Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 15 of 15

Full-Text Articles in Education

Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee Apr 2024

Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee

Senior Honors Theses

Attention spans have been decreasing throughout society for many years, partially due to the constant increase of technological advances. The average human attention span of eight seconds is particularly concerning to teachers and others in the classroom. It does not seem that the average attention span is ever going to increase, so teachers must implement intentional methods and strategies within their classroom to keep their students’ attention. Physical activities, technology and hands-on supports, small group instruction, shorter lessons, making intentional mistakes, flexible seating, and differentiated instruction are all strategies supported by research to improve student engagement within the classroom. Every …


A Comparison Of Student Motivation Between Two Ukulele Curricula In A Multi-Age Classroom, Jill K. Moth Apr 2024

A Comparison Of Student Motivation Between Two Ukulele Curricula In A Multi-Age Classroom, Jill K. Moth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Motivation is a topic of high interest to music educators as they attempt to understand what makes their students want to continue learning. The use of the ukulele in the music classroom has grown over the last ten years due to its versatility. Despite its popularity and music educators’ support for its use, very little research exists on students’ motivation while playing it in a general music classroom setting. Therefore, the purpose of this current study is to compare the motivation levels of two groups of multi-age fourth through sixth-grade students learning the ukulele via different curricula in the music …


Challenging The Gifted Learner Virtually: A Phenomenological Study, Amanda Jeane Price Jun 2023

Challenging The Gifted Learner Virtually: A Phenomenological Study, Amanda Jeane Price

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of core academic middle school teachers with differentiating instruction and assessment for gifted and talented students in rural southern Maryland. Two theories providing the theoretical framework for this study include Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and McClelland’s achievement-motivation theory These two theories explain learning experiences and interactions between the learner and the instructor while addressing the educator’s efficacy in challenging gifted learners within the virtual classroom. The central research question that guided this research was, “What are the shared lived experiences among select middle school, core academic, teachers when differentiating …


A Phenomenological Study Of High School Academic Subject Teachers’ Experiences Differentiating For English Language Learners, Valerie Jean Campbell Sep 2021

A Phenomenological Study Of High School Academic Subject Teachers’ Experiences Differentiating For English Language Learners, Valerie Jean Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of core academic subject high school teachers with differentiating instruction and assessment for English language learners (ELLs) in central Virginia. Two theories provided the theoretical framework for this study including the socio-cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky (1978) and the social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura (1989). These two theories explain learning as an interaction of social and cultural experiences between teacher and student and address the role of efficacy in teacher expertise. The central research question that guided this study was “How do select high school academic content …


Technology Use For Differentiation Of Instruction In Middle School: An Applied Research Study, Cecelia Denise Baggott Aug 2021

Technology Use For Differentiation Of Instruction In Middle School: An Applied Research Study, Cecelia Denise Baggott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to improve the use of instructional technology in differentiated learning for students at XYZ Middle School and to formulate a solution that encouraged teachers to leverage the benefits associated with using technology to differentiate. In 2016 the school adopted a one-to-one initiative that provided each student with a Chromebook to use at school and home. Since that time, state-mandated testing scores had shown improvement; however, large disparities in those results among various subgroups exposed the need for using the provided technology to differentiate instruction. This research answered the question: How can educators improve the …


The Effects Of Using An Online Reading Program To Improve Learning For Special Education Students, Ryan Scott Saxe May 2021

The Effects Of Using An Online Reading Program To Improve Learning For Special Education Students, Ryan Scott Saxe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern day instructional tools, such as technology and digital learning programs, have been created to assist teachers in differentiating instruction for struggling students and catching students up who are not proficient in reading. The Coronavirus 2020 Global Pandemic forced schools and classrooms across the world to move to remote and virtual forms of learning which potentially exacerbates the achievement gap between all students and students with identified learning disabilities. The purpose of this casual-comparative quantitative research study was to determine the extent to which a digital learning program improves learning outcomes in reading for 4th grade special education students from …


A Phenomenological Study Of Performance Assessments In Detracked Secondary English Classes, Susan Renee Mahlburg Jun 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of Performance Assessments In Detracked Secondary English Classes, Susan Renee Mahlburg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how teachers described the experience of using performance assessments in detracked English classrooms. The theory guiding this study was constructivism, a psychological theory of learning based on the work of Vygotsky, which holds that learning, especially lasting, meaningful learning, results from the activity and self-organization resulting from learners’ attempts to create meaning. The central research question addressed how teachers described the experiences and purposes of teaching in detracked secondary English classrooms, with additional research questions focusing on the use of performance assessments, advantages and disadvantages of detracking, professional development, and other …


The Relationship Between Teachers’ Understanding And Implementation Of Differentiated Reading Instruction And Third-Graders’ Reading Achievement Scores, Diedre L. Capers Nov 2019

The Relationship Between Teachers’ Understanding And Implementation Of Differentiated Reading Instruction And Third-Graders’ Reading Achievement Scores, Diedre L. Capers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether the predictor variables, teachers’ perceived understanding and implementation of differentiated instruction, as measured by the Understanding and Implementation of Differentiated Instruction survey, had a relationship to the criterion variable, third-grade students’ reading achievement, as measured by the mClass: Reading 3D Text Reading and Comprehension Test. Using convenience sampling, third grade teachers from six rural North Carolina counties were invited to participate in the study. Data from 54 third grade teachers who consented to participate were analyzed using a Pearson product moment correlation. The results of this study indicated that a …


