The Impact Of Closed Captioning And Student Lexile Reading Levels, Jim L. Pruitt

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This experimental mixed-methods study explores what happens to student Lexile scores when they use closed captioning. The quantitative data analysis procedures involved in this experimental study consisted of utilizing two-sample t-tests to compare the iReady Lexile scores of the participants [n=38] to that of the researched district students [n=810] that were not using closed captioning in this study. The researcher required participants to complete a baseline iReady test to determine their preexisting Lexile levels. Then after the study, participants both in the researched district and in the study, itself were required to complete an iReady post-test to determine their …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, And Student Engagement In A University Statistics Course, Adam Heck

Faculty Works

Engagement is a fundamental aspect of the learning process. Exploring the role of outside factors on student engagement offers potential for eduators to tailor their pedagogies to meet the need of students who have experienced trauma. Researchers over the past couple of decades have begun exploring the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on a whole host of different fields (health, education, etc.). This study examines the potential role that ACES and resilience may play in a student’s engagement levels within a university statistics course. Participants were college students from a university in the southeastern United States. Two survesy, an …

Literacy Instruction And Student Writing In Middle School Social Studies, Nicole Hedman

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research was to determine whether using daily literacy strategies focusing on writing would make an impact on the scores of a high-level question (HLQ) among middle school social studies students. The research took place over seven weeks in a public suburban midwestern middle school. The population of students in the study included 104 sixth-grade students. The intervention included using various literacy strategies focusing on writing and incorporating reading, speaking, and listening. Data was collected from writing samples, HLQ scores, observations, and a student survey. Some positive effects of the study were an increase in the …

Our Voices Matter: Engaging Middle Grades Hispanic Students In A Summer Literacy Program, Macy Christine James

All Dissertations

This study explored the literacy engagement of Hispanic rising seventh grade adolescents during a summer literacy program. Using a participatory social justice mixed methods design (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2018), students’ voices were used to design and refine an instructional model proposed to increase their level of engagement in literacy tasks. Through a literacy motivation survey and focus group interviews, students’ perception of motivating and demotivating literacy experiences affecting their levels of engagement were gathered and analyzed. Following this exploration, a design-based approach was employed to create an initial model that would be refined by identifying the enhancing and inhibiting factors …

Engaging Drama: Does Drama Increase Student Engagement In A Second-Grade History Class?, Jasmine Villanueva

Student Research Submissions

This research investigated how drama integration benefitted students’ academic achievement and their engagement in history. This study integrated drama and history in a second-grade class, by allowing students to create tableaus to present and share information. The study used pre and post assessments, an attitudes survey to measure students’ attitudes towards history before and after integration, and the researcher also recorded student engagement at the beginning and end of drama integration. This study showed significant improvement in student content knowledge through the use of tableaus, and inconclusive results as far as engagement and student attitudes were concerned.

Generation Z Cybersecurity Learners: The Identification Of Cybersecurity Instructor Strategies And Attributes That Maximize Student Engagement, Jeffrey Rice

Scholar Week 2016 - present

There exists a significant shortage of cybersecurity specialists in the workforce. Universities should endeavor to keep cybersecurity students engaged if they desire to be competitive and contribute graduates to the remediation efforts of this cybersecurity deficit. Instructors significantly contribute to student engagement and there is a correlation between student engagement and student retention. The purpose of this regional qualitative exploratory study was to identify attributes that Generation Z collegiate cybersecurity learners felt kept them engaged in their cybersecurity courses. The sample comprised 10 individuals identified as GenZ and used purposeful and snowball sampling to select participants. A semi-structured interview strategy …

Math Engagement In Middle School Students, Elizabeth M. Rieman

Culminating Experience Projects

Student engagement is something with which teachers around the world struggle. There is an enormous amount of literature available with various ideas, tips, tricks, and suggestions for teachers to help engage their students in learning the required content. The techniques chosen, are specifically used to help middle school math teachers engage their students in the required content. From there, it offers a way to implement those strategies in a middle school math class.

Let's Talk: Csuglobal Conversations, Maria Ortuoste

csuglobalaction

No abstract provided.

