Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Investigating Adult Learner Perseverance Through Practitioner Inquiry: Learning From The Voices Of Students And Teachers, Lisa H. Justice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to examine, through the process of action research and design of practitioner inquiry, the experiences of students and teachers in an adult learning program in order to better understand the problem of adult learner perseverance. The program is located in a rural community in the Southeastern United States and serves adults ages seventeen and older who do not have a high school diploma. Often, these specific adult learners are saddled with barriers that prevent their success in our program, and adult educators face challenges themselves to find ways to support learner perseverance. The …

The Quest To Improve Literacy Achievement: A Teacher-Developed Literacy Unit Incorporating A Hybrid-Instructional Approach, Dina L. Crislip

Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) utilizes action research methods to answer a research question that focuses on teachers being empowered to make personal choices when delivering best practices to positively impact student achievement within PAWS Elementary School. Chapter One provides the rationale behind the origin of the presented research, in which the Problem of Practice poses the question of how personal decision-making by teachers is an integral attribute to the success and achievement of all learners within the public-school setting. This acknowledgment of the problem of practice was the impetus to the proposed research question: How does the teacher's personal …

Promoting Self-Reflection Of Foreign Language Teachers Through Professional Development: An Action Research Dissertation, Hanan Khaled

Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory mixed-method action research describes how a social constructivist professional development program impacts self-reflection of foreign language teachers at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). The problem is that traditional professional development for foreign language teachers does not improve self-reflection. Despite their individual differences and qualifications, most teachers receive traditional in-service professional development (Darling-Hammond, Hyler, Gardner, & Espinoza, 2017) on a specific topic and have no time to reflect on their existing practices, newly presented concepts, or students' responses to instruction. The effectiveness of such professional development is questionable (Darling-Hammond, Wei, Andree, Richardson, & Orphanos, 2009; Penuel, …

Implementing The Flex Model Of Blended Learning In A World History Classroom: How Blended Learning Affects Student Engagement And Mastery, Kristin N. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

In the following action research plan, an explanatory sequential mixed methods research study of the implementation of the Flex model of blended learning in a World History classroom is presented. The study and its findings are used to measure mastery of, engagement with, and understanding of historical concepts presented in a six-week unit on the Enlightenment and the various revolutions this period in history caused. Data collection and analysis, including data from pre- and post-tests, Likert scale surveys, exit tickets, and student artifacts, are discussed. The pre- and post-tests were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics (minimum and maximum score, average …

Developing Students' Sense Of Accomplishment Through Student Choice: Uncovering An Emerging Framework For The Development Of Intrinsic Motivation To Learn, Lauren Ashley Gehr

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are encouraged to provide and equitable learning environment in their classrooms. This can be a struggle due to the emphasis on standardization. The purpose of this mixed methods, action research study was to examine the impact of providing students with choices for how to demonstrate their learning (SC) on their sense of accomplishment (SoA) in a high school English Language Arts course. The research question that guided this study was, "How does elevating student choice for demonstrating learning through Project Based Learning (PBL) impact students' sense of accomplishment in the secondary English classroom?" Using a Project Based Learning (PBL) …

Apples To Apples: Special Needs Education In The United States And Denmark, Maria Knuckley Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This comparative case study is designed to uncover varying approaches to teaching students with special needs based on the perceptions and practices of teachers. A closer look is made into the specific experiences of educators that resulted in Learner-Centered approaches to curriculum and instruction. Data was collected through published documents, questionnaires, and interviews of teachers who instruct students with special needs in the United States and Denmark. In the United States, data from educators in a private specialized education program in Georgia was used to compare data from public education teachers in a Danish Municipality. The study builds on current …

Opening Eyes To What They Don't Know: Talking About Race With White Pre-Service Teachers, Stacy Payne Martin

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to determine if a critical element of pre-service teachers' racial socialization lies within an analysis of racial isolation experiences, a lack of understanding White privilege, and how much accurate, historical instruction about racism in America they received from their middle school and high school teachers. The mixed methods action research sought answers to the following two research questions: How do life experiences shape White pre-service teachers' understanding of race? When White pre-service teachers engage in race-based self-examination activities, do they experience a shift in their perceptions and beliefs about race? This critical case study examines White pre-service …

Using Standards-Based Grading Practices To Support Student Self-Assessment, Alison Espinosa

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact that four standards-based (SBG) grading practices have on students' ability to critically and accurately self-assess their understanding of secondary mathematics learning objectives, as well as the overall impact on student learning. This research took place over twelve instructional weeks in a ninth-grade mathematics class. During the first four weeks, the baseline cycle, students completed weekly formative assessment items and an accompanying assessment reflection; traditional assessment practices were enforced during the baseline cycle. During the final eight weeks, the treatment cycle, students continued to complete weekly formative assessment items …

