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Full-Text Articles in Education

The Relationship Of English Language Scores On International Students' Academic Success, Rebekah Shbeeb Jan 2019

The Relationship Of English Language Scores On International Students' Academic Success, Rebekah Shbeeb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

International graduate students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are not completing graduate programs at the same rate as domestic graduate students. One of the main differences in the admissions process for international graduate students compared to domestic students is the English language test requirement. The purpose of this study was twofold: to test if the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the (International English Language Testing System) IELTS scores have any statistically significant linear relationships to international graduate students' academic success as defined by their cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Secondly, this study sought to …


Health Literacy Intervention To Influence Choices Made By Students In A Title I School Who Receive Free Lunch, Melissa Kent Jan 2019

Health Literacy Intervention To Influence Choices Made By Students In A Title I School Who Receive Free Lunch, Melissa Kent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to influence choices made by Kindergarten students in a Title I school who receive free breakfast and lunch through a health literacy intervention with the intent of decreasing daily added sugar consumption. Fruit and milk choices, either with naturally occurring sugar (NOS) or added sugar (AS), were recorded for 70 Kindergarten students among six classes in a Title I school for ten days before a four-week health literacy intervention. Three of the classes were randomly selected to learn about 'sometimes' and 'anytime' choices through the Healthy Habits for Life curriculum delivered by representatives from Nemours Children's Hospital. …


Phenomenological Study Of Urban Elementary Teachers With Proficient English Language Learners, Tracy Webley Jan 2019

Phenomenological Study Of Urban Elementary Teachers With Proficient English Language Learners, Tracy Webley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of fourth grade teachers working in a large urban school district, where the achievement gap between English Language Learners (ELLs) and non-ELLs was smaller when compared to other schools within the district. The problem originated from the need to consider factors beyond teacher training that potentially influenced academic achievement. The research question guiding this study asked: What are the lived experiences of 4th grade teachers who have taught at identified elementary schools, where ELL students have demonstrated proficiency on the ELA portion of the state standards assessment? …


Selecting Methods To Teach Controversial Topics: A Grounded Theory Study, Sean Loomis Jan 2019

Selecting Methods To Teach Controversial Topics: A Grounded Theory Study, Sean Loomis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This grounded theory study examined the perceptions of 14 high school social studies teachers from three school districts in the Central Florida area. They were interviewed to uncover the decision-making process that high school social studies teachers use to choose methodologies when teaching controversial public issues (CPIs). The result was a three-phase model, the CPI Decision-Making Model, in which teachers move through three conceptual phases to decide on a particular methodology. By working through this process, teachers analyze the benefits and drawbacks of different methods for teaching controversial public issues. Significant results from this study included: (a) teachers were choosing …


An Examination Of A College And Career Preparation Program For Low Socioeconomic And First-Generation Students In An Urban School District, Lucille Gillam Jan 2019

An Examination Of A College And Career Preparation Program For Low Socioeconomic And First-Generation Students In An Urban School District, Lucille Gillam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the college and career program, in one urban high school setting, was being implemented as intended by the school district. A mixed methods analysis was conducted using student PSAT/SAT scores, interviews, surveys, focus groups, classroom observations and anecdotal notes from the program director. The results were coded to show emerging trends and themes. The results of the analysis showed that portions of the program were being conducted as designed by the school district; however, of the four criteria required to be invited to bet admitted into the program, one was not …


Warrior Women: A Phenomenological Study Of Female Veterans Transitioning Into And Through College, Alma Sorensen Jan 2018

Warrior Women: A Phenomenological Study Of Female Veterans Transitioning Into And Through College, Alma Sorensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research and theory primarily focuses on identifying holistic challenges of the veteran student demographic and does not focus on challenges specific to female veterans when transitioning into and through college. Additionally, current research and theory does not focus on positive and negative experiences of female veterans within four key areas of academia: courseware, faculty, staff/administration, and student services. As a result, current research and theory do not adequately explain why female veterans may or may not successfully transition into and through college, resulting in a lack of resources available for female veterans, and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). This phenomenological …


Post-Secondary Faculty Treatment Of Non-Native English-Speaking Student Writing Errors In Academic Subject Courses, Laura Monroe Jan 2018

