Education Commons^™

Stigmatizing Labels, School Bonds, And Capital In The School Reentry Experiences And Educational Outcomes Of Justice-Involved Youth, Peter S. Willis

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that justice-involved youth who reenter public and alternative schools following contact with the juvenile justice system struggle to find a place in the school community and complete their educations. Because educational attainment affects recidivism rates, successful school reentry for justice-involved youth presents important research questions for policy and practice. This study examined school reentry through cases studies of adults who had been justice-involved youth and had experienced school reentry following contact with the juvenile justice system. Study participants’ school reentry experiences were examined through a theoretical framework comprised of labeling, social control, and field theories. Findings suggest that …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Dispositions And Technology Integration Knowledge Of English Language Teachers, Moe D. Greene

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the pervasiveness of educational technological tools, their potential is generally overlooked. An examination of technology integration literature suggests a gap in understanding why teachers lack the necessary knowledge to successfully integrate technology in their teaching as well as an absence of a robust technology integration theoretical framework. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) was developed to explain the specific knowledge needed for effective technology integration. Several limitations, however, have been noted in regards to the ability of this framework to capture the connections between the complexities of teachers’ contexts and their technology integration knowledge. This dissertation advances current literature by …

Teachers' Views On The Intersectionality Between Culture And Student Behaviors, And Experience Using Culturally-Responsive Behavior Interventions, Toshna Pandey

Theses and Dissertations

Students belonging to racially minoritized groups experience more frequent and intense disciplinary consequences for similar rule violations as their White peers. Factors such as deficit-oriented perceptions and implicit biases among teachers have contributed to the disproportionate exclusion of racially minoritized students, thus negatively affecting their social, emotional, behavioral, and school success. Using semi-structured interviews, this study sought to explore elementary school teachers’ views on the intersectionality between race/culture and student behaviors. Additionally, it also examined their experiences using behavior interventions effective for racially minoritized students. Findings suggest that participants often attributed challenging behaviors to student-level factors such as family and …

Immersive Virtual Reality As A Tool To Make In K-12 Environments, Matthew X. Caratachea

Theses and Dissertations

Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) is beginning to be implemented into K-12 contexts. As this technology makes its way into more learning environments there is a need to not only understand how to address curricular goals with this technology, but which frameworks for learning best inform the use of this tool. In addition, previous research has called for a need to begin to explore how immersive VR can be used as a tool for creation in K-12 classrooms (Maas & Hughes, 2020). This multiple-case study aimed to address these needs by examining the use of VR as a tool to create …

Starting Earnings Of Bachelor’S And Advanced Degree Graduates By Field Of Study: Using Multi-Level Modeling To Estimate The Effects And Early Labor Market Consequences Of Vertical And Horizontal Dimensions Of Higher Education, Qiao Liang

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to better understand early labor market outcomes of higher education and the importance of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of higher education. Using College Scorecard’s institution and field of study levels data and a multilevel modeling approach, it estimated and ranked typical starting earnings associated with a large spectrum of bachelor’s and advanced degree programs, and discussed patterns, variations, and irregularities observed in the ranked earnings. This study also calculated advanced degree effects on the typical starting earnings associated with bachelor’s and advanced degree programs, and set precedence to systematically compare the effects of major, department, …

The Influence Of Shifting Learning Environments On Teachers’ Data Use Practices, Stephanie M. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

In March of 2020, schools in the United States closed for in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the school year began in the fall of 2020, many schools continued to operate virtually rather than in-person. In response, many teachers’ practices were revised. Although data use has been widely explored, teachers’ use of data in a virtual environment has received limited attention. This study contributes to the existing knowledge by exploring the influence of the shifting learning environments on the data use practices of teachers in four schools in one school district during the 2020 -2021 school year.

Teachers …

From Kindergarten Classrooms To Phd Pursuits: Academic Narratives That Influence Career Decisions In Black Women Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Students, Erin Hanley

Theses and Dissertations

Though Black women continue to receive advanced degrees at increased rates, this attainment is not reflected in the number of Black women serving as faculty members in academia. The field of counselor education encourages the recruitment and retention of diverse students and educators, though the literature outlining the reality of the experiences of Black women in counselor education has been limited. This qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis uncovered the academic experiences of Black women doctoral students from kindergarten to their current doctoral programs, and how these experiences have influenced their career decision making. Guided by Black feminist thought and career human …

Leveling The Opportunity For Achievement: White Teachers' Critical Consciousness Development As An Entry Point, Alexandra Merritt

