Education Commons^™

Teachers' Professional Knowledge And Formative Assessment Practices: An Empirical Study From Middle School Earth Science Instruction In The Context Of An Education Improvement Community, Laura Millay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there is widespread agreement that effective formative assessment supports student learning in science, the knowledge teachers need in order assess learning remains sparsely studied. In 1999, Magnusson, Krajcik, and Borko (MKB) proposed that Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK, Shulman 1986, 1987) is a distinct knowledge domain that synthesizes three base domains that include science subject matter, pedagogy, and context. The MKB model identified Assessment Knowledge as one of five components of PCK. Since 1999, several studies have used the MKB framework, but have left Assessment Knowledge underdefined. In 2012, Avargil, Herscovitz, and Dori proposed a revision based on empirical study, …

Singing Their Stories: A Musical Narrative Of Teaching And Testing, Desi Richter

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This musical, arts-based educational research describes the lived experiences of four K-12 New Orleans educators who believe that end-of-year standardized tests hinder their ability to teach in ways they believe are best. Using songwriting as a form of data elicitation and narrative restorying, this study documents the lived experiences of teachers who have experienced test-related cognitive dissonance. While curricular narrowing and other test-related practices have been studied in many contexts, the perspectives of New Orleans teachers are barely documented. Thus, this study fills a content gap in the testing literature. Musically restorying the data contributes to the accountability literature in …

The Relationship Between Parental Involvement And Reading Achievement, Erin M. Schnell

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This five week investigation determined a relationship exists between parental involvement and reading achievement. Students were separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. Group A contained students who received below the average amount of parental involvement points obtained and Group B contained students who received above the average amount of parental involvement points obtained. Students in Group B made a 1.14 text level gain above students in Group A. Group B also made a 6.34 sight word gain over Group A as well as a 5.57 oral reading fluency gain over students in Group A. The study included …

The Effect Of Feedback Given On Informal Assessments And Its Continued Effect On Formal Assessments, Britta Teeples, Britta Teeples

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This quantitative study investigates the use of immediate and delayed answer corrective feedback provided on informal assessments, with the use of technological tools, and its impact on formal assessments on senior level, high school students from a rural Minnesota high school. Specifically, this study investigated the impact of both immediate and delayed answer corrective feedback to determine if both/either are effective in helping improve students formally. Students participated in an eight-week study in which two smaller sections were provided immediate answer corrective feedback informally, with the use of Kahoot. An additional (one) section was provided delayed answer corrective feedback with …

Instructor Assessment Of Adult Cpr Skills: A Comparison Between Subjective And Objective Measures, Emily Evans

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Providing accurate feedback is an important component of teaching CPR skills. An important part of providing accurate feedback is being able to accurately assess specific skills. In a cross- sectional experimental design, 33 CPR instructors were recruited to assess six 2-minute pre- recorded videos of 2-person CPR skills. The subjective assessment measures were compared to the objective manikin measures from a Laerdal Resusci-Anne® QCPR manikin. Results indicated statistically significant differences between the subjective and objective measures in all skills assessed (chest compression rate, chest compression depth, chest recoil, hand placement, ventilation volume, and total cycles). Instructor teaching experience (in years …

Exploring Relations Between Motivation, Metacognition, And Academic Achievement Through Variable-Centered, Person-Centered And Learning Analytic Methodologies, Wonjoon Hong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The three studies that comprise this dissertation examine relations between student characteristics, motivations, metacognitive learning processes, and academic achievement. Methodologically, the dissertation demonstrated the potential of multiple types of approaches

and data resource types. By employing multiple approaches including variable-centered, person-centered, and learning analytics, researchers can understand learning processes from various angles. In addition, through this triangulation by multiple types of methodological approaches, educational theories could be more thoroughly verified and supported by various empirical findings. Multiple types of data resources are related to analytical methods.

The purpose of the first paper was to examine relations between achievement goals and …

Museum-School Partnerships: From Creative Discourse To Resource Development, Emma Doctors

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper aims to explore museum-school partnerships and best educational practices within each entity's efforts to collaborate. The project surveys museum education and explores programmatic and curriculum development that help to serve as enrichment for students. These partnerships are important to the museum studies field as it fulfills a fiduciary responsibility that museums hold - to educate the public. By fulfilling the needs of both entities (museums and schools), creative discourse ensues, creating solutions for students to enrich their learning. I end with a project to propose the development of an exhibition resource guide that would combine the knowledge and …

