Education Commons^™

Unlocking Understanding: Enhancing Scientific Literacy Through Interdisciplinary Reading Strategies In High School Science Classes, Nancy C. Hollenweger

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the intersection of literacy instruction and high school science teaching in response to low proficiency levels in these areas and interest in pursuing STEM careers among U.S. high school students. Participants reported using close reading practices combined with inquiry-based science instruction to enhance students’ science literacy and reading proficiency. Data were from document analysis, one-on-one interviews, and focus group discussions. Five significant themes showed teachers' journeys from recognizing a problem to implementing new instructional strategies while pursuing knowledge about how to continue growing their craft. The five themes included teacher awareness of students’ literacy struggles, the apprehension …

Culturally Responsive Coaching: Supervision With A Cultural Lens, Jouanna Crossland-Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Culturally Responsive Practices (CRP) are a focal point for many districts across the country. The emphasis of CRP is on how the institution enacts policies and practices for the benefit of the students they serve. This study views CRP from a different lens. The focus of this study is to 1.) center the voice of Black teachers and 2.) explore culturally responsive practices for the support and edification of the teacher from their coach/supervisor. The eight Black teacher participants and their instructional coaches engaged in interviews discussing current coaching models and the dynamics of their coaching relationships.

The relevant findings …

An Exploration Of Rural Advanced Placement Differentiation, Kristin M. Shapiro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advanced Placement classes are introductory college courses taught in high school. Over 60% of all secondary gifted programs report utilizing AP classes as part of their program offerings (Callahan et al., 2017). Despite the prevalence of AP courses, there is no exact match between this particular type of programming and the needs of gifted learners (Gallagher, 2008). The use and occurrence of AP programs across the United States have not been equal, with subsequent underrepresentation of underserved groups, including rural students (Gagnon & Mattingly, 2016) in AP classes. Rural gifted students benefit from all the same classroom differentiation techniques that …

Humanizing History: Empowering Educators To Navigate Difficult History Through Museum-Led Professional Development, Andrea Miskewicz

Dissertations

As museums increasingly serve as educational hubs, this research examines how teachers' participation in such programs contributes to their perceived efficacy for teaching topics of difficult history. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study utilizes a survey with quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate changes in teacher self-efficacy before and after a museum-led intervention. With a pre and posttest design, this study provides deeper insights into participants' experiences and challenges. Preliminary findings suggest museum-led professional development has a significant positive impact on teachers’ perceived self-efficacy, highlighting the resources and opportunities museums have available and the importance of humanizing history in social …

A Program Evaluation Of The Necessary Attributes, Accommodations, And Resources Neurodivergent Students Require For Success In Higher Education, Barbara Muñoz

Dissertations

Without academic resources and accommodations, neurodivergent students with mild to moderate Learning Disabilities (LD) may be unable to navigate the academic challenges and rigor associated with college success. I used a mixed-methods research design to collect data from various stakeholders to determine the supports neurodivergent students with LD need to be successful in college. My findings indicated students need accommodations for their learning differences, access to assistive technology, access to counseling or mental health services, and access to specialized support personnel to be successful. I recommended a policy to ensure neurodivergent students and their caregivers are aware of post-secondary institutions …

What Exactly Does Identity Have To Do With Teaching? Exploring The Connection Between A Teacher's Racialized Identity And Their Teacher Identity, Lizette Aguilar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study explores the relationship between race and teacher identity, specifically understanding how the two concepts intersect and (re)present themselves within the classroom environment. This study analyzes six teachers’ narratives of identity, race, and teaching to explore themes of race and identity as they traverse from their earliest experiences with race into their experiences as teachers. Findings conclude that, first, teachers’ narrative identities are a composite of key narratives—important moments of deep impact in the process of identity building—that accumulate over time to form what Dan McAdams (1993) calls personal myths. Since key narratives are continually shaping one’s personal myth, …

Factors That Impact New York City Public High School Graduation: Finding Barriers To Education Through Data Analysis And Visualization, Kyoung Kang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project is to provide visual evidence about the factors related to high school graduation rates of New York City public high school students. By analyzing the NYC public high school data, including graduation rates, school survey results, and school funding allocations, this project explores the graduation gaps among different student bodies, such as ethnic groups and school locations. The graduation disparities across the five boroughs are further examined for students with disabilities, economic difficulties, and language barriers. School-level data is used to visualize the gaps in school performances and funding allocations across the five boroughs. Lastly, the visualization …

