Education Commons^™

Outliers To The Black Experience: Perceptions Of How Participation In Internships And Study Abroad Influences Black Students’ Development Of Career Readiness Competencies, Erica James Lake

Theses and Dissertations

Black students represent nearly 15% of the college student population, yet nationally only 6% of these students participate in internships and study abroad. Comparatively, White students represent approximately 52% of the college student population, and they represent over 70% of the students who participate in internships and study abroad. This is significant because internships and study abroad experiences can help students gain access to mentors and improve their retention and graduation rates. This study sought to determine if Black students believed they gained career readiness competencies during their experiences.

This qualitative study included interviews, observations and photos from Black seniors …

Student Engagement Action Research A Focus On Culturally Relevant Instructional Methods, Amia Dixon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action study was to determine the impact the use of culturally relevant instructional methods (researcher created term) would have on student achievement and student motivation. The use of culturally relevant teaching methods is rooted in culturally relevant pedagogy first introduced by Gloria Ladson-Billings and culturally responsive teaching practices first introduced by Geneva Gay. The study implemented an intervention cycle that modified the fourth-grade curriculum by differentiating lessons based on learning style, incorporating an “activator” that connects to the students’ culture and builds background knowledge, allowing student choice for instructional text, increasing the use of culturally relevant …

Stories From North Carolina Teachers Of Color: An Inquiry Of Racialized Experiences In The Workplace., Deborah Stephanie Harrisson

Theses and Dissertations

Growing educational research shows that teachers of color are finding themselves working in racially hostile schools through experiencing racism from their White colleagues in explicit and inexplicit ways. There is a need to further categorize how North Carolina teachers of color are experiencing racism in the workplace and identify how they are affected by it through experiential knowledge and analysis underpinned by critical race theory. Through action research, this study’s goals incorporated the implementation and evaluation of a collaborative book as a method of intervention on the effects of racial trauma. The collaborative book presents full counternarratives of teachers of …

Academic Success And Student Development In The Health Professions: An Action Research Study, Molly Ellen Higbie

Theses and Dissertations

The first year of college is a time of challenging transition for many. Students are adapting to a new way of learning as well as developing as adults. Using a mixed methods design, this action research study aimed to provide insight into the student experience for academically at-risk first-year students in a health professions program at a mid-size university in New England. Quantitative data showed that most students’ academic performance met or exceeded the minimum requirement for their major with support from their advisor through this intervention. Further, quantitative data showed that student development did occur for participants. Qualitative data …

Impacts Of Technology-Enhanced Dual Enrollment Mathematics Course On Rural High School Students’ Intentions Of Going To College, Nicolae Bordieanu

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods action research study was to investigate the impact of new technology-enhanced Dual Enrollment (DE) math courses on students’ perception of college courses, the influence the technology-enhanced DE had on students’ intention of going to college, and the students' perception of the technology-enhanced DE math course. Examining student experiences in a technology-enhanced DE course informed all stakeholders as to what degree DE influenced students’ perception of college. The DE experience influenced students' postsecondary plans. The innovation of this action research study was the technology-enhanced DE math course. Software used to practice computational skills, conduct …

Implementation Of Digital Flashcards To Increase Content-Specific Vocabulary Knowledge And Perceptions Of Motivation And Self-Efficacy In An Eleventh-Grade U.S. History Course: An Action Research Study, Jill Lee Steinmeyer

Theses and Dissertations

Text- and document-dependent courses like high school U.S. History require students to have strong content literacy and vocabulary skills. Traditionally, content-area courses neglect vocabulary skills and those that do address vocabulary often teach words in isolation without context. Students needing more content comprehension skills frequently need more motivation and higher self-efficacy.

Three research questions were used to evaluate the impact of digital flashcards on learning content-specific vocabulary and student perceptions in an eleventh-grade U.S. History course: (a) How and to what extent do digital flashcards affect eleventh-grade U.S. History students’ learning content-specific vocabulary knowledge?; (b) How and to what extent …

“So, The World Isn’T Just Old White Guys?”: Student And Teacher Experiences In A Culturally Relevant Advanced Placement Chemistry Class, Jason Thomas Sox

Theses and Dissertations

This action research case study explores the impact of a culturally and socially diverse Advanced Placement Chemistry curriculum on student and teacher experiences. This study emerged due to my lack of multicultural teaching practices, which limited meaningful connections for students of diverse backgrounds. Once aware of this deficiency, I created four thematic units that blended chemistry content with aspects of culturally relevant pedagogy and social reconstructionism. Surveys, reflection logs, observations, and a focus group interview captured data related to student and teacher experiences throughout the intervention period, which suggest the culturally relevant pedagogy supported students’ understanding of content, increased student …

