Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Can The Curse Be Reversed?: An Action Research Study Of The Effect Of Constructivist-Aligned Instructional Strategies And Practices On The Mathematical Identity Development Of Fifth- Grade Students, Jennifer J. Ledbetter

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this mixed-methods action research study was to determine how my fifth-grade students were impacted by negative mathematical identity and/or math anxiety and to uncover the impact of constructivist-aligned instructional strategies on students’ mathematical identity. Grounded in a theoretical framework based on constructivist learning theory, identity theory, and communities of practice, the study used a convergent mixed-methods action research approach to investigate the following research questions:

How does negative mathematical identity and/or math anxiety impact my students? 2) What classroom practices contribute to the development of negative mathematical identity and how can those practices be replaced? 3) How …

21st Century Physics Homework: A Mixed-Methods Approach Evaluating How An Individualized Online Homework Platform Can Provide Quality Feedback And Help Physics Students Engage In Self-Regulated Learning, Scott Philip Buhr

Theses and Dissertations

American secondary students spend many hours each week working on homework. To get the most out of this homework, students need to receive quality feedback and engage in self-regulated learning when completing homework tasks. For teachers, traditional paper-and-pencil homework means extra time spent grading rather than giving good feedback. This study aims to answer the following questions: 1) How and to what extent does the implementation of individualized online homework and feedback impact self-regulated learning among Honors Physics high school students? and 2) How does the implementation of individualized online homework impact students’ perception of the feedback quality provided by …

Lifting The Veil: A Critical Post-Intentional Phenomenological Action Research Study Of How African American Students Experience Science, Gina Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Research asserts the assimilationist nature of traditional science classroom practices undermines African American students’ intersectional race and science identity. Driven by a problem of practice embedded in the racialized system of science education, this study integrated action research with an innovative critical paradigm to explore how phenomenological data can transform practice. This post-intentional approach relies on experiential, phenomenological data of how African American students experience science to provide a critical analysis of instruction that leads to a change in science pedagogy. Qualitative interviews documented African American students’ experiences with science and an observation journal documented the resulting intervention. A post-reflexive …

Making Elearning Engaging: The Effect Of Technology Strategies On Student Engagement And Content Knowledge Development In A Secondary Mathematics Digital Classroom, Allison Knapp

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the effect of technology strategies on secondary students’ engagement and development of geometry content knowledge in an eLearning setting. Seeking to understand student preferences of the technology tools, this two-week study was conducted during a geometry unit on quadrilaterals and employed the following technology tools: student response systems (SRS), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), gamification, and teacher-made screencasts. Quantitative data was collected on student engagement, the usefulness of the technology, and student self-efficacy through a Likert-scale survey after each day of using technology. Qualitative data were collected through purposeful interviews with students …

The Struggle Is Real: Exploring Epistemological Change Through The Use Of The Next Generation Science Standards In A High School Chemistry Classroom, Nancy Nasr

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study examines my resistance to implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in my high school chemistry classroom, which is not uncommon among teachers. This resistance highlighted my conflicting epistemological beliefs, which, as a product of my own experiences as a student, among other factors, are deep-rooted and difficult to change. The dilemma for many science teachers, like me, is that the NGSS approaches the teaching of science in a constructivist manner, which attempts to move science instruction away from traditional pedagogies. Science teachers whose epistemological beliefs are rooted in traditional pedagogies may understand the inherent …

Bifurcated Elementary Sister-Schools: Do They Affect Student Growth During Transition Years?, Victoria Gelbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students who attend a sister-school modeled elementary school experience a negatively disproportionate amount of academic growth the year students transition from the primary school to the elementary school in third grade. This study looked at two different elementary grade span configurations, the traditional PreK–5 model and the 3–5 sister-school model, to determine if there is a difference between third grade student academic growth in different grade configurations. Four sample schools agreed to participate in the study and were paired based on their grade span configuration and demographics. The sample schools provided …

The Impact Of Guided Practice In Argument Analysis And Composition Via Computer-Assisted Argument Mapping Software On Students’ Ability To Analyze And Compose Evidence-Based Arguments, Donna Lorain Grant

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative action research study was to document the impact of the use of computer-assisted argument mapping (CAAM) upon high school students’ ability to analyze and compose evidence-based arguments. The study used a one-group pretest posttest design with a convenience sample of the participant researcher’s seventy-one high school sophomores. During the six-week study, each participant generated four sets of artifacts, each consisting of two argument analysis maps from provided source arguments and one argument composition map representing the participant’s position on the given topic. Artifacts were generated at four separate benchmarks, the pretest, week four, week five, …

Understanding The Intercultural Motivators That Encourage Adult Basic Education Esl Students To Pursue General Education Opportunities, Nelecia Renetha Murrell

