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Theses/Dissertations

2018

Education, Curriculum and Instruction

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Full-Text Articles in Education

South Carolina Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Implementing Critical Literacy In The Preschool Classroom, Rebecca Weissman Jan 2018

South Carolina Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Implementing Critical Literacy In The Preschool Classroom, Rebecca Weissman

Theses and Dissertations

Critical literacy situated within a critical theoretical and pedagogical paradigm focuses specifically on exploring the sociopolitical implications of texts and challenging information rather than taking it at face value. The present study constitutes a case study that describes the perceptions and experiences of seven preschool teachers who employ critical literacy in their early childhood classroom and how their pedagogy fits within the existing themes seen in the early childhood literature. Specifically, this case study is an instrumental collective study, consisting of in-depth interviews. Through qualitative analysis of these interviews a variety of specific pedagogical methods for implementing critical literacy are …


Becoming A Sailor: A (Critical) Analytic Autoethnographic Account Of Navigating Tensions As A ‘Woke’ White Woman Working For Racial Justice, Jennifer Lynn Doyle Jan 2018

Becoming A Sailor: A (Critical) Analytic Autoethnographic Account Of Navigating Tensions As A ‘Woke’ White Woman Working For Racial Justice, Jennifer Lynn Doyle

Theses and Dissertations

This critical, analytic autoethnographic (Boylorn & Orbe, 2014; Anderson, 2006) dissertation details the journey of a young white woman practicing “woke whiteness work” in the pursuit of racial justice. The autoethnography illustrates the many complexities, layers, and tensions of racial justice work as a white woman, centering on the initial tension stemming from the spring 2014 semester where she was involved in a literary research project facilitating book clubs at a juvenile detention center with students who were incarcerated as part of an adolescent literacy course, while simultaneously enrolled in a Critical Race Theory (CRT) course. In an attempt to …


Exploring The Role Of Schema Development And Its Impact Within The Digital Vocabulary Application Quizlet, Jana M. Tolleson Jan 2018

Exploring The Role Of Schema Development And Its Impact Within The Digital Vocabulary Application Quizlet, Jana M. Tolleson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to ascertain the possible impact of using schema development strategies and the digital application Quizlet on student learning perspectives and achievement in a mid-level social studies classroom. U.S. schools are highly influenced by state standardized testing based on standards-driven curriculum that reinforces basic recall and recognition. School curriculum should be focused on higherlevel thinking skills such as critical thinking, social negotiation, and self-directed learning. The identified problem of practice of this study explored and described the use of technology at a basic level. Students are exploiting technology by copying and pasting information …


The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Student Learning Perspectives And Achievement In A Social Studies Classroom, Jason Brisini Jan 2018

The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Student Learning Perspectives And Achievement In A Social Studies Classroom, Jason Brisini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the possible impact of project-based learning on student learning perspective and achievement in a social studies classroom. American schools are in an era of standardized testing based on standards-driven curricula that only teaches basic recall and recognition. School curriculum should be focused on providing students with the skills necessary for them to be successful after high school graduation. Higher-level thinking skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and self-direction are not easily learned with traditional, essentialist teaching methods. Students can quickly look up facts with ready access to the internet, so they need …


The Impact Of A Formative Classroom Observation Tool On Teachers’ Reflective Process On Instructional Practices: An Action Research Study, Lisa C. Cassidy Jan 2018

The Impact Of A Formative Classroom Observation Tool On Teachers’ Reflective Process On Instructional Practices: An Action Research Study, Lisa C. Cassidy

Theses and Dissertations

This paper details a study focused on the impact of the utilization of a formative classroom observation tool on the teachers’ reflective process as it pertains to instructional practices. The study was developed from a noted problem of practice at a middle school where approximately half of the teachers did not agree that teacher evaluation at their school focused on instructional improvement. The ultimate goal of the research study is to gain meaningful understanding concerning how to improve teacher practices through classroom observation and instructional leadership. This action research study incorporates a qualitative research design. Data was gathered from participating …


The Impact Of An Accelerated Course Format On Student Success For A Community College Media Arts Production Class, Nathan T. Winters Jan 2018

The Impact Of An Accelerated Course Format On Student Success For A Community College Media Arts Production Class, Nathan T. Winters

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes a problem of practice stemming from an institutional transition to accelerated formatted courses at Progressive Community College (PCC), a pseudonym for a 2-year college located in the southeastern United States. In order to improve student success, the college transitioned from a traditional 15-week course format to an accelerated 7-week format. The identification of the problem of practice led to the development of a research focus examining the impact of an accelerated 7-week format on student success for a media arts production course. The study implemented action research methodology, collecting both qualitative and quantitative research data.

