Education Commons^™

Change In Affect And Needs Satisfaction For Amotivated Students Within The Sport Education Model, Dana Perlman

Dana Perlman

The purpose of this study is to examine the in!uence of the Sport Education Model (SEM) on amotivated students affect and needs satisfaction. 78 amotivated students from an original pool of 1,176 students enrolled in one of 32 physical education classes. Classes were randomly assigned to either the SEM (N = 16) or traditional class (N = 16). Data were collected using a pretest/posttest design measuring affect (enjoyment) and needs satisfaction. Analysis of data used repeated-measures ANOVAs to examine differences. Results indicated signi"- cant changes in amotivated student’s perceptions of enjoyment and relatedness satisfaction within the SEM.

Examination Of Self-Determination Within The Sport Education Model, Dana Perlman

Dana Perlman

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the Sport Education Model (SEM) on students’ self-determined motivation and underlying psychological need(s) in physical education. A total of 182 Year-9 students were engaged in 20 lesson units of volleyball, using either the SEM or a traditional approach. Data was collected using a pretest/posttest design measuring self-determined motivation and perceptions of the psycho-social climate. Analysis of data utilized four separate repeated measures ANOVAs for self-determination and basic psychological needs. Results indicated significant change in self-determination and relatedness for students engaged in the SEM. As such, implementation of the SEM …

The Quality Teaching Model: Does It Apply To Special Education Contexts In Nsw Public Schools, Roselyn M. Dixon, Leanna Formosa

Rose Dixon

In May 2003, the NSW Department of Education and Training introduced the Quality Teaching framework to NSW public schools for discussion and possible implementation. Principals and teachers were encouraged to use the framework for the twofold purpose of improving both teaching practice and student learning. While versions of the framework have been successfully used in USA and Australia, there is a paucity of research which reports on its merit, worth, or value for teachers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to explore the degree of congruence and/or “fit” between the Quality Teaching framework and …

The Nsw Det's Quality Teaching Framework And The Realities Of A Special Education Classroom, Leanna Formosa, Roselyn M. Dixon

Rose Dixon

In May 2003, the NSW Department of Education and Training introduced the Quality Teaching framework to NSW public schools for discussion and possible implementation. Principals and teachers were encouraged to use the framework for the twofold purpose of improving both teaching practice and student learning. While versions of the framework have been successfully used in USA and Australia, there is a paucity of research which reports on its merit, worth, or value for teachers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to explore the degree of congruence and/or 'fit' between the Quality Teaching framework and …

Effect Of Education Tablet Applications On Beginning Reading Skills Of Students With Autism, Jillian Ratliff

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the effect of tablet computer applications and the reading skills of students with autism. Two subjects diagnosed with autism selected by using a convenient sampling method participated in this study. A single subject ABA design was used for collecting data regarding phonemic identification, letter identification, letter discrimination, ap.d sight word identification. Following the collection of baseline data, interventions in the form of different iPad applications were used in individual tutoring sessions and data were collected on the percent of correct responses given per trial. At the completion of a …

A Historical Perspective Of Testing And Assessment Including The Impact Of Summative And Formative Assessment On Student Achievement, Carole Sanger Brink

Dissertations

In 2007, Georgia developed a comprehensive framework to define what students need to know. One component of this framework emphasizes the use of both formative and summative assessments as part of an integral and specific component of the teachers' performance evaluation. Georgia administers the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) to every elementary student in Grades 1 though 8. Before 2008, the state tested eighth-grade students on a quality core curriculum. In 2008, the state began testing students on a Georgia Performance Standard curriculum. A direct comparison of the curriculum change should have contained items to test both curriculums. However, this was …

The Relationship Between Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Principal Leadership Behaviors And The Achievement Of Students With Disabilities, Margaret Elizabeth Constantino

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine special education teacher perceptions of principals’ instructional leadership behaviors and students’ academic achievement on the Georgia Comprehensive Criterion-Referenced Tests. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship between specific instructional leadership practices in the areas of setting direction, influencing others, and redesigning the organization as performed by the principal and as perceived by their teachers is related to the achievement of special education subgroups in English/Language Arts and Mathematics. Special educators from elementary schools, identified by the principals, were surveyed to measure the extent to which they perceived their principal exhibited specific …

The Effect Of The English Language Learner Pull Out Program On Primary Students' Language Achievement, Heidi T. Penke

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the English Language Learner (ELL) pull out program on student achievement. Schools are facing the unprecedented challenge to educate a multicultural and multilingual student body with varied abilities and backgrounds of learning.

