Digital Commons Network^™

Effective Elementary School Leadership: Does Teacher Perception Of Leadership Effectiveness Matter To The Academic Performance Of Elementary School Students?, Goldy Brown Iii, Tina Salzman

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This study investigated one research question regarding the potential school leaders have in increasing student outcomes in low socio economic elementary schools. Based on teacher perception, are certain aspects of effective leadership more vital to the success of low socio economic elementary schools than others? The findings show that a school leader’s ability to build a productive school climate may have a more exigent connection to student outcomes in low-socioeconomic elementary schools than in elementary schools with a majority of affluent students.

Putting Creative Thinking At The Core Of The English School Curriculum: An Exploratory Study, Sladana Krstic

Assessment and Reporting

Across much of the world, in more than 20 educational jurisdictions, the ability to think creatively is seen as a core aspect of what it is to be a successful learner today and, consequently, it has been included within various national curricula (Taylor et al., 2020). In England this is not yet the case, despite strong arguments being made for creative thinking being a core part of the curriculum in the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education (2019). In 2023 Rethinking Assessment and ACER UK conducted an exploratory study to examine the feasibility of integrating creative thinking into five subjects …

Mock Board Examination Results As Predictors In The Licensure Examination For Certified Public Accountants, Yzekeil P. Camacho, Micah P. B. Oberes, Danica M. R. Tina, Artchelene D. Pepania, Mylene P. Alfanta, Eligen H. Sumicad Jr.

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study was conducted to determine whether the mock board examination performance can predict a candidate’s performance in the Licensure Examination for Certified Public Accountants (LECPA). It covered the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) graduates from a higher education institution in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines, who took the mock board examination and were first-time LECPA takers from the October 2022 to May 2023 batches. Participants were directly included in the study. A simple linear regression analysis was utilized to determine whether a candidate’s performance on the mock board could predict their LECPA performance. The model summary revealed …

Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy And Its Role In Stem Implementation, Caroline Buechel, Michael K. Daugherty, Vinson Carter, Emine Sahin Topalcengiz

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

To equip students with 21st-century skills, teachers must have both deep STEM content knowledge and the confidence to implement and teach appropriate STEM content. Many elementary teachers have inadequate STEM background knowledge, low confidence, and STEM self-efficacy for implementing STEM in the classroom; as a result, teachers' classroom practices are affected. The study examined how elementary teachers perceive their ability to implement STEM in the classroom. The STEM Efficacy Survey was sent to a randomized pool of 100 elementary educators, and 18 of them agreed to participate in the study. This instrument was designed to elicit responses related to the …

Navigating Foreign Language Anxiety In Saudi Classrooms: Examining Classroom Environment, Teacher Strategies, And Learner Perspectives, Amal Obaid Alnefaie

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates foreign language anxiety (FLA) in the context of Saudi Arabian classrooms, focusing on perceptions from both teachers and students. The research aims to identify factors influencing FLA, examine classroom environments, and offer insights to enhance foreign language teaching and learning in Saudi Arabia. Using a survey-based approach, data were collected through Likert-type scales and open-ended questions to explore FLA across various dimensions.

Section 1 analyzed Likert-scale responses, revealing diverse levels of FLA among participants, with students often expressing neutral to disagreeing attitudes towards statements reflecting anxiety about language learning and classroom participation. Section 2 explored sociocultural factors …

Empowering English-Language Learners Through Acting, Translanguaging, And Collaborative Devising, Natasha L. Yannacanedo

Journal of English Learner Education

The author explores the transformative potential of using acting, translanguaging, and collaborative devising as tools for linguistic and personal development among English Language Learners (ELLs). Through a reflective narrative of teaching Acting I to ELL students, the paper delves into the challenges and successes encountered in integrating acting, translanguaging, and devising into the curriculum. Emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between acting and language learning, the author discusses how expressive language development, vocabulary acquisition, and enhanced pronunciation skills were cultivated. Additionally, the paper considers the role of translanguaging in creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment, where students' linguistic diversity is celebrated …

Teaching English Language Learners: Exploring The Instructional Modifications Mainstream Teachers Use, Nilufer Guler

Journal of English Learner Education

The number of language learners (ELLs) is increasing rapidly at U.S. schools. Mainstream teachers have an important role in the academic success of these students because ELLs spend most of their school time in mainstream classes and are pulled out a few hours in a school day for ELL services. This research aims to uncover the educational experiences of ELLs in mainstream classes. Using statewide systematic initiative and qualities of linguistically responsive teachers as theoretical frameworks, I collected survey data from 129 teachers and interviewed 15 teachers. The results have shown that teachers tend to translate language for their students …

Cooperating Teachers’ Views And Practices About Teaching Emergent Bilinguals In General Education Classrooms, Tunde Szecsi, Janka Szilagyi

Journal of English Learner Education

Cooperating teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and practices influence teacher candidates’ views and practices. Therefore, this study examined mainstream cooperating teachers’ perceptions about critical components of effective instruction for English learners, and the relationship between these teachers’ perceptions and classroom practices. We interviewed 55 teachers and completed a 90-minute observation in each classroom. We analyzed the interviews for common themes, and we used descriptive statistics to summarize the observation data. The findings indicated that teachers were well-versed in evidence-based instructional activities and strategies. However, many teachers found it challenging to infuse ELs’ language, culture and experiential background into their instruction.

