Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Teaching Cultural Awareness To Dental Hygiene Students Through Project Based Learning, Jennifer Fehrenbacher

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

I implemented a cultural awareness project (CAP) to enhance dental hygiene students’ understanding of diverse cultural needs and beliefs related to oral health. This 2-year quality assurance project aimed to assess student perceptions of the CAP.

Two cohorts of 23 junior students each participated. I collected data via post-project surveys adapted from the Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) instrument after obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and consent. Both cohorts (n = 23 each) demonstrated positive perceptions of the CAP, with mean scores of 4.9 and 4.8, respectively (p = .024). These data suggest that the CAP …

Applying The Learning Cycle To Introduce Research Practices In General Chemistry Lab, Teresa J. Bixby, Matthew Kubacki, Jasmine Casanova

Chemistry Department Faculty Conferences

CUREs are a great way to engage students in research practices but can be onerous for instructors and teaching assistants to administrate and facilitate. There is added challenge in providing research experiences to students at the introductory level when they have developed limited knowledge and skills. Here we describe a more structured approach that applies the learning cycle to a traditional experiment to allow students to explore the technique, “invent” the parameters for systematic analysis, and apply the technique to a researchable question of their own construction.

Timss 2023 Australia. Volume Ii: Student And School Characteristics, Nicole Wernert, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Catherine Underwood

TIMSS 2023

This is the second of 2 reports that look at the results of TIMSS 2023 and Australia’s performance. This report, Volume II, presents the results from the contextual questionnaires, and examines the home, school, and classroom contexts in which learning and achievement occur, as well as student attitudes. Each chapter focuses on different indicators concerning the school community; the school learning environment; mathematics and science teacher characteristics; mathematics and science classroom learning environments; and, students’ attitudes and beliefs and use of technology. Together, the different indicators of student and school life illustrate some of the many key aspects that make …

Diversifying Cybersecurity: Evaluation Of An Internet Of Things (Iot)-Based Cybersecurity Training Course Designed To Bridge The Diversity Gap, Maureen Namukasa, Bhoomin B. Chauhan, Carlie Swords, Curtice Gough, Weronika Dymanus, Catherine Diresta, John Vitali, Vivek Sharma, Tj Oconnor, Meredith Carroll

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-module Cybersecurity course at increasing the learning outcomes of middle and high school students with little to no experience, including underrepresented minorities (URMs) in Cybersecurity. Twice we administered and evaluated the Cybersecurity course, which included hands-on IoT-based activities, utilizing collaborative learning, scaffolding, and representation-based learning strategies. Using a quasi-experimental, within-subjects, repeated measures design, each participant experienced a pretest, the course, and a post-test to evaluate the impact on learners’ self-efficacy, interest, and knowledge. The results revealed that (1) at pre-test, female (p = .001) and in one course administration minority …

Testing Their Limits: Impact And Intentions Of Standardized Testing In K-12 Schools, Grace O. Herd

University Honors Theses

The integration of High-Stakes standardized testing into U.S. public education to serve as an accountability system has been a disputed issue since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated these assessments nationwide in 2002. NCLB aimed to locate and identify schools failing to reach Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and trigger a chain of interventions based on student performance, as an effort to track measurable outcomes from federal education funding. While supporters view these standardized tests as quantifiable data for school effectiveness in academics, critics challenge the claim of validity.

This review integrates current psychological research in the area of …

Reading Interventions In The Modern Era: Reconceptualizing The Utility Of Video Games, Senaida Mehmedovic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Youth in the United States continue to have difficulty developing reading skills, with only 31% of fourth graders reading at a “proficient level” (NAEP Reading: National Average Scores, 2024). Youth struggling to develop reading skills often have reading anxiety (Chow et al., 2021; Martinez, 2019; Ramirez et al., 2019), which impacts their reading skill development even more (Mohammadpur & Ghafournia, 2015); the interwoven and cyclical relationship between reading anxiety and reading comprehension requires interventions to address these needs concurrently (Francis et al., 2019; Francis et al., 2021; Grills et al., 2012). The increased avoidance and paired aversion of reading-related tasks …

The Self That Practices Deeper Teaching: An Exploration Of Influences On Teacher Beliefs And Values, Kerstin L. Rowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, educators have called for “a fundamental redesign of the industrial-age classroom.” However, despite ongoing discourse around educational reform, the majority of teachers still use the industrial model of education while too few teachers implement deeper teaching practices which situate students as active learners in addressing complex, real-world challenges rather than being passive recipients of knowledge. Existing literature does not explore the influences upon the beliefs and values of teachers who create deeper learning experiences.

