Education Commons^™

Agony Or Ecstasy: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Accelerated Reader Program And Students' Attitudes Toward Reading, Ladonna Stout Boone

Doctoral Dissertations

The impetus for this study was to determine how Accelerated Reader influences the reading attitudes of fourth grade students of varied reading proficiencies who had been exposed to Accelerated Reader since kindergarten. Interested in students’ attitudes and motivation toward reading, I examined fourth grade students’ reading motivation among two award winning Blue Ribbon Schools in East Tennessee, one of which used Accelerated Reader as the pathway to literacy success while the other did not. Comparisons between the two schools were made in order to determine if there were differences in students’ attitudes and motivation toward reading. This explanatory mixed methods …

The Student-Teacher Relationship: Impacting Student Intrinsic Motivation And Enjoyment In College Physical Activity Classes, Tyler M. Wozniak

Graduate Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the association between the student-teacher relationship and the intrinsic motivation for physical activity exhibited by students (n = 127) in college physical activity classes.

Student Expectations And Motivation In Spanish For Heritage Speakers Programs, Sergio A. Guzman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The changing demographics in the United States and the growing need for multilingual individuals originated by globalization, among other reasons, have contributed to the emergence of a new field within the area of Applied Linguistics: The Teaching and Learning of Heritage Languages. Due to historical and geographic causes, Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SHS) is currently the largest and most established of these programs. However, the curricula, like those of most college courses, has been developed from professors’ perspectives, largely ignoring what students want to learn and/or their motives for enrolling in these classes. The lack of student input is especially …

Parental Workshops And Student Academic Success, Dwain C. Thompson Jr.

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative participatory action research study analyzed the perceptions and experiences of parents regarding the effectiveness of their involvement in parental workshops along with their perceptions of their engagement in parent involvement activities and their impact on student behavior and academic achievement. The study took place in a local church. The targeted population was low socioeconomic status (SES) and African American parents. Twenty parents with children attending grades K-12 participated in the study. The results of the study paralleled with the review of literature, in researchers suggested that there is a lack of opportunities for parent involvement among low SES …

The Use Of Visual Arts In World Language Instruction To Increase Student Motivation And Attitude, Marilena Bevilacqua Martello

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Because of the complexity and changeability that characterize languages, language learners face a number of various factors in their quest to acquire a new language. Nevertheless, it is the level of motivation and personal attitude toward language learning that will determine their rate of success (Dörnyei & Csizér, 1998). The purpose of this study was to find out (1) whether there was a relationship between the use of visual art in world language instruction and student motivation, and (2) whether student writing skills improved when visual art was used for Content Based Instruction. The study used a mixed method research …

Improving Reading Achievement In High Poverty, Rural Schools, Janet Tufts

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine what correlation exists between a student’s poverty coefficient and the daily number of minutes provided for independent reading and third grade reading achievement level as measured by California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in small, rural school districts. An additional purpose of the study was to determine what correlation exists between teacher mindset on student achievement and reading achievement in the third grade as measured by CAASPP scores and teacher perception questionnaires, in small, rural school districts?

Methodology: This study employed quantitative, correlational study, by using data from …

What Are Effective Strategies To Enhance Motivation And Engagement Of Secondary Struggling Readers To Grow Reading Achievement?, David Hemmesch

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The question addressed in this project was, what are effective strategies to enhance motivation and engagement of secondary struggling readers to grow reading achievement? Research was done on current reading instruction trends for secondary students and on the principles of motivation and engagement for students and people in general. The findings suggest that teaching struggling readers about cognitive strategies is more important than specific reading strategies. An e-learning curriculum project was created based on fixed and growth mindsets with the goal being for learners to discover his or her current mindset, to learn to recognize the difference between the two …

A Business Plan Outlining Strategies To Effectively Motivate Individuals To Develop Clean, Sustainable Lifestyles, Kelsey Depew

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

With an ever-growing worldly human population, our current frivolously lavish lifestyles will need to change to sustain a balance on Earth. The purpose of this study was to craft a business plan with accompanying tools to build a solid foundation for the small business called Cut Fluff. The mission of Cut Fluff is to educate and inspire individuals to create their own clean, sustainable lifestyle to lower their impact on earth. A clean, sustainable lifestyle not only decreases an individual’s ecological footprint, but it also brings wellness, purpose, and abundance into their lives with the three core pillars. The core …

What Alternative Reading Curriculums Are Available For Students Who Have Not Made Adequate Progressing Using Tier 1 And Tier 2 Interventions?, Lorinda Unger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was: What alternative reading curriculums are available for students who have not made adequate progress using Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions? The purpose of this inquiry was to create a system to provide students who are below their grade level peers in reading an intervention that matches their specific reading need. Current research confirms there are five essential reading elements that students need to master to become efficient readers. Each reading element is explored with curriculums, interventions, and learning activities provided.

