Education Commons^™

2024 Merc Annual Report, David Naff, Jesse Senechal, Paula L. Ogston-Nobile

MERC Publications

This is the annual report of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University for the 2023-2024 academic year. It includes vignettes depicting MERC activities in the past year that align with each of its five principles: research, relevance, rigor, multiple perspectives, and impact. It concludes with a discussion of MERC's commitment moving forward.

Assessment Basics: How To Implement An Effective Student Learning Assessment Process, Frederick Burrack

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Assessment Basics is a workshop focused on understanding the purpose behind student learning assessment, strategies to guide curricular integration, and techniques to use data for program improvement. Participants will be involved in leadership techniques to transfer into their own context.

Using Canvas Lms Learning Outcomes Assessment And Program Improvement, Frederick Burrack

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This session will provide a step-by-step process of creating program outcomes in Canvas. These outcomes are aligned with assessment tasks through the scoring devices used in courses, internships, or other course-based means through which students demonstrate outcomes proficiencies.

School Improvement Tool: A Summary Of The Underpinning Research, Christina Rogers, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Pauline Taylor-Guy

School and system improvement

In 2023, ACER published the School Improvement Tool (SIT), the second iteration of the National School Improvement Tool (NSIT). A comprehensive review of international research was undertaken to inform the development of the SIT which consists of nine inter-related domains that describe the practices of highly effective schools and leaders. This document provides a summary of research evidence that underpins each of the nine domains of the SIT. Acknowledging interdependencies between domains, it presents a narrative of key evidence and research-based considerations for each domain. Further detail about the evidence for each domain can be found in the School Improvement …

School Improvement Tool: Literature Review, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Christina Rogers

School and system improvement

The School Improvement Tool identifies practices of highly effective schools and schools which have undergone substantial improvement, based on evidence from the international literature. It is made up of nine inter-related domains, or areas of practice. This literature review presents a thematic synthesis of the research evidence across the nine domains of the School Improvement Tool. This review underpinned the development of the School Improvement Tool, as the Second iteration of the National School Improvement Tool.

The Facade Of Instructional Leadership – The Patterns And Priorities Of Principals In Guiding And Driving Effective Classroom Instructional Practices, Jerad Hyden

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The Façade of Instructional Leadership: The Patterns and Priorities of High School Principals in Guiding and Driving Effective Classroom Instructional Practices

Abstract

By Jerad Hyden

University of the Pacific 2023

Classroom walkthroughs are the consistent and systematic observation of instruction in the classroom, and despite research indicating classroom walkthroughs drive student achievement and promote learning, high school principals fail to implement effective classroom walkthroughs on a consistent basis, resulting in teachers not receiving enough guidance and support to improve instruction for student learners. The purpose of this study was to assist and empower high school principals as instructional leaders through …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Local Diocesan Catholic School Teachers Regarding The Progress Of Their Implementation Of Project-Based Learning In The Classroom, Donna Lee Saladino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfter finding research confirming that the innovative approach of project-based learning (PBL) improves 21st century education for all students, the administrators of a large local diocesan Catholic school system (LDCSS) initiated PBL implementation in their schools. The problem was that after 6 years it was not known how the teachers were experiencing and perceiving their progress with this implementation in the classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to discover and understand LDCSS teachers’ experiences and perceptions of their progress of PBL implementation in the classroom. The conceptual framework for the study comprised John Dewey’s educational philosophy of …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Local Diocesan Catholic School Teachers Regarding The Progress Of Their Implementation Of Project-Based Learning In The Classroom, Donna Lee Saladino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfter finding research confirming that the innovative approach of project-based learning (PBL) improves 21st century education for all students, the administrators of a large local diocesan Catholic school system (LDCSS) initiated PBL implementation in their schools. The problem was that after 6 years it was not known how the teachers were experiencing and perceiving their progress with this implementation in the classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to discover and understand LDCSS teachers’ experiences and perceptions of their progress of PBL implementation in the classroom. The conceptual framework for the study comprised John Dewey’s educational philosophy of …