Theses and Dissertations

Per internationalization, the world of Adult Basic Education (ABE) has exponentially increased within the last decade (National Center for Statistics, 2015). Subsequentially, the Adult Basic Education (ABE) English as a Second Language (ESL) student population has experienced a huge upsurge nationwide. However, the students who have the English language proficiency to expand their academic and vocational skills by taking General Education classes (GenEd) are underrepresented in GenEd courses. Research posits ESL students are more apt to accomplish their academic and professional aspirations if their teachers employ interculturally competent (ICC) practices in the classroom. Nonetheless, Adult Basic Education (ABE) educators are …

Going Digital With Peer Review: Using Action Research To Explore The Effect Of Digital Peer Review On Student Writing Composition And Student Attitude In A Rural Primary School, Kemberly Jean Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to explore the use of peer review on student writing composition and student attitudes toward writing for third grade students at Little Rural Primary School. This study focused on two research questions. The first research question explored how and to what extent the use of digital peer review effects student writing composition. The second research question explored how and to what extent digital peer review effects student attitudes toward writing. The study took place in the third and fourth grade gifted and talented classroom at Little Rural Primary School in South Carolina and …

Private School Choice Programs: What Do We Know About Their Effects On Outcomes For Disadvantaged Students?, Patrick J. Wolf

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report describes the various types of private school choice programs in the United States, their motivation and growth over the past thirty years, and their programmatic effects. Major findings are that choice programs are increasingly important to the viability of a private schooling sector, which is experiencing enrollment decline; they tend to serve disadvantaged subpopulations of students; and the programs generally benefit both participants and the broader society.

Evaluating The Impacts Of A Multi-Year Arts Integration Program On Student Outcomes, Molly I. Beck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation evaluates the first year of a three-year intervention, the Windgate School Partnership Program (WSPP), where participating schools participate in three week-long arts integration units taught by resident artists and two educational tours at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art led by museum educators. The WSPP looks to affect students’ academic and non-academic outcomes through an arts-integration program that includes two key features, artist residencies and field trips. A recent meta-analysis of arts integration studies suggests a moderately positive effect on many student outcomes (Ludwig et al., 2017). I use a mixed-methods research design to measure and describe the …

Increasing Female Enrollment In High School Computer Science Education, Zenovia Brown Frazier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Women have played a vital role in the field of computer science and information technology (IT), developing some of the most essential components of modern IT” (Purdue University Global, 2018). Despite their prominence and achievements in these career fields, computer science has experienced a noticeable decline in the representation of females in industry and in programs of study. This is not a phenomenon reserved for the college classroom and/or the world of work, but is a situation present across schools in the P-12 arena, to include ZBF High School. As such, the purpose of this work was to examine the …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Faculty Use Of Universal Design For Learning That Includes Multiple Means Of Expression While Teaching Online General Education Courses At A Technical College, Monique Stephaun Baucham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Little is known about the perceived benefits of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to help college students with learning disabilities. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to study general education faculty members’ perceptions on student achievement when faculty employ multiple means of expression, the third principle of UDL, which is to vary the means of assessment at a technical college in southeastern Georgia. The transcendental phenomenological studies human experiences. The theoretical framework used to guide this study includes two adult learning theories: Knowles’s (1998) andragogy and Mezirow’s (1996) self-directed and transformational learning. Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development was …

The Effects Of Schema-Based Instruction On Solving Mathematics Word Problems, Scarlet Hughes, Joshua Cuevas Dr.

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency with which students use math word problem strategies during and after schema-based instruction. It examines the extent to which students increase their ability to correctly solve word problems. It compares students’ attitudes toward mathematics problem solving before and after schema-based instruction. The study was conducted in a resource class with seven second-grade students on individualized education programs (IEPs). A single-subject research design was used. The schema-based instruction was implemented by the special education teacher in a small group setting. Students showed an increase in attempted and correct strategy use during …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Educational Technology, Matthew Joseph Fugere

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Technology integration in modern classrooms continues to be an important aspect of teaching. However, even if long standing barriers to technology like access and funding are lifted, teachers do not always integrate technology in their classrooms. This action research study collected interview data from a single high school English Language Arts (ELA) department. Teachers were interviewed over Zoom using an interview protocol that contained 14 semi-structured questions. The interview questions asked teachers questions about how they perceive the technology they use in their day-to-day work and if that technology provides their students with meaningful learning experiences. The results of the …

Student-Run Agencies: A Guideline For Agency Survival, Brooke Borgognoni

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to study 110 student-run agencies (including advertising, public relations, integrated/digital marketing, communications, and graphics and/or design) in the U.S. by analyzing how they currently operate, what practices exist in the agencies for learning, growth, and continuation and how leadership roles of students and advisors influence the agency. This project built upon past studies of student-run agencies and expanded on the topic using the evolutionary theory of a firm by analyzing factors that determine whether it appears that a student-run agency might dissolve or last. This was determined by measuring the faculty advisor involvement level, …

