Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Why Do Schools Continue To Use Between-Class Ability Grouping?, Olivia Johnston, Nerida Spina, Suzanne Macqueen, Rebecca Spooner-Lane

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Allocating students into separate classes within a school depending on their “ability” is common in many countries. This paper presents a theoretical discussion of the practice, considering why it persists despite a long history of research emphasizing consequential problems. Our discussion identifies and critiques four possible reasons that between-class ability grouping is being used in schools again today, despite research advising against the practice. These reasons are: 1) educators’ perspectives that it facilitates differentiation and assists in managing the intensification of teaching; 2) advantages for students in “high ability” and “low ability” classes; 3) cultural acceptability; and 4) historical entrenchment, …

Self-Regulated Strategy Development (Srsd) In Timed And Untimed Writing Tasks For Primary Learners, Candice Miller

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This PhD dissertation describes an action research study focused on implementing the Self Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model to teach writing to address the challenges faced by Year 5 students in persuasive writing, particularly under timed conditions, and decreasing motivation aligned with national trends and school performance data. The aim of the current study was to enhance students' persuasive writing skills, writing attitudes, and self-efficacy and to examine the social validity of SRSD in an Australian classroom. The study specifically focused on timed and untimed writing conditions to examine the efficacy of the implemented SRSD model. The research employed a …

Exploring Educator Attitudes And Their Impact On Racial Inequities In School Discipline, Chanel Renee` Rice

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This dissertation presents a mixed methods research study conducted within the framework of the Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP). The primary objective of this research is to investigate targeted interventions and resources designed to enhance educators' cultural awareness and social-emotional competence. These enhancements aimed to foster identity-affirming learning environments for students of color, serving as a mechanism to address and mitigate racial discipline disparities in educational contexts.

The validation of student identities, alongside the establishment of inclusive learning environments, is paramount for promoting academic success and addressing the distinct needs of students of color. Nonetheless, the enduring presence of …

The Power Of Joy In Education: Exploring The Impact Of Joyous Pedagogy On Exclusionary Discipline At A Diverse Middle School, Tanya N. Collins

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Educators’ emotional well-being plays a crucial role in shaping classroom environments, student-teacher relationships, and disciplinary responses; yet it remains an often-overlooked factor in addressing school inequities. This study emphasizes the importance of joyous pedagogy as a key element of educator well-being by examining whether cultivating joy could positively impact teachers’ responses to student behavior, enhance classroom relationships, and decrease their reliance on exclusionary discipline practices that disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic students. Guided by the principles of improvement science and grounded in the PERMA model of well-being, this mixed-methods correlational study was conducted as a six-week professional learning intervention aimed …

Building Collective Teacher Efficacy For Student Engagement: A Rural School-Based Approach To Mental Health Promotion, Jennifer Lynn Riggle

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP) examines how rural Wisconsin educators’ perspectives and confidence evolve in recognizing their role in fostering student engagement as a means of supporting student mental health and well-being. The study was prompted by stalled implementation of comprehensive school mental health systems (CSMHS) in rural districts, where systemic barriers, such as limited mental health literacy, absence of collective teacher efficacy (CTE), and undeveloped ownership among educators, prevented sustainable change. This study sought to address these challenges by embedding mental health promotion within instructional reform, positioning student engagement as the bridge between these two traditionally siloed …

Exploring Student Engagement In Urban Public High Schools: An Improvement Science Study, Ashley Hunter Freeman

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This Dissertation in Practice began with a simple question about student engagement and ended with a framework for systemic change. Set in Harborview Public High Schools, an urban and historically under-resourced district, the study examined how educators define engagement, the barriers that limit it, and the supports needed to strengthen it. Fragmented initiatives and inconsistent practices have hindered the development of a coherent classroom-anchored engagement strategy. Guided by an Improvement Science framework, this study used a twophase convergent mixed methods design that included questionnaires, focus groups, educator reflections, and classroom observations.