Faculty Perspectives On Online Teaching In Higher Education: A Qualitative Approach To Understand Faculty Members’ Challenges And Experiences, Felix O. Quayson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study explored faculty members' perspectives on online teaching in higher education and described, analyzed, and interpreted faculty members challenges and experiences of teaching online courses. Participants were twelve (12) faculty members who have taught online courses or currently teach online courses. Data was collected from 60-minutes semi-structured interview sessions, 78 open-ended questions, three research driving questions, background questionnaire, and personal artifacts from faculty members. Five major themes with subthemes, 15 code categories, and code co-occurrences emerged from the data collection, field notes, memos, and data analysis. However, not all of the code categories were replicated by all of the …

English Teachers' Opinions On Challenges Face In Teaching English As Foreign Language: The Case Of Jalalabad Selected Secondary Schools, Fahim Rahimi, Hangama Samadi

Journal of Research Initiatives

One important goal of teaching is to achieve learning outcomes. It has been observed in universities that many students have different levels of English language proficiency. However, they study in the same English courses at the school level. The main objective of this study is to learn the challenges that exist in teaching the English language as a foreign language in secondary schools that affect the English proficiency of students. In addition, ways in which these challenges will be overcome is reviewed. The data collection tools were questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to collect data from English language teachers in selected …

Assessment Basics: How To Implement An Effective Student Learning Assessment Process, Frederick Burrack

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Assessment Basics is a workshop focused on understanding the purpose behind student learning assessment, strategies to guide curricular integration, and techniques to use data for program improvement. Participants will be involved in leadership techniques to transfer into their own context. Experience with assessment processes will enable academic chairpersons with skills to guide faculty involvement and promote self-review of data that leads to continual program improvement. Assessments in higher education are crucial in providing indicators of the educational effectiveness and quality of its educational offerings. Assessments help students, instructors, and administrators answer various questions about student development, the value of specific …

Using Canvas Lms Learning Outcomes Assessment And Program Improvement, Frederick Burrack

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This session will provide a step-by-step process of creating program outcomes in Canvas. These outcomes are aligned with assessment tasks through the scoring devices used in courses, internships, or other course-based means through which students demonstrate outcomes proficiencies. The session will provide a foundational understanding of the architecture of the Canvas Assessment Portal and how it connects with assessment tasks to automate data collection. Processes of working with programs and faculty will be shared that have been found to enable ownership of assessment processes. The session will end with the process of preparing data for analysis by faculty and program …

Harnessing Fishers’ Knowledge For Sustainable Fishery On Lake Victoria: The Case Of Wakiso District Kigungu Fishing Ground Uganda, Zula Namubiru, George Openjujru Ladaah, Josje Van Der Linden, Kellen Aganyira

Adult Education Research Conference

This study will explore fishers’ ways of learning through participatory action research; fostering lifelong learning and reflections informally/ non-formally enabling participation in the conservation of the fishery resource contrary to the top-down approach.

The Centrality Of Cultural Considerations In Facilitating Training For Adults, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teaching and learning are social and cultural activities. Across cultures people have different ways of communicating, interacting, and learning. Consequently, learning may not occur without understanding the role national cultures play on organizing and facilitating training events. This study is part of a larger study that took place over a period of six years, from 2013 to 2019, in West Africa. Using Hofstede et al., (2010) Six Cultural Dimensions model as a conceptual framework, this paper sought to examine the extent to which factors of national culture influences the facilitation of professional learning among school principals in two West African …

The Application Of Adult Learning And Development Theory In The Undergraduate Classroom, Jennifer Flewelling

