelming obstacles. A model of school-based resilience can insulate students from risk and help students acknowledge challenges, embrace them, and learn as students encounter challenge and surmount it.

This study of a high school program analyzed the relationship between educational resilience and academic achievement through a direct measure of resilience. The research investigated whether a program increased resilience for minority and low-income high school students and whether stronger resilience was associated with improved academic outcomes. Students in the program produced significantly better academic outcomes, as measured …

Challenges Of Attempting A Pedagogical Shift From An Essentialist Classroom To The Reformed Model, Joshua Germany

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study is to examine the challenges a teacher faces when shifting from an essentialist classroom toward a reformed approach in a high school US History class. The action research is taking place at a high school predominantly comprised of minority students who are considered to be of a high level of poverty.

The theoretical framework centers around the belief that a constructivist classroom will increase student engagement while enabling the students enhance their critical inquiry skills. This study’s mixed methods design uses both quantitative and qualitative data in a narrative case study describing the …

Educators' Perspectives On School Family Involvement Within The Context Of A Pat Structure: A Qualitative Case Study, Marisol Perez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine, through a social capital and funds of knowledge lens, how educators view and promote involvement within the context of a school's Parent and Teacher Organization (PAT). The study was conducted in one large suburban high school and consisted of twenty (N = 20) participants who were responsible for promoting involvement. Data was collected in the form of archival documents, participant interviews, and field notes from observations which produced clear patterns around the topic of family involvement. The findings of this study indicated that participants made distinctions between elementary/middle school involvement …

How Do Students Structure Their Silent Reading When Situated In Inquiry Based Pedagogy?, Michelle Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to document the engagement levels and classroom discussions students have after reading their independent reading novel. The specific aim was to see how students respond using their independent reading books when class discussions are centered around an essential question. Classroom reading behaviors, student-led classroom discussions, interviews, and exit tickets were analyzed. The students were engaged as active readers when reading their chosen silent reading book to find the answer to an essential question. After, the students engaged in meaningful conversations using their silent reading books as guides before some students offered personal responses while …

Decreasing Incidents Of High School Cyberbullying, Erica Nichole Dawson

Theses and Dissertations

With the Internet being an ever-growing part of everyone’s lives, the nature of bullying has evolved. Cyberbullying is a new problem with far reaching implications and is a problem that is growing fast. However, there is a limited amount of research available. Most of the research has been conducted from 2007 until the present with little research available before 2001. The purpose of this study was to decrease the percentage of incidents (students participating and students victimized) of cyberbullying at a public high school in a large school, suburban school district, in the southeastern region of the United States, by …

Effect Of Relational Support On Educational Outcomes In An At-Risk Charter School In Florida, Eunice Casey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to explore how effectively a one-on-one mentoring relational support program would influence outcomes in attendance, academic achievement, and behavioral issues at an at-risk charter school in Florida. The majority of the students at the selected charter school are at-risk students, defined as such because their present level of academic achievement is significantly below that of their peers. At the selected charter school, students struggle with low attendance, low academic achievement, and a high number of behavioral infractions. More specifically, low attendance at this school is associated with low academic achievement. This includes failure …

The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Student Learning Perspectives And Achievement In A Social Studies Classroom, Jason Brisini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the possible impact of project-based learning on student learning perspective and achievement in a social studies classroom. American schools are in an era of standardized testing based on standards-driven curricula that only teaches basic recall and recognition. School curriculum should be focused on providing students with the skills necessary for them to be successful after high school graduation. Higher-level thinking skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and self-direction are not easily learned with traditional, essentialist teaching methods. Students can quickly look up facts with ready access to the internet, so they need …