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 …

Does A Step Back Approach To The Implementation Of Project Spraoi Affect The Health And Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency Of Irish Children?, Conor Hemmersley

Masters

Title: Does a step back approach to the implementation of Project Spraoi affect the health and fundamental movement skill proficiency of Irish children? Background: Project Spraoi is an intervention which attempts to positively influence the overall health of Irish primary school children. Previous iterations of Project Spraoi have been labour intensive with an Energiser working with a maximum of two schools to deliver the intervention. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on fundamental movement skills (FMS), and markers of health of Irish primary school children using a step back approach. The step back …

Map To Khan Academy Connection: Analyzing The Potential Role Of Using Khan Mappers To Boost Map Scores, Glenda Elgersma

Master of Education Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Khan Academy when utilized as a supplement to core math curriculum and tailored according to scores initially received by students on their MAP test. Through the use of the Khan Academy Mappers site and the alignment of tasks to individual scores, this study compared growth rates for students with access to online practice through Khan and those without access to online practice through Khan. Results indicated a greater increase in MAP scores for students who coupled their core math curriculum with Khan Academy as a supplement.

Is A Flipped Classroom In A High School Geometry Class Effective?, Charles Dirks

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the effects of the flipped classroom on a high school geometry class in a rural setting. Thirty-nine high school students ranging from ninth to the eleventh grade participated in the study. These students were already divided into three separate classes. Two of the geometry classes became the experimental group and received a new flipped model of teaching. The control group was one geometry class and was given the same lecture style of teaching that the teacher had used for the past three years. Students were given a pre- and post-test to determine if after receiving …

Fiqws Fall 2018: Phase 2 Assignment Prompt The Exploratory Essay, Sabina Pringle, Missy Watson

Open Educational Resources

This phase two writing assignment prompt for FIQWS 10003 - HA1 WCGI History & Culture and FIQWS 10103 - HA1 Composition for WCGI History & Culture (fall 2018) provides guidelines for writing an Exploratory Essay in which students will consider the ideas of course readings and compose an essay that demonstrates their engagement with those ideas. The rhetorical purpose of this assignment is for students to demonstrate the ways in which their thinking about language and literacy has developed so far in the course, using evidence based on interpretations, ideas, and examples as well as passages from four or five …

Authentic Learning Experiences: Investigating How Teachers Can Lead Their Students To Intrinsic Motivation In Meaningful Work, Rhonda Van Donge

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated how an authentic learning experience impacted the motivation and engagement of students toward finding intrinsic value in meaningful work in a sophomore English classroom at a private Christian high school in the Midwest. The participants were 57 sophomores at the high school taking required English 10. The students participated in an authentic learning experience (ALE) designed by their teacher in which they were split into 10 teams, each team writing and designing one issue the sophomore class’s newspaper. The 57 students completed an anonymous survey at the conclusion of the authentic learning experience. Eight students …

Do Kindergarten Readiness Screenings Predict Academic And Social Success?, Lori Schaap

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the correlations between kindergarten readiness screening scores and kindergarten academic success, kindergarten social success, and third grade academic success. The participants included eighteen students who were given a readiness screening prior to kindergarten entry. These participants continued to be enrolled in the same school and were given a standardized academic test at the end of third grade. Additionally, kindergarten screening scores were compared to teacher surveys rating the participants’ academic and social ability in kindergarten. The screening scores were also compared to find if a correlation existed between the kindergarten screening scores and the third …

Student Ownership, Engagement, And The Love Of Learning: Investigating The Correlation Of Student Ownership To Student Engagement, Kevin Koeman

Master of Education Program Theses

This research study sought to determine whether providing students with increased student ownership opportunities leads to increased student engagement. Previous literature showed that when teachers allow increased student ownership, the engagement of students in class increased. One hundred and five students participated in this three-week study in an upper level English composition and literature class. For this study, students were surveyed to identify the correlation between student ownership of learning and their overall levels of student engagement in learning. The results, as a whole, confirmed that students are more engaged in learning when given more ownership opportunities.

