Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Brief, Localized, Intensive, Social Skills (Bliss) Training On Social Outcomes For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Inclusive School Settings: Form And Function, Christian V. Sabey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the impact of a framework for implementing social skills training, entitled BLISS, on the social vocalizations of students with autism spectrum disorder.

The number of students with autism spectrum disorder is on the rise and many of these students are being served predominantly in general education settings. However, there is a serious lack of social skills training interventions that have been effectively integrated into the typical school setting, including the use of typically available school personnel as interventionists. The developers of the BLISS approach take a step closer to the ideal by integrating brief social skills instruction …

An Evaluation Of Group Activity Schedules To Train Children With Autism To Play Hide-And-Seek With Their Typically Developing Peers, Jessica S. Akers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulties with social and play skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if three young children with autism could learn to play a complex social game, hide-and-seek, with three typically developing peers. Participants were taught to play hide-and-seek using photographic activity schedules. Photographic activity schedules are a type of visual schedule that teach children with autism to engage in chains of behavior. Two schedules were present during
teaching sessions, a seeker schedule and a hider schedule. Each group member played the role of the seeker once during the game. The three participants, …

A Feminist Examination Of How Girls And Women Engage With A Female Protagonist In Dystopian Young Adult Literature, Robin A. Parent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examines how girls and women related to a strong female protagonist in Scott Westerfeld's book Uglies, a dystopian young adult novel. I chose the text, Uglies, as a common experience shared between both participant groups. Two main research questions framed this study: How do girls and women relate to the female protagonist in dystopian YAL? and, How are the responses to dystopian YAL similar and different for the targeted teen audience and the adult audience? This study utilized third-wave feminism and reader response theory for its critical framework. Third-wave feminism calls for researchers to foreground personal …

Expert Rural Elementary School Teachers' Planning For Effective Instruction, Lance T. Hatch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Learning how to plan for effective instruction is a critical part of the work performed daily by the elementary school teacher. While some new and struggling teachers in urban school districts have access to professional development on a variety of topics including instructional planning, teachers in rural school districts often struggle to find training opportunities. This study sought to gather information and insight from rural teachers who demonstrate expert instructional planning. The specific planning decisions they made and activities they engaged in while planning were studied. Not only were the planning practices identified, but the reasons said practices were employed …

Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices And Their Relationship To Teachers’ Instructional Practices In Sharjah Schools., Hayat Mohamed Abdalla Al Hosani

Theses

Instructional leadership has become one of the most widely researched topics. This type of leadership has been connected to teacher growth and development, teacher job satisfaction, student achievement, and improving school climate in general. This study focuses on instructional leadership in schools of Sharjah Education Zone. Specifically, the study aims to describe the principal instructional leadership practices, to identify the most and least important teachers’ instructional practices, and to investigate whether there is a relationship between the principals’ instructional practices and teachers’ teaching practices. This study is quantitative in nature and therefore a questionnaire was used to collect data from …

Educational Strategic Planning Skills For Principles And Vice-Principles In Alburimi Governorate, خولة بنت عبدالله بن حسن البلوشي

Theses

This study aimed at identifying how to develop the principles and vice principles' skills in the strategic planning in AlBurimi through answering the following questions: what is the degree of practicing strategic planning skills for principles and vice-principles in AlBurimi governorate, does the degree vary according to gender, position, qualification and years of experience and how we can develop the strategic planning skills? In order to achieve the objectives of the study the researcher used descriptive analytical (survey questionnaire), and interviews using a focus group with a group of teachers. The study includes all basic education schools principles and vice- …

Uae Efl Teachers’ Perspectives On The Barriers Hindering Technology Integration In Cycle 2 Classrooms, Fatima Muhayer Hamad Al-Darmaki

Theses

The present study aims at investigating the UAE EFL teachers’ perspectives on the barriers hindering technology integration in cycle 2 classrooms. To study the perceptions more deeply, quantitative method was employed to collect the data from (n=180) cycle 2 EFL teachers. This study aims on investigating UAE EFL teachers' perspectives on the barriers hindering technology integration in cycle 2 classrooms. This study using questionnaires for data collection with the intent for generalizing from a sample to a population. To overcome these barriers, EFL teachers suggested conducting practical professional development programs to integrate technology. Second, make sure of the availability of …