Action research …


The Effects Of A Gamified Curriculum On High-School Students, Joshua Kyle Bastean Jan 2018

The Effects Of A Gamified Curriculum On High-School Students, Joshua Kyle Bastean

Theses and Dissertations

One of the emerging trends in education is gamification, a concept that has been applied in other fields, such as business and advertising, with great success. Gamification can be defined as adding game elements to non-game constructs. This study followed a high-school Algebra II teacher and 10 of her students in an attempt to document the effects of gamification on student academic engagement. Multiple methods of data collection were used to gather data from students and teachers. After analysis, the data showed that gamification had a positive effect on student academic engagement. The results were used to create an action …


The Impact Of Scaffolding On The Historical Thinking Skills Of Middle School Students, William R. Cox Jan 2018

The Impact Of Scaffolding On The Historical Thinking Skills Of Middle School Students, William R. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

This work is dedicated to some incredibly important people in my life. First, to my students everywhere, you have challenged me to become a better curriculum leader and a better historian. Many of you have inspired me beyond anything that you can imagine. Second, to my colleagues, you have helped create a drive inside of me to seek the best in my students and myself. You have also put up with my seemingly unending impromptu lectures about the newest thought I had on pedagogy.

Finally and most importantly, to my family, it is you that I owe an indescribable debt. …


Supporting Engagement Among African American Males In World Geography Class Through The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: A Self-Study, Audra Dorr Brown Jan 2018

Supporting Engagement Among African American Males In World Geography Class Through The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: A Self-Study, Audra Dorr Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Given the reality of disenfranchised and marginalized students sitting in today’s classrooms, it is imperative that teachers meet the pedagogical needs of these students. I embarked on a self-study that would improve my personal pedagogy. Research shows that using elements from the theoretical frameworks of culturally relevant pedagogy, reality pedagogy, critical race theory, and critical race pedagogy can be an effective approach to teaching students that are marginalized. I designed and implemented three lessons that employed practitioner-applied pedagogical practices based on these four theoretical frameworks. This self-study identified the benefits and challenges of these lessons as they relate to the …


The Response Of Middle School Special Education Students To Differentiation Of Reading Instruction Based On Student Choice And Interest In The Seventh Grade Academic Enrichment Classroom, Autumn M. Hudson Jan 2018

The Response Of Middle School Special Education Students To Differentiation Of Reading Instruction Based On Student Choice And Interest In The Seventh Grade Academic Enrichment Classroom, Autumn M. Hudson

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes the influence of differentiation of reading instruction based on student choice and interest on the reading growth of seventh-grade special education students in the academic enrichment classroom. This research was grounded in the theoretical framework that involves differentiation of instruction (Tomlinson, 2001), special education students (Bender, 2012), and middle school reading instruction (Robb, 2010). This action research study implemented a parallel mixed methods design to explore the following research question: What influence does differentiation of reading instruction based on student choice and interest have on the reading growth of seventh-grade, special education students in the …


The Impact Of Interactive Word Walls In A United States History Classroom: An Action Research Study, Paketrice Jones Jan 2018

The Impact Of Interactive Word Walls In A United States History Classroom: An Action Research Study, Paketrice Jones

Theses and Dissertations

As a scholar practitioner, the goal is to use the most effective teaching strategies available to help eighth-grade social studies students retain the vocabulary from each unit of study and increase both their short- and long-term memories. The problem identified for this action research was that the current use of the word wall (WW) vocabulary retention tool was not successful in accomplishing this goal. Further, I observed that students were not performing at grade level on the district mandated benchmarks at the end of each quarter. Using four phases of conducting a study, I reviewed literature to discover what was …


The Impact Of A Forest School Model And An Interdisciplinary Curriculum In A Third-Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Valerie Hoyt-Parrish Jan 2018

The Impact Of A Forest School Model And An Interdisciplinary Curriculum In A Third-Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Valerie Hoyt-Parrish

Theses and Dissertations

New policy at LHP (pseudonym) requires all teachers to implement the Danish Forest School approach and integrate the natural outdoor areas surrounding the campus in their curriculum and pedagogy. The purposes of the present study are to identify the cognitive, affective and psychomotor impact of the Danish Forest School approach on students and to design a professional development plan for teachers that enables them to combine this approach within an interdisciplinary framework that will include the State Standards that are required of all third-grade students in this southern, private, parochial school. Action research methods were used to collect observational data …


