Education Commons^™

2022 Conference Program, Gera Conference

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Conference Theme: Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century

Shades Of Gray: The Nuances Of Telling Among Elementary Preservice Teachers In The Mathematics Classroom, Montana Smithey

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) often prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to teach in ways they may not be familiar—including facilitating conversations that are responsive to children’s mathematical thinking (Robertson et al., 2016). Specifically, MTEs support PSTs in understanding what it means to take on the mathematical work for children and ways children can engage in sense-making (Baxter & Williams, 2010; Wood, 1998). Telling, a teaching move that can be used to take on the mathematical work for children, is often used by PSTs (Moyer & Milewicz, 2002). Thus, MTEs focus PSTs learning of more productive teaching moves such as exploring details …

Accepting Responsibility For A Teen Reading Crisis: What Role Does Text-Relatability Play In Secondary Students’ Reading Enthusiasm And Comprehension?, Madhavi T. Clark, Winifred C. Nweke

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Educational responsibility requires that culturally relevant curriculum be taught to students. Unfortunately, in many secondary ELA classrooms, content continues to revolve around canonical texts written mostly by white males. With increasing negative reading attitudes and poor reading skills among adolescents, the authors sought to investigate how text-relatability may affect students’ reading enthusiasm and comprehension. They asked: Would students relate to or have higher reading enthusiasm for a contemporary adolescent text that reflected their teen culture? In this study, 16 students from a Title I school read a contemporary adolescent text and a classical text over a 6 week period. Students …

Responding To The Dialogue: Critical Digital Pedagogy Of Elementary Teachers, Aaron R. Gierhart

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Critical pedagogy has the power to transform learning experiences for all students, but also create seismic impacts on the futures of students; however, critical approaches to designing and implementing instruction in which digital technologies are integrated eludes many elementary teachers. Pedagogy is formed and evolves a lifetime of experiences and is never fully mastered. To understand how certain elementary teachers develop critical digital pedagogy, it was imperative to tell their stories. The purpose of this study was to describe the life stories of two elementary teachers who utilized critical digital approaches in their instruction. Each participant participated in an life …

Is It "Just" A Methods Course? - Developing Elementary Teacher's Social Justice Advocacy Competency, Karyn A. Allee-Herndon

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

This study/survey was born from the construct that social inequities have a long history in the United States and beyond, impacting our social, historical, and cultural growth, and our ability to create a welcoming community. This is a continuation of a study begun at another institution and will add to our understanding of how best to support teacher candidates in their preparation and development as advocates. This study uses a pre-post survey design using purposive sampling of teacher candidates in an elementary writing methods course.

Becoming Inclusive: A Collection And Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Newly Qualified General Elementary Education Teachers On Their Preparedness For Teaching In Inclusive Settings, Brooke Armesto

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Abstract

The main research question this study will focus on is “How do newly qualified general elementary education teachers perceive their preparedness to teach in inclusive settings?” The goal of this study is to discover what areas teachers felt like they needed to build more proficiency in to successfully teach inclusion. The topics which will be explored include perceived preparedness for teaching in inclusive settings, ways to measure preparedness for teaching in inclusive settings, current ways teachers are being prepared to teach in inclusive settings and effective strategies for preparing teachers to teach in inclusive settings. After researching this topic, …

Toward An Understanding Of Georgia Faculty Internationalization Perceptions, John P. Girard, Laura Thomason, Chris C. Tsavatewa

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

This paper summarized the results of a faculty internationalization perception survey completed by 78 faculty at a Georgia university. The primary objective of this project was hypothesis generation. By applying a data exploration methodology, we visualized and repeatedly tested the data using the R environment for statistical computing and graphics. Following the visualization and testing, we generated three hypotheses to be used in future projects.

