Education Commons^™

From Homeschooling To Unschooling: A Comparison Of Academic Achievement, Myra Breen

Masters Theses

Within the homeschooling community, there are many options for educational methods that a family might choose. Unschooling, which is an approach to education that emphasizes self-directed learning and does not follow a set curriculum, is often viewed as inferior to a traditional pre-determined curriculum.

The purpose of this research was to determine whether students who come from families who use traditional curricula to educate their children have drastically different assessment scores from the students in families where they follow their own interests and learn from those activities.

This study uses a mixed-methods approach. There are qualitative results based on case …

An Exploration Of Middle School Teachers’ Utilization Of Culturally Responsive Teaching, Samantha Phillips

Masters Theses

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) can be used as a means for effectively teaching and managing students and decreases the achievement gap between students of Color and their White counterparts. This qualitative study with an ethnographic design examines the utilization of culturally responsive teaching strategies of two middle school teachers and two principals in public schools on the Southwest side of Chicago. The study is guided by one research question: What aspects of culturally responsive teaching practices are teachers using in their teaching strategies? The study has two purposes: To analyze the effectiveness of two middle school teachers’ utilization of culturally …

Using Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Activities To Narrow The Achievement Gaps In East Central Illinois, Kiyla Devoss

Masters Theses

STEM has become a growing topic in recent years. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There is a strong emphasis on improving and expanding STEM education to meet the demands of our STEM-focused society. To fill this need afterschool programs have emerged as key partners in STEM education to provide inspirational STEM enrichment opportunities. The study aims to explore if STEM activities narrow the achievement gap of participants from low socio-economic status (SES) in East Central Illinois. The study used a grade level ready framework to define the concept of narrowing the achievement gap and lowering the percentage …

Exploring Secondary Students’ Abilities In Judging The Credibility Of Digital Content On The Internet, Katie Dailey

Masters Theses

The shift from print to digital environments has created an opportunity and responsibility for educators to focus on instructional planning and practices that reflects the growing complexity of online texts students helping to ensure that their students are information literate. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the how 83 eleventh grade high school English students judge the credibility of information on the internet. The researcher used methodological triangulation to qualitatively analyze by comparing and aligning data from the survey results, observations of students during class discussions, responses to class assignments, and the quality ratings of students’ think-aloud …

Student And Instructor Attitudes Toward 21st Century Writing Technologies In The Rural Secondary English Classroom, Casey Crowhurst

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on how students and teachers feel about the current use of technologies like Chromebooks and laptops in the rural secondary English classroom. Chapter one describes my personal journey as a student and educator using various technologies in the classroom, and how I came upon the idea for this study while observing one of the first high schools to implement full 1:1 Chromebook technology in the United States. Then, I discuss my review of the current literature on the subject, and find that there is a lack of knowledge about the emergence of these types of technologies, and …

An Examination Into The Instruction Of The Alphabet During Preschool Years, Amanda Titus

Masters Theses

Instruction of the letters of the alphabet is a controversial topic among early childhood educators. Not only is it debated whether letter instruction is developmentally appropriate but there is then the discussion concerning how the letters are best taught once a program deems it is developmentally appropriate. In this study, 87 children were assessed at two separate times during the school year to determine a method of instruction that proved most effective. The study took place over three consecutive school years. The first year, 27 students were exposed to alphabetic instruction through a combination of music and mnemonic device assisted …

Examining The Effects Of Student-Centered, Project Based Teaching On Students With And Without Special Needs In An Elementary General Music Classroom, Charity J. Ozier

Masters Theses

The purpose of this action research is to study the effects of student-centered learning as compared to teacher-led instruction in an elementary general music classroom. This research study is framed by the conjunction of the lenses of sociology, specifically constructivism, in a music classroom with special learners. Students in fifth and sixth grade general music classes study the musical concepts of composition and reading notation in one of two manners. One group of students is instructed in a traditional format of teacher-led lectures and discussions, with guided practice following. The other group is instructed using a student-centered approach, in which …

Evaluating Student Responses To Young Adult Literature Based On Group Dynamic Within The Literature Circle Setting, Abigail J. Schmitz

Masters Theses

The push of the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) standards encourages teachers to assist students with overcoming personal obstacles in the classroom. In the middle grades, young adult literature can be an outlet for students by allowing them to connect with characters similar to themselves and their life experiences. Within the middle level classroom, literature circles can address SEL needs and state standards while allowing students to work closely with their peers sharing in a discussion format in response to the same young adult novel. This research analyzed two groups of students and their oral and written responses to the …

