Education Commons^™

Teacher Self-Efficacy, Instructional Practices, And Student Achievement In Mathematics: A Correlational Study, Kristi Lynn Day

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods research examined teacher self-efficacy in mathematics and the use of specific mathematical instructional practices in Grades 3-5 classrooms. The purpose was to examine the relationships among teacher self-efficacy of teaching mathematics, the use of specific mathematical instructional practices, and student achievement as measured by the North Carolina end-of-grade test. According to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008), differences in students’ mathematical achievement are credited to differences in teacher characteristics including their self-efficacy in teaching and use of specific instructional practices. The study sought to add to the research behind that finding.

Correlational relationships among the variables were studied. …

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 …

Learning Disabled Special Education Students And General Education Opportunities, Candace Pelt

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study examined the relationship between the amount of time a student receives in general education and achievement scores for reading and math. Students selected were previously identified with a learning disability in the Newberg School District, and they were enrolled in classes during the 2014-2015 school year. Using a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), this study observed the correlation between students’ federal placement code and student achievement scores for both reading and math. For students with disabilities who also have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), the federal placement code identifies the amount of time a student spends in general …

The Effects Of Professional Development On Elementary Students’ Mathematics Achievement, Jonathan L. Brendefur, Keith W. Thiede, Sam Strother, Dan Jesse, John Sutton

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes the effects of a professional development (PD) program – Developing Mathematical Thinking – on student achievement. Six Title I elementary schools with similar demographics, within one school district, were chosen to participate as either a treatment or comparison school. Three schools were chosen to participate in professional development that incorporates effective PD recommendations. All the teachers had to participate in all aspects of the PD, thereby eliminating potential self-selection bias. Using the state standardized achievement test as the before and after measure, results suggest improved student performance after professional development was implemented over a two year period.

The Influence Of Student Teacher Mentoring On Teacher Self-Efficacy In New Jersey, Susan S. Elias

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate what influence, if any, mentoring a student teacher has on the self-efficacy of the cooperating teacher. In addition, this study investigated the influence of other student, staff, and school variables including teacher gender, years of experience, level of education, number of student teachers mentored, grade level taught, teaching assignment, and the percentage of students in the school on free and reduced-price lunch on teacher self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was measured using the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001). Mentor teachers were directed to complete the assessment twice: once while …

Middle Grades Student Achievement And Poverty Levels: Implications For Teacher Preparation, Lauren Dotson, Virginia Foley

ETSU Faculty Works

This paper provides a history of the standardized testing and accountability movement, the curriculum standards attached to the accountability movement, and the attempted shift to common core. Student poverty and its impact on student achievement the focus of this paper. Recognizing the impact of poverty on student achievement as measured by standardized tests the authors question the explicit practices of teacher preparation programs in preparing teacher candidates to work with students of poverty

Commentary, Marjorie Siegel

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Toward Meaningful Assessment: Lessons From Five First-Grade Classrooms, Laura Kates

Occasional Paper Series

A case study of six first grade teachers' responses to a performance assessment mandated in New York City Public Schools from 1998 to 2003.

A Correlational Study Of Teacher Efficacy And Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques In A Southeastern Urban School District, Roberta F. Callaway

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the level of personal and general teacher efficacy of teachers from three high schools within a southeastern urban school district. Additional research questions focused on correlational relationships between teacher efficacy and culturally responsive teaching, instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management as measured by the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES), Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques (CRTT) Scale, and Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES).

This study was conducted in a large urban school district located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States; three of the five high schools in the district participated. The CRTT Scale and TSES were …

Modeling The Effects Of Student-Centeredness On Student Outcomes, Emily Bonem, Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Angelika Zissimopoulos, David Nelson, Heather Fedesco

IMPACT Presentations

Presented at the 6th International Conference on Self-determination Theory in Victoria, British Colombia, Canada.

Single And Multiple Leadership Roles Of Building Principals: Perceived Differences In Leadership Responsibilities In Selected Midwestern Districts, Michael A. Gaunt

Dissertations

Principals play a critical role supporting the student’s academic achievement. Their work has become increasingly challenging over past decades due to demands for increased accountability and a decline in fiscal and human resources. Principals, regardless of size and geographical locations, have had to assume additional work responsibilities, including additional administrative roles, in response.

