Education Commons^™

Exploring The Liminal Space: Dual Enrollment At Maine's Community Colleges, Amy Lynn Hubbard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exploring the Liminal Space: Dual Enrollment at Maine's Community Colleges

Only 39% of matriculated students will earn a college degree or certificate in six years due to inadequate preparation in high school (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2016). Dual enrollment (DE) courses have been touted as one way to bridge the gap between high school and college (Hanson, Prusha, & Iverson, 2015; Harnish & Lynch, 2005; Johnson & Brophy, 2006; Karp, Calcagno, Hughes, Jeong, & Bailey, 2007; Morrison, 2008; Smith, 2007; Swanson, 2008). Dual enrollment is broadly defined as any course in which a high school student earns college …

The Effects Of Tootling Combined With Public Posting In High School Classrooms, Sarah Joan Wright

Master's Theses

A traditional tootling procedure was implemented along with a public posting component to determine the effects on academically engaged, disruptive, and passive off task behaviors in four general education high school classrooms. The study employed an A/B/B+C multiple baseline design across classrooms. The primary focus of the study was to assess potential increases in academically engaged behavior across intervention conditions. Students in the traditional tootling phase (B) were instructed to report on their peers’ positive, prosocial behaviors. At the end of the class period, the teacher silently read through the tootles and added the total toward the group goal. When …

Going 1:1- Writing Policy To Support The 21st Century Student: A Policy Advocacy Document, Tracey K. Landry

Dissertations

In an effort to prepare its graduates with the 21^st century skills of problem solving, collaboration, technology savvy, creativity, and information literacy and to close the learning gaps between students who have access to technology and those who don’t, this study proposes that District 123 create a policy to support a 1:1 Chromebook initiative. Using Browder’s needs analysis model, the impact of a 1:1 program is analyzed through the educational, social, political, economic and moral frames (Browder, 1995). It is determined that a 1:1 program can transform teaching and learning by giving equal access to technology, by incorporating student-driven …

Identifying The Key Components Of Place-Conscious Pedagogy To Help Maximize Rural Potential, Amber Marie Dlugosh

MSU Graduate Theses

By using reflective and observational data from a rural high school English classroom's endeavor to launch a community-wide online literary magazine, this study uncovers the key components of place-conscious curriculum and instruction that must be present for benefits to transpire. Focusing on a rural, predominantly-caucasian school district, the study tracks 64 students who were enrolled in four sections of a senior-level writing course. Previous research asserts that place-conscious curriculum choices that involve student contributions to the community prove to have significant potential for rural schools. The investigator observed a significant decrease in student apathy, academic gains within the content area, …

Developing Teen Health Information Literacy, Sharon A. Weiner, David Walker, Kathryn Dilworth, Lalatendu Acharya, Lisa Kirkham, Bethany Mc, Laura Henzl

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This presentation discusses a health information literacy project for teens that was a collaboration between librarians and experts in health communications and school administration. They co-developed and co-taught a required high school health course in Spring 2016 using student-centered active learning techniques. The course project was a “Teen Health” website developed by the students.

Gatton Academy Study Abroad Program Effects On Perceptions Of Community Belongingness And Personal Growth And Development, Derick Brandon Strode

Dissertations

This dissertation’s focus is at the intersection of study abroad, impact assessment, and a population of gifted and talented students at a specialized, residential high school called The Gatton Academy. A summative impact evaluation was conducted to assess effects of Gatton Academy study abroad programs on student participants’ perceptions of peer belongingness, mentor belongingness, and personal growth and development, as well as to compare differences among three different program models being employed by the school. The three program models studied included a Non-Credit program, a Faculty-led Field-Study, and a Faculty-led Traditional program. The research was conducted amidst documented calls for …

Black Female Adolescents And Racism In Schools: Experiences In A Colorblind Society, Nicole Joseph, Kara Viesca, Margarita Bianco

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This article takes up the questions: (a) How do Black female adolescents define racism?, (b) What kind of experiences with racism to they report having in schools?, and (c) How can these perspectives and experiences inform educational reform efforts? The in-depth analysis of 18 student surveys and interviews revealed that most of the definitions of racism centered on prejudice, discrimination, and differential treatment; and most of the experiences the girls described regarding racism in school illustrated issues of prejudice, discrimination, and differential treatment as well as stereotypes, labels and low teacher expectations. Critical Race Theory, Critical Race Feminism, and Black …

