Education Commons^™

My Classroom Management Plan: The First Two Weeks Of School, Hannah Burkhart

Honors Projects

As a pre-service teacher in one of the best teacher preparatory programs in the country, I learned many of the theories behind classroom management and discipline. After spending time during student teaching in my own classroom, however, I needed a more immediately useful solution than theory could provide. After investigating varied classroom management approaches and styles, I discovered the work of Harry and Rosemary Wong who inspired the creation of my own classroom management plan: a step-by-step guide of best practices and approaches to respond to daily issues and routines in the classroom. While I have heard that “the best …

Telescopes And Spyglasses: Using Literary Theories In High School Classrooms, Danielle M. Rains

Honors Projects

This handbook is structured in a way that can be directly applied to the classroom. The theories are organized and ordered to build on one another; the skills that your students learn from one will help them complete the tasks of the next. Each chapter provides information about the theory, how to conduct a reading following the theory’s guidelines, and how to introduce the theory to your students.

Integrating The Arts And Sciences In The Museum Setting, Emily Clare Riggins

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The division between the arts and sciences appears to be deepening in America. As political leaders emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in schools, arts education is diminished to make room for STEM courses. Concerned about this phenomenon, many art educators are working to integrate the arts into STEM education through a variety of arts integration efforts. Arts integration not only helps to preserve a place for the arts in the curriculum, it also has been shown to enhance STEM learning.

Arts integration is of special interest to art museum educators who feel that they can provide resources …

The Influence Of Parent Portal Access On Student Efficacy And Parental Involvement, Shannon D. Dries

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the influence of Parent Portal access on student achievement and parental involvement defined as home-to-school communication. The population was students in sixth grade in a suburban district in New Jersey. Academic achievement was defined through GPA at the end of sixth grade and performance on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) in both Math and Language Arts Literacy in Grade 6. Attendance was measured using attendance rates. Parental involvement was measured by the number of parent logins to Parent Portal. Multiple regression analyses, backward entry method, were used to determine the influence of …

Language Skill Development In Japanese Kokugo Education: Analysis Of The Television Program Wakaru Kokugo Yomikaki No Tsubo, Ruri Yoshii

Dissertations and Theses

Any type of education implemented by a modern nation-state is, at least in part, a tool for socializing its people. In this regard, Japanese language and literature education, kokugo, has played an important role in Japan by emphasizing nationalism and the integrity of a Japanese identity. According to Ishihara (2007) and Lee (1996 [English translation 2010]), kokugo, since its inception in 1900, has promoted moral awareness and assimilation of Japanese ideals across the country. However, responding to unsatisfactory test results in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2003 and 2006, Japan's Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and …

The African American Male Achievement Dilemma Through The Eyes Of The African American Male Superintendent, J.R. Falor Green

Theses and Dissertations

This research study explores the perspective of African American male superintendents on the African American male achievement dilemma. How do African American male superintendents theorize and respond to the underachievement of African American male students? Do their experiences give them greater insight, and how has this potential insight contributed to the implementation of initiatives that have improved the performance of this subgroup? Three major theoretical perspectives were explored during my review of the literature. Critical Race, Social Reproduction, and Oppositional Culture Theory encompassed the most consistent themes during my research, and helped to situate the study within the broader education …

Toward A Theory Of Safe Passage: Agentic Practices Of Women Writers Who Teach, Lillian Gordon Reeves

Theses and Dissertations

Past studies show that narrative is an effective tool for guiding teachers to develop teacher identity, to recognize their practical knowledge, and to engage in teacher transformation, especially during initial teacher training and the early years of their career. Consequently, other researchers have identified how narrative studies inform what we know about teachers’ identities, their practical knowledge, and their transformations during initial training and early career teaching. However, we do not know how narrative functions in the experiences of teachers beyond initial teacher training and early career teaching. This study intends to fill this gap in the research. In this …

Who Let The Elephant In The Room? Analyzing Race And Racism Through A Critical Family Literacy Book Club, Lamar L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to interpret, investigate, and analyze how race, racism, and power are embedded and intertwined not only in society but also in the education system and in homes and communities. Specifically, through parent and student engagement during a series of book club meetings, I investigated how parents’ racial identities impacted how they created critical dialogue pertaining to issues of race, racism, and power with their children. Guided by critical race pedagogy, critical race theory (CRT) and CRT methodology, this study used race as a critical analytic lens to examine the lives and work of people …

