Education Commons^™

Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee

Senior Honors Theses

Attention spans have been decreasing throughout society for many years, partially due to the constant increase of technological advances. The average human attention span of eight seconds is particularly concerning to teachers and others in the classroom. It does not seem that the average attention span is ever going to increase, so teachers must implement intentional methods and strategies within their classroom to keep their students’ attention. Physical activities, technology and hands-on supports, small group instruction, shorter lessons, making intentional mistakes, flexible seating, and differentiated instruction are all strategies supported by research to improve student engagement within the classroom. Every …

The Needs Of Employing Blended Learning From Teachers' Point Of View In Basic Education Schools In Damascus City. احتياجات توظيف التعليم المدمج من وجهة نظر المعلمين في مدارس التعليم الأساسي في مدينة دمشق, Rwida Hamdan

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Education and Psychology

The research has been applied on a sample of (425) male and female teachers from basic education schools in Damascus in the second semester. The results showed the needs of employing blended learning in basic education schools from the point of view of teachers was high.There were no statistically significant differences according to the gender variable. There were no statistically significant differences according to the qualification variable. There were statistically significant differences according to the school dependency in favor of public schools.

A Occupational Therapy Guidebook For Teachers On Sensory Processing And Sensory Integration, Kaitlyn Stanley, Keisa Boykin, Heidi Woolley

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Children with sensory processing (SP) challenges find simple classroom tasks overwhelming and can present with deficits in behavior management, emotional regulation, and occupations due to the inability to self-regulate the sensory input from their environment. In addition, deficits in SP may impact a child's ability to maintain engagement and participation in the learning process. If these SP needs are not met through the school, the child lacks the adequate tools to be successful in learning, which is considered occupational injustice (AOTA, 2020). By providing teachers with the adequate educational tools to understand sensory processing and sensory integration (SP-SI), identify and …

Healing Racial Trauma From Public School Systems, Lisa Y. Collins

Journal of Research Initiatives

Oregon needs Black educators in the K-12 public school system. In 35 school districts throughout the state, the number of students of color has risen by over 40% in recent years (Oregon Chief Education Office, 2019). The number of educators of color in the state is under 10%. The number of Black educators is even lower. Research has shown that Black educators improve all students' academic, cultural, and social aspects, especially Black students. Nationally, Black educators were impacted by the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. At that time in history, Black communities fought for civil rights as they experienced …

The Essence Of K-12 Teaching In A Catholic Archdiocese In Kentucky During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Danielle Atzinger Wiegandt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic research showed that teacher attrition among new teachers (less than five years) was a problem for schools throughout the country and Catholic Schools were facing an even higher rate (Ingersoll, 2003). Research also shows that there are often cultural and structural components of Catholic schools that influence teachers to stay (Youngs, 2013; Convey, 2012, 2014). The COVID-19 pandemic forced the education system to pivot and teachers are expected to continue to have high standards for education while making these shifts.

In the early period of COVID-19 pandemic research was already suggesting attrition rates were rising …

Perspectives On Movement In The Classroom And Strategies That Keep Students Engaged, Darley Desormo

Honors College Theses

Within this study, the question of “what are teachers’ rationale for incorporating kinesthetic learning in the elementary classroom '' will be addressed. The purpose of this study is to gain insight from elementary teachers’ perceptions and their rationale on the use of movement-based learning in the classroom. To examine further into this research, interviews were conducted. Participants of the study were elementary classroom teachers. During seven online meetings, the researcher interviewed using consistent guiding questions asking elementary teachers about their implementation and rationale of movement-based learning in their classroom experiences. The researcher also asked questions to gain an understanding of …

A Glimpse Into Arkansas Teachers’ Grading Practices 2022-23, Sarah Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This case study assesses the current, self-reported grading practices among Arkansas teachers. We distributed a Teachers’ Grading Perceptions survey in November, 2022, and we conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals in January-February, 2023. We gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from the teacher survey, and we used interviews to collect themes for current grading practices in Arkansas’s schools. We generated a grading equity scale from the survey questions, verified by a reliable alpha coefficient = 0.83, and we use this in a multivariate regression to explore teacher characteristics and their likelihood of favoring grading equity practices. We collected themes …

Thinking Global, Acting Local, Ali Gohar Qazi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Ongoing or continuous professional development is essential for teachers to develop and maintain the knowledge base required to produce more powerful learning outcomes among their students. Research has shown that professional development is more effective and meaningful to teachers when it is content focused, involves active learning and collective participation, and when it is sustained in duration, instead of being top-down, episodic, or delivered as ‘one-shot’ training workshops.

