Education Commons^™

Faculty Learning Community: Advancing Faculty Academic Advising Pedagogy, Linda Jean Raynard

Culminating Experience Projects

Within higher educational institutions faculty may serve in a faculty advising role. The quality of faculty advising conversations can impact student’s sense of mattering and support to campus leadership, community, and beyond. Faculty, however, have competing priorities and a lack of pathological training that has prevented them from investing deeper in advising practices. Students may then miss important opportunities to initially connect with campus leaders about their curricular and co-curricular development. To better operationalize academic advising practices for faculty to use in their everyday student conversations, a faculty learning community is suggested to aid. The Faculty Learning Community: Advancing Faculty …

Restorative Practices In English Language Arts: My Journey Towards Linguistic Justice, Ariana Skeese

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

In this final portfolio, I examine anti-racist pedagogy in English Language Arts Education.

Decolonization Of The Writing Classroom: Creating Space For Decolonial Theory, Tools, Anti-Racist Pedagogy, And Methods To Improve The Emerging Bilingual Student Experience, Desiree L. Brown

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the author addresses the colonial roots of the secondary writing classroom and the origin of standard academic English which enables strict standardized testing and writing assessment requirements that in-turn incite linguistic violence towards emerging bilingual students. The author frames her study within the framework of April Baker-Bell and Asao B. Inoue through a reflective/reflexive study of her teaching in a ninth grade writing classroom in a primarily Hispanic school district in South Texas, which is assessed by the state of Texas through STAAR. This study seeks to identify instances of linguistic violence being perpetuated in the writing …

Teaching Strategies In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Education For Kinesthetic Learners, Analilia Robles

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone project is to examine effective teaching strategies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for kinesthetic learners and how taking a hands-on approach to teaching STEM can facilitate learning for our students. The research provides an overview of the history and evolution of STEM and highlights how students benefit from learning through experience and hands-on activities by integrating the STEM disciplines. This research gathers insight from both public and private school teachers in Monterey County based on their experience and observations teaching STEM education. Through the use of literature reviews, teacher interviews, classroom observations, …

Moments Of Meeting: 'Intersubjective Encounters' And ‘Emancipatory’ Experiences Of Individuals With (Intellectual) Disabilities In Inclusive Musical Contexts, Caroline Blumer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to explore an intersubjective framework to better understand the relational aspects of two inclusive musical programs in London, ON. I focused on mutual recognition moments, called moments of meeting (MoM), researching how they are formed and manifested while music is shared, created, or experienced within these two environments. Approaching such programs as potentially intersubjective spaces, this study investigated the impact of MoM and intersubjective experiences on the participation of individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) in music making as well as on their perceptions of themselves as subjects. Equally significant, this study looked at emerging …

Reevaluating Student Engagement: Exploring And Applying Alternative Assignments In Higher Education Undergraduate Applied Saxophone, Anthony S. Cincotta Ii

Dissertations, 2020-current

Undergraduate applied saxophone study revolves around the conservatory model. This inflexible model, often referred to as a master-apprentice relationship, can create an instructor-centric power dynamic which does not address the needs of the modern student. A classroom where the power lies so heavily with the instructor can stifle student engagement and can create a sense of disenfranchisement. In this setting, students have limited input on their assignment selections. While curricula have evolved with regards to being more culturally diverse, relevant, and inclusive, the approach that educators use to deliver the material has remained largely unchanged. There is limited research on …

Why Word Problems Are Hard For High School Math Students: Problem Formulation And Disciplinary Literacy, Emily Charlotte Elliott

Senior Theses

This thesis is an extensive literature review designed to better understand the obstacles high school math students encounter when solving word problems (WPs). While many high school students find math difficult in general, students especially struggle with WPs. Often they are unable to provide correct solutions to WPs even when they are successful in solving computational problems using the same mathematical concepts (Cummins, 1988). Data from the 2007 National Survey of Algebra Teachers suggests that solving WPs is one of the skills that students are most unprepared for when entering Algebra 1 (Hoffer et al.). Additionally, many students try to …

Examining Elementary Teacher Perceptions And Experiences Of Transitioning From Knowledge-Based To Inquiry-Based Social Studies Standards, Benjamin Stephen Pinnick

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Elementary educators are responsible for the earliest years of student learning in a public setting. The amount of content students are expected to master continues to grow in scope, and the methods that are utilized shift to align with educational research and social momentum. After a decade of Common Core policies, social studies education in elementary schools has become a deemphasized subject. Reading and math, as well as science, have taken a greater precedence in today’s classrooms.

