Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Talk The Talk, Freddy-May Abisamra, Natasha White

Goal 3: Interpersonal Intelligence Narrative

To give students practice having high-stakes conversations in a safe, controlled environment.

To give students an opportunity to verbalize what things they want/don’t want in relationships.

The Five Stages Of Team Development, Caitlin Collins, Ethan Castro

Goal 3: Interpersonal Intelligence Narrative

Purpose: Provide students an introduction to existing business/psychology teachings on group dynamics and the five distinct stages of team development likely to be experienced in any group setting.

Healthy Eating And Cooking, Kevin Lim, Kristen Feigel

Goal 2: Life Skills Narrative

Specific Lesson Outcomes: Students will be able to effectively interpret nutrition labels, understand basic kitchen measuring terminology, and prepare easy and healthy snacks/meals at home or at IMSA.

Creating And Managing A Budget, Benjamin Lepak, Luis Villafuerte

Goal 2: Life Skills Narrative

Purpose: Students will be able to plan and implement a budget over the course of a month-to-month basis.

Assessment As A Learning Opportunity: Feedforward With Multiple Attempts, Emily Faulconer

Publications

High quality feedback is well-known to provide multiple student benefits, especially if students are provided the opportunity to apply the feedback. It reasons, then, that we can support student success on summative assessments by combining multiple attempts with high-quality immediate feedback. This study explores student behaviors, performance, and perspectives regarding this strategy.

A Snapshot Semester: Students’ Reflections Of Performance And Mental State Throughout A Graduate Course, Bradley D. Borges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students are anecdotally reputed to be among the most stressed groups of young adults. Common sources of stress for graduate students have included coursework, assistantships, finances, career preparation, and family (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2013; Mazzola, Walker, Shockley & Spector, 2011; Oswalt & Riddock, 2007). Guided reflection can be used by educators to assist students in both learning (Boud, Keogh & Walker, 2013; Kolb, 1984) and managing stress (Shoulders, Whitehead, & Morrison, 2018). By understanding how students’ progress through a semester in terms of both their learning and their management of stress, instructors and academic advisors can better anticipate times …

Effects Of Career Courses On Career Self-Efficacy And Outcome Expectations, Celeste Spier

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

The purpose of this study was to examine two required career courses to determine if they produced an increase in career self-efficacy and outcome expectations, and which components of the learning theory from Social Cognitive Career Theory have the strongest influence. Participants were undergraduate business students at a midsized, Midwestern university enrolled in two required career courses and a comparison group of students not yet enrolled in the courses. Students took four measures (i.e., Career Exploration and Decisional Self-Efficacy Scale, Career Search Self-Efficacy Scale, Career Expectations Survey Scale, and Career Exploration and Decision Learning Experiences Scale) at two points in …

Evolutionary Theory In Applied Problem-Solving, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Biology’s quest to be considered a mature science was initiated by Charles Darwin with the publication of On the Origin of Species2 in 1859. Naturalists quickly endorsed Darwin’s explanation for the relationships between similar species (i.e., common ancestry). Nonetheless, one of the arguments posed against evolution was that its supposed mechanism of action – namely natural selection – was considered conjecture at best since Darwin provided little in the way of evidence to support how natural selection might actually work. It was not until the 1930s when geneticists T.H. Morgan, Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, and G. Gaylord Simpson noted that …

Evaluation Of Reading Intervention Programs For Students With Disabilities, Diana Greer

Dissertations

The purpose of this evaluation is to identify a delivery model for reading intervention services that can provide successful support for Students with Disabilities in reading. The participants in this study, general education and exceptional education teachers who teach reading content in grades K-5, answered survey and interview questions related to the current delivery of intervention services at ABC Elementary (pseudonym). The results of this evaluation revealed that addressing additional time for reading intervention and using materials that provide a multi-component of reading elements can improve the delivery of reading intervention services for Students with Disabilities. Based on these findings, …

Trust In Leadership To Develop Collaborative School Culture And Effective Implementation Of Professional Learning Communities, Kara Mieszanek

Dissertations

DISSERTATION: TRUST IN LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL CULTURE AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Kara N. Mieszanek National Louis University

