Education Commons^™

The Experiences Of Students During Covid-19 School Disruptions, Brandi Bullock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of educators with respect to student experiences between March 2020 and February 2021 related to academics, social-emotional health, and safety and security. Data collection strategies included one-on-one interviews with 12 educators in one East Tennessee school district. To qualify for the study, participants had to have taught during COVID-19 schooling disruptions and have taught either 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade in the 2022-23 school year. Data analysis was based on Systems Theory (Laszlo & Krippner, 1998) and Change Theory (Fullan, 2020). The results revealed 5 key themes that …

Alumni Giving From Online Learners: A Logistic Regression Study, Jaqlyne S. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alumni giving is increasingly important to the vitality of institutions of higher education. With governmental financial support of public institutions steadily declining, understanding philanthropic giving is more important than ever. Advancement offices that serve alumni populations benefit from analyzing predictors of the behavioral phenomenon of charitable giving. It is also known that enrollment in distance education programs is on the rise in the United States. For university administrators and advancement professionals to be proactive in cultivating relationships with alumni that attended through an online modality, more research was needed to understand what motivates philanthropic giving from this alumni constituency. Using …

Fostering A Sense Of Online Community: Faculty Reflections Through Narratives, Brittany D. Anthony

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study will explore how MSW faculty describe a community in online courses and what strategies they use in fostering a sense of community within courses from an online Master of Social Work program at the University of South Florida. There is an imperative need to ensure online courses provide a sense of community to support students for success. During the timespan of an online course, strategic pedagogical approaches to fostering a community are essential to enriching the overall learning experience for students. Many studies tend to focus on the challenges faced when building an online community. Still, the …

Social And Emotional Effects Of Distance Learning On Elementary School Students During And After Covid-19, Kelsey Clark

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Currently, there is a major shift in the modality of instructions as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it has affected the way education is viewed and the relationship between schooling and the lifestyle of the students. By reflecting on the last couple of years since COVID-19 to the present, many students are still hindered due to the effects of the world going around them, starting from school lockdown to the return of face-to-face instructions. This senior capstone examines the social and emotional effects of distance learning on elementary school students through the use of a literature review, class …

Is There A Difference In Academic Achievement Between Remote Learners And Face-To-Face Learners Between The School Years Of 2020-21 And 2021-22?, Anthony Aiello

Theses and Dissertations

Will there be a difference in academic achievement between remote learners and face-to-face learners between the school years of 2020-21 and 2021-22 school year? Archived data of approximately 1,200 students from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years was used from a suburban secondary school servicing students grades 9-12. The school district located in the northeastern part of the United States. Independent samples t test and two-way ANOVAs were conducted to determine if there were statistically significant differences in academic achievement between the 2020-21 and 2021-2022 school years, the remote learners based upon the two groups (remote learners, face-to-face learners). In …

Improving The Quality Of Academic Advisors' Practices To Aid Distance Learners’ Retention, Kenyeta R. Pino

Theses and Dissertations

The popularity of distance learning has increased among higher education students owing to its flexibility and convenience, as it enables learning from any location and at any time. Despite the substantial number of enrollments, distance learners are experiencing high attrition rates, leading to low completion rates compared to students enrolled in traditional in-person courses.

Academic advising is a significant contributor to student retention and an effective intervention used to support students at-risk of dropping out; therefore, advisors must provide the same degree of support to their distance learners as they do to their face-to-face advisees. This applied dissertation was designed …

Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy During The Times Of A Global Pandemic, Vanessa G. Leal

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative dissertation aims to describe and compare the perception of special education teachers' self-efficacy amid the COVID-19 pandemic using the practice of distance and their self-efficacy pre-pandemic using face-to-face instruction and describe the perceived valuable supports teachers received from educational leaders during the pandemic and considered valuable. The study population includes special education teachers teaching in inclusive settings before and during the pandemic in grades 6–12 in districts located in South Texas. The current study's data was analyzed using a two-way factorial analysis of variance, with both factors including repeated measures within subjects (2 x 3). A descriptive statistical …

The Impact Of Distance Learning On Nontraditional High School Students' Attendance And Dropout Prevention, Teresita De Saro