Yet, expectations for the creation of knowledgeable and participatory citizens continue to serve as a goal in elementary schools. Conceptualization of citizenship form …

Pause And Possibility: Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives On Creative Writing Clubs, Stephanie Altier

Honors Projects

Creative writing clubs can enrich the lives of writers and facilitators. These clubs provide many opportunities to enrich their members’ academic, social, and personal development (Clifton, 2022; Siskel & Jacobs, 2011; Lawton, 2021). This project uses a focus-group study of five pre-service Integrated Language Arts teachers to explore the teachers' perspectives on advising creative writing clubs. Their insight informs a web-based teacher resource, Creative Writing Club Hub. Major findings are that participants harbor low self-efficacy towards creative writing and that the most effective method for encouraging them to advise these clubs may be to create a creative writing community …

How Can A Play-Based Curriculum Foster Social And Emotional Self-Regulation Skills In Early Childhood Classrooms?, Kalei Stephens

Graduate Teacher Education

Play is an essential aspect in the early childhood years, especially during the years of preschool and kindergarten when children’s social and emotional skills are developing rapidly (Denham et al., 2012; Kangas et al., 2015; Kroll, 2017). Even though play is an essential part, allowing children to partake in pretend play during school hours has decreased tremendously due to the push of academics within the school (Aras, 2015). With the rising importance of play as part of the curriculum, there have been previous studies and research explaining the why and the benefits of play and how play has allowed children …

Developing New Teachers' Pedagogical Content And Relationship Knowledge (Pcrk) During A One-Year Urban Residency Teacher Preparation Program, Daryl Essensa

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined how participation in a full public school year-long urban teacher residency program influencedthe perceptions of 17 new middle and high school teacher candidates about the use of affective qualities of learning within their classroom practices as teachers—Pedagogical Content and Relationship Knowledge (PCRK).The preservice teachers in this study explored the relationship between pedagogy and student learning of subject matter through a variety of course-related assignments, which included classroom-based application of the pedagogical strategies learned in coursework, readings, and reflections. Individual interviews were used to evaluate how the course and the assignments influenced the instructional practices of the preservice …

Responsible Classrooms: Unfinalizability, Responsibility, And Participatory Literacy In Secondary English Language Arts, Emma Jamilah Gist

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines participatory literacy practice in secondary English language arts classrooms. While literacy achievement in this context is often measured according to a student’s ability to receive and repeat predetermined information within the scope of mandated curricula and standardized tests, this study attends specifically to classroom literacy practice that centers authentic, unanticipated, dialogic student response. Within its consideration of literacy practice, this study applies the Bakhtinian notion of unfinalizability to consider those conditions that allow for learning experiences that are not predetermined but are rather uniquely, unpredictably, and unrepeatably co-constructed by individual students, student groups, and teachers. These unfinalizable …

Culturally Relevant Practices And Community: Increasing Minority Leadership In School Administration To Improve School Climate, Cassandra Suggs, Joy N. Rogers

Dissertations

This dissertation and research looks into the area of Culturally Relevant Practices and Leadership in K-12 schools and the potential effect on all students in having minority leadership present. The research dives into interviews of teachers, hiring leaders, district leaders and building leaders. It also uses survey results from over 700 students, with the central theme of the questions around school safety, climate, culture, support, academics and a sense of belonging. The research purpose was to look into the potential positive effect on students and staff, if Culturally Relevant Practices and hiring of minority leadership was in place within school …

Impact Of Positive Classroom Environment On Elementary School Students’ Learning, Marisa Contrada

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

When students are asked if they like school or not, their answer is typically negative for the reason that they don’t feel comfortable in the classroom. Classroom environment is where their mindset could be changed. Classroom environment has not been a prominent topic of discussion. This senior capstone research report was designed to shed light on the importance of classroom environment. Through the use of literature review, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and anonymous student survey, positive classroom environment has a tremendous impact on students learning. This senior capstone examines the importance of classroom environment as well as strategies in creating …

Inclusive Pedagogy: Connecting Disability And Race In Higher Education, Meredith Persin

