Education Commons^™

It’S Kind Of A Curious Incident In The Bell Jar: Using Literature And Discussion To Advocate For Mental Health Education In The High School English Classroom, Margaret Keefe

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Literature has served as an outlet for those who have both written and read it, powerfully describing all aspects of the human condition—even the mental disorders we suffer from. Language Arts classrooms provide students with the ability to access and critically analyze this unique outlet for expression and understanding. Given the high rate of mental disorders among young adults and students, this often stigmatized issue cannot be ignored inside or outside the classroom. The purpose of this project is to analyze how texts which discuss mental disorders might be taught in the high school English classroom. This will include not …

Leveraging Student Experience With Water For Active Learning In A Large Introductory Oceanography Classroom, Rebecca Freeman

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Noncontingent Reinforcement With Signals On Problem Behavior In The Classroom Setting, Jannica Pozulos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research has shown noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) to be an effective intervention in reducing inappropriate behavior (i.e., problem behavior) when implemented prior to its occurrence in both clinical and applied settings. Some research suggests problem behavior of teenagers and adults with disabilities may be reduced at greater rates when NCR is implemented in combination with signals (e.g., visual timers). Additional research is warranted to investigate if the positive effects of NCR can be enhanced using signals when working with young children with autism. This study evaluated the effects of NCR when implemented with and without a visual timer on the problem …

Effectiveness Of Gamification Activities In A Project-Based Learning Classroom, Eleanor Leung, Elizabeth Pluskwik

Integrated Engineering Department Publications

The purpose of this research is to analyze the effectiveness, and student's self-reported engagement with gamification tools on a student's learning of technical concepts when used in a project-based learning (PBL) engineering classroom environment. Gamification, as defined in this study, is the use of game-based elements such as online audience response systems with automated feedback in non-game situations. By adding gamification to the classroom, we hope to further build on the active and collaborative learning environment that our PBL program already provides. Five gamification activities were implemented during the Fall 2017 semester with junior and senior student engineers enrolled in …

Alchemy In Education: Towards A Preschool Model In College Classrooms, Van Alstyne, Bradley E.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Education has long been a necessary, yet standardized procedure with little difference from program to program or school to school. In this paper I argue that more of a creative approach using existing educational models such as preschool education would serve us well in the development of student skills at all levels, including college. I also contend that an alchemical metaphor would be useful in the application and acknowledgement of the value of such an approach.

Instructor Sense Of Community And Instructional Practices As Predictors Of Student Sense Of Community: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Analysis, Laurie K. Burgess

Dissertations

A positive sense of community (SoC) in the college classroom supports student learning and increases student engagement and motivation. While previous research has examined SoC, studies have typically investigated students’ perceptions. This quantitative cross-sectional study investigates both instructor and students’ perceptions of SoC in traditional undergraduate classrooms. Study participants include full-time instructors, and students from 36 undergraduate classes in three institutions located in a Midwestern state. Students completed Rovai’s (2002a) Classroom Community Scale; instructors completed a remodified Classroom Community Scale and the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (Walter, Henderson, Beach, & Williams, 2016).

This study uses hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to …

Technological Resources Versus Non-Technological Resources, Samantha Sapa

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to help show that using technology as an instructional strategy will benefit students’ knowledge on certain concepts. Improving focus and engagement will lead to increased knowledge of students. This study’s participants included ten randomly selected second-graders. They focused on the concept of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes. At the beginning of this study, they were given a pre-assessment (see Appendix A) to show their current knowledge. When this study was completed, a post-assessment (see Appendix B) was given. Comparing the results of these two assessments helped to show that using technology, during teacher-led instruction, benefited …

Competition: Motivating Or Declination Of Academic Success, Nicholas Mazza

Honors Projects

This study examines if competition in the classroom is more of a motivating or declining factor. I am examining the positive and negative effects of competitions on students. Games and individual worksheets will be employed to explore influence on academic achievement. Through my research, I did not find competition to be motivating for students. However, I did find the competition intervention to provide higher average quiz scores.

Language Use By Spanish Heritage Speakers In The Classroom And The World And The Implications For Educators, Amanda Deras

Honors Theses

Looking at the patterns of language use, language attitudes, and language ideologies, this literature review investigates how Spanish heritage speakers’ use of Spanish and their views on using Spanish translate into the classroom. This paper looks at Spanish heritage language use in both official and unofficial spaces, putting emphasis on use in the classroom. Additionally, it looks at the language attitudes and ideologies Spanish heritage language speakers have toward the use of Spanish, English, and “Spanglish” in different contexts. Heritage language speakers, particularly Spanish heritage language speakers, are growing in number in the United States and in American schools. In …

The Arts And Technology: How Educational Technology Can Bring Humanities Further Into Elementary And Primary School Systems, Coleman D. Alameda

Senior Theses

As the world becomes more inclined to implement technology in nearly every aspect of society, the United States Department of Education must find a way to incorporate new styles of modern and high-tech teaching without pushing out certain subjects from its curriculum. I believe technology can be used to bring the Humanities further into the classroom. In today’s society American education programs are desperately trying to make up for subpar primary school scores in mathematics and science. According to the government accredited international education forum (the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) the United States was found to be below …