Culturally Relevant Teaching: A Case Study On Teaching Statistics In The High School Setting, Lashaune Natae Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Public school enrollment is increasing for African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native students. However, minority and immigrant children tend to perform lower academically than White, middle-class students. Hence, there is a growing need to reform pedagogical practices for underachieving student populations to have improved chances for school success. Culturally relevant teaching is an effective approach to addressing the social and academic needs of minority students. The purpose of this study was to examine culturally relevant teaching in high school statistics classrooms of predominantly African American students. Using a qualitative case study research design, this study examined two …

The Role Of The Learning Community In The Professional Development Of Literacy Teachers, Abbey Spoonmore Duggins

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored a learning community in action. The purpose of this study was to investigate the professional conversations that teachers in a learning community had and the impact of those conversations on the practices and beliefs of the individual teachers in the community. Specifically, the study sought to discover how and why facets of professional learning transferred (or did not transfer) into classroom practice. The researcher spent five months with a learning community comprised of six middle school literacy teachers and attended their learning community meetings, visited their classrooms, and videotaped them teaching. Each classroom visit was …

How School Leadership Develops Parental Involvement Strategies With Social Capital In Four South Carolina Middle Schools, Anthony Neil Boatwright

Theses and Dissertations

Passed in 2001, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate requires schools to have a comprehensive plan for addressing parental involvement. Identifying successful practices to increase social capital and academic achievement in lower socio-economic schools appears to be the area that is having the most impact. Principals can contribute to higher success rates by generating productive partnerships between the school and parents/guardians. The purpose of this study is to describe the parental involvement strategies that four successful South Carolina (SC) middle school principals used and to identify successful practices being implemented to increase social capital and academic achievement. The researcher …

Leadership Perspectives On International Education For Public School Students In South Carolina: Two Case Studies, Frederick Eugene Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how two rural public school districts in South Carolina conceptualize and implement an international education, according to the perspectives of administrators and teachers. This comparative case study of two public school districts spans the districts’ elementary, middle, high and career center schools and seeks to understand how the presence of a major multinational corporation influences school internationalization. The data on their perspectives on internationalization were drawn from interviews. I interviewed the school principal and teachers involved in internationalizing the curriculum, policy and practice in each of the ten schools. In addition to school level personnel, I interviewed …

Virtual High Schools Versus Brick And Mortar High Schools: An Analysis Of Graduation Rates For Low Socio-Economic Students In South Carolina, Alice Denise Montgomery

Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001 was designed to ensure that all students are receiving an appropriate education. All states were mandated to implement state-wide assessments to monitor student achievement. With the identification of student needs that came from the results of state-wide assessments, leaders at both the state and district levels began to develop programs to address these needs. The virtual high school is one of the alternative settings for education that came out of this movement. Full-time virtual high schools have a growing enrollment every year. However, the progress these schools are making in the …

Intensive Dual Enrollment: Early Credits Or Empty Promises, Brian J. Modarelli

Theses and Dissertations

American high school students are afforded a wide array of opportunities to earn college credits. Industrious secondary students are enrolling in early credit options in steadily growing numbers, and are expecting the benefit of entering the university of their choice with several college credits already completed. However, an unmistakable lack of standardization and predictability exists regarding the transferability of college credits earned by secondary students. The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between the selectivity level of a university and that university’s willingness to accept either an associate degree or the transfer credits from an early credit …

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Study Abroad To Teaching Internship, Melanie G. Keel

Theses and Dissertations

Culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995a; Gay, 2010) and culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, 2012; Paris & Alim, 2014; Ladson-Billings, 2014) are urgent needs in classrooms because of the diverse student population teachers serve. This research is grounded in critical race theory (CRT) (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001; Bell 1995) and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) (Gay, 2010; Gay & Howard, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995a & 1995b) as lenses to interrogate a White pre-service teacher’s internship in the United States and a study abroad (Cushner, 2007; Keengwe, 2010; Malewski, Sharma, & Phillion, 2012) experience in Ecuador. During a 25 day study abroad that included daily …

The Impact Of Documentation Status On The Educational Attainment Experiences Of Undocumented Hispanic/Latino Students, Brittanie Alexandria Roberts

Dissertations and Theses

The issue of undocumented immigration has recently taken center-stage in the media and national politics in the United States. A large population of undocumented youth grows up with legal access to public education through high school, following the Supreme Court decision of Plyler vs. Doe, but faces legal and economic barriers to post-secondary education. Following high school, undocumented Hispanic/Latino youth legal protections end, greatly limiting chances for upward mobility through traditional post-secondary education pipelines. In some cases, knowledge of future barriers to post-secondary education leads to a decline in educational motivation.

