Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

A Culturally Responsive Literacy Approach To Develop Scientific Conceptual Knowledge Through Creative Narratives, Alma D. Stevenson, Lacey D. Huffling

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Our study examined the effects of culturally responsive literacy pedagogical approaches in the development of scientific vocabulary and conceptual knowledge among minoritized middle-grade students during a summer program. We describe the design and implementation of a literacy-enriched STEM instructional unit of study built upon the background experiences of Latina/Latino migrant farmworkers’ children to expand their STEM literacy skills and knowledge. Our aim with this unit was to increase the students’ science knowledge and skills; strengthen their mathematical abilities; enhance their ability to use technology for research; and improve their academic vocabulary, language, and writing skills. This program also had as …

The Pow+Tree Strategy’S Effects On The Argumentative Writing Of Struggling Secondary Students, Matthias Grünke

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of an argumentative writing strategy (POW+TREE) on four struggling ninth graders’ ability to produce persuasive texts regarding their point of view on different questions. I applied a multiple-baseline design to evaluate outcomes across participants. The results indicate the intervention helped students to write more extensive essays, and evidence shows an increase in quality. Follow-up data suggest the effects remained after the treatment ended. I also discuss future research and the findings’ implications for practitioners.

Experiences Of African American Women Living With Herpes Simplex Virus 2, Cherlisa Jackson, Yitza A. Arcelay-Rojas

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

In the United States, the prevalence of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) continues to be the highest among African American women. Yet the perceived benefit of discussing sexual health, as well as recognizing a need to discuss HSV-2 with a health-care provider, is a gap in research. The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to understand the experiences of African American women who received an asymptomatic HSV-2 diagnosis. Semistructured interviews of seven participants were used to explore the experiences of African American women diagnosed with HSV-2, including barriers and challenges of discussing HSV-2 with health-care providers. Participants highlighted that …

The Paideia Program Is Worth Another Look, Jessica Richardi

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Educational opportunity is unequally distributed in the United States, most notably by race and economic status. Commonly practiced in K–12 schools across the country, tracking and ability grouping serve to exacerbate those existing inequities. Recent renewed activism for racial and economic justice, coupled with concerns over learning loss due to COVID-19 school closures, makes this an ideal time for educators to reconsider a formerly well-known and ambitious whole-school reform system called the Paideia Program. The system itself is described and a comprehensive review of research and literature follows. This review demonstrates Paideia’s potential to improve educational outcomes and thus help …

Teacher Instructional Practices And Student Mathematics Achievement, Michael C. Osborne

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Using the nationally representative sample from the United States in the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (N = 7,429 students from 240 schools), I examined the relationship between teacher instructional practices and student mathematics achievement. To account for the multilevel structure of the data with students nested within schools, I used a two-level hierarchical linear model in the data analysis. Teacher instructional practices showed statistically significant effects on student mathematics achievement, even after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) and sex at the student level and school mean SES and whether the school is public or private at the …

How Transformational Leadership Can Help Native American Students, Kevin T. Caffrey

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

In this paper, I examine the challenges that Native American students face in higher education and the role that education plays in their lives. I provide data on this topic spanning more than three decades through a literature review of three published articles. Through this literature review, I reveal key challenges that Native American students historically have faced and provide information on what factors play an important role in their success. Furthermore, I expose a research gap on the role that higher education administrators can play in addressing these challenges and inequities. I present strategies and recommendations on how to …

An Evaluation Of Local Mentor Support In Ae E-Teacher Educational Technology Integration Online Teacher Training Course, Yasemin Yelbay Yilmaz, Seher Balbay

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study addressed a different approach to online language teacher training programs. The researchers investigated the pros and cons of having local mentor support for an online course titled Using Technology in the English Language Classroom provided by the AE E-Teacher Program. The course was offered to preservice teachers from 24 different universities across Turkey. The study collected data through a pre- and post-online survey and individual semistructured interviews. The results revealed that while local mentoring as a supplement to the main course content contributed to teacher candidates’ emotional and professional attachment to their profession by helping them relate theory …

Multimedia Open Educational Resource Materials For Teaching-Online Diversity And Leadership: Aligning Bloom’S Taxonomy And Studio Habits Of Mind, Elizabeth Johnston, Cheryl Burleigh, Xeno Rasmusson, Patrick Turner, Drena Valentine, Liston Bailey

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore, develop, test, and refine processes to incorporate meaningful and equitable use of open educational resources (OER) in online classrooms.