Education For Victory: An Analysis Of Social Studies Education In American Secondary Schools During World War Ii, Rachael E. O'Dell

Student Publications

Secondary schools during World War II were viewed as a vital component of the war effort on the home front. The nation’s youth were seen as important potential contributors to the war effort, and were educated as such. The atmosphere of total war especially affected social studies classes at this level. An analysis of contemporary educational journals and supplementary teaching materials reveals that secondary school students were virtually indoctrinated with democratic and patriotic values in their social studies classes in wartime schools. Social studies classes thus functioned as a route through which students could be encouraged to participate in the …

Transforming Schools Using Project-Based Learning, Performance Assessment, And Common Core Standards, D. Mark Weiss, Brian R. Belland

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Teaching History: Effective Teaching For Learning History - Chronological Vs. Thematic Approaches To Student Historical Comprehension, Shane Williams

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the effects of different types of instruction on student learning of historical thinking. There are several instructional methods to teaching history but most fall into two major approaches: chronological or thematic. This study used twenty-eight high school students in two sections of a junior-senior World History course. The research project utilized three full eighteen day instructional units: The World War II unit was taught from the chronological perspective, the Cold War unit was taught from the thematic, and the instruction for the globalization unit utilized a blended approach or combination of the chronological and thematic …

The Relationship Of Formative Assessment To The Professional Development And Perspective Transformation Of Teachers, Kimberly K. Snyder

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study uses practitioner research to explore teacher perspectives about formative assessment. The researcher engaged in a four-month-long series of professional development sessions with one middle school and two high school English-Language Arts teachers from the Capital View School District. Understanding formative assessment as a process to monitor student learning and then customizing instruction based on the data gathered from the formative assessment is a complex skill in which teachers need practice and even coaching to become adroit. The sessions were intended to help early-career teachers better understand formative assessment and incorporate it as a strategy in their teaching praxis. …

The Role Of Cultural Discontinuity In The Academic Outcomes Of Latina/O High School Students, Amanda Taggart

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

This study examined the impact of cultural discontinuity on the academic outcomes of Latina/o high school students. Hierarchical multiple regression was utilized to (a) investigate the significant differences between the characteristics and academic outcomes of high school students who do and do not experience cultural discontinuity between their home- and school-based learning and social experiences based on Eurocentric cultural values, and (b) examine the contribution of demographic variables, socio-cultural variables, academic experiences, and cultural discontinuity to students' cumulative grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores. Data were collected from two high schools in South Central Texas. Findings revealed that …

Efficacy And Implementation Of Automated Essay Scoring Software In Instruction Of Literacies To High Level Ells, Aaron J. Alvero

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explored the integration of automated essay scoring (AES) software into the writing curriculum for high level ESOL students (levels 3, 4, and 5 on a 1-5 scale) at a high school in Miami, Fl. Issues for Haitian Creole speaking students were also explored. The Spanish and Haitian Creole speaking students were given the option to write notes, outlines, and planning sheets in their L1.

After using AES in the middle of the writing process as a revision assistant tool, 24 students responded to a Likert Scale questionnaire. The students responded positively to the AES based on the results …

The Impact Of Response To Intervention In A High School Mathematics Setting, Lauren Dominick

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the impact of response to intervention (RTI) in a high school mathematics setting. A major concern in the literature related to the fact that majority of RTI research focused on students at the elementary level and in reading. Therefore in this study RTI was implemented in a high school mathematics classroom and the effects were analyzed. This study is focused on a sample of ninth and tenth grade students from two classes and taught by one teacher in the same high school in an action research setting. Quantitative and qualitative methods of …

Emotional Regulation And Technology In Various Educational Environments, Aimee Boyle

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of technology in various educational environments. Specifically, it looked at the ways in which technology is integrated into special education classrooms, and how it impacts learning. Two self-contained special education high school classrooms were studied, using qualitative methods of data. These included field notes based on observations and a semi-structured interview. In addition, a review of the literature on this topic was conducted to better place the study within the context of wider work done in this area. The data from the two classrooms were analyzed using the constant comparative …