How Interacting With Teacher Feedback Impacts Students’ Writing, Kristen Bankers Saxhaug

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The following research question is investigated in this paper: How does purposeful interaction with teacher feedback impact the writing outcomes of high school students? The literature review explored the topics of writing development, feedback, and motivation and self-efficacy in writing. A mixed methods approach was used to investigate whether purposeful, directed interaction with teacher feedback led to improved outcomes in students’ writing. Participants were a cohort of 36 racially diverse, at-risk students who were behind their grade-level peers in the development of age-appropriate literacy skills in a co-taught intervention English class. The data revealed that teaching students how to interpret …

The Effects Of Group-Based Context Personalization On Learning Outcomes And Motivation, Jessica J. Resig

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The rise of online course enrollments in higher education has highlighted the need to establish and validate effective online instructional strategies focused on improving learning outcomes and affective responses towards instruction. One such strategy, group-based context personalization, frames instructional materials within contexts relevant to shared interests among groups of students. This study sought to investigate the effects of group-based context personalization on learning outcomes and motivation towards the instruction when materials were contextualized based on a learner’s academic major.

This study employed a true experimental design to explore the effects of group-based context personalization on learning outcomes and motivation for …

Bridging The Gap: A Phenomenological Study Of Interpersonal Relationships To Foster Campus Community Among Nontraditional College Students, Ashvindar K. Singh

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate if the interpersonal relationships among nontraditional college students with each other, faculty, and staff play a role in fostering a sense of campus community at a private career and technical education junior college. Furthermore, the connection between a sense of campus community and students feeling a sense of belonging, increase their self-esteem, and achieving self-actualization as Maslow defined it was explored. In addition, the students reporting feeling a sense of community at a private career and technical education junior college and its relationship to motivating students to attend classes and complete …

A Phenomenological Study On The Motivating Factors Influencing Participation In Tennessee’S Governor’S Academy For School Leadership, Amy B. Horton Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educational administration is such a demanding field, so it is important to understand why an aspiring principal would self-select to commit to an optional yearlong, intensive professional development activity with very little compensation and no promotion. Motivation may prove to be a key component of the recruitment and sustainability of professional development activities. By discovering the factors affecting both personal and professional motivation of beginning administrators to participate in a professional development led by the collaboration among the Tennessee Department of Education, Vanderbilt University, and Governor Bill Haslam, the researcher hopes to gain an understanding that may apply to future …

Language Learning And Metacognition: An Intervention To Improve Language Classrooms, Rebecca Elise Knoph

MSU Graduate Theses

In the USA, the trend of increase in foreign language enrollments at the college level has suddenly begun to decline since 2009, despite the notion that learning multiple languages is becoming essential for effectively communicating with others from diverse native language backgrounds. This new decline may be due in part to inefficient and outdated foreign language courses. The current study examined the effect of how we assess our current knowledge and learning techniques (metacognition) on educational outcomes in hopes to improve the effectiveness of the university classrooms. College students were exposed to new metacognitive strategies that could benefit their language …

Pedagogy-Minded Use Of Web-Based Technology In The Classroom, Jeff Mcgie

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was: How can teachers use web-based technology in the curriculum to increase student engagement and enrich learning? It documents a teacher’s creation of a technology-infused curriculum that uses valid research and pedagogically-minded practices as its foundation. In addition to the curriculum, the author created a web technology toolbox that assists teachers in effectively and strategically implementing the technology into their classroom. The author describes the project’s challenges as well as the implications for students and teachers. He concludes that: 1) technology enhances learning only when used in alignment with pedagogy and instructional strategies; …

