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Articles 1 - 22 of 22
Full-Text Articles in Education
Mathematics Teachers’ Use Of Assessment And Instructional Strategies, Bianca Croutch
Mathematics Teachers’ Use Of Assessment And Instructional Strategies, Bianca Croutch
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
U.S. middle school teachers have struggled to meet the instructional needs of students in the area of mathematics. Teachers’ approaches to assessment and instructional strategies remain understudied; such knowledge could help educational leaders to devise strategies to boost student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of assessment data usage and instructional strategies used in middle school mathematics. The conceptual framework was based on Fullan et al.’s three Ps (precision, personalization, and professional learning) framework. The guiding research questions for this study concerned teachers’ perceptions of assessment usage and instructional strategies and their considerations prior …
Mathematics Teachers’ Use Of Assessment And Instructional Strategies, Bianca Croutch
Mathematics Teachers’ Use Of Assessment And Instructional Strategies, Bianca Croutch
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
U.S. middle school teachers have struggled to meet the instructional needs of students in the area of mathematics. Teachers’ approaches to assessment and instructional strategies remain understudied; such knowledge could help educational leaders to devise strategies to boost student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of assessment data usage and instructional strategies used in middle school mathematics. The conceptual framework was based on Fullan et al.’s three Ps (precision, personalization, and professional learning) framework. The guiding research questions for this study concerned teachers’ perceptions of assessment usage and instructional strategies and their considerations prior …
Elementary Reading Teachers’ Perspectives On Differentiating Reading Instruction For Low-Socioeconomic Students, Edwina Jones
Elementary Reading Teachers’ Perspectives On Differentiating Reading Instruction For Low-Socioeconomic Students, Edwina Jones
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Differentiated instruction (DI) is recognized as a factor that could improve the reading disparity among students despite diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Few studies have been conducted that document elementary public school reading teachers’ perspectives on differentiating reading instruction and selecting DI strategies for low-performing, low-socioeconomic (LP-LSES) students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand third- through fifth-grade reading teachers’ perspectives on their abilities to differentiate reading instruction and select DI strategies effectively. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Tomlinson’s DI model and Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory. The research questions focused on the perspectives of third- through …
Differentiated Reading Instruction With Technology For Advanced Middle School Students’ Reading Achievement, Clarissa Haymon, Andrea Wilson
Differentiated Reading Instruction With Technology For Advanced Middle School Students’ Reading Achievement, Clarissa Haymon, Andrea Wilson
Journal of Educational Research and Practice
Guided by the theory of differentiated instruction, this quantitative study evaluated the effectiveness of Achieve 3000, a technology-enhanced program for differentiating reading instruction. Achieve 3000 was fully implemented with fidelity in a local middle school that has a large percentage of advanced learners. Archived reading scores of 120 advanced Grade 6–8 students were compared pre- and postimplementation of Achieve 3000. A paired-samples t test examining the overall effect of the intervention indicated that students’ posttest LevelSet Lexile reading scores were significantly higher than their pretest scores. A mixed-design analysis of variance was used to examine the main and interaction effects …
An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Teachers' Perspectives Of Differentiated Instruction In K-3 Inclusion Classrooms, Julie Franklin
An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Teachers' Perspectives Of Differentiated Instruction In K-3 Inclusion Classrooms, Julie Franklin
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Researchers have addressed teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction or teachers' perspectives on inclusion classrooms, but there was limited research on the combined topics of teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in inclusion classrooms. This interpretative phenomenological analysis used one to one interviews and reflective journals to explore nine teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms. The study's conceptual framework was comprised of Vygotsky's social constructivist theory and Piaget's theory of cognitive development. The research question and sub-questions asked about the challenges and successes teachers encountered in planning and implementing differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms, and what teachers believed …
Elementary Reading Teachers' Perceptions About Differentiated Instruction, Cathy Marie Davis
Elementary Reading Teachers' Perceptions About Differentiated Instruction, Cathy Marie Davis
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The local school district mandated the implementation of differentiated instructional (DI) strategies to strengthen students’ reading skills and curtail literacy deficits. The problem addressed by this study was that elementary reading teachers experienced difficulty implementing DI in their mixed-ability classrooms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the local elementary reading teachers’ perceptions about using DI in the classroom and to explore what teachers believed was needed to improve the effectiveness of their practice. Tomlinson’s DI model and Vygotsky’s theory of constructivism formed the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on reading teachers’ perceptions about …
Third-Grade Reading Teachers' Views On Achieve3000 For The Florida Standards Assessment Test, Ennis L. Brinson
Third-Grade Reading Teachers' Views On Achieve3000 For The Florida Standards Assessment Test, Ennis L. Brinson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Educators are challenged with meeting the academic needs of students, particularly in the subject area of reading. School districts purchase tools such as Achieve3000 to help students improve their proficiency in reading; however, implementation of such interventions has not been explored from the educators' perspective. This study explored 3rd grade reading teachers' views on Achieve3000 as a tool for improving reading proficiency and preparedness for the Florida State Standards English Language Arts assessment. The conceptual framework included the theory of social validity and current research as it related to differentiated instruction. This study utilized a basic qualitative approach to answer …
