Education Commons^™

Student Voice: A Qualitative Study Investigating Students' Experiences And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Instructional Practice Across Learning Levels, Lisa A. Moore

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Using a 360-degree approach, this qualitative case study compared the experiences of students and the perceptions of teachers concerning instructional practice across learning levels in a northwest Georgia high school. The purpose was to use student voice to inform administrators of teachers’ and students’ classroom engagement. Using nine math classes across three learning levels (foundations algebra, on-level algebra, and advanced algebra), the study used open-ended surveys to collect self-reported data from students and teachers to identify common themes of learning and teaching practices. The common themes identified agreements and collaborative strategies between students and teachers at three different learning levels …

Relationship Between Membership In Honors College And Participation In High-Impact Activities And Perceived Gains, Clara H. Ohannes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research study investigated the relationship between membership in the Honors College and senior-level students’ self-reported involvement in high-impact educational activities and their perceived gains from their college experience. This quantitative study analyzed secondary data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) collected from senior-level students in Spring 2017 at a large, four-year, public research institution in the southeast United States.

A logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationships between the involvement in high-impact educational activities and Honors College membership. The relationship between Honors College membership and several high-impact activities were found to be significant (p<.05), which included participation in a leadership role, study abroad, research with faculty and a senior capstone experience. Since membership in Honors was found to significantly contribute to participation in four out of the six high-impact practices listed in NSSE, it could be said that generally, at the particular institution in this study, Honors students are more likely than Non-Honors students to participate in high-impact learning activities.

Then, …

Teachers And Administrators Explain How And Why Teachers Change Instructional Methods In A Pre-K Through Eight Catholic School, Judith A. Deeley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study explored how and why teachers at four small Catholic schools in the state of Florida transformed by changing instructional methods to offer full integration of science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics (STREAM) approaches into learning experiences for grades pre-k through eight. There was a time up until the early 2000s that Catholic school enrollment was at capacity and did not require differentiation based upon unique student learning needs. However, students of current times reflect a higher need for educational approaches that are both differentiated and engaging.

“Teachers are required to teach more content and subjects …

Teacher Engagement In Central European International Schools, Joseph Leonetti

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Employee engagement is a growing area of interest that organizational leaders are increasingly recognizing as central to organizational success. In an increasingly competitive market, international schools must also consider the importance of employee engagement. Current research on international schools include studies which focus on retention and turnover issues, yet research on teacher engagement in international schools is nonexistent, leaving a gap in the literature. This study followed an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach to investigate teacher engagement in Central Europe. A qualitative design utilized semistructured interviews to understand the lived experiences of 11 international school teachers and develop an understanding of …

Explicit Inclusion Of Fun In Instruction As A Catalyst For Academic Success, Kimberly Tyskiewicz

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Low graduation rates, rising drop-out rates, and increasing apathy and disengagement in learning has prompted the need for new strategies and interventions in education. This case study provides an analysis of the perceptions of high school teachers related to the impact of the explicit, intentional inclusion of fun in direct instruction. The participants included approximately 20% of the faculty in a semirural high school of approximately 1,325 students. The case study involved individual interviews with half of the participants and the other half participating in a focus group conversation. Six participants in each group were observed. All comments and concepts …

How Latino Male Students Perceive The Effects Of Social Engagement On Degree Completion, Gerardo Camacho Lewis

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Latino males are entering higher education at increasing rates, yet they are not graduating at the same rate as their peers. Latino males remain the smallest group to have a college degree, limiting opportunities for continuing education and obtaining gainful employment. The purpose of this study was to explore how Latino male university students perceive the effects of social engagement on degree completion. A hermeneutic, phenomenological approach was utilized enabling the study participants the opportunity to describe their experiences of the explored phenomenon and increase comprehension as to why they interpret their experiences in the manner that they do. Questionnaire …

Barriers To Student Connectedness And Engagement: How Socioeconomic Status Affects Student Involvement, Dominic M. Manola

Dissertations

Today, as students prepare for post-secondary opportunities, a greater and greater emphasis is placed on the importance of engaging learners both in and out of the classroom. While many students are inclined to get involved, there is a growing number of young people who face barriers that prevent them from connecting and engaging in the high school experience. Importantly, socioeconomic status plays a key role in determining how engaged a student may be, as well as serving as a key identifier in what must be addressed to ensure more young people get involved in their academic and co-curricular learning. This …

