Education Commons^™

Teaching Holistic History With Purpose: Developing A New Curriculum For A Unit On The World Wars, Brandon R. Katzung Hokanson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project addresses problematic elements of high school World History education, specifically textbook-centrism and the exclusion of marginalized voices. The current pitfalls of textbook-centered history often include a perpetuation of a narrow, Eurocentric narrative that fails to represent communities of color. Textbook-centrism in history classes has also contributed to student disengagement with the historical past and offers few opportunities for students to practice desperately needed critical thinking skills. The central research question addressed in this capstone is: How can we teach high school history classes using diverse perspectives and primary sources to develop students’ critical thinking skills? The final …

Scaffolding Social Studies Texts For Below Grade-Level Readers To Promote Literacy Growth And Student Engagement, Brendan Maloney

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone project is: How can I scaffold fifth grade social studies texts for immigrant students who are far below a fifth grade reading level to maintain content standards, student engagement, and promote literacy growth? The capstone paper documents multiple approaches to fostering student engagement and effective ways to grow literacy skills in learning spaces. The document also follows the creation of a unit of curriculum to foster student engagement and literacy growth, targeting Latin American immigrant students whose reading levels are below grade-level. The unit topic focuses on Central and South American Native civilizations …

How Can We Use Cross-Curricular Work To Promote Argument Writing Techniques In Middle School Students?, Taylor Krassas

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Argumentation is an important skill to help students develop their own perspectives and their places in the world around them. Currently much interdisciplinary work in middle school settings is focused on student discipline rather than curriculum alignment. Research indicates that interdisciplinary collaboration can and should be used to strengthen curriculum across content areas. This capstone project uses a combination of articles, case studies, surveys and assessments within interdisciplinary work to answer the question: How can we use cross-curricular work to improve argument writing techniques in middle school students? The project synthesizes research and tangible classroom examples. The intended impact of …

Effective Genre-Based Pedagogy In Co-Taught Literacy Classes For Dual-Identified Students, Khaulah Nik Rushdi

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project is : “How can multilingual teachers successfully co-teach with special education teachers in delivering effective genre-based pedagogy in literacy?” This capstone project addresses the critical educational gap facing dual-identified students–English learners (ELs) with significant disabilities–who require specialized support for both language development and disability-related needs. Despite federal mandates requiring both services, over 832,000 dual-identified students enrolled in U.S. public schools often fall through academic gaps due to fragmented services and deficit-based approaches that fail to recognize their intersectionalities. Teachers report feeling underprepared at ensuring these students have equal access to classroom curriculum. The …

Establishing Healthy And Sustainable Esl-Mainstream Co-Teaching Partnerships, Gina Dabruzzi

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As the number of English Language Learners continues to increase, the need for successful co-teaching practices between English as a Second Language (ESL) and mainstream teachers has become a necessity. Yet, despite this high demand, there continues to be a lack of training around co-teaching, and inadequate consideration and support in creating and fostering strong co-teaching partnerships. Aside from the challenges of co-teaching, such as compatibility and power dynamics, the partnership with ESL teachers adds another dimension to the challenge of co-teaching: that being, the misconception that ESL as strategies based rather than a content, and insufficient training around explicit …

Teaching With Nature: Place-Based Learning And Outdoor Education Toward Healing In The K-2 Setting, Isaac Hart

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Outdoor education and place-based learning hold rich histories and futures. This project at large set out to explore the stories and possibilities of outdoor education and place-based learning within the K-2 landscape. The research question being addressed in this project is: How can we use meaningful place-based learning and outdoor education in the K-2 setting as a means of healing relationships with schooling and with the rest of the natural world? Through personal and professional framing, an exploratory literature review, an educator resource toolkit project, and a reflective conclusion, this work presents outdoor education and place-based learning as having myriad …

Advocating For Social Justice In 4th Grade Ela Curriculum And Standards: Culturally Responsive Fidelity Frameworks For Leadership And Educators, Sélah F. Mcclain

