Education Commons^™

Program Evaluation Of Online And Face-To-Face College And Career Readiness And Its Effect On Degree Utilization In Community College Graduates, Tyson M. Riskas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Salt Lake Community College has adopted the Pathway initiative as a part of its long-term strategic plan. Pathway is a student-centered approach to redesigning the college experience by assessing student experience to reorganize and re-present degree programs. Currently, SLCC focuses on adjusting class pedagogy and curriculum to equip students with core college and career readiness (CCR) skills and determine if graduates are utilizing their degree. The Gail Miller School of Business offers students the option of completing their degree online or face-to-face and choosing between degrees aimed at transferring to other institutions or entering a career. However, they are currently …

Teaching Function-Based Assessment And Intervention Skills To Behavior Support Staff Using An Interactive Computer Training, Megan E. Graul

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Behavior support staff (BSS), including paraprofessionals, behavior technicians, and other entry-level school staff that support students with challenging behavior, play an essential role in public education settings, especially in special education classrooms. With the increasing number of students requiring intensive behavioral supports, it is imperative to identify cost-efficient strategies to provide adequate training to expand the behavioral skills of these individuals. For instance, training BSS to implement empirically supported behavioral strategies, such as functional behavior assessment and function-based intervention selection, may have benefits for both staff and students alike. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to develop an interactive …

Effects Of Design Thinking Instructional Strategies On Design Skill Acquisition: A Meta-Analysis, Sarah M. Urquhart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In today's educational landscape, design thinking has emerged as a vital skill for the 21st century, becoming ingrained in curricula from kindergarten through post-secondary education. However, despite its widespread integration, there exists a notable absence of quantitative evidence supporting effective instructional approaches for fostering cognitive design skills. Various initiatives have aimed to explore how individuals acquire cognitive design competencies and to catalog instructional methods that facilitate this process. Nevertheless, existing quantitative research on the topic is fragmented across diverse fields and lacks a cohesive synthesis. This study endeavors to fill this gap through a meta-analysis focusing on two primary objectives …

Hearing Race In The Social Studies: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis Of Culturally Responsive, Relevant, And Sustaining Pedagogies, Karen H. Washburn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

With the growing population of linguistically, racially, and culturally diverse students in U.S. public schools, there is increasing disjuncture between current standardized policies and practices and the varied ways of knowing, being, and languaging of heterogeneous youth. Social studies researchers and educators have implemented culturally responsive, relevant, and sustaining pedagogies as tools to combat inequities within schooling for linguistically minoritized youth. To explore how the field of social studies has operationalized these pedagogies in research and practice, I conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of literature from 1995-present. In so doing, I used a raciolinguistic theoretical perspective to explore how social …

Evaluating An Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math/Computational Thinking Professional Development Program For Elementary Level Paraprofessional Educators, Aubrey A. Rogowski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

For my dissertation, I looked at a training program one Utah school district used to teach paraprofessional educators science, technology, engineering, math, and computational thinking. Specifically, the program taught them about what computational thinking is and how they could use it when teaching science, technology, engineering, and math to students from kindergarten to sixth grade. While reviewing this program, I evaluated 1) The experiences the paraprofessionals had with the program, 2) Whether the paraprofessionals understood computational thinking, and 3) Whether the program prepared them to teach computational thinking to K-6 students.

I worked with eight paraprofessionals who participated in this …

Building And Using A Hydrology Experiment For Place-Based Learning With Native American Students, Michaela Shallue

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Geoscience has a known diversity problem, specifically a participation gap of ethnic minority representation, and it is especially severe regarding Native American representation. To address this participation gap, an identity gap needs to be addressed first. Native students need to visualize themselves as geoscientists before they can commit to geoscience programs and careers. This project uses a hands-on, place-based learning activity as an opportunity for Native students to better see themselves as geoscientists.

A portable rainfall simulator was constructed, calibrated, and refined for use in teaching concepts about rainfall, runoff, and erosion. It was employed in place-based learning exercises with …

Collective Teacher Efficacy And Effective Title I Eligible Schools: A Mixed Methods Approach, Donald R. Mendenhall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Students living in poverty have historically scored lower than more affluent peers. However, research suggests that collective teacher efficacy (CTE) may be more strongly associated with student academic success than socioeconomic background. Therefore, this study identifies successful Title I eligible schools that also have high levels of collective teacher efficacy to identify methods for increasing CTE in schools. A mixed methods research study model is used to explain how two successful Title I schools were able to achieve academic success and high levels of CTE. The study finds some of the perceptions of school staff, and the actions and processes …

Exploring The Connection Between Self-Efficacy And Preparedness Among First-Year College Students, Marianne Hale

