Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

The Effects Of A Flipped Classroom On Student Comprehension And Perception Among Second Language Learners In A Bachelor Of Social Work Course, Beverly Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

This two phased action research study first explored obstacles to learning among second-language learners in a UAE undergraduate, social work course. This knowledge was then used in the modification of a flipped class approach to understand how this approach could influence student engagement and comprehension. This study was grounded in a sociocultural and student-centered learning theoretical framework, through first exploring the sociocultural influences and obstacles within a specific cultural context and modifying a student-centered learning approach based on this knowledge. Both phases were studied using a qualitative, ethnographic design.

Phase I sought to answer the following research questions: What are …

The Impact Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Students’ Comprehension Of Secondary Social Studies Texts, Kaitlyn Mathews

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study evaluates the impact of the literacy intervention, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), on students’ comprehension of social studies texts in secondary classrooms at a high school in East Tennessee, and their perceptions of the intervention as an activity for learning. The identified problem of practice this study sought to explore is whether explicit, collaborative literacy instruction would impact students’ comprehension of grade-level appropriate social studies texts, and to evaluate students’ responses to such literacy instruction. Pre- and post-tests assessing students’ comprehension of informational articles pertaining to eras of United States history, and semi-structured interviews with students, provided …

Implementation Of A Response To Intervention Block, Amy Roberts Mcglohorn

Theses and Dissertations

The location of this study is Bulldog Elementary School (BES) (pseudonym) in Suburban School District (SSD) (pseudonym). According to the Read to Succeed Act (2016), students must read on grade level by the end of third grade. Therefore, the students reading achievement level is the problem of practice. This action research study describes the impact of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model within an instructional framework for English Language Arts (ELA) in an elementary level classroom and its impact on student growth in reading by reviewing student universal screening assessment data and progress monitoring using a pre-test/post-test model as well …

South Carolina Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Implementing Critical Literacy In The Preschool Classroom, Rebecca Weissman

Theses and Dissertations

Critical literacy situated within a critical theoretical and pedagogical paradigm focuses specifically on exploring the sociopolitical implications of texts and challenging information rather than taking it at face value. The present study constitutes a case study that describes the perceptions and experiences of seven preschool teachers who employ critical literacy in their early childhood classroom and how their pedagogy fits within the existing themes seen in the early childhood literature. Specifically, this case study is an instrumental collective study, consisting of in-depth interviews. Through qualitative analysis of these interviews a variety of specific pedagogical methods for implementing critical literacy are …

Counseling Program Intervention For Improving African American Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Dual Enrollment Participation, Sonja L. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are underrepresented at all points in the STEM pipeline from K-12 coursework into professional careers. The reasons for this underrepresentation are varied and reflect a myriad of contributing factors based on early academic experiences, sociocultural influences, and the effects of standardized testing. The three-fold purpose of this study was to implement a counseling program to inform nine African American study participants about the dual enrollment opportunity at their high school, to gain perspective about the factors which shaped their STEM disposition, and to determine the effect of the program on their attitudes about dual enrollment participation. The study …

Movement Break Effects On Second Graders: An Action Research Study, Windy K. Sizemore

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes an action research study regarding the amount of time elementary school children have to engage in movement and play during the school day. The teacher-researcher focused on using transitional movement breaks before math whole group instruction in an effort to answer the question: How do various types of movement breaks during instructional transitions impact off-task behaviors among second grade students during classroom instruction? The data results showed that physical activity related to students’ abilities to stay on-task during instruction when regularly scheduled movement breaks have been implemented as transitions. Student off-task behaviors decreased after using a physical …

The Impact Of A Forest School Model And An Interdisciplinary Curriculum In A Third-Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Valerie Hoyt-Parrish

Theses and Dissertations

New policy at LHP (pseudonym) requires all teachers to implement the Danish Forest School approach and integrate the natural outdoor areas surrounding the campus in their curriculum and pedagogy. The purposes of the present study are to identify the cognitive, affective and psychomotor impact of the Danish Forest School approach on students and to design a professional development plan for teachers that enables them to combine this approach within an interdisciplinary framework that will include the State Standards that are required of all third-grade students in this southern, private, parochial school. Action research methods were used to collect observational data …

The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Student Learning Perspectives And Achievement In A Social Studies Classroom, Jason Brisini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the possible impact of project-based learning on student learning perspective and achievement in a social studies classroom. American schools are in an era of standardized testing based on standards-driven curricula that only teaches basic recall and recognition. School curriculum should be focused on providing students with the skills necessary for them to be successful after high school graduation. Higher-level thinking skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and self-direction are not easily learned with traditional, essentialist teaching methods. Students can quickly look up facts with ready access to the internet, so they need …