The Impact Of The Dual-Enrollment Modality On Subsequent Collegiate Performance, Daniel Archer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dual-enrollment College Algebra is offered in three modalities: at the college, at the high school, and online. The purpose of this study was to examine if the dual-enrollment College Algebra modality impacts early collegiate performance. A program evaluation was conducted using a causal-comparative design to explore potential cause-and-effect relationships between the dual-enrollment College Algebra modalities and five outcomes. The population included Oklahoma State System of Higher Education students who completed dual-enrollment College Algebra and subsequently earned freshman College Algebra postrequisite math grades, freshman College Algebra postrequisite science grades, or college credit in the fall semester after high school graduation. One-way …

Exploring Principals' Perceptions About Efficacy In Arizona Urban Schools Designated For The School Improvement Process, Charlotte Patterson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Studies have determined a positive relationship exists between the self-efficacy of students and academic achievement, and teacher efficacy and student achievement. For over a decade schools have been publicly targeted for school improvement in a process with implications for efficacy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine if principals’ perceptions about efficacy impacted their practices leading school improvement. Principals’ responses to two research questions led this study:

1. How do principals describe their perceptions about the efficacy of their school community relative to the school improvement status, label, or rating for their school?

2. How do principals describe …

Accuplacer Placement Cutoff Scores As Predictors Of Freshman Performance: A Correlational Analysis, Lulani Tomaszewski

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

There is uncertainty on how to maximize freshman performance in an English course when students have competing placement scores. Students who have scored above the cutoff score on one of the English placement tests (either reading or writing) and scored below the cutoff score on the other are not systematically placed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ACCUPLACER placement cutoff scores in reading and writing predicted performance in first-semester English courses and first-semester cumulative GPA among incoming students at a community college in the Pacific Northwest during the 2015−2016 and 2016−2017 school years. Two research questions guided …

An Evaluative Study Of A Health Information Management Program Following A Significant Curricular Change, Jennifer Lynn Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

The advent of electronic health records (EHRs) has led to significant changes in the role of those who managing patient health information, Health Information Management (HIM) professionals. These changes have further led to significant changes in the educational training required for HIM professionals, leading to new curriculum requirements. Based on the need for well-prepared professionals in the changing HIM environment, it is essential to insure that educational programs are effectively preparing students for the new roles they will be expected to fill. This study is an in-depth case study of the HIM academic program at Illinois State University. The purpose …

Paying For Performance: Public School Property Taxes And Public-School District Performance In Missouri, Keenan Daniela Kinder

Dissertations

An increase in the property tax rate of a school district creates an increase in local revenues for the district (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. [MODESE], 2017). The overarching question becomes: Do increases in the local tax levy compare to improved student performance? The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the difference between property tax rates of Missouri public school districts to student performance as viewed through the lens of benefit tax theory (Duff, 2004). Secondary data were obtained via the MODESE which included property tax rates and information from the Annual Performance Reports for public …

Career And Technical Education On Mathematics And Reading Achievement For Students In North Central Arkansas, Kimberley Sartain

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine the effects of gender and Career and Technical Education (CTE) participation level on the mathematics and reading achievement as measured by the ACT Aspire for 10th-grade students and ACT subtest assessments for 11th-grade students in 2 5-A high schools in North Central Arkansas. While researching the effects of gender and CTE participation level, this scholar found no statistically significant difference between gender and CTE participation level on student achievement. This researcher explored the literature relating to the mathematic and reading achievement of males and females as well as whether they …

A Study Of Advancement: Female Superintendents Breaking The Glass Ceiling, Tiffany Caywood Brunner

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the career progression of female superintendents located in southwest Missouri. The inequitable balance of women represented at the highest levels of district leadership is a national, state, and local concern (American Association of School Superintendents [AASA], 2015). Women who do ascend to the superintendent's positions, despite the odds, are in the minority (Brunner & Grogan, 2007). A qualitative, narrative research lens was used in this study to capture individual career accounts and interpretations of career advancement of the female superintendent. Data collection centered on personal, one-on-one interviews with female superintendents located throughout …

Exploration Of Post-Secondary Preparation In Urban, Suburban, And Rural High Schools In The State Of Missouri, Rashida J. Mckinley

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze how high schools in the state of Missouri’s rural, suburban, and urban areas were preparing students for post-secondary education and career readiness. The researcher analyzed the state of Missouri secondary data gathered from the 2013 through 2017 school years, in urban, suburban, and rural high schools. The researcher also surveyed school guidance counselors and administrators. The data represented consisted of ACT Composite Scores, Annual Performance Reports, Post-Secondary Placements, Career and Technical Education Placements, Dropout Rates, and Graduation Rates. This examination utilized a mixed method study to gain an understanding of each school’s …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Orientation And Persistence, Kellie A. Ziemak

