Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Environmental Studies Curriculum, Chloe Mccloskey

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This 3rd grade curriculum aims to serve two main purposes: empowering students with knowledge to alleviate some of their climate change anxiety and to prevent them from developing harmful, hard to break habits, like ubiquitous plastic consumption/ overconsumption in general, by giving them the tools to do better. There is an emphasis on reactivating solutions we already have but stopped employing, to shift focus from reinventing the wheel towards reinventing the way the driver sees the wheel and remembering the processes/habits of mind that enabled the wheel to once function without fueling our destruction. To begin, lessons focus on understanding …

University Of Memphis Open Educational Resources (Oer) Faculty Quick Start Guide, Meredith Heath Boulden, Linda Ann Payne

Open Access Textbooks

This guide is designed to introduce faculty at the University of Memphis to why and how to use Open Educational Resources (OER) in their teaching. it covers basic concepts surrounding OER, how to find and evaluate OER to use in your courses, how to incorporate OER into your teaching, and how to learn more.

Table of Contents

• Implications of OER
• Understanding OER
• Using OER Commons
• Using Canvas Commons
• Additional OER Recommendations
• Reflections on OER
• Incorporating OER
• Continued OER Learning

Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students’ Perspectives On Leadership Development In The Context Of The Proposed Leadership Competencies Framework For Physical Therapists, Laura Stephens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Leadership is an emerging field in physical therapy professional research. Research efforts have concentrated on identifying the most desirable leadership skills and behaviors for practicing physical therapists, or on curricular interventions implemented in specific educational programs. This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design to investigate the perspectives of 21 current and former student leaders from Marshall University School of Physical Therapy, specifically investigating the scope and effectiveness of available opportunities in developing leadership skills and behaviors. Participants were also probed regarding their motivation for pursuing pre-professional leadership development opportunities. Findings from this study suggest the available opportunities are effective to …

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Handbook 2022-2023, Southern Adventist University

Student Handbooks, Undergraduate

No abstract provided.

Impact Of A Puppet On Music Performance Anxiety In Elementary Students, Jessica Nohner

Graduate Research Showcase

Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a common problem among musicians and has been shown to impact young children. There are many factors that may contribute to student feelings of MPA including perfectionism. Music educators are in a unique position and have a responsibility to assist students with MPA. While some strategies have been used to help individuals cope with feelings of MPA, music educators do not have researched strategies available to them which are easily implemented in general music classrooms. In music therapy and psychology, puppets have been used in work with children. In this study I research the use …

Nurturing Cultural Humility And Responsiveness Through Restorative Pedagogy In Graduate Education, Annmary S. Abdou, Kris T. De Pedro, Arantxa De Anda, Ivette Merced, Karen Mao

Education Faculty Articles and Research

In an increasingly diverse world that is characterized by significant social and educational inequities, the development of educators and leaders who embody cultural humility and culturally responsive practices is necessary and transformational. Moving beyond individual and deficit-centered models of student support systems towards ecological and relational paradigms of education are critical to the goals of equity and justice. In order to make progress on these goals, training programs must prioritize and embed the values of cultural humility and culturally responsive practice as foundational constructs for future educators. This multi-authored reflective paper describes the use of Restorative Pedagogy, an approach grounded …

Planting Seeds Of Change: Teaching For Social Justice In Elementary Classrooms, Brianna Mestas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much research has been done on novice teachers’ dispositions and how their beliefs contribute to the enactment of equitable or inequitable teaching practices. Ways that deficit-based beliefs and inequitable pedagogical choices have negatively impacted students of color and low-income students have also been well documented. However, there is a dearth of literature that explores the connection between dispositions and experienced teachers’ social justice practices that lead to equitable social and academic outcomes for elementary students. The purpose of this multiple case study is to understand and examine the perceptions, enactment, and challenges of four experienced and effective elementary teachers who …

