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Articles 211 - 240 of 408

Full-Text Articles in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Team Captain: A Quantitative Study Examining The Relationship Between Extracurricular And/Or Co-Curricular Participation And Leadership Styles Of Beginning Superintendents, Shawn Poyser Mar 2016

Team Captain: A Quantitative Study Examining The Relationship Between Extracurricular And/Or Co-Curricular Participation And Leadership Styles Of Beginning Superintendents, Shawn Poyser

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study was conducted to determine if there was a significant relationship between extracurricular and/or co-curricular participation and leadership styles of beginning superintendents in the state of Missouri. First-year superintendents from 63 school districts in Missouri were invited to participate in the study, and 28 participated. The first instrumentation used in the research was a Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X Short Form, created by Bass and Avolio (2004), consisting of 45 leadership style questions and was administered online through Mind Garden, Ltd. In addition to the MLQ 5X-Short, participants were invited to complete a second survey created by the researcher, …

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Comparing The Effectiveness Of Flipped Classroom And Traditional Classroom Student Engagement And Teaching Methodologies, Michael T. Holik Mar 2016

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Flipped Classroom And Traditional Classroom Student Engagement And Teaching Methodologies, Michael T. Holik

Dissertations

Studies exist on the effectiveness of learning in a flipped classroom learning setting; however, there is limited research available regarding the success or failure rates of flipped classroom learning in technical culinary arts programs. This study, using an action-based research approach, was designed to gather evidence from a technical education program to determine if students perform better in the flipped classroom or traditional classroom. Multiple instruments were designed to gather information about the culinary flipped classroom format. Instructor and student perceptions about the learning in each type of classroom were explored, levels of student engagement were recorded, and final course …

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Traditional And Hybrid Dental Assisting Program: An Exploration Of Design And Optimal Outcomes For Community College Students, Janet A. Sell Mar 2016

Traditional And Hybrid Dental Assisting Program: An Exploration Of Design And Optimal Outcomes For Community College Students, Janet A. Sell

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate an accredited dental assisting educational program at a Midwest community college. The Bureau of Labor of Statistics (2015) claimed the profession of dental assisting is one of the fastest growing occupation, along with ongoing research that good oral health is linked to overall general health, thereby increasing the need for more dental assistants in the workforce. The aim of this study was to determine if dental assisting students taking courses in a face-to-face traditional format performed differently from students taking courses in a hybrid (a combination of face-to face and online) format. The researcher …

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Missouri Public School Administrators’ Perceived Effectiveness Of Senate Bill No. 75, Joby B. Steele Jan 2016

Missouri Public School Administrators’ Perceived Effectiveness Of Senate Bill No. 75, Joby B. Steele

Dissertations

In this quantitative study, the perceptions of safety and preparedness of Missouri’s high school administrators after participating in active shooter training as mandated by Missouri’s Senate Bill No. 75 were analyzed. As school shootings continue, states have passed legislation to prepare schools to provide safety for students and faculty members (Shah, 2013b). There are currently limited data about the perceived effectiveness of Missouri’s Senate Bill No. 75 and its ability to help administrators feel safe and prepared in the event of an active shooter. This study involved examination of what schools can do to prepare for a school shooting before …

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The Impact Of Secondary Career And Technical Education On Postsecondary Career And Educational Placement, Roy Allen Moss Jan 2016

The Impact Of Secondary Career And Technical Education On Postsecondary Career And Educational Placement, Roy Allen Moss

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to provide evidence of the impact career and technical education courses have on students after graduation. Numbers of Career and Technical Education (CTE) completers have continually dropped at the participating schools for the past five years. Five categories of placement after graduation were studied including the following: college, employment, postsecondary vocational training, military, and no placement. Archival data were gathered from postgraduate surveys conducted by high schools as required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Data were collected for graduates in 2011, 2012, and 2013 from four area high schools that …

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Exploring Personal Attitudes Towards Parent Involvement As It Relates To Relational Aggression Acted Out Through Social Media, Karla M. Holland Dec 2015

Exploring Personal Attitudes Towards Parent Involvement As It Relates To Relational Aggression Acted Out Through Social Media, Karla M. Holland

Dissertations

Relational aggression acted out through social media or cyber bullying is an evergrowing limitedly researched issue that is impacting students and parents alike. A mixedmethod study was conducted using existing older and aspiring younger social workers and counselors to investigate attitudes (focus groups and text box comments) and relationships (surveys) between variables. The research questions asked how attitudes toward cyber bullying based on gender, type of social media, parent versus nonparent status, and involved parent versus not involved parent status. Hypotheses tested correlations between the same elements. Participants were 75 existing social workers and counselors working at a Midwestern school …