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The goal of the American education system is to prepare students for college. I wondered, “Do students feel ready?” That question led me to investigate the literature on the development, implementation, and effectiveness of our current standards. The gap I found was that the standards do not address an important aspect of student achievement, that of student self-efficacy. Self-efficacy in writing helps students have the confidence to engage in the task of writing, regardless of the situation. I focused my study of student writing self-efficacy on one English 1010 class. I administered a self-efficacy evaluation in class and conducted a …

Paraprofessional Training Materials, Program Implementation & Review, Breann Brewer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

If ever you enter a special education classroom, you may encounter a few events. You may witness a classroom of impressive, almost automatic interactions, delivered in a way so eloquent that the students and staff seem to be in an effortless dance with one another. Or, you may witness a classroom that feels heavy with needs; needs of more staff, more help, more hands, and more time. This visual exercise demonstrates how the structure of a special education classroom sets the tone for student growth and success.

One pivotal part of a special education classroom is the paraeducators. Paraeducators, also …

Using Telehealth To Teach Caregivers Mand Training Using A Speech Generating Device, Sara Jeppson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Children with ASD often have struggles with social communication and developing a functional vocal output. Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) can be used in different modes such as speech generating devices (SGDs) to help these individuals develop a vocal output. Caregivers are optimal to aid their children in learning these communication skills. Past studies such as Suberman and Civindini-Motta showed that behavioral skills training (BST) can be effective to teach caregivers communication training using an SGD. The current study aimed to replicate the procedures of Suberman and Civindini-Motta but extended it by adapting the procedures described using telehealth.

Processes Of Couple Co-Regulation In Bereavement: A Longitudinal Study, Jessica Barboza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Five couples reported on their experience of coping with and supporting their partner through the loss of a child. In-depth interviews with these bereaved parents revealed that couples engage in processes of regulating self, regulating other and forming a grief rhythm after child-loss. These processes have important implications for future research and therapeutic practice with bereaved parents, couples, and families.

An Exploratory And Descriptive Analysis Of The Utah Microcredentials Participant Population, Daron Kennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examined the population of users of the Utah Microcredentials system, a professional learning resource available to all Utah teaching license holders. A microcredential verifies that an educator has successfully demonstrated competency with a specific skill, concept, or instructional tool, and is awarded upon submission of evidence meeting a predetermined set of rubric criteria. During the first stage of the study, quantitative methods such as regression analysis were used to determine the participation rates of educators based on a number of demographic variables, including age, number of years of service as an educator, the rurality of the educator's assigned …

The Effects Of An Equine Riding Simulator As An Objective Feedback Modality On Learning Outcomes For Rider Competency On Performance Skills In Equestrian Riding Fundamentals, Kelli Munns

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examined the effects of different feedback modalities provided during simulated-based practice on performance and perceptions. In addition, the research also addressed the relationship between participants' feedback literacy, perceptions, and improvement scores. The purpose of this research was motivated by the emerging equine simulation technology that provides feedback on movement and coordination during complex motor skill acquisition. Selecting an effective feedback approach for simulation-based practice in motor skill learning is contingent on the complexity of the performance skill and the learner's experience. However, the learner's feedback literacy can result in contradictory performance and perceptions despite the feedback approach experienced. …

Mattering And Attachment: A Bilateral Association That Underlies Relationship Outcomes In Couples, Jacob Ybarra

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In this master's thesis, I conducted a quantitative study using data from 100 heterosexual couples in a committed, romantic relationship to better understand the relationship between perceived mattering (PM) and attachment and to explore how mattering relates to various mental health and relationship outcomes. All 200 partners independently completed an online anonymous questionnaire consisting of various quantitative assessments measuring my study variables (e.g., attachment, PM, and relationship and mental health outcomes).

I used dyadic data analysis to examine how study variables related to an individual's outcomes as well as their partner's. Overall, findings from the first analysis highlighted that men …

Visualizing Rhetorical Awareness: Building Critical Digital Literacies Practices With Visual Rhetoric In First-Year College Composition, Amanda J. Plaizier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Visual rhetoric assignments allow students a space to practice rhetorical design with a specific audience in mind. When used in concordance with traditional writing assignments, these visual multimedia projects (such as flyers and infographics) can be a useful way for college writing teachers to build rhetorical awareness, which is one of the objectives of first-year college composition courses.

