Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Professional Stem Identity, Achievement Goal Orientation, And Selfauthorship In Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate Stem Students, Christopher King

Theses and Dissertations

Post-secondary education is meant to build the cognitive and professional growth of the students studying all subjects. Yet, little is known about the development of how students think of themselves as members of the field, nor how they develop from a young novice to a person eligible for employment. A lens of self-authorship was used to compliment and interpret data collected regarding how students think of themselves as member of the STEM community (STEM Identity) and how they perceive their achievement STEM Identity. There was a significant link between student-mentor experiences and a higher professional identity and more progress along …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Public School Teachers’ Experiences While Teaching During A Pandemic, Andrew M. Bard

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of K-12 public school teachers related to stress and burnout while teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three research questions guided this study: (1) How do K-12 public school teachers describe their lived experiences while teaching during a pandemic?, (2) How do K-12 public school teachers describe their perceptions of stressors related to teaching during a pandemic?, and (3) How do K-12 public school teachers describe their experience as learners while adapting to teaching during a pandemic? Constructivism and social constructivism were applied as the conceptual and theoretical …

School Leadership Support: Understanding The Experiences Of Elementary-Level Teachers During A Global Health Pandemic, Kathleen M. Crawford, Pamela Wells, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Kristen N. Dickens, Katherine Fallon

School Leadership Review

The purpose of this study was to better understand how the current COVID-19 global health pandemic has professionally and emotionally impacted elementary-level teachers. Teachers experienced diverse challenges during this unprecedented time with a rapid shift from in-person to online learning. Two overarching themes emerged based on participant experiences: abandoning best practices and increased stress and emotional pain. Implications for practice included the need for school leaders to evaluate the current level of support being provided to teachers and assess areas of need to support professional and emotional growth with the backdrop of the pandemic. We encourage future research with all …

Learning To Fly: The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Development Of The 4cs In The Elementary Grades, Deborah Francois

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the impact of project-based learning on K-5 students’ development of the 4Cs (Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, Collaboration) as perceived by elementary charter school teachers.

Methodology: A phenomenological design was selected to address the research questions for this study. Through purposeful sampling, 12 charter elementary teachers who met a pre-determined set of criteria (including the routine integration of project-based learning within their instructional programs) were selected to participate in virtual, semi-structured interviews. All teachers were employed by charter schools located in six counties within California. The interviews were conducted using …

On Your Marks, Handset, Go: An Illustrative Case Study Of A Professional Development Initiative About Mobile Learning, Nichole A. Scarlett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technology is shaping our personal and professional lives every day, yet many educators struggle with its implementation and therefore are not using it to the fullest potential. The purpose of this single-case study was to analyze how a teacher’s participation in a Professional Development (PD) initiative influenced the implementation of mobile technology in teaching and learning mathematics. Using the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework (Schoenfeld et al., 2016a) and the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) model (Puentedura, 2006) in this qualitative research, I employed a case study approach to understand the challenges faced by a teacher and ways of …

Quality Assurance, Meet Quality Appreciation: Using Appreciative Inquiry To Define Faculty Quality Standards, Ann M. Morgan, Rebecca L. Jobe, Juli K. Konopa, Lyda D. Downs

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study outlines the journey of an online university to evaluate faculty performance standards, key performance indicators, and systems for quality assurance using an appreciative inquiry summit model. The study reveals the power of quality appreciation as an approach that elicits a shared vision for quality definitions and standards and serves as a historical marker in the higher education shift from data-driven faculty performance approaches to strengths-based, inclusive methods.

Method: The retrospective business case outlines one university’s 2018 Appreciative Inquiry Summit, 5D (define, discover, dream, design, destiny/deliver) approach, resulting deliverables, lessons learned, and conclusions.

Results: The summit and subsequent …

Gen Z Students’ Experiences With College Choice, Heather Levesque

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what influences Gen Z student college choice. Research on college choice has provided insight into whether or not a student will attend college; however, limited research exists on what impacts Gen Z students’ college choice and how marketing and communication influence what college a student will choose. College recruitment has always been challenging, given the high competition between colleges and universities. With the decrease in enrollment over the last decade and the unexpected impact of COVID-19, that challenge continues to grow. Enrollment and marketing administrators have difficulty expanding and diversifying their …

The Impact Of Webquest On Improving Grade Nine Students English Writing Skills In Public Schools In Qatar, Abdelkarim Ibrahim Chaabane Mr., Abdelkarim Ibrahim Chaabane Mr.

