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Full-Text Articles in Education

Burnout Prevention In Christian Public And Private Middle School Leaders: A Qualitative Study, Rhonda Grider Purchase Apr 2024

Burnout Prevention In Christian Public And Private Middle School Leaders: A Qualitative Study, Rhonda Grider Purchase

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a momentous problem in academic settings today regarding stress and burnout among academic school leaders (Francis et al., 2017). The focus of this study was to examine the prevention of professional stress in the lives of middle school academic leaders. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of what the selected participants believed was the prevention of stress and burnout in middle school leaders in Newton County, Georgia. For this study, school leaders were defined as certified principals who hold a bachelor’s level or above degree and contribute to the academic environment …


A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Experiences With Educational Gamification And Its Impact On Student Engagement In The Middle School Math And Science Classroom, Kimberly Rudd Parks Aug 2023

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Experiences With Educational Gamification And Its Impact On Student Engagement In The Middle School Math And Science Classroom, Kimberly Rudd Parks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand digital gamification and its effect on student engagement based on the lived experiences of middle school math and science teachers in rural schools in the southeast region of the United States. Nick Pelling’s gamification theory guided the study herein. Gamification theory served as a tool to alter learner engagement which impacted instruction and learning. I used a criterion-based purposeful selection of 10 middle school math and science teachers with gamification experience. Participating teachers had three or more years of teaching experience and taught in regional rural schools. The hermeneutical phenomenological study …


Challenging The Gifted Learner Virtually: A Phenomenological Study, Amanda Jeane Price Jun 2023

Challenging The Gifted Learner Virtually: A Phenomenological Study, Amanda Jeane Price

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of core academic middle school teachers with differentiating instruction and assessment for gifted and talented students in rural southern Maryland. Two theories providing the theoretical framework for this study include Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and McClelland’s achievement-motivation theory These two theories explain learning experiences and interactions between the learner and the instructor while addressing the educator’s efficacy in challenging gifted learners within the virtual classroom. The central research question that guided this research was, “What are the shared lived experiences among select middle school, core academic, teachers when differentiating …


Sel And Community Engagement Strategies For The Recruitment And Retention Of Suburban Middle School Band Students, Gina Marie Vingara May 2023

Sel And Community Engagement Strategies For The Recruitment And Retention Of Suburban Middle School Band Students, Gina Marie Vingara

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has not yet found a correlation between community engagement and social-emotional learning (SEL) in a manner that benefits the recruitment and retention of suburban middle school band students. Teachers who create community engagement initiatives can boost the number of student recruits as the program becomes more widely recognized as a valuable asset of the school. This explanatory sequential mixed methods design study examined strategies regarding community engagement and SEL for recruiting and retaining middle school instrumental music education students. Perspectives on community engagement and SEL benefiting recruitment and retention of middle school band students emerged. Research revealed a connection …


A Causal-Comparative Investigation Of The Effect Of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Socioeconomic Status On Their Attitudes Toward Technology, Catherine Rose May 2023

A Causal-Comparative Investigation Of The Effect Of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Socioeconomic Status On Their Attitudes Toward Technology, Catherine Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study investigated the effect of middle school teachers’ perceptions of students’ socioeconomic status on their attitudes toward technology. The study was based on the theory of social constructivism and the will, skill, and tool model of technology integration to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward technology. This study advanced the body of knowledge by examining the connection between pedagogical beliefs and teachers’ attitudes toward technology, the use of technology with students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and the need for more research on technology use by teachers at the middle school level. The research question exploring the possibility of a …


Examining Administrators' Perceived Influence Of Social Media On Adolescent School Discipline: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Stephanie N. Cox Apr 2023

Examining Administrators' Perceived Influence Of Social Media On Adolescent School Discipline: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Stephanie N. Cox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand middle and high school administrators’ perceived influence of social media on school discipline and student behavior in southeastern Virginia. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Skinner’s behavioral theory of operant conditioning guided this study and provided the theoretical framework for learning through observation and reinforcement. Twelve middle and high school administrators participated in this study and shared their administrative experiences regarding social media and its perceived influence on student discipline and behavior in their respective schools. The central question guiding this research study was the following: What are the experiences of …


