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The Impact Of Universal Learning Strategies On Teacher Burnout In A Project-Based-Learning Secondary School, Benjamin Tuthill
The Impact Of Universal Learning Strategies On Teacher Burnout In A Project-Based-Learning Secondary School, Benjamin Tuthill
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study addresses the question: how do universal learning strategies impact teacher burnout at a project-based-learning secondary school? Interventions against teacher burnout frequently emphasize psychological strategies such as mindfulness exercises and cognitive-behavioral therapy despite inconsistent evidence that these practices have a significant impact on measurable burnout. This study presents an alternative and explores the impact of pedagogical practice on teacher burnout. Recent studies suggest that decreased workload and increased teacher/student autonomy lead to decreased levels of burnout; as a result, this study measures the impact of universal learning, a low-workload, high-autonomy pedagogy most prominently studied in the work of political …
Adult Immigrant English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Multilingual And Multicultural Identities, Greta Mcelvain
Adult Immigrant English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Multilingual And Multicultural Identities, Greta Mcelvain
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Adult immigrant English learners (ELs) must navigate living in a new country while also learning a new language. These immigrants are becoming both multicultural and multilingual. It has been established in prior literature that as immigrants adjust to living in a new culture with a different language, they experience both a language (Wardhaugh & Fuller, 2015) and cultural (Gibson, 2001, as cited in Schwartz, 2006, p. 2) shift. These shifts can sometimes result in immigrants losing connection to their first languages (Zhang, 2010) or their home cultures Gu and Lai (2019). Self-reflection activities have been shown to allow individuals to …
No “Pobrecito Student”: Translanguaging High-School Science For Academic Language Development, Agustina Borré
No “Pobrecito Student”: Translanguaging High-School Science For Academic Language Development, Agustina Borré
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Borré, A. (2022). No “Pobrecito Student”: Translanguaging High-School Science for Academic Language Development. The research questions addressed in this study were: what are the impacts of translanguaging on academic language development? And what are the challenges and successes in implementing translanguaging in highly culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms? Thus, the topics explored in the literature review range from research on academic language development and the teaching and learning of science in high school and the struggles and challenges English Language Learners (ELLs) face when learning then different content areas. The literature review also reveals some of the findings emerging from …
Mitigating Climate Change: Understanding How Teachers Integrate Social Justice Themes In Environmental Education, Gregory Simons,
Mitigating Climate Change: Understanding How Teachers Integrate Social Justice Themes In Environmental Education, Gregory Simons,
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Climate change is an increasingly severe global issue with devastating repercussions for marginalized, poor, and vulnerable people. As a result, environmental education has evolved over the years to build upon outdoor nature study and ecological concepts to incorporate fundamental principles of social and environmental justices while addressing climate change. This qualitative research study employed both an online survey and semi-structured interviews to address two research questions grounded in the environmental justice movement to determine how social justice intersects with pressing global issues commonly found in environmental science curriculum. First, how do environmental science educators integrate social justice themes in their …
Digital Device Use In Urban Elementary Physical Education Classrooms: Viewpoints, Eric Kaluza
Digital Device Use In Urban Elementary Physical Education Classrooms: Viewpoints, Eric Kaluza
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Elementary physical education teachers and the use of digital devices in their classrooms are evolving. From simple step counters to Apple Watches to track the movement and skills of students, the digital tools available for physical education teachers are more prominent than ever before. This case study looked at how urban elementary physical education teachers use digital devices in their classroom, pre-covid-19, and during covid 19. In an upper-Midwestern setting, this research used a qualitative case study to find examples of digital device usage by urban elementary physical educators from one school district. Data collection methods included an online survey, …
Does The Mathematics Level Affect Student Success In High School Physics?, Kassandra Surma
Does The Mathematics Level Affect Student Success In High School Physics?, Kassandra Surma
