Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons^™

Teachers' Experiences With Integrating Play-Based Learning Into Standards-Driven Curriculum: A Phenomenological Study, Mary Nugent

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe kindergarten teachers’ experiences with integrating play-based learning into standards-based academic curriculum in a school district in South Carolina. Play–based learning experiences were defined as instances which allow children to engage in active, social learning experiences in classrooms. This study explored the question of how kindergarten teachers describe their experiences with integrating play-based learning experiences in their classrooms, the value of play in their classrooms, their role as the adult during play experiences, and the difficulties that they face in making instructional decisions. The theories guiding this study were Froebel’s early childhood …

Ideas: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Project-Based Learning, James G. Laprad, Andrea M. Hyde

The Qualitative Report

As waves of the Global Educational Reform Movement, what Sahlberg (2015) identifies as GERM, still ripple around the world pushing for competition, standardization, the focus on the core subjects, and test-based accountability some schools like IDEAS choose what Hargreaves and Shirley (2012) call The Forth Way towards inspiration and innovation with their project-based learning pedagogy. IDEAS is a small public high school in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and a member of Ted Sizer’s Coalition of Essential Schools (CES). Our qualitative inquiry explores the implications of project-based learning on IDEAS’ students, teachers, academic program and school community. Data came from direct observation, interviews, …

"I Hope This Will Be A Good Year For Me..." : A Career-Changer Stumbles On The Fast Track To Teaching, Miranda Barry

Occasional Paper Series

Describes the very difficult experience of a new teacher who was inadequately prepared to manage her classroom of 35 students.

Turning Teachers Into Action Researchers In Their Classrooms, Dusty Columbia Embury, Laura S. Clarke

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Action research is often called the teacher’s research and often feels like a common sense approach to solving problems, but not all pre-service teachers begin careers knowing how to use this methodology to improve their own practice. This article offers a rationale for teaching pre-service teachers the skills and action research methodology as a tool for professional improvement based on the experiences of the authors engaging in a reflective process for teaching. While not generalizable, it is hoped that lessons learned may be applied by other faculty in teacher education programs.

The Racial Politics Of Elementary School Choice For Black Parents Living In Brooklyn, Ny, Shannon N. Allen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Charter school proliferation has disproportionately affected Black urban neighborhoods and the debate about the relationship between racial educational equity and enhanced public school choice through charters has created dissension and discord in scholarship and across Black politics, educational organizing efforts, neighborhoods, and school communities. This study is an interpretive policy analysis of the effects of charter school policy on the elementary school choice preferences and experiences of twenty Black parents living in predominately low-income and racially segregated Black Brooklyn neighborhoods where charter schools are disproportionately concentrated. It was designed to identify disparities between the values and goals of school choice …

Educating Incarcerated Youth In Illinois: A Blended Learning Model, John Sonnenberg

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to better understand the reasons behind the apparent continued success of a blended learning educational model in place since 2012 in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ). Using a mixed methods approach, data were gathered and analyzed from a variety of records, reports, and other documentation that included: diplomas awarded, courses taken, course completion, enrollment trends, student mobility rates, GED testing information, and special education student enrollment and performance. Data were also gathered through classroom observations and individual and group interviews with the IDJJ district superintendent, principals, and teachers at six different …

Lost & Found, Owen Gottlieb, Ian Schreiber, Kelly Murdoch-Kitt

Presentations and other scholarship

Lost & Found is a strategy card-to-mobile game series that teaches medieval religious legal systems with attention to period accuracy and cultural and historical context.

The Lost & Found games project seeks to expand the discourse around religious legal systems, to enrich public conversations in a variety of communities, and to promote greater understanding of the religious traditions that build the fabric of the United States. Comparative religious literacy can build bridges between and within communities and prepare learners to be responsible citizens in our pluralist democracy.