Historical Thinking At Historical Sites And Museums: An Action Research Study, Timothy Edward Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the impact of the Historical Thinking Method (HTM) on how students interacted with actual and virtual historical sites and museums. From September 2017 to May 2018, students engaged in analysis and evaluation of online exhibits and actual sites in the Washington, DC, and Columbia, South Carolina, areas using the 32 prompt HTM guide. The HTM was designed to develop not only students’ analytical abilities but also consideration of social justice issues such as racism and sexism in the exhibition and memorialization of history. Using qualitative data from student HTM guides, papers, teacher observations, and written …

Breaking The Mold: Personalized Learning’S Impact On The Development Of Higher-Order Thinking Skills, Mark Jon Hladek

Theses and Dissertations

Personalized learning (PL) is a pedagogical model designed to focus on meeting students where they are in the learning process, tailoring an individual instruction plan, varying the learning experience to prepare students for life beyond school, and creating a flexible environment that allows for student ownership and voice in the learning process (Rickabaugh, 2016). A PL model is designed to better address 21st century competencies and higher-order thinking skills as well as the inclusion of agency and self-efficacy development deemed necessary for success in the modern society (United States Department of Education [USDE], 2010). The purpose of this action research …

Examining The Impact Of The Lucy Calkins Teacher-Student Conference Tool In Collaboration With Accelerated Reader On Reading Comprehension Of 5th-Grade Students At A Suburban Elementary School: An Action Research Study, Laura Elizabeth Clawson

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes a problem of practice arising from a concern that students are not continuously making reading comprehension gains. Focusing on the problem of practice, the researcher developed a triangulation action research study involving a convenience sampling population in a fifth grade elementary school classroom to examine the impact of the teacher-student conferencing tool from Lucy Calkins’s reader’s workshop model in collaboration with the Accelerated Reader program and comprehension to answer the following research question: What impact do the student-teacher conferences from the Lucy Calkins workshop have on reading comprehension as measured by the AR program? The eight-week study …

Impact Of Design Challenges Upon The Development Of Critical Thinking Skills Within An Undergraduate Image Manipulation Course: A Mixed Method Action Research Study, Charles Treado

Theses and Dissertations

The overarching purpose of this study was to improve upon critical thinking through the use of scenario-based design challenge interventions. The study was conducted within an introductory graphic arts course in higher education that focused upon Adobe Photoshop and image manipulation tools, techniques, and terminology. Twelve introductory level graphic arts students participated in the study. In addition to scenario-based design challenge interventions, a reflective practice framework that used scaffolded questioning was developed to guide students in their use of critical thinking about image manipulations.

Through a mixed-methods action research design, the study explored the concepts of design challenge interventions and …

Self-Regulation And Self-Efficacy In A Three-Part Goal Setting Cycle, Mary Virginia Roueche

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher examined the impact self-regulation and metacognitive formative assessments had on self-efficacy through a mixed-methods design. The purpose of the action research study was to teach metacognitive goal-setting through a formative assessment framework in order to measure how students employed self-regulatory behaviors and if this affected their self-efficacy. The overall goals were to improve seventh-grade students’ self-efficacy and mental self-regulation in order to 1) discern how students are efficacious and how does it affect their output; 2) provide field-tested instructional strategies and assessment choices for the seventh-grade teacher team; 3) provide qualitative data to the school’s administrative team to …

The Effect Of The Functional Linguistics Of Mathematics Instruction (Flmi) Model On Quadratic Application Skills In Algebra, Susan Ray Burnett

Theses and Dissertations

This paper addresses a need for change in instructional practices to improve student performance in transferring of mathematical concepts to mathematical applications in Algebra 2 classes at Burdine High School (BHS) in South Carolina. The teacher-researcher has created a mathematics literacy instructional model, the Functional Linguistics of Mathematics Instruction model, which was implemented during an instructional unit on quadratic functions. A mixed methods design with an action research approach was utilized to determine the effects of this model on students’ performance on an application-based assessment. Preliminary findings suggest initial success with the model as a remedy for applied mathematics shortcomings …

Resolving The Problem Of Student Disengagement: Flipped Instruction In A Community College Computer Science Course, Kimberly K. Sterne

Theses and Dissertations

The mixed methods action research study described focused on the problem of student disengagement in an introductory computer science classroom at a community college. The problem of practice led to the development of the following research question: What is the impact of the flipped classroom on the academic performance and perceptions of community college students? A quasi-experimental design, using one group of students experiencing both a control and treatment, was implemented to investigate the research question. One half of a computer concept unit was taught using the transmission method of learning while the second half was taught using the flipped …