Theses and Dissertations

High school dropout rates have long been a problem for school districts, and various contributing factors have excavated the problem. Most of these students have been plagued by the inability to integrate into the mainstream of school life, due to socioeconomic standing, lack of parental support, and many other problems. This qualitative study examined how distance learning courses have the potential to increase high school graduation rates and attendance rates. The research perspective was conducted at an alternative high school where the primary goal is to ensure nontraditional students' academic and personal support needed to graduate from high school …

Examining The Effects Of Learning Theory Implemented Within An Online And Self-Paced Learning Path, Trenton M. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

The United States military must continue to innovate and improve the way we fight and defend against our near-peer adversaries. Emerging technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and reverse engineering are paving the way for an increasingly complex security environment. A core tenant of winning in this new era of warfare is how we educate and train our military force. Many of the online trainings made available to service members today fall short in the implementation of existing learning theories.

Flattening The Curve: Elements Impacting K-12 Teachers’ Technology Self-Efficacy With Distance Learning During Covid-19, Rochelle Stanley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the elements impacting K-12 teachers’ technology self-efficacy while implementing distance learning during a global crisis, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this examination, the gaps in teachers’ technology self-efficacy and learning opportunities may give teachers the assistance needed to hone skills that will enrich student learning within distance learning platforms. It will also provide insight for teacher education programs; school districts; and more specifically, teacher organizations within communities.

An Exploration Of Learning-At-Home Experiences Among Families And Children Of Color Labeled With Disabilities During Covid-19: A Narrative Inquiry, Nam Ju Han

Doctoral Dissertations

We are living in this historical moment of a COVID-19 global crisis that is continuing to impact marginalized families in our very own communities. Students of color, especially those who are already on the margins, and experience inequities in the classroom and in the community, have been further impacted by the quarantine as the educational system had not prioritized how to support students who face certain vulnerabilities due to lack of government funding, the historical oppressive tendency for schools to function within a medical model of standardization, along with the commodification of learning. Given the novelty of COVID-19 research, the …

Understanding The Underserved Student: Barriers Experienced By At-Risk Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Melissa Rosado

Theses and Dissertations

The forced expeditious transition online induced by the COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive disruption to education. COVID-19 exacerbated the inequities that existed in education for years. As technology advances and integrates with education, it can both enhance inclusive instructional practices, as well as exacerbate issues of equity. Achievement gaps will persist unless colleges create equitable educational environments for all students, including “at-risk” populations such as those enrolled in the Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) program—a state funded equity program.

Through the lens of digital equity and inclusion theoretical frameworks, the purpose of this embedded mixed methods study was to …

Student Engagement And Equitable Student Learning Outcomes, Douglas K. Harter

Dissertations

Student engagement is consistently shown by research to be a critical component of student learning. An opportunity to link variables of perceived student engagement, perceived student-teacher relationship and clarity, an in-person learning format, and a remote learning format presented itself when, in March of 2020, all Illinois public schools were mandated by Governor J.B. Pritzker to teach in a fully remote structure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Student survey data results were examined using Wagner et al’s (2006) 4 C’s model to determine if there were statistically significant differences among student engagement and student-teacher relationships when compared across in-person and …

The Response Of A Rural Missouri Middle School To The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study Of Instruction, Communication, And Access To Technology, Christian Scott Meier

Dissertations

The doors of a rural Missouri middle school were closed in mid-March for what turned out to be the remainder of the 2019‒2020 school year (Schremp Hahn, 2020). Many schools were unprepared for the swift nature with which the shutdowns occurred (Bernhard, 2020a). The purpose of this case study was to examine the opinions and perceptions of parents, teachers, and the principal at a Missouri middle school regarding the school’s response to the COVID-19 closure to determine the best possible strategies for mitigating learning loss during future extended closures. The summer slide was the lens through which the study was …

The Effects Of Reciprocal Teaching On Reading Comprehension In The Virtual Middle School English Classroom, Sydney Jones

