Education Commons^™

Instructional Practices To Foster The Development Of Autonomy: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of The Resident Experience, Rachelle Musgrave Aker

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

A growing concern in graduate medical education (GME), research indicates that some graduating residents are unprepared to enter unsupervised practice. The aim of this qualitative phenomenological study is to illuminate the resident experience surrounding the development of autonomy in clinical decision making relative to teaching practices. Research questions include: (1) What is the dual role of learner/teacher like for residents as they attend to their own and others’ development of autonomy in clinical reasoning and decision making? (2) Which teaching methods do they commonly experience as the learner and practice as the teacher relative to this development, and which methods …

Transformative Learning In Teachers’ Family Collaboration With English Learner Families: The Role Of Beliefs, Cultural Competence, And Communities Of Practice, Sara Saberimoghaddam

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Through a multiple case approach, this qualitative research study examined how teachers' beliefs on family collaboration and cultural competence related to their family collaboration practices within Culturally Responsive Instruction. The learning theories of Communities of Practice (Lave &Wenger, 1991) and Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1978), and Critical Consciousness (Freire, 1979) were used as the lens to analyze the data. Teacher interviews and classroom observations were used as data sources. The study found that teachers’ perception of cultural competence impacted their classroom practices. Teachers who worked hard to intentionally change their cultural competence awareness into family collaboration actions appeared to be more …

High School Student Perceptions Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Candice Conley

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This case study examines student voice and their interpretations of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework used in one Kentucky high school. Qualitative interview data from high school student focus groups was analyzed using grounded theory to develop themes related to PBIS implementation.

Using open and axial coding, themes were developed from common student interpretations of PBIS within focus groups. Participants discussed a variety of positive techniques teachers use inside the classroom and responses to student behavior. Reward systems were discussed, but more importantly students offered suggestions of interventions and supports to offer at school. When asked to …

Doing The Work: Using Questions, Tasks, And Sources To Navigate Teaching Contentious Social Studies In Secondary Classrooms, Bonnie Patrice Lewis

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This explanatory case study examines how two secondary social studies teachers use inquiry-based learning to mitigate the risks of teaching contentious social studies in a charged classroom. Research questions included: 1. How do two in-service secondary teachers use inquiry-based instruction to navigate teaching contentious social studies during charged times? 2. What curricular and pedagogical choices were made by the in-service teachers to navigate risk when designing inquiry-based instruction that features contentious social studies during charged times? 3. What curricular and pedagogical choices were made by the in-service teachers to navigate risk when delivering inquiry-based instruction that features contentious social studies …

How Principals Foster A Culture Of Student Voice, Anne Stewart Demott

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Student voice is a key component of educational leadership, yet school leaders remain confounded about how to succinctly define student voice, how to offer opportunities for students that position them as decision-makers in their schools, and how to integrate student voice into their daily practice, much less transform school cultures into vibrant, student-centered communities of learning. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how high school principals define student voice, the opportunities they provide for student voice in their schools, and the strategies they implement to foster cultures of student voice.

The study uses a sequential …

Evaluating Microlearning Strategies In The Corporate Environment: A Comparative Mixed Methods Study Using The Kirkpatrick Model, Megan Laird Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Corporate training and development, despite their significance as primary learning strategies for adults, have received limited research attention. This study addresses this gap by evaluating and comparing the effectiveness of video-based and digital job aid procedural-based microlearning in a corporate setting, utilizing most of the Kirkpatrick Model: learner satisfaction, knowledge retention, and behavior change. Employing a mixed methods approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of microlearning’s application and potential for improving business outcomes, the study incorporates pre- and post-tests, participant interviews, and self-reported questionnaires. Thirty participants completed the study, with equal representation (15 participants each) for both modalities, and interviews …

Survey Development And Validation: Student Self Expectations Of The First-Year College Experience Survey (The Se-Fye Scale), Min Xiao

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

First year at a university is often a transitional stage for students where they have opportunities to grow and develop in various areas and get familiar with a collegiate environment. Understanding what first-year students expect to navigate and succeed in their first year at the university is crucial. Their expectations reflect how well they prepared for university, affecting their behaviors and eventually influencing their intentions to continue higher education. One of the primary purposes of this study was to design a survey to measure student self-expectations of the first-year college experience (the SE-FYE scale) by applying a structured survey development …

The Protection Of Student Data Privacy In Wisconsin School Board Policies, Curtis Clyde Rees

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

American schools have increasingly adopted technology resources to fulfill their educational obligations. These tools are for instruction, communication, and storing and analyzing student information. Student data can be directory information, enrollment records, achievement data, and student-created products. This increased utilization began with the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to more educational technology use of student data. Districts turned to third-party vendors for assistance with data systems and virtual learning resources. Before, during, and after the pandemic, stakeholders were concerned about information security and the students' privacy. School leaders looked to federal regulations …

