Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Putting Educational Reform Into Practice: The Impact Of The No Child Left Behind Act On Students, Teachers, And Schools, Timothy Song

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on U.S. student achievement and teacher effectiveness. By combining the results from various data sources, I am able to indicate the levels of student preparedness, school spending, and specific classroom practices. After an analysis of my results, I suggest that NCLB has found moderate success in increasing the level of math preparedness for younger students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. On the other hand, the data also suggests that there have been no statistically significant gains in reading achievement after the implementation of NCLB. Additionally, spending …

Computer Science Is Elementary: Comprehensive Plan For Computer Science Implementation At The Elementary Level, Erin Chute

Graduate Research Papers

Teaching students computer science in the classroom can have many benefits. Several students in today's education system will go into career fields that do not yet exist and the skills taught through computer science can prepare them for the future. This project outlines the steps for planning a computer science initiative at the elementary level. A literature review examining the effect of teaching computer science on student achievement at the elementary level is used to support an award proposal for funding a high quality computer science curriculum in a rural, underserved district. This project can serve as a model for …

The Effects Of Text-To-Speech On Students With Reading Disabilities, Melissa Oberembt

Graduate Research Papers

Text-to-speech (TTS) is becoming a common accommodation/support for students with reading disabilities to improve reading skills. This review examines the effects TTS has on reading comprehension, reading rate, written language, as well as the social validity of students with reading disabilities and other print disabilities. Twenty-eight peer-reviewed studies published between 2002 and 2019 were selected for analysis in this review. The reviewed research indicates that reading rate increased, while reading comprehension had mixed results, and writing skills did not significantly improve when TTS was used. Research also confirmed the social validity of TTS. Future research into the effects of TTS …

Instructional Strategies Within A Blended Learning Model For At-Risk Students, Kim Marette Zeydel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many at-risk students attending an alternative high school in a northwestern state were not graduating on-time even after a learner-centered blended learning model was implemented. The administration and teachers sought to understand why the change to a learner-centered program was only slightly increasing the graduation rate each year. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how the learner-centered instructional strategies used within a blended learning model were being implemented and supporting at-risk students. Weimer's learner-centered framework was used to ground the study and guide the research questions which examined teacher and student perspectives about the learner-centered instructional …

Teacher Perceptions Of Understaffed School Libraries, Amanda Bonjour

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this mixed methods study is to learn what classroom teachers perceive the effects of improper staffing of school libraries to be. It asks: What do classroom teachers perceive are the effects of improper staffing or the cutting of a school librarian? Through the qualitative analysis of survey responses, the study found that teachers perceived teacher librarians to have a positive impact on student achievement through collaboration and to be a valuable asset in providing resources for staff and students. Qualitatively, results from two school districts, one with and one without a certified librarian staffed in their middle …

A Model For Cultivating Global Engagement Beyond Academic Tourism, Victor D. Carmona, Tizziana Carmona

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

The message to environmental scholars in Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Laudato Si” is clear: contributions from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) must serve to inform both local and international conversations as well as connect learning communities in developed and developing nations. In the hope of fostering international opportunities that challenge U.S. students to link their academic degrees with social justice elements that calibrate them to the historical reality the overwhelming majority of the world experiences, we outline a teacher-scholar model that serves as a tool for the advancement of social and environmental justice issues in developing countries.

Teacher Acceptability Of Curriculum Based Measurement As A Universal Screener In Reading, Brooke Adams

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to extend the existing literature concerning teacher perception of acceptability of universal screening, specifically examining the use of Curriculum Based Measurements (CBM) as a universal screening tool in reading. Eighty-three first through fifth grade teachers from Washington State participated in an online survey utilizing the Acceptability Rating Profile – Revised (APR-R), a 6-point Likert scale measuring practitioner acceptability for a tool. The APR-R was revised to reflect the use of CBM measuring Oral Reading Fluency as a universal screener with response options ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). In the present …

The Challenges For A Closed-To-The-Public Animal Sanctuary: Prioritizing Animal Welfare While Engaging In Educational Community Outreach, Lisa Tweed