Increasing Phonemic Awareness In Intellectually Impaired Students By Using Wilson’S Fundations Phonics Program In A Self-Contained Classroom, Theresa Lynne Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to investigate if students who have been identified intellectually disabled are able to gain phonemic awareness by using Wilson’s Fundations in a self-contained setting. Most research has focused on students who are not identified as intellectually disabled. In this mixed method action research study, the students were given a first grade reading fluency test and a first grade word reading test for six weeks as the quantitative data. Both instruments were tested using a two-tail t-test, week one’s results were compared to week six’s results on both tests. All five the participants showed growth over the six …

Preparing In-Service Elementary Teachers To Support English Language Learners: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Job-Embedded Professional Development Using Tpack, Rachel Theresa Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Nation-wide, the number of English Language Learners (ELL) in our classrooms continues to increase. Twenty percent of students enrolled in California public schools are ELLs, the highest percentage in the nation. With the continuously growing number of ELLs in our classrooms, our mainstream teachers must be prepared to teach content and meet the unique linguistic needs of these students. At Sotomayor Elementary School in the Central Valley of California, 38% of the students enrolled are ELLs. Despite high numbers of ELLs, the district sees minimal evidence of intentional planning for Designated English Language Development (D-ELD), or instruction specifically targeted to …

Reading Motivation And Retrieval Practice Of United States Undergraduates Aged 18 To 23, Robyn M. Pernetti

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods research study examined the reading motivation and retrieval practice ability of U. S. undergraduates aged 18 to 23, as well as the correlations between the two variables, with a focus on gender, year as an undergraduate, and race/ethnicity. A random national sample of 90 undergraduates and an additional minority sample of 17 undergraduates completed an online survey. Quantitative data on reading motivation were derived from an adult reading motivation scale, and qualitative data on retrieval practice were derived from three college-level reading passages. This study filled gaps in the literature and provided insights for future practice and …

The Impact Of Extended Professional Development In Project-Based Learning On Middle School Science Teachers, Margrett Caroline Upchurch-Ford

Theses and Dissertations

This Mixed-Method Action Research study aimed to implement an extended Project-Based Learning professional development series with middle school science teachers. The professional development series took place during the teachers’ Communities of Practice, offering them high-quality support, active participation, and content-specific conversations.

The study collected data on (a) changes in teachers’ attitudes toward in-district professional development, (b) teachers’ perceptions of students’ 21st-century skills, and (c) changes in science teacher self-efficacy. Findings from this study add to the growing body of research indicating the need to offer teachers content-specific, supportive, and extended professional development opportunities. Additionally, the findings of this study indicate …

Teacher Observations As Professional Development Opportunities, Ashton Carrie Padgett

Theses and Dissertations

This research project sought to understand how the complexities and challenges of offering high-quality professional development district-wide impacted teachers’ ability to implement their new learning. The literature posits that to be considered effective, professional development must include six distinct design elements: (1) Data driven, (2) Incorporates active learning utilizing adult learning theory, (3) Supports collaboration, (4) Context-Specific, (5) Feedback-centered, and (6) Supported by principal leadership (Darling Hammond et al., 2017, p. 4). While each of these design elements seems appropriate and rooted in best practices, when planning professional development, the scheduling and unique circumstances of secondary schools makes incorporating these …

Creating A Culturally Inclusive American Literature Classroom, Holly R. Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what curricular and pedagogical changes connect with diverse high school students in an American literature course. Using a participatory action research approach, I collected qualitative data through interviews, observation, and narratives from a student focus group and myself. Data collection spanned an 18-week semester and involved students of varying racial and cultural backgrounds who identified as male, female, and nonbinary. The 12 focus group members were 11th-grade students at a public high school near Charlotte, North Carolina. The results signified that to increase student agency, teachers should offer diverse texts, pieces written …

Centering The Teacher: How An Autonomy-Supportive Environment Impacts Arts Educators’ Sense Of Agency And The Collaborative Culture Of Their Education Networks, Kyle Andrew Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In this action research study, I adapted statewide systems of support for visual and performing arts educators in an effort to promote a positive sense of professional identity and strengthen the collaborative culture of the support systems. Prior to this study, the educator network met monthly for professional learning sessions planned and facilitated by a leader in a non-teacher role. As an action researcher, I restructured the sessions to create an autonomy-supportive environment to foster educators’ leadership skills and promote authentic collaboration. Study participants had autonomy over the planning, aims, content, and facilitation of the networking sessions. A basic qualitative …

Effects Of Choice Reading On Intrinsic Motivation In Underperforming Sixth-Grade Students, Heather M. Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