What Are Factors Of An Effective Parent And Family Involvement Program Within High School?, Nicole Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the literature, parents or guardians of high school students will participate within the high school—though their participation is dependent on many factors. Parents with a higher social capital tend to be the most involved, while parents with lower social capital tend to be less involved. In other words, generally parents or guardians with high social capital would be much more likely to be involved in their child’s school, whereas parents with low social capital would not be involved in their child’s school at all (Goodwin, Rothon, Stansfeld, 2012). In this study, the researcher formulated and analyzed the following …

Varied Approaches To Shape, Marie-Claire A. Valdez

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The context of Art 1 is an introductory course covering the elements of art and principles of design, for students of all backgrounds and ages in high school. This unit is one of seven that will educate students about the elements of art in a hands on and collaborative way.

The goal of this unit is to give students a multi-faceted and enduring understanding of the element of art shape. The unit uses an interdisciplinary approach to teach shape. The lessons include tactile and kinesthetic learning activities such as using string to draw, and trying to create games like Human …

Primary Sources & Historical Understanding In High School American History, Kristina Nelson

Education Masters Papers

Learning history in high school is often disconnected from the process used by professional historians to understand the past. This research studies the implementation of primary source analysis in the high school American History classroom as a means to increase historical understanding. Previous research focuses on increasing achievement while this study also includes impact on engagement and attitude. Primary source analysis was the main instructional strategy used in one unit of study in a required ninth grade American History course at a suburban high school in April 2016. Student historical understanding was assessed using student self-reports on a daily basis, …

The Power Of X, Darren B. Glass

Math Faculty Publications

In his recent book, The Math Myth: And Other STEM Delusions, political scientist Andrew Hacker argues, among other things, that we should not require high school students to take algebra.

Part of his argument, based on data some have questioned, is that algebra courses are a major contributor to students dropping out of high school. He also argues that algebra is nothing more than an "enigmatic orbit of abstractions" that most people will never use in their jobs. [excerpt]

Fairy Tales And Adaptations: A Unit Of Study For High School Seniors, Angelica P. Babauta

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project is a unit of study designed for high school seniors in an advanced English class. The topic is fairy tales and adaptations, and through these twelve complete lesson plans, students will be led to examine the way fairy tales and society influence one another based on how a classic fairy tale is adapted over time. Students will study Jeanne Leprince de Beaumont's "Beauty and the Beast," the Brothers Grimm's "Brier Rose," and Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" as the original fairy tales. The adaptations paired with these texts are Alex Flinn's Beastly, James Finn Gardner's "Sleeping …

Reinventing The High School Government Course: Rigor, Simulations, And Learning From Text, Walter C. Parker, Jane C. Lo

Democracy and Education

The high school government course is arguably the main site of formal civic education in the country today. This article presents the curriculum that resulted from a multiyear study aimed at improving the course. The pedagogic model, called Knowledge in Action, centers on a rigorous form of project-based learning where the projects are weeks-long simulations. The first section introduces the course and the study, the second describes the methodology and design principles, the third describes the political simulations that are the spine of the course, and the fourth examines implementation and design issues that emerged across the years. The …

Teachers' Awareness Of Cultural Diversity And Academic Achievement In Ninth Grade Academies And Senior High Schools, Jamellah Whipps-Johnson

Dissertations

High school graduation rates are higher than they have ever been in 40 years, but disparities continue to exist for students of color and students from poverty when compared to their counterparts. High school reform efforts like creating small learning communities are promising, but small schools alone do not improve student outcomes. Personalization and responsive learning environments are essential to improving academic achievement in high schools, and particularly for ninth graders.

