Educational Methods Commons^™

Using Reflective Journals To Promote And Enhance Self Directed Learning, Aidan Ryan, Jennifer A. Byrne

Conference Papers

This paper seeks to highlight/outline the benefits that can be achieved by using reflective journals to assist teaching in a practical class. The reflective journals were introduced to try and make up for the perceived shortfall in the level of experience and understanding of students on a new degree programme “Timber Product Technology”. The lecturers involved needed

needed ing outside of their normal classroom environment.

The module is “Jointing Techniques and Furniture 1” and is taught in a practical workshop environment whereby the students learn the basic skills in wood jointing and making furniture. The students learn using a combination …

An Analysis Of Targeted Tier Ii Cognitive Interventions On Reading Achievement, Shannon K. Kovack

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine which cognitive intervention based on Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory was most effective at increasing student reading achievement. Ninety students who performed in the bottom one-third on the Virginia Standards of Learning (VA SOL) test from a rural school district in VA were placed into three instructional groups: 1) a control group, in which the teacher utilized the same instructional strategies from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group, in which the teachers determined the students’ cognitive processing deficits and chose an intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group, in which students were …

Text Complexity In Graded Readers: A Systemic Functional Look, Sally-Ann Newnham

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Utilizing the Systemic Functional Linguistic frameworks of taxis, logico-semantic relation, grammatical metaphor, and appraisal, this thesis examines two of the most popular rewrites: Jane Eyre and The Canterville Ghost from the Macmillian Reader, Black Cat Reading and Training, Oxford Bookworm, and Penguin ELT graded reader series. Although a considerable body of literature exists concerning graded readers, the majority of research tends to focus on statistical gains in fluency development or vocabulary acquisition and their retention rather than the linguistic properties of these texts. Furthermore, studies on textual adaptations primarily take a broad corpus-style approach, contrasting altered and unaltered material, rather …

The Impact Of A Grade Nine Transition Program On Student Success In The Piedmont Region Area Of North Carolina, Phillip Jermaine Johnson

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Grade 9 transition program at an urban high school in the piedmont area of North Carolina. Grade 9 is a pivotal year that determines which students prevail and which students fail to finish high school (Hertzog, 2003). It is essential that schools put in place components that ease the transition into high school and provide ongoing support.

Investigation measuring instruments that were used by the researcher included a student survey and a teacher survey which involved Grade 9 students and those teachers who taught Grade 9 students. The data that …

First-Generation Freshman College Students: Factors Impacting Retention For The Subsequent Year, Laura Colson Mclean

Education Dissertations and Projects

Against all odds, first-generation college students continue to enroll in postsecondary schools with aspirations of obtaining a bachelor's degree. Unfortunately, many have not successfully reached their goal, which in turn has affected retention rates of colleges and universities. There are programs that provide academic support and advising to increase retention for first-generation college students. However, there are academic and nonacademic needs of the students that colleges, universities, and public policymakers have neglected to address.

The purpose of this research study was to determine from 168 first-generation college students at 5 participating institutions, what factors impacted their enrollment after their first …

Professional Seminar: Valuing A One-Credit Course Through The Lens Of Doctoral Students, Naina A. Bhandari Ph.D., Beth L. Macdonald Ph.D., Jenny M. Martin Ph.D., Amanda M. Biviano, Jamie M. Simmons, Windi D. Turner Ph.D., Susan Asselin Ph.D.

