Education Commons^™

Creating Real-World Readers: Literacy Circles In Third Grade, Dejanee Gregory

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addresses the topic of literature circles in an elementary classroom and their implications on students’ attitudes toward reading and their self-perceptions as readers. The author was a preservice teacher placed in a yearlong clinical teaching internship in a third-grade English Language Arts departmentalized classroom. The goal of the study was to implement literature circles in hopes to better understand students’ attitudes and self-perceptions as readers. For this study, the author collected data in the form of student interviews, survey data, a personal reflective journal, observations, and students’ reflections. Utilizing the constant comparative method, the author analyzed data for …

Early Childhood Special Education Professional Development Workshop, Amanda Sandstrom

Honors Projects

The initial steps to creating the proposed event, a professional development workshop for Inclusive Early Childhood (IEC) Education majors, included determining the needs of current students. To achieve this, an online survey was sent out to all current undergraduate IEC students. The aim of this survey was to determine in which areas current students would like further instruction or training. The survey focused on three areas significant areas of education: teaching students with disabilities and disorders, communicating with colleagues, mentors, and paraprofessionals, and integrating specialist therapy strategies into the classroom environment.

This data, once collected and analyzed, identified two target …

Toward A Nuevomexicana Consciousness: An Exploration Of Identity Through Education As Manifest Through The Colonial Legacy, Mercedes V. Avila

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

The purpose of this study is to explore the implications of the colonial legacy in informing the New Mexican Educational System in the present day. I engage a group of three self-identified young Nuevomexicana students in seeking to understand the spaces in which one must maneuver in order to thrive in an otherwise marginalizing system of Western Academia. Through a qualitative study, I hope to identify the intricacies of the New Mexican identity and the relationship these students hold with their determined homeland. By implementing the methods of interview, and participant observation in an undergraduate freshmen classroom, I will investigate …

Integrating The Fine Arts, Cole Alexander

Honors Projects

This project seeks to understand and apply research to a lesson plan unit regarding the integration of the fine arts (art and music) into the general education classroom.

Arkansas Principal Preparedness To Identify And Assist Students With Mental Health Needs, Candra Leigh Brasel

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

There is a growing need for children’s mental health services. With the majority of their time spent at school, educators are often the first adults in a child’s life to identify and assist students with mental health needs. However, oftentimes educators do not have the education and training needed to assist students with accessing quality mental health services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the preparedness of Arkansas public school principals to assist students with mental health needs in this rapidly changing era of education. The participant sample of the study consisted of 133 Arkansas public school …

Learning In The Light Of Freedom: The Mississippi Freedom Schools Of 1964, Emma E. Appleton

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This paper investigates the “freedom schools” of the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964. It argues through a combination of a powerfully designed curriculum, the implementation of student-centered pedagogy, and a focus on relationship building and personal efficacy, freedom school students were given the skills and confidence needed to become young leaders in their communities and bring change to Mississippi. Through this paper, I hope to encourage current educators apply freedom school principles and practices in their own classrooms to inspire our students in the same way.

See And Be Seen: Young Adult Refugee Literature In The High School Curriculum, Patrice Splan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than 25 million refugees in the world today, over half of whom are under the age of 18. As these young people adapt to new schools and communities, it is essential that all students have opportunities to see themselves represented in literature and to develop understandings of the experiences of others. This project provides an analysis of young adult refugee literature with a unit plan for application of texts in a ninth-grade Virginia English classroom, stressing the importance of education as a tool for awareness, reflection, and empathy.

A Quantitative Study Examining Project Lead The Way Gateway Program Outcomes In A Suburban School District, Patrick Joseph Bellinger

Dissertations

Within the confines of this study, the Researcher investigated Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Gateway program outcomes at a Midwest suburban school district. The study examined specific academic achievement outcomes and attitudes regarding STEAM courses and STEAM careers among students who completed at least one semester in a middle school PLTW Gateway program. The Researcher attempted to determine if there was a difference in student attitudes related to STEAM between students who enrolled in a PLTW Gateway course and students who never enrolled in PLTW Gateway, as determined in an online survey. The Researcher also attempted to determine if there …

Advancing School Environments Through Research Synthesis In Design, Callan Hoeve

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

While schools are still being constructed based on antiquated research and design strategies, this thesis project aims to take advantage and respond to all three of these areas of research: well-being, safety, and learning environment design.