Technology With Differentiated Instruction For Advanced Middle School Students' Reading Achievement, Clarissa Haymon
Technology With Differentiated Instruction For Advanced Middle School Students' Reading Achievement, Clarissa Haymon
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Educators offer rich learning experiences to all students, including advanced learners. A school district experienced a decrease in improvement percentiles on annual state reading achievement tests for advanced middle school students between 2012 and 2015. Guided by the theory of differentiated instruction, this quantitative study evaluated the effectiveness of Achieve 3000, a technology-enhanced program for differentiating reading instruction in a middle school that has a large percentage of advanced learners. The program was fully implemented for advanced 6th through 8th grade students beginning in the 2017-18 school year. Using a causal-comparative design, the archived reading scores of 120 advanced 6th …
Second Grade Teachers' Perspectives On Differentiated Instruction, Alyssa Simmons
Second Grade Teachers' Perspectives On Differentiated Instruction, Alyssa Simmons
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite various instructional efforts, the second grade students in a mid-sized Southwestern school district failed to progress in reading. Although differentiated instruction has been shown to improve literacy skills for young readers, many teachers at the study site did not differentiate instruction for all students. Grounded in theories of social constructivism and differentiated instruction, the purpose of this study was to investigate second grade teachers' perspectives about using differentiated literacy instruction and the effect of their teaching experience and participation in professional development on those perspectives. Data for this nonexperimental, causal-comparative study were collected from 93 second grade teachers via …
Ability Grouping And Student Achievement In Four Rural Elementary Schools In The Southern United States, Rhonda Denise Kelley
Ability Grouping And Student Achievement In Four Rural Elementary Schools In The Southern United States, Rhonda Denise Kelley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
School personnel are concerned that reading gaps of grade 3 and grade 4 students have persisted in 4 rural elementary schools in the southern United States despite the use of ability grouping to improve student reading proficiency scores. Between the 2014-2016 school years, less than 50% of students in grades 3 and grade 4 scored at the proficient level in reading at the 4 target rural schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the teachers' and administrators' perceptions regarding the influence of grouping on the reading performance of students in grades 3 and 4. Using Vygotsky's …
Effects Of Instructional Pedagogy On Eighth-Grade Reading Students, Barbara Ward
Effects Of Instructional Pedagogy On Eighth-Grade Reading Students, Barbara Ward
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Education is the foundation for the future, and a successful education begins with strong literacy skills. The 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that only 36% of eighth-grade students in the United States were classified as reading on a proficient level, and 22% of eighth-grade students were unable to read and comprehend text at the basic level. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, post hoc analysis was to determine whether a difference existed in the change in test scores of the reading portion of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test from the 2011-2012 academic year to the 2012-2013 academic year …
Challenges To Implementing Differentiated Instruction In Middle School Classrooms With Mixed Skill Levels, Kristin Joy Lunsford
Challenges To Implementing Differentiated Instruction In Middle School Classrooms With Mixed Skill Levels, Kristin Joy Lunsford
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Implementing differentiated instruction in classrooms with students who have mixed skill levels often results in teachers facing many challenges. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore social studies teachers' perceptions of the challenges they faced when implementing differentiated instruction in classrooms with mixed skill levels and what teachers perceived they needed to help overcome these challenges. This project study was guided by the conceptual frameworks of constructivism from Piaget and Bruner along with the theoretical framework of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. The research questions focused on the viewpoints of teachers on implementing differentiated instruction in their …
General Education Teachers' Perceptions About Teaching Students With Autism In Urban Schools, Sabrina Denise Evans
General Education Teachers' Perceptions About Teaching Students With Autism In Urban Schools, Sabrina Denise Evans
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are included or mainstreamed in general education classrooms, yet general education teachers receive little, if any, formal training for working with children with ASD. The conceptual framework for this study was differentiated instruction, which is a best practice intended to improve educational experiences for children diagnosed with ASD. The purpose of this research study was to explore general education teachers' perceptions of providing differentiated instruction to these students. The research questions examined teachers' perceptions of barriers that can affect their ability to differentiate instruction in their classrooms and strategies teachers use to facilitate …
Elementary Coteachers' Understanding About Differentiated Instructional Practices For Students With Disabilities, Betty Smith King
Elementary Coteachers' Understanding About Differentiated Instructional Practices For Students With Disabilities, Betty Smith King
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite a rural Georgia school district's effort to increase the academic performance of all students, the achievement gap persists between general education and special education students. The purpose of the study was to explore what factors hindered coteachers from consistently applying differentiated instruction in elementary inclusion classrooms. The conceptual framework for the study emanated from Vygotsky's social development theory as it related to teachers learning from each other through professional collaboration. The research questions explored coteachers' perceptions about differentiated instruction for students with disabilities. Using a case study methodology and purposeful sampling of 6 general education and 6 special education …
Differentiation For Content Area Literacy: Middle School Teachers' Perceptions And Practices, Beth Ann Oswald
Differentiation For Content Area Literacy: Middle School Teachers' Perceptions And Practices, Beth Ann Oswald
