The Impact Of Differentiated Versus Traditional Instruction On Math Achievement And Student Attitudes,
2011
Walden University
The Impact Of Differentiated Versus Traditional Instruction On Math Achievement And Student Attitudes, Valerie D. Gamble
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
With the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB), all schools are held accountable for student achievement. One southern US Title I school failed to meet NCLB mandated math standards for several years and was placed on program improvement. The purpose of this study was to compare math achievement of 34 students in fifth grade using differentiated instruction via Math out of the Box (MOOTB) and math achievement of 34 students in fifth grade using traditional textbook instruction. A second purpose was to determine if there was a difference between student attitudes toward math relative to confidence, value, enjoyment, …
A Case Study Of Differentiated Instruction In Upper Elementary Mathematics And Reading Classrooms,
2011
Walden University
A Case Study Of Differentiated Instruction In Upper Elementary Mathematics And Reading Classrooms, Laponya Alexandria Burris
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Elementary students in one school have shown a decline in proficient and advanced performance on statewide assessments. This decline increased for reading and mathematics achievement from 2003--2008, especially for disabled and minority students in grades 3--5. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the extent to which differentiated instruction was implemented in instructional practices to increase student academic performance. Vygotsky's theory of constructivism, Bruner's theory of problem solving, and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences provided the conceptual frameworks for this study. The research questions focused on the instructional strategies and resources used by teachers. Data included interviews, …
Examining Students' Reflections On Literacy Activities Focused On Poetry Reading And Writing,
2011
Walden University
Examining Students' Reflections On Literacy Activities Focused On Poetry Reading And Writing, Celeste Long
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Motivation, which is based on experience, is crucial in promoting literacy acquisition; however, little research has explored what children experience during literacy activities such as poetry reading and writing. This phenomenological study explored what elementary students experienced during literacy activities focused on poetry. Educational reform inspired by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is based on a narrow range of quantitative research and does not consider the multifaceted nature of literacy and the experiences of the learner. Bruner's psychocultural theory and the belief that an individual's experiences are the core of existence were the philosophical and theoretical frameworks …
The Effectiveness Of Response To Intervention To Improve High School Students' Reading Skills,
2011
Walden University
The Effectiveness Of Response To Intervention To Improve High School Students' Reading Skills, Ann-Marie Popwell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
High School students in a local school district were having reading-related difficulties in certain subject areas and were at risk of failing high school courses. Success in reading is important because students must read the content within the End of Course Test in core content subjects, and their success on this test determines their eligibility for high school graduation. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a Response to Intervention (RTI) reading class designed to improve reading skills for at-risk high school students. The constructivist learning theory was the theoretical framework for this study. The research …
Transforming Classroom Discourse And Pedagogy In Rural Zimbabwe Classrooms: The Place Of Local Culture And Mother Tongue Use,
2011
Aga Khan University
Transforming Classroom Discourse And Pedagogy In Rural Zimbabwe Classrooms: The Place Of Local Culture And Mother Tongue Use, Jacob Marriote Ngwaru
Institute for Educational Development, East Africa
Rural African classrooms are still practicing discourses and pedagogies that contribute towards students' continued underachievement and marginalization. The use of behaviourist-based pedagogical approaches and the exclusion of learners' socio-cultural experiences including their mother tongue (MT) still characterize most classroom practices. The use of classroom discourse that severely constrains opportunities for pupil participation and the development of higher order thinking skills has also been noted. This paper describes an intervention based on the principles of transformative and constructive developmental pedagogy designed to improve approaches to teaching and learning in a primary school in rural Zimbabwe. Examples of prevailing classroom practices organized …
The School Superintendent: Roles, Challenges, And Issues,
2011
University of Dayton
The School Superintendent: Roles, Challenges, And Issues, Theodore J. Kowalski, C. Cryss Brunner
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
The purposes of this chapter are to detail the development of the office of school superintendent, to examine issues of gender and race, to identify contemporary issues affecting practice, and to identify future research topics. The first two sections provide historical perspectives summarizing how the position has evolved over the past 150 years at three different levels-state, intermediate district, and local district. A discussion of the position's history produces five role conceptualizations; having evolved over the past 150 years, these characterizations provide a mosaic of contemporary expectations. Next, considerable attention is given to the causes and implications of race and …
The Personal Values Of School Leaders In Pakistan: A Contextual Model Of Regulation And Influence,
2011
Aga Khan University
The Personal Values Of School Leaders In Pakistan: A Contextual Model Of Regulation And Influence, Sharifullah Baig
Professional Development Centre, Gilgit
