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Full-Text Articles in Education
How Student Learning Styles Effect Achievment And Participation In Mathematics, Tristan Smith, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
How Student Learning Styles Effect Achievment And Participation In Mathematics, Tristan Smith, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
This study was conducted with the goal of finding an answer to how students with varied learning styles learn mathematics differently. Similar studies, such as one conducted by Mokmin and Masood (2015), found that students whose learning preferences were accommodated had higher average scores in mathematics compared to students whose learning preferences were not. In this study, I recorded observations about individual fourth grade students; how students responded to different activities to determine what learning styles were present in my classroom. Using these observations, I modified my classroom instruction and activities to better suit the learning needs of my students …
Brain Breaks And Student Engagement, Jocelyn Vanderwiel, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Brain Breaks And Student Engagement, Jocelyn Vanderwiel, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
One of the most difficult jobs a teacher has is finding ways to keep students engaged throughout the entire day. In order to facilitate engagement in the classroom, brain breaks can be integrated into an every day routine. In this study, brain breaks refer to short physical activity breaks mostly consisting of aerobic-based dancing or stretching (Fedewa et al., 2015; Camahalan & Ipock, 2015). In this qualitative self-study, I discuss how the implementation of brain breaks can improve student engagement in their learning experience. Engagement is characterized by active participation in classroom activities and lessons as well as development of …
Student Learning: Process Vs. Product, Cathy Tatsuguchi, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Student Learning: Process Vs. Product, Cathy Tatsuguchi, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Traditionally, students learn in a teacher-centered classroom, where the focus is solely on the teacher as opposed to a student-centered classroom where students and teachers share the focus. Recently, the debate of teacher-centered versus student-centered has come to the forefront of education. Teachers are always looking for ways to engage students in the learning process and several studies designed around student-centered teaching have indicated that student engagement and achievement increases when students and teachers share the focus in the classroom. During my student teaching experience in a fifth-grade classroom, I observed that many students were not actively engaged in the …
Socioeconomic Status And Student Academic Performance, Ashley Spain, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Socioeconomic Status And Student Academic Performance, Ashley Spain, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
The injustices imposed on children based on their home, community, and social environment ultimately becomes injustices they encounter throughout their lives as well, post their school years (Coleman, et al, 1966). Social scientists have studied socioeconomic status (SES) in its relation to academic achievement and have been doing so for decades. The purpose of this research synthesis is to examine the relationship between socioeconomic status and student achievement and the implications of student’s SES on academic performance. After conducting a multi-step research approach, grounded theory was employed to construct a conceptual framework identifying common themes describing the relationship. It has …
Understanding The Implications And Addressing Defiance In The Classroom, Devon Busbia, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Understanding The Implications And Addressing Defiance In The Classroom, Devon Busbia, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Defiant behaviors in the classroom can be frustrating, confusing, challenging, and stressful for an educator. Defiance can be addressed through many research-based strategies; however, there is very little preparation given in preservice teacher education programs on these topics (O’Neil & Stephenson, 2013; Smart & Igo, 2010). The consequences of this lack of education have been linked to emotional and physical stress in educators. In turn, linking to teacher burnout rates. I collected data from field and anecdotal notes, school policies, and the use of the PBIS Check-in-Check-out system to acknowledge students’ behavior. By considering relevant research as well as personal …
Implementing Differentiated Mathematics Instruction: A Self-Study, Alexandra Burnside, Leah A. Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Implementing Differentiated Mathematics Instruction: A Self-Study, Alexandra Burnside, Leah A. Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Poster presentation for Educational Studies.
