Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Curriculum and Instruction Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Liberty University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 151 - 180 of 526

Full-Text Articles in Curriculum and Instruction

A Transcendental Phenomenology Of General Education Teachers' Experiences Instructing Twice-Exceptional High School Students, Jill Denise Collet Nov 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenology Of General Education Teachers' Experiences Instructing Twice-Exceptional High School Students, Jill Denise Collet

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study examined the experiences of 10 teachers of twice exceptional students at two high schools in northeast Ohio. The central research question was: What are the shared experiences of general education high school teachers instructing twice-exceptional students in northeast Ohio? Sub-questions explored how participants described their experiences in meeting the educational needs of twice-exceptional learners, how teachers described their self-efficacy in regard to teaching twice-exceptional students, and obstacles they found while teaching these students. Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental model to find the essence of the phenomenon was utilized to collect data through interviewing participants, conducting online focus groups, …


Organic Chemistry Ii Lab Manual, Caitlyn Bailey Oct 2019

Organic Chemistry Ii Lab Manual, Caitlyn Bailey

Senior Honors Theses

This project aims to supply a full lab manual and grading key for Organic Chemistry II, a class often taken by sophomores in Liberty University’s science degree programs. Properly applied laboratory experiments create a beneficial learning environment for science students by using hands-on procedures to transform intangible lecture concepts into concrete demonstrations. Lab work also fosters the development of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that students need in research and the workplace. Thus, having a comprehensive lab manual is critical to students’ success and understanding in this upper-level class. This project adds to the experiments of Organic Chemistry II lab through …


The Differences In Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scores Between Military Dependent Students And General Population Students, Jeffrey Thomas Harris Aug 2019

The Differences In Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scores Between Military Dependent Students And General Population Students, Jeffrey Thomas Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States has now been engaged in war for fourteen years, the longest war in American history. A war like this has created an atmosphere of extended deployments for members of the military resulting in separation from their family. Deployments can affect many areas of family life, and the child’s academics is one such area. A student’s success often depends on his/her confidence, or “self-efficacy”, in academics. This can be affected by the inconsistencies of military life, such as constantly moving and transferring schools, which can shake that confidence causing him or her to struggle academically. The purpose of …


The Influence Of Homeschooling On The Lives Of College Graduates: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Rose Elliott Aug 2019

The Influence Of Homeschooling On The Lives Of College Graduates: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Rose Elliott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the influence of a K–12 home education on the academic, familial, spiritual, and vocational aspects of the adult lives of select four-year college graduates. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory framed this study, as it purports that learning and development occur in the symbiotic relationship between learner and environment. Central research question: How do select four-year college graduates describe the influence of a K–12 home education on their adult lives? Sub-questions: (a) How do participants describe the impact of a K–12 home education on their experiences in higher education? (b) How do participants …


Teachers’ Self-Perceived Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Instructing English Learners In Middle Tennessee, Angela Hughes Jul 2019

Teachers’ Self-Perceived Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Instructing English Learners In Middle Tennessee, Angela Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the population of English learners (ELs) continues to grow, so does the achievement gap between ELs and non-EL peers. Educators must analyze what could be contributing factors to Els’ low performance, such as misconceptions about ELs, teachers’ attitudes toward teaching ELs, and how teachers perceive themselves as able to instruct ELs effectively. Further research was needed to examine ELs in the general education classroom and teachers’ attitudes to determine when and why teachers feel less or more self-efficacy teaching ELs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze 74 general education teachers’ sense of self-efficacy for teaching English …


Self-Efficacy Among Special Education Teachers Who Teach Students Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Pamella Tracy Hosley Jul 2019

Self-Efficacy Among Special Education Teachers Who Teach Students Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Pamella Tracy Hosley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and work engagement among teachers of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Self-Efficacy data will be gathered using the Ohio version of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scales (TSES-T) and the student engagement, classroom management and the instructional strategies sub-scales. Work engagement will be evaluated using the Utrecht Work Engagement Total Scale. Participants will be 66 special education teachers who teach students diagnosed with ASD. A bivariate correlational design employing a Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine if there is a significant relationship between …


Causal-Comparative Study Of Reading Self-Efficacy Of Senior High School Students Based On English Course Placement, Carrie Marie Deel Jun 2019