Addressing Language And Content In Civics Through A Language-Based Approach To Content Instruction For Multilingual Learners, Jia Gui, Luciana C. De Oliveira

Journal of English Learner Education

This study explores the integration of a language-based approach to content instruction’s (LACI) six Cs of support into an existing civics lesson plan to improve content and language learning for multilingual learners. We used the Civics for All curriculum from the New York City Department of Education to identify lesson plans that could be enhanced for teaching multilingual learners. The findings of integrating the LACI framework indicated that the existing lesson plans could be enhanced by adding all the Cs to ensure full support for multilingual learners. We conclude with strategies for integrating the LACI framework into existing civics lesson …

The Global Impact Of The Hlrc Journal On Digital Teaching And Learning Research And Best Practices In Higher Education, Erwin Krauskopf, Gary J. Burkholder

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue (Volume 14, Issue 1) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2024. Because of our strategic decisions, the journal has advanced in the Scimago journal rank (SJR), which measures the frequency with which content published in a journal was cited in other journals during the three previous years. The SJR provides a numerical indicator of a journal's relative importance and impact within its field. We announce that HLRC has been ranked 612 out of 1,506 journals among all education journals indexed by Scopus, classifying HLRC as within the second quartile of …

Student Partners In Ai Literacy: A Library And Writing Center Collaboration, A. P. Anderson

Velma K. Waters Library Faculty Publications

Student voices are valuable but often overlooked in discussions surrounding the role of AI in higher education. AI Literacy education efforts that treat students only as a potential audience for instruction rather than as potential instructors themselves miss out on the passion, curiosity, and complex questions that students can bring to these conversations. If we center student voices in AI Literacy education discussions, and encourage both their enthusiasm and skepticism, students can become comfortable and confident in leading discussions about AI in the classroom and in their lives. In my proposed poster presentation, I will share insights from an AI …

The Impact Of A 4-Domain Wellness-Initiative Curriculum On Internal Medicine Resident Physicians, Esha Vallabhaneni, Luigi Cubeddu, Ryan Petit, Fernando Poli, Premal Patel, Cynthia Rivera

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

There is a trend toward fostering well-being, or the state of being happy and healthy, within the medical community. Historically, resident physicians have faced high rates of distress during training. A structured well-being curriculum in residency programs may shift residents' mindsets from survival and resilience to one centered on purpose, engagement, and joy.

Methods

An original well-being curriculum was administered to residents in person at a single institution every 5 weeks for approximately 10 well-being workshops, totaling around 20 hours of curriculum exposure during every academic year. The well-being curriculum was divided into 4 domains: cognitive distortions and problematic …

Storying History: A Narrative Study On The Use Of Podcasts And Podcasting In Secondary Social Studies Classrooms, Elizabeth A. Shoenberger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the use of Podcasts and Podcasting in secondary social studies classrooms through via narrative inquiry. This study aims to understand how educators use these technologies in their classrooms to facilitate student learning by focusing two specific domains of the TPACK model by Kohler and Mishra (2009): Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) and Technological Content Knowledge (TCK). This research was motivated by my personal need to engage my own students who, as 21^st-century learners, are deeply involved in technology and a desire for a new method for teaching historical content.

The research questions address how teachers describe …

Gamification In Retail: Enhancing Grocery Customer Experience With Location-Based Strategies, Alireza Zandi, Yoones A. Sekhavat

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Student Research

This study explores how gamification impacts retail customer experience, emphasizing the need for businesses to differentiate in competitive markets. Gamification involves using game design elements in non-game contexts. The research presents a unique gamified shopping system using location-based (Beacon) technologies with a mobile application. This system engages customers through interactive games and challenges in specific store locations. With a sample size of 25, this study aimed to address the following research questions: What gamifying methods could be applied in a real store? What impact does gamification have on customer experience in a real-store shopping context? What role could gamification play …

Sordos, Ciegos Y Mudos, Mis .