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was: does the mathematics class level affect student success in high school physics? Topics explored in the literature review include the context of science course sequencing, the history of physics education in the United States, the disconnect between mathematics and physics in education, the mindsets of parents, students, and teachers about mathematics and science curriculum, and educational policies that affect state standards for curriculum, and graduation. Participants’ previous mathematics class level and success in their high school physics course were studied to find any correlation. To accomplish this, participants’ previous mathematics course and …
Early Childhood Education In Ethiopia: A Case Study With Implications For Ethiopian Immigrants, Fadila Adam
Early Childhood Education In Ethiopia: A Case Study With Implications For Ethiopian Immigrants, Fadila Adam
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research study analyzed early childhood education in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to find out about early childhood education in Ethiopia in order to effectively support Ethiopian families in St. Paul, Minnesota. The following are the research guiding questions: 1) What are the early childhood teaching methodologies being used in the Ethiopian education system? 2) What are the teachers’ qualifications in Ethiopian early childhood education? 3) What are teachers’ perceptions of early childhood education in Ethiopia? Studies from the Center on the Developing Child found that learning in early childhood sets the foundation for future learning and …
Memorization And Mastery: Teaching Disciplinary Vocabulary In The Secondary Classroom, Matthew Granoff
Memorization And Mastery: Teaching Disciplinary Vocabulary In The Secondary Classroom, Matthew Granoff
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This capstone posed the question, how can disciplinary vocabulary best be taught in a secondary classroom? As little direct research had previously been conducted on that topic, this curriculum design project drew from work in a variety of connected fields, such as the science of memory, second language acquisition and effective assessment practices and study habits, to create an original structure for instruction. Designed to complement rather than replace existing units, this capstone offers not a set of specific lessons but a set of detailed guidelines (grounded in theories such as depth of processing and the "testing effect") which can …
A Culturally Relevant Opening Weeks Curriculum: Seeking To Engage All Students To Succeed In The Middle School Science Classroom, Altringer Nicholas
A Culturally Relevant Opening Weeks Curriculum: Seeking To Engage All Students To Succeed In The Middle School Science Classroom, Altringer Nicholas
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was How can a culturally relevant opening weeks unit help all students to succeed in the middle school science classroom? Topics explored in the literature review include challenges, themes, engagement of all students, gaps between students of color and their white peers, students of color and disproportionality trends in discipline, youth positions as hip-hop or survival mode, social construction of black inferiority, curriculum as windows and mirror, culturally responsive classroom management, using citizen science and student-driven investigation, restorative practices and restorative circles in the science classroom, shared responsibility for the classroom community, and …
Flexible Reading Groups And Social Emotional Needs In A First Grade Classroom, Miranda Pogulis
Flexible Reading Groups And Social Emotional Needs In A First Grade Classroom, Miranda Pogulis
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this curriculum design project is to design and integrate new lessons in my current first grade reading program that will enable students the opportunity to grow as a reader at the same time they are also strengthening their social emotional skills. Research from Michael Optiz and others demonstrates that students benefit from working with peers of varying ability levels through flexible groups. Joseph Zins, Roger Weissberg, Margaret Wang, and Herbert Walberg also have research that explains how integrating social emotional learning into the curriculum can be an important factor contributing to students success. Using this research as …
Building Background Knowledge To Fill The Gaps, Jaclyn Semlak
Building Background Knowledge To Fill The Gaps, Jaclyn Semlak
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was: How does curriculum support early intervention strategies of at risk preschoolers? Topics explored in the review of the literature include early intervention, literacy and language, oral language and vocabulary, school readiness and vocabulary instruction. Curriculum was designed for teachers instructing 4 year olds to specifically target language instruction through a tiered approach. The Understanding by Design model was used in order to create desired results, how progress will be measured, and specific lessons falling into categories of read aloud, guided group and active learning. Limitations, implications, and recommendations for future research are …
Timing Is Everything: Adapting Rewards Intermediate For 4th And 5th Grade Striving Readers, Ruth Kerl
