Secondary Education Commons^™

Empowering Futures Together: The Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Postsecondary Outcomes For Young Adults With Autism, Olivia Bliss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Autistic young adults are disproportionately excluded from postsecondary education and employment opportunities, with significantly lower rates of college completion and higher levels of unemployment than their non-disabled peers. While social and emotional learning (SEL) has been widely promoted as a vehicle for student success, research on how emotional intelligence (EQ) shapes the postsecondary experiences of neurodivergent individuals remains limited. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study explores how emotional intelligence competencies influence postsecondary outcomes and satisfaction among autistic young adults. Participants completed the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment (SEI), and their results were analyzed alongside demographic and outcome data. The second …

La Retroalimentación Bidireccional En El Proceso De La Enseñanza Y Aprendizaje Con Modalidad Hibrida En Una Institución Secundaria De Puerto Rico, Annette Muñiz Andújar

Theses and Dissertations

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la percepción de los docentes sobre la importancia de la Retroalimentación Bidireccional en el Proceso de la Enseñanza-Aprendizaje con Modalidad Hibrida en una Institución Secundaria en Puerto Rico. Este estudio se realizó utilizando un diseño fenomenológico, con enfoque cualitativo. La población y la muestra del estudio estuvieron compuestas de docentes de una escuela Pública del área Norte de Puerto Rico. Los datos fueron recopilados mediante la entrevista semiestructurada. Durante este proceso, la investigadora utilizó un cuestionario guía, con el cual procedió a recolectar los datos, utilizando la entrevista semiestructurada.

Los datos cualitativos obtenidos de …

Teacher Views Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication With Nonverbal Students With Severe Intellectual Disabilities: A Generic Qualitative Study, Lelita K. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Students with significant intellectual disabilities who are nonverbal often depend on augmentative and alternative communication devices to engage with lessons and participate in secondary educational environments. Despite advancements in this technology, issues pertaining to training, consistency, and institutional support persist, hindering effective application in urban schools. The objective of this generic qualitative study was to investigate the perspectives of teachers and related service providers regarding the utilization of these devices for nonverbal students with severe intellectual disabilities in urban secondary schools.

Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with 11 participants, comprising special education instructors, related service providers, and special education …

Tapping A Hidden Resource In Classrooms: Peer Interactions And Their Role In Language, Literacy, And Disciplinary Literacy Practices Among Adolescent English And Non-English Learners, Jina Byeon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative case study examines how peer interactions among six seventh-grade English Learners (ELs) and non-ELs serve as both a context for and a method of developing adolescents' literacy and disciplinary literacy practices. Data sources include two semi-structured interviews with each student and their four classroom teachers, student and teacher ethnographic interviews, 300 hours of classroom observations (in English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science, English as a New Language Tutorial), and student-generated artifacts (e.g., worksheets).

Through the application of iterative and thematic data analysis, three key themes were identified: 1) adolescents' interactions with their peers fostered a supportive …

Teachers’ Perspectives On Behavioral Classroom Expectations Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Jennifer E. Brewer

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was that adolescents with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) were failing in general education courses. The purpose was to investigate how teachers’ perceptions and biases influenced EBD students. Participants included five teachers (two special education teachers and three general education teachers) from each of Grades 6, 7, and 8 recruited from social media. The study was guided by the case study research design, and the interview instrument was the Indepth Interview Protocol. Data analysis was guided by a coding system that facilitated searching the interview responses for themes.

Research Question 1 queried about forms …

Effects Of Parent Involvement In Their Children’S Academic And Behavioral Performance, Megan Menozzi

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the best practices to increase parental involvement in their children’s school activities by recording and scribing the experiences of certified teachers. Prior to this study, the current school experienced a decrease in parental involvement with their child’s scheduled school activities. As the school carry on with planning scheduled events for parental involvement, teachers were still expected to be prepared to implement curriculum in the classrooms, while ensuring children’s needs were being met by way of continuous communication with families.

