Education Commons^™

Mindfulness Practice/Mindful Breathing In The Classroom: The Effect On Unwanted Behaviors In The Classroom, Dana Banitt

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

"Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether implementing mindfulness and mindful breathing, in a classroom setting, would decrease the number of unwanted behaviors in that classroom. The setting for this study was a first-grade classroom of 26 in suburban southeast Minnesota. The study took place for six weeks, two weeks without intervention, and four weeks with three mindfulness intervention techniques (mindful breathing, social-emotional stories, and mindful movement/meditation). Data was collected in five ways: an unwanted behavior tally chart, researcher field notes, specialist teacher questionnaires, individual student mindfulness journals, and one-on-one student conversations. After the six-week intervention, the …

Increasing Appropriate Communication And Reducing Aggressive Behaviors For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder By Using An Aac Device, Nicole Stromberg

Culminating Projects in Special Education

The review examines the use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication with student who have Autism Spectrum Disorders, the use of an AAC device, and reducing aggressive behaviors as it relates to use of AAC. In Chapter I, an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder, AAC, and SGD was discussed. In Chapter II discusses research addressing augmentative and alternative communication devices in reducing disruptive and aggressive behaviors for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and implementing it with students that need to express wants and needs across different environments effectively. Chapter III, the findings from the analysis are summarized, and the implications of …

A Comparative Study Of Instructional Perspectives Among Learning And Development Practitioners, Merzudin Selimovic

Dissertations

The instructional perspectives of learning and development practitioners have a critical impact on their learners. This study aimed to determine if a relationship existed between years of experience of a learning and development practitioner and how they score on the seven factors of Henschke’s (1989) Modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory (MIPI). The MIPI consisted of seven factors: 1) Teacher Empathy with Learners, 2) Teacher Trust of Learners, 3) Planning and Delivery of Instruction, 4) Accommodating Learner Uniqueness, 5) Teacher Insensitivity Toward Learners, 6) Learner-centered Learning Process (Experience-based Learning Techniques), and 7) Teacher-centered Learning Process. The MIPI is a revised version of …

Autism: A Teacher's Guide, Kaitlyn Schaps

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Studies have shown that many educators are not prepared to teach children with ASD in their classrooms, as they may not be familiar with the characteristics of these children (Jiar Yeo & Teng, 2020) and do not have the knowledge needed to help them succeed.

In this guide, we discuss the different characteristics of ASD, how they affect a child’s education, how to collaborate with families, and research and evidence based (proven to be effective through research and quality studies) intervention strategies that will assist general education teachers, paraprofessionals, special education teachers, and any other professional in the educational field …

The Effects Of Social-Emotional Learning Strategies On Promoting Positive Behavior On Elementary Students, Lauren Stang, Andrea Wells

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The focus of this action research project was to implement social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons to help promote positive behaviors in the classroom. Participants in the six week study included 16 first graders and 21 fourth graders, in two different classrooms, in Central Minnesota. During the intervention both classrooms participated in daily morning meetings, constructed classroom norms, weekly journals and SEL lessons. Data sources included daily behavior frequency tally charts, behavior office referrals, pre/post feedback forms, student journals and a teacher lesson log. After analyzing the data collected during this research project, the researchers concluded that weekly social-emotional teaching had a …

The Impact Of Mentorship Programs On The Behaviors Of Fifth-Grade African American Male Students, Scot Tyler

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

African American males inequitably experience two to three times more out-of-school suspensions among other exclusionary discipline practices in comparison with other racial groups, which causes them to become academically disengaged, increases their association with deviant peers, makes them resent of school personnel, and leads them to experience a heightened sense of alienation. Although much is known about the effects of mentorship programs, there has been little inquiry or research to investigate the relationship between in-school suspensions and out-of-school suspensions of fifth-grade African American male students with and without a mentorship program. The purpose of this study was to determine if …

Inclusion In The Classroom: Addressing Antecedents Of Challenging Behaviors, Justin Heskett

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The study aimed at identifying the antecedents of challenging behavior of a student who was identified as Developmental Cognitive Disability (DCD) in her inclusive secondary classes. This study was directed towards a student and her behaviors to help determine what, if anything, triggered different behaviors in the inclusive classroom. Information was gathered through paraeducators along with her teachers (e.g. general education teachers, special education teachers) observing the student. The information will be presented to administration to create a staff development on inclusion in the classroom. Analyzing the data, some of the triggers for behaviors were deemed inevitable, and some were …

