Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Student Engagement And Act Aspire Reading Scores Among Ninth-Grade Students In One Northwest Arkansas Junior High School, Dwight Vincent Jr.

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic achievement and attendance. Reading proficiency is foundational to overall academic success. In this study, reading proficiency served as the operational definition for the level of student academic success. Out-of-school suspension is a disciplinary consequence as a result of student behavior and correlates to student attendance. This quantitative, correlational study examined the relationship between student engagement, as defined by student attendance and discipline, and reading proficiency, as measured by the 2021-22 ACT Aspire Reading scores for ninth-grade students in one northwest Arkansas junior high school.

Descriptive data analysis was …

Gifted And Talented Student Performance On State Achievement Tests, Dondre Harris

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The exploration of dissecting gifted and talented programs combined with student advancement and academic success is one daunting but doable. The purpose of this study was to investigate the equity of the gifted and talented program while analyzing the achievement scores of these students compared to their peers. This quantitative study includes an evaluation of third through fifth grade students in a central Arkansas school district while merging the relationships of the general education population versus the academically gifted and talented population. Both groups were examined through the independent variables classified as ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. A descriptive data …

The Unheard Voices Of The Arkansas Delta: Living Through School Desegregation, Tameka D. Williams

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

This study was guided by the central research question: What are the lived experiences and perceptions of former African American teachers and students that endured segregation, desegregation, and integration in Arkansas' Delta? The phenomenological study used eight former African American teachers and student participants. Of the participants, there were four former teachers and four former students. In this study, the participants' voices are captured as they share their experiences and perception of each phase of education that influenced their lives and left an everlasting imprint. Through counternarratives, the participants provided insight into education in the Arkansas Delta during school segregation, …

Arkansas Elementary Administrators' Perceptions Of Determining Teacher Proficiency In The Science Of Reading, Jennifer Barbaree

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The science of reading has become a buzzword in education across the nation. In 2017, the Arkansas General Assembly passed the Right to Read Act (Right to Read Act, 2017). The law requires all elementary core (reading, mathematics, science, and social studies) teachers, kindergarten through sixth grade, and all kindergarten through twelfth-grade special education teachers to be proficient in scientific reading instruction (Right to Read Act, 2017). The law also requires all educators with an Arkansas Teaching License to know the scientific reading process (Right to Read Act, 2017). After the 2017 legislative session, the Arkansas Department of Education launched …

Determining The Preparedness Of Nursing Programs And Faculty For The Next Generation Nclex-Rn, Heather Hartness

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Fifty-two nursing faculty from ADN (Associate Degree Nursing) and BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) programs in the state of Arkansas were surveyed to examine the preparedness resources and interventions to prepare for the Next Generation NCLEX-RN (NGN) and to explore the perceptions of nursing faculty on their readiness to teach critical thinking, clinical judgment, and their competency with NGN item writing. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design was used for this study utilizing a self-created survey. The survey revealed 40% of participants felt adequately prepared with item writing, and 35% reported feeling adequately prepared to test using the new NGN …

Teaching Literacy Foundations, Debra D. Murphy

ATU Faculty Open Educational Resources

Goals and Objectives of the Textbook

This textbook aims to equip educators with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to create rich and inclusive literacy learning environments for all students. The specific objectives of the textbook are:

1. To present a historical and theoretical framework for understanding literacy development and instruction.

2. To explore the essential components of literacy instruction, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing instruction.