Use Of Formative Assessment To Structure Flexible Differentiated Learning Groups: A Pathway To Equity, Deanna M. Westedt

Theses and Dissertations

The action research contained in this study seeks to identify the impact of formative assessment in the structuring of flexible differentiation in order to provided equity within the self-contained classroom for all intersectionalities amongst elementary students. Grounded in community of practice theory, the research explores structures within flexible differentiation and small group learning that provide students of varied and overlapping identities with access and equity within the four walls of the self-contained classroom. Additionally, the influence of flexible differentiation on the affective nature of students was explored. The teacher-researcher utilized a mixed-methods approach in order to provide a holistic picture. …

Children See Race; Teachers Should Too: Challenging Bias, Stereotypes, And Prejudice Through Children's Literature, Alexandra J. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impacts of antibias culturally responsive literature on kindergarten children and teachers through qualitative action research conducted in one classroom over the course of twelve weeks. It examines how young children in this kindergarten classroom use what they have learned from and about antibias culturally responsive literature in their daily play, writing, conversations, and interactions. I clarify the process through which kindergarteners transform in relation to the understanding of their and others' cultures. In the research, two types of strategies were used: (1) critical research and (2) narrative inquiry. Data was collected from whole group discussions set …

High School Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions And Practices Using Workshop Model: A Qualitative Action Research Case Study, Joseph Marangell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research case study was to examine how a job-embedded professional development approach influenced high school social studies teachers' perceptions and practices related to a workshop model of instruction. Three research questions guided this work: (1) How do teachers' perceptions related to the workshop model used within social studies classrooms change over time? (2) How do teachers' practices related to the workshop model used within social studies classrooms change over time? (3) How do teachers' perceptions of disciplinary literacy and the workshop model influence their classroom practices?

Participants included two high school Modern World History teachers …

Feminist-Infused Participatory Action Research To Promote Female Students’ Self- Efficacy In Mathematics, Nicole Hreno

Theses and Dissertations

Prompted by the manifestations of decreased levels of mathematical self-efficacy among the female students in my district, the purpose of this study was to investigate the source of self-efficacy development that was most influential among our female students and engage in praxis to combat these gender inequities. Grounded in critical feminist theory, I engaged six teacher-researchers in participatory action research through qualitative methodologies. Using questionnaires to examine the worldviews of our female students, the emergent study was guided by these voices which were previously silenced. The interventions employed were a direct result of the females’ expressed mathematical experiences, leading us …

The Impact Of Poetry Annotations On The Critical Thinking Skills Of High School Juniors And Seniors At A School In A Southeastern State, Stefanie J. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of poetry annotations on students’ critical thinking skills. This action research study took place in the spring of 2019 with eight high school participants. Participants were enrolled in an English IV-Honors class that was a combination of juniors and seniors. The setting was a public high school in a southeastern state. A mixed methods design was used; however, the study was more dominantly a qualitative study, and data was collected from participant pre and post-surveys and interviews, student-participant work, teacher-researcher observation notes, journal entries, and rubrics for annotations and responses …

The Effects Of Synchronous Online Course Orientation On Student Attrition, Rachel C. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

Online course offerings are becoming more abundant in post-secondary education; such is the case with science courses at Tidal Wave Technical College. Online courses bring many benefits to students including flexibility, convenience, and the ability to learn anywhere, anytime. However, despite these benefits many challenges are also associated with online course offerings including student attrition. Using a non-major biology course as the test model this research sought to trial one possible way to alleviate the problems associated with online learning by incorporating a synchronous online orientation. Data on student attrition, success, and perception was gathered to gain insight into the …

The Effect Of Collaboration On Online Student Motivation In A College Biology Course, Christina Fieber

Theses and Dissertations

Online coursework in higher education is an accessible, cost-effective alternative for students and institutions. As demand for online courses grows, the need to address discrepancies in online student success and elevated attrition rates is a pressing issue in higher education. Instructional methods in online classrooms are a potential lever for minimizing these gaps. Research indicates motivation is a key indicator of student success and can have a positive impact on student achievement and persistence, whether online or in a traditional classroom setting. Collaboration, including social interaction, has also been shown to have a positive impact on student outcomes, and can …

