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Full-Text Articles in Education
Childhood Fitness And Academic Achievement: An Exploration Into The Effect Of Physical Fitness Scores On Academic Assessment Tests, Kevin Vanderwal
Childhood Fitness And Academic Achievement: An Exploration Into The Effect Of Physical Fitness Scores On Academic Assessment Tests, Kevin Vanderwal
Master of Education Program Theses
This research study examines the correlation between the effects of physical fitness scores on academic assessment tests. The study examines students’ PACER scores and what impact that causes with the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test. The study included a sample of 147 students from a large Midwestern elementary school of fifth graders. The study found that PACER scores seems to have a positive relationship with students’ MAP scores; that improving on the PACER does not show significant gains to show a connection between the two variables; that high BMI scores can indicate lower MAP scores and that lower BMI …
Visual Formative Assessment And Learning Styles, Julie Pickard
Visual Formative Assessment And Learning Styles, Julie Pickard
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the impact of visual formative assessments on the achievement levels of students with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. The study was conducted in four classes of freshmen at Southwest Christian High School in Chaska, MN, with a total of eighty-four participants. Two pairs were created for the study with control and treatment groups in each pair. Students were classified according to learning style, and a unit pre-test was administered to identify growth. Treatment groups were instructed using daily visual formative assessments for the duration of the unit. Students were assessed again at the end …
Math Anxiety And Assessment Strategies, Ronald Vis
Math Anxiety And Assessment Strategies, Ronald Vis
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the connection between student choice and the levels of math anxiety exhibited in Geometry students at a Christian high school in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The participants were 38 ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade students separated in three sections of Geometry. This study was conducted to see if providing choice would effectively combat the perceived stress and anxiety associated with math classes. Students were offered a choice of review projects that would be used to prepare them for an upcoming test. No other changes were made in the classroom. Class presentations, discussions, and assessments …
Social Emotional Learning: The Impacts Of An Implemented Plan At A Private Christian School In The Urban Setting, Lindsey Cooper
Social Emotional Learning: The Impacts Of An Implemented Plan At A Private Christian School In The Urban Setting, Lindsey Cooper
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the effects of a social emotional learning plan implemented in a third grade classroom at a Christian school in an urban setting. Participants were seventy three third grade students. These students participated in a pre and post survey to determine the difference a social emotional learning plan may have on student behavior. The experimental group participated in five embedded social emotional lesson plans as well as weekly class meetings for a six-week period. The results of this study suggest that a social emotional learning plan benefits students in a behavioral way.
Relationship Between Parenting Styles And Mathematics Achievement, Laura Kramer
Relationship Between Parenting Styles And Mathematics Achievement, Laura Kramer
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project examined the relationship between parenting styles and mathematics achievement for middle school students at a small Christian school in the Midwestern United States. The participants were 22 fifth through eighth grade students and their parents. Students and their parents completed surveys measuring the parenting dimensions of demandingness and responsiveness, which were used to determine the overall parenting style in the home. Parenting styles determined by the surveys were compared to mathematics scores from the students’ most recent achievement test. The study results indicate that an authoritative parenting style does not necessarily correlate with higher mathematics achievement …
Revolutionizing Reading: Discovering The Power Of A Reading Workshop Model In The High School English Classroom, Kaitlyn De Wild
Revolutionizing Reading: Discovering The Power Of A Reading Workshop Model In The High School English Classroom, Kaitlyn De Wild
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the effects of a Reading Workshop model in a high school English classroom in a private school in the Midwest. The participants were sixty-six juniors in a general education classroom. Students in the study took a pre-survey at the beginning of the year and a post-survey at the end of February to determine any changes in independent reading habits. Throughout the course of the study, students had choice in independent reading, which they kept track of and reflected on. In addition to analyzing these reflections, the researcher also interviewed eight of the students on their …