All Theses

Higher education was never made for marginalized people. The academy was created based on the privileged white, able-bodied, males who preoccupied higher education for the longest time. While that has certainly changed over the years, the institution itself is still in the past resulting in BIPOC students and disabled students continuing to struggle within higher education. While instructors have begun to take interest in the need for inclusive pedagogy within the last decade, it still has a far way to come in order to help the marginalized students with intersecting identities and students who may not benefit from a one …

A Survey Of Elementary Educators' Self-Efficacy Related To Stem Education, Elizabeth Mckenzie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

While the call for STEM and engineering design has increased since the release of the Next Generation Science Standards, the implementation of STEM in elementary grades has been slow. A variety of factors play a role in why educators, schools, or districts make the informed decisions they do regarding curriculum and instruction. Identifying strengths and challenges elementary educators face in implementing STEM into the curriculum can guide schools and districts in creating supports for increasing STEM in the elementary grades. This study sought to create and test a survey instrument for use with elementary educators in a large urban district …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …

Possible Paths Forward For A Practice-Based Teacher Education Centered On Justice, Joshua Harlan Karr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation seeks to address limitations of Practice-Based Teacher Education (PBTE) in relation to (1) narrow conceptions of practice and teacher learning, and (2) peripheralization of equity and justice. After aiming to understand the landscape of limitations in PBTE, this study situates itself within specific manifestations of these limitations that exist in common conceptualizations of teacher learning and practice-based pedagogies. To (re)emphasize the situated nature of practice and center equity and justice in PBTE, I theorize an expanded notion of teacher learning, develop design features for contextually situated pedagogies of practice (Grossman et al., 2009), and implement the design with …

Perceptions Of Occupationally Trained Technical College Faculty On Their Preparedness To Teach And On The Need For Professional Development: A Phenomenological Study, Brandon Hudson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study examines the perceptions of occupationally trained Tennessee technical college faculty on their preparedness to teach after being hired directly from industry and on the need for professional development and training on instructional and classroom strategies. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted by Zoom with instructors from three technical college program areas, Industrial Maintenance, Machine Tool Technology, and Welding. Participants represented institutions from each grand division of Tennessee, West, Middle, and East, plus Upper East. As a result of the data analysis, common themes, including a “here are your keys” approach to instructor induction, a reliance on other …

Integrating Empathy Pedagogy With Feminist Thought And Social Justice Praxis, Ashlyn Elizabeth Brown

Institute for the Humanities Theses

This thesis outlines the need for empathy pedagogy in higher education. It will examine how empathy pedagogy can be integrated with feminist thought and social justice praxis. I argue that when we integrate empathy pedagogy with feminist thought and social justice, we are building the capacity for students to understand others’ lives in oppression. Furthermore, an integrated modality of teaching empathy will allow students to foster the traits of empathy within themselves; students are then better able to act as agents of social change by utilizing the traits of empathy to actively listen, self-reflect, and mindfully engage with other lived …

Coalition And Creativity On The Bridges And Fringes With Immigrant Student-Contributors In Nonprofit Adult Education, Katherine E. Entigar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The nonprofit education of adult immigrants is an under-researched aspect of U.S. education. Adult immigrants, often perceived as passive and quiescent, bring voices and contributions to learning in powerful yet unheard ways. This research agenda invokes a new critical lens in education scholarship to uplift and center these contributions as a coalitional, dialogical project. Drawing upon critical sociocultural, women of color feminist, and poststructual theories, critical intersectional epistemology, and Bakhtinian dialogical thinking, this research project pursues inductive, recursive meaning making as an innovative exploration. A multiphase, sequential study including surveys and two focus groups foregrounds the complex, fluid ways adult …

Reframing The Pedagogical Underpinnings Of To Kill A Mockingbird: Queering A High School Text, Hovsep Hovannesian

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Given the current climate for social and political change in relation to identity and being, traditional high school texts like To Kill A Mockingbird are being rejected as degrading, out of touch, and even regressive and are being taken off the pedagogical shelf. This article pushes back on this outlook by suggesting that a more critical approach to such texts can make them not only useful but enlightening for the high school population asked to read them. Specifically, by proposing that high school pedagogy apply the foundations and frameworks of critical, identity-focused theories, like queer theory, to traditional high school …

