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Full-Text Articles in Education

Data Dimensionality Reduction Techniques: What Works With Machine Learning Models, Yuting Chen Dec 2022

Data Dimensionality Reduction Techniques: What Works With Machine Learning Models, Yuting Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

High-dimensional data has a wide range of applications in research, such as education, health, social media, and many other research fields. However, the high dimensionality of data can raise many problems for data analyses. This study focuses on commonly used techniques of dimensionality reduction for machine learning models, which play an essential and inevitable role in data prepossessing and statistical analysis. The main issues of high-dimensional data for machine learning tasks include the accuracy of data classification and visualization in machine learning models. Therefore, in this study, machine learning algorithms are used to predict and classify datasets to evaluate the …


An Examination Of Florida's High Stakes Testing: A Post-Hoc Study Of The Academic Achievement Of Students With Borderline Intellectual Functioning, Rhonda Mcmahon Jan 2022

An Examination Of Florida's High Stakes Testing: A Post-Hoc Study Of The Academic Achievement Of Students With Borderline Intellectual Functioning, Rhonda Mcmahon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This study compares achievement of students with borderline intellectual functioning by investigating differences in Florida Standards Assessment results for those who received special education services and those who did not receive services. A review of the literature finds research focused on this population is limited with few effective strategies identified to help these students keep pace with the increasing demand of today's classrooms. This post-hoc causal-comparative study uses an analysis of variance to determine if there are statistically significant achievement differences in Florida Standards Assessment results in English Language Arts and Mathematics for students when examining the effect of the …


A Phenomenological Study Of Educational Experiences Among Dark-Skinned African American Girls During Adolescence, Tamika Williams Jan 2022

A Phenomenological Study Of Educational Experiences Among Dark-Skinned African American Girls During Adolescence, Tamika Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The problem I address in this study is the persistence of inequity and low-self-concept among Black students. This study examines the ways in which dark-skinned African American girls' educational experiences support or impair their identity development. It adds to the body of knowledge by exploring personal journeys toward self-awareness amid family, school, and societal realities. While research exists regarding the achievement gap between Black students and other groups and the efforts to close that gap, research that specifically addresses the needs of Black girls is lacking. This study is significant because it brings attention to an underrepresented group, Black girls. …


Investigating Covariate Selection Criteria: To Draw Causal Inferences From Observational Data In The Presence Of Unmeasured Covariates Using Regression And Propensity Score Methods, Uday Nair Jan 2022

Investigating Covariate Selection Criteria: To Draw Causal Inferences From Observational Data In The Presence Of Unmeasured Covariates Using Regression And Propensity Score Methods, Uday Nair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The aim of causal effect estimation is to find the true impact of a treatment or exposure. Observational data is employed in social sciences to estimate causal effect but is susceptible to self-selection and unobserved confounding biases. Covariates included in analysis should strive to address these biases. This research focuses on investigating covariate selection approaches––common cause criterion (CC), Disjunctive Cause Criterion (DCC), Modified Disjunctive Cause Criterion (MDCC), and modified cause criterion (MCC)––in linear regression (LR) and propensity score methods (PSM) causal effect estimation in the presence of unmeasured confounding. Realistic social science scenarios such as––inclusion of proxy variables with varying …


Enhancement And Evaluation Of An Online Module On Functional Behavior Assessment Using Universal Design For Learning, Sacha Cartagena Dec 2021

Enhancement And Evaluation Of An Online Module On Functional Behavior Assessment Using Universal Design For Learning, Sacha Cartagena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of UDL-based enhancements of an online module on functional behavior assessment. The UDL framework is an instructional design framework designed to enhance access, engagement, and learning using three overarching principles: multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. The researcher utilized a two-group randomized control trial (RCT) with pre- and posttest measures. The control group completed a publicly available module on functional behavior assessment while the intervention group completed an enhanced version of the same module. Results demonstrate that both the intervention and …


Leveraging Multimodal Learning Analytics To Understand How Humans Learn With Emerging Technologies, Elizabeth Cloude Dec 2021

Leveraging Multimodal Learning Analytics To Understand How Humans Learn With Emerging Technologies, Elizabeth Cloude

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Major education and training challenges are plaguing the United States in preparing the next generation of the future workforce to meet the demands of the 21st Century. Several calls have been released to improve education programs to ensure learners are acquiring 21st century knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). As we embark on the digital and automation ages of the 21st century, it is essential that we move away from traditional education programs that define and measure KSAs as static constructs (e.g., standardized assessments) with little consideration of the actual real-time deployment of these processes, missing critical information on the degree …