The researcher developed a qualitative phenomenological approach. The design allowed the researcher to interview …

Tech-Forward Learning: Text-To-Speech Impact On Catholic High School Students, Dennise A. Leyva

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study was conducted to improve instructional support for diverse learners in a Southeast Florida Catholic high school by exploring teachers’ use of the Apple iPad accessibility feature, text-to-speech (TTS). Although this Catholic high school implemented a 1:1 iPad program, many teachers had limited experience using the built-in TTS feature to meet the diverse needs of students, including English Language Learners and those with reading difficulties. Teachers often used conventional approaches that failed to integrate assistive technology for inclusive and equitable learning.

The researcher conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with six high school teachers to examine their experiences implementing the …

Exploring Teacher Perception And Implementation Of Sae Programming In West Virginia, Joseph Laflamme

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to describe the phenomenon of SAE implementation in West Virginia. This study utilized qualitative research methodology to describe teacher perceptions of how student, guardian, school and community factors affect SAE program implementation. Additionally, teacher backgrounds, including formative experiences, training and education, guiding philosophies, skills, and motivation were explored. This study describes contextual aspects of population, economics, state guidelines and local agriculture industries. This is done through a document review of student reported records as well as surveys and teacher interviews.

Three Essays On The Economics Of Crime And Education, Joy Kanengiser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The first chapter investigates the labor market impacts of the Clean Slate Law, a policy designed to reduce barriers to entry by automating the sealing of criminal records. Using IPUMS CPS data from six states, I employ a difference-in-differences framework with individual fixed effects and an event study design to identify changes in employment outcomes. I find that the Clean Slate policy increases employment by 0.33 percentage points and weekly hours worked by 0.44 hours (approximately 24 minutes). Full-time employment rises, while self-employment declines by 0.12 percentage points, suggesting a shift from informal to more stable, formal jobs. These employment …

Barriers Principals Face Integrating Blended Learning In Secondary Schools, Lacey Tremaine Ajibola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the barriers secondary principals encounter integrating instructional technology as a part of a blended learning model. Existing research investigating the barriers principals face is limited and fractured and is mostly examined from the perspective of teachers. Therefore, this study provided data on the perspective and experiences of principals as technology leaders and their perceived barriers to implementing blended learning models. The researcher aligned the research questions to the International Society for Technology in Education Standard for Educational Leaders as a conceptual framework. Interviews with 11 secondary principals from the same …

New Reader Response: An Examination Of Three High-Achieving High School Readers And Their Literacies, Minkyu Kim

Essays in Education

Since its inception, reader response theory has battled misrepresentations. It was reduced to discursive anarchy, perceived as not rigorous, and set apart from important scholarship movements like critical theory. This research argues that by expanding the definition of “reader” in “reader response” to include digital (aka “new”) literacies, the reader-text transaction can be much more inclusive, dynamic, and most importantly, true to our students’ everyday literacies. This article also includes a discussion of why it is so important for teachers to include digital platforms as sites of interrogation in a safe educative setting. By studying the out-of-school literacy behaviors of …

Exploring Student Engagement In A Blended And Gamified Statistics And Probability: Designed With Learning Styles And Player Types, Reymund R. Gonowon

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Educators are called to contribute towards achieving SDG 4: Quality Education. A major determinant in achieving this goal is providing learners with essential skills such as analyzing and interpreting data, making inferences, and driving evidence-based decisions which are the expected competencies in Statistics and Probability (STATPRO), one of the core subjects of the senior high school curriculum in the Philippines. To progress towards SDG 4, achieving the learning competencies of STATPRO is vital, however engaging students in a blended learning environment may be challenging. This study aims to explore the behavioral engagement of students in a gamified STATPRO class through …

The Impacts And Interplay Of Adolescent Personal Contexts And Sense Of Belonging To Mathematics On Postsecondary Stem Field Interests And Intentions, Monica J. Weir

