Education Commons^™

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder: Reframing The Possible Employment Outcomes Of Leaving Certificate Applied (Lca) Students From Disadvantaged Communities, Vicki O'Reilly

Journal of Franco-Irish Studies

Researching disadvantage can potentially make a difference to the lives of those who are involved. Can we research disadvantage without adding to an already negative narrative or appearing to be condescending? Application of Active Research as a methodology can bring an inclusive and participatory approach to studying disadvantage. Comprehension of the impact of theories such as social reproduction and possible selves, their interaction and how one could be used to counteract the other, will allow an opportunity for conversation around positive solutions. Through understanding the language used to describe disadvantage we can bring an openness to challenge how we look …

Understanding The Significance Of Building A School In Belize Through Action Research, Stephen Todd Speer

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. In Central America, the country of Belize shares its border with Guatemala and Mexico. These countries, with El Salvador and Honduras, are known as the most dangerous areas in our world outside active war zones (Dudlry, 2012; Edwards & Gill, 2002; UNODC, 2019). Crime is the largest contributor to instability in the region and creates a dangerous environment that must be reduced. Reduction of crime can correlate to an increase in available educational opportunities (Edwards, 2002; OSAC, 2019). The U.S. government conducts foreign humanitarian programs that increase educational opportunities in hope of reducing crime and stabilizing the region …

Utilizing Video-Based Pedagogical Action Research To Transform Teacher Practice In Elementary And Secondary Classrooms, Kimberly A. Lebak

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This article introduces a video-based pedagogical action research model for primary and secondary teachers. The video-based pedagogical action research model incorporates video as a self-reflective tool to provide opportunities for teachers to utilize concrete artifacts in each phase of the pedagogical action research process. Sixty-seven practicing teachers participated in this qualitative study. Teacher self-reflections completed during the evaluation phase of the process and school administrator surveys were analyzed to evaluate impact of participation in the process. Results provide preliminary evidence that the implementation of the model can lead to shifts in how teachers think about their practice and ultimately lead …

“So, The World Isn’T Just Old White Guys?”: Student And Teacher Experiences In A Culturally Relevant Advanced Placement Chemistry Class, James Thomas Sox

Theses and Dissertations

This action research case study explores the impact of a culturally and socially diverse Advanced Placement Chemistry curriculum on student and teacher experiences. This study emerged due to my lack of multicultural teaching practices, which limited meaningful connections for students of diverse backgrounds. Once aware of this deficiency, I created four thematic units that blended chemistry content with aspects of culturally relevant pedagogy and social reconstructionism. Surveys, reflection logs, observations, and a focus group interview captured data related to student and teacher experiences throughout the intervention period, which suggest the culturally relevant pedagogy supported students’ understanding of content, increased student …

Digital Literacy Integrated Into Academic Content Through The Collaboration Of A Librarian And A Core Content Teacher, Jeri Leann Jeffcoat

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to investigate the impact of collaborative teaching involving a school librarian and a social studies teacher on sixth-grade students’ unit projects, classroom engagement, and digital literacy skills. This study's innovation was twofold: academic content was infused with digital literacy skills instruction, and the librarian/researcher co-taught the unit with a regular academic content teacher. The study was designed to answer three research questions involving how instruction that integrates digital literacy and social studies content taught collaboratively by a librarian and social studies teacher influences sixth-grade social studies students’ performance on summative …

Reporting Values, Partnership With Parents And The Hidden Curriculum: A Qualitative Study, Veronica Elizabeth Morcom

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Australian government funded the West Australian project ‘Reporting Values to Parents’ as part of ‘The Values in Action Schools Project’ (2009). The two aims of the qualitative study were to develop a common values language supported by observable behaviours and an appreciation that values education is fundamental to schooling. Teachers used an action research process to create authentic values activities and involve parents in the assessment process. Parents shifted their perspectives to ratify teachers’ role to teach values explicitly. Students experienced a deeper sense of connection and belonging at school. Educators can adapt the activities in this paper to …

There’S Action In Silence: An Action Research Study On The Impacts Of Diverse Narratives In An Advanced Placement United States Government Class, Ashley Kristen Wright

Theses and Dissertations

In this action research study, I facilitated and evaluated student exposure to politically, socially, and economically diverse source material within my Advanced Placement United States Government classroom, seeking to resolve students’ apparent disconnect from experiences that differ from their own, which had made connections to topics like civil rights challenging to grasp. Because the supplemental material I had chosen for my government classes failed to provide opposing narratives for my students to make these connections, this study arose as a way to research and ultimately correct this problem from within my government classroom.

