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Full-Text Articles in Education
Finding Fit In The Science Classroom: Applying Self-Determination Theory To Twice-Exceptional Students, John Burrell
Finding Fit In The Science Classroom: Applying Self-Determination Theory To Twice-Exceptional Students, John Burrell
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
In line with self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000; Ryan and Deci, 2017), this thesis explored how practices employed in a classroom between November 2020 through January 2021 affected satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Thirteen twice-exceptional students (gifted and learning disabled) between grades 4-10 participated in this mixed-methods study at an independent school in the upper midwest. Additionally, four of the thirteen students were selected as case studies to be interviewed and observed throughout the study period. This study explored how the implementation of needs-supportive practices, along with COVID-19 mitigation strategies (including distance-learning), affected …
School Recess: Benefits, Obstacles, And Policy, Amy Mcmullan
School Recess: Benefits, Obstacles, And Policy, Amy Mcmullan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The practice of school recess is explored including its benefits, obstacles, and policies. Academic literature provided research indicating a myriad of benefits including academic or cognitive, behavioral, health, and social emotional development, while challenges with implementing school recess are described as allocation of time as well as supervision, safety, and bullying. Current policies regarding recess are divided into two categories: requiring students be given a recess period and the issue of withholding recess. Original research was conducted with a mixed methods design by an electronic survey, where Minnesota elementary school principals were surveyed regarding recess in their schools. The data …
Minnesota School Forest Program: An Evaluation And Exploration Of Implementations, Madisson Weier
Minnesota School Forest Program: An Evaluation And Exploration Of Implementations, Madisson Weier
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources School Forest Program through answering the following questions: what are the strengths and limitations of the School Forest Program; What are the impacts of individual teacher objectives on the utilization and implementation of the School Forest Program? These questions were investigated using data collected from a survey sent to School Forest Coordinators as well as a data request to the Department of Natural Resources. This study found that participants in the School Forest Program feel that their School Forests add many positive benefits to their classrooms …
Impacts Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Strategies Programs On Educator Practices, Charles O’Donnell
Impacts Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Strategies Programs On Educator Practices, Charles O’Donnell
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Positive Behavior Interventions and Strategies has been a driving force in reshaping educator responses to student behavior and promoting equity since 1997. As a non-prescriptive initiative that varies across settings, implementation styles and effectiveness can also appear differently. In its overall aim to keep students out of the school-to-prison pipeline and promote positive behavior management techniques over punitive ones, PBIS has caused many educators to re-evaluate old attitudes about school discipline and learn new, more effective and equitable strategies to set students on the path to greater behavioral self-management and success. This action research encapsulates educator attitudes about PBIS on …
Early Childhood Education In Ethiopia: A Case Study With Implications For Ethiopian Immigrants, Fadila Adam
Early Childhood Education In Ethiopia: A Case Study With Implications For Ethiopian Immigrants, Fadila Adam
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research study analyzed early childhood education in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to find out about early childhood education in Ethiopia in order to effectively support Ethiopian families in St. Paul, Minnesota. The following are the research guiding questions: 1) What are the early childhood teaching methodologies being used in the Ethiopian education system? 2) What are the teachers’ qualifications in Ethiopian early childhood education? 3) What are teachers’ perceptions of early childhood education in Ethiopia? Studies from the Center on the Developing Child found that learning in early childhood sets the foundation for future learning and …
Reducing Your Water Footprint: An Activity Packet On Water Conservation For Young Children, Mallory A. Colegrove
Reducing Your Water Footprint: An Activity Packet On Water Conservation For Young Children, Mallory A. Colegrove
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This curriculum guide capstone sought to answer the question of, how can young children reduce their water footprint? In order to achieve this, it was determined that the form of an activity packet focused on water conservation would allow for young children to be introduced to, and habitually practice, water conservation methods. The author researched child development theories that were most effective in educating the widest possible audience of children while dually causing the instilling of environmental values; the science of habits was also examined. Additionally, the author examined preexisting activity packets and curriculums regarding the environment that had been …
Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Single Gender Classroom In An Elementary School Setting, Jade Phillips
Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Single Gender Classroom In An Elementary School Setting, Jade Phillips
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, what factors should parents consider before choosing a single gender classroom for their child? The author researched biological differences of boys and girls as found by Dr. Leonard Sax as well as perceptions and realities of boys and girls who have been exposed to single gender classrooms as seen in work by Rosemary Salomone and Michael Gurian. Qualitative and Quantitative research was conducted and the author discovered that students and teachers unanimously disagree with single gender classrooms for a variety of reasons.
