Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Priorities And Practices Of Rural Science Teachers: Implications For Designing Professional Learning, Kerri Wingert, Jennifer Jacobs, William Lindsay, Abraham S. Lo, Cari F. Herrmann-Abell, William R. Penuel

The Rural Educator

In order to design professional learning that supports rural science teachers to effectively implement standards-based “five-dimensional” (5D) instructional and assessment practices, a critical first step is to elicit their perspectives, prior experiences, concerns, and interests. Based on survey data from 87 rural science teachers in Colorado, along with focus group sessions with 18 of those teachers, this article investigates teachers’ perspectives on what makes rural science teaching unique, the degree to which they use 5D science instruction, their curricular and assessment resources, and their professional learning experiences and preferences. Overall, rural science teachers in Colorado reported using rich practices for …

Where Are The Girls? Exploring Influences On Female Eighth Grade Public School Students’ Choices Of Technology Classes In Texas: A Mixed Method Action Research Study, Shasta Colon

Theses and Dissertations

There is a continuing trend of unrepresented female students in STEM classrooms, particularly in technology courses. There is a focus on the K-12 learning environment to increase the number of female STEM students, which will encourage a growth in participation for females in the STEM field (Sassler, Glass, Levitte, & Michelmore, 2017). The purpose of this study was to increase the number of females students who enroll in technology courses in a public school in Kether Independent School District (KISD). The participants were 66 eighth–grade female students who were enrolled in the College and Career Readiness (CCR) and Technology Applications …

Afn 122 Course Design Worksheet And Content: An Anti - Racist And Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy, Oluremi "Remi" Alapo

Open Educational Resources

Studying (and teaching) such a vast and diverse continent can be challenging. Because no introductory course can claim to be fully comprehensive, this one will explore several themes in the history of Africa and its peoples that the professor finds important and noteworthy. The readings, lectures, films, and activities will consider broad regions of the continent, and the goals of this course include both knowledge and enjoyment. You should come away from this class with a new appreciation for Africa and a general idea of its history from 1500 to the present.

The Devil And Tom Robot: The Use Of Robotics To Impact Empathy In Secondary Students Of American Literature, Susan K. Porter-Voss

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the effect of a robotics-based intervention on empathy for students enrolled in secondary English and literature courses. Empathy, as a concept, is an integral component of reading comprehension and student motivation. A decline in reported individual levels of empathy among young adults can negatively influence longitudinal academic and career success. Robotics present a promising method in which to impact student learning in K-12 environments. Student manipulation of Wonder Workshop Cue robots in designed challenges was integrated within literature content standards for English III. The outlined study measured the impact of …

Meaningful And Interactive Learning Experiences Provided Through A Learning Management System: An Action Research Study In Ninth Grade Advanced Placement Human Geography, Daniel Robert Plonski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods action research was to determine if increased interactive Schoology-based modules could alter learner perceptions concerning the lack of meaningful learning (learner-instructor, learner-learner, learner-content) in the culture unit of instruction in an Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) classroom. A series of instructional modules were facilitated through the learning management system (LMS) Schoology to students (n = 16) in APHG at a southeastern U.S. high school. The interactions were designed to enhance interaction based upon the criteria provided by Piaget’s (1981) social constructivist theory, specifically Moore and Kearsley’s (2011) systems approach and Miyazoe and Anderson’s (2010) …

Can Blended Learning Address Indian Academic Issues?, Vijay Joshi, Sukanta K. Baral

International Review of Business and Economics

Over the years, India has implemented social reforms aimed at providing education to all. This is observed from the growth in GER (Gross Enrollment Ratio) over the years that has resulted in a decrease in the number of students absent in schools. Coronavirus, nonetheless, has disturbed this scenario and is testing the functions, efficiencies, and practices of India's schooling framework. This research paper, written for stakeholders in government, and the education sector, anticipate the extent to which there is a need of continuing the imparting of education. The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the …

Promoting Play-Based Learning Strategies In The Upper Elementary And Lower Middle School Classroom, Michelle L. Randall

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This white paper is framed by an understanding of the proposed influence play has on the process of supporting children’s developmental needs while simultaneously strengthening their ability to receive and recall academic content. The white paper is driven by a self-motivated desire to reimagine the ways in which teachers deliver and review content at the upper elementary and lower middle school level. By upper elementary, I am referring to the 4^th and 5^th grade classroom. By lower middle school, I am referring to the 6^th grade classroom.