Theses and Dissertations

Although formal education is often lauded as the great equalizer in the U.S., schools often mirror and replicate the deep-seated inequalities of society. In a recent report, the U.S. Congress noted that race, gender, and socioeconomic status are the primary axes of inequality in educational achievement (Hussar et al., 2020). Scholars have long known the existence of this disparity in achievement outcomes, but efforts to close the gap have often been from a deficit lens aimed at changing the effort and motivation of students. This framing has problematized ethnic-racial minority students’ abilities and behaviors from an ahistorical lens that fails …

Looking For Hope: The Experience Of Early Career Teachers Engaged In A Collaborative Community Of Reflective Practice As A Model Of Induction And Professional Development, Donia E. Spott

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching has always been an isolated profession and many professional development programs are seen as disconnected from the realities and daily needs of teaching. With the pressures of standards, paperwork, classroom management, and learning to teach, early career teachers can be especially vulnerable to becoming discouraged, disillusioned, and demoralized. This study used a qualitative, narrative inquiry approach to tell the stories of seven early career teachers’ experiences with induction and the development of a reflective community to support early career teachers in their professional practice. As part of the action research approach taken in designing the program, the discussions and …

Math Leaders’ Perceptions Of Social Justice Pedagogy: Implications For Professional Development On Teaching Mathematics For Climate And Environmental Justice, Angela M. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Two significant crises facing communities of color are climate and environmental injustices (Schlosberg & Collins, 2014) and the achievement gap in standardized test performance as an impact of inequitable educational experiences rooted in a history of social inequities (Agarwal, 2011; Milner, 2020). Previous studies on teaching mathematics for social justice demonstrate positive student outcomes from this practice (Berry, 2008; Gutstein, 2006). Existing literature also points to benefits when focusing on a specific social justice topic during mathematics instruction (Bartell, 2013; Stocker, 2012). However, few studies focus on math leaders’ perceptions of teaching mathematics for climate and environmental justice (TMCEJ).

This …

Navigating Success: First-Generation Pathways To Institutional Integration, Katherine B. Drumm

Theses and Dissertations

Guided pathways mobile applications are one technology-based tool that colleges and universities have implemented in an attempt to educate and guide students through the myriad steps necessary to matriculate, integrate and successfully graduate from their institution at scale. Using Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and capital, Astin’s model of student involvement and Tinto’s model of student integration as a conceptual framework, and building upon the work of Slanger et al. (2015), this study investigated if the Educational Stress scale score from the College Student Inventory (CSI) can act as a measure of student habitus. In addition, this study used institutional data …

An Exploration Of Teacher Residents’ Perception Of Culture And Their Use Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Jodi Larson

Theses and Dissertations

Urban teacher residency (UTR) programs place residents in urban schools labeled “hard-to-staff” or “under-resourced.” Enrollment in residency schools tends to be majority Brown or Black students from various cultures. Teacher residents are from diverse backgrounds and races who have a commitment to teach in Title 1 schools with the support of a residency program that coaches them how to teach using culturally relevant pedagogy. Their journeys are unique from typical student teaching experiences because they co-teach with an experienced teacher for a full school year while attending university classes on pedagogy and theory. This qualitative case study followed seven elementary …

Yolkkh: The Story Of My People, Amna Zelimkha Yandarbin

Theses and Dissertations

The name of my project is: Yolkkh, The Story of My People. With this project I present a series of scarves each one bearing an illustrated scene in order to tell a story – my story and the story of the Noxci people. Noxci are the people who are referred to as “Chechens” by Russians and are generally known by that title. As a Muslim, I have witnessed the way Western media tend to dehumanize my community. In order to contrast this dehumanizing process, I thought that telling the story of my family would help reverse Islamophobic tendencies and raise …

Inclusive Academic Education & Vocationally-Oriented Transition Predictors’ Association With Post-Secondary Outcomes Of Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Joshua P. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts through legislation to increase the engagement of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in competitive integrated employment (CIE) and post-secondary education, outcomes remain poor. However, recent policy has emphasized CIE as a preferred outcome and created new opportunities to engage individuals with IDD in post-secondary education. Likewise, research into the transition of youth with disabilities has revealed several predictors of post-school success including inclusive education and a variety of vocationally-oriented experiences. Previous research had not determined whether students with IDD received both inclusive academic education and vocational transition experiences or how these predictors might interact. The purpose …

Coaching Paraeducators To Accurately Record Student Response Data During Direct Instruction, Paige J. Carter Phd

Theses and Dissertations

Paraeducators serving students with disabilities outnumber special education teachers in the United States (Stewart, 2019; U. S. Department of Education et al., 2018). Paraeducators regularly provide instruction without the benefit of regular and effective training. One of the duties associated with instruction is the collection of instructional data. The purpose of this study was to examine a combination of training and coaching on the accuracy of recording student responses. In addition, a teacher-as-coach model was examined for feasibility with existing time and resources. A multiple baseline across participants design was planned. Special education teachers and paraeducators at a public separate …