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The Perceptions Of Elementary Stem Schools In Missouri, Kelli Michelle Alumbaugh Nov 2015

The Perceptions Of Elementary Stem Schools In Missouri, Kelli Michelle Alumbaugh

Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, or STEM, is an area that is currently growing in popularity with educators (Becker & Park, 2011). A qualitative study consisting of interviews was conducted and data were gathered from three leaders in professional STEM organizations, four principals from elementary STEM schools, and six teachers from elementary STEM schools to gain their perceptions of elementary STEM schools in Missouri. The perceptions of leaders in professional STEM organizations regarding STEM education were consistently all positive, and each leader was a proponent of STEM education at the elementary level. The perceptions of principals and teachers were …

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Grit And Student Performance: A Mixed-Method Analysis Of A Non-Traditional Technical High School And A Traditional High School, Ronda L. Wallace Nov 2015

Grit And Student Performance: A Mixed-Method Analysis Of A Non-Traditional Technical High School And A Traditional High School, Ronda L. Wallace

Dissertations

Grit, defined as the tendency to pursue long-term goals with sustained zeal and hard work, was shown to predict achievement in academic, vocational, and avocational domains. In 2009, Duckworth and Quinn found that grit predicted student effectiveness in school and the concept of grit was largely unrelated to talent. Grit provided incremental predictive validity for achievement outcomes, particularly in settings of high challenge. From the combination of persistence, self-control, and more broadly, conscientiousness, emerges the concept of grit. The purpose of this study was to compare the relative grittiness of students from two different high school settings. The first of …

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Failing Ninth-Grade Students In A Missouri School District, And The Comparison To Inadequate Learning Resources, Eric Wayne Ramsey Nov 2015

Failing Ninth-Grade Students In A Missouri School District, And The Comparison To Inadequate Learning Resources, Eric Wayne Ramsey

Dissertations

This study involved a mixed design to generate the perceptions of students and teachers about failing ninth-grade students and the impact of learning resources. The participants in this study were a purposive selection of ninth-grade students and ninth-grade teachers in one Missouri school district. The conceptual framework of this study was based on the premise that ninth-grade students who failed multiple classes also lacked learning resources. The learning resources were categorized into cultural and physical resources. To determine if learning resources had an impact on the ninth-grade students’ academic performance, the perceptions of the failing ninth-grade students were analyzed through …

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Academic Practices To Gain And Maintain Student-Teacher Connectedness And Classroom Behavioral Management, Related To Educator Demographics, Leslie Threadgill Nov 2015

Academic Practices To Gain And Maintain Student-Teacher Connectedness And Classroom Behavioral Management, Related To Educator Demographics, Leslie Threadgill

Dissertations

Connectedness and classroom management has been defined as the ability to relate to students and keep order and maintain successful relationships with individuals. This qualitative study utilized surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and observations to examine the best practices implemented by educators to develop and maintain connections with students based upon the age, gender, ethnicity, and experience of a studied educator. The research investigated how classroom management positively and/or negatively affected the educator, students, and classroom environment, with respect to connectedness, as evidenced by behaviors such as off-task, aggressive, and non-academically productive behaviors. The research also examined how a teacher’s intonation and …

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Early Literacy Acquisition With The Inclusion Of The Five Components Of Research Based Reading Instruction, Jill Wright Nov 2015

Early Literacy Acquisition With The Inclusion Of The Five Components Of Research Based Reading Instruction, Jill Wright

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing research on early literacy and the types of approaches used in schools at the time of this writing. Although researchers could not agree on which types of reading programs are the most effective, there was a large amount of research supporting the work done in 2000 from the National Reading Panel, emphasizing the importance of the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The study site historically used a traditional Balanced Literacy program, and reported proficiency scores in the 30th percentile overall. This research study investigated …

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A Study Of The Perceptions Of First-Year Teachers As Prepared Classroom Teachers, Vida Jane Ward Nov 2015

A Study Of The Perceptions Of First-Year Teachers As Prepared Classroom Teachers, Vida Jane Ward

