Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Universal Non-Classroom Variables Of Student Achievement And The Multiple Measurement Rating System For Minnesota Public High Schools: An Analysis Of Systems Accountability, Paul Henn

Doctorate in Education

Current accountability trends in education require targeted strategic action planning (SAP) and school improvement planning (SIP). Data collected on student outcomes effectively informing SAP and SIP planning requires an understanding of relationships between internal classroom variables and external non-classroom variables of achievement. Minnesota’s multiple measurement rating (MMR) is a universal student outcome measurement used as the dependent variable that correlations from universal non-classroom factors of achievement can be based upon and will be the student outcome measurement for the current research. This study will examine the influence that five universal non-classroom factors of achievement have on student outcomes in Minnesota …

Reading Across Different Orthographies: Urdu, Arabic, Hindi And English, Amna Mirza

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research on relationships across literacy skills for multiple languages suggests the need for a complex framework that includes linguistic typology as well as cognitive and cultural variables (Schwartz, Geva, Share, & Leikin, 2007). Literature shows that bilinguals activate both languages they know for all linguistic tasks regardless of which language is being used at the time (Kroll & Bialystok, 2013). In that case, learning a third or any additional language is qualitatively different than second language (L2) acquisition. Findings for readers of Roman scripts demonstrate that L1 reading and L2 proficiency influences L2 reading (Cummins, 1979). The current research examined …

Using Data Mining To Model Student Achievement On The 4th Grade Timss 2015 Mathematics Assessment: A Five Nation Sudy, Annette M. Siemssen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Data mining has been successfully used by financial and retail companies since the mid-1960's to create predictive models and reveal unexpected relationships. However, it remains underutilized as a tool in educational research. Large-scale standardized assessment programs such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provide vast amounts of data with the potential for providing new insights in education. Five nations, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Germany, Kuwait, and Kazakhstan were selected based on General Response Style theory to represent a spectrum of cultural backgrounds, from acquiescent to midpoint to individualistic (Hastedt, D. & van de …

Language, Literacy And Project Based Learning: An Ethnographic Case Study Of A New Tech Classroom In A High School On The Us/Mexico Border, Nora Lee Paugh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This ethnographic case study sought to understand how English Language Learners used their language and literacy practices within a project based learning (PBL) classroom to complete their PBL tasks. Studies revealed the impact of how English language learners within a PBL learning environment were able to use their language and literacy as a social practices that led to successful student engagement (Call & Sotillo, 1995; Campbell, 2012). This study was conducted at Wilson High School, located along the US/Mexico border. The focus of the case study was a 9th grade combination English/World Geography class of the school's inaugural New Tech …

The Impact Of Self-Assessment On Student Engagement During Independent Reading, Jonnell Atkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a self-assessment rubric on a students’ ability to self-monitor and self-regulate engaged reading behaviors. The research attempts to answer the following question: What impact does self-assessment have on the engagement of second-grade students during Independent Reading? Using an action research design, data was collected using a pretest and posttest, weekly engagement assessments, field notes and pre/post interviews. Both the quantitative and qualitative data were collected over a period of six weeks on Mondays and Wednesdays during Independent Reading. Student-participants included seven second-grade students and their classroom teacher as a …

From Seeds To Shoreline®: A Place-Based Approach To Impacting Student Engagement And Achievement, Molly Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

Place-based education refers to pedagogy that connects student learning with the local environment and students’ lives. Educators’ preoccupation with standardized test scores have increased the disconnect between formal education and student’s life experiences. Schools have developed systems of learning in isolated subjects through reading texts, listening to lectures, or watching videos rather than authentic, experiential learning. School districts have embraced a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and science) approach to education as a way of invigorating student learning. There are many approaches to integrating, hands-on, inquiry-based science lessons. As science PASS test scores have declined, educators are examining best STEM instructional …

The Impact Of Applying The First Two Steps Of Polya’S Four Problemsolving Steps In An Advanced Mathematics Classroom, Christine A. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

The teacher-researcher spent eight weeks as a participant observer in an advanced high school mathematics class in a small town in the southeast. The process of problemsolving was introduced to all twenty students from a combined IB Math SL and AP Calculus AB class. After the pretest, three students were selected, from under-represented groups, for in-depth observation, interviews, and collection of artifacts in order to determine the impact of problem-solving techniques. The work of these students, from underrepresented groups, was examined to gain insight into their experiences and thought processes surrounding problem-solving. The students answered questions about their attitude towards …

The Effects Of Systemic Functional Linguistics And Gradual Release Of Responsibility On Student Self-Efficacy And Engagement In Mathematics, Jason David Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