The Impact Of Self-Assessment On Student Engagement During Independent Reading, Jonnell Atkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a self-assessment rubric on a students’ ability to self-monitor and self-regulate engaged reading behaviors. The research attempts to answer the following question: What impact does self-assessment have on the engagement of second-grade students during Independent Reading? Using an action research design, data was collected using a pretest and posttest, weekly engagement assessments, field notes and pre/post interviews. Both the quantitative and qualitative data were collected over a period of six weeks on Mondays and Wednesdays during Independent Reading. Student-participants included seven second-grade students and their classroom teacher as a …

The Impact Of An Accelerated Course Format On Student Success For A Community College Media Arts Production Class, Nathan T. Winters

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes a problem of practice stemming from an institutional transition to accelerated formatted courses at Progressive Community College (PCC), a pseudonym for a 2-year college located in the southeastern United States. In order to improve student success, the college transitioned from a traditional 15-week course format to an accelerated 7-week format. The identification of the problem of practice led to the development of a research focus examining the impact of an accelerated 7-week format on student success for a media arts production course. The study implemented action research methodology, collecting both qualitative and quantitative research data.

Action research …

The Effects Of A Gamified Curriculum On High-School Students, Joshua Kyle Bastean

Theses and Dissertations

One of the emerging trends in education is gamification, a concept that has been applied in other fields, such as business and advertising, with great success. Gamification can be defined as adding game elements to non-game constructs. This study followed a high-school Algebra II teacher and 10 of her students in an attempt to document the effects of gamification on student academic engagement. Multiple methods of data collection were used to gather data from students and teachers. After analysis, the data showed that gamification had a positive effect on student academic engagement. The results were used to create an action …

Impact Of An Intervention To Improve Self-Regulation Skills Among Students In The Introductory Biology Course At A Southern Technical College, Jessica Burr Lea

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes a problem of practice centered on Introductory Biology students’ at a southern technical college’s struggle for course success due to an insufficient ability to self-regulate. It is the concern of the researcher that many students do not experience course success because of their poor time management skills, lack of self-reflective behaviors, and failure to correct unsuccessful habits. Wilde and Hardaker (1997) refer to the need for college students to self-regulate as a form of educational “autonomy” which places a larger portion of the learning in the hands of the student rather that solely at the hands of …

Bridging A Training-Practice Gap In Army Combat Medics, Tracey Michelle Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

United States Army combat medics undergo training that emphasizes tactical medicine, but are postured inside primary care clinics. The tactical skills and knowledge gained from their training is not in alignment with the demands of their functions in the clinic. This action research study investigates the skills and knowledge that medics need to have to function in the primary care setting. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insight on the medics’ needs. Born of their responses are themes surrounding their needs which is discussed in this research study.

What Are The Effects Of Curriculum Compacting On Students’ Ability To Use Higher Order Thinking?, Anthony L. James

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study was a presentation of a problem of practice involving a perceived underdevelopment of higher-order thinking skills of gifted (GT) children. I identified a weakness in the previous current third-grade math curriculum that appeared to hinder the development of higher-order thinking skills. This observation led to the development of an intervention that included alternate teaching materials and strategies. The intervention aimed to address the effect of curricular modifications using a different teaching approach called curriculum compacting. Curriculum compacting (Reis, Burns, & Renzulli, 1993; Renzulli & Reis, 1994) is an instructional strategy that has been used to streamline …

The Impact Of A Peer-Teaching Instructional Approach On A Student’S Self-Confidence, John Corral

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a problem of practice stemming from students not given the same opportunities to use and develop self-confidence and take on higher levels of responsibility in the classroom as they prepare for the 21st century workforce in our society. Recognizing a problem of practice evident in our high school with low-selfesteem in students, this paper studies the effects of implementing a peer-teaching instructional approach to help develop students’ self-confidence and emerging leadership skills (Lockie & Van Lanen, 2008). The central research question addressed in this study is: what is the impact of implementing a peer-teaching instructional approach on …

Global Problem-Based Learning In Math, Dora Fletcher

Theses and Dissertations

In the high school of focus in this study, mathematics students struggle to transfer and apply skills to unfamiliar contexts. Also, minority students are underrepresented in advanced mathematics course enrollments. This two-part study consists of a longitudinal analysis of enrollment trends in mathematics courses as well as an action research study of the impact of Global Problem-Based Learning on achievement and attitudes in advanced mathematics classes. The study was conducted at a southern U.S. International Baccalaureate (IB) high school with an annual enrollment of approximately 1300 students. The longitudinal study examined three cohorts of high school graduates, 797 students, beginning …