Analysis Of Cycle 2 Science Textbooks Representation Of Scientific Literacy And Readability Level, Aisha Abdulla Salem Al Qaydi Al Qaydi

Theses

For over half a century, textbooks have played a decisive role in teaching and learning activities. In today’s classrooms, textbooks serve as primary teaching instruments and greatly influence how knowledge is delivered and communicated. With the development of the society, a majority of teachers use textbooks to guide their instruction. On the other hand, readability of textbooks is an important construct for both educators and textbook authors. Finding the right fit between the students’ reading ability and the text difficulty is an important and challenging task for teachers. This study is about how scientific content is presented and represented in …

Principals' Instructional Leadership Practices And Their Relationship To Teachers' Instructional Practices In Sharjah Schools, Hayat Mohamed Al Hosani

Theses

Instructional leadership has become one of the most widely researched topics. This type of leadership has been connected to teacher growth and development, teacher job satisfaction, student achievement, and improving school climate in general. This study focuses on instructional leadership in schools of Sharjah Education Zone. Specifically, the study aims to describe the principal instructional leadership practices, to identify the most and least important teachers' instructional practices, and to investigate whether there is a relationship between the principals' instructional practices and teachers' teaching practices. This study is quantitative in nature and therefore a questionnaire was used to collect data from …

An Efficient Method For Solving Singularly Perturbed Two Points Fractional Boundary-Value Problems, Suha Atallah Abdelhadi

Theses

In this thesis, we present numerical method for approximating the solutions of singularly perturbed two points boundary value problems in both cases: ordinary derivatives and fractional derivatives. We use the Caputo derivation for the fractional case. The method starts with solving the reduced problem then the boundary layer correction problem. A series method; namely, the Adomian decomposition method is used to solve the boundary layer correction problem, and then the series solution is approximated by the , - Pade’ approximation of order. Numerical and theoretical results are presented to show the efficiency of the method. Singularly perturbed problems arise frequently …

An Evaluation Of The School-Based Management Practices In The New School Model: A Study On Al Ain Schools, Shaikha Ali Abdulla Al Kaabi

Theses

In 2005, the government of Abu Dhabi started a reform initiative by establishing the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). ADEC became responsible for efforts to improve the performance of schools and increase students’ achievement in the emirate. One way to do this was by creating the New School Model (NSM). Part of the NSM reform was a shift from the centralized system of managing the schools into a decentralized system that delegates and sometimes devolves decision-making authority to schools themselves. The purpose of this study is to investigate the degree to which School-Based Management (SBM) has been practiced in the …

Exploring English Instructors' Perceptions And Actual Practices Regarding The Strategies Used In Teaching And Assessing Writing In Three Tertiary Education Institutions In The Sultanate Of Oman, Noura Abdullah Hamed Al-Azani

Theses

The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and practices of ESL/EFL instructors in teaching and assessing writing in three tertiary educational institutions in the Sultanate of Oman (Al Buraimi University College, University of Buraimi, and Sohar University). The researcher used the quantitative and qualitative methods in the study. The data was gathered through a questionnaire (n=147), 15 interviews (n=15), and 18 classroom observations (n=10). The findings of this study revealed that the majority of ESL/EFL instructors believe in and practice aspects of the process- and product-oriented approaches for teaching academic writing in Oman. Many ESL/EFL instructors believe …

Organizational Communication: Perceptions Of Staff Members’ Level Of Communication Satisfaction And Job Satisfaction, Priti R. Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the topic of organizational communication in higher education and examine staff members’ perceptions about their level of communication and job satisfaction in their workplaces. This study was also designed to test the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction by analyzing the significance of different dimensions of Communication Satisfaction with the view that satisfaction is multifaceted.

