Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Theses/Dissertations

2019

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Articles 1 - 13 of 13

Full-Text Articles in Education

Digging Into Student Metacognition With A Consistent Exit Ticket, Chloe Fifer May 2019

Digging Into Student Metacognition With A Consistent Exit Ticket, Chloe Fifer

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Formative assessment is a common practice in classrooms across every grade-level. The purpose of this study was to see what happens to the test grades of seventh-grade science students following the completion of a consistent exit ticket for an entire unit with the following two questions: What was your biggest takeaway from today’s material? What test question can you write using the material from today? The author collected data through student test records, classroom documents, student surveys, student interviews, and note takings. For analysis, the author used the constant comparative method, as well as descriptive statistics. The author found the …


Perceptions Of The Conference System At A Technology-Focused High School, Victoria Phipps May 2019

Perceptions Of The Conference System At A Technology-Focused High School, Victoria Phipps

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

John Jay High School used a form of the house system called the Conference System. The goal of the study was to understand the student and teacher perceptions of the Conference System. The study also tried to find if there was a difference in perceptions between students who were new to the Conference System and those who had been a part of the system for a few years. For this study, the author conducted student and teacher interviews and collected student responses to a survey. The author used the constant comparative method to find emerging themes from the student surveys …


Utilizing Classroom Meetings To Understand Student Values And Perceptions, Stacy Spink May 2019

Utilizing Classroom Meetings To Understand Student Values And Perceptions, Stacy Spink

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addressed classroom meetings in order to teach social skills and address specific behavior issues. The author was completing a yearlong clinical teaching placement in a kindergarten classroom. The goal of her study was to observe what happens when class meetings are implemented to teach specific problem-areas in the classroom. In the study data was gathered through observations, student surveys, sociograms, and student interviews. The students participated in a class meeting twice a week for about thirty minutes. During the class meetings needed social skills were taught through play and role-playing activities and discussions were had to cooperatively solve …


Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Math Workstations In A Third-Grade Classroom, Katie Norwood May 2019

Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Math Workstations In A Third-Grade Classroom, Katie Norwood

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Math workstations can offer teachers an outlet to differentiate instruction in the math classroom in order to better meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to discover how students and the teacher in a third-grade classroom felt about using math workstations. Specifically, the researcher wanted to discover whether or not the students and teacher participants enjoyed using math workstations and whether or not they felt math workstations helped students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. The researcher collected data through student surveys, student and teacher interviews, and observations. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method to help the researcher …


Barriers To Bilingual: How Students Participate In Spanish And English Classes, Bailey Strahan May 2019

Barriers To Bilingual: How Students Participate In Spanish And English Classes, Bailey Strahan

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

While participation has been linked to achievement in the classroom, various external factors can change students’ willingness to participate. In this study the researcher sought to discover what participation looks like in regards to one of these factors, language. Additionally the researcher wanted to discover what students and teachers in a bilingual program thought of their own participation in regards to language. Through the use of surveys, interviews, and observations over the course of several weeks, the researcher was able to determine that many factors including student motivation, preferences, resources available, and misunderstanding all contribute to their willingness to participate …


House System: Increasing Community, Motivation, And Student Ownership, Bridget Glass May 2019

House System: Increasing Community, Motivation, And Student Ownership, Bridget Glass

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study looked at the house system in an elementary setting to discover the students’, teachers’, and administrators’ perceptions of how it influences motivation and the community of the school. The researcher’s purpose was to understand if the participants felt that the elements of the house system motivated students to make positive choices and to see if the participants believed the house system influenced the community across campus. The data was collected through a student survey, observations, interviews with students, teacher, and the principal. The data was analyzed through the constant comparative method. The participants perceived that the house system …


The Voices Behind The Labels: Perceptions Of Students With Consistent Challenging Behaviors, Ivana Munoz May 2019

The Voices Behind The Labels: Perceptions Of Students With Consistent Challenging Behaviors, Ivana Munoz

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addressed the topic of students with consistent challenging behaviors and their perceptions of school, teachers, education, and needs. The author was a preservice teacher serving her clinical teaching internship in an eighth-grade Spanish Level 1 classroom. The goal of the study was to better understand students with numerous referrals, or that identified as “bad students.” For this study, the author collected data in the form of surveys, student interviews, and classroom observations. The students were asked about their experiences in school, with teachers, and their feelings about their education. Their behavior was also observed. Utilizing the constant comparative …