Making Meaning Of Multiplication: Integrating Virtual Manipulatives And Think-Alouds With Repeated Addition, Arrays, And Decomposing Numbers To Build Conceptual Understandings, Mary E. Camp

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of technology integration with multiplication concepts (i.e., repeated, arrays, and decomposing numbers) for struggling third grade mathematics students. This study incorporated the use of virtual manipulatives and student think-aloud recordings to measure students’ conceptual understanding of basic multiplication. This study focused on two overarching research questions: (1) The first question explored how technology integration with multiplication concepts (i.e., repeated addition, arrays, and decomposing numbers) impacted student understanding; and (2) the second question explored how students select and explain strategies for solving multiplication problems. Data collection consisted of teacher-made pre- …

Bias Awareness In Secondary Students: Reactions To Hidden Prejudices, Dawn L. Weathersbee

Theses and Dissertations

mplicit aptitudes are an inherent part of every person, but rarely are these subconscious biases acknowledged or discovered. Not only is their existence rarely acknowledged, on the off chance that awareness exists, rarely is the effort made to determine how they affect overt behavior. Perhaps acknowledging these implicit aptitudes and their effects on behavior can enable people to reflect on what they actually believe. Over the course of one semester 23 students enrolled in an English 2 Honors class were asked to take a race-based IAT in addition to being taught a curriculum embedded with self-leadership skills and multicultural texts. …

Teaching Social Justice With Literature Circles To Improve Reading Discussions: An Action Research Study, Lori Teuton

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses a problem of practice stemming from the lack of engagement students exhibit for reading social justice texts. Students today are in more culturally and socially diverse classrooms; their curriculum needs to reflect these social changes. A review of the problem of practice led to the research question: Does implementing literature circles with social justice texts in a secondary classroom foster engagement in reading and classroom discussions for students? The primary purpose of this proposed action research study was to examine if implementing literature circles with social justice texts leads to increased conversations and engagement in the classroom. …

Historical Inquiry And Student Perceptions Of Cultural Groups In A Social Studies Classroom, Michelle Pope

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses a problem of practice stemming from the accountability movement and its emphasis on high-stakes testing in the social studies classroom. An examination of the problem of practice led to the research question: How does the use of the scientifically based method of historical inquiry affect student perceptions of cultures other than their own? The purpose of this action research study was to examine the use of historical inquiry as a means of combating the lack of depth in a formal curriculum focused on high-stakes testing and a hidden curriculum that promotes a “top-down,” Eurocentric approach to history …

Problem-Solving In An Early Childhood Mathematics Classroom, Lockey Plyler

Theses and Dissertations

Problem-solving occurs when mathematical tasks create opportunities that provide challenges for increasing students' mathematical understanding and development. This research study determined the influence of the launch-explore-summarize/extend problem-solving framework on second-grade student performance of place value tasks. The dissertation in practice measured problem-solving success. This action research study occurred at an elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina. The teacher-researcher determined appropriate problem-solving tasks and assessed students’ academic achievement and critical thinking skills. Following a mixed methods action research design, the researcher analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to determine the significance of the problem-solving framework. The data indicated significant student growth during …

The Effect Of Emphasizing Key Vocabulary On Student Achievement With English Learners, Sarah L. Owen

Theses and Dissertations

This action research seeks to determine the impact of teacher training and the use of specific instructional strategies, per the research-based SIOP® teaching model, on English language arts achievement of formally identified first grade English Learners. The study aims to discover if using strategic techniques to teach vocabulary positively affects language acquisition and comprehension. English Learners have historically lagged behind grade level peers in all academic areas. English Learners tend to have many outside variables that can affect their ability to focus on school. Issues with immigration, class, culture, and race are all relevant topics with this population. This study …

From Seeds To Shoreline®: A Place-Based Approach To Impacting Student Engagement And Achievement, Molly Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

Place-based education refers to pedagogy that connects student learning with the local environment and students’ lives. Educators’ preoccupation with standardized test scores have increased the disconnect between formal education and student’s life experiences. Schools have developed systems of learning in isolated subjects through reading texts, listening to lectures, or watching videos rather than authentic, experiential learning. School districts have embraced a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and science) approach to education as a way of invigorating student learning. There are many approaches to integrating, hands-on, inquiry-based science lessons. As science PASS test scores have declined, educators are examining best STEM instructional …