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High School Students' Perceptions Of Banned Books, Carissa Hennen Jan 2024

High School Students' Perceptions Of Banned Books, Carissa Hennen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research study consisted of interviews with twelve students ages 14-18 at a Northeastern Ohio high school to determine their opinions regarding banned books and content restrictions in schools. With book bans increasing and becoming a divisive topic, many adult figures such as parents, politicians, educators, and school administrators have made their opinions known, but student perspectives are often disregarded. This study seeks to further the research on opinions of book bans by extending these questions to students to fill this gap in research and gain deeper insight into the perception of high school students in regard to school curriculum. …


Physical, Emotional, And Occupational Dimensions Of Wellness And Their Applicability: A Feasibility Study, Josephine Savitski Jan 2024

Physical, Emotional, And Occupational Dimensions Of Wellness And Their Applicability: A Feasibility Study, Josephine Savitski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This feasibility study investigates a health and wellness intervention program based on the 7 Dimensions of Wellness framework, emphasizing evidence-based methods, accessibility, and participant independence. The research combines insights from a comprehensive literature review, which explores resources essential for designing, implementing, and executing health literacy based interventions targeting three dimensions of wellness. The study outlines methods for participant selection, program delivery, and data collection, synthesizing existing research and scholarly works to provide insights into effective strategies, educational tools, and interdisciplinary approaches. Despite the absence of statistical analysis, pre- and post-survey results demonstrate positive trends. Reflections on observed outcomes highlight adaptability, …


Teacher Perceptions Of "Don't Say Gay" Bills, Melody King Jan 2024

Teacher Perceptions Of "Don't Say Gay" Bills, Melody King

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, I will research teacher perceptions of bills restricting the discussion of LGBTQ matters in the classroom. In Florida, a “don’t say gay” bill is already in effect. Since the bill in Florida was passed, 22 other states have proposed similar legislation. I will conduct a literature review on this topic. I will also interview teachers working in various northeast Ohio school districts. I will review the information from the literature review as well as the information given to me by the teachers in the interviews to create insight into the effect of these bills on teachers. I …


Asynchronous Class For Algebra I Preparation, Hunter Garretson Jan 2024

Asynchronous Class For Algebra I Preparation, Hunter Garretson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Algebra I is the first high school mathematics class students take making it an important building block in the student’s growing mathematical foundation. Mitigating any losses in knowledge over the summer by using educational review tools has been proven helpful in previous studies. Every student comes from a different background, socioeconomic class, ethnicity, culture, etc., allowing each student to have a different summer experience. A meta-analysis looking into the concern of Summer Learning Loss (SLL) found that while some of its sample size would make summer knowledge gains, more than half of the sample size was projected to suffer from …


The Impact Of Covid-19 On The I Promise School, Katherine Haver Jan 2023

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The I Promise School, Katherine Haver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will research the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the I Promise School in Akron and the social emotional learning of the students who attend there. Data will be collected through a survey sent to I Promise School faculty and staff members. Questions asked will be about how online learning affected the teachers' connections with their students, how social emotional learning strategies where incorporated online, and what challenges are now being faced as students return to in person learning? The goal of this project is to learn about the effects of COVID-19 in the I Promise School, so …


A Handbook For Homeschoolers, Sarah Groggs Jan 2023

A Handbook For Homeschoolers, Sarah Groggs

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

According to the US Census Bureau, homeschooling is on the rise in an unprecedented way in the aftermath of Covid-19. As someone who was homeschooled all the way up until college, I am very passionate about being involved in the homeschooling community. I intend to create a homeschooling handbook that helps consolidate some of the wisdom and will feature two main components: it will provide advice about the actual process of homeschooling from veteran homeschoolers as well as a compilation of resources that homescholers in the area have found to be useful. My goal is to help connect newcomers in …


Dancing Through The Harlem Renaissance: An Inquiry-Based Unit Plan Exploring Movement And Culture, Marina Tsirambidis Jan 2023

Dancing Through The Harlem Renaissance: An Inquiry-Based Unit Plan Exploring Movement And Culture, Marina Tsirambidis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Incorporating movement and physical activity into the K-12, general education classroom has been on the rise. In a study done in 2019, Chloe Bedard deemed physical activity successful within the primary school setting and was determined to examine the benefits of movement integration into the secondary school setting (Bedard et al 2019, as cited in Romar, 2023). Additionally, dance scholars have researched the positive effects of incorporating dance history and movement into the classroom. With these two major advancements in mind, this study will provide a social studies unit that integrates dance movement. This unit aims to teach students about …


Investigating The Influences Of Summer Experiences On Students' Self-Efficacy In Stem, Olivia Palicki Jan 2023

