Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 34

Full-Text Articles in Education

The Effects Of Communicative Language Teaching Methods (Clt) Of Teaching Ancient Greek On Student Motivation, Language Learning Experience, Self-Efficacy, Facilitating Anxiety, And Debilitating Anxiety Compared To The Grammar Translation Method (Gtm), Dustin J. Humphreys Dec 2023

The Effects Of Communicative Language Teaching Methods (Clt) Of Teaching Ancient Greek On Student Motivation, Language Learning Experience, Self-Efficacy, Facilitating Anxiety, And Debilitating Anxiety Compared To The Grammar Translation Method (Gtm), Dustin J. Humphreys

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if ancient Greek language programs that use communicative language teaching methods (CLT) produce different student motivation, language learning experience, self-efficacy, facilitating anxiety and debilitating anxiety scores than programs that primarily use the grammar-translation method (GTM) of teaching ancient Greek. This study is critical because the comprehensive teaching of the ancient Greek language has been on the decline in recent decades. This research aims to inform colleges, seminaries, and other language learning schools that teach classical languages, such as ancient Greek, about the potential positive effects of CLT on student motivation, …


Solving The Problem Of The Reading Achievement Gap Among Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners In A West Texas Elementary School: An Applied Study, Narichica V. Handy Nov 2023

Solving The Problem Of The Reading Achievement Gap Among Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners In A West Texas Elementary School: An Applied Study, Narichica V. Handy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to solve the problem of low reading achievement among English language learners at Wiley Elementary School in West Texas. A multi-method design was used, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach involved semistructured interviews with campus administrators, campus teaching coaches, and dual language teachers. The second approach involved conducting a focus group with campus administrators, campus teaching coaches, and dual language teachers. The third approach consisted of a document review of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness reading results. The findings resulted in several recommendations for solving the problem …


Educators’ Perceptions Of Implementing The Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence: A Multiple-Case Study, Terra Elizabeth Brown Jordan May 2023

Educators’ Perceptions Of Implementing The Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence: A Multiple-Case Study, Terra Elizabeth Brown Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to describe educators’ perceptions concerning the implementation of the Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence (SPIRE) as an intervention to help students meet state proficiency standards at a large suburban school district in Utah. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory served as the theoretical framework to guide an inquiry into educators’ beliefs and how well they executed the SPIRE intervention to answer the central research question, “How do educators explain their perceptions of the use of SPIRE in the classroom?” This study utilized a multiple-case study design that captured the perception of 12 educators who …


Teachers' Lived Experiences Using Reading Strategies To Prepare For High-Stakes Exams In The Elementary, Middle, And High School Science Classroom: A Phenomenological Approach, Lishon Michelle Bryan Nov 2022

Teachers' Lived Experiences Using Reading Strategies To Prepare For High-Stakes Exams In The Elementary, Middle, And High School Science Classroom: A Phenomenological Approach, Lishon Michelle Bryan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the transcendental phenomenological study was to describe science teachers' lived experiences using reading strategies to improve literacy skills and prepare elementary, middle, and high school students for high-stakes science exams in the Southeast Region of the United States. At this stage in the research, literacy skills are students' abilities to gain and create knowledge through reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The theory that guided this study was Bandura's social cognitive theory regarding self-efficacy, as it examined how teachers perceived their ability to implement reading strategies in the science classroom. This research study's central question asks, "What reading …


A Multi-Case Study Examining The Practices Of Fourth-And Fifth-Grade Teachers In Title 1 Schools Who Use Specific Reading Strategies To Teach The Comprehension Of Informational Text, Candice Maureen Smith Jul 2021

A Multi-Case Study Examining The Practices Of Fourth-And Fifth-Grade Teachers In Title 1 Schools Who Use Specific Reading Strategies To Teach The Comprehension Of Informational Text, Candice Maureen Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multi-case study was to examine the practices of fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in Title 1 schools who use specific reading strategies to teach the comprehension of informational text. One theory that guided this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory focusing on the zone of proximal development as it applies to what a learner can do with and without help, and his concept of learning and development, whereby a child does not develop independently of his or her environment. In addition, Bandura’s social cognitive theory served as a guiding theory for this study. The design was a multiple …