Unlocking The Doors To Engagement And Accessibility: A Curriculum Development For Second Grade Learners In Social Studies, Jeanette Mcnair

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The goal of this project is to create a second-grade Social Studies curriculum that increases engagement and provides accessibility to all students. The intent is to pull from the instructional frameworks of Universal Design for Learning developed by CAST, Project-Based Learning by The Buck Institute and differentiation by Carol Ann Tomlinson. The following research question was used to propel forward the goal of this project: How can a second grade Social Studies unit unlock student engagement and universal accessibility by applying three educational frameworks? This question was answered by literature research on the topics of engagement and accessibility followed by …

Secondary Teaching Thriving: Investigating Secondary Teacher Well-Being And Contributing Factors To Thriving, Ryan H. Nichols

PhD in Education

The purpose of this study was to examine secondary teacher thriving using the PERMA well-being model. This non-experimental, quantitative survey aimed to discover secondary teachers’ well-being and how the dimensions of well-being are predictive of thriving among secondary teachers in the United States. Using a comprehensive researcher-created instrument assessing participants’ sense of thriving and PERMA well-being, the study resulted in statistically significant findings with 55 secondary teachers participating in the survey. Both sense of thriving and the dimensions of thriving were statistically significant in a one sample ttest. Demographics, such as school classifications, years of experience, and geographic locations, were …

Subjective Well-Being Of Teachers In K-12 Christian Schools, Julianne Rettig

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This non-experimental, quantitative study aimed to examine the factors that influence the self-perceived well-being of teachers in K-12 Christian schools. The sample for this study was convenient, non-probable, and purposive and comprised of 81 teachers from one Christian school system in Florida. The measurement tool used in this study is based on Seligman’s (2011) work on well-being. The Workplace PERMAH Profiler is a valid and reliable (α = .94) instrument that measures flourishing in terms of six domains: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, and health. The internal reliability of study participant responses to survey items associated with the construct …

The Impact Of Pear Deck On Student Achievement And Perceptions, Eric Gross

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This research determined the impact of the interactive technology Pear Deck on student achievement and perceptions of learning. Existing peer-reviewed research on the topic is limited. In this action research, the researcher had one 10th grade Global Studies class learn the subject matter from a traditional teacher-led lecture, while the other class learned the same content using a student-paced Pear Deck. The next class day, both groups took the same assessment to measure their achievement levels. The Pear Deck group also completed a brief survey on their perceptions of learning with Pear Deck. The results of the research revealed the …

The Impact Of Notetaking In A Middle School History Class, Marybeth Flietstra

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the impact of notetaking in a 7th grade World History classroom on learning and engagement. A mixed-methods study of 36 7th grade students was used to determine significant differences between notetaking styles, student performance, and engagement during short class lectures. Post-lecture assessments, Likert-style surveys, and student notes were assessed and triangulated, while interviews and survey questions were evaluated to illustrate common themes and perceptions of notetaking. Data analysis revealed that notetaking does have some impact on both academics and engagement, however, the style of notetaking made a significant difference. Additionally, …

Student Engagement Action Research A Focus On Culturally Relevant Instructional Methods, Amia Dixon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action study was to determine the impact the use of culturally relevant instructional methods (researcher created term) would have on student achievement and student motivation. The use of culturally relevant teaching methods is rooted in culturally relevant pedagogy first introduced by Gloria Ladson-Billings and culturally responsive teaching practices first introduced by Geneva Gay. The study implemented an intervention cycle that modified the fourth-grade curriculum by differentiating lessons based on learning style, incorporating an “activator” that connects to the students’ culture and builds background knowledge, allowing student choice for instructional text, increasing the use of culturally relevant …

Building Student Engagement With Google Spaces, Peg Hohensee

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Google Spaces is an easy to setup group chat that could help with community building and communication. The presenter will demonstrate creating a Google Space. The presenter will also discuss the results of having used a Google Space with a class and brainstorm with participants uses for future classes.

