Digital Commons Network^™

A Guide To Teaching Writing In Kindergarten, Pamela Lynn Wangsness

All Graduate Projects

Research was conducted on the topic of writing in kindergarten. Many different forms of teaching writing were researched and summarized in the literature review of this project. Curriculum that is designed for kindergarten is mostly written for full day kindergarten, not taking into account the time constraints of half-day kindergarten. The results of the research were combined in the form of lesson plans that a half-day kindergarten teacher could use to begin teaching writing.

Diverging Perspectives: A School District's Response To And Instructional Support Application, Sarah Crose

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Diverging Perspectives: A School District’s Response To An Instructional Support Application Sarah L. Crose, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2009 Advisor: David Fowler The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study is to better understand how teachers and district leaders respond when implementing a technology instructional support application. The study also explores the influences affecting that implementation process. Secondary mathematics teachers who had been presented with the option to implement a web-based instructional software were interviewed to understand their perception of the implementation process. District leaders were interviewed to understand district philosophies and policies influencing technology decision making within the district. Findings …

Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between State Fiscal Effort And Academic Achievement, Timothy A. Goodale

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Prior empirical research has taken many varying approaches to determine if differences in funding significantly impacts student academic achievement. However, much of these studies exhibit weak generalizability due to their limited scope, timeframe and dissimilar achievement measures. To expand upon the already robust literature in education finance this study measures interstate funding disparities via state fiscal effort and determines its impact on several measures of student academic achievement. To control for threats to external validity the research investigates the variables over ten years to determine if the relationships hold over time. Statistical measures employed within the research include bivariate correlation, …

Learning, Identity And Agency : Secondary Mathematics Professional Developers' Lived Experiences Of Participation And Collaborative Inquiry In Professional Learning Communities, Susan Stein

Dissertations and Theses

This study of professional development for professional developers used a narrative inquiry design to understand the lived experience of two professional developers as they participated in professional learning communities (inquiry groups), and learned to improve their practice as inquiry group facilitators. The study's purposes included: investigating professional developers' experience and practice in inquiry groups; amplifying professional developers' voices in the professional development field; and suggesting recommendations for educational leadership.

A literature review developed a framework grounded in social, situated learning theory. It revealed that professional development needed to provide teachers with opportunities to collaborate in inquiry groups to solve problems …

A Systemic Solution: Elementary Teacher Preparation In Stem Expertise And Engineering Awareness, Louis S. Nadelson, Janet Callahan, Pat Pyke, Anne Hay, Cheryl Schrader

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research shows that most K-5 teachers are typically required to complete only minimal coursework in science and mathematics, which constrains their knowledge, efficacy, and confidence for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) content. Additionally, elementary teachers, like much of the general public, have limited comprehension about the relationship between STEM concepts and engineering fields and the kind of work and societal contributions made by engineers. Yet, elementary school is a critical time in which students develop foundational understanding of STEM concepts, career options, and inquiry learning.

To address students' STEM needs and limited teacher preparation, the Idaho SySTEMic Solution …

Reforming Education In Pakistan – Tracing Global Links, Sajid Ali, Malik S. A. Tahir

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper is about tracing global links in national education reforms in Pakistan. The paper tries to describe globalization and its general effects on national policies. It particularly highlights the effects of globalization on education reforms, which are: competitiveness-driven, finance-driven and equity-driven. In light of these global education reform patterns the paper explores the major educational reforms being pursued in Pakistan since 1990s. The paper argues that globalization has seriously challenged the national reform policies, which are now becoming more and more globally driven. Rather than out rightly rejecting all global policies, engaging critically with them is the stance of …

Android Based Mobile Computing, Collaborative Project

Dyson College- Seidenberg School of CSIS : Collaborative Projects and Presentations

This entry adheres to the use of the quad chart template to provide a succinct description only of the current research project undertaken by the participants. It provides for the following information

1. Participants and Affiliations
2. Overall Project Goals
3. Illustrative picture
4. Specific research/artistic/pedagogic foci

An Assessment Of The Impact Of A Science Outreach Program, Science In Motion, On Student Achievement, Teacher Efficacy, And Teacher Perception, Phillip Allen Herring

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to analyze the science outreach program, Science In Motion (SIM), located in Mobile, Alabama. This research investigated what impact the SIM program has on student cognitive functioning and teacher efficacy and also investigated teacher perceptions and attitudes regarding the program.

