Education Commons^™

A Bright Point In A Dull Day: A Qualitative Exploration Of Middle School Students’ Perceptions Of Music Ensemble Participation, Kailee Amburgey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Music participation, specifically in an ensemble setting, is known to promote learning and social skills and to contribute to a well-rounded overall education. With this in mind, this qualitative, constructivist grounded theory study explored the impacts that participating in chorus, band, or orchestra has on students’ overall experience in middle school, with a focus on joy and identity development. The researcher interviewed fifteen students about their personal experiences and feelings about their lives as middle schoolers and musicians. The findings, shared in six theoretical concepts tied to the research question, reveal important facets of these students’ experiences that shed light …

Lay It All On The Line: The Effect Of Teacher-Student Conferencing In Middle Grades Mathematics Classrooms, Natalie Ostrander

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Increasing math achievement continues to be a commonly talked about subject in the educational setting. This case study observes one classroom teacher who implemented teacher-student conferencing in middle grades mathematics classes. The purpose of this study was to reveal the perceived impact of teacher-student conferencing on student engagement and with student achievement. Through a qualitative approach, perceptual data were collected through teacher journaling, conference logs, observations, and an interview. Research occurred in one school district in southeastern North Carolina with middle grades students in sixth and eighth grades. After the qualitative data were collected by me, data were analyzed using …

Experiences With And Conceptions Of School Discipline And Pbis Implementation: A Phenomenography Of Fifteen Students With Disabilities In One Title I Middle School, Osman Khan

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

In this phenomenographical study, fifteen students with disabilities from one middle-grades setting were recruited to explore the qualitative different ways they experience and conceive of exclusionary discipline (i.e., in-school suspension (ISS), out-school suspension (OSS), and detention) and Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). The participants engaged in interviews and produced two (2) visual representations to investigate the following research questions: (1) How do students with disabilities experience and conceive of school discipline?; (2) How do students with disabilities experience and conceive the implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS); and (3) In what ways can voices of students with …

The Impact Of An Intensive Blended Learning Reading Intervention On Standardized Assessment Scores, Ashley M. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study documents the effects of the Language! Live intensive, blended learning reading intervention on the Georgia Milestones Assessment Lexile Scores. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of an intensive blended learning reading intervention on the standardized assessment scores of middle school students who were at least two grade levels behind in reading at a Title I school in Georgia and aimed to establish if students who were significantly below grade level could make growth with the assistance of an intensive blended learning reading intervention. The study included the data of 133 students in two …

The Principal’S Role In Expanding Multicultural Understandings In Predominantly White, Rural, Middle School Grades, Jacquelynne Chase

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the principal’s role in expanding multicultural understandings in predominantly White, rural, middle school grades. A review of the literature provided information on three areas: (a) benefits of expanding multicultural understandings, (b) implementing multicultural understandings, and (c) school leaders’ role. The literature did not include information to address a prevalent problem in Massachusetts: Principals of rural, predominantly White schools with middle grades typically do not consider expanding multicultural understandings a priority. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study used a closed-response survey and in-depth interviews with principals across Massachusetts. The survey was sent to …

Influence Of Language Arts Instructional Practices On Early Adolescents’ Motivation To Read: Measuring Student And Teacher Perceptions, Sarah E. Pennington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early adolescence is a critical time for examining academic motivation, specifically motivation to read (Hervey, 2013). In order to support self-determined motivation to read, students’ needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness must be met within the classroom context (Miller & Faircloth, 2014). Since classroom instructional practices are a key component of adolescents’ daily experiences in the classroom, research which investigates the influence of these practices on students’ self-determined motivation to read is needed. In addition, the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the degree to which classroom instructional practices meet students’ needs as well as the influence of classroom instructional …

Poetry In The Classroom: The Why And How Of Teaching And Inspiring Students Through Poetry, Rachel Knapp Funk