This single-case study was designed to evaluate the effects of autonomous text choice on reading motivation and reading comprehension in underperforming sixth-grade students. This study was built upon the theoretical framework constructed using self-determination theory, situational expectancy–value theory, and culturally relevant pedagogy. Study participants were asked to read a text of their choice for ten minutes each day. Once a week, study participants were observed during their reading time for off-task behaviors to frame discussions on student engagement with their chosen texts, and every other week during the course of the intervention, participants were provided with an opportunity to give …

How Can Culturally-Responsive Instruction Help Middle And High School Teachers Address Muslim Students' Needs?, Mona Aly

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project explores how middle and high school teachers can create positive relationships with Muslim students by using culturally responsive instruction. Educators must understand that Muslim students have unique cultural identities based on their religious beliefs. Regardless of nationality, language, skin color, or cultural background, all Muslims are bound by these Islamic cultural practices. These practices directly impact students’ academic progress, social life, and self-esteem. By familiarizing themselves with these cultural and religious practices, teachers can better relate to Muslim students and address their social and academic needs. I seek answers to this research question by discussing four main …

Effective Strategies For Integrating Pronunciation Instruction With A Focus On Intelligibility And Comprehensibility For Adult Esl Students, Ashley Carrel

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The guiding question for this project was: What are some effective strategies for integrating pronunciation instruction in an adult ESL course with the focus being on intelligibility and comprehensibility? This question is guided by personal and professional experiences that are shared in the first chapter. The literature review examines the stigma of accented speech of non-native speakers and the factors that influence their pronunciation production. The intelligibility approach to pronunciation instruction has been proven to be a more realistic and ethical approach as compared to the nativeness principle. The research studied showed that adult ESL teachers often feel ill equipped …

Understanding Effective Literacy Instruction For Primary Grade Teachers, Erika Hotchkiss

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research on the topic of literacy instruction, and the best practices for effective literacy instruction, has been around for decades, but not all educators are aware of this research. This capstone project was designed to provide support for educators as they strengthen their understanding of how skilled reading develops and the best instructional practices to use with beginning readers. As a part of this research, six self-paced professional development modules were designed to address the question: How can a deeper understanding of the science of reading support primary grade teachers to be more effective with literacy instruction for beginning readers? …

The Impact Of Systematic Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Instruction In A Spanish Immersion First-Grade Classroom, Elisabeth Boe

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Recent research suggests that structured literacy, the systematic teaching of phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition skills, is highly indicative of students’ proficiency in reading. This is true not only in monolingual literacy programs but in bilingual programs as well. While many schools across the United States have implemented best practices, this is not the case for many Spanish immersion programs. This capstone seeks to address this problem with the question How does systematic literacy instruction of phonemic awareness and phonics in Spanish Immersion impact student mastery of early literacy skills in first grade? It analyzes the current research about …

Teaching English In Earth And Space Science: Content-Based Curriculum Development For Secondary Multilingual Learners, Laura Gislason

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The number of English language learners in public schools continues to increase in Minnesota. Multilingual high school students having a WIDA English language proficiency level below three tend to experience a greater number of academic challenges and experience lower graduation rates. In order to combat these challenges, many high schools provide sheltered content classes co-taught by licensed content and EL teachers. While these courses help students succeed in mastering content standards, English language development is often relegated to incidental acquisition as a bi-product of the learning process. This capstone uses the connections model of content based instruction to answer the …

Planning For Expressive Language In Math For Multilingual Learners, Stephanie Deehr

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many multilingual students are struggling to keep up in their math classes. They are not given enough opportunities to use the language of math to explain and justify their thinking. The research question addressed in this project was, How can planning for expressive language in math affect the academic achievement and language development of third grade multilingual students? The author describes her personal and professional experiences that guided her to the question. Then, the author reviews professional literature on the topics of learning language through content, math as a second language, and scaffolds and strategies for using expressive language in …

Improving Early Literacy Outcomes Through Play, Kimberly Bice

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question asked in this capstone project is: how might incorporating playful learning into a literacy framework help improve early literacy outcomes? There is a growing body of evidence that playful learning, a mix of free and guided play, has a slew of benefits to school-aged children including: physical, emotional, social, and cognitive. The foundational research for this project explores the intersections of educational neuroscience, Culturally Responsive Practices, and foundational literacy skills and practices. In particular the scholarship of Eric Jensen, Drs. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Zaretta Hammond, and Hollis Scarbourough were foundational in the conception and development of this project. …

