Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of The Elementary Teachers’ Commitment To Outdoor Education Survey: A Mixed Methods Study, Sagan Goodpaster

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

As the Green Schoolyards Movement continues to grow throughout North America, outdoor education (OE) is gaining more attention in the formal K-12 curriculum (Dyment, 2005; Sterrett & Imig, 2015). Rooted in the pedagogies of place-based and experiential learning, outdoor instruction provides social, psychological, physical, and academic benefits for students, and fosters their sense of connection to the natural environment (Dubel & Sobel, 2008; Robertson, 2017). In particular, outdoor learning opportunities have been shown to promote greater gains in students’ scientific content knowledge (Carrier et al., 2014; Cronin-Jones, 2000; Dirks & Orvis, 2005; Kenney et al., 2003). Outdoor instruction involves students …

Supplemental Peer Instruction In Physiologic Core Concept Education, Austin Choat

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The objective of my thesis project was to create and research the importance of supplemental learning videos within core physiological concepts identified by the Advancement of Physiological Principles for the purpose of assisting Dr. Kim Hansen in better educating students with less extensive foundational knowledge of chemical and biological sciences. Through researching the benefits of peer instruction, identifying core physiological concepts crucial to wholistic physiology education, and describing a student population hypothesized to benefit substantially from the work, I created educational videos to aid Dr. Hansen in her work as an educator and in the educational research she is striving …

Oil Rig Trainees’ Perspectives On The Influence Of Drilling Simulation On Their Learning And Motivation, Adel Mohamed Hassanein Abdelaziz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low enrollment levels in vocational drilling training programs in the Arabian Gulf area have resulted in a talent gap, with little success in building and retaining national crews. With current simulation technology, it is believed that trainees' learning, motivation, and achievements will increase; however, further study is needed to determine if these conclusions hold. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how using simulation technologies influences trainees' learning, motivation, and perspectives about completing their education at an oil-field drilling rig’s vocational training facility. Davis’s technology acceptance model concerning user reception of information systems formed the conceptual framework. …

Global Engagement Model For Land-Grant Universities, A Grounded Theory., Lorena Ivonne Ballester

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to examine how land-grant universities engage with the public in the era of globalization; to explain the institutionalization of engagement processes accounting for the global context; and, to integrate this analysis into a Global Engagement Model for Land-Grant Universities (GEM) implementing a grounded theory research methodology.

GEM’s foundation is both theoretical and empirical. Applying the intensity sampling method, the universities selected for the empirical base were: The University of California, Davis, Michigan State University, and The Pennsylvania State University. Rather than an exact representation of individual universities’ engagement models, the model is the researcher’s …

Exploring How Children Use Their Everyday Thinking To Construct Scientific Explanations Of The Natural World, Ashley Nicole Kooken

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to describe and explain children’s thinking present in multiple related contexts surrounding a single Earth Space disciplinary core idea in order to provide insight on whether and how children’s everyday thinking forms the basis for learning in science classrooms. As most previous work on children’s thinking focuses more on what ideas and thinking are present within specific science learning contexts, there is a knowledge gap as to how children’s everyday ideas across multiple contexts provide the basis from which they construct a deeper conceptual understanding about scientific phenomenon in the world …

Principals’ Perspectives On Integrating Digital Tools In The Jamaican Primary Curriculum, Audrea Samuels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing demand for schools to be digitalized in the fourth industrial revolution, yet many teachers do not use digital tools in their pedagogical practices. Primary school principals have experienced challenges in motivating teachers to use digital tools in curriculum delivery in a rural quality education circle (QEC). The purpose of this study was to explore principals’ perceptions about the challenges experienced with using digital tools in curriculum delivery and the organizational supports needed for utilization in instruction by primary teachers in a rural QEC in Jamaica. The technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) framework was used in …

Navigating Abrupt Shifts In Contextual Discourses During A Pandemic And Lack Of Mentorship: A Preservice Teacher’S Journey Developing Critical Pedagogical Discourses, Casey L. King

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study is centered on one English language arts (ELA) preservice teacher’s development of her critical pedagogical discourses (CPD) with the contextual discourses of a school placement for preservice teaching and later shift to a full-time teacher before the placement was complete during a pandemic and in the midst of implementing online learning. Data is drawn from a 4-month interpretive qualitative case study that included classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The objective for this study included how a preservice teacher uses their beliefs and identity about instruction amid changing contextual discourses in a pandemic and with a lack of mentorship. …