The project began with the analysis of a newly constructed school that follows antiquated research methods: East Cobb Middle School. This proposed project will use the same site in it’s state prior to the current school’s construction in order to compare the proposed school design to the current one. This will reveal how the three areas of research can influence a cost efficient design …

Searching For Silver Linings In Foreign Grounds: Children Of Immigrants And Their Quest To Post-Secondary Education, Ashley Mejia

Sociology Senior Seminar Papers

In recent years there has been an increase of immigrants in the United States and upward mobility has become extremely challenging through secondary education. Higher education is deemed to be one of the most important factors associated with upward mobility and economic stability. While the achievement gap continues to widen, children of immigrants continue to struggle to assimilate and in gaining access to the white middle-class mainstream. Ultimately, the snowball effect of intergenerational low socioeconomic status rolls over on to the disadvantage immigrant children in the new generation. I propose that children of U.S. born parents have a greater educational …

Beyond “Through The Looking Glass” Borders: A Content Analysis Of North Africa/Southwest Asia In College-Level World Regional Geography Textbooks, Parisa Meymand

Theses and Dissertations

Many college teachers have a required textbook(s) for their courses, yet textbooks often misrepresent facts both directly and indirectly — through both the perspective and possible bias of the author(s) and/or the omission of information and events. As textbooks are primary sources of knowledge, and students believe the information to be true, it is important to examine their content. Thus, seven editions of Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts were analyzed to address the sense of place and portrayal of North Africa/Southwest Asia. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative Content Analysis based on seven selected editions of World Regional Geography textbooks, this …

The Effects Of Student Learning When Subtitles Are Added To Videos, George T. Taylor

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This project investigated whether adding subtitles to educational videos increases learning among middle school students. A convenience sample (N=387) of Technology and Engineering middle school students were separated into two groups during the third term of both the 2018 and 2019 school years, where one group of students viewed videos with subtitles and the other group viewed the identical videos without subtitles. After viewing the videos, students immediately took a multiple-choice test. The test scores were used to analyze the variance between the two different groups. The results reveal that students who viewed videos with subtitles had slightly …

Arkansas' Coding For All - Is It Really Reaching All Students?, Kaitlin Mckenzie

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Arkansas Computer Science Initiative required every high school to offer at least one computer science course by the 2015-16 academic year. Schools that did not have a qualified teacher were given access to online courses. It is important to point out that students do not need a computer science course to graduate, but credit in a computer science course could replace a 3rd science credit requirement or a 4th math credit requirement (ADE / ARCareerED Computer Science Fact Sheet). Some initial success has already been demonstrated. In 2014- 15 there were sixty computer science classes offered in all of …

Does Family Income Determine A Children Future Educational Attainment Level?, Diaisha T. Richards

Applied Economics Theses

Family income and education have been a major concern in a variety of researches, and as a topic in society. These two components are a major concern because they are known to be key elements in determining future success for an individual. Various studies investigated the significance, correlations and impacts these two factors have on one another. It is common for the amount of family income obtained to determine how much education one will receive in the future. This study focuses on testing the hypothesis that family income determines how much education a child will receive in the future. By …

Predicting Teacher Usage Of Learning Games In Classrooms, Joseph M. Waarvik

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses a problem of ambiguity in academic writing regarding whether learning games are underutilized in educational settings, what type of educators use learning games, and what factors are the most important in predicting educator usage. The purpose of the study is to clarify and explain the current state of educator usage of learning games in these areas in order to inform designers of educator professional development. There are two well-known frameworks that can be used to understand learning game integration by educators: the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. This study uses …

A Multi-Case Study Identifying Potential Factors Related To Two- To Four-Year Transfer Student Retention And Persistence At Private Institutions, Rachael Capua

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

A multi-case study, this research was designed to address a dearth of literature focusing on undergraduate transfer students from two- to four-year private institutions. Through a quantitative and qualitative approach, the researcher completed a descriptive data analysis (n = 2,086) and semi-structured student interviews (n = 10).

