Education Commons^™

Professional Learning Communities Supporting Teacher Collaboration And Student Achievement: A Program Evaluation, Chundra Evens

Dissertations

In 2013, an initiative was implemented throughout a school district to address years of declining student assessment scores. With a directive for engagement in collaboration, this study was conducted to determine what a school was doing well in their Professional Learning Communities, areas for growth during the process, and the extent that the initiative was implemented with fidelity. By analyzing the targeted school’s quantitative and qualitative data, this study identified themes regarding overall effectiveness of the initiative and areas for recommended enhancements to facilitate student learning. The evaluation of this process shaped the foundation for development of change recommendations to …

A Program Evaluation Of Professional Learning Communities To Support Professional Development And Student Learning, Tiffany Scott

Dissertations

For this program evaluation, I examined the effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) with regard to how it supported professional development for teachers and student learning at Sunshine Elementary School (pseudonym). The literature reviewed argues that PLCs are viable venues to develop teacher competencies as well as improve student-learning outcomes when implemented with fidelity. The methods in this study included surveys and interviews from teachers, coaches and administrators. There was also a review of the student achievement data to examine results against the perceptions of the study participants. The results indicated areas that were working well, and areas that were …

When Crayons Meet Tibetan Living Room Walls: Early Childhood In Exile, Emma Hart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to understand early childhood caregiving among Tibetan refugees living in Nepal. Due to the brain’s enormous developmental plasticity from ages zero to three, children’s experiences during this period are extremely important to explaining their future learnings in school, interactions with people, and engagements with their surroundings. Through interviews and observations, Tibetan parents shared their conceptions of early childhood, parent-child interaction norms, dreams for their children, and how their status as refugees in Nepal affects these. Research was conducted in two Pokhara district Tibetan settlements and one settlement in Mustang. Connected by the flow of children and adults …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Teachers Who Form Positive Relationships With At-Risk Students In Title I Middle Schools In The Southeast, Natasha Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of teachers who form positive relationships with at-risk students in Title I middle schools. The theory guiding this study was Nel Nodding’s ethic of care as it relates to the teacher as a caregiver interested in the expressed needs of the students. Using a qualitative transcendental phenomenological design, 15 southeastern Title I middle school teachers were selected to participate in the study. The central question guiding this research was: How do teachers describe their experiences of forming positive relationships with at-risk students in Title I middle schools? Sub-questions …

Sky Brightness At Zenith During The January 2019 Total Lunar Eclipse, Jennifer J. Birriel, J. Kevin Adkins

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Lunar eclipses occur during the full moon phase when the moon is obscured by Earth’s shadow. During these events, the night sky brightness changes as the full moon rises and then passes first into the penumbral and then the umbral shadow. We acquired sky brightness data at zenith using a Unihedron Sky Quality Meter during the 20–21 January 2019 total lunar eclipse as seen from Morehead, Kentucky. The resulting sky brightness curve shows an obvious signature when the moon enters the umbral (partial) eclipse phases and the total eclipse phase. During the total eclipse phase, the brightness curve is flat …

Avarice And Ambition In America: The Founders’ Debate On The Political Place Of The Selfish Passions In The Constitutional Order Of The United States, Jonathan W. Pidluzny, Murray S. Y. Besette

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Federalists and Anti-Federalists were different kinds of republicans insofar as they offered opposite solutions to the perennial problem of republican government. The Anti-Federalists hoped to minimize faction by cultivating piety, self-control, and patriotism in the citizenry. The Federalists rejected the traditional approach. Instead, they unleashed the selfish passions for the sake of economic and military strength. To mitigate the pernicious effects of faction along economic lines, they designed the constitutional order to channel elite ambition in service to the republic. They seem not to have foreseen, however, that in unleashing human greed they risked creating an environment that would corrupt …

The Xmm-Newton/Hst View Of The Obscuring Outflow In The Seyfert Galaxy Mrk 335 Observed At Extremely Low X-Ray Flux, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The Seyfert galaxy Mrk 335 is known for its frequent changes of flux and spectral shape in the X-ray band that occurred during recent years. These variations may be explained by the onset of a wind that previous, noncontemporaneous high-resolution spectroscopy in X-ray and UV bands located at accretion disk scale. A simultaneous new campaign by XMM-Newton and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) caught the source at a historically low flux in the X-ray band. The soft X-ray spectrum is dominated by prominent emission features and by the effect of a strong ionized absorber with an outflow velocity of (5–6)×103kms−1. …

Murchison Widefield Array And Xmm-Newton Observations Of The Galactic Supernova Remnant G5.9+3.1, Thomas G. Pannuti