The Contributions Of Immediate Retrieval And Spaced Retrieval To Word Learning In Preschoolers With Developmental Language Disorder, Laurence B. Leonard, Patricia Deevy, Eilseen Haebig, Jeffrey D. Karpicke, Christine Weber

Purdue Center for Early Learning Faculty and Staff Publications

Background and Aims Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) benefit from word learning procedures that include a mix of immediate retrieval and spaced retrieval trials. In this study, we examine the relative contribution of these two types of retrieval. Methods We examine data from Haebig et al. (2019) in their study that compared an immediate retrieval condition and a condition of spaced retrieval that also included immediate retrieval trials. Participants were 4- and 5-year old children with DLD and same-age peers with typical language development. Each child learned novel (made-up) words referring to unusual plants and animals in both conditions. …

Beta - An Overview Of Instructional Technology, Susan Dumler

All Open Educational Resources

In today’s K-12 education, technology is integrated into the classroom. Pre-service teachers need to have a good foundational knowledge of technology for instruction. An Overview of Instructional Technology is designed to teach a vast array of digital tools available to make the classroom and life more interactive, efficient, and connected. Fifteen-chapters cover everything from a brief overview of computer basics to popular productivity systems, learning management systems, and web-based tools and applications for a variety of content areas. The top resources for educational technology are highlighted and a section on OER is included. An entire chapter is dedicated to Google. …

Toward Raising The Child And The Village: Analyzing The Barriers To Implementing Community-Based Curriculum In New York City High Schools, Ife Damon

Publications and Research

As automation increases and single-skill set jobs become non-existent, employees can no longer only possess the technical knowledge of their industry but must also be well versed in a variety of essential skills that artificial intelligence cannot acquire. It is evident from the research that the United States’ traditional approach to teaching and learning has not kept up with the demands of the changing labor market because young adults are graduating from high school lacking the 21st-century skills needed for contemporary careers. High school educators can develop these skills within students by implementing community-based learning (CBL) activities into the curriculum. …

Five Grade 7 Learners' Understanding Of Comprehension Skills At A Quintile 5 School In South Africa, Nomonde Ntshikila, Janet L. Condy, Lawrence Meda, Heather N. Phillips

All Works

Background: Research into language and reading scores show that South African learners struggle to read for meaning. Many local researchers report on the inadequate teaching training programmes. Teachers cannot teach basic comprehenion skills. Objectives: This research identifies a gap in the research and records an intervention programme designed to engage learners and develop their higher-order comprehension abilities. This research analyses responses from five learners who engaged in a variety of literacy activities to extend their zones of literacy abilities to become independent critical thinkers. Method: An interpretivist paradigm, within a qualitative approach, using a case study design was devised and …

The Implications Of Integrating The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences Into English Language Learning Methodologies, Taylor Woodbury

Education Theses

The achievement gap between English Language Learners and their peers has emerged as a problem in our nation's school system. Although the Theory of Multiple Intelligences has been used in education, it is not often applied to English Language Learners. This research analyzed the application of Multiple Intelligence Theory as it pertained to the achievement of EL’s. The results show that by using MI to dictate what teaching method to use, EL’s benefited both socio-emotionally and academically. Overall, the findings show the importance of 1) ESL training for all teachers, 2) the consideration of students' Funds of Knowledge, and 3) …

A Call To Action: Education Driven Strategies For Successful Implementation Of Blue Economy Initiatives At Coastal Universities, Matthew Tallino

Education Theses

Microplastic pollution impacts the earth’s oceans. Research at the deep sea and surface level, as well as research examining different bodies of water, indicates this problem is widespread. This research examines data from 2012 to the present to assess the impact the human stressor of microplastic has on marine ecosystems and ocean sampling and the insight that peer reviewed research on microplastics can provide as coastal universities create Blue Economy strategic action plans. Data indicates microplastics are a critical issue to the oceans overall health. The implications of the research are designed to target a variety of community members at …

Deployment Of Mathematical Resources To A Philippine High School Through A Community Lte Network, Ma. Louise Antonette N. De Las Peñas, Maria Alva Q. Aberin, Agnes Garciano, Juan Carlo F. Mallari, Jumela F. Sarmiento, Mark Anthony C. Tolentino, Debbie Marie Verzosa

Mathematics Faculty Publications

In the Philippines, one challenge that continues to be faced by the Department of Education in bringing educational content in a blended learning modality is the lack of internet access of the learners. This paper discusses the distribution, through a community LTE network, of mathematical resources for Grades 7 to 10 to teachers and students of a particular high school in the Philippines. It also gives details on particular technological tools (mathematical applications) that were created to help the mathematical learning of students in a remote setting.