Over the course of a semester, I …

New Approaches To Peer Leader Training, Nadia Kennedy

Publications and Research

This paper describes a Peer Leader training course that has been modified to include innovative components focusing on developing content and pedagogical knowledge, practicing rehearsals, generating action research projects, doing poster presentations, and writing a reflective letter to new Peer Leaders. Through these innovations, four types of reflection–on relevant research and theory, on students’ experiences, on peer practice, and on one’s own practice–have been incorporated into the course. The new course components promise to offer more opportunities for trainees to practice peer leading in a structured and safe environment in which immediate and supportive feedback is available, and group practice …

The Impact Of An Interactive Simulation Program On English Language Learner Achievement In A Middle School Science Classroom, Scott Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how a particular technology program, Gizmos, would impact English language learner students in demonstrating their verbal and written comprehension of science content at a proficient level. Gizmos were incorporated as an intervention to facilitate the teaching of two different topics, convection cells and hurricane motion. This study involved three English language learner students with varying World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) proficiency levels between one and four. Semi-structured interviews, semi-structured observations, and work samples were conducted and collected from each of the participants. My analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between the use …

White Blindness: An Investigation Into Teacher Whiteness And Racial Ignorance, Mary Katharine Brasche

Theses and Dissertations

White supremacy and domination are the backbone foundation of the United States and have been long documented in its history. The prevalence of whiteness and white supremacy is not isolated to social situations or commerce but fundamentally ingrained in the education system. While Brown v. the Board of Education abolished the notion of separate but equal, the education of a diverse American student population remains predominantly at the hands of White, female educators. This action research study, using an investigative mixed-methods design, attempted to address educator whiteness at a small, rural high school in the Southeastern United States. Treatment …

“Anyone Can Be A Scientist”: Examining The Influence Of Diverse Scientist Representation On High School Students’ Perceptions Of Science And Stem Careers, Sydney Rubey

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This action research study examined how implementation of diverse instruction of scientists within a secondary astronomy course could affect students’ perceptions of scientists and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. The study also looked at how the intervention could influence students’ perceptions of themselves as scientists. The researcher collected data through surveys, focus group interviews, student artifacts, and fieldnotes. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, and qualitative data was analyzed through the constant comparative method. The three major themes which emerged are representation matters, humanization of scientists, and you don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy science. …

The Effects Of Game-Based Learning On The Motivation And Engagement Of Career Technical Education Students In The High School Chemistry Classroom, Samuel Lackey

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of practice in this dissertation in practice focuses on the lack of motivation and engagement exhibited by career technical education (CTE) students within the traditional high school chemistry classroom as a response to textbook and teacher-centered pedagogy. This qualitative action research study utilizes a game-based learning intervention that is ultimately based upon the personal interests and sociocultural discourses of the six case study participants and analyzes its impact on both the motivation and engagement of this particular sample of rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged, CTE secondary students. During the intervention, a total of five chemistry video games were played by …

Action Research: Hand Signals' Impact On Student Mindset And Performance, Katelyn Niehaus

Honors Projects

Hand signal use as a form of alternate mode of communication in the classroom offers potential for developing a growth mindset in students and, by this, improving student performance. This paper explores the work already done on various response systems. Research shows response systems typically accomplish their intended goal, and may help students to develop a growth mindset. Additionally, development of a growth mindset is associated with improvement in student performance. The action research discussed in this paper shows there may be an increase in growth mindset as a result of hand signal use in the classroom.

The Power Of Connections: An Online Doctoral Program's Use Of Strategic Onboarding To Enhance The Doctoral Experience, Jeri Heileman

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

A positive doctoral experience is rooted in an understanding of the expectations and reality of doctoral–level work. Students need specific knowledge, skills, and mindsets to complete coursework, critically analyze research, and write and defend a research dissertation. Despite a mutual commitment to academic achievement and graduation by faculty and students, attrition in doctoral programs remains high. This rate is even higher for those in online programs. Additionally, there are many challenges doctoral students experience outside of the core curriculum. The challenges facing students vary depending on the phase of the doctoral journey and the individual development of each student.

