Education Commons^™

Teachers' Perspectives Of Best Instructional Practices In Motivating African American Boys To Read, Jamilia R. Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary school officials have reported difficulty motivating young African American boys to read. It is important that teachers understand why these children have not been motivated to read and create classroom environments that encourage reading motivation. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers' perspectives on best instructional practices for motivating 3rd -grade African American boys to read. The conceptual framework for this study consisted of critical race theory, self-determination theory, and the theory of social constructivism. The research questions focused on teachers' perspectives regarding 3rd -grade African American boys' motivation to read and best instructional practices …

Differentiated Instruction In Middle School Inclusion Classrooms To Support Special Education Students, Latoya Keyona Benjamin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction (DI) research has shown many benefits of implementing instructional practices within an inclusive classroom. However, many teachers do not utilize this instructional practice regularly. An instrumental qualitative case study design that included teachers from one middle school in a rural school district in a southeastern state was used in this study to explore rural middle school teachers' experiences with incorporating the components of DI to support special education students in an inclusion classroom. The challenges faced when incorporating DI were also examined. Tomlinson's model of differentiated instruction framed this study, as it explores the need for teachers to …

Perceptions Of African American Faculty Retention Practices In Community College, Kyle Huntington Bright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The retention of African American faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWI) has long been a point of concern in higher education. Midwest Community College (MCC), a PWI, 2-year public institution, has a problem of retaining African American faculty employed by the college. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of African American faculty retention practices at MCC since little is known about the African American faculty experience at PWIs. Delagado and Stefancic's critical race theory conceptual framework of counter storytelling, Whiteness as property, interest conversion, and critique of liberalism guided this study. A qualitative case study research …

An Exploration Of The Criminal Thinking Processes In Criminal Offenders, Mark V. Lemieux

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study sought to learn about Criminal Thinking patterns of thought in former criminal offenders. The discovery of this information is important to several fields in the formulation of treatment programs toward the elimination of criminal behavior. This research is based on the theory formulated by Yochelson and Samenow, and expanded on by Walters, that holds that Criminal Thinking patterns develop along a continuum and can lead to criminal behavior in some. Specifically, this study sought to learn whether criminal offenders were aware of their Criminal Thinking patterns and if that awareness impacted their criminal behavior. This qualitative phenomenological study …

Special Education Teachers' Experiences Integrating Mobile Devices In Their Classroom, Regina Malz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study is the increasing number of students identified as special need learners in U.S. schools and the critical need to prepare them for success in the 21st century workplace. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of special education teachers while they integrate mobile tablets into the classroom. The conceptual framework was based on constructivism, andragogy, experiential learning models and Roger’s diffusion of innovation. The research questions focused on understanding the experiences of special education teachers during their implementation of mobile tablets. This study was a qualitative multiple case study involving the interview …

Perceptions Of African American Faculty Retention Practices In Community College, Kyle Huntington Bright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The retention of African American faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWI) has long been a point of concern in higher education. Midwest Community College (MCC), a PWI, 2-year public institution, has a problem of retaining African American faculty employed by the college. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of African American faculty retention practices at MCC since little is known about the African American faculty experience at PWIs. Delagado and Stefancic's critical race theory conceptual framework of counter storytelling, Whiteness as property, interest conversion, and critique of liberalism guided this study. A qualitative case study research …

Meeting The Needs Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Rita Garrett Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although more students with learning disabilities (LDs) are attending postsecondary institutions, faculty lacks the necessary training to educate students with LDs. A need exists to ensure that their college experiences include resources or support services to help students meet their academic requirements. Without support services, students may encounter poor outcomes in postsecondary education. This bounded, qualitative case study was designed to explore perspectives and experiences of students with LDs related to student services and accommodations at a postsecondary institution. Knowles's theory of andragogy formed the study's conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 6 students, who were medically diagnosed as having …

Developing Teacher Leaders Through Professional Development Offered In A District Teacher Forum, Suzanne T. Koty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition is an ongoing problem in education, and the lack of leadership opportunities contribute to that problem. Teachers who serve in leadership roles are more likely to remain in the profession and positively impact students and the profession as a whole. However, there is little qualitative research to address how teachers develop the needed leadership skills to take on additional leadership roles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of participants in a District Teacher Forum. The District Teacher Forum is a cohort of teachers identified as Campus Teachers of the Year led by the …