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project examines how the alignment of Minnesota English Language Arts standards and curriculum merged with a culturally responsive teaching fidelity framework will influence student engagement, academic rigor, and intentional academic discourse among Black fourth-grade scholars in an urban learning community. It is grounded in Ladson-Billings’(1995) and (2009) culturally relevant pedagogy, Hammond’s (2021) culturally responsive teaching with connection to the science of learning and development, as well as Falk and Blumenreich’s (2005) theory regarding cognitive constructivism. This research explores the role of leadership and educators in the implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy with fidelity to create coherence between standards, …

State Standards For The Outdoors: A Curriculum Guide For Middle School Life Science In An Outdoor Classroom, David Soltero

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project examines the idea, Can integrating an outdoor learning experience into every aspect of a Middle School science curriculum enhance learning outcomes? The curriculum is focused on Minnesota's 7th grade life science standards and adapts course and content requirements so that all class instruction and assessment may be done outdoors or within the outdoor classroom. Additionally, it offers examples of summative assessments that are closely aligned with Minnesota's state standards and the next generation science standards. In the literature review, strong support was found for the many benefits of spending time outdoors. The literature also discussed the importance of …

Restorative Justice: How Can It Be Effectively Implemented In Schools To Resolve Conflicts And Improve Student Behavior And School Culture?, Aaron Melander

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Schools have addressed student misbehavior and conflict resolution in many ways. Historically, many interventions have been punitive and have done little to help students develop healthy conflict resolution skills. Restorative justice is an approach that seeks to empower students to participate constructively in the conflict-resolution process. This capstone project is a professional development series that addresses the research question: Restorative Justice: How Can It Be Effectively Implemented in Schools to Resolve Conflicts and Improve Student Behavior and School Culture? Research concludes that restorative justice can benefit students, teachers, and school communities by actively teaching skills such as reflection, empathy, self-awareness, …

Supporting Somali- And Hmong-Speaking English Language Learners’ Acquisition Of Morphological Awareness, Danna Bergantine

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Education research has consistently found that supporting students’ understanding of morphology leads to positive literacy outcomes. Students who are English Language Learners may need differentiated support than their English-only peers in this area. Currently, the majority of resources for morphology instruction with ELL students reference Spanish-speakers and rely on cognates between Spanish and English. After Spanish, Somali and Hmong represent the next largest language groups of Minnesota’s ELL population and it is difficult to find resources to support speakers of these languages’ understanding of morphology. Research was conducted to find morphology best practices which do not rely on cognates and …

Outdoor Trail Use At Woodland Elementary School For Student Engagement With Mn Life Science Standards, Barbara Walswick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper examines use of the unpaved trails at Woodland Elementary School for student engagement with the third grade MN life science curriculum standards. At this time, the nature resource behind the school is underused. Research on benefits of outdoor learning for elementary students and staff was conducted and noted, resulting in the Woodland Trail Guide project. It serves as a life science curriculum companion for educators to easily take their students on the trails for increased student engagement. It gives educators experience and confidence to optimize the trails in teaching their science lessons and serves as a catalyst to …

Integrating Environmental Education: A Continuing Professional Development For Minnesota Educators In Weaving Local Indigenous Knowledge Systems And Western Science, Sarah Genet

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As of 2021, Minnesota’s updated academic standards in science for all grade levels include local Indigenous cultures, histories, and perspectives. The Minnesota Department of Education provides limited content and professional development guiding the implementation of these requirements, leaving educators to design and update their curriculum with little formal guidance. This capstone explores integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to help answer the research question: ‘What must be included in environmental education curriculum interwoven with Indigenous and Western perspectives in science to provide a holistic learning experience?’ This capstone presents continuing professional development designed for upper-level secondary science and environmental educators …

Finding Black Girl Joy: The Lived Experiences Of Rural Black Girls, Tisha Scott-Addison

