Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Buddhism’S Pedagogical Contribution To Mindfulness, Erec S. Smith

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Considering the rhetorical elements in the Buddhist text “The True Aspect of All Phenomena” opens the possibility of teaching students a more mindful approach to writing.

Why Rhetoric And Ethics? Revisiting History/Revising Pedagogy, Lois Agnew

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Coupling rhetoric and ethics has helped create a coherent undergraduate writing major in one of the nation’s first free-standing composition programs.

Front Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

Composition As A Spiritual Discipline, Scott Wagar

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Analyzing a widely-read history of composition yields clear elements associated with the contemporary definition of spirituality.

“Alas, Not Yours To Have”: Problems With Audience In High-Stakes Writing Tests And The Promise Of Felt Sense, Peter H. Khost

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Expanding the applications of “felt sense” can help students become more aware of audience—a corrective to the a-rhetorical effects of standardized testing and the Common Core Standards.

Book Reviews, Julie Nichols, Peter Fields, Walter L. Reid, Jeffrey H. Taylor, Warren Hatch

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Julie Nichols - Reading Ethically

Peter Fields - Gregory Marshall. Shaped by Stories: The Ethical Power of Narratives. Notre Dame, IN: U of Notre Dame P., 2009

Walter L. Reed - Gregory, Marshall. Teaching Excellence in Higher Education, ed. Melissa Valiska Gregory. NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013

Jeffrey H. Taylor - Musgrove, Laurence. Local Bird. Beaumont, TX: Lamar U Press, 2015

Warren Hatch - Lynch, Tom, Cheryll Glotfelty, Karla Armbruster. The Bioregional Imagination—Literature, Ecology, and Place. Athens, GA: U of GA Press, 2012

Introducing Feedforward: Renaming And Reframing Our Repertoire For Written Response, Sheri Rysdam, Lisa Johnson-Shull

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Categorizing instructor comments on student drafts leads writing center researchers to argue for the need to reframe our professional discussion on instructor response, based on the concept of “feedforward.”

Final Journals, Robert M. Randolph

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Poem

Autoethnography And Assimilation: Composing Border Stories, Mark Noe

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Introducing autoethnography in composition classes brings together personal narratives, academic discourse, and awareness of audience in surprising ways among students in south Texas.

My Mom’S Letter, Robert M. Randolph

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

A longtime poet explains how a letter from his mother reminds him that regardless of our language skills and backgrounds, our writing can still bear witness to the values and ethics that guide our lives.

Toward A Poetics And Pedagogy Of Sound: Students As Production Engineers In The Literature Classroom, Karen Lee Osborne

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Pairing students to be recorders and production editors of poetry readings results in a collaborative assignment that embodies students’ experience of reading through media.

Connecting, Helen Walker, Sheryl Lain, Matthew B. Ittig, Laurence Musgrove, Julie O'Connell, Leslie A. Werden, Donna Souder-Hodge, Tanya R. Cochran, Rasha Diab, Thomas Ferrel, Beth Godbee

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Helen Walker - More Apt, Connected Title

Sheryl Lain - Hey, Teach! Do You Love Me?

Matthew B. Ittig - Ask Me Tomorrow

Laurence Musgrove - Writing Program

Julie O’Connell - The Power of a Slave Narrative

Leslie A. Werden - Embracing Chaos

Donna Souder-Hodge - Teaching Dachau

Tanya R. Cochran, Rasha Diab, Thomas Ferrel, & Beth Godbee - Hanging Out: Cultivating Life-Giving Writing Groups Online

Back Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

“When Do I Cross The Street?” Roberta’S Guilty Reflection, Irene A. Lietz

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Following a student’s evolving attitudes on race issues through her undergraduate years, a researcher concludes that a critical pedagogy can have long-term effects on student and instructor alike.

The Common Core: An Enhancement Or Hindrance For The Youth Of America?, Haley L. Alderete, Haley L. Alderete

CMC Senior Theses

Education in America differs from other nations and may benefit from modeling some of these foreign practices. Although there are many improvements that the country could make, curriculum could be one of the sources of inadequacy in the education system and is often what receives the most attention. Therefore, the subsequent sections will explore the United States’ major attempt in improving education through creating consistency through the Common Core curriculum. In all, if the United States seeks to maintain its power in various sectors, it must strengthen its education system to ensure success.

