Education Commons^™

Online Versus On-Ground: Student Outcomes And The Influence Of Student Engagement In A College Success Course, Theresa Elizabeth Orosz

Theses and Dissertations

Online course enrollments are growing despite concerns about higher withdrawal rates and lower persistence rates, academic performance, and levels of engagement (Bambara, Harbour, Davies, & Athey, 2009; Blackner, 2000; Jaggars & Xu, 2010; Xu & Jaggars, 2011). College success courses, which are meant to bolster new students' academic skills and foster engagement, are being offered online, placing academically inexperienced students in a high risk learning environment. This mixed methods study sought to understand the experience of community college students enrolled in online and on-ground sections of a college success course and how engagement may have influenced their outcomes. Despite similarly …

The Effects Of Differentiated Instruction On Student Engagement, Student Satisfaction, And Quality Of Student Artwork In The High School Art Classroom, Lindsey R. Perrault

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study investigates the effects of differentiated instruction on student engagement, student satisfaction, and students’ perceived quality of artwork in the high school art classroom. In order to determine its effectiveness, students were presented a control and test lesson. The control lesson utilized limited differentiation, and students completed similar notes, projects and critiques. The Test Lesson incorporated multiple differentiated practices, including strategic grouping based on learning profile and interest. The test lesson also offered choices for student projects based on interest and readiness, and choices for a critique, based on interest and learning profile. Students completed a self assessment after …

Student Engagement And Project-Based Learning In The Social Studies Classroom, Noelle J. Nelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how is student engagement affected through Project-Based Learning in an eleventh grade social studies classroom? It documents one teacher’s ability to incorporate Project-Based Learning in an urban high school social studies classroom. It will show that with the use of Project-Based Learning student engagement does increase. Students are pushed to critically think, problem solve, investigate, and collaborate. The author documents the details of a World War II Project-Based Learning unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the study. She looks into the different teaching strategies and scaffolding to …

Active Learning Tour Route: Engagement In An Unconventional Environment, Hattie Molina

Honors Projects

When guest attend Bowling Green State University for a campus visit, a majority of their experience is comprised of tour guides talking “at” them. The campus tour is made up of a lot of facts and stories provided by the tour guide, but few questions by guests or based on comments from guests. One way to solve this is to create an Active Learning Tour route where guest are the center of their own campus learning experience. According to the research, the components of Active Learning have many facets that branch into other aspects including technology and humor. The aim …

Decision-Making In The Foster Care System, Julie E. Bertram

Dissertations

This study documented and analyzed the processes of mental health treatment decision-making, in the context of family support teams, within the foster care system. The research questions explored engagement, perceptions, and self-rated empowerment among family support teams that serve adolescent foster youth with mental health concerns. The sample consisted of 23 participants from core support teams and 36 other adolescent and adult team members who were involved in the study. Data collection methods included observations at family support team meetings and court hearings, 34 semi-structured individual interviews, a self-rated empowerment scale, and informal conversations in the field. Analysis of non-survey …

Understanding How Students With Learning Disabilities From An Urban Environment Experience Nature-Based Informal Learning, Thor Antonio Stolen

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that there is an achievement gap with students of color in the urban environment and their White non-urban peers (Norman, Ault, Bentz, & Meskimen, 2001; National Research Council, 2012) additionally an achievement gaps exists between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers (National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2011). The demand for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) preparation is growing and more students need to be prepared in school for STEM careers (Carlson, 1997). The didactic traditional style of teacher led text book reading has proven unsuccessful for large groups of urban youths and students with disabilities …

Parent Involvement In Kindergarten, Martine A. Reinhardt

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research investigated the effects of parent engagement strategies on the level of parent involvement in kindergarten. Parents may have barriers preventing them from becoming more involved in their child’s schooling. Many parents have younger children they take care of, work full time jobs, and are unaware of how they can get more involved at home. In this study, various strategies were implemented to help increase levels of engagement. Parents were asked to track the amount of time they spent working with their child at home on school related activities. Activities and ideas were sent home to generate discussions …

Engaging All Students: Strategies To Promote Meaningful Learning And Increase Academic Performance, Heidi Haagenson, Casandra Schlangen

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project studied the impact specific engagement strategies had on student academic performance. We conducted this project in two ninthgrade English classes in a suburban high school and two eighthgrade Spanish classes in a suburban middle school both of which were located in a midwestern metropolitan area. During the study, students participated in a variety of engagement strategies aimed at promoting academic excellence: 1) challenge and competition, 2) cooperation and connection, 3) curiosity and controversy, and 4) choice and creativity. The data provided by course grades, student feedback, student observations, and teacher reflections showed students were more engaged …

Digital Video As A Summative Assessment Tool, Meghann Peterson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research study examined the effects of video production on student engagement and learning in a tenth grade English classroom. The study participants totaled 76 students in a large suburban Midwest high school. Over a period of five weeks, students worked in groups to read, analyze and make a video about a book of their choosing. The standards based project assessed their understanding of theme, characterization, and the cultural significance of their choice novel. Students worked collaboratively to answer questions about these aspects of the book and then complete storyboards and scripts for their videos. Throughout the study, the …

A‌ ‌Study‌ ‌Of‌ ‌The‌ ‌Factors‌ ‌That‌ ‌Lead‌ ‌To‌ Burnout‌ ‌In‌ ‌The‌ ‌Accounting‌ ‌Profession‌, Stephen N. Kervin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide information on the causes of burnout to employees in the accounting profession. A review of the literature revealed research on many different industries, but a lack on research within the accounting profession. The purpose of this research study was to examine what demographic variables increase the likelihood of an employee suffering from burnout.

