Education Commons^™

Instructor Beliefs Related To Technology Use After Professional Development, Bethany Ann Croton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Faculty in higher education often see themselves as researchers and identify less as instructors. The problem is that nearly every profession has embraced technology in new ways, except in the world of education and students need 21st-century skills to be competitive in the workforce. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore instructors' lived experiences and beliefs regarding teaching and technology integration before, during, and after completion of a professional development program at a Midwestern Tier 1 research institute. The study was framed by Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory and the sustainability education academic development framework. The research …

Perceptions And Test Results Of Spatial-Temporal Math In Middle School, Lilian Uneojo Zekeri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The spatial-temporal math (ST Math) technology program was developed to address mathematics deficiencies experienced by students. However, the advantages and challenges of implementing ST Math for middle school students and teachers had not been examined. This single case study of 7th and 8th grade students’ performance after using the program had 2 purposes. The 1st was to ascertain teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the advantages and challenges of implementing the ST Math program. The 2nd was to see what a descriptive analysis of students’ test results indicated about performance of students using the program. Vygotsky’s activity theory, Mayer’s cognitive theory …

Middle School Teachers’ Experiences Implementing The Workshop Model In Their Classroom, Patience Ndidi Onyegwara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Due to the increasing diversity in U.S. schools, there is a need for differentiated and individualized educational models for these learners to be successful in the future. However, little is known about innovative educational models allowing differentiation and individualized education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the experiences and perceptions of middle school teachers implementing the innovative Workshop Model (WSM) of teaching and learning. The conceptual framework for this study included the diffusion of innovation, sociocultural, and andragogical theories, and the principles of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The participants were 10 middle school teachers …

Parent Home-Based Literacy Activities With Third-Grade Students, Erin Antionette Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a widening reading achievement gap for third grade students in a southern state as indicated by declining reading achievement scores of third-grade students on the state standardized assessment over the last few years. The problem in the local setting is that little is known about how the local school district includes home-based literacy activities as an aid to improve literacy instruction and student achievement. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore ways that home-based literacy instruction is currently implemented in the local setting and to capture how parents’ experience this instructional partnership. The conceptual framework …

First Responders' Perceptions Of Diversity Training Practices To Assist At-Risk Populations, Sara Parry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New York State first responders, including police, fire, and emergency medical personnel, often lack consistent awareness and diversity training to assist at-risk populations, which can pose challenges to preparedness and response strategies during disasters and emergencies. The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness and diversity training practices among first responders across New York State in assisting people with at-risk characteristics during disasters. Punctuated equilibrium theory provided the framework for the study. Data from interviews with 15 participants and from historical and legal documents were coded and analyzed to identify themes. Findings indicated that that there had been …

Teacher Characteristics And Blended Learning Adoption In Stem-Focused Charter Schools, Omer Faruk Polat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As an innovative teaching strategy, blended learning provides an environment where students are able to receive individualized instruction based on their needs. Even though the number of schools that adopt blended models of instruction has been increasing nationwide, the number of studies that explore the relationship between teacher characteristics and blended learning use is limited. This quantitative survey study explored the relationship between selected characteristics of teachers and the levels of blended learning adoption in charter schools with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focus. The concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) was used as a theoretical lens as it provided tools …

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 …

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 …

Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Technology To Transform Mathematics Instruction, Camille Georgia James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIncorporating technology into instructional practices is needed to cultivate learners who are digitally competent to function in a society in which technology keeps evolving. The problem that exists at the study site is that although technology is available, it is primarily being used to enhance learning rather than transform learning. Transforming the teaching- learning process, requires the use of technology to modify and redefine learning. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which middle school mathematics teachers in a PreK–8 independent day school in Denver, Colorado use digital technology as a transformative learning tool in …

Perceptions Of Middle School Teachers’ Experiences With Student-Centered Learning Strategies, Lucy Judith Plaisir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers in the local research site are using student-centered learning (SCL) strategies as an instructional pedagogy to support students’ learning. However, they are experiencing barriers in implementing SCL strategies consistently. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the barriers that prevent SCL strategies from being implemented consistently at a middle school in the Northeastern United States to support students’ learning. The conceptual framework used for this qualitative study was Schlossberg’s transitional theory. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 15 participants who taught at a middle school and used SCL strategies for at least 5 years. …

Preparing Clinical Faculty To Teach And Reinforce Hourly Rounding, Lisa Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in the knowledge of clinical faculty teaching prelicensure students about hourly rounding. The purpose of this project was to develop an educational program to prepare clinical faculty teaching student nurses to conduct hourly rounding. Hourly rounding trained faculty ensure safe practice by students and adherence to hospital policies. Hourly rounding includes the 4 Ps, which entails the assessment of “potty”, pain, position, and possession/periphery. Models and theories used to inform the project included the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 10-step process for developing training courses, Knowles’ theory of adult learning, Kirkpatrick's evaluation model, and the Accreditation Commission for …

