Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Student Voices: African American High School Seniors' Perception Of Culturally Responsive Teaching., Whitney M. Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined African-American high school seniors’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching in one public high school within a large urban public-school district in the southeastern region of the United States. It begins with a brief historical overview on the plight of African-Americans in the US public education system and how public school educators have failed to leverage Afrocultural learning orientations as an asset to educate and increase the academic achievement of African-American students in classrooms. The Philosophical Aspects of Cultural Difference Framework (Nichols, 1986, 1995) will guide this dissertation study. The latter part of the dissertation reveals that a …

The ‘Just City’ Or Just A City? : Evaluating Social Justice And Equity In Planning Education., Wes Grooms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary evaluations of accredited planning education performance have eschewed the principles and methodologies of formal program evaluation and performance management. This dissertation tests hypotheses that this contributes to the lack of social equity and justice commitment, content, and inquiry on the part of accredited graduate planning degree programs, their clients, and administrators. The organizations, resources, and processes involved in the purveyance of accredited graduate planning education were conceptualized as a singular, evaluable program and illustrated in a series of program logic models. These models revealed sources of the inattentiveness to normative issues that past evaluations have evidenced, and informed assertions …

Comparison Of Learning Outcomes From Online And Face-To-Face Accounting Courses, Joel Faidley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online education continues to evolve and grow dramatically at colleges and universities across the globe. Today’s society is comprised of people who are increasingly busy with work and family obligations and who are looking for more flexible and expedited avenues for higher education. Institutions seek to meet these new demands by offering online distance educational opportunities while increasing cash flow for their college. Unfortunately the pitfalls to this rush to meet online demand results in what some researchers assert are inadequate quality content and curriculum. Others indicate there are not significant differences in the outcomes from online learning compared with …

Pre-Kindergarten And Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of The Student Growth Portfolio Model In Tennessee, Amanda Pickens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this quantitative study was to discover perceptions of pre-K and kindergarten teachers within public schools in Tennessee regarding the appropriateness of the student growth portfolio model. This study explored teachers’ perceptions of the appropriateness of the math standards, English language arts standards, and the scoring guide included within the SGPM. A quantitative survey was used to understand pre-K and kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of the appropriateness of the 2017-2018 student growth portfolio model. There were 16 pre-K teachers and 51 kindergarten teachers who participated in the survey. Single sample t-tests were used to analyze responses. Research indicated that …

School Climate: A Comparison Of Teachers, Students, And Parents, James A. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the benefits of positive school climate and to measure the perceptions of school climate for intermediate grades in a Northeast Tennessee School district. An online school climate survey was used to collect responses from participants in intermediate grades and focused on the 3 major components of school climate: school engagement, school environment, and school safety. Data were collected for 2 consecutive years in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Response totals included 1,955 student responses, 116 teacher responses, and 210 parent responses that were analyzed and used for this study. Of the student totals, some students that …

Examining The Meaning Of Course Evaluation, Tyesha Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching evaluations significantly influence faculty members’ annual evaluations and progress toward tenure and promotion within academic programs in higher education. Those with consistently strong, positive, teaching evaluations have been deemed effective instructors and often validated with increases in salary, teaching awards, and promotion and tenure. This is especially the case when strong course evaluations are received in addition to documented scholarship and research activities and positively evaluated professional service. However, questions are being raised about the meaningfulness of students' ratings of course instruction. Do these measures effectively assess competence as instructors or do they measure other unknown processes in the …

The Challenges Of Newly Adopted Mathematics Curriculum In Title I Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Carmen Cruz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the early impacts of the newly adopted mathematics TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge Skills) introduced in 2014 by TEA (Texas Education Agency) that detail the curriculum standards for all students across schools in Texas schools, for grades K-12. The study examined the challenges that teachers and administrators have had to overcome to meet federal legislation educational compliance. Additionally the study examined how schools and districts were professionally developing their teachers on new curricular standards. Five Title 1 schools in four school districts were used in the study. Schools were selected from …

Effects Of A Green Chemistry Laboratory Design On First- Semester General Chemistry Students' Transformative Experiences In Chemistry, Lurea Joan Doody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand if a green chemistry laboratory design facilitated students’ transformative experiences in a first-semester general chemistry course for science majors. The study population consisted of 18 college students enrolled in the course at a small, rural, mid-Atlantic university. Traditional chemistry laboratories were replaced with three signature green chemistry laboratories over a period of 6-weeks at the end of the spring semester. Impact data were collected pre- and post, of the three labs using the Transformative Experience Questionnaire (TEQ) surveys. Open ended guided reflection questions were coded for elements of transformative experience (TE): expansion …

