Education Commons^™

Barriers That Affect Equity In The Occupational Therapy Admissions Process: Student And Faculty Perspectives, Quinn P. Tyminski, Lenin Grajo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The use of holistic admissions in higher education has been demonstrated to increase the diversity of incoming student classes; yet, in occupational therapy (OT) research, admissions processes remain under-explored. This phenomenological study aimed to explore the process of OT admissions from the perspective of students, faculty, and staff at a single OT program with the goal to create a more inclusive, equitable, and holistic process. Focus groups were conducted with first-year students, and an online survey was sent to faculty to explore perspectives on the admissions process, necessary qualities for an OT graduate student, and suggestions for increasing inclusion and …

Adaptive Instruction Through Reflection: How Preservice Teachers Create And Implement Individualized Literacy Lessons In A University Reading Center, Jennifer Marie Lennon

Dissertations

Modern classrooms are increasingly diverse. Students vary in their academic abilities, personal interests, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and previous experiences (Allen et al., 2013). To meet the varied needs of students, educators must adapt their instruction so all are able to find success. Modifying lesson plans and changing instruction based on student needs are forms of adaptive instruction (Hoffman & Duffy, 2016; Vaughn, 2019). This study explored the metacognitive processes of preservice teachers (PSTs) as they implemented adaptive instruction within their literacy lessons in a university reading center tutoring program. Adaptive instruction was examined through two lenses: first, as PSTs …

Development Of S.T.E.A.M. Daises In Formal And Informal Environments For Educating Primary I Learners, Frances Neville

Masters Theses

The federal government has made education a competition among ourselves. Learning is not a rivalry to be imposed on our physical and cognitive development as humans. Escalating beliefs recognize education is more encompassing than CCSS, assessments and the grade level time frames in which standards are to be taught. On the precipice of anti-intellect, low expectations, and what has been termed “The Dumbing of America” an investigation into what it would take to close the achievement gap and increase student learning is overdue.

The goal for my Michigan based project, S.T.E.A.M. Daises, was to develop a program focusing on the …

The Effects Of Adolescent Trauma, Mental Health Treatment, And Demographic Variables On Educational Outcome, Christopher Postema

Dissertations

Poor educational performance in adolescence can occur due to trauma, substance use, or other stressors. This study used conflict theory as a foundation, suggesting differences in educational outcomes can be attributed to systems perpetuating the current power structures that cause inequality in academic opportunities and performance. Trauma in adolescence can have adverse effects on educational outcomes and emotional stability. Research suggests that mental health therapy as well as a reduction in trauma symptoms can improve educational outcomes. Race, gender, substance use, socioeconomic status, and employment are important variables that could influence educational outcomes. Interaction terms were found in the literature …

Application Of A Model Of Family-Centered Harm Reduction In Community-Based Programming, Johnna Belkiewitz, Victoria G. Wilburn, Sydney Larson, Kate Schrader

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Coupling high substance use disorder rates with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation faces a growing mental health crisis and a shortage of adequately trained mental and behavioral health providers. As occupational therapists work toward recognition as qualified providers in this practice area, we must ensure that future therapists can meet client needs. Traditional mental and behavioral health educational practices in occupational therapy use a model of harm reduction that minimizes negative outcomes for a select subset of the population engaging in specific “high-risk” behaviors, such as individuals engaging in substance use and sexual activity. Expanding our understanding …

Occupational Therapy Curricula Patterns For Acquired Brain Injury-Related Vision Disorders For Entry-Level Programs: A Survey, Laura Schmeiser, Alicia Reiser, Caitlyn Foy

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists are among the first providers to encounter individuals after an acquired brain injury (ABI). Evidence suggests that most occupational therapists learn about ABI-related vision disorders from continuing education and on-the-job training. A better understanding of entry-level curricula patterns for ABI-related vision disorders is important because of their high prevalence and impact on occupational performance. A descriptive online survey was administered to occupational therapy educators at ACOTE-accredited entry-level programs to explore curricula patterns for ABI-related vision disorders. Of 1,391 occupational therapy educators invited to participate, 71 (5%) began the survey, and 66 met the inclusion criteria. Vision screening methods …

Understanding The Aspirations And Challenges Of Michigan’S Black School Superintendents: A Toolkit For Building Equity In The Superintendency, Kevin Simmons

Dissertations

Black superintendents are significantly underrepresented in our nation’s schools. Despite a slight increase in representation of female Black superintendents, minorities of all races continue to be underrepresented (Tienken & Domenech, 2020). In this study, I examined the experiences of Black superintendents in Michigan who currently hold superintendent roles, along with the obstacles they faced and their personal characteristics and associated factors that attributed to their resilience and longevity in their role as superintendent. Using a phenomenological qualitative study approach of personal and confidential interviews and survey questions of 12 Black superintendents, data was collected to formulate a toolkit for aspiring …

Peer Mentoring In An Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Program: Student Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren E. Stone Kelly

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on education. During this time, educators were tasked to develop creative and new ways to engage and teach students. Mentoring has been shown to positively impact academic and psychosocial outcomes and can enhance clinical skills in both in-person and e-learning environments. However, there is need for further research on peer mentoring programs in occupational therapy curriculum.

