Education Commons^™

The Effect Of Intensive Reading Intervention On California State Testing Scores In A Small Rural Middle School, Mackenzie Erickson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study evaluated the effectiveness of reading intervention on California Standardized Test (CST) scores that was implemented in a rural community in Northern California. The study addressed the challenge of meeting the objective of increasing student performance in English language arts on the CST. Investigating whether or not there was a significant relationship between students receiving the intensive intervention and positive academic growth as it is measured on the CST is important for future implications of intervention programs at this site. The literature review focused on the process of adolescents acquiring literacy, differences in achievement within poor and rural communities, …

The Effect Of The Love And Logic Program On Student Motivation, Courtney V. Coffin

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study evaluates the effect of implementing the classroom management program Love and Logic in small, middle and high school science classrooms. It focuses on science classrooms from seventh grade to twelfth grade in a small, rural district. The student population includes large percentages of white and Hispanic individuals, with a smaller percentage of Native American individuals as well as a large percentage, over 60%, of socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. There were five cohorts, divided by type of science class and age, and the intervention was implemented by a multiple baseline across behaviors method. The cohorts were seventh grade life science, …

Effects Of School Choice On Math Performance, Rachel Ricioli Wittenberg

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a significant skill level difference between freshmen geometry students who attended charter schools and those who attended noncharter schools during middle school. The study addresses the controversy over charter schools providing better educational outcomes. The literature reviewed focuses on achievement in charter schools, and also discusses the indirect effects charter schools may have on surrounding public schools. The sample includes two cohorts of freshmen geometry students from the 2011- 2012 and 2012-2013 school years, which resulted in a sample size of 115 students. The results show that the difference …

Understanding Synesthesia And Impact For Learning, Kateri Lynn Wheeler

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Synesthesia is a neurological disorder that has to do with the ‘union of the senses.’ The literature reveals that students with synesthesia are affected with various degrees of severity. Students may hear a bell ring. Their brain is wired to take that sound and interpret it differently, through color, texture, taste, sound or temperature among other things. While some people hear a bell, others may also experience the activation of another sense. The difficulties these students exhibit involves longer processing or thinking time to sort out the extra stimulus. Limiting sound environments and other visual cues like color coding to …

Health And Fitness Awareness In Schools And Student Impact: A Quantitative Study, Meena Marie Tepas

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether or not schools can have an impact on student knowledge of health and fitness if they implement programs that educate students in that content area. This study gathered information, via student questionnaires, from two school sites, to compare student knowledge at a school that implemented a health and fitness program with one that did not. The review of literature focused on current and passed data that emphasized the need for educating society on health trends, resulting impacts of unhealthy lifestyles i.e. obesity rates and diabetes, and the best venue for addressing …

Critical Issues For Administrators Of Specialized Schools, Amanda Thomas Kirk

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The current call for accountability in education increases the need for an understanding of best practices for administrators of specialized schools that serve students with special needs, including residential and day treatment programs. The literature revealed issues in curriculum planning and resource allocation to meet the complex and interrelated needs of students in specialized schools, and in effective program design for students with specific low incidence disabilities. No literature could be identified that addressed the challenges of administering specialized schools that integrate educational, therapeutic, and transitional and vocational programs in one setting. A survey of administrators of specialized schools in …

Mixing The Emic And Etic Perspectives: A Study Exploring Development Of Fixed-Answer Questions To Measure In-Service Teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, M. Brooke Robertshaw

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this dissertation study was to develop fixed-answer questions to measure teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge when teaching with online learning resources. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is a framework to describe the kind of knowledge that teachers use when they are teaching with technology. Online learning resources include text, video, images, and interactive websites that teachers can use to help teach subject matter to their students. Fixed-answer questions are the kinds of questions found on standardized tests like the SAT, and tests that K-12 students take as a part of state and national testing. Many measures have …

Teaching Methods For A Holistic Computer Graphics Curriculum Incorporating Active Learning Techniques, Zachariah Inks

All Theses

This paper presents various concepts and techniques for creating an educational pipeline targeted at the field of computer graphics. This proposed pipeline focuses on the teaching of core concepts, core methodologies and finally core techniques employed within the field of computer graphics. Each component is then paired with an example of an active learning strategy used to enlighten and reinforce the abstract ideas behind these components. Throughout this document outlines the importance of supporting a holistic and platform agnostic approach, which sets the foundation for learning of all core computer graphics concepts, methodologies and techniques. The end result is a …

Measuring Performance Excellence: Key Performance Indicators For Institutions Accepted Into The Academic Quality Improvement Program (Aqip), Paul J. Ballard

Dissertations

Given growing interest in accountability and outcomes, the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission developed a new path for accreditation, the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). The goal is to infuse continuous improvement and quality in the culture of higher education, and to blend traditional accreditation with the philosophy and techniques of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. Yet, little is known about the key performance indicators (KPI) that colleges and universities are using to improve their quality and continuous improvement processes.