Theses and Dissertations

This paper seeks to answer the questions “Why teach poetry?” and “How does one teach poetry? through research and personal experience in the classroom. Although many teachers struggle with teaching poetry, it is valuable in the classroom for many reasons: it is in the Georgia State Standards, it gives students a deeper understanding of the English language, and it provides students with an emotional connection to the world around them. This paper also explores the findings from my personal experiences in the classroom. My first experience included inviting a poet into my eighth grade practicum classroom and observing her interactions …

What Is The Relationship Between The Degree Middle Schools Implement The Essential Elements, Student Achievement And The Programs And Practices Applied In Each School, Ravo Root Iii

Dissertations - ALL

ABSTRACT

By 2003, both the New York State Board of Regents Policy Statement and the new Commissioner’s Regulation 100.4, required all middle level programs to implement a set of policies and practices called the NYS Essential Elements of Standards-Focused Middle-Level Schools and Programs. Early adolescence (ages 10-14) is a time when students experience, the most tumultuous physical and mental changes occur during adolescence, with the exception of a child’s first year of life (Montessori, 2004). Middle grade level philosophy and a description of what middle schools should be like are directly linked to taking a balanced approach to meeting the …

Arts-Integration In A Middle Grades Social Studies Classroom, Stephanie J. Dorminey

Honors College Theses

Many middle grades students are not engaged in their Social Studies classrooms, and history teachers are faced with the task of finding an effective way to engage students and help them remember the required content. The purpose of this study was to investigate how integrating the arts in a middle grades history classroom influences student learning and student satisfaction in social studies. The study is mixed-methods; therefore, data collected are both quantitative and qualitative. Participants are two classes of middle grades students at a rural school in the Southeastern United States. This study will benefit educators who are interested in …

Action Research: Reflective Journaling Within Middle Grades Mathematics Classroom, Larissa Van Der Molen

Honors Projects

Reflective journaling within a middle grades mathematics classroom offers great potential as a practice for both educators and students. This paper examines the previous work that has been completed while also exploring the effectiveness of the practice in a fifth grade math classroom. The research shows that while implementing reflective journaling in a math classroom is time consuming, the benefits of opening lines of communication between pupil and teacher and improving the student learning experience outweigh the negatives. This study focuses on a fifth grade math class composed of 26 students who wrote daily in their journals. The data discussed …

The Role Grade-Level Configuration Plays On Meeting Young Adolescents' Developmental Needs, Jessica W. Hall

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is a mixed-methods research study on the role grade-level configuration plays on meeting the developmental needs of young adolescents. This study reviews the history of the middle school, explains the controversy over grade span configurations, and articulates the developmental needs of young adolescents and what schools should provide to ensure the success of their students.

Seven schools in northwest North Carolina were examined. Four of these schools serve students in a 6-8 setting and three serve students in a K-8 setting. In an attempt to ascertain what grade-level configuration best meets the developmental needs of young adolescents, surveys …

Exploring Culturally Relevant Teaching: Lessons From A Middle School Classroom, Kristen H. Gillaspy

Theses and Dissertations

In the public school setting and beyond, African American males are often positioned as a problem. Educators have implemented and studied the use of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in an effort to shift this deficit perspective of African American male students, as well as other students of color. CRP positions all students as knowledgeable and capable of learning while valuing their cultural backgrounds and experiences. CRP also provides an opportunity to explore issues around race and culture. Though some research has been done in the area of CRP, very little focuses on the students’ experiences in culturally relevant classrooms, and …

Environmental Literacy Of Sixth Grade Students In Arkansas: Implications For Environmental Education Reform, Lisa Suzanne Wood

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education must be better integrated into K-12 curriculum to advance environmental literacy. Producing a citizenry that can understand and address the complex environmental issues facing the world today and in the future is essential to sustainable life on this planet.