The current political atmosphere makes this study a bit …

Using Worked-Out Examples Of Written Explanation For Writing-To-Learn In Evolutionary Biology, Amy M. Yu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Content learning can be enhanced through writing-to-learn. Research into cognitive load theory suggests that the use of backwards faded, worked-out examples increases schema acquisition and concept transfer. However, these effects have not yet been demonstrated for writing-to-learn, particularly for the conceptual understanding of evolution. The effects of two writing conditions were investigated in a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. Groups in two conditions wrote explanations of evolution using six Darwinian principles: students in the completion condition completed backwards faded, worked-out examples of explanations; students in the problem solving condition wrote full explanations, thought to require means-end problem solving. The dependent variables …

Designing And Delivering Staff Training For New Student Advisors: A Residential Esl Pathway School In Massachusetts, Brodie Henry

Capstone Collection

This capstone master’s thesis explains the comprehensive 100-hour training program for a team of new student advisors at Massachusetts International Academy. The training was designed and delivered in May-August 2014 for the 2014-2015 academic year. The school, in a partnership with the University of Massachusetts, provides English as a second language (ESL) instruction exclusively to the increasing numbers of Chinese students seeking undergraduate and graduates degrees in the United States. The school is in eastern Massachusetts and was developed by the China Education and Research Network. The academy is a residential ESL pathways program that prepares students for undergraduate and …

Collaboration In Campus-Wide Internationalization Initiatives: A Case Study Of The Beyond Initiative At Ferris State University, Kate Davidson

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study is to explore how the collaboration of stakeholders across a college campus influences the success of a campus-wide internationalization initiative. A case study analysis was conducted to provide insight into collaboration efforts in a campus-wide internationalization initiative. Faculty and staff who have been involved with the BEYOND Initiative at Ferris State University (FSU) were surveyed to gauge their perspectives on the level of collaborative development within the initiative. Kezar’s (2005) model of collaboration development and Knight’s (2008) definitions of internationalization and internationalization “at home” provide a framework for this study. The findings were analyzed on …

The Effects Of Academic Libraries’ Resource, Expenditure, And Service Decisions On Library Use: An Analysis Of Acrl And Nces Data, Jody C. Fagan

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Academic libraries are key contributors to the instructional and research missions of their parent institutions, but often struggle to demonstrate specifically what they do and how that affects institutional outcomes. High-impact educational practices are one area where libraries make a difference, but where explicit connections between activities and outcomes are not always articulated. Faculty and graduate student research is another area where libraries’ contribution makes logical sense, but specific relationships are not necessarily drawn. Libraries may place different emphasis on these two areas, effectively choosing different business strategies, to support their institutions’ missions. Two national surveys collect data about library …

Successful Approaches To Encourage Family Involvement In A School Division Located In Southeastern Virginia With Varying Income Levels, Katelyn Elizabeth Montague

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this project was to identify successful approaches that teachers use to encourage involvement of all families. Following a review of professional and research literature, a survey of Pre-kindergarten through fifth grade teachers was distributed in a school division located in southeastern Virginia with varying income levels.

The findings in this survey suggested that participating teachers encouraged family involvement by inviting families into the classroom and explaining to them how they could help their children at home. The teachers utilized weekly communication in various forms such as printed material, electronic formats, and classroom websites. Teachers were also flexible …

The Development Of Photography Training For Recreation And Wellness Marketing, Erica Pax

Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology Plan II Graduate Projects

The Department of Recreation and Wellness marketing office previously did not have a standardized photographic workflow to ensure all marketing student employee photographers consistently capture, edit, name, and store digital image files. As a result, the digital photo library contained digital image files of varying quality that were organized inconsistently. These inconsistencies made it difficult for designers to quickly and efficiently locate adequate image files for use in the creation of promotional items. In addition, a reduction in administrative staff and an increase in workload necessitated that new student employees learn new processes through self-instruction.