How Families’ Lifestyles Are Impacted When There Is A Child Or Parent With A Cognitive Disability, Lauren Pavich, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
How Families’ Lifestyles Are Impacted When There Is A Child Or Parent With A Cognitive Disability, Lauren Pavich, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Today, millions of people have been diagnosed with a disability. Ultimately, this leaves an impact, whether it be a positive one or not, on the families and/or caregivers in people’s lives (Trivettte, 2010 & Vohra, 2013). In this review of the literature, there are several analyzed studies that focus on the level of involvement and what kind of impact involvement may have on the loved one with a disability. Looking more thoroughly into these studies, there becomes a trend of what roles the family member with the disability play and to what extent their disability may impact the home. Through …
Individualizing Behavior Management: Impact On Student Achievement, Angela Herrmann, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Individualizing Behavior Management: Impact On Student Achievement, Angela Herrmann, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Teachers frequently identify classroom behavior management as an area in which they struggle. According to Shook (2012), twenty percent of new teachers leave the teaching profession within one year because of the difficulties and challenges they face concerning behavior management. A key component to managing a classroom is getting to know your students and their specific needs. In this self-study, I discuss how individualized behavior management approaches affect student achievement. Specifically, I focus on students with Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD) and explore common behavior management strategies that can be applied in the classroom and their impact on student achievement. I …
Developing Life Skills In Young Students, Alyssa Davis, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Developing Life Skills In Young Students, Alyssa Davis, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
School environment, children engaging with learning, developing their life skills, their self-expression and communication skills are all important and relate to the child’s interaction with adults (teachers or parents) and with their peers (FitzPatrick, 2014). In today’s society, the students within schools are typically quite diverse. Because children tend to develop judgments later in childhood, teaching tolerance and social justice at a young age may contribute to self-acceptance and group acceptance of diversity. Upon researching methods and the effectiveness of teaching life skills to young students, I found that incorporating lessons on life skills in the classroom decreases the chances …
Beyond The Literary Canon: Incorporating Young Adult Literature Into The Classroom, Rebekah Smith, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Beyond The Literary Canon: Incorporating Young Adult Literature Into The Classroom, Rebekah Smith, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Engaging students in literature is an extremely important aspect of instilling a lifelong love of reading, but this is difficult in a world where Facebook is more enticing than an old, battered copy of a book for school. Classic books from the Literary Canon are becoming outdated and less beneficial in the classroom. By incorporating more contemporary Young Adult Literature into the classroom, students can gain the skills necessary for success with standardized testing while increasing their interest in reading. This self-study was conducted to evaluate students’ perspectives on the literature and self-selected adolescent titles. Collected data included whole class …
Inquiry Based Learning: Effects On Student Learning, Gina Mayer, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Inquiry Based Learning: Effects On Student Learning, Gina Mayer, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
As educational theories continue to grow, change, and resurface, inquiry based learning (IBL) is a student centered approach that is known to have benefits and consequences. As Walker (2006) describes it, IBL provides students empowerment. This strategy focuses on students beginning to ask questions, work as teams, and problem solve on their own, as opposed to memorizing the information. During student teaching, a researcher attempted to seek out the effects of IBL on students’ learning. After implementing various types of lessons and activities, it is discovered that the students are not used to this style of learning in mathematics and …
Teaching Of Inference Making In The Adolescent Classroom, Meagan Desalvo, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Teaching Of Inference Making In The Adolescent Classroom, Meagan Desalvo, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Students are taught from a young age to look to the text for evidence in responding to a question. Through this constant practice, students are able to respond with evidence, but they often times fail to divulge deeper into the text especially in making inferences. To make inferences, students need to use textual evidence and then explicitly state their thinking in how the evidence corresponds to the inference. During Meagan’s student teaching experience, she addressed the diverse needs of each student in being able to explicitly state the thought process to making inferences. She conducted a self-study in which she …
Note Taking: Teaching Students Strategies For Success, Jessica Davis, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Note Taking: Teaching Students Strategies For Success, Jessica Davis, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Note-taking is a skill critical to be successful at all levels of school. However, in order to become competent note-takers students must have some exposure to note-taking instruction and strategies. This study examined the importance of note-taking in relations to students’ learning. This study took place in a rural-elementary school. Strategies like graphic note-taking, traditional note-taking, and T-charts were analyzed in relation to their effectiveness in the classroom. All notes were taken from fiction and non-fiction social studies lessons. The primary data analyzed during this study was students work, field notes, discussion transcripts, and photos. Different note-taking methods were found …
More Than Games: Utilizing Games In The Second Language Classroom, Brad Jenisch, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
More Than Games: Utilizing Games In The Second Language Classroom, Brad Jenisch, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Game based learning, or educational games, is increasing rapidly and being used by more instructors each year (Vandercruysse, Vandewaetere, Cornillie, & Clarebout, 2013). In an effort to examine the utilization of games in the language learning classroom, I analyzed research studies that have been done on differing games. I furthered that by examining how the different games were categorized and how each type was analyzed individually to achieve a better understanding of how they were implemented into the second language acquisition. After looking at how multiple languages were studied, I focused on games used specifically in learning Spanish as a …