Teacher Experiences In Elementary Word Study Instruction: A Phenomenological Study, Gregory Mihalik Aug 2017

Teacher Experiences In Elementary Word Study Instruction: A Phenomenological Study, Gregory Mihalik

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of integrating word study spelling programs for second grade teachers across six elementary schools in Northern Virginia. Word study is a developmental spelling approach that can be used by teachers to differentiate instruction and meet student needs. Despite the growing popularity of the program and increased classroom application, many schools nationwide continue to use memory-based traditional methods. Based on a review of the word study literature, the study sought to describe the experience of second grade teachers implementing word study spelling instruction in their classrooms. This study explored the …


Education Individualized Through Technology, Rachel M. Leers Nov 2016

Education Individualized Through Technology, Rachel M. Leers

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis will overview technology in the classroom and the impact as well as the potential that is has individualizing instruction in order to meet the needs of every kind of student. The thesis will consist of thorough research on the subject matter. Technology is a great tool to use for individualizing instruction as it consists of many recourses, it increases communication, increases discussion, has high availability, it is affordable, and consists of a variety of lesson plan ideas to meet the needs of each student. Individualized learning is especially important in the classroom as it increases student achievement, provides …


Engaging And Inclusive Education: A Case Study, Haley C. Mclean Apr 2016

Engaging And Inclusive Education: A Case Study, Haley C. Mclean

Senior Honors Theses

The goal of education is to enrich the lives of the students entering the classroom in such a way that sees them leaving after the school year as better and more developed students eager to continue learning. However, there has been a disconnect between educators and the population of their classrooms that requires modifications and special attention. In part, this is because it is time consuming and difficult to make sure that every student, including the handicapped students, is having his or her needs met. In order for classrooms to be effective, there has to be an inclusive environment that …


The Self-Reported Relationship Between A Teacher's Perception Of Learner Characteristics For Students With Disabilities And A Teacher’S Use Of Differentiated Instruction In Georgia Public Schools, Shannon Knight Mar 2016

The Self-Reported Relationship Between A Teacher's Perception Of Learner Characteristics For Students With Disabilities And A Teacher’S Use Of Differentiated Instruction In Georgia Public Schools, Shannon Knight

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative multivariate correlational study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between a general education teacher’s perception of learner characteristics for Students with Disabilities (SWD) and a teacher’s use of Differentiated Instruction (DI) in the general education classroom, grades 6-12. Since previous studies did not clearly support any significant benefits in utilizing segregated instruction for the teaching of students with exceptionalities, it was vital to identify research-based methods to facilitate the education of all students in the general education classroom. Sustained by research on student achievement, the proper and comprehensive implementation of DI has …


A Phenomenological Study Of Differentiated Instruction For Fifth Grade Gifted And High Ability Learners Through Math In Focus, Elizabeth Keithley Sizemore Oct 2015

A Phenomenological Study Of Differentiated Instruction For Fifth Grade Gifted And High Ability Learners Through Math In Focus, Elizabeth Keithley Sizemore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

his phenomenological study investigated the differentiation techniques implemented for gifted and high ability learners by fifth grade general classroom mathematics instructors utilizing the Math in Focus (Great Source/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009) Singapore Mathematics program in a suburban school district. To provide an understanding of the differentiation process currently being implemented by general classroom mathematics teachers, six participants completed an open-ended questionnaire and two representative participants were interviewed, observed, and asked to provide artifacts for analysis in the study. Data analysis using transcendental phenomenological reduction, including bracketing and horizonalization, revealed several overarching lessons. Participants analyzed multiple student data sources throughout the …


The Correlation Between Temperament And Technology Preference And Proficiency In Middle School Students, Sabrina Sterling Apr 2014

The Correlation Between Temperament And Technology Preference And Proficiency In Middle School Students, Sabrina Sterling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identity the relationship between the temperament of middle school students, their level of interest and proficiency in technology-related activities. This study also aimed to identify the differences in proficiency of the students in the technology programs. Participants were selected from two middle schools in the medium-sized rural school system. State technology test results and a student technology interest survey were analyzed using analysis of variance and descriptive statistical measurements. Correlational studies help educators evaluate existing curricula, differentiate current instruction, and plan for future programs. The results of this study suggested that there is …


The Effect Of Differentiated Instruction On Standardized Assessment Performance Of Students In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Kimberly Gail Williams Jul 2012

The Effect Of Differentiated Instruction On Standardized Assessment Performance Of Students In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Kimberly Gail Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Changing demographics, student diversity, and increased accountability have compelled educators to challenge the uniform constraints of traditional instruction and create an environment focused on individual achievement. Differentiated instruction empowers teachers to target multiple learning styles through varied themes, adapted content delivery, and assessment options. This quantitative quasi-experimental research study examined the effects of differentiated instruction on seventh grade student performance on standardized mathematics assessments using a repeated-measures design. Two independent research trials, controlling for initial group differences with 2011 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, provided inconclusive assessment results. Significant differences between students who received differentiated instruction compared …