A monocultural teaching force paired with a racially and culturally diverse student population necessitates an examination of teachers’ awareness of cultural diversity particularly in the high school setting where …

Teacher And Student Perceptions On High School Science Flipped Classrooms: Educational Breakthrough Or Media Hype?, Rebecca C. Hunley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For years educators have struggled to ensure students meet the rigors of state mandated tests. Challenges that often impede student success are student absences, school closings due to weather, and remediation for students who need additional help while advanced students can move ahead. Many educators, especially secondary math and science teachers, have responded to these issues by implementing a teaching strategy called the flipped classroom where students view lectures, power points, or podcasts outside of school and class time shifts to allow opportunities for collaborative learning.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate teacher and student perceptions of high …

Smaller Learning Communities As Comprehensive School Reform: A Quantitative Analysis Of Implementation, Jerry Doss

Ed.D. Dissertations

In recent years, smaller learning communities (SLCs) have emerged as a strategy to address the social problems and poor academic performance of students in large high schools. Smaller learning communities are structures such as schools-within-schools and academies that offer smaller settings and more personal environments and instructional opportunities for students in large high schools. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between student achievement and SLCs in a medium sized suburban high school district in order to determine whether SLCs accomplished the goals of school reform. The school district under investigation received a Smaller Learning Communities …

Active Learning, Primary Documents, And Complex Events: Reinvigorating History Education, Samantha Clonch

Honors Projects

History is frequently taught through lectures, tests, and individual work with primary documents, which can be exceedingly tedious for students. This is problematic because it leads to student disengagement and limited learning. Also problematic in history education is the lack of time spent teaching events which are viewed as less impactful than others on the course of history. The Louisiana Purchase is one such event. It is often taught in one day or less as an action that simply doubled the size of the United States. This project is an attempt to combat these problems. The project contains a seven …

Seclusion Amongst Elementary And High School Students: An Analysis Of The Role Of Demographic Variables In The Use Of Seclusion In Kansas Schools, Felicity Balluch

Prairie Journal of Educational Research

Background Demographic variables are suspected to influence seclusion rates in educational settings. However, little is known about the connections between these variables and reported incidents of seclusion, particularly how seclusion is influenced by gender, special education status, race, and eligibility for free and reduced lunch.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between demographic variables and seclusion rates for elementary and high school students. It was hypothesized that all predictor variables were directly related to the outcome variable in both cases.

Design/Method This study utilized data from the Kansas Discipline Incident System (Kan-Dis), which is an …

Beyond Race: A Quantitative Study Of The Discipline Gap Among Predominantly Black High Schools In Chicago, Felipe Ignacio Agudelo Acevedo

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Exclusionary discipline in schools has been proven to develop negative consequences in the life of students who are exposed to this kind of punishment in schools. Research in this area has shown that Out of School Suspensions (OSS) more frequently affect Black male students. During this research I argue that OSS are not necessarily caused by the race of the student but by some other factors that make some predominantly Black high schools more likely to use OSS than others. A question to be answered in the area of school discipline is related to what contributes to the odds that …

The Absence Of Aspiration In The Era Of Accountability, Mary R. Martinez

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Reforms early in the 21st century purported to close the achievement gap between White students and students of color, to provide accountability and transparency to taxpayers, to implement meaningful consequences for low-performing schools, and to create the workforce for the century. In this study, I investigated the effects of school reform on the lived experiences of students who graduated from high school in 2014 by inquiring into six young people’s perceptions of their schooling. I sought to better understand whether participants were aware of the existence and intent of school reforms, and how or whether their aspirations for their futures …

Distraction, Enjoyment, And Motivation During An Indoor Cycling Unit Of High School Physical Education, Kelsey Higginson

Theses and Dissertations

With the increased rate of overweight and obese youth in the United States many people began looking for ways to increase youth exercise quality and habits; one such way was by using an external distraction during exercise to increase personal motives toward exercise. This study involved 81 high school aged students enrolled in a required physical education class. Students rode an indoor cycling bike for 20 minutes while wearing a heart rate monitor. They were told to maintain a heart rate between their 70 and 79% maximum heart rate. Every 5 minutes students were asked to rate how hard they …

What Can The Lit Lab Do For You? A Qualitative Analysis Of High School Literacy Lab Participants, Bridget P. Jaensch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to document the changes in student progress, motivation, and achievement. The specific aim is to see what happens when students replace a traditional study hall with small group guided instruction in a literacy lab. Motivation profiles, goal setting, and reflection are all analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in how they viewed themselves as learners and in their academic endeavor to achieve goals. The implications for teaching in a literacy lab environment are discussed.