Education Commons^™

Principals Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Teacher Collaboration In Secondary Schools, Lonnie E. Myers

Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study examined how various practicing secondary principals in the Northwest Region of Arkansas perceive teacher collaboration within secondary schools. Job-embedded opportunities for teacher collaboration have been cited as successful ways for promoting teacher learning, which in turn will promote increased student learning (Little, 1990). Researchers and theorists cite properly supported collaboration as key to lasting school improvement (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Fullan, 1997; Little, 1990). In order for the practice of collaboration to be embedded in secondary schools, a culture must be created within a supportive environment to support the collaborative efforts. DuFour and Eaker (1998) credit …

Creating A Rabbitry For A High School Agricultural Program: A Guide For The Approval Process And Materials Required, Anne Marie Katuin

Agricultural Education and Communication

The proposal for a rabbitry to be added to the campus of Liberty High School in Golden Valley Unified School District in the designated agricultural area was proposed to the agricultural teacher and site administration for the high school. A floor plan was designed to fit the needs of a small rabbit breeding operation for the use of the LHS FFA students who wished to have a breeding or meat rabbit SAE.

Guidelines and plans were created in order to help an agricultural teacher or community member go through the previously mentioned approval process if they were to want to …

Exploring Some Inattended Affective Factors In Performing Nonroutine Mathematical Tasks, John Douglas Butler

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Describes students' attempts to solve nonroutine math problems and explores possible correlates of their performance, focusing on inattended (i.e., intentionally avoided) dimensions underrepresented in the literature, including attitudes, interests, values, aesthetics, metacognition, and representation. Analyzes objective and subjective data gathered from a sample of 9th-grade students at a high school in Rhode Island. Finds strong evidence of students' math-aesthetics in problem solving.

Adoption And Integration Of Best Practice Methods In Secondary English Teaching, Gretchen Rumohr-Voskuil

Dissertations

Commencing with a critical examination of the history and rhetorical force of the term "best practice," this dissertation undertakes a qualitative study of three secondary English teachers, considering their adoption and integration of best practice methods. The subjects, represented by urban, suburban and rural secondary schools, were National Writing Project participants identified as "exemplary teachers" by a NWP site director. "Best practice" methods analyzed included the process model for the teaching of writing and literature, student decision-making, and a low-risk writing environment. Factors that were found to influence the adoption of best practice methods included undergraduate and preservice experiences, intern …

What's In A Choice? A Study In How Choice In Assignment Affects Student Completion Of Assignments, Christopher J. Croge

Theses and Dissertations

In this action research project, the effects of giving students a choice in their assignments on students' intrinsic motivation were measured. This was done by giving the students an increasing amount of choices for their summative assessment following the end of each of five units studied in World History. Analysis of the data showed that there was some positive correlation between the amount of choices and the likelihood that students completed the assignments. While this correlation was present, it may be possible that other factors influenced this increase in student completion of assignments. These factors include when during the grading …

Active Student Engagement By Using Cooperative Learning Strategies, Austin Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore possible solutions to student interaction and product quality in a ninth grade English class by using strategies in cooperative learning. Reciprocal learning, jigsaw, and skills practice were used to promote student interaction and cooperation during a lesson on William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The data reveals that the three student participants have the skills necessary to succeed and excel in cooperative learning strategies, and previous student achievements may not necessarily indicate an ability or inability to master a cooperative learning activity. Implications for using cooperative learning strategies in the classroom are discussed.

What Happens To Student Engagement And Understanding Of Chemistry When Cross-Curricular Activities And Assignments Are Used In An Honors Chemistry Class?, Heather L. Keller

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this action research study was to determine if cross-curricular learning strategies could be used in a chemistry class to increase both student engagement and understanding of chemistry content. Two strategies were implemented in an honors chemistry course of sophomores and juniors. Participants were chosen on a voluntary basis, those students who chose not to participate still needed to complete the activities, however, their grades and responses were not included in the data. Participating students were required to complete a consent form and obtain parental permission. Students completed a creative writing activity and a kinesthetic activity in which …

The Implementation Of The Exit Slip Strategy To Examine The Advancement Of Paraphrasing And Summarizing Shakespearean Text, Andrea M. Hawn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to help mediate areas of deficiency that were identified in the essay and composition writing of a group of freshman Honors' students. During this study, students were provided with specific strategies to interpret texts so they could begin to understand the author's intended message to the audience. They could then translate those understandings into their written work. Specifically, the exit slip strategy was implemented to help develop students' summarization and paraphrasing skills. Teacher feedback was also integrated onto the learning process to help reinforce and refine the skill development process. The findings …