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 …

Islamic Studies Teachers' Perspectives Of Applying Technology In Saudi Arabia Elementary Schools, Amal Abdulmohsen Alsaif

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the use of technology in education has been on the rise around the world, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. The integration of technology in Saudi education has the potential to enhance the quality of education, increase access to education, and provide students with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. It also has the potential to facilitate collaboration between students and teachers, both within and outside the classroom, and to promote lifelong learning.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate Islamic Studies teachers' perceptions of using technology in their classrooms …

Virtual Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katie B. Kelley

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Student motivation and the impacts of the school environment on it have been heavily researched. However, motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been studied in detail due to the recency of events. To understand how the pandemic impacted student motivation, this study applied the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in understanding how motivation functions through three pieces: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 1985). This current study examines students’ perceived motivation in virtual and hybrid instruction during a pandemic from students’ perspectives. It used surveys from a similar study with the addition of qualitative questions about instructional strategies (Edwards, 2009). …

Culturally Relevant Practices And Community: Increasing Minority Leadership In School Administration To Improve School Climate, Cassandra Suggs, Joy N. Rogers

Dissertations

This dissertation and research looks into the area of Culturally Relevant Practices and Leadership in K-12 schools and the potential effect on all students in having minority leadership present. The research dives into interviews of teachers, hiring leaders, district leaders and building leaders. It also uses survey results from over 700 students, with the central theme of the questions around school safety, climate, culture, support, academics and a sense of belonging. The research purpose was to look into the potential positive effect on students and staff, if Culturally Relevant Practices and hiring of minority leadership was in place within school …

Mobile Technology For Language Learning And Instruction: Investigating Beliefs And Attitudes Of Indonesian Efl Preservice Teachers, Dodi Siraj Muamar Zain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study is primarily aimed to investigate beliefs and attitudes of Indonesian EFL preservice teachers toward the use of mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets for learning and instructional practice in Indonesia. Furthermore, this phenomenological study attempted to reveal the factors affecting these two constructs from 20 Indonesian EFL preservice teachers through semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed participants’ beliefs that mobile devices could positively contribute to the development of language performance as learning tools and the development of language instruction as instructional tools. Regarding attitudes of EFL preservice teachers toward the use of mobile devices for learning and teaching, …

Evaluation Of The Availability And Utilization Status Of Texts In Core Subjects In Primary Schools’ Libraries, Valentine Joseph Owan, Daniel Clement Agurokpon, Abahcham V. Owan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study evaluated primary texts' availability and utilisation status in core subjects (English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Basic Science) in primary schools’ libraries in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State. The researchers formulated six null hypotheses to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population of this study comprised a total of 30,036 teachers and pupils, distributed across the 73 public primary schools. A proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 30% and 5% of the available teachers and pupils in each school, resulting in a sample of 270 respondents. …

Black Parent Advocacy And Educational Success: Lessons Learned On The Use Of Voice And Engagement, Mark Mcmillian

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

“The opportunity is there, this is what I think of when I think of role models, I think of my experience” (Anthony—a participant in this study—commenting on the effectiveness of advocating for his child). Black children encounter racism in American schools and parents need to advocate for them. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how Black parents developed and used their voice to advocate for their children in a predominantly White educational system with a history of racially disparate outcomes. Particularly, this study drew on the experiences of 15 participants, two men—one was a grandfather—and 13 women, …

Introduction: Stories That Mattered, Peter London

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Introduction to the themed issue of Artizein: Arts & Teaching Journal entitled 'Stories that Mattered.'

