Education Commons^™

Reliability And Validity Of A Survey To Analyze Job-Related Stress And Self-Effifacy In Early Childhood Education Workorce Professional Identity Development, Amanda Tinelle Batts

Wayne State University Theses

The field of early childhood education is one of high stress and low compensation. Yet, little is known about how the increased demands for accountability and professionalization within the field impact the workforce. This study examines whether educators in high- and low-quality early learning settings experience differences in professional identity development, work-related stress, and professional dissonance between feelings of authority and vulnerability. Previous research on these issues has been limited to small qualitative studies that have shown that educators may experience more stress and professional dissonance in conjunction with increases in their professional experience and demands on their time to …

Why They Care: An Exploration Of Adjunct Faculty Loyalty, Sara Elizabeth Barnwell

Wayne State University Dissertations

Higher education is always evolving and striving to be more effective and efficient. Over time, the use of part-time or adjunct faculty members has increased in an effort to achieve that goal. In this dissertation, the concept of adjunct faculty loyalty is explored using Intuitive Empathic Exploration which is a newly constructed qualitative methodology. Intuitive Empathic Exploration was created for this research study with the hope that it can be used in future research. It draws primarily from the concepts of phenomenology, empathy, intuitive inquiry, and in-depth interviewing. The focus of the research is to consider how adjunct faculty members …

Sociotechnical Systems Approach For Designing Effective Pre-College Stem Programs For Adult Students, Ifeoma Okechukwu

Wayne State University Dissertations

In the context of its external environment, sociotechnical systems (STS) are tools for restructuring an organization’s components into inter-related and interdependent social and technical subsystems for improving the organization’s performance and the well-being of its actors. The theory of STS states that the optimal performance and effectiveness of an organization lies in the joint optimization of the social (all human-based elements) and the technical (the tools and technology for doing work) subsystems. Many technical industries know the benefits of STS, however the concept has a minimal presence in education, in spite of education’s many challenges such as improving the graduation …

Youth Organizers As Essential Partners In Teacher Education: Implications From A Community-Based Action Research Project, Kaitlin Elizabeth Popielarz

Wayne State University Dissertations

The primary purpose of this critical qualitative action research project is to analyze the possibilities, contradictions, and limitations of youth organizers as essential partners in teacher education. More specifically, this research project examines the impact of designing and implementing a community-based social studies methods course alongside youth organizers and their adult allies. There is limited research in teacher education literature about partnering with youth-centered and youth-led grassroots organizations. In addition, research pertaining to community-based teacher education does not adequately affirm and center the voices and lived experiences of youth organizers who are social change agents in schools and communities. In …

Teachers' Reflection On Their Beliefs And Question-Asking Practices During Mathematics Instruction, Kaili Takiyah Hardamon

Wayne State University Dissertations

Teachers’ daily instructional practices are a critical component in creating a rich and meaningful educational experience for students. Thus, factors that inform instructional practices are of particular importance and interest to education researchers and other stakeholders. Beliefs about teaching and learning are a known factor influencing teachers’ instructional practices (Ernest, 1989). This study focused on a specific instructional practice, question-asking, which has a profound impact on students’ experience with mathematics (Weiland, Hudson, and Amador (2014). Understanding the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practice helps to make sense of teachers’ decision-making processes, particularly as they choose questions to ask students during …

International Students' Identities And Thier Educational And Learning Trajectories, Suha Hamdan

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study explores international students’ identities and identity formation within social, educational, and imagined futures, and their study abroad journeys. I look into past, present and future contexts of international students. Qualitative analytic autoethnography and semi-structured interviews are the methodologies utilized. I explore my own experiences around identity and education as an international graduate student, as well as other participants’ experiences. Date were collected from six participants from six countries: China, India, Iran, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Thematic analysis was utilized. The findings revealed that these international students go through an identity journey, where they reflect on their past …

The Five-Paragraph Essay: An In-Depth Exploration Of The Genre And Its Limitations In Writing Pedagogy, Sarah N. Nafees

