Education Commons^™

Elementary Science Essential Elements Curriculum Map & Progress Monitoring With Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies, Tasha Jenkins

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Little research has explored the field of science instruction tailored to students with significant disabilities. However, research studies have begun to emerge that suggest, with specific instructional strategies, these students can be successful in learning science curriculum. This project evaluated literature to find evidence-based instructional strategies for teaching science to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Six strategies were consistently found across multiple studies. The six strategies include (1) time delay, (2) systematic instruction, (3) multiple exemplar training, (4) task analysis, (5) graphic organizers, and (6) guided inquiry-based learning. These strategies were shared with a team of nine special education teachers …

Increasing Student Engagement And Learning Of The Age Of Exploration Through Differentiated Instruction And Assessment, Hannah M. Smith

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project examines the impact of incorporating two instructional and two assessment strategies within a tenth-grade World Civilization unit centered on enhancing students' comprehension of the Age of Exploration. The Age of Exploration unit had 16 instructional days between the pre- and post-assessment. Drawing insights from student data, it was that learners demonstrated enhanced and increased comprehension and improved performance throughout this unit, attributable to various differentiated instructional strategies and assessment methods. This paper will report what the instructional strategies and assessment methods consisted of and the effect they had on student learning. I collected and analyzed the pre- …

Teaching Time And Graphs With Differentiated Instruction And Assessment Strategies, Catie Tangeman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone reports the effectiveness of using differentiated instructional and assessment strategies to improve student performance in math. Based on pretest data, instruction was planned and implemented to best meet the needs of each student to help them succeed. This unit started with a pretest, had ten days of lessons and instruction, and then concluded with a post-test. Based on student data, student performance and learning increased by using differentiated instruction and instructional strategies that were adapted to help each student. Using feedback, nonlinguistic representations (a big piece of assessment), think-pair-shares, and physical models/manipulatives, students successfully showed the increase in …

Implementing Nonlinguistic Representations In Language Arts, Joy Ondrak

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project analyzes the use of nonlinguistic representation as both instructional and assessment strategies in a Language Arts unit. The project reports the effectiveness of nonlinguistic forms of representation that were integrated into a persuasive unit that focused on students’ comprehension of the modes of appeal, specifically in advertising. The persuasive unit included 12 lessons that were taught over a four-week period. This project analyzed the effectiveness of the implemented instructional and assessment strategies on student’s learning based on pre- and post- assessment scores. Following analysis of the pre- and post- assessment data, I discovered that nonlinguistic forms of …

Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Graphic Organizers In An English Classroom, Alexandra Espinoza

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The use of graphic organizers has risen in classrooms over the past few decades. However, it is essential to assess whether they lead to improved student learning, as some trending instructional strategies are not well-backed by quality research. The purpose of this study was to analyze if graphic organizers are indeed effective to use in a high school English class. This study took place in a secondary school setting for a weeklong unit. For this project, students completed three graphic organizers throughout the unit in order to better understand selected topics relating to the unit’s nonfiction text including inferences, characterization, …

What Does The Current Research Say About Effective Strategies For Teaching Reading Fluency?, Talia E. Dewitte

Honors Thesis

Reading fluency, a person’s ability to read with speed, accuracy, and prosody, is one of the five major dimensions of reading instruction. Effective reading fluency instruction is crucial to the success of developing readers. The ability to read fluently directly impacts the ability to engage in other reading skills, as instruction with reading fluency is often integrated with skills such as reading comprehension and phonics. There are a plethora of evidence-based strategies for teaching reading instruction. While these strategies vary the delivery of instruction or materials needed, they all share a foundation of thorough research and continued efficacy in the …

Teaching The Relationship Between Multiplication And Division Through Differentiated Instructional Strategies, Teagan Vaughan

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project reports the differentiated instructional strategies that were integrated throughout a math unit. The capstone will report the effectiveness of two instructional strategies that were integrated into a math unit that focused on students’ understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division. The math unit had 12 lessons taught over three weeks between the pre-and post-assessment. I will report how the strategies worked and the effect the strategies had on students learning. I collected and analyzed the pre/post-test data and found that nonlinguistic representations and multi-level questioning are effective instructional strategies for increasing student learning.

Keywords: instructional …

Accelerated Growth: A Case Study Of Teacher Beliefs And Instructional Strategies That Promote Achievement For Students Of Color, Astein K. Osei

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined the beliefs and instructional strategies that promote accelerated achievement for students of color in a suburban Minneapolis district. The research aimed to identify the beliefs and instructional strategies that lead to traditionally marginalized populations of students in grades 2-5 demonstrating growth on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The study affirmed that teacher beliefs and instructional practices matter when attempting to create academic growth for traditionally marginalized groups of students. During the study several themes surfaced in relationship to the importance of educator beliefs and instructional practices.