This paper addresses the problem of practice that secondary mathematics students do not feel confident in communicating mathematically. The researcher has placed an emphasis on math language by using a systemic functional linguistic approach to teaching mathematics. Building student confidence and engagement in mathematics is the main focus of the methods presented in this action research study. The researcher wants to investigate how systemic functional linguistics and gradual release of responsibility affects student self-efficacy and engagement in secondary mathematics. A mixedmethods design uses researcher field notes, student surveys and interviews, and student work to examine the levels of self-efficacy and …

Is The Relationship Between College Drinking Behaviors And Social Anxiety Mediated By Alcohol Expectancies And Traumatic Life Experiences?, Cortney Lin Kingsmill

Masters Theses

The relationship between alcohol consumption and social anxiety is difficult to understand, as there have been mixed findings in the research. In general, a positive correlation has been found between the two, with a focus on the mediating effect of alcohol outcome expectancies. Both positive expectancies and trauma have been correlated positively with social anxiety and drinking behavior. This paper reviews the literature and examines the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol consumption. A mediated model between these two variables with the mediators being alcohol expectancies and traumatic experiences was proposed, but this model did not fit the date. Specifically, …

Tracing Writing Techniques From High School To College: Writing As Discussion For Students From Low-Income Backgrounds, Connor Mullins

Honors Theses and Capstones

Students from low-income backgrounds are finding themselves more disenfranchised with school as they progress through their high school careers. This thesis presents the notion that generating a positive form of extrinsic motivation within in the classroom can orient students to become intrinsically motivated towards schooling and writing. In interviewing six students within an Upward Bound program, I found that the approaches the program took during their summer session helped generate an interest for writing within students. By creating a community that cared for each other and brought writing instruction to focus on communication, students found themselves enjoying the process of …

First-Year Teachers Perceptions Of The Mentoring Component Of The New Teacher Induction Progra, Bonnie M. Belanger

Theses and Dissertations

The present action research study examines first-year teachers’ perceptions of the mentoring component of the New Teacher Induction Program (NTI Program) and specifically levels of helpfulness of their mentors in the Eastern Georgia School District (pseudonym). The Eastern Georgia School District (EGSD) lacked a comprehensive induction program; therefore, EGSD developed the NTI Program to assist first-year teachers as they transition into their professional careers. The data set comprises a survey and semi-structured interviews collected at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Descriptive statistics and an inductive analysis allowed data to be analyzed and interpreted. Findings of the study indicate, …

Supporting Engagement Among African American Males In World Geography Class Through The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: A Self-Study, Audra Dorr Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Given the reality of disenfranchised and marginalized students sitting in today’s classrooms, it is imperative that teachers meet the pedagogical needs of these students. I embarked on a self-study that would improve my personal pedagogy. Research shows that using elements from the theoretical frameworks of culturally relevant pedagogy, reality pedagogy, critical race theory, and critical race pedagogy can be an effective approach to teaching students that are marginalized. I designed and implemented three lessons that employed practitioner-applied pedagogical practices based on these four theoretical frameworks. This self-study identified the benefits and challenges of these lessons as they relate to the …

The Response Of Middle School Special Education Students To Differentiation Of Reading Instruction Based On Student Choice And Interest In The Seventh Grade Academic Enrichment Classroom, Autumn M. Hudson

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes the influence of differentiation of reading instruction based on student choice and interest on the reading growth of seventh-grade special education students in the academic enrichment classroom. This research was grounded in the theoretical framework that involves differentiation of instruction (Tomlinson, 2001), special education students (Bender, 2012), and middle school reading instruction (Robb, 2010). This action research study implemented a parallel mixed methods design to explore the following research question: What influence does differentiation of reading instruction based on student choice and interest have on the reading growth of seventh-grade, special education students in the …

The Impact Of Interactive Word Walls In A United States History Classroom: An Action Research Study, Paketrice Jones

Theses and Dissertations

As a scholar practitioner, the goal is to use the most effective teaching strategies available to help eighth-grade social studies students retain the vocabulary from each unit of study and increase both their short- and long-term memories. The problem identified for this action research was that the current use of the word wall (WW) vocabulary retention tool was not successful in accomplishing this goal. Further, I observed that students were not performing at grade level on the district mandated benchmarks at the end of each quarter. Using four phases of conducting a study, I reviewed literature to discover what was …