College of Education

This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of rural Black girls to gain a deeper understanding of how structural inequities manifest in their daily school lives. Grounded in intersectionality theory, the research examined how the convergence of race, gender, age, and geography influences the treatment and perceptions of Black girls within rural school settings. The central research questions guiding the study were: How do rural Black girls describe their experiences with school discipline, adultification, and a sense of belonging, and how do these experiences shape their educational journeys? Twenty Black female students in rural schools participated in semi-structured interviews. Data …

Integrative Stem Approach Impact On Mathematical Acquisition And Mathematical Conceptual Understanding, Kayla Grace Eller

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study investigates the impact of an integrative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) approach on fourth grade students’ mathematical conceptual understanding and mathematical language acquisition. For the purposes of this research, mathematical language was defined as students’ comprehension and use of key mathematical terminology and concepts, while mathematical conceptual understanding was characterized as a comprehensive and practical grasp of mathematical ideas that goes beyond isolated facts and methods. The study was situated in the theoretical framework of situated cognition learning theory and informed by the conceptual framework of Wells PIRPSOAL model (2016), with particular attention to how …

Stem Integration In The Classroom: An Exploratory Case-Study On Teachers Defining Their Stem Identity And Role As A Stem Educator, Tawana Guillaume

Theses and Dissertations

The push for inclusion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a meta-discipline in K-12 education is recognition that the challenges faced by society require technology skills, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and an increased number of people entering STEM professions (Dare et al., 2014; English, 2016; Fan et al., 2021; Holstein & Keene, 2013; Roehrig et al., 2012, 2021; Sanders, 2008). The dissertation in practice explored STEM teacher identity and conceptions of STEM as a function of STEM professional experience outside of the field of education. The exploratory casestudy sought to identify the relationship between STEM career-based experiences – specifically the …

Using Improvement Science To Study The Influence Of A Self-Regulatory Skills Intervention Program Within The Pre-Referral/Student Study Team Process, Abbie Sian-Stirone

Theses and Dissertations

The Dissertation in Practice (DiP) details a continuous improvement study utilizing Improvement Science and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to refine a school site's pre-referral/Student Study Team (SST) process. The need for this systemic refinement was driven by reported district-level equity concerns regarding the overrepresentation of Latinx students in special education. The study investigated the influence of a targeted Self-Regulatory Learning (SRL) Intervention Program, which leveraged an SRL Reflection Tool to teach explicit metacognitive and self-management strategies to Latinx students identified as at-risk of special education referral. Conducted in an urban public intermediate school, the research employed qualitative and quantitative data to …

Examining Special Education Administrators' Response To Due Process Complaints And Litigation Specific To Least Restrictive Environent, Melissa Jane Chiplis

Theses and Dissertations

Special education administrators have a complex and comprehensive role that requires them to be knowledgeable about special education law and the development of special education programming within their districts. The complexity of the role includes the managing of federal and state funds, allocating resources for the delivery of special education services, designing professional learning opportunities to support services providers with developing appropriate individualized education plans, and monitoring the effectiveness of special education programs. The outcome of these responsibilities is to ensure students with disabilities receive services in the least restrictive environment and to provide local education agency representatives with the …

​​​How Do Working Conditions Effect Teacher Job Satisfaction And Intention To Stay: Retaining Special Education Teachers​, Alyssa Michelle Raygoza

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher retention remains a leading area of focus in the United States. Recent research efforts have examined the effects of specific work-related experiences on teacher retention. In comparison to teaching in a general education classroom, special education teachers often face increased levels of job demands that can influence the ways in which existing resources may or may not balance out such challenges. The study is grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model, a theoretical framework that has been used widely in both occupational and, more recently, educational research focusing on the specific demands and resources situated within teacher working conditions. …