Instructional Strategies And Rigor: Private School Administrator And Teacher Perspectives On Improving Minnesota’S College Mathematic Readiness, Nichelle Guillaume

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Instructional Strategies and Rigor: Private School Administrator and Teacher Perspectives on Improving Minnesota’s College Mathematic Readiness (May 2021)

This qualitative study explored private high school administrator and teacher perspectives on instructional strategies and rigor to improve Minnesota’s college mathematic readiness. Data collection sources for the study included individual interviews, focus groups, and document review. The study produced four emergent themes from the data collected in the individual interviews and focus groups: (a) Importance of Productive Struggle in Mathematic Instruction; (b) Necessary Balance of Mathematical Conceptual Understanding with Skill Acquisition; (c) Connection of Continuous Assessment to Mathematic Content Mastery and (d) …

Instructional Strategies That Foster High School Students’ Achievement In Blended Learning, Cindy Fuhrer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning has become an alternative method to promote student achievement in a technology-orientated society. Students enrolled in blended learning classes in a midwestern suburban high school are outperforming students in the traditional face-to-face classes on standardized tests, yet there was little information about the instructional strategies used in the blended learning classroom that result in higher student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore what instructional strategies were implemented to foster student achievement in a successful high school English and social studies blended learning program. The focus of the study was to understand which …

Supporting Teacher Collaboration Aimed At Developing High School Students’ Digital Media Literacy: A Participatory Action Research Study, Rachel A. Riendeau

Theses and Dissertations

The growing use of social media as a source of information about important current events among high school students requires the development of new instructional strategies that promote digital media literacy. Recognizing that the use of social media varies extensively among high school students, the nature of this problem is highly context dependent. As such, the most likely approach to be successful in a given classroom is one led and enacted by teachers in their own classrooms. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation in practice was twofold. The first purpose was to develop effective curricular materials that support digital media …

Planning To Assist Low Achievers: Perspectives Of Instructional Leaders And Teachers, Andrea Ridley

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Is there a connection between stereotypes and the achievement gap? The issue of stereotyping is a consistent topic of concern in the United States based on labels such as race, ethnicity, gender, and religion (Gollnick, 2013). The United States is a multicultural nation where the classroom is becoming filled with a plethora of diversity pulling many of those stereotypes to the surface (Gollnick, 2013). Intergroup interaction can be frustrating, confusing, and cause anxiety for many because of the unknown and/or misunderstood factors that determine cultural differences. Could there be a connection between stereotyping and student achievement based on how the …

Instructional Designer Awareness And Application Of Strategies To Manage Cognitive Load, Justin A. Sentz

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how practicing instructional designers manage cognitive load in a standardized scenario as they select and implement instructional strategies, message design, content sequencing, and delivery media within various domains with learners at different levels of expertise. The study employed a quasi-experimental, mixed methods design to gain insight into how practicing instructional designers perceive their awareness of strategies to manage cognitive load and implement those strategies within a standardized design scenario. The research design involved the collection of quantitative data from the participants during an initial web-based questionnaire and a second collection of both quantitative and qualitative data as …

Instructional Strategies That Homeschooling Parents Use To Teach Their Children Mathematics, Lisa Marie Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeschooling has become a viable educational choice for families; however, limited research has been conducted on the instructional strategies homeschooling parents use to instruct their children and whether these reflect a learner-centered teaching approach. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the learner-centered instructional strategies homeschooling parents use to teach their children mathematics. The conceptual framework for this single-case study was based on Weimer's learner-centered teaching model. Participants included 4 parents who homeschooled students in Grades 6-12 in a Western state and who received instructional support from a private school. Data were collected from interviews with homeschooling …

Investigation Of Teacher Perceptions Of Gifted Education: How Teacher Perceptions Influence The Use Of Specific Research-Based Teaching Strategies Tailored To Challenge Learning In Ag Students, Ian Robert Olsen

Education Dissertations and Projects

The research study examined teacher perceptions of gifted instruction. It focused on teacher perceptions of the needs of gifted students; teacher confidence in adapting instruction to meet the needs; and teacher perceptions of which research-based instructional strategies are best implemented. The purpose of this study was to determine if AG teacher perceptions of instructional strategies influence the implementation of them. This study combined literature research, survey data, and interview data all shedding light on the need to improve academic instruction for all AG students (Bangel, Moon, & Capobianco, 2010; Manning, 2006; McKinsey & Co., 2009). The research and data demonstrated …

Faculty Perceptions Of Instructional Strategies That Foster Student Engagement In Online Courses, Sharon M. Hope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Developing online instructional strategies for increasing student engagement and success is significant locally and nationally due to growth in the online field, advances in technology, and the need for colleges to maximize student success. This study stemmed from the desire of administrators at an upstate New York private college to discover additional ways to design and deliver effective online instruction. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to discover faculty perceptions of and experiences with instructional strategies that they used to foster student engagement in online learning. Kearsley and Shneiderman's engagement theory formed the study's conceptual framework. Ten …

A Correlational Study Of Teacher Efficacy And Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques In A Southeastern Urban School District, Roberta F. Callaway

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the level of personal and general teacher efficacy of teachers from three high schools within a southeastern urban school district. Additional research questions focused on correlational relationships between teacher efficacy and culturally responsive teaching, instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management as measured by the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES), Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques (CRTT) Scale, and Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES).