Development Of An App And Videos To Support The Fraction Learning Trajectory From Grades 1-7, Debbie Marie Verzosa, Ma. Louise Antonette N. De Las Peñas, Maria Alva Q. Aberin, Agnes Garciano, Jumela F. Sarmiento, Juan Carlo F. Mallari, Mark Anthony C. Tolentino

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Lack of procedural fluency in fractions impedes access to advanced mathematical courses and limits opportunities for entry into STEM-related fields. This paper describes the design and pedagogical basis of the Moving Fractions app and supplementary fraction videos for promoting fraction learning. Moving Fractions utilizes game-design factors to draw students through a trajectory of fraction learning from part-whole comparisons to a more robust understanding of the measurement concept of fractions. The supplementary video immerses students in a broad range of fraction representations. The app and video are intended to form a fraction learning package for distribution in Philippine schools. Future work …

Measuring Students' Pro-Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors Before And After Demonstration-Based Instruction, Collin Ryan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A growing amount of research exists on environmental education programs which incorporates the viewpoints of students into its assessment of the program’s efficacy. This research seeks to add to that body and evaluate an environmental education program about the sustainability of plastics, using both quantitative and qualitative data collected from participating students. The data was collected after a 90-minute instructional block of demonstration-based environmental education meant to inform students on the variability of plastics’ properties and the sorting and remolding processes of recycling. It also aimed to help build pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in the students, and a sense of …

Analysis Of The High School Math Desmos Curriculum, Marlaina Kurt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this research project, the research question of “How does the online curriculum and resources on Desmos impact student learning and success in the classroom?” will be addressed. The goal of this project is to analyze different activities on the Desmos website for high school students and see how effective they would be at increasing student learning. The different Desmos sections where these activities can be found are: Exponential Functions, Functions, Inequalities, Linear Functions, Linear Systems, Quadratic Functions, and Modeling. There are 50 total activities within these groups, and these selected activities will be analyzed for this project. To reach …

The Process And Case Study Approach To Implementing A Nutrition-Specific Dissemination And Implementation Science Training In Appalachia, Ayron E. Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Nutrition professionals face implementation challenges due to their lack of knowledge to incorporate D&I science into intervention design. To improve intervention outcomes, nutrition professionals must be trained in D&I science, which are currently absent in the field.

Aims: To identify and assess nutrition educators and practitioners perceived motivations, self-efficacy, and attitudes in using D&I science to inform the educational design and strategies of a nutrition-specific D&I curriculum for nutrition educators. Then to test feasibility of the nutrition-specific curriculum in increasing knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes by a case study approach, pre/post intervention design.

Methods: First, scoping review methodology involved the …

Perceptions Of Coding Instruction In K-12 Archdiocese Of Los Angeles Catholic Schools, Krikor Koko Kiladjian

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Traditional pedagogy offers students opportunities to enhance various skills and acquire content knowledge; however, additional steps can be taken to enhance student achievement, prepare them for future occupations, and bridge the divide in access to technology. A curriculum that integrates coding instruction affords students the opportunity to augment their collaboration, communication, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. This is especially crucial for traditionally marginalized populations who have experienced inequitable access to technology. Nevertheless, coding is not integrated in schools in different domains, including Catholic institutions in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA).

This dissertation used a descriptive and inferential quantitative methodology …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Featured Faculty Mentor And Student Explore The Dynamics Of This Research Relationship, Matt Bertucci, Gracie Morrison

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Using Poultry To Enhance Food Security In Stann Creek, Belize, Emily Spatz, Lisa S. Wood

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Food insecurity is a growing issue in developing and developed countries alike, and in countries like Belize, the prevalence of hunger has soared in recent years. Not having access to diets with sufficient calories and nutrients leads to a host of developmental issues, including stunting and cognitive delays. The purpose of this work was to create an all-encompassing manual for small-scale poultry production in order to provide nourishment for the students and staff of a school in Belize. After determining that the best way to meet the school’s needs was through dual-purpose birds, background research was conducted to determine small-scale …

Graduate School's Transformative Awakening: An Arts-Based Autoethnography, Roxanne L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This is an autoethnographic journey of a 30-year veteran art teacher through graduate school during the 2016 presidential campaign, election, presidency, #MeToo movement, a global pandemic, Black Lives Matter (BLM), virtual teaching and grading during a pandemic. My narrative includes an account of my transformative academic, social, and personal experiences and how they have informed my teaching practice. They include a collection of visual representations I created during my graduate school journey.

