Education Commons^™

An Assessment Of Improvement Challenges & Lessons Learned From Feeding Students Of A Large Urban School District During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jamar King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation study took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the work of school food service professionals as this has implications for all school food service staff. Specifically, this study focused on the role of the cafeteria managers, through their practices, beliefs, the support needed, and challenges they faced during a complicated reality of meeting student needs, and to contribute to the improvement practices in school food service for future emergencies. The research questions, methods, and data analysis are framed using the first three principles of Improvement Science described …

Feel My Story: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Latinx Counselors-In-Training Experiences With Psychological Safety, Felishatee Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used in the current study to examine how Latinx counselors-in-training (CITs) define and experience psychological safety in their classroom environments while enrolled in CACREP-accredited master’s degree programs in the United States. In the present study, IPA was employed to make sense of the participants’ detailed narratives and discover how Latinx CITs interpreted and made meaning of their experiences with psychological safety in classroom environments. Serving as the theoretical framework, Latino Critical Theory was used to weave together and validate the cultural components of Latinx CITs’ accounts as they orchestrated themselves through their CACREP-accredited master’s …

The Impact Of Antecedent Physical Exercises On Increasing On-Task Behaviors And Decreasing Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors In Elementary Students With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder In Saudi Arabia, Shadi Albadawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical exercises (PEs) are one of the most used approaches by researchers to treat restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) and enhance on-task behaviors in students with high-functioning Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although PEs is recognized as Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) for students with ASD in the United States of America (USA) that are based on moderate evidence, it is important to conduct more empirical studies to explore its effects on individuals with ASD from different populations in the KSA. The current study used a single-subject, multiple baseline design across subjects to examine the effect of antecedent structured physical exercises (teaching soccer …

Thirdspace Leadership: Depicting Fbcoai Leaders’ Transitional Identities And Expe- Riences Of Breaking “Fbcoai Bamboo Ceiling” In Chinese Immersion Programs, Shengnan Yue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how the transitional identities and experiences of Foreign Born Chinese Origin Asian Immigrant (FBCOAI) leaders influence their leadership practices in American Immersive Chinese Language Program. In the Chinese immersion programs, FBCOAI leaders are those with ethnicity Chinese who entered the United States during adulthood, and immigrated during their adulthood. This study is to explore the Thirdspace leadership, an actual-and-virtual place, where the FBCOAI leaders reconcile their professional development and leadership into practice. FBCOAI leaders are bilingual, experiencing a transitional stage of immigration status, and geographical/cultural/occupational changes. This study stands on “an-Other” perspective to know the FBCOAI …

Implications Of Individuals With Music Learning Experience Using A Segmented Multimedia Lesson In A Non-Music Discipline, Cheryl Farren Tkacs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how prior music learning experience relates to learning with multimedia resources in non-music disciplines. Specifically, whether years of music learning experience, type of music learning experience, or type of multimedia were associated with task scores and task duration in a non-music discipline. The study revealed the transferable benefits of music learning experience to learning outcomes in other disciplines. Encouraging music studies as part of the base curriculum is thus strongly encouraged. However, as years of music learning and the presence or absence of segmenting in multimedia learning resources were not found to …

Adaptive Microlearning: An Empirical Study Among The Students In The Rural Areas Of China, Jingwei Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through multiple educational reforms, China has pursued developing well-rounded learners with solid content knowledge, higher-order thinking skills, and the ability to transfer knowledge to real-world problem spaces. The imbalance of learning resources between urban and rural China, however, has caused disadvantages for learners in rural China to gain access to quality educational opportunities necessary for becoming well-rounded learners. Luckily, the quickly growing Internet service coverage in rural China makes educational interventions possible. Online intervention aiming for many qualities of well-rounded learners, such as deeper learning, is particularly promising.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of adaptive …

Synchronous Virtual K-12 Teachers' Use Of Multimedia Principles In Electronic Slide Design, Lisa Beaulieu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hundreds of thousands of K-12 children in the United States are enrolled in online K-12 virtual schools that consistently report poor academic outcomes. There is a need to assess how well instructors in a synchronous online environment present new material to learners in a way that best aligns with how the brain manages and integrates new information into long-term memory. Online K-12 teachers use PowerPoint to design Electronic Slide Presentation (ESP) decks, which are used as their main form of instruction with their students during synchronous classes. The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) provides a set of principles which …