Multidisciplinary Studies Theses

Despite the tremendous efforts that have been exerted in Qatar to improve the teaching of EFL writing, EFL teachers still fail to deliver adequately and the learners’ writing proficiency remains below expectations. This study is an attempt to investigate the impact of WebQuest on improving grade nine EFL students’ writing skills to inform teachers and policy makers for future intervention and improvement. The data is from fifteen male students who study at a preparatory school in Qatar. They were selected based on opportunistic convenience sampling strategy (Duff 2008). The participants took a pre-test and a posttest about writing a descriptive …

The Effect Of Tier 2 Intervention On Student Achievement & Student Self-Efficacy, Cheyenne Morgan Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biology is a key course in a student's learning path. It provides important information about the living world and creates foundational knowledge that will be used in other science courses as the student progresses through his or her secondary and post-secondary education. However, there is a pattern of low student achievement in this required science course. The inability for students to understand and retain the curriculum in turn leads to low self-efficacy. Together, this creates a poor attitude toward science and a reluctance to pursue further science courses and in turn science careers. Response to Intervention (RTI), a common educational …

Curiosity, Motivation, Autonomy, And Lifelong Learning In Education And The United States Marine Corps, Cynthia Malmquist

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Curiosity, intrinsic motivation, and autonomy-supportive teaching all promote lifelong learning in both the classroom and Marine Corps. Humans are all born with curiosity. Children inherently practice forms of intrinsic motivation. Most would agree that they do not like being micromanaged - they enjoy a sense of freedom when completing tasks. Despite this, many students learn in a controlling environment and many Marines work under controlling leaders. Though a large amount of time is spent on learning through the first 18 years of life, lifelong learning does not come naturally and is not commonly practiced. The research and ideas discussed below …

Thinking Matters Poster - Applying Udl In Online Courses, Mike Matis

Thinking Matters Symposium

The Universal Design for Learning framework offers a synthesis of 40 years worth of discovery in the fields of education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. UDL describes itself as a framework that can be used by educators to create inclusive learning environments that acknowledge the inherent variability in all learners. This mixed-methods, exploratory study investigates the application of UDL in two post-secondary online courses. It examines and portrays the instructors of the courses involved as learners through a series of interviews; explores the process of applying the UDL framework to modify a portion of their courses they are unhappy with; and …

Teachers’ Perceptions On Implementing Read 180 During The Covid-19 Pandemic For Grade 3-5 Students In A Georgia Public School, Monika Nicole Whitmire

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed by the study was to examine the effectiveness of the implementation of the Read 180 Universal reading intervention program for students who struggle with reading during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this case study was to describe teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Read 180 program for elementary students in a grades 3-5 Georgia elementary school during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative research paradigm has been used in the research described below.

A case study involved semi- structured interviews of 12 general ELA teachers in grades 3, 4, and 5. A thematic …

An Investigation Into The Experiences Of Secondary Social Studies Teachers Regarding A Change In State-Level Social Studies Standards In A Colorado School District, Lindsay Mcmichael Sitterley

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher investigated the perceptions of secondary social studies teachers regarding the change in state - level social studies standards, especially in terms of their response in instructional practice. Furthermore, the study included a discussion of the factors that influence the actions of teachers related to the change in the social studies curriculum. This allowed for an analysis of potential changes in instructional decision making, such as including cooperative learning strategies, that were the result of the change in curriculum. The study is significant as changes in recommended instructional strategies have occurred in recent years. Additionally, research in the field …

A Case Study Of The History, Impact, And Political Reforms Of The Hope Scholarship In Georgia, Stephen Crawford Boyd

Theses and Dissertations

The qualitative bounded case study examined the HOPE Scholarship including the policy changes it went through since its inception and the impact HOPE has made on postsecondary education in Georgia. HOPE is the largest merit-based scholarship in the United States and is facing issues with funding for future scholars. This dissertation addressed its inception by Governor Zell Miller, the changes that it went through as issues arose, and the impact it has made on postsecondary education since 1993.

