Education Commons^™

Examining The Effectiveness Of The After Action Review For Online And Face-To-Face Discussion Groups, William Cradick

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

There is not enough research in the utilization of the After Action Review (AAR), in a college setting. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the AAR in both face-to-face and online classroom environments. Over the period of a semester, participants of undergraduate psychology courses, at a mid-sized university, conducted AARs with their static groups. Overall course and group activity grades were measured, along with self-efficacy, satisfaction, and motivation ratings. The AAR was found to be overall ineffective at improving performance outcomes. The evidence is not conclusive enough to suggest that the AAR will not be …

An Outreach Program Case Study: Assessing And Imparting Social Capital, Autumn Lynn Thompson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

College outreach programs have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. They hope to help historically underrepresented students (first generation, low income, and minority) aspire to and prepare for higher education. However little research has been done on the effectiveness of these programs and more specifically which components are most effective for increasing student enrollment and retention. This study addresses this lack studying the effectiveness of social capital in college outreach programs, in an effort to move towards more evidence based research and practice. The study uses qualitative methods and in-depth interviews to directly investigate social capital …

Rwandan University Efl Teachers' Awareness And Attitudes Toward Clt And Their Classroom Practices, Gaudence Uwamahoro

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research investigates Rwandan English teachers' awareness of and attitudes toward CLT including their practices in their respective classrooms. Data were collected by means of an online questionnaire that was responded to by 16 practicing teachers. The results revealed that most participants believed that both form- and meaning-based pedagogy were important in the language classroom. The participants also reported that they practiced what they believed in their respective classrooms. With regard to CLT awareness, most of Rwandan university teachers who responded to the questionnaire confirmed that they had learned or heard about CLT, eleven teachers among thirteen who had known …

The Impact Of Instructions: Perceptions Of Note-Taking And Awareness Of Metacognitive Listening For Esl Students, Ayami Murakami

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Taking effective notes while listening to a lecture is one of the important strategies for students in order to fulfill their academic goals. A number of empirical studies have been done to emphasize its importance; however, much fewer studies focusing on the impact of note-taking instruction have been done. Moreover, not only note-taking strategies but also high listening strategies are required to take notes while listening. The current study investigated the impact of instructions of note-taking and listening on ESL students. A total number of 23 upper-intermediate ESL students experienced training of taking notes and metacognitive listening over a semester. …

Effects Of A Cross-Age Peer Tutoring Intervention On English Language Oral Reading Fluency In A Belizean Grade School, Marcia Ruth Sytsma

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A cross-age peer tutoring program was implemented in a small rural school in west central Belize, Central America. All students at the school were native Spanish speakers, and all general instruction was conducted in English. The program was devised to supplement existing reading and language arts instruction at all grade levels. Progress of both tutors and tutees was monitored on a weekly basis using DIBELS Next measures. Twenty-nine students started the program, with complete data available for twenty-one students: seven tutee-tutor pairs, and seven matched students who participated as controls. Three main hypotheses were tested with the present study. These …

The Identification Of Successes And Barriers In Establishing Professional Learning Communities From Principals' Perspectives, Katie Carol Clarke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify the successes and challenges in establishing professional learning communities (PLC) within 25 school districts in southwest Minnesota. Data was generated by school principals completing a closed-ended online survey that revealed degrees of implementation of PLCs. Survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and provided a foundation for the development of semi-structured focus group questions. This was a sequential mixed methods study, as the quantitative data was first collected followed by obtaining qualitative focus group data. Themes were generated during data analysis of the focus group questions and findings revealed successes and …

Reaching An Invisible Minority: A Survey Of Admissions Department Leaders' Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Student Outreach Efforts And Campus Climate In The Upper Midwest, Pollard David Sorquist

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students face challenges and barriers to higher education that heterosexual students do not. Many of these challenges are rooted in negative high school experiences of LGB youth, such as social stigmatization and family rejection. Additionally, LGB students have historically been excluded from admissions office outreach considerations. This has resulted in structural and symbolic barriers in secondary and post-secondary institutions. These barriers limit LBG student access and also limit available resources to support the successful transition to higher education institutions. Higher education admissions leaders have a unique opportunity to reach out to and actively support LGB …

Implementing Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports At The Secondary Level, Sheri L. Allen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) at the secondary school level. The study used a mixed-method research approach. Concurrently, a qualitative survey about PBIS implementation with a quantitative open-ended question identifying how to improve implementation was administered to all secondary staff at one middle school. While the results affirmed that the four systems of PBIS were in place, this dissertation provides recommendations for implementation and how to improve implementation in a Midwestern middle school.

