Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Problem Solving Like A Mathematician: Disciplinary Literacy Instruction In Elementary Mathematics, Charlotte Frambaugh-Kritzer, Stephanie Buelow

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study aims to grow the literature by examining the how of disciplinary literacies (DL) elementary mathematics instructional practices in teacher education, which is under-reported. Using qualitative case study methods, we examined how one cohort of elementary preservice teachers (PTs) enacted the DL instructional practices in their field practicum K–6 classrooms. Using a social constructivism perspective, we combined directed content analysis with real-time dialogue and the writing process as analytical tools to examine our data. Data sources included observation notes from the mathematics methods course, observation notes from the field practicum, and multiple artifacts (e.g., post observation oral and written …

Developing Preservice Teachers’ Critical Literacy Praxis In A Rural Teacher Education Program, Vera Sotirovska, Margaret Vaughn

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This research examined preservice teachers’ beliefs about critical literacy praxis in a rural teacher education program. Using qualitative methods, preservice teachers participated in interviews, reflective engagements, and picture book analysis. Thematic analysis was used to understand preservice teacher reflections on critical literacy, structured around discussions about multicultural literature, and preservice teacher experiences with critical literacy practices in their coursework. This article presents preservice teachers’ beliefs on critical literacy praxis.

Manufacturing & Service Systems, Robert S. Keyser

KSU Distinguished Course Repository

An analysis of decision making in the current production environment and the tools and optimization models needed for finding solutions to problems relating to production planning and scheduling, inventory, and warehouse design.

An Investigation Of Active Learning On Students' Understanding Of Infinite Series Convergence, Zachary Coverstone

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Many students encounter infinite series for the first time as part of their single-variable calculus coursework. As part of this initial engagement with infinite series convergence, students grapple with infinity in ways that they haven't had to before. For instance, the fact that summing infinitely many terms sometimes yields a finite value, but at other times diverges, poses significant conceptual challenges.

I recently designed and implemented a curriculum for second-semester calculus centered in doing problems to help students develop ideas surrounding infinite series convergence, rather than using direct instruction. The unit design was patterned after a workshop at the Park …

An Analysis Of Public Comments On The Implementation Of The Ngss In Kentucky., Matthew David Trzaskus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Feedback has been a highly effective means to enact change. In the classroom teachers provide feedback to students concerning their performance, how they compare to the learning goal, and what students need to achieve those goals. For teachers, they utilize feedback from students to examine content focus and instructional practice in order to reflect and make positive changes. In this study, feedback is once again provided in order to enact change. Kentucky stakeholders, mainly teachers, in science education offered feedback about the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In their feedback they highlighted the challenges that occurred after …

The Legal And Ethical Environment Of Business, Cristen W. Dutcher

KSU Distinguished Course Repository

This course is an introduction of the relationship between law and the business environment. The material includes an overview of the areas of law that are relevant to business, including torts, crimes, contracts, the Constitution, antitrust, real estate, court procedure, government regulation, intellectual property and remedies. The class also addresses ethical issues that may arise in a business’s internal and external activities. Many of these topics will overlap such as computer crime legislation, liability for errors in data or programming for an IT system, or the ethics of revealing information to gain an advantage in business.

A Phenomenological Study Of Contributing Factors And Common Trends Related To Teacher Attrition In Western North Carolina, Preston Clarke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A phenomenological approach was used to identify contributing factors and common trends related teacher attrition by conducting interviews with teachers who decided to exit a North Carolina School District located in Western North Carolina. A qualitative approach allowed the researcher to gain valuable insight into the decision-making process of the 15 research participants. Data collection involved conducting one on one telephone interviews with participants by asking a series of open-ended questions that allowed for probing and follow-up questions. Analysis of researcher notes, evaluation of textual data produced by interviews, and observations allowed the qualitative investigator to identify emerging themes and …

College Students’ Perceptions Of Sense Of Community, Satisfaction, And Cognitive Learning In Online Classes, Laura Lynn Higgs Kappel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, comparative quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences between the perceptions of undergraduate and graduate students about the importance and presence of sense of community in online classes at two southern public universities using survey data. The study also aimed to determine if there were significant relationships between students’ perceptions of the presence of sense of community and students’ satisfaction with the course and between students’ perception of the presence of sense of community and students’ perceptions of increases in cognitive learning. The study also addressed factors of undergraduate classification, gender, and …