3. To provide practical strategies and activities for teaching and assessing literacy skills.

4. To discuss differentiated instruction and inclusive practices that address the diverse needs of …

Examining Esl Preservice Teachers’ Personal Factors That Best Predict Their Confidence To Integrate Technology In Future Classrooms, Mohamed Ibrahim, MevlüT AydoğMus

Faculty Publications - Teaching and Educational Leadership

This study was designed to examine preservice teachers' personal characteristics that can predict their confidence to integrate technology in their teaching practices. The investigators used a questionnaire designed based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory to ask 168 ESL preservice teachers enrolled in the English Department in a public university located in central Anatolia. The results of this study found that the use of technology during ESL preservice teachers' training was the most significant predictor of their self-efficacy to integrate technology in their teaching practices, then followed by the number of years they are attending the education training and finally their …

The Effect Of Attendance On The Academic Performance Of Black Male Fourth-Grade Students In One Central Arkansas School District, Micheal Stone

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

This study is a journey through the academic lives of 4th-grade Black males in one Central Arkansas school district. This study aimed to investigate certain behavioral variables that may impede the learning and achievement of fourth-grade Black males in Central Arkansas. In the study, groups were established by ethnicity and gender and their test scores on ACT Aspire assessments were statistically analyzed to determine if there were statistically significant differences among these groups. Attendance was used as an independent variable to determine a relationship between math and reading scores and ethnicity and gender. Participants were selected based on standardized test …

Perceptions Of Nature-Based Educators: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica D. Mashburn

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of practicing nature-based educators and to find how classroom educators can become skilled in providing students with opportunities to learn in nature. In the study, there were 13 participants who represented a variety of individuals, with impressive educational credentials, who are currently employed or volunteering with a nature-based education organization. The data were collected through an intensive literature review, participant interviews, and field observations within two nature-based education organizations. The major findings include the overall difference between nature-based education and the typical classroom setting, as well as the …

A Phenomenological Examination Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Female Superintendents In The State Of Arkansas, Debra Denise Goodwin Myton

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of African American female Superintendents in the State of Arkansas. One of the major educational issues is the limited number of African American female superintendents in the USA and the state of Arkansas, in particular. African American women venturing into the superintendency are hindered in their goals by their double minority status as women and African Americans (Wiley et al., 2017). A qualitative, narrative research lens was used in this study to capture the individual career advancement of African American female Superintendents in the State of Arkansas. …

Getting Started With Inquiry-Based Teaching And Learning, Raelynn M. Hall, Avery Farmer, Madison Howerton

ATU Research Symposium

Inquiry-based instruction refers to different ways we study the natural world, practice to ask and try to answer a scientific question, and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from conducting experiments. For this study, we engaged in developing science process skills by actively conducting research using Drosophila, the fruit fly as a model organism for studying the phenomenon that animals have traits inherited from parents. The phenomenon is a performance expectation in the Next Generation Science Standards (3-LS3-1). We observed the phenomenon, developed hypotheses, conducted experiments, collected data, analyzed and communicated our findings through discussions and presentations. We developed …

Military-Affiliated Student Experiences In Post-Secondary Education, Cole T. Hendrix

ATU Research Symposium

Abstract

This paper is intended to learn about the experiences of military-affiliated students in post-secondary education by surveying veterans, service members, and dependents on what resources they have available, what resources they would like to have, and comparing between 2-year, 4-year, public, and private institutions. Participants were surveyed at five different institutions. Three closed-ended questions asked for background and other disadvantaged identifiers. Three open-ended questions ask in detail about their experiences at their institution. Students at public 4-year institutions received the best assistance with room to improve. Institutions of higher learning would benefit their military-affiliated students by providing a military-affiliated …

Developing Understanding Of Science Process Skills Through Research And Practices, Faith Ebling, Savannah Cessna, Adria Lindemann, Noelia Lopez, Charleen Sawin, Kyndal Smith

ATU Research Symposium

The research examines out first-hand experience of conducting experiments in science and conceptualizing the experimental design process for teaching science concepts in elementary grades. We used Drosophila, the fruit fly as a model organism for studying the phenomenon that animals have traits inherited from parents. The phenomenon is a performance expectation in the Next Generation Science Standards (3-LS3-1). We observed the phenomenon, developed hypothesis, conducted experiments , collected data, analyzed and communicated our findings through discussions and presentations. We utilized our knowledge acquired from the process in developing lesson plans for teaching in elementary grades. In this presentation we will …