Improving Digital Literacy Through A 1:1 Digital Device Implementation: An Applied Study, Sherry Watts Mar 2023

Improving Digital Literacy Through A 1:1 Digital Device Implementation: An Applied Study, Sherry Watts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of the need to improve digital literacy for students on an urban middle school campus in South Texas and to design a solution to address this problem. I collected data using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Teachers and instructional coaches were interviewed via the Zoom video conferencing online platform to explore how teachers and instructional coaches described the relationship between the deployment of a 1:1 digital device program and the improvement of students' digital literacy on their middle school campus. I collected quantitative and qualitative survey data from teachers …


Differences In Career Development Progress Between Sixth-Grade General And Special Education Students After Completing A Career Development Curriculum, Talonne Renee Gungle Dec 2022

Differences In Career Development Progress Between Sixth-Grade General And Special Education Students After Completing A Career Development Curriculum, Talonne Renee Gungle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Career development is a lifelong process that begins in childhood and continues throughout adulthood. Little effort has been devoted to childhood career development; the focus is generally for older adolescents. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the differences in career development between general education and special education students who participate in a career development intervention and students that do not participate in the intervention. The results of this study are important to special education, so adequate interventions can be completed to better assist these students in career development. The study is a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control-group design that compares …


The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On Student Learning Of Fractions In Middle School Mathematics, Rebecca Love Palculict Aug 2022

The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On Student Learning Of Fractions In Middle School Mathematics, Rebecca Love Palculict

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today’s increasingly technologically-driven classroom, exploring whether computer-assisted instruction ensures students gain critical mathematic skills is an important area of study. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of computer-assisted instruction in learning manipulation of fractions. This study used archival data collected in August 2021 (pre-test) and January 2022 (post-test). Sixty-nine fifth-grade students in a middle school in rural Mississippi were participants in the study. This quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design analyzed data from the i-Ready diagnostic using an Analysis of Covariance. Results indicated a significant difference between the post-test scores of students who received interventions …


Effect Of 1:1 Implementation On Middle School Student Achievement, Dustin White May 2022

Effect Of 1:1 Implementation On Middle School Student Achievement, Dustin White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to understand which arrangement of technology provided the best results for middle school students. Educators and schools are trying to ensure that students are prepared for jobs that currently do not exist. Previous research has been conducted to look at the achievement of students; however, very little has been done to look at these levels at the middle school level in comparison to other schools in the same district. This quantitative causal comparative study sought to understand if differences exist between two groups of middle school students. One group participated in a 1:1 technology …


Alleviating Teacher Burnout: The Relationship Between Job Stress, Teacher Efficacy And Emotional Exhaustion Among Middle School Teachers, Katie Jo Blevins Oct 2021

Alleviating Teacher Burnout: The Relationship Between Job Stress, Teacher Efficacy And Emotional Exhaustion Among Middle School Teachers, Katie Jo Blevins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite increasing rates of teacher burnout, research is still unclear as to the exact triggers that eventually cause it. Two potential causes that are at the forefront of discussions regarding teacher burnout are job stress and teacher self-efficacy. Gaps in research indicate that more needs to be done to understand if there is a correlation between job stress, self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion, a core component of burnout. Research is scant regarding stress, teacher self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion at the middle school level even though there are a multitude of factors that can increase stress and decrease efficacy. To address research …


Perceptions Of General Education And Special Education Teachers Towards Inclusion: A Quantitative Study, Charity Leigh Kinneer Sep 2021

Perceptions Of General Education And Special Education Teachers Towards Inclusion: A Quantitative Study, Charity Leigh Kinneer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the attitudes of general education teachers and special education teacher of the inclusion classroom in the middle and high school levels. Using casual- comparative and survey methodology, the level of agreement or disagreement of these teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusive procedures was assessed in four areas: Planning, Classroom/School Environment, Collaboration/Team Partners, and Resources/Supports/Professional Development. The survey measured general education teachers and special education teachers in the middle and high school levels using a 19- item, five-point Likert scale. To address the research questions, an ANOVA was initially proposed. However, due to the low sample size of administrators …