Digital Archival Literacy In The Classroom, Rebecca Fitzsimmons, Elliott Kuecker

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Archival literacy has become a popular mode of literacy in the last ten years, given that archival research is not the exclusive purview of historians. Given the amount of open collections and exhibits, the possibility of teaching archival literacy skills is more accessible than ever. Importantly, archival literacy asks us to critically read against the common narrative that archival objects are pure evidence and archivists are neutral agents. Our presentation describes the importance of digital archival literacy and provides examples of implementation in classes, ad hoc workshops, and community engagement. We emphasize that all knowledge is a synthesis of various …

Recognizing And Reducing Ambiguity In Mathematics Curriculum And Relations Of Θ-Functions In Genus One And Two: A Geometric Perspective, Shantel Spatig

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Anxiety and mathematics come hand in hand for many individuals. This is due, in
part, to the fact that the only experience they have with mathematics is what some
mathematics educators refer to as "schoolmath," which uses a somewhat different
language than real mathematics. The language of schoolmath can cause individu-
als to have confusion and develop misconceptions related to several mathematical
concepts. One such concept is a fraction. In chapter one of this report, one possible
reason for this is discussed and a possible solution is purposed.
In chapter three of this report, genus-two curves admitting an elliptic involution …

Examining The Intersection Of Cultural Competence And Classroom Management Self-Efficacy In Northwest Arkansas K-6 Teachers, Bonnie Culp King

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to examine the relationship between Northwest Arkansas K-6 teachers’ cultural competence and classroom management self-efficacy. Multiple linear regression will be the quantitative approach used for analyzing K-6 teachers’ self-reported data. Valid and reliable instruments will be used to measure the concepts as operationalized for this study. Cultural competence will be measured using the “Multicultural Teaching Competency Scale” and classroom management self-efficacy will be measured using the “Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale.” Demographic information will be collected to control for two variables: a teacher’s years of experience in teaching and race/ethnicity. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics will be …

The Effects Of Immersive Virtual Environments On Motivation, Oral Communication, And Instructional Strategy In Efl Classrooms, John Martin Shipko

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The creation of web-based real-time computer simulations has given language educators incredible new opportunities to create immersive experiences for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This thesis reviewed 12 empirical studies, 3 previous literature reviews, 3 non-empirical journal articles, and 23 additional background sources investigating the impact of Immersive Virtual Environments (IVE) on EFL learners’ motivation and oral communication in EFL learning. 12 empirical studies were analyzed closely while other sources were used to provide additional information and theoretical insights. The findings indicate that IVEs offer novel ways to connect EFL learners to native-speaking communities where they can acquire …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Public High School Teachers And Instructional Coaches Participating In Virtual Instructional Coaching During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alyson J. Manion

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of public high school teachers (grades 9-12) and instructional coaches who have participated in virtual instructional coaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three research questions guided this study: (1) How do public high school teachers and instructional coaches describe their experience with virtual instructional coaching during the COVID-19 pandemic?, (2) How do public high school teachers and instructional coaches describe the changes in instructional coaching experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic?, and (3) How do public high school teachers and instructional coaches describe their relationships with their instructional coaching …

Teaching Learning Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 2, Sastra Deemed To Be University

TLC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Latinx Generation Z Secondary Teachers’ Lived Experiences, Motivations, And Retention Factors To Teach In The Rio Grande Valley, Kimberly B. Banda

Theses and Dissertations

Generation Z teachers have encountered pivotal events in their lives that have empowered them into becoming change agents in society. They have entered the classrooms during a time of great change in education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing teacher shortages in schools. Generation Z teachers have had to adapt to the changes in education and endure the challenges of transitioning back to face-to-face instruction. As school districts prepare for the post-pandemic era, it is important to capture the lived experiences of Latinx Generation Z secondary teachers to understand the motivation and retention factors that influence their decision …

Teacher's Self-Efficacy For Data Driven Decision Making, Bettie Fisher Perry

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The present study used a sequential mixed method design to compare special education and general education elementary teachers’ self-efficacy for data-driven decision making. Participants were 127 teachers from several school divisions in a mid-Atlantic state in the United States. Dunn et al.’s (2013a) The Data-Driven Decision Making Efficacy and Anxiety Inventory (3D-MEA) was used for this study along with Tschannen-Moran and Hoy’s (2001) The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), specifically the subscale on the efficacy of instructional strategies. According to the quantitative findings, there was a statistically significant difference between special education and general education teachers’ efficacy for …