The problem addressed by this dissertation was there was a lack of longitudinal research data on the topics addressed in this dissertation. …

From The Editors..., Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Learning To Navigate The Unknown: The Importance Of Critical Reflection And Collaboration For Community College Faculty During A Pandemic, Karen Ann Ladley

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused sudden and dramatic shifts in educational systems worldwide, including colleges and universities. Students, faculty, and service staff found themselves navigating uncertain times and addressing challenges they had not faced previously. The use of critical reflection and collaboration became crucial for faculty as they struggled to engage students in different ways. Understanding students’ needs and addressing them effectively became priorities with reflection and collaboration both cost-effective and convenient methods. Following this time of uncertainty, faculty can continue using reflection and collaborative learning communities to address new challenges and obstacles, especially at community colleges where money, time, and …

Student Perception Of Essential Employability Qualities In A First-Year Experience Course, Kara S. Schotter

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Kara S. Schotter on April 4, 2022

The Confidence Of High School Special Education (Sped) Teachers To Deliver Instruction In A 100% Virtual Learning Environment Due To Covid-19, Darius E. James

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic had substantially altered others' daily social interactions and the delivery of education globally. From preschool to universities, educational institutions worldwide temporarily closed their brick-and-mortar facilities to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The transition from in-person to virtual learning was very abrupt, and the transition forced teachers of all experience levels to adapt to a new normal of virtual instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of high school special education teachers’ confidence to deliver virtual instruction to students within a school district that was …

Research Administration Open-Source Platforms: An Assessment Of Institutional Administrators Interest In Technology Adoption, Derrick C. Gilmore

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Derrick C. Gilmore on March 17, 2022.

Feedback Preferences Of University Student-Teachers From Supervisors And Their Rationale In Teaching Practicum, Innocent B. Rugambuka, Josta L. Nzilano

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examines the feedback preferences of university student-teachers (STs) from supervisors and the rationale for the preferences during teaching practicum (TP). It involved second-year STs (N = 109) of a government-owned university in Tanzania. The study sought to achieve two objectives: (i) explore the type of feedback preferred by STs from their supervisors during TP; and (ii) elicit the reasons for the feedback preferences during TP. Interviews and focused group discussions were used for data collection. The findings indicated that STs mostly prefer written (59%) over oral (38%) and blended (3%) types of feedback. However, the rationale for the …

The Recovery Coach: An Intentional, Relational Interventionist As A Response To The Covid-19 Incomplete Grade Trend, Melanie A. Turrano

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many crises in education; fair and just grading was but one. During that tumultuous time, colleges improvised and created many “hold harmless” grading policies to provide empathy and understanding to students as well as to retain students otherwise negatively impacted by the inequities in their personal lives as well as the socioeconomic digital divide. One “due no harm” policy enacted at the community college where this study occurred was the encouragement of Incomplete (I) grades that prevented student failure in the short term, but traditionally results in long-term failure when the grade of Incomplete (I) converts …

Defining Collaboration Through The Lens Of A Delphi Study: Student Affairs And Academic Affairs Partnerships In Residential Learning Communities, Margaret Leary, Tina M. Muller, Samantha Kramer, John Sopper, Richard D. Gebauer, Mary Ellen Wade

The Qualitative Report

Evidence suggests that collaborations between academic affairs and student affairs can foster student success both inside and outside of the classroom. Residential learning communities (RLCs) are a popular avenue by which these two divisions can find collaborative opportunities to integrate students’ curricular and cocurricular experiences. Although this strategy can be rich in student success rewards, academic affairs, and student affairs face challenges as they work to overcome cultural and structural differences. One of these challenges may simply be the lack of a shared interpretation of collaboration. The purpose of this study is to arrive at a consensus definition of collaboration …

Care Coordination For Children With Special Health Care Needs: A Scoping Review To Inform Strategies For Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Susan C. Davies, Jennifer P. Lundine, Ann F. Justice

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Chronic and complex medical issues, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), have significant educational implications. The purpose of this study was to identify and summarize the literature on care coordination strategies among health care professionals, educators, and caregivers for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Clarifying factors that influence care coordination for CSHCN can inform future studies on care coordination for students with TBI. Improved understanding of these factors may lead to better communication, reduction of unmet needs, more efficient service access, and improved long-term outcomes for children.