The Effectiveness Of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies For Teaching English Reading Skills To Hispanic English Language Learners, Michelle Watson

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness of the Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) for teaching English reading skills to Hispanic English language learners (ELL) in the third grade. The current literature shows a rapid increase of Hispanic students in the U.S., however, due to a lack of exposure to the English language at an early age, many ELL students are behind their non-ELL peers in academic achievement, especially in reading. The PALS program was designed as an alternative approach to teacher-led instruction to help ameliorate reading difficulties, and although its effectiveness has been demonstrated with a variety …

Revitalizing Grammar Instruction For High School Juniors: Toward A Contextual, Student-Driven, And Minimalistic Method, Heather L. Lindenmeyer

Masters Theses

In this thesis, I explore best practices in grammar instruction for high school juniors. Practicing English teachers have been engaging in the great grammar debate for years, essentially arguing if and how grammar is best taught. Thoughts on teaching grammar greatly differ in the professional community, but most scholars call for a middle ground to be sought in the great grammar debate. In other words, very few scholars think traditional methods that isolate grammar instruction from the writing process are best, but even fewer scholars call for teachers to entirely rid their curriculum of all grammar instruction. I conclude that …

Systems Simulation Using Promodel: An Online Teaching Method, Gustavo Sioni Bosoli

Masters Theses

This study was designed with the purpose to create an online method to deploy the concepts and practical knowledge necessary for the course System Simulation {TEC 5523) offered by Eastern Illinois University. The course is currently offered on a hybrid format, with part of it being ministered in the classroom and the remaining on the online environment. This research focused on creating a set of multimedia and step-by-step lessons aimed to substitute the part of the course that demands the students to be present in the classroom. These lessons were developed based on exercises from the textbook currently used for …

Using Field Studies To Meet The Next Generation Science Standards, Amy Brown

Masters Theses

New science standards, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), recently have been released which require students to use modeling and other process skills and cross-cutting concepts to show understanding of core concepts. Understanding by design approach was used to develop an ecology curriculum in line with the NGSS framework, using field studies to involve students in real science. A schoolyard habitat area on Neoga School District property was used for the field studies. Students were assessed with pre- and post-tests, traditional classroom grades on labs and projects and the Modified ATSI and Children's Science Curiosity Scale. All students showed significant …

Phonemic Awareness: One Approach To Individualized Instruction, Kimberly M. Ochs

Masters Theses

This study examined the effectiveness of a recently developed set of individualized lessons for kindergarten children at-risk for reading problems because of limited phonemic awareness skills. Four participants were selected via teacher referral and a score below the 25^th percentile on the Test of Phonological Awareness. Sixteen lessons (focusing on six phonemes) and weekly assessments followed the selection of the participants. Each child was individually instructed in two 10-15 minute sessions each week for eight weeks and then given an assessment at the end of each week. Single case design was utilized to document the effectiveness of the …

Effectiveness Of The "Baby Think It Over" Program On Adolescents' Contraceptive And Child-Rearing Attitudes, Stephanie Ann Johnson

Masters Theses

An increasing number of high schools in the United States have begun to use the "Baby Think It Over" doll as part of their curriculum in certain classes. This study examined the effectiveness of this doll on influencing 46 male and female adolescents' attitudes and behaviors regarding pregnancy, sexual activity, and contraceptives. Five specific subscales were developed to measure the teens' contraceptive attitudes and behaviors before and after using the doll regarding their feelings about becoming pregnant, understanding/comprehension of the responsibilities of child-rearing, appreciation of the impact of child-bearing on their lives/future, and attitudes toward premarital sex. Also, a qualitative …

Children Learning To Write: A Progression Through Predictable Stages, Shirley D. Vestal

Masters Theses

A first-grade teacher documents her students' progression through predictable stages as they learn to write: distinct units of scribbling and/or ground line and profile in drawing, letters, words, sentences, story structure (character, setting, problem, solving the problem, and ending the story/telling how the characters felt), and conventions (capital letters, punctuation, and conventional spelling).

Criteria based on readability at each stage by a knowledgeable and sensitive reader are an important aspect of this study.