Guided Reading Curriculum For Chinese Immersion Kindergarten, Yue Fu

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of the study was to create a guided reading curriculum for Chinese Immersion Kindergarten programs. Guided reading worked as an educational literate instruction played a significant role in schools. Based on the summarize of the history and strategies of guide reading instruction, as well as a general review of the implementation of English as a second language (ELL) learners, the connections between the instruction and immersion students, became possible. By combining the “backward” unit model design, reviewing the guided reading strategies, and coordinating the Language Arts Curriculum in our Chinese Immersion Kindergarten program, this paper developed a guided …

How Can A Modified Teacher Child Interaction Training (Tcit) Program Decrease Problem Behaviors In Pre-K To First-Grade Classrooms By Supporting Positive Student-Teacher Interactions?, Jill Bradford

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project will describe a behavior modification program inspired by Teacher Child Interaction Training (TCIT) to help reduce behavior problems in the classroom and help support positive student-teacher interactions. The program called TCIT-lite, uses the skills of Praise, Reflection, Imitation, Description, and Enthusiasm (PRIDE) to increase positive student-teacher relationships in Pre-K to first-grade classrooms. A PowerPoint presentation was created in order to train teachers on how to take data on a specific behavior and implement a five-minute Child Directed Interaction (CDI) session the three times a week for six weeks to decrease the frequency of that behavior.

How Can I Improve The Math Performance Of Intermediate Students Using Game-Based Learning, Leann M. Karl

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can I improve the math performance of intermediate students using game-based learning? It provides multiple sources of research on game-based learning and website design, along with the original creation of an authentic game-based learning website; gamebaseded.com. Throughout the project chapters, the author describes the limitations and benefits of the game-based learning website. The documented benefits include increased engagement, participation, and academic scores.

Using Knowledge Of The Adolescent Brain To Increase Motivation And Build Relationships, Courtney Elizabeth Anderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can we use knowledge of the adolescent brain to increase motivation and relationships? Adolescents are experiencing a plethora of changes that impact their ability to learn. Therefore, it is crucial to consider ways to provide them with optimal success in their academics and beyond the walls of the classroom. This Capstone provides literature supporting the value in developing the adolescent brain and using the knowledge to help increase motivation and build relationships. In addition to the literature, this Capstone provides a project that implements brain-based strategies into a curriculum in order …

How Integrating Digital Formative Assessment Impacts The Learning Of Sixth-Grade Science Students, Sara E. Potter

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in the project was, How integrating digital formative assessment impacts the learning of sixth-grade science students? The motivating factor for this capstone was the increased use of electronic devices in the classroom. In this study, qualitative and quantitative data was collected using student surveys and summative assessment results of a science unit after using either traditional or traditional and digital formative assessments. In one year, exclusively traditional formative assessment was implemented, and in the other, both traditional and digital formative assessments were used. It was found that whether traditional formative assessment or a combination of traditional …

Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Single Gender Classroom In An Elementary School Setting, Jade Phillips

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what factors should parents consider before choosing a single gender classroom for their child? The author researched biological differences of boys and girls as found by Dr. Leonard Sax as well as perceptions and realities of boys and girls who have been exposed to single gender classrooms as seen in work by Rosemary Salomone and Michael Gurian. Qualitative and Quantitative research was conducted and the author discovered that students and teachers unanimously disagree with single gender classrooms for a variety of reasons.

Self-Efficacy And The Transfer Of Collabortive [Sic] Learning To Independent Assessments In The Mathematics Classroom, Ashley K. Andrews

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone investigates the research question: What instructional strategies best allow middle school students to develop self-efficacy as they transfer collaborative learning to individual assessments in the mathematics classroom? The author conducted action research in urban schools with an at-risk student population. Within the action research framework, the author applies a qualitative approach to examine instructional strategies that encourage all students to become flexible learners. This capstone ultimately argues that clear expectations and mindset largely impact student success, regardless of the task. It discusses the influence of mindset on student engagement during both collaborative and independent tasks.