The Mentor & Mentee Perspective: Mentorship From Faculty And Staff For Black Male Students In Higher Education, Javaski D. Mcdonald

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Trends in academic statistics show a decline in enrollment, academic achievement, and program completion for Black male students in higher education. Research indicates a decline in Black student enrollments and graduation rates. This single qualitative case study was an exploration of perceptions of mentorship for Black male students among faculty and staff in higher education. Using social capital theory as a theoretical framework, the researcher analyzed the perceptions of mentorship by way of semistructured interviews with five faculty and staff members and five Black male students at a Texas university. The literature review revealed the numerous factors–social, environmental, mental, and …

Active Engagement Of Young Adults In The Church And A Sense Of Belonging, Cynthia M. O. Williams

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Research has shown a continuous decline in the presence and engagement of the young adult population within religious communities. A number of analyses have indicated that young adults are not feeling a sense of belonging, which leads to their withdrawing or disengaging from the church. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between a sense of belonging and active engagement of African American young adults who are within the church. This descriptive study presents findings from an analysis of data from the 2001 congregational life survey and contemporary interviews with young adults who were active church members …

Gamification Learning For Ipad Engagement In Middle School, Chong Xiong

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research was to determine if gamification learning would increase iPad engagement. This research was done in a 7th grade urban middle school over nine weeks in the fall of the school year. A regular 7th grade class of 18 students and an accelerated 7th grade class of 34 students participated in the study. Informed data was collected from pre and post survey, checklists, observations, student journals and gamification platform on Classcraft. The literature review examined the how motivated and self-regulated learner skills contribute to their academic success and how these skills can be used when …

Movement In Elementary Education, Elizabete Bosse

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Movement in Education explores the impact of movement on the quality of a student’s learning experience in education. This thesis is the culmination of four years of study from 2019-2023 in East Tennessee State University’s education and dance programs. Participating in these programs has provided me with many opportunities to explore the impacts of movement pedagogy in elementary education. The research portion of this thesis focuses on the educational benefits of incorporating movement into classroom activities and assessments. The experiential portion of this thesis focuses on both observations and data collected from students in a 3rd grade classroom who participated …

Organizational Cognition As Intervened By Organizational Support And Engagement On Medical Coders’ Exhibition Of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, David W. Conley

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Informed by the social cognitive theory and social exchange theory, this study examined medical coders’ evaluation of organizational cognition in the presence or perception of organizational support and organization engagement and their resultant behavior. The reciprocal exchanges present in the employee and organization relationship are identified, as positive valuations facilitate mutually beneficial outcomes. Specifically, the examination of cognitions, implicit employee judgments, and behaviors provide a framework to examine the state of engagement and its related outcomes. The use of perceived organizational support and organization engagement as intervening variables provided insight into the complex relationships between medical coding employees’ evaluation of …

Influence Of A Drama Based Education Program On The Development Of Empathy In Year 10, Western Australian Students, Scott Corbett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to understand which elements of the drama processes are most conducive to increasing empathy in adolescents. Empathy can have a significant impact on situational and dispositional pro-social behaviour in adolescents. It is positively related to moral development, healthy relationships and problem-solving skills; and negatively related to bullying behaviour, aggression, and victimisation. The practice of Creative Drama, in particular the work of Dorothy Heathcote and Bruce Burton, has informed drama programs that foster empathy in participants. This process, combined with the Actor Training system of Constantin Stanislavski, and the Forum Theatre model developed by Augusto …

Male Educators Implementing Instructional Practices That Academically Engage Students, Kenneth B. Beneby

Theses and Dissertations

Male Educators Implementing Instructional Practices That Academically Engage Students. Kenneth Bernard Beneby, 2019. Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: teacher, African American male teachers, academic engagement, secondary teaching profession, pedagogies, African American male students

This phenomenological research explored how a selected group of African American male educators understood their own experiences while implementing strategies to academically engage African American male students. The research explored the public secondary education experiences of African American male educators to better understand their occupational understandings; how having more African American educators were helpful in …

