Education Commons^™

Using Literature Circles To Increase Reading Comprehension And Student Motivation, Michelle Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations

Many educators arrange students in guided reading groups based on their reading lexile. Usually the books selected for guided reading are from a basal reading series and are used to teach different reading components and strategies. However, the books don’t always reflect student cultures, making it difficult for students to hold discussions and make connections. Oftentimes, students are unmotivated to read the assigned books and rarely engage in discussions. Based on research conducted by Daniels (2006), when kids are engaged in well-structured book clubs their comprehension and their attitude towards reading both improve. With ongoing changes in education, educators must …

How Hope And Motivation Lead To Self-Regulation Middle School Students, Jessica Marie Winter

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the study was to determine how hope, motivation and goal setting led to selfregulation in middle school students. The research methods used in the study were mixed methods, which enabled students to give voice to the provided data. On the basis of the research, it was concluded there was a relationship between goal setting and selfregulation in middle school students.

Empirical Connections Between The Construct Of Value, The Quality Of Stability, And The Construct Of Regret, William Samuel Morris Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The term value is a psychological construct frequently used in the social sciences. This research addresses the issue of stability of ratings of perceived value of participants for monetary, tangible, and intangible items that cross contexts. Also elucidated is the relationship of value to regret. Hypothesis one stated that value would be stable across time and different rating conditions. Forty-four participants rated the value of 72 stimulus items at two time points and in different contexts. Paired samples t-tests indicated 28 participants had no statistical difference in scores. Twenty-eight scores out of 44, when applied to a binomial test, indicates …

Student Self-Regulated Learning Through Use Of The Linguafolio® Online In A Beginning Middle School El Class, Melissa Rose Davey

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative mixed methods case study explores how LinguaFolio® Online is an appropriate strategy for increasing self-regulated learning in a beginning ESL class. Five participants in a middle school beginning ESL class used LinguaFolio® Online over eight weeks in order to report on learning and submit evidence exemplars. All participants used LinguaFolio® Online for various user interactions concerning self-regulation and self-assessment. Participants completed a pre- and post-survey so that perceptions could be compared before and after use of LinguaFolio® Online. The results of this study specify two important trends; first, regular use of the selfassessment lists contained within LinguaFolio® Online …

How Attachment Style Correlates To Symptoms Of Burnout For Direct Care Staff In A Company That Serves People With Developmental And/Or Intellectual Disabilities, Shantel Lee Pickar

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to find if adult attachment style is correlated to depersonalization, lowered sense of accomplishment, and/or emotional exhaustion for direct-care employees and supervisors in one company that serves people with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities. A thorough review of literature was completed on this topic as well as a voluntary, unpaid employee survey which determined propensity for burnout as well as attachment style. Data was gathered and analyzed and results are shared in the context of this study.

Successful Characteristics And Motivations For Farmers To Participate In A Small Farmers’ Market: A Case Study Of A Small Minnesota Farmers Market., Josephine Marie Wood

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone is characteristics that make a farmers’ market successful from the perspective of vendors who participate in a case study market. Other information is also obtained to learn more about the vendor’s background, reason for selling at the case study market, as well as disadvantages to the case study market. The methodology to answer the question included both questionnaire surveys and face-to-face interviews. Literature supporting the increase in farmers’ markets across the United States as well as information on how to begin a farmers’ market was included in this study. The study concluded that …

Investigating The Impact Of Reflexive Practices On College Students In A Science Laboratory Course, Chandrani Mishra

Dissertations

Emphasis on professional practices to develop students’ professionalism is currently a major focus of higher education. Studies have shown the benefits of reflexive practices in classroom to facilitate the development of students’ professional attitude or identity in some fields. Reflexive practices involve students in self-reflection where he/she reflects on his/her own actions. Little investigation about the benefits of reflexive practices in the development of students’ scientific identity in a science class led to my investigation. Development of a scientific identity of students and their overall interest and motivation in science is deemed essential for retaining students in STEM fields.