Factors Contributing To An Elite High School Football Program, Richard Fryklund

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what factors contribute to an elite high school football program. The motivating factor for this capstone was one teacher-coach’s desire to understand what differentiates lasting levels of on-the-field success for high school football programs. This capstone was designed to ask high school football coaches their perspectives and methods in their respective high school football program. Previous studies on the definition of elite, organizational culture and support, coaches, and athletes aided the researcher in obtaining background information of successful organizations in various domains. Five high school football coaches, who met the criteria of …

Sense Of Belonging And Community In An Alternative Education Program: Perceptions Of Former Graduates And Teachers, Elizabeth A. Janey

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative research design was used to inform the question: How do graduates and educators in a former alternative education program describe their sense of community and how did it inform their experiences? Four graduates and four educators, as members of an alternative education program, participated in semi-structured interviews. All participants were White. This study used the central concepts of two motivational theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory and self-determination theory as analytical frameworks. Six themes emerged from these eight interviews. These themes identify the importance of meeting students’ basic needs, especially their need for community and belonging. Results of …

How Does An Environmental Based Service-Learning Project In An Non-Science Classroom Affect Student’S Values And Motivate Them To Be Better Stewards?, Nathan Fritz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the question: how does an environmental based servicelearning project in an non-science classroom affect student's values and motivate them to be better stewards? The participants of this study were tenth grade AVID students in a suburban high school setting. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected, analyzed and compared to accurately measure student’s attitudes towards the environment. The quantitative data was collected using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Likert Scale Survey. The students were surveyed prior to their service-learning project and then again after the project's completion. Qualitative data was obtained through one-on-one interviews and a short writing …

Factors That Influence Motivation To Read With African American Middle School Males, Brandon Tuttle

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what factors influence motivation to read with African American middle school males? Current research suggests that many African American males are performing poorly nationwide in reading. As the author researched the topic, four recurring categories emerged in searching for factors that would influence motivation in reading with African American middle school males. These categories included culturally relevant instruction, choice with literacy, building relationships and parental involvement. These four categories helped build the framework for a strategy guide that educators could use in reading intervention classes to help build proficiency in reading with …

Close Reading As A Means For Increasing Self-Perception In Struggling Middle School Readers, Megan Slinger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was: How does explicit instruction in close reading skills impact self-perception as a reader in struggling middle school students? In this project, action research was conducted over a four week period in a seventh grade suburban summer school classroom with eleven students. All of the participants were categorized as struggling readers. At the beginning of the research, students were administered a survey to gather information about their self-perception as a reader. Over the next four weeks, students received explicit instruction in three close reading strategies. During this period, students were also interviewed one …

Improving Second Language Lexical Acquisition Through Personalization And Contextualization: A Look At Intrinsic Cognitive Load Reduction Strategies, Curtis Kleinman

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Cognitive load reduction strategies traditionally seek to reduce the amount of extraneous mental effort required of the learner. Researchers, through effective instructional design, seek to eliminate load-causing agents that are extraneous to the learning topic at hand. However, cognitive load theory research has now shifted to also include the exploration of strategies that seek to reduce the inherent complexities of the target topic itself. The current study seeks to apply two such intrinsic cognitive load reduction strategies—personalization and contextualization. Previous research suggests that cognitive load can be reduced by personalizing the learning environment, which serves to meet the interests of …

Students’ Perception Of The Self-Assessment Process In High School Physical Education, Caitlan Peyton

Theses and Dissertations

According to SHAPE America’s Executive Report (2016), the goal of physical education is to address the needs of the whole child, by helping students exercise both their bodies and minds, ultimately impacting all aspects of health. Within education, students are becoming significantly and detrimentally disengaged, specifically within the assessment process. An implicit aim of education is to enable students to become better judges of their own work by engaging in self-assessment. The purpose of this study was to understand students’ perception of the self-assessment process in physical education. Qualitative data was collected using a questionnaire consisting of items relating to …

Investigating The Links Between Tblt, Oral Competence, And Student Retention In Fsl, Alexis Newman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Through a survey, interviews, and document analysis, this mixed-methods research study involving 751 Ontario university students and a French professor investigated the issue of decreasing enrollment in Ontario FSL programs after Grade 9, low numbers of functionally bilingual graduates, and the possibility of TBLT to improve students’ oral abilities, motivation, and consequently retention in FSL. Following the findings of Lapkin et al.’s (2009) literature review on Core French, the researcher found that a lack of oral practice in FSL classes has been a serious issue leading students to discontinue or feel unsuccessful in FSL programs. Students would enjoy experiencing an …