Kindergarten Phonics Instruction,
2014
Dordt University
Kindergarten Phonics Instruction, Erika Hall
Master of Education Program Theses
Understanding phonics is a critical component in a young student's ability to read. Research studies have shown the important role phonics plays in helping students become strong readers. The purpose of this study was to discover the ways that kindergarten teachers in Christian schools in West Michigan are teaching phonics in their classrooms, and to determine if kindergarten teachers share a list of common phonics goals for each of their kindergarteners to achieve by the end of kindergarten. The present study was a qualitative design using a survey to collect information from teachers in private elementary school kindergarten classrooms in …
Effective Transitional Strategies For The First Grade Classroom,
2014
Dordt University
Effective Transitional Strategies For The First Grade Classroom, Ashley Rose Perrin
Master of Education Program Theses
Transitions take time in any classroom. First grade students make many transitions in a day. Students transition from activity to activity as well as moving from location to location. With a limited amount of instructional time, teachers strive to have their students engaged in learning and to increase the students’ time on task. There are transitional strategies available that teachers utilize to decrease transition time and increase student-learning time. Two such strategies are visual cues, such as a timer; and auditory cues, like a song. The goal of this research study was to discover effective transition strategies for first grade …
Teaching Third-Grade Writing Using The Self-Regulated Strategy Development Model,
2014
Dordt University
Teaching Third-Grade Writing Using The Self-Regulated Strategy Development Model, Ellen Korver
Master of Education Program Theses
Writing is a self-directed activity that involves the intelligent use of a variety of mental operations and skills. Christian teachers want their students to be able to write well because it enables them not only to examine God’s world for themselves, but also to communicate with others. This communication is essential in many areas of modern life. However, research studies show that many students have only partially mastered writing skills. In this study, the effectiveness of an instructional mode, the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model, was examined in order to determine if its implementation would have a positive effect on …
Self-Assessment In The Middle School Science Classroom,
2014
Dordt University
Self-Assessment In The Middle School Science Classroom, Stephanie Tanis
Master of Education Program Theses
Teachers using self-assessment in classrooms understand its vital role in a student’s ability to understand their own learning. The diversity of the student learners requires a diversity of assessment strategies. Specifically, in an inquiry-based science classroom, students must be able to identify their current skills and their areas of growth. The implementation of self-assessment strategies helps students to set goals and achieve them. The goal of the researcher in this study was to determine if self-assessment strategies are effective in the middle school science classroom and to determine if such strategies provide evidence supporting the growth of student achievement. Through …
This Is God’S World: A Study Of Student Worldview In A Small Rural Christian High School,
2014
Dordt University
This Is God’S World: A Study Of Student Worldview In A Small Rural Christian High School, Rachel Elizabeth Bootsma
Master of Education Program Theses
This qualitative phenomenological study examined a small rural Midwest Christian high school and its influence on the biblical worldview of its students. The author surveyed and interviewed current seniors and former students from this Christian high school to better understand the biblical worldview of the students from their perspective. The study also attempted to identify the influence of the school and the school’s strengths and weaknesses on its students' biblical worldviews. This phenomenological study demonstrates how the practices, programs, procedures, curriculum, and relationships at a small Christian high school lead to a foundational biblical worldview in its students.
Best Practices In The Foreign Language Classroom,
2014
Dordt University
Best Practices In The Foreign Language Classroom, Allison Kleinsasser
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project attempted to determine the best practices in teaching a foreign language to high school students. In order to determine these best practices, the researcher read literature and studies that had been previously conducted with foreign language students. This study attempted to determine if students would learn better in the context of real-life communication rather than overt grammatical lectures. Students were given a pre- and post-test to determine whether or not their levels of language acquisition and grammatical understanding improved over the course of the study. The results of the study revealed that more time is needed …
Study Of Fifth Grade Service Learning,
2014
Dordt University
Study Of Fifth Grade Service Learning, Phyllis Van Gelder
Master of Education Program Theses
This study examined the effectiveness of the service learning implemented within the fifth grade curriculum of a small private school in the Midwestern United States with the goal of fostering civic responsibility and altruism within the fifth grade students. Data was collected from sixth grade students within two private schools; one group was the experimental group that had been involved in weekly service learning throughout their fifth grade year and the other group was the control group that had not been involved in service learning the previous year. Nominal-polytomous questionnaires, qualitative scenario-response questionnaires, and personal interviews were used to collect …
Interpersonal Intelligence And Problem-Based Learning,
2014
Dordt University
Interpersonal Intelligence And Problem-Based Learning, Denise M. Denevers
Master of Education Program Theses
This study examined the relationship between problem-based learning and interpersonal intelligence. The primary goal of this study was to see if using problem-based learning in the classroom would increase one’s interpersonal intelligence. After conducting this study, the researcher found the interpersonal intelligence of the class of twenty-one seventh grade students, as a whole, increased from an average of 59.04 points out of 70 points possible to an average of 59.47 points out of a possible 70 points; a less than one percent increase, indicating a weak relationship between interpersonal intelligence and problem-based learning.