Language Ideologies In First Year Composition Textbooks, Joanna Clevenger

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This thesis examines how standard language ideologies are perpetuated in the five most frequently assigned first year composition textbooks from four higher education institutions in Southern California’s Inland Empire. Standard language ideologies position one variation of a language as superior, correct, appropriate and the normal variation of a language which everyone should be able to speak. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, the five textbooks were analyzed in order to uncover the embedded power and hegemony over women, people of color, and those from a lower socioeconomic status which are prevalent throughout society because they are unchallenged and widely accepted as the …

Integrating Plcs With Robot Motion Control In Engineering Capstone Courses, Sanjeevi Chitikeshi, Shirshak K. Dhali, Vukica Jovanovic

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Robotic motion control methods and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are critical in engineering automation and process control applications. In most manufacturing and automation processes, robots are used for moving parts and are controlled by industrial PLCs. Proper integration of external I/O devices, sensors and actuating motors with PLC input and output cards is very important to run the process smoothly without any faults and/or safety concerns. Most traditional electrical and computer engineering (ECE) programs offer high level of motion theory and controls but little hands-on exposure to PLCs which are the main industrial controllers. This paper provides a framework for …

Genetics And Genomics Education Among Physician Assistants, Wesley Patterson

All Dissertations

This dissertation comprises five chapters to describe genetics and genomics education among physician assistant/associate (PA) students and practicing PAs. Chapter I introduces the gap in supply and demand of genetic services, the need for non-genetics healthcare providers to fill the gap, and the PA profession as a solution.

Chapter II is a rapid literature review that summarizes the available literature regarding genetics and genomics education for PAs. A paucity of literature exists to describe the current state of PA genetics-genomics education. The few studies retrieved describe content being taught in PA programs, the number of genetics-genomics contact hours PA students …

Social Justice In Teacher Education: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Tara Ratnam, Elaine Chan, Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker

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

Editorial: Social Justice in Teacher Education: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Tara Ratnam, Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker, and Elaine Chan

Teacher Candidates’ Responses to Examining Personal Privilege: Nuanced Understandings of the Discourse of Individualism in Critical Multicultural Education, Erin Feinauer Whiting and Ramona Maile Cutri

Narrative Reconsiderations of Teaching as Negotiated Curriculum for Social Justice and Equity, Candace Schlein, Dianne Smith, and Charles Oakley

Radical-Transformative Agency: Continuities and Contrasts With Relational Agency and Implications for Education, Anna Stetsenko

Computer Science for Equity: Teacher Education, Agency, and Statewide Reform, Joanna Goode, Max Skorodinsky, Jill Hubbard, and James Hook

Design …

Piloting A Qualitative Interview For Malaysia Primary School Active Learning Needs Analysis Regarding Learner Control Experiences, Leow Min Hui, Siti Hajar Binti Halili, Rafiza Binti Abdul Razak

The Qualitative Report

This paper describes a holistic process of a pilot test to determine the trustworthiness of semi-structured interview questions to be used in the qualitative investigation of Malaysia primary school active learning needs analysis, by focusing on the learner control peculiarity in the context. The researchers carried out the pilot test based on a sequential cycle of determining, assessment, adjustment, revisiting, and reflection. The researchers generated semi-structured interview questions mainly based on Hutchinson and Waters’s (1987) framework for analysis of learning needs. The researchers tested the semi-structured interview questions on two teacher and two pupil participants mirroring the intended subjects in …

Effectiveness Of Music-Infused Aba Strategies On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Josephine A. Sodano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Given the nationwide increase in the diagnosis of autism, particularly in the pediatric population, there is obvious value in examining the effectiveness of intervention methods. This research sought to examine the effectiveness of a music-infused approach combined with Applied Behavioral Analysis methodology. The exploratory mixed method design pilot study examined and comprehended the narratives of special education early childhood teachers assigned and trained to deliver a music-infused intervention program within a natural self-contained Applied Behavioral Analysis program, five days a week, 20 minutes a day, for a duration of 6 weeks to a population of ten preschool students, ages 3-5, …

It’S Just An Idea: How Rural Teachers Implement Personalized Learning Within The Education System, Kedralyn L. Folk