The Impact Of Structured Play On Early Literacy Skills In A Kindergarten Classroom, Lauren B. Adams Jan 2018

The Impact Of Structured Play On Early Literacy Skills In A Kindergarten Classroom, Lauren B. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The present action research study of kindergarten students, in a suburban public school classroom located in the midlands region of South Carolina, describes the ways in which a teacher-researcher developed a Structured Play Unit in her classroom that was designed to answer the following research question: How does the implementation of a Structured Play Unit impact early literacy skills (rhyming) on kindergarten students? Implemented in the Fall of 2017, data was collected over a four-week period. A verbal pre-test was given to the teacher-researcher’s kindergarten class which required students to identify pictures of rhyming words and point to their response, …


Action Research: Implementing Restorative Practices To Improve Classroom Climate, Kyle Meetze Jan 2018

Action Research: Implementing Restorative Practices To Improve Classroom Climate, Kyle Meetze

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes action research focusing on implementing restorative practices (RP) to improve the climate in an eighth grade science classroom. This study utilized a concurrent mixed-methods design to determine if the use of RP, specifically affective statements and affective questions, had an impact on classroom climate. Quantitative data consisted administering the Classroom Life Inventory (CLI) to students prior to and following the implementation of RP in the classroom. In addition, a student focus group interview and a teacher interview were conducted following the implementation of RP. The quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests. The …


The Impact Of A Blended Learning Rotational Model On Student Achievement In An Eighth-Grade Social Studies Class, Amanda Mings Jan 2018

The Impact Of A Blended Learning Rotational Model On Student Achievement In An Eighth-Grade Social Studies Class, Amanda Mings

Theses and Dissertations

One of the biggest determining factors of effective education is the implementation of standardized testing as a way to access students and hold schools accountable. Some educators argue that this system of accountability has done more harm than good. Many teachers have adopted a teach to the test approach to learning as they succumb to the pressures of high stakes testing linked to performance evaluation. Many educational scholars agree that instructional practices must cater to the needs and interests of the learner in order to yield positive results. The so-called, Net Generation, learns differently from their predecessors and these students …


Twelfth Grade Students’ Perceptions Of Linked Learning Pathways, Scott Weimer Jan 2018

Twelfth Grade Students’ Perceptions Of Linked Learning Pathways, Scott Weimer

Theses and Dissertations

During the era of standardized testing in California, Central High School District (CHSD- pseudonym) had created a single course of study that all students were expected to follow to maximize results on state exams. This single course of study was not relevant to a large majority of the students who graduated from the district and they were not prepared for life after graduation. The new accountability system has allowed CHSD to expand the course of study that is being offered. The district has several programs that follow the Linked Learning model which uses project based learning to pair core academic …


The Impact Of Problem-Based Learning In An Eighth-Grade Earth Science Classroom: An Action Research Study, Caroline Lucinda Moon Jan 2018

The Impact Of Problem-Based Learning In An Eighth-Grade Earth Science Classroom: An Action Research Study, Caroline Lucinda Moon

Theses and Dissertations

The present dissertation in practice (DiP) proposal delineates an action research study designed to evaluate the use of problem-based learning (PBL) in an eighth-grade earth science class to assess the impact of PBL on student achievement. I have observed that students often struggle with developing an understanding of how the motions of the sun, earth, and moon (SEM) cause observed phenomenon on the earth. In addition, I have observed the unintentional marginalization of cisgender female students within the science classroom. The identification of the problem of practice (PoP) led to the development of the following two research questions: How does …


The Impact Of Classroom Management On New Teachers At A Newly Opened Elementary School, Larry Peaden Jones Jan 2018

The Impact Of Classroom Management On New Teachers At A Newly Opened Elementary School, Larry Peaden Jones

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation in practice outlines an action research project that was designed in order to solve the research question of: What is the impact of Capturing Kids’ Hearts on improving the classroom management of beginning teachers and district new-hires in a new elementary school setting? This question was proposed on the idea that classroom management is something that many teachers will face as a challenge; especially beginning teachers. The Capturing Kids’ Hearts program was also determined to be beneficial as it contains attributes that would allow any teacher to obtain some useful information from the information. This action research project …


The Impact Of Number Talks On Third-Grade Students’ Number Sense Development And Mathematical Proficiency, Nicole D. Gaillard Jan 2018