Implementation Of The Ready! For Kindergarten Program, Sharon Bonnett

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Research has shown that nearly 50 percent of Minnesota children entering kindergarten are not well prepared with the skills necessary to be successful in the kindergarten curriculum (MinneMinds, 2014 ). This gap in kindergarten readiness creates an achievement gap causing students to face significant hurdles to academic achievement (MinneMinds, 2014) which are hard to improve over time. Investment in parent-focused early childhood education programs has been shown to create the heftiest gains for children across a wide range of outcome measures and is a critical step in ensuring that children are prepared for success in school (Neville et al., 2013).

Toolkit For Mental Health Professionals, Social Workers, And Guidance Counselors Working With Immigrant And Refugee Students, Rojina Maya Mccarthy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project is to develop a best practices toolkit for social workers and mental health professionals working with immigrant and refugee students in school setting. The toolkit is intended to be disseminated by The Advocates for Human Rights to social workers, guidance counselors, and other mental health professionals who work with immigrant and refugee children. This toolkit will also be used by the staff in the organization.

Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports (Pbis): Lessons Learned From The Implementation Process Of An Evidence-Based Program, Tara Mershon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to assess the implementation process of PBIS in rural, consolidated school districts in southern Minnesota. The ideals of PBIS are in line with GFW Schools mission to foster lifelong learners in a caring environment. GFW schools aspire to promote positive social and emotional behavior and provide all students with a quality education to prepare them for future educational experiences. The recommendations from this project will inform the implementation of PBIS in the GFW School District, which is occurring in the 2014-2016 academic years.

Mental Health Services Among Children Involved In Child Welfare: Identifying Parental Views And Barriers To Accessing Services, Katrina Ohmann-Thai

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

• In the child welfare field there is an growing need for mental health support for children. This need is due to exposure to or victimization of abuse and neglect. On average only 15-25% of children identified as needing services are actually participating in some type of mental health support. This may be due to the many barriers that exist when seeking mental health support.
• This research project surveyed parents in Independent School District (ISD) 196 regarding potential mental health services offered through the School-Linked Mental Health Services grant. Information was collected through a survey of parents from two schools within …

School Social Work As An Intervention In A Rural Setting Iv Classroom Serving Students With Behavioral Needs, Melissa Pletcher

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of the project was to review the evidence-based literature to determine how to best support the academic and other needs of students with EBD in a school-based setting and to determine the role that support service professionals, particularly school social workers, play in providing such evidence-based supports and services.

Implementing Pbis In A Rural Junior High School: Reducing Negative Behaviors And Gaining Future Teacher Buy-In, Kelly T. Vourlos

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) improves student outcomes including higher graduation rates, improved classroom behaviors and management, less discipline referrals, increased student engagement, improved academic performance, increased faculty retention, and an overall better school experience for staff and students. Staff buy-in can be difficult to obtain, but is critically important for school-wide success of PBIS. The purpose of this project was to investigate if a short-term exposure to PBIS-like intervention would change buy-in for junior high school teachers in Belle Plaine School District and evaluate their opinions about PBIS, along with comparing student incident reports before and throughout the …

Leadership Curricula Of Professional Athletic Training Programs, Elizabeth Drake

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Nationally-recognized athletic training organizations have identified leadership knowledge, skills, and competencies as essential for athletic trainers to be successful in the current healthcare environment and to help advance the profession of athletic training. However, little is currently known regarding the methods and the extent of leadership development in athletic training professional preparation programs. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine student and faculty perspectives of the extent and ways that athletic training professional preparation programs address leadership in their curricula.

Data were obtained via surveys completed by 71 students and 83 athletic training professional level program directors. Overall, …

The Development Of A Teacher-Rating Measure Of Positive Behavior, Sara Ann Ebsen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a systems-level prevention model for problem behavior in K-12 schools. As the number of schools implementing PBIS continues to increase, so does the number of evaluations of its fidelity and effectiveness. After summarizing the test construction, purpose and function, and psychometric properties of commonly used measures in PBIS, the current study examines the development of a measure of positive behavior that can be used to evaluate outcomes of PBIS implementation. Research questions focus on (a) themes of positive behavior, (b) internal consistency of the measure, (c) correlation and reliability over time, and (d) …

