Liberal Studies Commons^™

Black Genius: An Achievement Distortion, Brenda Burgo

Dissertations

Is the achievement gap real? Using a mixed-methods approach, this study reframed standardized testing through a Quantitative Critical and Black Critical lens. It interrogated the deficit framing of Black student achievement by asking the following questions: (1) To what extent do the aggregated standardized test scores for Black students in California correlate with other measures of achievement? Included in this analysis are: (a) To what degree does the ratio of Black students relate to the achievement variables? and (b) To what extent did COVID impact this correlation? (2) What beliefs do Black educators have regarding the standardized test scores of …

Benefits Of Speech Language Pathologists On Elementary School Students, Gisel Reynoso

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project outlines a research endeavor aimed at exploring the multifaceted impact of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on elementary school students, with a particular focus on developing educators, enhancing diversity, and fostering subject matter expertise. Motivated by firsthand experiences in service-learning and recognizing the significant challenges students face due to communication disorders, this study seeks to investigate how SLPs can effectively support students while contributing to educators' professional development and promoting inclusivity. Through a mixed-methods approach, including interviews, surveys, and data analysis, this senior capstone research project aims to provide valuable insights into the transformative role of SLPs …

Voices From The Inside: Enhancing Co-Teaching Experiences Through Student Perspectives At 'Small University', Hope Brightman

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this capstone project, the researchers investigated how students in the credential program at ‘Small University’ on the coast of California viewed their co- teaching credential experience and what they think could be done to improve it. An evidence based argument is offered that co-teaching be improved to be more equitable for students. Considerations of the issue should include the perspectives of credential program students. Expected benefits included an opportunity for participants to reflect on the co-teaching credential program at “Small University” and provide concrete suggestions for improvement that may be translated into action. Three themes emerged from an analysis …

Benefits Of Dual Immersion Programs On Elementary School Students, Belle Sanchez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project aims to share the benefits of dual immersion programs in elementary school years. Understanding what a dual immersion program is and knowing the different models within the program allow parents to select which program is best suited for their students. A key point in clarification is that a dual immersion program does not aim to replace an English, or standard, education program, but adds a target language to enhance the students learning. This study looks at the overall benefits that students can gain in elementary school, from kindergarten through fifth grade, sometimes through eighth grade. …

Effects Of Parental Involvement In Elementary Students Acadmics, Jasmen Acosta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Parental involvement, especially in elementary schools, is a good resource for students to achieve academic success. This research paper aims to educate and understand the effects of Parental involvement on elementary students' academic performance. There is a plethora of resources for parents and teachers of parental involvement in their child's academics. This senior capstone will examine the effects of parental involvement on elementary students' academics through literature reviews and parent and teacher surveys about the effects of their involvement in schools and whether they impact their children's educational achievement. The findings reveal that parent involvement is essential to their children's …

The Literary Tarot, The Literary Classics Edition Guidebook, And Oracle's Atlas: A Companion To The Literary Tarot Classics Edition From The Brink Literacy Project, Emily E. Auger

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Review of The Literary Tarot, The Literary Tarot Classics Edition Guidebook, and Oracle's Atlas: A Companion to the Literary Tarot Classics Edition. © 2022 Brink Literacy Project. UPC 195893099603.

Best Practices For English Learners With Disabilities In Us Schools – A Systematic Review, Samiratu Bashiru, Jennifer E. Smith

Journal of English Learner Education

This systematic review investigated best practices for enhancing academic achievement among English Learners with Disabilities (ELDs) in US schools. By examining 17 peer-reviewed articles and comparing them to the CEC 2014 Quality Indicators, the study identifies significant practices, including culturally responsive methods, technology integration, evidence-based strategies, addressing service delivery challenges, and improving assessment tools. This review has limitations related to inconsistent terminology and highlights the need for standardized language and continued research. It recommends integrating culturally responsive practices, leveraging technology, and refining inclusive assessment tools. This review provides educators, policymakers, and researchers insights, emphasizing ongoing teacher development and policy alignment …

Homework Perpetuating Inequalities For Low-Income Families In Education, Eileen Boyd

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project delves into the persistent issue of homework perpetuating inequalities among low-income families. Drawing on insights from North American public school teachers who have shared their perspectives and experiences, this research employs a combination of literature reviews, teacher interviews, and anonymous surveys. The collective evidence underscores the unsettling fact that homework drives educational disparities. Consequently, it calls for a broader acknowledgment among educators and schools that homework often hinders rather than enhances a student's academic achievements.

