Education Commons^™

Teaching Conceptual Understanding Of Mathematics Via A Hands-On Approach, Jessica Korn

Senior Honors Theses

Given the current developments in the field of mathematics instruction in the United States, conceptual understanding and a hands-on approach in mathematics are two topics of importance. Conceptual understanding of mathematics is often lacking but characterizes the core of what mathematics actually is. Using a hands-on approach presents an effective way to teach conceptual understanding of mathematics. In order to argue this, a presentation of the underlying theories of mathematical understanding and pertinent approaches is given. Then follows an investigation of three studies pertinent to using a hands-on approach in teaching conceptual understanding of mathematics: one related to implementation (Gürbüz, …

Bibliotherapy: An Approach To Treating Mental Illness In The Classroom, Erin M. Curry

Senior Honors Theses

The prevalence of adolescent mental illness has increased at an alarming rate over the past two decades. Due to a lack of accessible mental health care and the stigmatization of mental illness, parents of children with these disorders are often reluctant to seek help. These children often resort to negative self-coping methods among which include substance abuse, violence, and suicide. These negative self-coping methods have a harmful, lasting impact on the individual as well as the surrounding community.

Bibliotherapy, which harnesses the meditative power of books, can teach helpful coping skills to students with mental illness. When effectively utilized in …

The Flipped Classroom: Its Effect On Student Academic Achievement And Critical Thinking Skills In High School Mathematics, Joranna Saunders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effect of the flipped classroom on academic achievement in high school mathematics. The purpose of this study was twofold. The immediate purpose was to determine if there was a statistical difference in student academic achievement in two high school mathematics classrooms once the flipped classroom concept was implemented. This study also examined the effect of the flipped classroom on students' critical thinking skills. This static-group comparison utilized a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design and two null hypotheses were tested. The flipped curriculum was not a significant factor in increasing student academic achievement or in increasing student …

The Use Of Ipads To Facilitate Growth In Reading Comprehension Skills Of Second Grade Students, Joy Reichenberg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The increased accessibility of technological devices has made it easier for educators to make use of multimodal tools in the classroom. Although educational technology has been vastly researched, one area that is not reflected in the literature is the use of eBooks that are read on mobile digital reading devices and their impact on the performance of literacy skills of lower elementary age students. This quasi-experimental, nonrandom, pretest/posttest control group study examined the results of reading an eBook on an Apple iPad and its impact (if any) on reading comprehension skills of second grade students. This quasi-experiment included a treatment …

Using Video Prompting To Teach High School Students With Moderate Intellectual Disabilities A Vocational Skill With A Portable Video Delivery System Employing A Qualitative Case Study, John Newman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of portable video devices in the delivery of video content using video prompting to teach functional life skills to three high school students with moderate intellectual disabilities. The theoretical frameworks of the social learning theory, anchored instruction, and situated cognition show promise as the foundation of the development of specialized curricula to improve students' functioning in adaptive behavior skills. The study utilized a qualitative case study approach, using a multiple-probe across tasks and a single-subject design to obtain quantitative data as the first data collection strategy for a qualitative case …

A Grounded Theory Study On The Role Of Differentiated Instruction In Effective Middle School Science Teaching, Brian Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a model explaining the role of differentiated instruction (DI) in effective middle school science teaching. The study examined the best teaching practices and differentiated elements from eight general education middle school science teachers, all scoring at the highest level of a teaching effectiveness measure on their evaluations, through a collection of observational, interview, survey, and teaching artifact data. The data were analyzed through the methodology of a systematic grounded theory qualitative approach using open, axial, and selective coding to develop a model describing how and to what degree effective middle …

Using Beginning-Of-Year Diagnostic Reading Measures To Predict Third Grade Comprehension Scores In Virginia, Todd Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational investigation is to examine the magnitude of the relationships between three diagnostic reading measures and scores obtained on the third grade Virginia SOL reading test. Specifically, this study investigated the relative utility of predictor variables against one another while also evaluating the strength of the model utilizing all three variables simultaneously. Grounded in the Simple View of Reading as outlined by Gough and Tunmer (1986), this study incorporated the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (or PALS), the STAR Reading Test, and the QRI-5 as independent variables. While each instrument has been the subject of previous investigations, …

Single Gender Language Arts Classes And The Impact On Achievement Of Males, Brock English