The purpose of this study was to better understand the makeup of students who transfer from community colleges to private (highly selective) institutions as well as what potential factors were related to their retention and persistence at the baccalaureate level. Two private universities, both geographically located near a large community college system (also …

Faculty Satisfaction At Striving Vs. Non-Striving Institutions, Na-Li Kim

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I analyze the 2013-14 Faculty Survey data from Higher Education Research Institute (HERI), to observe whether faculty at striving and non-striving institutions have varying levels of faculty satisfaction. In addition, some of the individual-level factors such as demographic characteristics, tenure-status, STEM/non-STEM department, and career related stress are analyzed to see how these variables influence faculty satisfaction. I use a combination of OLS regression and multiple regression to present evidence, which provides support to my argument that faculty at striving and non-striving institutions have different levels of faculty satisfaction. The findings from my study show that faculty at …

Primary Factors Impacting Burnout In Special Education Teachers, Jenna Kulberg

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Many factors may lead to burnout of special education teachers. Teachers are faced with overwhelming caseloads, student behaviors, job duties, and a history that has been inconsistent with appropriate supports for students with special needs. The studies that were reviewed offered information that directly correlated with burnout. There was much focus on the three areas addressed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey (MBI-ES). The three areas of burnout according to this survey were emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishments. Studies completed showed tendencies towards the emotional exhaustion being directly related to the highest rate of reasons for burnout among special …

Adults Formerly In Foster Care Narrate Schooling Experiences, Danielle Walker

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Roughly 400,000 children are in foster care in the United States (Lash, 2017, p. 5). These youth are less likely to graduate high school than their non-foster peers (Barnow et al., 2015). While several barriers contribute to the poor educational outcomes for children in foster care, research has noted that the label “foster child” is associated with negative connotations and differential teacher treatment (Altshuler, 2003; Finkelstein, Wamsley, & Miranda, 2002). In spite of such observations, little research has emphasized the perspectives of those in foster care. To fill this gap, this qualitative study posed the following question: How do adults …

Mobile Technology Use As A Moderator For Understanding The Relationship Between Intrinsic Motivation And Grades, David Seckman

Theses and Dissertations

Mobile technology is a tool learners rely on. The purpose of this study was to determine if mobile technology use moderates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and grades. Findings show that students with higher intrinsic motivation will have higher grades regardless of whether or not they use technology frequently for their course and regardless of whether or not they perceive mobile technology as valuable for learning in their course. There were positive correlations between students’ intrinsic motivation, and multiple facets of their intrinsic motivation, with their current and expected grades. Furthermore, frequency and value of mobile technology use, individually, were …

Crumbling Foundations: The Case For Prioritizing Self-Care Among Educational Leaders, Joshua Brent Ray

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a potentially dangerous disassociation between human behavior, decision-making, and ethics and the notion that these fundamental aspects of what it means to be human originate simply as the functions of an organ. A deeper knowledge of the operation and limitations of the brain suggests biological input could possess the ability to unknowingly alter human behavior and effectiveness. This study utilizes a research-based understanding of the implications of human health and self-care habits on neurological, psychological, and behavioral function to examine the current practices of educational administrators across Arkansas while exploring systemic and job-based factors within the profession that …

Technology In Education, Hannah Greenelsh

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper will examine how technology is useful in education and should be integrated into curriculum. The participants for the Capstone Project included 23 fifth-grade students in a public middle school on the Central Coast of California. This project focused on using a web-based art program called Canva to create infographics based on students’ knowledge and study of Ancient Egypt. The students also commented on their peers’ work on a blog page the researcher created. The researcher found that students had difficulty using a new application. They were also less creative than the researcher expected, which could be due to …

Benefits Of Bilingual Education Programs For Elementary School Students, Jesica Moreno

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The benefits of bilingual education programs are endless; however, with Prop 227, students were disregarded the opportunity to learn in a more accepting, multicultural classroom environment. Now with the passage of the new Prop 58 in recent year, it is important for our community to become more familiar with the most effective bilingual education programs and their benefits on students. The purpose of this senior capstone is to examine the benefits of bilingual education programs on elementary school students through a literature review, interviews with teachers, and interviews with parents. The results reveal that the benefits of bilingual education programs …

