Education Commons^™

Avoiding Heteronormativity: Breaking Barriers In The English Classroom: A Potential Model For A Teaching Workshop, Jessica Morris

Honors Program Theses

English Language Arts has typically been characterized by the texts taught in the classroom. The traditional English classroom is filled with a combination of texts from the British canon and classic American works. I recognize that English teachers now are striving to include current texts, but the traditional curriculum still thrives today. Students still read Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird and Frankenstein. Given that fact, we should also teach students how to find themselves within those texts.

Within English education, we tend to interpret literature in a very “standard” way. We stick with what we know and what …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Religion And Forgiveness, Desislava S. Stoycheva

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Forgiveness has been found important for human social functioning within and across cultures. Empirical findings from the last four decades pointed to the role of forgiveness in improving physical, mental, and spiritual health. As a result, forgiveness practices have been extended into the fields of counseling psychology, education, and peace-making. Other studies suggest that religious commitment increases a person’s likelihood to forgive and that practicing forgiveness mediates the effect of religion on health. Schema Theory was used to interpret religious background or lack of religion as factors shaping specific mental structures. These mental structures could lead to different forgiveness schemata, …

Representations Of Health And Wellness In Children's Literature, Emily Kate Murphy

Honors Program Theses

The term health is multifaceted. Health can refer to one’s physical, spiritual, or mental state, among other things. The goal of this study was to determine how educators can use children’s literature to support students being introduced to healthy habits regarding these aspects at a young age, through children’s literature. A content analysis was conducted over a selection of 16 children’s literature texts. It was organized by thematic categories matching the aforementioned facets of health and assessed through a Likert scale. This analysis resulted in the development of a website intended to serve as a tool for teachers to implement …

Instructors' Attitudes And Perceptions Toward Critical Thinking: A Case Study Of Interior Design Instructors In Saudi Arabia, Afnan Al Ramis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate how critical thinking is defined by interior design female instructors in Saudi Arabia. Also, it aimed to examine instructors’ perceptions and attitudes toward critical thinking. In addition, it served to illuminate potential obstacles and biases that prevent female instructors from teaching critical thinking skills at the schools and universities in Saudi Arabia. The research targeted female Interior Design instructors in particular, to examine their perceptions toward critical thinking. There were three research questions:

1- What are female Interior Design instructors’ perceptions toward critical thinking? Do they teach critical thinking skills in the …

Organized Gaming And Its Effect On Collegiate Academics, Mark Cochran

Honors Program Theses

With the emergence of gaming as an ever more popular pass time, and professional level eSports gaining steam, collegiate student organizations are beginning to reflect this change as well. This study of 166 college students from across the United States addresses the rise of gaming organizations and their subsequent effects of collegiate academics, namely grade point averages (GPA). The results suggest that participation in an organization dedicated to gaming results in a slightly lower GPA than those involved in other organizations, but still higher than average pointing towards factors of involvement still benefiting students. An important factor to note is …

"Perks And Produce Of The Panther Plot": A Multi-Component Program To Engage Uni First-Year Cornerstone Students In Local Foods, Gardening, And Food System Sustainability, Lauren Janning

Honors Program Theses

The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Panther Plot is an on-campus garden originally designed to provide university students with the opportunity to learn practical gardening skills and apply educational concepts concerning sustainable food systems (Aquilani, 2013). When implemented in 2013, the garden was expected to foster relationships and connections throughout the UNI community and offer a diverse learning experience in the pursuit of academic and civic excellence (Aquilani, 2013). Due to resource constraints, no activities have been undertaken to track objectives/indicators associated with the Panther Plot goals. After speaking with students, staff, and faculty associated with the functioning of the …

Adapting Curriculum For Autism In Art Education, Melanie Jo Lambert

Honors Program Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) describes a complex group of brain development disorders characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior. ASD is one of the nation's leading disorders, affecting nearly one in every 68 children (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2017). Currently there is limited understanding and research in ways ASD is being promoted and integrated within art education. This limitation has led to blurred understandings in how art educators can adapt materials, projects, and roles of paraprofessionals within the classroom. Societal views on ASD often deny the giftedness of these children and fail to see the effects that …

Learning To Write, Writing To Learn: Cedar Valley High School Teachers' Use Of Formative Assessment, Kenna Marie Koster

Honors Program Theses

My goal for this thesis, as well as for my time at UNI, was to examine pedagogies that will inform my future practice as an English teacher, enabling me to provide a better learning environment for my future students through various means of assessment. In this study high school English teachers in three towns in the Midwest were interviewed to find out: (1) What is really going on in the writing classroom in terms of writing assessment? (2) How is formative assessment specifically being used in the writing classroom? And (3) Does the teacher find these methods effective? Speaking to …

Teachers' Pedagogical Practices, Shift, And Professional Growth In Online Courses, Maryam Rod Szabo

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This phenomenological study aims to understand the faculty member’s technological and pedagogical challenges when they teach an online course. The participants of the study were eight faculty members from a Midwestern university. All the participants had attended at least one Quality Matters workshop that was intended to help them design their online courses. While the workshops that the participants attended were similar, they were not the same. Some had participated in the workshop five or six years ago, and some had attended a more recent one. The faculty members then worked with instructional developers at the same university to design …

The Effectiveness Of A "Patient Discharge Information" Booklet In Patient Education Programs In Saudi Arabia, Amani Mohammed Al Rebeh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of the Patient Discharge Information (PDI) booklet on the knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of participants who were cesarean patients in local hospitals in Saudi Arabia. This study investigated the following two research questions: (1) does the participant have information, resources, and understand basic personal health information regarding her health conditions including diagnosis, treatment, self-care management, medication instructions, normal expected symptoms, dangerous signs and what to do, as well as lifestyle changes?; and (2) how does patient discharge information provided by the hospital make a difference in participants’ knowledge, attitude, and …