Timing Is Everything: Adapting Rewards Intermediate For 4th And 5th Grade Striving Readers, Ruth Kerl
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was “Does REWARDS Intermediate remain an effective intervention for striving readers when adapted for a 30-minute time frame?” This research emerged from a concern for upper elementary aged students who are striving to catch up with their peers when it comes to phonics and decoding skills. The study explored students’ and teachers’ mindsets, as well as the effectiveness of the REWARDS curriculum when adapted for 30-minute rather than 50-minute lessons. Effectiveness was measured in terms of: 1) multisyllabic word part and whole word fluency growth, 2) mindset and attitude changes, and 3) connected …
Invading Minnesota: A Middle School Invasive Species Curriculum, Ashley Schultz
Invading Minnesota: A Middle School Invasive Species Curriculum, Ashley Schultz
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This capstone is a sampling of middle school science lessons that were designed to address the question: How might a curricular unit about invasive species be designed to enhance the environmental literacy of middle school students? It documents one teacher’s research and development of a unit about invasives species, while promoting environmental literacy. The curriculum is a series of three lessons that provide students the opportunity to learn about invasive species by developing a connection, or sense of place to their surroundings. Once students understand the impacts of invasives species they take part in a project-based service learning opportunity to …
Exploring Multi-Sensory Curriculum Development: Grades 3-5 Science In A Virtual Environment, Terilynn Stackhouse
Exploring Multi-Sensory Curriculum Development: Grades 3-5 Science In A Virtual Environment, Terilynn Stackhouse
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The capstone thesis uses a qualitative research approach to explore the question: What are virtual tools and multi-sensory strategies that can be integrated into curriculum development to support the engagement of learners in science in grades 3-5 in virtual learning environments? The author chose this topic to find and to apply multi-sensory strategies, including technology-rich approaches, in virtual education, and developed a new curriculum unit using current sensory-rich technologies. The goal is to enhance and enrich curriculum, and thereby to increase student engagement in the sciences. Applying these tools in virtual education and using multi-sensory approaches can lead to new …
Moving And Learning: A Curriculum Designed To Reduce Stress In High School Physical Education Students, Anthony J. Bizal
Moving And Learning: A Curriculum Designed To Reduce Stress In High School Physical Education Students, Anthony J. Bizal
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The Moving and Learning curriculum was designed to help physical education students learn skills that will help them reduce stress by using yoga, mindfulness, and breathing techniques. Methods from all three areas were used to create a three week curriculum that would allow teachers in physical education, and other content areas, to get kids moving while they are learning. The three week curriculum is accompanied by a full appendix to the all of the yoga, breathing, and mindfulness tools and is presented in a scope and sequence that lets the students build on new and prior knowledge. The results are …
How To Integrate Vocabulary In A Fourth Grade Classroom Of English Language Learners To Accelerate Reading Achievement, Randi Kay Weiland
How To Integrate Vocabulary In A Fourth Grade Classroom Of English Language Learners To Accelerate Reading Achievement, Randi Kay Weiland
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
English language learners are prevalent in modern American schools, yet educators are often still grappling with how to best teach these unique students. Unsurprisingly, vocabulary plays a fundamental role in reading comprehension. This capstone presents the existing research on the foundational relationship between vocabulary and reading comprehension as well as effective vocabulary instruction for English language learners. The research was then used to design a vocabulary curriculum for a fourth grade thematic literacy unit on Mexican Heritage. The curriculum focuses on four major aspects of vocabulary instruction: 1) the direct instruction of Tier II words, as defined by Isabel Beck; …
Transitioning From Teachers' Words To Students' Words: Strategies To Promote Comprehension During Literature Circles, Tiffany Tozke Brian
Transitioning From Teachers' Words To Students' Words: Strategies To Promote Comprehension During Literature Circles, Tiffany Tozke Brian
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Literature circles can be a powerful tool for motivating students to take part in discussions around text. The power of these literature circles lies in the success of the conversations students have. Those conversations are shaped by the words the teacher uses to facilitate them, and by the words students use within them. This capstone addresses how teachers can focus on words in a student-focused manner that supports students in having in conversations that deepen their understanding and connection to novels.