Recommendations To Improve Co-Teaching Strategies In The Secondary Inclusion Classroom, Linda A. Stephen Sep 2021

Recommendations To Improve Co-Teaching Strategies In The Secondary Inclusion Classroom, Linda A. Stephen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied research study was to improve co-teaching strategies at Belmont Middle School (a pseudonym), in north Georgia. The researcher used a multi-method design that included qualitative and quantitative data. Three data collection strategies were used in this applied research study; interviews from general education teachers, a focus group with special education teachers, and a survey completed by general education and special education teachers. The central question that guided the research study was: How can co-teaching be improved at Belmont Middle School located in north Georgia? Common themes that emerged revealed that co-teachers desired more time to …


Male And Female Middle School Students' Attitudes Toward Science, Michelle Schpakow Apr 2018

Male And Female Middle School Students' Attitudes Toward Science, Michelle Schpakow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Women continue to be underrepresented in certain disciplines of science. Differences in male and female students’ attitudes toward science have been observed down to the middle school level. Attitudes, however, may be formed through the integration of multiple constructs: attitudes toward school science, desire to become a scientist, value of science to society, and perceptions of scientists. To fully understand the problem of the underrepresentation of females in science, differences in male and female middle school students’ attitudes toward science were analyzed across these constructs. A causal-comparative design was used to compare students’ attitudes toward science based on biological sex. …


The Correlation Between Nutrition And Academic Achievement In Georgia Middle Schools, Lesia Griffin Jul 2015

The Correlation Between Nutrition And Academic Achievement In Georgia Middle Schools, Lesia Griffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it is an important part of the academic achievement of students. Several hours after breakfast, the body requires more fuel. The fuel is used to energize the body and help feel refreshed. The wrong fuel may have the opposite effect. The primary objective of this correlation study was to determine if there was a relationship between the academic achievement, as measured by reading and math scores on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) of 8th grade students and their nutritional intake. The qualifications of the selected participants were that …


The Effect Of Thinking Maps® On The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students: An Ex Post Facto Causal Comparative Study, Karen Ogden Woodford May 2015

The Effect Of Thinking Maps® On The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students: An Ex Post Facto Causal Comparative Study, Karen Ogden Woodford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, relationship existed between Thinking Maps® instruction used as a school-wide strategy and student achievement in middle school students in the area of reading as reported by the Virginia State Standards of Learning Test scores. The association was tested through full implementation and instruction of Thinking Maps® as a school-wide strategy. Using a quantitative design, this ex post facto, causal comparative included a comparison of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students' Virginia Reading SOL scores from 2011, 2012, and 2013 after schools implemented Thinking Maps® as a school-wide strategy compared …


Middle School Teachers' Read-Aloud Practices In The Classroom: A Phenomenological Study, Christina Durham Jan 2014

Middle School Teachers' Read-Aloud Practices In The Classroom: A Phenomenological Study, Christina Durham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The possession of strong literacy skills will improve the quality of life for all children. Teacher read-alouds is a well-used practice within the elementary grades because of the intellectual and behavioral benefits for the students. However, there is a lack of research on this practice for middle school students. The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of middle school reading specialists toward read-alouds across the content areas. The participants were five reading specialists from one rural public school system and one suburban/rural public school system in Maryland. The reading specialists were interviewed about their …


Frequent Father Miles: A Phenomenological Study Of Divorced Fathers' Perceived Roles In Their Child's Education, Rebecca Bowman Jan 2014

Frequent Father Miles: A Phenomenological Study Of Divorced Fathers' Perceived Roles In Their Child's Education, Rebecca Bowman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how divorced fathers perceive their role in the education of their middle or high school child. The central focus of this study was: How do divorced fathers describe the roles they play in their child's education? The following questions guided the study: (a) How do divorced fathers describe the role they play in their child's education? (b) What are the factors that influence a divorced father's role in his child's education? (c) What can schools do to facilitate involvement of divorced fathers in their child's education throughout secondary schools? The co-researchers …


