Education Commons^™

Education Policy In Florida: Explaining County-Level Approval Of The 2002 Constitutional Amendments, Rachel M. Friant

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research analyzes county-level support for the 2002 Constitutional Amendments for Voluntary Universal Prekindergarten Education (VPK) and Florida’s Amendment to Reduce Class Size (CSA). Three regression models are constructed for each dependent variable (support for VPK and support for CSA): a bivariate model with political party, a full model with all theoretically identified variables, and a best model with just the independent variables that have the most explanatory power. A variety of socioeconomic, demographic and political independent variables are tested. Four independent variables had a statistically significant positive relationship with support for both VPK and CSA: Democratic registration, Hispanic population, …

Introspections Of An African American Preservice Teacher's Growth: An Autoethnography, Latasha S. Rawles

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper takes an autoethnographic approach in exploring the growth of an African American preservice teacher during internship. This research involved daily self-reflections from the preservice teacher and observations by the supervising teachers and university liaison in order to respond to the guiding questions of how the African American preservice teacher will find a need for her presence in the classroom. As a result of the procedure, the preservice teacher was able to make meaningful connections with all students but especially with African American students who benefit from having at least one African American teacher between grades three and five …

The Use Of Hands-On Educational Pedagogy In A Standardized Science Curriculum, Sarah Alam

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction

The purpose of this project is to implement an innovative, and engaging knowledge transfer pedagogy for 5th grade science students. This project utilized Stealth Learning, a learning pedagogy developed by Dr. James Rosser.^{99,100,109,110} The program featured applied learning to develop skill sets in general and drone aviation, as well as minimally invasive surgery techniques. This was facilitated through the use of computers, table simulators, and drones.

Methodology

This project took standardized subject matter from the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and converted it into content featuring the Stealth approach. The section that was converted was the "Practice of …

Unplugging: A Parent's Handbook For Children's Technology Use, Victoria R. Taylor

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore children’s technology usage, technology’s effects, and what can be done to regulate technology use for children and families. The overuse of technology by children has been proven to be detrimental to a child’s emotions and health and wellness. Children need rules and regulations for proper use of technology as well as instruction on how to positively use technology. In a world of growing technologies and the creation of new digital devices, research is needed for assist parents and guardians of children of all ages. This thesis focuses on the negative effects of …

Teaching Strategies For Students With Exceptionalities In The Secondary Art Classroom With A Focus On Students With Autism, Down Syndrome, And Visual Impairment, Cheyanne Maree Fannan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to discover teaching strategies for students who have exceptionalities with a focus on students who have Autism, Down syndrome, or Visual Impairment and how these teaching strategies can be used to teach students in a mainstreamed secondary art classroom. Since the mainstreaming of the public school system has increased, students with exceptionalities have caused uncertainty among teachers about which teaching strategies to use in the classroom to meet all of their students needs. New teaching strategies need to be brought into the classroom to change the way students are learning. This thesis will include: …

Once Upon A Gender Role:Re-Envisioning The Strength Of Females In Fairy Tales, Itzel E. Garduno-Jaramillo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Education constantly promotes equality and diversity, however, if the literature we read our students is not doing so, is education doing its job? This question extends as far as females versus males and in fact, this thesis further pursued this issue by taking a look into common fairy tales that have been popularized in modern society that contain stereotypical gender roles and qualities of females that we try to steer away from yet have not.

After doing research into fairy tales and then analyzing Little Snow White, Little Briar Rose, and Cinderella by The Brothers Grimm, I was able to …

Exploring The Experiences Of Learning Mathematics For A Child With Cancer: A Case Study, Elizabeth M. Bello

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this research report, I utilize interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) to examine the mathematics education experiences of a child with cancer. Two qualitative interviews with a 13-year-old male patient with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and his mother were analyzed. Findings revealed several storylines or themes: living with cancer, environmental barriers, and mathematics in virtual school. Grade level mathematics, content knowledge, and delivery during treatment in comparison to the child’s healthy peers are also discussed.