There is a plethora of research documenting the important role principals provide in supporting the academic achievement of students (Chickering and Reisser, 1993; Cotton, 2003; Figlio, 1999; Halinger and Heck, 2011; Leithwood, 1994; and Senge, 2007). Marzano et al’s., (2005) research, as described in his book, School …

The Influence Of Length Of School Day On Grade 4 And Grade 5 Language Arts And Mathematics Performance In The State Of New Jersey, Meghan M. Plevier

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this relational, non-experimental, explanatory, cross sectional study with quantitative methods was to explain the influence of length of school day, if any, on Grade 4 and Grade 5 student achievement in Language Arts and Mathematics as measured by the high-stakes New Jersey standardized test entitled New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) 2011. Additionally, the study examined the influence of other student, staff, and school variables such as student mobility, student attendance, percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (SES), percentage of students with limited English proficiency (LEP), percentage of students with disabilities, …

A Blended Learning Approach To Increasing Student Achievement In A Sixth Grade Mathematics Classroom Using Flipped Classroom With Tiered Activities, Krystal Peterson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study was designed to examine the impacts of a blended learning classroom on student achievement by implementing the flipped classroom paired with tiered activities. Throughout the twenty-two day study, four sixth-grade mathematics classrooms were asked to view and take notes on teacher-created instructional videos outside of the classroom and complete individual chosen activities for a specific letter grade. Data sources included pre-assessments, reports of video completion and lesson checks through the use of Schoology.com, post-assessments, and a student survey. Results showed increases in student achievement over two chapters in daily lesson checks and quizzes. The blended learning strategy proved …

Investing In Schools: Capital Spending, Facility Conditions, And Student Achievement (Revised And Edited), Paco Martorell, Kevin Stange, Isaac Mcfarlin Jr.

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Public investments in repairs, modernization, and construction of schools cost billions. However, little is known about the nature of school facility investments, whether such investments actually change the physical condition of public schools, and the subsequent causal impacts on student achievement. We study the achievement effects of nearly 1,400 capital campaigns initiated and financed by local school districts, comparing districts where school capital bonds were either narrowly approved or narrowly defeated by district voters. Overall, we find little evidence that school capital campaigns improve student achievement. Our event-study analyses focusing on students that attend targeted schools and therefore are exposed …

Is There A Relationship Between Physical Fitness And Student Academic Achievement?, William Rushton Parker

Dissertations

The study utilized a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between students’ levels of fitness to students’ academic achievement as well as addressing the attitudes of elementary administrators, fifth grade regular education teachers, and elementary physical education teachers towards physical fitness and academic achievement. Instruments used in the study were the Mississippi Curriculum Test, 2^nd Edition (MCT2) and the FITNESSGRAM. The data from the FITNESSGRAM and MCT2 were archival, coming from the 2013-2014 academic school year. The MCT2 provided scores from the areas of language arts, mathematics, and science, and the FITNESSGRAM provided the fitness scores of those students. …

Ursinus College Celebration Of Student Achievement (Cosa) Schedule Of Events, 2016, Office Of Academic Affairs

Celebration of Student Achievement Schedules

This schedule details the performances, panels, talks and poster presentations held on the eleventh annual Ursinus College CoSA day.

The Relationship Between Student Achievement And Professional Learning Communities At The Middle School Level, Michael S. Burde

Dissertations

For nearly two decades, schools throughout the United States and beyond have utilized the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model to foster teacher collaboration in hopes of improving student achievement outcomes. At the turn of the century, much of the research suggested a positive relationship between student achievement outcomes and the implementation of PLC’s in the school setting. The more recent research suggests little to no relationship between PLC’s and student achievement outcomes.

In an effort to bring clarity to the conflicting research, data was collected from a sample of 12 schools which included 275 teachers and nearly 6,000 students. Teacher …

Getting All Children Off To A Good Start, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

One of the biggest challenges we face in improving quality and equity in our schools is to better address the learning needs of the many children who, on entry to school, are at risk of being locked into trajectories of long-term low achievement, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

The ‘Long Tail’ Of Underachievement, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

One of the biggest challenges educators face is to find better ways to meet the learning needs of the many students who fall behind in our schools, fail to meet year-level expectations (often year after year) and, as a consequence, become increasingly disengaged, writes Professor Geoff Masters AO.

The Effects Of The Louisiana Scholarship Program On Student Achievement After Two Years, Jonathan N. Mills

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) is a statewide initiative offering publicly-funded vouchers to enroll in local private schools to students in low-performing schools with family income no greater than 250 percent of the poverty line. Initially established in 2008 as a pilot program in New Orleans, the LSP was expanded statewide in 2012. This paper examines the experimental effects of using an LSP scholarship to enroll in a private school on student achievement in the first two years following the program’s expansion. Our results indicate that the use of an LSP scholarship has negatively impacted both ELA and math achievement, …

Brotherhood, Social Justice, And Persistent Deficit Ideologies: Latino Students’ Experiences In An All-Male Catholic High School, Ursula S. Aldana

Journal of Catholic Education

Declining Catholic school enrollment rates coupled with increasing numbers of Latino Catholics (in the US) have prompted Catholic leaders to interrogate how they can best engage and meet the needs of the Latino community (Ospino, 2014; Notre Dame Task Force, 2009). Much of this work focuses on how Catholic schools can attract Latino students and their families, but does not situate the Latino Catholic school student experience within the historical, economic and sociopolitical context. This paper interrogates the history and experiences of Latino students at Divinity High School (pseudonym), an all male Catholic high school that has historically served a …

Called To Serve: A Choice To Teach In A High-Need School, Bradley Lichtfuss

Student Presentations

This project examined the current intent of undergraduate students here at St. Norbert College, specifically looking at where they intend to teach. It also examined how they would respond to financial incentives to join an urban education program and go and teach in a high-need school for three years.