Transition Plans: A Critical Phenomenological Study Of The Young Black Men’S Parents’ Experiences At Admission Review And Dismissal Meetings, Bobby Durst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the narrative shared in individualized education planning meetings for young black men with learning disabilities who are transitioning from high school. The individualized education plan (IEP) process, essential in addressing the specific educational needs of children with learning disabilities, can be particularly challenging for Black parents, as evidenced by recent data. This study was designed to shed light on the intricate dynamics of the IEP process and the unique challenges faced by parents. The study aimed to provide insight into various aspects of their experiences through interviews designed with open-ended questions and detailed analysis of the …

Identifying Self-Efficacy Factors Of Agriscience Teachers When Working With Supervised Agricultural Experiences For Students With Disabilities, Saralyn L. Smith

LSU Master's Theses

The number of students receiving disability services annually in the U.S. has increased in the last decade. Even with this growing population of students with disabilities, research continues to show a lack of confidence of School Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers in their ability and skills to include these students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the factors that influence how SBAE teachers support students with disabilities in Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs and identify perceived obstacles SBAE teachers have regarding working with students with disabilities. Semi-structed interviews were conducted with twelve SBAE teachers to understand their lived …

Black Genius: An Achievement Distortion, Brenda Burgo

Dissertations

Is the achievement gap real? Using a mixed-methods approach, this study reframed standardized testing through a Quantitative Critical and Black Critical lens. It interrogated the deficit framing of Black student achievement by asking the following questions: (1) To what extent do the aggregated standardized test scores for Black students in California correlate with other measures of achievement? Included in this analysis are: (a) To what degree does the ratio of Black students relate to the achievement variables? and (b) To what extent did COVID impact this correlation? (2) What beliefs do Black educators have regarding the standardized test scores of …

To What Extent Does Attending A Predominantly White Suburban Public High School Shape The Racial Identity Development Of Black Students?, Ross T. Hamilton Jr.

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which attending a predominantly White suburban public high school shaped the racial identity development of Black students. In addition, the researcher was also able to identify the policies and practices that benefit and or harm the racial identity development of Black children as they matriculate through high school. African American children matriculating through suburban public schools do so at serious risk to their racial identity development (L. A. Jones, 2018; Leath et al., 2019). Cultural and social challenges faced by African American children in suburban schools include navigating a …

Teaching Stem For Social Justice: An Exploration And Analysis Of Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Zachary Minken

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Research Problem

Reforms in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education over the past several decades have resulted in a somewhat steady pressure to infuse personal, social, and cultural relevance into STEM education (DeBoer, 1991; Gallagher, 1971; Hekimoglu & Sloan, 2005; ITEEA, 1996, 2020; NCTM, 2000; NRC, 1989, 2009, 2010, 2012). This emphasis on relevance eventually resulted in a push for social justice in education as a means to both engage learners and to develop students’ moral and ethical reasoning abilities in hopes that this would lead to a more just world (Dos Santos, 2009; Zeidler, 2016). Amidst rising concerns for …

The Plagiarism Question Of Ai: How Teachers Have Responded To Llms In The Classroom, Anthony E. Wolf

Master's Theses

This study is a phenomenology conducted in the Spring of 2024 that interviews seven educators to bridge the gap between speculation and the observable realities of the current applicability of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Interviews recorded pedagogical methods, classroom policies concerning LLMs, and various methods used to detect and address the use of LLMs for plagiarism. The findings seem to imply a relationship between the applicability of LLMs to teachers’ pedagogical methods and the policies that teachers implemented. Discussion is made through the lens of critical digital pedagogy, zone of proximal development, and Paperson’s …

Understanding The Relationship Between How The Availability Of Vaping Devices And Student Use Are Related: A Quantitative Study, Felicia L. Owen

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The number of teens in Arkansas who are vaping continues to increase despite state and national laws and regulations. The availability of vaping devices to teens continues to occur; but limited research is available that explores if the availability is accessible through peers, families, or community members, or is self-sought. It is crucial to gain a better understanding of why vaping continues to increase among high school students in Arkansas. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between how the availability of vaping devices and student use are related. The analysis of exposure and student use varies …

Phenomenological Research Examining Administrators And Special Education Teachers' Perception, Experience & Knowledge Of The Mississippi Special Education Growth Rubric, Tricia Pittman

Dissertations

In the current era of accountability, public school administrators’ responsibilities may include evaluating special education teachers and providing them with feedback and support to improve their effectiveness. The problem that exists is that administrators who do not have a background in special education are charged with the responsibility of evaluating special education teachers, resulting in special education teachers not getting the support or feedback necessary to improve their instructional practice.