The past decade of research regarding play-based pedagogy and play-based …

"To Get Free": How A Black Girl’S Ways Of Being And Knowing Inform A Literacy Teacher’S Multimodal Pedagogies In An Alternative Secondary Context, Delicia Tiera Greene Ph.D.

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

This qualitative inquiry examines how a White literacy teacher learns from and with a Black girl through multimodal composing in an out-of-school, alternative learning context. Data collection instruments include field observations, teacher planning sheets, teacher reflections, and researcher feedback. Multimodal Literacy Pedagogy and Black Girls’ Digital Literacies drove this study. Critical Discourse Analysis was employed to interpret the data. This inquiry accounts for the factors that reposition the role of a literacy teacher while working with a Black girl’s digital story development process. This inquiry found a literacy teacher’s multimodal pedagogies were shaped by a Black girl’s: (1) home, community, …

Why Computing? Motivations And Mathematics To Pursue Postsecondary Cis Education, Anthony M. Perry

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Computing and information sciences (CIS) careers in the United States are expected to grow faster than the average occupation between 2019 and 2029 and educational requirements for these positions span subbaccalaureate and baccalaureate degrees. Despite secondary curricular interventions, the population of people who pursue CIS pathways are not diverse by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or gender. This study applies situated expectancy-value theory to investigate the motivational factors which influence the decision to pursue postsecondary CIS degree programs for students in the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (n = 18,730). Prior CIS experiences are associated with increased odds of declaring …

Supporting English Learners In Elementary Classrooms: How Teacher Preparation Affects El Achievement, Jordan Whitman

Education | Master's Theses

Due to an increasing number of English learning children entering the U.S. public school system (Tinkler., Tinkler, Reyes, & Elkin, 2019), there is a need for teachers to be prepared and feel confident in providing adequate English language instruction and academic content to support these young learners. There is also limited research on the effectiveness of instructional strategies that elementary teachers use to engage and instruct English learning students, including technology as a strategy (Chang & Hung, 2019). This study uses qualitative data analysis to examine instructional strategies and practices, as well as teacher’]s’ own perceptions and experiences that support …

Are We Centering The Adult In Youth Media Education? Decolonizing The Reception Of Youth-Produced Media Texts, Jacqueline Ryan Vickery

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article asks media educators to consider how the assumptions and values we hold are reflected in our reception and circulation of youth-produced texts in ways that colonize youth interests, sensibilities, and aesthetics. Drawing from experiences facilitating youth media workshops and focusing on two videos produced by teens in foster care as case studies, I demonstrate how youth media programs overlook the value of “just for fun” youth-produced media texts. Although media educators value play as part of the media production process, I argue that the media we choose to circulate and celebrate are texts that resonate with and reflect …

Can High School Students Check The Veracity Of Information About Covid-19? A Case Study On Critical Media Literacy In Brazilian Esl Classes, Karin Paola Meyrer, Dorotea Frank Kersch

Journal of Media Literacy Education

In a globalized world, critical media literacy is imperative when selecting the content we consume amid countless offers. Therefore, the purpose of this case study is to analyze which resources 3rd year high school students (16-17 years old) from an English as a Second Language class in Brazil use in the construction of authorial journalistic articles demystifying fake news about COVID-19 and if the interventions conducted previous to the task were helpful in their process of developing critical media literacy. To this end, firstly students analyzed news about COVID-19 from international websites; secondly, they discussed aspects of a video that …

Urban Literacy: Learning To Read The City Around You, Leanne Claire Serbulo

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

This book introduces students to the basic concepts of urban studies. It is an interdisciplinary text that was developed for lower-division undergraduate students. The book is organized into thematic chapters that explore different aspects of urban life, such as the environment, housing, and culture. Each chapter introduces a new way of conceptualizing the city, presents core theories and concepts, and provides examples and case studies from cities around the globe to illustrate the ideas presented in the text. At the end of each chapter, there are review questions and a series of interactive field activities where students can apply the …

Nature-Based Education For Elementary Students With Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Kayleigh Morrison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are several advantages to including a nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning into state standards, and the consequences of students who do not have access to outside learning and activities can be severe. The term “Attention Restoration Theory” (ART) was coined by psychology professors Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in 1989 and claims that exposure to nature can improve mental fatigue and concentration. This senior capstone examines Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory and academic studies rooted in its philosophy as it applies to nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning. There are certain advantages for students who are exposed to a nature-based curriculum and …

