Education Commons^™

The Power Of Play: An Action Research Study Examining Teachers’ Use Of Gamified Learning Practices To Develop Habits Of Mind In Elementary Students, Christina Clark

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The development of specific habits and skills is critical to students’ academic success. Costa and Kallick (2008, 2009) created a framework of these habits over their 25 yearslong collaboration called habits of mind. In this framework, Costa and Kallick detail the habits that students need to develop to be successful in school and beyond. An action research study was conducted to determine the influence of gamified learning practices to help students develop habits of mind in elementary students. The study participants were elementary teachers from upper elementary school in a large, suburban school district. Over eight weeks, five participants spiraled …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Escape Games In High School Social Studies Classes: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study, John Heider

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study explored the potential approaches to and benefits of educational escape games in secondary school social studies classes. The problem of practice that guided this study is the lack of data on whether or how teachers should use escape games. This study was based on a constructivist theoretical framework and explored the following research questions:

1. To what extent can playing and designing educational escape games advance students' affective development, including engagement, resilience, and intrinsic motivation?

2. To what extent can escape games advance students' cognitive development, including content mastery and critical thinking skills?

3. To what …

Investigating Adult Learner Perseverance Through Practitioner Inquiry: Learning From The Voices Of Students And Teachers, Lisa H. Justice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to examine, through the process of action research and design of practitioner inquiry, the experiences of students and teachers in an adult learning program in order to better understand the problem of adult learner perseverance. The program is located in a rural community in the Southeastern United States and serves adults ages seventeen and older who do not have a high school diploma. Often, these specific adult learners are saddled with barriers that prevent their success in our program, and adult educators face challenges themselves to find ways to support learner perseverance. The …

Implementing The Flex Model Of Blended Learning In A World History Classroom: How Blended Learning Affects Student Engagement And Mastery, Kristin N. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

In the following action research plan, an explanatory sequential mixed methods research study of the implementation of the Flex model of blended learning in a World History classroom is presented. The study and its findings are used to measure mastery of, engagement with, and understanding of historical concepts presented in a six-week unit on the Enlightenment and the various revolutions this period in history caused. Data collection and analysis, including data from pre- and post-tests, Likert scale surveys, exit tickets, and student artifacts, are discussed. The pre- and post-tests were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics (minimum and maximum score, average …

Student Engagement With Video Instruction—How To Engage 7th-Grade Social Studies Students And Diverse Academic Abilities With Video In The Classroom, Andrew Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research study explored the use of video-enhanced instruction in a seventh-grade social studies classroom in a small, rural middle school in the southeast United States. The primary research questions for this study was, How do different strategies for video-enhanced instruction support or challenge engagement in learning for students with diverse academic abilities? This dissertation will describe how I used the SAMR model of technology integration (Puentedura, 2012), and David Havens’ (2014) framework for engagement with technology to enact and study the impact of three different ways that video-enhanced instruction could be used to support students identified …

Empowering Filipino American Young Adults Through Culturally Relevant Leadership Experiences, Donnaly Y. Atajar

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the leadership development of Filipino American young adults. As an advisor for Lakas Mentorship Program in the Inland Empire, I explored the following question among program staff and mentors: How could I use culturally relevant curriculum to foster personal and professional development for young Filipino American leaders? I evaluated the impact of four cycles centered on leadership training and improving program practices to understand how to deepen engagement and facilitate positive transformation. I found that the following contributed to meaningful engagement: intentional leadership opportunities, institutionalized program structure, and peer mentorship and community …

Fifth Grade High Suspension Rates And Classroom Behavior Management: An Action Research Study, Yvonne M. Bell

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This action research study was designed to understand the causes of behavioral problems that led to an excessive number of teacher office referrals and school suspensions at a public school in North Carolina and identify behavior techniques and effective modern-day classroom management methods that could be utilized in the classroom to reduce this problem. The sample was formed by a total of 60 fifth-grade students between the ages of 10 and 11 years and six teachers. Data was gathered using parent and teacher questionnaires, school suspension records, teacher write-ups, office referrals, classroom observations, and video conferencing or face-to-face interviews. Based …

