Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Building Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: The Role Of The Leader, Louise Derman-Sparks, Debbie Leekeenan, John Nimmo

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

An anti-bias early childhood care and education (ECCE) program puts diversity and equity goals at the center of all aspects of its organization and daily life. It involves much more than adding new materials and activities into the already existing learning environment. Rather, broad systemic changes are necessary. The learning environment and curriculum, as well as program policies, structures, procedures, and processes, all come into play. Change also includes the attitudes of the individuals who serve the children and families. In sum, it is "a process, not an event".

The Writing Process: Using Peer Review To Develop Student Writing, Jennifer M. Selting Troester

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The following thesis will explore how peer review through an online writing exchange influences student writers during the writing process. I propose that when students participate in this online writing exchange to peer review, it will assure that they will have a better understanding of the writing process, and more confidence in analyzing their own writing and in themselves as writers. It also makes these students more conscientious of the writing they share with peers because they have a wider audience than just their teacher, and this motivates them to improve their writing. The last part of the document features …

Recruiting For The Collegiate Marching Band: A Study Of Student Perceptions Of Recruitment And College Choice Factors In Kansas And Missouri, Alan Douglas Whitten

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The marching band is an important and iconic part of the game day atmosphere at athletic events and community functions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. At many institutions, the band is a great source of pride and considerable resources are committed in an effort to have the best band possible. A key component to having the best band possible is having effective recruiting practices.

There is a large body of research on recruiting general student populations and many other sub categories of students, including music majors. However, research regarding recruitment of students that participate in marching band …

The Relationship Between Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy For Teaching Mathematics And Their Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching, Meagan Mckinney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between elementary teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and their self-efficacy for teaching mathematics. Self-efficacy and MKT are of high importance with implications in regards to quality of instruction and the Common Core State Standards for mathematics. Using the Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics (CKT-M) instrument, data for this study were collected from thirty-five elementary school teachers participating in the Improving Teachers’ Monitoring of Learning Grant at the time. The data were concerned with these teachers’ self-efficacy with the pedagogy and content of mathematics using the Self-Efficacy for Teaching Mathematics Instrument (SETMI). Qualitative data were …

Self-Talk+ And Strategic Teacher Moves Aimed At Cognitive Advancement In Linguistically Diverse Elementary Mathematics Classrooms, Bailey M. Muchin

Honors Scholar Theses

This study’s objective was to determine the purposes of self-talk and related forms of talk (self-talk+) in linguistically diverse elementary mathematics classrooms, teacher moves that are often associated with self-talk+, and the relationship between self-talk+ and strategic teacher moves. This study analyzed transcripts, audio recordings, and video recordings from several elementary mathematics classrooms in dual language programs in order to determine the relationship among self-talk+ and strategic teacher moves. This study specifically focused on the purposes of self-talk+ that contributed to, or had the potential to impact, student cognitive advancement. The results of data analysis were mapped in order …

Use Of Phonetics In The Beginner French Classroom: An Analysis Of Textbooks, Melissa B. Scarbrough

Honors Scholar Theses

Textbooks are a common resource for teachers in a variety of content areas, as such it is important that teachers know whether or not textbooks are aligned to standards and current research. This study investigates if common textbooks, reported to be in use in schools across Connecticut, are aligned to recent second language acquisition and French linguistics studies.

High School Educators’ Perceptions Of Their Schools’ Conduciveness To English Language Learners’ Success, Jill Winiger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of administrators, guidance counselors, and classroom teachers in the high schools of Northeast Tennessee regarding their schools’ academics, climate, culture, parent engagement, and their English Language Learners’ school experiences. The researcher sought to ascertain if significant differences exist between the perceptions of different groups of educational professionals in the school, with those groups to include school administrators, guidance counselors, and classroom teachers. Data were analyzed from 50 survey questions with 42 of those questions measured on a 5-point Likert scale, 5 questions as multiple choice, and 3 questions as open-ended. …

Evaluation Of Current Knowledge Of Genetics Among Dental Students, Residents And Dental Hygiene Students, Carla Mcgruder

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Genetic testing is increasingly available in clinical settings. To provide personalized patient care, dental health professionals must have a greater understanding of genetics. The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) credentials all dental schools in the United States and currently does not mandate genetics training for official approval of programs. There is little information about dental genetics education and no known studies that have evaluated dental students, residents and dental hygiene students’ knowledge of human genetics. It is crucial to assess genetics knowledge of this population to ascertain if dental schools are preparing students for the future of personalized dentistry. This …

Who Cares? Developing A Pedagogy Of Caring In Higher Education, Andrew Shayne Larsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When students are asked about their motivation to succeed in a course, about whether they enjoyed their instructor, and about their overall satisfaction with the class, answers can often be traced back to an educator who was perceived by the student as caring. Perceived caring occurs when a student feels that a teacher’s positive behaviors directed toward the student are motivated by good intentions and good will.

