Education Commons^™

Implementing Authentic Practice Through Capstone Projects At Selected Terminal Grades: A Policy Advocacy Document, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

American educational and political communities have become focused on assessment of students and accountability of teachers and administrators. Consequently, educators are focused largely on preparing students for high stakes tests, oftentimes at the expense of authentic instructional practice. The educational, economic, social, political, moral, and ethical needs of students and American society demand a policy that provides student experiences that are action-oriented, promote character development, provoke reflective thinking, and develop skills and knowledge that prepare students for life and ultimately transform society. Therefore, I recommend through this Policy Advocacy Document that the school district under study require capstone projects of …

Impact Of Single Gender Programs On Achievement, Attendance, Discipline, And Character: A Program Evaluation Project, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

The instance of single gender education in American public schools has risen since the 2006 amendments to Title IX permitting public schools to separate boys and girls for academic purposes. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of single gender education to promote gains in student academic achievement, increase attendance levels, support character development, and decrease student discipline problems. The context of this inquiry is a large public school district that incorporates single gender education applications across the district. My study is focused on an all-girls middle school and an all-boys middle school, and it demonstrates outcomes …

Evaluating A Novel Approach For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patient Education: Modified Team -~ Based Learning, Corine Belle Lazaro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the world’s most serious health issues today is the increasing prevalence of diabetes (Chobev, Sotirovska, Mihajilov, 2011). Indeed, the growth of this widespread and pernicious disease has been categorized as epidemic. The antidote for the diabetes epidemic lies in prevention and the use of a chronic care model that focuses on improving diabetes self-management. For both diabetes prevention and self-management, a core component pertains to knowledge—and specifically to improved public health literacy, public health education, and patient education. For example, ongoing patient education is a critical factor in helping patients to manage their diabetes and prevent the micro- …

A Simulation To Improve The Clinical Nursing Instructor’S Teaching Of Ethics To Students In The Clinical Setting, Cynthia S. Randall Dnp

All Student Scholarship

Ethical knowledge and skill is crucial to the discipline of nursing and is considered foundational knowledge for nursing practice (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2008). Nurses who assume roles in clinical teaching may be clinically competent but may have limited nursing education experience or knowledge in clinical instruction. The purpose of this project was to improve the educational experience of clinical instructors in the teaching of ethics to students in the clinical setting. This DNP capstone was a quality improvement project with a mixed method design using simulation as a teaching strategy. Eight clinical instructors from a university based baccalaureate nursing …

Assessment Coordinators’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Using Electronic Assessment Systems In Accreditation, Saoussan Maarouf

Theses and Dissertations

Systematic data collection is a fundamental requirement for the accountability of teacher preparation programs since it has been strongly associated with accreditation standards and the need to drive continuous improvement. Electronic assessment systems have become increasingly valuable for colleges of education since it provided a non-biased evaluation of competency, more reliable scoring, and scientific judgment to drive improvement. However, teacher preparation programs are having difficulties to implement effective assessment systems that are powerful enough to drive a change and to meet standards

The researcher in this study extended previous research in relation to the subject of electronic assessment systems, their …

Developing Differentiated Reading Instruction Online For Gifted Third Graders: A Design Experiment, Beth E. Jordan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The high stakes on standardized testing in the United States of America’s education system pressures teachers to ensure every child meets minimum standards. Teachers report this pressure motivates them to focus the majority of their time on struggling students. Combined with lack of training and resources, intellectually gifted students may remain under-challenged in a regular elementary classroom. To address the problem, the researcher continued the development of an online instructional environment, which teachers may use to extend and enrich the regular language arts curriculum for intellectually gifted students. The researcher conducted a formative design experiment “to create a viable theory-driven …

Implementing Universal Social And Emotional Learning Programs: The Development, Validation, And Inferential Findings From The Schoolwide Sel Capacity Assessment, Cheyne A. Levesseur

Doctoral Dissertations

In order to effectively transport universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs into natural settings, it is important to understand implementation barriers that may hinder the likelihood of successful outcomes (Fixsen, Naoom, Blasé, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005). The current study is primarily based on the notion that within the planning phase of implementation, few technically adequate assessment measures targeting both organizational capacity (OC) and provider characteristics (PC) for SEL programming actually exist. The purpose is to extend the SEL implementation assessment literature by developing a new rating scale designed to measure SEL implementation barriers (School SEL Capacity Assessment [SSCA]) and …

Assessment Of Scientific Graphical Literacy Of 10th Grade Students In Al-Ain Educational Office, United Arab Emirates, Sarah Elheir Elhassan Hamad

Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the scientific graphical literacy level of the 10th grade science students, and explore the extent to which students at 10th grade have the essential skills to process and interpret visual scientific graphs in the private and public schools in Al Ain educational Zone. This study was exploratory survey design in which an attempt was made to explore student understanding of scientific graphs. A Graphical Literacy Test was developed for this study to evaluate the student ability to interpret, and construct graphical information. 125 grade10th science students participated in the present study. Sixty …

The Impact Of Integrating Computer Simulations On The Achievement Of Grade 11 Emirati Students In Uniform Circular Motion, Mohamad Fadi N. Aoude

Theses

Education has been affected by the advancement of technology, especially computer software. This thesis focuses on the impact of computer simulations on students’ acquisition of Physics concepts related to the topic of Uniform Circular Motion. The main purpose of this thesis is to examine to what extent can computer simulations help students of grade 11 from Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), learn factual, conceptual and procedural knowledge related to Uniform Circular Motion. It also aims to investigate how simulations affect students of different abilities in terms of their achievement in Physics. A quazi- experimental method was used, where participants …

Faculty Members’ Perceptions Regarding The Role Of Assessment In Developmental Writing Courses, Doreen Danielson

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teaching faculty members’ perceptions regarding how they design and implement writing assessments to evaluate Student Learning Outcomes in developmental English/writing courses. The study identified teaching faculty members’ pedagogical beliefs about the purposes of writing assessment and instructors’ attention to Student Learning Outcomes when designing assessment plans in developmental English/writing courses at a California community college. Using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological approach, the study drew data from interviews with full-time faculty members at a Central Valley community college in California. Focusing on the participants’ experiences and perceptions about the purposes of assessment in developmental …

A Consensus On The Definition And Knowledge Base For Computer Graphics, Michael Alden Roller

Open Access Dissertations

Despite several decades of historical innovation, measurable impacts, and multiple specializations the existing knowledge base for Computer Graphics (CG) lacks consensus, and numerous definitions for it have been published based on distinct contexts. Disagreement among post-secondary academics has divided CG programs into three contextual areas that emphasize different topics. This division has resulted in the decontextualization of CG education, and CG programs now face several challenges in meeting the needs of industry. Employing the Delphi Method, this investigation explored the perceptions among post-secondary educators and industry professionals about the definition of CG and how it is identified in terms of …

The Importance Of Highly Effective School Library Media Programs On School Learning Environments, Alexandra M. Juch

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of a previously identified successful school library program (SLMP) in a Connecticut public school. The primary goals of this research are to answer these questions by conducting a single case study to examine the nature of this previously identified SLMP so that promising practices identified from this study can be applied to other SLMPs in Connecticut public schools. The data collection methods embodied both qualitative and quantitative instruments that included surveys, interviews and documents. Qualitative data analysis included preparation, familiarization, coding and general meaning that was entered into a table …

A Survey Of The Factors Influencing Parents In Michigan To Select Full-Time Cyber Learning For Their Children In Grades K-6, John A. Chandler

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

School choice is a long-standing tradition in the United States. New to the options available to K-12 parents are full-time virtual schools, and this option is an even more recent development for Grades K-6 parents. Very little research exists on why parents are choosing full-time virtual education for their school-aged children, and almost no research exists on why parents of younger children (Grades K-6) are choosing this option. This descriptive, exploratory study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) What factors led parents to enroll their elementary students in a full-time cyber school? (2) Were these factors attributable to …

Grappling With Wicked Problems: Exploring Photovoice As A Decolonizing Methodology In Science Education, Kristin Cook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This abstract is going to tell you what this article is about.

Investigating Trans-Affirmative Education Policies And Practices In Ontario, Kenan Omercajic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study uses a qualitative approach to investigate the development and influence of school-based trans-affirmative policies in the Ontario education system. It focuses specifically on three policy texts of three individual school boards: Durham District School Board’s Supporting Our Transgender Students; Toronto District School Board’s Guidelines for the Accommodation of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students and Staff; and Thames Valley District School Board’s Guidelines for the Accommodation of Gender Diverse and Trans Students. While space is devoted to a text-based analysis in terms of how such policies constitute or construct transgender and gender non-conforming youth along with the …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Effects Of Problem- And Project-Based Learning On Academic Achievement In Grades 6-12 Populations, Kimberly J. Jensen