Honors College Theses

An ongoing debate in education-specifically the language arts discipline-is regarding the five-paragraph essay and its role in writing instruction. The five-paragraph essay is considered a staple in school writing curricula, but has recently been under great scrutiny due to its perceived lack of effectiveness. Everyone from secondary educators to curriculum experts to university professors has an opinion on this writing genre. Is it an effective tool in teaching writing and honing important writing skills? More importantly, is it effective in enabling students to be successful writers in the real world? This paper is an effort to answer these questions through …

Trailer Park Kids: An Ethnographic Study Of Identity Formation In An Affluent Suburban Middle School, Jeanne Marie Vanlaan

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was determining influences behind identity formation, social reproduction, and resistance of students residing in a local manufactured home community and attending a suburban majority White, middle-and upper-middle class middle school. Narratives from participants were included to assist in disseminating intersecting lives of students (the trailer park kids) with their parents and teachers. The lives of the trailer park kids at home and at school were portrayed. Research before this study focused on similar themes, but unique was examination of effects on students attending school as a minority by social class standing and their place of …

Comparison Of Readability Indices With Grades 1-5 Narrative And Expository Texts, Susan Beth Harden

Wayne State University Dissertations

The problem that exists when using one or more readability indexes to ascertain a text grade level is the varied outcomes received on any given text from readability indexes that purport to measure the same construct. This study aims to provide practitioners with data to make informed decisions regarding interchangeability of readability indexes. A total of n = 244 narrative (n = 116) and expository texts (n = 128) passages from grades 1-5 were evaluated using the following readability indexes: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Fry Graph, Spache, Dale-Chall, Gunning Fog, and Smog. Fifteen (15) comparison sets were analyzed using Bland-Altman method …

Examining World Language Teachers' Maximized Target Language Use In The Teaching Of Novice Learners, Viviana Mirian Monica Muriel De Bonafede

Wayne State University Dissertations

Current research in second language acquisition and best practice recommendations for world language teaching emphasize to importance of maximized Target Language (TL) use in the classroom. The purpose of this mixed method sequential explanatory design was to examine maximized TL use in the classroom with novice learners via implementing effective strategies. Chapter 1 provides an understanding on current world languages perspectives in the United States and the increasing and ongoing shift from the traditional ways to teaching languages to more communicative, meaningful language education. Chapter 2 unpacks the main constructs of Vygostky’s SCT (1978), which is the theoretical perspective that …

A Systematic Review: Incorporating Social Media Tools Into Language Learning, Dareen Alsulami

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study highlights a segment of a study that explores the incorporating the social media tools into language learning. These social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram...etc. have become such an intriguing social media that there is a growing need among educationalists, learners, and administrators to explore their impact and effectiveness in the field of language learning.

Objective: An updated systematic review was carried out of research studies looking at the incorporating of social media into language learning.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review on empirical research regarding the incorporating and effectiveness of social media into language …

Competencies And Strategies Utilized By Higher Education Leaders During Planned Change, Dawn Aziz

Wayne State University Dissertations

In a mixed methods study designed to explore the competencies and strategies utilized by self-described successful leaders of public, four-year U. S. institutions, this study confirmed that there was little difference among academic and non-academic leaders in their approach to successful change beyond that found in terms of non-academic preference for resilience and an academic preference for personal learning. Both leaders (N=47) showed high agreement for the nine proposed competencies, five of which were statistically higher in perceived importance (personal learning, resilience, emotional engagement/creating a safe space, networking/coalition building, and project management). Adapting Bolman and Deal’s four frames (2013) as …

Computer Assisted Language Learning For Spanish Oral Proficiency, May Ritta Bluestein