Teaching Growth Mindset To Second Grade Students, Whitney Hahn May 2019

Teaching Growth Mindset To Second Grade Students, Whitney Hahn

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Growth mindset is a buzz word in the field of education. The purpose of this study was to observe and understand what would happen when students were presented with growth mindset lessons in the classroom. Additionally, the researcher wanted to know how students perceived using a growth mindset. This study took place in a gifted and talented classroom, composed of a unique grouping of students: those identified as gifted, high-achieving students, and typical students. Responses from each grouping were included. Data was collected through student artifacts, student surveys, student and teacher interviews, observations, and journaling. Three major themes emerged from …


Whole Brain Teaching In A Second Grade Classroom, Shelby Bridges May 2019

Whole Brain Teaching In A Second Grade Classroom, Shelby Bridges

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addresses the topic of whole brain teaching (WBT). The researcher sought to understand if WBT changed student achievement or student attitudes about math. The researcher also sought to understand students’ perceptions of WBT. The main purpose of this study was for the author to understand if WBT would help students better engage in and understand mathematics. The author collected data through student surveys, teacher and student interviews, personal research journals, and math assessment scores. The researcher used the constant comparative method to analyze the participants’ perceptions of WBT during mathematics instruction. Descriptive statistics were used to understand if …


Creating Real-World Readers: Literacy Circles In Third Grade, Dejanee Gregory May 2019

Creating Real-World Readers: Literacy Circles In Third Grade, Dejanee Gregory

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addresses the topic of literature circles in an elementary classroom and their implications on students’ attitudes toward reading and their self-perceptions as readers. The author was a preservice teacher placed in a yearlong clinical teaching internship in a third-grade English Language Arts departmentalized classroom. The goal of the study was to implement literature circles in hopes to better understand students’ attitudes and self-perceptions as readers. For this study, the author collected data in the form of student interviews, survey data, a personal reflective journal, observations, and students’ reflections. Utilizing the constant comparative method, the author analyzed data for …


Digital Portfolio Use In The First-Grade Classroom: Perceptions Of Seesaw, Rachel L. Drennan May 2019

Digital Portfolio Use In The First-Grade Classroom: Perceptions Of Seesaw, Rachel L. Drennan

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

In this study, the researcher discusses the use of a digital portfolio application, Seesaw, that is used in her first-grade classroom. During her clinical teaching year, her cooperating teacher was using Seesaw as a digital portfolio. She formed a question that focused on student and teacher perceptions. When building her study, she began by conducting a survey to understand initial feelings towards Seesaw. After this, the researcher conducted two focus groups, three student interviews and one interview with the classroom teacher. The researcher kept a teacher journal to keep a daily reflection. Additionally, screenshots were taken of submissions …


Formative And Summative Test Process: The Students' Perspectives, Bailey Goodenough May 2019

Formative And Summative Test Process: The Students' Perspectives, Bailey Goodenough

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Students are assessed using a variety of formative and summative assessments. One West Texas School chose to implement an assessment process using both forms of assessment. The Formative and Summative Test process is a three-day process allowing teachers to collect data, reteach content, and help students meet mastery. The purpose of the study was to understand the students’ perceptions of the testing process, as well to determine if test grades were improving and how the process came to be. The author collected data by distributing surveys, conducting six student interviews and one administrator interview, and observing student conversations. After analyzing …


Growth Mindset In A Fourth-Grade Class, Sierra Bennett May 2019

Growth Mindset In A Fourth-Grade Class, Sierra Bennett

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

In this study the researcher examined growth mindset teaching and its effect on student performance as well as students’ perceptions of their math self-efficacy. The author was a preservice teacher completing her clinical teaching internship in a fourth-grade math and science departmentalized setting. The goal of the study was to implement growth mindset instruction and study its effects on student performance and self efficacy in the subject of mathematics. For this study, the author collected data in the form of pre- and post-surveys, student interviews, and pre- and post-math tests. The students engaged in growth mindset mini lessons throughout the …