Examining Relationships Among Creativity Skills Training, Domain-Specific Creativity, And Creative Self-Efficacy: A Mixed Methods Study, Kayla R. Steffens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among and impact of creativity skills training, domain-specific creativity, and creative self-efficacy in adult alumni of a youth creativity skills training experience. This research further aims to remediate the deficiency of existing creativity research regarding the relationship between domain-specific creativity, creativity skills training, and creative self-efficacy. This study employs a mixed-method approach to address four research questions regarding the impact of a creativity skills training experience from adult alumni of Destination Imagination, an educational experience designed to enhance creativity. The Amusement Park Theoretical Model of Creativity acts as a theoretical …

Gifted Female Voices: Perceptions Of Differentiation In Secondary And Higher Education, Ann Makikalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the advocacy of differentiation as best pedagogical practices for instruction of gifted students can be found in scholarly literature, minimal research attention has been given to high-ability students’ perceptions about their lived classroom experiences. Lack of challenging and accelerated content for identified gifted students can lead to boredom, negative self-perception, and disengagement from school. Gifted adolescent females, who are less likely to address barriers to realizing their potential can especially suffer or thrive depending on curriculum. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe identified female gifted university students’ perceptions of pre-collegiate and collegiate differentiation of curriculum and …

The Infinity Mirror: Learning To Lead Through Action-Oriented Inquiry, Robert D. Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation-in-practice is a reflective self-study exploring the lived experience of the current researcher as a leader of Lesson Study (LS) over 2 years. Drawing on the concepts of perspective and engagement articulated by Wenger-Trayner and Wenger- Trayner (2016) in their Learning in Landscapes of Practice conceptual framework, the study is organized around the primary critical question: How has my perspective on what it means to be a teacher leader been transformed through my engagement with LS in the context of a US community of educational practice? Working within the paradigm of first person action-oriented inquiry, the method of self-study …

The Dual Role Of A Teacher And Teacher Leader: An Auto-Educational Criticism Examination, Joseph Bolz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The world of teaching has long been explored: from works focused on different contents to different grade bands to different techniques and methods to best practices, the literature is dense with materials on the world of teaching. Where this literature has just begun to shed light however is the world teacher leadership. As an educator in a dual role since 2014, that of a teacher and a teacher leader, I have beared witness to what current research has only recently begun to unearth.

It is here that I situate myself, as the researcher of teacher leadership and the subject of …

Increasing Oral Reading Fluency Rate Of Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities Through Cooperative Learning, Kristin Stuffick

Student Research Poster Presentations 2022

This study highlights the importance of focusing on student motivation and engagement to encourage an optimistic school and future education viewpoint. Student interest can be maintained by promoting student choice in their reading materials to align with individual interests and increase comprehension retention. The long-term implications of reading difficulties can affect individuals after middle school by lessening their chances of earning a high school diploma, leading to decreased annual income and increased reliance on government assistance throughout their lifetime.

Recruitment Strategy Development For First Generation, Underrepresented, And Low-Income Masters Students, Briceland Mclaughlin, Julianne A. Wenner

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recruitment and academic success at the Master of Science (MS) degree level is an often-overlooked line of inquiry. The Stellar Engineering Students Graduate Program Scholarship (SEnS GPS), a National Science Foundation S-STEM funded program at Boise State University, is beginning to bridge this gap in our knowledge of masters-level students. Boise State is a medium-sized, metropolitan, rural serving institution in the mountain west with a large population of typically underserved student groups.

SEnS GPS is investigating the experiences of computer science and engineering MS students from pre-decision and recruitment to graduation. This project is working to determine if best practices …

Student Perspectives On The Presence And Usefulness Of Navigational Course Elements In Distance Education Courses, Christopher Joseph Sochor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Quality Matters Standards for Course Design (2018) rubric is a course development rubric for online courses in higher education. General Standard 1 provides a list of specific review standards that are integral in the development of courses, including course expectations, course structure, learning guidance, communication expectations, technology skill requirements, criteria for student assessment, and overall course organization. Student feedback is necessary in order to determine whether students view elements of the course overview and introduction as present in their courses, and whether those elements are useful for the successful completion of their online course. This research utilized a mixed-methods …

Supporting Aesthetic Experience Of Science In Everyday Life, Leslie Atkins Elliott