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Narrative Reflection In Collaborative Composition: A Facilitated Approach To Group Processing In Middle Grades, Gretchen M. Dodson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was situated at Mountain Middle School (Pseudonym). Students at Mountain Middle School often engage in collaborative compositions embedded within week-long multidisciplinary and multiage units of study called Odysseys. These units of study and the collaborative composition projects are classified as formal cooperative learning. Johnson et al., (2010) identified five elements that make cooperative learning effective. These effective elements are: “positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, appropriate use of social skills, and group processing” (Johnson et al., 2010, p. 1). The teachers currently design collaborative learning experiences emphasizing four of the five elements of cooperative learning. Together, we identified …

Teacher Candidate Learning Of Interdisciplinary Controversial Issues: Linking Social Studies And Science In The Elementary School Curriculum, Brandon M. Butler, Stephen R. Burgin, Mark Diacopoulos, William Mcconnell

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Teaching controversial issues poses challenges for teacher candidates, stemming from apprehensions about potential backlash and gaps in content and pedagogical knowledge. The prevailing emphasis on tested subjects such as mathematics and reading/writing in elementary school education often sidelines social studies and science, limiting opportunities for candidates to engage with these disciplines and their associated instructional strategies, including addressing controversial topics. Integrating social studies and science with other subject areas emerges as a viable approach to ensure comprehensive education. Teacher education coursework serves as a vital platform for exposing educators to interdisciplinary curriculum design and implementation. Such exposure prompts teacher candidates …

Blazing New Pathways For Digital Engagement In Mathematics Using Geogebra, Math Manipulatives, And Picture Books In A Stem World To Nurture Confident Young People In Mathematics, Joseph M. Furner

FDLA Journal

Using best practices for teaching mathematics like GeoGebra, math manipulatives, and children’s literature picture books can all be connected to each other and better help to prepare students for a STEM world to develop confident young people in doing mathematics in a world of AI and emerging technologies. This paper will highlight all the above best practiced and share how they can be connected and taught in a way that is make math meaningful and help students to be confident with technology and mathematics in a way that helps them see math in a hands-on, visual, and abstract way. Learners …

The Future Of Nursing Leadership: Incorporating E-Learned Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Pathways With A Precautionary Focus On Patient-Centered-Care, Jamie Anne Marcus Dr., Bonnette Villalba Webb

FDLA Journal

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a data-driven mathematical process that incorporates machine-based-logic, usually in the form of algorithms. Education, training, and competencies are now conducted through virtual reality, robotics, simulation, and technology learning-based-platforms by healthcare organizations. This represents a significant change in the future of nursing practice. The adaptability of technology-based-learning platforms can impact the quality and efficiency of learning for some of the workforce population. Nurses' perception of technology and AI-driven nursing practice may vary based on generational orientation and can be a potential barrier to learning, practicing, and adaptability of this framework. The forging of well-trained resilient nurse leaders …

Self-Efficacy And Racial Identity For Undergraduate Music Majors, Rachel E. Lim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students’ identities can impact their self-efficacy, or their confidence in their ability to succeed in producing a desired outcome (Bandura, 1997; Klassen, 2004a; Klassen 2004b; Oettingen, 1995; Usher & Pajares, 2008); however, little peer-reviewed research explores the relationship between racial identity and self-efficacy for undergraduate music majors. In the United States, undergraduate music students of color often navigate educational experiences where they do not find their identities represented in the curricula (Ewell, 2020), their faculty (Higher Education Arts Data Services [HEADS], 2020), or their fellow students (HEADS, 2020).

This convergent mixed methods study utilized the theoretical framework of critical race …

Digital Dialogue: Emancipatory Dialogical Practices In Virtual Collaborative Problem-Based Learning, Chelsie Ruge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Societal shifts increasingly demand that people work across social and geographic borders, often virtually, to solve complex problems in the areas of education, environment, healthcare, poverty, technology innovation and ethics, and more. This collaboration requires critical and emancipatory dialogue and problem-solving.

This qualitative multiple case study examined two online professional studies graduate-level courses that employed collaborative problem-based learning to engage with social-justice related themes, one that explored inclusive educational practices, and one that explored the negotiation of global environmental treaties. The purpose of this study was to investigate how students engaged in emancipatory dialogical practices and determine the factors that …

Culturally Responsive Coaching: Supervision With A Cultural Lens, Jouanna Crossland-Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Culturally Responsive Practices (CRP) are a focal point for many districts across the country. The emphasis of CRP is on how the institution enacts policies and practices for the benefit of the students they serve. This study views CRP from a different lens. The focus of this study is to 1.) center the voice of Black teachers and 2.) explore culturally responsive practices for the support and edification of the teacher from their coach/supervisor. The eight Black teacher participants and their instructional coaches engaged in interviews discussing current coaching models and the dynamics of their coaching relationships.