This paper illuminates the sources of personal values and their influence on the leadership practices of two school head teachers in the particular context of Pakistan. A comparative case study method has been followed within the qualitative research paradigm where semistructured interviews, observations, and document analyses were used as the main data collection tools. This study finds that the types of personal values and the motivational bases for the acquisition of such values are very much contextually-centered. The data for both principals, despite the exceedingly different characteristics of their childhood communities, reveals that the inherent religious and communal values of …
The Promise And The Reality: Exploring Virtual Schooling In Rural Jurisdictions,
2011
Sacred Heart University
The Promise And The Reality: Exploring Virtual Schooling In Rural Jurisdictions, Michael Barbour
Education Faculty Publications
The history of online learning at the K-12 level is almost as long as its history at the post-secondary level, with the first virtual school programs beginning in the early 1990s. While these opportunities were designed as a way to provide rural students with access to more specialized courses, as opportunities have become organized into virtual or cyber schools the nature of students served by these institutions have broadened. Unlike online learning in general, much less is known about virtual schooling – even less of which is based on systematic research. Regardless, the growth and practice of virtual schooling has …
An Examination Of Government Policies For E-Learning In New Zealand’S Secondary Schools,
2011
International Association for K-12 Online Learning
An Examination Of Government Policies For E-Learning In New Zealand’S Secondary Schools, Allison Powell, Michael K. Barbour
Education Faculty Publications
In 2006 the North American Council for Online Learning surveyed the activity and policy relating to primary and secondary e-learning, which they defined as online learning, in a selection of countries. They found most were embracing e-learning delivery of education as a central strategy for enabling reform, modernising schools, and increasing access to high-quality education. While North American countries appeared to be using the internet as a medium to provide distance education at the secondary level longer than most countries, the lack of a guiding vision has created uneven opportunities for students depending on which state or province they live …
Grading And Reporting Purposes And Practices In Catholic Secondary Schools And Grades' Efficacy In Accurately Communicating Student Learning,
2011
University of San Francisco
Grading And Reporting Purposes And Practices In Catholic Secondary Schools And Grades' Efficacy In Accurately Communicating Student Learning, Peter Imperial
Doctoral Dissertations
Few aspects of school are as controversial as the practice of grading, for grades affect students' educational opportunities. The purpose of this study was to identify the practices Catholic high-school teachers employed in determining students' grades. The study investigated the extent to which academic achievement comprised the grades teachers reported, and the extent to which teachers' practices are consistent with their expressed purposes for grading. The study also explored the extent to which Catholic teachers' grading practices are consistent with their schools' purpose for grading. Using random sampling, 486 Catholic secondary school teachers and 50 administrators from 33 high schools …
Daily Practices Elementary Principals Utilize To Increase Student Readingachievement: A Case Study Of Successful Michigan Elementary Schools,
2011
Western Michigan University
Daily Practices Elementary Principals Utilize To Increase Student Readingachievement: A Case Study Of Successful Michigan Elementary Schools, Susan L. Johnson
Dissertations
This case study examined three K-5 schools, one 3-5 school, and two K-2 Analysis of the data provided six dominant themes related to the research questions: Behavior/Positive Behavior Support, Visibility, Professional Development, Team/Distributed Leadership, Data, and Deliberate/Focused. The dominant themes were cross tabbed with the theoretical frameworks from Marzano et al. (2005) and Fullan (2008a). Connections were made to both Marzano et al.'s Seven Responsibilities of the School Leader for Second-order Change and 21 Responsibilities of the School Leader as well as to four of Fullan's Six Secrets of Change. This study supports previous research and adds to the literature …
Understanding A Pakistani Science Teacher’S Practice Through A Life History Study,
2011
Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development, Karachi
Understanding A Pakistani Science Teacher’S Practice Through A Life History Study, Nelofer Halai
Institute for Educational Development, Karachi
The purpose of the single case life history study was to understand a female science teacher’s conceptions of the nature of science as explicit in her practice. While this paper highlights these understandings, an additional purpose is to give a detailed account of the process of creating a life history account through more than 13 in-depth interviews. It includes a discussion of what the author calls composite observations where the observations of the teacher and the researcher are presented as a single unified story. Also discussed are ethical issues specific to life history created due to the intimacy created by …
A Comparison Of Bullying In Public And Private Schools In A Small Midwestern Community,
2011
University of Northern Iowa
A Comparison Of Bullying In Public And Private Schools In A Small Midwestern Community, Daniel J. Ryan
Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Little attention has been given to the possible differences in bullying at private and public schools. Little significant research exists on bullying at private schools, its characteristics, and its differences from public schools. Inattention to this segment of the population can lead to broad and inappropriate generalizations that what works in public schools will work in private schools. This dissertation investigated to what degree there were differences between the number of incidences, types of bullying, and locations of bullying that took place at a public and private school in a small Midwestern community. The research examined the following factors and …
Length Of School Calendars And Student Achievement In High Schools In California, Illinois And Texas,
2011
Seton Hall University
Length Of School Calendars And Student Achievement In High Schools In California, Illinois And Texas, James M. Pedersen
Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)
.