This qualitative study employs educational criticism and connoisseurship to illuminate the inner self of those who practice deeper teaching. Drawing on in-depth observations, interviews, …

Conceptualizing The Explanatory Fully Longitudinal Mixed Methods Case Study Design: A Demonstration With An Arithmetic Education Trial With Kindergarten Children, Menglong Cong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In employing longitudinal mixed methods designs, researchers have commonly used the fully longitudinal mixed methods design. This has occurred mostly in the health sciences but less in education. The current investigation proposes a novel longitudinal mixed methods research design, explanatory fully longitudinal mixed methods case study design. It demonstrates its potential for addressing research inquiries in educational research using the arithmetic learning trajectories datasets. This study is presented in three components. The first is a quantitative phase, selecting an exploratory case from a previous arithmetic learning trajectories study (Clements et al., 2021) for qualitative analyses based on maximizing the …

Paving The Way: Cultural Relevance In College And Career Readiness Programs, Jacqueline Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students of color face persistent educational and systemic barriers that impact their success in college and career readiness (CCR) programs. Standardized approaches to CCR often fail to address the cultural identities, lived experiences, and needs of diverse learners (Castro, 2013; Malin et al., 2017; Welton & Martinez, 2014). Guided by the theoretical framework of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, with the extension of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, this instrumental case study investigates how one CCR initiative—the Legacy Scholars Program (LSP), implemented by a Western Urban School District—integrates culturally responsive practices to better serve students of color. Through interviews, observations, and artifact analysis, this …

From Deficit To Asset: Developing An Equitable Early Warning System For Ninth Grade Success, Stephanie Mann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I explored the design and implementation of an asset-based Early Warning System (EWS) to support ninth-grade students at The Academy, a PK-12 charter school, during their critical high school transition. Using Practical Action Research, I addressed the question: How might a comprehensive EWS leverage student assets and systemic support to ensure success? Over one academic year, the study unfolded in two phases: Phase I employed qualitative methods—interviews, focus groups, and data reviews—to identify gaps, while Phase II developed an enhanced EWS, integrating map and street data for richer student profiles and staff collaboration. Findings underscore a human-powered EWS rooted in …

Cultivating Resilience In The Anthropocene: Evaluating A Gssw Ecological Justice Curriculum, Windy Selig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice evaluated the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) Ecological Justice Pathway to examine how resilience is conceptualized and cultivated within the curriculum. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm and guided by an ecological justice framework, this evaluation explored the pedagogical and curricular strategies designed to prepare social work students for the emotional, ethical, and professional demands of practicing in the Anthropocene—a time marked by ecological degradation, climate crisis, and compounding social inequities.

Through qualitative methods, including faculty interviews and curriculum document analysis, the evaluation identified both explicit and implicit components that foster student resilience. …

A Toolkit For Improving School Climate: Lessons Learned From Action Research In A Network Of 16 Charter Schools, Grant E. Erwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators today face daunting challenges, especially in addressing persistent gaps in outcomes for historically underserved students from low-income and minority backgrounds. Practitioners often cite school climate as a key barrier to student success—an assertion supported by research linking school climate to students’ academic and personal outcomes. This study sought to improve school climate across 16 urban middle and high schools within one charter network. Using a mixed methods Collaborative Action Research (CAR) design over multiple years, the study triangulated academic research, external resources, and on-the-ground lessons to provide practical guidance for other educators. Data were collected from multiple stakeholders and …

A Guided Board Preparation Initiative To Support Struggling Students' Success In Board Exams, Dyron J. Corley, Shiyuan Wang

Rowan-Virtua SOM Faculty Teaching & Learning Seminar

The Guided Board Prep Initiative was created to synthesize all the board preparation resources and provide more organized guidance for students we identified in MS1 who would struggle to pass COMLEX Level 1. Among at-risk students between 2023/4-2024/5 cohorts (N=169), the cohort of 2024/25 had significantly higher COMLEX Level 1 pass rate than 2023/24 cohort (chi-square 4.8, p-0.03)

Teaching Students To Provide Effective Feedback With The Situation-Behavior-Impact (Sbi) Framework, Steve Garwood

Rowan-Virtua SOM Faculty Teaching & Learning Seminar

We often ask medical students to provide feedback to each other and the faculty. However, we do not necessarily teach them to provide effective, actionable feedback. This research focused on the impact of providing students with a 1-hour session training them to utilize the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) feedback model.