Investigating The Effects Of Motivational Interviewing Compared To Action Planning On Supporting The Emotional And Academic Success Of Ninth Grade Students In Advanced Placement Classes, Kai Zhuang Shum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High school students in accelerated curricula (i.e., Advanced Placement classes or pre-International Baccalaureate program) tend to report higher level of perceived stress compared to general education students due to additional academic demands that stemmed from accelerated courses (Suldo & Shaunessy-Dedrick, 2013). However, this group of students often receives limited if any targeted supports in schools because they tend to perform well academically (Suldo, O'Brennan, Storey, & Shaunessy-Dedrick, 2018). To address this gap in literature, this study investigated the efficacy of a targeted intervention in development to support academic and emotional success among students in accelerated curricula, namely the Motivation, Assessment, …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Integration Of Technology Into Pedagogy, Joe George Gerez

All Theses And Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the integration of technology into pedagogy. Data collection occurred from analyzing middle school teacher’s experiences, observations, and motivation following a technological implementation initiative into pedagogy. The evaluation of the study data included the analysis of surveys and interpretation of in-depth interviews of teachers. A pedagogical focus on teacher integration of technology supported by the self-determination theory as the research study’s theoretical framework examining human motivation was appropriated to the case study. As educational leaders face significant challenges in understanding the impact of teachers’ perceptions …

Effective Mathematics Instruction: Developing Best Practices For Student Learning, Debra Wecker Flores

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, intrinsic case study was to examine the perspectives of teachers and students as they pertained to how they understood and described effective mathematics instruction. The research population consisted of six ninth-grade students attending the educational centers in a regional charter system in California. The research population also included six high school mathematics teachers from the same regional charter system who had taught ninth-grade mathematics for at least two school years. The research instruments used in this study included semistructured interviews, observations, and an examination of artifacts. Interview questions were open ended and designed to capture …

Decisions Based On Perception: Perceptions Of Stem Teacher Leader Job Satisfaction In Rural, High Poverty Schools, Jodi G. Zeis

Theses and Dissertations

High poverty rural schools face teacher turnover at a rate higher than average schools. Perceptions drive decisions. Workplace circumstance affect what drives the leadership of STEM teacher leaders in high poverty rural schools. Therefore, when STEM teacher leaders leave, they take their unique skill sets with them. Research shows that engagement and self-efficacy, along with professional appreciation lead to a higher retention rate of teachers. Often that is achieved through distributed leadership. This study aimed to determine how leadership experiences shape the professional perceptions of STEM teacher leaders in high poverty, rural schools. Building on previous research this study asked: …

Fragile Strength: Math Self-Efficacy Of High Achieving Girls, Tristan Tang

Education | Master's Theses

Math gender gap research shows girls’ math self-efficacy to be correlated with their interest in pursuing higher levels of math education and STEM career opportunities. Most math gender gap studies have used only quantitative approaches, thereby missing the opportunity to gain deeper perspectives directly from girls who are steadfastly facing the math gender gap. This study centered around two small focus groups of girls attending a unique secondary school where every afternoon is fully dedicated to deep engagement with higher-level mathematics. Additionally, parents of girls at the school were surveyed to provide further insight into possible sources of their daughter’s …

Enhancing Racial Allyship At A Predominately White Institution, Breana Z. Clark

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

This action research explores how undergraduate students involved in multicultural clubs and organizations at the University of San Diego, define and engage in racial allyship. The purpose of the study was to understand how these students identify allies of color or other racially minoritized groups; as a means to work in collaboration for resource acquisition, persistence, and to magnify student voice. This is important to the research as current social and racial justice rhetoric primarily focuses on white people as allies to communities of color. Thus, my research question was: how can I help students of color enhance their capacity …

Using Multisensory Instruction To Support Reading Growth In A Fifth Grade General Education Classroom, Alexis C. Cassese-Pawlowski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to engage fifth grade students in multisensory instruction in order to improve reading, specifically at the complex word level. Embedding multisensory techniques can be effective in promoting engagement in reading for students in fifth grade. The goal of this research project was to determine the effects that multisensory instruction has on readers in fifth grade. The main research question that guided this study was: How does multisensory instruction support growth in reading for 5th grade students? Five students in fifth grade participated in a five-week study where data was gathered to determine their …

The Effect Of Leadership Programs On Engagement, Megan Ann Henry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect that collegiate leadership programs offered through Leadership Rowan had on student levels of engagement at Rowan University. This study sought to find a connection between participation in leadership programs and higher levels of engagement as well as evidence of applied leadership skills as a result of their engagement. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was used to develop a measurement instrument to quantify student engagement. The survey was distributed to undergraduate students who engaged in the leadership Rowan Leadership Certificates at the Silver and Gold Levels.