Pengembangan E-Module Adiwiyata Berbasisreading Mind Mapping Circ Untuk Sma Kelas X, Yayang Setya Wardhani, Mimien Henie Irawati, Suhadi Suhadi, Ruchimah Ahmad

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This research aims to develop an effective and practical electronic module Adiwiyata based on Remap CIRC. Types of research and development Lee and Owens model (2004). The test subjects were students of class XI IPA who had taken biology subjects. The research instruments were material expert validation sheets, teaching material media experts, biology education practitioners, and response questionnaire sheets. The percentage of material expert validation results is 100%, the validation of teaching material media experts is 94% and the validation of biology education practitioners is 100%. The results of the percentage of individual trials are 98%, small groups are 94%, …

An Investigation Into The Experiences Of Secondary Social Studies Teachers Regarding A Change In State-Level Social Studies Standards In A Colorado School District, Lindsay Mcmichael Sitterley

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher investigated the perceptions of secondary social studies teachers regarding the change in state - level social studies standards, especially in terms of their response in instructional practice. Furthermore, the study included a discussion of the factors that influence the actions of teachers related to the change in the social studies curriculum. This allowed for an analysis of potential changes in instructional decision making, such as including cooperative learning strategies, that were the result of the change in curriculum. The study is significant as changes in recommended instructional strategies have occurred in recent years. Additionally, research in the field …

How Exemplary Female Superintendents In Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, And San Diego Counties In Southern California Lead From The Heart, Jeanine Wulfenstein

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary female superintendents in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties in Southern California lead from the heart using the four principles of Mark C. Crowley’s work, by demonstrating how they build a highly engaged team, connect on a personal level, maximize employee potential, and value and honor achievement within their organizations.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored and identified the lived experience of eight California public school superintendents in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties in Southern California. Study participants were selected for interview participation based …

Teaching And Integrating Women’S Studies Into The Classroom: Perspectives Of Elementary Teachers, Thomas Lucey

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Women’s studies represent an underappreciated aspect of elementary education. Whether or how classrooms and their resources portray, present, and value women role-models informs both boys and girls about what passes for acceptable communication, treatment, and conduct towards women. Indeed, the extent to which and the basis that a young citizenry is taught to appreciate others informs the nature of the conversations engaged.

This paper describes the results of a research study that interpreted elementary teachers’ perspectives of women’s studies in elementary settings. The online survey was administered as part of the registration for two workshops that prepared teachers in the …

Examining Public Policies From Progressive Democrats With U.S. Healthcare System, Jeremiah Clabough

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

I

In this article, the author gives an activity that lets high school students explore the healthcare policies for Progressive Democrats. Specifically, the activity looks at Progressive Democrats’ Medicare for All. The author starts by providing an overview about some of the factions within the Democratic Party over the last 70 years. Then, the focus of the article shifts to focus on best practices within civic education about teaching public policies. Finally, an activity is discussed to help students analyze the arguments made by Progressive Democrats about Medicare for All. The author also provides thoughts for how social studies teachers …

Designing A Tool And Cooperative Learning: A Macos Inspired Activity, Jeffrey Byford, Jennifer Cordero, Alisha Milam, Kate Chambers, Presley Shilling

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This simulation activity presents how elements of Man: A Course of Study (MACOS) can be implemented into the social studies classroom. Inspired by the Tool-Making Activity found in MACOS, this modified simulation activity prompts students to design an instrument to peel an orange as they discuss life and daily tasks related to the Great Plains settlement.

Resiliency Storyboard: Seeking To Restore Balance By Mastering Any New Challenge, Eleanor Lasch, Sarah Chung, Jack Mcconnell, Hanna Simmons, Jordan Tall

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Leveraging The Dynamics Of The Mixed Level Classroom: A Materials Collection, Emily Hampston

MA TESOL Collection

A number of studies have noted the rise in student demographic diversity and the heightened significance of the mixed-level classroom; however, a consensus on the appropriate methods and materials to address these developments remains to be reached. Educators are anticipated to address the needs of students with a variety of abilities, backgrounds, and interests in a singular class. Less proficient students face overstimulation whilst more proficient students face understimulation. How can the challenges of the mixed-level classroom be recast into strengths? The mixed-level classroom environment calls for student investment, real language, and familiar processes. Methods such as peer tutoring, cooperative …

The Trigonometric Functions Through Their Origins: Al-Biruni Does Trigonometry In The Shadows, Danny Otero

Pre-calculus and Trigonometry

No abstract provided.