Argument For Internationally-Focused Curricula In Us Primary Education Reform, Hector Santiago

Capstone Collection

The purpose of my research is to investigate the current climate within the field of International Education, create a meaningful connection to education reform efforts that shows the merit and necessity of internationally-focused curricula in a global society, and to argue in favor of attainable, effective cultural engagement programing in US primary education reform by which US students combine standard learning objectives with multicultural elements to improve cultural communication, awareness, understanding, and adaptation. By beginning cultural education and engagement in primary school, I will explain how students will develop a better understanding of other cultures, be more willing to invest …

A Professional Development Plan To Increase Student Motivation Through The Analysis Of Three Motivational Components : Student, Teacher, And Accountability Measures, Ashley Ann Oleson

Graduate Research Papers

This paper contains professional development plan and instructions to be used to train educators about student motivation. While the plan was created to be implemented as a year-long professional development, it could be used in smaller increments focusing on one or two of the three total components that influence student motivation. The three components include: student, teacher, and accountability measures. The final plan, Student Motivation Professional Development Plan, SMPDP, was formulated from research referenced within this paper. SMPDP agendas, plans, and all necessary materials needed for implementation are also included.

Design Thinking For The Development Of Formal Operations: A Team-Based Middle School Design Curriculum, Stephanie K. O'Dell

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I propose a team-based design curriculum that aligns with the cognitive development of middle school age students. The ability to think abstractly develops at a specific time in development, according to widely accepted cognitive theory. The middle school years are the launching pad of abstract thinking. At this age, students are also primed for learning through social activity. The design process often includes abstract problem solving challenges, and working within a team structure. These ideas build a foundation for a research question—could a team-based design curriculum in middle school strengthen students’ natural cognitive development by providing opportunities …

Effects Of Gamification On Motivation And Engagement In Secondary Curriculum, Matthew J. Molumby

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review investigates the ways and means schools have attempted to influence motivation through the process of gamification in secondary curriculum. This literature review analyzed 31 peer-reviewed empirical studies that sought to understand the links between motivation and engagement with gamified lessons. This review attempts to analyze and synthesize the studies that are related to the definitions of gamification and beyond, the successful implementation along with the failures for motivation and engagement, and a whole system that afford school districts a more deliberate approach to gamification in the high school curriculum. The reviewer has attempted to chronicle studies to …

Remedial Education Programs And Student Success: Perceptions Of Faculty And Administrators At Hbcus, Tenora J. Simonez

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that contributed to student success in remedial education as perceived by faculty members and administrators at one public HBCU in the University System of Georgia. The five specific areas that contributed to student success and were identified for review were administrative factors, curricula and instructional models, academic support services, importance of placement tests, and the impact of financial issues. Each of these areas was represented in literature regarding the histories of remedial education programs and HBCUs, recent federal and state admissions and fiscal changes, and instructional best practices of remedial …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Meaning Of Language Learning Strategies As Experienced By Successful English Language Learners At A South Korean University, Eric Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the shared experiences and beliefs concerning the use of language learning strategies (LLS) among successful English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at a South Korean university. The research questions focused on how successful EFL learners describe their experiences learning English through the lens of learning strategies. Further examination described the role LLS play in the student’s successful English language learning. The participants were 12 successful EFL students from a South Korean university. Data collection consisted of interviews, focus groups, and observations. Data analysis was achieved through use of the hermeneutic …

A Fiscal Model Program Theory Proposal For Training Reentry Citizen Ex-Convicts To Remodel Abandoned Houses, James A. Hanson

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to develop and examine a fiscal program theory model and proposal for training reentry citizen ex-convicts to remodel abandoned houses. A sustainable program theory model describes ways that training and employing these citizens to remodel abandoned houses may be expected to have benefits to a community. The recently released ex-convicts will learn a construction trade, earn a sustainable wage, and the once-abandoned houses will be returned to the city tax rolls. Vocational education and workforce training are key to this program. The literature indicates that national jobless rates for recently released inmates is well …