Research in the area of teacher care has almost exclusively focused on elementary and secondary classrooms, and has advanced the theory that caring teachers and caring classroom environments prompt many positive educational outcomes. …

The Effects Of Highly Engaged Field Experiences And Multi-Faceted Mentoring Stategies On Ameliorating Pre-Service Teacher Concerns., Twyla Diane Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics and science teachers leave education more than teachers in other fields (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2008). Job-related stress and burn-out can attribute to early attrition in veteran teachers and pre-service teachers (PSTs) (e.g. Fives, Hamman, & Olivarez, 2007; Gold, 1985). A strategy for addressing attrition is to reduce self-preservation concerns in pre-service education programs. This study used a mixed-methods quasi-experimental research design to examine two STEM teacher education programs, with the long-term goal of improving STEM teacher retention. The first, “SkyTeach”, incorporated instructional experiences and an assortment of mentoring models prior to student teaching. The second program utilized primarily …

The Effects Of Real-Time Visual Performance Feedback On Teacher Feedback., Chris A. Sweigart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have identified a number of instructional strategies as evidence-based for improving the academic and behavioral outcomes of students. However, teachers often do not employ these practices or rarely implement them at recommended rates, perpetuating a research-to-practice gap. Further, research has demonstrated that traditional professional development is often insufficient to change teacher practice; therefore, researchers have explored a number of interventions to supplement teacher training. Performance feedback is one such method that has a growing base of empirical evidence. This study explored the effects of visual performance feedback (VPF) delivered in real-time using screen sharing technology on a discrete teacher …

Developmental Education At The Community College: An Exploration Of Instructional Best Practices And The Relationship Between Integration, Student Involvement And Rates Of Completion, Beverly Gayle Strickland Lewis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the developmental education process within the community college system in Mississippi. Tinto’s (1993) Integration Theory and Astin’s (1993) Theory of Student Involvement were employed as a framework to assess and understand the relationship between academic integration, social integration, student involvement, and rates of completion.

This concurrent mixed method study identified best practices related to the successful completion of developmental education courses from the vantage point of the faulty and administration at the community college. A total of ten faculty and administrators from five of the community colleges in Mississippi were given a …

Uae Efl Teachers’ Perspectives On The Barriers Hindering Technology Integration In Cycle 2 Classrooms, Fatima Muhayer Hamad Al-Darmaki

Theses

The present study aims at investigating the UAE EFL teachers’ perspectives on the barriers hindering technology integration in cycle 2 classrooms. To study the perceptions more deeply, quantitative method was employed to collect the data from (n=180) cycle 2 EFL teachers. This study aims on investigating UAE EFL teachers' perspectives on the barriers hindering technology integration in cycle 2 classrooms. This study using questionnaires for data collection with the intent for generalizing from a sample to a population. To overcome these barriers, EFL teachers suggested conducting practical professional development programs to integrate technology. Second, make sure of the availability of …

Analysis Of Cycle 2 Science Textbooks Representation Of Scientific Literacy And Readability Level, Aisha Abdulla Salem Al Qaydi Al Qaydi

Theses

For over half a century, textbooks have played a decisive role in teaching and learning activities. In today’s classrooms, textbooks serve as primary teaching instruments and greatly influence how knowledge is delivered and communicated. With the development of the society, a majority of teachers use textbooks to guide their instruction. On the other hand, readability of textbooks is an important construct for both educators and textbook authors. Finding the right fit between the students’ reading ability and the text difficulty is an important and challenging task for teachers. This study is about how scientific content is presented and represented in …

Exploring English Instructors' Perceptions And Actual Practices Regarding The Strategies Used In Teaching And Assessing Writing In Three Tertiary Education Institutions In The Sultanate Of Oman, Noura Abdullah Hamed Al-Azani

Theses

The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and practices of ESL/EFL instructors in teaching and assessing writing in three tertiary educational institutions in the Sultanate of Oman (Al Buraimi University College, University of Buraimi, and Sohar University). The researcher used the quantitative and qualitative methods in the study. The data was gathered through a questionnaire (n=147), 15 interviews (n=15), and 18 classroom observations (n=10). The findings of this study revealed that the majority of ESL/EFL instructors believe in and practice aspects of the process- and product-oriented approaches for teaching academic writing in Oman. Many ESL/EFL instructors believe …

