Education Commons^™

Exploring The Liminal Space: Dual Enrollment At Maine's Community Colleges, Amy Lynn Hubbard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exploring the Liminal Space: Dual Enrollment at Maine's Community Colleges

Only 39% of matriculated students will earn a college degree or certificate in six years due to inadequate preparation in high school (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2016). Dual enrollment (DE) courses have been touted as one way to bridge the gap between high school and college (Hanson, Prusha, & Iverson, 2015; Harnish & Lynch, 2005; Johnson & Brophy, 2006; Karp, Calcagno, Hughes, Jeong, & Bailey, 2007; Morrison, 2008; Smith, 2007; Swanson, 2008). Dual enrollment is broadly defined as any course in which a high school student earns college …

The Effects Of Tootling Combined With Public Posting In High School Classrooms, Sarah Joan Wright

Master's Theses

A traditional tootling procedure was implemented along with a public posting component to determine the effects on academically engaged, disruptive, and passive off task behaviors in four general education high school classrooms. The study employed an A/B/B+C multiple baseline design across classrooms. The primary focus of the study was to assess potential increases in academically engaged behavior across intervention conditions. Students in the traditional tootling phase (B) were instructed to report on their peers’ positive, prosocial behaviors. At the end of the class period, the teacher silently read through the tootles and added the total toward the group goal. When …

Going 1:1- Writing Policy To Support The 21st Century Student: A Policy Advocacy Document, Tracey K. Landry

Dissertations

In an effort to prepare its graduates with the 21^st century skills of problem solving, collaboration, technology savvy, creativity, and information literacy and to close the learning gaps between students who have access to technology and those who don’t, this study proposes that District 123 create a policy to support a 1:1 Chromebook initiative. Using Browder’s needs analysis model, the impact of a 1:1 program is analyzed through the educational, social, political, economic and moral frames (Browder, 1995). It is determined that a 1:1 program can transform teaching and learning by giving equal access to technology, by incorporating student-driven …

Identifying The Key Components Of Place-Conscious Pedagogy To Help Maximize Rural Potential, Amber Marie Dlugosh

MSU Graduate Theses

By using reflective and observational data from a rural high school English classroom's endeavor to launch a community-wide online literary magazine, this study uncovers the key components of place-conscious curriculum and instruction that must be present for benefits to transpire. Focusing on a rural, predominantly-caucasian school district, the study tracks 64 students who were enrolled in four sections of a senior-level writing course. Previous research asserts that place-conscious curriculum choices that involve student contributions to the community prove to have significant potential for rural schools. The investigator observed a significant decrease in student apathy, academic gains within the content area, …

Teaching History: Effective Teaching For Learning History - Chronological Vs. Thematic Approaches To Student Historical Comprehension, Shane Williams

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the effects of different types of instruction on student learning of historical thinking. There are several instructional methods to teaching history but most fall into two major approaches: chronological or thematic. This study used twenty-eight high school students in two sections of a junior-senior World History course. The research project utilized three full eighteen day instructional units: The World War II unit was taught from the chronological perspective, the Cold War unit was taught from the thematic, and the instruction for the globalization unit utilized a blended approach or combination of the chronological and thematic …

The Impact Of Response To Intervention In A High School Mathematics Setting, Lauren Dominick

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the impact of response to intervention (RTI) in a high school mathematics setting. A major concern in the literature related to the fact that majority of RTI research focused on students at the elementary level and in reading. Therefore in this study RTI was implemented in a high school mathematics classroom and the effects were analyzed. This study is focused on a sample of ninth and tenth grade students from two classes and taught by one teacher in the same high school in an action research setting. Quantitative and qualitative methods of …

Emotional Regulation And Technology In Various Educational Environments, Aimee Boyle

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of technology in various educational environments. Specifically, it looked at the ways in which technology is integrated into special education classrooms, and how it impacts learning. Two self-contained special education high school classrooms were studied, using qualitative methods of data. These included field notes based on observations and a semi-structured interview. In addition, a review of the literature on this topic was conducted to better place the study within the context of wider work done in this area. The data from the two classrooms were analyzed using the constant comparative …

What Are Factors Of An Effective Parent And Family Involvement Program Within High School?, Nicole Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the literature, parents or guardians of high school students will participate within the high school—though their participation is dependent on many factors. Parents with a higher social capital tend to be the most involved, while parents with lower social capital tend to be less involved. In other words, generally parents or guardians with high social capital would be much more likely to be involved in their child’s school, whereas parents with low social capital would not be involved in their child’s school at all (Goodwin, Rothon, Stansfeld, 2012). In this study, the researcher formulated and analyzed the following …

Primary Sources & Historical Understanding In High School American History, Kristina Nelson

Education Masters Papers

Learning history in high school is often disconnected from the process used by professional historians to understand the past. This research studies the implementation of primary source analysis in the high school American History classroom as a means to increase historical understanding. Previous research focuses on increasing achievement while this study also includes impact on engagement and attitude. Primary source analysis was the main instructional strategy used in one unit of study in a required ninth grade American History course at a suburban high school in April 2016. Student historical understanding was assessed using student self-reports on a daily basis, …