ABSTRACT

In education, we are constantly working toward increasing student achievement. Often, we pursue technical elements such as implementing programs, data analysis, utilizing assessment tools, embedding evaluation systems, etc. However, there is another critical element that may all too often get overlooked—the culture. The purpose of this study was to strip away all the layers required to achieve systemic change by observing what is at the core of it all: trust. Through qualitative and quantitative research, I took …

I Told You That To Tell You This: Metagaming And Metacognition In The Hybrid Classroom, Marc A. Ouellette

English Faculty Publications

This paper theorizes the use of play and gamified methods to foster metacognition, or strategies for learning and learning about learning, in online graduate instruction. In the process, it calls into question the determinism of “serious” games as being the only means of facilitating metacognition. Ultimately, by adopting metagame approaches—that is, approaches based on0 goals and achievements that are external to the game and/or are developed by the players themselves—metacognition can and does occur because students participate in the development of the rewards. Moreover, any metagame feature ultimately becomes a commentary so that an approach based on metagaming offers its …

Lowering Language Learner Anxiety: The Impact Of Collaborative-Dynamic Assessment In The Intermediate University Spanish Classroom, Lynda Mcclellan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a new framework for the application of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (SCT) in the second language (L2) classroom called Collaborative-Dynamic Assessment (C-DA). C-DA is a melding of Collaborative Learning (CL), Dynamic Assessment (DA), and Group Evaluation (GE) in all aspects of L2 instruction and assessment. A study was conducted with 64 university students in an intermediate Spanish classroom to determine if the application of C-DA would lower Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA). Horwitz’ (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered to the participants at the beginning of the course and then again at the end of …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports And Its Influence On Effective Implementation, Tiffany J. Baskin-Downs

Theses and Dissertations

The use of a multi-tiered system of supports framework has been of growing interest in addressing issues related to disruptive behaviors and school suspensions. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential, explanatory study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions (behavioral expectations defined, behavioral expectations taught, and an ongoing system for rewarding behavioral expectations) of their efforts toward implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports with fidelity in two middle schools within an urban school district located in Georgia. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, homogeneity of variance Levene’s test, t-tests, factorial analysis, a one-way analysis of variance, post-hoc tests, frequencies and …

Mixed Methods Study Of Special Education Training In Educational Leadership Preparation Programs In Rural Georgia, Robert Lewis-Vice

Theses and Dissertations

This research study addressed the problem that school leaders may not be adequately prepared to address the needs of an increasing population of students with special needs. The purpose of the study was to examine the difference between beliefs and perceptions of middle and high school leaders and special education teachers about the knowledge and skills necessary to implement special education programs effectively. The conceptual framework of this study focused on the preparation of principals and assistant principals at the university level through certification programs and district level programs. For this causal-comparative research design study, the quantitative and qualitative data …

Teachers' Interventions To In-Person Bullying And Cyberbullying Situations, Amaia Lojo Novo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises five chapters, and it is an article-based format that studies teachers’ needs and characteristics regarding bullying intervention. It is divided into two phases that are explained through the different chapters. Chapter One explains the problem's overall background and provides an introduction to the three papers presented in the next chapters. Chapter Two presents the First Phase of the dissertation, which provided information about teachers’ knowledge, concerns, and practice regarding bullying. Findings demonstrate that Idaho education professionals need training and resources to help them intervene appropriately, especially with cyberbullying. Chapter Three focuses on the following potential teachers’ characteristics …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

Support For Teacher Candidates And The Edtpa, Dia Gary, Dylan Thomas, Joseph Miller

Journal of Global Education and Research

Equipping new teachers in today’s society is a noble and challenging task. Of late, many additional licensing standards for teachers create additional responsibilities for universities that provide pedagogy, knowledge, and content for teacher candidates. Identification of best practices that support teacher candidates on the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) is of interest to many teacher education programs. The purpose of this research was to analyze whether incorporating a mock edTPA had beneficial results on the passage of the edTPA. This study spanned fourteen ten-week quarters and included 688 teacher candidates who were preparing to become certificated teachers at a university …