Dissertations

The quality of teacher education allows first-year teachers to meet mandates at federal and state levels (Darling-Hammond, 2010a). The teaching profession is complex and requires new and innovative quality preparation programs (Wei, Andree, & Darling- Hammond, 2009). This study involved examination of the perceptions of 17 building principals and 16 first-year teachers to determine the effectiveness of teacher preparation. First-year teachers identified essential elements of teacher preparation and weaknesses of programs. The study addressed building principals’ perceptions of differences, if any, in the effectiveness of first-year teachers graduating from traditional teacher preparation programs and first-year teachers who choose alternative routes …

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Academic Interventions And Academic Achievement In The Middle School Grades, Toby G. Kite Nov 2015

Academic Interventions And Academic Achievement In The Middle School Grades, Toby G. Kite

Dissertations

After the passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004, many schools began to use a Response to Intervention (RtI) model instead of the discrepancy model when identifying students with specific learning disabilities (National Center on Response to Intervention, 2011). When elementary schools adopted the RtI model, it was shown to be successful with any students who need academic interventions (National Center on Response to Intervention, 2011). The success at the elementary level has led to middle schools adopting the model with varying success (National Center on Response to Intervention, 2011). In this study, middle schools that have developed …

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The Study Of Effective Tier Ii Reading Interventions For Primary Grade Students, Sheila Cox-Hines Nov 2015

The Study Of Effective Tier Ii Reading Interventions For Primary Grade Students, Sheila Cox-Hines

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine effective reading interventions for primary grade students, utilizing the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. The purpose of RtI is to enhance the quality of education for children, if appropriate levels of academic instruction are present (Hanover Research, 2015). The research questions were posed to garner perspectives of the Intervention Team (IT) leaders as to Tier II interventions that aided students who indicated difficulty with reading, and the duration of the intervention, prior to achieving progress toward the specified goal. Additionally, research questions were stated to determine which Tier II reading intervention yielded …

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A Comparison Of Single Gender And Coeducational Classrooms, Student Engagement, And Achievement Scores, Myra Pendleton Nov 2015

A Comparison Of Single Gender And Coeducational Classrooms, Student Engagement, And Achievement Scores, Myra Pendleton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the academic achievement in reading among students enrolled in single-gender and coeducational classes, as well as the impact of teachers’ perceptions on the outcome of academic achievement. The study used a mixed-method approach to address this purpose. This study reported quantitative findings from reading scores on the Acuity test for 396 students in grades two through eight, from four elementary and two middle schools within an urban district in Missouri. Acuity scores were examined in several ways: comparison of the means for coeducational and single-gendered classrooms …

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Educational Stakeholders’ Perceptions During Grading Reform In One Middle School, Christy M. Patrick Oct 2015

Educational Stakeholders’ Perceptions During Grading Reform In One Middle School, Christy M. Patrick

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing middle school grading reform. The study involved all stakeholders in one middle school community. Participants were surveyed to determine which standards-based grading practices were most welcomed among middle school students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Additionally, students’ perceived motivation levels when evaluated using standards based grading practices were quantified and the necessary support needs of middle school teachers were identified as they attempted school-wide grading reform. Many are calling for school leaders to evaluate unreliable traditional grading methods and reform grading to a standards-based approach (Guskey, Swan, & Jung, 2011; …

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An Investigation Of The Relationship Of Teachers’ Attitudes Towards A Computer-Based Assessment System And Student Achievement, Felicia M. Griffin Oct 2015

An Investigation Of The Relationship Of Teachers’ Attitudes Towards A Computer-Based Assessment System And Student Achievement, Felicia M. Griffin

Dissertations

Since the introduction of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), districts across the country implemented computerized benchmark, or interim assessments, into their curriculum as a means to monitor and improve student achievement. Often, a change in curriculum entails a demand of educators’ time, whether through professional development or lesson planning, and therefore affects teachers’ attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, relationship there was among middle school teachers’ attitudes, monthly computerized benchmark assessments, and student scores on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). Educators of the communication arts and mathematics content areas from one middle school were …

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Achievement Despite Poverty: Testing The Effectiveness Of Timeless Principles, Nicole Leigh Wallace Keller Oct 2015

Achievement Despite Poverty: Testing The Effectiveness Of Timeless Principles, Nicole Leigh Wallace Keller

Dissertations

School districts composed of a large number of high-poverty students are generally not found to be high-achieving (Chenoweth & Theokas, 2013). In Missouri, districts are assessed in accordance with the fifth edition of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) which results in an Annual Performance Report (APR) score (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [MODESE], 2014d). School administrators of districts having two consecutive years of APR scores over 95% while having a student population composed of a large number of students receiving free or reduced price meals were recruited for a qualitative study. Interview questions were developed based on …