Method: The intent of this qualitative study was to use an action research process of interactive discussions between higher education practitioners to shape collective understanding of how to teach in an online learning environment using OER.

Results: The study resulted in the identification six exemplar learning opportunities which could be incorporated into the blended pedagogical model. Each exemplar OER included all four types of knowledge as defined by Bloom's taxonomy and required …

Advancing Behavioral Health Literacy, James Scollione

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Accessing, comprehending, and using information to make informed decisions and improve one’s overall health or well-being are the foci of health literacy. The concept of behavioral health was introduced in the early 1980s and, since then, it has influenced new ideas (e.g., behavioral health literacy and integrated behavioral health care) and gained research and public attention. My aim is to provide an overview of definitions (i.e., health literacy, mental health literacy, and behavioral health literacy) and their connection to each other. I propose an expanded and honed definition of behavioral health literacy to enhance the behavioral health literacy and well-being …

Review Of The Book Merging The Instructional Design Process With Learner-Centered Theory—The Holistic 4d Model, By Charles M. Reigeluth And Yunjo An, Sunnie Lee Watson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Converging Andragogy With Working Adult Professionalism In Initial Teacher Preparation, Michelle Anderson, Stefani Boutelier

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) are tasked with providing preservice teachers with pedagogical theory, practical field experiences, mentorship, and scaffolded professional dispositions during critical phases of their preparation. In addition, EPPs collaborate with school districts and state departments of education to address critical issues in the field, including teacher retention and shortages. Our research explores how one EPP pilot, designed to build upon experience, supported working adult education students (e.g., parapros) seeking initial teacher certification. We sought to understand how adult teacher candidates engaged in professional learning and emergent professional relationships. Our qualitative study examined the experience of the first cohort …

Learning Model Based On Democratic Life, Şeyma Şahin, Abdurrahman Kılıç

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Our research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the democracy and human rights course taught with a “Learning Model Based on Democratic Life.” The study was conducted with an action research design. The research study group, determined using purposeful sampling, consisted of 10 students taking a Democracy and Human Rights course at a state university in Turkey. Data were collected using “Process Evaluation Forms” and “Student Letters.” Content analysis was used in the analysis of the data. We concluded that the students thought the Learning Model Based on Democratic Life supported their participation, was efficient and interesting, contributed to the …

Design, Development, Implementation, And Support (Ddis): A Curriculum Supporting Online Doctoral Candidates, Donna Russell

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively describe and justify the case design of an approach for the integration of synchronous virtual meetings to support nontraditional online doctoral candidates. As more nontraditional doctoral students are completing their degree programs virtually through online universities, the nature of their degree progression and the development of critical knowledge and skills differ from traditional on-campus programs.

Method: The case design of an approach to integrating synchronous online interactive meetings to support these learners is identified and justified through references to research in the learning sciences including sociocultural learning, heutagogy, and constructivist instructional …

Elementary Content Teacher Perceptions Regarding Their Ell Instructional Practices, C. Wesley Owens, Steve P. Wells

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the instructional practices of elementary English language learner (ELL) teachers and how those practices are perceived by the teachers to be aligned with improved ELL academic performance. The study is grounded in Ladson-Billings’ theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, which holds that student academic achievement and cultural identity should be affirmed. The research questions focused on exploring instructional practices used by teachers to support ELL learning and the teachers’ perceptions of how their practices are aligned with improved ELL academic performance. The qualitative descriptive study was limited to three elementary schools …

University Professors’ Perceptions About Patient Safety Teaching In An Interprofessional Education Experience: A Phenomenological Study, Gabriele Vilanova, Andreas Xyrichis, Elena Bohomol, Rosana Aparecida Salvador Rossit

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) and patient safety are recurrent and linked themes within the field of healthcare worldwide. International organizations have repeatedly called for and research has shown the benefits of health and social care professionals learning how to work collaboratively and efficiently to provide safer and better care. This study was undertaken to explore professors’ perceptions and experiences of an IPE curricula project with a view to improving future patient safety teaching in undergraduate health courses.