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study looked the effectiveness of PRESS Reciprocal Reading interventions (PRESS) when applied in a 100% distance learning environment with minority 7th & 8th grade students from an urban charter school in a major city in the upper Midwest. Data was collected using student grades on practice activities based on accuracy, teacher notes, and the standardized FASTbridge aReading test given at the beginning and end of the school year, Overall, students did not show positive progression in their reading abilities. The Covid-19 distance learning environment had a big impact on this; getting to know new technology is challenging especially on …

Perceptions Of Special Education Services Delivered Through Online Learning Environments During Covid-19, Alex W. Wheatley

Theses and Dissertations

Elementary and secondary schools saw a major shift in how instruction was delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools across the United States shut down or participated in online learning. This shift to online learning led many to question how special education services should be delivered to students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to gauge perceptions of special education services delivered in a remote learning environment during a public health crisis. Teachers, related service providers, and parents of students with disabilities (n = 108) from across the United States were surveyed. Results showed synchronous online learning to be …

A Virtual Art Therapy Curriculum For High School Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Informed By Bronfenbrenner’S Ecological Systems Theory, Kendra Soule

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

During the 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic became a global health threat. In order to maintain public safety many schools had to transition onto a virtual space using online programs and classrooms. Not only did schools move to an online platform, but also mental health therapy moved to telehealth platforms to serve those affected by the pandemic. Art therapy is a form of therapy that uses the tangible art making process, art piece, and therapeutic relationship as aspects of therapy. With the move to the virtual setting, art therapists had to modify their work to fit the new setting. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological …

“Want More Student Participation??... Bring On The Engagement!!”, Armando Palmerin

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Student engagement in the classroom is vital to academic achievement across all grade levels. This is especially true during middle school, where in-class participation can have a positive impact on emotional and cognitive development. Due to COVID-19 and school closures, students were forced to attend class virtually which had a negative impact on class engagement. Therefore this Capstone project focuses on how middle school teachers are keeping their students engaged during distance learning. This is an important issue that needs to be addressed because if students are not participating in their synchronous class meetings then they are not learning. It …

Learning From Home…Less Students: A Study On What We Can Do To Reach Homeless Youth During Covid-19, Marcy Twogood

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone project is on reaching homeless youth during this time of distance learning. Student homelessness is an issue because it is harder for teachers to reach them than a student with stable living conditions. According to the scholarly literature, schools are struggling to reach homeless students during the pandemic due to their lack of an address, wifi, and/or in-person interactions with their teachers. An argument is made that if schools identify students’ challenges, they can provide adequate resources. Upon interviewing the assistant principal, school counselor, who has access to students and their emotional needs, and a …

Are You Listening Students? It’S Me, Zoom: Engaging High School Students During Distance Learning, Sally Ryan

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this capstone project is to improve student engagement during online learning. Over a year ago, schools had to shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and online instruction began. Teachers and students had to adjust to this new mode of instruction. And although new technology made this transition more manageable, students' needs in an online learning environment differ from face-to-face instruction. Distance learning has presented many challenges this past year because most of our school systems are not set up for K-12 schooling to be remote. An evidence-based argument is offered that without proper student engagement, learning …

Teachers’ Beliefs, Barriers, And Classroom Practices: A Mixed Methods Study Of Technology Integration At A School For Students With Dyslexia, Holli Bice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to describe teachers’ beliefs about technology in the classroom and identify the barriers they faced when integrating technology at a small, private school for students with dyslexia. The amount of technology available in schools has increased steadily over the past two decades. Additionally, online learning has become a viable option for K-12 students, and the novel Coronavirus forced many teachers and students into this environment during the 2020 school year. Despite increased access to technology, higher-level uses have not followed, and many teachers at the school continue to struggle integrating technology in their …

Observación Participante De Clases Virtuales Bilingües En K-2 Durante Covid-19, Jennifer Quint

World Languages and Cultures

The Covid-19 pandemic is shifting education from the classroom to a virtual setting, forcing educational institutions to collaboratively innovate a new structure for virtual learning. The world’s current state of reliance on technology came so suddenly that teachers, students, and families have no choice but to learn as they go. This research analyzes how an elementary dual- immersion bilingual program adapts to new-found challenges such as technical difficulties, variances in at home support, and student independence. Furthermore, students enrolled in a dual-immersion bilingual program face additional challenges to provide students a language immersive environment. From August 2020 to March 2021, …

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.