Investigating The Influences Of Summer Experiences On Students' Self-Efficacy In Stem, Olivia Palicki

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Improving high school students’ interest and confidence in STEM is a national priority. Educators and stakeholders in educational policy have pressed for increasing opportunities to engage students in authentic science experiences and focus on teaching 21st century skills. The purpose of this case study was to investigate how a summer research experience may have influenced high school students’ self-efficacy and career interests in STEM subjects and practices as well as identifying what students learned from their experience in the program. Pre/post program surveys were analyzed to measure change in student attitudes towards STEM and to capture students learning outcomes from …


Trauma Informed Learning In The Classroom: A Literature Review, Alexis Ore Jan 2023

Trauma Informed Learning In The Classroom: A Literature Review, Alexis Ore

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

More than 3.1 million children a year are either abused or neglected (The State, 2022). During my student teaching this semester, I have seen first-hand the importance of trauma-informed learning in the classroom. How we teach our children has changed a lot throughout time, but change can be very important in making sure that students get the most out of their education and making sure that they can be productive members of society once they graduate and go out on their own. Trauma-informed learning is one big change happening in education. Trauma-informed learning is an understanding of how trauma can …


A Scientific Approach To Sight Word Acquisition In Early Childhood, Emma J. Powers Jan 2023

A Scientific Approach To Sight Word Acquisition In Early Childhood, Emma J. Powers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Teachers have commonly taught sight words through viewing the word as a whole unit and committing it to memory through repetition, but this practice bears little connection to phonics. While this method may work for some, for many students, especially those with specific learning disabilities (SLDs), it is not enough. Through this honors project, the teacher candidate will research new instructional methods based in the Science of Reading, which utilize orthographic mapping, or letter-sound connections, to chunk sight words into recognizable and phonetically regular spelling patterns (Ehri, 2014). To do so, she will investigate a body of evidence from relevant …


Culturally Responsive Teaching And Music Education, Katie Johnson Jan 2023

Culturally Responsive Teaching And Music Education, Katie Johnson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The United States’ music culture is predominantly focused on the Western music tradition. Yet, the population in the United States is wildly diverse and continues to become even more so at a rapid rate. Because of this, culturally relevant teaching has become an increasingly discussed topic in music education. Why do some music educators feel out of place with music outside of the classical tradition? It can be traced backed to the Eurocentrism of music schools in the United States. Music schools focus primarily on the classical Western music realm, including topics such as music theory, socially accepted ensembles and …


Teacher Perspectives On Engaging Sped Students In Stem, Matthew Ripple Jan 2023

Teacher Perspectives On Engaging Sped Students In Stem, Matthew Ripple

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this research is to learn more about the teacher perception of student engagement during STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities, specifically for students with disabilities. Additionally, this research enhances the understanding of which accommodations teachers perceive to be beneficial for students with disabilities, specifically during STEM curricula with an engineering component. To accomplish this purpose, the results from eight teacher interviews were analyzed qualitatively, being treated as case studies. Each of the teachers currently teach a STEM class incorporates at least one unit with a design challenge. Seven themes from teacher interview data are identified as …


The Impact Of Remote Learning In The Wake Of Covid19, Dominique Richards Jan 2023

The Impact Of Remote Learning In The Wake Of Covid19, Dominique Richards

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With COVID19, the University of Akron and many other universities had to adjust how they taught students. They went from primarily in-person classes to primarily remote classes as well as hybrid classes. This project is meant to determine how students at the university were affected by this change regarding their overall satisfaction with remote learning. Students at the University of Akron were surveyed in September 2023. The questions regarded demographics, location during the semesters (from spring 2020 to current), impact on study habits, impact on grades, impact on social life, satisfaction with courses, and general thoughts on online learning. Questions …


Measuring Students' Pro-Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors Before And After Demonstration-Based Instruction, Collin Ryan Jan 2022

Measuring Students' Pro-Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors Before And After Demonstration-Based Instruction, Collin Ryan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A growing amount of research exists on environmental education programs which incorporates the viewpoints of students into its assessment of the program’s efficacy. This research seeks to add to that body and evaluate an environmental education program about the sustainability of plastics, using both quantitative and qualitative data collected from participating students. The data was collected after a 90-minute instructional block of demonstration-based environmental education meant to inform students on the variability of plastics’ properties and the sorting and remolding processes of recycling. It also aimed to help build pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in the students, and a sense of …


Young Adult Literature In The Classroom: A Tool To Inspire Students And Encourage Reading Both Inside And Outside Of The Classroom, Naomi Nagy Jan 2022

