01. Saturday Session,
2019
Illinois Math and Science Academy
01. Saturday Session, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy
CORE
No abstract provided.
02. Great Man Theory,
2019
Illinois Math and Science Academy
02. Great Man Theory, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy
CORE
The Great Man Theory of leadership is centered around the ideas of prominent historians of the 19th century. The literature of the century, including Frederick Adam Woods’s book T he Influence of Monarchs: Steps in a New Science of History and many like it, analyze the influence of major rulers primarily in the Western world. The Great Man Theory thrives on the notion that most of history can be explained by the influence of male leadership figures. These men often appeared to rise to power out of nowhere and lead their people to success, and their “greatness” was often derived …
03. Style Approach,
2019
Illinois Math and Science Academy
03. Style Approach, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy
CORE
Research regarding the Style Approach Theory is thought to have begun around the 1940s at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan that served to determine the most significant behaviors exhibited by leaders. One of the first identifications of the theory was that leadership is divided into task and relationship behaviors, which serves as the basis of the division between the two aspects of the theory. Later, in the 1960s, further studies were conducted by the pair Blake and Mouton that explored how managers used task vs. relationship behaviors in an organizational setting. Following this era, the Leadership (Managerial) …
06. Contingency Theory & Situational Leadership,
2019
Illinois Math and Science Academy
06. Contingency Theory & Situational Leadership, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy
CORE
Contingency Theory was developed in 1958, which paved the way for further contingency theories and models such as Situational Leadership. The Contingency Theory was first developed by Fred Fiedler in a research study analyzing the effectiveness of leaders in the military. Contingency Theory supposed that the success of leaders was dependent upon their control of the situation. As leadership studies progressed, the Situational Approach to leadership slowly developed in the late 1960s off the basis of the Contingency Theory. In 1969, psychologists Blanchard and Hersey published their book, “Management of Organizational Behavior”, in which they described the Life Cycle Theory …
09. Tragedy And Leadership,
2019
Illinois Math and Science Academy
09. Tragedy And Leadership, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy
CORE
When tragedy strikes, leaders must rise to meet the challenge. In recent years, the increasing threat of terrorism, natural disasters, and social challenges has furthered the development of new leadership theories. As people seek hope and security among turbulent times, the strength of a leader is often determined by the followers’ perception of their identity. Furthermore, cultural and technological advancements have enabled the rapid dissemination of information, thereby expanding the capability of leaders and social groups to spread their ideologies.
06. Servant Leadership & Path-Goal Theory,
2019
Illinois Math and Science Academy
06. Servant Leadership & Path-Goal Theory, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy
CORE
The term “servant leader” was first documented by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, who credits the formulation of the term to the 1956 novel The Journey to the East (Northouse 226) . Right at the tail end of WWII, the 1950s made way for the Civil Rights Movement. For context, this time period brought about the invention of TV and widespread use of cars in America, the Korean War, and the Cold War. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King’s success as one major face of the movement became accredited to his devotion to servant leadership that became a …
Critical Thinking In The Age Of Fake News: Developing Fairmindedness And Metacognition Among Gifted High School Learners,
2019
University of South Carolina
Critical Thinking In The Age Of Fake News: Developing Fairmindedness And Metacognition Among Gifted High School Learners, Tiffany Dimatteo
Theses and Dissertations
Critical thinking has proved essential for college, career, and civic readiness, and K-12 educators have accepted its significance while being unsure of how to implement it in the classroom. The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to identify effective instructional practices for developing fairmindedness and metacognition, two elements of critical thinking identified by Paul and Elder (2012) and purposefully selected by the participating students and the practitioner-researcher as the focus for this study. A hybrid instructional approach that integrated direct instruction and collaborative learning was developed, enacted and studied using a pre-/post-assessment model with four weeks of …
Muslim-American Democratic Citizens: Dismantling Rituals With Tarbiyah,
2019
DePaul University
Muslim-American Democratic Citizens: Dismantling Rituals With Tarbiyah, Nida Iftekaruddin
College of Education Theses and Dissertations
This paper argues that Islamic schools in the United States should return to the traditional Islamic practices of tarbiyah and tasawwuf to cultivate a critically engaged cosmopolitan Muslim-American identity in order to contribute to an ideal democratic society. Tarbiyah is the practice of nurturing the innate characteristics in people. Taswwuf is constant self-reflection to understand oneself. Tasawwuf is a personal practice, whereas tarbiyah is dealing with others. Tasawwuf can lead students to recognizing their capacities and tarbiyah can lead educators to nurturing those capacities to their fruition. I explore the role immigrant populations have played in some Islamic schools in …
American Stem Education In Its Global, National, And Linguistic Contexts,
2019
