Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Assessing Preservice Teachers’ Presentation Capabilities: Contrasting The Modes Of Communication With The Constructed Impression, Matt G. Bower, Robyn A. Moloney, Michael S. Cavanagh, Naomi Sweller

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A research-based understanding of how to develop and assess classroom presentation skills is vital for the effective development of pre-service teacher communication capabilities. This paper identifies and compares two different models of assessing pre-service teachers’ presentation performance – one based on the Modes of Communication (voice, body language, words, and alignment between those elements) and another based on features of the Constructed Impression of the communication acts (confidence, clarity, engagement and appropriateness). The Modes of Communication and the Constructed Impression of 164 pre-service teacher presentations were rated. The Constructed Impression model provided a better fit to data, while averaging of …

Validity Of Subjective Self-Assessment Of Digital Competence Among Undergraduate Preservice Teachers, Joseph Andrew Maderick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Technology is now integrated into the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) required to be a highly qualified 21st century teacher. Accurate measurement of digital competence has become critical. Self-assessment has been used widely to measure the digital competence of preservice teachers who are expected to integrate technology into their teaching. There is little in the literature indicating that there has been validation of self-assessment as a measure of that competence. While recent research studies have tested the validity of self-assessment verses objective testing among business and accounting students, there have been no studies of self-assessment validity conducted on digital competence …

E/Merging Across Africa: Five Papers On The Use Of Educational Technology In African Higher Education, Tony Carr

The African Journal of Information Systems

This guest editorial comments on the rapidly changing environment for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in African Higher Education Institutions (HEI), introduces the e/merge online conferences and gives a brief introduction to the papers in the special issue.

A Comparison Of Course Delivery Formats On Student Success Of Developmental English Students At California Community Colleges, Camilla Bantum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the influence of campus-based and online-based community college developmental English courses on two student success factors: course persistence and course success. Retrospective data on all first year California community college students enrolled in developmental English courses between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed for differences between students. Descriptive statistics were used to compare differences in individual student characteristics of age, gender, and race, and the situational variables of enrollment status and eligibility for tuition fee waiver. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the difference in likelihood of course success and course persistence of developmental English students in …

Ethical Implementation Of An Automated Essay Scoring (Aes) System: A Case Study Of Student And Instructor Use, Satisfaction, And Perceptions Of Aes In A Business Law Course, John K. Lewis

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

A pilot study of a vendor provided automated essay scoring system was conducted in a Business Law class of 27 students. Students answered a business law fact pattern question which was reviewed and graded by the textbook vendor utilizing artificial intelligence software. Students were surveyed on their use, satisfaction, perceptions and technical issues utilizing the Write Experience automated essay scoring (AES) software. The instructor also chronicles the adoption, set up and use of an AES. Also detailed are the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing such software in an undergraduate course environment where some students may not be technologically adept or …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Mathematics Class For Low Achieving Middle School Students In Northwest Georgia, Johnnie Coats

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

High-stakes testing has become crucial in public education, requiring students to meet increasingly higher standards, regardless of their ability levels. This causal-comparative study sought to determine the effectiveness of an intervention mathematics course in the middle school setting for at-risk, sixth grade students. The Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) math scores of 143 at-risk students enrolled in a remediation mathematics course were compared to scores from a control population of 143 at-risk students who did not participate in the class. Math scores from the 2008 administration of the CRCT test were used as covariates, and comparisons were made using …

The Effects Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Informational Text Comprehension And Metacognitive Awareness Of Fifth Grade Students, Margaret Mccown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on informational text comprehension and metacognitive awareness of fifth grade students. This study tested the theories of metacognition and social cognition with a focus on self-regulation and self-efficacy. Participating students included a heterogeneous mix of regular education students, students with disabilities, and English learners (ELs). Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, this study examined the effects of CSR on informational text comprehension using the Qualitative Reading Inventory-5 (QRI-5) and Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Metacognitive awareness was measured using the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI). Data …

Going The Distance: A Study Of Student Success Rates In An Online Platform, Della F. Pack

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Della F. Pack on June 6, 2013.