Post-Secondary Faculty Treatment Of Non-Native English-Speaking Student Writing Errors In Academic Subject Courses, Laura Monroe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As more non-native English-speaking students enroll in English-medium universities, even more faculty will instruct students who are unprepared for the rigors of post-secondary academic writing in English. Many faculty members lack training and knowledge regarding the assessment of non-native English-speaking students' writing, as well as the ability to provide effective feedback. This quantitative study investigated the possible attitudinal factors, including demographics, which might affect faculty preparedness and grading practices for both native and non-native English-speaking students' academic writing and plagiarism, as well as the reasons faculty do not deduct points from both populations' writing errors. Structural equation modeling and SPSS …


A Phenomenological Study Of Black Fifth Grade Students' Perceptions Of Social Studies And A Discussion With Secondary Students, Irenea Walker Jan 2018

A Phenomenological Study Of Black Fifth Grade Students' Perceptions Of Social Studies And A Discussion With Secondary Students, Irenea Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem I address in this study is the lack of Black elementary students' knowledge and interest of the social studies content. Black students who lack a true identity of self, fail to develop into productive citizens. Although previous studies have examined Black students' experiences in secondary social studies classrooms, few have thoroughly examined Black students' experiences in the elementary classrooms. For this study, I analyze Black fifth grade students' perceptions of the social studies content. Identifying these perceptions is imperative so educators can adjust their pedagogical practices based on what they deem as important for educational growth, and the …


A Single Case Study On The Influence Of Feedback On The Instructional Quality Of A Preservice Elementary Teacher In Mathematics: The Instructional Quality Assessment Toolkit As A Resource, Makini Campbell Sutherland Jan 2018

A Single Case Study On The Influence Of Feedback On The Instructional Quality Of A Preservice Elementary Teacher In Mathematics: The Instructional Quality Assessment Toolkit As A Resource, Makini Campbell Sutherland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single case study was to determine if a preservice elementary teacher's instruction would be influenced by feedback on mathematics lessons. The focus of the research was on the use of the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) (Boston 2012) toolkit as an integral part in the feedback process. The IQA toolkit provides number ratings as well as qualitative descriptive ratings of various aspects of the mathematics lesson, defined under two constructs, or groups, labeled Academic Rigor and Accountable Talk. The researcher evaluated a preservice teacher's instruction on three occasions and facilitated feedback sessions following those observation sessions, integrating …


The Impact Of 21st Century Community Learning Centers On Middle Schools In Seminole County, Ashley Buxton Jan 2018

The Impact Of 21st Century Community Learning Centers On Middle Schools In Seminole County, Ashley Buxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the study was to research the impact 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) has on Title 1 middle school students in Seminole County. A mixed methods design was used to interview and survey teachers working for the after-school program, and student data was collected to assist in identifying the impact of the program. Initially, interviews were conducted to research the implementation of the program. Following interviews, willing participants completed the survey sent out to all middle school teachers who work for 21st CCLC. The survey investigated how the vision of the program was presented to staff and …


The Unheard Voices Of Nontraditional Students In Higher Education: Learning To Become A Student, Marcelo Julio Maturana Jan 2018

The Unheard Voices Of Nontraditional Students In Higher Education: Learning To Become A Student, Marcelo Julio Maturana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the lived experiences of older students who work and have family responsibilities while attending an undergraduate program full-time. Research indicates that this segment of the student population is the only one that is growing today and is projected to grow in the future; this also is the largest the group of students that does not finish their studies in spite of the many services aimed at supporting students' academic success. This study critically investigated the category of the nontraditional student and reviewed the literature about students' college experiences, including the limitations of its theoretical assumptions to describe …


Using A Senior Seminar During Internship Ii As A Means To Increase Self-Efficacy, Perceptions Of Preparedness, And Internship Experiences For Elementary Education Teachers, Shane Trenta Jan 2017

Using A Senior Seminar During Internship Ii As A Means To Increase Self-Efficacy, Perceptions Of Preparedness, And Internship Experiences For Elementary Education Teachers, Shane Trenta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, mixed methods study was to examine how a Senior Seminar pilot conducted during elementary preservice teachers' Internship II semester could potentially increase their teacher self-efficacy and perceptions of preparedness to teach. The study was conducted at a large public university located in the southeast United States and included 29 participants. The collection of data included the 24 item Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy Survey (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) used to measure pre- and post- teacher self-efficacy for classroom instruction, classroom management, and student engagement. To measure pre- and post- perceptions of preparedness, the 8 item …


Improving Instructional Strategies In Higher Education For Students With A Learning Disability In A General Education Science Course, Brian Ogle Jan 2017