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Researchers have argued that a central goal of science education is to transform students' out-of-school experiences, so that students have aesthetic experiences of the world that would not otherwise be available to them. The goal of this paper is to articulate a set of design principles that support this goal. In doing so, I will first position this as a problem of transfer, and describe a perspective on transfer in which an idea or experience is not so much abstracted from its original context, but one in which the learning context incorporates out-of-class contexts, and vice versa. After characterising a …

Impact Teacher Perceptions Of Distance Education As A Strategy For Formal Education During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Monica Morgan

Student Research Poster Presentations 2022

Students cannot be successful if their basic needs are not met. Distance education led to many hurdles, especially for low-income families, including lack of access to the internet and required technology, inadequate home learning environment, and restricted human interaction. These hurdles may negatively impact teacher perceptions of distance education as a strategy for formal education.

The Therapeutic Benefits Of Children’S Literature: Responding Through Making Art And Writing Stories, Janae Dueck

Art Therapy | Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the use of a children's book followed by the application of the Draw A Story (DAS) art therapy assessment tool by Rawley Silver (1988). The study takes place in three elementary school classrooms located in the greater Bay Area region. Previous literature addresses the historical uses of children’s books and their potential to offer therapeutic benefit to young readers. Through a quasi-experimental, one-group posttest only design, eighteen second to third grade level students were asked to reflect on a children’s book by writing a story of their own. Participants were between the ages of seven and nine, …

“Even A Little Bit Of Independence Can Go A Long Way”: The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Transitioning From High School To College, Joshua M. Cooper

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2020), the national percentage of first-time, full-time college students who returned to the same campus the following year was 81%. For students with disabilities, retention and graduation statistics were disproportionate to their non-disabled peers. Students with disabilities graduated high school at a rate of 73% in 2018 (NCES, 2020) but completed college programs at a rate of just 38% while their non-disabled peers graduated at a rate of 51% (Sanford et al., 2011). Additionally, students were less likely to be full time students and were less likely to graduate on time (Lee, …

Progressive Virtual Learning For Our Youngest Learners, Erica B. Held

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study addresses how teachers build a progressive curriculum online for our youngest learners.

Learning By Playing: A Curriculum Utilizing Improvisational Theater To Develop Prosocial Behavior Skills And Self-Efficacy In Young Adolescents, Lynn Lovett Barr

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Prosocial behavior requires competency in social-emotional skills including interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation. During the developmental stage of early adolescence, youth are learning these skills and are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior if they feel efficacious in them. However, most social-emotional learning programs focus on conceptual knowledge in these areas without providing sufficient opportunities for practice, which does not allow students to develop sufficient procedural knowledge and self-efficacy. Improvisational theater offers a solution to this problem; used in concert with social-emotional lessons, it provides practice scenarios and procedural learning opportunities. This project consists of a curriculum …

Opportunities And Challenges For Rural Educators: A Mixed Methods Study Of Emergent Bilingual Studies In Rural Colorado, Andrea Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over nine million students in the United States attend school in rural school districts, with a growing percentage of these students identified as emergent bilingual. The purpose of this study is to examine the national emergent bilingual literacy trends and to determine how the opportunities and challenges that rural educators encounter, impact emergent bilingual education in rural schools. Utilizing a theoretical framework of culturally sustaining practices and funds of knowledge, this study uses a convergent mixed methods design to answer the following research questions: What are the national trends in emergent bilingual reading test scores? What opportunities and challenges do …

Relationships, Relevance, And Reflection: How White Teachers Are Working To Dismantle White Supremacy In Their Classrooms Through Culturally Responsive Education, Zion W. Gezaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the multitude of ways in which White supremacy manifests in the education system and examines how White teachers specifically are working to dismantle White supremacy in middle school classrooms through culturally responsive education. This educational criticism and connoisseurship study focuses on the interactions of White teachers in relation to their Black students, along with observations of their teaching and planning methods. The following research questions guided this research: How are White teachers implementing a culturally responsive classroom environment for Black students? How do White educators plan and enact a culturally responsive curriculum for Black students? How do …