Solving The Problem Of The Transferability Of Response To Intervention Skills To The General Education Setting: An Applied Approach Study, April Renee Freeney Jun 2021

Solving The Problem Of The Transferability Of Response To Intervention Skills To The General Education Setting: An Applied Approach Study, April Renee Freeney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of the transferability of Response to Intervention (RTI) skills (specifically tiers 2 and 3) into the general education setting for students at an elementary school located in middle Tennessee and to design practices to address the problem. Data collection included interviews, achievement scores, and surveys from over 60 stakeholders at the elementary school. This data was collected from stakeholders to include teachers, students, administrators, and interventionists. After collecting data from the stakeholders at the elementary school, analysis strategies were incorporated to describe the problem. Coding, direct analysis, and descriptive …


Examining The Relationship Between Academic Achievement And English Language Proficiency, Cynthia Grant Hyacinth Dec 2020

Examining The Relationship Between Academic Achievement And English Language Proficiency, Cynthia Grant Hyacinth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

English language learners continue to be a growing demographic in American schools. Despite this, linguistically diverse students’ academic achievement continues to lag behind their native English-speaking counterparts. Historically, language proficiency measures have measured language proficiency in terms of social English, neglecting the importance of academic language development. Using Cummins’ threshold hypothesis as a framework for distinguishing social English development from academic language development, language proficiency assessments and standardized assessments focused on reading achievement were examined. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine if a relationship exists between 5th grade English language learners scores on a state-mandated standardized …


The Storying Of Colombian Writing Centers, Jennifer Erin Pretzer Jul 2020

The Storying Of Colombian Writing Centers, Jennifer Erin Pretzer

Masters Theses

Using the results from a study conducted on Colombian writing centers, this thesis applies principles from narrative theory to posit a grand narrative for Colombian writing center professionals. The study was modeled on one Jackie Grutsch McKinney used to examine US writing center professionals’ descriptions of their work, and the thesis includes a comparison with her results. Respondents were asked to answer seven questions, two of which were multiple choice and five of which were short answer. The questions asked respondents to describe their tutoring staff composition, their center’s operations, writing centers in general, and ways their center resembles and …


The Lived Experiences Of High School Students Who Self-Identify As Readers: A Phenomenological Study, Michael J. Romick Jul 2020

The Lived Experiences Of High School Students Who Self-Identify As Readers: A Phenomenological Study, Michael J. Romick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and better understand the lived experiences of what it means to be a reader as a high school student. The literature revealed a plethora of studies and articles on various aspects of reading and many pieces from teachers, researchers, and academics’ perspectives, but there are virtually no studies that have explored what being a reader means from the high school reader’s perspective; no studies that have explored the lived experiences of what being a reader means to high school students. The central question guiding this study asked, “What is the lived …


The Difference Between Homogeneous Grouping And Heterogeneous Grouping In Gifted Students’ Reading Achievement, Amy E. London Apr 2020

The Difference Between Homogeneous Grouping And Heterogeneous Grouping In Gifted Students’ Reading Achievement, Amy E. London

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The educational focus of the United States is on ensuring that all students are proficient in the areas of reading and math. Most academically gifted and talented students are placed in heterogeneously grouped classrooms; thereby, ignoring the needs of these talented readers. This quantitative causal-comparative study sought to determine if a difference existed between the reading achievement growth of gifted elementary students who were homogeneously grouped for reading instruction as compared to gifted elementary students who were heterogeneously grouped for reading instruction with a sample size of 119 gifted elementary students in the State of Georgia. Additionally, it looked at …


Causal-Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Classworks As A Tier Ii Intervention On Middle School Struggling Readers, Tammy Kamerik Small Apr 2020

Causal-Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Classworks As A Tier Ii Intervention On Middle School Struggling Readers, Tammy Kamerik Small

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to investigate the effects of ClassworksTM as a Tier II intervention on middle school struggling readers as part of a Response to Intervention system. This study sought to determine whether the ClassworksTM intervention administered in a small group twice per week during a supplemental reading class would improve reading skills as measured by the MAP Growth Test after 12 weeks. Two groups of students (Grades 6–8) from four middle schools in a suburban, South Carolina school district were used in the study. Archival data were analyzed with a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) …