Improving College Students’ Views And Beliefs Relative To Mathematics: A Systematic Literature Review Followed By A Multiple Case Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Experiences That Underpin Community College Students’ Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, And Values In Mathematics, Marquita H. Sea

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics is particularly important due to its relevance in our daily lives. It is a general requirement throughout schooling. Unfortunately, many students openly declare negative views/beliefs regarding math in their personal and academic lives. These in turn, negatively influence students’ achievement related behaviors and outcomes. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to determine what types of studies/initiatives have aimed to enhance students’ views/beliefs relative to mathematics, including domain general and specific perceptions of math as well as their judgements of who is successful in mathematics and if they themselves can be successful. Specifically, the review centered on the components …

Race, Weight, Gender And The Embodied (Odied, Odied) Consciousness Of Big-Bodied Black Women Educators: A Phenomenological Study, Kendra D. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Big-Bodied Black women in the United States have perpetually navigated the veritable dichotomy of being hyper-visible and invisible (Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2003; Fleetwood, 2001; Strings, 2019). Fat Black female bodies have borne the burden of exaggerated tropes and exploitation throughout history, stripping them of their femininity and humanity and resulting in a unique form of objectification (Strings, 2019). Inconsistent messages about BBWs, their bodies, and their value in society have endured for generations. They have been essential in constructing the controlling images of Black womanhood in the U.S. (Collins, 2000). The controlling images all evoked thoughts about the suitability of Black women …

The Role Of Motivation In Community Partner Perceptions Of Service-Learning, Jayda P. Felder

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The current study sought to determine how community partners’ varying motivations for participating in collegiate service-learning programs relates to their perceptions of service-learning. Prior research has demonstrated a plethora of positive outcomes for students who partake in courses with service-learning requirements, but research investigating the outcomes for the organizations that host these students is less common, and research investigating the link between their motives and perceptions is nonexistent. Based on this gap in the literature, the quantitative, evidence-based Perceptions of Service-Learning Scale was developed for the current study to assess how community partners perceive their experiences with service-learning across four …

Using Ai-Enabled Gaze Tracking System To Understand Comprehension Patterns Of Computer Science Students, Bradley Boswell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Academic institutions and instructors lack the ability to accurately assess the moment-to-moment attentiveness of students in classrooms where students’ faces are obscured by computer monitors. This can cause the lectures of Computer Science, Information Technology, or other lab-based courses to be incorrectly-paced, which can lead to students having an overall poorer grasp of the subject material. We propose a system for real-time accurate detection of classroom attentiveness using monitor-mounted webcams and eye trackers, along with a Convolutional Neural Network machine learning model (NiCATS). Through the use of a neural network, we produce an initial attentiveness score based on student webcam …

The Promise Of Labor-Based Grading Contracts For The Teaching Of Psychology And Neuroscience, Jasmine Mena, Jennie Stevenson

Faculty Journal Articles

Introduction: Instructors assign grades to communicate to students how well they are learning the course content. However, students and instructors are often displeased with the process and outcome of grading. Statement of the Problem: We contend that conventional grading inadvertently detracts from student learning and simultaneously replicates systems of oppression in academia. We discuss Labor Based Grading Contracts (LBGC) as an alternative to conventional grading. Literature Review: We review the conceptual and empirical literature on LBGCs as an alternative method of assessing student work and extend its application to psychology and neuroscience courses. Teaching Implications: We present recommendations for implementing …