Exploring The Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales-Revised (Ecers-R) Evaluation On Preschool Children's Pre-Academic Progress, Jennifer L. Fundus

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine the physical, social, cognitive, and language outcomes of targeted Title I preschool students participating in programs not meeting and programs meeting Nebraska Department of Education, Early Childhood Evaluation Rating Scales-Revised (ECERS-R) requirements. As more requirements are being required for preschools to require, the exploration of the effectiveness of these requirements needs to be explored.

Accuracy Of The Teacherinsight Online Perceiver Tool In Determining The Effectiveness Of High Rated And Low Rated Math And Science New Hire Teachers Following One Year And Three Years Of Single School District Employment, Nicole A. Regan

Student Work

The purpose of this study is to explore the accuracy of the TeacherInsight online perceiver tool (Gallup University, 2007) in determining the effectiveness of high rated (n =14) and low rated ( n =36) math and science new hire teachers summative appraisal ratings, completed graduate coursework, and retention status following one year and three years of single school district employment.

The Effect Of Varying Levels Of Reading Delimitations On The Ability Of Students With Disruptive Behavior Disorders Admitted To A Residential Treatment Center To Demonstrate Language-Based Pro-Social Behavior Replacement Skills, Tanya D. Wright.

Student Work

Group 1 students (n = 18) with Disruptive Behavior Disorders and co-occurring reading delimitations with measured reading comprehension scores greater than one standard deviation below the mean, pretest beginning compared to posttest ending 12-week behavioral treatment Core Behavior Occurrence measures were all observed in the direction of lower posttest mean scores and student core behavior improvement with eight of the 11 Core Behavior Occurrence measures (73%) found to be significantly different. Group 2 students ( n = 22) with Disruptive Behavior Disorders and co-occurring reading delimitations with measured reading comprehension scores equal to but not more than one standard deviation …

Changes In Perceived Self-Efficacy And Attitude Toward Science And Teaching Science In Elementary School, Betsy Ann Sullivan

Dissertations

This study was developed in an effort to ascertain if a proposed biological laboratory curriculum as developed and modeled by the instructor would affect the attitudes and perceived self-efficacy towards science, science teaching and ability to learn science of pre-service elementary teachers. Self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies were incorporated as the variation. Attitudinal topics investigated were the perceived ability to learn science and to teach science.

Students in one biology for non-science majors' biology laboratory class at the University of Southern Mississippi participated in this case study. The group participated in the modified laboratory section which utilized SRL activities, including reflections …

The Effects Of Changing From A Traditional Mathematics Curriculum To An Integrated Mathematics Curriculum On Student Mathematics Learning In Georgia, Catherine Lynn Mallanda

Dissertations

In 2005, the state of Georgia adopted a new integrated mathematics curriculum, the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS), which included a task-based approach for instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine if the new Georgia Performance Standards for mathematics increased students’ mean mathematics Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores or induced changes in the distribution of students’ scores on the PSAT/NMSQT. In addition, it was determined whether the level of course the student took, the type of implementation of the GPS curriculum or the preparation for implementation affected the PSAT/NMSQT scores. The results of the study indicated …

Establishing Construct Validity Of The Biology I Subject Area Testing Program In Mississippi, Christy Michelle Hollis Philippoff

Dissertations

Science education has undergone many revisions since it was permanently embedded in the country's educational curriculum at the end of the 19th century. Some of these revisions occurred as a direct result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This legislation placed more accountability on schools than ever before by requiring that all students pass a series of standardized tests (USDE, 2010). High schools in Mississippi require four areas of standardized testing: English II, Algebra I, U.S. History, and Biology I (Wroten, 2008). The focus of this study is the Biology I Subject Area Test.

In an effort to …

A Critical Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Administrative Rules For Gang-Related Activities In Middle And High Schools, David Thomas Chiprany

Dissertations

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse reported that 35 percent of middle school students and 45 percent of high school students say that there are students who are affiliated with gangs or who consider themselves to be affiliated with gangs in their schools (Arciaga, Sakamoto, & Jones, 2010). Gangs are increasingly violent and criminally involved and their impact on the school environment negatively influences student performance (National Gang Center, 2010a). As juveniles engage in criminal activity, the justice system has developed a set of laws and consequences in an effort to suppress the behavior. Schools followed the lead …

The Effect Of Teacher Retention On Student Achievement In Third Grade Reading/Language Arts, Kathy Bang Sellers

Dissertations

The United States government has placed emphasis on the placement of highly qualified teachers within each classroom through the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This becomes more difficult when teachers become frustrated for various reasons and leave the profession of teaching before gaining the necessary experience to positively impact student achievement.

