Education Commons^™

Understanding Esl Undergraduate Students' Beliefs About Learner-Centered Instruction, Mahjabeen Hussain

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was undertaken to determine undergraduate ESL students’ beliefs about learner-centered teaching (LCT) practices in English classes and to understand to what extent their learner-centered learning experiences influenced their beliefs about the quality of LCT practices. The study involved explanatory sequential mixed-methods. The Learner-centered Battery Student Survey and focus group interviews were used to collect data. One hundred and twelve undergraduate ESL students at a Midwestern university took part in the survey, 17 of whom, predominantly Asians, subsequently took part in multiple mini focus groups that lasted approximately 50-70 minutes each. Quantitative data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-Tests, and …

An Investigation Of Pre-Service Teacher And Faculty Knowledge On Rti, Nichole M. Beckman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Response to Intervention (RTI) is being used in schools more often and continues to be a more accepted way to help students prior to the need for special education services. RTI is a three-tiered system of support that provides an opportunity for teachers to look at their instruction and curriculum and adjust based upon student progress and needs. The RTI framework, when implemented with fidelity, has been shown to effectively assist students get academic help early and limit the number of special education referrals (VanDerHeyden, Witt, & Gilbertson, 2007).

Although RTI has been shown to promote positive change in student …

Investigation Of The Changes Of Preservice Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs In Teaching Students With Special Needs, Pujaningsih Pujaningsih

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to examine preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in teaching students with special needs during student teaching and to explore potential influential factors contributed to its change. The efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977) was applied as the theoretical frameworks of this study. This framework guided this study for a deeper understanding of how preservice teachers interpreted their experiences when teaching students with special needs.

The participants were preservice teachers in one of a university in the Midwest who enrolled in the student teaching program in Spring 2018 and taught students with special needs in their classroom(s). Collecting data, this …

Perception Of Preservice Teachers On The Implementation Of Multicultural Education, Winnie Esther Akinyi

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was twofold:

(1) To examine perceptions of preservice teachers on the implementation of multicultural education; and

(2) To investigate the extent to which preservice teachers are willing to implement multicultural education.

Snowball sampling method was used to find the participants for this research study because part of the sample for the study was very rare or limited to a very small subgroup of the population (minorities and seniors). Three preservice school teachers participated in the interview process, the results were audio recorded.

The results indicated preservice school teachers of different demographic characteristics held different beliefs …

Empowering Children's Social Ecology: Reenvisioning Postconflict Reconstruction And Education In Rural Liberia, Kristen N. Mcnutt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Despite the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement calling the end to Liberia’s back-to-back civil wars in 2003, Liberia’s peace remains fragile with a high number of out of school children, especially in rural communities. As an indicator of state fragility, rural education needs to be a priority in post-conflict reconstruction. This thesis emerged to support the nongovernmental organization, Supporting Programs in Community Empowerment (SPICE), an emerging Liberian-based nongovernmental organization.

The methodologies for this action research project was a needs assessment, which resulted in the development of the Needs Assessment Report: Paving the Way for the Future of Liberian Children. Through …

Post-Trip Blues: Full Time College Students' Emotional And Motivational Post-Trip Transition From Adventure Break Trips, Nichole Crockford

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Full time students who attend break long collegiate outdoor recreation adventure trips receive multiple benefits from spending time with a small group of students out in nature. Coming home from these positive experiences may lead some individuals to negative feelings. Students may struggle to find the motivation needed to return to their previous schedule and match the demands of work that is expected of them. Very little is mentioned about the topic of post-trip emotion and motivation levels, even though an argument for vacation is to experience positive benefits that help not only the individual but also the workplace.

Research …

Trainers' Perspectives Of Teacher Professional Development, Harun Parpucu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Considerable attention in the literature has been given to perspectives of teachers and administrators regarding effectiveness of professional development for teachers. However, there is a paucity of research regarding perspectives of trainers and facilitators of professional development for educators. Thus, this dissertation study focused on trainers’ perspectives on effective professional development. More specifically, the study investigated these research questions: (1) What goals and objectives do trainers set for their professional development sessions?; (2) How do trainers facilitate professional development?; (3) How do trainers know they achieved the goals and objectives of their professional development?; (4a) Why do trainers do what …

Impact Of Parent Mentoring And Participation In First Robotics On Middle And High School Age Female Perceptions Of Engineering Careers, Kirsten Olson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Female presence within engineering careers has been a growing concern for decades, as females continue to major in engineering at a far lesser rate than males. Females may be affected by many different environmental factors, from parental influence, early engineering experiences, negative stereotypes present in male dominated careers, and male dominant culture in content classes and the workplace. Researchers have explored ways in which the gender gap within engineering can be closed, such as heightening females’ self-efficacy and providing early STEM experiences. Early engineering experiences include the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Programs, where students are …

Seeing The Forest For The Trees: Elementary Stem Environments That Nurture Creativity And Innovation, Lisa Jo Chizek

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined creativity in schools through the lens of nine rural Midwestern public school fifth grade students in a student-centered, inquiry-based science classroom within a STEM Framework. Previous literature suggesting the importance of nurturing creativity in schools (Florida, 2004; Executive Office of the President, 2018; K. H. Kim, 2016; Csikszentmihalyi, 1999) inspired the purpose for this dissertation. What is missing is the perspective of creative youth. Phenomenology as a research method is a “systematic attempt to uncover and describe the structures, the internal meaning structures, of lived experiences” (van Manen, 2016, p. 10). Through student voices, this qualitative study …

Writing Workshop And Creativity Despite Standardization: An Exploration Of Elementary Teachers' Practices, Darcie Kay Kress

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Writing instruction in today’s classrooms is often structured with “formulaic, sterile writing instruction” (Brown, Morrell, and Rowlands, 2011, p. 17). The focus on formulaic approaches can be problematic, for it may inadvertently cause the quality of students’ writing to decline (Brown, Morrell, & Rowlands, 2011; Gillespie, Olinghouse, & Graham, 2013). The National Writing Project (NWP) provides teachers with professional development to strengthen their own skills as writers, and also to learn how to effectively incorporate evidence-based practices into their writing instruction.

The aim of this study was to explore the practices of three elementary classroom teachers (second, fifth, and sixth …

Preschool Teachers' Beliefs And Actions Concerning Creativity In The Classroom, Latisha Lynn Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine preschool teachers’ beliefs and actions associated with creative pedagogy. This study partially replicated a study by Cheung (2017) and allowed for comparisons among American, Greek, and Chinese preschool teachers. This qualitative study used case studies to examine preschool teachers’ beliefs related to the definition of creativity, effective creative pedagogy, and contextual factors related to promoting creativity. Participants included three preschool teachers in rural settings in the Midwestern United States. Data included an initial interview, the completion of the Early Childhood Creative Pedagogy Questionnaire (Cheung & Leung, 2013), two lesson observations, and reflection …