A total of 463 non-faculty staff members from different units of a single higher education institution participated in this study. This study included non-teaching staff, including student workers and both full-time and part-time staff members. …

Move, Interact, And Connect Personally Barter Theatre’S Project Real Gets Implicit In Order To Learn, Megan E. Atkinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body movement, hands-on activity, embodiment, social interaction, emotions, and self-reflection allow teaching artists of Barter’s Theatre’s Project REAL to conduct a lesson with an implicit learning experience as the focus. Barter Theatre’s Project REAL exists as a theatre for education program that collaborates with regular classroom teachers on delivering the curriculum through specific theatre exercises in order to connect the material personally to the students’ lives. Theatre tools provide a human experience that enhances learning for the student by use of kinesthetic movement, social learning, emotions and interpersonal skills. To understand the effects of Barter Theatre’s Project REAL, the director …

Perceptions Of Elementary Educators Toward Inclusion, Laurel M. Stanley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the late 1990s there has been a considerable increase in the number of students with disabilities who receive instruction in inclusive settings. The participation of students with disabilities in inclusion classrooms continued to grow with the passing of The No Child Left Behind Act (2001), formerly known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. While previous legislation called for students with disabilities to participate in all standardized testing, The No Child Left Behind Act called for the closing of the achievement gap between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers. An accountability system with sanctions for individual schools and …

Students’ Perceptions About High School Preparation For Mathematics In Post-Secondary Programs: A Case Study Of One High School, Wendy Pratt

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how fifteen former high school students from a small, rural high school in central Vermont perceived their preparedness for college level mathematics and identified recommendations for improvement. Student interviews and math assessment data for each participant were analyzed to respond to the research question. The interview protocol consisted of one-on-one semi-structured phone interviews that were recorded for transcription. Thirteen open-ended questions were developed to answer the research question and sub-questions grounded in the research literature and specific concerns identified by the math teachers defined in the case study. The conceptual framework for this research study …

Use Of C-Map As A Cognitive Tool In Collaborative And Individual Concept Mapping For Enhancing Ell Students' Reading Comprehension, Enaz Yousef Rasheed Mahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Among those who teach English to English Language Learners (ELL), reading comprehension is considered an essential language skill critical for knowledge acquisition and information exchange. However, in various parts of the world, including Jordan, reading comprehension has been reported as a difficult area for ELL students to master.

The purpose of this study was to investigate in-depth the impact of the use of the reading software C-map as a cognitive tool in collaborative and individual concept mapping to promote reading comprehension among ELL readers. The independent variable of this study was concept mapping, which functioned on three levels: collaborative, individual, …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between K-8th Grade Teachers' Level Of Technological Literacy And Their Perceptions And Integrations Of Educational Technology, Emily Beth Norris

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

While much is understood about the importance of developing technological literacy in students, little is known about technological literacy in teachers and how it is related to technology integration in individual classrooms. This correlative study sought to establish the relationship between K-8th grade teachers' level of technological literacy and their perception and integration of technology in the classroom. Teachers in southwest Missouri were chosen using nonprobability sampling and were sent an online survey to complete at their convenience. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, the correlation coefficient Pearson r, multiple regression equations, and moderation analysis. The results of the study indicated …

The Value Of Student Choice In Reading. A Book Review Of Keep Them Reading: An Anti-Censorship Handbook For Educators, Christi R. Keelen

Democracy & Education

Keep Them Reading: An Anti-Censorship Handbooks for Educators is a must-have for elementary and secondary English and reading teachers, administrators, and librarians or media specialists. While the focus for this text is how to handle and avoid challenges on books, how to create an environment where reading is important and the students' ability to choose what they want to read is part of the classroom culture is also addressed.

The Cake Is A Lie. A Book Review Of The Failure Of Corporate School Reform, Amy Rector Aranda

Democracy & Education

This is a book review of The Failure of Corporate School Reform by Kenneth J. Saltman.

A Book Review Of Education And Democracy In The 21st Century, Xiuying Cai

Democracy & Education

This book review recommends Nel Noddings's new exploration of Dewey's foundational work to secondary school teachers, preservice teachers, and teacher-educators as a starting point to think about the big pictures of educational aims and to explore ways of realizing them in curriculum and pedagogy.

Interrogating The Relationship Between Schools And Society. A Book Review Of Can Education Change Society?, Wayne Au

Democracy & Education

This reviewer found Can Education Change Society? a typical Apple text, far-ranging in terms of scope and example and theoretically and conceptually ambitious.

Peacelearning And Its Relationship To The Teaching Of Nonviolence. A Response To "Nonviolent Action As A Necessary Component In Educating For Democracy", Mary Lee Morrison Ph.D.