Exploration Of Mathematics: Investigating The Continuum Of Mathematics From The Middle Years Program To The Diploma Program At International Baccalaureate Schools, Stela Irene Tampubolon
Exploration Of Mathematics: Investigating The Continuum Of Mathematics From The Middle Years Program To The Diploma Program At International Baccalaureate Schools, Stela Irene Tampubolon
Master of Education Program Theses
The purpose of this action research was to study the continuum of the mathematics curriculum from the Middle Years Program (MYP) to the Diploma Program (DP) at an IB School in Jakarta, Indonesia. To investigate the continuum of the mathematics curriculum from MYP to DP, data from the assessments of each program was collected from 2014-2016. The participants in this research were 44 grade 12 students who had already taken the DP Mathematics external examination. Their final mathematics scores were compared to their level of achievements in MYP Mathematics in grade 10. The results of the study were mixed, indicating …
Parent Support Groups And Well-Being: Investigating The Benefits Of Parent Support Groups For Families Of Children With Special Needs, Rachel Zeutenhorst
Parent Support Groups And Well-Being: Investigating The Benefits Of Parent Support Groups For Families Of Children With Special Needs, Rachel Zeutenhorst
Master of Education Program Theses
This qualitative research study seeks to identify if peer support groups for parents with children who have disabilities are beneficial to the parents’ physical and emotional well-being. Previous literature has shown that parents of children with disabilities feel more knowledgeable, accepted, and empowered when they are able to share their successes and struggles with parents who are in similar situations. Furthermore, the literature also shows that when parents are actively involved with their child’s school, other parents, and their community, their children earn higher grades, attend school more often, have better social skills, and are more likely to attend college …
Teaching History: Effective Teaching For Learning History - Chronological Vs. Thematic Approaches To Student Historical Comprehension, Shane Williams
Teaching History: Effective Teaching For Learning History - Chronological Vs. Thematic Approaches To Student Historical Comprehension, Shane Williams
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the effects of different types of instruction on student learning of historical thinking. There are several instructional methods to teaching history but most fall into two major approaches: chronological or thematic. This study used twenty-eight high school students in two sections of a junior-senior World History course. The research project utilized three full eighteen day instructional units: The World War II unit was taught from the chronological perspective, the Cold War unit was taught from the thematic, and the instruction for the globalization unit utilized a blended approach or combination of the chronological and thematic …
Teacher Retention At A Tribal School, Cara Mulder
Teacher Retention At A Tribal School, Cara Mulder
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project examined teacher retention in an extremely stressful job at a tribal school in northwest Washington. Two groups of teachers participated. The first group was made up of teachers who had been at Lummi Nation School for less than five years and the second group was made up of teachers who had been teaching there for more than ten years. The participants were interviewed about their jobs, uncovering the job stressors that they faced, the job satisfaction that they found, and the reasons they continued in their jobs. Both groups had similar responses regarding job stress and …
Importance Of Play: Play-Based Instruction Within A Preschool Learning Environment, Sarah Sjoerdsma
Importance Of Play: Play-Based Instruction Within A Preschool Learning Environment, Sarah Sjoerdsma
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated and compared the attitudes and beliefs of play-based instruction among several early childhood professionals. A researcher-designed survey was sent to participants in several small Midwestern schools. The participants included preschool, transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten teachers as well as preschool and elementary administrators. The statements on the survey were based on three different early childhood teaching approaches: teacher-directed instruction, student-centered instruction, and play-based instruction. The responses were analyzed and compared and the results showed mixed beliefs about play-based instruction in the preschool classroom. Preschool teachers and administrators strongly agreed on the play-based statements while TK …
Parent Involvement In The Middle School, Stephanie Walhof
Parent Involvement In The Middle School, Stephanie Walhof
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project investigated the effects of parental involvement on the education of middle school students. Parents and teachers at Sioux Center Middle School were surveyed on how they viewed the potential impact of parental involvement on student achievement. Parents and teachers were also asked about barriers that might prevent involvement and best practices that would capitalize on effective parental involvement. The results of the survey confirmed that teachers and parents see parental involvement as important for student achievement. Few barriers were noted as inhibiting parental involvement. The best practice of parent-teacher conferences was noted as the most effective …