Using Blended Learning To Take Advantage Of Learning Science Research, Jennifer Spohrer

Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts Conference

Why does blended learning work? Some observers have suggested that students simply spend more time with the material in a blended course, but evidence from studies of blended courses is mixed. Learning science research suggests that how learners study also matters, and a blended learning approaches incorporate many tactics shown to be effective, such as formative assessment, repetition at intervals, and metacognitive prompting.

Keynote: Nglc Blended Learning Study Report And Where Do We Go From Here?, Kimberly Cassidy, Jennifer Spohrer

Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts Conference

Drs. Cassidy and Spohrer will give an update on the Next Generation Learning Challenges Wave I grant-funded study of blended learning, including an overview of preliminary findings from courses taught at our partner colleges over the 2012-2013 academic year. We will also present and discuss possible next steps for 2013-2014.

Cooking Up A Course: Food Education At Pomona College, Christina A. Cyr

Pomona Senior Theses

Cooking skills are important but declining, with significant health, social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental implications. Food and cooking education can begin to address some of the negative effects of the cooking skills decline. This thesis makes the case for cooking classes in the education system, especially in higher education. The paper begins with a history of cooking education and skills, outlines the implications of the decline in skills, and discusses the potential for cooking education in higher education. The second part consists of a course syllabus, designed for Pomona College. The third section includes a discussion of the implementation …

Teacher Attitudes Of Inclusion And Academic Performance Of Students With Disabilities, Jonathan Earl Sutton

Dissertations

Since the integration of the inclusion model, supported by the IDEA (1997), within public schools, teacher resistance and frustration has risen (Hardy, 1999). The climate of general education teachers’ classrooms furthermore, has not been the same (Liu & Meyer, 2005). Key elements ensuring success of inclusion and the implementation of inclusive education are the views, perspectives, and attitudes of the personnel who have the responsibility for implementing it; the teachers (Shade & Stewart, 2001). Avramidis and Norwich (2002) argued that successful implementation of any inclusive policy or programming is extremely dependent upon the educators being receptive and positive. Hines (2011) …

Language Arts Achievement Of Fourth Grade Students With Regard To Gender, Ethnicity, And Socioeconomic Status, Paula C. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to see if a difference exists in the language arts proficiency levels of 2,080 fourth grade students with regard to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status from 2010 through 2012 on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. Specifically, this study considered the possibility that a difference existed in language arts proficiency levels between males and females.

A quantitative study was used to find differences in the language arts proficiency levels from 2010 through 2012 for males and females in the fourth grade in an upper East Tennessee urban school system. A quasi-experimental design was selected because preexisting data …

A Mixed Methods Case Study: Understanding The Experience Of Nebraska 4-H Participants Relative To Their Transition And Adaptation To College, Jill Walahoski

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This mixed methods case study was designed to assess the preparedness of former Nebraska 4-H participants to successfully transition and adjust to college. The study also sought to understand the way that students’ experiences in Nebraska 4-H may have influenced their readiness to transition to college. The initial quantitative stage of this case study administered the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire to former 4-H participants who were recent high school graduates. Latter qualitative stages included interviews with staff regarding the practices and strategies they employed related to preparing young people for college and interviews with former 4-H participants selected from …

Culturally Proficient Teachers, Lori R. Piowlski

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Action needs to be taken by teacher preparation programs to prepare culturally proficient educators who are able to deliver equitable instruction and inspire all students to strive for greatness if the achievement gap is to be closed. Existing literature mainly describes the importance and urgency to prepare future teachers for the changing demographics with classrooms across the United States. There is not significant literature on how it is being done. Therefore the purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how university teacher education programs are preparing teachers to be culturally proficient. A cross-reference of data collected from Adequate Yearly …

Veteran Teachers And Novice Coaches: A Case Study Of Content Focused Coaching In Three Persistently Failing Midwestern Middle Schools, Brian E. Gamm