All Master's Theses

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is a small primate sanctuary in Cle Elum, Washington, and is presently home to seven chimpanzees who were retired from biomedical research. I used this sanctuary as a case study to find out how a closed-to-the-public sanctuary can engage in educational outreach without compromising the welfare of the residents. I employed a combination of semi-structured interviews of sanctuary personnel, ethnographic participant-observation as a volunteer caregiver, and an online survey offered to the local community to help me understand the goals and limitations of sanctuaries. I also designed and conducted two educational programs for local area schools as …

Stem On A Budget: A Basic Guide For Teaching Stem In Ops Afterschool Programs, Tyrome Williams

Criss Library Faculty Publications

This guide was written with the goal of providing a rough lesson plan, which could act as a supplemental guide for sustainable activities at sites in the Omaha area to better serve their students and children. The STEM lessons I chose in this book are engaging, hold education value, and are cost effective if used properly. This book contains valuable information to supplement STEM learning. Whether you’re a teacher, instructor, supervisor for children, or a substitute; you will always be the most valuable asset in your classroom. This is a free use document and should not be sold for any …

The Effect Of Increased Physical Activity On Academic Performance, Lauren Michelle Willis

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Increased levels of obesity, particularly among American youth, have consistently been cause for concern over the last few decades. Additionally, the amount of time youth spend being active throughout the day has consistently decreased. Physical activity levels among school-aged children in America are effected by any number of reasons, but this study points to the possibility of time spent being physically active during the school day having the greatest effect on a student’s overall level of physical activity. Increased pressures from different entities on local schools to improve student performance on standardized test scores have contributed to a decline in …

At The Heart Of Policies And Programs: Community College Faculty Members And Peer Mentors As Human Levers Of Retention, Kimberly Russell

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Student attrition prior to the completion of a credential is an issue that has increasingly demanded the attention of stakeholders in higher education, particularly in the community college sector, in which less than half of all students complete a credential after six years. The costs of student attrition are high and widespread, ranging from the financial costs for institutions and federal and state governments to the personal and monetary costs paid by those students whose personal and professional goals are not achieved. With the ever-increasing focus on accountability for institutions of higher education and the growing movement toward performance-based funding, …

Exploring The Impact Of Work-Based Learning Opportunities From The Student Perspective: The Development Of Career Pathways, Workforce Expectations, And The Transmission Of Cultural Capital, Robert Boone

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Understanding the practical implications of work-based learning opportunities (WBLOs) is complex. Although WBLOs are not new learning environments, understanding and clearly defining them is increasingly necessary. In Kentucky, WBLOs are part of the political discourse in post-secondary education. The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and local/regional economic and workforce development agencies have incorporated strengthening and growing WBLOs into their strategic plans.

By interviewing students that have completed WBLOs at three colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), this study intended to explore student perspectives of WBLOs by asking the following research questions: 1) What role do WBLOs …

Improving Undergraduate Statistics Education: Educational Lessons From Two Pedagogical Experiments, Anushka Karkelanova

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

The ultimate goal of statistics education is to create a statistically literate society in which people can appropriately use statistical thinking. Although the need to improve the teaching of introductory statistics courses is not a new one, with increased demand on these courses, there has been constant effort to seek out better ways of teaching these courses. The University of Kentucky (UK) began a reform of its general education program in November 2005. Thinking and reasoning are the central themes of this well-designed general education curriculum.

The main goal of this dissertation is to fill in some gaps in the …

Evaluation Of A 5-Session Community Based Physical Activity Education Program For Parents Of Children With Disabilities, Samantha L. Maritzen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Children with disabilities are less likely to reach the daily recommendation (60 minutes) of physical activity a day. Parents of children with a disability play an important role in the amount of physical activity their child participates in but often lack the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate physical activity opportunities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the feedback received from parents that participate in the parental physical activity education program. Participants included 8 parents of a child with a disability from the age of six to 14. The feedback from parents was assessed by a program …

Publishing For Transfer: Notes Toward An Editorial Pedagogy For The Transfer-Based Writing Program, Marcos A. Hernandez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Scholarly journals dedicated to publishing first-year writing have cropped up at a number of four-year universities in the U.S. over the last two decades. Invariably established and run by the university’s writing program, these highly localized journals are meant to showcase the exemplary research and writing that students are doing in their introductory writing courses. Yet, while these publishing projects are nobly undertaken for students, the publications themselves are seldom edited by students. Here arises a golden opportunity for the transfer-based writing program to promote transfer of knowledge and practice in writing beyond the FYC course. This project argues that …