Method: This retrospective qualitative study investigates the effects of peer mentoring on student perceptions of learning and professional development. Experiences were tracked for three semesters during the pandemic at an accredited entry-level occupational therapy …

The Manufacturing And Engineering Partnership Program: An Examination Of A Partnership Between Manufacturing And Cte, Laura Schoenborn-Preuss

Dissertations

Manufacturing is struggling to find people to fill open positions in the various career opportunities they represent. The skills gap or skills needed by manufacturers has caused challenges in filling those open positions. Adding to this dilemma is that student interest in these careers has reduced, with the focus being on obtaining college degrees right out of high school. Due to these changes, manufacturing and education are partnering in ways to increase student interest and fill open positions.

This study is looking to better understand one such partnership and how the activities students’ experience influence their career decision making. The …

Investigating The Connection Between Teacher Professional Development And The Lesson Planning Process, Kyle B. Corlett

Dissertations

School districts across the country are facing increasing pressure to raise student achievement, specifically on state standardized tests (Buzick & Jones, 2015; Marsh & Farrell, 2015). Many states, including Michigan, connect teacher and administrator evaluations to student achievement (Revised School Code Act 451, 2003). The primary strategy school districts use to improve student achievement is professional development for its staff (Guskey, 2009). Professional development can consist of a variety of strategies to support educators in increasing their knowledge and skills, resulting in improved instruction and ultimately improved student achievement. This instrumental case study sought to explore how teachers experience the …

Institutional Changes In Western Michigan University For Incorporation Of Education For Sustainability, Saman Khan

Dissertations

Higher Education institutions (HEIs) have the potential to be significant contributors in the pursuit of a sustainable world through the incorporation of Education for Sustainability (EFS). However, HEIs are entrenched with structures and values that are often resistant to change. The literature reveals that instructors’ beliefs and institutional contexts are the two main factors that impact the implementation of institutional change for sustainability education. Western Michigan University (WMU) has created new required curriculum “WMU Essential Studies” (WES) for undergraduate students and they have targeted sustainability as an essential learning outcome, by integrating and applying it in content courses. Using a …

Diverse Characterization: The Importance Of Inclusive Protagonists And Authors For Adolescents In Diverse Communities, Trista Straube

Masters Theses

Despite continuous efforts to increase comprehension and success for students of diverse backgrounds there is a major underrepresentation of these communities in literary applications. Literary devices within public institutions should celebrate diversity in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, culture, and physical and mental ability. It is important, in young adult development, that students have literature that reflects similarities in their personal lives. This thesis will serve to prove that literature pursued in public education should be selected based on the relatability of the students enrolled in the institution and inclusivity to the student population. When selecting relatable texts, …

College Access For Prospective First-Generation High School Students: Parent Perceptions, Christopher W. Brown Ed.D, Alison Reeves Associate Professor, Laurel Puchner Professor

Journal of College Access

This qualitative interview study examined how parents of potential college-going first-generation students in one high school perceive and experience their access to resources and knowledge that would allow them to support their adolescents’ successful entrance into postsecondary institutions. The study found that the parents believe that high schools will help their children with college but that they underutilize the resources available and lack important social capital needed to help their students succeed.

The Development Of A Portfolio For Academic Promotion And Tenure For Occupational Therapy Educators, David Levan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Advancement of occupational therapy educators is a significant achievement and important contribution to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 2025 and Centennial Vision. Successful promotion demands excellence and active engagement in faculty skill development, both of which are essential to student learning. The academic promotion and tenure process presents a new and unfamiliar expectation for entry-level and tenure-track occupational therapy educators. A multitude of institutional policies and procedures, formal and informal recommendations from administrators and colleagues, and lack of mentorship can make planning for academic promotion and tenure confusing and difficult. The purpose of this article is to provide …

The Common Core State Standards In Mathematics For Place Value: Developmentally Appropriate Or Not?, Sarah N. Hughey

Masters Theses

This exploratory case study examines the developmental appropriateness of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM) for place value for second through fourth-grade students. A correlation analysis was performed on end of year scores from the 2018-19 school year on a standardized norm-referenced test and a conceptually-based interview assessment from the Math Recovery program (AVMR) on 137 students from one school in the Midwest. An item analysis was also performed on AVMR assessments for 70 students from the 2019-20 school year. The results showed that second and third-grade students did not display the expected amount of growth in conceptual …