Two Approaches To Investigate Preservice Teachers’ Tpack Competencies And Self-Regulated Learning Skills In Turkey And The United States, Mevlüt Aydoğmuş, Mohamed Ibrahim

Faculty Publications - Teaching and Educational Leadership

In this study the investigators used two different approaches to investigate preservice teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) competencies and self-regulated learning skills (SRL). The first study was conducted at Ahmet Keleşoğlu Education Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University (NEU), Konya, Turkiye and the second study was conducted at Arkansas Tech University (ATU), Arkansas, the United States. The data from the participants at NEU was collected from 375 preservice teachers to examine the correlation among preservice teachers’ TPACK competencies, SRL and their gender and years of study. Although the findings revealed that preservice teachers’ TPACK competencies differed by their gender and year …

Early Numeracy Development And Instruction, Karise Mace, Michele White

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Student Perspectives Of Eportfolio Implementation Within An Irish Hei Context, Fiona Walsh

Masters

This research study considers third-level student experiences of ePortfolio use during their education. Digital pedagogical tools provide educators with an authentic mode of assessment that presents a holistic view of student learning both inside and outside the classroom. ePortfolios are a digital pedagogical tool associated with the enhancement of the student learning experience and have received increased attention within the higher education sector; particularly during the Covid 19 restrictions where they offered educators an alternative mode of assessment to the traditional paper-based assessment. The purpose of this study was to identify the main challenges undergraduate students face when engaging with …

Teaching Writing To Middle School Students With Disabilities: A Merc Research Brief, David Naff, Jennifer Askue-Collins, Julie S. Dauksys

MERC Publications

This research brief by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium explores peer reviewed literature about effective strategies for teaching writing to middle school students with disabilities. It answers the following questions: 1) Why is it important to teach writing? 2) What is the nature of the challenge in teaching writing to middle school students with disabilities? 3) What interventions help with teaching writing to middle school students with disabilities? and 4) What strategies are utilized in the MERC region for teaching writing to middle school students with disabilities?

Travel The World With Flags: Using Desmos To Explore Design With Equations & Inequalities, Kelly W. Remijan

Publications & Research

Explore and discover how to replicate flags of various countries using math concepts within Desmos such as: linear equations/Inequalities, absolute value equations/Inequalities, equations/Inequalities of circles, and domain/range.

Technology In Social Work Field Education According To The Standards: A Field Instructor Perspective On The Benefits, Challenges, And Implications For Student Learning, Alysha Nicole Nichols

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach to gather the insight and perceptions of social work field instructors about the role and effect of technology on the student field practicum experience. Through convenience and purposeful sampling techniques, social work field instructors from the seven accredited social work programs in West Virginia were chosen to participate in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 field instructors to gather their perspective on the integration of technology into the supervision of field students. Thematic analysis was utilized to organize and interpret the information gathered from these interviews. It was found that technologies …

Preferred Leadership Style, Cognitive Operator Competencies, And Senior Leader Competencies Exhibited By United States Marine Corps Special Operations Officers: A Quantitative Non-Experimental Study, Timothy John Scott

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research identifies existing commonalities between leadership style and conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies. Marine Forces Special Operations Command has not explored leadership style and leader competencies and how they relate to the cognitive operator concept described in Marine Special Operations Forces 2030: A Strategic Vision for the Future. By not thoroughly exploring how they relate, Marine Forces Special Operations Command may not understand the level of interdependence between leadership style and senior leader competencies and the mastery of cognitive operator competencies. This quantitative non-experimental study explores the relationship between preferred leadership style, cognitive operator competencies, and senior leader competencies …

Embracing The Reggio Emilia Approach To Early Childhood Education, Tarabeth Brumfield Heineman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Each year, hundreds of early childhood educators from the many parts of the world travel to a small town in the northern part of Italy to study the arts-based, project focused, a child-initiated method known as the Reggio Emilia approach. This unique approach focuses on infant-toddler through preschool and primary education. While teachers are engaged in professional learning and growth, it is hard to determine how many early childhood programs and classrooms are truly influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach. The purpose of this study was to explore and examine the experiences of five teachers from West Virginia who have …