The class writes every day using a five-day story format:

Day One: Character Pink paper

Day Two: Setting Blue paper

Day Three: Problem Yellow paper

Day Four: …

Beginning Reading Instruction: Issues In Phonics And Modality Preferences, Debra A. Kelley

Masters Theses

This thesis reviews the major trends regarding the place of phonics in reading instruction since the 1950's and attempts to integrate current perspectives on phonics in regard to both classroom and individualized instruction. In the 1950's, instruction in the regular classroom tended to emphasize sight-words at the expense of word analysis or phonic skills. The mid-1960's classic study by Chall, Learning to Read: The Great Debate, documented the value of phonic instruction in beginning reading and led to later refinements regarding the place of phonics in beginning reading instruction.

The attempt to match individual children's preferred modality for learning …

Selective Methods Of Teaching Secondary English: The Scarlet Letter: A Study And Application Of The Collaborative And Mastery Learning Methods, Janine M. Kardas

Masters Theses

This study is about the relationship of content in teaching to the process in teaching for the purpose of helping students to become better readers of literature. This study investigates two selected teaching strategies supported by research to be effective, and applies them to the teaching of a canonical piece of literature, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This study employs literary theory in the development of the objectives and applies both cooperative learning and mastery learning methods to the teaching of this novel. Two sets of lesson plans are developed from the objectives and subsequently analyzed for their effectiveness …

Mastery Learning In The Secondary Schools, Eddie Joe Steffey

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study was to develop and implement a model for the introduction of mastery learning at Chester High School in Chester, Illinois. In 1984-85 this researcher was named principal at Chester High School, which is located in a small, blue-collar community. Academic achievement was not perceived to be at an acceptable level. The researcher felt that the introduction of the mastery learning techniques suggested by Bloom and others combined with other pertinent research on effective schools could have a positive effect on academic achievement.

Although this field study was designed for Chester High School, it may …

Effects Of Instructional Television In Math, Science And Language Arts In Two Small Elementary Schools, Delbert Maroon

Masters Theses

This field experience investigated the effects of instructional television on academic achievement of fifth and sixth grade students in two small elementary schools in Bond County. A two tailed t-test for the difference of means at the .05 level of significance was used to analyze the data collected. A self assessment survey collected from nine teachers determined that no significant differences in opinion existed between members of the teaching staff regarding instructional television usage. An analysis of student grades determined that no significant increase in student grades was found in the comparisons made. Results of this study indicate that the …

Integration Of Visual Art With Other Subjects In The Illinois High Schools, Laura Lynn Pottala-Irle

Masters Theses

The true nature of this work is to show that integration of visual art is taking place in the Illinois High Schools. This conclusion is the result of a survey sent out to a group of Illinois High Schools. The results show that the Central and Southern Illinois High Schools have more integration of academic subjects incorporated in their curriculum compared to Northern Illinois High Schools. Yet integration of other art subjects are taught more in the Northern Illinois High Schools then the Central or Southern Illinois High Schools. Physical Education proved to be the subject least likely to be …

The Evaluation And Selection Process Of Instructional Games And Toys, Linda Kay Young

Masters Theses

Games and toys used in the classroom have been determined to be an effective means of instruction. The more teachers know about the games and toys being used in their classrooms, the more valuable these games and toys will be to their teaching and their students' learning. The main focus of this study was to gain understanding of the qualities and characteristics of instructional games and toys that will affect the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of the student at the elementary level. This study examined the criteria that was considered important by "experts in the field" and validated those …

Keyboarding: Computer-Assisted Method Of Instruction Versus The Traditional Method Of Instruction, David D. Collins

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to determine if seventh and eighth grade students could develop keyboarding on the microcomputer using the computer-assisted method of instruction with minimal teacher interaction as effectively as students on electric typewriters using the traditional method of instruction. Specifically, an effort was made to determine the following difference between the computer-assisted method of instruction group and the traditional method of instruction group: gross words typed on straight-copy timed writings per minute, number of errors made on straight-copy timed writings, and technique on straight-copy. The data were made up of gross word per minute and accuracy scores on …

The Effects Of Immediate Vs. Delayed Knowledge Of Results On The Acquisition And Retention Of Multiplication Tasks, Lynn Ruth Kidwell

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of three feedback conditions on a multiplication task. Data were obtained over a nine week period of instruction with a single individual. Both correct and incorrect responses were charted and analyzed in the results. A pretest and two posttests, one immediate and one after six weeks, were given to obtain information about the retention of the multiplication tasks.

