Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons^™

Immersive Cultural Plunge: How Mental Health Trainees Can Exercise Cultural Competence With African American Descendants Of Chattel Slaves A Qualitative Study, Clandis V. Payne

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study utilized ethnographic techniques to explore the potential for change in mental health trainees resulting from the participation in an in vivo Immersive Cultural Plunge (ICP) within the African American Descendant of Chattel Slave community. The ICP combined Multicultural Immersions Experiences (MIE) of Cultural Immersion (CI) and Cultural Plunge (CP) to contribute to the developing body of research utilizing MIEs that incorporate contextual, experiential, and historical knowledge to teach the skill of cultural sensitivity. During the 12- hour ICP the participants experienced an orientation, a lecture, a tour/community interaction, a multimedia presentation within an African American community. In …

The Effect Of Advanced Placement Or International Baccalaureate Exam Scores Upon College Gpa And College Choice, Daniel Farmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, causal-comparative and correlational study analyzed students’ academic performance in college based on whether the student was classified as an International Baccalaureate student, an Advanced Placement student, or a non-accelerated student (those who did not participate in IB or AP) and how that choice of academic program affected the type of college a student chose. The study used data obtained from Florida’s Education Data Warehouse (EDW). A stratified sample of 10,006 students was used to analyze college GPA performance and survey responses from 128,223 students were analyzed to determine the effect on college choice. The college grade point averages …

Creating A Multiracial Lesson Plan, Clayton Davis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to teach students about multiracial identity issues. Multiracial populations in the U.S. continue to grow and it’s important for educators to address the needs of these students. A 5-E multiracial literature lesson plan was created for second grade that incorporates KWL and Text-to-World teaching strategies. A second grade class were read two children’s picture books, each featuring a biracial protagonist, and were asked to discuss and evaluate the content and commonalities of these stories. Students recorded what they learned in this lesson in their KWL’s. The results reveal that some students understood the problems …

Developing A Navajo Educational Media Guide: A Community Perspective, Shawna Lynn Begay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Developing a Navajo Educational Media Guide was investigated through the lens of Postcolonial Theory and Critical Indigenous Pedagogy utilizing the methodology of Participatory Action Research (PAR). Ten Navajo Consultants involved in teaching the Navajo language and culture were interviewed identifying learning objectives that should be included in a Navajo Educational Media Show for the audience of Navajo pre-school aged children to learn the Navajo language and culture. The Diné Cultural Content Standards for Students (DCCSS) was decoded. The codes were then utilized to encode the interview transcripts. Using Indigenous methodologies and the Navajo Way of Knowing concepts of: Nitsáhákees, Nahat’á, …

The Nature And Extent Of Instructors’ Use Of Learning Analytics In Higher Education To Inform Teaching And Learning, Janet L. King

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The utilization of learning analytics to support teaching and learning has emerged as a newer phenomenon combining instructor-oriented action research, the mining of educational data, and the analyses of statistics and patterns. Learning analytics have documented, quantified and graphically displayed students’ interactions, engagement, and performance to gain a more complex understanding of teaching and learning. Researchers and scholars have hailed learning analytics as one of the future game-changers in higher education. This study addressed important questions. How have instructors at institutions of higher learning explored learning analytics to reflect upon their teaching practice—specifically, curriculum, pedagogy, student learning and outcomes? What …

Experiences Among U.S. Students Of Color, Travel Background, And Cultural Attunement To Intersectionalities In Study Abroad Programs., Jessica Norman

Dissertations

This cohort and event-based case study sought to evaluate the cultural experiences and development of cross cultural intersectionalities in U.S. students of culture participating in a study abroad program to Argentina. Current study abroad outcomes consistently show travel abroad experiences lead to improved cultural awareness, knowledge, understanding and competency. Study abroad programming appears to be an overlooked opportunity for creating positive, long-lasting, transformative change, particularly for under-represented students (Milsen, 2005; Mondard-Weissman, 2003; Hadis, 2005; Van Hoff & Verbee, 2005). Over the last 30 years, international educators have reported positive changes in students after learning abroad; improved in self-awareness, respect for …

Socialized Leader Development: A Phenomenological Study Of The College Army Rotc Student Perspective And Experience, Ammon Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine leader development within the college Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in order to understand from the participating cadets’ perspectives, the leader development experience. The study focused on the following central research question: How do participants view and interpret their collegiate Army ROTC leadership development experience? Guiding theories for this study were Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (1978), Bandura’s social learning theory (1977) and Tajfel’s identity theory (1982). The study involved twelve college seniors involved at three distinct universities; the data related to their experience as leaders and was collected through reflective journals, …

Elementary Teachers' Participation In Edmodo As A Community Of Practice: A Phenomenology, Cynthia Reasoner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the shared, lived experience of elementary teachers’ participation in Edmodo as a community of practice. The theoretical framework guiding this research included Lave and Wenger’s (1991) community of practice theory and Bandura’s social learning theory (1977, 1984) which explained how learning through participation and observation occurs among teachers involved in learning communities. Social constructivism (Bruner, 1996; Piaget, 1971; Vygotsky, 1978) and adult learning theories (Mezirow, 1991, 1995; Knowles, 1984) also provided understanding as to how adults learn and create knowledge. This study described the lived experience of 10 elementary teachers and …

A Causal Comparative Study On The Effect Of Proficiency-Based Education On School Climate, Kay York

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

his quantitative, causal comparative study sought to determine if proficiency-based education has an effect on school climate. With sweeping school reform across the United States, educators are seeking ways to improve student achievement and maintain a positive school climate. This study consisted of 87 teachers in proficiency-based high schools and 125 teachers in non-proficiency-based high schools in New England who were emailed the Secondary School Climate Assessment Instrument (SCAI-S-G). Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics computed for each teacher group through SPSS. SPSS was also used to conduct separate t tests for each of the eight domains of the SCAI-S-G …