กระบวนการเรียนรู้นอกระบบโรงเรียนและตามอัธยาศัยสู่การเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพ : กรณีศึกษานายอนันท์ ฐิตาคม, ธนกร จงทอง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ 1) เพื่อวิเคราะห์เส้นทางและกระบวนการเรียนรู้นอกระบบโรงเรียนและตามอัธยาศัยสู่การเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพของนายอนันท์ ฐิตาคม 2) เพื่อจัดทำแนวทางพัฒนานักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพโดยใช้กระบวนการเรียนรู้นอกระบบโรงเรียนและตามอัธยาศัยจากกรณีศึกษานายอนันท์ ฐิตาคม ประชากรที่ใช้ในการศึกษา คือนาย อนันท์ ฐิตาคม และบุคคลใกล้ชิดที่เป็นเพื่อนร่วมงาน ลูกศิษย์ ผู้ช่วยในสถาบันการสอน The zero one ที่มีความเกี่ยวข้องกับนายอนันท์ ฐิตาคมมากกว่า 5 ปี และยินดีให้ข้อมูลจำนวน 3 ท่าน ดำเนินการวิจัยด้วยระเบียบวิธีวิจัยเชิงพรรณนาโดยใช้ข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพที่เก็บรวบรวมจากการใช้แบบสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึก และวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา ผลการศึกษาพบว่า (1) เส้นทางและกระบวนการเรียนรู้นอกระบบโรงเรียนและตามอัธยาศัยสู่การเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพของนายอนันท์ ฐิตาคม ประกอบไปด้วย 1) เรื่องราว เหตุการณ์ และปัจจัยต่าง ๆ ที่ทำให้ไปถึงเป้าหมายการเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพ ได้แก่ เหตุการณ์ที่ส่งผลต่อการตัดสินใจการเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพ และปัจจัยสำคัญที่พัฒนาตนเองสู่การเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพ 2) ด้านกระบวนการเรียนรู้นอกระบบโรงเรียน ประกอบไปด้วยกระบวนการที่สำคัญได้แก่ แนวคิดการเรียนรู้จากการปรับเปลี่ยนโมทัศน์ แนวคิดการเรียนรู้จากประสบการณ์ แนวคิดคิดเป็น แนวคิดการเรียนรู้จากการปฏิบัติ เป็นต้น 3) ด้านกระบวนการเรียนรู้ตามอัธยาศัย ประกอบไปด้วยกระบวนการที่สำคัญได้แก่ กระบวนการเรียนรู้ด้วยตนเอง เป็นต้น (2) แนวทางพัฒนานักเขียนการ์ตูนมืออาชีพโดยใช้กระบวนการเรียนรู้นอกระบบโรงเรียนและตามอัธยาศัย ประกอบด้วยแนวทางทางปฏิบัติที่วางไว้เป็นแนวทางปฏิบัติ หรือขั้นตอนที่นำพาผู้เรียนไปสู่เป้าหมายของการเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูน 10 ขั้นตอน ได้แก่ ขั้นตอนที่ 1 จุดเริ่มต้นของการเป็นนักเขียนการ์ตูนเกิดจากการที่ผู้เรียนรักการอ่านการ์ตูน ชอบดูการ์ตูน ขั้นตอนที่ 2 การเริ่มฝึกฝนเพื่อสร้างพื้นฐานในการเขียนการ์ตูน ขั้นตอนที่ 3 การแสวงหาความรู้เพื่อเพิ่มโอกาสและทักษะของตนเอง ขั้นตอนที่ 4 การนำความรู้ที่ได้รับมาปฏิบัติ ฝึกฝน พัฒนาเรียนรู้ ปรับปรุงแก้ไข ขั้นตอนที่ 5 การสร้างสรรค์ผลงาน ขั้นตอนที่ 6 การตรวจสอบผลงานที่สร้างสรรค์ ขั้นตอนที่ 7 การปรับปรุงผลงาน ขั้นตอนที่ 8 การหาที่เผยแพร่ผลงาน ขั้นตอนที่ 9 ผลงานได้รับการยอม/ไม่ได้รับการยอมรับ ขั้นตอนที่ 10 นักเขียนการ์ตูนที่ประสบความสำเร็จ

Youth Musicians’ Executive Functioning And Its Impact On Emotional And Behavioral Health, Michael A. Tate

Dissertations and Theses

A growing body of neuroscience literature shows that music promotes brain development, as learning a music instrument involves multiple brain regions and neurocognitive systems. In partnership with a non-profit organization with a mission to strengthen New York City communities through music education programs, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of music training on children’s executive functioning (EF), as well as emotional and behavioral outcomes. We hypothesized that (i) children’s EF would develop more rapidly with exposure to the program; (ii) the intensity of practice would be associated with rate of growth of children’s EF, emotion regulation and behavior; (iii) …