Education Commons^™

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Enrollment And Retention Trends In Mid-Sized Pennsylvania Rural Band Programs, Adam Brian Nobile

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite many differences across Pennsylvania's rural school districts, band programs face similar recruitment, retention, and matriculation challenges. Rural school districts in Pennsylvania account for 235 of the 499 school districts in Pennsylvania while educating less than 20 percent of the student population in the state. In addition, rural districts often lack the community infrastructure many urban and suburban school districts possess, creating a unique set of circumstances affecting all aspects of programming, including band programs. While rural communities continue to experience a decline in enrollment, many have had, or currently have, successful band programs while overcoming many obstacles that affect …

Attitudes Of High School Students In The Schools Of Bani Kenana District Towards The Distance Learning Platform (Darsak) Used In Light Of The Outbreak Of The Novel Coronavirus, زينب الذياب

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

The study aimed to identify the attitudes of high school students of the schools of Bani Kenana District towards the distance learning platform (Darsak) used in light of the outbreak of the new Coronavirus. The study used the descriptive survey method, The study sample consisted of (300) students from the literary and scientific streams during the second semester of the academic year (2021/2022). To achieve the objectives of the study, a questionnaire consisting of (30) items was developed. The results of the study showed that the attitudes of high school students of the schools of Bani Kenana District towards the …

Skoo-Bee-Dee-Boo-Bop-Scat: The Impacts Of Vocal Jazz Improvisational Techniques On The Secondary Choral Student And Secondary Choral Program, Sara Beth Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite evidence that vocal jazz improvisation techniques are valuable tools for increased ear training and vocal technique knowledge, the specific impacts of vocal jazz training for the secondary school chorister have yet to be fully expressed. The singing and musicianship benefits of improvisational techniques matter because they impact the young choral singer and the individual student experience in and contribution to the school choir program. This study expressed the impacts of vocal jazz improvisational pedagogy for the secondary school vocalist as a member of the school choir program and the individual student musician. Guided by Eisner’s model of arts-based research, …

Integrating Social-Emotional Learning And The 2014 National Music Ensemble Standards In High School Instrumental Programs, David Paul Sohayda

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The combination of academic content standards and social-emotional learning in the high school setting continues to be an underserved area. The high school instrumental ensemble remains a vehicle through which social-emotional learning can flourish through incorporation of the 2014 National Music Ensemble Standards. This qualitative research study seeks to address how a skills-based approach is consistent with and supports the social-emotional learning (SEL) of the high school instrumental student. Identifying perspectives on how integrating the 2014 national ensemble standards and social-emotional learning into the high school ensemble supports content-rich musical development and student mental health, the benefits of SEL, 2014 …

The Impact Of Virtual Learning Modalities On The Academic Success Of Students In One Arkansas School District, Diane F. Richards

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way Arkansas public schools’ offered students an education. While moving through this pandemic, many Arkansas schools implemented optional methods of delivery for their students. Some schools tried to maintain face-to-face classes, while others offered completely online classes. Still, others offered a hybrid format where students attended some face-to-face classes and online classes. One Arkansas school district offered all three options. School districts need guidance as to which teaching methods worked well. The long-term effects of the educational impact of COVID-19 are not known at this time. Schools could benefit from a guide with useful strategies …

First Year College Experiences Of California’S Central Valley Latina/O/X Students, Alonzo Campos

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Making the decision to attend and pursue college as a means of social mobility is an option students in the state of California make every year when graduating high school. Scholars have contributed extensively to understand how students prepare and transition into their first year of college, as well as the benefits and outcomes that allows students to acclimate and succeed. The multiple factors that contribute to students’ acclimation into higher education has been a central point. The aim of this study was to explore how Latina/o/x students from California’s Central Valley navigated their college transition in the first year …

Reframing The Pedagogical Underpinnings Of To Kill A Mockingbird: Queering A High School Text, Hovsep Hovannesian

