Education Commons^™

Rethinking Thinking About Thinking: Against A Pedagogical Imperative To Cultivate Metacognitive Skills, Lauren R. Alpert

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In summaries of “best practices” for pedagogy, one typically encounters enthusiastic advocacy for metacognition. Some researchers assert that the body of evidence supplied by decades of education studies indicates a clear pedagogical imperative: that if one wants their students to learn well, one must implement teaching practices that cultivate students’ metacognitive skills.

In this dissertation, I counter that education research does not impose such a mandate upon instructors. We lack sufficient and reliable evidence from studies that use the appropriate research design to validate the efficacy of metacognitive skill-building interventions (not just evaluate their relationship to learning outcomes). I argue …

Counterstories Of Black High School Students And Graduates Of Nyc Independent Schools: A Narrative Case Study, Kahdeidra M. Martin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Public youth resistance movements in 2019 and 2020 exposed the entrenchment of racism, sexism, heteronormativity, and classism across New York City independent schools (NYCIS). In order to support the imminent need for schools to provide effective diversity, inclusion, and equity supports that address broad issues of school climate, relationships, and pedagogy, there is a need to better understand the specific, hyperlocal experiences of Black/African Descendant (BAD) students, who occupy several unique, unexplored spaces in educational research. The following four research questions helped to conceptualize the experiences that support and hinder the academic success and long term well-being of BAD students …

Teacher Wellbeing In A Juvenile Detention Facility, Elizabeth G. Baker

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Teaching is inextricably linked to teachers’ personal lives; teachers invest their selves and their sense of identity and self-esteem in their work” (Rinchen, Ritchie, & Bellocchi, 2016, p. 604).

The teaching profession in the United States of America can be a highly stressful one, especially in America’s largest urban centers, due to the high incidences of violence, lack of resources and insufficient funding (Tobin, Roth & Zimmermann, 2001). The situation is even worse for teachers teaching in juvenile detention centers with traumatized youth and many teachers may internalize this trauma. Teachers may experience tremendous emotional tensions, such as …

Writing Not Writing: Transdisciplinary Poetics, Institutional Critique, Miriam L. Atkin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is an exploration of transdisciplinary creative practice as a means of institutional critique. The artists I have chosen as my primary focus—Robert Kocik, Eleni Stecopoulos, Zora Neale Hurston, Jimmie Durham, Leslie Scalapino and Lyn Hejinian—employ multiple mediums and fields of discourse to address the presumptions and exclusions that are structurally integral to the institutions that house them. They enact “architextural” interventions through their use of forms that move between the page and three dimensional space, incorporating architecture, sculpture, drawing, painting, film, performance, poetry and prose. My work aims at a renewed understanding of critique as such, and therefore—though …

Pedagogy And Love: Preservice Teacher Perspectives, Eleni Stellatos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis argues for the inclusion of positive discipline, culturally relevant pedagogy, and love in both preservice teacher and educational leadership programs. The significance of fostering relationships in a school community are discussed with qualitative data gathered from recent teacher preparation program graduates.

Improving Gifted Talent Development Can Help Solve Multiple Consequential Real-World Problems, Jonathan Wai, Benjamin J. Lovett

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Fully developing the talents of all students is a fundamental goal for personal well-being and development and ultimately for global societal innovation and flourishing. However, in this paper we focus on what we believe is an often neglected and underdeveloped population, that of the gifted. We draw from the cognitive aptitude and gifted education research literatures to make the case that solutions to consequential real-world problems can be greatly enhanced by more fully developing the talents of the intellectually gifted population, which we operationalize in this paper as roughly the top 5% of cognitive talent. Should well-supported high achievers choose …

The Role Of School Principals In Fostering The Teamwork Success In Al Ain Schools From Teachers’ Percpective, Afra Mohammed Al Shamsi

Theses

The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of principals in fostering teamwork success. This study explained the leadership practices in fostering teamwork as perceived by teachers. Notably, the teamwork and its importance are neglected most of the time. Additionally, very little work was found in context of UAE. A sample of 334 public school teachers from Al Ain completed the online survey about their satisfaction about teamwork rates, their views regarding principals fostering teamwork, as well as recommendations and suggestions that could promote teamwork among school teachers. Descriptive statistics is adopted to analyze the quantitative items …