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING FOR SPANISH ORAL PROFICIENCY

by

MAY RITTA BLUESTEIN

December 2017

Advisor: Dr. Jazlin Ebenezer

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

This three-article five-chapter dissertation is focused on improving high school students’ Spanish oral proficiency through computer assisted language learning (CALL) voice-recordings, and examining the effect of the intervention on foreign language anxiety and integrative motivation. The main goals of the study as a whole were to (1) investigate students’ CALL voice-recordings to determine students’ Spanish oral proficiency development, (2) identify significant differences between the experimental and control group in terms of Spanish oral …

Self-Efficacy: Understanding African American Male Students Pathways To Confidence In Mathematics, Lisa Ann Williams

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation is about the stories of African American male undergraduate students who have experienced success in mathematics. Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory and Tillman’s (2000) culturally sensitive research approach which promotes qualitative methods, recognizes ethnicity, and positions culture as central to the research were applied. Student interviews, parent interviews, teacher interviews, and mathematical autobiographies were used to investigate African American men self-efficacy, the sources of their beliefs, and societal factors that impacted their motivation and academic achievement in mathematics.

The descriptive portraits and the interviews revealed five broad themes: (1) college experiences, (2) K-12 experiences, (3) access and equity, …

A Quasi-Experimental Research Study Examining The Impact Of Reflection On Self-Efficacy In Graduate Design Students, Christina Marie Chateauvert

Wayne State University Dissertations

While the concept of reflection is not new to education, researchers suggest that students be given more space to engage in meaning-making activities (Sambrook & Willmott, 2014). In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis placed in education on self-reflection. In part, because of Donald Schön’s (1983, 1987) work on reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. Schön’s view of reflection-in¬-action puts students in the “midst of action,” reshaping the problem or experience, and making fresh decisions to guide next steps. Reflection-on-action allows students to think back on what has occurred and how that experience will shape future decisions. Taking a similar approach …

Using Google Applications As Part Of Cloud Computing To Improve Knowledge And Teaching Skills Of Faculty Members At The University Of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia, Bandar Abdullah Alshihri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Dissertation Abstract

By

Bandar A. Alshihri

March, 2017

Advisor: Dr. James L. Moseley

Major: Learning Design and Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Cloud computing is a recent computing paradigm that has been integrated into the educational system. It provides numerous opportunities for delivering a variety of computing services in a way that has not been experienced before. The Google Company is among the top business companies that afford their cloud services by launching a number of business and educational Apps. Google runs these Apps for free to be used for educational purposes, which saves a huge amount of expense for …

The Role Of Collaboration And Performance-Based Assessment In Engaging Leaners To Promote Real World Proficiency In Foreign Languages For An Increasingly Multilingual World, Sabrina Ficano

Wayne State University Dissertations

Despite the need in our global society to know more than one language to communicate, learning a second language is not a highly-valued skill. Moreover, while the understanding of language acquisition has continued to evolve over the past 30 years, our teaching and assessment practices have remained relatively stagnant and many foreign language classrooms continue to employ more “traditional approaches” to teaching and assessment. If U.S. foreign language educators, however, make a commitment to effective instruction and assessment practices, we can promote students’ proficient, life-long second language skills. Therefore, this study explores the ways in which collaborative learning and performance …

The Effectivness Of Advisory Pograms With Teachers And Learning Disabled African-American Students In Urban High Schools, Camelia Ramona Gligor

Wayne State University Dissertations

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVISORY PROGRAMS WITH TEACHERS AND LEARNING DISABLED AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS IN URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS

By

Camelia Ramona Gligor

ABSTRACT

This is a study that investigated the effects of Advisory program on African American high school students with specific learning disabilities. In this qualitative study the advisory program is examined through the lenses of teachers and students from a Mid East Metropolitan Area (MEMA).

Three research questions guided this dissertation: (1) How do secondary school teachers perceive inclusive advisory in urban schools; (2) How do African-American SLD students value their experiences in advisory; (3) What are the secondary teachers’ …

Reflections On Social Emotional Learning And Academic Success In Early Childhood Education, Emily Wagner

Honors College Theses

Throughout my experiences in different classroom settings during my teacher education, I noticed many differences in the ways teachers approached the social emotional education of young children. The goal of this paper is to examine the difference between a classroom where social emotional learning is explicitly taught to children, and a classroom where it is not, and consider how social emotional learning impacted the students’ social and emotional abilities in the context of the classroom.