Dissertations

This research is a qualitative case study analysis of the experiences of six, veteran, English Language Arts teachers, and three, first-year, English Language Arts instructional coaches all of whom are implementing a district-mandated reform strategy called Content-Focused Coaching. The settings for this research study were three Persistently Lowest Achieving middle schools. The researcher began the data collection process with the organization of Professional Learning Community agendas and minutes. Following the organization of PLC meeting agendas and minutes, four categories were identified that were used as criteria for classroom observations as well as in assisting in organizing responses collected during the …

Information Literacy Assessment: Keep It Simple, Keep It Going, Larry Sheret, John A. Steele

Librarian Research

Is it possible to administer an information literacy assessment in only a few classes that would provide essential, adequate, data from semester to semester? In a college with a student body of about 2,000, would it be possible to obtain actionable assessment results if only 150 to 200 students were assessed each semester?

This article is the result of the creation and implementation of the information literacy assessment that was launched in the fall of 2009 by Savage Library at Western State College of Colorado (WSC). WSC changed its name to Western State Colorado University on August 1, 2012. The …

Landscapes To Learnscapes: Exploring Schoolyard-Based Education, Emily I. Palena, Caroline T. Spurgin

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis explores schoolyard-based education as a viable and necessary method for rectifying the shortcomings within the American public school system and the Nature-deficit Disorder epidemic. We argue that schoolyard-based education should be fully integrated into the school system, not in the sole form of popularized school gardens, but as a standard teaching method. We show this using extensive research and a case study of three elementary schools in Claremont, California.

Making Grades Matter: Connections Between Teacher Grading Practices And Attention To State Assessment, Gregory D. Warsen

Dissertations

Research suggests that traditional grading practices are fraught with subjective problems and that many factors go into grading that have little, if anything, to do with what a student knows or is able to do. More recent research, however, has made connections between teacher-assigned grades and subsequent performance on the American College Test using correlational studies. This study reinforces and extends that work by, first, testing the relationship between grade point averages (GPAs) and ACT scores for four graduating high school classes in two case study high schools. Then, this study qualitatively examines teacher thinking and decision making around planning …

Improving Student Achievement Through Feedback, Jennifer L. Mchlachlan

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper reviews the current research that exists on feedback given to students in an educational setting. Questions examined were what characteristics make feedback effective, what are the effects on student achievement if feedback is available to students in a math classroom and does timing of the feedback given play a role in its effectiveness. Results showed that feedback is effective if it is descriptive, including both strengths and weaknesses. Feedback given in small doses throughout the learning process, so as not to overwhelm students, has also proven effective. The research shows that the effect of feedback on student achievement …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of Pre-Service And In-Service Training Regarding The Integration Of Twenty-First Century Technologies Into Selected Teachers' Instruction, Christopher Clark

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand how in-service teachers with three to five years of experience perceive their pre-service and in-service training regarding the integration of twenty-first century technology into their instruction. Twenty participants from a rural public school system in southeast North Carolina participated. This study attempted to describe the following: (1) How do third through fifth year teachers in one public school district in North Carolina feel about their technological awareness and ability to integrate twenty-first century technologies into their instruction? (2) How do third through fifth year teachers in one public school district …

Bridging The Divide: A Case Study Investigating Digitally-Wise Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Cyberbullying, Tiffany Graves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of middle school, technologically proficient, or digitally-wise teachers, regarding how they defined, prevented, recognized, and handled incidences of cyberbullying in four middle schools located in Southern Virginia. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire, archival data, including school public records and lesson plans, and interviews. Data for this study were triangulated and synthesized following Stake's data analysis procedures to create naturalistic generalizations for the readers. All data was coded and 10 emergent themes developed. Digitally-wise middle school teachers voiced confidence about their ability to define cyberbullying; they shared …

Is The Sat The Root Of All Evil? Reviewing The Evidence On Admission Policies And Diversity In Higher Education, Loris Fagioli

