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University of Central Florida

HIM 1990-2015

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2014

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Articles 1 - 15 of 15

Full-Text Articles in Education

Why Evidence Matters: Examining The Knowledge And Perception Of Pre-Service Teachers, Stefanie Campbell Dec 2014

Why Evidence Matters: Examining The Knowledge And Perception Of Pre-Service Teachers, Stefanie Campbell

HIM 1990-2015

Evidence-based educational policymaking has become a global phenomenon (Wiseman, 2010). According to the Institute of Education Sciences, evidence-based education is "an integration of the professional wisdom and the best available empirical evidence on making decision about how to deliver instructions" (IES, US Department of Education, 2012). This suggests that best practice requires teachers to ensure that instructional strategies and programs implemented in their classroom have been studied in scientific experiments to determine their effectiveness. The general public, as well as practicing teachers, holds an assumption that educators have knowledge as to what is evidence-based education. However, this is not always …


A Comparison Of Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Mathematics Textbooks In The United States And The United Kingdom, Porscha Clonts Dec 2014

A Comparison Of Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Mathematics Textbooks In The United States And The United Kingdom, Porscha Clonts

HIM 1990-2015

This study was a qualitative research study dedicated to the deep investigation of a regular and advanced seventh grade mathematics textbook used in Florida and the United Kingdom. A questionnaire was created for a teacher in both locations, along with the researcher, to rate the textbooks according to different characteristics. The two research questions that were answered through the research include: 1. In what ways, if any, is diversity represented in the pages of each seventh grade mathematics textbooks examined? a. In what ways is the diversity of each textbook comparable to the observed diversity of the country in which …


Text Complexity And Close Reading: Teachers' Perceptions Of The Language Arts Florida Standards And Curriculum Implementation, Clare Diaz-Davila Dec 2014

Text Complexity And Close Reading: Teachers' Perceptions Of The Language Arts Florida Standards And Curriculum Implementation, Clare Diaz-Davila

HIM 1990-2015

The Florida Department of Education revised the Common Core State Standards into what are now known as the Florida Standards in February 2014, approving 99 revisions to the original standards that were accepted in 2010 (Dunkelberger, 2014). The purpose of this research was to identify current teachers# attitudes towards the new Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS), specifically regarding teachers# perceptions of text complexity and close reading as enacted in the reading curriculum. Additionally, this study will attempt to identify how teachers# attitudes impact their implementation of the new standards. This research used a self-administered survey to collect the teacher perceptions …


Synthesizing The Music Integration Research To Explore Five Common Themes In Intermediate Elementary Classrooms, Alexandria Harkins Dec 2014

Synthesizing The Music Integration Research To Explore Five Common Themes In Intermediate Elementary Classrooms, Alexandria Harkins

HIM 1990-2015

Much scientific research has been conducted to examine the effects of music on the brain and abilities of people. The results have shown a positive correlation between music used in various ways and the abilities and skills of people, especially children. However, the use of music in the general intermediate classroom is lacking. After reviewing scientific research to provide a foundation for the study and synthesizing the five Music Integration Practices, two teachers were interviewed and observed on their use of music in their general intermediate classrooms. The interviews, observation checklists, and anecdotal notes taken by the researcher provide music …


Secondary English Teachers' Perceptions And Expectations Of High School Athletes, Sarah Jarem Dec 2014

Secondary English Teachers' Perceptions And Expectations Of High School Athletes, Sarah Jarem

HIM 1990-2015

In the United States, there are currently over seven million high school athletes, all of whom are required to take four years of core classes as well as elective classes. Core subject areas consist of math, science, social sciences, and English language arts. Of the four core subject areas, both national and state education committees place emphasis and scrutiny on English language arts. The research within this thesis, conducted in the form of an interview, is meant to explore English language arts teachers' possible attitudes and expectations of their student athletes in concern to their writing abilities. Special emphasis will …


Elementary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions Of Thematic Unit Instruction Versus Single-Subject Instruction, Shana Shea Dec 2014

Elementary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions Of Thematic Unit Instruction Versus Single-Subject Instruction, Shana Shea

HIM 1990-2015

The focus of this research project was to determine whether thematic unit instruction or traditional, single-subject instruction was perceived to be the more effective and engaging way of teaching as decided by pre-service teachers. Research has shown that incorporating multiple subjects into one unit or topic of study helps to create more engagement and connections to which students can relate. In creating these connections, students can relate the content to their real life and in turn, better comprehend and retain the material. The pre-service teachers attend the University of Central Florida's College of Education and Human Performance. They voluntarily participated …


Exploring The Impact Of Bibliotherapy And Family Literacy Bags On Elementary Students Experiencing Divorce, Simone Smith Dec 2014

Exploring The Impact Of Bibliotherapy And Family Literacy Bags On Elementary Students Experiencing Divorce, Simone Smith

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this research project was to use picture books to create family literacy bags surrounding the topic of divorce, in order to explore their impact on children and families. Divorce is on the rise and so many children are facing, or may face divorce, in their preadolescent lives. This thesis involved creating a tool that will help enrich family support and guidance with issues or stressors that arise from the divorce. As educators, caregivers and school personnel consider the use of family literacy bags, my research has the potential to impact these students and their families. Through my …


The Changes That Preservice Teachers Have Seen In The Attitudes Of Teachers About Social Studies In Elementary Schools, Katherine Syracuse Dec 2014

The Changes That Preservice Teachers Have Seen In The Attitudes Of Teachers About Social Studies In Elementary Schools, Katherine Syracuse