The researcher created a photography …

Culturally Relevant Esl Pedagogy For California Community College Teacher Educators, Jeff Moran

Master's Projects and Capstones

Demographics in the US are changing rapidly. The current white majority will fall below 50% of the total population by 2060. This shift has already occurred in California, where Latino/as are the largest single ethnic group in the state. California community college student populations reflect this reality, as at least 65% are students of color and 25% are immigrants to the US. California community college ESL instructors are often involved in teaching immigrants and non-native English speakers of color. In contrast to the student body, California community college teacher demographics remain overwhelmingly homogenous, as over 82% of full and part-time …

Content-Based Instruction And Corpus Linguistics Curriculum For Early Advanced Efl Saudi Students, Ahmed Alattar

Master's Projects and Capstones

For many years now EFL teaching and learning in Saudi Arabia has suffered from a lack of authentic life-related and meaningful materials. Most of the EFL books available, therefore, pay more attention to form and less attention to meaning. This has resulted in many Saudi EFL students having difficulty improving their L2 proficiency. For this reason, I developed a curriculum that incorporates content-based instruction and corpus linguistics. The curriculum is divided into six units. The units focus on the five basic language skills: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Each unit focuses on different content and includes examples form several corpus …

Developing Efl Reading Fluency In Upper Elementary Schools In China, Jianxian Yang

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project aims to help EFL educators and EFL teachers realize the importance of developing EFL students’ reading fluency, and more importantly, to provide specific curriculum for upper elementary school EFL students to improve their reading fluency. The most important intervention being used in this curriculum is extensive reading which appears in every class. Besides extensive reading, using rapid word recognition, repeated reading, paced reading, cloze reading, echo reading and choral reading are also discussed in this project. Teachers are suggested to rotate the interventions during the whole semester and they can adapt the materials and the curriculum in this …

Healthy And Livable Pittsburg Initiative: Master Of Public Health Culminating Experience, Jasmine L. Bernal

Master's Projects and Capstones

Contra Costa Health Services Department of Community Wellness and Prevention sole purpose is to improve the environmental, social and economic conditions that contribute to poor health, and support a quality of life that promotes the health and well being of all residents within the county, with major attention to those underserved. The Healthy and Livable Pittsburg Initiative tries to address those issues within the city of Pittsburg. The project aims to engage certain members of the community within Pittsburg to be involved in the future community action plan, which will improve the lives of every resident in Pittsburg. The first …

Prevention Of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Through Information And Education At The California Department Of Public Health, Vaisali M. Patel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Immunizations are one of the most important developments in the twentieth century towards the prevention of infectious diseases. Vaccinations against communicable diseases have helped reduce morbidity and mortality all over the world. Despite having numerous vaccines that protect individuals from serious and deadly diseases, vaccination rates in the United States remain at an all-time low. The Information and Education section of the Immunization Branch within the Division of Communicable Disease Control at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) focuses on working with local health departments, primary care providers, immunization coalitions, and other statewide organizations to increase the rates of …

Improving English Skills Through Video: A Conversation-Based Curriculum For Chinese Efl Adult Learners, Xiaojie Wang

Master's Projects and Capstones

In 1980, China opened its door to the outside world and eventually learning English became a tool for the drive for modernization in the country. For the past thirty years, learning English has been a goal of many. However, the overwhelming majority of Chinese students with limited vocabulary are apt to display low confidence when engaged in conversations in English. Specifically, they may fail to apply correct grammar knowledge and syntax during their communication. The purpose of this field was to create video teaching resources, based on U.S. media like television shows, to be used in EFL classes in China …

Increasing Parent Involvement For Esl Parents, Cristina N. Holmes

Master's Projects and Capstones

Parents of ESL students are often misguided and misunderstood. As educators, it is important to understand theory and applying teaching frameworks to various cutural backgrounds. This handbook addresses some of the needs of ESL parents, focusing on the parent involvement framework, and applies to the daily lives of parents. By focusing on the school, family, and community, this paper explains why it is important for ESL parents to be involved in their child's education and how they can become more involved on the path to academic success.

Proprioception And Developmental Motor Training: A New Treatment For Chronic-Phase Stroke Patients

Dissertations

With stroke occurrence increasing, along with survival rate, it is imperative to find ways of treating the chronic-phase of stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine if either or both of two interventions, or their combination, could improve functional performance in patients at least four years post-stroke. One intervention was resistance strength training while the other consisted of neurodevelopmental activities that parallel those used with developing children. Six participants, four male and two female, ranging in age from 23 to 60 (M age 44.5), were randomly assigned to one of the interventions. Participants ranged in stroke types and …