The first game in the series is a strategy game called Lost & …

Education's Loss Of The Public: An Archival Exploration Of American Public Schools' Diminishing Social Returns And The Emerging Utility Of Social Entrepreneurship, Tia Ha-Quyen Ho

Scripps Senior Theses

The literature presented in the following pages explores the shortcomings of the American public education system in the context of creating long-term, sustainable social change. Using financial illiteracy and its relationship to low quality of life as an entry point, the first section exposes public schools’ shortcomings as agents of social change by delving into the hardships endured by the original public school promoters of the 19^th century, the pitfalls of President George W. Bush’s 2001 enactment of No Child Left Behind, and the shortcomings of the financial literacy programming that found traction in urban schools following the subprime …

Reimagining The Stacks: Classroom Technology And Library Collaboration For Writing In The Disciplines, Jossalyn Larson, Daniel C. Reardon

Journal of Student Success in Writing (Archived)

This article details the process by which one university redesigned a first year writing course to better promote discipline-specific and best-practice research techniques. The program offers experiential learning activities through scholarly collaboration, using library staff as mentors, producing an open-access peer-reviewed student journal, and emphasizing face-to-face interaction of peer research communities. It has the potential to establish for students in high school, community colleges and universities that research writing is fundamentally about joining and contributing to a conversation.

Fostering Creative Ecologies In Australasian Secondary Schools, Leon R. De Bruin, Anne Harris

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study investigates and compares elements of creativity in secondary schools and classrooms in Australia and Singapore. Statistical analysis and qualitative investigation of teacher, student and leadership perceptions of the emergence, fostering and absence of creativity in school learning environments is explored. This large-scale international study (n=717) reveals the impact of teacher behaviours, teaching environments and school leadership approaches that promote and impede the enhancement of creative, critical, and innovative thinking, organisation, and curriculum structures. Implications for Australian schools and teaching urge for secondary education to challenge current, practices, pedagogies and environments, arguing for school-based strategies and considerations that enhance …

The Girl Factor: How Single-Sex Learning Environments Affect African American Girls' Discipline Referral Rate, Devonne Lampkin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The mission of the single-sex education is to provide learning environments that will bring out the best in each student and will provide opportunities for success that may not be available in co-educational settings. Several explanations have been suggested for differences between single-sex and coeducational settings in educational processes and in student outcomes. Schools that implement single-sex schools do so with the hope of decreasing the social pressures and distractions that will lead to a decrease in office discipline referrals which unenviably lead to suspensions. The purpose of this ex-post facto casual comparative study examines the impact single-sex schools have …

Relationship Between Sense Of Coherence And School Connectedness Among Online Public High School Students, Brad Hilliard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between sense of coherence and school connectedness among online public high school students. The connection students make with their school can affect their well-being based on the stress they perceive from the school and its environment. The variables of interest were the sense of coherence score and the school connectedness score. A bivariate correlational research study was performed to determine if there was a significant relationship between the two variables. The sample was 83 high school students enrolled in an online public school. Each completed the Sense of Coherence – …

Student Perspectives On Proficiency-Based Learning In Vermont's High School Completion Program, Hayley J. Shriner

Capstone Collection

This Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) paper examines student perspectives on proficiency-based learning at an adult education center in Vermont. Through Vermont’s High School Completion Program (HSCP), adults can earn their high school diplomas through proficiency-based Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs). This qualitative study focuses on high school-aged students who received referrals to the program from area schools within the context of the current shift toward proficiency-based learning mandated by Vermont Act 77. The study draws on resources specific to Act 77, as well as literature on the nationwide trend toward personalized learning and proficiency-based learning. The researcher uses holistic student …

The Experiences Of University Faculty Expected To Implement Edtpa Within A Teacher Preparation Program, Lance Kilpatrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of university faculty expected to implement a teacher performance assessment called edTPA within a teacher preparation program. This study synthesized the experiences university faculty members have when preparing and implementing the edTPA. A deep examination of 12 university faculty members who teach in teacher preparation programs in a Midwestern state where the edTPA is required for licensure offer their experience through a questionnaire, an individual interview, and a focus group interview. The data were collected, organized, and analyzed by employing transcendental phenomenological systematic data analysis procedures positioned to …

The Effect Of Group Counseling Intervention On The Performance Of Rural Students On The Georgia High School Graduation Tests, Donna Caudel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With an increase in high-stakes testing, educators continue to search for the best methodologies for assisting students in maximizing academic achievement and successful completion of graduation requirements including mandatory tests for high school graduation. At the time of this study, students graduating from Georgia high schools were required to pass five academic subject area tests in order to receive a high school diploma. Psychometric theory, social cognitive theory, and cognitive behavioral theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Students from a rural high school in Georgia comprised the sample. This quantitative study employed a posttest-only control group design with …

Interview With Bettina Love: Creating Spaces That Matter, Meca Williams-Johnson

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

This is an interview with Dr. Bettina Love on her work with the Kindezi Schools, a small, high-performing charter group in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Love’s thought provoking responses provide insight into the dynamics that make Kindezi Schools successful at reaching their students. Additionally, she shares concerns about the dilemma of Opportunity School Districts (OSD) and the schism OSD’s create in minority communities. Lastly, she shares how Kindezi became an opportunity school for Atlanta youth. This interview will be beneficial for parents, principals, teachers, and stakeholders who are interested in understanding how and why creating spaces to nurture student learning matters.