METHODS A scoping review was conducted, guided by PRISMA-ScR methodology. Five …

Editorial: Education Leadership And The Covid-19 Crisis, Margaret Grogan, Michelle D. Young, Mónica Byrne-Jiménez

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This research topic presents important developments in the field of education as the COVID-19 crisis ripples across the world. Not only have educators everywhere had to take extraordinary measures to deal with the health and safety threats they have encountered on a daily basis since the onset of this pandemic, but they have also had to learn new technologies, and respond to multiple demands as the landscape of teaching and learning shifted under their feet. The 20 articles in this collection, which capture early responses to the pandemic, highlight the complex, disruptive nature of this ongoing global challenge. While many …

Using Daily Learning Objectives To Guide Teaching And Assessment With Chris Estepp -New Faculty Lunch Discussion, Chris Estepp

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Daily learning objectives should drive instruction and assessment. This talk will discuss creating measurable, student-centered objectives and how to create assessments that can effectively measure student learning.

The Essential Characteristics Of Coaching That Secondary Principals Perceive Support Effective Leadership At School Sites, Bryanna Norton

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the essential characteristics of coaching that secondary principals perceive to support effective leadership at school sites. An additional purpose of this study was to determine what strategies secondary principals recommend for improving coaching that supports effective leadership at school sites.

Methodology: This study adopted a phenomenological approach. The researcher analyzed the lived experiences of 11 secondary principals and identified any commonalities that existed among their interviews based on their perceived truths and perceptions of their lived experiences.

Findings: Analysis of interviews, observations, and artifacts from 11 high school …

How Female Stem Undergraduate Students Form Their Science Identity, Todd Martin Medovich

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative case study describes how female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students choose their undergraduate major, the obstacles they faced when making that choice, and how they overcome gender-based obstacles. These descriptions illuminate the manner in which they form their science identity.

There is a gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (Viadero, 2009). This has been attributed to both biological and sociocultural causes. The biological basis for this disparity includes evidence of physiological differences between females and males, as well as the microaggressions and sexual harassment stemming from these differences (Bottia et al., 2015). …

The Effect Of Instructor-To-Student Ratios, Academic Preparation, And Selective Admissions On Retention Rates Among Caahep Accredited Paramedic Training Programs., Justin G. Tilghman

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This study was a non-experimental evaluative study designed to identify the effects of instructor-to-student ratios, academic preparation, and selective admissions processes on retention rates among CAAHEP accredited paramedic training programs in the United States. Methods: Self-reported data from accredited program directors was analyzed to identify what relationships, if any, existed among the variables. Results: Results showed no effect of instructor-to-student ratios or academic preparation on retention rates. However, those programs that utilized selective admissions processes reported a statistically significantly higher student retention rate when compared to those that did not. Conclusions: Paramedic programs seeking to improve retention rates …

Teacher Use And Perceptions Of Writing Practices In West Virginia: Policy And Leadership Implications, Margaret Luma

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

National standardized test scores indicate West Virginia students perform below the national average in writing achievement, yet little research has been conducted to investigate how writing is being taught. Gaining understanding of the instructional strategies West Virginia teachers use to teach writing may provide insight for educational leaders about how to better support and prepare teachers for the complex task of teaching writing. Identifying challenges and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices may provide areas of focus for school and policy improvements as they relate to writing expectations. This study investigated the practices and perceptions of fourth-grade teachers in West Virginia …

A Qualitative Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy For Teaching Writing, Abby Rose Waldorf

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research was to determine self-efficacy levels of Secondary English Education pre-service teachers attending two public universities concerning writing and the teaching of writing. The study found that pre-service teachers were confident and identified as writers, but they felt uncertain as teachers of writing. Past teachers’ praise was found to positively increase writing self-efficacy. Even though pre-service teachers enjoyed and looked forward to teaching writing, they felt they needed more time in the classroom and preparation from college courses. College courses were found to be lacking in the preparation needed for teaching writing. Pre-service teachers did not …