This …

Empowerment By Design: Classroom Innovation And Inquiry Through Design Thinking And Action Research, Cory Rayala

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly standardized and assessment-driven educational systems are failing to meet the needs of many students, replacing their love of learning with a fear of failure. Importantly, the fear of failure is a common mindset of not only students but also teachers, administrators, and policymakers. This qualitative, action research study is situated in a design thinking/growth mindset conceptual theory that posits that the design thinking process can serve as a meaningful growth mindset opportunity for teachers and students. The prototyping mindset inherent in design thinking may mitigate the fear of failure by focusing on rapid iteration rather than striving for perfection. …

Hybridized Internships And Service-Learning: An Inquiry Into Student, Community, And Higher Education Partner Experiences In A Community-Based Internship Program, Ben Trager

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores a community-based internship (CBI) program, a hybridization of internship and service-learning practices. CBIs are becoming more common in higher education, but literature on the practice of integrating internships and service-learning is scarce. The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of a CBI through an investigation of student, community partner, and university staff experiences and perceived outcomes of the program. Using participatory action research approaches and a thematic analysis of interviews and student course work, this qualitative study occurred in two phases and included 31 participants. The analysis employs frames of private vs public in …

Personalized Geometry Instruction: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study Implementing An Adaptive Web-Based Learning Environment To Support High School Students’ Geometry Problemsolving Skills, Catherine D. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the implementation of an adaptive web-based learning environment to personalize geometry instruction and practice for high school students at a private school in North Carolina. This study was guided by the following three research questions: (1) How and to what extent does implementing personalized geometry instruction and practice through an adaptive web-based learning environment affect high school students’ knowledge of geometry? (2) How does using personalized geometry instruction and practice through an adaptive web-based learning environment affect students’ motivation to learn geometry as well as their mathematics self-efficacy, anxiety, and …

Differentiated Experiential Learning Through Play As Supplemental Support For Prekindergarten Students, Charles S. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research study examined prekindergarten students in a Title I program and the impact of differentiated experiential learning though play on their attitudes and learning of mathematical skills as measured by a standardized test. The identified problem of practice involved students not being given enough differentiated experiential learning through play opportunities. The research questions that guided this study are as follows: 1) What are the attitudes/perspectives of the parents, educators, and administrators on the value of play in early childhood education? 2) How does providing experiential learning through play impact students’ attitudes toward math? 3) How does …

Physician Burnout: A Curriculum Design Study, Dian A. Ginsberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study created and evaluated an educational intervention that addressed the remediation of physician burnout on an organizational level. This quality improvement study explores existing programs and applies innovation to improve the depth and scalability of a physician burnout program.

Confronting And Dismantling Whiteness In Higher Education: A Grassroots Approach, Winnie Needham

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate how an Educational Studies department in a small, Midwestern liberal arts college might confront and dismantle whiteness in curricular, pedagogical, and policy choices. Utilizing a critical participatory action research design, five higher education faculty engaged in a critical conversation inquiry group (Schieble et al., 2020) to develop their critical literacy (Rogers and Mosley, 2014). This study was designed to answer the following questions: How do faculty within an Educational Studies department think about their racial identities and the relevance of racial identity to the program, the institution, and higher education? …

Targeted Intervention For Distance Learning Students: A Critical Participatory Action Research Approach, Kathleen Mohr

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this critical participatory action research was to explore the learning experiences of distance learning students with academic penalties and to work collaboratively with students and institutional stakeholders to co-develop an intervention tailored to this unique population. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

Action Research As Professional Development: Creating Effective Professional Development In Every Classroom, Lori A. Cambareri

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Professional development is a critical component of teacher professional growth that directly influences increased student learning and achievement. As professionals, teachers continue to develop their knowledge and skills with the aim of improving their teaching to assure that students can learn better. A huge investment in time and resources is invested in teacher professional learning every year. However, teachers report, and research supports, that teacher professional development often does not meet teachers’ needs and does not perform its integral function of creating a sustained change in teacher behavior that leads to a corresponding positive change in student achievement. This problem …

Teacher Cultural Competency And The Effect On Slavic Student Performance, Erin Marston

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Student demographic data in today’s elementary and secondary schools have shown an increase in the numbers of diverse students in classrooms across the United States. This change in classroom demographics has established the need for changes to both the classroom educational environment and the preparation of our teachers. Research supports a few documented ways teachers can support both their student experiences and academic performance. Culturally competent teachers, cultural humility, and culturally relevant pedagogy are a few of the ways educators can adapt to the change in student demographics. Linking the literature to these findings will help provide an overview of …