Access To Culturally Responsive Teaching For English Language Learners : Mainstream Teacher Perceptions And Practice On Inclusion., Tamela N. Compton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to inform educators, practitioners, and policy makers on equity-based instruction for ELLs by examining secondary teachers’ perceptions and practice on inclusion. A dominant qualitative research design was used for this study. A survey adapted from Reeves (2002) research on secondary teacher’s attitudes and perceptions on the inclusion of English as a Second Language (ESL) student in mainstream classrooms was administered to 212 secondary teachers in three high schools who have shown significant growth in their ESL student enrollment. The study then interviewed six teachers who participated in the survey on their personal experiences with instructing ELLs …

The Effects Of A Physical Activity Program Called "Minds-In-Motion-The Maze" On Balance And Motor Skills In Middle School Aged Students., Liliana Vargas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Competing time demands in the curriculum have left physical education as a low priority among schools. Consequently, school aged children are not meeting the recommended 150 mins/wk of physical activity. We studied the effects of Minds in Motion-MAZE on middle school aged (n=74) children’s balance and motor skills. Minds in Motion-MAZE is a low cost physical activity program designed to improve balance and motor control. Participants participated in Minds in Motion-MAZE for 15 minutes during the 7^th period. A multivariate test did not show a statistical significance of participating in Minds in Motion-MAZE and improved balance and motor skills. …

A Phenomenological Study On Teacher Perception Of Change In School Culture As A Result Of The Implementation Of Mindfulness, Justin Penley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of teacher perception of change in school culture as a result of the implementation of mindfulness. This study used a phenomenological methodology, enabling the researcher to gather information by focusing on and describing the impact of mindfulness on school culture in a deep comprehensive manner.

The investigator was able to extract meaning and code data, leading to the emergence of themes that supported and aligned with the study’s research questions and thus led into a holistic understanding of the phenomenon. This was accomplished through data analysis of rich, in-depth interviews, onsite …

Success Rates Of Second Semester Anatomy Students In Online And On-Ground Classes At A Community College In East Tennessee, William Sproat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators expect the number of institutions offering online courses and the number of students enrolling in these courses to increase as many students, particularly nontraditional students, discover the advantages of online content delivery. Online courses require new methods of communication between students and faculty as well as discovering new ways to build relationships, earn student trust, conduct appropriate assessment, and deliver useful course content. Many institutions—public, private, and for-profit—offer a wide variety of online coursework but faculty, employers, and the public have expressed concerns about the quality of online course content. In particular, online delivery of coursework in the natural …

A School Of Choice: A Case Study Of An Instructional Learning Model In A Public School System, Samuel Mccord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study focused on the understandings of the administration and teaching staff with regard to the implementation and student academic growth of the B-L Upward program. The understandings were formed from data collected through structured, face-to-face interviews. The questioning of the staff members assisted in determining an understanding of the instructional model of the B-L Upward program. The experimental nature of the B-L Upward program allowed students, primarily those graduating from eighth grade and heading into high school, to choose an alternative to the traditional secondary learning environment. The current case study is an examination of the B-L Upward …

Curricular Agency: Contemplating Curriculum As A Process To Empower Teachers, Matthew L. Spurlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the qualitative method of Educational Connoisseurship and Criticism (Eisner, 1991) and an interview structure based on the commonplaces (Schwab, 1969), this study involved working with four exemplary teacher educators to externalize their internal process of curricular decision-making. Contemplating their own curricula as a dynamic process rather than a finished product, the study identifies where in that process their curricular agency—their educational agency, and their human agency (Bandura, 2006)—is found. This operationalization of curricular agency within curricular theory provides an empowering perspective of teacher-centered education as a response to teacher burnout.

Hidden In White(Ness)? Using Racial Logics To Interrogate The Instructional Arc Of A Crisis Intervention Team Training, Tara N. Meister

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Some scholars argue that communities of color have been historically considered criminal by law enforcement (Fanon, 1963/2004; Gordon, 1996; Sharpley-Whiting, 1999), and Parenti (2003) and Kendi (2016) traced the history of modern policing to slave patrols. Wynter (2003) illuminated the racial logics undergirding our society - including policing - to the overlay of monotheism and its fixity with racial constructions of human as historically rooted in slavery and colonization. Thus, policing, too, carries a racialized dimension (Gamal, 2016) that creates or amplifies trauma and mental illness (Westcott, 2015). To address mental health, an undergirding feature of use of force and …