The first phase focused on professional discourse and sharing …

Trust Brokers And Connectors: Cultivation Of Trust And The Trusted Adult In High School, Vae L. Champagne

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Trusted adult-student connectedness is a key lever for enhancing school safety, preventing violence, and developing a sense of belonging in high schools. However, there are no formal practices, guidelines, or policies in place to cultivate and equip trusted adults for this vital role. Therefore, this Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP) employs an improvement science methodology with a qualitative research design to explore how to foster a school-wide presence of trusted adults and bolster their preparedness. Through focus group interviews, a questionnaire, workshop observations, and design-based activities with youth and educators, cocreated connection tools and strategies were tested using the …

Addressing School Counselor Occupational Stress: An Improvement Science Study In Redefining Roles, Anthony Tumolo

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This dissertation examines the issue of chronic occupational stress among school counselors in the Farmville School District (FSD), a challenge rooted in outdated systemic practices that have led to role misalignment, work overload, and insufficient administrative understanding. Using an improvement science framework, this qualitative study sought to identify and address the organizational conditions contributing to counselor stress while aligning district practices with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. Through interviews, document reviews, and environmental scans, the study explored how systemic factors and unclear role expectations impact counselors’ ability to provide effective student support. The findings revealed that a …

Advanced Placement Classes And Its Racial Gap – Teachers’ Beliefs And Perceptions, Hema Keerthi

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study focused on teachers’ beliefs about Advanced Placement (AP) equity and access policies within the ABC School District in Middle Georgia. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the beliefs held by AP teachers regarding the implementation of equity and access policies and the extent to which these beliefs may have supported or hindered the execution of such policies and procedures. This research employed a mixed-methods design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. The first phase involved an online survey of teachers and counselors in the ABC district in Middle Georgia. The second phase …

Leadership Traits Which Improve School Climate Star Ratings And Ccrpi Single Scores In Georgia K-12 Urban Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study, Rodney D. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the relationship between the self prescribed leadership styles of principals with the teacher perceptions of those leadership styles and how that difference may impact school climate ratings and College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) single scores in Georgia urban K-12 schools. The quantitative method was used to examine quantitative differences related to these two components of Georgia’s state accountability model. The qualitative method was used to explore teachers’ perceptions of the influence of leadership style on climate star ratings and CCRPI single scores. Quantitative data was collected through the …

The Impact Of Pre-Kindergarten Programs On Literacy Achievement In Primary Grades In Rural Southeast Alabama Title I Schools, Courtney Sonntonya Thorton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-kindergarten impacts the literacy achievement of students in Alabama Title I schools. This quantitative study employed a causal-comparative (ex post facto) research design to examine the impact of Alabama’s First-Class Pre-K (FCPK) program on early literacy and school readiness, as measured by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and the Alabama Early Learning Inventory (AL ELI). The design was selected due to its appropriateness for studying naturally occurring groups and its capacity to explore potential cause-and-effect relationships without researcher-controlled intervention.

The independent variable was Pre-K attendance (attendee vs. …

Shifting The Narrative: Photovoice As A Strategy To Highlight, Interrupt, And Challenge Anti-Blackness In Educational Spaces, Bianca Shinn

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This Improvement Science in Practice dissertation employs a mixed-methods, critical participatory action research approach to examine strategies educators can use to disrupt anti-Black practices contributing to racial discipline disparities affecting Black students. The Iceberg Model (Monat & Gann, 2015), a framework for understanding the systemic structures, patterns, and mental models perpetuating anti-Blackness in educational spaces guided the analysis. This study explores how overt and covert expressions of anti-Blackness manifest in schools, particularly in the hyper-disciplining of Black students, a term used to describe the disproportionately high rates of disciplinary actions imposed on Black students, which negatively impact their mental and …

Investigating The Effect Of Ai Use Disclosure And Identity On Faculty Evaluation, Nchimunya Mwiinga

Honors Program Theses

This study examines how professors' disclosure of artificial intelligence (AI) use affects student evaluations and whether these effects vary by professor ethnicity and gender. Participants reviewed identical course materials attributed to professors varying in gender and ethnicity (Asian, Black, Hispanic), with half explicitly disclosing AI use in material preparation. Results revealed that professors who disclosed AI use received significantly lower ratings across all evaluation dimensions. Furthermore, ethnicity interacted significantly with disclosure—Asian professors experienced the most substantial negative impact, Hispanic professors showed moderate negative effects, and Black professors demonstrated minimal differences between disclosure conditions. No significant gender effects were observed. These …

The Impact Of Second-Year Teacher Mentoring, Jennifer Eaton

Dissertations

Teacher retention in the United States is an ongoing problem that is affecting students around the country. States, districts, and schools have used many strategies to try to alleviate the teacher shortages. One of the most common strategies utilized is mentoring first year teachers. This mentorship helps establish the teachers in the schools and gives more of an understanding of what teaching is like on a day-to-day basis.