The Effects Of A House System On School Improvement In Elementary Schools: School Climate And Academic Achievement, Carol-Ann Clenton-Martin Jan 2021

The Effects Of A House System On School Improvement In Elementary Schools: School Climate And Academic Achievement, Carol-Ann Clenton-Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

A regional area of a school district in central Florida used the implementation of a house system as a school improvement intervention to impact school climate and academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine if a house system is an effective school improvement intervention that has a positive effect on school climate and academic achievement of students in elementary schools. Four research questions were developed to investigate if there was a difference in elementary schools that implemented a house system and ones that did not during the 2018-2019 school year. All schools included in the study had …


Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching: Instructional Reasoning In High-Density Black Populations, Desheila Rumph Jan 2021

Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching: Instructional Reasoning In High-Density Black Populations, Desheila Rumph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

To be economically competitive, U.S. citizens must be mathematically competent (Wang et al., 2010). However, students in the United States have consistently underperformed those in other industrialized nations in mathematics (Program for International Student Assessment [PISA], 2018), which threatens the economic health of the nation (Achieve, 2013; Auguste et al., 2009; Harbour et al., 2018; Mickelson et al., 2013). Federal education reform was implemented and failed to improve the mathematics achievement of U.S. pupils (Cheong Cheng, 2020). Researchers have found links between teacher knowledge and student achievement; however, factors mediate this relationship (Hatisauri & Erbas, 2017). As a result, non-significant …


A Causal Comparative Examination Of The Effects Of Tiered Interventions Within The Mtss Framework In One Intermediate Grade, Hope Strange Jan 2021

A Causal Comparative Examination Of The Effects Of Tiered Interventions Within The Mtss Framework In One Intermediate Grade, Hope Strange

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This post hoc quantitative research used a causal-comparative design to explore the relationship between tiered interventions as part of an MTSS intervention and student achievement. Data from the Florida Standards Assessment for English Language Arts (FSA ELA) and mathematics (FSA Mathematics) from 2018 and 2019 formed the basis of the study; student demographic data also identified each student's highest level of reading, mathematics, and behavior interventions during the 2018-2019 school year. Students who received interventions were coded into a separate higher tier. Percentile change was calculated and analyzed using an ANOVA to determine how percentile change differed by intervention tier. …


Qualitative Reconceptualizations Of Success In Physics From A Feminist Lens, Brian Zamarripa Roman Jan 2021

Qualitative Reconceptualizations Of Success In Physics From A Feminist Lens, Brian Zamarripa Roman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

To address the critical issue of the underrepresentation of women in physics, the Physics Education Research community has focused on exploring the factors contributing to student success; however, few studies have explored the meaning of success in physics as seen by women and other marginalized populations. This study, guided by Feminist Standpoint Theory and Critical Race Nepantlera Methodologies, incorporates qualitative methods to explore the central question, "how do women in physics conceptualize the meaning of success in physics?" We begin with an analysis of metaphors of success in physics constructed by nine women studying physics at a single institution, followed …


Design-Based Research Toward A Professional Development Program, Karl Miehl Jan 2021

Design-Based Research Toward A Professional Development Program, Karl Miehl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this dissertation in practice was twofold; The first purpose was to design a Professional Development (PD) program for a specialized group of civilian employees working in a large military organization, and the second purpose was to evaluate and refine that PD program using mixed-methods empirical research. The study focused on a group of approximately 100 Instructional System Specialists and Research Psychologists. These employees are highly educated, with the majority holding advanced degrees in their respective fields, yet they lacked a clear path to career development within their organization. Following the tenets of design-based research, a PD program …


Understanding Discourse Of Co-Teachers In Middle School Mathematics Inclusive Classrooms, Amanda Lannan Jan 2021

Understanding Discourse Of Co-Teachers In Middle School Mathematics Inclusive Classrooms, Amanda Lannan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The researcher in this study investigated the verbal discourse moves of co-teachers in middle school mathematics classrooms to solicit students' mathematical thinking with a specific focus on students with disabilities. In this examination of two classrooms, students received high-level mathematics instruction from expertly trained co-teachers. A quantitative analysis of the video transcripts using a validated tool for coding teacher behaviors was used to examine the content and context of mathematical discourse in each of the classrooms. The researcher examined qualitative data using a critical discourse framework. Three themes emerged from the discourse analysis: (a) empowerment of co-teachers, (b) strategic use …