The conclusions revealed …

The Effects Of Incorporating Coding On Student Experience And Understanding Of Middle School Mathematical Concepts, Ashley Tewes

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research project was to study the effects of incorporating coding into a middle school math classroom on student experience with and understanding of mathematical concepts. The project used five data sources to examine these effects. Two of the data sources were used to examine the effects on student experience; 1) a survey to gauge student perception and 2) a chart to measure student engagement by tracking their time on task. Three of the data sources were used to examine the effects on student understanding; 1) a pre-assessment given before the coding project, 2) a post-assessment …

The Impacts Of Teaching Specific Engineering Group Processes To Cooperative Learning Groups In A Middle School Stem Classroom, Mollly Gareis

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research investigation studied the impacts that teaching specific group processes to cooperative learning groups had on students’ success in a middle school STEM classroom. The participants of this study were fifth grade students enrolled in a STEM course. During the five weeks of this study, students were explicitly taught how to create accountability and interdependence in their cooperative learning groups by learning about specific group roles and communication strategies. Data was collected through weekly self-reflections, videos, teacher observations, daily exit slips, and pre- and post-assessments. The results of this study indicated that students were more engaged in their …

The Effects Of Coding Integration On Student Engagement And Academic Achievement In A 5th Grade Mathematics Class, Sinead Meehan

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project investigated the effect coding integration had on student engagement and academic achievement in a fifth-grade mathematics class. Research was conducted on a group of 20 fifth grade students performing on grade level, in a suburban school outside of Philadelphia. Four data collection tools were used: A student survey, teacher observations and reflections, pre and post-test data, and a tally chart. Data was categorized into two domains: student engagement and academic achievement. Coding follow-up works using Scratch, Wonder Workshop, and Turtle Academy were provided to students over the course of two mathematical topics created by Pearson Education, …

Music And Music Therapy And Its Effects On Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Allison L. Roberts

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Music and Music Therapy and Its Effects on Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Changing The Narrative: Building A Conceptual Framework For Advocating Representation In History Textbooks, Valerie Paul

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

At a time where Americans are beginning to engage in critical dialogue about the representation of minorities in the media, conversations about representation in education have been somewhat elusive or condensed. With the popular focus for marginalized communities being on issues of stereotype threat, achievement deficits, and culturally responsive pedagogy, it seems that policy makers are often left to make decisions that lack considerable connection between the cognitive, social and emotional implications of inclusivity in educational curriculum. Furthermore, there hasn't appeared to be an extensive analysis of these issues between and among relative disciplines. For example, when we discuss representation …

Exploring The Impact Of Positive Peer Views Of Girls On School Engagement In Middle School Girls, Christine E. Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused on the types of messages female middle school students receive about their gender from their peers. Specifically, it looked at microaggressions, which are sexist messages from peers, and microaffirmations, which are positive and affirming messages from peers. There were four goals of this study. First, to check if the Students Affirming Girls in Middle School scale (SAG-MS), a scale created for this study, could consistently measure microaggressions and microaffirmations. Second, to look at the relationship between when girls experience puberty and microaggressions and microaffirmations. Third, to measure any differences in the number of microaggressions and microaffirmations girls …

The Effect Of High Impact Practices On Student Thriving In College, Cody Lloyd

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of campus involvement, specifically high impact practices, on college student thriving. This single institution quantitative study was conducted at a mid-sized Christian university in the southeastern region of the U.S. Using preexisting data, a predictive analysis was conducted via multilinear regression techniques. Through evaluating college student participation in high-impact practices (HIPs), in addition to “alternative engagement indicators,” as independent variables and college student thriving, using the Thriving Quotient, as the dependent variable there were several notable findings. When considering “alternative engagement indicators”, three of the 11 included in the study …

The Impact Of Intelligent Tutoring Software On Geometry Students, Simela Oueini

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this paper is to deepen the understanding for a problem of practice in the mathematics educators’ classroom of low retention of information thus leading to poor mathematics achievement. The identification of the problem of practice led to a development of a research focus examining the effects of using intelligent tutoring software in the mathematics classroom and the impact it has on mathematics achievement, student motivation as it relates to self-efficacy, student engagement and attitudes towards mathematics. Using a convergent mixed methods approach (Creswell, 2012), this paper elaborates on the research questions addressing “What effects does the integration …