Digital Historians: Engaging Students In Historical Thinking Through An Interactive Website, Casey O'Donnell-Chavis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which students engage in historical thinking through the use of an interactive website, and how the students understood and experienced its various features and how they incorporated technology in their final video project. In the spring of 2022, five students participated in a class workshop focused on historical thinking using their Chromebooks. Following a week of learning about the five elements of historical thinking, students were asked to create a multimedia final video project on a historical figure of their choice. Two students completed the assignment. Thematic coding analysis …

Technological Content Knowledge And Technological Pedagogical Knowledge In Secondary Science Teachers: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Stefanie Graban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers in K-12 education are increasingly using technology in their courses. However, teachers may struggle to implement technology effectively in their specific subject areas. Existing research demonstrates that there was a need to better support in-service science teachers’ technological content knowledge. Accordingly, the purpose of this practitioner research study was to examine how, why, and to what extent in-service secondary science teachers report using technology as part of instructional practices. The TPACK framework was used as the theoretical lens for a mixed methods study exploring secondary science teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) and technological content knowledge (TCK). Multiple data sources …

Examining The Effects Of An Early Mand Training Intervention On Mand Acquisition In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Maram Alnahari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show language delays. Their limited communication skill may lead them to engage in the same disruptive behavior that previously got them what they wanted. Verbal behavior (VB), specifically mand training (MT), is one of the early language intervention strategies used to target language development and facilitate functional communication with young children with autism. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an early mand training intervention on mand acquisition in children with ASD. This study specifically targeted the application, the implementation, and their effects. A multiple baseline across participants research design was used …

Perspective Of Nyerere On Self-Reliance: A Transformational Rhetorical For Liberating African Identity In Tanzanian Context, Ayub Mwampela

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Julius Kambarage Nyerere (1922–1999) was the first president of Tanganyika in 1961 and the founding father of the United Republic of Tanzania, after having merged Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964. He died from leukemia on October 14, 1999, in London. He was 77 years old. Among the most memorable events in the life of Nyerere is his involvement in the struggle for the freedom of African people from foreign influences.

The goal of this research is to ask and answer to the following question: How does the perspective of Nyerere on self-reliance contribute to the effort of liberating African identity? …

Identity And Language Socialization Of Asian Transnational Adolescents Across Communities Of Practice: A Critical Narrative Study, Ming-Tso Chien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of the international secondary students in the United States come from Asian countries. Their enrollments are closely connected to the cultural, curricular, and extracurricular diversity of their American schools. Despite their contribution, stereotypical depictions of these students and deficit-informed research still abound in educational settings, leaving serious consequences for the social and academic well-being of the students.

These problematic educational framings about Asian international students and the majoritarian narratives about them are mutually informative. Therefore, to counter the dominant discourses, this multimodal critical narrative study set out to recruit stories from a group of Asian transnational adolescent …

Developing An Lgbtqia2+ Affirming Curriculum And Testing Its Impact On Allyship, Tausif Karim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why are some conversations considered more difficult in learning spaces than others? What is the potential for educational interventions strengthen our capacities for such challenging conversations and for allyship? Guided by these broad questions, the present thesis focused on LGBTQIA2+ affirming education and sought to specifically test how an intentionally queer online learning experiences impacted the participants’ self-perceived allyship efficacies.

In my thesis, I draw on literature exploring how the “civility, teacher immediacy, or teacher credibility” (Chen & Lawless, 2018, p. 376) of Western education has prevented instructors from bringing topics related to race, gender, immigration, sexuality, and others in …

“Reading Is Everywhere:” A Case Study Situating Children's Book Distribution Within The Literacy Practices Of Somali New Mainers, Rachel C H Groenhout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Somalia has a long and rich oral literacy tradition of poetry, proverbs, and songs, while Somalia’s print literacy history has been significantly disrupted by colonization and then the Somali Civil War. Many Somalis have fled the country since the start of the civil war in 1991, and an estimated 10,000 Somalis have made a new home in Maine. When Somali citizens relocated to Maine, they were exposed to Maine’s Raising Readers children’s book distribution program. Raising Readers distributes high-quality, age-appropriate, English-language children’s books during pediatric well-child visits to foster family literacy interactions and children’s emergent literacy skills.