Supporting Clinical Practice Through Rehearsals, Lubna Javeed

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Rehearsing is a form of pedagogy in teacher education to prepare pre-service teachers with instructional practices before live enactments in a classroom. This qualitative study used grounded theory to explore how rehearsals impacted five elementary literacy courses in a university teacher education program. Data comprised of prolonged observations, video recordings of rehearsals, and surveys. The process of coding and re-coding resulted in findings that reflect rehearsing provided Teacher Candidates with confidence with lesson presentation, improved understanding of literacy content, and understand how to make in-the-moment instructional decisions.

The Impact Of Attending An Equity-Based Conference On One Teacher Educator: Five Pedagogical Changes Of Practice, Rebecca Smith

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This article is a reflective overview of five pedagogical practice changes that one teacher educator made after attending a multicultural education conference. The article integrates current research to highlight the educational benefits of innovative, equity-based instructional strategies. The pedagogical changes are explored through the theoretical lens of culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Gay, 2010) and culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017) and include: diversifying curriculum, engaging with community partners, collaborating with K-12 practitioners, innovative technology, and self-reflection.

การพัฒนาชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้ทางเศรษฐศาสตร์โดยใช้แนวคิดการเรียนรู้แบบฉากทัศน์เป็นฐาน เพื่อส่งเสริมความฉลาดรู้การเงินของนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น, กมลชนก สกนธวัฒน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยและพัฒนานี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) พัฒนาชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้ทางเศรษฐศาสตร์โดยใช้แนวคิดการเรียนรู้แบบฉากทัศน์เป็นฐานเพื่อส่งเสริมความฉลาดรู้การเงินของนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้นและ 2) ศึกษาผลของการใช้ชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้ทางเศรษฐศาสตร์โดยใช้แนวคิดการเรียนรู้แบบฉากทัศน์เป็นฐานเพื่อส่งเสริมความฉลาดรู้การเงินของนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น กลุ่มเป้าหมายวิจัยเป็นนักเรียนชั้นมัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 3 โรงเรียนสาธิต สังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการอุดมศึกษาที่ลงทะเบียนเรียนในรายวิชาเพิ่มเติมที่มีสาระเกี่ยวกับการวางแผนและจัดการการเงินในชีวิตประจำวัน ภาคเรียนที่ 2 ปีการศึกษา 2562 จำนวน 29 คน ซึ่งได้มาจากการเลือกแบบเจาะจง ผู้วิจัยดำเนินการจัดการเรียนการสอนด้วยตนเองโดยใช้ระยะเวลาทั้งสิ้น 11 สัปดาห์ เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการเก็บรวบรวมข้อมูล ได้แก่ แบบวัดความฉลาดรู้การเงิน วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยใช้ค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐานและการทดสอบค่าที ผลการวิจัยสรุปได้ ดังนี้ 1. ชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้ทางเศรษฐศาสตร์โดยใช้แนวคิดการเรียนรู้แบบฉากทัศน์เป็นฐานเพื่อส่งเสริมความฉลาดรู้การเงินของนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น มีหลักการสำคัญ ได้แก่ (1) การมุ่งเน้นให้นักเรียนได้เรียนรู้ผ่านการนำทฤษฎีไปสู่การปฏิบัติ (2) การกำหนดฉากทัศน์ที่สัมพันธ์กับสถานการณ์ที่เกิดขึ้นจริงหรือใกล้เคียงชีวิตจริงที่จูงใจให้นักเรียนได้ใช้ความรู้ ทักษะและกระบวนการคิดที่หลากหลาย (3) การมุ่งเน้นให้นักเรียนใช้กระบวนการคิดเพื่อแก้ปัญหาและการตัดสินใจโดยไม่ถูกตัดสินว่าถูกหรือผิด และ (4) การให้นักเรียนได้เรียนรู้จากความผิดพลาดในการตัดสินใจ ชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้นี้มีเนื้อหาครอบคลุมความรู้ทางการเงินและความรู้พื้นฐานทางเศรษฐศาสตร์ ประกอบด้วยกิจกรรมจำนวน 11 กิจกรรม เรียงลำดับกิจกรรมตามหลักการวางแผนและจัดการการเงิน แต่ละกิจกรรมมีขั้นตอนการจัดการเรียนรู้ 4 ขั้นตอน ได้แก่ (1) ขั้นรับประสบการณ์ (2) ขั้นแสดงบทบาทสมมติ (3) ขั้นเผชิญภาวะวิกฤต และ (4) ขั้นสะท้อนผล มีการวัดและประเมินผลของกิจกรรมโดยใช้แบบวัดความฉลาดรู้การเงิน สมุดบันทึกการเรียนรู้ และการสะสมคะแนนโบนัสทางการเงิน เมื่อประเมินความพึงพอใจของนักเรียนต่อการเรียนการสอนผ่านชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้พบว่านักเรียนมีความพึงพอใจในระดับดีมาก 2. ผลของการใช้ชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้ทางเศรษฐศาสตร์โดยใช้แนวคิดการเรียนรู้แบบฉากทัศน์เป็นฐานที่มีต่อความฉลาดรู้การเงินของนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น พบว่านักเรียนมีค่าเฉลี่ยของคะแนนความฉลาดรู้การเงินหลังการใช้ชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้สูงกว่าก่อนการใช้ชุดกิจกรรมการเรียนรู้อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติที่ระดับ .05 และเมื่อพิจารณาแยกตามองค์ประกอบของความฉลาดรู้การเงินพบว่ามีการเปลี่ยนแปลงของค่าเฉลี่ยสูงสุดในด้านความรู้และทักษะทางการเงิน ด้านพฤติกรรมทางการเงิน และด้านเจตคติทางการเงินตามลำดับ