HIM 1990-2015

Ever since national legislation has become involved in the testing of our students, the face of social studies education in elementary school classrooms has changed drastically. With the passage of Goals 2000 in 1993, social studies instruction in elementary school classrooms has seen a steep decline in the time allotted. Also, the attitude of administrators and teachers in elementary schools has taken away the importance of social studies in the classroom. While social studies has seen a big change in the amount of time dedicated to instruction in the past 20 years, there is still hope for the important topics …


Multi-Tiered System Of Supports In Florida: Exploring The Knowledge Of Parents Within The Mtss Process, Stephanie Troisi Dec 2014

Multi-Tiered System Of Supports In Florida: Exploring The Knowledge Of Parents Within The Mtss Process, Stephanie Troisi

HIM 1990-2015

In the American public school system, as of 2011, over 8% of students are placed in special education programs. To provide early intervention for struggling students before placement into special education services, three-tier model called Response to Intervention (RtI) was put into effect (FDOE, 2009). RtI (currently known as, Multi-Tiered System of Support-MTSS) is a multi-tiered system for struggling learners that provides increasingly intense levels of academic interventions and assessment (Bryd, 2011). Early intervention is a set of services for students who are at risk of, or who currently have, developmental delays or social emotional problems (Guralnick 2005). MTSS focuses …


An Art Teacher's Guide To A Cognitive Teaching Process: Prompting Student's Creative Thought, Kristen Warskow Dec 2014

An Art Teacher's Guide To A Cognitive Teaching Process: Prompting Student's Creative Thought, Kristen Warskow

HIM 1990-2015

This paper seeks to further explore stages an artist moves through that can be applied to teaching art, and helping students understand how to access their creativity. This project involves observation and an auto-ethnographic approach in order to best determine stages artists naturally move through when creating art. In order to most effectively suggest a teachable creative process for secondary art students, this paper will further explore cognitive and disciplinary categories in art education by applying principles and stages to a curricular guide (or lesson plans) for secondary art educators. Topics and studies of design thinking, creative inquiry, studio habits, …


What Is The Efficacy Of Peer Presentation For English Languag Learners?, Courtney Roy Aug 2014

What Is The Efficacy Of Peer Presentation For English Languag Learners?, Courtney Roy

HIM 1990-2015

This study investigates whether the learning strategy of Peer Presentations may positively influence an English Language Learner’s (ELL's) relationship with peers, and personal perspec-tives with pertinence to the sciences, public discourse, and their institution. Data collection in-struments included a developed pre- and post-sociometric survey to quantitate each classroom's social status, and a pre- and post-qualitative oral interview to acquire individual perceptions con-cerning enjoyment and contentment of academic topics. Three ELLs from two learning environ-ments participated with the eight day intervention, comprising of 45 minute instructive sessions to become proficient with demonstrating an arrangement of invigorating yet harmless scientific experiments. After …


A Survey Of Preservice Teachers In Regards To Their Attitudes And Perceptions Of Science Fiction Literature And Its Use In The Classroom, Amy Kosky May 2014

A Survey Of Preservice Teachers In Regards To Their Attitudes And Perceptions Of Science Fiction Literature And Its Use In The Classroom, Amy Kosky

HIM 1990-2015

In 1957 at the University of Chicago, Robert Heinlein asserted that through science fiction humanity can wonder upon important questions without causing harm to the real world. Through such speculative experiments science fiction can warn against dangerous solutions, urge toward better solutions. Science fiction joyously tackles the real and pressing problems of our race, wrestles with them, never ignores them—problems which other forms of fiction cannot challenge. For this reason I assert that science fiction is the most realistic, the most serious, the most significant, the most sane and healthy and human fiction being published today. (Davenport, 1959). Preservice teachers …


An Exploration Of Gender Impacts Through The Portrayal Of Teachers In Best Selling Picturebooks, 2008-2012, Alicia Martinez May 2014

An Exploration Of Gender Impacts Through The Portrayal Of Teachers In Best Selling Picturebooks, 2008-2012, Alicia Martinez

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this study is to examine if a difference exists in the quantity and/or quality, in terms of effectiveness in the portrayal of teachers, and according to gender, in New York Times best selling picturebooks, 2008 to 2012. This study examines the depiction of a teacher in terms of their effectiveness, as defined by Robert Walker’s 12 Characteristics of an effective teacher. Examining each of the portrayed teachers for both the 12 effective characteristics, as well as their direct antithesis, presents a clear image of the teachers presented to young audiences through picturebooks. In addition to comparing the …


Bringing John Green To Schools: Incorporating Young Adult Literature In A Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Emily Adams Jan 2014

Bringing John Green To Schools: Incorporating Young Adult Literature In A Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Emily Adams

HIM 1990-2015

As educators and administrators continue to struggle with the low literacy proficiency rates in this country, a new genre of literature is making its way into the classroom. Young Adult Literature, such as the works of John Green, are becoming a more familiar sight inside the classroom. However, some parents, educators, and members of the school districts are not happy with this new trend. In the last year, alone, young adult books have been challenged hundreds of times in hopes of getting them removed from the classroom and library. I believe that these books need to stay in the schools, …


Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions Of Promoting Teacher Autonomy Through The Use Of Lesson Study, Rachel Leon Jan 2014

Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions Of Promoting Teacher Autonomy Through The Use Of Lesson Study, Rachel Leon

HIM 1990-2015

The intent of thesis is to explore pre-service teachers' perceptions of using a form of professional development to promote teacher autonomy. Current evidence shows that autonomy is a recurring element desired by American teachers in their profession. However, research advocates for teachers who are initiating and carrying out research in their schools (as a form of professional development) to have the potential to promote autonomy. For American teachers to gain a sense of autonomy in their profession there needs to be a change in the way professional development is directed. One form of professional development that promotes teachers as researchers …