Causal-Comparative Study Of Reading Self-Efficacy Of Senior High School Students Based On English Course Placement, Carrie Marie Deel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In addition to requisite knowledge and skills in the area of reading, self-efficacy is imperative for students’ success in academic tasks. While a considerable amount of research has been conducted on self-efficacy, there is a dearth of research with high school students’ reading self-efficacy. Moreover, there is virtually no research investigating the potential differences in reading self-efficacy for students enrolled in different kinds of senior English courses. This non-experimental quantitative causal-comparative study sought to examine whether there was a difference between the reading self-efficacy for male and female students enrolled in general education English classes and students enrolled in dual …


A Grounded Theory Study Of The Educational Processes Implemented By Parents Homeschooling Gifted Or Twice-Exceptional Children, Bridgette Whitlow-Spurlock May 2019

A Grounded Theory Study Of The Educational Processes Implemented By Parents Homeschooling Gifted Or Twice-Exceptional Children, Bridgette Whitlow-Spurlock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic, grounded theory study was to explain the educational processes used by homeschooling families of gifted and twice-exceptional children. For this study, educational processes were defined as instructional methods, curriculum, and structure used by homeschooling parents in the academic development of their gifted and twice-exceptional child. The conceptual framework guiding this study was choice theory developed by William Glasser with the influences of Robert Sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence and Kurt Fischer’s dynamic skills theory as these theories explain how choices are influenced by parents’ understanding of their children’s cognitive development, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality within a …


Case Study Of High School Math And Science Teachers' Beliefs About Using Writing To Learn And Their Beliefs About Themselves As Writing-To-Learn Practitioners, Virginia Elizabeth Dunker May 2019

Case Study Of High School Math And Science Teachers' Beliefs About Using Writing To Learn And Their Beliefs About Themselves As Writing-To-Learn Practitioners, Virginia Elizabeth Dunker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to document and explore high school math and science teachers’ beliefs and instructional practices concerning Writing-to-learn (WTL), or students learning content through writing. Two theories guided this study: Bandura’s (1977) theory of self-efficacy and Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory. Data collection included interviews with 10 participants: five math teachers and five science teachers, a focus group comprised of three math teachers and four science teachers from the sample, and participants’ journal responses for four weeks. The setting for this study was in an urban high school in the southeastern United States. The student …


A Phenomenological Study Of Advanced Age Individuals Pursuing A Doctoral Degree, Elaine G. Phillips May 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of Advanced Age Individuals Pursuing A Doctoral Degree, Elaine G. Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of advanced age individuals 62 years and older who chose to return to academia and pursue doctoral studies in accredited doctoral programs in the United States. The theories that guided this study are the self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan and Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, specifically stage eight, Integrity versus Despair. These two theories framed this study investigating the central research question: What are the experiences of advanced age individuals pursuing a doctoral degree? These advanced age individuals pursued, experienced, and completed doctoral degrees or are in the …


A Single-Subject Study On Listening To Student-Selected Music Through Headphones For Students With Adhd, Jennifer Renee Royster Ramey May 2019

A Single-Subject Study On Listening To Student-Selected Music Through Headphones For Students With Adhd, Jennifer Renee Royster Ramey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that self-selected music have on the working memory of fifth grade students with an ADHD diagnosis. A single-subject ABACAC design was used, and a convenience sample of five fifth-grade students from a rural central Virginia middle school participated in the study. An on-line working memory N-back task (Cognitive Fun!, 2008) was used to measure the working memory of each participant under the conditions of no music, teacher-selected music listened to through headphones, and self-selected music listened to through headphones. The results of this study found that one participant experienced a …


The Effects Of A Systematic Tier 2 Intervention On Kindergartners' Dibels Benchmarks, Richard Kyle Abernathy May 2019

The Effects Of A Systematic Tier 2 Intervention On Kindergartners' Dibels Benchmarks, Richard Kyle Abernathy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effects of teaching prescriptive and teacher-guided decoding lessons to kindergarten students in need of Tier 2 interventions in the Georgia Response to Intervention protocol based on DIBELS curriculum-based measurements. A causal-comparative design was used to examine spring 2018 DIBELS benchmarks scores of kindergarten students in a large rural school district in northwest Georgia. Students in the treatment group received Tier 2 intervention following a newer curricula termed Differentiated Reading Instruction (DRI) from the manual How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction (2017). Students in the control group received a similar commercially-based intervention. The curriculum-based measurement, DIBELS, served …


A Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Based On Gender And Math Acceleration, Jacqueline Renee Probst Apr 2019

A Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Based On Gender And Math Acceleration, Jacqueline Renee Probst

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study tested the theories of self-efficacy and cognitive-stage that compare gender and degree of mathematics acceleration to mathematics self-efficacy for math students. The participants for this study were 158 Algebra 2 and Precalculus students enrolled at three different private, metropolitan, secondary schools in the same northwestern state during the 2018-2019 school year. A causal-comparative group comparison design was utilized to determine mathematics self-efficacy differences among math students in relation to gender and degree of mathematics acceleration. Student mathematics self-efficacy scores from the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare means and …


Impact Of Flexible Seating On First Grade Reading Progression, Stephana M. Logue Apr 2019

Impact Of Flexible Seating On First Grade Reading Progression, Stephana M. Logue

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Proponents of flexible seating options within the classroom claim this simple change will transform education, improve children's engagement and learning, and renew classroom teaching. Opponents argue that such benefits are overstated because, currently, little evidence exists that eliminating desks and chairs improves learning and student engagement. In this study, the impact of flexible seating on first grade reading scores was examined and how it is implemented when teaching reading at the primary level. This quantitative research plan used the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking Kit to determine if students who chose the option of flexible seating during the reading block had …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Elementary Title I Teachers' Use Of Digital Technology In The Classroom, Rebecca S. Acosta Apr 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Elementary Title I Teachers' Use Of Digital Technology In The Classroom, Rebecca S. Acosta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

If Title I elementary students are not given opportunities to learn how to utilize digital technology in their classrooms, a whole segment of the population will lack the knowledge and skills to become successful upon graduation and contribute to the betterment of society. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of Central Texas elementary teachers’ use of digital technology in their Title I classrooms. The central research question in this study was: how do Title I elementary teachers in Central Texas describe their experiences using digital technology in the classroom? Two theories framed this investigation. …


Launching Dreams: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Describing What It Means To Be An Underrepresented Student In A Collegiate Aviation Program, James P. Molloy Apr 2019

Launching Dreams: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Describing What It Means To Be An Underrepresented Student In A Collegiate Aviation Program, James P. Molloy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe what it means to be an underrepresented student in a collegiate professional pilot degree program. The central research question for this study was: What does it mean to be an underrepresented student in a collegiate professional pilot degree program? The four sub-questions were: (a) What influence do cognitive-person attributes have on meaning that is experienced and described by the underrepresented aviation student?, (b) What influence do gender and race have on meaning that is experienced and described by underrepresented aviation student?, (c) What influence does the contextual environment …


How Participation In The Arts Impacts Learning Comprehension For High School Students During Stem Coursework At Two High Schools In Southwest Florida: A Case Study, Tiffany Lynn Jennings Apr 2019

How Participation In The Arts Impacts Learning Comprehension For High School Students During Stem Coursework At Two High Schools In Southwest Florida: A Case Study, Tiffany Lynn Jennings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand how participation in the arts impacts Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) coursework for students at two Southwest Florida High Schools. Within the context of the study, the term “arts’ was used to collectively refer to all visual and performing arts courses, including painting, drawing, graphic arts, two-dimensional and three-dimensional, music, and theatre. Studies show that in order to be innovative, students need to have the experiences that the arts can foster in the right side of the brain, the side associated with creativity (Eisner, 2002). I chose a case study …


A Phenomenological Study Of Novice Teachers' First-Year Experiences In Curriculum Development In International Schools, Rachel Morgan Pedigo Apr 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of Novice Teachers' First-Year Experiences In Curriculum Development In International Schools, Rachel Morgan Pedigo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of teachers in Christian international schools during the process of developing curriculum for their classes during their first-year of teaching at the school. In light of the purpose of the study, the following research questions framed this investigation: How do first-year teachers describe their experiences developing curriculum during their first year of teaching at an international Christian school? What challenges do first-year teachers encounter when beginning to develop curriculum for their classes? What are first-year teachers’ expectations of support during curriculum development? How do first-year teachers describe their experiences …


The Effects Of Common Core State-Mandated, High-Stakes Testing On Teacher Stress In School Districts In Ohio, Gary P. Wegley Dec 2018