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Aims. In this paper we discuss the radio continuum and X-ray properties of the so-far poorly studied Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) G5.9 + 3.1. Methods. We present the radio spectral energy distribution (SED) of the Galactic SNR G5.9 + 3.1 obtained with the MurchisonWidefield Array (MWA). Combining these new observations with the surveys at other radio continuum frequencies, we discuss the integrated radio continuum spectrum of this particular remnant. We have also analyzed an archival XMM-Newton observation, which represents the first detection of X-ray emission from this remnant. Results. The SNR SED is very well explained by a simple power-law …

Multiwavelength Study Of The X-Ray Bright Supernova Remnant N522-S48 In Ngc 522, Thomas G. Pannuti

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

We present a multiwavelength examination of the supernova remnant (SNR) S26 in the nearby galaxy NGC 300 using data from Chandra X-ray Observatory, XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Very Large Array, and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. We simultaneously fit all of the available X-ray data with a thermal plasma model and find a temperature of 0.77±0.13 keV with a hydrogen column density of (9.7+6.4 −4.8)×1020 cm−2. HST imaging allows us to measure a semimajor axis of 0.78±0.10 arcsec (7.5±1.0 pc) and a semiminor axis of 0.69+0.14 −0.12 arcsec (6.7+1.2 −1.4 pc). This precise size helps to …

Discovery Of A Pulsar-Powered Bow Shock Nebula In The Small Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant Dems5, Thomas G. Pannuti

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

We report the discovery of a new Small Magellanic Cloud pulsar wind nebula (PWN) at the edge of the supernova remnant (SNR) DEMS5. The pulsar powered object has a cometary morphology similar to the Galactic PWN analogues PSR B1951+32 and ‘the mouse’. It is travelling supersonically through the interstellar medium.We estimate the pulsar kick velocity to be in the range of 700–2000 km s−1 for an age between 28 and 10 kyr. The radio spectral index for this SNR–PWN–pulsar system is flat (–0.29 ± 0.01) consistent with other similar objects. We infer that the putative pulsar has a radio spectral …

Walking The Talk: Embedding Standards-Based Grading In An Educational Leadership Course, Matt Townsley

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this paper is to provide a model for educational leadership faculty who aspire to walk the talk of effective feedback by embedding standards-based grading (SBG) in their courses. Rather than focusing on learning, points are the currency of K-12 classrooms across the country. Over 100 years of grading research suggests typical grading practices are subjective at best. Some schools are responding by implementing SBG, yet few articles describe how higher education embeds this philosophy in educator preparation coursework. In this essay, the author documents how to design assessments, align rubrics, and provide feedback to aspiring school leaders …

Stress Among Public School Teachers, Jollie Alson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study measured different stressors experienced by teachers in a public national high school and their coping mechanisms. The study is anchored on the Person-Environment Fit or Mis-fit Model (PEFM) (Astroff & Yunjie, 2011; Caplan, 1987) and the Conceptualization of Emotions in coping with stress (Lazarus, 2005). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the work-related, emotional, and personal stressors and coping mechanisms of teachers. The teachers experienced stress that was brought on by hazardous working conditions, a lack of materials, and resources to do their tasks effectively. There was a feeling of excessive monitoring and demands for …

Grice Cooperative Principles In Kabul Times, Sayedrahman Sial Sr.Sial

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract:

Since in the current day most of the data is transported through written communication and media play an important part in the transportation of hot issues of the day, news language has concerned the courtesy of both media experts and linguists for periods of times. This analytical- descriptive research planned to link the destruction and acceptance of Grice’s (1975) cooperative principles (CPs) in news reports which published in Kabul Times and classify which of these four CPs (quality, quantity, manner and relation) has been desecrated most and which of them has been desecrated less. For this purpose, 100 news …

An Examination Of The Factors Correlating With Course Failure In A High School Computer Science Course, Steven Mcgee, Ronald I. Greenberg, Lucia Dettori, Andrew M. Rasmussen, Erica Wheeler, Randi Mcgee-Tekula, Jennifer Duck

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

White Plight: A Review Of White Kids: Growing Up With Privilege In A Racially Divided America, Angela S. Farmer

Journal of Research Initiatives

The United States of America offers the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, even as fellow Americans find themselves firmly ensconced in the 21st century, it is clear that equality of opportunity is not available for all.