American Indian Ethnic Studies: A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Approach To Teaching An American Indian Ethnic Studies Unit, Bryan K. Deiman
American Indian Ethnic Studies: A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Approach To Teaching An American Indian Ethnic Studies Unit, Bryan K. Deiman
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Ethnic studies courses are designed to tell the stories of ethnic groups who have historically been marginalized in all or many aspects of society in the United States. The purpose of this study was to create a unit for an ethnic studies high school course centered on the American Indian experience. Adhering to the theory of culturally sustaining pedagogy, or culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy, the unit for this course was designed to decentralize whiteness and focus solely on the American Indian perspective. This unit was created with a strong emphasis on community outreach, seeking input on content for lessons …
How Can Education Improve The Recycling Behaviors And Attitudes Of Middle School Students, Sara Flanagan
How Can Education Improve The Recycling Behaviors And Attitudes Of Middle School Students, Sara Flanagan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This research project adapted and implemented curriculum into a middle school science classroom to gauge the effect of the curriculum on the students’ behaviors and attitudes. The focus of the curriculum was on waste management and recycling. Students participated in surveys both before and after the curriculum. Their responses were compared to others in the school who did not go through the curriculum. There are not many updated curriculums available however, through this study it was concluded that education can impact the recycling behaviors and attitudes through curriculum in a positive way that makes students connect their actions to the …
Modifying Curriculum For Enriched And Gifted Students, Jason Tornell
Modifying Curriculum For Enriched And Gifted Students, Jason Tornell
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, “How can I take an English curriculum and enrich it to better challenge gifted 8th grade students?” It documents the process one teacher went through to create a curriculum for a class of enriched and gifted students, that was to be based on the curriculum already being used. The modification of the curriculum was based on best practices for gifted students based on research done by Renzuli, Guthrie and Dalzell, among others, and focuses on not just academic needs but affective needs as well. The author offers ways to modify existing curricula …
Effective And Engaging Online Learning A Research Based Blended Curriculum In The Middle School Language Arts Classroom, Emily Eggers
Effective And Engaging Online Learning A Research Based Blended Curriculum In The Middle School Language Arts Classroom, Emily Eggers
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
As technology becomes more prominent in today’s society, teachers need to be prepared to integrate technology into their classrooms. This capstone was made to answer the question “What is the best method to facilitate student learning in the online environment?” It documents one teacher’s creation of an all encompassing unit of study that incorporates many online learning strategies. Based on the Understanding by Design method of curriculum development, the unit includes learning outcomes, forms of assessment, and daily activities to help deepen students’ understanding of the material with the integrated use of technology. The methods of technological instruction are selected …
Improving Language Proficiency Through Effective Use Of Authentic Assessments In High School Spanish Courses, Jeffrey Wheeler
Improving Language Proficiency Through Effective Use Of Authentic Assessments In High School Spanish Courses, Jeffrey Wheeler
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed is: How can high school Spanish students improve language proficiency through the use of authentic assessments? This capstone documents the research and design of a high school Spanish language curriculum. The capstone explores methods and strategies used to teach world languages throughout the twentieth century to American students and provides analysis of the popular trends in foreign language instruction over the years. The author illustrates the curriculum model and identifies the performance-based assessments used to evaluate student’s proficiency in Spanish. The capstone goes on to highlight the limitations and challenges of creating a performance-based, proficiencycentered curriculum …
Factors That Influence Motivation To Read With African American Middle School Males, Brandon Tuttle
Factors That Influence Motivation To Read With African American Middle School Males, Brandon Tuttle
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, what factors influence motivation to read with African American middle school males? Current research suggests that many African American males are performing poorly nationwide in reading. As the author researched the topic, four recurring categories emerged in searching for factors that would influence motivation in reading with African American middle school males. These categories included culturally relevant instruction, choice with literacy, building relationships and parental involvement. These four categories helped build the framework for a strategy guide that educators could use in reading intervention classes to help build proficiency in reading with …
World History Lesson Module Design: Promoting Civic Responsibility Through Engagement, Relevancy, And Global Understanding, Jacalyn R. Polloway
World History Lesson Module Design: Promoting Civic Responsibility Through Engagement, Relevancy, And Global Understanding, Jacalyn R. Polloway
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