This project examines the use of visual rhetoric assignments within a concurrent enrollment college writing course. Students in the course created a community-based proposal, including flyers, infographics, and a final essay. By examining these assignments for evidence of critical digital literacies (decoding, …

Investigating Relationships Among Measures Of English And Chinese Handwriting Fluency In Early-Elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion Students, Petra Mei Wah Sin Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between English and Chinese handwriting fluency measures in early-elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion students. This was done by conducting five handwriting fluency tasks among Chinese Dual Language Immersion students and comparing the findings. First, the findings showed that there was a moderate correlation between the participants' English and Chinese handwriting fluencies and that English fluencies predicted Chinese fluencies. However, the students could write English numbers and letters much faster than Chinese characters. Second, as expected, Chinese DLI participants showed that handwriting fluency improved as grade level increased. Third, third-grade students …

Consensus Modeling As A Cultural Practice: A Case Study From A Seventh-Grade Science Classroom, Sara Louise Miconi Gailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Recent reforms in science education aim to involve K-12 students in practices similar to those of professional scientists. These reforms promote student collaboration and science practices including developing models and engaging in scientific argumentation with evidence. Small group work in science classrooms has increased following the reforms. However, while small group collaboration has gained popularity, research suggests that it does not always lead to equitable participation. This qualitative case study uses discourse analysis to examine how two small groups of students in a seventh-grade science class develop consensus models of a phenomenon and how students are socialized to participate in …

Modeling Elementary Students' Computer Science Outcomes With In-School And Out-Of-School Factors, Umar Shehzad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This two-paper dissertation explores factors influencing the attitudes of Grade 5 students who are learning computer science (CS) in schools. It statistically examines the effects of out and in-school factors on students’ attitudes toward computing. The first paper of this dissertation examines the influence of parental support as perceived by the students on their interest and their self-assessed ability to engage in computer programming, thus underscoring the crucial role of parental support on learners’ attitudes. It also investigates how involving families in CS activities by sending a CS-themed board game influences students’ interest. The study finds that perceptions of parental …

Effect Of Delay On Reinforcer Preference As Measured By A Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment, Emma Preston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Behavior interventions often utilize rewards to increase appropriate behavior. Current methods for identifying potential rewards only use immediately available items, however rewards in school or clinic settings are often delayed due to circumstance. Delay can decrease the value of a preferred stimuli. We propose and evaluate a method for considering delay to delivery of a preferred item when selecting a potential reward by asking children 8-11 to pick between a moderately preferred item immediately available or a highly preferred item that was delayed. 4 out of 5 participants increased selection for the moderately preferred item as delays to the highly …

Using Gamification To Foster Student Resilience And Motivation To Learn, And Using Games To Teach Significance Testing Concepts In The Statistics Classroom, Todd Partridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Two studies are outlined in this dissertation.

In the first study, elements of Super Mario Bros. videos games were used to change the way college students in a beginners’ statistics course were graded on their work. This was part of an effort to help students remain optimistic in the face of challenging coursework and even failure on assignments and tests. The study shows that the changes made to the grading structure did help students to keep trying and to use the materials given to them by their professor until they achieved their desired grade in the course, and suggests ways …

Incorporating Sustainability Into Utah High School's Textiles And Apparel Curriculum, Michelle Clouse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to propose sustainability-based curriculum changes to Utah's textiles and apparel (TA) curriculum. This study's specific curriculum change proposals are limited to Sewing Construction and Textiles (SCT) 1 and Sports and Outdoor Design (SOD) 1 courses. The proposed changes were made with the input of 24 Utah FCS TA educators via a research-developed survey on Qualtrics. FCS TA educators were asked to give their input on sustainability topics already taught in their classroom, teaching methods of sustainable topics, potential barriers to incorporating sustainability into the curriculum, and their receptiveness to curriculum change.

The Teacher Attitudes …

Bells Of Mindfulness: An Online Mindfulness Meditation Course To Promote Mindfulness Meditation For Phd Students, Michael Folland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Over the last 20 years, there has been growing evidence of mental health issues in doctoral candidates worldwide (Zhang et al., 2022; Barry et al., 2019; Gewin, 2012; Radison & DiGeronimo, 2005). Practicing mindfulness meditation, which is one way to cope with stress and anxiety (Kabat-Zinn, 1991), could be a useful practice for these PhD students. However, despite all the evidence that suggests the health benefits of having a regular meditation routine, motivating graduate students to practice meditation can be challenging (Franco, 2020). This study addresses this challenge by assessing a 5-week mindfulness meditation course designed to support graduate students …

Investigating K-3 Spanish Dual Language Immersion Teachers' Conceptions Of Mathematics-Focused Content-Based Language Teaching, Rachel C. Reeder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Classroom instruction is influenced by and reflects teachers’ conceptions about their teaching. In elementary Dual Language Immersion (DLI) classrooms, teachers deliver mathematics and target-language instruction with the expectation that both can be developed concurrently. This qualitative study investigated K-3 Spanish DLI teachers’ conceptions about Mathematics-Focused Content-Based Language Teaching (MF-CBLT), which emphasizes the instructional parameters guiding teachers’ integration of content (mathematics), language (Spanish), and teaching (pedagogy).