To this end, my research involved a content analysis of the Systems Portfolios submitted for accreditation by 34 purposefully …

Special Education Leadership And The Implementation Of Response To Intervention, Derek Ryan Cooley

Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a process by which schools identify students with disabilities using research-based interventions. As schools across the United States struggle to redefine district structures and processes required for RTI, special education administrators have become primarily responsible for implementation. Research describing special education administrators’ perceptions about the implementation of RTI is limited, however.

Framing RTI as an educational change initiative, this study uses survey methods to determine special education administrators’ 1) perceptions of leadership and change, 2) the extent to which they determine a structured plan to implement RTI as important, and 3) how frequently they encountered …

Pathways To Cyber Bullying From Bystander To Participant: Secondary School Students’ Perspectives, Michele L. Siderman

Dissertations

The author conducted a qualitative analysis of student artifacts to explore the pathway and experiences of students who had never bullied in the traditional sense but had cyber bullied through the use of social networking sites. In addition, the author explored students’ understanding of the difference between traditional and cyber bullying and their perceptions of the victim receiving the online bullying messages. A transcendental phenomenological approach was employed. The student artifacts analyzed were assignments from a required ninth grade character education class, which included a self-reflective survey, journals, a six-paragraph paper, and an online photo story project.

Results indicated that …

Single Case Research Designs: An Effective And Efficient Methodology For Applied Aviation Research, Geoffrey R. Whitehurst

Dissertations

The purpose of this three-paper dissertation is to examine the potential of single case research designs (SCDs) as an appropriate and efficient experimental design for use in applied aviation research. In the current environment of dwindling resources, funding for experiments requiring large sample sizes, a normal requirement for between-group designs, is becoming difficult to find. However, the need to improve safety within the aviation industry is an ongoing requirement, especially as advances in technology continue have an impact on how the industry operates. SCDs are experimental designs that require very few participants and therefore have the potential to save time …

Preservice Candidates' Rating Of Effectiveness In Agricultural Education Through Structured Communication With Cooperating Teachers, Christopher Lee Hunt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between cooperating teacher and student has been found as one of the key elements that affect the overall teaching efficacy of student teachers and their decision to enter the teaching field after graduation (Edgar, 2007; Edgar, Roberts, & Murphy, 2011,2008; Kasperbauer et al., 2007a; Roberts, Greiman, Murphy, Ricketts, Harlin, & Briers 2009; Roberts, Harlin, & Briers, 2007, Roberts, Harlin, & Ricketts, 2006; Roberts Mowen, Edgar, Harlin & Briers, 2007, Stripling, Ricketts, Roberts & Harlin, 2008; Wolf, 2011; Wolf et al., 2010). Therefore, determining impacts towards teaching efficacy during the student teaching experience could play a vital role in …

Language Acquisition: Effectiveness Of Collaboration On Teacher Practices And Beliefs, Kara-Lisa Mitchell

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Language Acquisition

Abstract

The effectiveness and challenges of teacher collaboration as a tool to drive teaching outcomes has been observed in various educational settings. This research project was designed to answer the question, “Would collaboratively creating a Useful Words Handbook for teachers increase the number of language teaching opportunities that could occur during the day?” This action research project, conducted in a Montessori preschool setting, focused on two classroom teachers who educate children between the ages of two and three. Three intervals were identified for data collection. Four weeks of collaboration on the Useful Words Handbook began after two weeks …

Effects Of High Fidelity Simulation On Knowledge Acquisition, Self-Confidence, And Satisfaction With Baccalaureate Nursing Students Using The Solomon-Four Research Design, Rachel M. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High Fidelity Simulation is a teaching strategy that is becoming well-entrenched in the world of nursing education and is rapidly expanding due to the challenges and demands of the health care environment. The problem addressed in this study is the conflicting research results regarding the effectiveness of HFS for students’ knowledge acquisition after participating in simulation exercises. Specifically this researcher determined the effects of a formatted simulation scenario on knowledge acquisition among nursing students and the students’ satisfaction and selfconfidence with the simulation learning activity. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (1984) provided the framework for this study.