The Permanence Of Racism In Tennessee Public Schools, Jarral Yokley

Dissertations

The qualitative case study exposed the permanence of racism beginning in the antebellum public schools of Nashville and continued in the current actions in the Tennessee legislature with the expulsion of two Black male legislators. Critical race theory is used as the main descriptor for the actions of White politicians and legislators in Tennessee who continue the oppressive treatment of Black people in the state of Tennessee.

White members of the Tennessee legislature have attempted to strategically continue white supremacy in their decision to display a depiction of one of the most deplorable, racists in the history of the state …

Comparing Time Allocation For Teaching Science As Inquiry In Two Educator Preparation Science Methods Courses, Lori A. Dira

Faculty Journal Articles

How much time an institution allocates to content can indicate its overall importance and intended value to the educator preparation program. For decades there have been calls to integrate more authentic science inquiry experiences into not only undergraduate elementary science courses, but into all elementary educator preparation courses. Many elementary educators do not receive training on effective methods for teaching science, they will not feel comfortable and will likely have low self-efficacy. This study investigated the amount of time allocated to teaching science as inquiry and the knowledge participants had prior to and after taking an elementary teaching science methods …

Restoration: Emerging With Courage, Michelle C. Hughes Dr.

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This essay, first presented at the conference (name has been changed) as a talk at anonymous university, examines one pre-service faculty’s scholarly journey. Written during the Covid-19 pandemic, the author highlights research about professional teaching dispositions specifically exploring the disposition of courage. The essay reveals how the author’s research and scholarship became life-giving during a challenging season. The author encourages colleagues to cultivate space to reflect, summon courage and consider where they can seek and find restoration in their work and scholarship. The author concludes that seeking restoration is a life-giving practice that reminds educators of our faith and calling––and …

How Doctoral Students In A Formal Leadership Program Conceptualize Followership: A Mixed-Methods Study, Katy J. Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to determine how doctoral students in a formal leadership program conceptualize followership. The methods used to conduct this analysis included distributing a Qualtrics (released in August 2022) survey and conducting one-on-one interviews with a sample of degree-seeking doctoral students within a formal leadership program. The researcher collected quantitative and qualitative data addressing students’ followership style, leadership attitudes and beliefs, and perceptions of followership. These data were analyzed concurrently using a triangulation design. A total of 67 students completed the survey, and seven students were interviewed. The findings revealed that the participants employ …

Children's Agency Through The Lens Of A Love Ethic: The Radical Imaginary, Zoe Kim

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

The lack of agency available to minoritized children in the classroom is indicative of systemic racism in education. Opposing this structural issue necessitates a multi-dimensional love ethic that is capable of transcending the classroom and breaking from the history of exclusion observed in this country. This research aims to contribute to that reality by creating a foothold for the radical imaginary of what education could become. Outlining this segregation by experience across the ecological systems of a child’s life, the project begins with an examination of recent research in conjunction with current events. Then, in looking at the chrono and …

Preparing Teachers For Integrating Visual Arts For Academic Success Of Elementary School Students, Jennifer Roux

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The majority of people agree that students’ education should provide them with the essential skills to be successful in the 21st-century workforce. Although these same sets of skills are commonly practiced through the process of making art, art education continues to hold an inferior status in schools. This disconnection raises the question, what has led to the devaluation of art in academics? This senior capstone will explore how teachers are prepared to integrate visual arts into the classroom. Through the use of a literature review, interviews with three in-service teachers, and a survey of students majoring in Liberal Studies at …

Children And Technology: Why Technology Is Important For Our Children, Jill Mactiernan

Student Theses

Many people get scared when they hear about how much technology runs the world today. They tend to get frightened when they go to a store and have to use a selfcheckout instead of a cashier. Parents are scared of the dangers of the internet and how it will affect their children, so they tend to try to prevent/limit their children’s usage of the internet and other technologies. However, that may not always be the right move. Technology can not be avoided; it is a part of our everyday lives. With proper guidance and teachings, children can learn how to …