The Relationship Between Teacher Collaboration And Teachers' Level Of Knowledge, Implementation, And Confidence Related To Common Core State Standards For Literacy In History/Social Studies, Science And Technical Subject Areas, Talia Shaunte' Lock

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between elements of teacher collaboration and teachers’ level of knowledge, level of implementation, and level of confidence related to CCSS for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subject Areas in grades 6-12. The study included an extensive literature that included an introduction, pertinent literature and research regarding literacy in the 21^st century, CCSS, cross curriculum, teacher collaboration, the role of leadership, and the theoretical framework. The study also included the methodology, research results, the conclusions, recommendations for policymakers and practitioners, and recommendations for further research.

It was discovered …

Novelty Or Knowledge? A Study Of Using A Student Response System In Non-Major Biology Courses At A Community College, Tasha Herrington Thames

Dissertations

The advancement in technology integration is laying the groundwork of a paradigm shift in the higher education system (Noonoo, 2011). The National Dropout Prevention Center (n.d.) [JS1] claims that technology offers some of the best opportunities for presenting instruction to engage students in meaningful education, addressing multiple intelligences, and adjusting to students’ various learning styles. The purpose of this study was to investigate if implementing clicker technology would have a statistically significant difference on student retention and student achievement, while controlling for learning styles, for students in non-major biology courses who were and were not subjected to the technology. This …

Relationships Of Parental Homeschooling Approaches Including Technology Integration, Letitia Annette Walters

Dissertations

This study examined the factors influencing parental selection of homeschooling approaches for their children and the utilization of technology integrated. Factors explored were parental motivators for selecting homeschooling approaches, parental reasons for choosing to homeschooling, technology device usage, and instructional technology integration. The population consisted of parents with at least one year or more of experience in teaching homeschooling and the primary educator being involved in answering the survey. Participants in this study responded to items from a researcher-adapted questionnaire using. The majority of the participants were from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky. A Bachelor's degree was reported as the highest …

From Paper To Podium: Exploring The Gap Between University Training And Professional Experience In Orchestral Conductors, Rachel L. Waddell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In African polyrhythmic drum circles there is a proverb that exemplifies the necessity of common vision and community in group musical performance: “I am because we are.” This simple ideal is ostensibly mirrored in the western institution of the symphonic orchestra, an ensemble of many that nevertheless must arrive at one, shared interpretation of a piece of music. The structure of the orchestra is a complicated hierarchy with section players at its base, followed by principals, the concertmaster, and finally the conductor. Although conductors are the public face of leadership in orchestras, if they alienate the musicians they will have …

Collecting & Infusing Locally Relevant Video To Support Teacher Learning, Aliex Ross, Jeanne Peloso, Nancy Dubetz, Laura H. Baecher, Leslie Lieman, Naliza Sadik

Publications and Research

Context: Although online teaching videos are easy to find, few demonstrate locally relevant models for our aspiring teachers. Lehman College School of Education began a project in Fall 2014 to collect locally relevant video of teaching and student learning to demonstrate key practices in the field. We identified classrooms of highly competent program graduates as well as Professional Development Network Schools (PDS) teachers working in classrooms with co-teaching models and/or work with English Language Learners. 6 teachers and 2 literacy coaches from our Bronx public school PDS classrooms welcomed us to videotape teaching and student learning. Teachers and Lehman College …

Lessons Learned From Lesson Study: Focusing On Differentiation For Ells And Students With Special Needs, Anne Marie Marshall, Khalilah Arrington

Publications and Research

This poster will present an overview of the lesson study process within the MATH-UP program. The poster will summarize the components of lesson study and highlight candidate learning from the process. Specifically, the lesson study selected will demonstrate evidence of candidate learning about emergent bilinguals.