A Phenomenological Study: Students' Perceptions Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports In Pennsylvania Middle Schools, Brenda Zack Nov 2013

A Phenomenological Study: Students' Perceptions Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports In Pennsylvania Middle Schools, Brenda Zack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of middle school students in schools that have implemented School-wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) at the universal tier with fidelity. Much of the research on SWPBS has focused on achievement gains, discipline improvement, implementation process, and school personnel perceptions. There was a lack of research regarding students' perceptions of their real-life experiences of SWPBS. The rationale for this study was that students' perceptions can assist in improving SWPBS implementation at the universal level and promote implementation for schools considering SWPBS. The central question was what meaning do middle …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of Experience In Middle School Honors Math And Language Arts Courses And Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Preparedness For Similar High School Honors And Advanced Placement Courses, Melissa Butler Aug 2013

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Experience In Middle School Honors Math And Language Arts Courses And Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Preparedness For Similar High School Honors And Advanced Placement Courses, Melissa Butler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate student and teacher perceptions concerning the impact of honors middle school language arts and mathematics courses on preparedness for similar ninth through twelfth grade classes at a high school in northwest Georgia. The questions that guided the study focused on examining the perceptions of students and teachers who had experienced this phenomenon and their notions of the impact that participation in middle school honors mathematics and language arts courses had on preparedness for non-gifted students enrolled in similar accelerated high school courses. A transcendental phenomenological design was used to discover …


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Mathematics Class For Low Achieving Middle School Students In Northwest Georgia, Johnnie Coats Jul 2013

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Mathematics Class For Low Achieving Middle School Students In Northwest Georgia, Johnnie Coats

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

High-stakes testing has become crucial in public education, requiring students to meet increasingly higher standards, regardless of their ability levels. This causal-comparative study sought to determine the effectiveness of an intervention mathematics course in the middle school setting for at-risk, sixth grade students. The Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) math scores of 143 at-risk students enrolled in a remediation mathematics course were compared to scores from a control population of 143 at-risk students who did not participate in the class. Math scores from the 2008 administration of the CRCT test were used as covariates, and comparisons were made using …


A Grounded Theory Study Investigating How Parents' Adolescent Experiences Influence Their Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Their Children's Middle School Education, Brenda Williams May 2013

A Grounded Theory Study Investigating How Parents' Adolescent Experiences Influence Their Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Their Children's Middle School Education, Brenda Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore ways in which parents' past school experiences as adolescents influence their attitudes and behaviors toward their children's education. Three research questions related to parents' past experiences, current attitudes, and participation guided the study. Hope County School system (pseudonym), a suburban school system in the southeastern United States, was the setting for the study. Participants included 12 middle school parents. Three instruments were used for data collection: interviews, surveys, and reflective booklets. Data analysis was conducted using the grounded theory process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. From …


A Study Of Eighth Grade Students' Self-Efficacy As It Relates To Achievement, Gender, And Socioeconomic Status, Casandra Alldred Apr 2013

A Study Of Eighth Grade Students' Self-Efficacy As It Relates To Achievement, Gender, And Socioeconomic Status, Casandra Alldred

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational and causal comparative research design was to discover the existing relationships between students' self-efficacy and three other variables: (a) achievement, (b) gender, and (c) socioeconomic status. Approximately 257 eighth grade students participated in the study. The study was conducted in a non-diverse public school located in the northeastern mountains of Georgia. Over 55% of the students receive free/reduced price lunches. The findings from this study contribute to the growing knowledge about how the factors of achievement, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) are related to a student's self-efficacy. A correlational design was used to analyze the …


The Effect Of Online Collaborative Learning On Middle School Student Science Literacy And Sense Of Community, Jillian Wendt Apr 2013

The Effect Of Online Collaborative Learning On Middle School Student Science Literacy And Sense Of Community, Jillian Wendt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the effects of online collaborative learning on middle school students' science literacy and sense of community. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pretest/posttest control group design was used. Following IRB approval and district superintendent approval, students at a public middle school in central Virginia completed a pretest consisting of the Misconceptions-Oriented Standards-Based Assessment Resources for Teachers (MOSART) Physical Science assessment and the Classroom Community Scale. Students in the control group received in-class assignments that were completed collaboratively in a face-to-face manner. Students in the experimental group received in-class assignments that were completed online collaboratively through the Edmodo educational platform. Both …