This study explores …

Borderline Grading Decisions: The Factors That Influence The Choices Of High School Physical Science Teachers, Kate Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers consider many different kinds of factors in determining student grades. They use a mix of achievement and non-achievement factors in grading decisions, to the criticism of educational measurement experts (Brookhart, 1991; Brookhart, 1993; Frary et al., 1993; Popham, 2009). The factors that influence this decision making are particularly salient when teachers consider borderline grades and make decisions about raising, holding, or lowering marks. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences and self-reported practices of high school physical science teachers’ decision making about borderline grades. Through a series of two semi-structured interviews, twelve participants described the …

Teacher And School Leader Perspectives On Factors That Impact Relationships And Recidivism Among Black Or African American Girls: A Mixed Methods Study, Amber Jan Lasalle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate teacher and school leader perspectives on how relationships with Black or African American girls' impacted recidivism in an alternative school setting. The following research questions were used to guide this study to examine the viewpoint of alternative school teachers and school leaders regarding factors that impact teacher and student relationships and preventing recidivism among African American girls: What factors do alternative school teachers and leaders feel contribute to recidivism among Black or African American girls? What are alternative school teachers’ and school leaders’ perspectives on how relationships impact recidivism among Black …

The Lived Experiences Of Students Who Are Single Parents And Attending Community College: A Phenomenological Study, Debbie Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used phenomenological research methods to explore the lived experiences of single parents attending community college. The phenomenological research design was used to better understand participant experiences by examining the participant’s view of their situation. Thirteen single-parent students in community colleges in the United States were selected using purposeful sampling techniques. The participants included ten female participants and three male participants. Of these participants, nine students attended full-time, and four attended part-time. Each student participated in one-on-one interviews using Zoom technology.

The participants provided their perceptions of their experiences as single parents attending community college. These participants described …

Perceptions Of Middle School Teachers Regarding Differentiation Instruction, Karen Mclerran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of middle school teachers regarding differentiation of instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities. Although there has been little documentation in the literature regarding instructional differentiation five factors that facilitate change have been identified in the framework.

Data collection strategies included one-on-one semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Analysis of data occurred in three phases: (a) transcribing interviews, (b) member checking of the transcripts, (c) coding-recoding of the data. The analysis of data was based on the theoretical proposition that student achievement, positive behaviors, and increased learner motivation fosters …

Academic Achievement And Degree Attainment Among College Students With Children., Katrina Elliott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS) (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.) from 2012 to 2017 acquired by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) survey program, this study addresses the research questions of whether there is a difference in degree attainment of earning a bachelor’s degree in the time period from 2012 through 2017 and whether there is a difference in academic achievement as defined by students’ grade point average between students who have dependent children and those who do not have dependent children between the ages 18 to 29 attending a four-year institution after …

Language Ideologies And Racialization Of Language: Multilingual Learners' Experiences In The First Year In A Community College., Yohimar Sivira Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges have become key sites for preparing diverse and immigrant students for the transition to the workforce and four-year institutions. Yet, despite the recent growths of Multilingual Learners in community colleges, few studies focus on how students experience the first year in college after completing their ESL programs and their relations with instructors and how instructors perceive and interact with students institutionally classified as English as a Second Language (ESL) students. I use theories of language ideologies and racialization of language to understand multilingual learners’ experiences in the first year of college and how interaction with instructors shaped those …

Understanding Neuroanatomy In A Virtual 3d Environment: Creation And Use Of A New Survey Tool To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of 3d Software In Neuroanatomy Education For Understanding Superficial And Deep Brain Structures., Akash Khare

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studying cross-sections is a critical approach to learning and testing knowledge in neuroanatomy and the role of 3D technologies have been gradually increasing in medical education, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. A study was conducted in a quasi-experimental one-group pre-post interventional design in an online setting by creating and evaluating the effectiveness of a virtual lab in neuroanatomy for all neuroscience students enrolled in the Fundamentals of Neuroscience course in our department at the University of Louisville. Study modules were created using the 2D resources used in previous years and 3D web applications of Visible Body and AnatomyLearning.com software. A …

A Psychometric Analysis Of The Comprehensive School Survey (Css) Middle School Student Version., Stephen Leach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School climate is increasingly recognized by scholars and policymakers as a crucial factor associated with students’ educational experiences. Hence, practitioners endeavor to equitably measure and improve school climate to promote favorable student academic and behavior outcomes. Unfortunately, school climate research is fragmented, and a research-practice gap exists in best scale development and validity testing practices. The result is a proliferation of practitioner-developed school climate measures lacking solid theory-grounding and evidence to support intended score interpretations and uses. In response, Whitehouse et al. (2021) proposed a validity testing framework for practitioner-developed instruments aimed at supporting culturally responsive school climate measurement. Their …