Education Dissertations

Researchers and proponents of problem- and project-based learning (PBL) indicate that PBL as a curriculum and instruction approach (Savery, 2006; Schmidt, Loyens, Van Gog, & Paas, 2007) provides an effective way for teachers to respond to students’ needs, provides opportunities for students to actively engage in and take responsibility for learning by engaging in meaningful and relevant work, and provides students opportunities to directly apply their knowledge and skills (Hmelo-Silver & DeSimone, 2013; McCombs, 2010; Parker et al., 2011). Although primary research within secondary (6-12) contexts indicated that problem-and project based learning (PBL) is often superior to traditional, lecture-based instruction …

Phallacies: Constructing A Critical Space And Pedagogy For College Men To Engage Across Non-Hegemonic Masculinities, Taj Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

Peer groups are one of those critical social organizations within our cycles of socialization that assist in regulating culturally acceptable practices of masculinity (Connell, 2005; Gilbert & Gilbert, 1998; Mac an Ghaill, 1994). Men's peer groups are viewed as primary social commitments that should not be broken and maintained through performances of masculinity that are influenced by gendered expectations (Migliaccio, 2009). Unfortunately, the regulation that comes with joining such groups often requires collective and individual oppressive practices that result in some men policing other men's attitudes and behaviors (Flood, 2007). As a response to Harris and Barone's (2011) call for …

Slavery On Their Minds: Representing The Institution In Children's Picture Books, Raphael E. Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines how slavery is represented in contemporary children’s picture books. Given that many primary and secondary school teachers are committed to using picture book fiction to teach students about slavery, it is necessary to explore how slavery is depicted in these texts. One of the goals of this study is to contribute to the discussion about how the featured picture books engage with and respond to the early historiography of slavery, which asserted that Black slave were content and docile and that slave owners were kind and paternalistic. This study seeks to analyze how the picture books that …

Microteaching In Pakistan: Perspectives Of Novice Higher Education Faculty About The Contribution Of Microteaching To Their Learning And Practice, Salma N. Khan

Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed-methods research documents the self-reports of novice higher education faculty of Pakistan about the contribution of the microteaching module of Master Trainer Faculty Professional Development Program (MT-FPDP) as well as the factors that either supported or hindered faculty in using their new knowledge and skills. My literature review on microteaching, which until recently had been a neglected field for two decades, includes higher education development needs as ‘adults-teaching-adults,’ microteaching as a response to novice teaching issues, and a contextual analysis of the model in different settings. I analyze and interpret the findings using a conceptual framework that synthesizes adult …

Conditions Supporting The Development Of Scientific Argumentation In High School Chemistry Classrooms: The Role Of Question Prompts And An Interactive Simulation, Tugba Keser

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to provide benefit to preservice and inservice science teachers, who have an interest in applying scientific argumentation in their high school chemistry instructions, by investigating role of question prompts and an interactive simulation supporting the development of scientific argumentation. In particular, the study examined the quality of students’ arguments changing over time in scientific argumentation when they constructed and defended their arguments using the “Gas Properties” computer simulation. For this purpose, forty-seven11^th grade students from four classes first worked in pairs and then, all the pairs returned the classroom for discussion. One …

Reading Queerly In The High School Classroom: Exploring A Gay And Lesbian Literature Course, Kirsten Helmer

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how teaching an English literature curriculum centered on the stories, experiences, cultures, histories, and politics of LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex) people constitutes a meaningful site for teaching and learning in a high school classroom. The dissertation offers insights on how the teaching of LGBTQI-themed texts in English language arts classes can be reframed by bridging the goals, practices and conceptual tools of queer theory to critical literacies teaching. The project follows principles of critical qualitative research and employs an ethnographic case study approach with the purpose of transforming educational …

Using Systemic Functional Linguistics To Inform A Language Pedagogy In A Middle School English Classroom A Case Study, Holly I. Graham

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study analyzes how a middle school teacher used the tools of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and genre based pedagogy (GBP) to support linguistically and culturally diverse students in analyzing informational texts critically in the context of curricular and school reforms in the United States. Using a combination of ethnographic case study methods (Dyson, 1993; Davies, 1999; Merriam, 2005; Dyson & Genishi, 2005) and critical discourse analysis (Eggins, 1999; Fairclough, 1995) the teacher collected an extensive corpus of diverse data over a school year. Focused data collection consistent with case study methods included instructional materials, paper and electronic …

The Learning Of Human Ingenuity Within A Formal, Environmental Education Program: A Case Study Of Two Secondary School Programs, Brian D. Smith

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis explores the implementation of creative pedagogies to determine how creativity as a disposition and learning outcome is pursued in Ontario classrooms. Its focus falls within a broad context of growing interest in Environmental Education and increasing demand for problem-solving skills in the workforce and beyond. The study draws upon participant experiences to examine how creative problem-solving is realized. A case study approach was employed, using multiple data sources in two High School Environmental Leadership Programs. Findings from this research suggest that teachers prioritize the building, comprehension and application of facts and concepts over the use of instructional strategies …