Middle School Leaders' Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy In An Urban School District Along The Texas-Mexico Border, Rachel R. Ayala

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the case study was to comprehend the relationship between the accountability movement as characterized by the Texas A-F Accountability System and ESSA on a middle school principal’s sense of self-efficacy in an urban school district located at the southeastern-most point of the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas-Mexico border. The case study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design and allowed for the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in two consecutive phases within one study to investigate the research questions in depth. The quantitative portion of this mixed methods case study relied on …

Exploring A Quality Assurance Tool On Remote Academic Advising For Higher Education Traditionally Underrepresented Students In Distance Education, Katrieva S. Jones Munroe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to fill the gap in the literature by examining organizational stakeholders' perceptions of access to remote academic advising. Over the past years, traditionally underrepresented student enrollments in distance education at community colleges have increased, yet the retention rate of online students compared to on-campus students have decreased (Breit & Schreyer, 2018). The gap between ideal and reality serves as a powerful blind spot toward the lack of access to remote student support services in higher education. Remote access to technology and student support services (e.g. academic advising) negatively influence student persistence, retention and graduation …

An Evaluation Of One School District Standards Assessment Program, Derrick King

Dissertations

This project focuses on how one school district uses quarterly assessments to identify standards students have not mastered. This project identifies how some schools utilize quarterly assessment data with varying results. One problem I have identified is a lack of a consistent expectation from district leadership, regarding the expectation for how schools should use the assessment program. In my research, I examine two schools that use the assessment program differently. The literature I present reveals how the program can help improve student achievement. The research reveals what is working well, and what is not. In closing, I recommend implementing a …

The Remote Learning Experience At Portland State University In Spring 2020, Liana Bernard, Phoebe Brown, Peter Chaille, Brenden Clenaghen, Joshua Eastin, Andrea Garrity, Sherril B. Gelmon, Carolina Gomez-Montoya, Laura E. Jacobson, Susan Lindsay, Maya Mcgill, Nate Midgley, Stephen Percy, Judith A. Ramaley, Risto Rushford, Gayle Y. Thieman, Luis Balderas Villagrana

Office of the President Publications and Presentations

It is an endeavor to understand what we have and will learn about the impact of remote instruction on faculty, students and relevant academic support teams. Simply put: We want to learn from an experiment foisted upon us by a health crisis. We have engaged in an incredibly innovative response. And now, we ask what have we learned? How might we improve? And, most importantly, are there implications from this experiment for the future of instruction at PSU and throughout higher education?

The project was organized around two stages in the Spring 2020 term.

• Stage One: Out of the Gate: …

Availability And Perceived Effectiveness Of High School Programs, Services, And Approaches To Address Trauma-Related Outcomes In The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan, Jaime Vanenkevort

All NMU Master's Theses

Twelve administrators at Michigan Upper Peninsula (U.P.) high schools participated in 12 separate structured interviews to identify programs, services, and approaches to address trauma-related outcomes. Participants were three U.P. superintendents, eight principals, and one Intermediate School District (ISD) social worker who described a convergence of factors affecting assessment measures of programs, services, and approaches to address student trauma-related outcomes in U.P. high schools. The interviews addressed the identification of programs, services, and approaches to address trauma-related outcomes at U.P. high schools and the assessment measures in use to evaluate available programs, services, and approaches. A systems theory approach and understanding …

Renewal Of An Information Systems Curriculum To Support Career Based Tracks: A Case Study, Swapna Gottipati, Venky Shankararaman, Kyong Jin Shim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The pace at which technology redefines traditional job functions is picking up rapidly. This trend is triggered particularly by advances in analytics, security, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and big data. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on our approach to renewing an undergraduate IS Major curriculum to align with the needs of the industry. We adopt a survey based approach to study Information Systems (IS) graduate skills requirements and re-design the curriculum framework for the IS program at our school. The paper describes in detail the process, the redesigned IS curriculum, the impact of the …

Exploring The Implementation Of A Proficiency-Focused, Performance-Based Approach In Foreign Language Teaching, Yuka Kato

