Education Commons^™

Instructor Sense Of Community And Instructional Practices As Predictors Of Student Sense Of Community: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Analysis, Laurie K. Burgess

Dissertations

A positive sense of community (SoC) in the college classroom supports student learning and increases student engagement and motivation. While previous research has examined SoC, studies have typically investigated students’ perceptions. This quantitative cross-sectional study investigates both instructor and students’ perceptions of SoC in traditional undergraduate classrooms. Study participants include full-time instructors, and students from 36 undergraduate classes in three institutions located in a Midwestern state. Students completed Rovai’s (2002a) Classroom Community Scale; instructors completed a remodified Classroom Community Scale and the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (Walter, Henderson, Beach, & Williams, 2016).

This study uses hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to …

Technological Resources Versus Non-Technological Resources, Samantha Sapa

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to help show that using technology as an instructional strategy will benefit students’ knowledge on certain concepts. Improving focus and engagement will lead to increased knowledge of students. This study’s participants included ten randomly selected second-graders. They focused on the concept of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes. At the beginning of this study, they were given a pre-assessment (see Appendix A) to show their current knowledge. When this study was completed, a post-assessment (see Appendix B) was given. Comparing the results of these two assessments helped to show that using technology, during teacher-led instruction, benefited …

Competition: Motivating Or Declination Of Academic Success, Nicholas Mazza

Honors Projects

This study examines if competition in the classroom is more of a motivating or declining factor. I am examining the positive and negative effects of competitions on students. Games and individual worksheets will be employed to explore influence on academic achievement. Through my research, I did not find competition to be motivating for students. However, I did find the competition intervention to provide higher average quiz scores.

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On Classroom Climate And Perceived Teacher Stress, Erin Kathryn Hebert

LSU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Teaching has been identified as the most stressful profession in the human service industry (Greenberg, Brown, & Abenavoli, 2016). Elevated teacher stress can affect teacher well-being and burnout, as well as, classroom climate and student outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research study was to assess whether mindfulness practices can increase positive classroom climate and decrease perceived stress in early childhood teachers. METHOD: Participating teachers were selected based on results of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983). Data were collected on the positive and negative climate objectives from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System …

Cybersecurity In The Classroom: Bridging The Gap Between Computer Access And Online Safety, Andrew Malecki

Cyber Security Capstone Research Project Reports

According to ISACA, there will be a global shortage of 2 million cybersecurity professionals worldwide by 2019. Additionally, according to Experian Data Breach Resolution, as much as 80% of all network breaches can be traced to employee negligence. These problems will not solve themselves, and they likewise won’t improve without drastic action. An effort needs to be made to help direct interested and qualified individuals to the field of cybersecurity to move toward closing this gap. Moreover, steps need to be made to better inform the public of general safety measures while online, including the safeguarding of sensitive information.

A …

The Impact Of Applying The First Two Steps Of Polya’S Four Problemsolving Steps In An Advanced Mathematics Classroom, Christine A. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

The teacher-researcher spent eight weeks as a participant observer in an advanced high school mathematics class in a small town in the southeast. The process of problemsolving was introduced to all twenty students from a combined IB Math SL and AP Calculus AB class. After the pretest, three students were selected, from under-represented groups, for in-depth observation, interviews, and collection of artifacts in order to determine the impact of problem-solving techniques. The work of these students, from underrepresented groups, was examined to gain insight into their experiences and thought processes surrounding problem-solving. The students answered questions about their attitude towards …

Problem-Solving In An Early Childhood Mathematics Classroom, Lockey Plyler

Theses and Dissertations

Problem-solving occurs when mathematical tasks create opportunities that provide challenges for increasing students' mathematical understanding and development. This research study determined the influence of the launch-explore-summarize/extend problem-solving framework on second-grade student performance of place value tasks. The dissertation in practice measured problem-solving success. This action research study occurred at an elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina. The teacher-researcher determined appropriate problem-solving tasks and assessed students’ academic achievement and critical thinking skills. Following a mixed methods action research design, the researcher analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to determine the significance of the problem-solving framework. The data indicated significant student growth during …