Experiences That Support Persistence And Retention Of Latinx First-Generation College Students (Fgcs) At Community Colleges, Veronica Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to describe experiences of successful Latinx first-generation college students that support persistence and retention toward graduation for Latinx first-generation college students at California community colleges. The study was framed using Tinto’s retention theory. Successful Latinx first-generation college students were defined as those who have attained graduation from a California community college. This study focused on Latinx first-generation college students not persisting toward graduation at California community colleges, a situation that extends to the national level. This case study included nine Latinx first-generation college students, and the researcher collected data through virtual semistructured …

Traditional And Alternative Certification Programs And Their Effect On Elementary School Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs In Title I And Non-Title I Schools, Rita Gale Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School districts across the United States face the challenges of teacher shortages and rely heavily on alternative certification programs to fill teaching positions. Over the last decade, researchers question the quality of fast-track teacher preparation programs compared to traditional educational paths. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined two methods of obtaining teacher certification (traditional and alternative) and their impact on novice teacher self-efficacy levels in Title I and non-Title I schools. Elementary teachers with five years or less of experience, traditionally and alternatively certified, were asked 24 questions using the Likert-type Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale on student engagement, instructional practices, …

Middle School Students Experiences With Personal Learning Devices As It Relates To Reading Motivation: A Case Study, Veda Robinson Ojo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the experiences of middle grades students as they relate to reading motivation with personal learning devices. The guiding question was, how do middle school students describe their experiences with personal learning devices as it relates to their motivation to read? The sample population included a total of 15 students from grades sixth, seventh and eighth from a North Georgia middle school. The psychological needs aspect of Deci and Ryan’s self-determination relevant to reading motivation and Rosenblatt’s transactional reading theory in regard to efferent and aesthetic reading transactions served as the …

The Relationship Between Undergraduate Students' Academic Motivation And Cocurricular Involvement At A Midwest Christian University, Rebecca Lynn Wakeman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Higher education administrators, faculty, and other stakeholders desire positive student outcomes, such as persistence and academic achievement, from their student populations. Undergraduate students’ cocurricular involvement and academic motivation have previously been shown to separately have a positive correlation with such outcomes. This correlational study aimed to investigate the relationship directly between undergraduate students’ academic motivation and cocurricular involvement. Students’ academic motivation was measured using the Academic Motivation Scale College Version (AMS-C 28) and their cocurricular involvement was measured using involvement subscales from the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). These instruments were administered through an online survey platform to a convenience …

An Instrumental Case Study Of The Student Perspective Of A Smart Phone Meditation App In Rural Virginia, James Allen Eggleston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore how an introduction of a mindfulness meditation app (Calm) affects students in rural Virginia. The theory that guided this study was that of emotional intelligence, popularized by the efforts of multiple researchers including Salovey and Mayer (1990), and Goleman (1995), as it may influence and be influenced by the specific characteristics observed (Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007; Charoensukmongkol, 2014; Waters, Barsky, Ridd, & Allen, 2015). Data was collected from 12 students by way of multiple methods including interviews, focus groups, journaling, an art project, researcher reflections, and field notes. …

Nudge Communication: A Causal-Comparative Study Of Interventions That Impact Persistence Of Higher Education Students, Helene Vance

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study focuses on nudge communication and its impact within online higher education. Due to prior studies confirming the relationship between motivation and persistence, this study focuses on whether or not nudge communication, or intentional interventions that include reminders, encouragement, and other motivational factors, helps students persist toward successful completion of courses within a semester. This study included over 10,000 undergraduate students at a private institution that offers online education. The students were enrolled in over 98,600 general education courses, which were included in the analysis of the test and control populations. Successful course completion was defined as …

Solving The Problem Of The Transferability Of Response To Intervention Skills To The General Education Setting: An Applied Approach Study, April Renee Freeney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of the transferability of Response to Intervention (RTI) skills (specifically tiers 2 and 3) into the general education setting for students at an elementary school located in middle Tennessee and to design practices to address the problem. Data collection included interviews, achievement scores, and surveys from over 60 stakeholders at the elementary school. This data was collected from stakeholders to include teachers, students, administrators, and interventionists. After collecting data from the stakeholders at the elementary school, analysis strategies were incorporated to describe the problem. Coding, direct analysis, and descriptive …

Onward And Upward: A Phenomenological Study Of School Leaders As They Prepare To Lead And Manage Change, Amy Elisabeth Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of school leaders as they develop their capacity to lead and manage change. The central research question that guided this study is: What are the experiences of school leaders in Virginia as they develop their capacity to lead and manage change? The theoretical framework that guided this study was Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning as it applies to how school leaders incorporate new learning about how to lead and manage change with their own experiences and understandings. The design was a transcendental phenomenological study of school leaders in …