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

It is imperative to achieve diversity in Higher Education. With affirmative action policies under fire, it is becoming difficult to enroll a diverse student body. Many critics see standardized tests, and the SAT in particular, as contributing to the problem. This paper reviews research on such criticism, about suggested alternative approaches, and regarding recommendations on how to improve the current situation. In general, this review finds little evidence against a judicious use of the SAT. Also, alternative approaches such as percent plans or abolishing the SAT have had little success in increasing diversity. However, most specialists agree that a comprehensive …

The Great Migration: Charter School Satisfaction Among African American Parents, Monica Almond

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

This study addresses the reasons that African American students are disproportionately enrolled in public charter schools by surveying parents of African American charter school students at a small public charter middle school in California. The researcher utilized a quantitative research design by collecting survey data from 71 charter school parents. The findings indicate the following reasons that African American parents remove their students from traditional public schools: their desire for a safer schooling environment, higher expectations for their students, individualized attention, and a college-going atmosphere. Recommendations are made for traditional public school leaders to consider the implementation of these practices.

Teacher Self-Efficacy: Common Core State Standards Within A 21st Century Skills Framework, John Wilborn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand teachers' self-efficacy in instructing 21st century learning skills in a high school core curriculum. This study examined the impact of three highly qualified teachers' attitudes toward instructing the Common Core State Standards 4C's (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity) within a 21st century skills framework. Four research questions guided this study. What attitudes do teachers exhibit regarding instruction of 21st century learning skills? To what extent do teachers seek to engage students in creativity and innovation? To what degree do teachers implement neomillennial learning styles? How will the participants measure their own …

Content Learning And Identity Construction (Clic): A Framework To Strengthen African American Students’ Mathematics And Science Learning In Urban Elementary Schools, Maria Varelas, Danny B. Martin, Justine M. Kane

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

We present a theoretical framework that views learning as a process involving content learning (CL) and identity construction (IC). We view identities as lenses through which people make sense of, and position themselves, through stories and actions, and as lenses for understanding how they are positioned by others. As people become more (or less) central members of a disciplinary community (e.g., a science or mathematics classroom) and engage (or not) in various cultural practices, changes in identity and knowledge accompany changes in position and status. Identity construction (IC) and content learning (CL) share an important characteristic: they both involve meaning …

The Heart Of Higher Education, John Delony, Sheila Delony

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Implementation Of Professional Learning Communities And The Impact On Student Achievement, Cristi M. Bostic

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation evaluated the implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban school district in North Carolina. The presence of shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collective learning and application, shared personal practice, supportive conditions for relationships, and supportive conditions for structures are all attributes that were assessed to determine the degree of implementation.

A quantitative and qualitative program evaluation was conducted using the CIPP evaluation model to determine the degree of implementation of professional learning communities and whether or not the implementation has had an impact on student achievement based on state end of course test …

Effects Of An Inverted Instructional Delivery Model On Achievement Of Ninth-Grade Physical Science Honors Students, Donna Howell

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods action research study was designed to assess the achievement of ninth-grade Physical Science Honors students by analysis of pre and posttest data. In addition, perceptual data from students, parents, and the researcher were collected to form a complete picture of the flipped lecture format versus the traditional lecture format.

The researcher utilized a 4MAT learning cycle in two Physical Science Honors classes. One of these classes was traditionally delivered with lecture-type activities taking place inside the classroom and homework-type activities taking place at home; the other inverted, or flipped, delivered with lecture-type activities taking place outside the classroom …

Attitudes And Beliefs Of Upper Elementary Teachers Regarding The Teaching Of Cursive Handwriting, Dorothy Myers

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study surveyed current third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in two small school districts in the southeast. One school district has initiated a technology initiative in its elementary schools. The other school district involved in the study incorporates technology but does not have a specified technology initiative. This dissertation was designed to provide information about the attitudes and beliefs of current third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers about the necessity of teaching cursive handwriting. Many schools today either no longer teach cursive handwriting or do not spend the amount of time teaching cursive handwriting as in years past. With the age …