Education Commons^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Ability In Implementing A Culturally Responsive Educational Practice For Culturally Linguistically Diverse Students With Dis/Abilities, Melanie Ziebatree

Dissertations

All children in the United States have the right to an equitable education, regardless of gender, religion, class, race, culture, language, or dis/ability. The literature demonstrates that financial, educational, and legal outcomes are disproportionately negative for those students falling outside of white able-bodied norms and that educational institutions often perpetuate exclusive policies and practices that disproportionately impact culturally linguistically diverse students with dis/abilities. A critical examination of the sociopolitical and contextual factors that fortify the barriers faced by marginalized groups highlights the need for a culturally responsive approach to educating students with multidimensional identities.

To serve the needs resulting from …

Resilience And College Persistence: Characterizing Students Who Have Failed Courses, Mary Merrifield

Dissertations

Students who fail a course early in their college careers are at risk of leaving college before completion of their programs. Little is known about this high-risk group and why some members of this group complete their programs while others do not. This research addressed this gap in the college-level persistence literature by focusing first on differences between completers and non-completers, then on differences between students who fail a course early in their college careers but become completers or non-completers. The goal was to understand the protective value of individual traits beyond the prediction of risk based on membership to …

Unmasking Whiteness: Progressing Toward Cultural Responsiveness Within A Rti Framework, Melinda F. Scheetz

Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) developed out of educational policies and practices that comprise NCLB and IDEA. RTI is a system to ensure all students receive high-quality instruction that meets their needs, increases opportunities to learn, and prevents reading failure. A culturally relevant RTI framework offers the most promising pedagogical approach to quality instruction and educational equity. The purpose of this study was to understand, describe, and explore the intersection of culturally relevant practices and RTI. The research questions that guided this study were: What can be learned about a culturally responsive approach to RTI by listening to teachers’ perspectives and …

An Analysis Of African-American Faculty Experiences During The Tenure Process, Katrina M. Hubbard

Dissertations

Abstract

How faculty allocate their time among research, teaching, and service, and the perceived quality of that work determines whether faculty obtain tenure or are released from the university (Bellas & Toutkoushian, 1999; Link, Swann, & Bozeman, 2008; Price & Cotten, 2006). Prior research indicated that African-American faculty comprised 4.5% of the faculty at high-activity research institutions and 3.5% of faculty at very-high-activity research institutions (The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac 2016-2017, 2016).

The purpose of this study was to 1) document African-American faculty experiences during their tenure probationary period at PWI research institutions; 2) compare faculty experiences during the …

What About Us? For Girls Between Worlds: How Black Girls Navigate White High Schools, Cryslynn C. Billingsley

Dissertations

This qualitative study is about the experiences and challenges Black girls have while attending predominantly White high schools and what they are doing to navigate that particular space. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand more about how Black girls navigate White space as minority members of a system that was not originally intended for them. Through semi-structured interviews, Black girls were asked directly to share their lived experiences. This study hopes to illuminate and amplify the voices of Black girls and help others see them by giving them a platform to discuss and tell their stories. …

The Cs Teacher Evaluation Model: Exploring Teacher And School Leader Perceptions And A Model For Improving Teacher And Student Growth, Mustafa Icel

Dissertations

This study investigated the teacher evaluation model used by Concept-managed charter schools. The STEM-focused, college preparatory Concept Schools is a management company that manages 31 charter schools in seven different states in the U.S. The Concept Schools (CS) teacher evaluation model was based on the Danielson Framework and has been used in all CS-managed schools since 2011. This dissertation used data from three years of consecutive teacher evaluations scores to create a predicting model for K-12 school districts. The model analyzed an individual teacher’s performance growth and predicts future performance. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The researcher …

Validation Of The Barkley Deficits Of Executive Functioning Scale-Short Form, Brian Sheble

Dissertations

The Barkley Deficits of Executive Functioning-Short Form (BDEFS-SF) is a short rating scale measuring executive functioning in adults. The BDEFS-SF was developed using the 5 highest loading questions from the BDEFS-LF. Consequently, the psychometric qualities of the BDEFS-SF were not investigated using formal methods. In this study, the psychometric attributes of the BDEFS-SF were examined using two separate but similar groups. The first group of 264 men and women aged 18-35 years old completed the BDEFS-SF via an internet survey. The second group of 36 men and women aged 18-35 years old completed the BDEFS-SF and individualized assessments of executive …