A Phenomenological Study Of Ninth Grade Students' With Disabilities Perceptions Of Educational Settings, Micole Talley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Few research studies listened to the voices of high school students with disabilities’ regarding their lived experiences during placement in an inclusion setting and a resource setting. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the central phenomenon of the study for 10 ninth grade students with disabilities served in either an inclusive setting or a resource setting in 2 rural high schools located in Southeastern Georgia. The research design for this study is a qualitative, phenomenological because further exploration is needed to understand the perceptions of students with disabilities regarding their instructional environments. The central research question …

A Case Study Of Black Students' Education And Socialization Since Public School Closure In Prince Edward County Virginia, Jeffrey Scales

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the concerns about lower academic and social achievement of current Black students in Prince Edward County Public Schools where many local citizens believe were the results of public schools closing for five years from 1959-1964 and forced court ordered reopening. This single instrument qualitative study was conducted to gather greater knowledge from participants who had firsthand knowledge of the extended closure of public schools or reopening of schools over 50 years ago from former students, and community leaders. This researcher utilized face-to-face interviews, focus groups and extensive historical documentation to explore …

Sullivan's "Cultivating The Genius Of Black Children: Strategies To Close The Achievement Gap In The Early Years" (Book Review), Cari Ryan

The Christian Librarian

Sullivan, D. R. (2016). Cultivating the genius of black children: Strategies to close the achievement gap in the early years. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. 166 pp. $29.95. ISBN 9781605544052

Why Teach Science? Helping Teacher Candidates Frame Instructional Decision Making From Moral And Ethical Perspectives, Grinell Smith, Colette Rabin

Faculty Publications

This qualitative research project’s overarching goal was to explore ways to help primary grade teacher candidates (re)kindle a conception of teaching as a moral enterprise involving ethical choices and enactment of one’s values. In the context of a science methods course, we explored the research question: What happens to the commitments toward science instruction of pre-service elementary teachers when we help them view science instruction as an act of caring? Our findings suggest that for many, this approach helped students take a moral stance, articulate an ethical position regarding educational issues, and use these perspectives to inform decision-making at the …

Bloom - Youth Empowerment And Development Through A Practice Of Emotional Leadership, Andrea Andrade

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

As we continue to develop ourselves in this multifaceted dependency with technology, I believe we shy away from the essence of what makes us human in the first place. As emotional and sentient beings, we tend to take for granted the use of our emotions to empower ourselves and others through real life experiences, and shared-challenges.As adults, educators, mentors, parents, we must recognize the importance of becoming positive and effective role models for younger generations in order for them to become successful in their future lives. Yet somehow we continue to see patterns of disconnection caused by either the demands …

A Progressive Approach To The Education Of Teachers: Some Principles From Bank Street College Of Education, Nancy Nager, Edna Shapiro

Occasional Paper Series

In this paper we present Bank Street’s approach as represented in a set of five inter-related principles. We begin by briefly describing the origins and rationale of teacher education at Bank Street. From this description we generate principles that emerge from Bank Street’s history and practice, linking each principle to classroom images of teaching and learning. Enactment of these principles can and must vary in response to changing circumstances, needs, and mandates. In our view, this necessary variation highlights the guiding function of an explicit set of principles to govern and ensure the consonance, validity, and legitimacy of new practices.

An Evaluation Of The Relationships Between Collegiate Aviation Safety Management System Initiative, Self-Efficacy, Transformational Safety Leadership And Safety Behavior Mediated By Safety Motivation, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The study conceptualized Safety Management System (SMS) initiative, self-efficacy, and transformational safety leadership as constructs that relates to safety behavior (measured by safety compliance and safety participation) when mediated by safety motivation using a quantitative approach. Structural equation modeling techniques was used to derive a final measurement model that fit the empirical data and was used to test the study hypotheses. Utilizing a sample of 282 collegiate flight students and instructors from a large public university in the US, a 46-item survey was used to measure respondent’s perceptions on the study variables. The results indicate that perceptions of SMS policy …

High School Outside The Norm: A Case Study Of North Point Academy, Harold Wallace

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Harold Wallace on April 18, 2017.

The Missouri Student Transfer Program, Howard E. Fields Iii

Dissertations

In 1993, the state of Missouri passed the Outstanding Schools Act. This law was created as a means to ensure that “all children will have quality educational opportunities, regardless of where in Missouri they live.” Section 167.131 of this law states that an unaccredited district must pay the tuition and transportation cost for students who attend an accredited school in the same or adjoining district. This portion of the law became known as the Student Transfer Program.

The Riverview Gardens School District (RGSD) was one of three unaccredited school districts in the state of Missouri in 2013. With close to …

Project-Based Learning: A Pathway To Success, Elizabeth A. Trimble

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Elizabeth A. Trimble on April 17, 2017.

The Importance Of National Identity In Social Studies Classes In Puerto Rico: An Examination Of Teacher And Student Perceptions Of “Lo Nacional”, Jesus Daniel Diaz

Dissertations

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, is home to approximately 3.4 million U.S. citizens. The literature on Puerto Rican national identity (PRNI) describes how and why it has been debated on the island for more than five hundred years throughout the colonial trajectory, once under Spain and now as a commonwealth of the United States.

The education system in Puerto Rico, and particularly the social studies curriculum, has been used to promote particular ideologies regarding national identity. This study identifies what middle school teachers teach about PRNI and how seventh grade students identify themselves …