A Quantcrit Investigation Of The Discriminatory Practices In Texas Education Funding, Stuart Andrew Keogh

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The Texas constitution guarantees citizens a "general diffusion of knowledge" and an "efficient system of public free schools." However, the state has often failed to provide sufficient funding to meet this constitutional mandate. Many school districts, especially those serving low-income or minority communities, have been chronically underfunded. This has led to unequal access to quality education. As a result, there have been numerous lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Texas's school funding system. Plaintiffs argue that the state has violated the education clause of the constitution by failing to adequately and equitably fund public schools. Despite several legislative attempts at reform, …

Principal Leadership Practices At Kentucky High Schools Administering The Pisa For Schools: Leading For Global Competitiveness, Marjorie L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Since launching Sputnik in 1957, the United States education system has been trying to climb to the top of the international education rankings. The Organisation for Economic and Co-operative Development (OECD) began analyzing how well school systems prepared students to compete in the global economy in 2000. The OECD uses the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). U.S. students rank at or near the OECD averages in reading and science but consistently perform below the OECD average in mathematics. In addition to the PISA, the OECD released the PISA for Schools, which provides PISA data at the school level.

In …

Teachers’ Sustained Culturally Responsive Practices Three Years After Participation In Professional Development, Brittany Manion

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Teacher professional development (PD) on culturally responsive practices (CRP) provides teachers the opportunity to increase their knowledge and change their practices to better support students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This study sampled from a year-long intensive PD on effective instructional practices for English learners (ELs). Grounded in transformative and situated learning theories, this study was designed to understand teachers’ sustained CRP and their experiences four years after participating in a CRP PD. Several questions were investigated in this study: What CRP do teachers sustain? What are factors and supports related to teachers’ sustained implementation? What challenges do teachers …

Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge As Communal Practice: A Case Study Of Chemistry Graduate Teaching Assistants, Walker Bryan Mask

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Learning does not only happen during dedicated instructional time, which also applies to learning how to teach. Teachers can reflect on their practice while working to continue to improve and develop their teaching skills. In addition to self-reflection, teachers can also learn from their colleagues to experiment with new practices and take others’ teaching knowledge into their repertoire. Understanding how these two processes function can lead to developments in teacher education and professional development, specifically for initiatives that seek to promote collaboration among teachers. Post-secondary educators in particular can benefit from collaborative and reflective practices to improve their teaching, especially …

The Perceptions And Usage Of The Interactive Video Playposit In A General Chemistry Course, Tracy Gastineau-Stevens

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Technology within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms has been a topic of discussion for decades (Reiser, 2001, 2007). With the inclusion of more technologies or digital tools in the classroom has pushed classes towards a blended learning or flipped classroom approach (Atkins 2015; Tayebinik & Puteh, 2013; Williams et al., 2008). One such digital tool that has started gaining traction in the STEM classroom is the interactive video (M. K. Seery, 2013; Smith, 2013). Interactive videos allow students to watch the general lecture material outside of class and work through problems during normal class time (M. K. Seery, …

Score Equating Between Aeps-2 And Aeps-3 For 0-3 Year Olds, Yuyan Xia

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Over the past two decades, the emphasis on educational equity in early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) has highlighted the importance of assessment through policies and regulations. Ensuring accurate assessment scores is a fundamental aspect of this trend. The release of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Third Edition (AEPS-3) in December 2021 led to a shift from the Second Edition (AEPS-2) in child development scoring. In order to harmonize the previous and updated assessment versions for children aged 0-3 across six developmental domains, a common item non-equivalent design, featuring fixed parameter …

A Phenomenological Study Of Inclusive And Equitable Teaching Practices Among Faculty At A Research-Intensive Institution, Adeola Christianah Ogunade

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The increasing enrollment of diverse students in the US higher education institutions has given rise to discussions on how to meet the academic needs of minority students. Non-faculty members have implemented programs and initiatives that indirectly improve minority students' educational outcomes. Less explored is the role of faculty in ensuring that minority students thrive academically. This phenomenological qualitative study explores the general orientation of faculty toward inclusive and equitable teaching (IET). Specifically, it looked at how faculty define and experience IET, factors that motivated their use of IET, and barriers to implementing IET in higher education. Eight faculty from different …

A Multilevel Nonlinear Approach Of Piecewise Regression For Detecting Turning Points: Developing An Alternative Platform With An Application Of Timss, Jing Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Studies in recent years have explored the methods of identifying the turning points when dealing with the non-linear relationship. Four approaches applied by researchers, the eyeball approach, the establishment approach, the theory-driven approach, and the data-driven approach, are all under the traditional piecewise regression framework when seeking turning points. Thus, the purpose of this study is to introduce a multilevel piecewise regression model to identify the turning point beyond the traditional piecewise regression, as a completely non-linear approach.