Using Sports To Develop Community In The Mathematics Classroom, Benjamin Lawson

Honors Projects

A positive classroom climate and community should be achieved in every classroom (Frisby, 2020, pgs. 199-200). This sense of community is especially sparse in the field of mathematics education. According to the High School Athletics Participation Survey (2019) the number of high schoolers participating in sports continues to rise. Sport ideologies could offer a bridge to connect mathematics classrooms and establish community in ways a pure educational perspective has not been able to. The purpose of this analysis is to shed light on an alternate perspective of mathematics education and incorporate sport philosophies to foster community building by establishing rapport, …

Legal Research & Writing: An Undergraduate Pre-Law Course Design, Rachel Kathleen Strieber

Senior Theses

The purpose of this project-based thesis is to develop an undergraduate pre-law course that teaches legal research and writing (LRW) and to design its respective description, topics, reading materials, sample syllabus document, and a sample lesson plan. The research portion of this thesis will study the pedagogy of LRW and the connection between LRW skills and the students’ success in law school and careers in law. Preparing students to excel in LRW skills prior to law school through the proposed undergraduate pre-law LRW course will yield a stronger performance in a first-year law LRW course to follow and amplify students’ …

Preparing Teachers & Teacher Education Professionals For Dimensions Of Diversity: A Study Of Pedagogical Responses To Diversity In Distance Learning And Traditional Instruction, Rocky Blessey-Bragg

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study framed in Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy theory involved 6 teachers from Chaffey Joint Union high School District and 8 teacher education professionals from teacher education programs in southern and central California. It examined reported pedagogical strategies in responding to specific dimensions of classroom diversity: culture, readiness and economics. Participants took Bandura’s Self-Efficacy survey prior to the first of two semi-structured interviews. In the second of those interviews, each group had the opportunity to react to findings from the first round of interviews from their own group and the opposite, as to how their perceptions of diversity have evolved …

Creating Statistical Testing Tools In Digital Testing Environments: Eliminating Confirmation Bias And Improving Pedagogy In The Humanities Testing Lab At Byu, Robert Hatch

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Humanities Testing Lab at BYU is a computer testing environment for humanities students and professors. Statistics are useful in a pedagogical sense because they present unbiased information about the progress of the class. The Humanities Testing Lab did not previously have a statistical tool, making it the perfect place to monitor the change in teacher perspective when a statistical tool was introduced. In an effort to better the BYU Humanities Testing Lab, an ideal statistical tool was researched, created, and delivered to participating professors. Their interactions with the tool were measured through a set of before and after surveys. …

The Impact Of Federal, State, And Local Policy On The Pedagogy Of Ell Assessment In New Mexico Public Schools, Cheryl Anne Ford Ed.D.

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT

The impetus for this study came from the understanding that bilingualism and multilingualism are innate components of America’s immigrant and Native American cultural fabric. With issues ranging from writing ELL policy to developing English as a second language (ESL), pedagogical support, to identifying the non-static, cultural, and linguistic needs of ELLs, their intersection and impact on bilingual education in New Mexico’s public schools was the focus of this study. To ensure a nonbiased focus on that narrow intersection, a qualitative methodology with a grounded-theory genre and an emic approach was used to address the research question: How do cumulative …

Reflections On The Eating Of Bologna Sandwiches: A Memoir, Benjamin M. Raphael

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Reflections on the Eating of Bologna Sandwiches is a memoir project intended to give light to my experiences teaching in a small public school located in the South Bronx. These experiences are directed to a general “second” person who takes the form of “you” and is intended to act as a general stand-in for the student population of this school, similar to the “you” used by James Baldwin in his seminal work “My Dungeon Shook”. This “you” is meant to breakdown the wall between the reader and the student population, allowing one to occupy another and in the process develop …

Making The Journey Personal: A Self-Study Of The Intersections Of Curriculum, Practice, And Identity, Patricia J. Tinsman-Schaffer

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The Obama's unveiled their official portraits for the National Portrait Gallery in 2018, forever changing the presidential tone by being the first portraits of Black Americans in these roles but also because they selected two Black artists to depict them, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald. As a White woman, secondary school art educator of diverse students, I witnessed this event as a significant moment in time. Discussing what was immediately visible: portraiture, compositional formats, and use of pattern, but I was unsure how to connect the layered meanings of each portrait. As a veteran teacher, I had implemented different curricula …