In newly published, "White Kids" (Hagerman, 2018), unveils the reality witnessed daily in schools across the nation. Some children are afforded enhanced benefits based on the school they attend and the settings in which they are raised. Rather than allowing this evidence to stand alone; however, the author spends years with a group of students who attend a variety …

Establishing Enhanced Learning Outcomes In Science For First Generational Undergraduate College Students, Marianna Burks

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

First-generation students represent an increasing percentage of the demographic for college and university enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Since 2001, results from the National Center for Education Statistics Longitudinal Study, indicates ‘higher percentages of first-generations college students attended public postsecondary institutions-76 vs. 72%’ (Redford & Hoyer, 2017). There is insufficient research, however, concerning how first-generation students’ needs are different, even unique, from those students who are second- generation and beyond attending college (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2017). Since this increase of students enrolling in post-secondary education, ‘understanding the needs of first-generation students is imperative more now …

Language Matters: What Are The Primary School Teachers' Perspectives And Lived Experiences Of Burundi's Language Policy?, Leah Passauer

Capstone Collection

Burundi is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Burundian language policy dictates that four languages, Kirundi, French, English, and Kiswahili, must be taught starting in the second trimester of grade one. The language policy decision is not an obvious one since the country is linguistically homogenous, meaning that almost the entire population speaks Kirundi as their first language. Primary school teachers in the public education system typically receive training in a vocational setting that may not fully prepare them for the complex multilingual classroom environment they are expected to cultivate. The aim of this small-scale mixed-methods …

Using Principles Of Inclusion And Sustainability For Designing And Facilitating Inclusive And Sustainable Development Workshops, Sai Aung Thein

Capstone Collection

This Training Course-Linked Capstone (CLC) is an analysis of the reflective practitioner’s design on inclusive and sustainable development workshops for World Learning. The analysis focuses on integrating the pedagogical approaches of experiential learning, engaged pedagogy and social justice frameworks. The reflective practitioner asks: With his/her participants, how can a trainer/facilitator co-create an inclusive and sustainable learning environment for an inclusive and sustainable development workshop? How can a trainer/facilitator embrace principles of inclusion and sustainability and make sure from the beginning that the process of designing and facilitating the workshop is experiential, democratic, participatory, engaged, and dialectically based education and adult …

Critical Embodied Praxis For Social Justice And Peace Educators: A Story Of Personal Transformation Through Analysis Of My Jewish And Settler Identities, Cara Michelle Silverberg

Capstone Collection

In this paper, I examine definitions of and relationships between violence, oppression, peace, liberation, and embodiment in the context of critical pedagogy in order to construct a theory of critical embodied praxis for social justice and peace educators. Considering the body to be a tangible vessel through which narratives and mechanisms of violence are expressed and maintained, I explore the potential of the body to be a vessel through which liberatory narratives may be generated and shared. After constructing a theory of critical embodied praxis, I illustrate this framework in action through a personal narrative that explores the intersections …

Beyond The Buzzwords: A Framework Of Inclusive Excellence For Leader Hiring And Training At The Experiment In International Living, Chelsea Johnson

Capstone Collection

“Beyond the Buzzwords” examines practices in group leader hiring and training at The Experiment in International Living (The Experiment) through a lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion, focusing primarily on racial identity and whiteness. As members of the diverse Generation Z, Experiment students experience myriad manifestations of social identity, amplified by the context of their host countries. Their adult group leaders, who historically are majority white female, are the stewards of their educational experience, responsible for mitigating identity-related incidents while supporting all students’ learning and growth.

Drawing upon principles of experiential and transformative learning, social justice education, student identity development, …

An Examination Of How Middle School Principals Make Sense Of Their Role In Leading Standards Based Educational Reform, Barbara J. Maling Cas, Ma

Muskie School Dissertations

A dominant feature of the educational policy landscape has been the adoption and use of learning standards to design classroom instruction. As these efforts move forward, often without clear definition of the classroom practices that should be adopted, the role of the school principal is critical in interpreting the changes, and charting a course for the teachers in the building. This qualitative study, examines the sensemaking of four active middle school principals as they interpreted and led standards-based reform efforts in their buildings, using a novel theoretical framework based on prior research (Benford & Snow, 2000; Spillane, Reiser, & Reimer, …

Pedagogical Perspectives On Counselor Education: An Autoethnographic Experience Of Doctoral Student Development, Anna Elliott, Beronica M. Salazar, Brittany L. Dennis, Lynn Bohecker, Tiffany Nielson, Kirsten Lamantia, David M. Kleist

The Qualitative Report

There is minimal literature related to understanding what training factors contribute to the development of qualified counselor educators. Specifically, we wondered if counselor education doctoral students are effectively prepared for their roles as instructors. We chose an autoethnographic phenomenology method as a means for exploring the experiences of doctoral students’ pedagogical development in a doctoral instructional theory course. We sought to understand the essence of our experience through written reflection, photography, and group reflective processes. Analysis revealed the value we all obtained through the instructional theory course, experiential learning, and self-reflection, which contributed to increased self-efficacy as emerging counselor educators. …

Teacher Education: Are We Preparing Teachers For The Learning Environments That Exist In Their Schools?, Sally M. Barnhart M.Ed.