Student Engagement With Video Instruction—How To Engage 7th-Grade Social Studies Students And Diverse Academic Abilities With Video In The Classroom, Andrew Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research study explored the use of video-enhanced instruction in a seventh-grade social studies classroom in a small, rural middle school in the southeast United States. The primary research questions for this study was, How do different strategies for video-enhanced instruction support or challenge engagement in learning for students with diverse academic abilities? This dissertation will describe how I used the SAMR model of technology integration (Puentedura, 2012), and David Havens’ (2014) framework for engagement with technology to enact and study the impact of three different ways that video-enhanced instruction could be used to support students identified …

The Impact Of A Problem-Posing Approach On Student Engagement In An Esl Classroom In A Mid-Atlantic State, Beverly Anne Richardson Jewett

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of a problem-posing approach on student engagement in an ESL classroom at a community college in a Mid-Atlantic state. This study took place during the Spring 2019 semester with seven participants, two males and five females. Data were collected through pre- and post-surveys, pre- and post-interviews, student work artifacts, informal interviews, and field observations. The results of the study revealed that the students perceived an increase in their own engagement through a problem-posing instructional approach. Furthermore, the results revealed increased students’ value of collaboration, an environment that disarmed the fear of speaking, and connections to …

A Phenomenological Look At What Motivates And Challenges Teachers To Use Outdoor Learning Activities, Kristin Elizabeth Peney

Theses and Dissertations

The specific problem of practice on which this study is focused is the lack of opportunities for students to engage in outdoor learning experiences (OLEs) and one contributing factor to this problem, the hesitance teachers demonstrate towards engaging their students and themselves in OLEs (Rickinson et al., 2004). The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper and more thorough understanding of the beliefs about outdoor learning experiences (OLEs) held by teachers in my context. An investigative action research design using the phenomenological approach was selected for this study as teacher beliefs are complex, and are best understood when …

Work Ethic Skills And A Liberal Arts Education: Using Work-Integrated Learning In A Liberal Arts Course To Enhance Students' Work Ethic Skills And Demonstrate The Practicality Of A Liberal Arts Education., Jennifer M. Lopes

Theses and Dissertations

To address the gap in employability skills among recent college graduates, the proposed intervention seeks to integrate work ethic skills (WES) into the general education curriculum in a practical, efficient, and effective way to develop and enhance students’ professional skills. Work-integrated learning (WIL), if done properly, is the most effective method for students to learn, practice, and apply professional and academic skills. Problematic is the fact that general education courses have tenuous WIL connections because they are not “job specific. Hence, Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory is applied as the theoretical framework for creating effective an meaningful learning experiences via …

Focusing On Social Presence In An Electronics Course At A Two-Year College: An Action Research Study, Sherisse G. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Using a phenomenological approach, this action research study explored the influence of social presence (Garrison et al., 2000) on the achievement of students who were enrolled in Electronics, a two-year college course. Social presence was facilitated through the use and study of reciprocal teaching (Green, 2000), a collaborative learning strategy that has the potential to foster the development of social presence and is inherently culturally responsive (Gay, 2010). Qualitative data were generated through interviews with students, practitioner reflective notes, and classroom observations during the intervention. Analysis and interpretation of the data indicated student-participants had positive experiences during the intervention and …

“More Luggage”: The Heavy But Invisible Social Burden Carried By African American Advanced Placement Students, Leslie C. Richard

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigative action research study was to find new ways to disrupt the inequitable recruitment and enrollment practices in the sequence of AP English courses at a small, urban high school in the southeast United States. Through engagement in practitioner inquiry and guided by Critical Race Theory (CRT), this study sought to gather knowledge from the stories told by African American students about their choice to enroll in AP English and their experiences with their classmates, teachers, and the social environment in the course. Their counternarratives are juxtaposed against the limited perspectives of four White, female AP …

Supporting Teacher Collaboration Aimed At Developing High School Students’ Digital Media Literacy: A Participatory Action Research Study, Rachel A. Riendeau

Theses and Dissertations

The growing use of social media as a source of information about important current events among high school students requires the development of new instructional strategies that promote digital media literacy. Recognizing that the use of social media varies extensively among high school students, the nature of this problem is highly context dependent. As such, the most likely approach to be successful in a given classroom is one led and enacted by teachers in their own classrooms. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation in practice was twofold. The first purpose was to develop effective curricular materials that support digital media …

Developing Specialized Content Knowledge For Equitable Practice In Mathematics: Exploring A Constructivist Approach To Preservice Teacher Education, Jane Rector Wilkes

Theses and Dissertations

A successful teacher education program prepares preservice teachers to provide high quality mathematics education for all students. In order to effectively address the needs of diverse and historically underserved groups of students, future teachers need to have a deep understanding of both basic content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. The purpose of this study was to examine ways to support preservice teachers in improving procedural and conceptual content mastery, as well as the specialized content knowledge that they will need in order to feel empowered to teach their future students.