My …

Identities And Motives Of Naturalist Development Program Attendees And Their Relation To Professional Careers, Jennifer A. Mraz

Dissertations

In recent years, there has been much concern over the decline of biologists who actually identify themselves to be naturalists, which negatively impacts the field of conservation and the study of biology as a whole. This could result in a decrease in individuals who participate in naturalist-like activities, such as informal environmental education and environmental volunteerism. The purpose of my study was to determine what discourse identities were held by naturalist development program participants, how these discourse identities related to their volunteer motives in environmental settings, and how discourse identity related to professional careers. I defined identity through the lens …

Mississippi Teachers’ Perception Of Merit Pay, Diana M. Stephens

Dissertations

Teachers are the center of increasing student achievement and student motivation, therefore a way to motivate teachers must be implemented. Although most teachers are motivated intrinsically for their love of teaching, external motivation could add another component to teacher success. Merit pay is one way to provide an external motivator to change teaching strategies in order to increase student achievement. This study measured teachers’ perceptions in Mississippi who are involved in the merit pay pilot program. There are four school districts participating in the pilot program and two of those school districts were surveyed for this study, a central Mississippi …

Administering An Educational Program: Implementing Culturally Responsive Curriculum And Instruction In Elementary Schools To Increase Student Achievement, Marquita Hockaday

The William & Mary Educational Review

The demographics in America’s K-12 classrooms will continue to shift throughout the 21st century as students become more diverse. However, educators remain predominantly White, presenting issues of cultural disequilibrium. Cultural disequilibrium may result in frustration and a breakdown in the classroom, leading to a lack of achievement amongst culturally diverse students. Further, educators and educational leaders often lack the skills to work with diverse populations due to inadequate pre-service programs. Thus, it is critical that educational leaders become aware of and understand various culturally responsive curricula and instructional practices. Elementary school educational leaders can develop and administer effective culturally responsive …

The Necessary Shift In Writing Instruction: Implementing Authentic Tasks While Meeting Learning Standards, Miranda Sigmon

The William & Mary Educational Review

This article focuses on writing instruction and the necessity for this instruction to be modified regarding the use of literacy in everyday life. Reviewing literature about standards, motivation, and writing instruction makes the implementation of authentic writing tasks evident as a necessity for increasing student motivation and allowing for students’ individuality. Each lesson taught in the classroom, regardless of expected outcomes, should foster student engagement, curiosity, and eagerness to learn. With respect to writing instruction, teachers must approach learning with student individuality in mind and create writing experiences that are engaging, allow for creativity, and have meaning for students so …

Pre Kindergarten Students Increased Letter Recognition Ability Through The Use Of Educational Apps On Tablets For Classroom Instruction, Corrie C. Giugni

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Preschool students are preparing for kindergarten. The kindergarten curriculum is demanding. Students are expected to enter elementary school knowing many aspects related to language arts. The problem at the preschool level is that children need to master letter recognition and letter sounds in order to prepare them to learn how to read. The literature reveals that using technology before they enter kindergarten can be beneficial in developing students emergent literacy skills (Beschorner & Huchison, 2013).

It is important for teachers to meet the needs of all of their students. Using electronic tablets in the classroom is a tool that can …

The Effects Of Strategy Instruction In Reading Informational Text On Reading Level And Motivation Of Fifth Grade Students, Michelle Adler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this nonequivalent control-group design study was to determine if students had an increase in reading level and motivation to read when more informational text and instruction was added into the curriculum. The independent variables were the reading curriculum, with Success for All (SFA) used with the control group and SFA with additional instruction in informational text used with the study group. The dependent variables were reading level and levels of motivation determined by the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) and the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) measured after eight weeks of instruction and again three months post-study. The …

Teacher Participation And Motivation Inprofessional Development, Krystal A. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Although professional development is accepted as important for making educational improvements, some have been unsuccessful due to how the teachers choose to participate, and the lack of motivation in teachers to attend or implement the suggested changes. A case study of secondary mathematics teachers in a required professional development is used to look at teachers' motivation and participation during the professional development. This study compared mathematics teachers' motivation to attend with ways of participating in order to determine how these influence a teacher's intent to change. It was found that certain aspects of motivation and participation does influence a teacher's …

Connecting To Students: Self-Disclosure As A Motivational Tool For Collegiate Forensic Coaches, Ben Walker

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Forensic coaches spend a large amount of time with their students and often struggle to find effective methods of motivation; however, studies have shown that teachers (Christophel, 1990) and athletic coaches (Turman, 2008) can use immediacy as a way to increase student/competitor motivation. This paper examines how forensic coaches can use a specific interpersonal tactic (self-disclosure) to potentially increase student motivation. The review of literature covers self-disclosure and the link between immediacy and motivation in both educational and competitive settings; next, Petronio’s Communication Privacy Management theory is contextualized with forensic coaches; finally, suggestions are offered to forensic coaches who wish …

Is Stem For All? Perspectives Of Black And Latino Students On Stem Motivation, Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

This presentation takes an intricate look at the factors that motivate gifted and talented Black and Latino students to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM). According to the literature, the U.S. workforce could employ as many as 140,000 additional Black and Latino college graduates in STEM fields annually if the gap in college completion by Blacks and Latinos closed to roughly match that of the White and Asian student graduation rates. Thus, the goal of this presentation is to inform administrators, educators, and programs of a 5-step motivation-based program that encourages Black and Latino students to engage in STEM.

