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Full-Text Articles in Curriculum and Social Inquiry

Pedagogical Decisions And Sociopolitical Contexts: A Collaborative Ethnography Of Social Studies Educators Who Teach About Race And Racism, Allyson Perry Jan 2022

Pedagogical Decisions And Sociopolitical Contexts: A Collaborative Ethnography Of Social Studies Educators Who Teach About Race And Racism, Allyson Perry

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This dissertation examines the pedagogical decision making processes of eight social studies teachers in West Virginia who taught about race and racism during the 2021-2022 school year. Teaching about racism and issues of race has become highly politicized, but social studies educators remain uniquely poised to have meaningful discussions about racial discrimination and how race and various other social identities form a matrix of power and privilege. To examine the complex decisions social studies educators in West Virginia make when adopting racial justice pedagogy and the sociopolitical contexts informing their decisions, this qualitative study uses the three complementary theoretical frameworks …


Student Characteristics And Targeted Based Cognitive Tier Ii Interventions, Patrick M. Billups Jan 2013

Student Characteristics And Targeted Based Cognitive Tier Ii Interventions, Patrick M. Billups

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Tier II student characteristics and outcomes on a standardized reading assessment. Ninety students who scored in the lowest third on a Virginia standardized reading test were placed into one of three instructional groups: 1) a control group consistent with instruction from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group in which teachers determined students’ cognitive processing deficits and administered a chosen intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group in which students were administered the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III) and assigned interventions based on the results. …


Attendance Rates Of Special Populations In One Rural County, Julie Bright Jan 2012

Attendance Rates Of Special Populations In One Rural County, Julie Bright

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this current study is to determine if a difference exists in the attendance rates for special education students and low socioeconomic status students when compared to their peers who do not have these designations. The attendance data from one rural county school district for the years of 2007-2011 were examined to determine if a difference in the attendance rates did exist. Results from this research revealed that students receiving special education services were absent significantly more than their general education peers. However, students of low socioeconomic status were not absent any more than their peers who were …


Effects Of Animal-Assisted Therapy On Behavior And Reading In The Classroom, Ashley Elizabeth Booten Jan 2011

Effects Of Animal-Assisted Therapy On Behavior And Reading In The Classroom, Ashley Elizabeth Booten

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research has shown that the presence of a therapy dog in the classroom should elicit a calming effect, reduce stress, and promote positive interactions among peers and adults. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect a therapy dog has on behavior and reading in the classroom. Specifically, the study will be comparing behavior gradesand reading scores for two groups of students: one that received Animal Assisted Therapy and one that did not receive Animal Assisted Therapy. Data were collected from two fifth-grade classrooms. There were 17 fifth-grade students in the experimental groupand 15 in the control group. …


No Child Left Behind? A Socioeconomic Comparison Of Urban, Suburban And Rural School Systems In Ohio, Brian E. Brown Jan 2009

No Child Left Behind? A Socioeconomic Comparison Of Urban, Suburban And Rural School Systems In Ohio, Brian E. Brown

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The intention of this study is to show the causal relationship between poverty and the low achievement scores that are found in various Ohio schools that include urban, suburban, and rural systems. This research is an attempt to uncover the reasons that cause some school systems to fail as others thrive in Ohio. The study is also to determine if the various school systems of Ohio are in compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA).


The Disparate Americans: A Qualitative Analysis Of Appalachians, Character, And Character Education In Appalachia, Kevin A. Cline Jan 2009

The Disparate Americans: A Qualitative Analysis Of Appalachians, Character, And Character Education In Appalachia, Kevin A. Cline

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis evaluates and critiques a federal research grant on character education initiatives in Appalachia. In order to do so, 1) This thesis addresses the evolution of the term “character” from Classical times to contemporary applications, while building toward the definitions, validity and current practices in character education and how it relates to Appalachians, 2) This thesis presents the challenges and upsides of developing character education curricula in Appalachia and how outside perceptions and stereotypes impact the people within, and 3) This thesis examines and interacts with original qualitative and quantitative data from the research grant.


Marginalized Students' Perspectives Of School Consolidation: A Case Study In Rural West Virginia, Betty A. Sias Jan 2008

Marginalized Students' Perspectives Of School Consolidation: A Case Study In Rural West Virginia, Betty A. Sias

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

While prior research provides evidence that school consolidation impacts student achievement, the economic efficiency at state and district levels, dropout rates, participation in extracurricular activities, curriculum offerings, and the length of bus rides, “little is known about what happens in consolidated schools to impact student learning,” (Blake, 2003, p. 21) and little attention has been given to studying students’ lived experiences of consolidation. This qualitative case study explored these issues by attempting to understand students’ transition to a consolidated high school, as well as their current experiences with and perceptions of consolidation in a rural community in West Virginia. The …


A Comparison Of The Effect Of Single-Sex Versus Mixed-Sex Classes On Middle School Student Achievement, Carol E. Thom Jan 2006

A Comparison Of The Effect Of Single-Sex Versus Mixed-Sex Classes On Middle School Student Achievement, Carol E. Thom

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of single-sex versus mixedsex classes on middle school student achievement. It was a case study of Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Charleston, West Virginia, an inner-city school with approximately 600 students, of which 30% were minority (mostly black), 30% were special needs, and 70% were classified low socio-economic status (SES). Student WESTEST (West Virginia Educational Standards Test) scores in reading/language arts and math were collected and compared from the school years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. Each student’s scores from the first year were compared to that same student’s scores from the …


Critical Decision Making Skills Of Postgraduate Respiratory Care Personnel, Leisa Kay Bowden Jan 1996

Critical Decision Making Skills Of Postgraduate Respiratory Care Personnel, Leisa Kay Bowden

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The researcher of the study became interested in critical decision making skills while working with Respiratory Care post graduates. The researcher of the study noticed through observation a deficiency in critical thinking skills, reasoning abilities and decision making skills of recent post graduate Respiratory personnel. These weaknesses impacted a deterioration in interdepartmental communications and most importantly a deterioration in the quality of patient care. The problem of this study is to determine the effects of critical decision making skills in the College of West Virginia’s 1995 Respiratory Care class as compared to the College of West Virginia’s 1994 Respiratory Care …


Grades, Grading, And The Law, Nicholas George Evans Jan 1980

Grades, Grading, And The Law, Nicholas George Evans

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The problem is to devise for institutions of higher learning a model policy regarding grades and grading practices, specifically with respect to (1) grade appeal procedures, including instructor rights and student rights; (2) methods of determining grades; (3) definitions of grades; (4) responsibility for assigning grades; and (5) cheating regulations insofar as they affect grading policies. A model policy should assist colleges and universities in achieving conformity with recent court decisions and avoiding the many problems associated with litigation. At the same time, institutions should then be able to maintain their academic standards and provide academic fairness for all students. …