Changing Perceptions About Professional Development: An Action Research Study Using Andragogy For Educators’ Professional Development, Cynthia L. Pina

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Traditional professional development for teachers provides time to gain knowledge about classroom content, skills to effectively teach, and the possibility to improve student learning. The problem is teachers’ dissatisfaction with the design of professional development. Research indicates that teachers participate in professional development, but it is ineffective, irrelevant, and makes teachers feel undervalued as professionals. The purpose of this study is to improve teachers’ perceptions about traditional professional development. This study is based on seminal research by Malcolm Knowles’ andragogy, an adult learning framework. This study is driven by three research questions to determine how the andragogy framework improved teachers’ …

The Impact Of Jigsaw Learning On Student Engagement In Beginning Students At A Community College: An Action Research Study, Kalina White

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study is to explore the impact of the cooperative learning technique of the jigsaw method on student engagement in the beginning biology laboratory at Northern Community College (NCC). Professorial observations, a student survey, and interviews were used to investigate whether or not jigsaw methods should be adopted at NCC which serves a moderately large metropolitan area in the Northern United States. Data were collected over a 6-week period over the Fall 2018 semester. Over three weeks, one of three sections were exposed to a jigsaw version of the normal laboratory protocol while the other …

Tenth-Grade Student–Participants’ Perceptions Of A Growth Mindset Curriculum: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Jo L. Dufort

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to describe nine tenth-grade student-participants’ perceptions of a growth mindset curriculum based on the educational theory developed by Dweck (2006). The curriculum focused on the core aspects of Dweck’s (2006) theory: (a).understanding brain growth and neuroplasticity, (b) having a productive attitude about making mistakes and experiencing failure, and (c) expending effort and developing perseverance (Dweck, 2006). The teacher-researcher implemented the Growth Mindset Unit in a small high school in a coastal town in southern Maine during the teacher- researcher’s advisory class. The school has a proficiency-based grading system in which students benefit …

El Diálogo Crítico-Reflexivo En La Reconstrucción De Las Representaciones Sociales Sobre El Aprendizaje Del Francés En Los Estudiantes De Octavo Grado Del Colegio Mayor De Los Andes, Omar David Gómez Montoya, Jenny Paola Rodríguez Ordoñez

Maestría en Didáctica de las Lenguas

El presente estudio nace de las voces de dos grupos de estudiantes de octavo del Colegio Mayor de los Andes que representan su realidad sobre el aprendizaje del francés como lengua extranjera en su entorno educativo. Partiendo de la conceptualización de las representaciones sociales, asumimos que dichos sistemas de conocimiento orientan cualquier proceso de aprendizaje, en este caso aquel de la lengua en mención. Luego de haber hecho una caracterización de dichas representaciones se encontraron significados en estos estudiantes que no permitían que se emprendiera un aprendizaje anclado a algún tipo de motivación, lo que hacía de este proceso algo …

El Cortometraje: Una Herramienta Para El Desarrollo Del Pensamiento Crítico En Niños De Ciclo Dos Del Colegio Kennedy Ied, Mónica María Acosta González, Luisa Fernanda Velásquez Gaviria

Maestría en Docencia

En esta investigación cualitativa se considera el texto audiovisual - cortometraje como herramienta que contribuye al desarrollo del pensamiento crítico en niños de ciclo dos del Colegio Kennedy IED y se empleó el método de investigación-acción en modalidad práctica-deliberativa. Las técnicas de recolección aplicadas fueron 38 observaciones participantes con 63 estudiantes de ciclo dos (con una guía de observación semiestructurada como instrumento); cuatro entrevistas semiestructuradas aplicadas a dos docentes de tercero y cuarto de primaria, a un directivo docente y un experto en creación audiovisual; además de tres entrevistas semiestructuradas grupales a estudiantes (con un guion de entrevista como instrumento) …