Enhancing Engagement And Learning In Radiology: Integrating Game-Based And Case-Based Learning In Medical Education, Lisa Willson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods action research is to integrate game-based learning (GBL), specifically an educational escape room, into case-based learning (CBL) and evaluate its impact on the engagement and academic performance of fourth-year medical students in an elective radiology course at a medical school in the southeastern United States. Sixteen students participated in the study; all identified as white. National trends indicate a significant decrease in student engagement and academic performance across various educational settings, including medical education (Kay & Pasarica, 2019). Locally, this trend is reflected in declining test scores and student feedback indicating disengagement and poor retention …

Investigating Connections Among Cognitive Coaching, Student Agency And Achievement In Ninth Grade Algebra 1, Terri Renee Rathburn

Theses and Dissertations

This convergent parallel mixed-methods action research study explored the application of Cognitive Coaching as a student-centered intervention to promote agency and academic achievement in a ninth-grade Algebra 1 classroom. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and informed by self-regulated learning and agentic engagement frameworks, the study investigated how structured coaching conversations supported students’ intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, and self-reflectiveness.

Findings indicate that students who engaged in coaching demonstrated measurable growth in self-reported agency and thematic analysis of coaching transcripts revealed shifts from passive compliance to proactive engagement. While achievement results on the Algebra 1 end of course assessment did not reveal …

Unlocking The Power Of Connection: Engagement And Communication With Limited/ Non English Language Families, Melinda Hope Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

Family engagement can positively impact a student’s academic performance, attendance, literacy, and behavior at school (Bachman et al., 2021; Garbacz et al., 2018; Houri et al., 2019; Karge & Lansky, 2011; Robinson et al., 2022). However, there are several barriers to school-family communication, including additional responsibilities outside the school setting and socioeconomic factors. Parents and families who have limited/no English literacy skills face additional barriers to participation because of the lack of language support from schools in communicating events, providing access to language support at events, and parent perceptions of school acceptance (Arellanes et al., 2023; Perrigo et al., 2022; …

The Impact Of Incorporating Crp And Growth Mindset Into The Learning Environment For Increasing Student Enrollment In Advanced Mathematics Courses, Srinivas Akella

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods action research study explored the impact of incorporating Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP), goal setting, and growth mindset strategies into the learning environment of an advanced mathematics course. The overall goal was to increase enrollment of underrepresented student groups in advanced mathematics courses at a small rural high school in Georgia. The problem of practice addressed in this study is the underrepresentation of African American students in advanced-level mathematics courses, such as Precalculus and Calculus, due to structural, cultural, and psychological barriers. Despite the importance of advanced mathematics for college readiness and access to STEM careers, students from underserved …

Supporting School Administrators’ Knowledge Of The Idea: What Do They Know And What Do They Think, Rachel Renae Garrison

Theses and Dissertations

School level administrators play a critical role in the implementation of obligations set forth by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in their schools. To implement these obligations administrators, need to know and understand the IDEA. Researchers have shown that administrators often graduate from their principal preparation programs with little to no instruction in special education law, often leaving them feeling unprepared. The research that has been done into administrator knowledge of the IDEA has shown mixed results in levels of knowledge across different areas. Researchers have also found inconsistencies in administrators’ reported perceptions of their knowledge when compared …

Improving District Targeted Support For Schools With Low Student Achievement By Implementing Assistance Relationships With School Leaders, Mary Ashley Gaskins

Theses and Dissertations

Riverbend School District faced a challenge: the lack of a formalized structure for providing schools with targeted support that meets their unique needs and increases student achievement. This study explored how the district-level instructional team could customize support to improve English Language Arts and Math performance at schools with low student achievement. The theory of improvement posited that district instructional leaders engaging in assistance relationships – through modeling instructional leadership and providing conceptual and practical tools – would enhance school leaders' capacity, ultimately improving teaching and learning. A key action of the improvement team was the creation and implementation of …

Enhancing Teacher Self-Efficacy In Ngss Storyline Implementation: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study On Professional Development In Middle School Science Education, Dena Spickard Fender

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods action research study examined how professional development (PD) influences middle school science teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Storyline curriculum. The study also explored which aspects of PD are most effective in supporting teachers at different career stages. Teacher self-efficacy is a critical factor in the successful adoption of reform-based science instruction, yet limited research has investigated how PD can be differentiated to address the needs of novice, intermediate, and veteran educators in underperforming schools.