Homeschooling During Covid-19: A Case Study, Rebecca Z. Johnson

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this collective case study was to describe the lived experiences of homeschool families during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically how they managed their day to include teaching elementary school-aged children in the rural Midwestern United States. This qualitative case study allowed the researcher to analyze the phenomenon of homeschooling during a global pandemic, and the strategies necessary to balance home and schooling during unprecedented times. The data for this case study included a pre-interview questionnaire, an interview, and primary source documents from two homeschool families. The means by which the homeschool families organized their day to include the …

Hope In A Time Of Global Unrest: An Ethnographic Study, Sabrina Hanson

Claremont Graduate University School of Education Teacher Education

This paper documents the observations, struggles, and insights of a first year teacher. It is a year-long documentation of the search for hope during a global pandemic that affected the way schools functioned and how students learned. This work is in three distinct sections. The first section is a self-reflection of identity and why this teacher chose teaching as a profession. The second section is focused on two of their students, one who is immunocompromised, and one who has significant learning challenges, and how they navigated the quarantine during the pandemic through their expression of learning. The third section reflects …

Preparing Teachers & Teacher Education Professionals For Dimensions Of Diversity: A Study Of Pedagogical Responses To Diversity In Distance Learning And Traditional Instruction, Rocky Blessey-Bragg

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study framed in Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy theory involved 6 teachers from Chaffey Joint Union high School District and 8 teacher education professionals from teacher education programs in southern and central California. It examined reported pedagogical strategies in responding to specific dimensions of classroom diversity: culture, readiness and economics. Participants took Bandura’s Self-Efficacy survey prior to the first of two semi-structured interviews. In the second of those interviews, each group had the opportunity to react to findings from the first round of interviews from their own group and the opposite, as to how their perceptions of diversity have evolved …

Teaching Special Education In The Midst Of Covid-19: Current Conditions Of Delivering Special Education Services During Distance Learning, Kalvin Davis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The COVID-19 outbreak led to restrictions, school closure, sickness, hospitalization, humanitarian crisis, and the rise of death total. With efforts from healthcare and government officials, the best reactive response was to limit personal interactions amongst large groups and to keep a certain distance to limit the spread of COVID-19. With these limitations, school environments have drastically changed to meet student’s educational needs by using distance learning. Special education provides an opportunity to educate students who have specific educational, social, and behavioral needs in which they are given individualized education programs (IEPs) where principles are met for their services. As education …

A Qualitative Study Exploring Online Teaching At A Rural Community College: How Do Faculty Prepare To Teach Online?, Gwendolyn Davidson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Supporting online faculty at the community college level to prepare them to teach online can be a complex matter. Faculty who are first entering the online teaching environment often start with training to help them prepare to teach online. Supporting faculty who are teaching online means understanding faculty and their needs. The purpose of this study was to answer the question, how do faulty prepare to teach online and the objectives (1) identify the faculty's years of experience teaching both in-person and online, and the different types of training or professional development that faculty have complete to help them prepare …

Online Teaching Self-Efficacy And Faculty Ict And Computer Attitudes In Higher Education, Sharifa Jomoke Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The digital age is reshaping learning and instruction and encouraging educational technology advances within higher education institutions. However, online faculty are not integrating technology into their classes despite the technology related professional development they receive. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship exists between online teaching self-efficacy and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and computer attitudes and faculty participation in technology professional development activities, gender, and age within the context of institutions of higher education. Alfred Bandura’s social learning theory and Roger’s diffusion of innovations theory framed the study. Using Qualtrics, survey data were collected …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Working With Parents To Address High Schoolers’ Chronic Absenteeism, Mercy Modupe Olumoya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 16% of the U.S. public-school population was missing 10% or more of school days. Distance learning during the pandemic may have worsened absenteeism. The research problem represents a gap in understanding teachers’ perceptions of their experiences working with parents to address delinquent students’ chronic absenteeism at the high school level before and during the pandemic. The purpose and research question of this basic qualitative inquiry explored teachers’ perceptions of their experiences working with parents to address delinquent students’ chronic absenteeism in low-income, urban high schools before and during the COVID-19 pandemic when participating in distance …