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative research design was to analyze the relationship between Language Arts scale scores of elementary male students on the Mississippi Curriculum Test, Version 2 (MCT2) and the type of classroom, mixed-gender or single-gender. The study also analyzed the percentage of questions answered correctly on the MCT2 in the English Language Arts sub-categories of vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, and grammar. Archival data of 222 students was used, 100 male students in single-gender classes and 122 students in mixed-gender classes. The study was conducted in an urban elementary public school with a diverse population in northeast Mississippi. …

Student Engagement And Academic Achievement In Technology Enhanced And Traditional Classroom Environments, Tomeko Johnson-Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which student engagement and academic achievement were associated with exposure to different modes of instruction; specifically technology enhanced environments vs. traditional FACE-TO-FACE environments. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in October 2013 at a local community college in Charlotte, NC. The Class Level Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE) was administered to collect valid and reliable variables relating to student engagement from a convenience sample consisting of 80 volunteers enrolled in the Medical Science and Science divisions. Other variables were collected using the Demographic Questionnaire, and the Instructional Environment Questionnaire. The …

The Effect Of Inquiry-Based, Hands-On Labs On Achievement In Middle School Science, Donna Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the difference in science achievement between students who had been taught with an inquiry-based, hands-on pedagogical approach and those who had not. Improving student academic achievement and standardized test scores is the major objective of teachers, parents, school administrators, government entities, and students themselves. One major barrier to this academic success in Georgia, and the entire United States, has been the paucity of success in middle level science classes. Many studies have been conducted to determine the learning approaches that will best enable students to not only acquire a deeper understanding …

Investigation Of Differences In Star Reading Scores For Second- And Third-Grade Students Who Received Differentiated Reading Instruction, Elizabeth Hearn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study investigated the effects of teaching Response to Intervention curricula in second and third grades in a rural school district in Georgia. A causal-comparative design was used to compare scaled score gains of students who were taught using an RTI approach with curriculum available in How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3 (Walpole & McKenna, 2009) and students who were taught with other unidentified RTI curricula. Students in both groups participated in either Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading instruction in addition to Tier 1 regular classroom instruction. The STAR Enterprise Reading Test served as …

The Effects Of A Direct-Instruction Math Intervention On Standardized Test Scores Of At-Risk Middle School Students, Charles Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Educators are seeking ways to improve student academic achievement in math and to increase math standardized test scores because of the requirements of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Race to the Top initiative (RTTT). One such intervention in middle school is a direct-instruction math program. This causal-comparative study examined the relationship between a direct-instruction math intervention and math achievement on standardized test scores of at-risk middle school students. This study compared the differences in the mean scale scores for at-risk …

The Effects Of Reflex Math As A Response To Intervention Strategy To Improve Math Automaticity Among Male And Female At-Risk Middle School Students, Daphne Sarrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The search for evidence-based math interventions that are easy to use and impact academic achievement are in demand, and the impact that these interventions can have on students who struggle with math achievement is of concern. In this study, the effects of Reflex math computerized intervention to improve the automaticity of basic math facts among male and female middle school students identified as at-risk for academic failure in mathematics was examined according to differences in mean scores and based on gender. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design was used for the purposes of the study. Convenience sampling among students …

The Influence Of Homework On The Educational Experiences Of Sixth Grade Students From Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds: A Phenomenological Study, Richard Mccormick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the influence homework has on the educational experiences of sixth grade students from low socio-economic backgrounds at a middle school in a rural county located in the western region of North Carolina. Eight sixth grade students provided a visual narrative pertaining to homework, and participated in individual and focus group interviews. The major themes to emerge were (a) motivation: teacher policies and practices, (b) family interaction: time and attention, (c) self-efficacy: emotional aspect, and (d) educational effects: short- and long-term. Recommendations for future research include replication of the study in …

The Effects Of Teachers' Teaching Styles And Experience On Elementary Students' Mathematical Achievement, Angela Stanford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to determine if a statistically significant difference existed in the mathematical achievement of elementary students in classrooms led by teachers with different dominant teaching styles (Grasha, 1996) and varying years of teaching experience. Participants in this study included 29 upper elementary (grades 3-5) classroom teachers in an urban public school system located in Central Arkansas. Two one-way ANOVAs were used to compare the Arkansas Augmented Benchmark Examination's (AABE) mathematics scores of 855 students in upper elementary classrooms of teachers with varied teaching styles and years of teaching experience. A two-variable Chi-square analysis …

Rigor And Academic Achievement: Career Academies Versus Traditional Class Structure, Linda Kyees

