Education Commons^™

The Inquiry Learning Model As An Approach To Mathematics Instruction, Michael C. Brune

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Since current approaches to mathematical instruction fall short of the goals of NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) research was conducted in a small rural school district in the northwest United States evaluating inquiry based instruction. To complete the study two high school geometry classes were taught area formulation using a traditional lecture based approach to instruction. A third geometry class was taught area formulation utilizing inquiry-based instructional methods. Students in both groups took both a pre-test and post-test, filled out a questionnaire, and participated in a project designed to test their applications of mathematical understanding. Results indicated that …

Design Of Computer-Based Assessment Secondary Education For Understanding Of Mathematics, Mark Damian Lewis

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based assessment to reveal mathematical understanding. Relevant literature suggested that developments in cognitive science and computer-based assessments could allow the outcomes of cognitively guided instruction to be made explicit. An assessment instrument designed to make mathematical thinking explicit was developed and administered, consisting of 15 animations showing the solutions of one and two digit multiplication problems. A consistent set of five questions followed each animation. The assessment was administered to four classes of fourth grade students in two elementary schools participating in cognitively guided instruction professional development programs. …

Teaching For Social Justice With Students From Privileged Groups: Integrating Social Justice Into Middle School Curriculum, Bong Seok Jang

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research focuses on the teaching for social justice with privileged middle school students. A need for this research was established based on the limited findings specific to teaching for social justice in mathematics.

This research was implemented with junior high level students in a public charter school. The socio-economic status and ethnic diversity of the class in which this study took place is primarily middle to upper middle class and ten percent nonwhite.

Qualitative research methods were used because this study focuses more on human interactions in the natural setting of a classroom. First, my observations of the …

Schools, Community, And Family: The Promises Of Community-Based School Reform And School Success, Shannon Sue Rishky

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A new trend in U.S. education is community-based schools. Community schools offer on-site programs and services to whole families to improve student success. Community-based schools can improve student learning, increase parent participation, give teachers more time to focus on instruction, and create the necessary conditions for learning. But we know relatively little about successful new programs in rural states and smaller urban centers. This thesis, a case study of an elementary school in a small U.S. urban center, identifies key factors for the success of such programs. Through in-depth interviews with administrators, teachers, and support staff the following factors were …

School Size And Student Academic Achievement In Idaho High Schools, Barbara J. James

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a relationship existed between school size and student academic performance in Idaho high schools. This study used the mathematics portion of the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) taken by all 10^th grade students in the spring of 2009 to compare academic achievement in students in small schools and students in large schools. Mean scores for proficient and advanced students were calculated and categorized into five school size classifications. For instance, 91% of all Boise High School (BHS) 10^th grade students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics on the ISATs. …

The Effects Of Interaction On Adolescent Reading Motivation, Greg A. Hoetker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study had two main purposes: One, to discover the nature of interactions that motivate adolescent students to read; and two, to follow how adolescents’ views of interaction and reading motivation evolve over time. The study’s research question was: What do student artifacts and interviews within both middle and high school contexts reveal about adolescents' perceptions of interactions with peers, teachers, and family and their motivation to read? The concept of interaction used within this study was based on a collaborative group-process learning context (Webb & Palincsar, 1996) and a social constructivist conceptualization of intrinsic motivation for literacy learning …

Exploring Brain-Based Instructional Practices In Secondary Education Classes, Constance Darcy Jack

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Research on how the brain perceives, processes, stores, and retrieves information is important to guide pedagogy, yet many schools continue to promote practices that are inconsistent with practices suggested by brain research. Brain-based teaching practices promote a more holistic approach to teaching that acknowledges the interconnectedness of the brain and how it naturally learns.

In order to explore brain-based teaching practices, this study focused on a high school (grades 9-12) in southwestern Idaho to determine whether teachers’ perceptions of their use of brain-based teaching strategies are consistent with the strategies they demonstrate in the classroom. Data included two original instruments: …

An Exploratory Study Of 2007-08 Idaho Early Childhood Special Education Outcome Data, Brenda Mortensen Cannon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Legislation such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 include accountability and enforcement provisions for the education of all children, including children with disabilities. The United States Department of Education, through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to submit, on an annual basis, data regarding the developmental outcomes and academic achievement of preschool children and youth with disabilities ages 3 through 21 in accordance with NCLB and IDEA 2004. OSEP has established indicators that are meant to inform and support Early Childhood Special …