The Effects Of Common Core State-Mandated, High-Stakes Testing On Teacher Stress In School Districts In Ohio, Gary P. Wegley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to explore the relationship between Common Core state-mandated, high-stakes testing and the stress levels, as measured by the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI), of a convenience sampling of 204 secondary teachers in southwest Ohio who were assigned to teach Common Core high-stakes testing subjects and teachers not assigned to teach Common Core high-stakes testing subjects. This study sought to determine whether the Common Core state-mandated, high-stakes testing in the state of Ohio impacted teacher stress. The primary instrument used was the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI), which was available through an online survey platform. …


The Effect Of Morphology Instruction On Performance Growth Of Seventh-Grade Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Erin Kathleen Pizzo Dec 2018

The Effect Of Morphology Instruction On Performance Growth Of Seventh-Grade Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Erin Kathleen Pizzo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, nonequivalent control group study was to evaluate the effectiveness of morphological instruction that includes word matrices and word sums with middle school students. This study compared the overall reading performance growth as measured by the Northwest Evaluation Association: Measure of Academic Performance (NWEA MAP) scores of students who received morphological instruction with word matrices and word sums with the growth of students who did not receive morphological instruction that included word matrices and word sums. A convenience sample of 100 students English-speaking students from a rural, public middle school in northwest Pennsylvania was used …


The Relationship Of The Well-Being Of Adults With And Without Dyslexia: A Causal-Comparative Study, Ashleigh L. Anderson Dec 2018

The Relationship Of The Well-Being Of Adults With And Without Dyslexia: A Causal-Comparative Study, Ashleigh L. Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of dyslexia on well-being as an adult. The researcher compared adults given a diagnosis of dyslexia with adults not given a diagnosis of dyslexia for well-being using a quantitative causal-comparative method. Participants for this study were a convenience sample, consisting of 219 adults with and without a self-identified diagnosis of dyslexia per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV). The researcher used the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) and measured the well-being of adults who are diagnosed as dyslexic and adults that are not dyslexic. The researcher utilized a 14-item questionnaire …


Christian High School Science Teachers' Perspective Transformation: The Journey From Evolution To Creation, Paul Leslie Thorpe Nov 2018

Christian High School Science Teachers' Perspective Transformation: The Journey From Evolution To Creation, Paul Leslie Thorpe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenology study was to explore and describe the perspective transformations of 11 science instructors teaching at Christian high schools. These science teachers previously believed the evolutionary paradigm of origins. However, they have all experienced a transformation and now hold a young-earth creation perspective and believe the literal six-day creation event in the book of Genesis is accurate and true. Transformation of perspective regarding origins is defined as a phenomenon of transformative faith accompanied by assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge as seen through the lens of Jack Mezirow’s (1991) transformative adult learning theory, and James …


Remedial Reading: Teacher Input Student Output: The Impact Of Teacher Education On Post-Secondary Remedial Reading Students, Deb Davis Sep 2018

Remedial Reading: Teacher Input Student Output: The Impact Of Teacher Education On Post-Secondary Remedial Reading Students, Deb Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite evidence that enhanced teacher education provides enhanced learning opportunities, there is little research on the impact for remedial college students. This study addresses this issue. Reviewing students assigned to remedial reading based on placement test scores, a series of t-tests compared students after one term based on COMPASS scores and compared between the courses provided with teachers of bachelor’s or master’s degrees grouped by gender. This study used a non-experimental, causal-comparative quantitative ex post facto design to study the difference between the education level of the teaching staff and the student achievement at completing the prescribed remediation course within …


The Differences Between Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In California Schools, Michael Brown Aug 2018

The Differences Between Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In California Schools, Michael Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective Professional Learning Communities are one tool schools utilize to ensure that student achievement improvement is prioritized. Professional Learning Communities help educators increase their professional knowledge and minimize conflict amongst colleagues. Additionally, teachers who regularly participate in a Professional Learning Community have students who reach higher achievement benchmarks than the students of their non-participating peers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a statistically significant difference existed between principal perceptions and teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities as measured by the Professional Learning Communities Assessment—Revised. A sample of 49 principals and 53 teachers from 49 schools in California …


The Relationship Between Grade Point Average And Understanding Of Homework's Purpose And Management In Economically Disadvantaged High School Students, Diane Bush Aug 2018