Theses and Dissertations

Foreign language teachers in one district faced a paradigm shift in the ways language should be taught and in their pedagogical beliefs. They were asked to shift from a traditional approach to the Proficiency-Focused, Performance-Based (PFPB) approach in order to meet the national Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, created by ACTFL (1999 & 2006). The expectation was that every foreign language teacher in the district would use the PFPB approach. However, the problem was that some of the teachers would not understand the approach or how to implement it, with the result that the approach …

Principal Instructional Leadership Behavior As Perceived By Middle School Principals In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Joseph R. Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine which of the 10 leadership functions contained in the PIMRS, as identified by Hallinger (1983), are demonstrated by principals in Rio Grande Valley middle schools that received Texas Education Agency distinctions for closing performing gaps, compared to those middle schools in the Rio Grande Valley that did not. The study aimed to determine if there was a significant difference been the principal instructional leadership behaviors at middle schools recognized for closing performance gaps compared to those that were not recognized. The results showed that there did not exist a significant difference between …

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Flipgrid In Online Courses, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Robert L. Moore

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Asynchronous video-based discussions have affordances that can address some of the constraints of asynchronous text-based discussions. However, little research has been conducted on the use of asynchronous video-based discussions in online courses. As a result, the purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate students’ perceptions of using Flipgrid for asynchronous video-based discussions in fully online courses. We used a cross-sectional survey design to survey 79 students who used Flipgrid in a fully online course. Students overall reported that they liked using Flipgrid, it was easy to use, and that it helped improve social presence. In this paper, we will …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Instructional Walkthroughs And The Resulting Feedback, Germaine Monteil Harden-Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

The role of the principal and the assistant principal has changed dramatically. Principals were considered solely managers; however, now their role includes the responsibility of being instructional leaders. The assistant principal was responsible for the clerical chores and tasked solely to be a disciplinarian. However, due to educational reforms such as Race to the Top, the expectation of both the principal and the assistant principal is to support teachers as instructional leaders. To fulfill the responsibility of supporting teachers’ instructional practices, principals and assistant principals conduct instructional walkthroughs and provide feedback at least two times a year via the Teacher …

Moving On Up? A Virtual School, Student Mobility, And Achievement, James D. Paul, Patrick Wolf

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Virtual charter schools provide full-time, tuition-free K-12 education through internet-based instruction. Although virtual schools offer a personalized learning experience, most research suggests these schools are negatively associated with achievement. Few studies account for differential rates of student mobility, which may produce biased estimates if mobility is jointly associated with virtual school enrollment and subsequent test scores. We evaluate the effects of a single, large, anonymous virtual charter school on student achievement using a hybrid of exact and nearest-neighbor propensity score matching. Relative to their matched peers, we estimate that virtual students produce marginally worse ELA scores and significantly worse math …

Entry-Level Workplace Competencies Needed By Graduates Of A Community College Agriculture Program: A Midwest Case Study Using The Delphi Technique, Blake Colclasure

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Community colleges have a strong history of providing vocational education and occupational training to meet changing workforce demands of local industries. In the Midwest, agricultural industries have expressed an expanding need for middle-skilled workers with postsecondary, prebaccalaureate credentials. The 21st century agricultural landscape has changed as a result of the need for efficiency and sustainability, and resulting emergent agricultural technologies. Community colleges will be integral to establishing a qualified agriculture workforce for entry-level, middle-skilled positions. This study utilized a modified Delphi approach to identify entry-level workplace competencies needed by graduates of a community college agriculture program. Delphi panel experts represented …

Student Perceptions Of Personalized Learning In A Rural School District., Kathryn M. House

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored student perceptions of the implementation of personalized learning as a means of supporting student engagement and improved student outcomes. A review of research revealed a mismatch between the current instructional pedagogy utilized and the needs identified by the workforce. The world has evolved rapidly while education has slowly evolved, creating an ever-increasing relevance gap for students. We have transitioned to a global society and innovations in technology have led the way. Today’s workforce requires students to have soft skills and competencies to be able to think critically, problem solve, develop resiliency, be innovative and creative, communicate …