A Psychological Investigation Of The Expressed Attitudes Of Middle School Aged Adolescents Toward School Bullying,
2011
Walden University
A Psychological Investigation Of The Expressed Attitudes Of Middle School Aged Adolescents Toward School Bullying, Jodi Marie Daly
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
International research on bullying suggests that bullying is pervasive in schools and the workplace. Most researchers concur that bullying behavior is a disruptive factor to the social and educational well-being of students. Previous research, grounded in social and family systems theory, has indicated those who bully tend to be involved in self-destructive and delinquent behaviors. Additionally, in the only-large scale study on bullying behaviors, 29% of the 10th-grade student body admitted to being bullied that school year. Further, in a new study conducted by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, half of all high school students reported that they have bullied …
Teachers' Perception Of Handheld Response Systems As A Tool For Formative Assessment In High School Classrooms,
2011
Walden University
Teachers' Perception Of Handheld Response Systems As A Tool For Formative Assessment In High School Classrooms, Jon Chevalier
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
While research supports that formative assessment can improve student learning, it is rarely used and difficult to implement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the use of student handheld response systems (SRS) as a tool for formative assessment in high school classes as well as teachers' attitudes towards this emerging technology. Self-efficacy and motivation theories provide the theoretical framework for this study. To explore this phenomenon, data were collected via an online interview from high school teachers (n=11) and were analyzed using inductive coding. Three themes emerged from this analysis and served as a basis for …
A Quantitative Assessment Of Skills And Competencies In Graduates Of At-Risk High Schools,
2011
Walden University
A Quantitative Assessment Of Skills And Competencies In Graduates Of At-Risk High Schools, Charles Jerry Williams Jr.
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The willingness to work and a high school diploma were once all that was needed to start one's career. The problem is that on the twentieth anniversary of the reports by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), high school graduates may still lack what business and education leaders require for success in entry-level employment or post-secondary studies. The research question included understanding how prepared graduates from at-risk high schools are for post-secondary work or study. The study used a Likert-scaled survey to assess participant work readiness in 36 skill or competency areas. The sample consisted of recent graduates …
Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effects Of High-Stakes Testing,
2011
Walden University
Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effects Of High-Stakes Testing, Amy Pavia
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
High-stakes testing has increased since the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. Many teachers are using teacher-centered activities with memorization and testing coach books instead of creating student-centered higher-order thinking activities. Some school districts are eliminating subjects that are not tested on state assessments. The purpose of this study was to collect information regarding the teaching experiences of 9 elementary teachers from the same school within one public school district. Teacher interviews were utilized in this case study to explore the perceived effects of high-stakes tests on elementary curriculum and instruction. The theoretical foundation …
Middle School Educators' Perceptions Of Online Professional Development,
2011
Walden University
Middle School Educators' Perceptions Of Online Professional Development, Kelley E. Theodocion
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Numerous researchers have investigated distance education in postsecondary settings, but there is a paucity of research regarding the design and delivery of online professional development for K-12 educators. The goal of this mixed methods sequential exploratory study was to examine attitudes of middle grades educators toward an online professional development course held for teachers employed by one suburban school district in the southeast region of the United States. The theoretical framework is Knowles's theory of adult education (andragogy). The research questions addressed perceptions of connectedness and learning in an online professional development course. A structured interview protocol was used to …
Comparison Of Principals' Leadership Practices By Methods Of Professional Development,
2011
Walden University
Comparison Of Principals' Leadership Practices By Methods Of Professional Development, Marcia J. Grande
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Although the roles of instructional leader and lead learner have become central in the work of 21st century principals, their professional development has garnered little attention. This quantitative, non-experimental, comparative survey study investigated differences in the self-reported leadership behaviors of principals who identified themselves as using either supported or unsupported professional development. Brain based learning, constructivist learning, and adult learning theories, together with professional development standards, created the conceptual framework for this study. Participants were obtained through a purposive national sampling of 7,000 of 230,600 U.S. principals, delimited to leaders in their school for 2 years or more. The voluntary, …