The Effects Of Student Self-Assessment With Goal Setting On Fourth Grade Mathematics Students: Creating Self-Regulating Agents Of Learning, Laura Clift

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the national trend toward student accountability as learners, few studies have identified effective instructional strategies that motivate elementary students in becoming agents of learning and the effect of these strategies on academic achievement. This quantitative study investigated the effect of student self-assessment with goal setting (SAGS), based on the work of Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, and Chappuis (2006), on elementary school students’ academic achievement and motivation in mathematics. This study employed a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, nonequivalent control-group design. Participants were 130 students drawn from six intact classes of fourth graders from five elementary schools located in a large Archdiocese in the …

Motivating Students To Learn Science: A Physicist’S Perspective, Mark P. Silverman

Faculty Scholarship

The objective of this article is to make explicit some concrete ways in which an accurate perspective of what science is contributes significantly to improving science teaching. Effective science teaching begins with the recognition that for both practising scientists and students the desire to find answers to personally meaningful questions about natural phenomena is the strongest incentive to study science. Instructional methods that nurture and draw upon the curiosity of students have the best chance to motivate students to learn science. Teaching in this way entails helping students 1) to see the conceptual relevance, utility, and aesthetic dimension of what …

Units Of Study: A Curriculum Supplemented With Problem-Based Learning And Technology, Jami Kristina Vandenberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, How can I provide 5th grade students with opportunities to engage in reading, writing, and talking about texts and ideas across different instructional contexts using technology and problem-based learning? The motivating factor for this capstone was the struggle with providing students dynamic learning opportunities that teach academic content as well as 21st century skills and relevant technology integration. This capstone details problem-based learning as an opportunity to assuage this struggle. The capstone reviews the components of problem-based learning and outlines the research on successful implementation. The capstone goes on to describe the …

Instructional Gaming, Patricia Crossett, Gerene Starratt

South Florida Education Research Conference

This action research will investigate instructional games as a strategy to increase third grade students’ engagement and motivation. A researcher-created behavior checklist and survey will document students’ behavior and attitudes during baseline, intervention, and post intervention. Analysis will investigate changes in engagement, motivation, and grades due to the gaming intervention.

Macromolecules And Monologues: How Science And Arts Classes Motivate Students For College, Alejandra Acosta

The STEAM Journal

This study investigates how science and performing arts classes motivate high school students, particularly students of color, to pursue higher education. The changes in funding and perceived importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) vs. Visual Performing Arts (VPA) classes and programs, as well as the underrepresentation of students of color in these areas, make this topic important. Existing literature independently examines the positive effects of science and arts classes on student success but fails to compare the benefits of these programs and to include the student voice. Through the use of participant observation, questionnaires, and interviews, this study …

Context-Perception Model Of Third Language Learning Motivation, Masanori Matsumoto

Masanori Matsumoto

Through Matsumoto’s recent studies (2009, 2011) on foreign language learners’ motivation in Australian context, a third cultural factor has been detected. Both studies have revealed that besides the conventional account of the cultural distance between learners’ own culture and that of target language, the distance between learners’ own culture and the Australian educational culture in which their language learning occurs also influences the learners’ motivational state. That is, when learners learn a second foreign language in the second language educational context, this additional third culture plays an additional role which affects learner motivation. The study of cultural distance as a …

The Effect Of The Mastery Learning Approach On Student Motivation In Middle Level Science, Phillip Jeffrey Hutcheson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed was, How does mastery learning approach affect the motivation of students in a middle level science classroom? The project studied a group of 7th grade students' motivation as they completed a science unit using the mastery learning approach. Data were collected through pre- and post-surveys, observation, and assessment of benchmarks. The collected data showed that students had an increase in motivation after the mastery learning approach. Students' self reported motivation increased. The observed behaviors indicating motivation occurred more frequently. In the assessments, over seventy percent of all students showed mastery of the benchmarks. This paper provides …