Behavior Incentives In Public Schools, Paige Miller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to see if behavior incentives will work to increase student attention and productivity in the classroom. By improving these two skills, teachers should also see an improvement in the academic performance of their students. In this project, an honors class of 20 students and a general education class of 24 students was compared. Many of these students would show up late to class, spend large periods of time on their cell phones, constantly get out of their seats, and mess around rather than taking advantage of class time to complete assignments. Student grades, and …

The Relationship Of English Language Scores On International Students' Academic Success, Rebekah Shbeeb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

International graduate students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are not completing graduate programs at the same rate as domestic graduate students. One of the main differences in the admissions process for international graduate students compared to domestic students is the English language test requirement. The purpose of this study was twofold: to test if the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the (International English Language Testing System) IELTS scores have any statistically significant linear relationships to international graduate students' academic success as defined by their cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Secondly, this study sought to …

Beyond Sound: A Descriptive Study Of Fifth And Sixth Grade Children's Listening Perceptions Of Rap And Classical Music, David Camilo Aristizabal Ruiz

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This action, non-experimental, empirical, descriptive study using a survey technique was aimed at observing the immediate reality of one particular urban school in one cosmopolitan city of the United States of America’s Pacific Northwest. The purpose of this study was to narrate the listening perceptions of 137 fifth and sixth grade elementary aged children while they compared two examples of music: USA east coast rap versus European classical music. Their responses to 24 survey questions were the basis for exploring the idea that social-economic values reflected in bias are affecting their listening perceptions. Moreover, the purpose of this research was …

Bully-Victimization, Depression, And School Connectedness In Early Adolescent Students, Irene Gonzalez-Herrer

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

During early adolescence, schools play a significant role in the development of students. An issue that continues to be a serious concern for students, parents, teachers, and school officials in the U.S. and around the world is bullying. The primary purpose of this study was to examine school connectedness as a mediator between bully-victimization and depressive symptomatology in early adolescence. The secondary purpose of the study was to explore how gender and bullying classification groups (i.e., bully, victim, bully-victim, and non-involved) may relate to levels of reported school connectedness. The current study found low school connectedness partially mediated the relationship …

Teaching Science Through Active Learning: Sports, Alexis Ropchock

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Students have a variety of different learning styles and cognitive abilities, so when teaching abstract concepts in areas like physical science it is often hard to engage and develop all of the students in a class. This project focuses on middle school students and more specifically how they learn physical science. The case study and research included examines the effectiveness of teaching science through sports as a best teaching practice. The study involves a group of 8th grade learners engaging in a physics lesson using gymnastics to explain forces and motion, the results from their assessments, and the impact the …

Experience And Philosophy In Urban Public Schools, Austin Wade

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper examines the educational philosophy and experience in urban public schools. Combined with relevant educational research and personal reflection, this review presents an educational philosophy, specifically regarding aspects of discipline, classroom management, testing, curriculum, motivation, and achievement. The paper heavily relies upon my own personal experiences as a 10^th grade student teacher at Canton McKinley High School, in Canton, Ohio.