All Theses And Dissertations

This study sought to understand persistence from a student’s perspective. In the past, student success courses were able to provide students with the opportunity to learn the college-readiness skills essential to student persistence. Developmental education reform in Florida has restructured course requirements, and students can now decide if they want to enroll in a student success course. This leaves colleges exploring alternatives to assist students in gaining the skills they need to be successful in college. This study used Tinto’s student integration theory as a conceptual framework to determine if students thought orientation helped them integrate both socially and academically …

Special Area Teachers’ Perceptions Of Performance Evaluation Feedback And Professional Development Provided, Christy Isaacs

All Theses And Dissertations

There is significant research showing that teachers are motivated to grow intrinsically through the feedback and professional development opportunities they receive from their principals following the evaluation cycle. The quality of this feedback greatly influences their willingness to continuously improve their practices. However, limited research exists on whether special area teachers receive meaningful feedback and professional development opportunities from their principals, who may lack specialized content knowledge, following their evaluations.

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to explore special area teachers’ perceptions of the feedback and professional development opportunities their principals provided following the evaluation cycle. Participants included …

Limited By Design: Expanding The Boundaries Of Schooling Policies From Demanded Passivity To Transformative Practice, Natalia T. Carvalho-Pinto

Masters Theses

Schooling is often imagined as the great equalizer and the primary venue towards personal and collective liberation. However, hegemonic ideals and practices have limited the ability for educators to craft and utilize policy in a way that best benefits their students. In this thesis, I utilize the state of Michigan’s Common Core curriculum to examine the limits beyond policy and practice. Specifically, I argue that the demands for student passivity and institutional measurable as signs of success, prohibit student growth. Throughout the document, I describe hope in the ability to instill a variety of transformative educational theories and practices that …

Voluntary Professional Development In Thailand: Teachers’ Motivation, Professional Life Phase, And Contingencies Of Self-Worth, Pongwat Fongkanta

Dissertations

To address the increasing focus on teacher proficiency, professional development opportunities for teachers are routinely provided in Thailand. The focus of this work is on professional development at the individual level and addresses teachers’ motivation for self-improvement and their own worth. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to first validate the relative importance of teachers’ motivation for participating in voluntary professional development and contingencies of self-worth. Secondly, the study sought to determine the relationship of the indicators that contribute to teacher participation with contingencies of self-worth. Lastly, this study examined in what way professional life phase may be related …

Young Women In Stem: An Analysis Of Outreach Programs For Middle School Girls, Rachel Lundeen

Honors Projects

Historically, and still presently, women face many obstacles when attempting to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Women have been systematically barred from entering STEM programs at universities and today face cultural obstacles, resulting in marginalization. Research points to adolescence as the age where this sense of marginalization begins to develop. As a result, many outreach programs for young women interested in STEM are targeted toward the middle school age group. This study adds to this research by examining two such outreach programs for young women in STEM to determine their effectiveness, including Camp GEMS at Ohio Northern …

Implication Of Item And Test Differential Functioning In Criterion-Referenced Tests, Xiaojie Hu

Dissertations

In a compensatory criterion referenced test (CRT) it is common that the test developer maximizes the test information at or near the cut score location. This is believed to produce the highest classification accuracy. However, a recent study showed that the optimal location to maximize test information for highest classification accuracy (CA) and consistency (CC) also depends on factors such as test length, cut score location, the examinee ability distribution, and the test model applied for latent trait estimation (Wyse & Babcock, 2016). Moreover, when unintentional secondary dimensions are also measured (nuisance dimension caused by test construction, test standardization, or …

The Effect Of Item Stem And Response Option Length On The Item Analysis Outcomes Of A Career And Technical Education Multiple Choice Assessment, Tina M. Koepf

Dissertations

Critical decisions in Career and Technical Education (CTE) can be based on assessment outcomes, requiring an essential focus on continuous improvement initiatives to provide increased multiple choice (MC) assessment validity. Previous research has determined that the presence of flawed test items negatively impacts student success; therefore, an MC taxonomy has been established and used in the assessment industry. While rigorous and successful Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that enroll high-level academic students exist, many CTE programs enroll students with a wide spectrum of academic ability. Because many CTE students often have inferior reading skills, it is necessary to take …

Teacher Perception And Their Understanding Of Progress Monitoring Throughout A Longitudinal Assessment System, Rena A. Duewel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the phenomenon of teacher perception and their understanding of progress monitoring throughout a longitudinal assessment system. This monitoring of student progress is to enhance their academic skills in mathematics and provide necessary interventions for growth as measured on a longitudinal assessment system through fidelity of implementation of interventions processed through progress monitoring. Data was collected from participant responses through interviews, a demographic survey, and focus groups. Interview respondents participated in a closed-door, face-to-face interview. The survey was used to collect specific demographic data to provide a concise snapshot of each individual …

