Education Commons^™

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Online Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic And The New Paradigm Of Higher Education In The Post-Covid Era — A Mixed Methods Study, Meng Yan

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Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, entire student bodies in the United States were compelled to take all their classes online. Given the challenges of online instruction, combined with the time and support it takes for faculty to become proficient in teaching online, it was likely that the online learning experiences instructors provided to their students were not fully featured and that new teaching approaches were not optimally implemented. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison et al., 2000) as the theoretical framework, this explanatory sequential mixed methods study aimed to investigate university faculty and student perceptions …

Forced Adoption: Diffusion And Perception Of Online Education By Postsecondary Faculty Members Before And During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Marcelyn R. Saxton

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Once considered a fringe and unreliable pedagogical approach for higher education, online learning has entered the mainstream. While the adoption of online learning has been on the rise for the past decade, higher education’s forced adoption of online learning in response to COVID-19 has accelerated the curve. It has raised questions on the viability, sustainability, and interest in online learning for teachers, students, and administrative leadership. The most important question is: has forced adoption forever changed pedagogical approaches for higher education? This research attempts to answer this question from the perspectives of the teachers and faculty forced to adopt online …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Investigation Of Teachers’ Perspectives Towards Integrating Culture Into Chinese-As-Aforeign-Language (Cfl) Curricula And Instruction In American High Schools, Xuan Song

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The importance of integrating culture into foreign language teaching and learning has been acknowledged in the U.S. by the National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project and foreign language professionals. However, it remains challenging for Chinese-as-a-Foreign-Language (CFL) teachers to embrace this concept thoroughly and implement it effectively in their CFL classes. The study explores six CFL teachers’ perceptions and experiences towards culture and language integration into their CFL curricula and instruction in American high schools. This study aims to describe the overall landscape of culture-language integration in the CFL discipline in American high schools by revealing the essential knowledge of …

It's Just Who I Am: A Narrative Inquiry Of The Emergence Of Culturally Responsive School Leaders, Bm Towns

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Culturally Responsive School Leadership is one of the most essential elements of the academic and longitudinal success of minoritized students from urban hyper-ghettoized communities. Despite the impact of Culturally Responsive School Leadership, the focus on improving learning has centered teachers instead of their leaders. Upon this realization, this study set out to center the Culturally Responsive School Leader, their context within the landscape of leadership and education, the history of Black Americans, and the frameworks of cultural and social capital as critical to the manner in which Culturally Responsive School Leaders engage with their students, families, communities, and the educational …

The Effect Of The I-Ready Reading Program On Student Scores On The Northwest Evaluation Association (Nwea®) Measures Of Academic Progress (Map) Reading Assessment, Ricardo A. Torres

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The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on student scores on the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA®) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading Assessment when students are engaged with on-line adaptive diagnostics and instruction via the Curriculum Associates (CA) i-Ready Reading on-line platform. Outcomes were explored based on usage of the i-Ready program, ethnicity (Hispanic, or Non-Hispanic), and sex (male, or female) of the participant. Participants were students in a K-8 environment in an urban setting in the Mid-West United States. There were two groups of students: one group who used the i-Ready Reading program by CA, and …

Religious Music In Public School Choir: Attitudes, Practices, And Experiences, Landon R. Lamontagne

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A large portion of the choral music canon is sacred or religious in nature because the history of choral singing is in large part due to its importance in the development of the Christian church. Many public school choir teachers include sacred or religious music as a part of their repertoire because of its historic, musical and educational value. The fact that religious songs and sacred texts are often included in public school choir curricula has raised numerous philosophical and legal questions over the past several decades, although research regarding public school choir curriculum and religion is limited. The purpose …

High School Discipline Policies And The Teacher-Student Relationship, Sara Elizabeth Nardone

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Relationships play a central role of human development by fostering connection and growth in individuals (Josselson, 1992). Adolescence is a stage of development in which relationships are perhaps most integral because they help youth navigate the changes that come with this developmental phase. Teacher-student relationships are one of the most influential relationships for youth because teacher-student relationships impact students’ academic achievement and educational experience (Ellerbrock et al., 2015; Wilkins, 2014). There are many factors that contribute to positive teacher-student relationships. An area of research that has not gained as much attention regarding teacher-student relationships is discipline in schools. High schools …

Teacher Perceptions Of An International Baccalaureate Diploma Program In A Mid-Western Inner-Ring Suburban High School During The First Seven Years, Charles E. Kelly