Inclusive Education For Preschool-12th Grade Students With Low Incidence Disabilities: A Case Study Of State Leaders’ Perceptions, Charles Kemp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this holistic single-case study was to examine the state leaders’ perceptions of the readiness for public schools to implement inclusive education for students with low incidence disabilities. The adult learning theory (Knowles, 1990), the sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978, 1986), and the implementation science framework (Blasé, Van Dyke, Fixsen, Duda, Horner, & Sugai, 2009) provided the theoretical framework for this study. The study, set in a Midwestern state, sought to understand from state-level leaders’ perspectives the readiness for and the roadblocks to implementation of inclusive education for students with low incidence disabilities. The data for this study was …

Teacher Preparedness For Spiritually Transformational Teaching: A Case Study In One Christian High School, Wendy Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This single instrumental case study examined a purposive sample of teachers from Live Oak Christian High School (a pseudonym) for indications that they were spiritually qualified, sufficiently trained, and intentionally committed to transformational Christian teaching. Spiritually qualified teachers would evidence an active Christian faith as demonstrated by a sound basic theology, verbalization of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and various spiritual practices. Teachers who were sufficiently trained would evidence personal knowledge, experience, education, or training related directly to Christian education. Teachers who were committed to transformational Christian teaching would evidence that intentionality in documents, surveys, classroom observations, and personal …

A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete High School, Richard Wieringo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study explores the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of high school, so as to identify related factors that led to their decisions. Participants included both males and females who were designated as students with disabilities at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) and who dropped out between their third and fourth years of high school, during the 2010 to 2014 academic years. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 24. The case study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, journaling, and observation of the sample population, with …

Predicting Academic Achievement For Seventh Grade Language Arts Students Using The Seven Dimensions Of The Multi- Dimensional Assessment, Mary Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to test how accurately end of the year achievement scores can be predicted by using the seven dimensions of the Multi-Dimensional Assessment in the seventh grade language arts classroom in a southeastern Tennessee school district. The predictor variables were the seven dimensions of the MDA: community engagement, curriculum expectations, developmental perspectives, educational attitudes, faculty fidelity, leadership potential, and school climate. The criterion variable of interest, academic achievement, was generally defined as scores made on the Tennessee Department of Education state mandated test for seventh grade in reading/language arts, the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program …

Blended Online Learning Versus Traditional Classroom Learning: A Comparison Of Mathematics Content Mastery For High School Students Of Homeowners And Non-Homeowners, Jeannette Hallam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to compare the methods of traditional face-to-face classroom instruction and blended online instruction for students from differing home environments who were repeating a Mathematics I course at the high school level. This quantitative study, conducted at three high schools in Georgia, used the theories of self-regulated learning, student-centered learning, Keller’s ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) model of motivational design of instruction, and cognitive load theory to compare the two approaches to learning. The participants in this study consisted of 398 high school students taking a Mathematics I class for the second time …

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

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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

National Survey On Leadership Capacity And Scaling-Up Of Pbis Implementation, Julie L. Lowery

Dissertations

This study examined State Education Agency (SEA) efforts to scale up Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation across K-12 public schools within the United States of America. The researcher used archival data to determine percentages of school within each state currently implementing PBIS and a survey method to determine each state’s status regarding standards of PBIS implementation and variables of leadership capacity. The survey instrument was the State PBIS Implementation and Leadership Survey (SPILS). The participants were SEAs from each state and the District of Columbia, as represented by PBIS Coordinators or other designated PBIS professionals. The purpose of …

A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study In Understanding The Teacher/Student Relationship In The College English Freshman Composition Classroom, Jean Tweedy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative grounded theory study is focused on the teacher/student relationship that develops in a freshman composition class when writing is being taught and how that relationship exists during the writing process. Notes were generated through field observation of three freshman English 101 classes, personal interviews with 12 students who were members of the three freshman English 101 classes observed by me, and final grade records for each student in each class obtained from the registrar’s office. The ability and perceived willingness of the English teacher to communicate with students is the prime motivating factor for confidence within the students …