To investigate student cognitive functioning, data were collected from the Mobile County Public School System based upon student performance on Criterion Referenced Tests (CRT's), consisting of the students' average score, percent of students passing the test (students scoring 60 percent or above), and the percent of students who were considered proficient, (students scoring 70 …

Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In Professional Development Affect Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris

Teacher Education

A mixed method study is reported examining teacher efficacy regarding professional development in mathematics instruction for two groups of teachers: in building with peers (N=17) and MAT student co-learners in the classroom (N=14). An end-of-course survey, focus group interviews and pre-post data for the Teacher Self Efficacy Scale were used to investigate:1. What is the difference in teachers’ efficacy regarding mathematics instruction based on the professional development delivery system they experienced? 2. What are teachers’ perceptions of their professional development with peers conducted onsite in district compared with professional development with peers and preservice teachers at a university setting? Descriptive …

The Impact Of Interactive Multimedia Kits And Websites On Self-Directed Learning In Chinese Pronunciation And Tones, Hui-Kuei Hsieh

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether interactive multimedia (IM) and interactive websites (IW) have an impact on Millennials' self-directed learning in Chinese pronunciation and tones. A set of multimedia kits and several interactive websites were adopted for the study. Twenty-six volunteer German high school girls were involved in this study and were divided into two groups for two treatment conditions. Condition 1 was that the first group of learners used IM and IW to self-study Chinese pronunciation and tones for 4 weeks. Condition 2 was that the second group of learners used not only IM and IW for self-directed learning but also …

A Resource Guide For Embedding Multicultural Capital Into The Secondary Science Classrooms Of Central Washington, Theresa Susan Bell

All Graduate Projects

The multiple aspects of multicultural education were researched and are here-in compared and discussed. Through research it was found that although much research exists on multicultural education, little or no multicultural resources are available for secondary science specific to Central Washington. Implications for multicultural education, science education and the integration of the two are discussed. A collection of lessons, websites and teacher tools were merged into a resource guide that can be used for local lesson planning. Practical ideas are offered to the inexperienced multicultural science educator.

Are Developmental Math Courses Being Offered At The Appropriate Time Of Day To Optimize Student Success?, Ralph Cox

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This research paper will identify if a relationship exists between success in pre-requisite developmental math courses and the time of day that the course is offered for students enrolled at a rural community and technical college in northwestern Minnesota. The ACCUPLACER Arithmetic test was administered originally during new student orientation and then, again, at the completion of pre-requisite developmental Math Foundations courses. Paired Pre- and Post- Test data was gathered over seven years, from 2002 to 2009, for a total of 268 students (n=268). The data was then evaluated using one-tail two-sample T-tests assuming unequal variances to determine if a …

The Effects Of Cooperative Learning Techniques On Perceived Classroom Environment And Critical Thinking Skills Of Preservice Teachers, Antone Michael Goyak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed the effects of cooperative learning techniques versus lecture techniques on the following aspects of a higher education classroom: (a) the perception of a student's learning environment and (b) a student's critical thinking skills. Preservice teachers at a small Midwest college completed the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI) and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, Form-S (WGCTA-FS). Results revealed significantly higher means in the cooperative learning group in four of the eight constructs within the CUCEI. Results within the WGCTA-FS disclosed no significant differences between the means of the two groups. The outcomes of this study suggest …

Low Academic Performance And Specific Learning Disabilities: Determining The Better Predictor Of Aggressive Behavior At School, Cherry Lurae Flake Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher sought to determine whether an overall low average or a specific learning disability is a better predictor of a student displaying aggression at school. Further, she investigated for any interaction between an overall low average and a specific learning disability. The subjects were students in grades six through eight who attended a traditional middle school in a somewhat rural school district. The subjects had been punished by an out-of-school suspension at least once for an act of aggression during the 2006-2007 school year. Using a multiple regression analysis, the researcher found a negative correlation between overall average and …

Technology Integration In A Title I Elementary School: An Exploratory Case Study, Barbara Louise Radecki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine how technology was integrated into the curriculum of a Title I high achieving elementary school in a large school district in the Southwestern United States. Three research questions guided the study: How did teachers integrate technology and curriculum in a Title I, high achieving elementary school? How did that integration translate into the classrooms of this Title I, high achieving school? What existed in the school environment that promoted the integration of technology into the curriculum?

Six volunteer teachers from grades kindergarten through fourth filled out two screening instruments, were interviewed twice, …

Combining Comprehension Reading Instruction With Video Anchors With Middle-Level Learners, Heidi Andreasen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reading comprehension is a multidimensional process and a key component of this process is the activation of prior knowledge in the comprehension of text. This study utilized video clips as a means to anchor instruction and assist struggling middle-level readers in comprehending text. Participants in this study were 17 seventh- and eighth-grade students from a rural middle school. The study used a single-subject reversal design.

During the baseline phase of the study, students read four different titles before a stable baseline could be established. The data collected were the combined mean scores of the teacher-created comprehension assessments and commercially produced …

Transforming Middle School Science Education Through Action Science, William Robertson

Selected Works Temporary Series

Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science is a curriculum supplement for middle school students that is designed to address content and process objectives in physical science for both the National Science Standards and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The video instruction and twenty classroom activities provide the teacher with a series of instructional tools and content information that can be used to explore and explain the concepts found in the areas of forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and simple machines. Action Science can be defined as the use of familiar objects, circumstances and situations within the lives of students in …

Use Of A Triple-Entry Journal Assignment In A Writing Intensive Microbiology Course Section To Help Students To Read And Write More Effectively, Julie Trachman

Touchstone

No abstract provided.

What Is Cheating About?, Nelson Nunez-Rodriguez

Touchstone

No abstract provided.