Teacher Education Program Faculty Scholarship

Professional seminar for doctoral students at a Research I University is a 1-credit course, 2 below the conventional courses. However, the course content covers at least 3 years’ worth of experiences, knowledge, and processes compressed into a single school year. The course typically extends over 16 weeks and 24 actual contact hours with 1 professor to 7 students on average. Assignments expose students to professional jobs in academia, resources available on campus, grant writing procedures, and facilitate the trajectory and purpose of the doctoral process. The purpose of this study is to investigate doctoral students’ narratives on the value they …

Teacher Qualifications And Student Achievement: A Panel Data Of Analysis, Trevor Collier

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Recent academic research suggests that teacher quality plays an important role in student achievement: however, empirical research on the efficacy of policies requiring teachers to obtain certain degrees is inconclusive, particularly in elementary education. This paper models a panel data production function with fixed effects using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) to asses the relationship between different undergraduate and graduate majors and elementary student test scores. Specifcally, we aim to discern if there is a difference in teacher efficacy within the different education related majors (e.g. early childhood education and elementary education) and between education and non-education related majors.

Effects Of An Inverted Instructional Delivery Model On Achievement Of Ninth-Grade Physical Science Honors Students, Donna Howell

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods action research study was designed to assess the achievement of ninth-grade Physical Science Honors students by analysis of pre and posttest data. In addition, perceptual data from students, parents, and the researcher were collected to form a complete picture of the flipped lecture format versus the traditional lecture format.

The researcher utilized a 4MAT learning cycle in two Physical Science Honors classes. One of these classes was traditionally delivered with lecture-type activities taking place inside the classroom and homework-type activities taking place at home; the other inverted, or flipped, delivered with lecture-type activities taking place outside the classroom …

The Impact Of The One-To-One Laptop Initiative On Teacher Perceptions Of Instructional Delivery And Student Engagement In Middle School Mathematics, La'ronda Long Whiteside

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of the one-to-one laptop initiative on teacher perceptions of instructional delivery and student engagement in middle school mathematics. Teacher perceptions of the initiative vary. Several school districts in North Carolina have implemented the initiative and are examining the impact it has on teaching and learning. The one-to-one initiative has been an essential paradigm shift for several national and international schools. The learning environment of the one-to-one initiative immerses students in a curriculum that integrates technology in all subject areas.

Examining Historical (Mis)Representations Of Christopher Columbus Within Children’S Literature, John Bickford

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Effective teaching, while supplemented by best practice methods and assessments, is rooted in accurate, age-appropriate, and engaging content. As a foundation for history content, elementary educators rely strongly on textbooks and children’s literature, both fiction and non-fiction. While many researchers have examined the historical accuracy of textbook content, few have rigorously scrutinized the historical accuracy of children’s literature. Those projects that carried out such examination were more descriptive than comprehensive due to significantly smaller data pools. I investigate how children’s non-fiction and fiction books depict and historicize a meaningful and frequently taught history topic: Christopher Columbus’s accomplishments and misdeeds. Results …

Team Teaching, Kathryn M. Plank

Faculty Scholarship

Team teaching has the potential to have a profound impact on both teaching and learning. Many who have taught as part of a team report the break from solitary practice brings renewed excitement for teaching and the course that makes them better teachers. It also creates a learning environment in which students can explore multiple perspectives and ways of knowing. Of course, along with the benefits come many challenges. This paper shares some of the advice gleaned from those who have written about their team teaching experiences to help others make the most of the opportunity.

Effectiveness Of The Mind Research Institute's Algebra Readiness Curriculum On Student Achievement Implemented In A Tiered Response To Intervention Model, Nancy Quick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Algebra is typically the gatekeeper for higher-level math coursework. Low math performance on standardized assessments impedes access to these higher-level math classes. Limited math progress in high school affects future career opportunities and quality of life. High school students who have historically struggled with math need interventions that work. Research indicates that the research on reading interventions far outnumbers the research on math interventions. With the passage of new federal legislation requiring schools to document progress for all groups of students and allowing schools to use Response to Intervention models, the need for evidence based math interventions becomes even more …

Script-Based Reading Lessons And Socialized Language Usage, Joseph James Spencer

Theses Digitization Project

This study focuses in particular on the connections students make to their reading as seen through contextualized language usage. Many educators and curriculum developers suggest that using these new script-based curriculum will help teachers systematize and close gaps in teaching and learning. If unwritten teacher questions and statements are used to redirect students' comprehension about texts occur during the reading lesson, these will be described and analyzed for their effects on the lesson goals and objectives.