The Classroom As A Catalyst For Change: Anti-Racist Pedagogy In The Upper Elementary Classroom, Madison Setchell

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing research on anti-racist education and then synthesize that information to develop strategies that teachers can use to promote tolerance in their classrooms. Review of the literature in this area reveals gaps in current curriculum and teaching practices. The literature on teaching tough topics concludes that difficult subjects should be used as a guide for discussion. The design of this study is to create four tolerance-centered lesson plans using the Inquiry Design Model (Grant, 2017). This model highlights key ideas of a topic, presents three supporting questions related to the …

The Time Is Now: Building Educators’ Capacities To Teach For Social Justice And Equity, Felicia Baiden

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The recent killings of Black Americans namely Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks by police officers or vigilantes have increased racial tension and social unrest locally and nationally. Protests have ensued around the world for racial justice and equity. As educators, it is imperative now more than ever to examine and interrogate our education system and determine more equitable and socially just teaching practices that will better serve a culturally and linguistically diverse student population and ultimately contribute toward the public good of society. Research has suggested that educators need support and professional learning on how to …

Promoting Social Justice Through Teacher Education And Curriculum Development And Implementation, Beverly A. King Miller, Ming Fang He, Amber Whitfield, Ru Li

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

UNESCO 2030 (UNESCO, 2015) sustainable development goal 4 highlights the need for inclusive educational practices in order to dismantle the present exclusionary practices in education. These goals are designed to ensure that by 2030, benchmarks are met requiring all children with diverse socio- economic, race and gender backgrounds receive an equitable and quality education. To meet the needs for inclusive educational practices two areas in education are under consideration: teacher training and curriculum development and implementation. This presentation will highlight the work by two professors working with their students to promote an inclusive social justice education and curricula framework.

Specifically, …

The Power And Purpose Of Choice In Digital Teacher Education, Aimee M. Cribbs

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

With the call for critical thinkers and problem-solvers, primary and secondary educators are encouraged to use student-driven instruction and performance-based assessment. At the same time, teacher education programs often include lecture-based delivery with formal papers as the primary form of assessment. The changing landscape of virtual learning in the era of Covid-19 provides an opportunity to refine teacher education to mirror the same research-based practices suggested for primary and secondary classrooms. Within a participatory action research model, this author shares the experience of delivering an online graduate-level curriculum design course framed in student choice. Education Specialist candidates chose content and …

Relationships Among Text Type, Relatability, Students’ Reading Enthusiasm, And Comprehension, Madhavi T. Clark, Winifred C. Nweke

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Traditional English Language Arts instruction relies on the study of classical or canonical texts to teach students critical reading skills. These texts are hailed for their complexity, universal/ timeless themes, and established literary value. Yet, contemporary authors have argued that these texts are often far removed from students’ realities and do not reflect the diversity present in the classroom. Studies have also demonstrated that students find school content boring and irrelevant. This lack of enthusiasm, or display of interest, engagement, and excitement, is concerning to educators, as enthusiasm has been linked to students’ academic success and increased levels of intrinsic …

Pathways To Stem Careers – Preliminary Findings Of A Possible Selves Intervention, Andrea Dawn Frazier

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Riegle-Crumb, King, and Irizarry (2019) indicate that African-American, LatinX, and White college first-year students declare an interest in STEM fields at roughly equivalent rates but African American and Latinx students are less likely to persist in attaining STEM degrees. Oyserman et al. (2011) further contextualize this discrepancy by noting that students might need help in implementing pathways from aspirations to academic outcomes. A multi-year intervention aimed at supporting undergraduate African American and Latinx students in STEM seeks to usher students along pathways towards STEM degrees by encouraging development of a community of practice and engagement in practical, concrete experiences that …

School Justice Partnerships: A Collective-Decision Making Approach To Improve Graduation Rates And Reduce Juvenile Crime, Steven C. Teske

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Keynote Address

Self-Monitoring Among Secondary And Post-Secondary Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities : Current Summary And Future Directions, Melvin S. Marsh, Stephanie M. Devine

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

A preliminary search of the literature has revealed very few studies applicable to self-monitoring behaviours in college-aged individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), a technique that has been studied primarily in the elementary aged population. Learning how to self-monitor, whether it is self-monitoring behaviour or using it to learn to do tasks, is an important skill for one to become a success in college and during adulthood. This skill may allow some students to seek out and successfully complete further education and vocational training. Having individuals with disabilities able to join the workforce and advanced educational opportunities will increase …