Data used for this study is TIMSS 2019 United States sample. TIMSS is a project guided by the International Association for the …

Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure Teacher Self-Efficacy For Meeting The Needs Of Military-Connected Children, Amy M. O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The average military child changes schools six to nine times before graduating high school. With those moves come significant educational challenges, but there is currently no known instrument designed to measure whether teachers believe they are capable of meeting the needs of this population. The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and provide initial psychometric evidence for a scale, the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale for Military Kids (TSES for MilKids), that measures teacher self-efficacy for meeting the needs of military-connected children. A 19-item instrument was created and distributed to regular education teachers in Grades 1-5 in civilian school districts …

Internationalizing The Teacher Education Curriculum Toward Global Competency: Academic Leaders’ Perceptions, Ellie F. G. Holliday

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

To prepare students for an increasingly interconnected world, P-12 teachers must be trained to infuse intercultural and global perspectives into their teaching practice. However, teacher education programs (TEPs) have been criticized for their lack of global perspectives in the curriculum and have been found to be the least internationalized programs at United States (U.S.) universities. Though university senior international officers (SIOs) play a large role in developing a strategic approach toward curriculum internationalization, there is a paucity of research on their perspectives on this process.

In this explanatory sequential mixed methods study, TEP leaders and SIOs at universities in the …

Supporting The Covid Freshmen: An Exploratory Study Of The Teaching Aspects That Supported The Executive Functioning Of Undergraduate Freshmen During Covid-19, Jennifer Lynn Pusateri

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Transitioning from high school to higher education is one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. But, for the undergraduate students who were freshmen during the fall of 2020 (in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic), this predictable stress was compounded by additional stressors related to the pandemic. While there were undoubtedly many teaching factors that made learning more difficult during the pandemic, there were also many aspects of teaching that these freshmen found helpful. This exploratory study of secondary data sought to discover which aspects of teaching were most helpful to the COVID Freshmen (the students who …

Inclusion For Students With Intellectual Disabilities: A Philosophical Reconstruction Of The Student To Expand Access And Its Benefits, Derek Thomas Myles Daskalakes

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This dissertation attempts a philosophical rethinking of the concept of the student in educationally relevant disability law for the sake of expanding access to general education settings for students with intellectual disabilities (ID), without committing to the approach known as full inclusion. I show that students with ID receive significantly less access to general education settings in comparison to other student populations, and that empirical studies show this to be harmful to their learning and developmental outcomes. Discussion of this problem in the inclusion literature assumes one of two positions that separately support either maintaining the status quo regarding the …

Development And Validity Inquiry Of A Rubric For Interdisciplinary Competencies In Occupational Safety And Health In Capstone Projects Of Carerc Program Graduates, Olumuyiwa Moses Desmennu

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Emerging demands in the field of interdisciplinary studies reveal a need for competent professionals who can apply their skills and experience to solving complex tasks of the workplace. This has placed inevitable demands on training institutions to adequately equip graduates to deliver on their mandate. Competency appraisal is an effective way to ensure proficiency in graduates. Meanwhile, transparent and valid rubrics provide opportunities for both students and trainers to continuously assess and evaluate the transfer of necessary skills.

This study focused on evaluating interdisciplinary competencies in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in the capstone projects of the CARERC program, a …

Facultas Marginem: Assessing Disability Data And Public Aau Universities’ Affirmative Action Plans For Systemic Barriers Facing Faculty With Disabilities, Joseph Carlton Barry

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This dissertation contributes to education equity scholarship produced by academics seeking to develop understandings of disability, Persons with Disabilities (PWD), and how both are situated amongst faculty in institutions of higher education. As such, this dissertation centers on a study of public US universities belonging to the Association of American Universities (AAU). This study looks for institutional level associations between respective rates by which college and university faculty with disabilities (FWD) are employed, certain aspects of disability policy drawn from each institution’s 2020 Affirmative Action Plans (AAP), and various other instances of empirical disability data (EDD).