The Impact Of Misspecification Of Within-Person Autocorrelated Covariance Structure On Nonlinear Latent Growth Curve Models: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study, Mingming Zhou Jan 2021

The Impact Of Misspecification Of Within-Person Autocorrelated Covariance Structure On Nonlinear Latent Growth Curve Models: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study, Mingming Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of misspecification (i.e., under-specification, over-specification, and general misspecification) of the within-person level errors in longitudinal data under quadratic, exponential, and logistic latent growth curve models and to make a contribution to the literature in this area. A Monte Carlo simulation in R uncovered a common bias pattern throughout this study. For under-specification of autocorrelated processes and general misspecification of MA as AR, the mean intercept was more likely to be downward- biased, but the linear slope and nonlinear slope for an individual tend to be upward-biased. On average, the variation …


Conceptual Factors In Black And Hispanic Proficient Students' In English Language Arts (Ela), Christina Aldrich Jan 2021

Conceptual Factors In Black And Hispanic Proficient Students' In English Language Arts (Ela), Christina Aldrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This study investigated the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) English Language Arts (ELA) scores of proficient third-grade students and explored trends in achievement or decline on the FSA in fourth grade. Further, this study explored the relationship of school environment to academic outcomes of Black and Hispanic fourth-grade public school students in terms of FSA ELA scores from third to fourth grade. This study used multiple statistical analyses on pre-existing de-identified data to explore learning gains by race/ethnicity. By focusing on and studying only one school district, this study provides conclusive results connecting learning gains and ethnicity in specific instances, but …


The Relationship Between College Students' Level Of Alcohol Use And Their Grit, Personal Growth Initiatives, And Emotion Regulation Scores Using Structure Equation Modeling, Gelawdiyos Haile Jan 2021

The Relationship Between College Students' Level Of Alcohol Use And Their Grit, Personal Growth Initiatives, And Emotion Regulation Scores Using Structure Equation Modeling, Gelawdiyos Haile

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to examine the directional relationship between college students' level of grit, personal growth initiative, cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation strategy, and their level of harmful alcohol consumption and related problems. This study tested the theoretical structure model that college students' (N = 356) level of grit (as measured by the Grit Short Scale [Grit-S; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009]), personal growth initiative (PGI; as measured by the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II [PGIS-II; Robitschek et al., 2012]), and cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation strategy (as measured by the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire [ERQ; Gross & John, 2003]) contribute to …


Examining The Effects Of Implementation Of I-Ready To Fidelity On Reading And Its Effects On Free Or Reduced Lunch Students In Seven Middle Schools, Ryan Martin Jan 2021

Examining The Effects Of Implementation Of I-Ready To Fidelity On Reading And Its Effects On Free Or Reduced Lunch Students In Seven Middle Schools, Ryan Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature and to policy and practice in the educational field on how individual student diagnostic scores was affected in the area of reading. This study specifically examined full or partial fidelity of implementation of the iReady reading instructional and computerized program was applied in seven middle schools in a school district in Central Florida for all students in intensive reading courses. Additionally, this study contributed to how individual student diagnostic scores was affected in the area of reading for students on free or reduced lunch. Data were analyzed from the …


Examining The Lived Experiences Of Secondary Teachers Using Visuals And Leveled Texts With English Learners At Various Levels Of Language Acquisition, Jasmine Taylor Jan 2021

Examining The Lived Experiences Of Secondary Teachers Using Visuals And Leveled Texts With English Learners At Various Levels Of Language Acquisition, Jasmine Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological Dissertation in Practice was to understand teachers' experience with the creation and use of visuals and leveled texts, written at various English proficiency levels, with English learners (ELs) in English II classrooms at a large high school in Central Florida. The need to examine teachers' experience with these scaffolds arose from the disparity between academic achievement rates of ELs and non-ELs as measured by the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). This complex problem can be addressed from a multitude of perspectives, and this Dissertation in Practice sought to examine specific practical scaffolds that mainstream English …


Examining The Experiences Of New Manager Coaches, Theresa Greer Jan 2021

Examining The Experiences Of New Manager Coaches, Theresa Greer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to examine new managers' experiences as they transitioned from an individual contributor and coachee to a manager and coach at Blue Sun Corporation (pseudonym). Understanding these experiences was essential to providing appropriate support to help new manager coaches acquire the coaching skills needed to consistently coach and develop their employees. This study's results will guide the design of future new manager training and organizational support initiatives by providing a deeper understanding of new manager coaches' experiences. A phenomenological research design was used for this study because it focused on understanding new manager coaches' experiences …