Young Adult Literature In The Classroom: A Tool To Inspire Students And Encourage Reading Both Inside And Outside Of The Classroom, Naomi Nagy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper examines the potential of incorporating more young adult literature into high school English and language arts classrooms. Drawing on past research of others and the thoughts and opinions of a handful of current high school students, this paper will focus on what young adult literature is, why more teens and young adults should read it, and how it can be incorporated and taught in the average high school English classroom. These studies, along with the thoughts and experiences provided by high school students surveyed for this paper, may not reflect the thoughts and opinions of every high school …


Technology’S Impact On Students In A Virtual Environment, Leah S. Sorensen Jan 2022

Technology’S Impact On Students In A Virtual Environment, Leah S. Sorensen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In 2020, a worldwide pandemic ensued as the coronavirus spread throughout the United States. This caused a nationwide shutdown, closing schools. All forms of education went to a virtual learning setting, where all students were expected to learn outside of a classroom. This also meant that there became a heavy reliance on technology. This setting and use of technology began to affect students’ learning and development. Through conducted research, three domains of child development are evaluated to determine the effects of this form of learning. The cognitive, physical, and social-emotional domains will be considered.


Developing Self-Efficacy In Mathematics Through Visual Art: An Observational Research Report On A Preschool Child With Exceptionalities, Ever Daw-Powers Jan 2022

Developing Self-Efficacy In Mathematics Through Visual Art: An Observational Research Report On A Preschool Child With Exceptionalities, Ever Daw-Powers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Self-efficacy is a skill that can inspire problem solving, high confidence, and critical thinking skills. As educators seek to create an enriching, inclusive, and engaging academic environment for students with disabilities, it is important to incorporate strategies for building self-efficacy throughout learning. I pose a potential solution to integrate self-efficacy building into mathematical concepts through visual art. The participant in this study is a four-year-old child diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), sensory input issues, and a developmental delay. Over a four-week period, I performed a pre-assessment, four lesson plans, and a post-assessment. I created the assessment to measure …


Analysis Of The High School Math Desmos Curriculum, Marlaina Kurt Jan 2022

Analysis Of The High School Math Desmos Curriculum, Marlaina Kurt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this research project, the research question of “How does the online curriculum and resources on Desmos impact student learning and success in the classroom?” will be addressed. The goal of this project is to analyze different activities on the Desmos website for high school students and see how effective they would be at increasing student learning. The different Desmos sections where these activities can be found are: Exponential Functions, Functions, Inequalities, Linear Functions, Linear Systems, Quadratic Functions, and Modeling. There are 50 total activities within these groups, and these selected activities will be analyzed for this project. To reach …


The Effectiveness Of Incorporating Physical Activity Into The Classroom: A Literature Review, Lauren Reynolds Jan 2022

The Effectiveness Of Incorporating Physical Activity Into The Classroom: A Literature Review, Lauren Reynolds

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Keeping students engaged and achieving in their academic content in school is becoming a very difficult task for teachers all across the nation. A relatively new concept that many teachers and schools are attempting to try in order to accomplish this task is incorporating physical activity in the classroom. However, we still wonder just how effective this integration is and what are the effects across the various grade levels and subject areas? To answer this question, relevant articles were researched, and information was gathered on studies that have been previously done. Results show that overall physical activity incorporated in the …


The Relationship Between Engagement And Tactile Learning In A Math Classroom Setting, Mikayla Mcbride Jan 2022

The Relationship Between Engagement And Tactile Learning In A Math Classroom Setting, Mikayla Mcbride

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

math setting. I will be teaching a student two similar lessons of multiplication. One lesson will be taught completely with manipulatives. The other lesson will be taught with pencil and paper. The level of engagement between the student and the lesson will be measured for each lesson. I will be using formative assessment to measure student engagement through observation. I will also use a checklist to check multiplication accuracy at the end of the lesson. My hypothesis is that the student will have a higher level of engagement when tactile learning is used. I believe the student will have a …


The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Special Education: A Case Study, Megan Cercone Jan 2022

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Special Education: A Case Study, Megan Cercone

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this research project is to explore the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on special education by evaluating the experiences of one child with disabilities who attends public schools. METHODS: A semi-structured interview was conducted with the two parents of the child, who has physical disabilities and an IEP through his school, meaning he receives special education services through intervention teachers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. The interview was recorded and transcribed, and then interview transcripts were evaluated to identify themes in the subjects’ responses regarding their child’s experience with public education during the pandemic. …


A Case Study On Special Education And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Megan Cercone Jan 2022

A Case Study On Special Education And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Megan Cercone

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this qualitative project is to explore the implications of online public schooling for a student with special needs, how this type of teaching impacted his individualized education plan (IEP), and investigate solutions to the consequences of the pandemic for special education. I am specifically interested in how the student's online education may have affected his progress in the physical, occupational, and speech therapy services he typically receives in school as required by his IEP. This project entails interviews of the parents and school-based occupational therapists of a child with special needs to examine the impact online schooling …


