Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Gender Stereotypes In The Elementary Classroom, Mckenna Gill

Master's Theses

This study explores ways to reduce gender stereotypes in the elementary classroom. Specifically, it was designed to collect data on male and female behaviors related to gender stereotypes toward different school subjects, volunteering, peer relationships, and student redirections during lessons. A literature review was conducted to investigate existing research on this topic. A mixed-methods design was used in this study. Data was collected in a fifth-grade classroom, by keeping a tally of each of the subject areas Math, Reading, Science, and Writing, and the students who volunteered. Included in the investigation was a teacher interview regarding her thoughts on gender …

The Effects Of Implementing Movement Breaks In Elementary Classrooms, Laura Ford

Master's Theses

This action research project investigated the implementation of movement breaks in a third-grade classroom to enhance academic performance and behavior. The short study aimed to assess whether integrating regular movement breaks into the classroom routine would lead to significant improvements in academic outcomes and behavior, particularly those students diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Over a designated period, movement breaks were introduced at a specific interval during the school day. Data was collected through observations, surveys, and behavior tracking. Surprisingly, the findings revealed that despite the incorporation of movement breaks, there was no significant difference observed in overall academics or behavior …

The Impact Of Play-Based Learning On Early Childhood Development, Aubry Mauro

Master's Theses

This action research project emphasizes the recognized influence of play on children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth. The researcher explored how play-based learning strategies contribute to students’ development, drawing insights from existing literature. The research used mixed methods to analyze the impact of play-based learning on social, emotional, and cognitive development in a sixth-grade classroom. The researcher collected data over six weeks. Initial findings showed the effect of play-based learning on students' development. The baseline data in this action research project showed that this group of students enjoys playing inside, outside, independently, or in a group. The researcher found that …

The Effects Of Student Choice On Motivation And Writing Skills, Laura Annunziata

Master's Theses

This mixed methods action research study investigates the potential effects of student choice on motivation and academic performance in writing-based assignments in a fourth-grade classroom. Baseline data was collected prior to implementation of student choice writing activities and then used to compare writing samples collected post intervention. The baseline data suggests that students’ attitudes towards autonomy are positive. Having choices was important to them and helped them learn better. However, data also indicates that while students were motivated to write using choice, many of the reading and writing competency scores dropped during journal entry writing samples. Data shows that while …

The Impact Of Online Tools On Student Writing, Rebekah Probst

Master's Theses

Our classrooms today are vastly different from those just a few years ago. Many students are foreign to learning without any technology. In light of this drastic change in our classrooms, it is important to understand the new age's impacts on our students and their learning abilities. This research study used a mixed-methods design to explore online tools' effects on student writing. The research examines data collected from a fifth grade over two months, which included student writing samples and survey responses. This research compared outcomes between handwritten responses and those with access to tools such as automatic correction features. …

Key Benefits Of Small Group Instruction For Diverse Learners, Lydia Mcevoy

Master's Theses

Utilizing a mixed method approach this research study investigated the effects of small group instruction on the learning of diverse learners. Informed by a preliminary literature review that supports the use of small-group instruction, the researcher conducted a small-scale action research project to focus on three diverse learners in a 1st-grade classroom over four weeks. One of the findings of this project shows that small group instruction helps promote social and emotional skills as students feel more comfortable interacting with peers in a small group rather than in a whole group. Another finding indicates that students feel more encouraged by …

Implementing Music To Increase Elementary Student Focus, Kathryn Garceau

Master's Theses

This action research project used a mixed methods design to address the effect of different types of music on student focus while performing an independent task. Despite its success with memorization, does music work equally as well on student focus? Data was collected over a period of three weeks for 30 minutes each morning for 5 days each week. The music played while students completed the task changed each week. This included lyrical songs during week one, classical music during week two, and instrumental versions of songs students knew the lyrics to during week three. Four behavior markers were observed …

Examining How Agricultural Education Programs Place Student Teaching Interns In School Based Programs, Mckenna Sairls

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the criteria and procedures involved in placing student teaching interns within school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs across land-grant universities within the United States, employing a Modified Delphi survey design. By examining factors that influence placement decisions, this research aims to address a gap in literature as few comprehensive studies on internship placement processes in agricultural education exist. The findings highlight the significance of factors such as program quality, mentorship abilities, and preservice teacher traits in the placement process.