Exploring Career Development Curricula And Experience Of Secondary Transition Students With Intellectual Disabilities: Interviews With Students And Teachers, Anthony Oliver Dosen
Exploring Career Development Curricula And Experience Of Secondary Transition Students With Intellectual Disabilities: Interviews With Students And Teachers, Anthony Oliver Dosen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was: what kind of job-searching and vocational development skills are being taught to secondary transition students with intellectual disabilities in major American transition programs? The purpose was to determine possible reasons why the employment gap for students with intellectual disabilities remains high following graduation from secondary programs. This qualitative study synthesized past and current research in the fields of job development, customized employment, disability services, and transition education along with detailed, semistructured interviews with current transition students with intellectual disabilities and transition teachers. The author identifies three main themes that emerged from the …
How Does A Targeted Services Intervention Program Focused On Base-Ten Place Value Development Impacts Growth Of Second Graders In Mathematics, Katherine J. Shelley
How Does A Targeted Services Intervention Program Focused On Base-Ten Place Value Development Impacts Growth Of Second Graders In Mathematics, Katherine J. Shelley
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was: How does a Targeted Services intervention program focused on base-ten place value development impact the growth of second graders in meeting district achievement expectations in mathematics? This research was inspired by the importance of helping underachieving students reach grade level expectations in the area of place value and applying this understanding in solving addition and subtraction problems. The research took place during twenty after-school class sessions. Data was collected through assessments, student journal questions, and teacher observations. The data was used to plan instruction throughout the course and to monitor growth and …
Using Evidence-Based Spelling Instruction To Support Elementary Students: A Self-Study, Brigid Ayn Berger
Using Evidence-Based Spelling Instruction To Support Elementary Students: A Self-Study, Brigid Ayn Berger
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Teachers have been slow to adopt research-based best practices for spelling instruction. The purpose of this project was to identify effective spelling practices and reflect on the practical implementation of those practices in a first grade classroom. The research question was, how can teachers use research-based strategies to support elementary students as they develop spelling skills? This paper provides a review of English orthography and developmental spelling instruction before contrasting effective and ineffective instructional strategies. The author, a first grade teacher, conducts a self-study in which she implements formative assessments into her spelling routines and reflects upon the process of …
Teaching Problem Solving In Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction In Kindergarten, Christy Faith Wilson Eckenrode
Teaching Problem Solving In Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction In Kindergarten, Christy Faith Wilson Eckenrode
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The study explores the effects of mathematical conversations, using Cognitively Guided Instruction practices (CGI), on the problem solving ability and academic language usage of kindergarten students. Four treatment groups of students were followed over a ten week period. Students were grouped by the number of minutes that they participated in mathematical conversations per week. Students in the group that had the most minutes per week of mathematical conversations grew by the greatest amount in both problem solving and academic language capacity. Students in the control group regressed in both problem solving and academic language. Students in the group the met …
Response To Intervention In The Kindergarten Classroom, Megan Elizabeth Bauer
Response To Intervention In The Kindergarten Classroom, Megan Elizabeth Bauer
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can kindergarten teachers support the Response to Intervention (RTI) process? It explores the RTI model, procedures for student identification, developmental appropriateness, and ways to collect and use data to support student growth. The action research study documents the results of interventions performed with five students in a kindergarten classroom. The findings demonstrate that early student identification and structured intervention within the classroom can have positive effects on student growth and success.
How Can The 5-E Learning Cycle Model Of Instruction Be Used To Develop A Differentiated Science Unit On Evolution Based On Six Minnesota Evolution Standards?, Monica Christine Digre
How Can The 5-E Learning Cycle Model Of Instruction Be Used To Develop A Differentiated Science Unit On Evolution Based On Six Minnesota Evolution Standards?, Monica Christine Digre
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can the 5-E Learning Cycle Model of Instruction be used to develop a differentiated science unit on evolution based on six Minnesota evolution standards? The capstone documents a middle school life science teacher’s experience developing a curriculum for teaching evolution in a nontraditional way. The author explores the difficulties in teaching evolution with a traditional approach by researching experts in the field of both Evolutionary Biology and secondary science instruction. Through the use of the 5-E Learning Cycle Model of Instruction, the author develops an inquiry-based and hands-on curriculum to teach …
Developing The 21st Century Skills Of Creativity, Collaboration And Information Fluency In A Kindergarten Classroom, Corrine Marie Schmidt
Developing The 21st Century Skills Of Creativity, Collaboration And Information Fluency In A Kindergarten Classroom, Corrine Marie Schmidt
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how can kindergarten students develop the 21st Century Skills of creativity, collaboration and information fluency through technology integration? It documents one teacher’s creation of a literacy based curriculum unit that gives kindergarten students opportunities to grow their 21st Century Skills, using the iPad as the learning tool. Key influences for this capstone include the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s new standards for technology integration in early education classrooms, as well as the International Literacy Association’s new standards for literacy education. Richardson’s research on the change in learning and teacher’s …
Finding ‘A Heart To Continue:’ A Study Of Constructive-Developmental Diversity And Academic Literacy Learning Experiences In The Adult English As A Second Or Other Language (Esol) Classroom, Jennifer Rae Ouellette-Schramm
Finding ‘A Heart To Continue:’ A Study Of Constructive-Developmental Diversity And Academic Literacy Learning Experiences In The Adult English As A Second Or Other Language (Esol) Classroom, Jennifer Rae Ouellette-Schramm
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Developing academic literacy skills is becoming increasingly high-stakes for Adult Basic Education (ABE) English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) learners to accomplish goals like passing the General Education Diploma (GED) test or preparing for post-secondary. ESOL literature suggests that academic literacy development is not only a language issue, but a cognitive and academic phenomenon. Related to an adult learner’s cognitive and academic learning is stage of epistemological complexity. Theories of adult epistemological development, including constructive-developmental theories, are based on empirical research demonstrating that the logics through which adults construct meaning can continue to develop over time following predictable …
How Do Mindset Interventions Affect 6th Grade Students' Mindsets, Nadine Louise Uremovich
How Do Mindset Interventions Affect 6th Grade Students' Mindsets, Nadine Louise Uremovich
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was: How do mindset interventions affect 6th grade students' mindsets? Students in a 6th grade middle school setting were participants in a series of mindset interventions that took place over eight weeks during science class. Surveys, student work samples, and anecdotal notes demonstrated that mindset interventions increase growth mindset in 6th grade students. The research had several unexpected results which included: 1) mindset interventions increased students' knowledge about brain structure and function; 2) mindset interventions caused an increase in use of students' problem-solving strategies; 3) mindset interventions caused a decrease in concern about …