Causal-Comparative Study Of Reading Self-Efficacy Of Senior High School Students Based On English Course Placement, Carrie Marie Deel Jun 2019

Causal-Comparative Study Of Reading Self-Efficacy Of Senior High School Students Based On English Course Placement, Carrie Marie Deel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In addition to requisite knowledge and skills in the area of reading, self-efficacy is imperative for students’ success in academic tasks. While a considerable amount of research has been conducted on self-efficacy, there is a dearth of research with high school students’ reading self-efficacy. Moreover, there is virtually no research investigating the potential differences in reading self-efficacy for students enrolled in different kinds of senior English courses. This non-experimental quantitative causal-comparative study sought to examine whether there was a difference between the reading self-efficacy for male and female students enrolled in general education English classes and students enrolled in dual …


The Relationship Between College Student Attitudes Towards Online Learning Based On Reading Self-Efficacy, Ethnicity, And Age, Felecia Edwards May 2018

The Relationship Between College Student Attitudes Towards Online Learning Based On Reading Self-Efficacy, Ethnicity, And Age, Felecia Edwards

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The convenience of online programs has revolutionized education to make it available for more people interested in seeking to further their education. Students enrolling into various online, higher education programs have different aptitudes and factors that play a role in their experiences and successful completion of the program. The study aims to determine relationships between factors that may influence the students’ attitudes towards online programs. The factors include reading self-efficacy, ethnicity, and the age of the college students. The present study examines these relationships between self-reported self-efficacy, ethnicity, and age, as related to attitudes toward online learning. The participants consisted …


The Effects Of School-Based Tutoring On The Reading Scores Of Third Grade Students, Jenny Washington May 2018

The Effects Of School-Based Tutoring On The Reading Scores Of Third Grade Students, Jenny Washington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Reading below grade level in the third grade is a serious issue that too many students are facing. If struggling readers do not improve their reading skills prior to entering the fourth grade, they risk academic failure and limited success in the future. It is important, therefore, to get students who are not reading on grade level back on track as soon as possible. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine the effectiveness of tutoring for improving the reading skills of third graders. A sample population of 2,565 third graders from 43 Title I elementary schools in …


The Effect Of Social Skills Instruction On Seventh-Grade Students Taking A Language Arts Class, Donna Smith Apr 2018

The Effect Of Social Skills Instruction On Seventh-Grade Students Taking A Language Arts Class, Donna Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

mplementing programs in social skills development will affect academic achievement among children who are Grade 7 students. A quantitative study was conducted using a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, nonequivalent control-group design to determine if direct instruction in social skills has an impact upon academic achievement and social skills development. Participants were 128 students drawn from six intact classes of seventh grade students from a rural middle school in West Georgia. Participants completed a pretest and posttests, the Social Skills Improvement System- Rating Scale. During the treatment period, the treatment group received social skills instruction through stories from William J. Bennett’s The Book …


The Effectiveness Of High Frequency Word List Instruction On Star Reading Test Scores, Michael Foster Dec 2017

The Effectiveness Of High Frequency Word List Instruction On Star Reading Test Scores, Michael Foster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to test the theory of using high frequency word list (HFWL)-based instruction when teaching beginning reading instruction. This study compared the reading fluency changes of eight classes across three different grades containing 115 students over 5 months as measured by the Standardized Test for the Assessment in Reading (STAR) when intervention students are given identical instruction using different popular HFWLs. One control group received no such intervention. The Fry HFWL was used. The resulting scores were analyzed using an independent-samples t test. The comparisons determined the effectiveness of teaching beginning reading using …


Academy Of Reading® Impact On Student Achievement In Extended Learning Program, Latrasha Palmer Aug 2017

Academy Of Reading® Impact On Student Achievement In Extended Learning Program, Latrasha Palmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this casual-comparative study was to assess the effectiveness of Academy of READING® (AOR) on eighth grade Response to Intervention students using third nine-week benchmark scaled score and Criterion Reference Competency Test scaled score. The data collected from a public middle-school in rural Georgia revealed how student achievement, gender, and socioeconomic status were impacted by AOR. AOR participants, the treatment group, received 45 minutes of research-based computer intervention while the control, non-participating AOR, did not receive computer-based instruction during extended learning. This study compared differences in the mean scaled scores for at-risk students using an independent samples t-test. …