Surviving In School: A Correlational Study On Teachers' Social Emotional Learning, Self-Efficacy, And Response To Students' Challenging Behaviors, Patricia Cummings

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study explored possible correlations among elementary general education teachers’ knowledge of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), their perceived self-efficacy, and their responses to students’ challenging behaviors. It was hypothesized that teachers with increased levels of SEL knowledge and perceived self-efficacy would respond to students’ challenging behaviors using methods that allowed for students to remain in the classroom. It was reasoned that if these variables were correlated districts could provide professional development that would increase teachers’ levels in these areas and thereby providing them with effective training to respond to students’ challenging behaviors. Although no correlations were found among these variables, …

A Qualitative Exploration Of A Kung Fu Character-Based Intervention And Third-Grade Students’ Perceptions, Kameron Shook

Honors Theses

Students are experiencing higher levels of stress in and out of the twenty-first century classroom. Stress can affect a student’s ability to interact with their peers, interact with their teacher, and interact with the material they are learning. Different interventions involving physical activities related to martial arts have been successful in improving student empathy and confidence in an anti-bullying intervention (Law, 2004; Rajan, 2015; Twemlow et al., 2008). However, few studies have addressed utilizing physically active standards-based lessons rooted in martial arts alongside focus vocabulary words as a means of developing the whole child, inclusive of the social, emotional, physical, …

Student Attitudes And Behaviors Regarding Academic Dishonesty, Kelly A. Pearson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research study investigated the relationship between students’ attitudes toward academic dishonesty and their self-reported cheating behaviors. Additionally, the study investigated the potential differences between gender and the academic variables class level and cumulative GPA and both students’ attitudes toward academic dishonesty and their self-reported cheating behaviors. This quantitative study analyzed secondary data from a Spring 2014 administration of the Academic Integrity Student Survey (AISS) to examine the attitudes and behaviors of undergraduate level students (N = 574) at a large, four-year, public, research intensive institution in West-Central Florida.

Results indicated a statistically significant correlation between students’ attitudes toward academic …

Principal Behaviors That Foster Collective Efficacy Among Teachers In Rural Secondary Schools In Kentucky, Tanya Jo Jury

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine principal behaviors, identified by teachers and principals, which foster collective efficacy among teachers. As instructional leaders of a school, principals are expected to lead their schools. Behaviors exhibited by the principal can either help or hinder the success of the school and teachers and students in that school. This study will assist principals, aspiring principals, and instructors of principal preparation programs in knowing what behaviors are necessary to foster collective efficacy in their schools, leading to greater success for that school.

Collective efficacy is a shared belief that by working together, “we …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions About Principals' Influences On Classroom Instruction, Floyd Thomas Giles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers in a southwestern elementary school were struggling to support students who were not meeting proficiency standards in reading. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions and experiences of how administrator behaviors and efforts influenced instructional practices and strategies in the classroom. Marzano's leadership evaluation model served as the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of how building administrators offered guidance about teaching and instructional activities and how building administrators influenced teaching and instructional activities to improve student performance. A basic qualitative design was used to capture the insights of …

The Effects Of Video Modeling On Complimentary Behaviors Towards Children With Disabilities In Typically Developing Children: A Case Study, Rhodes D. Wroth

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Video modeling has been an effective instructional tool to teach children with disabilities, however, there is less research on the effectiveness of video modeling to teach typically developing children. The participants of this study were two typically developing children, and they were siblings of child with a disability. This study used an ABAB experimental design to graph, and visually determine differences between control and intervention sessions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling to teach typically developing children verbal complimentary behaviors in an inclusive physical activity setting. The results of this study found video …

The Domino Effect Of Challenging Behaviors, Stephanie Montezuma

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Challenging behaviors in special education have been an issue in special education classroom settings. In recent years it has become more evident that there is a need for improvement, although schools around the country have worked diligently to implement behavioral support plans that could improve or eliminate challenging behaviors. Many teachers in special education are under or unprepared to tackle these issues. After conducting research and interviewing two special education teachers, it was determined that most classrooms were in need of extra personnel support, staff training, and/or more effective parental involvement. In order to implement one of these action options, …

Engineering Is Elementary: Identifying Instances Of Collaboration During The Engineering Design Process, Lora Kulakowski Gruber-Hine

Dissertations - ALL

21st century educational reform initiatives value creativity, collaboration, innovation, and higher-order thinking (Scardamalia, 2002), the skills needed for students to successfully address the complex engineering challenges facing society. A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practice, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas (NRC, 2012) acknowledges that advances in knowledge occur through collaboration, with many minds working together to communicate and share ideas over time. It has been proposed that collaboration, creativity, and persistence are of value to engineering (Cunningham, 2012), and that engineering possesses a unique set of epistemic practices, including envisioning multiple solutions and teamwork (Cunningham and Kelly, 2017). Cunningham (2012) …