The Benefits Of Integrating Physical Activity For Elementary School Students, Miriam Olmos

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone examines the benefits of Physical Activity (PA) for elementary school students. Recently, many schools have dedicated most of the school day to teach core subjects where students remain desk bound with greater sedentary time. Many schools have also decided to either cut or reduce Physical Education (P.E.) activities for students. However, through literature review, a 45- anonymous student and teacher survey and an ethnographic interview with a teacher along with class observations, the findings revealed that integrating physical activities along with other core subject matters throughout the school day could help student concentration, motivation and improve their academic …

The Benefits Of Dual Immersion Programs On Elementary School Students, Allison E. Williams

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone aims to share the benefits of Dual Immersion Programs at the Elementary school years. Understanding what a Dual Immersion Program is and knowing that there are different models within the program allow for parents to select which program is best suited for their students. A key point in clarification is that a Dual Immersion program does not aim to replace an English, or standard, education program, but add a target language to enhance the learning of the students. This study looks at the short- and long-term academic and social benefits students can gain from kindergarten through fifth grade …

Investigating The Role Of Teacher-Librarians In Classroom Instructional Management In Enugu State, Nigeria, Elizabeth N. Ebizie P.Hd, Obiageli C. Njoku Ph.D, Charles A. Oraelosi Ph.D, Mkpoikanke S. Otu Ph.D

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study was carried out to investigated the role of teacher-librarians in classroom instructional management in Enugu State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The sample size of the study is 1,196 teachers. The instrument used for data collection was the Classroom Management Instructional Skills for Teaching Questionnaire (CMISTQ). The reliability of the instrument was 0.79. The data collected in the study were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study show that the role of teacher-librarians in classroom instructional management include: working with other staff to ensure information literacy outcomes are a …

Supporting Exceptional Learners Through Evidence-Based Practices In Social Emotional Learning And Academic Settings, Lexia Werner

Honors Projects

My honors project will be purposeful in researching the learning strategies that help all students and comparing and contrasting them to strategies that specifically help learners with learning differences and/or have special education plans. These exceptional learners have specialized accommodations or educational plans tailored towards their learning needs. In other words, I will research the teaching strategies that are used in the classroom environment from a standard general education standpoint and strategies that are used, specifically, with students that obtain learning differences. In addition, I will analyze this information by comparing and contrasting the groups of strategies with one another. …

Nature-Based Education For Elementary Students With Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Kayleigh Morrison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are several advantages to including a nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning into state standards, and the consequences of students who do not have access to outside learning and activities can be severe. The term “Attention Restoration Theory” (ART) was coined by psychology professors Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in 1989 and claims that exposure to nature can improve mental fatigue and concentration. This senior capstone examines Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory and academic studies rooted in its philosophy as it applies to nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning. There are certain advantages for students who are exposed to a nature-based curriculum and …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Early Childhood Mental Health Development, Taylor Ybanez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A child’s development is of the highest importance to any person that has the opportunity to teach them. Due to the impact of COVID-19, many people, especially developing children have struggled with their mental health development. With the lack of resources and outreach opportunities, some of them had to be left alone for a good portion of their time during their stay-at-home orders due to not being allowed to attend school. This senior capstone is to bring awareness of the toll COVID-19 has taken on children’s development in terms of their emotional, physiological, and physical well-being. The findings offer some …

Parent Volunteers And Covid-19: Balancing Necessity, Enthusiasm, And Caution, Jarrod Myers

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus issue addressed in this Capstone Project is how the pandemic disrupted parent volunteering in schools. Parent volunteering is an essential issue for schools because parent involvement is essential for student success. An evidence-based argument is offered that schools struggled to staff the void left by parent volunteers. The three primary stakeholder perspectives chosen were parents, school leadership, and teachers. Parents make up the volunteer pool; teachers know what kind of assistance classrooms need, and school leadership creates policies. Three themes emerged from analyzing the data and explored ways to reintroduce parents to a school campus. Parent volunteers make …

Educating Elementary Children On Prosocial Behaviors, Sylvia Vega

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many young children have not yet developed prosocial behaviors that allow them to properly express themselves. Gaining prosocial behavior skills can lead to having positive peer relationships and better communication with their classmates and/or caregivers. This paper addresses the need for prosocial behavior curriculums in elementary schools.