Late Work Policies: Their Impact On Student Achievement, Michelle Lui, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Late Work Policies: Their Impact On Student Achievement, Michelle Lui, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
One way to understand the mathematics expectations placed on 5th grade students is to analyze the textbooks they use in their mathematics class. I examined how other subjects were integrated into the Everyday Mathematics (EM) textbook. In an effort to further my own understanding of disciplinary integration, I searched for 12 articles on the topic, varying from science and mathematics integration to English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. After reading and analyzing these articles, I used Berlin and White’s integrated mathematics and science model (Kurt & Pehlivan, 2013), balanced model (Kiray, 2012), and authentic integration model (Treacy, 2013) when …
Mathematics As A Language, Sean Curtain, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Mathematics As A Language, Sean Curtain, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
During my student teaching process, I observed a separation between my students’ procedural knowledge of mathematics, and their mathematical reasoning. I attempted to bridge this gap by conducting research on the role of academic language in the classroom. Academic language is a way to communicate ideas, concepts, and higher thinking processes, but it is used so that students may acquire a greater insight into the material (Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2013). I specifically discuss how the incorporation of academic language affects student learning as well as possible implementations of academic language in the classroom. I constructed a series of lesson plans …
Implementing Constitutional Rights Into The History Classroom, Colin Rathe, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Implementing Constitutional Rights Into The History Classroom, Colin Rathe, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
The field of social science education is continually changing and developing in accordance with contemporary beliefs. Boyle-Baise (2003) writes that properties and qualities of “citizenship” within a Democratic government have taken many different definitions and meanings. The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate current beliefs of citizenship, and how citizenship is often taken for granted by most high school students. By incorporating Supreme Court cases on Constitutional issues into the history classroom, students were led to visualize and contextualize their own definitions and meanings of citizenship. The data collected in my research include lesson plans, field observations, …
Disciplinary Integration In The Fifth Grade Everyday Mathematics Textbook, Sarah Goth, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Disciplinary Integration In The Fifth Grade Everyday Mathematics Textbook, Sarah Goth, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
One way to understand the mathematics expectations placed on 5th grade students is to analyze the textbooks they use in their mathematics class. I examined how other subjects were integrated into the Everyday Mathematics (EM) textbook. In an effort to further my own understanding of disciplinary integration, I searched for 12 articles on the topic, varying from science and mathematics integration to English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. After reading and analyzing these articles, I used Berlin and White’s integrated mathematics and science model (Kurt & Pehlivan, 2013), balanced model (Kiray, 2012), and authentic integration model (Treacy, 2013) when …
Brain Breaks: An Innovative Tool To Re-Engage Students, Alexandra Partipilo, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Brain Breaks: An Innovative Tool To Re-Engage Students, Alexandra Partipilo, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
With the importance of standardized tests increasing in schools, teachers are starting to feel the pressure of student performance within these tests. This pressure has caused schools to cut back on time for physical education and recess leaving students to spend more time sitting at their desk. Knowing that physical activities are being cut back in the curriculum, I implemented a study to observe how brain breaks affect student behavior and engagement. I utilized these breaks during our reading time, which was at the end of our day, a time when student’s had a lack of engagement. I used observation …
Enhancing Intrinsic Reading Motivation In Elementary Students, Alexandra Bidner, Kasey Reaber, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Enhancing Intrinsic Reading Motivation In Elementary Students, Alexandra Bidner, Kasey Reaber, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
For our research, we focused on our student teaching experiences in first and fourth grade classrooms. We specifically looked at the physical and social environments affecting students’ motivation to read. Froiland, Oros, Smith, and Hirchert (2012) describe intrinsic motivation as “the behavior motivated purely by the inherent benefits” and extrinsic motivation as “seeking to avoid punishments and gain external rewards”. Our interest was to develop a stance toward reading instruction that fostered students’ intrinsic motivation to read and drew on their interests and curiosities by looking at the physical and social approaches that we could use to support students in …
One Eye To The Future: A Study Of Student Exploration With Google Glass, Kyle O'Daniel, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
One Eye To The Future: A Study Of Student Exploration With Google Glass, Kyle O'Daniel, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Rapidly evolving technologies have the potential to provide massive benefits to student learning, but those benefits also come with the potential for obstacles in integration and implementation. This study explores the learning experiences available to students when given access to some of the most up to date technology available — Google Glass — and what students, when framing the technology with a critical eye, recognize as the benefits and challenges of new technology in the classroom. This study was conducted in an urban high school with a focus group of ten diverse students. Participants engaged in discussions about the role …
Child Sexual Abuse Counseling Strategies, Johanna Linman, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Child Sexual Abuse Counseling Strategies, Johanna Linman, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is increasingly recognized in survivors as a connection to emotional or psychological, relational or social and sexual or physical difficulties later in life that range in severity (Chouliara, Karatzias, Scott-Brien, MacDonald, MacArthur & Frazer, 2012). The purpose of this literature review is to enhance school counselor’s general education of child sexual abuse counseling strategies by highlighting important guidelines on detecting, reporting, and utilizing different strategies such as: when to use them, what accommodations are made to fit the victim’s needs, how to strengthen efficacy, etc. The different strategies researched are trauma focused, person centered, solution focused, …