Methods: This qualitative study utilized phenomenology as a theoretical framework. The participants were 11 professors from a public university in south-eastern Brazil, recruited …

An Exploration Of Principal Instructional Leadership Increasing Instructional Capacity Through Collaborative Relationships, Michael Henry Myers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State and federal mandates designed to increase student learning and development through principal instructional leadership are based on research that demonstrates the potential benefits teacher collaboration can have on teacher efficacy, school culture, and student learning; however, many principals are inadequately trained for instructional leadership roles that utilize collaboration. The problem this study investigated is the lack of research about successful instructional leaders using collaboration to increase the instructional capacity of the teachers in high-achieving, suburban high schools. High-quality teaching is important and requires the collective skills and expertise of well-trained teachers. The organizational development theories of McGregor, the adult …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Regulated Learning In A Technology-Supported Collaborative Learning Environment, Sharon Davenport

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a local school district, sixth- through eighth-grade students were reading and performing on reading tests below grade level, and teachers started using strategies to promote self-regulated learning (SRL) in their classrooms. However, students continued to struggle with reading comprehension when asked to read independently. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the instructional strategies teachers used to implement SRL for reading and to explore the perspectives of middle-school teachers regarding how an SRL environment could affect students’ learning outcomes. Winne’s conditions, operations, products, evaluations, and standards (COPES) theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data …

Examining Instructional Fidelity Of State Standards In Project-Based Learning Units, Megan Correia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated in this study was the decline in student achievement since the implementation of project-based learning (PBL) by the third- through sixth-grade teachers at the local elementary school. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions at the study location about their knowledge of PBL and its application in third- through sixth-grade classes. The study was rooted in Jean Piaget’s cognitive learning theory of constructivism. The study location was an urban school district in the Southern United States. Data on teacher perceptions was gathered through structured interviews, conducted via Zoom, with eight elementary teachers …

Instructional Strategies That Foster High School Students’ Achievement In Blended Learning, Cindy Fuhrer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning has become an alternative method to promote student achievement in a technology-orientated society. Students enrolled in blended learning classes in a midwestern suburban high school are outperforming students in the traditional face-to-face classes on standardized tests, yet there was little information about the instructional strategies used in the blended learning classroom that result in higher student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore what instructional strategies were implemented to foster student achievement in a successful high school English and social studies blended learning program. The focus of the study was to understand which …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Ability To Provide Equitable Instructional Practices In High-Poverty Schools, Angela Mary Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Equitable instructional practices have a positive impact on the academic achievement of students living in high poverty. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of their abilities to implement equitable instructional practices in high-poverty schools. Gorski’s equity literacy framework was the approach used to guide the study and address the research question. In this qualitative study, teachers in high-poverty schools were asked to perceive and describe their abilities to implement equitable instructional practices. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 K-8 teachers of high-poverty schools located in the Southeastern region of the United States. …

Stakeholders’ Communication During Learning Analytics Implementation In Higher Education, Grace Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Higher education institutions (HEIs) implementing learning analytics (LA) use student data to improve the learning experience. The problem for LA implementation originates from individuals responsible for analytic programs from different institutional departments and the lack of a framework for communication and productive dialogue about usages of data. As a result, LA implementation remains isolated and disparate, which impedes universal student benefit. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how HEI stakeholders use communication channels and engage in dialogue that occurs during the LA implementation process intended to improve student learning outcomes. The diffusion of innovation and let’s …

Strategies Advanced Placement High School Teachers Use To Teach Diverse Learners, Patti J. Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since Advanced Placement (AP) College Board’s 2002 implementation of the Equity and Access Policy, the number of students enrolled in AP courses has increased, but student success on passing AP exams has dropped. This signifies that the new populations of AP students are not well prepared with the skillsets necessary to succeed on AP exams. This qualitative exploratory case study focused on how high school AP teachers in one southeastern school district provided differentiated instruction (DI) through content and strategies to diverse learners. Data on the use of DI with AP students were collected through interviews of AP teachers at …