In addition to administrators not having the background knowledge necessary to effectively evaluate and support special education teachers, the problem of developing an effective evaluation model to evaluate special education …

Most Likely To Succeed: Which Factors Influence College Students In Completing Their Two-Year Computer Degree And Graduating From College, Nathan Blommel

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

For many individuals, researching and finding a college to attend is a wonderful experience. Many students explore college and take multiple courses, but do not finish their intended degree. Past and current studies have identified factors and reasons to why students dropout from college. Two well-known theories include A.W. Astin’s student involvement theory (1984) and Tinto’s (1993) model of college student attrition. The purpose of this study was to identify factors amongst students who graduated and students who did not graduate from a two-year computer degree program. The data derived from the collective stories of those who had experienced it. …

The Impact Of The Master Schedule On Student Perception Of Teacher-Student Relationships In Minnesota Middle Schools, Jonathon Graff

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Teacher-student relationships have been shown to have a marked decline at the transition to middle school (Hughes & Cao, 2018). The decline has been linked to a potential mismatch between middle school structure and the unique needs of the young adolescents that they serve (Eccles et al., 1993). This quantitative, correlational study explored the impact of school master schedules (i.e., school structure) on teacher-student relationships (i.e., TSRs) in Minnesota middle schools. The study searched for potential associations between student perceived teacher care and master scheduling type with the intent to fill a gap in literature and to help inform district …

Finding Focus: Authentic Inquiry And Composition In The Third Space, Noah Brewer

Dissertations

This research seeks to better understand the attitudes and dispositions of advanced-level English Language Arts students toward the activities of academic research and writing, and to explore the ways that critical pedagogies focused on authentic inquiry and composition interact with these attitudes. The project draws upon research in student motivation, sociocultural definitions of literacy, and theories of hybrid identity in order to discover the potential impact of engaging students in critical reflection on their own meaning-making practices, and of curricular and pedagogical choices aimed at making the lessons of the classroom more relevant to the demands of real-world literacy practices …

High School Students’ Perceptions Of School Supports Toward Graduation: A Correlational Study, Heather Giese

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Addressing barriers to high school graduation is essential to decreasing dropout rates. Schools provide various supports for students on their pathway to graduation with varying effects on preventing dropout. Research studies indicate that students’ perceptions of the school and staff influence educational attainment. This post-positivist, correlational research study examined three research questions including students’ perceptions of the school and staff, students’ perceptions of graduation supports, and whether specific supports correlate to more positive student perceptions of the school and staff. Through a convenience sample, 21 students at a small, alternative high school in Minnesota completed two questionnaires. Questionnaires consisted of …

Morality In Mississippi Science Education: The Impact Of Instruction On Moral Conviction And Emotions Regarding Genetic Engineering, Emily Jenkins

Honors Theses

Moral convictions have been shown to impact learning about science topics, but there exists a gap in literature about whether education on the mechanisms of DNA technologies, such as the recently developed CRISPR-Cas9 system, can affect moral convictions and emotions regarding its use on humans. To investigate this relationship, we examined the results of how three-hundred and fifty-three introductory psychology students at the University of Mississippi rated their moral convictions and emotions on the subject before and after engaging with instructional material. The results indicated that a majority of participants originally had no position (48.2%) or were morally opposed (41.6%). …

An Investigation Of How High School Teachers Can Positively Influence The Mental Health Of High School Students, Anthony Mahady

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to better understand student mental health needs to advocate for intentional change within the school district where the study occurred. A critical case study approach was taken to learn about student and teacher needs, within a bounded location and time, to invoke intentional change for students in the school district. The study elicited responses from a student focus group of seven students, where they addressed the current mental health needs of students in the district. Responses from the focus group were used to inform the questions in the six semi-structured interviews conducted with high …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Technology Professional Development And Implementation In An Urban Middle School: A Case Study, Valeria Williams

Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on understanding teachers’ perceptions of technology-based professional development sessions and the impact of technology requirements on their decisions to remain in or exit the teaching profession. The study involved seven middle school teachers with varying teaching experience and technology backgrounds. Participants shared their insights through journals, interviews, and document notes, which were then organized into themes reflecting their responses to the research questions.