Purdue University
American Stem Education In Its Global, National, And Linguistic Contexts, Sezai Kocabas, Burhan Ozfidan, Lynn M. Burlbaw
Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund
STEM education was a systematic teaching and/or learning process in the STEM fields and a positive correlation existed between STEM education, and the economic prosperity and power of a nation in the globalized world. In recent years, rising concerns have emerged about American STEM education. Many stakeholders wondered that whether the nation has enough well-qualified STEM students, teachers and workforce to maintain its current competitive edge. This study sought to answer those questions, presenting a unique view about the concerns. This study, besides, summarized selected major legislation which affected STEM Education in the United States. The results of the study …
English Language Learners And Home-Language Text Use In Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms,
2019
University of South Carolina
English Language Learners And Home-Language Text Use In Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms, Nancy Stubbs Shaw
Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative phenomenological study dissertation provides an overview of a problem of practice: the disengagement of English language learners in the secondary English language arts classroom. The researcher would like to determine how secondary English language arts teachers effectively incorporate one well-researched, yet infrequently used intervention: the integration of home language texts to teach transferrable English language arts skills to English language learners. An overview of relevant literature about the topic is included and multiple research questions for further study are provided. An action research phenomenological study to address the research questions along with the findings from the implementation of …
Fighting For The Users: Using Action Research To Examine The Impact Of Sustained Dialogue Through Effective Instructor Feedback On Student Satisfaction In An Online Undergraduate Course: A Dissertation In Practice,
2019
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Fighting For The Users: Using Action Research To Examine The Impact Of Sustained Dialogue Through Effective Instructor Feedback On Student Satisfaction In An Online Undergraduate Course: A Dissertation In Practice, Timothy Paul Lombardo
Theses and Dissertations
As online courses continue to gain popularity in higher education, there is a need to ensure instructors are providing effective instructional feedback. Research in the theory of transactional distance points out the impact instructor interaction has on student satisfaction in courses. One way to address this is through high amounts of dialogue, feedback in this study. Throughout my years of teaching an online undergraduate course, students have continually reported in course evaluations the existence of a miscommunication gap. However, specific details around this request have been minimal. The purpose of this qualitative, action research study was to examine the impact …
Investigating Adult Learner Perseverance Through Practitioner Inquiry: Learning From The Voices Of Students And Teachers,
2019
University of South Carolina
Investigating Adult Learner Perseverance Through Practitioner Inquiry: Learning From The Voices Of Students And Teachers, Lisa H. Justice
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to examine, through the process of action research and design of practitioner inquiry, the experiences of students and teachers in an adult learning program in order to better understand the problem of adult learner perseverance. The program is located in a rural community in the Southeastern United States and serves adults ages seventeen and older who do not have a high school diploma. Often, these specific adult learners are saddled with barriers that prevent their success in our program, and adult educators face challenges themselves to find ways to support learner perseverance. The …
The Quest To Improve Literacy Achievement: A Teacher-Developed Literacy Unit Incorporating A Hybrid-Instructional Approach,
2019
University of South Carolina
The Quest To Improve Literacy Achievement: A Teacher-Developed Literacy Unit Incorporating A Hybrid-Instructional Approach, Dina L. Crislip
Theses and Dissertations
This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) utilizes action research methods to answer a research question that focuses on teachers being empowered to make personal choices when delivering best practices to positively impact student achievement within PAWS Elementary School. Chapter One provides the rationale behind the origin of the presented research, in which the Problem of Practice poses the question of how personal decision-making by teachers is an integral attribute to the success and achievement of all learners within the public-school setting. This acknowledgment of the problem of practice was the impetus to the proposed research question: How does the teacher's personal …
Promoting Self-Reflection Of Foreign Language Teachers Through Professional Development: An Action Research Dissertation,
2019
University of South Carolina
Promoting Self-Reflection Of Foreign Language Teachers Through Professional Development: An Action Research Dissertation, Hanan Khaled
Theses and Dissertations
This explanatory mixed-method action research describes how a social constructivist professional development program impacts self-reflection of foreign language teachers at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). The problem is that traditional professional development for foreign language teachers does not improve self-reflection. Despite their individual differences and qualifications, most teachers receive traditional in-service professional development (Darling-Hammond, Hyler, Gardner, & Espinoza, 2017) on a specific topic and have no time to reflect on their existing practices, newly presented concepts, or students' responses to instruction. The effectiveness of such professional development is questionable (Darling-Hammond, Wei, Andree, Richardson, & Orphanos, 2009; Penuel, …