Does Teacher Bias Increase Referral Of Blacks To Special Education For A Reading Disability?, Blade Wise Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that Black students are over-represented in special education for a reading disability based on the inaccuracy of teacher referrals. Teachers' accuracy in referring Black students to special education for a reading disability is not an extensively researched area. This study aims to determine if teachers' biases and attitudes toward Black students impacted their ability to accurately make a special education referral for a reading disability for this population of students. For this study, teachers completed a questionnaire, cultural competence self-assessment checklist, four vignettes, and a post-vignette question to determine if their personal biases and attitudes impacted their willingness …

A Phenomenological Study Of Tenure-Track Faculty Serving In Dual Roles As Administrators, Keri L. Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of tenure-track faculty serving in dual roles as administrators at Carnegie classified R2 and R3 higher education institutions within the United States. Fourteen participants completed one-on-one, semi-structured interviews about their lived experiences as tenure-track faculty members serving in dual roles. Participants discussed rewards and motivations as well as challenges. Additionally, participants discussed perceptions of their academic identities. Key themes emerged during data analysis. Rewards and motivations included the following: Community change agent and student advocate, a “seat at the table,” collegiality, flexibility, confidence from prior experience and clear tenure procedures, and job …

Transfer Articulation And Transfer Agreement Success: Student Transfer From Community College To Locally Governed, Public, 4-Year Universities In Tennessee, Kathi Horne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to investigate the success of students who use transfer articulation agreements to transfer from any of the 13 community colleges in Tennessee to one of the state’s public, four-year, locally governed institutions to complete a bachelor's degree. Data were collected from five 4-year public universities across the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Promise initiative was created to allow students the opportunity to begin postsecondary college careers at little to no cost. When combined with either the Tennessee Transfer Pathways or transfer articulation agreements, the goal was to create a seamless transition from …

Physician Quality Scores And The Presentation And Delivery Method Of Data In A Residency Program, Monaco Briggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States health care expenditures are higher than any other developed country. Due to this, physician payment reform is moving from fee-for-service (FFS) to a value-based model, with a focus on prevention and quality. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure the effect of a series of data delivery interventions associated with the quality scorecards and which method increased the quality scores at a medical teaching practice in Tennessee.

Data were gathered via the Physician Quality Scorecard, an internally developed instrument. Each quarter, a different data delivery intervention was performed, and scorecard data were analyzed …

Community College Faculty’S Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Teaching, Sarah Tolbert-Hurysz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to understand community college faculty’s perceptions of and experiences with culturally responsive teaching. Participants were full- and part-time faculty currently employed at community colleges in the Southeastern United States and purposefully selected to provide information-rich data. Data collected from the semi-structured, in-depth interviews with the participants were coded and thematically analyzed. Emerging themes included faculty’s inclusion of varied categories of cultural diversity when describing students; limited knowledge related to culturally responsive teaching; perception that culturally responsive teaching is centered on connecting and building relationships with students; belief in the value of providing students exposure to different …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Examining The Perceived Benefits Of A Career Course For English-Speaking First-Generation Hispanic And Latino Students, David Benjamin Mason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem that provoked this research is the incessant, declining retention, completion, and transfer rates among English-speaking, first-generation Hispanic and Latino students. Educational institutions continue to increase services, improve academic programs, enhance curriculum design, integrate technology, and consider alternative career paths to success with marginal to no improvement. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived benefits of English-speaking, first-generation Hispanic and Latino students who participated in a career course instructed by a career professional compared to a course instructed by an academic adjunct faculty member. Developing one’s career remains a vital aspect of the college experience, and …

Influence Of Restorative Practices On The Middle-School Classroom, As Reported By Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Julia Y. Andrews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the influence that restorative practices have on the middle school classroom environment. For the purpose of this study, seven middle school teachers were selected who have implemented restorative practices in their middle school classrooms to provide feedback. Findings suggest that overall restorative practices have a positive influence on the classroom. The findings from this study can be used with teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and school and district support staff to help create a positive campus culture between students and adults in middle school classrooms. The …