Improving Instructional Strategies In Higher Education For Students With A Learning Disability In A General Education Science Course, Brian Ogle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice employed a mixed-methods design to identify preferred instructional methods in a college level science course as well as the self-reported challenges to learning science in college by students with a learning disability. In addition, the relationships between preferred instructional strategies and learner characteristics such as declared major, and learning disability were examined. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from a sample of 48 participants using an electronic survey. Additionally, eight participants participated in focus groups to collect in-depth qualitative data. All participants are current students enrolled full-time at Beacon College. Each participant completed a science college …


A Formative Process Evaluation Study Of Teacher Usage Of A Learning Management System In A K-12 Public School, Victoria Franzese Jan 2017

A Formative Process Evaluation Study Of Teacher Usage Of A Learning Management System In A K-12 Public School, Victoria Franzese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore teacher perceptions, concerns, and integration of a Learning Management System (LMS) in a K-12 public school. With more educational institutions adopting LMSs, it is imperative to examine teachers' concerns regarding the tool as teachers have an important role in how effectively an innovation—such as an LMS—is implemented (Lochner, Conrad, & Graham, 2015). Ultimately, adoption of an innovation can be successful if teachers have an understanding of the components leading to the innovation's success, such as the innovation's value in enhancing both the curriculum and the students' learning experiences (Lochner et al., 2015). …


Developing And Validating The Elementary Literacy Self-Efficacy Survey, Adam Ulenski Jan 2017

Developing And Validating The Elementary Literacy Self-Efficacy Survey, Adam Ulenski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to measure the task-specific self-efficacy beliefs of elementary literacy coaches. In order for this to happen, a synthesis of literature regarding literacy coaching tasks including the International Literacy Association's standards for literacy coaches were used to write several items on the survey. In addition, the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and the researcher's experiences as an elementary literacy coach were used to write other items on the survey. Experts in the field of literacy coaching and self-efficacy provided content validity. Construct validity was established through correlation statistics with …


The Source And Impact Of Student Engagement For Black Students In An Urban High School, Deshawn Sims Jan 2016

The Source And Impact Of Student Engagement For Black Students In An Urban High School, Deshawn Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement of Black students has repeatedly met only the lowest standards of performance on standardized assessments, which begs the question; do American schools have the capacity to educate Black children? The purpose of this action research manuscript dissertation was to explore the teacher behaviors and instructional strategies that developed a culture of high achievement among Black students as measured by student engagement and discourse, immediately before and after desegregation, and in classrooms today. The examination of popular theories concerning the education of Black people in the early 1900's and narratives of individuals who attended segregated schools, provided a historical …


Examining Elementary Preservice Teacher Efficacy To Teach Writing In A Title 1 School: A Mixed Method Study Of A School-Based Teacher Education Course Intervention, Norine Blanch Jan 2016

Examining Elementary Preservice Teacher Efficacy To Teach Writing In A Title 1 School: A Mixed Method Study Of A School-Based Teacher Education Course Intervention, Norine Blanch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the demographics of the United States change, barriers persistently thwart efforts to ensure that all students, regardless of ethnicity, academic ability, or family circumstance, have equal opportunities to learn. Diminished retention rates of effective educators in Title 1 schools, elevated rates at which students from low-income families are taught by inexperienced or unqualified teachers and insufficient preparation of preservice teachers (PSTs) to teach in Title 1 schools are three such barriers. Policy reform organizations interested in improving the effectiveness of teacher education programs nationwide suggest forging strong clinical partnerships between universities and schools by relocating coursework to school-based settings …


Applying The Technology Acceptance Model To Predict And Explain Elementary And Secondary Preservice Teachers' Continuance Behavioral Intentions And Pedagogical Usage Of Twitter To Build Professional Capital: A Structural Equation Modeling Inquiry, Nandita Gurjar Jan 2016

Applying The Technology Acceptance Model To Predict And Explain Elementary And Secondary Preservice Teachers' Continuance Behavioral Intentions And Pedagogical Usage Of Twitter To Build Professional Capital: A Structural Equation Modeling Inquiry, Nandita Gurjar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to predict and explain elementary and secondary preservice teachers' continuance behavioral intentions and pedagogical usage of Twitter, a web based social networking, microblogging platform, to build professional growth and capital. The objective of the research study was to examine preservice teachers' beliefs associated with the specified constructs that formed the latent variables of the hypothesized research model; these latent variables were then measured with their associated indicators or manifest variables, and the relationship between the manifest variables was examined through the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) process. A non-experimental empirical research study was conducted …


Access And Student Success: An Examination Of The Perceptions And Experiences Of First-Year Seminar Professionals At Florida Historically Black Colleges And Universities., Amanda Wilkerson Jan 2016

Access And Student Success: An Examination Of The Perceptions And Experiences Of First-Year Seminar Professionals At Florida Historically Black Colleges And Universities., Amanda Wilkerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to understand the lived experiences and working perceptions of Florida HBCU first-year seminar professionals. Much empirical work has been done to examine the experiences of students transitioning into the college environment. In contrast, there is little work that specifically looks at the professionals that service first-year students within a minority serving context, specifically Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As a result, the findings of this study suggest that Florida HBCU first-year seminar professionals are active partners in the scholastic success of its freshman students.