The Impact Of Graduate Assistantships On The Preparation Of Early Career Student Affairs Professionals, Mary L. Skinner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the graduate assistantship experiences of early career master’s prepared student affairs professionals and examined the role these assistantships played in the preparation for their current position. The study included 10 participants who had all graduated with a master’s in higher education within the past 5 years, had participated in a graduate assistantship within student affairs, and worked full-time within a student affairs department at the time of the study. Each participant took part in a one-on-one interview that was recorded, transcribed, and reviewed for themes. I followed Braun and Clarke’s (2012) six-phase approach to thematic …

Web Annotation In English Language Arts: Online Dialogue As A Platform To Support Student Comprehension Of Texts, Jonathan B. Allred

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how web annotation—through a process of online reading, writing in the margins, and replying to others’ comments—influences student dialogue in ways that research suggests are associated with improved comprehension. Viewing data through a dialogic lens, and using a qualitative, multiple case study design to observe two high school English Language Arts teachers and their students, this inquiry was guided by the following research questions: (a) How do English Language Arts teachers use web annotation to support student comprehension of texts? (b) To what extent, if any, does web annotation appear to support student comprehension of texts? and …

Visualizing Interdisciplinary Collaborations Within Exercise Science: A Pilot Study, Elizabeth Bjornsen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exercise science is a growing field with sub-disciplines exploring various aspects of physical activity. Diverse perspectives allow the field to answer complex research questions, but little is known about the collaborative nature of exercise science today. Research practices have implications on undergraduate curriculum, likely incorporating experiential knowledge into course subject matter and providing diverse experiences for students entering the workforce. Therefore, the purpose of the pilot study is to visualize and quantify interdisciplinary collaborations within exercise science. Journal citation analysis and an adaptation of social networking theory were utilized to examine collaborative practices of exercise science faculty at the University …

Critical Approaches To Digital Video Composition And Media Literacy In Preservice Teacher And High School Contexts: Understanding Students’ Perspectives, Seth D. French

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The first of the following manuscripts explores graduate-level preservice teachers’ responses to a critical digital video project in the context of a Disciplinary Literacies course. This study was particularly interested in the preservice teachers’ obstacles and collaborations they experienced while completing the project, as well as future applications they envisioned for the project in their own classrooms. Findings reveal common obstacles that many preservice teachers experienced throughout the composition process as well as key differences that contributed to some having a more favorable experience with the project than others. The study also identifies insights preservice teachers gained from the critical …

Covid-19 Impact On Radiology Students’ Distance Learning, Mary Lee, Fahameda Hassan, Zoya Vinokur

Publications and Research

Distance learning (DL) is a teaching tool that offers education to students remotely in various locations (Ruiz, 2006). The increase in distance learning education is evident in all types of educational programs including those in Radiologic Sciences. DL education programs are expected to comply with all standards just as traditional programs are (Aaron, 2015). With a traditional class setting, knowledge is taught at a given time and day, which is structured in terms of course development and attendance. It does not factor in the domestic and familial responsibilities of the students outside the classroom walls. What happens when a pandemic …

Pemahaman Pelajar Lepasan Menengah Tentang Pengamiran Tentu, Romeo Nurhayani

Student Works (2020-2029)

Kajian ini menggunakan teori konstruktivisme radikal sebagai landasan teori dan bertujuan mengenal pasti pemahaman pelajar lepasan menengah tentang pengamiran tentu. Reka bentuk kajian ini adalah kajian kes. Kaedah pemilihan peserta kajian adalah mengikut cara persampelan bertujuan dengan memilih enam peserta kajian yang terdiri dalam kalangan pelajar diploma semester kedua di institusi pengajian tinggi teknikal, terutamanya mereka yang mengikuti bidang kejuruteraan teknikal. Tiga rancangan temu duga dibahagikan kepada beberapa komponen yang dikemukakan kepada pelajar, berhubung dengan gambaran mental, perwakilan, makna, penaakulan, cara berkomunikasi, dan penyelesaian masalah tentang pengamiran tentu. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa pelajar memberi gambaran mental tentang pengamiran tentu dan …

Effectiveness Of English Drama Activity To Enhance Speaking Skills And Motivation Among Private College Diploma Students, Zulkifli Zulaikha

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study reports on the effectiveness of using drama activity in ESL classroom to improve students’ speaking skills and motivation. This study addresses two major questions. The first evaluates the impact of drama activity on students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The second question analyses the impact of drama activity on the development of students’ speaking skills. A quasi-experiment was carried out on a total number of ten private college diploma students. They were put into pairs and different topics were given to the learners to be discussed in pairs. A descriptive statistical analysis was used which takes into account both …