This study used a …

Perceived Impact Of Character Education Program At A Midwest Rural Middle School: A Case Study, Sandra Jean Goss

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Today there exist a concern for the safety and success of students in the public education system. Families, educators, and community members are concerned with the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of students in an environment where incidents of violence are growing. Events like the school shootings at Jonesboro, Arkansas, and at Columbine High School left our nation concerned with the problems within the school system. Many believe that character education can be an effective solution. The purposes of this study are to describe key elements of one school's character education program, and to determine the impact that this program …

Compelled To Be Connected: An Ethnographic Exploration Of Organizational Culture, Work-Life Balance, And The Use Of Mobile Workplace Technologies, Kristopher J. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an ethnographic exploration of organizational culture, work-life balance, and the use of information and communication technology ("ICT") in the work and home settings. The researcher was embedded for nine weeks within the Information Technology ("IT") department at the corporate headquarters of a mid-sized manufacturing firm in the upper Midwest. The espoused values of the organization proved contradictory, one favoring work-life balance and the other requiring that employees be available to work anytime and from anywhere. The behaviors observed provided insight as to why employee actually used ICT after hours--because it was required of their role and/or because …

Nature Of Science Conceptions, Attitudes Towards Evolution And Global Climate Change, And Course Achievement In An Introductory Biology Course, Benjamin Elijah Carter

Theses - ALL

Many researchers have studied student attitudes toward and knowledge of evolutionary science, attitudes towards global climate change (GCC), conceptions about the nature of science (NOS), and course success. However, at the time of this writing, no studies explicitly link these topics.

It is overwhelmingly acknowledged by the scientific community that evolution and global climate change (GCC) are undeniably supported by physical evidence. And yet, both topics remain very politically contentious in the United States. Efforts to mitigate the disconnects between the scientific community and the general public on these issues are imperative to science education. Such undertakings need to examine …

Nature Of Deaf Mentoring Dyads: Role Of Subjugated Knowledge, Jason D. Listman

Education Doctoral

Research has indicated that the United States is lagging behind the rest of the world in producing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors and career professionals. The National Science Foundation has launched one particular initiative to address this need which is centered on underrepresented communities. Matching mentoring dyads based on similar social identities may provide necessary role models (Davidson & Foster-Johnson, 2001) and unlock subjugated knowledge (Collins 2000) about how to be both deaf and scientist. Among their underrepresented counterparts, deaf individuals are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM careers (NSF, 2011). The leakage in the STEM pipeline between undergraduate enrollment …

Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Students On Community College Campuses: Coming-Out And Self-Actualization, Adam L. Rockman

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide an understanding of how gay, lesbian, and bisexual students on community college campuses come out regarding their sexual orientation and how their self-actualization is affected by coming out, using Maslow’s theory of human motivation as the main theoretical lens. This study was intended to provide best practices in serving these students to community college faculty, staff, and administrators, and was thus meant to benefit gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) community college students. In-depth interviews with nine self-identified GLB community college students were done to collect data. Findings from this study show …

An Analysis Of The Perceptions Of The Legal Profession Through The Eyes Of Dissatisfied Consumers Of Legal Services In Manhattan, Ny: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Caprice A. Alves

Education Doctoral

In the past, research on consumer dissatisfaction with legal services tended to be quantitative in nature, and focused primarily on consumer opinion of the legal profession. These quantitative studies have been valuable in gaining a basic understanding of consumer consensus of legal services and the legal profession. However, a qualitative understanding of the complexity of the personal dissatisfaction experience with legal services, as well as the psychological and social meanings and consequences of these experiences, is an important contribution to the literature. This dissertation provides a qualitative view of the experience of consumer dissatisfaction with legal services in Manhattan, NY. …

Using Common Formative Assessments To Guide Fluency Instruction, Kelly Adrian, Abbigail Volek, Christa Ranweiler

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

In the Spring of 2013, first-grade literacy data were reviewed and we concluded that changes needed to occur with teacher instructional methods to ensure growth in student reading fluency. We collaborated to find what effect common formative assessments would have on teachers’ abilities to help students meet reading fluency benchmarks. Data were collected on 52 first-grade students within three classroom settings. Throughout this process, teachers monitored student progress toward proficiency in reading fluency, in particular rate, through the use of common formative assessments, teacher observation notes and teacher collaboration. After the data collection period, results showed that the use of …

Improving Kindergarten Students’ Knowledge By Enhancing Engagement In Literacy Centers, Magdalene B. Pearson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The action research was conducted in a kindergarten classroom with 18 participating students, in a Northern Midwest elementary school. Baseline data was collected by assessments in the areas of letter identification, onset sounds, rhyming, and concepts of print. Literacy centers were set up for students using differentiated activities in these areas. Conferencing with students and formative assessments were used for monitoring student progress and engagement in the literacy centers of Read to Self, Word Works, Writing Center and Listening Center. The students were assessed again at the end of the research period. The results of this study showed increased learning …