Based on the theoretical frameworks of two components of mathematical …

Using An Argument Driven Inquiry Model To Develop Scientific Proficiency In The Middle School Classroom, Lorelei Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of argument driven inquiry (ADI) on the development of evidence-based arguments for eight eighth-grade students. This study took place in the third quarter of the 2018-2019 school year. The setting was a public middle school in a suburban county in the Southeast. Through the use of an action research design, qualitative and quantitative data was collected over a six-week period using various instruments. Instruments included a content pretest and post-test, generating an evidence-based argument pre-test and post-test, pre- and post-formal interviews, pre and post science questionnaire Likert attitudinal scale, collection …

Elaborative Rehearsal: An Examination Of Usage, Perceptions Of Utility, And Differences In Metacognition And Test Performance, Tori Kim Norris

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study explored the use of elaborative rehearsal as an intervention and examined differences in metacognition and test performance among college students in a general psychology course. Metacognitive processes are crucial for adequate comprehension. Students often come into college having very little metacognition, knowledge about different strategies, different cognitive tasks, and sometimes even accurate knowledge about how they learn (Pintrich, 2002). Common metacognition strategies are note-taking, summarizing, finding main ideas, writing to learn, self-questioning, outlining, previewing, reflecting, reciting and reviewing (Kisac & Budak, 2014). Elaborative rehearsal is a metacognitive learning strategy that encompasses many of these components. Unfortunately, …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On The Dispositions Of Eight Third-Grade Elementary Students At An Elementary School In The Southeast Region Of The United States, Jakob Lauffer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact mindfulness sessions had on the dispositions of eight third-grade students. In the Spring of 2019, mindfulness practices were presented to third-graders in their regular classroom setting every Monday and Thursday over the six-week qualitative action research study. During this time, the teacher-researcher administered 15-minute mindful lessons that aimed to help increase coping strategies in the student population. The instruments used for data collection in this qualitative action research study were: a pre/post-intervention questionnaire, weekly exit slips utilizing multiple choice and open-ended questions, field notes, and digital video recordings. Students utilized …

The Impact Of Self-Regulated Learning Tutoring And Mentoring Program On Black Males In Eighth-Grade Science, Julie Liddle Lott

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of practice described in this paper was identified by the state testing gaps between White and Black male students at a middle school in central South Carolina. This identified problem of practice led to the development of the research question: What is the impact of a tutoring and mentoring program using self-regulated learning strategies on my Black male students and their academic achievement in eighth grade science? The purpose of this study is to determine if a tutoring and mentoring program will affect the academic achievement of my Black male students in science.

The action research model being …

Enhancing Writer's Voice In Argumentative And Expository Essay Writing Using The Embedded Voice Technique, Jonathan K. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to examine the impact that the Embedded Voice Technique of writing instruction had on one’s writer’s voice. The teacher-researcher posits that voice is not an individual component of writing, but rather a culmination of multiple components of writing; it is the sum of parts rather than a part in and of itself. The study took place in an English 3-Honors class with nine randomly chosen participants over an eight-week period. Data were collected using a variety of data collection instruments. Pre and post-treatment Likert scale surveys determinee participants’ dispositions regarding writing. Pre …

Education For Sustainability: The Effectiveness Of A Place Based Environmental Education Unit In Food Waste Reduction On The Environmental Awareness Of Fourth Grade Students, Bree Lauffer

Theses and Dissertations

Implementation of a place-based composting unit for food reduction in the Spring of 2019 with 10 fourth-grade students utilized qualitative methodologies in order to measure its effects on environmental awareness in the individuals. Guided by Capra’s (1997) notion of sustainability in an ecoliterate society and Sobel’s (2008) place-based pedagogy, the curriculum and instructional decisions during the construction of the unit utilized read alouds and outdoor activities that aimed to increase the students’ connectedness to their local setting in order to motivate students for engagement in ecoliterate behaviors. Pre- and post-intervention surveys, artifacts and exit slips in student nature journals, teacher-researcher …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Project Based Learning As It Impacts First Year Implementation, Stacey Cunningham Whitaker

Theses and Dissertations

Current education expectations require teachers to meet federal and state standards as well as develop 21st century skills like collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving. Preparing students for state testing while also preparing them to be successful in a global society can present an instructional dilemma. Project-based learning has been identified as a possible solution to this problem. Although researchers agree that integrating 21st century skills in daily instruction is necessary, many teachers and administrators have shied away from implementing a project-based learning curriculum (Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn, 2007). The identified problem of practice for this present action research study …