Education Commons^™

Coloring In The Grey Area: The Fine Line Between Academic And Student Affairs, Mannie Brown

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to examine the bridge between academic and student affairs within a learning community (LC) program by assessing holistic student well-being practices taking place within the classroom, residence halls, and general campus community. My research sought to answer the following question: How are current University of San Diego faculty, staff, and student leaders, within the LC program, working to articulate competencies of integration, collaboration, and student thriving? What I found was a strong need to better translate the onboarding experience into the LC program. There was also the strong desire of making the experience of …

The Effect Of Coaching On Teachers’ Instructional Technology Use In A 1:1 Environment, Michael L. Mitchell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Current research has reported the benefits of integrating technology into the learning experience for students to promote greater engagement and collaboration. Schools across the country have begun implementing one-to-one learning environments in which each student uses a mobile computing device. However, use of technology in the classroom has failed to produce the expected transformational benefits. In order for technology to be integrated effectively, current research suggests that teacher pedagogy must adjust to the one-to-one classroom approach, and requires professional development to facilitate growth in their instructional practices while integrating technology. Research shows that coaches working one-to-one with teachers can be …

Congolese Refugee Students In Higher Education: Equity And Opportunity, Refik Sadiković

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore Congolese refugee students’ experiences in higher education in the United States. In order to understand the challenges Congolese students face in higher education, this study used narrative inquiry methodology to investigate Congolese students’ lived experiences that affected their educational endeavors before and after resettlement to the United States. The study examined personal stories of 10 Congolese students in the Pacific Northwest using semi-structured in-depth interviews, one-on-one follow-up interviews, field notes and two focus group interviews. Using narrative analysis five reoccurring themes were identified and discussed in the findings. The study findings indicate …

The Influence Of The Heritage Language On The Cultural Integration Of Second-Generation Hispanic Adolescents: A Phenomenological Study, Camille Schuler

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the influence of the heritage language on the cultural integration of 10 second-generation Hispanic adolescents, ages 15-19. Data were collected using in-depth interviews that asked participants to share their experiences with their heritage language, and in what situations they found themselves feeling more Hispanic, more American, and more bicultural, when speaking their heritage language. Participants also shared the formal course of language study they chose, such as Spanish, Heritage Spanish, and AP Spanish Language, why they chose it, and how that choice influenced their perceptions of the heritage language and their cultural integration. Berry’s (2005) Acculturation …

Effective Ipad Instruction: A Qualitative Study Comparing Classroom Practices To The Technology Integration Matrix, Bridget Phillips

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Technology has become a natural part of our students’ lives. The use of iPads in classrooms has increased, and educators are becoming more experienced using them during instruction. Research needs to focus on providing educators with examples of effective instructional practices with iPads. To provide samples of effective instruction, this qualitative study used evidence from classroom observations and aligned the lessons to the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM). Lessons were observed and aligned to the Adoption, Adaptation, and Infusion levels of the TIM with Active, Collaborative, Constructive, and Authentic learning attributes. In addition this study investigated the perceptions teachers and principals …

Integrating Ethnic Studies In Social Studies Curriculum, Alyssa Denise Hernández

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Traditional social studies curriculum in the K-12 system focuses on United States history through a Eurocentric lens. The issue with focusing on a black-and-white version of history impacts people of color from ethnic backgrounds that are not equally represented in the curriculum. The research conducted for this project specifically focuses on the impact of this subject matter on individuals in a predominantly Latino community. Through surveys and interviews, the researcher presents feedback on the experiences of these individuals and provides possible solutions on how schools can improve social studies curriculum at the high school level to be more culturally relevant …

Using Pre-Calculus And Calculus Student Work To Examine Student Problem Solving Abilities In Online And Face-To-Face Mathematics Courses, Sarah Catherine Ferguson

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study compares the outcomes of student learning between two pairs of courses. Each pair of courses consists of an online section and a face-to-face section. One pair of courses focuses on pre-calculus content while the second pair focuses on calculus content. Both pairs of courses are taught by the same instructor using the same course appropriate materials. Participants for this study include 9 online and 14 face-to-face pre-calculus students and 14 online and 23 face-to-face calculus students from an urban community college in the southeastern portion of the U.S. Written responses from the subjects to a collection of problems …

A Quantitative And Qualitative Investigation Of Content-Area Literacy Instruction Integrated Into Social Studies Content For Kindergarten - 4th Grade Students, Jennifer E. Lee

Master of Education Research Theses

The objective of this study was to research the impact of short term intensive instruction of content-area literacy strategies on students’ academic success, students’ reading attitudes, and teachers’ perceptions of literacy integration into content-area learning of social studies with Kindergarten through 4th grade students at a private, Christian school. The experimental group of students did not show any statistically significant improvement over the control group of students. However, there was a trend in the experimental Kindergarten and 1st grade groups in which their content-area knowledge post-test scores slightly increased (5% and 10% increase in post-test scores, respectively) with additional literacy …

Teacher Attitudes Toward Latin Instruction At The Elementary Level, Kirsten Elizabeth Brodmann Ms.