Comparison Of Classroom Settings On Seventh Grade English Language Arts Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Achievement (Tcap), Deangela Anita Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to identify an effective strategy to increase English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency in middle schools. This study assessed the outcome of classroom looping in an urban middle school. Vygotsky's theory of social development was the theoretical framework of this study. Two research questions explored statistical differences between scale and number correct scores on the standardized ELA Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). Classroom settings (looping and traditional) served as independent variables, and ELA TCAP assessments were used as the dependent variable. This study included a random sample of 188 students (94 looping and 94 traditional) …

Exploring An African American Principal's Cultural Leadership Effects On Closing The Achievement Gap, Doristine Cornelius

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Closing the achievement gap is a key concern for educational leaders. Research has indicated that principals’ actions directly and indirectly influence student learning. The purpose of this case study was to explore cultural leadership in an urban Mississippi high school from an African American’s racialized perspective. The cultural competency/proficiency theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. Successful leadership practices of this African American principal were examined through the principal and through the perceptions of teachers and the assistant administrator. A researcher-developed questionnaire was content validated and given to a purposeful sample of 17 individuals: the principal, assistant principal, and …

Relationship Between Teacher Inquiry Science Instruction Self-Efficacy And Student Achievement, Grace Hanners

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standardized test data indicate that student achievement in science is a problem both nationally and locally. At the study site, only a small percentage of fifth-grade students score at the advanced level on the Maryland state science assessment (MSA). In addition, the performance of African American, economically disadvantaged, and special education students is well below that of the general student population. Some studies have shown that teacher self-efficacy affects student achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fifth-grade teacher inquiry science instruction self-efficacy scores and the scores of their students on the MSA. Bandura's …

Effect Of Class Size On Student Achievement In Secondary School, Christopher Eric Uhrain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The school board of a school district in South Carolina has proposed to increase class size in all schools due to mandatory budgetary reductions. However, at the secondary school level, the literature on the effect of larger class size on student achievement is conflicting. The theoretical framework by Lazear suggested that the minimization of negative externalities (i.e., problematic behavioral and academic characteristics of students) achieved through the mechanism of smaller class size impacts student learning. Reducing the number of students in a classroom alters the entire classroom environment, creating a more positive learning environment in which students are able to …

A Blended Behavior Management Approach, Student Behavior, And Achievement, Gwendolyn Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disruptive classroom behavior has led many schools to implement positive behavioral strategies intended to create orderly learning environments. Despite initiation of such a strategy, an elementary school in the mid-Atlantic region still experienced an increase in office referrals and a decline in student achievement. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to investigate the connections between a blended behavior program and student behavior and academic achievement, as well as staff perceptions about their experience with the program, and the degree to which the practices were implemented with fidelity. Skinner's behavioral theory served as the theoretical basis for the …

What If I Can't Plc?, Lindsay Lee, Audrey Moore, Angela Szakasits, Cynthia Wortham

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this learning module is to provide information for teachers and administrators to learn ways to overcome barriers to participate in PLCs. The goal of this learning module is to provide teachers and administrators with resources to employ facilitation skills, create trust among colleagues, develop collective wisdom, build ownership, and take action to support student learning.

Visit professional learning module.

Examining Barriers That Inhibit Student Achievement From A Teacher's Perspective, Taryn Everett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers at an urban high school in the Southeast have failed to see an increase in classroom achievement or standardized test scores despite efforts to increase passing rates. If achievement rates do not increase, school restructuring will occur. While the site has implemented programs to reduce academic failure, data exists that external barriers may be affecting student achievement. Guided by Bandura's (1986) theory of metacognitive beliefs and self-efficacy as the conceptual framework, this qualitative case study explored teachers' perceptions about the root causes of poor student achievement. This study examines how to identify those causes to help students improve academically, …

Exploring The /Role Of The Principal In Creating A Culture Of High Academic Optimism: A Sequential Quan --> Qual Mixed Methods Study, William A. Harper

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT Principals are held accountable for the academic achievement of their students. This study addressed renewed interest in how principals can improve student achievement (SA) by improving the culture of their schools. Previous research demonstrated a positive relationship between the construct of academic optimism (AO) and SA. The purpose of this mixed methods sequential Quan  Qual research study was to understand how principals in Alabama middle schools create a culture of AO that fosters high SA. In the quantitative phase 218 Alabama schools with Grade 8 were stratified into high and low categories of SA based on the percentage …