The study examined 11 teachers’ statements and teaching samples to investigate their knowledge, beliefs, and preferences (i.e., conceptions) about MF-CBLT. A survey and individual teacher interviews provided access to what teachers had to say while …

Evaluating Implementer Preference For And Correspondence Between Structured Descriptive Analysis And Trial Based Functional Analysis, Kacy Rodamaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Determining the function of maladaptive behavior aides in the creation of effective intervention measures to change that behavior. Three assessments that are used to determine behavioral function include the trial based functional analysis (TBFA), structured descriptive analysis (SDA), and antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) recording. In the present study, we compared the time it took to conduct each of these assessments as well as the similarity between the functions identified by each assessment. Additionally, we compared procedural acceptability and implementer preference between the SDA and TBFA by collecting survey results from a staff participant who implemented the two measures with the support of …

Investigating Parents' Value Of Children Learning About Agriculture, Amelia J. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

It is commonly held that parents have a profound impact on child development. Decades of research investigated the ways parents, the community, and school staff interact to foster student learning during kindergarten through twelfth grade education. Agriculture provides for daily needs through the growth, harvest, and processing of food, fiber, fuel, and forestry products. This research sought to understand the level of importance parents place on their children learning about agriculture in school.

A 26-question survey was distributed to a nationally representative sample of parents having at least one child in K-12 education within the United States. Results of this …

Reading Interventions For High School Students With Reading Difficulties, Dixie Poulsen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Literacy is an important skill necessary for better outcomes in life. There are many high school students that struggle with word reading and comprehension. Some may even graduate without a functional reading level. What can teachers do to make a difference? Are there strategies that can be implemented into classrooms to better help struggling students? It is important to gather the correct information about the students reading abilities. For this professional portfolio, I conducted 5 different reading assessment, to understand the student’s current abilities. With these assessments I could determine where my student struggled the most. The student had difficulty …

Navigating Cultural Identity In The Classroom, Caroline V. Phillips

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As of 2016, ~25% of children in the United States are the children of immigrants (Nibbs & Brettell). Many of these youths struggle with the feeling that they belong neither to their parents’ cultural community nor to the locality in which they have been raised (Brockett, 2018). Furthermore, little academic research exists wherein these students share their experiences and engage in the processes of meaning making. This knowledge is essential for multicultural scholars and also for the (overwhelmingly white) population of K-6 teachers who help these youth construct personal identities. This project accomplishes the following:

1. I interview second-generation immigrants …

Empowering All Students To Participate: Utilizing Aac To Respond During Lessons, Robbie Cromwell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Previous research indicates that frequent and active participation of all students (including diverse student groups) improves student outcomes, as does using a variety of methods to respond during classroom instruction. Current research is limited in examining two key areas: 1) Increasing active participation of AAC users by encouraging engagement through frequent response opportunities during instruction and 2) Utilizing a variety of response methods to enable participation during instruction. Given the gaps that exist in the research, the purpose of this study is to examine whether incorporating a variety of opportunities to respond has an impact on AAC user’s engagement and …

Using Head Start Children's Language Development To Predict Social Information Processing Ability, Kendra Newman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As young children grow and develop, gaining social skills and different language abilities is extremely important. As children develop, they also acquire the ability to process social information, which then helps them respond in various social situations. Children should eventually be able to respond to social situations in socially acceptable ways, instead of answering in aggressive or passive ways. This study examined the relations between children’s language development, and social information processing ability. This study included 51 children, from 19 Head Start classrooms. Results showed that at the beginning of the Head Start year children with more language, responded in …

The Impact Of Formative Assessment Cycles On Students' Attitudes And Achievement In A Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Introductory Statistics Course, Kimberleigh Felix Hadfield

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study aimed to investigate the impact of student attitudes toward statistics and student achievement after engaging in large-enrollment introductory statistics course curriculum using continuous formative assessments with feedback and reassessment opportunities. This framework, called Formative Assessment Cycles (FACs) was implanted, providing students formative assessments both in and out of the classroom, with feedback and reassessment. A quasi-experimental, quantitative research design allowed for the investigation of course achievement from pre-FACs to FACs semesters using regression discontinuity methodology. Changes in attitudes from pre- to post-survey in semesters using a curriculum with FACs were analyzed by multilevel regression techniques. Course achievement improved …