How To Retain Your Best Faculty Members, Jeff Buller

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

As department chairs, we devote a great deal of time and energy to recruiting excellent faculty members, but we spend far less time and energy trying to retain them. Superb college professors are vital to a department’s success, but they are also highly competitive in the marketplace. They have options and, if they begin to think that they can do better (financially or otherwise) elsewhere or even outside of academia, they’ll start looking elsewhere. In this best practices workshop, we’ll explore how to apply certain strategies to our work at the departmental level so as to increase the likelihood that …

Increasing Collaboration Between Extension And University Faculty: The Value Of A Dedicated Faculty Liaison, Heidi L. Radunovich, Nick T. Place

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This paper describes the development of a faculty liaison position created to increase collaboration between Extension and other university units and provides original research assessing the programmatic outcome. An assessment of initial collaborations was done, and a survey was given to university faculty to assess their impressions of Extension at the start of the position and after four years. The position provided a significant increase in collaborative projects and reported collaboration, and reported perceptions of Extension improved, while the ability to define the terms Extension and land-grant did not change. Suggestions for improving upon such a position are made.

Literacy Stars In The Making: Reading & Writing Fluency Idol, Kristine Calo, Ellen Koitz, Jennifer Dinterman, Cassidy O'Neill

Literacy Practice and Research

This article describes an intervention project with 20 K-5 students who were receiving remedial reading support during a summer reading clinic. Reading & Writing Fluency Idol capitalizes on the power of poetry, scaffolding, and explicit feedback to motivate and engage students while building a wide range of literacy skills. The K-5 students read mentor poems and texts using a variety of evidence-based fluency practices, and then used the texts as models for their own writing. The article explains how the authors implemented the intervention culminating in a Fluency Idol event to showcase and celebrate the children as readers and writers.

Effects Of Performance Feedback On High School Teachers’ Use Of Opportunities To Respond And Positive Feedback: Considering Efficiency In High Need Schools, Nathan Meyer, Amy Stevens, Terrance M. Scott, Marlene Parish

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

The transition into high school presents new challenges for adolescents and performance in ninth grade is highly predictive of success throughout the remainder of high school. However, focus on teacher performance has great promise for increasing student engagement in the classroom and raising student achievement. Unfortunately, many of these practices typically are not implemented within classrooms where students are at highest risk for failure. Two studies were implemented to examine the effect of simple performance feedback strategies as a means of increasing teachers’ provision of opportunities for student responses and positive feedback during instruction. Results showed no effect in teacher …

An Examination Of Response Requirements Associated With Teachers' Use Of Different Opportunities For Student Response During Instruction, Todd Whitney, Terrance M. Scott, Justin T. Cooper

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Providing effective instruction that increases the degree to which students are engaged with the instructional content has been identified as a research-based practice in that it is associated with positive academic and behavioral outcomes. One high-leverage practice for engaging students is the provision of opportunities to respond (OTR) during instruction. However, previous research has shown that teachers at every level typically use OTRs at rates far below research-based recommendations. This study adds to the literature by breaking OTRs into verbal, non-verbal, and partner categories to further examine how teachers typically foster student engagement. Across 1095 total observations, OTR rates were …

Examining Faculty’S Transition To 100% Online Learning During A Pandemic: A Narrative Inquiry, Christa Ann Banton, Jose Garza

The Qualitative Report

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) quickly emerged as an unprecedented pandemic that has impacted communities at every level. Although online teaching is not a new concept, many faculty entered new territory as they transitioned into the online learning environment at the onset of the pandemic. This qualitative, narrative inquiry sought to capture the unique experiences of on-ground faculty during the rapid transition into online learning. Through these twenty interviews, some emerging themes included the instability and usage of technology, changes in engagement and participation, and the need for additional student and faculty support. Emerging themes provide insight to future implications related …

Students’ Perceptions Of The Effects Of Internships On Confidence And Post-Graduation Outcomes In Higher Education, Jaime L. Grillo

Theses and Dissertations

Internships as a form of experiential learning have been consistently considered a “high impact educational experience” because of the value that it provides students during their college careers (O’Neill, 2010, p. 7). Administrators and faculty professionals in colleges and universities are in positions to encourage student engagement by creating experiential learning opportunities for students that will aid them in navigating their academic major and intended career trajectory. This study focused on how a stronger emphasis on internships could influence confidence among college students, as well as play a part in their decision-making process when considering post-graduation plans. The researcher explored …

A Phenomenological Case Study Of Teacher Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of Project-Based Learning, Dawn Bartz

