Examining Teacher Leadership: Phenomenology Of The Perceived Challenges Of Being A Teacher Leader, Noelle H. Green

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Today’s school leaders recognize that one person, mainly the principal, cannot adequately address the needs of all members of the school community. Many principals rely on teacher leaders to lead alongside them to further school improvement, knowing that the traditional way of thinking of school leadership as being the sole role of the principal is no longer effective or efficient. While K-12 teachers typically have a strong background in child development, psychology, and pedagogy, many lack experience in leading and facilitating adults and have little background in adult learning theory.

The purpose of this research is to determine how K-12 …

Designing Effective Online Courses: Exploring The Relationships Amongst Online Teaching Self-Efficacy, Professional Development, Online Teaching Experience, And Reported Implementation Of Effective Higher Education Online Course Design Practices, Elizabeth Mcmahon

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

How best to prepare and support higher education faculty to design and teach effective online courses is a topic of great significance to higher education institutional leaders and faculty developers. This study explored how hours of professional development along with online teaching and learning experiences were related to online teaching self-efficacy and the extent to which participants reported implementation of effective online course design practices. Using a non-experimental quantitative correlational explanatory research study design, data were collected using a questionnaire. Participants included 104 online faculty from a large public higher education system located in the upper Midwest that includes both …

Core Self-Evaluation Theory In Qualitative Research: Extending A Quantitative Theory Into A Qualitative Framework To Study Community College Faculty., Patria Lawton

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The use of qualitative research in higher education has long been underutilized, specifically when examining community colleges. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the need for more qualitative research focusing on the lives and work of community college faculty and to introduce the reader to Judge et al. (1997) Core Self-Evaluation Theory (CSE). The article describes the rationale and process of utilizing CSE as a viable theoretical framework in qualitative research. The author discusses the way in which CSE was extended from a traditional quantitative measure to a qualitative framework by walking the reader through a study which …

Self-Evaluation Of Educational Leadership Practices During Covid-19, Mike Coquyt

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts, and specifically, superintendents, are under increased pressure to lead. Irregularity and ambiguity are now the mantras of those tasked with leading in our schools. Many current research studies aim to evaluate the possible effects of COVID-19 on the system of education (Azorín, 2020; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2020), and advice on how to lead during a crisis (Harris & Jones, 2020; Leithwood et al., 2020, Netolicky, 2020). There are no standards or benchmarks to follow that could potentially aid school leaders as they navigate, lead, and make important decisions that affect how quality instruction …

The Effects Of Activity-Based And Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods On Student Attitude And Perception Toward Geometry, Wade Hukriede

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This quantitative action research project evaluated high school students’ attitude and perceptions toward geometry before and after two units that were taught. The first unit was taught using a more traditional style of teaching while the second method incorporated activity-based and inquiry-based lessons into a traditional method of teaching. The students were surveyed by using a modified version of Bauer’s (2008) Attitude Toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory. The survey was changed to focus on the students’ attitudes and perceptions toward geometry. Survey scores in the subscales: interest and utility, anxiety, intellectual accessibility, fear and emotional satisfaction were compared through …

The Effect Of Virtual Labs On High School Student Attitudes Towards Chemistry, Emily Koehler

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This mixed-methods action research project evaluated high school chemistry student attitudes towards chemistry before and after the students completed a virtual laboratory. Students were surveyed by utilizing the Attitude Toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory (Bauer, 2008) and a random sample of students were interviewed by the author. Survey scores in five subscales (emotional satisfaction, anxiety, intellectual accessibility, interest and utility, and fear) were compared through statistical analysis of mean, standard deviation, and t-test. Student attitudes were not significantly different before and after the virtual laboratory experience but did show a general decrease in perceptions of interest and utility of …

Disciplinary Measures In Primary Classrooms, Anna Willems

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

The experiment done by the researcher analyzed the effectiveness of each of the research-based disciplinary strategies commonly used in elementary classrooms. These strategies include positive reinforcement, increased movement in the classroom during instructional time, increased parent communication, and reinforcement of the classroom rules/expectations. The strategies’ effectiveness were tracked through behavioral charts kept by each of the students and marked by the classroom teacher throughout the day. Comprehensive data was sent back to parents on a weekly basis to update them on student behavior. The effectiveness on the charts were proven by the number of interruptions throughout each class period. …