The purpose of the study was to examine the possible relationship between teacher retention, teachers staying within the teaching profession, and the effect it has on student achievement. The study is based on individual teachers' class summary reports from the 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 …

Does Online Course Design Encourage Attrition? Assessing Usability Factors In Learning Management Systems, Lisa Theresa Richardson

Dissertations

Online coursework offers many college students flexibility and increased earning potential that they otherwise may not have due to personal or professional responsibilities and restrictions. Unfortunately, for students with disadvantaged technology backgrounds or disabilities limited accessibility compromises these opportunities for students who already face significant challenges to the completion of their post-secondary education. In the same manner that universal design of physical spaces increases usability of buildings and other facilities for all patrons, universal design of web-based courses could improve retention of course content for all learners.

In a case study based on cognitive load theory and constructivist pedagogy, the …

Rubrics In Use As An Assessment Tool For Elementary Physical Education, Megan Marie Brown

All Graduate Projects

There are many health related benefits of participating in regular physical activity. A well-designed elementary physical education program will promote lifetime physical activity that may reduce the risk of disease. In implementing a quality curriculum for physical education, educators need to take in to account the standards when deciding the direction for their curriculum (NASPE, 2005). According to the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (2008), physical education includes curriculum, instruction and assessment all implemented together. This project addresses the need for meaningful and convenient assessment tools.

School Counselor Assignment In Secondary Schools: Replication And Extension, Jennifer L. Williamson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Before school counselors can carry out the duties and responsibilities outlined as part of a comprehensive school counseling program, they must know which students they are responsible for helping. The topic of assigning students to school counselors has only recently been seen in the educational research arena in a study by Akos, Schuldt, and Walendin (2009). The current study attempts to replicate and extend the findings of Akos, Schuldt, and Walendin by addressing the questions of how secondary school counselors are assigned and what are their perceptions of their assignment. In addition, the study attempts to determine whether a particular …

Effective Science Teachers’ Professional Development: A Multiple-Case Study Of District-Level Science Supervisors’ Perspectives, Chris J. Schaben

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

At its heart, science teachers’ professional development is about continual growth and improvement (Yager, 2005). Conducting research to understand what constitutes effective professional development is inherently complex (Hewson, 2007). The imperative to link research on professional development to student achievement (Fishman, Marx, Best, & Tal, 2003) increases complexity of research on the topic. These complexities require multiple research approaches and indicate that all stakeholders could provide insights to identify what constitutes effective professional development. District-level science supervisors’ voices are missing from the data on effective science teachers’ professional development and this provides a potential gap in the literature (Banilower, Heck, …

Huebner's Critical Encounter With The Philosophy Of Heidegger In Being And Time: Learning, Understanding, And The Authentic Unfolding Of History In The Curriculum, James Magrini

Philosophy Scholarship

This paper responds to the following question: "What are the issues concerned with potential educational reform that arise from Huebner's critical encounter with Heidegger and the tradition in education and curriculum theory?" In attempting a rejoinder, I revisit Huebner's groundbreaking essay, "Curriculum as Concern for Man's Temporality," which introduces the phenomenological method in education and curriculum studies, with the goal of examining in detail the underlying themes, issues, and concepts, which ground Huebner's reconceptualization of curriculum reform, as they emerge from Heidegger's philosophy. I show that Huebner's understanding of Being-in-the-world in terms of the design of the educational environment, not …

Attitudes, Knowledge, And Experience With Dropout Prevention Strategies Of Mississippi Teachers And Administrators, Harold Kirk Lucky

Dissertations

Mississippi has been overly burdened with a high dropout rate for generations but in 2007 began a program to correct this problem based on the requirements of No Child Left Behind that requires all school to reduce their dropout rate. The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes, knowledge, and experiences of Mississippi teachers and administrators with the State of Mississippi’s dropout prevention efforts and ultimately determine if they are supportive of the dropout prevention efforts. The study used a questionnaire designed by the researcher. A total of 386 questionnaires were returned from school districts across the six …

Leadership Practices That Promote Increased Student Achievement In Secondary Schools, Billy Ray Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of the following study was to determine the degree to which the perceptions of teachers and school level administrators may differ, and the effects of these perceptions on student achievement as measured at the school level by the school’s accountability score reported in the form of the Quality Distribution Index (QDI). This index ranges from 0 to 300 and is used in the state of Mississippi to assign schools to one of seven accountability labels. Schools may be classified as one of the following depending on their QDI score: star, high performing, successful, academic watch, at risk of …