This study was conducted in a large urban school district located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States; three of the five high schools in the district participated. The CRTT Scale and TSES were …

Education All A'Twitter: Twitter's Role In Educational Technology, Rikki Elaine Mccormick Lowe

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine whether current uses of Twitter by educators correlate with the literature on the uses and advantages of using Twitter in education through an examination of United States educators and West Virginia educators. Data was obtained from responses to the online survey, Education All A’Twitter: Twitter’s Role in Educational Technology, content analysis of public Twitter feeds, and semi-structured interviews that were sorted, coded, organized, and analyzed to identify emergent themes. The study had a population that included 97 survey responses, 78 Twitter feeds, and 8 semi-structured interviews. There were survey respondents …

Does Teacher Behavior Change In Middle School Math Classes When Teachers Receive Instructional Coaching Using Bug-In-Ear Technology?, Ellen L. Browning

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between the use of immediate feedback provided through instructional coaching and teacher behaviors shown to improve student achievement. Specifically this study used a time-series nonequivalent control group design to explore the relationship between instructional coaching using Bug-In-Ear (BIE) technology and teacher frequency of the following behaviors: (a) teacher use of technology-enhanced choral response as part of completed three-term contingency trials, (b) the high-access strategy of choral response versus the low-access strategy of call-outs and blurt-outs, (c) re-directs, reprimands, and behavior-specific praise statements. Measures of student engagement and …

The Effects Of Videocasts On Student Learning In Medical Health Science Discipline, Jessica Viana

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This quantitative study examines the effects of videocasts on student learning in a medical healthcare science discipline. The didactic nature of educational strategies is necessary in preparing future healthcare professionals. However, the manual skills cannot be reviewed once the student has left the classroom. Incorporating the use of videocasts into the resources for student learning adds another means for the students to follow and retain the skills acquired during class. Athletic training students in two accredited programs performed two class presentations over the course of one semester, one in the traditional format and one with the use of videocasts. The …

A Mixed Methods Case Study Of The Levels Of Interactive Whiteboard Use By K-12 Teachers, Jo Ann Thomas

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The growing presence of educational technology in our nation's K-12 schools has had little effect on teacher practices to enhance student learning (Once, Delialioglu, & Brown, 2008). Sophisticated levels of educational technology use are believed to influence student learning (Hall, Loucks, Rutherford, & Newlove, 1975) yet research on effective levels of use is almost non-existent.

The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) assesses a teacher's level of educational technology use across eight stages, ranging from the lowest level of nonuse to the most sophisticated level where the teacher's technology implementation utilizes instructional strategies to support knowledge building, reflection, and goal setting. …

The Relationship Between The Pedagogical Use Of Differentiated Instructional Strategies And 3rd, 4th, And 5th Grade Language Arts Achievement, Kenitra Lasha Barnes

Dissertations

Today’s classrooms are comprised of students who perform on a myriad of levels. As a result of both state and federal mandates, educators have been charged with the task of ensuring that all students master the required grade level benchmarks at the end of each school term. The challenge in carrying out that duty is finding strategic ways of reaching all students, regardless of their performance levels. The stricter state mandates have placed many classroom teachers in a compromising position that leaves them with no time to remediate students who may struggle with mastering a skill and minimal time to …

A Descriptive Analysis Of The Perceived Importance And Use Of Scientific Research-Based Instructional Strategies Among West Virginia Teachers, Cheryl D. Belcher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study was designed to examine the perceived importance and extent of use of scientific research-based instructional strategies among West Virginia teachers. Specifically, the study investigated the extent to which perceived importance and frequency of use of scientific research-based instructional strategies differ between highly qualified teachers and non-highly qualified teachers. The core of the research was focused on ten scientific research-based instructional strategies identified by the MidContinental Regional Educational Laboratory. Participants were asked to complete a researcher-designed survey, the Instructional Strategies Inventory, to rate perceived importance and frequency of use for each of the ten strategies. The population for this …

Effective Reading Strategies That Enhance Reading Comprehension For Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Angela Erin Hinkle

All Graduate Projects

This curriculum project provides reading comprehension strategies for students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). This project material can be used with either narrative texts or expository texts, that teach academic subjects. The use of graphic organizers, summarization techniques, strategic reading techniques, and vocabulary instruction techniques are described and examined. Lesson plans that may be used with current classroom curriculum guides and based on the researched reading comprehension strategies are described.