Student Willingness To Report Weapons And School Violence At A Rural Secondary School In Arkansas: A Quantitative Study, Travis Poole

ATU Research Symposium

School safety continues to be a concerning and vital topic in education. This quantitative study examines the willingness of students from a rural Arkansas school district to report weapons being brought to school or violent occurrences happening at school and analyzes the behavior associated with students reporting or not reporting. The study examines barriers that exist to help to explain why students would not report weapons or violent incidents to staff members or adults in the school district. The study surveyed 52 students from a secondary school with Likert-style survey questions. The questions were grouped into different variables such as …

A Phenomenological Examination Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Female Superintendents In The State Of Arkansas, Debra Denise Goodwin Myton

ATU Research Symposium

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of African American female Superintendents in the State of Arkansas. One of the major educational issues is the limited number of African American female superintendents in the USA and the state of Arkansas, in particular. African American women venturing into the superintendency are hindered in their goals by their double minority status as women and African Americans (Wiley et al., 2017). A qualitative, narrative research lens was used in this study to capture the individual career advancement of African American female Superintendents in the State of Arkansas. …

"Laziness" And How It Affects Our Students, Wren Jenkins

ATU Research Symposium

This article analyzes the use of the term “lazy” in the educational setting, how this term affects students, and the pedagogical approaches educators can take within their subject areas to reduce stress for their students. Pedagogical decisions affect student stress, and this article provides suggestions to prevent student burnout in order to improve curricula offerings in secondary and higher-level classrooms. Results show that students often reduced to “lazy” are most likely struggling with an underlying cause for their lack of performance, such as stress, burnout, depression, anxiety-induced procrastination, unknown and undiagnosed mental challenges, and misguided apathy. Results concluded that to …

Leaders Reflect On Alternative Learning Environments: Resources Needed To Ensure Student Success, Willie Heath Miller

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the decision-making process of school leaders in ALE settings when determining the resources they provide and whether the resources provided ensure that these students are successful in the classroom, graduate on time, or earn a high school equivalency diploma. In the study, there were 10 participants who represented a variety of schools in Southwest Arkansas. Seven of the schools operate their alternative learning environment classes on-site. Three of the schools partnered with an educational cooperative to operate their ALE programs. The data were collected by conducting interviews which allowed the researcher …

An Investigation Of The Response By Arkansas Administrators To Students Vaping In Their Schools, Andrew Schroeder

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

As school safety continues to be a growing issue in public schools, this study takes an exploratory approach to examine the impact vaping is having on public schools in Arkansas. Student vaping is rapidly becoming a common issue in schools. This study examined the response to vaping from administrators in Arkansas. The study surveyed 82 Arkansas Public School Administrators serving grades anywhere from 1^st grade through 12^th grade. The questions included multiple choice, open response, and Likert Scale type questions to gather a plethora of data to gain insight about the response administrators are implementing in their schools. …

Student Willingness To Report Weapons And School Violence At A Rural Secondary School In Arkansas: A Quantitative Study, Travis Poole

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

School safety continues to be a concerning and vital topic in education. This quantitative study examines the willingness of students from a rural Arkansas school district to report weapons being brought to school or violent occurrences happening at school and analyzes the behavior associated with students reporting or not reporting. The study examines barriers that exist to help to explain why students would not report weapons or violent incidents to staff members or adults in the school district. The study surveyed 52 students from a secondary school with Likert-style survey questions. The questions were grouped into different variables such as …

Examining The Perceptions Of African American Students In Regards To Disciplinary Policies And Procedures, Sylvia A. Grady

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

This qualitative study aimed to examine African American students' perceptions regarding their school’s disciplinary policies and procedures. This study was an attempt to answer the following central questions: What are the perceptions of African American students regarding their high school’s disciplinary policies and procedures? What is the experience of African American students suspended one or more times? Other questions to consider were: According to African American high school students, what conditions are perceived as barriers to effective discipline practices?

To find answers to the above questions, African American students who have been suspended or recommended for expulsion one or more …