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Given the current climate for social and political change in relation to identity and being, traditional high school texts like To Kill A Mockingbird are being rejected as degrading, out of touch, and even regressive and are being taken off the pedagogical shelf. This article pushes back on this outlook by suggesting that a more critical approach to such texts can make them not only useful but enlightening for the high school population asked to read them. Specifically, by proposing that high school pedagogy apply the foundations and frameworks of critical, identity-focused theories, like queer theory, to traditional high school …

Students' Evangelical Worldview In Public High School Content Areas: A Phenomenological Analysis, Russell Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although much research has been conducted regarding Christian worldview in private high schools and Christian colleges, very little information exists regarding Christian worldview at public high schools. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe how 10 evangelical students in public high schools interpret content areas through their worldview. The study answered the following critical question: How do evangelical students in public high schools interpret content areas through their worldviews? Participants were found using criterion sampling in central Pennsylvania and document analysis, interviews, and focus groups were used to collect data. Moustakas’s (1994) approach was used for data …

A Multiple Case Study Examining How Christian Education Has Influenced A High School Graduates’ Worldview, William Lawrence Lorigan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand how the Christian education offered by Country Lakes School System (CLSS; pseudonym) has influenced the worldview of its graduates. CLSS defines a biblical worldview as follows: “The entire process of education is seen as a means used by God to bring the student into fellowship with Himself, to develop a Christian mind in him and to train him in Godly living so that he can fulfill God’s total purpose for his life.” The theoretical framework that guided this study was Sire’s three-dimensional concept of worldview, which served as a basis …

Teaching Tolerance Through English Language Arts, Samantha Casarella

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This portfolio examines the ways in which tolerance can be taught and reinforced through English Language Arts. Substantive research is presented justifying the urgency of teaching tolerance at the high school level and the role that English Language Arts teachers play in the process. Methods of practical application are presented through three separate unit plans, each focused on elevating students’ social consciousness.

Journey To Refuge: Understanding Refugees, Exploring Trauma, And Best Practices For Newcomers And Schools, Trina D. Harlow

NPP eBooks

Pre-K through 12th grade schools within the United States have become much more diverse in recent years. Schools are now commonly not only diverse because of diverse students born in the United States, but also have many immigrant students. A growing number of these immigrant students are resettled children who have refugee status. In schools, these recent immigrants are called newcomers. This book is a culmination of research and anecdotal experiences regarding the refugee issue as it pertains to these students in American schools and schools elsewhere in the world. Scholars, policy makers, educators, those who work in the refugee …

Breaking Through The Echo Chamber: Teaching Students To Use Technology For College Research And Global Citizenry, Kaitlin Drake

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Preparing high school students for college level courses is vital to their success in higher education. Information literacy and digital literacy are necessary skills for college students in order to conduct their research for their classes. My own research was a compilation of scholarly articles and books focused on digital literacy, information literacy, and the issues surrounding these terms to understand what today’s students need in the classroom to succeed as young researchers. Search engines like Google operate under a facade of being an unbiased source. In reality, they are a for profit company whose search results go through an …

Language, Literacy And Project Based Learning: An Ethnographic Case Study Of A New Tech Classroom In A High School On The Us/Mexico Border, Nora Lee Paugh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This ethnographic case study sought to understand how English Language Learners used their language and literacy practices within a project based learning (PBL) classroom to complete their PBL tasks. Studies revealed the impact of how English language learners within a PBL learning environment were able to use their language and literacy as a social practices that led to successful student engagement (Call & Sotillo, 1995; Campbell, 2012). This study was conducted at Wilson High School, located along the US/Mexico border. The focus of the case study was a 9th grade combination English/World Geography class of the school's inaugural New Tech …

Literacy And Citizenship: Helping Students Learn The Importance Of Being An Informed And Educated Citizen, Luke H. Schlegel

English Summer Fellows

My project utilizes the concept of Understanding by Design, as outlined by education experts Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins, to craft a 12-week curriculum for high school junior and senior English students. McTighe and Wiggins use backwards planning to create long-term learning goals for students. Rather than superficially trying to cover a wide range of material in class, which results in short-term acquisition of knowledge mostly forgotten in the long run, McTighe and Wiggins focus on “big ideas,” that generate conceptual understanding. Ultimately, students will be able to transfer this knowledge to settings outside of the classroom. To help them …