Three Studies Concerning Movement Integration In Low Socioeconomic Elementary School Classrooms, Gregory L. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains three studies that advance the knowledge base on classroom movement integration (MI), specifically within low socioeconomic (SES) schools. Study One examined the current level and types of MI being utilized in a low SES school district. Study Two and Study Three focused on one low SES school. Study Two compared movement breaks in traditional general education classrooms to other in-school PA opportunities (i.e., time in physical education, recess, and movement facilitative classrooms) regarding their associations with student off-task behavior, while Study Three evaluated an MI training delivered to classroom teachers

For Study One, classroom teachers (N = …

The Impact Of A Forest School Model And An Interdisciplinary Curriculum In A Third-Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Valerie Hoyt-Parrish

Theses and Dissertations

New policy at LHP (pseudonym) requires all teachers to implement the Danish Forest School approach and integrate the natural outdoor areas surrounding the campus in their curriculum and pedagogy. The purposes of the present study are to identify the cognitive, affective and psychomotor impact of the Danish Forest School approach on students and to design a professional development plan for teachers that enables them to combine this approach within an interdisciplinary framework that will include the State Standards that are required of all third-grade students in this southern, private, parochial school. Action research methods were used to collect observational data …

Use Of Stories In Courses And Student Engagement At Southwestern Michigan College, Heather Day

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the relationship between the use of narrative in the classroom and student engagement. In this regard, the strategies used to connect students to learning experiences are important to ensuring their engagement. Research questions addressed: 1) What is the level of academic engagement among students at Southwestern Michigan College? 2) To what extent are stories embedded into academic courses? 3) To what extent is student engagement related to the use of stories in students’ courses?

To address these research questions, the researcher used two surveys. Survey one used secondary data …

Examining Gender Differences In Play Choice In Kindergarten, Danielle Bily

Masters Theses

This study explored the gender differences in play choice in a kindergarten classroom in rural Illinois. Kindergarten expectations support free choice time to enhance classroom behavior, interactions with peers, and conflict resolution. Participants were 12 male students and 11 female students in one general education classroom. Students were given an individual survey to label various pictures of toys as being for males, females, or both males and females. Parent questionnaires were sent home to measure what children play with outside of school hours. Results suggested that (a) it may be important to display images that include both males and females …

An Examination Of Teachers' Natural Praise-To-Reprimand Ratios And Teachers' Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy And Stress, Sara Hayn

Masters Theses

The current study examined teachers' natural use of praise and reprimand in middle and high school (sixth through twelfth grade) general education classrooms. In addition, the relations between praise and reprimand and teacher stress and self-efficacy were examined. Praise and reprimand data were collected via 20-minute, direct observation (940 total observation minutes). On average, middle and high school teachers delivered 11.7 total praises per hour and 10.4 total reprimands per hour (1.1 to 1 praise-to-reprimand ratio). Middle school teachers delivered 12.8 total praises per hour and 14.5 total reprimands per hour (0.9 to 1 praise-to-reprimand ratio) and high school teachers …

Provisional Admission Impact On College Self-Efficacy: A Qualitative Approach, Carolyn A. Davis

Masters Theses

This qualitative study examined how a provisional admission program (Gateway) at a mid-sized institution in the rural Midwest impacts students' college self-efficacy. Participants were five students who were successfully released from the Gateway Program at the end of the 2016 - 2017 academic year, and were in their sophomore year at time of study. Data was collected from one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that the program's services, with a high emphasis on intrusive advising by program advisors, positively impact students' college self-efficacy. The researcher concludes that students are more efficacious in their abilities after being provided the structure of …

Student-Instructor Negotiations Of Vulnerability In Higher Education, Kelli A. Halfman

Masters Theses

Brené Brown, author of Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead states, "Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional" (p. 2). The purpose of this study is to examine student-instructor negotiations of vulnerability via acts of self-disclosure both inside and outside of the classroom. For the traditional student, college is a transitional period that prove challenging, leaving one feeling vulnerable. This study offers a unique perspective of vulnerability and expands our limited knowledge on how vulnerable self-expression manifests within …

Rape Myth Acceptance In Social Fraternities And Sororities Compared To Nonaffiliated Students, Karissa B. Light

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the acceptance and attitudes toward rape myth and sexual assault among fraternity and sorority members and nonaffiliated students as well as the differences in acceptance between men and women. Utilizing the data gathered through a quantative survey using the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMA), the researcher found that although there is no definite difference between Greek-affiliated students compared to nonaffiliated students or between men and women, there are some differences to take note of.