Exploring Repurposing Across Contexts: How Adolescents' New Literacies Practices Can Inform Understandings About Writing-Related Transfer, Cynthia Mitchell Jan 2016

Exploring Repurposing Across Contexts: How Adolescents' New Literacies Practices Can Inform Understandings About Writing-Related Transfer, Cynthia Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project examines how middle school students engage in new literacies practices and how they repurpose across contexts. With the use of screencast software and interviews, this project analyzes six case study participants' new literacies practices and the way they use and change ideas and strategies across physical and digital contexts. Drawing from transfer methodology, this project looks at how broadening conceptions of transfer and contexts to include repurposing increases the possibilities for finding transfer in literacies practices. Applying new literacies theory, this project explores how literacies practices that are chronologically and ontologically new (Lankshear & Knobel, 2006) are often …


Perspectives On Creativity: Theoria, Praxis, And Poiesis, Kathryn Bryan-Bethea Jan 2016

Perspectives On Creativity: Theoria, Praxis, And Poiesis, Kathryn Bryan-Bethea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical perspectives on creativity encompass ideas such as risk, inquiry, resistance to conformity, and attraction to complexity. In response to these philosophical tenets I have organized my dissertation into three distinct but related manuscripts that explore creativity through theoria (knowing), praxis (doing), and poiesis (making). These manuscripts present an integrated approach to creative pedagogy. 1. The first manuscript is a review of literature with the aim to: provide a brief overview of creativity theories; consider an imbricated definition of creativity; and evaluate current empirical research. Research in creativity should provide a spectrum of methods that reflect the complex nature of …


The Influence Of Instruction In Base 8 On Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching, Katie Harshman Jan 2016

The Influence Of Instruction In Base 8 On Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching, Katie Harshman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research project was to extend existing research literature by providing insight to how prospective teachers with differing levels of mathematical knowledge developed their conceptual understanding of whole number concepts and operations. Prospective teachers of interest were enrolled in an Elementary School Mathematics Course for Teachers (in the College of Education) with a whole number concepts and operations unit set entirely in base 8. In this mixed-mode study, participants were given the MKT, a measure designed to measure teacher mathematical knowledge for teaching, before and after taking the base 8 unit. The researcher focused on two specific …


The Impact Of Voluntary Prekindergarten On Kindergarten Reading Readiness In A Large Suburban School District In 2012-2014, Brandon Hanshaw Jan 2016

The Impact Of Voluntary Prekindergarten On Kindergarten Reading Readiness In A Large Suburban School District In 2012-2014, Brandon Hanshaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the effects of participation in the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Program are sustained in kindergarten reading readiness for those who participated in the research school district VPK, those who participated in another provider VPK, and compared to those who did not participate in VPK. Select stakeholder perceptions were also gathered and analyzed, to include research school district parents of VPK participants, research school district VPK instructors, and research school district administrators. Academic effects were analyzed for VPK participants and non-VPK participants in 2012-2013 within their kindergarten 2013-2014 school year using the FAIR-K …


Using A Mixed-Reality Classroom Environment Including English Learners: The Perceptions Of Teacher Candidates, Nooshan Ashtari Jan 2016

Using A Mixed-Reality Classroom Environment Including English Learners: The Perceptions Of Teacher Candidates, Nooshan Ashtari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technological modernization has impacted various fields such as the field of education, teaching, and learning. The traditional classroom and teaching methodologies no longer meet the needs of the new tech-savvy generation. Thus, recently there have been changes in teacher preparation programs in order to prepare teacher candidates to have the skills to respond to such high technological demands. Additionally, the demographics of students attending schools in countries with exceptionally high numbers of immigrants such as the United States is another reason to seek novel ways to prepare teachers who have had adequate practice and developed teaching skills needed to reach …


Young Children's Fine Motor Ipad Gestures When Performed Alone And In Dyads, Lap Nguyen Jan 2016