Becoming Critical Reviewers Of Literature: Learning The Writing Process, Alexander Samuel, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Becoming Critical Reviewers Of Literature: Learning The Writing Process, Alexander Samuel, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Every student has a voice, and this voice should be used to further students’ involvement with schoolwork. This belief was the main drive for me to inquire how writing critical reviews of literature could impact high school students. The reviews that the students write are embodiments of their voices and feelings toward the literature. All while doing so, students must practice and engage with the formal writing process. The goal of this study was to judge if writing reviews improved the students’ grasp on the writing process, and if they were more engaged with the text. Data was taken in …
Current Event Integration To Facilitate Historical Concept Literacy, Donald Desalvo, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Current Event Integration To Facilitate Historical Concept Literacy, Donald Desalvo, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
A recent problem plaguing history courses in secondary classrooms is the apparent lack of applicability to students of what they are learning. This research aims to find the effects of integrating current events into history curriculum on history concept literacy. By developing historical concept literacy, students develop a requisite skill that can be applied not only to future historical studies, but also to other real-life applications. The data was collected during DeSalvo’s student teaching experience in freshman World History and sophomore American History classrooms. By analyzing lesson plans, students’ feedback and responses to the lesson, and students’ written responses to …
#Semanassociales: Using Authentic Materials To Improve Students’ Spanish Writing, Nathan Douglas, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
#Semanassociales: Using Authentic Materials To Improve Students’ Spanish Writing, Nathan Douglas, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Within the field of foreign language education, authentic materials and writing proficiency are two areas of extreme interest. Despite this, there has been little research performed within live classroom environments. In this self-study of teaching, I examine how my daily incorporation of authentic sources affected a class of thirty Spanish IV students with regards to their writing proficiency in Spanish. Throughout, I also demonstrate how students may depend upon authentic materials as a support for moving into the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978). Although some researchers claim that authentic materials are too complex and inappropriate for second language …
Incorporating Multicultural Literature In An Elementary Language Arts Classroom, Melissa Mariotti, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Incorporating Multicultural Literature In An Elementary Language Arts Classroom, Melissa Mariotti, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
The purpose of this research is to examine how classrooms are able to incorporate multiculturalism in a classroom through the use of multicultural literature. Every day, the United States’ population is increasingly become more diverse (Morrell & Morrell, 2012) and teachers become more aware of and responsive towards this changing demographic in their classrooms. Incorporating different cultures into a curriculum helps create an atmosphere of mutual respect among students in the classroom along with allowing all students an opportunity to connect to the curriculum (Szecsi, Spillman, Vázquez-Montilla, & Mayberry, 2010). One such way to do this is by exposing …
Process Differentiation: The Key To Student Learning And Engagement, Colleen Swanson, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Process Differentiation: The Key To Student Learning And Engagement, Colleen Swanson, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
As the learning needs of students continue to diversify today, differentiated instruction has become essential in successfully teaching students of different backgrounds. Differentiation involves the content students’ learn, the process in which students’ learn the content, the product students’ generate as evidence of their learning, and the learning environment in which students discover and learn (Tomlinson, 2000). This study focused on the process aspect of differentiated instruction, employing three different strategies involving movement to aid in students’ sight word acquisition and their learning engagement. I collected and content analyzed videos and photographs, sight word assessments, as well as field notes …
Emerging Trends In Classroom Management Research, Kelli Herlitz, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Emerging Trends In Classroom Management Research, Kelli Herlitz, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
While classroom management continues to be a serious concern for teachers because of its important contribution in providing quality education to students, little is known about the reappearing trends that correlate with it. For instance, bullying in schools has become very prevalent in today’s society, however not very much is known about the relationship between classroom management and bullying in the classrooms. Allen (2010) reported that effective classroom management could help the prevention of bullying. This literature review addresses the effects classroom management have on students’ academic success and a teacher’s career, as well as ways to help improve students’ …
The Transition To Standards-Based Grading, John Blumenreich, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
The Transition To Standards-Based Grading, John Blumenreich, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
Standards-based grading is a method of assessing students that is used to determine different levels of achievement of topics in each subject area (Marzano, 2010). It is meant to provide students with feedback so they can meet certain standards, or learning objectives, in a particular course (Iamarino, 2014). Assessing both honors and remedial mathematics students during my student teaching experience using standards-based grading helped pinpoint what concepts and skills students did or did not understand. Using standards-based grading to assess students’ summative assessments throughout the semester, I was able to analyze what academic standards students were meeting. Analyzing the benefits …
Going Against The Norm: The Use Of Student-Designed Assignments, Amy Deboer, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
Going Against The Norm: The Use Of Student-Designed Assignments, Amy Deboer, Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor
John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
In most classrooms, assignments are teacher-designed and used to assess what students learned. However, if students are included in designing their own assignments, their work has the potential to more closely reflect their individual learning preferences and interests. During my student teaching in a fifth grade classroom, I conducted a self-study on the use of student-designed assignments in an effort to better understand my students as individuals and as learners, and to promote student autonomy. At the end of a history unit on European explorers, students generated an assignment on one of the explorers in the format of their choice, …