The Impact Of Number Talks On Third-Grade Students’ Number Sense Development And Mathematical Proficiency, Nicole D. Gaillard

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the impact of a number talks intervention on the number sense development and mathematical proficiency of students in one third-grade mathematics class. The number talks strategy was also studied to determine its impact on third-grade students’ development of a productive mathematical disposition. Number sense is “a person’s general understanding of numbers and operations along with the ability and inclination to use this understanding in flexible ways to make mathematical judgments and to develop useful strategies for handling numbers and operations” (McIntosh, Reys, & Reys, 1992, p. 3). This eight-week study …


Towards A ‘Pedagogy Of Hybrid Masculinities’: The Effects Of Teacher-Selected Vs. Student-Selected Informational Texts On The Literacy Achievement And Masculine Identities Of Middle-Level Males, Elizabeth Coen Welch Jan 2018

Towards A ‘Pedagogy Of Hybrid Masculinities’: The Effects Of Teacher-Selected Vs. Student-Selected Informational Texts On The Literacy Achievement And Masculine Identities Of Middle-Level Males, Elizabeth Coen Welch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether teacher-selected informational texts or student-selected informational texts best contribute to literacy achievement and engagement for middle-level males and to examine middle-level males’ perception of the relationship between masculine performance and literacy practice. For the purposes of this study, literacy achievement was measured using pre-test/post-test comparison on an assessment which measured participants’ ability to determine the central idea of an informational text while engagement and the relationship between masculine expression and literacy achievement were analyzed using observational field notes and semi-structured focus group interviews. Over a nine-week period during the first nine-week …


Counseling Program Intervention For Improving African American Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Dual Enrollment Participation, Sonja L. Taylor Jan 2018

Counseling Program Intervention For Improving African American Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Dual Enrollment Participation, Sonja L. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are underrepresented at all points in the STEM pipeline from K-12 coursework into professional careers. The reasons for this underrepresentation are varied and reflect a myriad of contributing factors based on early academic experiences, sociocultural influences, and the effects of standardized testing. The three-fold purpose of this study was to implement a counseling program to inform nine African American study participants about the dual enrollment opportunity at their high school, to gain perspective about the factors which shaped their STEM disposition, and to determine the effect of the program on their attitudes about dual enrollment participation. The study …


College Success Class: A Targeted Soft Skills Inventory For Student Success, Beth Ann Scruggs Jan 2018

College Success Class: A Targeted Soft Skills Inventory For Student Success, Beth Ann Scruggs

Theses and Dissertations

College Success, Freshman Seminar, College 101, or University 101—all of these courses have the common theme of providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to be successful in navigating higher education. This might mean attaining a certificate or degree, or in some cases, transferring to a four-year institution. While content knowledge is unquestionably important, the ability to employ multiple soft skills and learning strategies is also essential for a student to successfully transition to college (Conley, 2013). At Middletown Tech, a designated public, two-year, associate degree-granting institution in the U.S. South, the College Success course is intended …


The Effect Of 7e Model Inquiry-Based Labs On Student Achievement In Advanced Placement Physics: An Action Research Study, Vaughn C. Vick Jan 2018

The Effect Of 7e Model Inquiry-Based Labs On Student Achievement In Advanced Placement Physics: An Action Research Study, Vaughn C. Vick

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation involved an action research study of the effects of 7E Model inquiry labs in Advanced Placement (AP) Physics on students’ performance on AP exam inquiry lab-based questions. The study, which is described in detail, employed a one-group, pretest-posttest design to answer the research question regarding the effects of the inquiry-based AP Physics labs on students’ achievement on AP exam inquiry lab questions as measured by unit assessments. Data collection and analysis strategies are also discussed. Sources of data included a pretest, lab reports, and a posttest. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, specifically a t-test comparison of …


The Effects Of A Flipped Classroom On Student Comprehension And Perception Among Second Language Learners In A Bachelor Of Social Work Course, Beverly Wagner Jan 2018

The Effects Of A Flipped Classroom On Student Comprehension And Perception Among Second Language Learners In A Bachelor Of Social Work Course, Beverly Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

This two phased action research study first explored obstacles to learning among second-language learners in a UAE undergraduate, social work course. This knowledge was then used in the modification of a flipped class approach to understand how this approach could influence student engagement and comprehension. This study was grounded in a sociocultural and student-centered learning theoretical framework, through first exploring the sociocultural influences and obstacles within a specific cultural context and modifying a student-centered learning approach based on this knowledge. Both phases were studied using a qualitative, ethnographic design.

