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Full-Text Articles in Education
Teacher Perceptions Of Gamification In K-8 Classrooms, Niya Nicole Costley
Teacher Perceptions Of Gamification In K-8 Classrooms, Niya Nicole Costley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Teachers have positive attitudes toward the use of gamification in the classroom yet research shows that it is implemented inconsistently. Furthermore, specific elements of what makes gamification successful with students has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher perceptions of gamification and its use in the K-8 classroom. The conceptual frameworks for this study were constructivism and connectivism. The central research question for this basic qualitative study focused on the perceptions of teachers about gamification and its use in the K-8 classroom that contribute to student success. The participants were selected using a convenience, continuum, …
The Effects Of Problem-Based Learning On The Academic Achievement Of Elementary Students And Teacher Perception, Eva Marie Cwynar
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 School District Professional Development Alignment With National Standards, Arlene Jean Wacha
Teachers' Perceptions Of School District Professional Development Alignment With National Standards, Arlene Jean Wacha
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite ongoing delivery of teacher professional development (PD), educational leaders in the local district did not have an objective evaluation whether their implementation of the Marzano causal teacher evaluation model and the iObservation tool training were aligned with accepted national standards for PD effectiveness. Using Vygotsky's constructivist theory as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this quantitative descriptive, correlational study was to describe teachers' perceptions of the alignment of the district's PD with national standards and the relationship between teachers' reported self-efficacy and attitudes toward the PD program. A purposive sample of 80 middle school teachers completed the Learning Forward's …
Middle School Teachers' Perceptions About Reading Achievement, Brenielle Williams
Middle School Teachers' Perceptions About Reading Achievement, Brenielle Williams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Reading skills assessments have demonstrated that middle-grade Mississippi school children are on average two full grade levels or more below grade reading levels. This qualitative case study in one urban county Mississippi school district with decreasing literacy scores examined teachers' perceptions of evidence-based literacy instruction methods, which may improve literacy problem in this district. The constructive learning theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions addressed teacher perceptions regarding recommended instructional strategies, limiting factors in student literacy, and suggestions about improving literacy teaching. Ten middle-grade teachers from 3 district schools participated in semi-structured interviews on research-based instructional …
Traditional Versus Nontraditional Instructional And Assessment Differences In 8th-Grade History-Social Science Achievement, John David Landers
Traditional Versus Nontraditional Instructional And Assessment Differences In 8th-Grade History-Social Science Achievement, John David Landers
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In southern California school districts, 8th grade students in history-social science (H-SS) classes did not perform well on the California Standards Test (CST). To improve student performance, middle school H-SS teachers in some districts received staff development in the use of authentic assessment, the understanding and application of multiple intelligences theory, and the application of a student centered focus in lesson design and instruction. The purpose of this comparative pretest/posttest study was to determine if there was significant achievement difference between 2 8th-grade U.S. H-SS classes taught in 2 districts. The research question addressed a significant difference in CST H-SS …
Factors Affecting Secondary Students' Learning In A Credit Recovery Program, Richard Alan Joyer
Factors Affecting Secondary Students' Learning In A Credit Recovery Program, Richard Alan Joyer
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A credit recovery (CR) program was implemented at a rural high school in Texas to assist with high school completion. While graduation rates increased, the time for completion also increased for students in the CR program. The purposes of this correlational study were to examine factors that impact student learning in the CR program and to determine whether teachers were implementing student-centered instruction. Piaget's constructivist theory provided the framework for the study. The guiding question was to examine the relationships between student achievement and classroom environment, active learning, attendance, and student success from those enrolled in the credit recovery class …
Virtual Learning Environments' Impact On Adult Learners' Motivation In The Workplace, Clarence Eugene Bashshar
Virtual Learning Environments' Impact On Adult Learners' Motivation In The Workplace, Clarence Eugene Bashshar