Ramp It Up! Training Peer Mentors In Reinforcement And Modeling With Prompting (Ramp), Jasmine V. Sadler

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of providing peer mentors with explicit training in the evidence based practices (EBP) of reinforcement, modeling, and prompting (RaMP) as well as an opportunity for purposeful practice through mixed reality simulations. The literature supports the importance and impact that early intervention has on individuals with autism (Dawson et. al, 2010), particularly in the area of social communication. However, the research is limited for adolescents (Griffin & AFIRM, 2016), which it is a time when children are bullied and ostracized for social awkwardness (Humphrey & Symes, 2010; De Boer, Pijl, & …

Bringing Inclusion To College: The Importance Of Peer Mentorship For College Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Stephanie M. Devine

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Inclusive excellence has risen to the forefront as a strategic pillar of many higher education improvement plans or mission statements. The embodiment of inclusion in the college setting can be seen in the growth of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities on college campuses across the state over the past decade. Georgia currently has nine IPSE programs and is in working on adding several more over the next few years. The challenges of including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in university settings can be great, but with the help of natural supports such …

Supporting Religious Undecided Students: Implications For Educators, Jamie L. Workman

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

This research explored a newly created model of first year academic advising used at a Mid-Size Public University. Modified from the traditional advising model, the new model was created for students in the new University Studies major, a designation for students formerly classified as undeclared majors. It was unknown how the University Studies students would experience academic advising, as they received a different academic advising model than undecided students in previous cohorts.

The researcher conducted the project using grounded theory techniques and phenomenological perspective. The researcher interviewed 12 students. The research questions were: (1) How did students experience being undecided …

Building The Plane While Flying It: School And College Policy Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Olivia M. Boggs, Brittany Bellamy, Julie Eavenson, Tiffany Mcbride

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The quandary of how to deliver quality instruction in the midst of a virulent and unabated pandemic for which there are no medications or vaccination is the greatest educational dilemma of our age. Using modified interpretive policy analysis (IPA), the paper reports the results of a study that examined the challenges, responsiveness, and efficacy of policies initiated during the early outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in three sectors of the education community: (1) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), (2) public schools offering services to disabled students, and (3) research universities in four geographic locations. Specific attention is given to …

Meditating In The Coatlicue State: An Autohistoria-Teoria Of A Vietnamese Queer Teacher To Resist The Norms In Tesol, Ethan T. Trinh

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Employing autohistoria-teoria, “a personal essay that theorizes” (Anzaldúa, 2002, p. 578), this paper shares life events of a Vietnamese immigrant queer teacher in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). This paper uses Anzaldúa’s (2002) Coatlicue state, a process that helps a person to confront the struggles, the darkness, the pain in their souls, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s (1999) walking meditation, as a theoretical framework. Further, this piece continues to challenge hetero- and homonormativity, sexual and racial oppressions facing queer teachers of color in research and language classrooms (Paiz, 2018), adding another critical teaching story of a queer teacher …

The Power Of Schemas: Math Teachers On Teaching, Julia Winter, Richard Schmertzing, Lorraine C. Schmertzing

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

To understand cultural schemas shared by novice mathematics teachers, an ethnographic case study of five novice teachers who graduated from the same student-centered university program was conducted. Strauss and Quinn’s (1997/2001) interpretation of schema framed the identification of participants’ shared, tacit understandings about student-centered and teacher-centered methods and how each individual applied those schemas to their teaching practices.

Interviewing and data analysis strategies that modified and blended methods from Quinn’s (2005) discourse analysis, Seidman’s (2013) interview strategies, and D’Andrade’s (1995) work in cognitive anthropology were used. Participants shared stories about their upbringing, learning experiences, teacher training, and teaching practices. Coding …

The Impact Of Client Culture On Termination Of The Counseling Relationship, Colin F. Freeland

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Counseling is a process that evokes often evokes strong emotions in clients. When counseling is effective and rapport is established correctly, clients become attached to their counselors in deep and meaningful ways. The depth of attachment in this dynamic can lead to negative affect when approaching the termination stage of this relationship; these endings can also provide opportunities for clients to experience growth and transformation. Elements of grief can surface with the dissolution of relationships; further, cultural influences impact experiences of grieving and the continuation or finality of those bonds. Few studies have explored clients’ subjective experiences with the ending …