Results of this study showed that practice with immediate feedback and practice with delayed feedback were significantly better than no feedback without practice for correct responses. Practice with immediate feedback was significantly better than …

Agricultural Education In Eastern Illinois - Transfer Of Learnings To The Gambia, Joseph N'Dong

Masters Theses

Dr. Robert Shuff my advisor, and I, decided that it would be useful that my field experience be geared toward finding out for myself how vocational agriculture is managed in institutions around Eastern Illinois University. The intent was to help me determine if any of the methods in use could be recommended for adoption in Gambian Institutions. My advisor arranged the visits as outlined in the log of activities in the final paragraph of the introduction.

Chapter one involves my meeting with Mr. Louis Christen, Director of Coles County Extension Service. During the interview, he described the history, function and …

A Study Of The Utilization Of The Harper Community College Sixteen Millimeter Film Collection And Instructors' Motives For Using Those Films, Roger Joseph Rezabek

Masters Theses

This study examined two aspects of sixteen millimeter film utilization at Harper Community College in northeastern Illinois, near Chicago. The first aspect of the study dealt with quantitative film usage by each of the seven subject area divisions of the college. The second aspect dealt with instructors' motives for selecting and using a particular film in a given instructional situation.

The data on film utilization showed that approximately 14% of the titles in the collection were used an average of more than five times per year. At the same time, over 16% of the titles in the collection were used …

A Fieldtrip Handbook For Mattoon Community Unit School District, Number Two, Thomas W. David

Masters Theses

Classroom teachers have traditionally used fieldtrips to supplement their curriculum and to enrich learning. To assist teachers of Community Unit School District Number Two to plan and to prepare for fieldtrips, a fieldtrip handbook was selected as the field experience for a Specialist Degree in Educational Administration. A report of the field experience and the handbook as appendix A combine to give the reader an in-depth understanding of the experience. The report was organized along the following lines: Introduction, Log of Activities, Selected Activity Analyses, and Summary. In the report the purposes and techniques in developing a fieldtrip handbook are …

A Survey Of Media In The Spanish Language Classroom, Joanne Chacon

Masters Theses

A status survey of media in selected high school classrooms is the focus of this study. Questionnaires were sent to Spanish teachers in Region IV of the state of Illinois.

The purpose of the study was to gather data concerning the quantity, use, and adequacy of media as well as the selecting, funding, and housing of that media. Excluded from the study were software which accompany textbooks currently in use.

Quantity of media ranged from 0 to over 20. Tapes had the highest quantity with a median of 21, a mean of 17.31, and a mode of 20. Transparencies had …

The Role Of The Unit Leader, Individually Guided Education, Cornelia R. Newtson

Masters Theses

This field study defines the role of a Unit Leader in a school using Individually Guided Education. Specifically, it defines the role of a unit leader at Roach School in Decatur, Illinois.

Individually Guided Education is a new form of elementary education. It uses multiunit organization and instructional programming for individual students. It uses an Instructional Improvement Committee made up of unit or team leaders and the principal. These persons coordinate the curriculum within the school. The writer defined each of these areas - Individually Guided Education, Unit Leader, and the Instructional Improvement Committee in two ways. One definition looked …

Programmed Instruction From The Instructor's Viewpoint, Michael D. Stoll

Masters Theses

The role of the instructor is, and always will be, a critical one. Until now, though, mediating a course to a self-paced, programmed learning environment frequently has neglected the fact that the instructor will have to alter teaching methods to a great extent in order to cope with the new situation. Further, without a thorough understanding of the role to be played out, the instructor could actually destroy even the best of courses.

This report studies the changeover of United States Air Force technical training course 3ABR25130 Weather Specialist from group-lock step to self-paced programmed learning. A background of both …

Speech Library Series: Formulation And Utilization, Johnn Edward Malloy

Masters Theses

School District 205 has erased a large portion of their videotaped library on advice of the district lawyer. This field study is a three-pronged effort: (1) to conduct a survey among district faculty to discover the attitudes toward the usefulness of a series of ten videotaped programs depicting excellent speech communication models performing in three basic areas--acting, interpretation, and public address, (2) to produce these ten programs and add them to the library, and (3) to survey selected groups of students to aquire their reactions to the tapes.

The faculty survey shows that the programs would be of value for …