Taking Flight: Giving Up The Things That Weigh Me Down, Karina Malik

Occasional Paper Series

From the perspective of a Latinx, dual-language, special education, public school teacher, I explore and detail what an equitable and just education could look like in our future. I begin by envisioning a future that:

• Values collaboration in teaching and learning

• Allows for spaces of ongoing teacher learning where we teachers decide where we want to grow and how we want to learn.

• Invests in our growth and development as educators.

• Consists of a solid understanding that there is more expertise across communities than in any one person.

I continue by explaining that in order for this to be a …

Development And Initial Evaluation Of The Assessment Of Teacher Expectations And Practices (Atep), Kimberly Barajas

Dissertations

Teacher practices and expectations are important factors for students’ academic and behavioral functioning (Andersson & Palm, 2016; Oliver, Wehby, & Reschly, 2011; Rimm-Kaufman, Storm, Sawyer, Pianta, & LaParom 2006; Rubie-Davies, 2007; Sandholtz, 2011). The current measures available require a great deal of resources (i.e., time, money, personnel), have poor psychometric properties, or are not comprehensive (e.g., facets assessed; assessment of teacher practices for different grade levels). Given these concerns, the proposed study aimed to develop a psychometrically sound measure that is time and cost efficient and comprehensively assesses the multi-faceted construct of teacher practices. This measure is expected to allow …

Seeking Universal Education: From Singapore’S Educational Success, Gulnar Rzayeva

Master's Projects and Capstones

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, education is considered a fundamental human right. However, this right is not accessible for every child. Not all education systems are capable of providing quality education. There are various reasons behind this issue. Based on the OECD and PISA records, Singapore has a successful education system with multiple ethnicities and religions. This study intends to discover some characteristics of Singapore's education system and the feasibility of achieving similar success in other practices. In the methodology part, based on a literature review on the education policy and the education system of Singapore, content …

Seeking Universal Education: From Singapore’S Educational Success, Gulnar Rzayeva

Master's Projects and Capstones

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, education is considered a fundamental human right. However, this right is not accessible for every child. Not all education systems are capable of providing quality education. There are various reasons behind this issue. Based on the OECD and PISA records, Singapore has a successful education system with multiple ethnicities and religions. This study intends to discover some characteristics of Singapore's education system and the feasibility of achieving similar success in other practices. In the methodology part, based on a literature review on the education policy and the education system of Singapore, content …

Uncommon And Non-Traditional Urban Relationship Strategies: From Relationship Loss To Relationship Recovery, Lasonya L. Moore

Journal of English Learner Education

With increasing student diversity across our nation, there is a growing need to scale up educational innovations related to building holistic relationships. Many students in K-12 public schools enter educational settings with uncommon and nontraditional ways of building and developing longitudinal relationships that allow students to thrive and not just survive. Specifically, teachers/educators feel ill-equipped and ill-trained to adequately support the increasing number of English learners(ELs) and Exceptional education students (specifically Students of Color (SOC) with emotional and behavioral disorders) identified in inclusive classrooms. Thus, there remains an urgent need to share uncommon and non-traditional strategies to develop and build …

Mandated To Move: Teacher Identified Barriers, Facilitators, And Recommendations To Implementing Daily Physical Activity, Lauren Martyn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Ontario elementary school teachers are mandated to implement 20 minutes of physical activity into classroom instruction each day under the Ontario Daily Physical Activity policy but are experiencing barriers. Effective implementation is essential to school-aged children's daily physical activity recommendation and, ultimately, the physical, cognitive and emotional benefits that coincide. The present study engaged 13 teachers across Ontario who teach in elementary schools through small virtual focus groups. Discussion on the facilitators, barriers, and recommendations to incorporating physical activity in the classroom was explored through the social-cognitive and social-ecological frameworks. A thematic analysis revealed teachers most frequently identified barriers related …

Teacher Retention In High-Poverty, Urban Schools, Jill Love

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

Teaching has always been about the success of the students. Students who have effective, qualified teachers show the most success. Throughout the years, schools in urban areas have struggled to keep quality teachers within their buildings. Due to teacher turnover in the neediest schools, the students are greatly affected. The students in high-poverty urban schools are some of the lowest performing students across the country. When you pair low performance with significant teacher turnover, the outcome is grim. Research shows that districts and schools need to do more than just recruit qualified teachers, they must also retain them for …