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This quantitative correlational research sought to examine the relationship between high school students’ sense of belonging to mathematics and their interests and intentions to pursue fields of study and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With a theoretical framework based on the belongingness hypothesis and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the author explicitly linked the universality of the phenomenon of sense of belonging to individual, contextual, environmental, and experiential factors that influence career-related interest development. A sample of 328 high school students attending one private, Catholic, college preparatory school in the Upper Midwest of the United States responded …

Building Structures And Beliefs For Effective Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support At The Secondary Level, Hannah Loewen

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support or MTSS has become a popular service delivery framework for responding to students' academic needs through Response to Intervention (RTI) or behavioral needs through Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The tiered framework is designed to increase the intensity or frequency of interventions identified through universal screeners, progress monitoring, and teams using data to make decisions about student needs. This study sought to understand how the secondary level structure impacts the implementation of a MTSS framework and how those structures and beliefs impact interventions and supports for students in middle and high school. This study …

Perceived Engagement And Achievement Of Students In A Career And Technical Education And Math Co-Taught Lesson In Southeast Tennessee: A Mixed Methods Study, Charis P. Reagan

Ed.D. Dissertations

Given the problem that students were not engaged in math class and were leaving high school without the basic math skills needed to be successful for college and career, the purpose of this convergent mixed methods case study was to investigate student and teacher perceptions of how math application through a Career and Technical Education (CTE) and math co-taught lesson influenced the level of student engagement in math and whether this co-teaching affected student achievement with math. As I reviewed the literature, I found a lack of studies related to co-teaching and if providing the students with the opportunity for …

An Investigation Into Two Mathematics Score Reports: Problem Solving Measure (Psm) And Measurement Of Academic Progress (Map), Benjamin Lawson, Jonathan D. Bostic

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

K-12 teachers and staff need high-quality score reports that accurately report students’ results. However, research about score reports that K-12 teachers and staff use indicates that they infrequently are given opportunities to share feedback to developers. To address this, we gathered feedback from teachers and administrators, in an explanatory sequential design of a mixed-methods study. A purpose of the study was to examine score report quality from two mathematics assessments. Two researchers surveyed in-service professionals (n = 34) about two score reports. Then, we conducted follow-up interviews (n = 6) to further unpack what school personnel find valuable and useful …

Learning Spanish As A Second Language: How Instruction Differs For Spanish In Middle And High School, Megan Lenza

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Although many research articles focus on Second Language Acquisition (SLA) at the university level, few focus on SLA at the middle and high school developmental levels. Nevertheless, in the US, most students begin learning another language at these levels, and it is helpful to determine key factors for enhancing language learning. This project aims to study how the factors of target language (the language of instruction), context (exposure and environment of learning), and technology can promote SLA at the middle and high school levels. In this study, student SLA refers to the process and development of a Spanish as a …

Beyond The Frame: Unraveling The Influence Of Art In Social Studies Education, Emily Cox

Honors Projects

This study examines the integration of art into social studies education to enhance student engagement, academic outcomes, and meaningful discourse. By incorporating visual literacy and material culture through activities such as analyzing gravestones, it explores how art can connect students to historical and social concepts in impactful ways. Through student-driven analysis and interdisciplinary approaches, the research demonstrates how art integration supports academic objectives, fosters critical thinking, and encourages substantive discussions. The findings highlight art’s potential to enrich understanding, deepen personal connections, and make social studies more engaging and relevant for students.

Changing Course

DePaul Magazine

The Chicago Teacher Residency program, a partnership between DePaul University's College of Education and the Academy of Urban School Leadership, prepares career changers to teach in high-need Chicago Public Schools.

Understanding The Correlation Between Socioeconomic Status And Student Achievement Amongst High School Students In Rural Mississippi, Aiesha L. Brooks-Hodges

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and student achievement among high school students in rural Mississippi. By using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative data from the Mississippi Department of Education’s Accountability Report Card with qualitative data from student surveys and teacher interviews, this paper explores how SES factors such as parental income and education affect academic outcomes in rural settings. The study highlights the significant disparities between low-SES and high-SES students in terms of standardized test scores, graduation rates, and access to educational resources. The findings suggest that addressing these disparities will require targeted interventions at …