The Effects Of A Rubric Used As A Formative Peer/Self Evaluation Tool, Nicole E. Vaith

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The action research study was conducted in a public high school in an upper secondary classroom setting; three classes were included, with 91 students from a variety of backgrounds. This investigation was intended to examine how the rubric used as a formative peer-evaluation tool and self-evaluation tool affect student confidence in understanding assignment expectations and overall objective achievement. Baseline data was collected, regarding students’ initial understanding of the assignment expectations. Peer-evaluation and self-evaluation data was collected. After the peer and self-evaluation data was collected, students participated in a post-survey. Both data regarding understanding of assignment expectations, and overall objective achievement, …

"There Were High Hopes And High Projections:" Examining The Social Construction Of Target Populations In The Policy Design Of The Arkansas Lottery Legislation, Kristopher D. Copeland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lottery policies have been created by many states to generate additional funds to support public initiatives, such as higher education scholarships. In 2009, Arkansas adopted a lottery to generate higher education scholarships. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the Arkansas state lottery policy design process to better understand how the Social construction of higher education students and other citizens became embedded within the policy. The Social construction of target populations theory (Ingram & Schneider, 1993), guided three research questions regarding how policy actors in Arkansas Socially constructed citizens while designing lottery legislation, how these Social constructions …

Congruent And Incongruent Effects Of Ethnic Music On Ethnic Menu Item Selection, Ryan David Muniz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated what impact ethnic music had on ethnic menu item selection. College students were randomly divided into three groups and listened to one randomly assigned sound treatment in sensory booths. Three hundred and five participants completed the questionnaire with measures of expected price value and willingness to pay value. One of the groups listened to an Italian folk music, the second group listened to a Thai folk music, and the third group listened to a restaurant background noise in order to examine if the music will impact each participant menu items selection and perceived price values. The result …

Contributing Factors That Affect The Achievement Of African-American Females Taught By Caucasian Teachers On The Arkansas Literacy Exam: A Case Study, Felicia Renee Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative intrinsic case study was designed to assist Caucasian educators with the researched academic skills and behaviors to engage African-American females in the learning environment. The study provided strategies and recommendations to promote self-worth, self-motivation, self-efficacy, and morale in African-American females when they did not perform as well as or higher than their Caucasian peers in a high school English classroom on the state literacy examination instructed by a Caucasian teacher. The research site was a low socioeconomic urban high school with a majority of minorities with several native based home languages. The study took an in-depth approach to …

Perceptions Of Equality And National Identity Amongst Young British South Asian Muslims In Bradford, England, Simon J. Reid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of urban riots and terror attacks in the United Kingdom, British public debate and policy have focused on the nation's immigrant communities. These debates have commonly called into question whether immigrant communities in Britain are sufficiently integrated into "mainstream" society and included in the nation. These questions have been particularly focused on the country's immigrant Muslim communities because they have, over the years, been accused of segregating themselves from, and within, British society. This study explored the local and national identities of young British South Asian Muslims in Bradford, which is one of the largest Muslim communities …

Cross-Cultural Competence In Transnational Medical Education Partnership, Greta Rosalie Strong

Education Doctoral

The purposes of the study were to discover the knowledge, behaviors, and skills that foster cross-cultural competence in transnational medical education partnership and to unite the research process with theory development. Selected literature and a modicum of concepts limited the framing of this study from an existing theoretical framework. Such a framework would have been useful in providing the basis for training of health care professionals involved in transnational ventures. To accomplish this, the research used a qualitative grounded theory approach to explore the experiences of twenty-five professionals involved in transnational medical education partnership. The research was conducted at Weill …

Examining Perceptions Of Successful Black College Males: An Analysis Of Their Experiences With Successfully Enrolling, Retaining, And Persisting Toward Graduation At St. John’S University, James Salnave

Education Doctoral

This study used Harper’s (2012) anti-deficit achievement approach to examine the perceptions of Black males who have succeeded at a predominately White institution. The research brought together in-class pedagogical practices, self-efficacy, and student involvement as learning constructs linked to academic success. Qualitative research methodology captured the experiences of 13 participants through face-to-face individual interviews to gain insight into the learning environment that best engaged, retained, and helped persistence toward graduation. Participants consisted of juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 grade point average and on track to graduate on time. Analysis indicated participants developed meaningful networks of support with family, …