Diffusion Of A Math Intervention Program Within A Secondary Setting: A Mixed Methods Study, Stuart Lenz

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

The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to understand the stages of concern and levels of use for teachers as they integrate a new math intervention program. Teachers within three high schools in a large Mid-western school district all implemented the program at the same time, and were used as the sample during the three-year study. The study searched to discover (a) what or who influences the teachers in their use of the program, (b) how the teachers change in their levels of use and stages of concern, and (c) if the success of the program changes as …

The Changing Role Of The Bass Clarinet: Support For Its Integration Into The Modern Clarinet Studio, Jennifer Beth Iles

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The bass clarinet of the twenty-first century has come into its own. Composers often treat it as a solo instrument and clarinetists are more often expected to play bass clarinet. In the last half of the twentieth century, the amount of literature for bass clarinet has grown and the quality of the instruments have improved exponentially. Still, most university studios focus primarily on B-flat clarinet. This document is intended as a pedagogical guide for the inclusion of the bass clarinet in the clarinet studio. As support for incorporating the bass clarinet into the undergraduate curriculum, this document describes three areas …

Zwischenfach – A Distinct Voice Type: A Study Of Fach Through Specific Roles In The Works Of Richard Wagner And Richard Strauss, Stephanie Weiss

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The term Zwischenfach has been described in a small number of papers, with the emphasis on its paradoxes and its lack of research. However, in none of these papers is there concrete evidence that the Zwischenfach should be considered a separate voice category rather than simply an “in-between” Fach. The goal of this paper is to explore the thesis that the Zwischenfach should be considered a separate and distinct Fach. Supporting evidence includes studies on tessitura, range, vowel usage, and the orchestration of roles, as examined in the arias of five characters in the operas of Wagner and Strauss. Establishing …

Culture At The Core : The Impact Of Culturally Relevant Professional Learning On Teacher Beliefs And Practice : A Collection Of Scholarly Papers., Mikkaka Hardaway Overstreet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the United States invests billions of dollars into teacher professional development, the underlying assumption is that learning leads to change and improvement in classroom practice. In truth, however, the process is not so simple. In this collection I explore what happens between new learning and application of that learning. This dissertation is a collection of scholarly papers examining teacher lives, culture, and learning from professional learning through implementation of learning in instructional practice. It examines the tensions between teacher beliefs, teacher learning and teacher practice and makes suggestions for systemic change. Within it, I contend that a focus on …

Using Ipad Applications To Promote Fluency In Mathematics And Improve Attitudes Toward Studying, Kelly Harris

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study monitored four third grade students who used iPad games to study multiplication facts for seven weeks. They took a survey at the beginning and end of the study to assess their attitude toward school, studying, and math in order to determine whether an attitude change took place throughout the course of events. The students also participated in a timed multiplication test with eighty-one questions at the beginning and took the same test at the end of the seven-week period. I met with the group twice weekly during the school day to play multiplication practice games. The group consisted …

Move, Interact, And Connect Personally Barter Theatre’S Project Real Gets Implicit In Order To Learn, Megan E. Atkinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body movement, hands-on activity, embodiment, social interaction, emotions, and self-reflection allow teaching artists of Barter’s Theatre’s Project REAL to conduct a lesson with an implicit learning experience as the focus. Barter Theatre’s Project REAL exists as a theatre for education program that collaborates with regular classroom teachers on delivering the curriculum through specific theatre exercises in order to connect the material personally to the students’ lives. Theatre tools provide a human experience that enhances learning for the student by use of kinesthetic movement, social learning, emotions and interpersonal skills. To understand the effects of Barter Theatre’s Project REAL, the director …

The Value Of Student Choice In Reading. A Book Review Of Keep Them Reading: An Anti-Censorship Handbook For Educators, Christi R. Keelen

Democracy & Education

Keep Them Reading: An Anti-Censorship Handbooks for Educators is a must-have for elementary and secondary English and reading teachers, administrators, and librarians or media specialists. While the focus for this text is how to handle and avoid challenges on books, how to create an environment where reading is important and the students' ability to choose what they want to read is part of the classroom culture is also addressed.

Media And Democracy. A Response To "The Need For Media Education In Democratic Education", Lance E. Mason

Democracy & Education

This response supports Stoddard’s (2014) assertion that media education should be considered a crucial factor of democratic education and offers both extensions and cautions related to that end. Extensions include practical suggestions for studying the non-neutrality of technology. The author also cautions educators that if media education and democratic education are to be productively merged, a more substantive consideration of the relationship between digital technologies and dispositional factors is warranted.

Mathematics For What? High School Students Reflect On Mathematics As A Tool For Social Inquiry, Anastasia Brelias

Democracy & Education

This study examines high school students’ views of mathematics as a tool for social inquiry in light of their classroom experiences using mathematics to explore social issues. A critical theoretical perspective on mathematics literacy is used to ascertain the ways in which their views challenge or affirm the dominant image of mathematics in society. The study concludes that mathematics applications addressing social justice issues are promising vehicles for developing students’ appreciation of mathematics as a social problem-solving tool, an awareness of its limitations, and a healthy skepticism toward its uses.