Educational Studies Dissertations

Instructors in higher education may have a limited knowledge of ways adults learn and develop. That lack of theoretical understanding may have inhibited the pedagogical practice of faculty in the undergraduate classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore how university instructors described their understanding of adult learning and development in undergraduate settings, and to identify factors that influenced the design and implementation of instructional practice as reported by undergraduate faculty. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design. An online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data from 95 university instructors in Northeastern Massachusetts. Follow-up interviews were …

Reflective School Library Practitioners: Use Of Journaling To Strengthen Practice, Elizabeth A. Burns

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Reflection is a skill educators of school librarians hope to foster in their students. Widely used in teacher preparation (Hodgins 2014), reflective journaling is a pedagogical strategy that aligns with the text-based nature of library and information studies coursework, especially as more library schools move online (Kymes and Ray 2012). This study explores use of structured dialogic journaling as a pedagogical approach to inform and shape the reflective practice of pre-service school librarians. Journals were introduced in an early school library methods course and structured using Schon’s Reflective Practitioner model (1987). Additional opportunities to engage with dialogic journals continued through …

Educational Leadership And The University Of Guyana: A Critical Look, Kerwin A. Livingstone

Kerwin A. Livingstone

The Influence Of Principal Leadership Behaviors On The Development Of Professional Learning Communities In Title I And Non-Title I Schools, Alicia Kingcade

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The quest to seek effective school improvement initiatives has been an ongoing challenge for schools across the country. As we continue on this search to find strategies to promote high-quality education and improve teaching and learning for all, school leaders are implementing creative approaches to enhance collaboration, learning, and results. This study examined the influence of principal leadership behaviors on the development of professional learning communities (PLC) in Title I and non-Title I schools. The study uncovered specific leadership practices and PLC structures that positively affect the development and sustainability of professional learning communities in two schools within Alexandria City …

Policy Alternatives That Provide California School Districts With The Policy Options Necessary To Develop Facilities To Enhance Student Learning Opportunities And Optimize Financial Resources, Brett Mitchell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop policy alternatives by the years 2019 to 2025 that would assist state policy makers, legislators, and advocates in adding definition to California school facility development and funding.

Methodology: This study involved descriptive statistics using a Delphi study method. Within the theoretical framework established for policy analysis, this Delphi study was inclusive of the knowledge and expertise of an expert panel that was nominated through peers. The Delphi panel consisted of 24 experts knowledgeable about statewide school facilities policy in California. The Delphi study was comprised of 3 rounds of electronic questionnaires …

The Effect Of Retrieval Practice On Vocabulary Learning For Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Casey Krauss Reimer

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the current study was to determine if students who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh) would learn more new vocabulary words through the use of retrieval practice than repeated exposure (repeated study). No studies to date have used this cognitive strategy—retrieval practice—with children who are d/hh. Previous studies have shown that children with hearing loss struggle with learning vocabulary words. This deficit can negatively affect language development, reading outcomes, and overall academic success. Few studies have investigated specific interventions to address the poor vocabulary development for children with hearing loss. The current study investigated retrieval practice …

Addressing Dissention, Limiting Bureaucracy, And Enhancing Learning Through Assessment Processes, Frederick Burrack, Ryan Chung, Shari Barrett

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This panel is an open conversation around strategies that brings together curriculum and instruction, data on student learning, and assessment practices that can lead to program improvements to enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning, as well as expose misconceptions of assessment practice and how assessment leaders can contribute to, or hinder student success.

Estilos De Enseñanza De Los Profesores Y De Aprendizaje De Los Estudiantes Del Programa De Filosofía Y Letras De La Universidad De La Salle, Wilson Guerrero Gómez

Maestría en Docencia

Este estudio presenta los resultados de un estudio realizado en el marco del Programa de Maestría en Docencia de la Universidad de La Salle durante al año 2018. En este contexto la presente investigación tuvo como objetivo establecer las relaciones entre los estilos de enseñanza de los profesores y de aprendizaje de los estudiantes del Programa de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de La Salle. Se empleó un diseño seccional y se adoptó el modelo propuesto por Grasha y Riechmann (1992), el cual conjuga el perfil docente, el proceso instruccional empleado en las clases y los estilos de aprendizaje …