Faculty Scholarship

The multi-year process of induction into the teaching profession provides and opportunity to nurture the growth of a newly minted professional. However, this may not be the case for all entrants into the profession. A look at the costs, benefits and the return on investment made by the novice professional is discussed in an overview, as well as the experiences of an individual professional in concert with a university mentor. The constraints and possibilities for the individuals and the profession are discussed as a result.

Writing On Demand In College, Career, And Community Writing: Preparing Students To Participate In The Pop-Up Parlor, Kelly J. Sassi, Hannah Stevens

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

The Writing on Demand Unit is an important part of the College, Career, and Community Writers Program. In this article, we review the literature on C3WP; contextualize the writing on demand unit in relation to the other instructional resources in C3WP; explore five big ideas about writing on demand; and describe an approach to teaching this unit that includes some preliminary results of teaching this unit in a rural, Native American high school. The five big ideas that inform its use are the following: 1) emotions matter, 2) everyone does it, so provide reasons for writing on demand, 3) time …

A Content Analysis Of Scientific Practices In A Fourth-Grade Commercial Literacy Program, Hailey A. Oswald

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing science literacy among all students is a longstanding goal of science education. The most recent national attempt to improve science education, and thereby increase science literacy, came in the form of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards, which include 3 dimensions: scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. The purpose of this content analysis was to examine the alignment between 4 of the scientific practices (Asking Questions; Constructing Explanations; Engaging in Argument from Evidence; and Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) and a widely used commercial literacy program, Reading Wonders, with …

Characteristics Of Seventh-Grade Middle School Students Who Attended A Continuation High School, Rae Lynn Kit

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored pre-existing quantitative data for 55 students when they were in the seventh grade who eventually attended a continuation high school years later. There were 101 students at a particular continuation high school, and this research explored pre-existing data looking solely at the students who were in the same district while they were in seventh grade. Attendance and grades from the pre-existing data in the district’s software system were analyzed using a descriptive methodology followed by a cluster analysis through SPSS. Attendance findings for the 55 students revealed that nine students (16%) were absent with a frequency of …

Chicago Alliance For Equity In Computer Science (Cafecs): Cycles Of Improvement, Steven Mcgee, Lucia Dettori, Don Yanek, Andrew M. Rasmussen, Ronald I. Greenberg, Dale F. Reed, Erin Henrick

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Determining Differences In Bilingualism And Learning Disabilities, Mayreni Villegas

Community Engagement Student Work

In U.S. history, people who have any form of disabilities have been overlooked, hidden at home and other were sent away. Much like minorities who enter the US educational system and are often times placed in remedial classes or special education due to their language barrier. The over-representation of minorities in special education classes has sparked researchers’ interest in determining if being multi-lingual can cause any form of learning disability. After much research, it has been concluded that being multi-lingual does not correlate with having learning disabilities however; which does not explain the over-representation of multi-lingual minorities in special education …

Teacher Hiring And Placement At The Elementary School Level: The Challenges Of Implementing Strategic Human Resource Management Practices, Brittany Nicole Walker

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Decades of research emphasizes the importance of staffing schools with quality teachers, as this will have the largest impact on student achievement (Mason, Schroeder, 2010). With high teacher turnover rates in addition to shrinking qualified candidate pools, the hiring process holds great significance (Tooms, 2004). This case study explored how one school district hires and places elementary school teachers. This study follows a qualitative case study approach using documents and interviews as data collection methods. Recently, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) has made the transition from business to educational literature. This study explored two concepts, including fit and flexibility from …

Student Connectedness And Academic Achievement: A Quantitative Study Of Career And Technical Education Students, Kern Mcginley

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The focus of this correlational study in an Alaskan career and technical (CTE) school environment was to explore the research question that guided this study: In a large urban school district of Alaska, with a diverse student population, what is the relationship between the CTE student connectedness level and academic achievement levels? Participants included 132 high school students, Grades 10 through 12. Additional research questions were developed to examine the strength of the relationship between student connectedness and academic achievement by gender and ethnicity. Data were collected using an online survey with a combination of demographic questions and Goodenow’s (1993b) …