The relevant findings …

How Do Teachers Make Sense Of New Learning About Culturally Responsive And Sustaining Education?, Kristine Mustillo

Student Theses

The education of Black citizens has historically been unequal and plagued with deficit based approaches that result in the under-education and over-disciplining of Black youth in schools, with dire implications. Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education (CRSE)aims to change the narrative by honoring the racial, ethnic, linguistic and cultural differences of students of color who are marginalized in a school curriculum, featuring a pedagogy that empowers students (Ladson-Billings, 2021). Educators often report that they understand CRSE in theory but there is confusion when putting the theory into action and there are other challenges faced when working in current social and political …

Exploring School Leadership Styles Used To Improve Instruction And Learning In Schools, Nana Yaw Agyeman Mr, Venessa Aphane Ms

Journal of Research Initiatives

Schools are under intense pressure to improve quality and achieve long-term educational outcomes. To improve education, schools' teaching and learning environments must be improved. This research evaluated the various leadership philosophies used in South African schools to improve teaching and learning. The study's qualitative methodology included in-depth interviews with open-ended questions. A purposeful technique was used to select 16 participants from four different schools. The participants included four principals, four school management team members, four department heads, and four teachers. Themes guided the data analysis, focusing on patterns and resemblances while maintaining data quality. The study's findings revealed that school …

The Applications And Implications Of A (Re)Humanizing Praxis For Early Childhood Educational Contexts, Kristopher M. Tetzlaff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dehumanizing preschool policies and practices and a lack of access to affordable, (re)humanizing early childhood educative experiences threatens to exacerbate the opportunity gap and deleterious preschool-to-prison pipeline. The purpose of this study was threefold; foremost, it aspired to elevate the role and power of critical resource pedagogies in individual and collective liberation. Second, it aimed to identify vital pedagogical and programmatic assets that advance the pursuit of mutual humanization in early childhood educational settings. Third, it sought to discern and address the pedagogical and programmatic limitations and systemic barriers that otherwise impede access to high quality early childhood programming. In …

Contrastive Analysis Of English And Pashto Adjectives, Abdul Raziq Safi

Journal of Research Initiatives

Language is a systematic means of communication that employs sound or conventional symbols. Using a foreign language can be problematic when attempting to communicate or translate written or spoken language from one's native language due to structural differences between languages. Among the most widely spoken languages in the world, English is understood by approximately half of the global population. However, it is neither an official nor a second language in our country. Nonetheless, due to its significance, it is often taught as a foreign language at schools, institutes, and universities. As previously mentioned, Pashto, our language, shares structural similarities and …

Analyzing Common Mistakes In First-Year Medicine Faculty Students’ Paragraph Writing, Pervaiz Yaseeni, Fahim Rahimi, Fareed Sahil

Journal of Research Initiatives

Academic writing is a salient skill for medical students all over the world. Academic writing starts with composing effective paragraphs, laying the foundation for students' advancement in writing during college. This study investigated common mistakes in English paragraph writing committed by the first-year medical students of the Medicine Faculty at Kabul University of Medical Sciences. Additionally, it measured the challenges that Medicine Faculty students tackled in paragraph writing. This quantitative study was conducted through an action research design. The data were collected from 52 medical students, and their work was analyzed using the developed rubrics. The data were analyzed in …

An Exploration Of The Mentoring Experiences Of Ethnically Diverse Women Faculty At An Hbcu: A Qualitative Case Study, Tonya M. Brown, Ruth Boyd

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative case study explored the professional and personal growth benefits for women faculty who engage in mentoring relationships at a historically black college or university (HBCU). Data were collected using one-on-one interviews with full- and part-time women faculty members who served as research participants. The participants provided data about their experiences with mentoring, including details such as the frequency of their meetings with mentoring partners, the preferred method of communication, and the areas of support resulting from the mentoring relationship. Findings indicated that mentoring relationships positively enhanced the experience for women faculty teaching in full-time or adjunct positions in …

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of The Use Of Serious Games For Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Latoyia R. Stewart

Journal of Research Initiatives

Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood neurodevelopment disorder, and severe digital game use has recently shown significant promise in this psychotherapeutic area. Digital serious games have also been used as an innovative teaching and learning approach. This study aimed to explore middle school teachers' perceptions of the use of digital severe games for students with ADHD. The conceptual framework for this study was Sherry's model of game engagement. The two research questions for this basic qualitative study focused on middle school teacher perceptions regarding the benefits and challenges related to the use of digital serious games …

"It Hurts Me To Say": Preservice Teachers' Use And Disapproval Of Deficit Discourse In Urban Schools, Sherridon Sweeney, Brian Flores

Journal of Research Initiatives

Extensive research examines the development and impact of deficit discourse in schools. However, more research needs to be needed to explore how preservice teachers use this language during their preparation. Therefore, our qualitative study explored how deficit discourse became part of five preservice teachers' vernacular when speaking about children and teaching. Findings suggest participants (a) Relied on reductive labels to describe children, (b) attributed their use of these labels to their exposure to them during their practicum, and (c) demonstrated both cognitive dissonance and silent resistance toward deficit language. Implications are for teacher educators and school leaders.