Using A State-Wide Survey To Determine The Impact Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Students' Self-Reported Perceptions, Feelings, And Behaviors, Rachel Youngblom

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined student responses to the Minnesota Student Survey in 286 schools across the state of Minnesota. Of these schools, 143 of the schools had implemented PBIS and the other 143 schools had not. The study included elementary, middle, and high schools. The schools were coded as either small (under 150 students), medium (151-480 students), or large (over 480 students). For schools that had been trained to implement PBIS, fidelity of implementation was also considered and all schools were coded as having either high fidelity (80 or higher for SET; 70 or higher for BoQ) or low fidelity. The …

The Effect Of Interpersonal Relationships On The Body Image Of First Year, Women Of Color Studying At Predominately White Undergraduate Institutions, Lauren Kross

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

"The Effect of Interpersonal Relationships on the Body Image of First Year, Women of Color Studying at Predominately White Undergraduate Institutions" by Lauren Kross, a 2014 graduate student in the Gender and Women's Studies Department at Minnesota State University Mankato, focuses on how relationships and peer groups positively or negatively impact the body image of first year women of color studying at Minnesota State University Mankato, a predominately white undergraduate institution. The first year of college is a time that students experience many changes in their environment, academics, interests, and identity development. Their previously formed and newly formed relationships play …

Student Assessment Of Professor Effectiveness, Roger Emil Knutson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Despite progressive changes, subtle sexism is still present in modern society. The present study used role congruity theory to explain how subtle sexism influences the ratings students provide for professors. Participants were presented with fictional scenarios where professor gender was manipulated and source of a mistake (student versus professor) was manipulated. For each scenario, students provided ratings of competence, likability, and likelihood to take another class with the professor. Multiple t-tests revealed no difference in student ratings between female professors and male professors who made mistakes and between female professors and male professors overall, although there was a significant difference …

A Study Of Refusal Strategies By American And International Students At An American University, Hiroko Tsuiki Moaveni

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Refusals are delicate speech acts for non-native speakers to negotiate because they require negative responses to an interlocutor's invitation or request. In addition to cultural variation, variables such as gender and modes of communication (e.g., emails) add dimensions to the complexity when performing refusals. The main objective of this study is to investigate the difference in refusal strategies between American and international college students as well as gender variation. Using a written Discourse Completion Task, six situations were developed and grouped in two stimulus types eliciting refusals to an invitation and a request. Each stimulus type involved an email refusal …

Determining Effective/Ineffective: The Barriers Facing Minnesota Teacher Remediation, Matthew John Hillmann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This dissertation investigated the attributes of effective and ineffective teachers, the conditions that would prompt Minnesota principals to recommend an ineffective teacher for remediation, and barriers that prevent Minnesota principals from remediating ineffective teaching. The mixed methods study used the iterative Delphi technique to gain consensus of an expert panel of 16 Minnesota principals on these topics. Three surveys were administered with participants able to review raw survey data prior to the second and third round surveys. The study aligned with previous research about the barriers principals face when attempting to remediate an ineffective teacher, which has stated that time …

Seclusion And Restraint Policy And Practice: Are We Doing The Right Thing?, Laura L. Strunk

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The overall purpose of this research study was to gain an understanding of the significance of the policy and practice of seclusion and restraint interventions used with individuals in the public school system in the United States and to determine how the policy and practice of those interventions are currently being implemented in schools across the United States. Despite the research that shows that the use of seclusion and restraint interventions is harmful, these interventions continue to be used in school settings across the United States. Policies and regulations have been established regarding the use of seclusion and restraint in …

College Student Perceptions Of Mental Health Counseling At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Holly Barkeim

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Counseling Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato offers mental health counseling services to MNSU students that are free, confidential, and conveniently located on campus. Despite the range of services, the affordability and confidentiality, as well as current marketing strategies used by the Counseling Center, services appear to be significantly underutilized by students on campus. This study examines student perceptions of on campus mental health services and barriers that may prevent students from accessing services. The goal of the project is to assist the Counseling Center in improving their marketing strategies to students identified as being underserved.

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Ebd, Daniel Boston

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to learn about the experiences of paraprofessionals who are working with children with emotional behavior disorders and, more specifically, their perceptions about the adequacy of training and the burnout they may experience.

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Jenna Robinson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

To assist the Waseca school district in addressing the training and self-care needs of paraprofessionals, keeping the overall mission in mind of empowering students to succeed in the academic environment, this project examined the training received and factors related to subsequent professional burnout among paraprofessionals in Waseca schools.