Education Commons^™

A Mixed Methods Study Of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports And Its Influence On Effective Implementation, Tiffany J. Baskin-Downs

Theses and Dissertations

The use of a multi-tiered system of supports framework has been of growing interest in addressing issues related to disruptive behaviors and school suspensions. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential, explanatory study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions (behavioral expectations defined, behavioral expectations taught, and an ongoing system for rewarding behavioral expectations) of their efforts toward implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports with fidelity in two middle schools within an urban school district located in Georgia. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, homogeneity of variance Levene’s test, t-tests, factorial analysis, a one-way analysis of variance, post-hoc tests, frequencies and …

Evaluating The Use Of Writing Prompts & Graphic Organizers In Middle School Mathematics: Action Research To Improve Mathematical Achievement And Students’ Attitudes With Authentic Assessments, Kyla Candee Steppler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of writing prompts and graphic organizers on Mona school’s 7th and 8th grade students’ mathematical academic achievement and their attitudes towards the authentic application of mathematics. Two research questions guided the study: (1) How and to what extent, do writing prompts and graphic organizers impact 7th and 8th grade students’ mathematical achievement and attitudes towards mathematics? (2) What were the 7th and 8th grade students’ perceptions about the implementation of authentic writing prompts and graphic organizers in a mathematics course at Mona school? This action research followed a convergent …

The Relationship Between School Climate And Student Achievement At The Middle School Level In Georgia, Curtis Brett Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

School leaders from all over our nation are under scrutiny and pressure to raise their students’ academic achievement. Good standards-based classroom teaching, supportive teachers, administrators, and parents, and a motivated student all make for a high achieving student. But what is the relationship of the school’s climate to the achievement level? Does the student’s socioeconomic status affect academic achievement? This study collected data from 431 traditional public middle schools in the state of Georgia serving students in Grade 6 through Grade 8 exclusively during the 2017-18 school year. A stepwise multiple regression was used to examine the relationships in both …

Flexibility Matters: A Qualitative Look At Four Middle Grade Teachers’ Implementation Of Personalized Learning, Christa Evans Heath

Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology Dissertations

Personalized learning (PL) has emerged as a trend in K-12 teaching and learning (Netcoh, 2017). This instructional strategy provides a customized learning experience, allowing students to work on their own path and at their own pace while learning and instruction is developed to students’ ability levels, interests, and learning modalities. While some scholars and many educational organizations have published definitions of PL, these definitions are often vague and sometimes conflicting. Furthermore, there is limited in-depth research presently available regarding the implementation of personalized learning in K-12 classrooms. Due to the lack of clear definitions and descriptions of PL, educators struggle …

Teacher Perceptions Of Digital Gaming And 21st-Century Skills In The Middle School Classroom, Elizabeth Omegna

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Teacher Perceptions of digital gaming and 21st-century skills in Middle School classrooms

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research was to capture teacher perceptions on the use of digital gaming in the learning environment of middle school classrooms. Additionally, to speak to perceptions on learning of 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking.

This study of two middle schools in the same district in suburban New Jersey was utilized for capturing the ideas of teachers who employed a variety of digital games in the classroom as part of their learning objectives.

An interview protocol was utilized to direct questions …

Self-Contained And Departmental Educational Delivery Systems: A Case Study Of Differences In Student Achievement And Behavior, Robert Eugene Smith Iii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the differences in achievement and behavior for fifth-grade students taught using a self-contained instructional model compared to students taught using a departmentalized model. Differences based on selected demographic/attribute variables were also investigated. Teacher perceptions regarding the differences in the two organizational models were also examined. Data were collected from the West Virginia Department of Education’s end of the year student academic achievement assessment (The West Virginia General Summative Assessment), the West Virginia Department of Education’s online information system (WVEIS), and teacher surveys. Data suggest differences in the two instructional models along with significant differences in male and …

Effectiveness Of Ilearn As A Formative Assessment Tool In Title I Middle Grade Mathematics, Christopher George Atkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because students in two Georgia middle schools, Grades 6 through 8, performed poorly in standardized mathematics testing during the 2016-17 school term, the district sought improvements by using the computer-assisted formative assessment tool iLearn. The purpose of this quantitative project study was to determine whether the use of iLearn predicted increased mathematics achievement and to support professional development sessions for teachers to improve their pedagogy. With the theoretical framework of mastery learning theory, the study addressed the effectiveness of iLearn as a formative assessment tool, hypothesizing a positive relationship between iLearn and end-of-grade (EOG) assessment scores; a moderating effect of …

Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Technology To Transform Mathematics Instruction, Camille Georgia James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIncorporating technology into instructional practices is needed to cultivate learners who are digitally competent to function in a society in which technology keeps evolving. The problem that exists at the study site is that although technology is available, it is primarily being used to enhance learning rather than transform learning. Transforming the teaching- learning process, requires the use of technology to modify and redefine learning. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which middle school mathematics teachers in a PreK–8 independent day school in Denver, Colorado use digital technology as a transformative learning tool in …

Investigating Middle School Teachers’ Experiences In Inclusive Classrooms, Jilleane Archie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Meeting the needs of students with disabilities, while implementing research-based instructional strategies in inclusive settings, presents an array of successes and challenges for both general and special education teachers. The problem at the local study site was that both general and special education teachers faced challenges as they implemented inclusion practices to meet the College and Career Readiness Performance Index, Closing Gaps component improvement targets for students with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate general and special education teachers’ successes, challenges, and needs as they implemented inclusion practices in middle school classrooms. This study was …