Effects Of Task Clarification And An Adaptive Computer Software On Implementation Of Mand Training Using An Ipad® As A Speech Generated Device, Ashley Mckenzie Parnell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mand training is an evidence-based instructional method and a primary focus in behavioral language training for children with autism. A rapidly growing research base supports manding training using hand-held computing technologies (e.g., iPad®, iPod®) as speech generating devices (SGD) for establishing a manding repertoire in children with autism. To ensure optimal learning efficacy and efficiency, procedures must be implemented with high levels of accuracy, which requires that staff be well-trained. However, research evaluating methods for training staff to implement mand training procedures with the iPad® and application Proloquo2Go™ as an SGD has not yet been conducted. Therefore, this study examined …

West Side Story: Success Within Special Education Through Arts Integration, Kelly Richardson

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Arts education programs can provide the necessary skills students need for future success, including communication skills and confidence. The Turnaround Arts program at Rosa Parks Elementary School has advanced overall student success, particularly benefiting students in Special Education. Both Special Education teachers and the Arts Specialist at Rosa Parks Elementary were interviewed and the Turnaround Arts Program was observed. Each teacher described their experiences within this program to be noteworthy and recognized the importance it has had on their students’ success in the classroom. Based on an analysis of the data and the relevant research literature, we used what we …

Determining Predictor Importance In Multilevel Models For Longitudinal Data: An Extension Of Dominance Analysis, Luciana Pacheco Cancado

Theses and Dissertations

Longitudinal models are used not only to analyze the change of an outcome over time but also to describe what person-level and time-varying factors might influence this trend. Whenever a researcher is interested in the factors or predictors impacting an outcome, a common follow-up question asked is that of the relative importance of such factors. Hence, this study aimed to extend and evaluate Dominance Analysis (DA), a method used to determine the relative importance of predictors in various linear models (Budescu, 1993; Azen & Budescu, 2003; Azen, 2013), for use with longitudinal multilevel models. A simulation study was conducted to …

Read Like You Are Talking To A Friend: The Effects Of Using A Systematic Approach, Including Teacher Modeling, Repeated Reading, And Corrective Feedback On The Reading Fluency And Prosody Of Students In A 6-9-Year-Old Public Montessori Classroom, Catherine E. Munro, Julie A. Foltmer

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine effective ways to improve fluency among lower elementary Montessori students. The study was comprised of 33 students ages 6-9 who attend public Montessori classrooms in North America. The field of research on reading fluency and comprehension was surveyed as a background to support this action research study, which utilized an experimental design, collecting quantitative data through student-generated artifacts. The researchers implemented a reading block into their Montessori classrooms. The large and small group lessons focused on modeled readings from the teacher, repeated readings, and corrective feedback. Data was collected at the beginning …

Refining Effective Instructional Strategies Through Professional Learning Communities, James Kevin Hancock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of professional learning communities by comparing practices and strategies of content and grade level teams in middle schools. Utilizing data from student assessment, comparison of teams in this middle school was conducted to determine practices and conversations that have an impact on teachers’ decisions about student learning. Understanding phenomenon that drives effective decision-making processes in teams of teachers creates an environment where shared leadership produces professional learning communities that are sustainable and systemic.

A qualitative approach was conducted in the form of a case study to capture themes relevant to …

Basic Academic Skills And Post-Secondary Technical Education, Janet Humphreys Latimer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a significant difference in WorkKeys score, skills score, theory score, and job placement rates as compared by credential and program of study at a technical college in Tennessee. The study used data retrieved from a WorkKeys database and SIMS (Student Information Management System) at a technical college. The population consisted of 445 students in seven programs from 2010-2016 who had participated in the WorkKeys online academic training modules.

The dependent variables for the study were WorkKeys score, skill score, and theory score. The independent variables were job placement …

Teacher Agency And The Implementation Of Restorative Justice, Jeffrey Hunt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the implementation of Restorative Justice in an urban central California high school through the lens of administrators, and teacher perceptions of agency, campus climate, and impact of the implementation. The participating school in this study defined their implementation of Restorative Justice as Restorative Practices. The Quality Implementation Framework (Durlak, Meyers, & Wandersman, 2012) guided the development of the literature review and created the framework for the study. This mixed-methods sequential explanatory study examined the relationship between teacher perceptions of agency, school climate, and the implementation of Restorative Practices. Teachers at …