The Myon'reader Program And Reading Proficiency Among High School Students, Tommie Kuykendall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, educators have struggled with low student achievement in reading proficiency, which affects student success in school and leads to higher dropout rates. To address low reading proficiency scores, a local charter high school implemented the myON'reader program. The myON reader program is an electronic library that allows students to choose their own reading based on their reading level and interest. The program tracks students' reading habits and level of reading, so teachers can determine students' progress. Guided by self-directed learning and social constructivism, the purpose of this study was to review available data to determine if …

Expanding The Literary Enterprise: How We Experience The Texts Of The Advanced Placement English Literature And Composition Curriculum, Molly Ostrow

Honors Theses

How we read the texts of the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition curriculum.

The Career Development Of Latina Women Achieving The Position Of Public High School Principal, Consuelo A. Palacio

Theses and Dissertations

For this qualitative study, I used the lens of the Social Cognitive Career Theory to investigate the lived experiences of Latina women navigating their career paths into the roles of public high school principals. Latina women are underrepresented and in some states they are not represented at all. Few Latina women have secured the position of high school principal in public education; however for those who have, it is unclear how they attained the position. It was significant to learn about the factors that have lead to the representation of Latina women who serve as high school principals. The representation …

An Analysis Of The Correlation Between The Christian Education Context Of The Local Church And The Biblical Worldview Of High School Students, David Scott Rutledge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether a significant relationship exists between the Christian education context of the local church and the Biblical worldview of high school students. This investigation assessed the Biblical worldviews of senior high school students who have basic knowledge of Christianity but different levels of involvement in church-based Christian education. The study used the PEERS Worldview Test and compared students' scores to their self-reported involvement in the main worship services, Sunday school classes, and youth services of their churches and their parents' church attendance. The results showed little to no correlation between church …

Women Principals Of Jewish Secular High Schools In Israel: Access And Progress, Dana Michelle Lebental

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative investigation focused on women high school principals at Jewish secular schools throughout Israel. Despite challenges, Israeli women have succeeded in obtaining over half of the principal positions at Jewish secular high schools, but the degree to which there is equal gender access to leadership roles in the school system remains unclear. This study examined whether there was clustering of women in high school principal positions in certain geographical areas, the process by which these women obtained principal positions, what obstacles the women overcame, and an analysis if respondents differed by district in terms of their career paths, career …

Adventures In The Classroom Creating Role-Playing Games Based On Traditional Stories For The High School Curriculum, Csenge Virág Zalka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to develop a template for turning traditional stories into role-playing games for the high school curriculum. By developing 3 sample games based on Greek mythology, Arthurian legends, and a widespread folktale type, I explored the process of creating games that fit the limits of secondary classrooms and can be used to address specific educational standards. The sample games were tested with groups of high school and college students, and the results of the testing sessions evaluated in a narrative case study format. Feedback from the testing sessions was incorporated in the template, the final …

Writing Across Institutions: Studying The Curricular And Extracurricular Journeys Of Latina/O Students Transitioning From High School To College, Todd Ruecker

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is based on a year and a half multi-institutional study of seven Mexican American students transitioning from high school to a community college or a university. It explores the differences between high school, community college, and university literacy environments, focusing on the following: the impact of standardized testing at the high school level, the role of rhetoric and composition disciplinary expertise in shaping first-year composition (FYC) curricula, writing in the disciplines, and the digital divide between institutions. Seven case studies examine students' literacy experiences across institutions as well as both challenges and sources of support in and beyond …

Qualitative Research In Teaching Diversity In A Non-Diverse High School Setting Using Contemporary Art, Robin L. Reczek