Improved Physiology And Psychosocial Well-Being For Children With Physical Disabilities Through Virtual Reality Immersion, Bethany D. Fralish

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this case study was to examine the physiological and psychosocial effects of an immersive virtual reality (VR) system in a female, young adult with right side paralysis following a left hemisphere brain bleed in order to determine the usefulness of immersive VR for children with physical disabilities, in particular, cerebral palsy (CP). The current study consisted of six sessions over a span of three weeks, with each session lasting approximately 45 minutes. Physiological factors (upper body mobility, heart rate variability) were assessed via a hand use questionnaire and a heart rate monitor, while psychosocial factors (e.g. positive …

Exploring Teaching Methods Corresponding With The Theory Of Basic Human Values In Late Childhood And Early Adolescence Classrooms, Nicole Daly

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Recent research that indicates ten universal values are shared across cultures has developed into the Schwartz Value Systems Theory. This theory describes the ten basic human values that derive from different motivational forces such as social superiority, an inner desire in novelty, and loyalty to one’s group. The values and corresponding motivational forces guide an individual’s decisions. After the Schwartz Value Systems Theory had been developed, two surveys have been created in order to assess an individual’s value hierarchy. While both of these surveys accurately measure an adult’s values, further research has indicated children possess individual values similarly to adults. …

Nam June Paik And Avant-Garde As Pedagogy: Promoting Student Engagement And Interdisciplinary Thinking In The Undergraduate Humanities Classroom, Marci Mazzarotto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrates how avant-garde methods can be employed as pedagogical methods in the undergraduate Humanities classroom to promote student engagement and interdisciplinary thinking. The study first addresses pedagogy and avant-garde art within their historical contexts as separate, but related disciplines. Subsequently the study fuses pedagogy and avant-garde art and provides examples of in-class activities and out-of-class assignments that illustrate the ways in which avant-garde methods function as practical teaching and learning methods. Further, the study presents artist Nam June Paik, whose work exemplifies the theoretical and practical underpinnings of avant-garde art as pedagogy. The dissertation champions the pedagogy of …

Investigating Instructional Designers' Decisions Regarding The Use Of Multimedia Learning Principles In E-Learning Course Design, Victor Arguelles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study employed a qualitative research design using the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) to investigate instructional designers' use of multimedia learning principles (MLPs) in e-learning course design. While MLPs have been extensively studied in educational research and are largely associated with positive results, evidence suggests that instructional designers are not uniformly implementing these strategies when designing e-learning environments. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to understand better the alignment between instructional designers' knowledge and demonstrated implementation of MLPs; and (b) to understand the factors that influence instructional designers' intent and actual implementation of MLPs in their …

A Process Evaluation Of A Family Involvement Program At A Title I Elementary School, Maria Camacho Moody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parental or family involvement in student academics has been an on-going topic for researchers. There is a need for studies to be conducted on parental involvement program implementation in order to determine if there is an impact on student academics when school, family, and community partnership programs are in place. For this study, a process evaluation was conducted on a parental or family involvement program newly developed and implemented at a Title I elementary school in an urban setting. The purpose of this mixed-methods process evaluation was to (a) document how the program was implemented, (b) examine the progress toward …

Bridging The Gap Between Esol And Native English Speakers In A Digital Collaborative Classroom, Shalander Samuels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation in practice was to explore how to bridge the gap between ESOL students and native English speaking students in a collaborative learning environment in a middle school in Tangerine Florida. The gap in performance was highlighted because ESOL students failed to meet the same levels of academic achievement (based on the Florida Standard Assessment Test) as their native English-speaking counter parts. The intent of the dissertation was to design a framework that would meet the pedagogical needs of ESOL students and teachers who teach them. A pilot study was completed that included teachers both ESOL-endorsed …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Continuous Professional Learning Community Implementation And Student Achievement In A Large Urban School District, Erica Sutula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to understand the differences in comparative data across a large urban school district and to examine the continued effects of the PLC model on teacher and leader perception of the model and student achievement as measured by the 2012 and 2014 FCAT 2.0 Reading and Mathematics. The population for this study included all instructional and leadership personnel in schools within the target school district, with a final convenience sample across the two school years of N=5,954. The research questions for this study focused on (a) the change in teacher's perception of teachers …