Can A Comprehensive Transition Plan To Barefoot Running Be The Solution To The Injury Epidemic In American Endurance Runners?, Michael A. Scarlett

CMC Senior Theses

Fossils belonging to the genus Homo, dating as far back as two million years ago, exhibit uniquely efficient features suggesting that early humans had evolved to become exceptional endurance runners. Although they did not have the cushion or stability-control features provided in our modern day running shoes, our early human ancestors experienced far less of the running-related injuries we experience today. The injury rate has been estimated as high as 90% annually for Americans training for a marathon and as high as 79% annually for all American endurance runners. There is an injury epidemic in conventionally shod populations that …

Learning To Live And Love Virtuously, Henry Deruff

CMC Senior Theses

John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant authored two of the most famous pieces of work in ethical theory (Utilitarianism and Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, respectively), yet both fail for various reasons to give us direction by way of living good lives. This thesis begins by outlining those shortcomings, before offering Aristotelian virtue ethics as the solution. Virtue ethics, as conceived by Aristotle, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Julia Annas, delineates a process – grounded in our real lives – by which we may improve as people and therefore flourish, or live good, moral lives: the habituation of the …

Information And Communication Technology In Kindergarten, Ruchi Marwaha Chalak

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information and communication technology (ICT) is an integral part of the present world and is also making a huge impact in the field of education, including kindergarten. This literature review comprises a brief overview of different international studies from the years 2006-2017. In order to successfully meet the challenge of developing a knowledge based society, and equipping the student with the 21st century skills, there is a need to leverage the potential of ICT. This literature review analyses the way ICT can provide quality learning experiences and enhance learning outcomes for kindergarten students. The attitudes of the teachers can significantly …

Exploring The Community Impact Of Community-University Partnerships, Stacey D. Muse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field and movement of community engagement in higher education is one way for institutions of higher education to fulfill the public good mission. Community engagement practices have shifted to valuing democratically engaged partnerships between the community and campus (Saltmarsh, Hartley, & Clayton, 2009). However, the research on community engagement reveals a lack of understanding of community voice and perspective on if and how community-campus partnerships make a difference for community-based organizations partnered with institutions of higher education. This embedded case study begins to fill these gaps in the literature by examining the voice and perspective of community-based organizations partnered …

The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma And Special Education: A Literature Review, Andrea E. Becker

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year as many as ten million children witness or experience domestic violence in the United States (Winder, 2015) and have shown to experience greater struggles in school. This type of trauma has no boundaries, it can occur in all socioeconomic levels, across all ethnic groups, and all education levels. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network of the United States reports forty percent of students have experienced some form of adversity or trauma (Brunzell et al., 2015). Trauma can be a life shattering experience that can forever alter your biology and view of the world being a safe place (Brunzell …

Supervision Quality And Its Impact On Client Outcomes: A Review Of Meta-Analytic Studies With Case Examples, Katelyn Leidy Baguez

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This doctoral paper explores the impact of supervision quality on client outcomes. There is currently limited literature addressing the effect of supervision quality on the treatment outcomes of doctoral trainees’ clients. This doctoral paper first reviews historical and recent literature on supervision and client outcomes. It then discusses the characteristics of high quality supervision along with a relevant case example. The paper then addresses the characteristics of poor quality supervision by both noting its potential impact on client outcomes and identifying a plan of action for when a clinical psychologist or other clinical psychology professional exhibits these characteristics in his …

International Mindedness: Phenomenological Inquiry Into Teacher Candidate Experiences, Kathleen Patricia Castillo-Clark

Dissertations

This dissertation contributes to the scholarship surrounding the development of international mindedness in teacher candidates. Phenomenological interview techniques were used to explore the experiences and perceptions of teacher candidates who enrolled in an undergraduate teacher preparation program leading to the International Baccalaureate educator certificate. By highlighting the teacher candidates, this study captured the strengths, challenges, and needs unique to this group. The findings can inform an understanding of how international mindedness develops in teacher candidates and subsequently how it is enacted, identifying curricular and instructional supports in practice that best support this learning. This study will also inform teacher educators …

Student, Caregiver, And Educator Perspective Of School Discipline Policy And Practice, Tawann J. Jackson

Dissertations

African-American students have historically been disproportionately represented in exclusionary discipline practices in our nation's public schools. Regardless of this fact, research has consistently shown that African-American students do not get into more trouble than students of other races, nor do they commit more severe infractions. Previous studies have explored factors such as student behaviors; low academic achievement; and socioeconomic status as reasons for the high rate of suspensions, yet when controlling for these factors race continues to make a difference in the imbalance of exclusionary discipline practices among African American students. "Implicit racial bias" has been associated as a contributing …