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Virtual learning environments have become prevalent in the workplace to improve talent development. However, because there are so many different types of design options, not all learners are finding success in the virtual learning environment. This mismatch can negatively impact employees' motivation and learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore how design features of a virtual learning environment impacted adult learners' motivation in the workplace. Constructivist and self-determination theories were used as theoretical frameworks. The research question in this study explored how social and external contextual factors influence an adult learner's motivation to learn in a virtual …
Integration Of Place-Based Education Into Science Classes From Prekindergarten Through Grade 5, Terri Adele Wade-Lyles
Integration Of Place-Based Education Into Science Classes From Prekindergarten Through Grade 5, Terri Adele Wade-Lyles
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In a large urban district in Ohio, 29.2% of Grade 5, 28.7% of Grade 8, and 45.7% of Grade 10 students passed the state test in science. School district administrators formed a community partnership with local science institutions in order to provide students with hands-on place-based learning experiences intended to improve science academic achievement in PK-Grade 5. The purpose of this qualitative program evaluation was to determine the level of implementation of that place-based program by examining the efficacy of the teachers' embedded professional development and their experiences with the training components. Bruner's theory of cognitive development was used to …
Teachers' Practice Of Mathematical Reform Techniques In The Classroom, Mark Turner
Teachers' Practice Of Mathematical Reform Techniques In The Classroom, Mark Turner
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics advocated for a reform mathematics approach to mathematics education. Teachers in a large suburban school district in the southeastern United States are expected to use strategies that are consistent with reform mathematics. It is not known whether faculty members of a large elementary school in that district have adopted reform mathematics teaching strategies. Reform mathematics is an endeavor to move away from the traditional, direct instruction approach of the teacher as the sole provider of information toward the teacher as a facilitator of knowledge. Reform mathematics allows students to construct their …
A Case Study On Undergraduate Entrepreneurial Constructivist Learning In Morocco, Said Benamar
A Case Study On Undergraduate Entrepreneurial Constructivist Learning In Morocco, Said Benamar
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Jobs are available for university graduates with entrepreneurship skills, but unemployment in Morocco persists because of the dissociation between university entrepreneurship graduate skills and professional market demand. While university graduates have achieved academic standards, they have lacked the entrepreneurial attributes to be employable. The purpose of this case study was to explore the use of entrepreneurship learning initiatives at Université Internationale de Casablanca (UIC), a private for-profit university, to promote students' employability. The constructivism and learning paradigm frameworks served as the theoretical foundations of this project study. The research questions addressed the effectiveness of entrepreneurship learning strategies in the promotion …
The Effect Of A Constructivist-Based Approach On Fifth Grade Reading Achievement, Lori Mcgough Harkness
The Effect Of A Constructivist-Based Approach On Fifth Grade Reading Achievement, Lori Mcgough Harkness
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem investigated in this quantitative study was that schools in a small, rural East Texas town were falling below acceptable ratings in reading on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Researchers have found that constructive-based learning environments (CBLEs) can improve student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between length of time enrolled in a CBLE and reading achievement. Based on the framework of constructivism, 2 research questions were examined. To answer Research Question 1, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) calculated the difference …
Teachers' Perceptions Of An Integrated Third Grade Curriculum's Effects On Students' Reading Achievement, Charlene Lane Bazemore
Teachers' Perceptions Of An Integrated Third Grade Curriculum's Effects On Students' Reading Achievement, Charlene Lane Bazemore
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
School leaders in a Virginia urban school district designed and implemented a reading-infused integrated curriculum to address Grade 3 students' struggles to read and comprehend grade-level text. Informed via a constructivist approach, the curriculum integrated the core subjects, reading, and service learning for developing competent readers, thinkers, and problem solvers. This instrumental case study focused on 13 Grade 3 teachers' perceptions of the integrated curriculum in regards to their students' reading achievement. Qualitative data were collected from face-to-face interviews, students' progress of work documents, and the district's integrated curriculum unit. Open coding was employed to analyze the data. Inductively, triangulated …
Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perspective Of Technology Integration: A Qualitative Case Study, Patricia Coleman
Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perspective Of Technology Integration: A Qualitative Case Study, Patricia Coleman