Implementing Authentic Literacy Centers In A Kindergarten Classroom, Isabella Haeger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Cultivating a literacy-rich and engaging classroom community from the beginning of the kindergarten year is an important step to provide students with a positive experience with learning. Authentic literacy centers are a way for primary learners to interact with targeted literacy skills in a meaningful way. Teachers can plan intentional reading, writing, word work, and listening skills that are differentiated and hands-on. This capstone evaluates the question: What are the most impactful ways to establish authentic and engaging literacy work stations for kindergarten students that promote voice and choice? The summarizing website showcases authentic literacy tasks for each center and …

Using Citizen Science To Create Meaningful Learning Experiences And Enhance The Learning Of Science For Second Grade Students, Rebecca Barton

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Citizen science is a new and growing field of research that brings about new knowledge and understanding through the collaboration of citizens in scientific research. As citizen science continues to grow, it is essential to consider its potential to encourage education and learning opportunities. The capstone focuses on answering the question: How can citizen science create meaningful learning experiences and enhance the learning of science for second grade students? Participation in citizen science projects can assist in developing science literacy, enhance learning, increase interest in science, increase understanding of the scientific process, and connect students with the world around them. …

To What Extent Do Existing Nature-Based Lesson Plans For Outdoor Learning Experiences In The Great Lakes Area Align To A Nature-Based Sense Of Place Framework?, Courtney Deavours

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper explores the question To what extent do existing nature-based lesson plans for outdoor learning experiences in the Great Lakes region align to a nature-based sense of place framework? Sense of place includes place meaning and place attachment that must be developed through experience. Chapter two explores nature-based experiences with examples from environmental education to help illustrate a sense of place development in action. The literature review further investigates current understandings of sense of place and current best practices for developing outdoor, nature-based, environmental experiences. The Sense of Place framework developed by Mathews et al. (2020) was used to …

Whale Watching In Early Childhood, Victoria Anderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Whale watching (WW) is a growing business in the ecotourism industry. Two main goals of this industry is to support local conservation efforts and increase pro-environmental behaviors by altering participant environmental attitudes and beliefs. This capstone answers the research question: How can whale watching experiences contribute to the conservation efforts of ecotourism, educate youth on the importance of whales, and enhance the human-nature connection during early childhood? Research concludes that education plays a vital role in affecting participant environmental attitudes and beliefs. In addition to providing unique experiences to observe whales in their natural habitat, whale watching companies also have …

Empowering And Educating Lgbtq+ Middle Schoolers Through Intentional Instruction Of Queer Topics In Gsa Clubs, John Gallagher

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

For decades, GSA clubs have provided LGBTQ+ students with a safe space within their schools to connect with other queer students, and seek guidance from the club adviser(s). GSA clubs offer a vital learning opportunity for students to learn more about queer topics, which often are not discussed with their families at home. However, there is a considerable lack of accessible and ready to use curriculum for GSA clubs, particularly at the middle school level. This capstone creates a cohesive and logically sequenced curriculum of ten lessons about LGBTQ+ topics to be used for middle school GSA clubs. The lessons …

Using A Vermicomposting Curriculum To Grow Students’ Advocacy Towards The Environment, J. Ryan Cowger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The use of food waste in a vermicomposting bin is a positive solution to the growing problem in the United States. Integrating a vermicomposting container into a classroom exposes students to the environment creatively, allowing them to explore the worm’s habitat in a controlled setting. Using a worm bin to explore how worms decompose organic food waste and observing the process of vermicomposting brings the natural world into a classroom environment. This is crucial when many people are distancing themselves from the natural world around them. This capstone project uses a variety of research to develop a curriculum that answers …

Correlations Between Outdoor Recreation And Environmental Awareness In Participants With Various Ages, Cultures, And Abilities, Jackie Murphy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In this project, the focus is on the correlations between outdoor recreation and environmental awareness in participants of various ages, cultures, and abilities. Presenting an opportunity to create a forum through a podcast that shares best practices from experts for people who engage in outdoor recreation as a leisure activity and newcomers to the outdoors. The literature review outlines the Leave No Trace environmental principles as it relates to the question of How can outdoor organizations boost their environmental education outreach using Leave No Trace principles accessible to all ages, cultures, and abilities? This project aims to create accessible information …

Utilizing A School Garden To Promote Ecoliteracy In Elementary Aged Children, Kelsie Murphy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Environmental education is a key component to building ecoliteracy in childhood. Due to the current climate crisis, developing a sense of ecoliteracy in the next generation is essential to slowing the effects of climate change. When students are given the opportunity to interact with nature on a regular basis, the connection between humans and their environment becomes that much stronger. Unfortunately, in the current public education system, little to no importance is placed on teaching science, let alone environmental science. A school garden offers an opportunity to provide students with more outdoor learning opportunities. This capstone uses a combination of …