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The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) has grown exponentially around the world and particularly within the United States over the past decade, and numerous studies have been conducted on a wide range of issues related to the IBDP and the other three IB Programs—the Primary Years, Middle Years, and Career-related Programs. Much of the research, naturally, focuses on student achievement within the IBDP and the ways in which the Program benefits students who participate. Fewer studies have been done on teacher perceptions of the IBDP. Typically, when teacher perceptions are investigated, the focus is on their perceptions of student achievement, …

Evaluating Extended Learning Time On Urban Student Performance, Andrea Moss

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In the United States, children between the ages of five and eighteen spend up to 85 percent of their time out of school. After the school day ends, working parents of school-age children and youth need to secure adequate after-school care. During after school hours, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., 19 percent of violent offenses committed by juveniles occur (U.S. Department of Justice, 2010). On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2015) the average eighth-grade minority student performs at about the level of the average fourth-grade white student. These data indicate that the best use of …

Determining The Extent To Which Information Literacy Online Learning Objects Follow Best Practices For Teaching And Assessing Critical Thinking, Goodsett Mandi

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Critical thinking is widely accepted as a primary goal of higher education. The skills and dispositions of critical thinking have much in common with those of information literacy, and instruction librarians could improve their information literacy instruction by integrating critical thinking. However, it is not currently clear to what extent instruction librarians encourage critical thinking in their teaching. Moreover, rather than credit-bearing courses, much of library instruction currently consists of either “one-shot” (single class period) sessions or online learning objects which students complete asynchronously. This study focuses on online learning objects, which are often created with great effort, have long-lasting …

The Effect Of Gender And Racial Stereotypes And Education-Related Beliefs On The Academic And Social Identity Development Of Urban African American Girls, Wanda Marie Shealey

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This qualitative, ethnographic study explores various tensions and struggles around gender and racial stereotypes that three urban teenage African American girls encounter as they try to develop a sense of oneself as an individual and in relation to the world. The purpose of this study was to explore Black high school girls’ experiences in a predominately urban public school in the Midwest. This study is guided by the following research question: In what way do gender and racial bias contribute to the self-perception of African American adolescent girls? Interrogating the multiple standpoints that inform African American female identity and how …

Interracial Contact At A Diverse High School: How School And Community Structures Shape Students’ Experiences, Molly Nackley Feghali

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Utilizing survey data from 70 tenth grade students at a high school with a racially diverse student population of 45.6% Black, 42.8% White, 6.8% Multiracial and 3.0% Asian or Pacific Islander, multiple regression analysis was employed to analyze the extent to which aspects of meaningful intergroup contact across race, which included Quantity of Contact, Quality of Contact, and Friendship, were impacted by the racial compositions of participants’ neighborhoods, school settings, and extracurricular activities. Results indicated that school settings and the racial composition of extracurricular activities had statistically significant impacts on Friendship – the percentage of friends of a different race …

The Impact Of Tracking Students In Mathematics On Middle School Student Achievement Outcomes, David P. Glasner

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The purpose of this study was to explore whether and how tracking structures in mathematics courses at the middle school level relate to differences in achievement between white and black students. This study used propensity score matching to compare the achievement outcomes of students enrolled in advanced mathematics classes, with students of comparable ability and background enrolled in grade-level math classes. The study sample was comprised of 1,510 students. Results from the study show that enrollment in an advanced-math course was associated with statistically significant improvement in math achievement for average-ability students. In addition, study results show that increases in …

Urban Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, Teacher Burnout, And Cultural Competence, Ashley E. Poklar

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Researchers across multiple disciplines suggest that teacher-student relationship quality (TSRQ) has a strong association with positive student outcomes across all domains of student functioning (McGrath & Van Bergen, 2015) and serves as a moderating factor in outcome measures for students of color (Murray, Waas, & Murray, 2008) and for those considered economically disadvantaged (Olsson, 2009). Despite the clear benefits of positive TSRQ, the literature is scarce regarding teacher specific factors that may impact TSRQ. This study is the first to explore TSRQ in relation to implicit teacher factors utilizing a mixed-methods approach. Through canonical correlation analysis, utilizing a sample of …

"Serviam": A Historical Case Study Of Leadership In Transition In Urban Catholic Schools In Northeast Ohio, Sarah M. West

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The purpose of this historical case study was to explore, through the lens of knowledge transfer, answers to the following two questions: how did the Sister-educators from one community in Northeast Ohio prepare themselves for leadership, and when it became clear that the future of their urban school depended on transitioning to lay leadership, how did Sister-principals prepare their religious communities and their school communities for that change. This qualitative study focuses on six members of one active, engaged, service-based community which has supported schools Northeast Ohio for over a century. The research revealed that a successful Sister-to-laity leadership transition …