Life Satisfaction: A Study Of Engagement And The Academic Progress Of High School Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Rebecca Dilling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how high school students with specific learning disabilities describe life satisfaction and its impact on student motivation, academic engagement, and academic progress. Bruner’s constructivist theory guided this research. Other theories included: Piaget’s cognitive development theory, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, Vygotsky’s social learning theory, Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Bowlby’s attachment theory, Dewey’s brain-based learning theory, Glasser’s control theory of motivation, Bandura’s social cognitive theory, Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Data collection tools included the researcher’s journal, classroom observations, student interviews, two student focus …

Differences In Students' Satisfaction Of The Economics And Personal Finance Virtual High School Course Between Students Attending Economically Disadvantaged And Non-Economically Disadvantaged Schools In Virginia, Lhe Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Virtual learning is a mandated high school graduation requirement for students entering high school during the 2013 school year in the state of Virginia. The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to analyze the differences of perceived overall satisfaction of high school students enrolled in a virtual course in different socioeconomic status schools, as measured by the e-Learning Student Satisfaction (ELS) instrument. The study participants were high school students enrolled in an Economics and Personal Finance virtual/online high school course in Virginia, n = 249. The study utilized a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine if there …

An Examination Of Motivational Levels Of Non-Traditional Undergraduate Business And Education Majors, Kristopher Bradshaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research dissertation was developed for the purpose of advancing the literature in the realm of student motivation. Previous research in the field has placed little emphasis on the adult, non-traditional student population. Adult, non-traditional students represents an important part of the higher education climate in the United States and the unique motivators of this population needs further examination in order to more closely align academic programs and services with motives and goals. The research questions seek to answer if a significant difference exists between the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational levels of business majors compared to education majors in the …

Studying Medicine With Dyslexia: A Collaborative Autoethnography, Sebastian C.K. Shaw, John L. Anderson, Alec J. Grant

The Qualitative Report

The topic of this article is the experience of the impact of dyslexia on medical studies, explored using a collaborative autoethnographic methodological approach. The study was prompted by an initial and ongoing full search of the literature, which revealed an absence of autoethnographic research into the experiences of medical students with dyslexia. It has four aims: to provide an in-depth, multi-layered account of the impact of dyslexia on a UK undergraduate medical student; to help other students and academic support staff in similar situations; to outline improvements that could be made to medical and other educational curricula and examination procedures, …

The Effect Of Elementary And Middle School Grade Span And Transition On Student Achievement And Graduation, Jeana Conley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social factors surrounding critical transition periods, school and class size, and grade configuration at the elementary level greatly impact current and future student performance. The expectation is that all of these factors are standard among schools, but in reality, every school is different; therefore, the potential for inconsistent quality of learning exists. This causal-comparative study explored the difference etween school size, grade span configuration, and transitions associated with a district’s seven elementary feeder schools in a small county in rural Western North Carolina. Differences in student performance, in both reading and math, at the elementary, middle, and high school level, …

Exploring The Outdoors: A Multiple Case Study Examining Teacher Beliefs And Practices In Preschool Outdoor Play, Beverly Goodling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to discover the beliefs and practices regarding preschool outdoor play for early care and education teachers at three diverse school locations. Each site, located in central Pennsylvania, represented a different playground environment: manufactured, natural, and a mixed environment. Using purposeful, maximum variation sampling, three teachers from each of the three centers were selected as participants, based on age, number of years teaching, and educational background. Data collection methods consisted of observations, using the Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale (DeBord, Hestenes, Moore, Cosco & McGinnis, 2005), semi-structured interviews and a document review to …

Middle School Teachers' Perspectives Of Transitioning From The Traditional Teaching Model To The Blended Learning Model: A Phenomenological Study, Lisa Manross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the shared experiences of teachers going from a face-to-face traditional teaching model (FTFM) to a blended learning model (BLM) in a middle school setting in the southeastern United States. The theory, which guided this study was Schlossberg’s (1981, 2011) Transition Theory. Within the study, one central question and four sub-questions were used to guide the study. The research questions focused on middle school teachers’ experiences, as they implemented a BLM of instruction. To address these questions, data collection included individual interviews, a focus group, and a blogging activity. Using Moustakas’ (1994) …