Designing A Virtual Embedded Scenario-Based Military Simulation Training Program Using Educational And Design Instructional Strategies, Christina Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation in practice was to develop and implement a new training program for designers of military intelligence simulation scenarios used to train soldiers. The use of education and design instructional strategies assisted in the ability for designers to gain mastery skills in creating realistic, high-fidelity scenarios that are applied in the training process. The use of simulation scenarios to train adult learners has increased significantly with improvements in technology and its fidelity to engage learners in a realistic way. Despite these advances, the lack of effective design, implementation and analysis of military simulation training programs in …

The Impact Of 21st Century Community Learning Centers On Middle Schools In Seminole County, Ashley Buxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the study was to research the impact 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) has on Title 1 middle school students in Seminole County. A mixed methods design was used to interview and survey teachers working for the after-school program, and student data was collected to assist in identifying the impact of the program. Initially, interviews were conducted to research the implementation of the program. Following interviews, willing participants completed the survey sent out to all middle school teachers who work for 21st CCLC. The survey investigated how the vision of the program was presented to staff and …

Boots On The Ground: A Participant-Oriented Approach To Program Evaluation, Nikki Djak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite best efforts to fully prepare pre-service teachers (PSTs) with the knowledge and skills they will need as educators, many universities nationwide fall short of doing so. Poor or unrelated pre-service preparation of education majors prior to graduation creates disconnects between college coursework requirements and real-world expectations of educators, which decreases the value of these education programs. It also leaves many PSTs entering internship and subsequent first-year employment ill-prepared to handle all of the classroom responsibilities expected of them, which contributes to another nationwide problem: low retention of novice teachers. To address comprehensive preparation of PSTs, professors at one large …

The Effects Of Regulatory Orientation On Subjective Task Values, Ability Beliefs, And Gameplay In A Grammar Editing Computer Game, Stephen Strnad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated mean group differences in composite subjective task values, ability beliefs, and gameplay behaviors between low promotion and high promotion English as a Second Language (ESL) postsecondary students while playing two versions of a grammar-editing computer game. First, students were categorized according to their scores on the General Regulatory Focus Measure. Next, students played two identical versions of the grammar-editing game; in the second game version, an independent variable was added in the form of an in-game punishment. In the middle of each game version, students completed a modified version of the Expectancy-value Questionnaire. Independent samples t-tests were …

Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade Student Perception Of Online Courses And Qualities That Lead To Course Completion., Jennifer Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold, to understand student perception of the supplemental online courses and improve the online learning program at ABC Online Learning School. The study focused on students in Grades 6 -12 who belonged to the ABC School District and enrolled ABC Online Learning School high school credit courses to supplement their education. Student participants were asked to complete the Student Survey of Online Course Design. The data retrieved from the survey was analyzed using the Spearman correlation to establish the strength of the relationship between student perception of quality online course design and the importance …

Best Practices Used By Assistant Superintendents Of Curriculum And Instruction: Improving Teacher Instruction In A High Accountability Environment, Julie Madden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study investigated not only the role of assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction, but the strategies and best practices used by four assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction and a deputy superintendent of teaching and learning from East Texas in order to improve classroom instruction and support teachers in the high-stakes testing environment. The study sheds light on the role of central office leaders, their views related to the high-stakes testing environment and the impact they have on instruction for teachers and students. The responses given in this qualitative case study were carefully analyzed in order to …

Educating Critically : Challenging The Familiar Contours Of Literacy Teacher Education., Bianca Nightengale-Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The shifting cultural ecologies of U.S. classrooms emphasize acknowledging difference, accepting diversity, and sustaining both cultural and linguistic plurality (Banks & Banks, 2009; hooks, 1994; Paris 2014). Teacher education programs play an integral role in preparing Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) with skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessitated by a growing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) student population (Cruz, Ellerbrock, Vasquez & Howes, 2014). To enact equitable teaching practices reflective of 21st century students, PSTs need to demonstrate a level of cultural awareness that acknowledges the racially, socially, and politically charged societal structures that shape education for CLD students (Hall & Carlson, 2016). …

The Feelings We Harbor - The Role Of Collage In Arousing Powerful Emotions In An Esl Classroom., Irina V. Mcgrath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional literacy education in the U.S. relies exclusively on language-based models. This can be particularly challenging for English language learners, who often find themselves bound by the constraints of the English language and limited in their expressions of thought and emotion. Current research on English language teaching, largely targeted towards native English-speaking students, suggests that incorporating various alternate modes of communication and representation improves literacy learning. Studies that address English language learning for non-native speakers are sparse. The purpose of this arts-based, qualitative, descriptive study is to fill this gap in the literature. Using collage making as a communicative mode, …