Art Education Projects

Abstract

This qualitative action research study examined the effects of introducing diverse contemporary artworks into a non-diverse educational setting. For 3 months, 18 female high school students explored a range of artists, art styles, and artworks, in aid to discovering their own diverse qualities as well as the diversity of their classmates. Through participatory action research, I investigated how diverse contemporary artwork impacted student actions, discussions, and artworks. With the assistance of the transformative learning theory, I expected to convert students with non-accepting diversity views into unbiased young women. My research included data gathered from an assortment of alumni interviews, …

Direction Of The Play/Musical: Once On This Island, Kathryn C. Baker

Master of Theater Production Graduate Projects

This project entailed the selection, background research and documentation, musical analysis, casting, direction, vocal coaching, and post-production analysis of Clayton County Public Schools' Annual All County, All Star, Honor Musical production of Once On This Island. Documentation includes research and analysis of the play, its music, and an evaluation of the musical as a production vehicle for the department of Theatre Arts at Central Washington University. The analysis also includes a discussion as to the non-traditional directorial vision of this production.

An Interdisciplinary, Teaming Approach To History And English Instruction At The Secondary Level, Miles J. Caples

All Graduate Projects

The relationship of integrating history and English objectives to enhance student achievement was studied. A model curriculum has been developed to connect U.S. History and American Literature content. Research has been obtained that indicates improved student learning when subjects are integrated in a relevant fashion. Secondary schools using interdisciplinary curriculum are showing improved GPA's, attendance and standardized test scores. Secondary teachers must align their daily lesson plans and assessments with the state essential learning's in both the history and language arts area.

William Blake: An Integrated Teaching Approach, Shawn C. Gaspaire

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to explore the usefulness of providing integrated curricula in today's contemporary classroom. The literature review illustrates that integrated approaches to teaching improve classroom engagement rates, retention, and skill level across grade levels when compared to non-integrated environments. A tenweek model using William Blake as a catalyst is presented. The integrated approach using Blake incorporates history, English, the arts, vocational arts, communication, and the technologies. Implications of integrated curriculum and William Blake are discussed.

Integration Of American History And American Literature, Diane Main

All Graduate Projects

The development of an integrated curriculum for American History and American Literature is presented. The purpose of this project is to integrate concepts from American History with the concepts typically taught in an American Literature course. This project is intended for use at the secondary level, specifically for use at Eisenhower High School, Yakima, Washington. Many feel that it is important for students to have the ability to transfer information from one area to another. It has also been deemed important that students are capable of critical thinking. The project that has been developed will help students do both.

Direction Of The Production Fools By Neil Simon, Anna Jane Hudgens

Master of Theater Production Graduate Projects

This project entailed background research and documentation, casting, direction, and post-production assessment of Ellensburg High School's production of Fools. Included in this thesis documentation are three areas of research: preliminary information, pre-production analysis, and post production evaluation.

A Model United States History Developmental Reading Skills Curriculum In Alignment With Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements, Mario R. Casello

All Graduate Projects

The purpose ofthis project was to develop a model, United States History developmental reading skills curriculum, for resource room students, at Governor John R. Rogers High School, Puyallup, Washington. The model curriculum was designed in alignment with the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR'S). To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature was reviewed. Additionally, related information from selected sources was obtained and analyzed.

A Co-Curriculuar Theatre Arts Handbook: Tips And Techniques To Use When Directing A Production At The High School Level, Paul Vernon Wickline

All Graduate Projects

This project is a handbook of techniques and strategies for beginning directors of high school drama programs. Included in this handbook are sections on selecting the best productions for your actors, strategies for directing the young actor, helpful hints on how to build a successful extra-curricular drama program, and more. This project was based on a review ofliterature (including extant curriculum guides and articles and textbooks on directing and acting) and the author's fifteen years experience as an actor, director, and theatre arts educator.

A Model Curriculum And Intructional Program For Native American Studies Grades 11-12, Terry Cosentino

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a model curriculum and instructional program for Native American Studies, grades 11 - 12 at Tenino High School, Tenino Washington. To accomplish this purpose a review of related literature was conducted. Additionally, information and materials from selected sources was obtained and analyzed.