Collaborative Teacher Action Research: Improvement Science As Professional Development?, Carol L. Munson

Theses and Dissertations

There is growing consensus in the education world about the need to change the dominant practices in P-12 teacher professional development, which do not respect teacher knowledge and are unconnected to teachers’ daily work, to be more consistent with new and ambitious visions for school reform. This study employed collaborative action research, using improvement science, in which a small cadre of teachers worked through problems of practice to examine the effect on their practice and student learning. In this research project, I implemented a systematic evidence-based process developed by Anthony Bryk, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of …

Searching For Sputnik: Revealing Hidden Curriculum As Motivation For Teacher Growth, Jeffrey Allan Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study is to understand the impact of revealing the hidden curriculum on veteran teachers. It utilized the theoretical frameworks of hidden curriculum, cognitive dissonance, and transformative learning in an effort to develop a tool that could be used to motivate teachers to reflect upon and ultimately improve their core curricular and pedagogical beliefs and practices. I studied three veteran social studies teachers as they reflected upon one aspect of their hidden curriculum obtained through a survey of their students. The intent was to create a disorienting dilemma with enough power to spark cognitive dissonance, …

Exploring The Impact Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy On African American Students’ Attitudes Toward Reading In A Pre-Kindergarten Classroom: An Action Research Study, Janet Brantley

Theses and Dissertations

In U.S. schools, the academic needs of many African American students are not being adequately met. This alarming trend has prompted many educators to recognize the need to make changes in their knowledge base and instructional practices in order to better serve African American students. Culturally relevant pedagogy--a multifaceted approach to teaching that utilizes students’ cultural experiences to facilitate cultural competence, social justice, and student learning-has been identified as a method that may create more positive learning outcomes among African American students and diverse learners.

This study investigated the impact of culturally relevant pedagogy on African American students’ attitudes towards …

Can The Curse Be Reversed?: An Action Research Study Of The Effect Of Constructivist-Aligned Instructional Strategies And Practices On The Mathematical Identity Development Of Fifth- Grade Students, Jennifer J. Ledbetter

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this mixed-methods action research study was to determine how my fifth-grade students were impacted by negative mathematical identity and/or math anxiety and to uncover the impact of constructivist-aligned instructional strategies on students’ mathematical identity. Grounded in a theoretical framework based on constructivist learning theory, identity theory, and communities of practice, the study used a convergent mixed-methods action research approach to investigate the following research questions:

How does negative mathematical identity and/or math anxiety impact my students? 2) What classroom practices contribute to the development of negative mathematical identity and how can those practices be replaced? 3) How …

Helping College Mathematics Students Improve Their Mathematics Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulation Using Mymathlab, Allan C. Pangburn

Theses and Dissertations

A confident self-regulated learner knows how to effectively monitor their time management, motivation, help-seeking, self-efficacy, self-reflection, and strategic planning skills. These skills are components of a student’s self-regulation skills. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of using self-regulated learning strategies embedded in the online homework platform, MyMathLab, on the students’ self-regulated learning and mathematics self-efficacy skills while taking College Algebra at a 2-year Regional College Campus in the southeastern United States. This study looked to answer (1) how, and to what extent, does the online homework platform, MyMathLab, impacts the students’ self-regulated learning skills and …

I Want My Middle School Students To Read: Does Using Culturally Relevant Texts Increase Student-Participants’ Engagement Levels Toward Reading Particular Texts?, Elliott O. Chisholm

Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) employs an action research methodology to examine the use of the Lived Experience Text (LET) model in an English Language Arts (ELA) classroom in order to increase student-participants‘ overall engagement levels toward reading particular texts. The LET model that the teacher-researcher created is twofold, which consists of student-participants taking part in the selection of their text and the teacher-researcher‘s assessing student-participants to determine if using culturally relevant texts do in fact increase student-participants‘ overall engagement levels toward reading particular texts.

Action Research, J. Spencer Clark, Suzanne Porath, Julie Thiele, Morgan Jobe

NPP eBooks

Action research is a common journey for graduate students in education and other human science fields. This book attempts to meet the needs of graduate students, in-service teachers, and any other educators interested in action research and/or self-study. The chapters of this book draw on our collective experiences as educators in a variety of educational contexts, and our roles guiding educator/researchers in various settings. All of our experiences have enabled us to question and refine our own understanding of action research as a process and means for pedagogical improvement. The primary purpose of this book is to offer clear steps …