Education Commons^™

Program Evaluation Of Bridges To Success Program, Michael Cory

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the alternative education model, the Bridges to Success Program, and the program’s impact on teachers teaching within the program in a middle school in the Upstate of South Carolina. The Bridges to Success Program was initiated in September 2009 for at-risk students in eighth grade with a history of poor attendance, behavior issues, and low math and reading academic performance.

The evaluation model used was the Logic Model. The research questions set the framework for this study. Research questions focused on short-term outcomes that evaluated how teacher knowledge of …

Program Evaluation On The Implementation Of A Middle School Concept In Private Christian Schools, James Chapman Hall

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of implementing a middle school concept in three private Christian schools using Daniel Stufflebeam’s CIPP model of program evaluation. The National Middle School Survey was used to measure faculty and administrative perceptions of both the value and actual implementation of middle school concepts that to this point have not been formally evaluated in each school. Additionally, student levels of cognitive and psychological engagement and global life satisfaction were measured using the Student Engagement Instrument and Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale.

The following evaluation questions were the focus of this study …

The Impact Of Teacher Efficacy And Student Engagement On Eleventh-Grade South Carolina U.S. History And Constitution End-Of-Course State Exam Scores, Jacqueline L. Persinski

Education Dissertations and Projects

This research study analyzed the impact of teacher self-efficacy and student engagement on eleventh-grade South Carolina U.S. History and Constitution end-of-course state exam scores. Research questions centered on analyzing the relationships between the variables of teacher efficacy, student engagement, and student achievement as measured by the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale, Van Amburgh Active Learning Inventory Tool, South Carolina U.S. History and the Constitution end-of-course exam scores, and U.S. History teacher interviews. This study found a positive correlation between student engagement and student achievement and a significant relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement. The relationship of teacher self-efficacy and …

Effective Teaching In Higher Education For The 21st Century Adult Learner, Denise Murchison Payton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

As college populations are becoming increasingly diverse, institutions must find ways to meet the needs of their nontraditional students. Nontraditional adult learners are self-directed, ready to learn, and are internally motivated to engage in problem-centered learning. The purpose of this study was to expand and refine an active learning seminar in a higher education setting to improve the quality of teaching, student engagement, and retention rates. The site of the study was a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in which adult students over 25 constituted 49% of the population. The faculty members at this site predominantly employed traditional …

Promoting Critical Thinking And Reflection In A Capstone Course For Adult Learners, James-Etta Goodloe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

University instructors can improve how they promote critical thinking in the classroom by fostering reflective writing habits with students. Midwest University requires all undergraduate students to complete 2 capstone courses, which are framed around a critical thinking curriculum. The skills of analyzing and reflecting on experiences are important components of critical thinking. Despite this acknowledged importance of critical thinking, there is currently no structured training for instructors of the capstone course on how to develop critical thinking abilities among adult students. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceptions of the instructors of the capstone courses and …

Principal Leadership Behaviors And Teacher Efficacy, Patricia Ellen Gallante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The attrition rate of teachers in an urban/suburban school district in a northeastern state caused schools to fail to attain annual yearly progress. To reverse this problem, administrators must understand the importance of their leadership and teacher efficacy and the need to nurture teachers to increase student performance. The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to determine whether a relationship existed between leadership and efficacy. Total-population sampling was used to obtain 19 elementary and middle teachers who completed two surveys to examine the relationship between principals' behaviors (human relations, trust/decision making, instructional leadership, control, and conflict) and teacher efficacy …

Countering Student Apathy To Increase Student Engagement, Rebecca Ann Schou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a suburban elementary school in Maryland, 3 years of data revealed that the school is grappling with the problem of student apathy. While there is a growing body of research on apathy and its effects on student achievement, few researchers have examined the problem from the perspective of the apathetic student. The purpose of this qualitative case study, grounded in the social learning and cognitive development theories of Vygotsky and Piaget, was to explore student apathy and the learning environment at the target school through the perspectives of 8 former students and their parents. The research questions focused on …