A Case Study Of The Impact Of The Dplc Model Of Professional Learning On Collective Teacher Efficacy And Organizational Trust In A Middle School, Maria Gaspar Jan 2020

A Case Study Of The Impact Of The Dplc Model Of Professional Learning On Collective Teacher Efficacy And Organizational Trust In A Middle School, Maria Gaspar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the relationship between the implementation of the District Professional Learning Community (DPLC) model of professional development and collective teacher efficacy and organizational trust at one middle school in a large urban school district. Data were collected from the following sources: Goddard & Hoy's (2003) CE Scale Form L, Hoy & Tschannen-Moran's (2003) Omnibus-T scale, six additional survey items used to explore teachers' perceptions of the DPLC model's influence on improving student literacy, and semi-structured focus group interviews. A series of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests were performed to analyze …


Culturally Responsive Leadership: Beliefs, Espoused Practices And Supports In High Performing Urban Schools, Jessica Schofield Jan 2020

Culturally Responsive Leadership: Beliefs, Espoused Practices And Supports In High Performing Urban Schools, Jessica Schofield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The racial academic achievement gap, identified as the underachievement of racially, culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse (RCELD) students and documented by research, is visible in all education organizations (Griner & Stewart, 2013; National Center for Education Statistics, 2019; O'Connor, Hill, & Robinson, 2009). Since the United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, repudiating the concept of separate but equal, laws concerning the need for equal education access have been enacted and educational policies have been created and implemented, but this achievement gap continues to exist (Williams, 2011). Culturally responsive leadership and culturally relevant …


Exploring The Cultural Identity And School Efficacy Of Students Through The Lens Of Digital Storytelling, Rachael Mack Jan 2020

Exploring The Cultural Identity And School Efficacy Of Students Through The Lens Of Digital Storytelling, Rachael Mack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Digital storytelling is a modern storytelling method that uses videos, images, and audio to share knowledge, wisdom, values, and personal stories from the point of view of the creator in a 2-8-minute first person narrative. This study explored the cultural identity and school efficacy of students through the lens of digital storytelling. This mixed-methods study consisted of both qualitative and quantitative measures. A survey was conducted using the In-Group Identification Scale, the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, and the School Efficacy Scale as the quantitative measures, and qualitative data was generated from the transcription and analysis of the digital storytelling …


An Analysis Of The Relationships Between State Mandates For Financial Education And Young Adults' Financial Literacy And Financial Capability, Elise Carlson Jan 2020

An Analysis Of The Relationships Between State Mandates For Financial Education And Young Adults' Financial Literacy And Financial Capability, Elise Carlson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The study sought to understand the relationship between the type of state mandate for financial education and 18-24-year-olds' financial literacy and financial capability. Using extant data from national surveys about financial literacy and financial capability in 2015 and 2018, this study determined there was rarely a significant difference in young adults' financial literacy and financial capability as related to the level of financial education they received in high school. For 2015 literacy, the education mandate as a main effect within ethnicity was p = .025. Within certain demographic main effects, there were significant results. In 2015, ethnicity and educational attainment …


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Pre-Algebra 1 Mini-Camp Summer Intervention Program For Rising Seventh-Grade Algebra 1 Honors Students, Deanna Haught Jan 2020

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Pre-Algebra 1 Mini-Camp Summer Intervention Program For Rising Seventh-Grade Algebra 1 Honors Students, Deanna Haught

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a summer intervention program for middle school Algebra 1 Honors students. The intervention program, Pre-Algebra 1 Mini-Camp, was offered for rising seventh grade students at a middle school prior to them entering Algebra 1 in the Fall semester. The literature review and analysis of data from school districts in Central Florida showed that the increase in middle grade students enrollment in Algebra 1 has coincided with a decrease in the passing rate among those students on the Florida Algebra 1 End of Course exam and the course. The intervention program and this study were …


An Exploration Of Evolving Faculty Instructional Beliefs And Practices Viewed Through The Lens Of Transformative Learning, Joseph Huston Jan 2020

An Exploration Of Evolving Faculty Instructional Beliefs And Practices Viewed Through The Lens Of Transformative Learning, Joseph Huston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of transformative learning within the context of instructional beliefs and practices among collegiate math and science faculty. Participants included nine full-time instructional faculty teaching within a biological science, mathematics, or physical science department at a public, two-year degree-granting state college. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, engaging participants in semi-structured interviews through a descriptive phenomenological design. Qualitative coding and thematic analysis were conducted, consistent with Colaizzi's (1978) Method for phenomenological research. Data analysis resulted in the emergence of four themes related to transformative learning experiences and four themes related …