Parent-Teacher Perceptions Of The Factors That Interfere With Productive Parent-Teacher Relationships In Urban Schools, Darryl Marc Mason

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The main premise of this study is that teachers and parents (that is, single head-of-household mothers) of Black males living in urban communities should engage in collaborative, mutual, and respectful dialogue. A barrier to fostering such collaboration, however, lies in differences between the worldviews of teachers and parents based on a variety of cultural, social, economic, and individual factors. If external and/or internal barriers to developing a productive parent-teacher relationship can be overcome, Black males will have a significantly greater chance of succeeding in school. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of single African American …

This Is Why I Teach! An Investigation Into The Ongoing Identity Development Of African American Educators Teaching In Urban Settings, Erica Joi Glover

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Concerns regarding teacher recruitment and teacher retention among African American teachers continue to illustrate the difficulty in diversifying the teacher population. At the same time, African American teachers currently working in urban schools must successfully find strategies to engage urban youth, who face inequitable educational opportunities. Such realities can be challenging to African American teachers, who have also experienced structural oppression, as they are expected to conform to the educational ideologies and strategies of dominant, white society. As such, the personal and professional experiences of African American teachers working within urban schools will not only influence their on-going identity, but …

Teacher Motivation Matters: An Hlm Approach To Understanding Motivation Towards The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, John Murphy Moore

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The International Baccalaureate Organization’s Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) has experienced explosive growth in the United States since its early stages in 1994. Despite its aggressive expansion, little research has explored the relationship between teachers and the program, ignoring the role of motivation in the ways in which the external standards and practices of the program are internalized and enacted. External regulation threatens teachers’ autonomous motivation and is thus associated with compliance attitudes, increased burnout, and less autonomy-support in the classroom. Conversely, teachers who experience more autonomous motivation are generally more creative, resist burnout, and inspire lifelong learning in students.

This …

Teacher Self-Identity: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Lives Of Teachers And The Influences On Their Interactions With Students, Hannah Marie Reid

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New teachers are supported extensively while participating in teacher training programs and during the first years of teaching. During this time, there are opportunities for the new teacher to explore their self-identity and determine how they will interact with students in the classroom. As teachers enter the later years of their careers and are considered experienced, they are forced to contend with changing political and societal factors that influence their experiences around teaching in the classroom, often times without the extensive support that is provided for the teachers in their first years. Through a lens of social constructivism, narrative inquiry …

International Students Career Development: Acculturative Stress And Career Outcomes, Sneha J. Pitre

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International students face many challenges as they adapt to a new host country. These challenges are present in social, psychological, academic, and career domains of life. Although students aim to reduce the difficulties encountered in the acculturation process, negative experiences often have a harmful impact. Acculturative stress can negatively affect mental and physical health, as well as career outcomes. The literature focusing on the career-related needs and placement concerns of international students with relation to acculturative stress is scare and needs further exploration. The present study investigated the relationship between acculturative stress and the career outcomes of work hope, career …

The Dividing Lines Of Opportunity: The Relationships Among Student Characteristics And Selected Institutional Services At Two-Year Public And For-Profit Colleges, Elizabeth Anne Gilblom

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This study examined if and to what extent selected institutional services and special learning and credit opportunities in the 2-year private, for-profit college sector and community colleges in the United States are related to race, socioeconomic status and urbanicity. The researcher evaluated whether the institutional services and special learning and credit opportunities available to students at these 1,479 institutions are stratified by the socioeconomic and racial characteristics of their student bodies and their local communities, by institutional control, by the institution’s degree of urbanization, and the student financial aid characteristics. The researcher also investigated the relationship among institutional services, special …

Predicting Student Success: Factors Influencing Nclex-Rn® Rates In An Urban University's Pre-Licensure Programs, David M. Foley

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As the US population becomes more diverse, schools of nursing are faced with the formidable challenge of graduating diverse groups of competent students who will pass the NCLEX-RN® and serve an equally diverse public in the safest manner possible. Although institutions of higher learning have adopted plans to enhance diversity among nursing graduates, tension is created between these initiatives and the academic rigor required by nursing education. In particular, schools of nursing in diverse urban metropolitan areas face unique challenges educating increasing number of men, minorities, and students for whom English is a second language (ESL). Stanton-Salazar’s (2011) Social Capital …

Institutional Agents In The Lives Of Chagrin Falls Park Youth, Alison Taylor Kaufman