Rethinking “Key-Chain Swap” And Other Decontextualized Algorithm Teaching Practices For Rational Number Learners, Connor B. Desai

Education Dissertations

Mathematical literacy is critical in an increasingly data-driven society, yet many students struggle with rational number concepts due to the prevalence of decontextualized algorithmic instruction. This study investigates the impact of targeted professional development (PD) on sixth-grade teachers’ instructional strategies and their students’ rational number achievement. The research examines whether explicit, conceptually grounded teaching of rational number operations improves student understanding compared to traditional algorithm-based instruction. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collected quantitative and qualitative data from students at two middle schools. The intervention was statistically significant at School A, where students in the intervention group demonstrated greater achievement …

An Educational Intervention For The Care Of Older Adults, Michele Orzehoski, Dnp, Rn

Thomas Jefferson University Faculty Days

No abstract provided.

Sg-Met: Past To Present Day Evolution, Aiden Echols, Bs, Madison Via, Bs, Audrey L. Zapletal, Otd, Ms, Otr/L, Cla, Chse, Karla A. Bell, Pt, Dpt, Phd, Fnap

Thomas Jefferson University Faculty Days

Background

LGBTQ+ communities experience health care and health disparities; some reasons include:

• barriers in care,
• negative attitudes,
• lack of awareness by healthcare providers.

Studies have found healthcare professionals are not adequately trained in LGBTQ+ care

Educators benefit from professional development related to LGBTQ+ inclusivity in higher education.

Mulberry Leaf Disease Detection By Cnn-Vit With Xai Integration, Mohammad Asif Hasan, Fariha Haque, Hasan Sarker, Rafae Abdullah, Tonmoy Roy, Nishat Taaha, Yeasin Arafat, Abdul Karim Patwary, Mominul Ahsan, Julfikar Haider

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Mulberry leaf disease detection is vital for maintaining the health and productivity of mulberry crops. In this paper, a novel approach was proposed by integrating explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques with a convolutional neural network (CNN) and vision transformer (ViT) for effective mulberry leaf disease classification with three disease classes. Initially, in this proposed CNN-ViT model, features are extracted using a customized CNN architecture, and then the extracted features are fed into ViT for leaf disease classification in a more streamlined approach. The CNN-ViT model achieved promising results with a projection dimension of 64, utilizing 8 heads and 8 transformer …

A Design Based, Mixed Method Study On Evaluating Traditional Grading Practices And The Implications For Mastery Learning And Educational Equity In A Midwestern School District, Christina Kirchner

Dissertations

“Grades are an essential currency of our schools. Schools, colleges and employers use grades to determine many important, and in some cases, life-altering decisions-college admission, financial aid and scholarships, athletic eligibility, promotion, retention, awards, and supports” (Feldman, 2018, p. 3). Grading is not addressed in teacher preparation programs, or within professional development during teachers’ careers; teachers have chosen their own way to grade guided by their own personal experiences, uninformed of research or best practice. Using a human centric, design-based approach, the researcher identified multiple discrepancies with grading practices among the K-12 school organization. Within the discrepancies, other issues were …

Talis Teacher Knowledge Survey 2024 Conceptual And Assessment Framework, Jonathan Heard, Pina Tarricone

OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the world’s largest international survey of teachers and principals. In 2024, TALIS added the Teacher Knowledge Survey (TKS), a special module to investigate teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge (GPK). GPK is the specialised knowledge of teachers for creating effective teaching and learning environments for all students, independent of subject matter; it is part of the specialised body of knowledge that makes teaching a knowledge profession. The TKS conceptual and assessment framework underpins the survey, describes its contents and explains its importance. Key themes in the framework include teaching diverse learners, using technology for …