A goal with this capstone was to create a classroom that advocates civic responsibility through the use of understanding, engagement, application, compassion, and skills to succeed in the future. If lessons are geared around critical thinking, engagement, and creativity while in a world history class that also reminds students of empathy and relevancy to their lives, then students may begin to think about civic responsibility and social justice not only throughout history but also in their lives. Whether it’s the topic of warfare, genocide, the Syrian refugee crisis, discrimination, or other societally relevant topic, teachers need to inspire strategies to …
Incorporating Effective Practices Into An Intermediate Classroom To Improve Student Writing, Heidi M. Shannon
Incorporating Effective Practices Into An Intermediate Classroom To Improve Student Writing, Heidi M. Shannon
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, How can the teaching of effective writing practices support struggling intermediate students? This study documented the experience of an intervention coach working with fifth grade teachers to improve writing instruction using research based practices. The motivating factor for this capstone was to improve student writing. The study documented lessons and resources that were implemented during the teaching of three fifth grade writing standards and how students improved in their writing. Data was collected through the use of proficiency scales, spreadsheets, reflections and surveys. Results of the study showed student growth in writing. …
Texts In Reading Intervention Programs: Are They Culturally Representative Of English Learner Populations?, Lisa N. Marquardt
Texts In Reading Intervention Programs: Are They Culturally Representative Of English Learner Populations?, Lisa N. Marquardt
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
In this study, a total of 52 reading intervention texts were examined for cultural representation and authenticity; the texts under analysis were from Fountas and Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention and Hasselbring’s Read 180. There were four major, interrelated research questions addressed by this work, two of which dealt with cultural representation in the texts and the extent to which they aligned to the regional population and national publishing statistics. The second set of research questions addressed the level of cultural authenticity through a comparative analysis of each program’s texts. The author concludes that, in this sample of texts, Read 180 …
Developing Academic Language In The Context Of A Fourth Grade Mathematics Geometry Curriculum Unit, Rachel J. Pazandak
Developing Academic Language In The Context Of A Fourth Grade Mathematics Geometry Curriculum Unit, Rachel J. Pazandak
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone project was: How can a mathematics geometry curriculum unit be organized to support and develop academic language for fourth grade students through meaningful engagement strategies? The author reviewed literature in the areas of English as a Second Language and mathematics and synthesized best practice methods for teaching common to the two disciplines. The author found that explicit teaching, practice, and support of academic language is vital and beneficial for linguistically diverse learners, with attention to word, sentence, and discourse dimensions. Mathematics is rich in language, particularly when lessons are structured to allow students …
Curriculum Development And Analysis To Encourage Positive Environmental Attitudes In High School Students, Matthew Johnston
Curriculum Development And Analysis To Encourage Positive Environmental Attitudes In High School Students, Matthew Johnston
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This capstone project used a qualitative research design to explore the research question, how do students who are participating in a course on ecology and resource conservation, describe their understanding of ecology and conservation? The capstone researcher designed a student centered curriculum that used project based learning and outdoor experiences in an elective science course. A major goal of the course was to engage high school students in environmental education and shift students’ attitude to be more positive toward the environment. To measure students’ attitudes, the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) (Anderson, 2012) survey was completed at the start and end …
Blue Collar Literacy: Using Situated Literacy To Build A Curriculum In Support Of Vocational Education, Kathleen Drahosh
Blue Collar Literacy: Using Situated Literacy To Build A Curriculum In Support Of Vocational Education, Kathleen Drahosh
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Through building a curriculum, the author addressed the research question: through projects founded in situated literacy, how can high schools give vocationally-inclined students the literacy skills they need in their chosen field? Research delves into job market implications for the coming future as well as how situated literacy and collaboration can help students engage in school and acquire literacy skills needed in their future careers. The curriculum teaches technical writing and reading skills and applies those skills in a project. The project has students use those writing skills to create the technical literature for a creation or task from a …
Effective Strategies For Students To Become More Successful Math Word Problem Solvers, Nissa Benedict
Effective Strategies For Students To Become More Successful Math Word Problem Solvers, Nissa Benedict
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, what effect do different strategies have on middle and high school student comprehension and success in solving math word problems? It details one teacher’s creation of a unit that focuses on three specific word problem solving strategies for high school students. The unit implements the problem solving process, schemabroadening problem solving, and using diagrams, based on various scholars’ research into each strategy. The author details the goals of the unit and uses related research literature to validate the study. She reflects on possible struggles while implementing the unit and the possibilities the …