The Relationship Between Reading Fluency And Lexile Measures, Joshua Purvis Mar 2017

The Relationship Between Reading Fluency And Lexile Measures, Joshua Purvis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With increasing emphasis being placed on teachers to show an improvement in student achievement, schools are relying on indicators such as reading fluency and reading comprehension to gauge student progress throughout the year. Since the growth on these assessments are used in calculating teachers and administrators’ yearly job evaluations, the significance of these measures has never been higher. Teachers and administrators want to know if the time spent on measures such as reading fluency is worth the sacrifice in the instructional day, when this time could be spent on teaching state mandated standards. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental correlational …


Investigation Of Differences In Star Reading Scores For Second- And Third-Grade Students Who Received Differentiated Reading Instruction, Elizabeth Hearn Jul 2014

Investigation Of Differences In Star Reading Scores For Second- And Third-Grade Students Who Received Differentiated Reading Instruction, Elizabeth Hearn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study investigated the effects of teaching Response to Intervention curricula in second and third grades in a rural school district in Georgia. A causal-comparative design was used to compare scaled score gains of students who were taught using an RTI approach with curriculum available in How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3 (Walpole & McKenna, 2009) and students who were taught with other unidentified RTI curricula. Students in both groups participated in either Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading instruction in addition to Tier 1 regular classroom instruction. The STAR Enterprise Reading Test served as …


Comprehension And Motivation Levels In Conjunction With The Use Of Ebooks With Audio: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Post-Secondary Remedial Reading Students, Kimberly Wheeler Apr 2014

Comprehension And Motivation Levels In Conjunction With The Use Of Ebooks With Audio: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Post-Secondary Remedial Reading Students, Kimberly Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quasi-experimental pretest, posttest nonequivalent control group study investigated the comprehension scores and motivation levels of post-secondary remedial reading students in a two-year technical college in Northwest Georgia using an eBook, an eBook with audio, and a print book. After reading a module on Purpose and Tone in the three book formats, data was collected from a convenience sample of 67 participants. Data consisted of reading comprehension scores taken from a pretest and posttest and reading motivation scores taken from a pre-survey and post-survey. The pretest and pre-survey were not used as covariates in the final analyses as they were …


The Impact Of The Read 180 Program On Response To Intervention, Kimberly Roshell Rakestraw Oct 2013

The Impact Of The Read 180 Program On Response To Intervention, Kimberly Roshell Rakestraw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the Read 180 program as a Response to Intervention reading strategy tool for middle school students. This study explored the effect of the RtI-designed technology-based reading program on seventh and eighth-grade students labeled as at-risk for reading failure. Data was analyzed using the standardized analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Participants in this study were given pseudonyms to protect their identity and scores. In addition, pseudonyms for the county and school where research was conducted were provided. The results of the study indicated that the Read 180 program at the focus …


Accelerated Reader And Its Effects On Fifth-Grade Students' Reading Comprehension, Jan Nichols Apr 2013

Accelerated Reader And Its Effects On Fifth-Grade Students' Reading Comprehension, Jan Nichols

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Schools in the United States have been using the Accelerated Reader (AR) program since the mid-1980s. A search of the literature related to the effectiveness of the AR program revealed that many of the studies were conducted more than a decade ago, and a large number of those studies failed to utilize a control group to provide comparative data. Researchers and educators have examined the use of the AR program, whose parent company is Renaissance Learning, for more than 20 years, yet there is still little definitive data on whether the system positively affects student reading comprehension and motivation to …


The Relationship Of Student Family Structure And Absence Type To Reading Achievement, James Hixson Jul 2012

The Relationship Of Student Family Structure And Absence Type To Reading Achievement, James Hixson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Middle school students are affected to different degrees by absences from school. While social learning theory suggests students acquire new skills through observation and modeling, some students are more able than others to compensate for school absences. Research has shown that a student's family structure can influence achievement. Unexcused absences have also been linked to lower achievement than excused ones. Excessive unexcused absences have also been associated with family problems including insufficient support for school endeavors. This quantitative causal comparative research study will examine the relationship between family structure and absence type to reading achievement in a Title I school. …


Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant Apr 2012

Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examined music-integrated (MI) instruction, framed by automatic information processing theory and elements of prosody. A quasi-experimental, pre- and posttest design was utilized to ascertain the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency among first grade students. Subjects were students in two public elementary schools in Georgia. To determine the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency scores, independent samples t-tests were employed to compare students' Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) test scores. Analysis revealed to what degree MI instruction in reading had effect upon two DIBELS indicators, specifically nonsense word fluency (NWF) and phoneme segmentation fluency …


The Correlation Between The Three Reading Fluency Subskills And Reading Comprehension In At-Risk Adolescent Readers, Craig Courbron Apr 2012

The Correlation Between The Three Reading Fluency Subskills And Reading Comprehension In At-Risk Adolescent Readers, Craig Courbron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine which of the three reading fluency subskills were most strongly correlated with reading comprehension in adolescent at-risk readers. The participants were 82 adolescent males (ages 13-19) who had been committed to a juvenile detention facility. Archival data from a two-year period was collected from a maximum security juvenile detention facility in a rural section of the Northeastern United States. The Measures of Academic Progress test was used to collect reading comprehension data; the Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 test was used to collect reading speed and reading accuracy data; the Multidimensional Fluency Scale was …


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 …


The Appeal Of Caldecott Award Winning Books And Their Importance In The Classroom, Rebecca Ann Hoffman Oct 2010

The Appeal Of Caldecott Award Winning Books And Their Importance In The Classroom, Rebecca Ann Hoffman

Senior Honors Theses

The winners of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for picture books can be an excellent tool for teachers to enhance student learning. Teachers must understand the purpose of the Caldecott Medal and the criteria that the committee uses to select winners. Educators must also recognize the elements of Caldecott books that appeal to children including their illustrations, characters, and genres. Caldecott Medal winners can be used to enhance student learning in a variety of ways. They can be used with many grades, integrated with different subjects, related to important character principles, and used as a source of inspiration. Understanding the appeal …


Phonological Awareness In The Kindergarten Classroom: How Do Teachers Perceive This Essential Link From Oral Communication To Reading Skill Development, Margaret Catharine Dahmer Apr 2010

Phonological Awareness In The Kindergarten Classroom: How Do Teachers Perceive This Essential Link From Oral Communication To Reading Skill Development, Margaret Catharine Dahmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This descriptive research study, combining survey and correlation methods, described the perceptions and behaviors of kindergarten teachers in relation to phonological awareness usage in their classroom experience. Current research related to early literacy development acknowledges the significance of phonological awareness in emergent reading programs. The benefits of explicit phonological awareness instruction are well documented in reference to implications for current reading abilities and future academic achievements. The current study was developed to address a gap in current research associated with how kindergarten teachers perceive the importance of phonological awareness, and how this importance is demonstrated in their classroom experience. Participants …


Analyzing The Effects Of Two Response To Intervention Tools, Oral Reading Fluency And Maze Assessments, In The Language Arts Classrooms Of Middle School Students, Donna Lyerly Jones Oct 2009

Analyzing The Effects Of Two Response To Intervention Tools, Oral Reading Fluency And Maze Assessments, In The Language Arts Classrooms Of Middle School Students, Donna Lyerly Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study analyzed data to find a valid and reliable assessment for progress monitoring also having predictive power of a student's future reading performance on a state-mandated standardized reading achievement evaluation. The Response to Intervention (RTI) model was implemented in the language arts classrooms of a rural middle school in northeast Georgia to study the effectiveness of instruction for all students, the at-risk, general, and advanced population. This study used Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Maze fluency assessments to monitor student progress and to analyze data to drive instruction. The data were gathered weekly over a 23 week period, …


To Read Or Not To Read: A Comprehensive Study Of Effective Reading And Methods Of Teaching Reading, Morgan Decker Nov 2007

To Read Or Not To Read: A Comprehensive Study Of Effective Reading And Methods Of Teaching Reading, Morgan Decker

Senior Honors Theses

The ability to read written language proficiently is an important skill in modern society; however, reading seems to be a lost art in many ways. In order to correct this problem, educators must determine the most effective method for teaching reading to elementary students. The most prominent methods include the whole language method, the phonetic method, and the balanced method. Research on the techniques, advantages, disadvantages, and case studies associated with each method indicates that the most effective method for teaching reading to elementary students is the balanced method.