Transforming Middle School Science Education Through Action Science, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science is a curriculum supplement for middle school students that is designed to address content and process objectives in physical science for both the National Science Standards and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The video instruction and twenty classroom activities provide the teacher with a series of instructional tools and content information that can be used to explore and explain the concepts found in the areas of forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and simple machines. Action Science can be defined as the use of familiar objects, circumstances and situations within the lives of students in …

The Impact Of Summer/Academic Year Learning Projects On The Academic Achievement Of Student Participants, Glenn Scott Beer

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined differences in the academic achievement between students who participated in the Louisiana Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (LA GEAR UP) Summer/Academic Year Learning Projects and students who did not participate in the program. The sample consisted of 111 students who attended schools participating in the LA GEAR UP program and who attended at least 4 LA GEAR UP summer learning camps and a comparison group of 111 students attending the same schools but who did not attend a summer learning camp. Participating students were individually matched with non-participants on 7 variables, including 6th-grade Iowa …

The Significance Of Music Education In The Primary Curriculum, Mina Won

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I arrived in Ireland with very little knowledge of what the ‘Transformation of Political and Social Conflict’ semester would entail. As music major, I had to be prepared to study and learn about particular subjects that were completely foreign to my normal area of concentration. During my experiences throughout Ireland, however, I was surprisingly able to soak up even more of my two passions in life: music and children. After one afternoon with children from the Foundation Project, I realized how my two areas of interest are universal and that studying about music and children is never-ending. I recognized that …

Unlv Magazine, Michelle Mouton, Tony Allen, Afsha Bawany, Shane Bevell, Phil Hagen, Greg Lacour, Erin O'Donnell, Karyn S. Hollingsworth

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Learning Strategies Of First-Year Business Students, Bettina Greimel-Fuhrmann

International Journal for Business Education

The empirical study presented in this paper identifies potential strengths and weaknesses of first‐year students´ learning strategies at the beginning of their studies. It concentrates on the students´ self‐assessment of their self‐motivation, time management, and concentration, coping with stress and fear of failure, elaboration of information, ability to focus on important information, cooperative learning, self‐control of learning progress, and dealing with exams. The results reveal that during their school days, numerous students have not (or just very rarely) applied learning strategies that may be considered indispensable for successfully studying at a university, like taking notes in class or summarizing the …

Afternoon Concurrent Track 2: The "State" Of Climate Change Education, David M. Hassenzahl, Michael Collopy, Scott Mensing, Paul Buck, Donica Mensing, Hans-Peter Plag, Jen Huntleysmith

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

AFTERNOON CONCURRENT TRACK 2: THE “STATE” OF CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION Moderator Scott Mensing Student Union Room 211 David Hassenzahl, Michael Collopy, Scott Mensing – NSHE EPSCoR Climate Infrastructure Grant Education Component Abstract: The Nevada System of Higher Education has received funding from the National Science Foundation EPSCoR program to develop climate change research infrastructure. This session will present information on what the Education Component is doing and plans to do, and solicit ideas on future climate education efforts for NSHE. Education is one of six components of this grant, and will support NSHE efforts on: Undergraduate research. Each school year …

Afternoon Concurrent Track 1: Sustainability In The K-16 Classroom, Ellen Ebert, Rebecca Reichenbach, Nick Pretasky, Dale Walsh

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

AFTERNOON CONCURRENT TRACK 1: SUSTAINABILITY IN THE K-16 CLASSROOM Moderator Gale Sinatra Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert – Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary science that emphasizes sustainability issues focused on the Colorado River system. The presentation will outline …

Keynote Address: Sustainability And Student Learning, Geoffrey Chase

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

Keynote address & Keynote speaker biography

Morning Concurrent Track 1: What Does It Mean For K-12 Students To Think About Sustainability In The Western U.S.?, Ellen Ebert, Rebecca Reichenbach, Allison Brody, Amy Page, Marcel Parent, Signa Gundlach

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR K-12 STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN U.S.? Moderator Kent Crippen Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert - Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary …

Morning Concurrent Track 3: Weathering Climate Change In The Curriculum, Andy Jorgensen, Amy Northrup, David M. Hassenzahl, David E. James, Thomas C. Piechota, Jeff Jablonski

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 3: WEATHERING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CURRICULUM Moderator Barbara St. Pierre Schneider Student Union Room 213 Andy Jorgensen – Creating a Learning Community for Solutions to Climate Change Abstract: The Climate Solutions Committee of the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) has proposed the creation of a learning community that will develop curricular content on solutions to anthropogenic climate change by drawing on the best available research on the phenomenon, coupled with the most effective pedagogical methods. The goal is to transform academic education about climate change from the current emphasis on physical and biological science …

Keynote Address: Climate Change And Sustainability: The Reality And Impacts Of Global Warming, Roberta M. Johnson

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

Keynote address & Keynote speaker biography Abstract: -What determines the Earth’s climate? -What’s happening to Earth’s climate today? -What do models tell us will happen in the future? -What is sustainability and why does it matter? -What’s happening nationally regarding K- 12 climate change and sustainability education?