Perceptions Of Math Teachers Working With Students Who Suffer From Math Anxiety: A Collective Case Study, Wanda W. Calhoun

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic collective case study was to develop an in-depth understanding of how general education secondary math teachers in Virginia effectively identify students who suffer from math anxiety and what best practices are put in place to help reduce math-anxiety. This qualitative study attempted to explain the role of an effective mathematics teacher and the best practices utilized to identify successfully and teach students who suffer from math-anxiety. The focal participants in this collective case study were teachers that were identified by their district leadership team as teachers who successfully implement best practices that support students with …

A Multicase Study On African American Male Students: The Least Identified And Represented In The Gifted And Talented Education Program At The Upper Elementary Level, Nicole Angella Clarke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multicase study was to develop an understanding of educators’ perspectives of African American male students being the least identified and represented in the gifted and talented program at two elementary schools. The theories that guided this study were the expectancy-value theory and the social cognitive theory. Given the purpose of this study, the following central research question framed this study: What are educators’ perspectives on African American male students being the least identified and represented in the gifted and talented program at the elementary level? The participants who took part in this study were 10 teachers …

Language Development In Toddlers: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Nursery Rhyme Use By Mothers With Their Toddlers, Wenonah Faye Gildon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand current mothers’ perceptions of their lived experiences using nursery rhymes to facilitate language development in their toddler enrolled in early childhood facilities in Northwest Louisiana. The theories guiding this study are sociocultural theory, theory of transmission, and theory of cognitive developmental stages. Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory was related to this study through the social nature of language, the cultural aspects inherent in language, and the mother’s scaffolding of the learning experiences to facilitate language transmission. A mother’s understanding of the nature of her child and the development of a bond …

Zooming In On Zoom Fatigue: A Case Study Of Videoconferencing And Zoom Fatigue In Higher Education, Chandra Kaye Massner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how faculty and students in higher education experience videoconferencing in online courses and why they feel fatigue. Zoom fatigue, the exhaustion users feel when communicating through videoconferencing platforms, is a recently identified phenomenon associated with the extensive use of synchronous videoconferencing communication. The research employed a qualitative case study approach to investigate how faculty and students experience videoconferencing and Zoom fatigue in online courses at a small liberal arts university in Appalachia. Document review, qualitative surveys, and in-depth interviews informed the case study. Faculty and student respondents reported dissatisfaction with …

Mothers Of Students With A Disability: A Phenomenological Study Of Experiences With School Discipline, Mary Jane Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand what school discipline means to mothers of students with a disability at various school districts in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. School discipline was defined as the policies and procedures schools use to manage student behavior. This study was supported by Oliver’s social model theory, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The purpose of data collection in this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to gather data so an empirical analysis could be completed of how mothers of students with a disability define school discipline. Interviews, focus groups, and …

Connections Between The Enneagram Personality Type Of Christian University Presidents And Provosts With Student Enrollment, Pamela J. Daly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Limited research has examined the relationship between the Enneagram personality styles of faith-based university presidents/provosts and the institution’s student enrollment size. While there are many personality theories, the Enneagram is a sophisticated model that exposes the unconscious predispositions, motivations, anxieties, and behavioral tendencies of nine different personality profiles. Ego development is the evolution of personality constructs that integrate experiences into a personal framework of interpreting self and the world. Ego maturity is demonstrated by understanding self and others with the ability and motivation to maximize individual potential. Mature leaders exhibit wisdom, broad empathy towards self and others, tolerance of differing …

Traditional And Nontraditional Leadership In Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Jihna Racquel Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Higher education is experiencing unprecedented challenges in a rapidly changing educational landscape. Leaders are charged with transforming their institutions to demonstrate their formidability by successfully responding to change. It is integral that leaders understand the happenings within the external environment as they guide their institutions. Institutions are adopting business postures and there is an increase in nontraditional leaders in administrative roles. The increase in nontraditional leaders is providing an opportunity for institutions to implement contemporary approaches to leadership. This study identified the predominant changes impacting liberal arts institutions in the Midwest, leadership behaviors contributing to successful change adaptation, and existent …

Understanding The High Attrition Rates Of Male Collegiate Basketball Student-Athletes, Landon P. Hughey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to gain a better understanding of the high attrition rates among male collegiate basketball student-athletes and to recommend practices that institutions can implement to address and solve this increasing problem. The study utilized a multimethod approach and collected data through a series of interviews, a focus group, and a survey. Based on the results of the data, a series of recommendations have been included to address the high attrition rates among male collegiate basketball student-athletes. Most of the recommendations are based on how the recruiting process can be better handled by representatives of …