Incorporating Fine Arts Into Online Education, Tosha Tessen Mcdonald

Masters Theses

Art Education has seen many changes. One of the most recent changes in art education has been the step into online learning. The question I sought to answer was whether or not art education could be delivered in the same rigorous manner online as it can be in a traditional school setting. During the 2019 - 2020 school year, I started a position teaching for the Rural Virtual Academy, in which all instruction was delivered online. During my own practice, I researched methods to instruct students virtually. My results indicate that it is quite possible to deliver a rigorous curriculum …

Saudi Arabian Science Teachers And Formative Assessment In The Gender Segregated Male School System, Khalid Abdullah Kariri

Dissertations

Formative assessment is a key pedagogical tool that allows teachers to make instructional assessments in real time for the improvement of student learning. It gives students the opportunity to provide evidence of their learning thus giving teachers assurances that their hard work is not in vain. Formative assessment is commonly practiced in Western schools, while most Saudi science classroom teachers rely on end-of-unit summative assessment. A review of the literature reveals that very little research has been done related to Saudi teachers’ use of formative assessment in science classrooms. The goal of this dissertation was to address this absence of …

Understanding The School Experience Of Recent Lgbtq+ Graduates In The Dominican Republic’S Education System, Rossina Matos

Dissertations

Studies show that, in general, schools fall short when it comes to serving LGBTQ+ students, sometimes even ignoring the situations regarding bullying, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and heterosexism that arise. The detrimental effects of repressive, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, and other marginalizing school environments on LGBTQ+ students are well-documented in the research. However, the limited research available on the school experiences of LGBTQ+ students in Dominican K-12 schools suggests the country could benefit from examining the breadth and depth of the reality of LGBTQ+ students in its schools.

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of …

Challenging The Status Quo: Infusing Non-Western Ideas Into Occupational Therapy Education And Practice, Wanda J. Mahoney, Anne F. Kiraly-Alvarez

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The authors of this Topics in Education article, who are both occupational therapy educators, reflect on challenging concepts related to decolonizing occupational therapy education, an idea they first encountered at the 2018 World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress. They acknowledge that Western views heavily influence the occupational therapy concepts they teach to their students. The downside of approaching occupational therapy education and practice primarily from a Western worldview is that occupational therapy students and practitioners may perpetuate societal inequities through their practices and are not well-prepared to address the occupational needs of individuals and communities around the world. This article …

Student-Provided Technology In The Classroom, Matthew Lafleur

Masters Theses

With technology becoming more ingrained in the day-to-day business of 21^st century life, it is only natural for such technology to find its way into the hands of our youth and eventually the classroom setting. Student provided technology, specifically the popular smart phone, is proving to be a useful tool in students’ education to some but still seen as a potential danger to many others in the profession. With the world becoming more digitally connected, smart phones have the potential to be a great learning tool or an even greater source of distraction for students.

Art teachers across the …

Limited By Design: Expanding The Boundaries Of Schooling Policies From Demanded Passivity To Transformative Practice, Natalia T. Carvalho-Pinto

Masters Theses

Schooling is often imagined as the great equalizer and the primary venue towards personal and collective liberation. However, hegemonic ideals and practices have limited the ability for educators to craft and utilize policy in a way that best benefits their students. In this thesis, I utilize the state of Michigan’s Common Core curriculum to examine the limits beyond policy and practice. Specifically, I argue that the demands for student passivity and institutional measurable as signs of success, prohibit student growth. Throughout the document, I describe hope in the ability to instill a variety of transformative educational theories and practices that …

International Occupational Therapy Faculty Perceptions Regarding Doctoral Level Education, Bernadette Mineo, Beth Hathaway, Monali Kadkade

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Over the past decade a debate has ensued in the US regarding the clinical doctorate in occupational therapy (OT) and whether to require a doctorate to become an occupational therapist. Little discussion has occurred regarding the potential implications on the global community of occupational therapists, and there have been no attempts to ascertain the views of international OT faculty and practitioners. This study surveyed international OT faculty regarding their perceived need for and value of graduate education, particularly at the doctoral level, for OT faculty and practitioners in their countries. Fifty-three OT faculty from WFOT approved programs in eight countries …

A Guide For The Development Of Theoretical Understanding And Practice Of Teaching For Artistic Behavior: A Response For 21st Century Art Education, Lisa Van Plew-Cid

Masters Theses

Education in the 21st century is restructuring to meet the needs of an increasingly technological society where learning objectives need to focus more on learning abilities rather than knowledge acquisition. Creativity and authentic learning have been identified as new learning objectives for the 21st century. Throughout the history of education, art education has maintained relevance through the integral role it plays in meeting the learning and developmental needs of our students. Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) offers both a philosophy and practice for relevant 21st century art education.