Differences In Sense Of Community Between Students In A Middle School Virtual Class Versus A Traditional Class, Brandon Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the difference between students’ sense of community in the traditional classroom setting versus the virtual classroom setting with middle school–age students. McMillan and Chavis’s sense of community theory served as the theoretical foundation of the study. A quantitative, causal-comparative design was utilized to determine the effects of the variables. Students at a public middle school in Virginia and a virtual middle school in Tennessee participated in this study. Seventy-eight students participated from the public middle school that constituted the traditional setting, and 60 students participated from the virtual middle school that constituted the virtual setting. The students …

Bridged: An Autoethnography Exploring How An Alternative School For "At Risk" Middle And High School Youth Overcame The Achievement Gap, Michael Koeniger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to discover how an alternative school for at-risk students, bridged the achievement gap. It used autoethnographic approaches to examine the factors that have led to the successes of an urban school. In this study, 19 graduates of Eastend School (all participant and institutional names are replaced with pseudonyms), three parents and six current and former staff members participated in unstructured, individual interviews and shared their experiences. Autoethnographic field notes were composed. Documents and artifacts relating to Eastend School were collected and studied. The collected data were generally coded and specifically coded until themes …

The Influence Of Spousal Support On Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officers' Pursuit Of A Bachelor's Degree: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Randy Croft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore perceptions of spousal support among active-duty Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officers (Senior NCOs) in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Senior NCOs are comprised of enlisted Airmen in the ranks of E-7 through E-9. Fourteen active-duty Air Force Senior NCOs, who have completed, or are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program completed an online survey and a personal interview regarding their perceptions of spousal support in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. In addition, participants completed a written timeline, which helped provide context to college degree enrollment decisions and spousal …

Exploring The Critical Thinking Skills Of Respiratory Care Students And Faculty, Bshayer Ramadan Alhamad

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Introduction: Today, with the increased demands in health care, working as a competentrespiratory therapist requires being a highly skilled, critically thinking professional. Although students are expected to learn how to think critically mostly in the academic environment from their faculty, only a paucity of studies has assessed the critical thinking of respiratory care students, with none, to our knowledge, assessing that of faculty. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed method study was to (1) assess the overall critical thinking skill levels of both respiratory care students and faculty, (2) investigate whether respiratory care faculty have stronger overall critical thinking skills …

Promising Practices In Mentoring Minority Undergraduates In Research, Floralba Arbelo

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research opportunities have been linked to outcomes produced from undergraduate student engagement in research activities are associated with gains in writing, cognitive, and personal skills, enhanced self-concept, and academic achievement (ASHE Higher Education Report, 2007; Estepp, Velasco, Culbertson, & Conner, 2016). Research experiences allow students to engage in deep learning, helping them learn to link ideas and identify patterns using evidence and logic by examining arguments; ultimately developing their own ideas about a particular problem through reflection (Entwistle, 2006). Research demonstrates that this high impact practice enhances a student’s link to the campus, faculty, and peers, which in turn …

Civic Education Training Promotes Active Learning With Real-World Outcomes, Becci Burchett Gauna, Michelle Paul

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

The teaching of history is moving away from the rote memorization of textbooks and toward the development of civic skills. Illinois’ recent decision to require all students to complete a semester-long civics course brings us a step closer to measuring active citizenship. Typically harbored under the social studies umbrella, civics is now a stand-alone course. The state mandates that each civics course include service learning, controversial conversation, instruction regarding government institutions and procedures, and simulations.

Gatton Academy Study Abroad Program Effects On Perceptions Of Community Belongingness And Personal Growth And Development, Derick Brandon Strode

Dissertations

This dissertation’s focus is at the intersection of study abroad, impact assessment, and a population of gifted and talented students at a specialized, residential high school called The Gatton Academy. A summative impact evaluation was conducted to assess effects of Gatton Academy study abroad programs on student participants’ perceptions of peer belongingness, mentor belongingness, and personal growth and development, as well as to compare differences among three different program models being employed by the school. The three program models studied included a Non-Credit program, a Faculty-led Field-Study, and a Faculty-led Traditional program. The research was conducted amidst documented calls for …