Phase I sought to answer the following research questions: What are …


The Impact Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Students’ Comprehension Of Secondary Social Studies Texts, Kaitlyn Mathews Jan 2018

The Impact Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Students’ Comprehension Of Secondary Social Studies Texts, Kaitlyn Mathews

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study evaluates the impact of the literacy intervention, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), on students’ comprehension of social studies texts in secondary classrooms at a high school in East Tennessee, and their perceptions of the intervention as an activity for learning. The identified problem of practice this study sought to explore is whether explicit, collaborative literacy instruction would impact students’ comprehension of grade-level appropriate social studies texts, and to evaluate students’ responses to such literacy instruction. Pre- and post-tests assessing students’ comprehension of informational articles pertaining to eras of United States history, and semi-structured interviews with students, provided …


Implementation Of A Response To Intervention Block, Amy Roberts Mcglohorn Jan 2018

Implementation Of A Response To Intervention Block, Amy Roberts Mcglohorn

Theses and Dissertations

The location of this study is Bulldog Elementary School (BES) (pseudonym) in Suburban School District (SSD) (pseudonym). According to the Read to Succeed Act (2016), students must read on grade level by the end of third grade. Therefore, the students reading achievement level is the problem of practice. This action research study describes the impact of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model within an instructional framework for English Language Arts (ELA) in an elementary level classroom and its impact on student growth in reading by reviewing student universal screening assessment data and progress monitoring using a pre-test/post-test model as well …


An Action Research Study Of Female Calculus Students’ Perceptions Of The Flipped Classroom Model, Tammy Parham Jan 2018

An Action Research Study Of Female Calculus Students’ Perceptions Of The Flipped Classroom Model, Tammy Parham

Theses and Dissertations

To improve teaching practices away from teacher-centered strategies and towardstudentcenteredmethodology based in constructivist and social constructivist theory, the present research study describes six female students’ perceptions of a flipped-model classroom design in an advanced calculus course. In a flipped-model classroom, there is an inversion of the traditional instructional paradigm to move new content instruction outside of the classroom in order to provide time for student engagement in learning activities and interaction with peers during class meeting time. The flipped model enabled the female students to have more time for collaborative practices and application of calculus material, increased the student-participants’ interactions …


Using Performance Assessments To Improve Number Sense In Second Grade Mathematics: An Action Research Study, Lexie P. Feldman Jan 2018

Using Performance Assessments To Improve Number Sense In Second Grade Mathematics: An Action Research Study, Lexie P. Feldman

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes the effects of implementing performance-based assessments in a second grade mathematics classroom. The focus of this study is on reducing traditional testing methods and moving toward more authentic assessments within mathematics, specifically in the form of performance assessments. The study was grounded in a theoretical framework that involved authentic assessments in mathematics, mathematical communication, and, more specifically, performance assessments. This action research study employed a concurrent parallel mixed methods design to investigate the following research question: How does the use of performance assessments enhance students’ ability to communicate number sense in my second grade classroom? …


Solving Dynamic Addition Math Word Problems Using The Start-Change-Result Strategy, Deborah S. Smith Jan 2018

Solving Dynamic Addition Math Word Problems Using The Start-Change-Result Strategy, Deborah S. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to examine the impact the Start-Change-Result strategy had on the ability level of first-grade students working to solve dynamic addition math word problems. During an eight-week period, a class of 15 first-grade students from a high poverty setting participated in this study. These students struggled with correctly answering dynamic addition math word problems in which the unknown could be in any of three positions: the start, the change, or the result even though they had the computational skills to answer these questions accurately. All of these students had mastered solving basic addition …


The Impact Of A Media Literacy Curriculum On Middle School Students’ Ability To Recognize Racial Bias In Mass Media, Amy Savage Jan 2018

The Impact Of A Media Literacy Curriculum On Middle School Students’ Ability To Recognize Racial Bias In Mass Media, Amy Savage

Theses and Dissertations

This paper outlines an action research study focused on the possible effects of a media literacy curriculum on middle school students’ ability to recognize racial bias in mass media. The research study also evaluated the possible differences in sensitivity to mass media messages based on gender and race. Currently, while numerous forms of media literacy education exist, very few K-12 educational systems in the United States have implemented a formal media literacy curriculum; instead, teachers who are not trained in media literacy education are expected to include the teaching of these skills within their daily lessons. The questions this research …