Tya And Educational Outreach In Higher Education: An Asset To Undergraduates And Their Community, Emily J. Mattison

Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate students pursuing a career in theatre are at the beginning of their life-long training and understanding and appreciation for the art. Performing in a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) touring production alongside the responsibility of crafting educational outreach opportunities provides the students with a unique chance to comprehend the art they have chosen to devote their lives to. This paper details the value of offering a course I crafted entitled “TYA Educational Outreach”, for both the undergraduates enrolled and the community they would be reaching. While undergraduates develop an understanding of the impact theatre can have on an individual …

A Psychometric Evaluation Of The Best In Class Adherence And Competence Scale, Katrina A. Markowicz

Theses and Dissertations

It is critical to utilize treatment integrity instruments to support the evaluation of evidence-based programs in early classroom contexts. However, in the early childhood field, guidelines for collecting treatment integrity data are underdeveloped. Consequently, most treatment integrity instruments employed in the field solely assess adherence, vary in design features and have little psychometric evidence supporting their use. As such, this represents a gap in the field that might slow efforts to implement evidence-based programs. The current study examines the score reliability and validity of an observational treatment integrity instrument (The BEST in CLASS Adherence and Competence Scale [BiCACS]; Sutherland et …

Examining The Effect Of Item-Writing Flaws On The Psychometric Parameters Of Pharmacy Therapeutics Examinations, Veronica P. Shuford

Theses and Dissertations

Colleges and schools of pharmacy (C/SOP) use direct measures of assessment to provide evidence of student learning, with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) being one the most common formats used in health sciences education to assess students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities (Pate & Caldwell, 2014). This study examined the occurrence of item-writing flaws (IWFs) in the Clinical Therapeutics Module (CTM) sequence of courses at a college of pharmacy at an academic health center in the southeastern United States. The goals of the study were to: (1) identify the most common item-writing flaws on examinations in the CTM sequence of courses, (2) determine …

Teacher Approaches To Women’S History, Gender, And Feminism In Secondary Social Studies, Kimberly R. Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

While several scholars have worked to reimagine social studies curriculum from a feminist perspective, there are few studies that look at how teachers understand and experience gender equity work (Bohan, 2017; Engebretson, 2018). This study seeks to bridge that gap between theory and practice in order to progress toward a more gender-equitable social studies education. Utilizing a hermeneutic circle design to facilitate dialogue across participants, I conducted one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with seven secondary social studies teacher participants and collected participant-provided curriculum materials. Using techniques from constructivist grounded theory, I analyzed how teachers made sense of their experiences trying to include …

Psychometric Developments Of The Ace-Iq: Understanding The Trauma History Of Latine Immigrants, Jorli K. Swingen Dr.

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a profound effect on an individual’s physical and mental health. The World Health Organization has recently updated the ACE questionnaire so it could be used with international populations. The Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), has not been translated to Spanish or used with Latine immigrants.

This study translated the ACE-IQ into Spanish, evaluated the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, and collected data on 184 four adult English Language Learners in Chesterfield County, VA.

There is evidence of internal consistency for the ACE-IQ as a whole (α = .908) and within subscales. Three factors were identified …

The Impact Of Registered Apprenticeships On The Middle-Skills Gap In Virginia, Yolanda Macklin Crewe

Theses and Dissertations

The skills gap debate has raged among scholars and policymakers for the last few decades. The key questions are whether the gap exists, the extent of the gap and how to minimize the gap. Of particular concern is a skills gap for middle-skills occupations. Since 2014, the federal government has invested over $500 million in registered apprenticeships as a strategy to address the skills gap. Likewise, Virginia has invested over $7.5 million and implemented policies such as VA Executive Order 49 (EO49), to expand registered apprenticeships as a workforce strategy to diminish the skills gap.

The goal of this research …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Broad Validity Of A High Stakes English Language Proficiency Test, Carolyn N. Waters

Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandated that the English acquisition of all students identified as English learners be assessed annually using high-stakes standardized English language proficiency tests, and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 continues this testing mandate. The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® has been used for this and other purposes since 2005, and has been adopted by 40 State Education Agencies, including the Virginia Department of Education. However, despite the long-standing and widespread use of this assessment, no comprehensive independent evaluations of the test have been conducted. This mixed-methods study is a conceptual replication of …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Influence Of A Stem Career Planning Course And Perceived Stress On Career Search Self-Efficacy And Retention In Engineering Undergraduate Students, Autumn Randell