Mental Mathematics In The Classroom, Linda Li

Honors Projects

The purpose of this action research study is to investigate the impact of mental mathematics in the classroom and how it affects student achievement. Participants are students in a 9^th grade Honors Geometry classroom with a class length of 43 minutes in a suburban setting. An initial survey was conducted to evaluate student confidence and reasoning abilities on a Likert scale. Throughout the research time frame, students were presented tasks requiring mental mathematics as an in-class activity. At the end of the experiment, students were to complete a post- survey to measure growth in areas like number fluency, self-confidence, …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On Classroom Climate And Perceived Teacher Stress, Erin Kathryn Hebert

LSU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Teaching has been identified as the most stressful profession in the human service industry (Greenberg, Brown, & Abenavoli, 2016). Elevated teacher stress can affect teacher well-being and burnout, as well as, classroom climate and student outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research study was to assess whether mindfulness practices can increase positive classroom climate and decrease perceived stress in early childhood teachers. METHOD: Participating teachers were selected based on results of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983). Data were collected on the positive and negative climate objectives from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System …

Designing Learning With Citizen Science And Games, Karen Schrier

The Emerging Learning Design Journal

This emerging trends article introduces concepts such as citizen science (the inclusion of non-professionals in scientific knowledge production) and knowledge games (games that enable players to solve real-world problems through crowdsourcing and collective intelligence activities within a game). The article shares the strengths and limitations of using citizen science and knowledge games in the classroom, as well as initial tips and guidelines for bringing these types of experiences to the classroom.

Cybersecurity In The Classroom: Bridging The Gap Between Computer Access And Online Safety, Andrew Malecki

Cyber Security Capstone Research Project Reports

According to ISACA, there will be a global shortage of 2 million cybersecurity professionals worldwide by 2019. Additionally, according to Experian Data Breach Resolution, as much as 80% of all network breaches can be traced to employee negligence. These problems will not solve themselves, and they likewise won’t improve without drastic action. An effort needs to be made to help direct interested and qualified individuals to the field of cybersecurity to move toward closing this gap. Moreover, steps need to be made to better inform the public of general safety measures while online, including the safeguarding of sensitive information.

A …

Preparing Quality Teachers: Bridging The Gap Between Tertiary Experiences And Classroom Realities, Corinne Green, Michelle J. Eady, Peter J. Andersen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There are many factors that impact student learning, with quality educators being one of the most important elements for student success. Accordingly, the promotion of quality teacher preparation programs has become a priority for tertiary institutions, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. There is a known disparity between tertiary experiences and classroom realities that leave graduate teachers feeling unprepared for the teaching profession. Employing a contextualized learning approach such as situated learning theory in teacher preparation programs can reduce this gap and successfully prepare graduate teachers for the teaching arena. This research project surveyed one cohort (n=154) at the conclusion of a …

Perspectives Of Elementary Classroom Teachers About Family Volunteer Presence And Student Performance, Rachel Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While researchers have explored various aspects of the family volunteer presence in the classroom, little is known pertaining to the perceptions of teachers regarding this phenomenon, specifically as it relates to fifth grade student reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of family volunteers' presence and its influence on fifth grade student reading comprehension. The works of Patton and of Epstein informed this study. The research questions explored teachers' perception of benefits and challenges of the family volunteers' presence. Data were collected via interviews with 8 experienced fifth grade teachers who have worked with a …

The Impact Of Applying The First Two Steps Of Polya’S Four Problemsolving Steps In An Advanced Mathematics Classroom, Christine A. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

The teacher-researcher spent eight weeks as a participant observer in an advanced high school mathematics class in a small town in the southeast. The process of problemsolving was introduced to all twenty students from a combined IB Math SL and AP Calculus AB class. After the pretest, three students were selected, from under-represented groups, for in-depth observation, interviews, and collection of artifacts in order to determine the impact of problem-solving techniques. The work of these students, from underrepresented groups, was examined to gain insight into their experiences and thought processes surrounding problem-solving. The students answered questions about their attitude towards …

Teachers' Perceptions About Reading Instruction In Elementary Inclusion Classrooms, Elizabeth Ann Kempf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers argued that special education students should learn alongside regular education students because involvement with peers affects special education students' ability to assimilate information. However, inclusive elementary classroom teachers in a local Texas school were struggling to meet the learning needs of their diverse student populations in reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions about reading instruction in an inclusion setting and to investigate what teachers believe was needed to improve the effectiveness of their practice. King-Sears's inclusion instructional model served as the conceptual framework to guide this study. The research questions were focused on …

Problem-Solving In An Early Childhood Mathematics Classroom, Lockey Plyler

Theses and Dissertations

Problem-solving occurs when mathematical tasks create opportunities that provide challenges for increasing students' mathematical understanding and development. This research study determined the influence of the launch-explore-summarize/extend problem-solving framework on second-grade student performance of place value tasks. The dissertation in practice measured problem-solving success. This action research study occurred at an elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina. The teacher-researcher determined appropriate problem-solving tasks and assessed students’ academic achievement and critical thinking skills. Following a mixed methods action research design, the researcher analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to determine the significance of the problem-solving framework. The data indicated significant student growth during …