Exploring The Experiences Contributing To The Success Of High-Achieving Black Female Undergraduate Students At A Predominantly White Institution, Whitney Watkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of the literature regarding Black students at predominantly White institutions (PWI) focuses on these students' academic difficulty, while there is far less attention paid to the performance of higher achieving Black students (Fries-Britt, 1998; Fries-Britt & Griffin, 2007). Therefore, this study explored the lived experiences of high-achieving Black female students, focusing particularly on the experiences which contribute to their success at a PWI. The qualitative phenomenological research design was used to highlight emergent themes revealed during the study. Eight purposely selected students participated in one-on-one semi structured interviews and a Sister Circle group process. The participants' stories were highlighted …

Exploring Interactions Between Adult English Learners And Their Teachlive Digital Character Peers, Ting Yan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peer interaction is an important part of language learning. The results of previous studies showed advantages and disadvantages of peer interaction between native speakers and English learners. Using the educational simulation platform TeachLivE as the interaction platform, this qualitative descriptive case study explored the possibilities of bridging the gap between classroom language practice and real-life second language communication. The study recruited eight participants for a task-based interaction project. Using conversation analysis, the study revealed details in communication between adult English learners and their digital character peers. During the interactions, the participants were actively involved and the most frequent communication patterns …

English Language Arts Preservice And Inservice Teacher's Knowledge About How To Use Etextbooks And Open Educational Resources To Support Students' Comprehension: A Case Study, Lourdes Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this qualitative, descriptive case study was to (a) investigate the knowledge English Language Arts preservice and inservice teachers had about eTextbooks and Open Educational Resources (OERs) and (b) how they planned to use that knowledge to develop their current/future 6-12 grade students' comprehension and content knowledge. Included within the study were specifics regarding how eTextbooks and OERs can be used to support adolescent learners and how online comprehension skills can be developed. Data were analyzed in order to determine themes related to the use and planning for eTextbooks and OERs in the secondary ELA classroom. Data sources …

An Examination Of Novice And Expert Teachers' Pedagogy In A Mixed-Reality Simulated Inclusive Secondary Classroom Including A Student Avatar With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Taylor Bousfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers, special and general educators alike, are required to teach a variety of students including students with ASD. With a rise in the prevalence of autism by 119.4% since 2000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016) and 39% of students with ASD being served in general education classrooms for over 80% of the school day (U.S. Department of Education, 2015), teachers need to be prepared to effectively teach this population. To better prepare teachers, the researcher conducted a two-phase study, situated in the framework of the Skill Acquisition Model (Dreyfus & Dreyfus, 1986) to explore the behaviors of …

The Effects Of An Online Coaching Model On Secondary Co-Teaching Teams In Algebra, Jennifer Holbrook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities are included into general education classrooms to receive instruction with increasing frequency. To facilitate this inclusion, co-teaching is frequently used as a service delivery model (Friend, 2016; Murawski & Bernhardt, 2016). Co-teaching is a service delivery model where a general and special education teacher work in a collaborative environment to instruct students with and without disabilities (Friend, 2007, 2016). In using this approach, teachers are not always provided with the professional development (PD) necessary to effectively facilitate the co-teaching partnership. In this study, the researcher conducted a quasi-experimental study to examine the effects of a 10-minute online …

The Effect Of Speech Elicitation Method On Second Language Phonemic Accuracy, Nicole Carrasquel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study, a One-Group Posttest-Only Repeated-Measures Design, examined the effect of speech elicitation method on second language (L2) phonemic accuracy of high functional load initial phonemes found in frequently occurring nouns in American English. This effect was further analyzed by including the variable of first language (L1) to determine if L1 moderated any effects found. The data consisted of audio recordings of 61 adult English learners (ELs) enrolled in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses at a large, public, post-secondary institution in the United States. Phonemic accuracy was judged by two independent raters as either approximating a standard American …

School Has A Bad Storyline: Gamification In Educational Environments, Irene L. Pynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School often has low engagement and frustrating or absent options for the kind of agency the Federal Government's 2016 National Education Technology Plan now recommends educators include in their curriculum. Video games offer opportunities for people to participate in critical problem solving through creative projects. From balancing character statistics, to collaborating with other players, to making ethical and tactical decisions that can change the outcome of the story, successful games draw on the player's interest in learning and analyzing numbers, locations, visual clues, narrative elements, people, and more. One useful example may be found in visual novels (VNs), a medium …