Young Children's Fine Motor Ipad Gestures When Performed Alone And In Dyads, Lap Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the release of the first iPad in 2010, over 200 million have been sold worldwide. In the short time since the iPad's release, the devices have become popular in classrooms. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to document the fine motor iPad gestures of 2 , 3-, and 4-year-old children who used iPads by themselves and in dyads and 2) to conduct international comparisons regarding such observed fine motor iPad gestures. In this study, I examined seven iPad gestures: (a) tap, (b) drag/slide, (c) free rotate, (d) drag and drop, (e) pinch, (f) spread, and (g) flick. …


The Effects Of A Loving-Kindness Meditation On Positive Emotions, Social Connectedness, And Problem Behaviors In Second And Third Grade Students., Doreen Collins-Mchugh Jan 2016

The Effects Of A Loving-Kindness Meditation On Positive Emotions, Social Connectedness, And Problem Behaviors In Second And Third Grade Students., Doreen Collins-Mchugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Concerns about K-12 students' mental health and social, emotional, and ethical development have prompted some schools to implement programs designed to promote student well-being and healthy social and emotional functioning. Most of these programs are distinguished as social and emotional learning (SEL) programs and/or character education programs. Although there is growing empirical support for the potential of school-based mindfulness interventions to positively influence students' well-being, the number of school-based mindfulness studies is limited, and the majority of the investigations have focused on students' cognitive rather than affective capacities. Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), a mindfulness- and compassion-based practice, is garnering recent attention …


The Moral Oppression Of The Teaching Profession: Learning To Transcend, Rebecca Smith Jan 2013

The Moral Oppression Of The Teaching Profession: Learning To Transcend, Rebecca Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is both descriptive and philosophical, and at its core, it justifies the need for social foundations of education courses and programs in the university setting. It begins by analyzing the meaning of oppression and the part knowledge plays in confining the individual. The analysis then draws upon Patricia Hill Collins' theory of intersecting oppressions to get at the complexities and restrictions of working in the public schooling institution. It works through the ways in which sexist, classist, and racist practices afflict everyone in the institution through the bureaucratic mechanism and collateral oppression. The four components that make up …


Helping At-Risk Students Solve Mathematical Word Problems Through The Use Of Direct Instruction And Problem Solving Strategies, Lurdes Lopez Jan 2008

Helping At-Risk Students Solve Mathematical Word Problems Through The Use Of Direct Instruction And Problem Solving Strategies, Lurdes Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the influence mathematical strategies had on middle school students' mathematical ability. The purpose of this action research study was to observe students mathematical abilities and to investigate whether teaching students problem-solving strategies in mathematics will enhance student's mathematical thinking and their ability to comprehend and solve word problems. The study took place in an urban school in Orlando, Florida in the fall of 2004. The subjects will be 12 eighth grade students assigned to my intensive math class. Quantitative data was collected. Students' took a pre and post test designed to measure and give students …


Listening To Student Voices: Fifth Graders' Perceptions Of Their Mathematics Learning Within The Context Of A Mathematics Reform, Elizabeth Hoffman Jan 2006

Listening To Student Voices: Fifth Graders' Perceptions Of Their Mathematics Learning Within The Context Of A Mathematics Reform, Elizabeth Hoffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored fifth graders' perceptions of their mathematics learning within the context of a reform effort. Students' voices are the focus of this study due to the paucity of literature on student learning from the students' perspective (Erickson & Shultz, 1992), particularly the elementary student (Gentilucci, 2004). The participants of this study, who in the past have been given a variety of labels including "disadvantaged" or "at-risk," clearly articulated, even in nonstandard English, their perceptions of their mathematics learning. They passionately explained what helped them learn mathematics as well as what impeded their mathematics learning and were often …


What Instructional Modification Implementations Bring Adult Education Learners To Success And Retention? Analysis Of An Online Adult Basic Education Program, Bernadette Ann Propst Jan 2005

What Instructional Modification Implementations Bring Adult Education Learners To Success And Retention? Analysis Of An Online Adult Basic Education Program, Bernadette Ann Propst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What Instructional Modification Implementations Bring Adult Education Learners to Success and Retention? Analysis of an Online Adult Basic Education Program. Adult learners enrolled in my online Adult Basic Education program showed low completion rates for the course. This study's purpose was to discover what instructional modifications would bring these learners to a successful outcome in the program. I implemented the following instructional modifications: asynchronous email communication, weekly progress reports emailed to each participant and a minimum requirement of 10 assignment completions on a weekly basis. Teacher-student interaction increased because of these implementations. I reviewed literature that discussed distance education, adult …