Using Theatre Education As A Medium For Bullying Prevention, Amanda N. Pioppi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to educate high school students about bullying prevention through the use of theatre education. A unit was designed to enhance student discussion and interpretation of the issue. The use of student journals, discussions, and student work artifacts were used as data sources for this action research study. Along with this, students rehearsed and produced a play, Bang, Bang, You're Dead, designed to create prevention awareness. The Advanced Acting class, eighteen junior and senior level high school students, went through a continuum of change during the study. There was a visible change in their …

Development Of An Art Curriculum That Best Prepares Students For Careers In The Visual Arts By Conducting Interviews With Professional Artists And Designers., David James Willits

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine ways to best prepare students in an art curriculum at a high school level who wish to go on to pursue a career as a professional artist or designer. In this study I have interviewed eleven professional artists and designers. I asked them a series of questions regarding the types of subjects that, based upon their experience, they would recommend be taught at that level. I have also asked them to identify those things that they feel teachers could do to encourage students to consider art or design as a career.

Educational Leaders Perceptions Of Emotional Intelligence And How It Effects Their Professional Practice, Yaffa Krugliak Lahat

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Researchers argue that Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a key role in effective and successful leadership (Goleman et al., 2004; Rosete & Ciarrochi, 2005; Chan, 2007). Although other researchers claimed that these assertions lean "little empirical support" (Ciarrochi, Deane & Anderson, 2002), Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2004) assert that EI is essential for leadership because leaders work through emotions and their primal job is emotional. With most of this research done in the business world, this study focuses on the role of EI in educational leadership. The purposes of this study are to explore and to construct new knowledge regarding educational …

Place-Based Education And Teaching About Marin County Birds: Curriculum Development For Teachers, Sharon Anne Barnett

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Compelling evidence illustrates place-based education (PBE) as a catalyst for inspiring teachers to create dynamic curricula that energizes the student. PBE curriculum typically encompasses all traditional subjects and entails hands-on classroom and field studies utilizing the natural world and local community. The purpose of this literature review is to introduce and explain the benefits of PBE. Specifically I will summarize and evaluate PBE science curricula with regard to Marin County bird species. The literature review outlines four components: an introduction to PBE, information about the birds of Marin County, examples of current PBE in Marin County, and interviews with Marin …

New Beginnings: A Phenomenology Of The Lived Experiences Of Novice Secondary Teachers Who Have Completed The Induction And Mentorship Requirements Of Utah's Early Years Enhancement (Eye) Program, Philip D. Armstrong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is estimated the national teacher shortage will be approximately two million by the year 2010. Thirty to 50% of new teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years. In an effort to improve teacher quality and retain teachers, many states and local school districts have instituted induction and mentoring programs. The state of Utah's Early Years Enhancement (EYE) induction and mentoring program went into effect January 1, 2003. This purpose of this study was to examine how secondary novice teachers experience the mentorship requirement of the EYE program. A phenomenological approach was used to illustrate the lived experience …

Student Perceptions Of Elmo Technology In A Physical Science Classroom, Philip J. Kirby

Master of Education Research Theses

This qualitative study provides student perceptions of digital visual display camera (ELMO being the specific one) use in a secondary physical science classroom. The use of ELMO was alternated with the overhead projector, using ABAB and BABA designs in two classrooms. The study was based on semi-structured interviews of fifty-six individuals, representing a sample of suburban, high school students. Interview questions focused on three constructs: benefits, limitations, and suggestions for improvement. Analyzing the results ascertained that students found the ELMO to be interesting because it was engaging and new technology. Students also reported the ELMO to improve instruction through enhanced …

A Questionnaire For Incoming High School Ell Students To Better Assist Them In Entering The American Educational System, Narine Balayan

All Graduate Projects

This project is designed to help teachers get a better understanding of the incoming ELL students' backgrounds to better assist these students in the education process and make the transition from their native educational system to the American educational system smoother. Teachers must be aware of ELL students' family situations, lives outside the school, diverse background knowledge and how these things affect reading and writing comprehension, and be able to choose the most appropriate assessment and instruction.