Exploring The Academic, Social, And Cultural Experiences Of English Language Learners From Saudi Arabia At A Midwest University In The U.S., Sukainah A. Al Subia

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The world is experiencing an increasing number of international students who leave their countries to study abroad. The value and benefit of studying abroad influences many students to go on this educational journey. Research conducted over the past 20 years indicates that studying abroad provides both rewarding and challenging experiences. For example, studying abroad exposes students to exciting new cultures and places, developing academic/language skills and gaining social and cultural exposures which in turn enrich their global experience (Geeraert et al., 2014; Lillyman & Bennett, 2014; Wu et al., 2015). However, studying abroad can also pose certain challenges, including loneliness, …

An Exploration Of Teacher Dispositions: Expectation Of Potential, Kathleen Louise Saleh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative investigation of three, K-12, in-service special education teachers’ dispositions employs the pillars of Disability Studies in Education (Connor, Gabel, Gallagher, & Morton, 2008) and Villegas’ (2007) definition of disposition to interpret the observational and interview data. Central to the study are the teachers’ beliefs about their students’ learning potential and the impact of those beliefs on their instructional behaviors—dispositions—that support or hinder social justice. Consideration is also given to the educational and life experiences that the educators identify as contributing to their professional disposition. Analysis of the data demonstrated five primary themes. (1) Disposition, although influential in the …

An Investigation Of Early Childhood Outdoor Play Areas And Social And Emotional Play, Brandy A. Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The earliest early childhood programs were thought of as a garden for children or kindergarten (Snider, 1900). The father of kindergarten, Frederick Froebel (1885), considered the garden space critical in early childhood programs. While there is an understanding of the importance of outdoor play for young children, many current issues and challenges have drastically reduced the amount of time children spend in the outdoor environment (Kuh, Ponte, & Chau, 2013). Much of the time children do spend outside is devoted to physical movement, often in environments with traditional manufactured playground equipment (Czalczynska-Podolska, 2014). Outdoor play holds potential for multi-dimensional (Nedovic …

Pedagogical Contraband: A Phenomenological Approach To Understanding Student Engagement During Simulations, Stephen Austin Henderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of students who are taught using simulations in survey history courses. Although simulations have been studied in a variety of domains, few studies have examined the use of simulations to teach history. Further, most of the previous research on simulations has been quantitative in nature, and one goal of the proposed study is to go into greater depth than typically allowed for by quantitative methodologies and examine the lived experiences of students in a college-level history class who are participating in simulations. Results suggest that the five phases of …

Faculty To Faculty Incivility In Iowa Nursing Education Programs, Candace Chihak

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Uncivil work relationships are common in several professions, including nursing. Experiences of incivility within nursing education have been well described in the relationships between students, students to faculty, and faculty to students, however, there is less empirical evidence on the presence of incivility between nursing faculty. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the perception of incivility in faculty-to-faculty relationships in nursing education. Additionally, this paper will look for relationships between nurse educators and their intentions to stay within higher education. Methods: Nursing faculty from one Midwest state were surveyed utilizing the Workplace Incivility Civility Survey (WICS). Additionally, …

Variations In State Higher Education Grant Programs: Potential Reforms From A Case Study, Rachael Johnson

Honors Program Theses

As higher education costs continue to rise across the nation, students are increasingly needing financial assistance. State grant aid programs play a vital role for millions of students across the nation when paying for their postsecondary education. This case study looks specifically at Iowa’s, Nebraska’s, and Wisconsin’s state funded grant aid models to understand how Iowa could restructure their current grant aid program to better serve both the students and taxpayers of the state. Specifically, for Iowa’s grant aid programs, four changes are recommended.

1. All higher education sectors should be eligible for the state’s primary grant aid program.
2. At minimum, …

The Effects Of Book Club Participation On Reading Comprehension In Children With Disabilities, Elizabeth Ann Kosmicki

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Reading comprehension is a skill that effects future employment and income. However it is an ability that children with various disabilities struggle with. Researchers suggest that instruction in the use of reading comprehension strategies may improve understanding of texts. Furthermore, book clubs might serve as a vehicle to deliver this instruction in a natural setting. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of book clubs on the reading comprehension strategy use of children with disabilities. Two third grade children, one male with ADHD and one female with Down syndrome, participated in a book club. As part of …

Exploring The Experiences Of Adolescent Students Attending A Virtual School, Allan G. Nelson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the past 20 years distance education has evolved rapidly. The accessibility to online learning or virtual schools has become a viable option for many students. Virtual schools offer students instructional flexibility regarding time, place, and pace.

Improvements in distance education fostered rapid growth of online learning. The number of online learners grew nearly ten-fold from 2001 to 2015 (Clark, 2001; Watson et al., 2015). However, Watson (2016) estimated only 10% of online learners represented full-time virtual school students. Although face-to-face instruction is preferred by most K-12 learners, some learners argued their needs were best met by virtual schools (Green, …

Student Engagement In Higher Education: Measuring The Differences In Community Engagement, Stanley S. Ebede

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In U.S. education system, the growing gap in the engagement of various groups and types of students is wider than ever (Darling-Hammond, 2015). Therefore, there is a need to bridge the gap in engagement by ensuring that either personal or social circumstances such as gender, student status, ethnic groups etc. are not obstacles to achieving educational potential in higher education (Williams & Whiting, 2016; Greene, Marti, & McClenney, 2008; McClenney & Marti, 2006). Using both longitudinal and cross-sectional perspectives advocated by Fuller, Wilson and Tobin (2011); Gordon, Ludlum, and Hoey (2008); and Astin and Lee (2003), this study examined students’ …