The Predictive Power Of Community, Family, And School Variables On Student Achievement On The Nj Ask Language Arts Literacy In New Jersey In Grades 6 And 7, Meredith Fox

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This non-experimental, correlational, explanatory, cross-sectional study using quantitative methods sought to determine which combination of 20 out-of-school community demographic factors, while controlling for two school level variables, predicted and accounted for the most variance in New Jersey schools’ percentages of students scoring Proficient or above on the 2010 NJ ASK Language Arts Literacy in sixth and seventh grades. This study focused on both community variables and school level variables to determine whether the current federal and state evaluation policies in place for schools and school personnel that utilize student outcomes on high-stakes standardized assessments are reasonable. The study examined over …

A Family And Community Variable Prediction Model For Nj Ask Mathematics Sixth And Seventh Grade Assessments Results: The Impact On School Evaluation, Kevin R. Mccahill

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the predictive accuracy of family and community demographic variables found in the U.S. Census data on the percentage of students at the school level who scored Proficient or above on the NJ ASK 6 and 7 Mathematics section when controlling for teacher mobility and level of teacher education. Analysis included simultaneous multiple linear regression and hierarchical linear regression. This study looked at 100% of the New Jersey school districts with complete sets of 2010 NJ ASK 6 and 7 data and 2010 census data and tested at least 25 students in each grade level. Only schools servicing …

The Experiences Of Second-Generation South Asian Female Students Who Are Attending Universities In Canada, Monisha Aurora

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examines the experiences of second-generation South Asian women attending university. It also focuses on the ways in which race, gender, and class intersect in the participants’ lives. The research questions being investigated are as follows: (1) How does cultural identity inform young South Asian women’s experiences at home and at school? (2) What types of social boundaries do second-generation South Asian immigrant women negotiate, and how do they change based on their surroundings? (3) Does their socioeconomic status have an impact on these negotiations? The methods adopted were case study qualitative research. The findings discussed some of the …

Effects Of Direct Instruction Of Literary Text Elements With Story Mapping On Reading Comprehension, Diane M. Hannay

Master of Education Applied Research Projects

The purpose for the study was to examine the effects of direct instruction of literary text elements accompanied with story mapping on reading comprehension in a fourth grade self-contained classroom. In addition, the study examined if the teacher implementing the treatment recognized a positive change in student comprehension of literary text after implementing the treatment and if the teacher was positively motivated to include direct instruction lessons on literary text elements with story mapping to enhance student reading comprehension in the future. A quasi-experimental mixed research method was used driven by the objective of explaining a cause-and-effect relationship. Results of …

An Investigation Of Differences In Reading Achievement Of Students Who Attend Full-Day Kindergarten Versus Half-Day Kindergarten Using Dibels Next, Jamie P. Giaquinto

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Kindergarten policies at both the state and local levels differ significantly, including areas such as availability, length of day, entry assessments, quality of instruction, class size, funding, teacher preparation and licensure, and curriculum. Despite this, the nation’s governors and education commissioners came together to approve the Common Core State Standards, a set of clear college-and career-ready standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

This research was designed to investigate the difference, if any, in the reading achievement of students who attended full-day kindergarten versus students who attended half-day programs. Data included results of the Dynamic …

The Influence Of Student Mobility On Grade 5 New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge Scores, Kent Antonio Thompson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This cross-sectional, correlational, explanatory study sought to explain the influence of student mobility on the total percentage of students who scored Proficient or Advanced Proficient (TPAP) on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) on both Grade 5 Language Arts Literacy and Mathematics in 2010-2011. The analysis included simultaneous and hierarchical regression models for student, school, and faculty variables. All data explored in this study pertained to 696 public elementary schools in New Jersey during the 2010-2011 academic year. The results of this study revealed that student mobility had no statistically significant influence on proficiency levels on …

Foreign Language Education Through An International Education Lens, Bridget Landry

Capstone Collection

Inspired by current dialogue around foreign language education in the United States - which reveals that foreign language education faces budget cuts, dropping enrollment rates, and competition for resources – this study sought to better understand the value of foreign language education through the lenses of international education professionals. The literature review explored the relationship between foreign language education and the field of international education, and examined foreign language education’s role in advancing intercultural competency. The study surveyed a sample of 57 international education professionals, and interviewed 8 of those 57. It assessed professionals’ perceptions in three main areas: current …