A convergent mixed-methods design was employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-A …

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Culture Within An Algebra Unit: A Qualitative Action Research Study, Alesha Marie Love

Theses and Dissertations

Many barriers exist when teaching and learning mathematics. Although the mathematics curriculum is rigid and rigorous by design it is often not culturally relevant for the students engaging with the content. As a result, many students of color do not have an appropriate amount of representation to connect to a subject area that already seems exclusionary. This qualitative action research study examines the effects of introducing culturally relevant references into an Algebra unit for students of color, exploring the influence of exposure to cultural references and the minimal display of cultural and racial identities within the mathematics curriculum on students …

The Church As An Ecological And Cultural Anchor: Examining Its Role In Gifted Education, Advanced Academic Access, And Educational Equity, Matrissa Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examines the role of the Black church as an ecological and cultural anchor in addressing the inequities of gifted education and expanding access to advanced academic opportunities for Black students. The study is grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, critical race theory, and racial and ethnical socialization, and it explores how the Black church can support student development, empower parental advocacy, and partner with schools to promote educational equity. Conducted at Mountain Valley Baptist Church in South Carolina, the interventions included student mentoring, goal setting sessions, academic enrichment, emotional support initiatives, a parent workshop, and a …

Creating Meaningful And Relevant Professional Development Using Improvement Science, Jo R. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of practice focuses on how to improve professional development. Using improvement science, a team of individuals at the school engaged in problem solving techniques to discover the underlying root causes of the problem. The improvement team was composed of administrators, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders who worked in different areas of the school. Collectively, these individuals felt passionately about growing the staff members through effective professional development. Exploring the professional development sessions teachers were attending on campus, there were visible indicators that teachers were not engaged nor were they participating. Unpacking the issue further, the improvement team uncovered …

Strategies For Developing Mathematical Identities In Middle School Students, Margaret M. Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

This concurrent mixed-methods action research study investigated the impact of mathematical discourse intervention on seventh-grade students’ mathematical identities and understanding. Twenty students participated in a four-week intervention implementing Smith and Stein’s (2018) five practices plus one framework.

Quantitative results showed curriculum-based assessments improved significantly (p < .001, d = 1.64). State mathematics assessment revealed minimal change in mean scores. The Mathematical Identity Questionnaire revealed positive shifts across all five constructs, with largest gains in Mathematical Initiative (+0.40) and Problem-Solving Persistence (+0.30). Qualitative analysis using Bingham’s (2023) five-phase process revealed three themes: Mathematical Voice Development, Identity Transformation Through Competence Building, and Communal Validation. Social Cognitive Theory and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy integration showed how discourse interventions addressed both individual self-efficacy and systemic inequities. Findings suggest intensive discourse intervention can initiate positive changes in mathematical identity and understanding for struggling students. Implications include restructuring mathematics instruction to prioritize student discourse and voice, creating more equitable learning environments.

A Qualitative Study Of Middle School Teachers’ Experiences Integrating Computer Coding Into Mathematics Classrooms, George William Austin Iii

Theses and Dissertations

As computers become more accessible in schools nationwide, teachers are embracing them to impact achievement positively (Brudno, 2013; Cetin, 2016). As a result, computer coding instruction has gained attention as a strategy for providing students with skills that will serve them both pre and post-graduation (Burke & Kafai, 2013; Yadav et al., 2016; Ng, 2017). Computer coding is the process of providing instructions for a computer to follow. In 2017, the South Carolina State Board of Education approved Computer Science and Digital Literacy standards for all K-8 public schools in the state of South Carolina (South Carolina Department of Education, …