Experiences Of African American Women And Their Ascension To Senior Academic Leadership Positions In Higher Education Institutions, Jennifer Simms

Dissertations

Previous research has noted that African American women are absent in senior administrative positions in institutions of higher education. Few studies have provided detailed insight into the experiences of African American women during their transition to senior-level leadership roles in the academy. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to document the experiences of African American women during their ascension to senior academic leadership positions in higher education institutions. This research employed purposeful sampling and snowball sampling to recruit five African American women in Midwestern U.S. who ascended to a leadership role within the Office of Academic Affairs. This …

“…But You Don’T Know Me Like The Sun; You’Ve Never Seen My Horizon” (Bennett, Cole, Segal, And Warner, 2015, Track 3): Exploring The Invisibility Of A Hyper-Visible Black Woman In Education, Janae' Alfred

Dissertations

As a Black woman in the field of education, I feel as if I am not valued or seen as an equal member of the institution. This has been extremely evident as I served as an Instructional Coach in a predominately Black public school district where the teachers and administrators were predominately White. Race has come to the forefront as a prominent barrier for effective Instructional Coaching across the color line. In this dissertation, I reflect on my experiences as an Instructional Coach and analyze them through the lens of Critical Race Theory using autoethnography as a research method. My …

The Core Competencies For Chinese Language Teachers In Taiwan: A Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approach, Ying-Hua Lan

Dissertations

There were two research questions in this study: what are the most important competencies for Chinese language teachers; and what is the priority for the competencies? This study applied the DEMATEL to analyze competencies from 15 experts. The results showed that competencies were categorized into four dimensions. They were Culture, Instruction, Communication, and Professional Development. Each dimension had multiple criteria. There were three kinds of criteria under the dimension of Culture. They were ‘global awareness,’ ‘intercultural communication,’ and ‘Chinese culture.’ The dimension of Instruction had three kinds of criteria. They were ‘instructional perspective,’ ‘teaching method,’ and ‘assessment.’ There were three …

The Role Of Popular Culture In Preschool Children’S Emergent Writing/Composing: An Exploration Of The Writing Process And Tensions Surrounding One Preschool Writing Center, Stephanie Winters

Dissertations

Over the last several decades research has been conducted surrounding popular culture and children’s writing/composing. Much of this research focused on children in early elementary school classrooms. I discovered, when preparing for this project, that there was very little published research (written in English) surrounding preschool-aged children’s compositions (with or without the emphasis on popular culture), and what happens in the writing center. This study helps fill the gap in the research by documenting how preschool children in a mixed-age (ages three to five years) classroom, who attend a public school in an urban, Midwestern area, write/compose when given the …

Indicators And Precipitators Of Special Educator Satisfaction: The Role Of Certification And Advanced Coursework, Jessica Spencer

Dissertations

Special education teachers are leaving the education field at a higher rate than other education professionals. The annual attrition rate for special education teachers is estimated to be between 8-10% of special educators across the United States. These attrition rates are concerning, as they contribute to the shortage of quality special educators. Considering that an estimated 50% of special educators leave their positions within their first five years, researchers have conducted studies examining criteria centered on teacher retention and attrition. This study examined the findings of such studies, and explored the role of how teachers' certifications and obtaining advanced degrees …

Teacher Talk: How Many White, Middle-Class, Female Educators Perpetuate White Privilege In School, Theresa Nomensen

Dissertations

This paper examines the ways middle-class, white, women, who comprise more than eighty percent of the teaching force in public schools perpetuate white supremacy in public schools, explicitly at looking at how and what middle-class, white teachers say to and about their students of color. I interrogate and analyze my own beliefs and experiences, using autoethnography, revealing my journey from learning about my white privilege to understanding how I perpetuate white privilege in schools. Using the theoretical framework of Critical Whiteness Studies, I will interrogate my own whiteness as I confront and wrestle with whiteness in myself and in five …

Pursuing The Professoriate: The Academic Career Development Of Black Female Doctoral Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Jennifer Culver

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Black female doctoral students enrolled in education doctoral program at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI). Using semi-structured interviews, the study investigated the academic career development of Black female doctoral students guided by four research questions: (a) What perceptions do Black female doctoral students have of an academic career? (b)What factors shape Black female doctoral students’ academic career perceptions during the doctoral process? (c) What are the academic career intentions of Black female doctoral students? and (d) What factors influence the development of Black female doctoral students’ academic career intentions during the doctoral process? …