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This qualitative case study researched how adults from a community center and school acted as institutional agents in assisting youth navigating between community and school settings. The research was conducted in the context of Chagrin Falls Park, a historically marginalized community in the Cleveland metropolitan region. The research included semi-structured interviews with eleven participants across three participant categories, including institutional agents from Kenston Local Schools and Chagrin Falls Park Community Center and young adult Kenston graduates. The research explored: (1) the perceptions and roles of institutional agents in how Black youth construct identities, relationships, and navigate between institutional and community …

Exploring The Coping Strategies Of Female Urban High School Seniors On Academic Successes As It Relates To Bullying, Brenda Elaine Brooks-Turner

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Bullying has become a worldwide problem of pandemic proportion and degree. (Thomas, Bolen, Heister & Hyde, 2010). In the United States over thirty-five percent of school-aged students were directly involved in bullying incidents. Tragic news stories about suicides and school violence raised awareness about the importance of addressing this global issue (Van Der Zande, 2010). To date reports further indicate that more females are involved in indirect relational bullying than males. Unfortunately, as technology becomes more and more accessible, relational bullying has become one of the fastest growing epidemics (Brinson, 2005; Rigby & Smith, 2011).

Current research explanations were limited …

A Comparative Analysis Of Female Leaders In Urban Educational Settings, Larraine Freeman Fuller

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The purpose of this research was to explore the ways in which race and gender impact the leadership effectiveness of female leaders in urban school districts. An effective educational leader demonstrates certain leadership qualities. Realizing that barriers will inevitably accompany the leadership role assumed, the leader must be able to identify these barriers and work to overcome them.

Six educational female leaders participated in this study. As a result of this study, four themes emerged. The themes identified how the leaders viewed their leadership style, ways to lead effectively and how others perceived them. The information that was revealed through …

Persistence Redefined: Why Men Stay, Karie A. Coffman

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The research addressed factors affecting degree completion for adult male students. This qualitative case study explored factors that contributed to the persistence of undergraduate adult male students and their perception of their role within the campus community. The research considered: 1) how adult male undergraduate students described their ability to persist until degree completion; 2) what factors contributed to persistence; 3) what types of social interactions enabled participants to persist; and 4) how adult male undergraduate students described their relationship to the campus community. Data were collected through interviews with nine nontraditional male graduates who earned a baccalaureate degree within …

Design And Production Of A Hydrogel Forming Polypeptide: Engaging High School Students In Protein Design, James K. Deyling

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Bioinks are a class of hydrogel that have the potential to be the ink used in the creation of printed organs, connective tissue, and other important structures within the body. One class of material that may be a suitable bioink hydrogel is elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), which are synthetic biopolymers inspired by the naturally existing connective tissue elastin. ELPs consist of a repeat pentapeptide sequence (GXGVP)n, where X is any of the 20 naturally existing amino acids other than proline. These biomolecules are capable of exhibiting environmental responsiveness when exposed to certain stimulus such as salt concentration, temperature, and pH, depending …

Between Bleakness And Hope In A Large Urban School District Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Special Education, Kamilah Aisha Williams

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This qualitative case study explored the experience of teachers in special education settings within an urban district in the Midwest. The particular emphasis of the study was to attend to efforts used by teachers to address the issue of equality of opportunity in special education settings serving low-income students of color. Using a case study approach, the research explored what barriers teachers see as getting in the way of equal educational opportunity and how teachers reduce barriers of inequality for their students. In particular, the study looked at the ways in which educators facilitate equality by creating opportunities for students …

Cleveland State University (Csu) Employees' Perceptions Of Wellness At The Workplace, Seander C. Garner

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The purpose of this study was to assess office workers' perceptions of workplace wellness programs (WWP). Significant: The significance of this study is to determine the relationship between workplace wellness and the influence it has on employees. Methods: An email was sent to 365 employees that participated in the Workplace Wellness Program at Cleveland State University (CSU). Flyers were posted on campus and participants were solicited by word-of-mouth. The fifteen (N=15) respondents were interviewed to assess their attitudes and perceptions regarding a workplace wellness program. Findings: Two-thirds (66 ) of the participants interviewed described their overall health as good but …

Attitudes Towards The Use Of Technology Among The College Students Who Study English As A Second Language (Esl), Monerah Alduwairej

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This research study aimed to evaluate the impact that technology could have on the development of language skills of English Second Language (ESL) college students. The importance of this topic was underlined in the comprehensive literature review that highlighted the existing debate between computer technology being a vital aid and helpful in the ESL classroom. This study focused on obtaining the student perspective concerning the use of technology and how technology may impact the learning process. A survey with Lkert scale questions and three open-ended questions were used in the study. The 50 student participants were gathered from Cleveland State …