Examining Expectations: Inspecting The Experiences Of Student Teaching Interns In A Yearlong Paired-Placement At An Urban School, Evan J. Lambrecht

Honors College Theses

This paper examines the experiences of student teaching interns in paired-placements in an urban school setting, specifically how the pairs experience collaboration between themselves, mentor teachers, and university field instructors. In addition, the paper will examine how the paired teaching interns are able to perceive instruction that the students received. Using data from two participant surveys collected from student-teaching interns in paired-placements, results were compared with studies from academic literature and my own experience as a paired teaching intern. A thematic analysis was carried out with the data, in which was found evidence that the teaching interns enjoyed the extra …

The Importance Of Linguistic Diversity Instruction Within Teacher Education Programs, Rhiannon L. Finney

Honors College Theses

The United States is continuously growing, and as it grows it has become more and more diverse. As diversity increases, awareness of culture becomes a more pressing and important manner. So, while schools have often worked to include and encourage multiculturalism and diversity within their boundaries, one major section has been left out of the equation. The importance of linguistic diversity is vastly misunderstood and left out of teacher education programs, negatively impacting young students, particularly those of traditionally marginalized groups. In order to better prepare prospective teachers and to help provide a real social change in an inherently racialized …

A Design-Based Research Study Examining The Impact Of Collaboration Technology Tools In Mediating Collaboration, Kecia Johnese Waddell

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

A DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS IN MEDIATING COLLABORATION

by

KECIA J. WADDELL

December 2015

Advisor: Dr. Monica W. Tracey

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Interactive collaboration technologies have expanded users' capabilities to collaborate and have driven pedagogical paradigm shifts toward more learner-centered and interactive teaching and learning. Online learners may be not sufficiently prepared for the level of collaboration fluency expected by a globally competitive digital distributed knowledge economy. This is largely due in part by how collaboration technologies is used towards impacting learning goals and outcomes in practice by online …

Student, Teacher, School, And District Determinants Of Elementary School Accountability Classification In The Detroit Metropolitan Region, Embekka Nakia Thompson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Legislators have implemented an accountability system in an effort to increase school quality for all students. Policymakers assume that rewards and sanctions, based on results from high-stakes testing, can improve student achievement. The accountability system does not consider environmental factors that impact student outcomes. This study examines student, teacher, school and district determinants and their impact on student achievement, school designation, and school ranking. Data was collected from 333 elementary (K-5) schools in 56 public school districts and 18 charter schools in three counties: Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne. Two research questions were developed for this study.The first research question examined …

Understanding The In-School Literacies Of African American Males Through A Sociocultural Paradigm: Implications For Teacher Professional Development, Aaron M. Johnson

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

UNDERSTANDING THE IN-SCHOOL LITERACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES THROUGH A SOCIOCULTURAL PARADIGM: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

by

AARON M. JOHNSON

May 2016

Advisor: Dr. Gina DeBlase

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

There has been great debate about the reasons why African American male students reject the institution of school and school related content. Furthermore, data from multiple sources, including, national and local assessments and governmental studies, document a gap in achievement and school retention rates between African American students and their White counterparts. The data substantiates the notions that African American males have an aversion …

Balanced Literacy Activities In Ontario Jk - Grade 8 Comprehensive Literacy Classrooms: Examining Self-Reported Frequency Of Classroom Activities, Elizabeth Louise Pearsall

Wayne State University Dissertations

Balanced Literacy Activities in Ontario JK – Grade 8

Comprehensive Literacy Classrooms:

Examining Self-Reported Frequency of Classroom Activities

By

Elizabeth Louise Pearsall

August 2015

Advisor: Dr. G. Oglan

Major: Reading, Language & Literature

Degree: Doctor of Education

The purpose of this study was to discover the Frequency of Use rates for balanced/ comprehensive literacy activities as described in 46 survey statements across the four Ontario elementary school divisions (Early Years, JK/SK; Primary Division, Grades 1, 2, & 3; Junior Division, Grades 4, 5, & 6; and Intermediate Division, Grades 7 & 8). In addition another purpose of this study was …

The Face Of Feedback: Exploring The Use Of Asynchronous Video To Deliver Instructor Feedback In Multidisciplinary Online Courses, Naimah N. Wade

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE FACE OF FEEDBACK: EXPLORING THE USE OF ASYNCHRONOUS VIDEO TO DELIVER INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY ONLINE COURSES

by

NAIMAH NOELLE WADE

November 2015

Advisor: Dr. Monica Tracey

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this qualitative, design-based research study was to design, implement, and explore the use of an asynchronous video feedback protocol in higher education online courses. Bannan’s (2013) Integrative Learning Design Framework guided the design and implementation strategy for this study by dictating its three core phases; 1) Informed Exploration, 2) Enactment, and 3) Local Impact Evaluation. The video feedback intervention cycled through …

Saudi Parents’ Perceptions About Their Role In Their Children’S Education In American Elementary Schools, Ebtesam Saleh Alhabeeb

Wayne State University Dissertations

This mixed-methods research study examines the influence of cultural mismatches on minority parents’ involvement in their children's education. Particularly, how Saudi families in the United States perceive their role in their children’s education in American elementary schools. Data were collected from 212 completed self-administered surveys and 20 Saudi mothers’ participation in four focus group interviews. Exploratory statistical analysis for the numerical data and qualitative template analysis for the raw data were utilized. Triangulation of the findings reveals great agreements with few areas of conflicts between the two data sets indicating that Saudi parents understanding of the way of being in …

Advisors As Leaders: An Explanatory Study Of The Perceptions That Professional Undergraduate Academic Advisors Have About Leadership Development Skills, Ebony Della Green

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ADVISORS AS LEADERS: AN EXPLANTORY STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS THAT PROEFESSIONAL UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ADVISORS HAVE ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SKILLS

by

EBONY D. GREEN

August 2016

Advisor: Dr. Michael Owens

Major: Educational Leadership and Policy

Degree: Doctor of Education

Literature is limited about the leadership skill(s) that Professional Undergraduate Academic Advisors (PUAAs) use in their daily practice. Research that addresses advisors and/or their performance appear to highlight them as a factor in studies that cover student retention, academic success, or student perception. Often studies focus on students, not advisors as practitioners. Advisors play a critical role in a student’s integration …

Cooperative Learning Activities In Social Studies Classrooms And The Effect On Self-Determination For Students With And Without Individualized Education Programs (Ieps), Carey Anne Aubrey-Martinez

Wayne State University Dissertations

Students with disabilities are spending significantly more time in the general education setting than they have historically. General education teachers are in need of strategies to enable them to work with these students more successfully. Additionally, research shows that all students could benefit from activities geared toward developing self-determination skills.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to see if the use of cooperative learning activities could improve the self-determination abilities of general education students and students with an Individualized Education Program in a social studies classroom. Students were given the American Institutes for Research Self-Determination Scale as a pretest …

Principals’ Perceptions Of Teacher-Student Interactions In Diversifying Suburban Middle Schools, Yolanda E. Bloodsaw

Wayne State University Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the kinds of troublesome teacher-student interactions that principals in a large Midwestern metro community manage. Personal interview data from nine suburban middle school principals as well as a group interview with four of the nine participants followed an interpretivist paradigm. This study found that the tense teacher-student interactions are triggered by conflicting perceptions held by students and teachers as a result of racial/cultural differences and socioeconomic status. Conflicting perceptions included stereotypes, cultural insensitivity, student motivation, student survival, loud Black kids, and tardiness. The bulk of the teacher-student interactions described by participants primarily concerned interactions between the …