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological case study explored the experiences of three middle school social studies teachers as they implemented a unit of instruction using project-based learning (PBL) in their eighth grade, social studies classrooms. Middle school is often where we see student engagement significantly diminishing and national scores on reading, writing and mathematics declining; the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this. PBL, as an instructional methodology that promotes hands-on learning and a strong connection between the classroom and the outside world, and first introduced in the early 1900s by John Dewey and William Kilpatrick, may help to stem the pandemic’s effects that …

A Teaching Professor Attending A Conference Called The Teaching Professor, Kurt Debord

Title III Professional Development Reports

The Teaching Professor was a conference held in New Orleans, LA in June 2023. I attended sessions and became more informed about how to better engage my students in the classroom by using group-oriented techniques that demonstrably increased participant conversation during the conference. Using rubrics to improve student performance and speed grading time was discussed at length. Useful resources were provided in all sessions.

Scope Of Open Education: A New Framework For Research, Virginia Elizabeth Clinton-Lisell, Jasmine Roberts-Crews, Lindsey Gwozdz

Library Faculty Publications

The field of open education and research on the topic has notably expanded since the introduction of the term 20 years ago. Given these developments, a framework to structure research inquiry is necessary to ground and organize findings in open education. We propose the SCOPE framework for open education research: social justice, cost, outcomes, perceptions, and engagement. In this article, we explain how this framework emphasizes the need for social justice at the forefront of open education research. In addition, we incorporate existing theories in social justice, motivation, cognition, pedagogy, and engagement into each of the components to propose theoretical …

Six Modes Of Giving Pedagogy For Engagement And Wellbeing – For Teachers And Students, Thomas W. Nielsen, Jennifer S. Ma

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The present study took place across two outdoor education trips to the Great Barrier Reef with two groups of college students (N = 36; 16-19 years), five staff, and one of the authors (TWN). The aim was to explore how an explicit understanding and implementation of the wellbeing research around cultivating generous behaviour for meaningful happiness could be ‘experienced’ by staff and students and articulated as an educational framework, or ‘pedagogy’. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to record and interpret pedagogical transactions of giving. Six repeated themes were identified: (1) exploration, (2) modelling, (3) explicit instruction, (4) incidental learning, (5) crisis …

Fostering Engagement With Voicethread In Online Intermediate Spanish Language Classes, Karen Acosta, Ericka H. Parra Dr

The Coastal Review: An Online Peer-reviewed Journal

It is estimated that more than 1.5 billion students have been affected during the course of the global coronavirus pandemic by school and university closures. As a way to navigate this new instructional landscape, the researchers aimed to find a tool that would allow students to develop and practice communicative language skills in their online Spanish classes. In this research study, participants used VoiceThread over the course of a semester and then reflected on their comfort level using communicative skills in Spanish before and after using the tool, as well as whether they perceived that using the platform in their …

To Believe Or Not To Believe: Assessing The Credibility Of Social Media As Non-Formal Learning, Ralf St. Clair, Maryam Shirdel Pour Ms, James Nahachewsky

Adult Education Research Conference

Examines the criteria used by adults to assess the credibility of resources encountered online and the extent to which they differ from younger cohorts. Key information for design of adult online education.

Recent Community College Alumni: Increasing Donors Through Communication And Engagement, Beverly Loraine Rufty

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Due to ongoing financial cuts and budget restraints, community colleges have turned to alumni association fundraising to support their mission and advance their institution. Fundraising for any organization is challenging, but community college alumni institutions have a more difficult time than their university counterparts in recruiting alumni donor support. Community college alumni associations must maintain effective communication to successfully engage recent alumni and build relationships with potential donors. The purpose of this study was to analyze the literature and data collection using a convergent mixed methods design to address the lack of financial support from recent community college alumni. This …

Small And Medium-Sized Enterprise Beauty Salon Employer Strategies Used To Improve Employee Retention, Angela Lynette Loyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retention strategies are important to beauty salon leaders as they directly affect retaining a reliable workforce. Grounded in self-determination theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative case study was to explore retention strategies used by some SME beauty salon leaders in the United States to improve employee retention. The participants were five SME beauty salon leaders who retained at least two employees for 2 consecutive years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and company documents. The four themes from the thematic analysis were leadership, psychological needs satisfaction, motivation, and engagement. A key recommendation is to have SME beauty salon leaders …