This research specifically examined the potential impacts a second year of mentoring could have on the second-year teacher. In the United States, nine states have moved to mentoring models lasting longer than …

Measuring Emotion In Education Using Gsr And Hr Data From Wearable Devices, Qian Dong, Qingyun Wang, Rong Miao

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The pivotal role of emotions in education is universally recognized, leading to a surge of interest in emotion recognition. Wearable devices that collect real-time and nuanced subjective physiological data make it possible to delve into the intricate emotional dynamics in education. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of research exploring its potential role in tracking the emotional shifts among students of varying levels in response to specific pedagogical strategies in face-to-face chess classroom. By analyzing both objective GSR and HR data from wearable devices and subjective data from students and teachers in chess classrooms, students at different levels had experienced distinct …

Vietnamese Efl Lecturers’ Perceptions Of The Role Of Chatgpt In Facilitating Language Acquisition Among Their Students, Thanh Thao Le, Phuong Hoang Yen Dr, Trut Thuy Pham, Ngoc Bao Chau Tran, Thi Thuy Linh Nguyen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This qualitative study investigates the perceptions of Vietnamese EFL teachers regarding the role of ChatGPT in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Amidst the growing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, this research focuses on understanding how educators at different career stages perceive the effectiveness of ChatGPT in enhancing language learning experiences. Employing semi-structured interviews, the study engaged nine teachers from two educational institutions in Vietnam. Thematic analysis, guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Constructivist Theory of Learning, revealed multiple roles of ChatGPT in SLA. These include its use as a conversational partner, a tool for immediate feedback, …

An Educational Framework For The Disruptive Technologies And Their Integration In The Un Sdgs Curriculum, Tulsi Pawan Fowdur, Aishani Radhakeesoon

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Disruptive technologies such as 5G, AI, IoT, cloud computing, and blockchain are revolutionizing life on our planet and at the same time contributing immensely towards sustainable development and the achievement of the UN SDGs. Nowadays, optimizing the management of resources in various fields such as manufacturing, education, health, transportation etc. in a much more efficient way is possible. This can be achieved by capturing a wealth of real-time data via IoT sensors with the ultra-reliable and low latency connections provided by 5G. Additionally, with cloud computing, blockchain, and AI, these real-time systems can securely transmit, store, and analyze a massive …

Online Learning Challenges And Coping Among U.S. College Students During Covid-19 Lockdown And Two Years After, Hayaa Alhazani, Li-Ting Chen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

There is a lack of research on comparing college students’ learning experiences during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Moreover, little is known about the relationship between student coping and perceived online learning challenges in higher education. The present study aimed to fill in the gap. Online survey responses from 43 U.S. college students were used in this correlational study. Learning environment challenges were rated as the greatest challenges during the lockdown and two years after it. Students who had taken online classes before the lockdown rated higher levels of technological complexity during the lockdown than their counterparts. When comparing coping …

Analyzing Teachers' Perceptions Of Mobile Learning In Senior Secondary Schools: A Frame Model Perspective In Sub-Saharan Africa, Dennis Kealeboga Mabalane Junior

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The paper focuses on a systematic review of existing literature regarding the teachers’ perceptions toward mobile learning (mLearning) in public secondary schools across sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes that this research synthesizes previously published work rather than presenting original findings. The review identifies significant challenges and opportunities associated with mLearning implementation, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the adoption of mobile technologies in education. Despite the growing body of literature on mLearning trends in sub-Saharan Africa, there remains a notable lack of systematic reviews specifically addressing stakeholder perceptions. This study aims to fill that gap by …

Analysis Of The Scratch Program For Computational Thinking In Schoolchildren In An Educational Institution In Peru: A Network Analysis, Rolando Oscco Solorzano Dr., Leonor Torres Matos Dr, David Aroni Palomino, Miguel Armando Alcca Huisa, Jeanny Helen Ppuño Huaricachi, Delio Merma Saico

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Abstract: o analyze the relationship between the Scratch program and students’ computational thinking in an educational institution in Peru, relational research guidelines were followed with 384 regular elementary school students aged 6 to 12. The group had a higher percentage of males (52.6%) compared to females (47.4%). Two custom questionnaires were used to measure both variables. The study found that the aesthetic aspects of the Scratch program are the most significant component for developing computational thinking (=3.34; =2.34; =2.47), especially the dimension of computational practices. Limitations include a small sample size for analyzing sociodemographic variables, operationalization of computational thinking dimensions, …