Fairy Tales And Adaptations: A Unit Of Study For High School Seniors, Angelica P. Babauta

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project is a unit of study designed for high school seniors in an advanced English class. The topic is fairy tales and adaptations, and through these twelve complete lesson plans, students will be led to examine the way fairy tales and society influence one another based on how a classic fairy tale is adapted over time. Students will study Jeanne Leprince de Beaumont's "Beauty and the Beast," the Brothers Grimm's "Brier Rose," and Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" as the original fairy tales. The adaptations paired with these texts are Alex Flinn's Beastly, James Finn Gardner's "Sleeping …

Smaller Learning Communities As Comprehensive School Reform: A Quantitative Analysis Of Implementation, Jerry Doss

Ed.D. Dissertations

In recent years, smaller learning communities (SLCs) have emerged as a strategy to address the social problems and poor academic performance of students in large high schools. Smaller learning communities are structures such as schools-within-schools and academies that offer smaller settings and more personal environments and instructional opportunities for students in large high schools. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between student achievement and SLCs in a medium sized suburban high school district in order to determine whether SLCs accomplished the goals of school reform. The school district under investigation received a Smaller Learning Communities …

Teacher And Student Perceptions On High School Science Flipped Classrooms: Educational Breakthrough Or Media Hype?, Rebecca C. Hunley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For years educators have struggled to ensure students meet the rigors of state mandated tests. Challenges that often impede student success are student absences, school closings due to weather, and remediation for students who need additional help while advanced students can move ahead. Many educators, especially secondary math and science teachers, have responded to these issues by implementing a teaching strategy called the flipped classroom where students view lectures, power points, or podcasts outside of school and class time shifts to allow opportunities for collaborative learning.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate teacher and student perceptions of high …

Teachers' Awareness Of Cultural Diversity And Academic Achievement In Ninth Grade Academies And Senior High Schools, Jamellah Whipps-Johnson

Dissertations

High school graduation rates are higher than they have ever been in 40 years, but disparities continue to exist for students of color and students from poverty when compared to their counterparts. High school reform efforts like creating small learning communities are promising, but small schools alone do not improve student outcomes. Personalization and responsive learning environments are essential to improving academic achievement in high schools, and particularly for ninth graders.

A monocultural teaching force paired with a racially and culturally diverse student population necessitates an examination of teachers’ awareness of cultural diversity particularly in the high school setting where …

Active Learning, Primary Documents, And Complex Events: Reinvigorating History Education, Samantha Clonch

Honors Projects

History is frequently taught through lectures, tests, and individual work with primary documents, which can be exceedingly tedious for students. This is problematic because it leads to student disengagement and limited learning. Also problematic in history education is the lack of time spent teaching events which are viewed as less impactful than others on the course of history. The Louisiana Purchase is one such event. It is often taught in one day or less as an action that simply doubled the size of the United States. This project is an attempt to combat these problems. The project contains a seven …

Beyond Race: A Quantitative Study Of The Discipline Gap Among Predominantly Black High Schools In Chicago, Felipe Ignacio Agudelo Acevedo

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Exclusionary discipline in schools has been proven to develop negative consequences in the life of students who are exposed to this kind of punishment in schools. Research in this area has shown that Out of School Suspensions (OSS) more frequently affect Black male students. During this research I argue that OSS are not necessarily caused by the race of the student but by some other factors that make some predominantly Black high schools more likely to use OSS than others. A question to be answered in the area of school discipline is related to what contributes to the odds that …

The Absence Of Aspiration In The Era Of Accountability, Mary R. Martinez

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Reforms early in the 21st century purported to close the achievement gap between White students and students of color, to provide accountability and transparency to taxpayers, to implement meaningful consequences for low-performing schools, and to create the workforce for the century. In this study, I investigated the effects of school reform on the lived experiences of students who graduated from high school in 2014 by inquiring into six young people’s perceptions of their schooling. I sought to better understand whether participants were aware of the existence and intent of school reforms, and how or whether their aspirations for their futures …

Distraction, Enjoyment, And Motivation During An Indoor Cycling Unit Of High School Physical Education, Kelsey Higginson

Theses and Dissertations

With the increased rate of overweight and obese youth in the United States many people began looking for ways to increase youth exercise quality and habits; one such way was by using an external distraction during exercise to increase personal motives toward exercise. This study involved 81 high school aged students enrolled in a required physical education class. Students rode an indoor cycling bike for 20 minutes while wearing a heart rate monitor. They were told to maintain a heart rate between their 70 and 79% maximum heart rate. Every 5 minutes students were asked to rate how hard they …

What Can The Lit Lab Do For You? A Qualitative Analysis Of High School Literacy Lab Participants, Bridget P. Jaensch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to document the changes in student progress, motivation, and achievement. The specific aim is to see what happens when students replace a traditional study hall with small group guided instruction in a literacy lab. Motivation profiles, goal setting, and reflection are all analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in how they viewed themselves as learners and in their academic endeavor to achieve goals. The implications for teaching in a literacy lab environment are discussed.