Through research and deep reflection on my ten year practice as an …

Factors Associated With Academic Performance Among Second-Year Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Students, Tore Bonsaksen, Brian J. Ellingham, Tove Carstensen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Research into occupational therapy education and its outcomes for students is growing. More research is needed to determine the factors of importance for occupational therapy students’ academic outcomes. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with academic performance among second-year undergraduate occupational therapy students in Norway.

Methods: Occupational therapy students (n = 111) from two education programs completed questionnaires asking for sociodemographic, work-related, and education-related information. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to examine factors independently associated with the students’ academic performance.

Results: A higher age was associated with better average academic performance among the students, whereas having …

Balancing Efficacy And Effectiveness With Philosophy, History, And Theory-Building In Occupational Therapy Education Research, Barbara Hooper, Jyothi Gupta, Andrea Bilics, Steven D. Taff

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The preferred focus for education research in occupational therapy increasingly rests on studies that investigate efficacy and effectiveness in the teaching-learning context. While important, the almost exclusive promotion of outcomes-focused studies can come at the expense of other forms of inquiry, including philosophy, history, and theory-building. To fully inform education and enhance practice, outcomes-focused research needs the conceptual foundation provided by philosophical, historical, and theory-building studies. In this paper, the authors suggest that the research enterprise in occupational therapy education is in its infancy and, therefore, quite susceptible to shortcuts that head straight to outcomes. To address this issue, the …

An Ethnohistorical Study Of The Dowagiac Chieftains, Kathryn A. Bishop

Masters Theses

This research uses ethnohistorical methods to examine the use of imagery appropriated from American Indian cultures by the Dowagiac Union Schools. High School yearbooks from 1899- 2014, along with other artifacts, were identified as sources of information to describe students’ experiences. Applying Brayboy’s (2005) Tribal Critical Race Theory, an off-shoot of Critical Race Theory, combined with the research of historical and theoretical scholars like Davis (2002), Pewewardy (2001), and Deloria, King, and Springwood (2001), a case is made for the removal of American Indian mascots used by educational institutions, including the Dowagiac Chieftains. Though over 1,750 occasions of American Indian-appropriated …

Ldentifying And Characterizing Cognitive Factors Significant To Practicing And Learning Meteorology, Peggy M. Mcneal

Dissertations

To see the world as a meteorologist, one must understand and interpret atmospheric processes through representations depicted on two-dimensional weather charts and maps that encode large amounts of spatial and numerical data. This is a cognitively demanding and spatially challenging task, especially for students with burgeoning levels of meteorology knowledge, who lack the expertise of practiced meteorologists that read such charts and maps with ease. With little prior work informing meteorology and meteorology education through a cognitive science lens, this study surveys the literature and follows models of discipline-based education and cognitive science research to identify the discrete intelligence factors …

High School Seniors' Educational Experience Lnfluencing The Decision To Pursue A Career In Nursing, Ryan L. Rowe

Dissertations

Many high school students interested in nursing as an occupation choose to engage in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and subsequently progress through the exploration stage of Super’s Career Development Theory in a succinct, deliberate, and intentional manner. While CTE continues to serve as an educational option for many high school students interested in nursing, its value as a means for students to crystallize, specify, and implement the choice to pursue the high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand career of nursing is not understood to the extent possible. CTE is regularly overlooked as a viable educational option by high school …

Best Practices For Differentiated Learning Among Third Through Fifth Grade Ell Students, Tara J. Macias

Masters Theses

With the increase of second language English learners in U.S. kindergarten through twelfth grade schools and the continued achievement gap between these students and English speaking students, educators and administrators need to develop, implement and support best practices for differentiation among English Language Learners. ELL students are often categorized as special education students while their only barrier to learning is language acquisition. On the other hand, ELL students may have additional learning difficulties that are not identified because there is an assumption that language acquisition is the single challenge to their learning. Educators often engage in whole group instruction with …

Employing Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis To Better Understand The Relationship Between Individuals’ Anthropogenic Climate Change Acceptance And Belief In Anti-Climate Change Dissenter Messages, Andrew Phillip Keller Bentley

Dissertations

Organized climate change dissention groups spend a considerable amount of time and energy developing messages designed to convince the public that anthropogenic climate change is neither a reality nor a threat. These messages work against the efforts of climate educators and can be divided into two categories; messages that provide alternative explanations for warming, or messages that attack the work of scientists studying anthropogenic climate change. There has been a lack of research regarding any correlation between individuals’ agreement with these messages and their rejection of anthropogenic climate change. Establishing a correlation would be an indication that educators should take …