The Impact Of An Exercise Intervention On Stereotypical Behaviors In A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder., Kirsten Nouzovsky

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of an exercise intervention in reducing stereotypical behaviors in a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A single subject A-B-A-B design with a repeating baseline was used for this investigation. The research design will be implemented to determine if an exercise program (i.e., cycling) impact the frequency of stereotypical behaviors demonstrated by a child with ASD. Results indicate that an exercise intervention has the potential to decrease stereotypical behaviors in a child with ASD. While stereotypical behaviors have always been shown to decrease immediately after physical exercise-based interventions (Kern et …

Design And Validation Of A Scale For Preschoolers: Measuring Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, And Behaviors, Michelle E. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature indicates a lack of validated scales to measure nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviors in preschool-aged children. Reliable and valid assessment tools are critical in the development of nutritional interventions for young children; careful design, including psychometric evaluation of reliability and validity, is the best approach to scale development. Best practice points to an efficient, yet comprehensive look at the constructs of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This multi-phase study included 298 preschool children ages 2-6 years (151 girls, 147 boys; mean age 3.936). A 45-item scale was created, with 4 subscales to measure the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors …

Fundamental Features Of Fostering Teacher Collective Efficacy: Principals’ Attitudes, Behaviors, And Practices, Shelley Nordick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes, practices, and behaviors of principals who foster teacher collective efficacy. The research questions were developed based upon Bandura’s social cognitive theory to include (a) what are the attitudes held by principals that influence TCE; (b) what are the behaviors enacted by principals that influence TCE; (c) what are the practices employed by principals that influence TCE. The study utilized a qualitative approach with a multisite case study design. The Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale developed by Goddard et al. was used to measure TCE of participating schools. The survey results were …

Building The Organizational Leader Brand: Change Agent, Scholar, Thought Leader, Barbara Holmes, Christopher Hahn, Carson Perry

Leadership Education Capstones

Who we are matters. Developing the personal brand communicates to the world the values that fuel daily leadership habits and practices. Exposure to branding is constant in everyday life. People are continuously exposed to various brands, including clothing, vehicles, food selection, recreation, and media. Building the organizational leader brand requires the same processes, strategies, and tactics as branding and promoting traditional products, yet is much more involved. Research supports that millennial audiences connect best with individuals, rather than organizations. Consequently, effective personal branding is essential to building trust and a reputation that supports such viable relationships within organizations. Successful brands …

High School Adolescents' Academic Engagement, Behaviors, And Achievement: Associations With Intrapersonal Factors And Academic Support Systems, Elizabeth Suzanne Robtoy

Wayne State University Dissertations

The current study investigated the roles of select intrapersonal and environmental factors in high school adolescents’ academic engagement, behavior, and achievement. This aforementioned combination of factors has not been considered for their combined ability to explain greater proportions of variance in academic engagement, behavior, and achievement, despite the fact that ecologically, there are multiple life contexts that interact to explain academic achievement development and this selection may provide important information. Participants were 415 high school students (171 males, 244 females) from a mid-western, suburban high school that enrolls about 1,285 students. Future educational goals, as well as executive functioning, emerged …

Concept Of Self: Approach To Behaviors In Mental Health, The Tapout Program, Tina Goodrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence in mental health care continues to be a problem. The incidence of violent episodes in healthcare settings with aggressive behavior of patients aimed at staff members or other patients is almost four times greater in healthcare than in other industries. Reducing violent episodes enhances the quality of care and improves safety for staff members and for patients. The project focused on development of a staff education program exploring the practice-focused question: Will this program effectively guide staff member approaches to mental health patients with challenging behaviors? The purpose of this project was to address the identified gap in practice …

Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Study Of On-Task And Off-Task Behaviors In Traditional Versus Montessori Classrooms, Sara-Frances Crow Lail

Theses and Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a common neurobehavioral disorder in childhood, negatively impacts academic and social functioning, both of which later influence adulthood (Bose, 2013). This action research study focuses on comparing the prevalence of on-task and off-task behaviors exhibited by elementary age students diagnosed with ADHD in a traditional classroom structure versus a Montessori classroom structure. While much time and research has been conducted to assist educators in meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities through interventions, less research has focused on non-conventional educational environments as an alternative for children with ADHD. In this study, on-task and off-task …