In order to identify the causes of burnout for accountants, this study used a descriptive research design. The research utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey and a demographic questionnaire.

Quantitative analysis was applied to the interpretation of the descriptive data …

Understanding The High School Dropout Process Through Student Engagement And School Processes: Evidence From The Educational Longitudinal Study Of 2002, Tara Marie Mastrorilli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dropping out of school has been viewed as a final stage in a cumulative process of disengagement. In recent years, the construct of engagement has received increased attention leading policymakers and scholars to suggest that efforts to increase engagement in school could reduce high school dropout rates. Using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), this study examined the predictive relationship between tenth-grade students’ engagement and dropping out of high school. Engagement was viewed as a meta-construct comprised of multiple dimensions within three domains: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive. Additionally, this study examined how school processes, specifically administrator control …

Engaging Master’S Students: The Forgotten Population, Caitlin Lindsay

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This study evaluated the way in which master’s degree students report engagement at three institutions within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU. Utilizing a quantitative online survey, participants’ perspectives were compared based on age, relationship status, and family status to determine factors which influence their engagement. Overall, the population reported engagement as related to both academic and social factors; however, their views of the statistically significant factors differed.

Key factors included family, academic, and work demands. Single participants, 20-24 year olds, and single participants who either had no children or were expecting were more likely to report statistically …

Understanding Contingent Faculty: A Quantitative Study Of Engagement, Satisfaction, Commitment, And Mentoring Needs, Heidi Batiste

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The representation of contingent faculty in higher education is prevalent, as a result of changes in the staffing practices in academia. The American higher education system currently employs roughly 4 contingent faculty members for every one, which is tenured or on the tenure-track. As a result of an extensive study on part-time academic faculty, Gappa and Leslie (1993) developed a typology as a way to categorize them. The typology consisted of four employment profiles based primarily on academic background, employment history, and career motivations: career-enders, specialists/experts/professionals, aspiring academics, and freelancers (Gappa & Leslie, 1993). This quantitative study used survey research …

The Uae English Teachers’ Perspectives On The Multi-Dimensional Role Of Cooperative Learning, Khayal Al Allaq

Theses

This study explores teachers’ perspectives on the role of the structured application of cooperative learning in enhancing ESL students’ learning engagement, social awareness, and cultural responsiveness. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate English teachers’ perceptions on the way cooperative learning can foster learning engagement, social awareness, cultural understanding and the application of differentiation in the ESL classroom. To answer the research questions, the researcher employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to gain deeper insight into the topic. The initial stage of the study involved the collection of the quantitative data from the Cooperative Learning Questionnaire …

Agentic Engagement, Teacher Support, And Classmate Relatedness— A Reciprocal Path To Student Achievement, Curt Ryan Wakefield

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study is informed by self-determination theory and explores the relatively new construct of agentic engagement. Measures of agentic engagement, teacher support for autonomy and competence, and relatedness (teacher and classmate) were collected from 172 high-school students in a three wave short term longitudinal design. Regression statistics demonstrated that (a) initial students’ agentic engagement predicted perceived teacher autonomy and perceived teacher relatedness, (b) perceived teacher autonomy, perceived competence, perceived teacher relatedness and perceived classmate support predicted agentic engagement at the end of the semester and (c) reciprocally mid-semester agentic engagement predicted perceived teacher relatedness at the end of the …

Exploring The Social Experiences Of College Students Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders: Examining Neurodiversity On Campus, Monique N. Colclough

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Research and discussion on the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in education is longstanding, albeit almost exclusive to secondary students. Within less than ten years the number of secondary students who were receiving special education services for autism doubled, two percent of which later self-identified at 2yr and 4yr institutions upon enrollment. This phenomenological study explores the experiences of college students who have autism spectrum disorders, focusing on the social experiences that impact college persistence and retention. The following research questions were guide to this study: what are the social experiences of college students who have autism? What role(s) do …

How Social Presence On Twitter Impacts Student Engagement And Learning In A Grade 8 Mathematics Classroom, Shelly Vohra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media for personal use has evolved rapidly among adolescents, changing the way they communicate with each other. However, little research has been conducted about how teachers use social media in the classroom to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how social presence on Twitter impacts student engagement and learning when a mathematics teacher integrates this social media tool into an instructional unit. The conceptual framework was based on social presence theory developed by Short, Williams, and Christie. This qualitative study used a single case study design. Participants included 6 students and 1 classroom …