The Effect Of Direct Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Instruction And Small Group Literacy Interventions On Kindergarten Students’ Reading Growth, Brianna Elizabeth Wierschke

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study focuses on the impact of the implementation of Heggerty Phonemic Awareness and Literacy Footprints guided reading system curriculum in a kindergarten classroom. Adding these interventions are to determine if a focus on phonemic awareness skills is essential for students to learn when beginning to learn how to read. Students were tested at the beginning of the school year for a base score, then tracked at every month, and then a final benchmarking in December. The study took place in a North Dakota elementary school, 23 kindergarten students was monitored for data purposes. The data and results demonstrate a …

Cyclical And Intentional Activity Selection In Inquiry-Based Learning Improved By 5e Learning, Mitchell Miller

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The researcher investigated the attitudes toward inquiry-based learning and grades of students in middle school science as well as the significance of rubric based classroom discussion. The literature showed the researcher inquiry-based learning has been shown to increase engagement and understanding. The literature also showed classroom discussions were made more meaningful by implementation of expectations and a rubric. The researcher provided evidence of a significant improvement of classroom discussion, attitudes toward inquiry-based learning, and grades due to implementation of the actions taken by the researcher. The researcher used Kristine Bruss’s discussion rubric and expectations. The researcher also used Paul Anderson’s …

Engagement In Music Education In The Upper Elementary Grades, Abigail Jirik

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The research was based on observations from the researcher’s time in the elementary music classroom and addresses the decline of willingness to participate in students in the upper elementary grades. The research addresses the following two research questions; how do family and student attitudes and dynamics towards singing affect student participation in singing in elementary music class? And in what ways could singing be presented and included in instruction to better engage the older elementary learner? The researcher selected fourth and fifth grade students as the participants in the study. Students were given surveys asking questions about participation and attitudes …

Improving Fluency Rates Through Repeated Reading, Sara Van Erp

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Learning how to read fluently was a goal the researcher had which led to the research question; How does the intervention of repeated reading impact oral reading fluency rates in students who are reading below a 2^nd grade level? The purpose of the action research was to implement the intervention of repeating reading to see if the oral reading fluency rates in struggling students increased. Struggling readers were identified through the Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills assessment (DIBELS). Struggling readers were considered to be reading below 52 words per minute, which was the 2^nd grade benchmark …

Expanding Occupations Through Community College Registered Apprenticeships, Anne Hoeltke

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

Registered apprenticeships remain a key workforce strategy as an affordable pathway to secure high paying jobs and meet the changing labor market demands. Individuals who have gone through a registered apprenticeship program receive substantially higher earnings, have higher completion rates, most graduate debt free and have very high job placement rates upon completion. Yet most apprentice programs have not advanced beyond the traditional occupations (construction and advanced manufacturing), and a majority of apprentices are white males.

Community colleges have existing relationships with industry and are already central to the nation’s career and technical education which required applied learning that …

Impacts Of Social-Emotional Learning Via A Daily Writing Reflection In The Secondary Classroom, Angie Peterson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine a time effective and subject area friendly way to address students’ social-emotional needs as a means to alleviate stress, communicate with teachers, and improve their overall wellbeing. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many unforeseen or unaddressed repercussions that educators will continue to be dealing with as schools return to traditional formats or as they adjust to new ones. What impact can the use of daily journal writing have for high school students as an immediate and potentially long-term social-emotional learning or competency technique?

This study was …

The Impact Of Small Group Direct Instruction On The Vocabulary Development Of Fourth Grade Students, Rachel Solum

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This 2021 study focused on the impact that small group vocabulary instruction had on the vocabulary development of 4th grade students. I wanted to see the effect that small group instruction had on students’ vocabulary growth. Students were pulled into a small group every day for four straight weeks. There was four groups of four students involved. During this small group time the teacher pulled vocabulary words from the word wall. The words on the word wall were tier two vocabulary words that had been pulled from various interactive read alouds. The teacher followed Marzano’s Six Step Approach to teaching …

The Use Of Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping Practice To Improve Foundational Reading Skills In A First Grade Student, Annah Scherling