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Many studies have documented that technology integration increases summative assessment scores, yet many teachers do not integrate technology in their teaching. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the extent to which middle school mathematics educators are or are not integrating technology in a school district where summative scores were below mathematics state benchmarks. Guided by instructional constructivism and the technology acceptance model, this case study examined how teachers perceived advantages and barriers to mathematics instruction that uses technology. Five of the nine mathematics teachers at the middle school volunteered to participate in a semi-structured interview and be …
Parent Involvement Practices Of High Achieving Elementary Science Students, Samara Susan Waller
Parent Involvement Practices Of High Achieving Elementary Science Students, Samara Susan Waller
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study addressed a prevalence of low achievement in science courses in an urban school district in Georgia. National leaders and educators have identified the improvement of science proficiency as critical to the future of American industry. The purpose of this study was to examine parent involvement in this school district and its contribution to the academic achievement of successful science students. Social capital theory guided this study by suggesting that students achieve best when investments are made into their academic and social development. A collective case study qualitative research design was used to interview 9 parent participants at 2 …
Secondary School Choral Teachers' Perceptions Of Quality Professional Development, Raymond Owen West
Secondary School Choral Teachers' Perceptions Of Quality Professional Development, Raymond Owen West
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Quality professional development is essential to enhance and sustain teacher efficacy. In a Southeastern school district, content-based, job-embedded professional development was not practiced or available for secondary school choral teachers. The purpose of this research was to discover the perceptions that choral teachers possess about what constitutes quality professional development. Guided by Bruner's constructivist approach, Knowles' concept of andragogy, and DuFour's professional development practices, this study examined the connection between these 3 ideas and supplied the foundation for the development of a professional development program. Using a case study design, data were collected through interviews and lesson plan documents from …
Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Incorporating Alternative Assessments To Accommodate Students, Terra Wright
Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Incorporating Alternative Assessments To Accommodate Students, Terra Wright
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A suburban middle school located in the southeastern United States included differentiated instruction and technology in all aspects of the curriculum. Teachers at this school received professional development on differentiated strategies; however, many teachers did not apply the strategies to assessments and continued to use traditional assessments despite the poor performance of their students on class evaluations. This qualitative case study, rooted in constructivist theories, examined middle school teachers' perceptions and use of alternative assessments. All 6th Language Arts teachers were selectively invited to participate in my study because they teach a core 6th grade subject, four teachers responded and …
Teacher Assessments Of Positive Behavior Support In School, Terrie Davis Phillips
Teacher Assessments Of Positive Behavior Support In School, Terrie Davis Phillips
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Students are often removed from classrooms due to behavioral concerns, which has led to an increase in student drop-out rates. Positive behavior support (PBS), a proactive approach to student discipline, was implemented at a local school in order to address the influx of students being sent to the office. Constructivism was the framework for this mixed method study on teachers' assessments of the current behavior support approach in their school and teachers' perceptions of school-wide PBS training and implementation. Data from the Effective Behavior Support (EBS) Survey were used in a descriptive statistical analysis of 162 teachers' assessments of behavior …
Collaborative And Creative Thinking Skill Development Through The Design Of Wearable Technologies, Laurie E. Korte
Collaborative And Creative Thinking Skill Development Through The Design Of Wearable Technologies, Laurie E. Korte
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Skills inherent in the creative thinking process such as reflecting and collaborating are needed for success in many careers. However, a focus on standardized testing in K-12 schools in the United States has resulted in the restructuring, reduction, and in some cases, elimination of arts in the curriculum to the detriment of students' creative thinking process. The purpose of this study was to discover whether creative thinking and collaborative skills were positive unintended consequences of a curriculum that includes the design of wearable technologies. Jonassen's modeling using Mindtools for conceptual change and Rosen's culture of collaboration provided the conceptual framework. …