Counseling As A Pathway To Earned-Secure Attachment Status, Sara Moe

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Attachment theory has emerged as a leading framework informing the study of individual development and interpersonal relationships. Previous research has documented connections between early caregiving experiences and the formation of working models of attachment that are carried into future relationships, impacting perception of the self and others across the lifespan. Given the well-documented physical, social, and mental health advantages associated with secure attachment status, the elucidation of mechanisms by which individuals can shift from an insecure working model of attachment to a secure pattern of functioning (termed earned security) is meaningful to clinical theory and practice. Counseling, by virtue …

Gera 2020 Conference Program, Gera Conference

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The Georgia Educational Research Association (GERA) is a state affiliate of the national organization, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and one of Georgia’s most dynamic research organizations. GERA has approximately 150 members from universities and colleges; public and private schools; and state, local, public, and private educational agencies and institutions, covering disciplines in education, psychology, statistics, sociology, history, economics, philosophy, anthropology, and political science.

The Legislative History Of Mental Disorders In Federal Education Programs, Mary Kay Bacallao

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

In recent years, the diagnosis of mental disorders in school age children such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Early Onset Bipolar Disorder (EOBD), and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) have increased as a percentage of the total school population. This paper looks at the development of federal education policies based on legislation that includes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, No Child Left Behind, and the recent Every Student Succeeds Act. It also includes the development of federal education policies through legislation regarding students with disabilities.

Terms related to the diagnosis of childhood mental disorders will be defined …

Technological Tools To Support Virtual Group Projects, Herbert Fiester, Jamie Workman

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

In today’s global, technology-driven society, educational institutions must constantly evolve in order to deliver instruction in a way that meets the ever-changing needs of students who may be geographically and demographically diverse. A variety of technologies exist that allow students to work collaboratively to complete project-based assignments online. Course management systems (CMS) such as Blackboard and D2L Brightspace (D2L) are designed to promote that collaboration. However, researchers have found that students tend to gravitate towards technologies that are familiar, rich, and synchronous (Albayrak & Yildirim, 2015; Karim & Heckman, 2005; Rowe, Bozalek, & Frantz, 2013; Wang, Woo, Quek, Yang, & …

Gera 2019 Conference Program, Georgia Southern University

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

• Conference Program

Teacher Hiring: The Disconnect Between Principals’ Perceptions, Processes And Research Based Best Practice, Laurie A. Kimbrel

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Student success is highly dependent on teacher quality, therefore; it is imperative that principals hire only the most outstanding teachers. This study investigated school hiring processes in order to determine the extent to which research based practices are utilized in districts of various configurations. Data was gathered using a 42 question electronic survey e-mailed to principals in ten states in the southern and western regions of the United States. Preliminary analysis indicates that in all types of districts the principal is the primary decision maker about the structure of the hiring processes including candidate selection. The vast majority of principals …

Amerikkka's Most Wanted: A Qualitative Study Exploring Non-Cognitive Factors & Barriers For Retaining First Generation African American Males Attending Hbcus, Roderick Heath

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

This qualitative study examines the experiences of 10 male students of color attending HBCUs in southern states of the United States. Research has shown that Black men are attending college at a significantly disproportionate rate than white males, as well as their Black female counterparts. According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES; 2010), the gender gap for enrollment between male and female Black students has increased significantly over the last 30 years. This study aims to reveal non-cognitive factors that affect the enrollment status for First Generation African American Men. In addition, identifying models to …

Issues In Complex Survey Analysis: Why Is Subsetting A Problem?, Patricia Daniel

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Researchers often use publicly available complex surveys as a data source. These data can provide useful insights into the description of educational settings and outcomes, but can present certain problems that should not be ignored. A complex survey is complex because of the sampling method employed by the survey designer, the analysis of such a survey must take the sampling method into consideration.

A common problem occurs when a researcher wishes to study a subset of the surveyed population. Often the predictors will have a standard error that is inflated, leading to (a) large interval estimates or (b) insignificant tests. …