While this study contributes …

Development Of The Elementary Teachers’ Commitment To Outdoor Education Survey: A Mixed Methods Study, Sagan Goodpaster

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

As the Green Schoolyards Movement continues to grow throughout North America, outdoor education (OE) is gaining more attention in the formal K-12 curriculum (Dyment, 2005; Sterrett & Imig, 2015). Rooted in the pedagogies of place-based and experiential learning, outdoor instruction provides social, psychological, physical, and academic benefits for students, and fosters their sense of connection to the natural environment (Dubel & Sobel, 2008; Robertson, 2017). In particular, outdoor learning opportunities have been shown to promote greater gains in students’ scientific content knowledge (Carrier et al., 2014; Cronin-Jones, 2000; Dirks & Orvis, 2005; Kenney et al., 2003). Outdoor instruction involves students …

Exploring The Use Of Rasch Models To Construct Measures Of Firms’ Profitability With Multiple Discretization Ratio-Type Data, Chen Qiu

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Ratio-type data plays an important role in real-world data analysis. Mass ratios have been created for different purposes, depending on time and people’s needs. Then, it is necessary to create a comprehensive score to extract information from those mass ratios when they measure the same concept from different perspectives. Therefore, this study adopts the same logic of psychometrics to systematically conduct scale development on ratio-type data under the Rasch model. However, it is first necessary to discretize the ratio-type data for use in the Rasch model. Therefore, this study also explores the effect of different data discretization methods on scale …

Exploring The Relationship Between Reported Instructional Leadership Behaviors And High-Quality Professional Development Factors, Shelby Lea Daeschner

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

With the reauthorization of the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a focus has been placed on the principal as an instructional leader to improve school culture and student achievement. Professional Development (PD) can improve teacher capacity and student outcomes through long-term, job-embedded, coherent, collaborative, and focused activities. This correlational study explored the relationship between principals’ reported behaviors and rankings of the importance of high-quality PD factors. Through a self-reported survey, elementary school principals across the United States were asked to report the frequency of instructional leader behaviors as measured via the Principal Instructional Management Scale (PIMRS) and rank the …

A Study Of Underrepresented Minorities In An Informal Stem Experience, Rachel Rogers

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

According to labor market data, there is core cognitive knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with STEM education that are in demand in not just STEM fields, but all areas of the workforce (Carnevale, Smith, & Melton, 2011; Rothwell, 2013). During the period from 2005 until 2015, STEM professions grew by 24.4% (Noonan, 2017). During this time, populations such as minorities continued to show a gap in their representation in STEM (Noonan, 2017). To effectively examine how to increase the rate of URM student success in STEM, more research is needed on the factors that might contribute to minority STEM interest, …

Knitting Code: Examining The Relationship Between Knitting And Computational Thinking Skills Using The Nexus Of Practice, Emily Rose Dodson-Snowden

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Due to the rise of careers in STEM-related fields, there is a growing need for schools to produce people to fill these positions. One area of STEM that is growing is computer science/coding. Due to this demand, schools need to be intentional about exposing students to computer science/coding. There are a variety of new tools to introduce students to this field. One growing belief is that knitting can teach computer science/coding to students.

The goal of this study was to see if knitting can serve as an introduction to teach students computation skills. Kitting has historically been used to code …

Investigating Discussion Forum Impact On Students’ Social Justice Beliefs In Online Undergraduate Mathematics Courses: A Mixed Methods Study, Ashlee Lynn Akin Matney

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

While teaching math for social justice and equity has become a heavily researched topic in recent decades with Jo Boaler (2008, 2015, 2016), Rochelle Gutiérrez (2009, 2013), and Eric (Rico) Gutstein (2003, 2006, 2007, 2013) emerging as recent leaders in the charge, the focus has consistently remained on traditional classroom teaching (e.g. Boaler, 2008; Gutiérrez, 2009; Gutstein, 2003). This convergent design mixed methods study investigated the impact of teaching math for social justice in the online learning environment, specifically, the impact of discussion forums on students’ social justice beliefs in fully online undergraduate math courses.

Quantitatively, 56 students completed pre- …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Teacher Grit, Technology Self-Efficacy, And Technology Integration, Joshua Jeremiah Shiloh Marsh

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The use of educational technology applications has grown tremendously in the last decade. Instructors are now equipped with hardware and software applications previously unavailable, such as mobile and interactive technologies. These tools can have tremendous impact on students’ learning and teacher practices. Teachers can improve their assessment capabilities through technology integration, provide better learning opportunities for students with learning disabilities, and promote deeper learning practices. Due to these benefits, budgets at the federal, state, and local levels of the United States now have specific allocations regarding technology-related purchases. Nevertheless, barriers remain regarding the effective integration of technologies in public schools. …

Validation Of An Early Childhood Emotional And Social Competence Instrument Using A Rasch Partial Credit Model, Nan Li

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The release of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) started a new chapter of education in the United States. The ESSA emphasizes the importance of preschool education; the act states that more resources will be devoted to preschool education, which lays the foundation for children’s school learning process. The goal of the act is to make sure children enter kindergarten education with equal preparatory. School, family, and researchers are paying more attention to developing preschool children’s social and emotional competency before entering Kindergarten. For understanding preschool children’s social and emotional skill development situation, instrument is the mostly widely adopted method …