Bringing A Knife To The Gunfight: The Academically Underprepared Law Student & Legal Education Reform, Susan Stuart, Ruth Vance

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Graduate Attributes: A Preliminary Research Study., Eric Bates, Peter Hinch

Reports

The objective of this teaching fellowship research project was to establish if graduate attributes should form part of student education within programmes offered by the DIT. This study was conducted during one semester and concentrated on one aspect of graduate attributes which were interview skills. Two videos were scripted, shot and edited that focused on interviews from the perspective of both the interviewer and the interviewee. These videos were showcased with lecturers whose feedback indicated that some improvements were required. Following those improvements the videos were shown to two student groups for feedback. The videos successfully provoked an awareness of …

Theory Guided Professional Development In Early Childhood Science Education, Soo-Young Hong, Julia C. Torquati, Victoria J. Molfese

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The importance of early and developmentally appropriate science education is increasingly recognized. Consequently, creation of common guidelines and standards in early childhood science education has begun (National Research Council (NRC), 2012), and researchers, practitioners, and policy makers have shown great interest in aligning professional development with the new guidelines and standard. There are some important issues that need to be addressed in order to successfully implement guidelines and make progress toward accomplishing standards. Early childhood teachers have expressed a lack of confidence in teaching science and nature (Torquati, Cutler, Gilkerson, & Sarver, in press) and have limited science and pedagogical …

Conceptual Change Theory In Education: Using Dinner-Home Visits To Reshape Teacher Perceptions Of Students, Audrey Consuelo Hovannesian

Theses Digitization Project

This study was designed to determine a method to identify barriers which inhibit and items which foster levels of School Connectedness based on teacher perceptions of School Climate. When barriers related to School Connectedness are identified, the application of a protocol to reshape teacher perceptions may be necessary. Identifying teacher perceptions of School Climate related to students, the school environment, and themselves, is often an indicator of how connected the various elements of a school are since teachers and staff members greatly assist in the formation of a school climate. The 100 Dinners Project was a mixed methods study designed …

Web-Based Peer Tutoring In Science Education, Aaron Mac Raighne

Other resources

Peer-instruction has been shown to have a very positive effect on students’ engagement and learning. PeerWise is a web-tool designed to allow peer-tutoring between students within a large class group. Students can write, answer and discuss Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) based on their work in-class. It is low-cost and low-maintenance software which has become increasingly popular across many subject disciplines as a method to introduce a peer-tutoring aspect to course work. In this study we introduce PeerWise as a form of continuous assessment to a wide and varied cohort of science students (N=509) across disciplines, undergraduate years, levels (certificate to …

The Personal Made Public: An Actor-Led Devised Film Project., Peter Mcdermott

Other resources

This project enabled students on the DIT Conservatory’s BA in Drama (Performance) to create five short films on a subject of their own choosing, drawing on their own personal experience. Using methods derived from Jerzy Grotowski and Anne Bogart, the students worked in small groups to workshop ideas and, with the support of two co-directors, to develop their scripts. A professional production team was assembled to shoot the films. After post-production, there was a public screening and the films were made available online. The project addressed two questions: 1. Through devising, to what extent can actors be more empowered in …

The Development, Implementation And Initial Evaluation Of Tailorable Resource Packs For Multimedia Based "Assessments For Learning"., Barry Ryan

Other resources

In this project a suite of tailorable teaching and learning resources were created, implemented and evaluated. These resources focused on the assessment for learning model, adopting the constructivist approach to learning. Here, the student builds their knowledge, and deepens their understanding, as they complete their assessment. The resources were designed to aid academic adoption, and student implementation, of this model of assessment. The assessment outputs created using these resources were digital videos and network concept maps. The tailorable resources provided a structured and scaffolded environment for both the academic and student to explore this learning space. Both students and academic …