Conversations With Australian Teachers And School Leaders About Using Differentiated Instruction In A Mainstream Secondary School, Kathryn Gibbs, Wendi Beamish

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Circumstances in today’s schools are requiring a rethinking of pedagogical approaches so that equitable learning opportunities are provided to all students. This small-scale, qualitative Australian study reports how some teachers and school leaders viewed differentiated instruction (DI) being applied in their secondary campus to address diverse abilities and needs. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted using Zoom. The analysis of data identified three themes related to DI: understandings, practices, and concerns. Findings showed that all participants understood many of the important elements of DI. Teachers reported using several well-known DI strategies, with experienced teachers applying a more considered approach. Teachers raised …

Strengthening Student Engagement Through Positive Teacher-Student Relationships, Kimberly H. Snodgrass

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between teacher-student relationships and student engagement. Specifically, this study was designed to answer the following questions (a) Is there a correlation between student engagement and teacher-student relationships? and (b) Is there a correlation between student engagement and a safe classroom environment (location of teacher-student relationship development)?

The Kentucky Student Voice Survey (KSVS) survey utilizing a Likert-scale was given anonymously to the students of 804 classroom teachers in grades three through twelve in a school district in the state of Kentucky. Of the seven domains of the KSVS, the domains of …

Understanding The Impact Of An Act Intervention Course Through The Perspectives Of Previous Students, April Clement

Online Theses and Dissertations

College admission exams have long been the determining factor in students' college acceptance as well as being used as a predictor of success in college. States across America also used college admission exams as a way to measure a school's success in multiple dimensions. This study examined the effect of placing participants in an ACT intervention course that provides them with instruction and material to help them in areas they were struggling in on the ACT. This study focused on an ACT test that participants took before taking the intervention course and a test after taking the course. Along with …

Media Literacy As An Internal And External Process. A Response To “Red States, Blue States, And Media Literacy: Political Context And Media Literacy”, Jolie C. Matthews

Democracy and Education

Curry and Cherner’s article, “Red States, Blue States, and Media Literacy: Political Context and Media Literacy,” discusses preservice teachers’ perspectives of teaching media literacy skills in politically opposite “Red” and “Blue” States. In this response, I argue the inclusion of additional demographic information about participants might open up new avenues for which to analyze the data. I also address how the article theoretically takes up media literacy as well what other definitions exist, with suggestions for how the term might be expanded to include internal (self-reflective) and external (outside sources) processes for students and educators to consider.

The Paramountcy Of Trauma Informed Classrooms, Jodi Elaine Carmeli

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students impacted by trauma make up a substantial portion of the overall population. Yet, schools throughout the United States have failed to adequately meet the needs of trauma-impacted youth and the teachers who support them. As a result, many students who might have otherwise developed academically, socially, and emotionally are dropping out and becoming maladjusted, which has wide-ranging, lasting impacts on society overall. Additional resources and training must be provided to the educational community, especially in areas where trauma is prevalent. Healthcare professionals such as psychologists and therapists have proven to be essential partners who are able to contribute their …

Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Techniques And Former Riverside County And San Bernardino County Teachers Of The Year: A Phenomenological Study, Brian Redmond

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine what former County Teachers of the Year understand and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally Responsive Factors (developing personal relationships, creating caring learning communities, establishing a business-like learning environment, establishing congruent communication processes and, teaching with assertiveness and clearly stating expectations).

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological design to discover what former County Teachers of the Year do to identify and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally …

The Perceptions Of Private Special Education School Leaders Regarding Their Role In Promoting Self-Care And Renewal Practices For Themselves And Their Teachers, Theresa Melito-Conners

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of private special education school leaders regarding their role in promoting self-care and renewal. There is limited research on self-care and renewal in schools. Data were gathered through surveys and interviews that addressed three guiding research questions: (a) Do school leaders consider self-care and renewal practices to be important for themselves and their teachers? (b) What are the various ways school leaders report they promote self-care and renewal practices for themselves and their teachers? (c) What do school leaders believe to be the factors and conditions that inhibit and foster their efforts to implement …