The Effects Of Problem-Based Learning On The Academic Achievement Of Elementary Students And Teacher Perception, Eva Marie Cwynar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of a district’s initiative to change educational practices, schools in the local setting were considering the problem-based learning (PBL) constructivist model as a way of increasing student achievement. The problem was that it was unknown to what extent PBL was being used in the classroom and how its use correlated with student achievement. The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to determine the correlation between teachers’ reported degree of PBL implementation and the academic achievement of their students on the ELA assessment and to explore teachers’ experiences when implementing PBL. The study took place in …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy’S Influence On Instructional Strategies, Dr. Lynn Marie Love-Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urban high school literacy teachers are concerned with being prepared to teach incoming, culturally diverse ninth-grade students. More specifically, teachers have difficulty with implementing culturally responsive instructional strategies (CRIS) in urban high school literacy classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the challenges of using CRIS in urban high school literacy classrooms. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory was the conceptual framework that informed this study, suggesting that students learn, and teachers instruct based on social experiences in thinking and interpreting the world. The guiding research question was concerning how high school teachers apply CRIS to address the …

Associations Between Developmental English Models And College Students’ Completion And Persistence, Deanna Lynn Surfus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Midwest Community College (a pseudonym) students who do not score high enough in reading and writing on an assessment must take an integrated reading and writing (IRW) developmental English (DEng) course. The college transitioned most of its IRW courses from stand-alone courses, grounded in Vygotsky’s scaffolding concept where students first take IRW and then the first-semester English course (ENGL 100), to a corequisite model, grounded in a modification of Tinto’s theory of persistence, in which students take the IRW course concurrently with ENGL 100. Even with the corequisite model, too many students are not passing ENGL 100. The purpose of …

Investigating Middle School Teachers’ Experiences In Inclusive Classrooms, Jilleane Archie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Meeting the needs of students with disabilities, while implementing research-based instructional strategies in inclusive settings, presents an array of successes and challenges for both general and special education teachers. The problem at the local study site was that both general and special education teachers faced challenges as they implemented inclusion practices to meet the College and Career Readiness Performance Index, Closing Gaps component improvement targets for students with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate general and special education teachers’ successes, challenges, and needs as they implemented inclusion practices in middle school classrooms. This study was …

Online Instructors’ Experiences And Adaptations To Transitions Within A Learning Management System, Helen Johns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Changes in a Learning Management System (LMS) require instructors to learn and adjust, but not much is known about these learning experiences. Framed by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, the purpose of this this qualitative case study was to explore and understand how instructors learned and adjusted within the LMS. The research questions addressed how the instructors learned and adjusted when experiencing new functions, updates, or expectations within the LMS and what internal and external factors supported them. Eight instructors were selected through purposeful sampling and then interviewed by phone. The purposeful sampling method ensured that selected participants met the following …

Fidelity Of Implementation Of Arts Integration In Middle School English Language Arts, Barbara A. Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An urban middle school in the southern U.S. introduced an arts integration (AI) program, however, student achievement in the English language arts (ELA) has not improved. Therefore, the problem to be investigated through this study is that it has not been determined if AI was implemented into ELA classrooms with fidelity. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the fidelity of implementation (FOI) of the AI program in the ELA classrooms, as well as school documents and artifacts, to determine whether the delivery of instruction replicated the original instructional design. Guided by Rogers’s FOI …

Using Formative Assessment Of Map Data To Shape Instructional Practices, Jeremy Wagner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A school district in the Southwestern United States identified gaps in student performance on 3rd grade math standards and implemented the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) provided by the Northwest Evaluation Association so that K-2 teachers might better inform their instruction of math standards. The problem was that the district needed to determine the ways in which MAP has changed formative assessment practices. A qualitative case study was conducted using the 5 components of formative assessments identified by Laud and Patel as a conceptual framework. The research questions asked about how formative assessment of students reflects the 5 components in …

How Teachers And Counselors Collaborate Formally And Informally To Improve The Precollege Curriculum, Amanda Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers and counselors in a large suburban district in the Southeastern United States strive to collaborate to equip students with key skills needed to succeed in their first year of college. The problem is that little was known about the collaborative challenges teachers and counselors faced as they implemented the precollege curriculum in secondary schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how teachers and counselors collaborate formally and informally to improve the precollege curriculum as recommended by the guidelines of the American School Counselor Association and adopted by the local district. Knowles’s theory of andragogy provided …

Exploring The Use Of Learner-Centered Instruction With English Language Learners In Social Studies Classrooms, Taraneh Sabouri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLearner-centered instructional strategies in social studies are currently ineffective in meeting the learning needs of the ELL population in an urban school in the northeastern United States. Despite English language learner (ELL) supplemental instruction on Saturdays and evenings and professional development for teachers, strategies being used to deliver curriculum have had a marginal effect on learning for ELL students, and the local school board supported the importance of exploring this problem. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore the learner-centered instructional practices used at the study site and how teachers are using Weimer’s learner-centered framework to engage …

An Examination Of Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Literacy By 3 Reading Program, Erin Rochelle Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Literacy By 3 (LB3) was created by administrators in a Southeastern U.S. school district to address 3rd graders’ low reading achievement. Little was understood about experiences, instructional practices, and perceptions of LB3 reading literacy teachers and coaches. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ and coaches’ experiences, instructional practices, and perceptions with LB3. The conceptual framework was based on Cooperrider’s and Srivastva’s concept of appreciative inquiry that defines organization’s progress contingent on development of its successes. Research questions focused on teachers’ and coaches’ experiences, instructional practices, and perceptions using LB3 to improve reading literacy and what …