Teaching For Transformation: A Tool For Christian Teachers, Rachel Vanden Hull
Teaching For Transformation: A Tool For Christian Teachers, Rachel Vanden Hull
Master of Education Program Theses
This qualitative research study examined the Teaching for Transformation framework and looked at whether Teaching for Transformation strategies equip teachers to be prepared in nurturing students’ faith and their role in the Kingdom story. Previous literature has shown a need for more emphasis on faith in the curriculum in Christian schools. Literature also shows the need for a framework that will equip teachers in empowering students to become responsive disciples. Teachers were interviewed and surveyed to gather information for this study. Teachers were able to give examples of student work by using the Teaching for Transformation framework, and they were …
Institutional Culture In Christian Schools, Jill Friend
Institutional Culture In Christian Schools, Jill Friend
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project investigated the institutional culture of Christian schools and its impact on faith formation. The research was a mixed method study with Sioux Center Christian School serving as a case study for the project. A careful literature review was conducted to identify the characteristics of healthy institutional culture in education, business and religious institutions. This list was vetted and prioritized using a focus group of Sioux Center Christian School teachers as well as interviews with several experts on institutional culture and faith formation. These characteristics were then used to develop a survey using the Four Building Blocks …
Cooperative Groups And Student Engagement: Exploring Cooperative Learning Groups In Mathematics, Trisha Reszel
Cooperative Groups And Student Engagement: Exploring Cooperative Learning Groups In Mathematics, Trisha Reszel
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project explores using cooperative learning strategies, specifically five of the structures designed by Dr. Spencer Kagan within a third grade mathematics classroom for six weeks. There were twenty-three participants in the third grade classroom, ages 8 to 9 years old. Students were given a survey of their opinion of math before the unit started, as well as after for comparison. During the unit, students participated in five different structures (or strategies based on KAGAN’s research) multiple times within each mathematics lesson. To determine if the action research was successful or not, unit scores from the current unit …
Reading As A Necessity: Best Practices For Incorporating Reading Into One English Course, Kristin M. Janssen
Reading As A Necessity: Best Practices For Incorporating Reading Into One English Course, Kristin M. Janssen
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project investigated the best practices of teaching reading in a middle school curriculum requiring reading and writing to be combined in one English course. A private middle school in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, was evaluated on its use of the best practices. The participants were 24 teachers of 13 different subjects taught to students in seventh and eighth grade. All middle school teachers were sent a survey including questions about the best practices of reading across the curriculum, integrated instruction, and cooperative learning. The results of this study suggested that best practices of reading instruction …
Motivation, Mindset, And Grading Systems, Russell J. Vander Molen
Motivation, Mindset, And Grading Systems, Russell J. Vander Molen
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study examines whether students in a standards-based grading environment are more intrinsically motivated than students in traditional grading environment. Additionally, it examines whether students in a standards-based grading environment exhibit more of a fixed or growth mindset compared to students in a traditional grading environment. The participants were 72 sixth grade students in a standards-based grading classroom environment, and 32 students in a traditional grading-based classroom environment. A survey with statements reflecting students’ intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, fixed mindset, and growth mindset was administered to both groups of students. The survey results suggest that the grading environment, …
Perceptions Of International High School Students Regarding Flipped Classroom Strategies In The Humanities Classroom, Nathanael Gibson
Perceptions Of International High School Students Regarding Flipped Classroom Strategies In The Humanities Classroom, Nathanael Gibson
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project sought to gauge student perceptions of the use of flipped classroom strategies in an eleventh grade class at a Christian international school in Japan. The participants were twenty-two eleventh graders in a Humanities class--a two-period blend of U.S. History and American Literature. Students wrote a Document-Based Question essay (DBQ) on the causes of the Civil War, having received most of the historical content through the use of short teacher-made lecture videos, which they watched outside of class. Class time was used to do a variety of activities to build on or apply the content from the …