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if students who attended high school Career Academy classes, as part of Career and Technical Education, showed greater academic achievement than students who attended traditional high school classes. While all participants attended schools in the same school district, and were seeking the same goal of graduation with a standard diploma, the Career Academy students had the benefit of all classes being directed by a team of teachers who helped them connect their learning to their desired career through collaborative learning projects and assignments. The traditional high school classes taught each subject independent …

A Case Study Investigating The Impact Of A Blended International Partnership On Perceptions Of Learning And Global Mindedness In A North Carolina High School, Jennifer Ricks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the ever-increasing popularity of international partnerships that blend study abroad and virtual learning, very little data exists to understand their impact on student attitudes and achievement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the impact of a blended international school partnership on perceptions of learning and global mindedness in a North Carolina high school. Data was collected, in two phases, from stakeholder interviews, observations, an online Global Mindedness Scale survey, the NC School Report Card, and teacher lesson plans. Global mindedness was found to have increased as participants gained a multifaceted understanding of, and appreciation for, …

A Multiple Case Study Investigating The Influence Of Homeschool Parents' Perceptions Of Success On The Learning Environment, William Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental multiple case study was to understand how a select group of homeschool parents in the U.S. defines success as it pertains to their children's education, and how their ideas about success influence the learning environment that they established. The study examined the cases of eight homeschool families from the perspective of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. I used Tomlinson's methodology of differentiated instruction as the conceptual framework, and I examined the cases with particular emphasis on this framework's primary pedagogical constructs of content, process, and product. I collected data through an open-ended questionnaire, interviews with the parents, …

Comparing Students' Perceptions Of Online Language Learning To Traditional Learning, Noreen La Piana

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined students' perceptions towards online language learning and face-to-face learning. A survey of multiple intelligences (McClelland & Conti, 2008) combined with an Online Learning Readiness Survey (OLRS) survey (Dray, Lowenthal, Miszkiewicz, Ruiz-Primo, & Marczynski, 2011) was distributed to 2,177 community college and university students in order to measure the strength of each of the nine intelligences each student possessed, as well as their perceptions of readiness for online language learning. Student preference for online/hybrid versus traditional language class was also considered. The three research questions involved an investigation of: 1) the differences between students who attended an online/hybrid …

The Differences In Approaches To Learning Among Kindergartners Who Attended State-Funded Pre-K, Kristin Mobbs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative study examined the differences in early childhood experiences on the critical school readiness domain of approaches to learning. Kindergarten teachers from a small district in northeast Georgia completed the Learning Behaviors Scale to examine the dependent variables of competence motivation, attitude toward learning, attention/persistence, and strategy/flexibility from a convenience sample of 187 kindergarten students. The school district provided archived data that included kindergarten class lists, preschool experiences during the 2012-2013 school year, race, gender, free/reduced lunch status, and elementary school attended for kindergarten in order to examine kindergartners' learning behaviors. Descriptive statistics provided information on the mean differences …

Homeschool Curriculum Choices: A Phenomenological Study, Sarah Pannone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the factors influencing homeschool curriculum choices. Within the study, three research questions were asked: 1) How do select home educators describe the factors that influence their curricular choices? 2) How do select home educators' beliefs affect their selection of curriculum? 3) How do select home educators' teaching styles and methodologies affect their curricular decisions? To best address these questions a transcendental phenomenological approach was used to examine the shared curriculum choice experiences of 10 home educators. Data was collected by means of surveys, interviews, and a focus group and then …

Elementary Christian School Teachers Utilizing Biblical Concepts In Classroom Management, Christy Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study examined biblical concepts utilized by elementary Christian school teachers in classroom management in two Christian schools in Virginia. Items examined included which biblical components were being utilized and how teachers are utilizing them. Determining factors influencing the incorporation of biblical concepts in classroom management and teachers' perceptions of their utilization were also explored. The study used teacher interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. Data analysis was conducted through the use of interview and focus group transcriptions along with as analysis of pertinent documents. Significant statements from the data were coded into themes. Findings included biblical concepts were …

Effect Of Direct Instruction Programs On Teaching Reading Comprehension To Students With Learning Disabilities, Jennifer Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi experimental research study was to examine the effects of two direct instruction programs, SRA Reading Mastery Signature and SRA Reading Success on reading comprehension skill acquisition of middle school students who qualify as a student with a specific learning disability. Furthermore, the study was used to compare the reading comprehension achievement of students who participated in SRA Reading Mastery Signature and students who participated in SRA Reading Success using the reading portion of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The treatment groups were located in a moderate size school district in the Upstate region …