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Literacy is widely accepted as a critical life skill in the United States, but many students struggle to acquire the necessary foundational skills. The National Reading Panel of the National Institute of Child Health and Development established The Big Five which identified five critical areas for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. There are 26 letters or graphemes represented in the English language and 44 sounds or phonemes. The connection between grapheme and phoneme is referred to as correspondences. A first-grade student, from a Midwest elementary school, was given a phoneme-grapheme mapping intervention to assist in …

Effects Of Small Group Math Interventions For Math Achievement, Brittany Folk

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to see the impact of small group math interventions had on students’ math achievement with students who were considered high-risk according to Fastbridge testing. This study was mixed-methods action research, primarily focusing on the quantitative data gathered. The study used pre-test and post-test assessments, weekly small assessments, as well as surveys prior to interventions and after interventions to check students’ anxiety level towards math. There were five students from the 3^rd grade class were chosen to participate in this study. All data was collected and analyzed to determine if students grew in their …

Empowering Learners Through Habits Of Mind And Personalized Pathways: An Ethnographic Study, Megan Amundson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

While teaching using a personalized learning concept, it was discovered that learners did not have the necessary social emotional skills that they needed in order to successfully make decisions for their learning. Throughout researching personalized learning, engagement, self-pacing, and empowered learning three different Habits of Mind, the school district’s social emotional learning program, were identified to teach to a small group of learners in grades three through six to help them better understand what personalized learning is and why they are doing it in order to take ownership of their learning. Therefore this research question was created: How does the …

Iep Implementation Fidelity: Literature Review And Handbook, Kiah Love-Latzke

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The use of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a student with a disability is mandated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 and is used to determine the educational needs of that child. IDEA defines an IEP as a “written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with section 1414(d) of this title” (2004). This also ensures that students receiving these services through the IEP must have them available in their least restrictive environment. The least restrictive environment according to IDEA states that “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with …

All About The Special Education Process: A Handbook For Parents, Mikayla Reinke

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Until 1976 and the passing of P.L. 94-482 parents or caregivers of children with disabilities were not significantly involved in the education of their children. Even after this, many parents have felt they were in unknown territory regarding the field of special education. With different types of meetings, definitions, and processes that are not explained in a form that those who have not studied special education would understand, how could there not be unknown territory? Parents are provided with the Parent’s Guide to Special Education (2018) and the Parental Rights for Public School Students Receiving Special Education Services: Notice of …

Using Structured Work Task Systems To Foster Generalized Task Management And Independence In Kindergarten And First Grade Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders., Mckenzie Helgeson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Fostering student independence is a common theme in special education classrooms across the United States, and risen to the forefront of Autism programming with curriculum development and program structure in recent years. Educators use a variety of tools such as visual schedules, predictable routines and structured work task systems. Structured work task systems provide a predictable pattern or schedule that students can use either independently or with assistance from an adult to complete work tasks throughout their school day. These structured work task systems may vary in appearance from student to student, classroom to classroom, and school to school depending …

Does The Implementation Of Bridges Math Intervention Show Growth In Student Learning?, Heidi Lunde

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study focuses on the effectiveness of the Bridges Intervention program as a tier two intervention for 4th grade elementary school students in the area of mathematics. The intervention was delivered via instructional videos and follow up activities through the SeeSaw application. The focus of the study was to see if the implementation of Bridges Intervention increases students’ success when working with numbers in base 10 and if students’ have an increase in their STAR MATH scores. Students were be given placement assessments via the SeeSaw application based on the recommendations of the Bridges Intervention program. Once students were assessed …

The Effects Of A Shared Vision Of Teacher Leadership On Classroom Teachers’ Instruction, Tiffany L. Bockelmann

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Many models of instructional teacher leadership exist in schools with various outcomes for teachers. The aim of this illustrative case study was to understand systemic alignment in a formal teacher leadership system and how this alignment impacted instructional change. This dissertation was framed by three research questions: 1) How do the rationales of teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators regarding teacher leadership in their school align? 2) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to engage with formal teacher leaders? 3) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to …

Narrative Inquiry In Practice: A Study Identifying Themes Of Persistence And Barriers In The Educational Journeys Of American Indian Students In Higher Education, Kristina Cirks