Utilizing Relevant Bible Centric Studies As A Means Of Retaining Young Adults In Active Church Membership And Ministry In An Older Puerto Rican American Baptist Church, Jessica Lugo-Melendez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will explore how the integration of young adults’ everyday life issues and struggles into Bible Studies content can become more attractive for this demographic. With the intention of adding relevancy as a means of retention of young adults within a local American Baptist Church in Puerto Rico. Several recent studies provide a concrete picture of the lack of local church involvement among young adults’ lives, translating into attrition in many cases. In terms of church attendance, a study maintains that only 30.9% of young adults attend religious services "regularly," meaning at least twice a month, 35.4% report never …

An Exploration Of Self-Determination Of First-Generation College Students: A Phenomenological Study, Chelsa Rash

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the self-determination experiences of first-generation college students. For this study, first-generation college students were defined as students with parents who do not have any college education. The study examined students taken from a population of first-generation college students who are at least 18 years old, classified as a sophomore or higher at a university or college in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, and enrolled as either full-time or part-time students. The theory guiding this research study was Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory. The research questions expounded upon the individual, self-determined …

From At-Risk To Graduation: A Causal Comparative Study Of Mentoring The At-Risk Student With The Jag Model, Stacy Bishop Carlton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is imperative for students to graduate career-ready in order to enter the employment field and fill this gap. This research examined a non-experimental causal-comparative quantitative study of at-risk students and their career readiness upon graduation. The effectiveness of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) mentoring program was analyzed to determine the impact of career readiness among these at-risk students. A comparison of the data of at-risk students enrolled in the JAG program versus at-risk students not enrolled was compared to determine their career-readiness skills upon graduation. A review of the research showed that early intervention significantly increased the success of …

Lead Pastor Support In Balancing Marriage, Family, And Ministry As It Related To Stress And Depression, Yolanda K. Mcbride

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The role of a pastor encompasses many duties and responsibilities within the church as well as in the home. In particular, associate pastors are akin to lead pastors in dealing with issues that arise in their personal marriages, family, and ministry. Balancing the three can be daunting and arduous tasks without proper guidance and leadership. Lead pastors have a responsibility to assist associate pastors in balancing those three areas of concern to ensure the ability to serve in ministry with a strong state of mind necessary for a full and thriving career in leading others to Christ. Without the assistance …

Impact Of Cultural Competence Professional Development On The Suspension Referrals Of Minority Students, Philip Bonar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Racial disparity in discipline practices is a concern in public schools across the United States. Racial disparities in exclusionary discipline practices (EDP), such as in-school and out-of-school suspensions of minority students, have been well documented. The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was to examine if a relationship exists between cultural competence (CC) professional development training of faculty (administrators and professional teachers) and the suspension referral counts of Latinx and African American students in an affluent, award-winning public school system in a Mid-Atlantic state. Discipline referral data was collected from the Office of Planning and Evaluation to run a Mann-Whitney …

Boards Of Trustees' And Senior-Level Administrators' Experience With Presidential Turnover In The Higher Educational System: A Case Study, Kismet K. Matthews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative single-instrument case study was to explore how leadership styles and funding knowledge impact presidential turnover as experienced by trustees and senior-level administrators using a rural member college of the North Carolina Community College System as the setting. The central question of this study was, how do trustees and senior-level administrators describe their experience with presidential turnover involving the factors of leadership style, institutional funding, and presidential fit? The theories guiding this study were Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory and Duignan and Macpherson’s educative leadership theory as these theories explain leadership styles which are appropriate …

The Effects Of A Mindfulness Curriculum On Mathematics Word Problem Performance In 3rd And 4th Grade Students, Adrianne S. Blackwelder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if a 15-week mindfulness curriculum, MindUP, impacted participants’ performance on a standardized mathematics word problem measure. The study was conducted in two elementary schools in a large public school district in North Carolina during the 2020-2021 school year. Participants included 74 third- and fourth-grade students who received a supplemental mindfulness curriculum and 77 students who received only business as usual instruction (N = 151). The research question and null hypothesis were tested using a quantitative, quasi-experimental, pretest posttest, nonequivalent, control group design. The TOMA-3 Word Problems subtest was administered by school personnel …