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A Comparison Of The Participation Rates And Perceptions Of Males And Females Regarding High School Athletic Participation, Edward Malcom Dreyer Sep 2015

A Comparison Of The Participation Rates And Perceptions Of Males And Females Regarding High School Athletic Participation, Edward Malcom Dreyer

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the athletic participation rate of males and females within the high school of study. Freshmen and senior students were surveyed to gather data on the reasons students chose to participate or not participate in athletics. Focus groups were conducted at a local university to further explore why students participated in athletics and why some of these students discontinued their participation in athletics. Focus groups also explored challenges facing athletes and student perceptions of female participation in athletics. Athletic participation data from the high school of study were also taken into consideration. This …

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Human Resources Administrator Perceptions Of Procedural And Distributive Justice In Performance Appraisals As Predictors Of Satisfaction Among Academic Support Staff, Vanessa R. Germeroth Sep 2015

Human Resources Administrator Perceptions Of Procedural And Distributive Justice In Performance Appraisals As Predictors Of Satisfaction Among Academic Support Staff, Vanessa R. Germeroth

Dissertations

The roles provided by academic support staff workers are critical for institutions, yet the workgroup is often overlooked or underrepresented in scholarly research. Performance appraisal is a necessary component of employment and support staff should experience justice in the appraisal of their performance. The appraisal process for workers should match position descriptions and should align with departmental and institutional strategic goals. A qualitative, phenomenological, interview-based approach was selected for this study. One-on-one interviews occurred to explore the perceptions of human resources administrators at two-year, non-profit community colleges located in three Midwest states in the United States of America. Success in …

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One Academic Year Study Of Experiences Of One Cohort Of Graduates From A Midwestern University’S Teacher Education Program, Chris Albers Aug 2015

One Academic Year Study Of Experiences Of One Cohort Of Graduates From A Midwestern University’S Teacher Education Program, Chris Albers

Dissertations

Teacher attrition is a growing problem within the education system in the United States. A study that tracked the experiences of graduates of a particular program was designed to gauge the program’s success. There were three research questions. The first asked, What are the first year teaching experiences of Midwestern University educator preparation program graduates? The second question was in two parts and asked, What do graduates of Midwestern University educator preparation program perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of their ability to carry out their duties as a first-year teacher? How does this change from August to May? The …

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Barriers To Computer Programming Student Success: A Quantitative Study Of Community College Students In Southwest Missouri, Tiffany D. Ford Aug 2015

Barriers To Computer Programming Student Success: A Quantitative Study Of Community College Students In Southwest Missouri, Tiffany D. Ford

Dissertations

Student success in computer programming courses has been a long-studied problem and computer science major retention has historically been substantially lower than other majors. The issue of retention for computer science majors has become more pronounced in two-year, open-enrollment institutions. This quantitative study, grounded in Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, attempted to address some of the causes of poor retention for entry-level computer science majors at two-year colleges by looking for predictors of student success in their first computer programming course. Two of the intelligences from Gardner’s (1993) theory, Logical-Mathematical and Visual-Spatial, were used along with two factors: student success …

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Analyzing The Change And Development Of Simulation Self-Efficacy Among Practical Nursing Students, Moulay Abdelkarim Moukrime Aug 2015

Analyzing The Change And Development Of Simulation Self-Efficacy Among Practical Nursing Students, Moulay Abdelkarim Moukrime

Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation was to contribute to research on practical nursing students’ self-efficacy and the sources that build self-efficacy including mastery experience, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and physiological and affective states (Bandura, 1986). Specifically, the focus in this study was on students’ self-efficacy change and development through the measurement of students’ confidence in ability to engage in medical surgical simulations during the last semester of a practical nursing program. The results of this study revealed perceived self-efficacy did not change, but participants indicated an overall strong sense of efficacy to engage in medical surgical simulations. Additionally, students relied …

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An Analysis Of The Comparison Between Classroom Grades Earned With A Standards- Based Grading System And Grade-Level Assessment Scores As Measured By The Missouri Assessment Program, Gary L. Greene Jul 2015

An Analysis Of The Comparison Between Classroom Grades Earned With A Standards- Based Grading System And Grade-Level Assessment Scores As Measured By The Missouri Assessment Program, Gary L. Greene

Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the ability of traditional and standards-based grading practices to predict student performance on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) Grade-Level Assessments at the middle school level. This study also explored the perceptions Missouri middle school teachers and administrators had concerning the use of standards-based grading and identified obstacles educators faced during and after its implementation. The research was conducted in phases to observe two sets of data. Phase One involved the collection and analysis of quantitative data from two schools in Missouri that use standards-based grading in the seventh and eighth grades and two schools …