Implementing The Flex Model Of Blended Learning In A World History Classroom: How Blended Learning Affects Student Engagement And Mastery,
2019
University of South Carolina
Implementing The Flex Model Of Blended Learning In A World History Classroom: How Blended Learning Affects Student Engagement And Mastery, Kristin N. Davis
Theses and Dissertations
In the following action research plan, an explanatory sequential mixed methods research study of the implementation of the Flex model of blended learning in a World History classroom is presented. The study and its findings are used to measure mastery of, engagement with, and understanding of historical concepts presented in a six-week unit on the Enlightenment and the various revolutions this period in history caused. Data collection and analysis, including data from pre- and post-tests, Likert scale surveys, exit tickets, and student artifacts, are discussed. The pre- and post-tests were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics (minimum and maximum score, average …
Developing Students' Sense Of Accomplishment Through Student Choice: Uncovering An Emerging Framework For The Development Of Intrinsic Motivation To Learn,
2019
University of South Carolina
Developing Students' Sense Of Accomplishment Through Student Choice: Uncovering An Emerging Framework For The Development Of Intrinsic Motivation To Learn, Lauren Ashley Gehr
Theses and Dissertations
Teachers are encouraged to provide and equitable learning environment in their classrooms. This can be a struggle due to the emphasis on standardization. The purpose of this mixed methods, action research study was to examine the impact of providing students with choices for how to demonstrate their learning (SC) on their sense of accomplishment (SoA) in a high school English Language Arts course. The research question that guided this study was, "How does elevating student choice for demonstrating learning through Project Based Learning (PBL) impact students' sense of accomplishment in the secondary English classroom?" Using a Project Based Learning (PBL) …
Apples To Apples: Special Needs Education In The United States And Denmark,
2019
University of South Carolina
Apples To Apples: Special Needs Education In The United States And Denmark, Maria Knuckley Robinson
Theses and Dissertations
This comparative case study is designed to uncover varying approaches to teaching students with special needs based on the perceptions and practices of teachers. A closer look is made into the specific experiences of educators that resulted in Learner-Centered approaches to curriculum and instruction. Data was collected through published documents, questionnaires, and interviews of teachers who instruct students with special needs in the United States and Denmark. In the United States, data from educators in a private specialized education program in Georgia was used to compare data from public education teachers in a Danish Municipality. The study builds on current …
Opening Eyes To What They Don't Know: Talking About Race With White Pre-Service Teachers,
2019
University of South Carolina
Opening Eyes To What They Don't Know: Talking About Race With White Pre-Service Teachers, Stacy Payne Martin
Theses and Dissertations
This study seeks to determine if a critical element of pre-service teachers' racial socialization lies within an analysis of racial isolation experiences, a lack of understanding White privilege, and how much accurate, historical instruction about racism in America they received from their middle school and high school teachers. The mixed methods action research sought answers to the following two research questions: How do life experiences shape White pre-service teachers' understanding of race? When White pre-service teachers engage in race-based self-examination activities, do they experience a shift in their perceptions and beliefs about race? This critical case study examines White pre-service …
Using Standards-Based Grading Practices To Support Student Self-Assessment,
2019
University of South Carolina
Using Standards-Based Grading Practices To Support Student Self-Assessment, Alison Espinosa
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact that four standards-based (SBG) grading practices have on students' ability to critically and accurately self-assess their understanding of secondary mathematics learning objectives, as well as the overall impact on student learning. This research took place over twelve instructional weeks in a ninth-grade mathematics class. During the first four weeks, the baseline cycle, students completed weekly formative assessment items and an accompanying assessment reflection; traditional assessment practices were enforced during the baseline cycle. During the final eight weeks, the treatment cycle, students continued to complete weekly formative assessment items …
Use Of Formative Assessment To Structure Flexible Differentiated Learning Groups: A Pathway To Equity,
2019
University of South Carolina
Use Of Formative Assessment To Structure Flexible Differentiated Learning Groups: A Pathway To Equity, Deanna M. Westedt
Theses and Dissertations
The action research contained in this study seeks to identify the impact of formative assessment in the structuring of flexible differentiation in order to provided equity within the self-contained classroom for all intersectionalities amongst elementary students. Grounded in community of practice theory, the research explores structures within flexible differentiation and small group learning that provide students of varied and overlapping identities with access and equity within the four walls of the self-contained classroom. Additionally, the influence of flexible differentiation on the affective nature of students was explored. The teacher-researcher utilized a mixed-methods approach in order to provide a holistic picture. …