High School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Jeffrey Allen Hinton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem at the local site was a gap in practice in that teachers were not using culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in their delivery of lessons, which may have contributed to an achievement gap between European American and Asian American students and African American and Latinx students. This problem was important because local ACT results indicated that a significant achievement gap existed between these student populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ use of CRP, which may serve to mitigate the achievement gap. The conceptual framework for this study was self-determination theory. The research questions focused on …

Corporate Trainers’ Intent To Adjust Training Programs For Fostering Employee Self-Efficacy, Peter Cronrath

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To stay current on technology trends, trainers are tasked with providing cost-effective training to meet the needs of the organization. It is not known if to develop employee self-efficacy, organizational trainers should consider making changes to their programs in accordance with (a) generational needs of employees, (b) methodology of training, and (c) position levels of employees in an organization. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to determine whether there is a correlation between organizational training professionals’ intent to make changes to training programs and if self-efficacy development is considered in generationally different individuals at different position levels …

Teacher Perspectives Of Project-Based Learning Implementation In Middle-Grade Classrooms, Lyndria Regina Bland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers at a middle school in a Southeastern U.S. state were not implementing project-based learning (PBL) as mandated by the district. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perspectives of teachers concerning PBL implementation and how their self-efficacy shaped their perspectives. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected through interviews with 11 participants and examination of PBL artifacts. Data were analyzed using thematic, open and axial coding to discover patterns and themes. Findings indicated that teachers shaped their perspectives regarding PBL through their experiences while implementing PBL, collaboration among teachers is …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Enhancing Student Achievement Through Scripted And Teacher-Developed Curriculums, Katherine Ann Marie Sudduth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

District administrators in a school district in Georgia are concerned that after 5 years of implementing a mandated scripted curriculum, the high school continues to post failing scores on standardized tests. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with teaching the Common Core Standards with scripted curriculums provided by the school district and teaching the same standards using teacher-developed curriculums. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the theories of constructivism and differentiated instruction. Qualitative data were collected through 1 initial and 1 follow-up interview with 8 teachers (3 English, …

Faculty Perceptions Of The Use Of Virtual Learning Environments In Introductory Biology Courses, Whitley Shaina Webb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning (BL) and virtual learning environments (VLEs) are innovative approaches that many higher education instructors are using to promote student success and learning in introductory biology courses. However, research does not provide insight into whether specific VLEs such as Mastering Biology (MB), are useful or effective in increasing student success. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of higher education introductory biology instructors regarding the use of BL and MB to promote student success and learning. The theoretical framework for this study was connectivism, based on the work of Siemens. Research …

Perceptions Of English Teachers About Professional Development For Evidence-Based Writing Practices, Julie Nicole Bollich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Writing teachers in a southern school district have not consistently implemented evidence-based practices (EBPs) in writing instruction as indicated by students not meeting proficiency levels on state and campus writing assessments. Despite professional development (PD) provided to writing teachers, writing assessment scores remained lower than state level scores between 2012 and 2019 at the target campus. Teachers’ perceptions of their competence related to the implementation of writing strategies in the classroom, their perceptions of how district and campus PD supported their skill development, and their efficacy in designing and implementing lesson plans focused on teaching writing strategies were explored in …

Elementary Content Teacher Perceptions Regarding Their Ell Instructional Practices, Collier Wesley Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional practices of elementary content teachers of English language learners (ELLs) and their alignment with improved ELL academic performance need to be explored. The purpose of this case study was to explore the instructional practices of elementary teachers of ELLs and how those practices are perceived by the teachers to be aligned with improved ELL academic performance. The study is grounded in Ladson-Billings’ theory of culturally relevant pedagogy which holds that student academic achievement and cultural identity should be affirmed. The research questions focused on exploring instructional practices used by teachers to support ELL learning and the teachers’ perceptions regarding …

Examining The Elements Of Fidelity Of Implementation Of A Reading Program, Emir Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school reading scores throughout the state of California have been predominantly less than average in recent years. A school located within this region has struggled to raise reading scores. An unknown problem existed that stemmed from the implementation of the school’s reading program. The purpose of this investigation was to (a) determine the level of fidelity to the reading program, (b) understand the teachers’ perceptions of the reading program, and (c) understand the structure of the reading program. The theory of andragogy guided this qualitative case study. Six teachers from a local school participated in the investigation. The teachers …

Instructional Design Techniques Used To Develop Virtual Reality-Based Safety Training In An Industrial Environment, Mia Da'nene Joe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional designers face the challenge of developing strong immersive virtual environments for education. However, there is very little research regarding the study of both the competence and practice of instructional design in the immersive virtual reality environment. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to identify best practices that could be used by instructional designers when designing virtual reality-based safety training in order to improve safety competence and practice in the industrial environment. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the 3 primary groups of learning theory: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Guiding questions were specific to the …