Can Education Reduce Political Polarization?: Fostering Open-Minded Political Engagement During The Legislative Semester, Brett L.M. Levy, Annaly Babb-Guerra, Wolf Owczarek, Lena M. Batt

Educational Theory and Practice Faculty Scholarship

Background: In the United States, elected leaders and the general public have become more politically polarized during the past several decades, making bipartisan compromise difficult. Political scientists and educational scholars have argued that generating productive political cooperation requires preparing members of democratic societies to productively negotiate their political disagreements. Numerous prior studies on civic learning have focused on fostering youth political engagement, but little research has examined how educators can support both political engagement and political open-mindedness.

Purpose: The study described in this paper explores how students’ experiences in a unique high school government course may help to foster their …

Development Of A Program To Educate Physician Assistant Students On Performance Of A Comprehensive Breast Exam, Pamela B. Jaffey, Diana Cherkiss, Mara Sanchez, Patrick Hardigan

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a new program to educate physician assistant (PA) students on the performance of a comprehensive breast exam and to test its effectiveness as compared to the previous program. Methods: The preexisting educational program for the performance of a clinical breast exam was evaluated during the term prior to the start of clinical rotations for the class of 2015. Baseline data were obtained from this control group by evaluation of student competency using a skills examination, utilizing a Nasco Advanced Breast Exam Simulator, and using a female standardized patient. An innovative …

Democratic Education And An Urban Teacher Residency: A Case Study, Bryan P. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of American schooling scholars note that democratic education and citizenship have not been abandoned, but perhaps marginalized or pushed aside, as test scores and achievement have become the most desired outcomes. Democratic education must move out of the margins and into high priority. The current political climate of increased division and divisiveness could not illustrate this need any more. Another well-documented challenge within the American educational system, particularly in high need areas is the need for highly qualified teachers. Urban Teacher Residency (UTR) programs have offered a possible solution to this growing problem in recruiting, training, and …

Future World(S): A Critique Of Disney's Epcot And Creating A Futuristic Curriculum, Alan Bowers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In my dissertation inquiry, I explore the need for utopian based curriculum which was inspired by Walt Disney’s EPCOT Center. Theoretically building upon such works as utopianism (Bregman, 2017, e.g., Claeys 2011;) and Disney studies (Garlen and Sandlin, 2016; Fjellman, I q work that combines historiography and speculative essays. The work explores how schools must do the hard work of working toward building a better future (Chomsky and Foucault, 1971).

Through tracing the evolution of EPCOT as an idea for a community that would “always be in the state of becoming” to EPCOT Center as an inspirational theme park, this …

Using Virtual Reality And Web Conferencing Technologies: Exploring Alternatives For Microteaching In A Rural Region, Raymond A. Dixon, Cassidy Hall, Farjahan Shawon

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Preservice teachers’ views of two types of technologies which provided realistic environments in which to practice microteaching are described: (1) TLE TeachLivE™ Lab, a virtual reality environment that employs avatars as students in a virtual classroom, and (2) web conferencing technology to synchronously teach students in remotely located classrooms. Preservice teachers opined that each technology offers a relatively realistic environment that allows them to interact with virtual and real students. Microteaching through these technologies increases their self-confidence and provided a safe, non-threatening environment for them to reflect on their practice. We concluded these emerging technologies can provide viable alternatives to …

Tackling Math Anxiety Through Photography While Using Geogebra, Joseph M. Furner

Transformations

Math teachers can insert photographs into GeoGebra software then explore various math objectives related to the Common Core Math Standards, the paper shows how to motivate students to learn math and minimize math anxiety while doing it. While covering the new Common Core State Standards, the topics will explore the math that surrounds us in the real world thus creating a connection between the abstract math and the life experiences. When math has a purpose, then students are willing to spend time in exploring and understanding new concepts. Real-life photographs that are inserted into GeoGebra will provide the basis to …