Correlations Among School Belonging And Self-Reported Factors Associated With Students' School Success, Stacey Mechelle Mcguire Lee

Dissertations

This study examined correlations among student sense of school belonging and the classroom learning climate, previous academic achievement, frequency of disciplinary sanctions, and participation in extracurricular activities. During August of the 2011-2012 school year, the Middle School Student Sense of Belonging Questionnaire was completed by a sample of 264 eighth grade students enrolled in three middle schools from three different school districts located in the coastal south. The sample.s mean school belonging score was 3.56 with a standard deviation of 0.81. Findings of this study suggest statistically significant positive correlations exist among student sense of school belonging and the learning …

Teachers' Perceptions Toward Required And Self-Directed Professional Learning, Marla Kay Lambert Hutton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in the opinions of elementary, middle, and high school teachers concerning teacher required or self-directed professional learning. Additionally, the study investigated differences in teaching experience, professional development in a series compared to in a single meeting, workshop, or conference, rather than ongoing professional learning, and whether the teachers’ perception for professional learning is similar to their administrators’ perception for teachers’ learning.

Research findings indicated there was a relationship between teachers’ preference for professional learning and their years of teaching experience and their level of teaching (elementary, middle, …

The Reported Needs Of A Teacher Mentoring Program, Kimberly Myers Tillman

Dissertations

The following study was conducted in four public school districts in south Mississippi and involved a combination of 167 administrators, mentors, and novice teachers. The purpose of this study was to measure the reported needs of a teacher mentoring program as perceived by novice teachers, mentor teachers, and administrators. An additional purpose of the study was to examine administrators’ perceptions of how alternate route and traditional route teachers differ in their needs of a teacher mentoring program.

Two multivariate of analysis (MANOVA) tests were conducted to measure the differences among novice teachers, mentors, and administrators in their perception of what …

A Critical Analysis Of Job-Embedded Professional Learning Within A Distributed Leadership Framework, Ashley Jimerson Campoli

Dissertations

Leadership style and professional learning have been linked to student achievement. Studies have linked leadership styles such as distributed leadership to job-embedded professional learning. However, research is mixed when these two constructs are related to student achievement.

This study evaluated the relationship between distributed leadership and jobembedded professional learning. This study also evaluated relationships among jobembedded professional learning, distributed leadership, and third-grade achievement scores.

The study involved third grade mathematics teachers and school administrators in 46 elementary schools in the state of Georgia. Pearson’s bivariate correlation test was used to explore the relationship between job-embedded professional learning and distributed leadership. …

The Effects Of Simplified Schema-Based Instruction On Elementary Students' Mathematical Word Problem Solving Performance, Houbin Lewis Fang

Dissertations

This study is an evidence-based mathematical intervention in word problem solving for elementary students. One of the purposes of teaching mathematics is to help students apply mathematics to real life situations. As we know, teaching word problem solving is a very suitable format for this purpose. Schema-based instruction (SBI) is one of the most supported methods for teaching word problem solving. In the current literature, there are four steps in SBI: identifying the problem type, applying corresponding method, determining an operation, and solving the problem. The problem with the current SBI is that there are no agreed-upon definitions for word …

Causal Attributions Of Nontraditional Students In A Developmental Mathematics Course At A Two-Year College, Jacob Dasinger

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between exam grades and students' causal attributions of their grades in a developmental mathematics course at a community college. Also investigated were differences in causal attributions of grades between Traditional and Nontraditional students. In addition, among Nontraditional students, differences based on gender were examined. The sample consisted of 331 completed questionnaires from 24 sections at a southern community college in the Spring 2010 semester.

The instrument used was a self-report questionnaire consisting of four parts: (a) demographic data section; (b) seven questions to determine students' classification; (c) short …

A Quantitative Study Of Learning In The School Cafeteria Using Educational Placemats, Keshia Lasha Gaines

Dissertations

This study investigated if there was a difference in student achievement after participants were exposed to educational placemats in a school cafeteria for four days each (four different placemats). Also, the student’s gender and ability grouping was considered in relation to achievement. This study included 49 ability grouped third grade students in an elementary school in south Mississippi. Students were pre-tested with researcher-made math instruments before the educational placemats were introduced and post-tested afterwards. For research purposes, some placemats served as a control and did not relate to the pre-test and post-test content. Statistical measurements of the differences were derived …