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Increasing in popularity, the use of narrative inquiry in qualitative research study offers a unique perspective and context in sharing lived experiences. This article utilizes a narrative inquiry study to improve the knowledge of why American Indian students have the lowest college graduation rates in the United States. These narratives helped define the barriers that have discouraged American Indian students from persisting in higher education. Predominantly, participants identified the lack of financial support, lack of cultural competency, emotional distress, time poverty, afraid to ask for help, afraid to succeed, and navigating through the college processes as barriers to their educational …

Effects Of Play-Based Learning On Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Skills, Kristen Heidecker

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of play-based learning on phonemic awareness and phonics skills in kindergarten. This study aimed to determine whether or not play-based learning materials such as letter tiles, cards, timers, and literacy-based games were an effective way for kindergarten students to acquire skills such as segmenting, letter sounds, and sight word recognition. A pre-assessment was given using FastBridge to determine which skills the students were working towards mastering. Play-based learning materials were then offered to small groups of students during our regular literacy time, and data was collected using FastBridge after two …

Flipped Classroom Effects On Upper Elementary And Middle School Student Motivation Inside And Outside The Classroom, Katarina Kuhlmann

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This action research study focuses on the effects the Flipped Classroom Model has on student motivation in the classroom, as well as at home. Two research questions are utilized in this study and the two research questions are the following: How does the Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) enhance student motivation at home, as well as in the classroom? What obstacles can educators and students face pertaining towards motivation with the Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) and how can they overcome those challenges? The study on the Flipped Classroom and student motivation took place in a 5^th grade classroom consisting of …

Technology Or Pencil And Paper: How Do Fifth Graders Best Learn Math Facts?, Carrie Hartwig

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This research was conducted in order to answer two questions. First, technology or pencil and paper: how do fifth grade students best learn math facts? The second question asked was: How does fact fluency affect feelings about math? The group of 20 students (13 boys, 8 girls) was divided into two groups. One group worked with a technology-based intervention. The second group used the paper and pencil intervention called Cover, Copy, Compare. The study revealed that both interventions were effective at increasing fact fluency, however the technology based intervention showed greater growth. The students were also surveyed about their feelings …

Effects Of Flexible Seating In The Lower Elementary Classrooms, Jessica Van Veen, Lindsey Lindell

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This 2021 study focused on the effects of traditional and flexible seating had on student engagements and autonomy in second and third grade students. The focus was to see which type of seating most benefit student focus, attention, attitude, and morale. Students were observed in four increments per day for four weeks. The first two weeks focused on traditional seating and the second two weeks were focused on flexible seating. Students were also given a survey to present their preferences on both types of seating, traditional and flexible. The research took place in two North Dakota Elementary schools during independent …

Impacts Of Concurrent Enrollment Offerings On Minnesota High School Programming: A Qualitative Exploration Of High School Administrator Perceptions., Erica Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Concurrent enrollment plays an increasingly important role in dual credit program options throughout Minnesota public schools. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to discern any shared phenomenon among public high school administrators in schools where concurrent enrollment is offered. This dissertation was framed by two research questions: 1) Share your rationale for why your school is offering concurrent enrollment courses. 2) From your perspective, how does concurrent enrollment participation impact your student body?

A qualitative, constructivist, phenomenological study was conducted using semi-structured interviews across a mix of seven rural and urban Minnesota school districts. The participants included seven …

The Impact Of Direct Instruction Of Social And Emotional Learning Skills On Academic Achievement In The 6th Grade Classroom, Erik Ecklund

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of direction instruction of social and emotional learning skills on academic achievement of sixth grade students. Student academic achievement was assessed by tracking homework completion and student grades at the midterm and end of the third quarter of the academic school year. While the majority of the students participating in the study showed academic growth in higher grades over the course of the study, there was little to no change in the homework completion rate of the students involved. As such, the results of the study were inconclusive as to …

Gradeless Learning: The Effect Of Eliminating Traditional Grading Practices On Student Engagement And Learning, Eric Sanders

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In order for students to learn at high levels, there must be high expectations and strong feedback. Although traditional grading seems to be an inherent part of the educational system, there are multiple purposes for grades which often causes frustrations for both teachers and students. There is a need to expand the research on grading and its effect on both student learning and motivation. This action research study centered on three research questions: 1) What effect does the elimination of traditional grading practices have on student engagement in learning? 2) What impact does the removal of traditional grading practices and …