Education Commons^™

Understanding Students’ Cognitive Processes While Evaluating Online Sources: A Mixed Methods Study, Julia Lennox

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Given the substantial time young people spend online and their reliance on social media for information, research supports the importance of understanding how media literacy interventions may impact students’ abilities to process online information. This study employed a case study- explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to investigate the impact a media literacy course may have on students’ cognitive processes while evaluating online information. Twelve high school students (n=12) completed a questionnaire, the first quantitative phase, while nine (n=9) responded to performance tasks assessing their civic online reasoning skills. The sequential phase involved qualitatively analyzing assignments …

Examining Student And Teacher Perceptions Of The Ilit 45 Reading Program: A Qualitative Case Study, Ashley O'Connor

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

This case study examines student and teacher perceptions toward and experiences with the iLit 45 Reading Intervention. It focuses on the perceptions of both the teacher and students’ interactions and experiences with iLit 45. The case study included five ninth-grade students and their teacher, all of them participating in the iLit 45 reading program for the 2023-2024 school year. Data sources for this study included observations, semi-structured interviews, and a review of the iLit 45 Reading program materials. The researcher coded the data collected from the observations and interviews using a combination of in vivo coding and constant comparative …

Everyone Is On Their Phones: Eighth Graders' Struggle With Social Media In School, George Weinhardt

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative study examined social media in the school setting from the point of view of eighth-grade participants. This study implemented a focused ethnography, examining a group of individuals’ perspectives on a focused area of their shared culture. Using critical theory, this study examined qualitative data with the concepts of structures, subjectivity, and power at the confluence of social media and school for eighth-grade students. Qualitative data were collected using five semi-structured focus groups, artifact analysis, fieldnotes, and memos. The findings highlighted that eighth-grade students acknowledge that there is a struggle between social media and school. This struggle alters their …

Trauma-Informed Educational Practices In The Middle School Classroom During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Loralynne Yost

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This collective case study used a mixed methods approach to examine how Trauma-Informed Educational Practices (TIEP) manifest in the middle school classroom. This study is important due to the trauma students experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teacher participants had district training in trauma-informed practices prior to this study.

Teacher participants took an initial survey to capture their conceptualization and perceived usage of the TIEP in the classroom. Teachers then used TIEP in their classrooms for two weeks. Teachers kept a checklist of which of the TIEP they used each day and commented on the context for the use of the …

The Strengths And Challenges Perceived By Special Education Teachers Of Students With Emotional Disturbance: A Mixed Methods Study, Brittany Severino

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

High school-aged students who qualify for special education services with the disability of Emotional Disturbance (ED) are at elevated risk of experiencing negative school and life consequences (Balagna et al., 2013; Billingsley & Bettini, 2019; Maag, 2006). Likewise, special education teachers who instruct this population of students are at greater risk of leaving the occupation within the first couple of years (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019; Cancio et al., 2018). These two alarming trends create the need for research to provide insight into how retention can be increased and attrition can be reduced for Emotional Support Teachers (ESTs). This study utilized …

(Re)Defining Writing Instruction: Implementing An Anti-Racist Approach To Writing Instruction And Assessment In The Secondary English Classroom, Emily Wisniewski

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The traditional writing workshop model and assessment practices commonly used in secondary classrooms are systematically racist and harmful to the development of young writers. To counter the damaging effects of racially discriminatory practices in secondary writing classrooms, educators must review and redefine their pedagogical approaches to create a safe, anti-racist environment for all students. By centering the scholarship of Felicia Rose Chavez and Asao Inoue, this thesis establishes a model of anti-racist pedagogy in the secondary classroom to help educators dismantle white supremacy in writing instruction and assessment so that students are empowered to find their voices without the fear …

Re-Forging Democracy In Schools Through The History Of American Social Movements, Jonathan Privado

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Democratic virtue and spirit are severely lacking in the traditional school setting. With so many threats to the planet, the nation, and democracy as a whole, direct action, and active civic engagement are more important than ever. The traditional social studies and history curriculums of schools, both sanitized and passive, often claim to prepare students for citizenry, but are actually ill preparing students for the challenge and the necessity of genuine civic engagement. In particular, one of the most egregious offenders within the domain of the social studies is the traditional American history curriculum. In most cases, as this study …

The Importance Of Interdisciplinary Education, Jennifer Liegeot

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis work explores the concept of Interdisciplinary Education and how it can improve the educational experience for students while also creating citizens more capable of participating in a democratic society. In order to create more well-rounded citizens, schools should provide an interdisciplinary approach to education that centers the perspectives of the those who are traditionally excluded. Much of the education curriculum today is based on a system that favors the majority leaving out entire groups of students from minority populations. As a result, schooling overwhelmingly does not help oppressed students become critically conscious citizens who are equipped to participate …

Correcting The Lack Of Representation And Support For Lgbtq Students In School, Colleen O'Neill

West Chester University Master’s Theses

While some progress has been made toward the inclusion of previously excluded historically marginalized communities from school curricula, there remains a notable absence of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) community. Specifically, the LGBTQIA+ community is considered controversial to address in schools because anything outside of the heterosexual, cisgender norm conflicts with some people’s religious and political beliefs. Though school administrators may insist that the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ content in schools is in violation of public schools’ duty to remain neutral, the purposeful omission of such is a political act in itself.

This program will emphasize the …