The findings revealed key themes such as the structure and availability of professional learning sessions, facilitators’ positive impact, teachers’ emotions during and after training, optional learning strategies, and how these factors influence …

Exploring The Efficacy Of The Advancement Via Individual Determination (Avid) Program At Promoting Student Motivation, Nya Thompson, Nya J. Thompson

Honors Theses

The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program was founded by Mary Katherine Swanson in 1980 in Southern California. She created the program as a social justice initiative to provide additional resources to her students of marginalized backgrounds (e.g., low socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic backgrounds) to prepare them to graduate high school and be accepted into colleges. Decades later, the AVID program is nationwide, but there is only one school district in Mississippi with this program that is founded on the roots of equity. In this specific school district located in Northern Mississippi, the AVID program is available in elementary, …

Promoting Civic Engagement And Knowledge Amongst Middle School Adolescents Through Simulation Based Teaching Models, Karrie Palmer

Dissertations

Public schools, and education in general, were founded on the principles of preparing young people to participate in civic life as active and informed citizens. Yet, civic competency scores are consistently low and demonstrate that students are not prepared for the civic engagement required of them when they leave school. The purpose of this quasi-experimental mixed methods study is to determine if participation in simulations and utilizing experiential learning theory while teaching the government standards will lead to a greater understanding of civics, and a positive improvement in students’ beliefs and values regarding civic engagement beyond the classroom. While the …

Thoughts, Conflicts, And Feelings Of Ela Teachers’ Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Matthew Osborn

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many complications and challenges for educators. There is a need to document and describe teacher experiences during this time to determine common themes that may inform future educational practice. This study utilized narrative inquiry to examine the lived experiences of five secondary ELA teachers during the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three themes concerning how teachers perceived their students, work demands, and self were identified through several rounds of coding and thematic analysis. The findings and conclusions of this study contribute to developing a shared understanding of what happened in secondary education during the various …

Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes About Gender, Education, And Mathematical Aptitude: A Quantitative Study, Paige Barnett

Honors Theses

Females and mathematics are often not grouped together due to the gender bias surrounding the two. Perhaps attending an all-girls high school has instilled a higher level of confidence in me and my mathematical abilities than many females exhibit. The focus of my research is to examine preservice elementary teachers for their confidence levels in mathematics, as well as if they hold a form of unconscious gender bias. I completed this research by developing a six-question survey instrument. The survey was administered in the Spring and Fall of 2023 Math 245 and Math 245 classes. Both are required math courses …

A Comparison Of Assessment Experiences Between Standards-Based Practices And Traditional Practices Within Secondary Mathematics Classrooms, Emily Mayes

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to compare assessment experiences and find ways to improve those experiences for students in two mathematics classrooms: one classroom that employs Standards-Based Grading and one classroom that uses traditional grading practices. The research examines students’ perceptions regarding their level of preparation, their anxiety levels surrounding assessment, the validity of assessments, and using assessments and grading practices to give accurate indications of student progress in their learning, given the students’ perceptions. Students in both settings voluntarily and anonymously participated in completing pre- and post-assessment free-response surveys which asked questions about students’ assessment experiences. This research …

Around The World In 80 Days: Navigating Culturally Diverse Texts In Secondary English Education, Abby Boyer

Honors Theses

In the secondary English classroom, the inclusion of diverse texts holds importance in fostering a rich and inclusive learning environment that reflects the realities and complexities of our diverse world. Diverse texts encompass a wide range of voices, perspectives, and experiences that represent various cultures, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. By incorporating such texts into the curriculum, educators not only honor the diversity of their students but also provide them with opportunities to engage critically with different narratives, develop empathy, and cultivate a deeper understanding of the complexities of the human experience.
Moreover, diverse texts offer …

Reconstruction Retold: Perspectives From 20th Century Us Secondary History Textbooks, Lyric Church

Honors Theses

Since the creation of the American public school system, the use of the textbook has been vital to history education. It has been the primary tool used by educators to teach children about the past to help them understand the present and shape the future. To this day, in the modern technological age, they are, still, used in classrooms across the country. This thesis investigates the effects of changing societal thought on United States history textbooks used in the secondary classroom, using the Reconstruction Era as the area of study. Analyzing multiple textbooks from each decade of the twentieth century, …

A Classic Problem: Engaging Secondary Students In Reading The Canon, Marika Hall

Honors Theses

Secondary English students often demonstrate difficulty in comprehending and finding relevancy in reading works of classic literature when the canon is taught in a prescriptive fashion, often further widening the gap between students who are considered smart enough to read classic literature and those deemed incapable. My hypothesis is that when used in a dialogic classroom, teaching challenging, classic texts in a facilitative manner can help bridge this classic literature gap while also encouraging diversity and supporting student learning. Under my clinical instructor’s recommendations and requirements in my student teaching, I designed a unit lesson plan focusing on Roald Dahl’s …