¿Cómo Le Va A Mi Estudiante En Clase?: Increasing Parent Involvement For Latinx Elementary Students, Lisset Ochoa

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Parental involvement in the education of Latinx elementary students is truly essential. If a student does not receive the guidance or commitment from their parents while they are young, they may struggle in their education. Early parental involvement, it is claimed, will increase children's motivation to learn while also encouraging cognitive and emotional competencies. It is necessary to incorporate resources that increase parental involvement so that Latinx parents are aware of the help their students need. Two teachers, the vice principal, and two parents were interviewed in order to learn more about the resources that would be useful to both …

Learning From Home…Less Students: A Study On What We Can Do To Reach Homeless Youth During Covid-19, Marcy Twogood

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone project is on reaching homeless youth during this time of distance learning. Student homelessness is an issue because it is harder for teachers to reach them than a student with stable living conditions. According to the scholarly literature, schools are struggling to reach homeless students during the pandemic due to their lack of an address, wifi, and/or in-person interactions with their teachers. An argument is made that if schools identify students’ challenges, they can provide adequate resources. Upon interviewing the assistant principal, school counselor, who has access to students and their emotional needs, and a …

Investigando Los Éxitos Y Las Dificultades De Implementar Un Programa De Inmersión Dual A Través De Las Perspectivas De Tres Administradores, Victoria E. Slaybaugh

World Languages and Cultures

This Modern Languages and Literatures senior project investigates and analyses the successes and struggles of implementing a dual immersion program through interviews with three dual immersion principles. In interviewing three highly experienced administrators, ample information was collected on why some programs are prosperous while others see little success. Each individual principal had unique and valuable input, especially with regard to why their respective schools changed programs from 50/50 to 90/10, why they implemented K-12, and even why they chose to eliminate the program entirely. Using supplemental studies to more thoroughly examine the historical and social context of dual immersion, this …

Achieving Positive Mental Health And Academic Achievement For Students With Behavioral And Emotional Issues In Elementary School, Reynalda Fuentes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Elementary students, their peers, and teachers today are being affected by emotional and behavioral issues that some students struggle with at school. In order to understand why it is affecting their academic achievement and mental health, this report answers the following research questions to investigate how these problems affect schools, classrooms, and teachers, as well as what appears to be contributing factors to this problem, and what are some of the solutions. In review of the literature on preventions and interventions placed at elementary schools the research shows that frameworks such as The Multi-tiered System of Supports, and the incorporation …

Redefining A Highly Qualified Teacher, Sabrina Ochoa

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This research paper reviews the qualifications of a “Highly Qualified Teacher” as described by the No Child Left Behind Act that was published in 2001. Further research was done to determine if these qualifications were sufficient enough to qualify a teacher as “highly qualified”. A number of scholarly reviewed articles and journals were analyzed to dictate augmented qualities that should be premeditated when considering an applicant as highly qualified. Aside from additional experience and content knowledge, researchers suggest teachers should have qualities that improve their relationships with their students and their staff. Teachers' content knowledge does not necessarily mean they …

Lesson Plan Template, Karen Escalante

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

Lesson planning supports beginning teachers in their development as an educator and it helps to ensure PK-12 students are being taught to think and engage with the content area, with the ultimate goal of transferring that knowledge to global understandings and patterns. Becoming an effective teacher takes time, preparation, purposeful planning and deep knowledge of your students and the content / curriculum.

My Life Long Dream: My Teaching And Educational Journey, Karla Torres Hernandez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This ethnography follows my journey teaching kindergarten in the Ontario/Montclair neighborhood in San Bernardino. Its purpose is to understand the macro and micro levels of the community to inform my teaching practices and support my students and families. On a micro-level, I conducted case studies on three specific students. Data analysis of in-home interviews, personal interactions, and assessments allowed me to create action plans to best support these students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. On a macro level, I studied my students’ environments: community, school, and classroom. By analyzing whole class and individual student data and reflecting on my own …