Transformational Learning: An Investigation Of The Emotional Maturation Advancement In Learners Aged 50 And Older, Susan Lorraine Lundry

Dissertations

Human beings have spent much time and effort in trying to understand themselves, others, and their world. Mankind uses intellect when trying to understand life but the majority of people continue to encounter frustration, confusion, and a variety of obstacles when dealing with daily challenges and people. Theorists and researchers understand that successful existence requires more than mere knowledge; it requires a level of understanding, a form of wisdom foreign to the bulk of the populace. The missing ingredient for this kind of wisdom is the ability to ‘know thyself,’ which is the beginning of establishing a higher level of …

Principal Leadership Behaviors And Teacher Efficacy, Patricia Ellen Gallante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The attrition rate of teachers in an urban/suburban school district in a northeastern state caused schools to fail to attain annual yearly progress. To reverse this problem, administrators must understand the importance of their leadership and teacher efficacy and the need to nurture teachers to increase student performance. The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to determine whether a relationship existed between leadership and efficacy. Total-population sampling was used to obtain 19 elementary and middle teachers who completed two surveys to examine the relationship between principals' behaviors (human relations, trust/decision making, instructional leadership, control, and conflict) and teacher efficacy …

Dehumanization: As It Is Present Within Bullying Behaviors In An Anti-Bullying Program, Katelyn Amos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bullying is an aggressive act performed repeatedly on another enacting a power differential. This thesis utilized data collected from The Anti-Bullying Prevention Pilot Program (ABPPP), which studied bullying within eleven schools in a large metropolitan area in southwestern United States. The program was aimed to increase positive school climate through the use of Operation Respect and Welcoming Schools programs.

Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) and mixed methods approaches were used in order to analyze interviews and questionnaires. Grounded Theory analysis procedures were used to code the information, and thick descriptions were utilized to illustrate the occurrence of dehumanization among across four …

The Impact Of Teacher Administered Positive Behavioral Support Interventions On The Behavior And Achievement Of Intermediate Level Students Identified With Measured Moderate, Mild, And Low Disruptive Externalizing Behaviors, Gregory W. Betts

Student Work

Students who demonstrated moderate (n = 18), mild (n = 22), or low (n = 46) externalizing behaviors as rated by teachers on the Universal Behavior Screen at the research school decreased the amount of externalizing behaviors displayed in the research school setting. At posttest 61 students scored in the low range, 24 students scored in the mild range and one student scored in the moderate range demonstrating the effectiveness of the school wide positive behavior support program which focused on a positive proactive reinforcement intervention for all students. While posttest NeSA-Reading scores showed no significant improvement, …

The Effects Of First-Year Students' Self-Perceptions Of Behaviors, Attitudes, And Aptitudes On Their First-To-Second-Year Persistence, Rebecca Jean Lambert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student persistence continues to be a topic of much research and discussion in higher education. Based on Bean and Eaton's (2000) psychological theory of persistence for its theoretical framework, this study examined the effect of students' demographic and background characteristics and students' self-perceptions on their first-to-second-year persistence at a small, private, faith-based institution. Demographic and background characteristics examined were gender, race/ethnicity, first-generation college student status, high school GPA, and type of high school attended. Four constructs from the CIRP Freshman Survey were used to examine student self-perceptions: (a) Habits of the Mind, (b) Academic Self-concept, (c) Social Self-concept, and (d) …

The Process Of Coaching: An Examination Of Authenticity, Steven C. Barnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The primary purpose of this project was to approach the complexity of coaching by embracing the tensions inherently found in the coaching process. In doing so, the goal was to develop a grounded theory that describes the process interscholastic team coaches' use in doing their job from a paradoxical perspective. While working to achieve that goal, the coaching process was described using language that is meaningful for practicing coaches. In addition, the nature a coaching philosophy plays in the decision-making process for coaches was also probed. The goals of this study were developed because of coaching science's failure to adequately …

The Effects Of Adult Interaction On Toddler Behavior In The Classroom., Sarah Webb Hackney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of positive adult-to-child physical interactions and negative toddler behaviors in the classroom. Twenty-one licensed childcare centers participated in this study. One center was used to field-test the researcher-created tally instruments. The 20 centers remaining were observed to identify the number of positive adult-to-child physical interactions. They were then ranked from the classroom having the highest amount of adult-to-child interactions to that having the lowest. Three classrooms were then randomly selected from both the top and bottom thirds, providing six classrooms for the final study. Negative toddler behaviors were then observed …