The Relationship Between Grade Point Average And Understanding Of Homework's Purpose And Management In Economically Disadvantaged High School Students, Diane Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a key measure of academic achievement, grade point average (GPA), could accurately be predicted from a linear combination of understanding homework’s purpose as measured by the Homework Purpose Scale (HPS) and by the student’s approach to homework management and homework behaviors as measured by the Homework Management Scale (HMS). This quantitative study is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey design comprised of two previously established valid and reliable scales: the Homework Purpose Scale and the Homework Management Scale. The study’s design is correlational using a sample (N = 300) of pre-existing high school …


The Prediction Of Technology Integration In The Christian K-12 Classroom Based On Openness To Change, Technology Training, And Work Beyond The Contractual Work Week, Troy Spetter Aug 2018

The Prediction Of Technology Integration In The Christian K-12 Classroom Based On Openness To Change, Technology Training, And Work Beyond The Contractual Work Week, Troy Spetter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This predictive correlational study explored the lack of generalizable data regarding the use of technology in the Christian K-12 environment. The study searched for a predictive correlation between teachers’ overall use of technology, openness to change, amount of technology training, and hours of work beyond the contractual work week, based on previous study in public education (Vannatta & Fordham, 2004). The target population was all teachers who work in schools that are members in good standing with the Association of Christian Schools International in the United States. Using a random sample, teachers were asked to participate in the study and …


The Relationship Between English Language Proficiency And Academic Achievement For English Language Learners, Laura Grisso Aug 2018

The Relationship Between English Language Proficiency And Academic Achievement For English Language Learners, Laura Grisso

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to test the threshold hypothesis as it applied to the performance of English language learner students on the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) in third grade reading and the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English language learners assessment, also known as the ACCESS for ELLs. The OCCT assesses student performance on third grade reading content and the ACCESS for ELLs assesses the English language proficiency levels in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This study specifically proposed to analyze the relationship between the ACCESS for ELLs reading …


A Multiple Case Study Examining Instructional Coaching And Reflective Practices Through Video-Based Feedback Systems, Dennis Dotterer Aug 2018

A Multiple Case Study Examining Instructional Coaching And Reflective Practices Through Video-Based Feedback Systems, Dennis Dotterer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to examine the use of video-based instructional feedback models for three primary participants in a rural southern district. This qualitative study built upon the constructivist foundations of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and Kegan’s constructive developmental theory, specifically connections to “ways of knowing” as it explored how the use of technology in teacher observations enhance adult learning and practice through enhanced reflection. This qualitative multi-case study sought to explain educators use video-based feedback to enhance teacher efficacy within the processes of instructional supervision. The focal participant of this study was one content-based classroom …


Utilizing Natural Settings To Reinforce Social Skills Instruction In Students With Disabilities, Torrey Pitchford Aug 2018

Utilizing Natural Settings To Reinforce Social Skills Instruction In Students With Disabilities, Torrey Pitchford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A large proportion of students with disabilities (SWD) have social skills deficits that make it difficult for them to succeed in school, work, and life. This quantitative, quasi-experimental, non-equivalent, pretest-posttest, control group study was designed to explore whether SWD can better transfer their learned social skills to natural settings, improving their chances at independence and success, with the use of reinforcement in natural settings. The researcher included 86 students with disabilities from a school district in a predominantly white, middle class, rural Utah town. The researcher and teachers used Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) in this study to provide instruction …


Effect Of Professional Development And Follow-Up Support Through Coaching Emails On Secondary English Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy In Implementing Mentor Text Instruction, Ann-Marie Morgan Aug 2018

Effect Of Professional Development And Follow-Up Support Through Coaching Emails On Secondary English Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy In Implementing Mentor Text Instruction, Ann-Marie Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Beyond rigorous reading instruction in America’s high schools, writing instruction in the 21st century must be addressed if students will be equipped with the critical thinking skills they need to be successful. Teachers, however, need training in implementing innovative methods in writing instruction to effect change in student achievement. This quantitative, quasi-experimental study attempted to determine what effect professional development through in-person training and follow-up support through coaching emails have on teachers’ perceived self-efficacy in implementing mentor text instruction for writing. Data were collected from 9 teachers who attended a 2-hour professional development session on strategies for using mentor texts. …