Democracy & Education

This response to Peterson's (2014) "Nonviolent Action as a Necessary Component in Educating for Democracy" enlarges the discussion of the role of the teacher/educator in deciding whether or when it is responsible to facilitate the engagement of students in acts of nonviolent dissent. Ultimately it would seem that the most important of our responsibilities as educators is to provide the moral and ethical foundations and the spaces in which students feel safe and empowered to tap into their own inner teachers. In order to promote the development of active engagement toward a democratic citizenry, including the moral imperative to transform …

Media Literacy For The 21st Century. A Response To "The Need For Media Education In Democratic Education", Peter Levine

Democracy & Education

We cannot pretend to educate young people for citizenship and political participation without teaching them to understand and use the new media, which are essential means of expressing ideas, forming public opinions, and building institutions and movements. But the challenge of media literacy education is serious. Students need advanced and constantly changing skills to be effective online. They must understand the relationship between the new media and social and political institutions, a topic that is little understood by even the most advanced social theorists. And they must develop motivations to use digital media for civic purposes, when no major institutions …

Media And Democracy. A Response To "The Need For Media Education In Democratic Education", Lance E. Mason

Democracy & Education

This response supports Stoddard’s (2014) assertion that media education should be considered a crucial factor of democratic education and offers both extensions and cautions related to that end. Extensions include practical suggestions for studying the non-neutrality of technology. The author also cautions educators that if media education and democratic education are to be productively merged, a more substantive consideration of the relationship between digital technologies and dispositional factors is warranted.

“If You Cannot Live By Our Rules, If You Cannot Adapt To This Place, I Can Show You The Back Door.” A Response To "New Forms Of Teacher Education: Connections To Charter Schools And Their Approaches", Barrett A. Smith

Democracy & Education

Stitzlein and West (2014) are primarily concerned with how Relay and Match risk failing to prepare their residents to practice democratic education. My aim is to provide a more thorough account of specific practices employed by Match and their no-excuses approach in order to illustrate and support points made by Stitzlein and West. It is my hope that this deeper examination will substantiate the concerns of Stitzlein and West while further problematizing the practices employed by and advocated for throughout Match.

Giving Power Its Due: The Powerful Possibilities And The Problems Of Power With Deliberative Democracy And English Language Learners. A Response To "Deliberative Democracy In English-Language Education: Cultural And Linguistic Inclusion In The School Community", Jarrod S. Hanson

Democracy & Education

The use of deliberation with English Language Learners presents possibilities to both improve language learning, but also expand the potential for civics education for all students. In particular, this response examines the issue of power to extend Liggett's (2014) arguments for using deliberative democracy with English Language Learners and provides practical suggestions on how to address issues of power and improve civic education.

Becoming A Social Justice Educator: Emerging From The Pits Of Whiteness Into The Light Of Love. A Response To "Respect The Differences? Challenging The Common Guidelines In Social Justice Education, Kay F. Fujiyoshi

Democracy & Education

This paper addresses the limitations of social justice in institutional spaces and in rhetoric. I write in the form of a quest narrative to describe the lessons I learned from a brief sojourn in a temporary position in an urban teacher education program with a social justice focus and at a nonprofit organization with other social justice workers. My quest entails a retelling of encounters with Whiteness, the challenges of engaging social justice as a process that pushes beyond conversation, and the lessons I took away from my own sense-making of the contradictions in social justice work.

Limiting Student Speech: A Narrow Path Toward Success. A Response To "Challenging The Common Guidelines In Social Justice Education", Marissa C A Minnick

Democracy & Education

In this response, Minnick asserts that unequal representation of students' voices, an idea presented in Sensoy and DiAngelo’s “Challenging the Common Guidelines in Social Justice Education,” presents multiple negative classroom implications. Foremost, Minnick argues that Sensoy and DiAngelo’s lack of clarity regarding when a teacher should limit student speech (either before the student begins to talk or midcomment) has a large effect on the success of their strategy. Second, Sensoy and DiAngelo’s discussion strategy may result in the targeting of minority students and the judging of students. These concerns are driven by considerations of how teachers’ relationships with students influence …

Educating Each According To His Needs: A Response To “Beyond The Schoolhouse Door: Educating The Political Animal In Jefferson’S Little Republics”, Andrew Holowchak

Democracy & Education

This essay is a reply to Brian Dotts’s “Beyond the Schoolhouse Door,” which focuses on the need of a system of general education in Jefferson’s writings on educative reform.