Reforming General Education: A Departmental Experience With Mission And Assessment,
2014
University of Dayton
Reforming General Education: A Departmental Experience With Mission And Assessment, Joesph M. Valenzano, Samuel P. Wallace
Communication Faculty Publications
Changes to general education curricula are taking place across the globe. From the Bologna Process in Europe to the Liberal Education and America’s Promise initiative in the United States, colleges and universities are reforming what constitutes general education for their students. At the University of Dayton, such reforms took the shape of a massive overhaul of general education to the new, student learning–driven Common Academic Program. The Department of Communication at University of Dayton was forced to fundamentally change its basic course in communication, formerly delivered in three separate one-credit modules, to a three-credit course with a different focus. This …
Implementing Positive Behavior Systems In Rural Schools,
2014
University of Mississippi
Implementing Positive Behavior Systems In Rural Schools, Harvard Law School Mississippi Delta Project
Delta Directions: Publications
School discipline is a growing problem in Mississippi. As a state, Mississippi has some of the most extreme school discipline policies in the country. With limited resources, state public schools struggle with managing student behavior through appropriate consequences, often resorting to severe punishments like classroom exclusion (expulsion and suspension) and corporal punishment. However, these punishments very rarely lead to the behavioral results schools desire and school districts, such as Quitman County School District, are beginning to see a need for alternative disciplinary interventions in order to reach more positive behavioral results.
Postsecondary Writing: First-Year Students’ Perceptions Of College Writing Preparedness,
2014
Merrimack College
Postsecondary Writing: First-Year Students’ Perceptions Of College Writing Preparedness, Kerri E. Hoppe
Higher Education Student Work
As access to higher education continues to grow it is important to consider the way students are prepared for college level work. This is especially true in the area of writing, which is considered to be the academic skill most linked to success at the college level (Conley, 2008). This qualitative study investigates college writing preparedness through the perspectives of ten first-year students at a small, liberal arts institution in Massachusetts. The study sought to explore how K-12 institutions and postsecondary schools can work to better prepare students for college writing. Participants described the differences between secondary and postsecondary writing …
How Three Schools View The Success Of Literacy Coaching: Teachers’, Principals’ And Literacy Coaches’ Perceived Indicators Of Success,
2014
Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario
How Three Schools View The Success Of Literacy Coaching: Teachers’, Principals’ And Literacy Coaches’ Perceived Indicators Of Success, Kristen Ferguson
Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts
This paper investigates how the participants in literacy coaching (teachers, literacy coaches, and principals) perceive the success of their literacy coaching programs. This qualitative study uses data from interviews and observations of literacy coaching from three schools in Ontario, Canada. Four perceived indicators of success were found: growth in student achievement, improved teaching, an increase in professional dialogue in a safe environment, and a commitment to the literacy coach. While the study did not collect student data, the beliefs of teachers, literacy coaches, and principals are significant as perceptions of self and group efficacy can predict outcomes. This research suggests …
Character Education In Christian Schools,
2014
Dordt University
Character Education In Christian Schools, Curtis Van Dam
Master of Education Program Theses
Character education programs have been an important part of school systems across the country since the Colonial time period. The way character education has been taught has changed over the years, but the goal to help students make ethical decisions remains the same. Over the last few decades, Christian values have slowly been removed from many character education programs and replaced with values concentrating on citizenship. The goal of one small midwestern Christian elementary school was to develop an effective character education program that was centered on Christian values to help carry out its mission statement. This study shows that …
The Battle Of Chancellorsville,
2014
DePaul University
Advertising And Its Effects On American Life And Personal Choices,
2014
DePaul University
Advertising And Its Effects On American Life And Personal Choices, Diane Boutet
Lesson Plans
No abstract provided.
Comparing Revolutionary War Primary Sources,
2014
DePaul University
Comparing Revolutionary War Primary Sources, Nancy Cocconi
Lesson Plans
No abstract provided.
Analyzing Political Cartoons From The American Revolution,
2014
DePaul University
Analyzing Political Cartoons From The American Revolution, Lisa Pendersen
Lesson Plans
No abstract provided.
Correlation Between Interactive Ebooks And Printed Text In Reading Achievement And Student Interest,
2014
Dordt University
Correlation Between Interactive Ebooks And Printed Text In Reading Achievement And Student Interest, Kimberly D. Beimers
Master of Education Program Theses
Interactive eBooks or traditional printed text? Teachers face difficult decisions when determining which are the most effective tools to use to increase student reading achievement. Studies (Chong, Lim, & Ling, 2009; Ciampa, 2012; Coyle, 2008; Huang, Liang, Su, & Chen, 2012; Jones, & Brown, 2011; Larson, 2010; Martinez-Estrada, & Conaway, 2012; Maynard, 2010), have found that students prefer the additional features of interactive eBooks over traditional printed text; however, studies have failed to prove that these additional text features increase student reading achievement over traditional printed text. There has not been enough evidence to show that student reading achievement increases …
Motivating English Language Learners: An Indonesian Case Study,
2014
Dordt University
Motivating English Language Learners: An Indonesian Case Study, Rebekah Nichols
Master of Education Program Theses
Motivation is a complex issue, especially when considered in the Asian context, where passive learning and teacher-centered lessons dominate. This study attempted to identify student-preferred motivational strategies that would correlate to increased attention and engagement among and increased levels of intrinsic motivation in Chinese Indonesian students in a Year 12 English classroom. Student surveys indicated preferences for the use of audiovisual material and the use of collaborative reading quizzes. The implementation of these strategies resulted in positive levels of attention and engagement in the classroom, but no increase in levels of intrinsic motivation were observed.
Ua64 Cebs Magazine, The College Of Education And Behavioral Sciences At Wku,
2014
Western Kentucky University
Ua64 Cebs Magazine, The College Of Education And Behavioral Sciences At Wku, Charles S. Evans, Dean, Pam Pierce, Editor-In-Chief, Wku College Of Education & Behavioral Sciences
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Publications
No abstract provided.