Survey Of Students’ Perceptions Of Assertive Discipline And Restorative Discipline In American Christian Academy, Ibadan, Nigeria., Adedayo Oladeji Okunade
Survey Of Students’ Perceptions Of Assertive Discipline And Restorative Discipline In American Christian Academy, Ibadan, Nigeria., Adedayo Oladeji Okunade
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the perceptions of students regarding two discipline methods, Restorative Discipline (RD) and Assertive Discipline (AD), at American Christian Academy, Nigeria. The total number of participants was sixty-six students from grades seven through nine. Participants were divided into two groups: grade seven (experimental group) and grades eight and nine (control group). The experimental group was exposed explicitly to the Restorative Discipline Method for four weeks while the control group continued to be exposed to the Assertive Discipline Method (the norm in the school). At the end of four weeks, both groups were given a questionnaire containing …
Case For Improved Reading Achievement Using A Co-Teaching Model, Jill Van Soelen
Case For Improved Reading Achievement Using A Co-Teaching Model, Jill Van Soelen
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the effects of the use of co-teaching on the reading achievement of students from two elementary schools in northwest Iowa. The participants were 103 elementary school students in the second through fourth grade. The sample included 52 students instructed using a co-teaching method of instruction and 51 students who were not instructed using the co-teaching method. Using STAR Reading Assessment data, a comparison of the growth in reading achievement was made between students who were taught by one teacher and students who were taught by a teacher candidate (intern) and experienced cooperating teacher (mentor) using …
Holistic Versus Dualistic Christian Worldview: A Study Of Comparative Impact In A Latin American Community, Jinhi K. Roskamp
Holistic Versus Dualistic Christian Worldview: A Study Of Comparative Impact In A Latin American Community, Jinhi K. Roskamp
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated teacher and student perceptions regarding the impact of worldviews on educational outcomes in an urban, lower income setting in Nicaragua. Two Christian schools, one representing a holistic biblical approach and the other a dualistic approach in similar socio-economic settings were selected for a primarily non-experimental quantitative study to find out whether a holistic biblical worldview orientation in teachers was perceived as more effective in producing student transformation that connected with service to the community. A third school representing a secular approach was included as additional point of comparison. Participants included seven teachers and twelve fourth-grade …
Teachers As World-Makers In The Digital Age, Abby De Groot
Teachers As World-Makers In The Digital Age, Abby De Groot
Master of Education Program Theses
Despite enormous gains in educational technology and access to information, today’s students still struggle with digital literacy. In fact, some argue that today’s students are so distracted by digital media that their literacy skills are falling behind previous generations. In order to combat this phenomenon, researchers have singled out certain critical literacy skills for today’s students that, when taught effectively, will help those students develop into competent and productive adults: collaboration, composition, attention, evaluation, and responsibility. This study highlights and analyzes this important literacy research in order to help teachers better equip their twenty-first century students. Christian teachers especially should …
Physical Activity And Time-On-Task, Lisa Mouw
Physical Activity And Time-On-Task, Lisa Mouw
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project explored the effects of physical activity to time-on-task. The participants in this study were 24 sixth grade students in a language arts classroom at a PK-8 Christian elementary school in the mid-western states. Students were observed to determine time-on-task for the first twenty-five minutes of class. A no-treatment period was observed in order to create a baseline, followed by a treatment period to demonstrate any increase or decrease in overall time-on-task. Three-minute activity breaks were implemented at the beginning of the class time during the treatment period. These breaks included a combination of cardio- and skill-based …
Recurrent Phenomenon Of Divine Intervention In The Recruitment Of Teachers At The American Christian Academy: A Narrative Inquiry, Karen Ann Nwulu
Recurrent Phenomenon Of Divine Intervention In The Recruitment Of Teachers At The American Christian Academy: A Narrative Inquiry, Karen Ann Nwulu
Master of Education Program Theses