Flipped Classrooms And The Video Creator’S Impact On Achievement, Kailee Davelaar

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the correlation between the creator of a flipped instructional video and the math achievement of the students. The researcher designed a study to examine the pre- and post-test math scores of 19 7th grade participants who viewed instructional math videos created by their classroom teacher and instructional math videos available via YouTube. After students completed one math unit with each video type, they also completed a voluntary survey investigating their video preference. Quantitative data collected from the pre- and post-tests were analyzed and the researcher found the results to be inconclusive for student achievement. The …

Formative Feedback And Student Attitudes: Investigating The Impact Of Teacher Feedback On Student Attitudes In The Classroom, Aaron Vedder

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study explored the impact of formative feedback on student attitudes in the classroom. Four Grade 12 college-stream English students from an independent school in southwestern Ontario participated in semi-structured interviews where they responded to questions surrounding their attitudes towards their own self-efficacy, towards the English course content, and towards English instructors. Responses reflected on experiences in English courses throughout their high school career. The results of this study suggested that formative feedback has a strong impact on student self-efficacy and their relationship with the instructor, but minimal effect on student attitudes towards English course content.

Feedback And Growth Mindset: Nurturing A Growth Mindset Through Feedback With Middle School Students, Lori Carpenter

Master of Education Program Theses

The purpose of this research study was to explore how a teacher can nurture a growth mindset in students using feedback and assessment, inviting them to take initiative and responsibility in their learning process. The research questions sought to answer how a teacher’s beliefs about the malleability of intelligence and ability impacts students’ beliefs and mindset as well as to explore the practices used by teachers in giving feedback to students that nurture a growth mindset. Five teachers, along with their classes of middle school students, were surveyed to assess mindset towards learning. To dig deeper into the questions of …

The Book Of Thesis Books, Elizabeth Leeper, Jennifer Liese, Center For Arts & Language

Thesis Writing

89 pages : color illustrations ; 18 x 23 cm."This guide is intended to help future thesis writers understand the range of approaches to and content in RISD thesis books, locate some especially strong examples in the Library's vast thesis collection, and imagine and plan their own theses." - from the introduction. "Introduction by Jennifer Liese" - Colophon. Contents: Academic thesis -- Monograph -- Project document -- Mosaic essay -- Artist's book. "Designed by Elizabeth Leeper (MFA Graphic Design 2017). Set in Parry and Parry Grotesque, by Artur Schmal, and printed by Lulu."--Colophon.

The Effectiveness Of School-Based Interventions On The Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency Among A Cohort Of Irish Primary School Children, Lisa Bolger

PhDs

Background: Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic observable patterns of movement such as running and jumping. FMS facilitate participation in physical activity and sport. The ability to perform FMS correctly (i.e. FMS proficiency) is associated with numerous health benefits and is important for the holistic development of children. FMS proficiency among primary school children worldwide is low. Thus, interventions aimed at improving FMS levels among children are warranted. Therefore, this thesis aimed to assess the FMS proficiency among a cohort of Irish primary school children and examine the effectiveness of a physical activity (PA) (Year 1) and a multicomponent FMS …

An Investigation Into Te Relationship Between Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency And Markers Of Health Among A Cohort Of Irish Primary School Children, Linda Bolger

PhDs

Background: Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic observable patterns of movement. Although FMS are positively associated with health, FMS levels among children worldwide are low. Interventions to improve FMS and markers of health among children are warranted. Thus, the purpose of this research was to firstly evaluate the FMS proficiency and markers of health of Irish primary school children, and to design and implement a programme of interventions to improve both.

Methods: Two interventions (1 Physical Activity [PA] and 1 FMS) were implemented and evaluated using children from 3 primary schools in Cork. Children (N=217, mean age: 7.98±2.00 years) …