Hospitality Highway Career Fair: An Exploratory Study, Lilly Miller

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this creative project is to conduct research on career fairs and hospitality events to successfully host the first ever Hospitality Career Fair at the University of Arkansas. The lack of career advancement opportunities on the campus for hospitality management students continued to increase despite the rapidly growing industry across the community, so the creation of the career fair would allow improvement for the students and the companies. With a creative project, it allows more creativity and research to develop the overall plan for the event.

The project studies hospitality career events hosted at other universities to gain …

Music Education: Right From The Start. Primary Teachers Survey - South Australia, Rachel Felgate, Toby Carslake, Tanya Vaughan

School and system improvement

A broad-ranging survey of teachers and representatives from 115 South Australian government primary schools. The research in South Australia underscores overwhelming support among teachers for the benefits of music learning. However, it also highlights widespread concerns regarding inadequate investment in teacher training, dedicated facilities, and necessary resources.65% of respondents indicated that less than nine hours were allocated to music learning within their initial teaching degrees. Additionally, only about half (53%) said their school has appropriate musical equipment, with just 7% reporting having a purpose-built building to conduct music learning.

Elementary Science Essential Elements Curriculum Map & Progress Monitoring With Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies, Tasha Jenkins

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Little research has explored the field of science instruction tailored to students with significant disabilities. However, research studies have begun to emerge that suggest, with specific instructional strategies, these students can be successful in learning science curriculum. This project evaluated literature to find evidence-based instructional strategies for teaching science to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Six strategies were consistently found across multiple studies. The six strategies include (1) time delay, (2) systematic instruction, (3) multiple exemplar training, (4) task analysis, (5) graphic organizers, and (6) guided inquiry-based learning. These strategies were shared with a team of nine special education teachers …

The Experiences Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Utilizing One Stop Student Services: A Grounded Theory Approach, Ivan Noe

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The number of students with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions of higher education continues to rise. With it, it is necessary to understand better how they experience their institution beyond curricular spaces. Presently, there exists a gap in the knowledge of how these students experience co-curricular support, including assistance with enrollment services through one stops. This study sought to understand the multiple ways in which this population of students experiences the one stop at one of three four-year public research universities in California. This qualitative research study utilized the constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods to aid in the emergence of …

Moving Beyond Transactions: Understanding The Relationships Between College Access Professionals And Underrepresented College-Bound Families, Stephany Cuevas

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Framed by family engagement frameworks, this study presents four types of interactions college access professionals (CAPs) have with the families of underrepresented college-going students—inconsistent communication, transactional exchanges, student-family mediation, and trusting relationships—to explore the nature of family-educator partnerships for students’ college access. Drawing from in-depth qualitative interviews with a diverse sample of 20 CAPs, this study demonstrates that the nature of these interactions and their corresponding family engagement practices are influenced by CAPs’ job requirements and previous experiences working with families. This ultimately shapes their ability to invest in and develop strong, trusting partnerships with students’ families. By understanding these …

Breaking Through: A Study Of Educators In All-Male Classrooms And The Instructional Decisions They Use To Bridge The Gender Academic Achievement Gap, Kelly M. Clark

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In reviewing academic achievement gaps across United States school districts, educational research samples show deviations between males and females with males statistically outperforming females in math while females typically outperform males in reading and language arts. With strict American educational policies set in place to promote equality and equity in the classroom, research and long-term results on the impact and possible benefits of male, single-sex classrooms in the American educational system are limited. This study seeks to explore educators’ best practices for teaching male students and effective strategies to cater to their different needs. By qualitatively studying the experiences of …