Caring For Our Communities Of Practice In Educational Development, Christopher V. H.-H. Chen, Katherine Kearns, Lynn Eaton, Darren S. Hoffmann, Denise Leonard, Martin Samuels

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Given the backdrop of multiple concurring crises—a global pandemic, political instability and violence, and multiple structural inequalities—we see the problem of now as this: How do educational developers continue to address the wicked problems in teaching and learning when we are simply so exhausted? Our article presents the importance of communities of practice for educational developers, inviting us to witness and name the communities in which we belong; the important functions they engage; who they nurture and how; and what care is undertaken to sustain these groups and ourselves. To help educational developers understand and appreciate the ways that communities …

Impacts In The Classroom When Students Take Ownership Of Cellphone Usage Policies: An Investigation Using A Project-Based Learning Design, Melynda Elaine Diehl

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate by using a PBL design if giving student more ownership in classroom cellphone policies has positive outcomes. This study looked at not only the behavioral aspect of classroom cellphone usage, but also the impacts of using a PBL design on student engagement, ownership, and knowledge construction. This study was also framed on constructivism. Students built on their own prior knowledge and worked collaboratively to solve a real-world problem. The research focused on answering three questions. The first question looked at how students synthesize and evaluate the literature to construct knowledge …

The Effect Of Explicit Vocabulary Instruction On Elementary Students’ Vocabulary Knowledge And Reading Comprehension: An Action Research Study, Tonia Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Reading comprehension seems to be a significant challenge for rising fifth graders with limited vocabulary knowledge. A possible solution is to provide them with explicit vocabulary instruction which may positively impact their reading comprehension. This action research aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing explicit vocabulary instruction delivered through Schoology on fifth graders’ vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension at an urban elementary school in the southeastern United States. This study also sought to analyze students’ perceptions of the usefulness of the online vocabulary learning modules. A convergent mixed-method approach was applied to answer the research questions. The quantitative data (e.g., …

“Why Do I Have To Learn This Anyway?”: A Qualitative Investigative Action Research Study Into The Tension Between The Rural, Working-Class Masculine Student And The Formal Educative Structure, Joshua Matthew Bowers

Theses and Dissertations

The specific problem of practice on which this study was focused is the tension experienced between the rural (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016), workingclass (Draut, 2018) masculine (Connell, 1995) student and the formal educative structure. The purpose of this investigative action research study was to identify and clarify in my context the unique tension experienced between the rural, working-class masculine student and the formal educative structure. This tension I refer to as tention, as tention is a variant of tension (Oxford English Dictionary, 1994, p. 789), and the rural, workingclass masculine student is, at his unique nexus of intersectionality, …

Covid-19 Impact On Principal Self-Efficacy, Lee Westberry, Tara Hornor

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Recent educational research has focused on the Covid-19 impact on students, both educationally and emotionally. Researchers have even begun studying the impact of the pandemic on teachers with virtual instruction; however, very little research exists on the Covid-19 impact on principals. The purpose of this research is to study the impact of Covid-19 on P-12 principals. Specifically, the focus of the mixed-method study is studying the pandemic’s impact on principal self-efficacy. The study aims to answer the following research questions: 1. What impact has the Covid-19 Pandemic had on principal self-efficacy 2. Are there any unintended consequences from the pandemic …

Human Adaptation And Morphological Variation: Expanding Diversity In Anatomy Curriculum, Jordan Cass, Cooker Storm

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Introduction: The recent upturn in our nation’s socio-political conversation has fueled interest in ensuring that college curricula is diverse and inclusive. Because human anatomy is ubiquitous across colleges, it may be a valuable avenue to purposefully incorporate topics of diversity in a way that positively impacts our socio-cultural relationships. Providing students with a scientific understanding of our visible differences may mitigate subconscious bias when we see others who have different features. Purpose: We investigated the biogeographical factors that contribute to the morphological variability of the face, hair, and body size; with the secondary aim of developing diverse and …

Flags Of Africa: Promoting Cultures & Connecting Math Concepts, Kelly W. Remijan

Publications & Research

Objectives

1. To share ideas for using flags of Africa and technology to engage students with math concepts: counting, fractions, percentage, aspect ratio, linear equations/inequalities, domain/range, angles/distances/slope, classifying triangles, area of polygons, slope, parallelograms, & coordinate geometry.
2. To highlight technology such as Google Slides, Google Sheets Pixel Art, GeoGebra, Desmos, and CNC Machines that help enrich the teaching of math concepts.
3. To provide ideas for promoting discussion of culture, history, & geography within the math classroom.