Education Commons^™

An Exploratory Quantitative Study Of The Impact Of Stem-Focused Middle Schools On Student Persistence And Performance In Stem, Shandua Ellis

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) continue to be a major challenge for the United States (U.S.), as the U.S. continues to lag behind other countries in this area due to ongoing lack of individuals who are entering STEM fields and many who are entering STEM fields but lack the skills necessary to perform adequately in these roles. The problem related to this study involved the ongoing need to identify how well STEM education programs are addressing this need and increasing the number of students, especially underrepresented minorities, in following STEM career pathways and developing the knowledge and skills needed …

Overcoming Barriers Of Plcs At The High School Level: A Case Study Of The First-Year Implementation Of The Plc+ Framework, Jessica Mcabee

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study was prompted by a desire to understand the perceptions of teachers on the characteristics of effective professional learning communities (PLCs) at the high school level. Data were collected via survey and focus group interviews to answer questions regarding barriers high school PLCs face as well as what effective PLCs look like at the high school level. The survey population included 122 high school teachers currently involved in PLCs in one school district in the upstate of South Carolina. Survey questions were on a Likert scale that assessed three areas regarding the effectiveness of PLCs: critical elements, human resources, …

Teacher Perceptions On The Impact Of Changes In Educational Practices And Student Learning For A Covid-19 Post-Pandemic Classroom: A Mixed Methods Study, Laine Smith

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational practices around the world, changed the instructional interface of the classroom and impacted student learning. The purpose of this research study was to identify teacher perceptions of this change, understand how teachers addressed those changes in the classroom, and determine what teachers saw as the next best steps to address student learning disparities going forward.

A mixed methods approach was used to conduct this research. Participants who completed the survey and/or mini focus groups were teachers in County X during the 2019-2022 school years. A thematic analysis was conducted for each mini focus group, quantitative …

The Impact Of Noncognitive Skills On Student Achievement In Elementary-Age Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Karen Garmon

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has created one of the largest disruptions in educational history. The impact on learning loss and social-emotional well-being from the pandemic threatens to compromise achievement outcomes for an extended number of years. Previous research has proven relationships between grit, growth mindset, self-efficacy, and academic achievement (Duckworth, 2016; Duckworth et al., 2007; Dweck, 2008), but little is known about the validity of noncognitive constructs and academic achievement in elementary-age students, particularly how the relationship between these variables affected student achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to determine if noncognitive traits had a relationship …

Education And The Gender Spectrum: Addressing Gender Identity Needs In The High School Environment, Donna Eason

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of teachers and administrators in addressing the needs of transgender and nonbinary students. Because most current research focuses mostly on the experiences of students, this study specifically investigated the beliefs, behaviors, challenges, and successes of educators. By analyzing the data provided by the participants, teachers and administrators could be made aware of how best to create and maintain inclusive school environments. The qualitative methodology included interviews with teachers and administrators from a charter school and a private school and focused on their thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding interactions with students who identify as transgender …

Teacher Self-Efficacy Levels In Providing Reading Instruction To Students In Kindergarten Through Second Grades, Rebekka Powers

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy levels of kindergarten through second-grade teachers in their ability to provide reading instruction to students with a focus on the five foundational areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. In addition, the study sought to make recommendations as to how the district of study can enhance teacher efficacy in delivering reading instruction, as well as assist the district in providing instructional resources and teacher professional development that increase teacher efficacy levels in reading instructional practices. A mixed method approach was used to conduct this study. Data were …