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a) the influence of a STEM career planning course on undergraduate engineering students’ career search self-efficacy, b) the influence of perceived stress on building students’ career search self-efficacy, and c) the relationship career search self-efficacy had in predicting students’ odds of persistence in an engineering major. The researcher analyzed students’ week 1, week 6, and week 14 scores of career search self-efficacy and perceived stress. Data were collected from the Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 cohorts of a STEM career planning. As a result, the analysis included (N = 286) undergraduate engineering students. Repeated measures multilevel …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Disproportionality Of Dual Language Learners In Special Education In Virginia: A Mixed Methods Study, Melissa J. Cuba

Theses and Dissertations

The disproportionality of dual language learners (DLLs) in special education has been a persistent and complex issue for decades. These students have multidimensional identities that require a look at how they are positioned in school systems and the broader social landscape. Using a multilevel model of intersectionality and an explanatory mixed methods design, this study examines how social categories, practice, and policies influence the representation of DLLs in special education in Virginia, a state where DLLs represented 13 percent of the total student population in 2018-19. Findings from this study reveal overrepresentation and underrepresentation of 63 DLL subgroups using nuanced …

Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training With In Situ Training On Workplace Conversational Skills Of Transition-Aged High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Holly N. Whittenburg

Theses and Dissertations

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high rates of unemployment in the years immediately following high school (Hendricks & Wehman, 2009; Roux et al., 2015), yet very few studies to date have investigated approaches to teaching transition-aged high school students work-related social skills within competitive, integrated workplace settings. Furthermore, difficulties in developing relationships with coworkers within the workplace may negatively affect employment (Baldwin et al., 2014; Sperry & Mesibov, 2005). Research is needed that examines methods for improving interactions with coworkers.

This study investigated the effects of a behavioral skills training (BST) with in situ training intervention package …

Cyberbullying: School Administrators' Perceptions Of Law And Prevalence, And Their Roles In Prevention, Intervention And Discipline, Suzan Gragg Denby

Theses and Dissertations

This study was aimed at investigating secondary school administrators’ experiences with and their perceptions of cyberbullying, as well as their intervention and prevention procedures. As technology has become ubiquitous in our society, students’ use has increased and impacted the school environment. Given the potential for cyberbullying and the negative effects of such, schools harbor the responsibility to prevent and intervene in such occurrences. This can be a tricky process.

This study included 12 administrators of secondary schools across eight school divisions in Virginia. Through an interview process, administrators spoke of their experiences with technology and cyberbullying incidents, and how they …

A Critical Multiple Case Study Analysis Examining The Implementation Of The Every Student Succeeds Act (Essa) To Promote Positive School Climate, Weade W. James

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the role of federal policy in improving school climate, and examined how federal policy, specifically the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is being implemented at the state-level to address school climate issues. A qualitative multiple-case study design with content analysis was used as the leading approach to understanding how states are implementing ESSA’s school climate measure for accountability. ESSA is the nation’s federal education law that was enacted in 2015 and replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB). I compared states’ implementation of ESSA’s school climate and safety (SCS) measure, including how states are measuring SCS and whether …

Achieving Dentin Conservation Using Dynamic Navigation Technology For Locating Calcified Canals, Madison W. Saunders

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Pulp canal obliteration (PCO) is a common sequela of dental trauma, caries, restorations and vital pulp therapy procedures. Despite the application of high magnification and CBCT imaging, access cavity preparation for such cases is prone to procedural errors that may lead to substantial loss of dentin structure thereby reducing the long-term prognosis. This study aimed to achieve dentin conservation using a novel computer assisted dynamic navigation system (Navident) in comparison to freehand access preparation for locating calcified canals.

Methods: Forty maxillary and mandibular central incisors (tooth #9 and tooth #25) were 3-D printed to simulate PCO. They were randomly …

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Early Literacy Growth In Public Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Bruce A. Fillman

Theses and Dissertations

Student early literacy readiness is predictive of later academic success and pre-k programs are a proven intervention to develop early literacy; however, the cost of pre-k programs differs greatly. These differences in cost are related to the opportunities and services included within each program. This study examined four pre-k programs offered within a large school system in Virginia to determine if there were differences in students’ early literacy growth by program attended and evaluated the ratio of cost to achievement of each pre-k program to determine their cost-effectiveness. To do this, two one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) were conducted to …

Analysis Of Teaching Styles, Adult Learning Theories, And Factors Influencing Teaching Style Preferences In Adult Education Instructors: Implication For Practice, Beatrice Chemaiyo Lele

Theses and Dissertations

The teacher is the most influential and important variable in the classroom for student achievement. Therefore, the need for teachers to identify and utilize best teaching practices is fundamental to a progressing society. Despite the literature advocating and proposing the student-centered approach as the preferred method of teaching in adult education, most empirical studies indicate that teachers employed the traditional teacher-centered approach. The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching style preferences of adult education instructors and the influence of gender, age, participation in professional development in adult education, years of teaching experience, teaching subject, and levels of …