Community Connections To Marine Heritage In China: Exploring The Factors That Influence Local Resident Support For Marine Heritage Conservation And Management, Aixia Feng

Dissertations

This study addresseda marine heritage site conservation and management model that maximizes local resident support in China. The first phase of the study was a qualitative exploration of local resident engagement with marine heritage conservation and management at Changshan Islands National Marine Park and Xinghai Bay National Marine Park. From this initial exploration, the qualitative findings will be used to develop assessment measures that can be administered to a large sample. In the tentatively planned quantitative phase, survey data was collected from local residents in Changshan Islands and Dalian.First, I collected qualitative data by interviewing a total of 15 local …

The Impact Of The Use Of Science Notebooks In Conjunction With A Learning Progression-Based Science Unit In An Urban Middle School, Reagan Williams

Dissertations

Learning progressions are the latest tool to understand the ways science learning occurs and they underlie the structure and framework of the Next Generation Science Standards.Prior research indicated a variety of ways to develop and validate learning progressions and learning progression’s general positive impact on students’ science learning. However, no study has explicitly employed science notebooks as the cornerstone to the development and/or validation processes. Therefore, the research question is: what is the impact on students’ science learning outcomes when a middle school science learning progression is developed and validated using science notebooks as part of an inquiry-based instructional …

Estimating Wasi Iq Scores To Assist In Identifying Elementary School Gifted Students, Debra Garrett Pregler

Dissertations

Identifying gifted students early is important so they may receive adaptations in their learning environment including admittance into gifted programs (Subotnik, Olszweski-Kubilius, & Worrell, 2012). An effective method to increase the likelihood of identifying gifted students is needed (Pfeiffer, 2003). Admission at the elementary level primarily uses the individually-administered intelligence test; yet, the test is only administered to students nominated to the gifted program. The purpose of this study was to determine if individually-administered IQ test scores were related to specific information available to the elementary school counselor to aid in the determination of unidentified gifted elementary school students who …

School Accountability And Equal Opportunity In Missouri, Bradley Ross

Dissertations

In Missouri, the Missouri School Improvement Plan, generation 5 (MSIP-5) attempts to boil down assessment, attendance, college and career readiness, and graduation rates into a single score (out of 100). Within MSIP-5, Black and Hispanic students are lumped into a super subgroup with English language learners, students in poverty, and students with disabilities. The aggregate of test scores for all in these groups provide the indicators for school success.

There are two concerns. First, the indicator for subgroup achievement is worth only one-fourth of the points that overall student achievement. In addition, while the highest levels of achievement require the …

Anti-Black School Policy Making: A Critical Policy Analysis Of The Wellston/Normandy Merger, Eric Higgins

Dissertations

This study explores the closing of Wellston School District as an act of contempt and oppression. This study looks at the history of the Wellston community and also examines many micro-aggressive acts of oppression. Also, examined and discussed will be the impact of economic disenfranchisement, demographic change, historical memory, and school funding and accountability. This study uncovered a counter-narrative that helps to usurp the prevailing master narrative and rhetoric surrounding the closing and subsequent merger of the Wellston School District with the Normandy School District.

This historical analysis will rely heavily upon the use of CRT to undergird the conceptual …

Cultural Identity Silencing Of Native American Identity In Education: A Descriptive Phenomenological Investigation, Katheryne Leigh

Dissertations

Native American Nations have been subjected to colonialism for centuries the impact of which led to further traumatic events and disparities. Although recent scholarship has investigated possible relationships between traumas experienced in education and issues such as depression, substance use, poor academic achievement, and suicide, there remained a need for qualitative studies exploring the phenomenon from the voice of the experiencer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of cultural identity silencing of Native American identity in education. Eight young adult self-identified Native American/Alaskan college students between the ages of 18-25 who experienced cultural identity silencing in …

A Multilevel Model Of Poverty, Community Factors, And Learning For Students With Disabilities., Randal Barnes

Dissertations

Students with disabilities face challenges to academic success that can be exacerbated by the effects of poverty. In this study, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to analyze the effects of socio-economic status, social capital, and threats to safety on literacy test scores for students with disabilities. Results of the analysis indicate that discipline rate had a significant effect on mean district scores on statewide standardized tests, but not on the impact of socio-economic status on test scores. Conversely, the percent of college graduates in a school district did not have a significant effect on district scores, but moderated the …