An Econometric Model Of High School Graduation Rates In Oregon, Emily Mavrakis, Elizabeth Miller

Student Scholarship - College of Business

This study aims to analyze potential factors causing low high school graduation rates in the state of Oregon. We developed an econometric model measuring six independent variables: violent crime rates; income per family, the percentage of the population that is Hispanic, the percentage of family households with only one parent, alcohol use in adults, and teen pregnancy. Our dependent variable was measured as the percentage of the population between 18 and 24 without a high school diploma. From our results we found two of our variables to be economically significant: family structure and alcohol. However, the coefficient for alcohol suggested …

Social Worker Experiences Serving At-Risk Youth With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Sherriese S. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was a qualitative study of school social workers who worked with special needs adolescent youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities in a public high school. This study centered on the experiences of 10 social workers in a public high school in New Jersey. All 10 school social workers were interviewed individually to uncover (a) how they perceived the school social worker's role within the public school setting, (b) the lived experiences of school social workers who worked with special needs youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities, and (c) why they desired to continue working with at-risk special needs …

Principals' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Jrotc Program, Patty Jean Blake

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this national study was to investigate the perceptions of public high school principals regarding the effectiveness of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program. The study examined the perceived influence of the program regarding the social development of the cadet, the behavior of the cadet, and the overall school environment. Data for this study was collected through an anonymous online survey emailed to current principals in public high schools across the United States where JROTC is offered as a course selection. Of the 3,062 schools identified as the population, 491 usable surveys provided participant information for …

Exploring The Transition Of First-Generation Mexican American Students From Grade 8 To High School, Mary C. Curry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The dropout rate for first-generation Mexican Americans students in American schools has increased in the past decade. The purpose of this study, as reflected in the central research question, was to explore the factors that influenced the decision of first-generation Mexican American students to transition to high school or drop out after Grade 8. The research design was a phenomenological case study. The conceptual framework was based on current research surrounding first-generation Mexican American student dropout questions. In addition, how the concepts of family and community involvement and relationships between the home and school have an impact on the first …

The Licensing, Preparation, And Role Of High School Department Chairs, Gina Marie Mathews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited existing research indicates that high school department chairs may not be prepared to fulfill their duties because of varying role descriptions and training. This qualitative comparative layered case study examined the alignment of high school department chairs' contextual intelligence in an eastern seaboard region of the United States from 3 perspectives: (a) school districts' role descriptions, (b) local universities' leadership courses, and (c) a state's education department's licensure requirements. Sternberg's contextual intelligence, the learned skill of decision-making based on past experiences, present settings, and future ideals, conceptually framed this study. The primary research question explored the extent to which …

Barriers High School Teachers Encounter In Teaching Critical Thinking In Writing, Monica Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an urban high school in California, students are generally unskilled in critical writing. The problem has been associated with instructional barriers encountered by teachers. In this qualitative case study, English Language teachers provided their perceptions of such barriers and shared perspectives for solutions based in professional development. Grounded in the theories of Halpern, Saiz and Rivas, Weigle, and Harris and Graham, the conceptual framework emphasized instructional models that develop metacognition in writing, which can increase students' critical thinking. Selection criteria required participants who were English Language Arts teachers of writing critical thinking. Data from 4 participant interviews were coded, …

The Convergence Of Emotional Geography And Teaching: Considering The Influences Of Emotionality On Female High School English Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Work, Brigitte Diane Knudson

Wayne State University Dissertations

This qualitative research study explored the ways in which sociocultural and professional emotional geographies contribute to female high school English teachers’ perceptions of the work of teaching, as well as how they shape their professional identities. Data collection methods over a 12-week period included a researcher reflective journal, survey, focus group interviews, and individual interviews.

The study sought to understand how female high school English teachers understand the work of teaching and considered their perceptions through lenses of gender and socioeconomic class of both the teacher and the teacher’s school of employments. To this end, the findings represented both a …

Identifying Leadership Potential In High School Students, Melody Lynn Baham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Leadership potential in regular students is not usually identified by organization advisors at the high school level. Teachers serving as advisors have academic workloads and they are trained to identify the gifted and honors students as leaders, but generally not those at the regular level. Although leadership potential exists in all students, organization advisors tend to seek out those at the top of the class. This study explored how organization advisors, who are also high school teachers, identify student leadership. A group of Student Council and 4-H advisors were interviewed to discover characteristics valued by organization advisors. The advisors were …

A Literacy Photostory: Improving Classroom Literacy Instruction, Melanie Goeddel

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In rapidly changing times, students need to understand and utilize various types of literacies in order to be productive citizens and communicate with each other in a fast-paced world. Literacy is often simplified to the ability to read and write, only on some occasions including other topics such as speaking and listening skills, or computer literacies. The need for improved literacy instruction is apparent in high schools, and this study seeks to inform educators of different needs and hopes that students may have in the broad field of literacy. This study seeks to expand the definition of literacy while simultaneously …