Response To Intervention: Reading Project For Intermediate Level Educators, Kevin Wayne Newell

All Graduate Projects

The author's project provides intermediate level reading teachers with a flowchart exemplifying a way to implement a Response to Intervention model. Research indicates that Response to Intervention models have greatly impacted student academic performance. The flowchart provides teachers with a blueprint which may be helpful in identifying and correcting student deficiencies. The flowchart clearly outlines instructional components of service delivery including duration of student sessions, the size of groups involved, length of intervention determined, and methods of assessment The specific detailed responsibilities outlined to staff are designed to improve not only the efficiency of service provided to students, but to …

Benefits Of Using Primary Sources In The High School United States History Classroom, Norene Lee Osborne

All Graduate Projects

History textbooks have not traditionally included the perspectives of the whole of society. The contributions of non-whites, women, the poor and the illiterate are consistently forgotten or ignored in the history classroom. When the stories of these groups are present, the content is incomplete and minimal, due to the resources available to the teacher within the curriculum provided by the textbook manufacturers or the school districts. Primary sources, or first hand accounts of history, can be used to supplement gaps in the curriculum, allowing students to construct a more authentic and complete knowledge of history. This project includes practical supplemental …

The Impact Of Collective Teacher Efficacy On Student Achievement In High School Science, Mark W. Burcham

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the impact of collective teacher efficacy on high school science achievement by looking at relationships among collective teacher efficacy, its two constructs, group competence and group task analysis, and high school science achievement scores at four rural high schools in Northwestern North Carolina.

The researcher gathered historical test data from the testing coordinator from the school system and then administered the Collective Teacher Efficacy Instrument, developed by Goddard, Hoy, and Woolfolk Hoy (2000), to 24 science teachers from the four high schools. Using this information, the researcher conducted statistical analyses to determine the relationships …

A Case Study Of The Impact Of A High School Advisory Program On Student Behaviors And Relationships, Matthew W. Stover

Education Dissertations and Projects

This case study dissertation was conducted to determine the perceptions of teachers and students about the school's advisory program. From 2003 to 2008, the high school had 279 student dropouts out of an average student population of 950. As a result of the student dropouts, the school adopted an advisory program. The studied school created the advisory program to change student behaviors and build student and staff relationships.

The research questions that guided the study were: (1) What was the impact of Check and Connect on student and staff relationships; (2) What was the impact of Check and Connect on …

A Case Study Of A High School Transition Program Into The Ninth Grade, Jamie Douglas Durant

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of a Ninth-Grade Transition Program at a Rural High School in Central North Carolina. The ninth grade is a pivotal year that determines which students will prevail and which students will fail to finish high school (Hertzog, 2003). It is essential that schools put in place components that ease the transition into high school and provide ongoing support.

Investigation measuring instruments used by the researcher included a two-part student survey and focus groups involving students in the ninth grade and those teachers who teach in the ninth grade. The data …

Those Who Dare To Lead Must Seek To Serve First: Leadership Styles Of New Jersey School Superintendents, John Alfieri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Greenleaf's servant leadership model has been described as an innovative vision in which the leader performs duties of service as the focal point of a mission for social change. Although the servant leadership model has been widely implemented in business and religious organizations, its effectiveness in educational settings has not yet been widely explored. Therefore, the purpose of this explanatory correlational study was to examine the prevalence and effectiveness of servant leadership among a random sample of 156 of New Jersey's school superintendents. Subjects completed the Self-Assessment of Servant Leadership (SASL) and the Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI) that assesses 5 …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Secondary Distance-Learning Students: Exploring Learning Styles, Jennifer M. Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public education in the United States has experienced an increase in distance-learning (DL) opportunities. Because research has focused on student achievement in post-secondary DL programs, little is known about secondary students' experiences. The purpose of the current study was to explore DL applicability within secondary education. Specific research questions addressed by the concurrent mixed methods nested study included examining students' opinions and experiences in a secondary DL course and determining whether individual learning styles were addressed. Structured interviews, group discussions, and a survey were used to gather data over 2 months from 14 students in grades 9 through 12 participating …

Ninth-Grade Interventions And The Impact On High School Graduation Rates, Shannon Mcbrady