An Analysis Of Teacher Decision-Making In Grading 10th Grade Student Writing In English Language Arts, Guy Swenson Jan 2020

An Analysis Of Teacher Decision-Making In Grading 10th Grade Student Writing In English Language Arts, Guy Swenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This qualitative study was conducted to investigate teacher decision-making while grading samples of 10th grade student writing in English language arts. Extensive research spanning 100 years has shown that inter-rater agreement of student work is weak at best (Ashbaugh, 1921; Brimi, 2011; Starch & Elliot, 1912). A cognitive laboratory interview method was chosen to focus on real-time teacher decision-making due to a discrepancy between teacher beliefs and teacher practices (Phipps & Borg, 2009). Qualitative data were gathered from 21 cognitive laboratory interviews in which the participants graded two samples of student writing while verbalizing their thoughts. The grading data revealed …


The Mathematics Achievement Gap In Virtual Education, Sara Glover May 2019

The Mathematics Achievement Gap In Virtual Education, Sara Glover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of online Algebra I teachers as they relate to the instruction of minority students. There is an academic achievement gap that exists between minority students and their non-minority peers in United States public education (Sousa & Armor, 2016). Although national educational policy has sought to narrow the academic achievement gap, it is persistent and must be addressed because public education affects the future of our nation (Fullan & Quinn, 2016). Virtual education is a growing platform for learning, with nearly 300,000 students enrolled across the United States. Achievement data demonstrates the existence of …


Pooling Correlation Matrices Corrected For Selection Bias: Implications For Meta-Analysis, Kenneth Matthews Jan 2019

Pooling Correlation Matrices Corrected For Selection Bias: Implications For Meta-Analysis, Kenneth Matthews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selection effects systematically attenuate correlations and must be considered when performing meta-analyses. No research domain is immune to selection effects, evident whenever self-selection or attrition take place. In educational research, selection effects are unavoidable in studies of postsecondary admissions, placement testing, or teacher selection. While methods to correct for selection bias are well documented for univariate meta-analyses, they have gone unexamined in multivariate meta-analyses, which synthesize more than one correlation from each study (i.e., a correlation matrix). Multivariate meta-analyses of correlations provide opportunities to explore complex relationships and correcting for selection effects improves the summary effect estimates. I used Monte …


Discovering Latent Gender Bias In Children's Stem Literature, Christine Herlihy Jan 2019

Discovering Latent Gender Bias In Children's Stem Literature, Christine Herlihy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A mixed method, exploratory, sequential research design was conducted to investigate the presence of latent bias in early childhood STEM literature content, applying a non-biased, sociocultural, STEM identity, theoretical framework. A survey of children's perceptions of gender and a content analysis found unintentional bias. Exploratory findings confirmed 102 children were gendering images. An examination of the relationship between the participants' gender and how the participant gendered AND preferred the images indicated differences existed between boys and girls. Children preferred images perceived as matching their own, with statistical significance. Girls were found to prefer images less than boys AND they were …


Supporting Learning In 3d Virtual Environments: The Impact Of Intergenerational Joint Media Engagement, Robert Michlowitz Jan 2019

Supporting Learning In 3d Virtual Environments: The Impact Of Intergenerational Joint Media Engagement, Robert Michlowitz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies have indicated that intergenerational relationships can assist children to learn more efficiently by providing support. As new forms of media have emerged and become pervasive in our society, it is important to understand how children use them to learn. Just as television coviewing has been observed by past researchers to aid youths to learn with parents and grandparents, three-dimensional virtual learning environments (VLE) are being investigated for their potential. This study seeks to examine the potential learning impact on children, ages 8 to 13, encountering a three-dimensional virtual learning environment with their grandparents. The primary research question this study …


Design And Production Of Calculus Assessments, Lorna Wenzel Jan 2018

Design And Production Of Calculus Assessments, Lorna Wenzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The AP Calculus program at Green High School was not adequately preparing students for college level calculus as more than 80 percent of the students failed the AP exam. The students were concurrently receiving high marks on in-class assessments. Hence, the in-class assessments were not good indicators of students calculus understanding according to the AP standards. A needs assessment was conducted, focusing on the difference in high school and college calculus, how to assess calculus and where Green High School's assessments were falling short. More research was conducted to examine the college Board expectations of calculus learning. A content matrix …