The Correlation Between Athletic Intrinsic Motivation And Academic Intrinsic Motivation Of Student Athletes At The Secondary Level, Rebecca Lee Jelenc

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project is: Is there a correlation between athletic and academic intrinsic motivation secondary students ? The motivating factor for this capstone was the study of high academic success by highly successful student athletes in high school. This capstone was designed to investigate if intrinsic motivation attributes of athletics are transferred to the academic focus of the athletes. This capstone details related literature on intrinsic motivation in both the athletic and academic setting, the use of the Academic and Sports Motivation Surveys, and results of the surveys. The study of Marionville High School student athlete’s …

Food Waste And Behavior Change Through Project-Based Learning, Patrick Cary Crawford

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to find if food waste behavior can be changed through project-based learning. Food is a valuable resource that is being thrown into landfills; I question how we can change that? After compiling research on food waste, pro-environmental behavioral psychology, and project based learning I have constructed a theoretical framework that can be used to teach behavior change through project-based learning. The following were created to attain this goal: (a) a project unit plan, (b) assessments designed to evaluate students content knowledge on food waste, and (c) assessments designed to evaluate students pro-environmental behavior based on Blake, 1999. …

Encouraging Student-­Generated Critical Questions Through Literature Circles In A Tenth-­Grade Classroom, Damon Reuben Brook

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how literature circles were used to encourage 32 tenth­grade students enrolled in an English 10 class to generate critical questions about memoirs. The literature review overviewed the philosophy of student­centered classrooms as well as the specific benefits of using literature circles and question­answer relationship (QAR) reading strategies. This study covered a four­week unit where teams of students were observed in interest­based literature circles. Students discussed the texts and recorded questions that they used for discussions. Other data included analysis of teacher­generated reflection journals. The results of the study revealed that the students overall responded positively to the …

Children's Implicit Beliefs About Intelligence, Carly Champagne

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Young children are commonly perceived as highly optimistic and confident, and therefore seldom arouse concern as to how they are impacted by academic failure. However, there is evidence to suggest that young children can indeed be negatively affected by failure experiences. Implicit theories of intelligence can provide individuals with a framework by which to perceive failure, though little is known about when these theories begin to develop. The current study explores whether children as young as three and a half to four years of age demonstrate patterns indicative of incremental or entity theories of intelligence as a response to challenge …

Mathematical Game Creation And Play Assists Students In Practicing Newly-Learned Challenging Concepts, Kalyn Jon Cody, Audrey C. Rule, Benjamin R. Forsyth

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Publications

Twenty-four high-performing fifth grade students (aged 10 - 11 years) participated in a year-long study in which conditions alternated for six instructional units between lecture-based mathematics instruction and practice through solving additional problems in small groups versus practice through designing and playing mathematics games related to the topic. Students scored similarly on all units at the time of the posttest. Creating games allowed students to examine concepts on their own, making sense of them at a deeper level, avoiding confusion. Game-making may also have made the mathematics more personal, relevant, and interesting. The authors suggest that mathematics teachers consider adding …

Attitudes And Experiences In Liberal Arts Mathematics, Jennifer Clinkenbeard

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

For many university students, the last formal experience in a mathematics classroom is a single semester “general education” mathematics class. Traditionally, students in this type of class often hold negative attitudes towards mathematics. Here I study a sample of students from this population (49 students at a large, urban, comprehensive public university enrolled in a “math for liberal arts majors” course) to research whether a positive experience in a freshman-level general education mathematics course correlates with a positive change in the students’ attitude towards mathematics in general. I also explore which specific aspects of such a course contribute most to …

Effects Of Motivational Prompts On Motivation, Effort, And Performance On A Low-Stakes Standardized Test, Katrice A. Hawthorne, Linda Bol, Shana Pribesh, Yonghee Suh

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Increased demands for accountability have placed an emphasis on assessment of student learning outcomes. At the post-secondary level, many of the assessments are considered low-stakes, as student performance is linked to few, if any, individual consequences. Given the prevalence of low-stakes assessment of student learning, research that investigates the relationship between student motivation, effort, and performance on low-stakes tests is warranted as these tests are increasingly being used to make judgments about the quality of student learning. This quasi-experimental study was conducted at a public mid-sized university with 87 undergraduate students enrolled in four 100-level general education courses. The researchers …