Pilot Evaluation Of Programmatic Elements For First-Generation And Historically Marginalized Doctoral Students And Their Families, Bridget A. Walsh, Sarah Mitchell, Emmanuel Kyeremeh Addai, Matthew Aguirre, Keira Hambrick

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

While research demonstrates that family support is essential for doctoral students, research detailing institutional efforts to involve families is limited. We developed the GAIN Scholars program, consisting of two 3-week-long boot camps for incoming first-generation and historically marginalized doctoral students. Quantitative data were collected from 38 doctoral students in the GAIN Scholars program (n = 22) and the control (n = 16). One key component of this program was family support for doctoral students. Family members (n = 15) were invited to the opening ceremony, a day of programming, and online activities. Pre- and post-test measures indicate participants had a …

Voices Of The Holistically Educated: Impacts And Outcomes Beyond Academics, Autumnjoy Felicidade Florencio-Wain

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation engages a multi-step process to identify and articulate the internally defined goals of prominent holistic pedagogies including Montessori, Waldorf, Democratic Free Schooling, homeschooling, and radical/progressive education. It gives voice to adult former students who speak to, and illustrate, the ways in which they were impacted by their holistic educational settings on each of six identified areas of intended holistic development: physical, creative engagement, intrapersonal, interpersonal, cognitive, and transpersonal. Eighteen participants, ages 19 to 71, from various holistic backgrounds in North America, participated in focus group meetings and interviews. They reflected on their current sense of self on each …

Investigating Factors Influencing Chinese Private College Students’ Engagement In Emergency Online Learning, Limei Cao

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Online learning has witnessed a rapid growth following its widespread adoption across global higher education throughout the COVID-19 global pandemic. Although online learning was intended to maintain continuity of education during the public health emergency, the issue of student engagement in emergency online learning (EOL) has risen to prominence. Given the close association between student engagement and academic outcomes, investigating factors influencing student engagement in EOL is crucial for informing effective educational policies and interventions that support student success. In the absence of a comprehensive theoretical model for understanding student engagement in the unique context of EOL, this study proposed …

Defining Experiential: Higher Education Educator Perspectives On Experiential Education Criteria And Experiential Learning Forms, Paul Gaszak

Dissertations

In the field of experiential education, there is a general understanding that concepts and definitions of experiential education and experiential learning differ by individuals, departments, organizations, and institutions. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive research study was to gather the perspectives of individual experiential educators across higher education (n = 121) on what they perceive to be experiential education’s criteria and what forms of educational methodologies qualify as experiential learning forms. The findings demonstrated inclusive perspectives regarding both criteria and forms, such as receptiveness to experiential education being able to occur within classrooms, in short durations, and without third-party participation. …

The Components Necessary In A Clinical Day Program For A Successful Transition To Traditional School, Erica Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what components of academic and therapeutic clinical day programs ensure success for students with mental health diagnoses as they transition back to conventional educational settings. This study focused on the importance of developing students' capabilities to fulfill their own needs within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs through coping skills, academic skills, and ensuring those skills transition to their traditional home school setting. The research questions guiding this study were: 1. How is “successful reintegration” defined for students with mental health concerns by the students, families, teachers, and other school staff? 2. What program …

The Standards And Expectations Of The Speech-Language Pathology Field, Abbie Summers

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The goal of this project was to provide individuals interested in the field of speech-language pathology with relevant information from professionals in various positions in the field. These sources were to include speech-language pathologists in education, research, academia, and medicine. Interviews were conducted with these professionals covering various questions about their experiences, salary, education, professional development, interprofessional work, and on-the-job skills. From these interviews, data collection occurred based on responses to find commonalities to include in the write-up. The article provides information on personal experiences in the field, professional certification, professional growth and development, salary expectations according to work settings, …