Study Guide Generation In Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics: A Comparison Between Individual And Group Preparation, William Brown Jan 2022

Study Guide Generation In Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics: A Comparison Between Individual And Group Preparation, William Brown

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Thermodynamics is an essential course in the chemical engineering curriculum. Thermodynamics requires the use of many equations and rules that use subtle concepts from math, physics, and chemistry. To assist students with using these equations and recalling rules on exams, students are often permitted a “study guide” to use on the exams to help avoid rote memorization. Study guide construction is an environment in which students learn, and learning has been shown to improve when collaboration is involved. In this research, students will construct study guides individually for one exam, and in teams for one exam. Students will answer questions …


Think Beyond The Literary Canon: The Potential For Young Adult Literature Within A High School Classroom, Megan Mayle Jan 2021

Think Beyond The Literary Canon: The Potential For Young Adult Literature Within A High School Classroom, Megan Mayle

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project will evaluate and build upon existing research on the use of young adult (YA) literature in high school curriculum. The project will include researching what is currently read in high school classrooms, examining studies on the use of YA literature, and presenting examples and models of implementing three major YA novels into high school curriculum. The three novels that will be looked at in-depth are The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The goal for this research …


Furthering Cultural Understanding Through Music, Sophia Abukamail Jan 2021

Furthering Cultural Understanding Through Music, Sophia Abukamail

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project explores the role that music plays in fostering cultural understanding and equity by discussing the sociopolitical implications of musical collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli musicians. In order to do this, the paper will dive into the history of the conflict between Palestine and Israel, detail instances of musical collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli musicians, show how music is helping to bridge the divide between these two cultures, and examine the intentions and consequences of such collaborations as they relate to music, politics, and society. The purpose of this project is to investigate the ways that music can affect …


Using Online Games To Engage Students In Transition Skills, Emily Miller Jan 2021

Using Online Games To Engage Students In Transition Skills, Emily Miller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, a game will be designed to assist students in transition skill-building. It will be presented at a minimum of one teacher's conference, and after the conference, I will be assisting in designing custom games for conference participants if they request to have a game made. During the conference, I will be talking about my experiences with using the Breakout EDU platform to design educational games and how learning the platform went for me. It will be a very beneficial experience for me, learning how to utilize an engaging online platform that I can use in my future …


The Issue Of Cyberbullying: A Literature Review, Hannah Hartzler Jan 2021

The Issue Of Cyberbullying: A Literature Review, Hannah Hartzler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper will examine current literature regarding cyberbullying. First, cyberbullying will be defined and then, the differences between direct bullying and cyberbullying will be considered. Statistics that pertain to cyberbullying, factors regarding who is cyberbullied and who cyberbullies and what teachers can do to help will be examined. Cyberbullying is an issue that many adolescents face. As adults that spend many hours with these adolescents, teachers can make a big difference. The purpose of this paper is to review current research in order to help educate teachers on cyberbullying and how they can help.


Adolescent Identity Development In An Art Classroom, Katherine Mcgormley Jan 2021

Adolescent Identity Development In An Art Classroom, Katherine Mcgormley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Identity is an important construct in adolescent development. Adolescence can be a time for students to find the best versions of themselves or to get stuck and confused on who they truly are. This honors project paper explores how art education can be a positive influence in the development of adolescents and their journey to finding their identities. It discusses the psychology behind adolescent development; how identities form, the chances for identity confusion or negative identity formation, and the physical stressors present in an individual that age that may also affect how they develop mentally and emotionally. It also explores …


Social Studies In The Primary Classroom: Why They Are Important, Katie Simkanin Jan 2021

Social Studies In The Primary Classroom: Why They Are Important, Katie Simkanin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to focus on the importance of social studies topics taught in the primary classroom. I will examine the main social studies and historical topics teachers focus on under the framework of the Ohio Common Core State Standards (OCCSS). I will also examine a local school district’s primary social studies curriculum and interview a primary and high school teacher for their thoughts on the benefits of teaching social studies in the classroom, and what topics they think are the most important to cover for their students’ education and success in the higher grades and in …


Black Lives Matter Movement In Social Studies Education, Chloe Wolfe Jan 2021

Black Lives Matter Movement In Social Studies Education, Chloe Wolfe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Social studies education is taught throughout the United States, but due to educators and state content standards, it can look different in each school district. There are limitations and advantages to social studies education in the United States. This project analyzes social studies education within the United States through both state curriculum and state mandated standards. Social studies education can create educated and active students through the use of the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework, that encourages students to participate in their communities and in society as a whole. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movements have been increasingly …