Effect Of Chemoscan Creation On High School Students' Attitudes Toward Science, Deborah Mcpherson Ezell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Whether the activity of creating digital art influences high school students' attitudes toward science is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine if the creation of artistic digital chemoscans by high school students influences their attitudes toward science. In this study, ninth grade high school students' attitudes toward science were examined after participating in the creation of chemoscans in their science classroom. The theory of affective domain helped explain the process that leads to a person's behavior toward a certain phenomenon in the educational setting. The research questions concerned the use of chemoscan creation in the physical science …

Elementary School Teachers' Perspectives On Utilizing One-To-One Ipads To Improve Literacy Instruction, Alexis Abdul-Wahid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The appropriate and effective use of one-to-one devices, such as iPads, in elementary classrooms is a growing concern in education due to a lack of understanding of how teachers use this technology. The problem addressed in this qualitative case study was a lack of knowledge of elementary teachers' instructional practices and perceived self-efficacy in using one-to-one devices in a Northern Virginia school. The purpose of this study was to explore elementary teachers' instructional practices and perceived self-efficacy with one-to-one devices. Mishra and Koehler's technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, which describes the interaction of educational technology, pedagogy, and content to …

Relationship Between Arts Integration Experiences And Student Academic Achievement Of Limited English Proficient Learners, Colleen Marie Zando

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a significant achievement gap between limited English proficient (LEP) learners and English proficient (EP) learners. This problem is important because the U.S. education system’s inability to serve LEP students effectively results in significantly lower achievement on state exams and reduced career opportunities in later life. Arts integration programs can be a way to improve student learning in the classroom and state exam outcomes. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into whether bringing the arts into core curriculum can raise LEP students’ academic achievement, thereby helping to close the gap in practice of LEP students lacking …

Experiences Of Teachers Of The Deaf Using Project-Based Learning To Build Higher Order Thinking Skills, Susan Joan Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy used to develop higher order thinking skills (HOTS) with a range of student populations. Although all students need to build HOTS for success in the 21st century, PBL studies with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students were nearly absent; therefore, it was unknown how PBL could be used to develop HOTS with this population. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of teachers of the deaf using PBL to build HOTS with DHH students in the dimensions of pedagogy, product, and process. A self-designed conceptual framework called …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Teachers' Perspectives Of Differentiated Instruction In K-3 Inclusion Classrooms, Julie Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have addressed teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction or teachers' perspectives on inclusion classrooms, but there was limited research on the combined topics of teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in inclusion classrooms. This interpretative phenomenological analysis used one to one interviews and reflective journals to explore nine teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms. The study's conceptual framework was comprised of Vygotsky's social constructivist theory and Piaget's theory of cognitive development. The research question and sub-questions asked about the challenges and successes teachers encountered in planning and implementing differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms, and what teachers believed …

Formerly Incarcerated Students Returning To School, Robert Earl Gaines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Formerly incarcerated Grade 10'€“12 students in an urban high school in the Southern United States were dropping out at an elevated rate from August 2010 through May 2017. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to gain an understanding of teacher, parent, and academic advisor perceptions of the challenges experienced by Grade 10'€“12 students who had been incarcerated and then returned to a traditional school environment and support services and resources needed to assist with these challenges. Hirschi's social control theory guided this study, which describes 4 elements missing from individuals participating in criminal activity: attachment, commitment, involvement, and …

Teachers' Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Beliefs As Factors Affecting Technology Integration Practices, Armando L. Gilkes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that teachers can be reluctant to integrate technology into their instructional practices. This study examined the problem of insufficient technology integration in high school classrooms, using social learning theory and motivational systems theory as theoretical frameworks. A cross-sectional survey design was used to investigate the relationship between the independent variables, technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), teacher self-efficacy (TSE), and teacher characteristics (experience, education, and subject taught), and the dependent variable, technology integration level (TI). A combined online TPACK questionnaire, Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, and Concerns-Based Adoption Model survey were completed by 72 teachers from 6 high schools …

Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of Response To Intervention, Patricia Denise Hampton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers at a local high school in Alabama were struggling to implement the tiered interventions of the response to intervention (RTI) model. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of the implementation of RTI at one high school to help teachers and administrators understand what professional development training, supports, and resources were needed to implement the model effectively. The concerns-based adoption model, which examines educators' concerns with new educational innovations, framed the study. The study's research questions focused on the teachers' perceptions, concerns, and required resources needed to implement the program as intended. The participants …

Expatriate-Teacher Turnover In The International School Industry Of China, Richard Ik Ihejieto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Expatriate-teacher turnover disrupts the social and academic lives of students in the international school industry of China. The human resource budgets of these schools are unsustainable and expatriate-teacher turnover significantly affects globalization and international businesses. The rate of expatriate-teacher turnover in the international school industry of China, which results in financial losses and creates anxiety for the students, necessitated an examination of expatriate-teacher turnover in the international school industry of China. This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study of expatriate-teacher turnover in the international school industry of China, was framed by the concepts of the internationalized schools in China and teacher turnover …

The Impact Of Technology Enhanced Learning On Pedagogy: A Case Study, Seth James Ismil

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the growing trend of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) tools being integrated into pedagogy, there have been challenges preventing the transformation of pedagogy. This has included limited research on understanding why the increase in TEL integration has not resulted in movement from replacing to transforming pedagogy. The purpose of this qualitative explanatory single case study was to determine why teachers integrating TEL tools and applications have not done so in a way that transforms how teaching and learning occur. The conceptual framework of replacement, amplification, and transformation was used to examine levels of integration in this study. Participants were seven teachers …

Self-Efficacy And Burnout And Their Impact On School Counselors, Jacqueline Jacobs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policymakers focused on school and mental health proposals in the wake of shooting in Newton, Connecticut. Since this incident a policy is being considered to restrict gun use and increase mental health and student support services. In 2012, the Department of Education explored five emerging issues that impact learning: (a) school discipline, (b) gender-based violence, (c) behavioral health, (d) bullying, and (e) school safety. These five issues, when they impact the learning environment, the school counselor may exhibit increased anxiety that may lead to burnout. Additionally, the school climate may be impacted by the relationship with administrators and staff. If …

Understanding Calculus Through Maple-Based Dynamic Visualization Tools, Segla Kokou Kossivi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First-year college students experience difficulties in understanding the concepts of derivatives and integrals. At the postsecondary level, the use of static visualization and other traditional instruction delivery methods often are unable to meet students' needs in calculus. This problem is current and essential in the field of education and needs consideration to enhance the method of teaching calculus. The rationale for this study was to scrutinize the effects of Maple dynamic visualization instructional activities, within the framework of the animation-visualization theory, on students' conceptual and procedural understanding of differential and integral calculus. The usage of a quantitative 2x2 factorial pretest-posttest …

Exploring Destination Imagination Alumni Perceptions Of 21st-Century Skills And Workforce Readiness, Sharon Kovalevsky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace requirements are vastly different from the past due to rapid changes in technology and globalization, and they require graduates to have well-developed 21st-century skills and innovation strategies. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of understanding of how 21st-century skills that alumni learned through academic extracurricular experiences informed their early career and workforce readiness. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how Destination Imagination (DI) alumni perceived that the 21st-century skills they learned as part of their academic extracurricular experiences informed their early career readiness. The study was grounded by the 3 constructs of work …

Career And Technical Education Teachers Integrating Literacy And The Support Administrators Provide, Heather Denese Piccott-Bryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education regulations in many U. S. schools require teachers, including career and technical education (CTE) teachers, to integrate literacy skills into the curriculum to support student performance on standardized tests. Changes in teaching strategies and content for literacy integration require administrators to improve the support systems for CTE teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore CTE teachers' experiences in integrating literacy into the curriculum and the support they receive from administrators. Fullan's change model informed the conceptual framework for this study. Individual interviews with 4 teachers and 3 administrators from a state on the east coast …

Instructional Leadership Of Elementary School Principals Regarding Proficiency In Mathematics, Melvinia Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary school principals, as instructional leaders, are critical to improving

mathematics proficiency. The research problem was that elementary school principals are

inconsistently applying instructional leadership to support mathematics teachers' efforts

to improve students' proficiency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to

understand how elementary school principals apply instructional leadership to support

mathematics teachers in their efforts to improve student proficiency in mathematics. The

conceptual framework was the instructional leadership model of Hallinger and Murphy,

which defines three main dimensions of instructional leadership: (a) the school mission,