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Recent studies support the use of differentiated instruction (DI) to improve literacy in content area classrooms. At the same time, research has found that few teachers implement DI purposefully or consistently. Accordingly, a case study design was used to explore middle school content area teachers' understanding and implementation of DI for content literacy at a site where it is an integral component of the response to intervention (RTI) process. The conceptual framework for this study was principles of differentiation, as defined and discussed by Tomlinson. Research questions were framed to examine how middle school content area teachers defined and implemented …
Differentiated Instruction, Teacher Immediacy, And Students' Mathematic Success, Katherine Ann Albanese-Benevento
Differentiated Instruction, Teacher Immediacy, And Students' Mathematic Success, Katherine Ann Albanese-Benevento
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study investigated the role of both arts-integrated instruction (art activities as part of math instruction) and teacher immediacy (teacher caring behaviors) levels on students' math achievement. Although students from low socio-economic culturally diverse school districts have shown improvement in academic test scores, their scores are still significantly lower than scores of students from other school districts. Research has shown that when there is an increase in teacher immediacy, students' academic success increases. Despite this known correlation, there is a lack of literature on the ways that arts integration, combined with teacher immediacy, can affect academic success. Constructivist theories, experiential …
Social Studies Teachers' Use Of Differentiated Instruction To Help Struggling Learners, Nicole Waid
Social Studies Teachers' Use Of Differentiated Instruction To Help Struggling Learners, Nicole Waid
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Students in a local rural northeastern high school have demonstrated decreasing academic performance in social studies courses for the past 5 years. The purpose of this bounded qualitative case study of the local social studies department was to investigate how social studies teachers and administrators for grades 7-12 describe differentiated instruction (DI) and professional development in DI. This study was grounded in the zone of proximal development, which stressed the importance of providing instruction at students' instructional levels, and DI, which emphasized tailoring instruction to address students' needs. Three research questions focused on how social studies teachers and administrators viewed …
Elementary (K-5) Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction, Christopher Maddox
Elementary (K-5) Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction, Christopher Maddox
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical method used by classroom teachers to enhance student learning. Researchers have described how students benefit from differentiated lessons, but have not explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of differentiation and student success. This gap is problematic because teachers' instruction directly affects student achievement. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how elementary (K-5) teachers define, familiarize, use, and perceive differentiation. The conceptual framework was rooted from a synthesis of ideas found in current refereed literature, and the educational concepts and constructionist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Purposeful sampling identified 12 participants for …
A Program Evaluation Of My MathTm: Improving Student Computational Fluency Through Inquiry-Based Instruction, Andrea Townsend
A Program Evaluation Of My MathTm: Improving Student Computational Fluency Through Inquiry-Based Instruction, Andrea Townsend
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This program evaluation study addressed a critical deficiency in early childhood math proficiency for a local urban school district. To strengthen students' skills in mathematics, the district adopted the Common Core State Standards and piloted an inquiry-based instructional program called My Math. The purpose of this project study was to determine the extent to which My Math met the goals of improving Grades K-2 students' math proficiency. The conceptual framework was based on theories of multiple intelligences, social learning, and foundations of social development. The National Program Evaluation Standards were used to guide the program evaluation. The research questions centered …
Secondary English Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction For Limited English Proficient Students, M L. Langley
Secondary English Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction For Limited English Proficient Students, M L. Langley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In a suburban high school, an average of 50% of limited English proficient (LEP) students did not meet the required standard on the 9th grade literature and composition end of course test (EOCT), and an average of 46% of LEP students did not meet the required standard on the American literature and composition EOCT in the years 2008-2011. LEP students were expected to meet the same standards as their native-born peers in order to pass courses and ultimately graduate. Using the professional learning community (PLC) model and the concept of differentiated instruction, the purpose of this qualitative case study was …
Instructional Practices Of English As Second Language Teachers, Karen Ann Wallis
Instructional Practices Of English As Second Language Teachers, Karen Ann Wallis
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The past decade has seen a significant increase in the emergence of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. Nationally, a disparity in achievement exists between ELLs and non-ELLs. Relatedly, this problem was evident in a northeastern school district, where ELLs had not made Adequate Yearly Progress 2 years in a row. The purpose of this study was to examine how much time English as Second Language (ESL) teachers spend on a variety of best instructional practices. Constructivism, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Tomilinson's differentiated instruction were the frameworks used to guide this research. A within-group design was …
Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Incorporating Alternative Assessments To Accommodate Students, Terra Wright
Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Incorporating Alternative Assessments To Accommodate Students, Terra Wright
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A suburban middle school located in the southeastern United States included differentiated instruction and technology in all aspects of the curriculum. Teachers at this school received professional development on differentiated strategies; however, many teachers did not apply the strategies to assessments and continued to use traditional assessments despite the poor performance of their students on class evaluations. This qualitative case study, rooted in constructivist theories, examined middle school teachers' perceptions and use of alternative assessments. All 6th Language Arts teachers were selectively invited to participate in my study because they teach a core 6th grade subject, four teachers responded and …