Using the Middle School Environmental Literacy Survey, 6th grade students across Arkansas were surveyed to obtain a baseline measure of environmental literacy based on the four domains of environmental literacy included in the survey; ecological knowledge, environmental affect, cognitive skills, and behavior. Individual domain scores were combined into a composite environmental literacy score. Results were then compared to the …

Student Achievement In Middle Grades: Gauging The Effect Of Teacher Training On Student Learning, Natalya Gnedko

Dissertations

In the United States, teacher certification has been a baseline measure of teacher quality and gateway to the teaching profession for many decades. Research suggests that teacher certification is beneficial to student achievement, with findings particularly promising when content area of teacher certification is taken into account. Positive findings are largely limited to high school. However, in recent years middle grades have been increasingly viewed as a starting point for success in high school and college, which led many school districts to require advanced training for middle grades teachers. To examine the effectiveness of advanced teacher training in middle grades, …

Analyzing Common Algebra-Related Misconceptions And Errors Of Middle School Students., Sarah B. Bush

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine common algebra-related misconceptions and errors of middle school students. In recent years, success in Algebra I is often considered the mathematics gateway to graduation from high school and success beyond. Therefore, preparation for algebra in the middle grades is essential to student success in Algebra I and high school. This study examines the following research question: What common algebra-related misconceptions and errors exist among students in grades six and eight as identified on student responses on an annual statewide standardized assessment? In this study, qualitative document analysis of existing data was used …

Effective Technology Strategies Teachers Use In The Urban Middle Grades Mathematics Classroom, Tammie R. Cravens

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

The 21^st century mathematics classroom looks and operates differently than it did half a century ago. Not only are teachers expected to facilitate activities rather than lecture, they are also expected to utilize technology. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics established the technology principle to guide teachers into this practice in 2000. Today there are middle school mathematics teachers who use technology effectively in the classroom. However, there is a dearth of literature in this area on how they select and use technology. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the process by which these teachers …

Exploring Peer Revision In Writing Through Online Collaboration In A Middle Grades Classroom, Sarah Hunt-Barron

All Dissertations

Using the method of a formative experiment, this investigation examined how the use of peer revision and collaboration in an online environment could be implemented in a seventh-grade classroom to increase revision of writing over multiple drafts and improve the quality of student expository writing. Thirty-six students in two sections of a seventh-grade English language arts class participated in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected prior to the intervention to establish baseline data and determine progress toward the pedagogical goal. Qualitative data were also gathered and analyzed throughout the intervention to assess progress toward the goal. Quantitative data …

Needed Supports Of Middle Grade Teachers In Georgia During Times Of Stress And Burnout, Kania Greer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding what teachers need to help them relieve occupational stress can help administrators effectively combat teacher burnout. With the multiple roles teachers play, it is easy to see how role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload increase the chances that a teacher will suffer from occupational related stress and subsequent burnout. If left unalleviated, teachers may begin to feel emotionally exhausted, detached from their colleagues, and lack feelings of personal accomplishment which can lead to burnout. The purpose of this study was to ascertain what teachers would like to see administrators do to help them combat the day-to-day stresses of …

A Comparison Of Learning Subjective And Traditional Probability In Middle Grades, Jeanne D. Rast

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

The emphasis given to probability and statistics in the K-12 mathematics curriculum has brought attention to the various approaches to probability and statistics concepts, as well as how to teach these concepts. Teachers from fourth, fifth, and sixth grades from a small suburban Catholic school engaged their students (n=87) in a study to compare learning traditional probability concepts to learning traditional and subjective probability concepts. The control group (n=44) received instruction in traditional probability, while the experimental group (n=43) received instruction in traditional and subjective probability. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance and a Bayesian t-test were used to analyze pretest …

A Qualitative Examination Of Middle Grade Practices In Christian Schools: Could They Become Models For Middle Level Reform?, Teresea Baumann

Master of Education Research Theses

There has been much debate concerning the educational structures best suited for the teaching of students during the pivotal years from ages ten to fifteen. Many researchers and educators believe that the educational experiences for this age group need to be tailored to the unique qualities of this time in the life of a student. One purpose of this thesis is to examine the best practices for educating children during this time period. Another purpose of the study is to compare and contrast the practices in private Christian day schools to similar studies done of public school settings. The study …

School, Family, And Community Partnerships In The Middle Grades: The Relationship Between Types Of Involvement And Academic Outcomes, Carolyn L. Turk

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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