(b) the instructional program, and (c) the school climate. The research question …

Instructional Leadership Practices Of Middle School Principals Regarding Specialized Training In Mathematics, Sherry Ann Schock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem addressed in this study centered on middle school principals who were inconsistently implementing instructional leadership practices to support teachers teaching mathematics even though they received middle-grades leadership development (MLD) training. The purpose of this basic qualitative research was to understand why middle school principals, trained in MLD, were inconsistently implementing instructional leadership practices to support teachers teaching mathematics. The research question asked how middle school principals, trained in MLD, implement instructional leadership practices to support teachers teaching mathematics to improve student academic outcomes. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky's learning and development theory used within MLD training to …

Lecture Versus Collaborative Learning Methods In Community College Classrooms, Gwendolyn A. Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Educational scholars have recommended using collaborative learning in higher education classrooms to improve the learning outcomes of community college students. The problem is that many community college instructors continue to use traditional lecture methods, which might be due to instructors not being convinced of the merits of collaborative learning. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, causal-comparative, repeated measures, research study was to examine the difference between pre- and posttest change scores on the Personal Community Health assessment of students who were taught with the collaborative method and students who were taught with the lecture method. The theoretical foundation for this …

Investigating How Teachers Meet State Standards For Multicultural Curriculum, Richard Olufemi Adelani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of this study was the lack of evidence on how teachers, who teach world languages and English language learners in middle and high schools in a local district, use multicultural resources to supplement state of New Jersey core curriculum students learning standards and meet the cultural and linguistic needs of students they teach. School library online circulation files showed that few world languages teachers checked out library resources for their classrooms between August 2014 and May 2018. The purpose of this case study was to investigate how teachers supplement core curriculum to meet state standards regarding cultural diversity. …

Effectiveness Of Ilearn As A Formative Assessment Tool In Title I Middle Grade Mathematics, Christopher George Atkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because students in two Georgia middle schools, Grades 6 through 8, performed poorly in standardized mathematics testing during the 2016-17 school term, the district sought improvements by using the computer-assisted formative assessment tool iLearn. The purpose of this quantitative project study was to determine whether the use of iLearn predicted increased mathematics achievement and to support professional development sessions for teachers to improve their pedagogy. With the theoretical framework of mastery learning theory, the study addressed the effectiveness of iLearn as a formative assessment tool, hypothesizing a positive relationship between iLearn and end-of-grade (EOG) assessment scores; a moderating effect of …

Mathematics Cognitive And Content Abilities Across The Vincentian Student Population, Brendalee Rorena Cato

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mathematics achievement is a key component of student overall academic achievement. However, many students from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Vincentian students) continue to perform poorly on the regional Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) mathematics examination. This poor mathematics performance is a concern for education stakeholders. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to explore the extent to which the CSEC mathematics scores of high-scoring Vincentian students versus low-scoring Vincentian students in the cognitive domains of knowledge, comprehension, and reasoning differ across the content domains of algebra; geometry; measurement; statistics; and relations, functions, and graphs (RFG). The theoretical foundation …

Self-Efficacy Of Registered Nurse Faculty To Facilitate A Flipped Classroom Pedagogy, Sharmeta L. Gibbon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse educators struggle with developing innovative teaching strategies that improve learners’ critical thinking, sound clinical judgment, and ability to provide safe patient care. In the local setting, nurse educators relied on passive teaching strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of nursing faculty members concerning their self-efficacy with implementation of a flipped classroom. The conceptual framework was transformative learning theory. The research question explored how nurse educators described their self-efficacy with implementing student-centered, active teaching methods. Participants included 9 experienced nursing faculty members at the local setting from the Associate Science of Nursing program. Data were …

Mymathlab And Nontraditional Students' Attitudes Toward Technology In Mathematics, Lisa Sherry Olsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nontraditional students, who often do not have a background in computer usage, are a growing population in higher education. These students are often ill prepared for success in mathematics courses due to attitudes toward mathematics and the use of technology in the learning process. Researchers have looked into the needs of nontraditional students in academic settings but have not focused on nontraditional students' use of adaptive learning components, such as Pearson's MyMathLab (MML), in blended classrooms. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to explore the difference in nontraditional students' attitudes toward math and the use of technology …