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is a need to become economically sensible when deciding on new school initiatives and reforms. This is partly due to increasing accountability and tightening school budgets. Hertzog & Morgan (1999) found the freshman year sets the tone for a student‟s entire high school career. Yet, frequently, ninth-graders struggle to feel connected to school and therefore experience failure. Often times this period of failure is related to the developmental process the ninth-grader experiences. Many ninth-graders struggle in various areas including behavioral growth, social pressures, and adjusting to the rigidity of high school (Mizelle & Irvin, 2000). Researchers have found that …

A Phenomenological Study Of Assessment Methods In The Inquiry -Based Science Classroom: How Do Educators Decide?, Gina G. Tash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessment methods for inquiry learning. Balancing preparations for standardized tests and authentic inquiry assessment experiences can be challenging for science educators. The review of literature revealed that current research focused on instructional methods and assessment, students' assessment experiences, and teachers' instructional methods experiences. There remains a gap in current literature regarding the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessment methods for inquiry learning. This study filled the gap by providing a description of the experiences of science educators …

The Effect Of Faculty Performance Measurement Systems On Student Retention, Timothy Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Institutions of higher learning have been tracking student course-drop rates as a measure of student success along with faculty performance data. However, there is a lack of understanding as to how faculty performance data influences drop rates. The purpose of this study was to determine whether faculty knowledge of performance data creates a difference in drop rates. This study combined theories of performance measurement, decision support, self-determination theory (SDT), and personal decision making (PDM) as a conceptual foundation that linked faculty knowledge to student success. The specific research question addressed if data can be used to assist faculty efforts in …

Perceived Effects Of Teachers' Unions On Administrators' And Teachers' Roles And Morale, Eileen E. Berg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bill 160 in Ontario removed administrators from teachers' federations creating an unhealthy gap between groups and a lowering of morale for both. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between perceived effects of teachers' union actions on administrators' and teachers' roles and morale. Learning and organizational theories provided a theoretical framework for this quantitative study. Voluntary participants included teachers and administrators from Canadian Education Association and administrators from Ontario Principals' Council. Questionnaires addressed three hypotheses, which dealt with level of morale between participants, correlation between the morale score and the learning environment score, and …

Exploring The Factors That Influence Attitudes And Achievement When Students Take Computerized Tests, Jessie E. Kilgore Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Currently, a problem exists in K-12 education related to the use of technology for the assessment of student learning. Specifically, due to the lack of access to and infrequent use of computers for middle school students, the rise in the use of high stakes computer-based tests may negatively impact student test scores in poor, urban schools. The conceptual framework of this study was informed by Albert Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, the work of The National Center for Fair and Open Testing regarding ending the misuses and flaws of standardized testing, and James Popham's research on quality assessment. The central research …

Social Interest And Self -Efficacy Levels Among High School Volunteer Mentors And Their Non -Mentor Peers: A Comparison Study, Courtney Brewer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined social interest, social self-efficacy, and general self-efficacy levels of high school volunteer mentors and their nonmentor peers. School-based peer mentoring has become a popular method for providing support services to students. While several studies examining mentee outcomes appeared in the past decade, less research has examined characteristics of the high school mentors involved. The choice of variables was grounded in Bandura's Social Learning Theory and Adler's Individual Psychology. Thirty-seven mentors and 32 nonmentors from a suburban New York high school completed the Social Interest Scale and the Self-efficacy Scale. Mentor volunteers scored significantly higher in social self-efficacy …

Effect Of Cooperative Learning And Traditional Strategies On Academic Performance In Middle School Language Arts, Susan Queen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that the use of cooperative learning techniques fosters higher order thinking and problem solving skills in students. However additional information is needed to determine how cooperative learning affects various groups of learners. Based in constructivist theory, this quasi-experimental study examined the effects of cooperative learning verses traditional teaching strategies on the academic performance of 216 6th grade language arts students in north central Georgia. The single stage convenience sample was divided into a control group that was instructed using traditional strategies; and a treatment group that was instructed using cooperative learning strategies. Pre and posttest scores from a …

Understanding Middle School Students' Perspectives Regarding Physical Activity And Fitness, Susan Yesalonia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research confirms inactivity increases in adolescence and that unfit youth are at risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, or other significant physical disorders later in life. Thus, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of chronically inactive children who were exposed to an exercise intervention program. The specific focus of the research was to better understand the essential educational needs of the participants and the effective elements of the program, Moving for Fun (MFF), a 7-week after-school fitness intervention program designed to modify chronic inactivity. Open-ended interviews and 3 observations were conducted with 8 middle …