Faculty Perspectives And Participation In Implementing An Early Alert System And Intervention In A Community College, Claudine Bentham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early alert systems have been recognized as a high impact practice designed to improve student engagement and student success. Early alert is designed to identify students with at-risk behaviors early in the semester before they decide to drop-out, withdraw, or fail their classes, using resources such as a predictive analysis tool or advising. For an early alert to be successful and efficient, faculty should be included in the process of early alert. This qualitative study examined faculty's perspective and experiences when implementing early alert strategies and intervention in a two-year institution. Using Cranton's seven facets of transformative learning as a …

An Analysis Of The Readiness And Confidence Of High School Administrators To Provide Instructional Leadership In Digital School Environments, Andrew Shepherd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceived knowledge and confidence of high school administrators to lead in a digital school environment. This study utilized an exploratory mixed-methods case study analysis along with the 62-item Digital Instructional Leadership Readiness Instrument (DILRI)© to measure school administrators’ knowledge and confidence to lead in a digital school environment. High school administrators within the target school district were requested to complete the DILRI© at two separate points in time: September 2016 and June 2017. Based on these two administrations, this study’s six Research Questions were answered. Research Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, …

Student Conduct Administrators' Perceptions Of Effective Sanctions That Reduce Recidivism Of Alcohol Violations Among College Students, Andel Fils-Aime

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent researchers have found that when alcohol use and/or abuse is a factor in an undergraduate students' college experience, there is a substantial increase in dependence, decreased academic productivity, an increase in safety and security issues, an increase in suicide ideation and attempts, unprotected sexual encounters, and physical assaults that result in injuries (Amaro et al., 2010). One of the most effective ways that institutions in higher education can combat alcohol-related issues on their campuses is for the institutional leaders to play a role in addressing this issue (Busteed, 2008). In many institutions of higher education, student conduct administrators have …

Dance Students At A Two Year College: Making Sense Of Their Academic, Cultural, And Social World, Benjamin Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the lived experiences of community college dance students. Previous research was examined to provide a more holistic picture of dancers during their college years and while in the workforce. The literature reviewed indicated that the emergence of dance as a field of study was controversial. Its beginnings were marked by debates concerning (a) the very definition of dance as a body of motion and a body of knowledge that includes a history and a philosophy as asserted by Dimondstein (1985), (b) its legitimate place within the academy (the perception that university dance …

Metacognitive Coaching As A Means To Enhance College And Career Success For Students With Executive Function Disorders, Christine Parsons

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Preparing undergraduate students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a national priority. This project analyzed the effects of virtual metacognitive academic coaching between graduate student coaches and undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders at a large, four-year university. The project team analyzed the persistence of the undergraduate students in their major, as well as the graduate students’ abilities to transfer the coaching experiences to K-12 settings. A mixed-methods design evaluated qualitative (i.e. student/coaches’ surveys and interviews) outcomes for undergraduate STEM majors and for graduate students. The goal of this project is to …

An Examination Of Relational Bullying In Award Winning Newbery Books, 1996-2016, Kaysey N. Wann

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Relational bullying, although covert in nature and difficult for adults to notice and identify, is becoming increasingly prevalent among young children and teens. The success of bibliotherapy as preventative and intervention practices for bullying shows that portrayals of relational bullying in quality children’s literature would be effective in reducing and preventing it. However, relational bullying is rarely portrayed in children’s literature. My goal was to find quality children’s realistic fiction literature that portrays relational bullying in Newbery award-winning books, and to bring them to the attention of teachers.

After creating a table to determine what types of bullying, if any, …

A Survey Of The Big Five Personality Traits Among Elementary Teachers, Afrina R. Rohani

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research examined the possibility that personality traits play a part in career longevity and job satisfaction in the education field. The current study examined trends among the Big Five personality traits (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) and their relation to job satisfaction in the elementary classroom. This researcher hypothesized that some common personality traits that are shared by teachers who persist in the classroom for five or more years, who are satisfied with their jobs and do not intend to leave. This researcher hypothesized that more experienced teachers would be high in Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. This …