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A Mixed-Method Investigation Of The Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment Pilot Program At A Private Midwestern University, Robyne Elder Jul 2015

A Mixed-Method Investigation Of The Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment Pilot Program At A Private Midwestern University, Robyne Elder

Dissertations

In order to evaluate the teacher education program for the state of Missouri, the researcher investigated the piloted MoPTA at a private Midwestern university. Through evaluating the piloted MoPTA program, this study aimed to address possible changes needed within the teacher education program itself to better prepare future educators not only for the assessment, but more importantly, the classroom. In order to evaluate the program, the researcher observed scoring sessions for Tasks 1-4 and analyzed feedback from the evaluators of the tasks (university supervisors and faculty) in the fall of 2014 and the spring of 2015. Furthermore, this study examined …

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The Impact Of Trio Student Support Services At A Midwestern Institution, Tajuan Rakeem Wilson Jul 2015

The Impact Of Trio Student Support Services At A Midwestern Institution, Tajuan Rakeem Wilson

Dissertations

First-generation, low-income, and disabled college students are an increasing population (Tinto, 2012). TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is an academic support program funded by the U.S. Department of Education that seeks to support this demographic to overcome challenges and thrive while in college (Coffman, 2011). Utilizing a mixed methods approach, the goal of this study was to examine the student success outcomes of retention and grade point average of TRIO SSS students compared to students who are similarly qualified but not being served by TRIO SSS at a Midwestern, large, public, four-year institution. In addition, TRIO SSS seniors were interviewed …

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Factors Influencing The Integration Of High Fidelity Simulation In Associate Degree Rn And Lpn Nursing Programs, Sheila A. Kaylor Jun 2015

Factors Influencing The Integration Of High Fidelity Simulation In Associate Degree Rn And Lpn Nursing Programs, Sheila A. Kaylor

Dissertations

High fidelity human simulation (HFHS) has become a common feature in nursing education in recent years. This case study explored the practices and perceptions of nursing directors, faculty, and students regarding the integration of HFHS in associate degree RN and LPN programs. The course of study in these particular programs is two years or less in length, presenting added challenges for faculty to introduce new pedagogies into an abundantly full curriculum. Multiple data sources were used and included 41 participants through interviews with nursing directors and instructors, observation of instructors and students during HFHS scenarios and debriefing sessions, and student …

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Perceptions Of Non-Traditional Programs Within Missouri School Districts, Cherie L. Norman Jun 2015

Perceptions Of Non-Traditional Programs Within Missouri School Districts, Cherie L. Norman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze perceptions of Missouri public school administrators regarding twenty-first century learning skills in choice and innovative schools, and to report the research-based best practices those schools are using with students. For this study, qualitative data were collected through a questionnaire and then coded for analysis (Fraenkel et. al, 2014). The questionnaire, used to elicit information from 10 administrators of Missouri public schools housing a choice or innovation program, was the anchor of the research design. The results of this study indicated choice and innovative schools are incorporating a combination of current research-based practices …

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An American Public High School Ethnographic Study: Effectively Preparing African American Male Students For Academic Success, Demarius J. Howard May 2015

An American Public High School Ethnographic Study: Effectively Preparing African American Male Students For Academic Success, Demarius J. Howard

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to engage in ethnographic research involving Jack E. Singley High School (JESA), which was part of the Irving Independent School District in Irving, Texas and recognized throughout the state as one of its most successful high schools. Singley High School had a population of 1600, with 88% minority students, who continued to exhibit academic achievement. The researcher evidenced specific interest in the performance of African-American male students at Singley, since this academic performance consistently received national recognition. This sub-population had been described as experiencing an ‘achievement gap’. However at Singley, African- American males were …

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Case Study On The Efficacy Of An Elementary Steam Laboratory School, Mary Paula Armknecht May 2015

Case Study On The Efficacy Of An Elementary Steam Laboratory School, Mary Paula Armknecht

Dissertations

A case study was conducted of an elementary STEAM laboratory program in a Midwest Missouri school district, which was unique to the area, and involved risk-taking by the school officials. The delivery model for instruction in the program was inquiry-based learning with a STEAM focus. The planning of the program involved the community, as well as district personnel. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the program at the end of the first year to determine if the goals of the planning committee had been met and if the perceptions of the stakeholders were in favor …

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