Evaluating The Use Of Second LifeTm For Virtual Team-Based Learning In An Online Undergraduate Anatomy Course, Christena Gazave

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Team-based learning (TBL) is one strategy for improving team-work and critical thinking skills. It has proven to be an engaging teaching pedagogy in face-to-face classes, however, to our knowledge, has never been implemented online in a 3-D virtual world. We implemented virtual TBLs in an online undergraduate anatomy course using Second Life^TM, and evaluated whether it engaged students. This study was conducted over 2 semesters with 39 total students. Surveys and content analysis of transcripts were used to evaluate student engagement. Our results indicate virtual TBLs were engaging for most students. The average engagement score was 7.8 out …

A Meta-Analysis Of Middle School Science Engagement, Leanna B. Aker

Education Dissertations

Researchers and educational practitioners have long been concerned with declines in science engagement reported by students as they transition into the middle school setting. Though the operationalization of engagement is still nascent, an emerging consensus on a three-faceted model of student engagement has recently emerged in the research literature (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). Thus, a synthesis of existing primary research of early adolescents’ science engagement under this emerging conceptualization was warranted. The results of this meta-analysis indicate that instructional methods, class characteristics and competence predictors had the strongest relationship with self-reported science engagement in early adolescence. These predictors also …

Veteran Teacher Engagement In Site-Based Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Study, Biaze L. Houston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined how teachers self-report their levels of engagement, which factors they believe contribute most to their engagement, and which assumptions of andragogy most heavily influence teacher engagement in site-based professional development. This study employed a convergent parallel mixed methods design to study veteran teachers' perceptions of engagement in site-based professional development using the assumptions of andragogy as the theoretical lens. The study began with both a quantitative and qualitative phase that was conducted simultaneously. The quantitative data was collected to assess teachers' reported engagement and factors influencing engagement in an ideal state. Descriptive statistics were used to …

Engagement Behaviors' Impact On Course Success And Persistence Rates Of Community College Students, Van F. Whaley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As enrollment in U.S. community colleges increased, both the percentage of students successfully completing courses and the percentage of students persisting to their second year decreased. This study focused on the problem of low student course success and persistence rates at a community college. The purpose of the study was to determine whether students who demonstrated engagement behavior by visiting a Center for Academic Success (CAS) either passed more courses, persisted more often, or both, than students who did not visit a CAS. Tinto's engagement theory was the theoretical framework as it postulated that students who interacted with school support …

Examination Of The Mediating Role Of Student Engagement On The Relationship Between Personality And Academic Success For Hispanic College Students, Fernando Chapa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, college and universities have relied on achievement indicators to estimate students' potential for success. More current researchers have demonstrated that other noncognitive factors provide incremental predictive validity to traditional achievement measures in predicting student success. This study is intended to contribute to the scholarly work in this regard by examining the mediating role that student engagement has on the relationship between Big Five personality traits and student success for Hispanic, two-year college students. First factor analysis derived four factors of engagement: Mental Activities, School Opinions, Collaborative Learning, and Student Services. Mediation models showed that there was a negative relationship …

Evaluation Of A Goal Setting Intervention With Grades 3-5 Military Dependent Students Targeting Math Proficiency, Whitney Desantis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As military dependent students relocate, they enroll in multiple schools throughout their K-12 experience. Frequent mobility can create gaps in achievement. The challenge in the local setting is meeting the needs of military dependent students scoring below grade level standards in math. The purpose of the formative evaluation was to determine the effectiveness of the Personalized Education Plan (PEP) program and propose refinements. The conceptual framework included goal setting, motivation, engagement, and self-regulation. The concurrent multi-methods study included a central research question on whether a PEP increased student math scores. Questions about student motivation, engagement, self-regulation, and goal setting followed. …

Minority Initiatives And The Engagement Experiences Of Black Male College Students, Charika Arthur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black males complete college at a lower rate than do all ethnic minority groups in the United States. Many universities have developed programs to improve educational outcomes for Black males, yet graduation rates remain low. The purpose of this study was to explore the engagement experiences of Black male college graduates who participated in the African American Male Initiative, a successful program developed by the University Systems of Georgia. The organizational learning theory was used to address how an academic institution can work collectively to adapt to changes that occur within the learning environment. Also, the anti-deficit achievement framework was …

Using Relevance To Inspire Engagement In Disengaged Secondary Mathematics Students, Cherie Lynn Burkett

MSU Graduate Theses

With the advances being made in technology, our nation is in dire need of a work force degreed with mathematics and science. In the past few decades, the United States has seen a decline in the proportion of college graduates who majored in mathematics-intensive subjects. If our demand is high, why is our supply decreasing? Research suggests that traditional teaching methods using skills-based curricula make it difficult for students to take an interest in a confusing topic like mathematics in which they see no immediate relevance. I have spent a semester engaged in action research taking steps to increase student …