Bridging The Divide: A Case Study Investigating Digitally-Wise Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Cyberbullying, Tiffany Graves Apr 2013

Bridging The Divide: A Case Study Investigating Digitally-Wise Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Cyberbullying, Tiffany Graves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of middle school, technologically proficient, or digitally-wise teachers, regarding how they defined, prevented, recognized, and handled incidences of cyberbullying in four middle schools located in Southern Virginia. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire, archival data, including school public records and lesson plans, and interviews. Data for this study were triangulated and synthesized following Stake's data analysis procedures to create naturalistic generalizations for the readers. All data was coded and 10 emergent themes developed. Digitally-wise middle school teachers voiced confidence about their ability to define cyberbullying; they shared …


Impact Of Looping On Middle School Science Standardized Achievement Tests, Tammy Barger Apr 2013

Impact Of Looping On Middle School Science Standardized Achievement Tests, Tammy Barger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Looping may be defined as a teacher remaining with a group of students for multiple academic years. In this quantitative study, looping was examined as a factor on science achievement. State-wide eighth grade school level 2010 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) data were used. By responding to a mailing, school administrators indicated if 2010 eighth grade students had or had not been looped. The schools' percentage of advanced and proficient Science PSSA data were used to determine if the independent variable had a significant impact on science achievement. The results of the independent t-test analysis suggest that looping does …


Effective Science Teaching In A High Poverty Middle School, Georgette Meyer May 2012

Effective Science Teaching In A High Poverty Middle School, Georgette Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative case study described the characteristics of science teachers in a high poverty urban middle school whose 2010 scores on South Carolina's Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) ranked second in the state. Data was obtained through classroom observations, open-ended interviews, school documents, and photographs taken inside the school from ten participants, who were seven science teachers, a science coach, and two administrators. Findings revealed a school culture that pursued warm and caring relationships with students while communicating high expectations for achievement, strong central leadership who communicated their vision and continuously checked for its implementation through informal conversations, frequent …


What Do Middle School Boys Read? An Observation Of Middle School Boys' Reading Choices, Sheilah Cooper Barnett Mar 2012

What Do Middle School Boys Read? An Observation Of Middle School Boys' Reading Choices, Sheilah Cooper Barnett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study investigated what current middle school boys are reading. The purpose of this study was to gain information that would aid educators in providing those reading materials and communicating with male students concerning their reading habits. Six middle school males were chosen for this study, which utilized a phenomenological approach to capture individual experiences. Results showed that boys do read, but they often read materials which educators do not generally accept as valid reading material, such as magazines. Boys often do not view themselves as readers. Males enjoy books with a lot of action and prefer to observe …


Gifted Dropouts: A Phenomenological Study, James Zabloski Apr 2010

Gifted Dropouts: A Phenomenological Study, James Zabloski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study of the life experiences of seven rural gifted individuals who dropped out of school investigated whether they shared commonalities that might have led to the phenomenon of dropping out. The problem was that no one had asked them to share their stories prior to this study. By searching for meaning in their individual and combined stories, the overarching theme of relationships weaved through all of them. Three themes emerged which contributed to their drop out decision: relational traumas, relational losses, and relationships with teachers. All of these gifted dropouts experienced a significant relational trauma in middle …


Impact Of Freshman Transition Interventions On Ninth Grade Academic Achievement, Emily Spake Brown Apr 2010

Impact Of Freshman Transition Interventions On Ninth Grade Academic Achievement, Emily Spake Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of various freshman transition interventions on student academic achievement. Specifically, this study aimed to measure academic success by focusing upon ninth grade End of Course Test (EOCT) scores. The data were collected using a researcher-developed survey. After securing permission from all superintendents, the survey was electronically mailed to all high school principals within the state of Georgia. Among participating systems, the survey response rate was 78.4 percent. Based upon expert opinion, the twenty individual intervention items were categorized into three domains. The domain data were analyzed using analysis of variance …