This narrative inquiry investigated the recurrent phenomenon of divine interventions in teacher recruitment at the American Christian Academy (ACA), a hard-to-staff K-12 school located in Ibadan, Nigeria. Inhibiting factors such as Boko Haram kidnappings and the Ebola outbreak stymied the already challenging international recruitment efforts, with half the elementary school teacher positions still vacant two weeks before the start of the 2014-2015 school year. However, through supernatural intervention all staff positions were filled. This narrative research presents an account of five such stories told from the perspectives of the recruited teachers as well as other staff members who observed or …
Stability Balls And Handwriting Proficiency In A Kindergarten Classroom, Megan Haan
Stability Balls And Handwriting Proficiency In A Kindergarten Classroom, Megan Haan
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research project investigated the impact on handwriting by the use of stability balls as chairs. The participants were nineteen students in an experimental group and nineteen students in a control group in two different classrooms. Students in both groups were given a pre-test using the “Handwriting Without Tears Screener of Handwriting.” The students in the experimental group were taught how to use a stability ball as a chair and used a ball as a chair for twelve weeks. During this time, both classrooms taught the same amount of letters using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. All students then …
Comparison Of Online Student Vs. Public Student Performance On The Act, Sarah Schultz
Comparison Of Online Student Vs. Public Student Performance On The Act, Sarah Schultz
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study compared the ACT scores of students from an online high school and a public high school in Sioux Center, Iowa. ACT scores in Reading, Math and the Composite score were collected for both groups and then the mean was taken for each group. A t-test was performed to evaluate if there is a significant difference in student performance between online delivery and face to face educational delivery. The result shows that online students outperform public school students in the reading portion of the exam; while the public school students out-perform on the math portion showing no …
Gender Bias In Teacher Interactions With Students, Kaily Stevens
Gender Bias In Teacher Interactions With Students, Kaily Stevens
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the presence of gender bias, in the form of more teacher attention, in a Christian middle school in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Eight teachers of grades six to eight participated in the study. Teachers were observed for two 20-minute lessons. Each interaction between teacher and student was coded as either academic or behavioural in nature, as well as either positive, negative or neutral. The results of this study suggest that boys receive more teacher attention than do girls in the school. As well, girls tend to receive fewer behavioural type interactions with teachers than boys. …
Technology, Mathematics And The Flourishing Of The Elementary Student, Judy De Waal
Technology, Mathematics And The Flourishing Of The Elementary Student, Judy De Waal
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the effects of using technology as part of the instruction and implementation in a primary mathematics classroom, determining if such technology would make a difference in increased student performance. The participants were 71 first grade students, 32 making up the control group, and 39 involved in the experimental group. The experimental group spent 40 minutes per week using a technology-based platform as part of their math instruction. They also had access to this technology outside of school. All students were given a pre- and post-test to determine growth in their learning. The results of this …
Self-Management Program To Handle Social/Emotional Baggage In The Classroom, Lisa N. Hines
Self-Management Program To Handle Social/Emotional Baggage In The Classroom, Lisa N. Hines
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study investigated the effects of teaching students to use a self-management tool in a fourth/fifth grade general education and science classroom at Master's Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Seven students who come from a range of broken homes exhibited effects of their home lives in their academic and social learning. These students were taught to assess their abilities both academically (spelling) and socially (teamwork) and then to set weekly goals for improvement in these areas. Weekly goal setting took place over a four week period during the third quarter of academic year 2014-2015. Students' accomplishments were celebrated weekly. …
Improving Number Sense Using Number Talks, Kelsie Ruter
Improving Number Sense Using Number Talks, Kelsie Ruter
Master of Education Program Theses
This action research study examines the effects of using number talks instruction in the second grade classroom on number sense/critical thinking in mathematics. The sample included 47 students from two second grade classes in two suburban public elementary schools serving mostly upper middle class neighborhoods. For four weeks in the middle of the second trimester, an experimental group was exposed to the teaching of math through number talks, in addition to their regular math instruction. A control group was instructed using their regular methods and curriculum. Both groups were given a pretest and posttest of “rich math tasks.” Comparison data …