Perceptions Of The Reggio Emilia Approach To Early Childhood Education, Brandon Harris Gantt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschools provide a method of early intervention to prepare children for school. Reggio Emilia (RE) curricular approach widely used for early childhood education that has not consistently shown a positive influence on cognitive, social, and emotional development of young children. It is also unknown whether those who participate in the RE curricular approach perceive it to foster cognitive, social, and emotional development in early childhood. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to investigate participant-perceived benefits of RE as a curricular approach. The conceptual grounding of the study was social constructivism because the RE curricular approach emphasizes the …

Instructional Practices Associated With Science Proficiency Of English Language Learners, Sherly Yadira Soto-Ortiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe study addressed the gap in fifth-grade science proficiency between English language learners (ELLs) enrolled in two different science programs in a large school district in the Southeast United States. The Inspire program was implemented in 125 schools, while a combination of Inspire and Promoting Science among English Language Learners (PSELL) developed to facilitate science learning for non-English learners, was implemented in 25 schools. A concurrent mixed-methods case study design was used to examine how instructional practices of each program were (1) aligned with the instructional framework of the Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol (SIOP), (2) how the two programs supported …

Perspectives On Professional Development On Common Core Standards For English Language Arts, Martin W. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school teachers at a rural site in a western state have faced problems in implementing Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA), as well as in resolving achievement gaps in ELA between regular education students, special education (SPED) students, English language learners (ELL), and at-risk students. The purpose of this case study was to obtain teachers’ and school leaders’ perspectives on how CCSS for ELA can be used to enhance learning for all populations of students using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. The CCSS for ELA and UDL comprised the frameworks employed in this …

Development Of A Pilot Training Program For Middle School Students To Reduce End-User Cyber Vulnerabilities, Connie D. Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on cybersecurity in middle schools beyond awareness programs. The purpose was to develop a pilot training module for middle school students comprising an analysis of public documents to examine what topics should be included in a pilot training program to reduce problematic cyber practices. Attitude functional theory was used as the conceptual framework to provide insights into the process of persuading a positive behavioral change in a targeted group that is sustainable. A systematic analysis of national, state, and local public documents was conducted to compare practices, including a K–12 …

Multisensory Phonics Added To Systematic And Explicit Phonics Instruction In Kindergarten And First-Grade Classrooms, Olivia Wymer Feldman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in practice regarding the influence of multisensory phonics instruction, when used systematically and explicitly, as part of regular classroom reading instruction to improve reading achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in reading achievement and automatic word reading accuracy when a multisensory component is added to systematic and explicit phonics instruction in a regular classroom setting of kindergarten and first-grade (K-1) students. Framing this study was LaBerge and Samuels’s theory of automatic information processing. The research questions addressed differences in reading achievement and automatic word reading accuracy for K-1 students who did …

Teachers’ Motivations To Use Data In Making Instructional Decisions, Theodore Scott Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student achievement levels on state standardized tests consistently declined at a high school in the Midwestern United States even after the district established the expectation that teachers use data-driven decision making to guide instruction. The school administration wanted to understand why teachers use data-driven decision making to guide instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the reasons and motivations behind teachers’ use of data driven decision making (DDDM) to inform instruction in accordance with district expectations. This study was guided by self-determination theory which focuses on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of individuals and the internal and …

Parental Involvement And Academic Achievement Of Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Marie Myrlene Dupont-Krommie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have persistently encountered academic difficulties resulting from their struggles to cope with educational standard rules hindering their academic achievement. Parental involvement significantly provides an optimistic effect on students' academic achievement; however, there is sparse literature that focuses on the effect of parental involvement on the academic achievement of children with ADHD. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the involvement of parents of children diagnosed with ADHD through their academic life, explore those parents' perceptions of themselves as contributors in their children's academic lives, report their views as influential participants in …

Student Perceptions About Metacognitive Learning Strategies In Introductory Biology Courses, Traci Collier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractActive learning and argumentation are metacognitive teaching strategies that have demonstrated an effect on conceptual change in the sciences. Previous research studies have illustrated an association between active learning and argumentation, increased comprehension of content as well as improved academic performance and self-efficacy. However, there is a gap in literature about the perceptions of students on whether these teaching strategies are successful in increasing scientific conceptual understanding and self-efficacy. The first conceptual framework used for this study was Flavell’s theoretical and empirical research on metacognition, which provides a process for individuals to regulate their cognitive activity for increasing comprehension. A …