The Relationship Between Education, Self-Efficacy, And Aggregate Physical Fitness In Children, Richard Bomgardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to test the hypothesis that educational environment and level of physical activity self-efficacy relates to aggregate physical fitness levels in fifth-grade children in a Midwestern metropolitan community. Religious and public school children (N = 184) completed physical activity self-efficacy measures to examine their exercise and barrier status. These scores were compared to a FitnessGram® battery of physical fitness tests involving body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, and aerobic capacity to measure their total fitness levels. FitnessGram® scores were converted into a composite score measuring their healthy fitness zone status. Multiple Linear Regressions …

Comprehension And Motivation Levels In Conjunction With The Use Of Ebooks With Audio: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Post-Secondary Remedial Reading Students, Kimberly Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quasi-experimental pretest, posttest nonequivalent control group study investigated the comprehension scores and motivation levels of post-secondary remedial reading students in a two-year technical college in Northwest Georgia using an eBook, an eBook with audio, and a print book. After reading a module on Purpose and Tone in the three book formats, data was collected from a convenience sample of 67 participants. Data consisted of reading comprehension scores taken from a pretest and posttest and reading motivation scores taken from a pre-survey and post-survey. The pretest and pre-survey were not used as covariates in the final analyses as they were …

Effects Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Middle School Student Achievement, Chad Knowles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today's teachers face more frequent and more severe challenges than perhaps any generation of teachers that have come before them. Administrators attempt to support teaching in an environment of ever-increasing accountability and dwindling financial resources with new and innovative strategies. One such strategy employed by modern educators has been the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model for clear behavioral expectations and pyramids of intervention for targeted support for students. This study compared a middle school that employs PBIS with a middle school that does not, to determine if there was any statistical improvement realized on academic achievement. Two diverse …

A Study Comparing Fifth Grade Student Achievement In Mathematics In Departmentalized And Non-Departmentalized Settings, Karen Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the application of the teaching and learning theory of social constructivism in order to determine if mathematics instruction provided in a departmentalized classroom setting at the fifth grade level resulted in a statistically significant difference in student achievement on the Virginia 2011 Grade 5 Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) Test when compared to the achievement of students in a non-departmentalized setting. Regular fifth grade education students, who attended non-Title 1, Pre-K through Grade 5 elementary schools in an urban eastern Virginia school district, participated in this study. A three-way between-groups …

Working On The Work Framework For Engagement: Impacting Students' Perceived Learning, Attitudes Toward School, And Achievement, Michael Forehand

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A quasi-experimental, pre-test post-test nonequivalent control group study was utilized to determine the difference in students' perceived learning, attitudes toward school, and achievement when participating in classes utilizing engagement design qualities as compared to students in classes not utilizing engagement design qualities. To inform the relationship between student engagement, perceived learning, attitudes toward school, and achievement, Csikszentmihalyi's Theory of Flow was utilized as a theoretical framework along with the implementation of Schelchty's Working on the Work (WOW) Framework with 178 third grade students in a Metro-Atlanta school system. A perceived learning questionnaire, the Elementary Form of the Battle Student Attitude …

A Phenomenological Study Of Online Learning For Deaf Students In Postsecondary Education: A Deaf Perspective, Patricia Wooten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the effects of online learning for deaf college students as opposed to the mainstream classroom setting. This study specifically analyzed the writing and reading skills of deaf students in general and the development of English literacy of prelingually deaf students and those from non-English speaking countries. The use of online teaching tools had significantly improved postsecondary education for deaf students in the United States, particularly in these three categories. A phenomenological study was conducted to express the perspectives of deaf college students regarding the topic. Participants of this research were sixteen deaf online college students …

The Effects Of Math Tutoring Sessions For Parents On Eighth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement And Anxiety, Susan Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Educators across the United States have searched for avenues to improve students' mathematics achievement since the publication of A Nation at Risk (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) which reported that American students were behind students in other countries academically. Recent legislation, No Child Left Behind (2001), continues to address the need for improvement in mathematics among K-12 students. A possible intervention in middle school is to incorporate parental involvement. Numerous researchers (Colombo, 2006; Desimone, 1999; Epstein, 2008; Flynn, 2006; Henderson & Berla, 1994; Sheldon & Epstein, 2005; Wherry, 2006) have demonstrated the positive outcomes of parental involvement on …