Teacher Autonomy In A Site-Managed Charter School: Views Of Autonomy, Autonomy Support, And Their Educational Impact, Kristen Levin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover how pre-service teachers (PSTs), classroom teachers, and administrators in an urban charter school perceive their own professional autonomy and administrative support by the school, and how the balance of autonomy and support impact their instructional practices. I designed and implemented this research as a single case study of Highland Charter School (a pseudonym), in a Midwestern U.S. city. This study involved seven teachers, three pre-service teachers, six administrators, and the charter sponsor. The case is an independent charter school serving mainly students of low socioeconomic backgrounds, from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. At …

Does Seeing Matter? Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Use Of Self-Video As A Tool For Self-Reflection In The Study Of Their Own Practice, Lynn Navin

Dissertations

The use of video for teacher learning is a useful tool to support reflection and self-analysis. Video records have been successful in supporting teachers in learning to notice student thinking, a strong component in instructional expertise. The use of video provides permanent records of classroom lessons that can be viewed repeatedly (Sherin, 2001, 2007; van Es & Sherin, 2002, 2008.) It allows deep engagement and collaborative learning. Including the use of video in teacher preparation courses has successfully contributed to increasing pre-service teachers’ attending and analyzing skills, necessary components of professional vision, (Santagata & Guarani, 2011; Stürmer, Könings, & Seidel, …

Poetics Of The [Selves]∞: An Active Aesthetic, Alena Tunprasert-Ahrens

Dissertations

This practitioner-based research reports on the development and assessment of a transdisciplinary pedagogical model for the learning sciences. The theoretical underpinnings of Poetics of the [Selves]^∞ draw from three domains of knowledge: (1) mindfulness, (2) positive psychology, and (3) contemporary performance. The approach is designed to create positive self-transformation in participants as a result of engaging them in a sequence of activities that require different modes of reflection. The model was tested in two settings: a collaborative learning space, and a university classroom. The sample from the first workshop included individuals from the general public, and middle and high-school …

Promoting Student Empowerment Through Autonomy Supportive Practices: Examining The Influence Of Professional Development For Primary Grade Teachers, Diane Dymond

Dissertations

Adult practices and school systems disempower students when they stifle student voice and choice and focus on punishment rather than restorative practices. When teachers use autonomy supports in their classrooms, they promote student empowerment. The purpose of this Dissertation in Practice (DIP) was to create, implement and assess professional development (PD) designed to positively influence teachers’ orientations toward supporting student autonomy. This dissertation presents a quasi-experimental study utilizing an experimental and comparison group of teachers from two different elementary schools. Both groups participated in PD. PD was designed for the experimental group to study student empowerment through autonomy supports and …

Factors Related To Ethnocultural Empathy Among White Counselor Education Faculty: Implications For African American Male Students., Courtney R. Boddie

Dissertations

Cultural competence represents a central element of the professional practices exhibited by professional counselors and counselor educators (CACREP, 2016). Inconsistent with the place it holds in the field, cultural competence has been minimally studied among those responsible for gatekeeping, teaching, supervision, and research – faculty. Among variables relevant to measurable outcomes is ethnocultural empathy (EE), ideal as it is described as a combination of empathic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors toward others with whom you have differences in cultural identities and experiences (Wang et al., 2003). This study sought to add to the body of literature on the cross-racial interactions between …

Teaching With Citizen Science: An Exploratory Study Of Teachers' Motivations & Perceptions, Georgia Bracey

Dissertations

With the continued emphasis in the United States on science teaching reform as a way to increase science learning and the scientific literacy of all, the integration of informal science learning activities like citizen science is emerging as a possible way to enhance formal science teaching and learning. There is a limited but growing number of studies indicating that the general public is learning science content and process from participating in citizen science, but research in this area is just beginning and the use of citizen science projects by teachers in formal classroom settings has barely been examined at all. …

Using Video Modeling To Teach Vocational Skills To Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Karl Schoenherr

Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of video self-modeling as a method for teaching two young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) how to perform job-related skills in a vocational setting. Prior to intervention, videos were recorded of the participants as they performed single steps of novel tasks at their jobsites. The researcher created video self-models by combining and editing the recordings of the single tasks into a video that depicted the participants performing all the steps of the task in succession. The videos included written instructions and voiceovers of the instructions. The videos were uploaded to Box, an app that …