Parental Involvement And Access: A Phenomenological Study Of Urban High School Communities, Jared Thompson

Education Dissertations and Projects

In an urban school district, four high schools were studied in an effort to assess how Epstein’s (2001) six types of involvement were currently being experienced by parents. In a phenomenological study, this research gathered data on how parents of secondary students are currently experiencing their involvement with the high school. The research gathered quantitative and qualitative data from 443 parents through the use of a survey and focus group sessions over the course of 4 weeks. Parents expressed their current experiences with how they engage with the school concerning parenting practices, communication, learning at home, volunteering, decision-making, and collaborating …

Curation In Education: Implications For Adult Educators In Teaching And Research, Catherine A. Cherrstrom, Carrie Boden

Adult Education Research Conference

This systematic and integrative literature review examined curation in education with implications for adult educators in teaching and research and adult students in learning.

09. Group Dynamics, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

CORE

The Group Dynamics module focuses on informing students about inter/intra group interactions, while also demonstrating the role of an individual within a group. As individuals become a part of a group, they lose a certain distinction between their personal identity and their group personality, or prototype. Individuals become part of a social categorization and comparison, and require the skills of empathy and relations to successfully communicate with not only their ingroup, but also their outgroup. An absence of awareness of the feelings around them can develop the negative effects of groupthink, as individual ideas are unheard. As fitting into the …

Assessing The Use Of Information And Communication Technology In Teaching And Learning In Secondary Schools, De-Graft Johnson Dei

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live and every aspect of human endeavor such as education, medicine, business, law and engineering. Education is a socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been associated with teachers having high degrees of personal and face-to-face contact with students. But with the world moving rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important. However, indicators on technology uptake and use in education in the secondary schools in Ghana are missing and most …

Nurse Practitioners' Experiences With Role Transition: Supporting The Learning Curve Through Preceptorship, Viktoriya Y. Pleshkan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nurse practitioner (NP) role transition is difficult and ill-supported before and after graduation. Although preceptorships are essential in supporting a NP's role transition, there is a paucity of data on student and novice NPs' experiences with their role transition and how it is supported through preceptorships. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand and describe the meaning of NPs' role transition experiences while in a preceptorship before and after graduation. Schlossberg's transition theory and the cognitive apprenticeship models were used to guide the exploration of concepts of role transition and preceptorship. One face-to-face, 3 Skype, and …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Engagement In A Hybrid Learning Environment, Dimika N. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Today, educators in several U.S. states use a variety of instructional tools in their classrooms to engage students in a hybrid learning environment. The problem for this study was a disconnect in teachers' perceptions of student engagement in a hybrid high school learning environment. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of student engagement in a hybrid learning environment in 10th-12-grade classes. The conceptual framework was derived from Astin's theory of student involvement and the idea that student engagement is instrumental in academic performance. The central research and sub-questions addressed how teachers perceive student engagement affects hybrid …

The Learning Experience Of Graduate Nursing Students: Content Analysis, Parand Pourghane, Maryam Rajab Pour Nikfam, Fazlollah Ahmadi

The Qualitative Report

Learning is also considered as an important which can create changes in individuals’ knowledge, attitude, values, and feelings. As learning requires a new conceptual framework where one can take decisions in which change and innovation manifests, it is evident that this conceptual realization is only possible through a qualitative research. The present study aims to explore and justify graduate nursing students’ learning experience.The present study is a conventional qualitative content analysis research which was conducted in 27 graduate nursing students studying in Guilan university of Medical sciences in Iran. The study population was selected through purposive sampling, and the data …

Emphasis On Test Scores In Education, Lindsay Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how too much emphasis on standardized testing can affect student learning as well as teaching in the classroom. It includes a personal interview with a high school teacher as well as an article from the Washington Post regarding a study that was completed involving testing students.