All Dissertations

This exploratory case study revealed how rural educators navigate the shift required to implement personalized learning. I collected qualitative data at HMK8, where a personalized learning framework was implemented. This study used improvement science theory to understand the experience of rural teachers’ implementing personalized learning by exploring the experiences of rural educators applying personalized learning practices in the classroom and reviewing how rural educators explain their support needs. About 40% of schools in South Carolina are rural, so this study focused on rural teachers’ needs. The data analysis is rooted in sensemaking theory, which I use to explain and understand …

Using Blended Learning To Support Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic To Increase Credit Recovery Passage Rates: A Mixed-Methods Study, Anjail Salahudin-Bolden

All Dissertations

During the spring of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forever changed the lives of Americans. Being an educator, I experienced the school shutdowns of March 2020 and felt the impacts on our educational system on a personal level. More students than ever failed courses needed to be promoted and to graduate high school. This led to more students at my school needing to take VirtualSC credit recovery courses. VirtualSC credit recovery courses are fully virtual and have no face-to-face interactions with teachers. Instead, they are self-paced courses that provide students with learning modules that they move through as they master each …

Radically Inclusive Pedagogy And Praxis, Danie Jules Hallerman

English Theses & Dissertations

Although the current definition exists at the intersection of critical pedagogy, disability studies, critical race theory, critical embodiment pedagogy, feminism, cultural rhetoric, expressivism, and queer theory, as it stands now, radical inclusive pedagogy has few, if any, identifiable, distinctive qualities of its own. The pedagogies and theories from which radically inclusive pedagogy draws from speak to the mind, the body, and the spirit separately, or will focus on two aspects while neglecting the third. As I envision it for the classroom practice I have designed and would like others to adopt, radically inclusive pedagogy addresses the mind (embracing students’ knowledge, …

Diffusion Of Public Library Innovations: A Case Study On Parking Lot Wi-Fi Hotspots Diffusion Development, Samantha Laine Hull

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Public libraries have begun to provide services well beyond books and online databases. Prior to the pandemic, many libraries expanded their collection to include items like power drills or board games in their circulation. They also started partnering with social service organizations to better serve their patrons’ needs beyond those that are educational and entertainment based. Despite being broadly trusted by most people and having clever and innovative ideas, some public libraries’ budgets and time limits left marketing efforts at a minimum. In order to address the communication problem many public libraries face, in this study I sought to align …

Examining The Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy Of Teacher Candidates In Urban Immersive Residency Programs, Latanya M. Sutphin

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Urban immersive residency programs have emerged from partnerships between K-12 schools and universities offering teacher candidates a year-long field experience alongside coursework aligned with the framework and practices in the schools (Zeichner & Bier, 2015). The goals of these programs include teacher candidates applying what they learn during preparation into practice and getting good student outcomes, while building their confidence in teaching diverse students. This study used situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) to position urban immersive residency programs as a community of practice where teacher candidate’s self-efficacy and understanding of culturally responsive teaching overlap. A mixed methods design …

Latina Preservice Teachers Embodying Teacher Identity Through Improvisation, Zulema Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Latina preservice science teachers make the transition from science student to teacher is scant. This study aims to address this gap by exploring improvisation as a pedagogical tool in order for Latina pre-service teachers make meaning of the transition from student to teacher and what this might mean in terms of identity.

According to Pool et al. (2011), “[u]sing arts-based instruction in a preservice teacher program has promise for fostering better pedagogical decisions to benefit learners at every level.” (p. 9). The purpose of this case-study is not only to fill a gap in the literature but also to explore …

Myside Bias Shifting In The Written Arguments Of First Year Composition Students, Lezlie Christensen-Branum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation reports on research conducted to better understand how college student writers learned to work against their own biases as they researched and wrote arguments. I conducted a review of former studies to design a curriculum that would help students avoid bias and increase their ability to write arguments tailored to specific readers in ways that accomplish their goals. This review also informed the kinds of data to be collected and analyzed in order to accomplish the research goal, which was to understand whether and how each of seven students enrolled in a composition course reduced their biases. I …

Calculus Iii: Under The Influence Of Peer Instruction, Alan Von Herrmann, L. Jeneva Clark

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In peer Instruction, students engage with core course concepts and then explain those concepts to one another in small groups. Unlike in lecture format, peer instruction involves every student in the class. In Spring 2019, the first authot began using a modified version of peer instruction in Calculus III classes. He started each class by discussing important Calculus III concepts from three standpoints (the formula, the geometry behind the formula, and the physics behind the formula). During the last 20 minutes of each 50-minute class session, he polled the students using questions in the “Goldilocks Zone” – not too hard …