Exploration Of Critical Literacy With An English Graphic Novel Among Year Four Pupils, Unnikrishnan Preena Nair

Student Works (2020-2029)

To be critically literate is considered one of the crucial objectives in an era in which we have instant and unrestricted access to a variety of information. Individuals should be able to reflect, evaluate and critique whatever information received instead of being passive recipients. However, current research in the field suggest that even tertiary level learners in different countries of the world lack the ability to read in between the lines and to think critically. Therefore, developing learners who are critically literate is a major concern in the current educational research. Employing the dimensions of disrupting the commonplace and interrogating …

Use Of Virtual Learning Environment On Malay Language Vocabulary Acquisition Among Primary School Remedial Pupils, Hock Ching Tang

Student Works (2020-2029)

Virtual Learning Environment has been introduced in the educational field as a tool to enhance student‟s learning and to help the students by including computers and the internet in the learning process. This study investigates the effect of Virtual Learning Environment towards the acquisition of Malay language vocabulary among remedial pupils. Three participants of Year Four went through the intervention where Frog Virtual Learning Environment was integrated into 40 lessons of Malay language vocabulary session. Their Malay language semantic skills and syntax skills were measured twice: during the baseline phase before the intervention and during maintenance phase after the intervention. …

Primary School Pupils’ Perceptions On Narrative Model Essays In An Esl Classroom, Kanniappan Jamuna

Student Works (2020-2029)

Writing problems faced by Malaysian primary school pupils have led the teachers to find a way to help them in their writing ability. One of the strategies teachers have had is to use model essays in the writing classroom. This study examines the use of narrative model essays in a writing classroom in a school in Selangor. This study aims to identify the aspects of language which second language learners notice in reference to narrative model essays and gather insights regarding pupils’ perceptions on the use of narrative model essays in their narrative essay writing. The theoretical framework that underlines …

Pembangunan Modul Pedagogi Komunikasi Nonverbal Al-Quran Dalam Pengajaran Bahasa Arab, Othman Mohd Ala-Uddin

Student Works (2020-2029)

Kajian ini bertujuan membangunkan Modul Pedagogi Komunikasi Nonverbal al-Quran (MPKNVQ) berasaskan model ADDIE yang telah diubahsuai. Objektif kajian ialah untuk (i) mengenal pasti komunikasi non-verbal al-Quran untuk pengajaran dan pembelajaran Bahasa Arab, (ii) Mengenal pasti reka bentuk MPKNVQ yang dibangunkan untuk pengajaran BA, (iii) membangunkan MPKNVQ (iv) menilai keberkesanan MPKNVQ dari aspek sikap, motivasi dan pencapaian pelajar terhadap pengajaran dan pembelajaran BA. Kajian ini adalah kajian rekebentuk dan pembangunan yang melibatkan 3 fasa utama iaitu (a) fasa analisis keperluan berdasarkan kajian literatur dan analisis dokumen. Ayat-ayat Quran telah dianalisis dan disaring berdasarkan 10 saluran nonverbal untuk pengajaran yang dinyatakan oleh …

Exploring The Teaching Of Values In Soka Kindergarten: A Case Study, Pooi San Cheong

Student Works (2020-2029)

The Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) has put so much attention into increasing the quality of preschool values education. However, when it comes to the teaching and implementation of values education in preschool, there are gaps existing between the aspiration and implementation in the preschool in our current system. The purpose of this study to explore preschool teachers’ teaching of values education in a Soka Preschool. This study uses case study research design to discover strategies of teaching values education used by preschool teachers in Soka Preschool. This study also aims to understand how preschool teachers in Soka Preschool are …

Kesan Kaedah Inkuiri Terhadap Perolehan Kemahiran Proses Sains, Boon Kiau Teoh

Student Works (2020-2029)

Hasrat Kurikulum Sains Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) adalah untuk melahirkan murid yang berpengetahuan, analitis, kreatif, inovatif dan berfikiran kritis. Bagi mencapai objektif ini, satu pendekatan kaedah pengajaran yang berkesan dan sesuai dengan pendidikan masa kini dan masa depan perlu dilaksanakan. Murid perlu dilengkapkan dengan ilmu pengetahuan sains untuk membuat keputusan dan menyelesaikan masalah kehidupan mereka. Dalam merealisasikan aspirasi kurikulum, perolehan murid dalam kemahiran proses sains (KPS) boleh diperolehi melalui pelbagai pendekatan yang sesuai dan perlu dirancang dengan teliti. Modul Pendekatan Inkuiri Melalui Penguasaan Kemahiran Proses Sains (BPK, 2014) telah dihasilkan oleh Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia sebagai panduan kepada guru dalam merangka dan …

Introduction To The Special Issue On Teaching During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Mary Beth Medvide

Pedagogy and the Human Sciences

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