Importance Of Implementing Native American History In School Curricula, Kirsten Kite

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Even though there is legislation in place to implement Native American History in schools such as Senate Bill 48, there is room to improve. This senior capstone examines the importance of implementing Native American history in school curricula through the use of literature review, teachers interview and student surveys. The finding revealed that teachers do not have sufficient materials or resources to teach Native American history, and students do not have an adequate understanding of its history as well prior to graduating high school. In addition, teaching Native American history from an unbiased perspective is both beneficial to Native American …

Effects Of Multicultural Education On English Language Learners, Donna Dias

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

It is no surprise to step into a classroom with little to no multicultural education being implemented in the curricula, but when there are English language learners (ELLs) in these classes, the stakes run high. In a predominantly Eurocentric society, the U.S. population has become more diverse. It is important for diverse ELL students to feel heard and understood in their classrooms. This senior capstone will examine and discuss the effects of the different types of multicultural education on English Language Learning students through the use of literature review, interview with teachers and principals, and student surveys. The findings indicate …

Behavioral Effects Of Outdoor Learning On Primary Students, Makena Cameron, Samantha Mcgue

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Children have an innate sense of curiosity about nature. “When children come in contact with nature, they reveal their strength” (Montessori, 1967, pg. 69) and therefore, outdoor education can be a useful learning tool for students. Whether being outdoors or bringing the nature-based activities inside, children have the opportunity to work with all of their senses. A growing number of schools around the United States have begun adding outdoor learning to their curriculum (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998) to bring a positive outcome to students’ behavior. Outdoor learning provides another environment that children can thrive in and hopefully benefit from. As …

Importance Of Combining Physical Activity And Health And Wellness In To Physical Education Within Schools., Chandler Mckean

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone project brings to light the importance of physical activity and health and wellness education in connecting a child’s mind and internal body, to their physical outer body. This project examines the physical education curriculum in its entirety and displays the current pros and shortcomings in physical education within schools. Today, the education system strives to educate its students to the best of their abilities. This focus has begun to push away non-academic classes, such as physical education, to devote more time and resources in other areas, e.g. math, sciences, and language arts. Through the use of literature …

Building Self-Efficacy As A First Year Primary Montessori Teacher, Lucy Trower

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to increase the self-efficacy of a first-year teacher, with a focus on increasing the subject’s comfort with the autonomy required of the position. The subject teaches in a Montessori classroom of preschool-aged children (designed for 3-6 year olds, serving 3 year olds) at a young school in an urban environment. This was done through interventions that focused on factors of vicarious experience and social persuasion, as informed by Albert Bandura’s research. Data was collected through surveys that measured self-efficacy, satisfaction with life and job satisfaction, and through daily physical, mental, and emotional scales. Written …

The Ebp-Cot Assignment: Increasing The Use And Understanding Of Ebps In Preservice Teachers, Margaret Bowman

Honors Theses

This study investigated whether the use of the Evidence-Based Practice-Classroom Observation Tool (EBP-COT) assignment in an introductory teacher education practicum increased the understanding of Evidence-Based Practice-Classroom Observation Tools (EBPCOT). Participants in this study were consenting special education majors in their introductory block practicum course at a mid-south university in the fall semester of 2018. Students were asked to complete the EBP-COT assignment to include focused checklists components and reflections as well as a pretest and posttest. The assignment, pretest, and posttest were analyzed for similarities in increased understanding of evidence-based practices and comfort with the use of evidence-based practices. Overall, …

Climate Change Education And Environmental Education: Perceptions And Knowledge Among Environmental Educators In The Southeastern United States, Lauren C. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is a global environmental problem and issue. Mitigation and adaptation have been suggested for use in dealing with the impacts, both current and in the future. Climate change education as a mitigation and adaptation effort is one that could have great impact. This quantitative survey study examined the climate change and climate change education perception and knowledge of Southeastern Environmental Education Association members. This study segmented participants into one of six unique climate change groups: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Doubtful, Dismissive, and Disengaged based on the Six Americas Survey developed by Maibach, Lesierowitz, Roser-Renouf, and Mertz. CC knowledge was …