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify whether teacher attitudes toward Latin instruction at the elementary level were generally positive or negative. Participants were elementary Latin and English Language Art teachers who had experience with students receiving Latin instruction in elementary classrooms. Data were collected through interviews. The elementary teachers were questioned about their general experience of Latin and their observations of Latin’s effects on other content areas. Differences in opinions between Latin instructors and English Language Arts instructors were recorded. This study benefits educators who are interested in teaching Latin as a content area or integrating Latin into …

Comparison Of Beginning Teachers' And Experienced Teachers' Readiness To Integratetechnology As Measured By Tpack Scores, Heather S. Fontanilla

Dissertations

Despite a growing awareness of the importance of technology in education, increased investment and attention to preparing teachers to integrate technology into the classroom, research shows that technology continues to fail to live up to its potential for transforming education. As schools move from standards based testing to implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), an expectation exists that teachers will be using technology to transform their teaching practices. There is also an expectation that schools are providing students with 21st century skills, including the use of technology. In exploring the reasons teachers are not using technology effectively, much …

Integration Of Content In Early Childhood Education, Sara Rayburn

Honors Projects

In order to effectively engage students in today's society, teachers must be willing and prepared to be innovative in their methods. Integration of the content areas is one such way that teachers can build upon prior knowledge and develop meaningful learning experiences for young children. An event titled "Flight Partners for Life" was developed in order to practice integrating content, as well as to serve a need in the Sibs-n-Kids Weekend 2015 schedule at Bowling Green State University. In this specific example of content integration, Language Arts standards were taught in collaboration with Christian religious education curriculum.

Developmental Education At The Community College: An Exploration Of Instructional Best Practices And The Relationship Between Integration, Student Involvement And Rates Of Completion, Beverly Gayle Strickland Lewis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the developmental education process within the community college system in Mississippi. Tinto’s (1993) Integration Theory and Astin’s (1993) Theory of Student Involvement were employed as a framework to assess and understand the relationship between academic integration, social integration, student involvement, and rates of completion.

This concurrent mixed method study identified best practices related to the successful completion of developmental education courses from the vantage point of the faulty and administration at the community college. A total of ten faculty and administrators from five of the community colleges in Mississippi were given a …

Relationships Of Parental Homeschooling Approaches Including Technology Integration, Letitia Annette Walters

Dissertations

This study examined the factors influencing parental selection of homeschooling approaches for their children and the utilization of technology integrated. Factors explored were parental motivators for selecting homeschooling approaches, parental reasons for choosing to homeschooling, technology device usage, and instructional technology integration. The population consisted of parents with at least one year or more of experience in teaching homeschooling and the primary educator being involved in answering the survey. Participants in this study responded to items from a researcher-adapted questionnaire using. The majority of the participants were from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky. A Bachelor's degree was reported as the highest …

Math, Class, And Katrina Aftermath: The Impact Of Experiences Teaching Mathematics To Low-Income Middle School Students On Middle-Income Teachers’ Pedagogical Strategies, Susan J. Ikenberry

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Despite a century of educational reforms, no matter how achievement is measured, learning and opportunity gaps can still be predicted by race and socioeconomic status. Teachers and schools are blamed for functioning to reproduce social inequality. This study investigated teacher agency and transformative potentials. It considered how teachers modified their pedagogical practices when teaching low-income and high-poverty students. In order to capture teacher beliefs and logic, a qualitative approach was used involving in-depth interviews of a small number of participants.

The research used the context of the dislocation of students from high-poverty Orleans Parish schools in the year following Hurricane …

The Effects Of Ipad Apps On Student Achievement In Literacy For Children In 2nd And 3rd Grade, Deena M. Reyes

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Many educators consider using educational iPad apps to supplement literacy curriculum and facilitate greater student engagement. Student literacy achievement is crucial at the lower elementary level. Students who do not progress through the grade level literacy standards of the Common Core State Standards need intervention instruction to achieve mastery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of using iPad apps based instruction in reading intervention programs for second and third grade students.

This study followed a mixed method approach, a pretest, post-test quasi experimental design where students enrolled in an after school reading intervention program used iPad …

A Study Of Teachers Using 21st Century Tools In A Rural South Carolina School District, Amanda Elmore Moss

Education Dissertations and Projects

Students currently live surrounded by technology and the tools of the 21st Century, but as Prensky (2008) asserted, students feel like they "have to power down" when they go to school by working without many of the technology tools with which they are comfortable and by changing, even slowing, their ways of thinking (p. 42). One purpose of this study was to evaluate the technology tools used by students and the quality or types of usage by teachers and students as defined by the recommendations of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in a rural school district. The study also …

Integrating Digital Technologies In The German Language Classroom: A Critical Study Of The Technology-Integration Experiences Of Three Secondary German Teachers, Stephen Van Orden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

German language teachers are gaining increased access to smart classrooms and digital technologies that offer teachers and students greater access to authentic cultural and language materials and enable more student target language communication. Teaching with technology changes the teaching and learning environment in many ways. Little is known about how integrating technology into the daily German-language-teaching curriculum changes the implicit power structures embedded in all classroom interactions. Because of the central, decision-making role of the teacher, this study uses a critical theory of technology lens to examine the daily technology integration experiences of three secondary German language teachers. This study …