"It Teaches Them To Have A Conversation In The Real World" : An Analysis Of How Identity Performances Shape Classroom Discussions., Ashley Lauren Shelton Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although discussion has long played a role in classroom learning, recent focus on moving discussion away from the evaluative and toward the dialogic is key to understanding how discussion can be driven by multiple, shared understandings. Adopting a sociocultural perspective, this dissertation explores the ways in which identity performances shape one teacher and his students’ participation in classroom discussions. The theoretical framework guiding this study draws on the relationship between discourse and identities construction, with further attention given to improvisations of identities, figured worlds, and the ways in which power shapes discourse. This dissertation argues that performed identities shape the …

Computer Ratio And Student Achievement In Reading And Math In A North Carolina School District, Erica Preswood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal research project explored the relationship between a 1:1 computing initiative and student achievement on the North Carolina End of Grade Reading Comprehension and Math tests in the study school district. The purpose of this research study was to determine if the implementation of a 1:1 computing initiative impacted student performance on standardized tests. This study used secondary, longitudinal data to follow a sample of the district’s 2012-2013 3rd grade students through the 2015-2016 school year. The study used student grade level proficiency on the North Carolina End of Grade Reading Comprehension and Math tests for both the district …

Young Adult Literature And Empathy In Appalachian Adolescents, Kelsey R. Kiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on recent research concluding that fiction can increase empathy, this project examines how multicultural young adult literature may encourage empathy in Appalachian adolescents. Empathy encourages prosocial behaviors, but evidence suggests that young adults’ ability to empathize has declined in recent decades. In addition, Appalachia in particular is still a relatively homogenous region as it is majority white, protestant Christian, and heteronormative. Because of this, young adults in Appalachia may encounter few diverse perspectives in real life; multicultural young adult literature can provide diverse perspectives with which teenagers can empathize in a region where they might not have similar opportunities …

Former Students Discuss Middle School Science Journalism : A Qualitative Study Of Personally Meaningful Disciplinary Writing., Marsha R. Buerger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study explores the experiences of six middle school students with science news writing (SciJourn) after they have transitioned to high school. The qualitative method of case study was used with the data analyzed through the method of constructivist grounded theory. SciJourn is a disciplinary approach to science literacy that allows students to choose and research their own topic, interact with experts in the field, construct their own knowledge, and have the opportunity to publish in an on-line science newspaper (Scijourner.org). Theoretically, this research draws on science as social practice where literacy learning is cognitively complex, is situated …

Students To Computer Ratio, Socioeconomic Status, And Student Achievement, Jessica W. Cate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the students to computer ratio and 6^th grade student achievement in Math and Reading during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years as compared by socioeconomic status at each of 562 schools in Tennessee. The independent variables in the study were the ratio of students to computer (low/middle/high), the change in ratio of students to computer from 2013-2014 to 2014-2015, and socioeconomic status (low/non-low). The dependent variables in the study were 6^th grade mean Reading scores for 2014-2015, 6^th grade mean Reading gain scores …

A Quantitative Survey Analysis Of Elementary Preservice Teacher Perceptions Of Assessment Tasks In Science Coursework, Allison D. Killingsworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This replication survey research study sought to further understand preservice elementary teachers’ perceptions of assessment tasks they encountered in secondary science coursework. Students are assessed through informal and formal assessments, including close-ended and open-ended questions, through classroom and high-stakes assessments. With great significance placed on high-stakes state assessments, classroom instruction and assessments oftentimes mirror the format of state assessments. The researcher administered a validated Likert scale inventory, the Perceptions of Assessment Tasks Inventory (PATI), to preservice elementary teachers to examine their perceptions of how assessment tasks reflected their knowledge and understanding of science assessment tasks. The researcher found the research …

Uncovering Meaning In Montessori Teachers’ Lived Experiences Of Cosmic Education As A Tool For Social Justice, John Allen Branch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This inquiry focused on the lived experiences of Montessori teachers in implementing Montessori’s Cosmic Education as a tool for social justice in their classrooms in order to more fully understand Cosmic Education’s meaning, purpose, and practice. The researcher also sought to understand how Cosmic Education could be an effective pedagogy of place, providing historical and social contexts in which students may develop and grow. The study used a post-intentional phenomenological design (Vagle, 2014), and was based on a series of interviews with five Montessori teachers from different classroom age levels. The data were analyzed using poetic inquiry through the form …