Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Our Roots/Our Story: Interprofessional Education At East Tennessee State University, Joseph Florence, Randy Byington

International Journal of Health Sciences Education

No abstract provided.

Mapping Progress – Using Data For Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

It’s important to keep in mind that there are three central uses of data in school education. Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses.

An Embodied Agent Helps Anxious Students In Mathematics Learning, Yanghee Kim, Jeffrey L. Thayne, Quan Wei

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Mathematics anxiety is known to be detrimental to mathematics learning. This study explored if an embodied agent could be used to help alleviate student anxiety in classrooms. To examine this potential, agent-guided algebra lessons were developed, in which an animated agent was equipped with prescriptive instructional guidance and anxiety treating messages. The lessons were deployed in regular mathematics classrooms, one lesson per day over a week, with 138 boys and girls in the 9th grade in the United States. After taking the weeklong agent-based lessons, students decreased in their mathematics anxiety (p = .042) and increased in mathematics learning …

Sharing The Stories Of Near Novices To Impact Mainstream Change, Bronwyn Stuckey

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

This case study research is designed to examine the ways in which teachers are bringing gameful practices into their classrooms as part of a STEM learning agenda. It is hypothesised that one of the best persons to inform or improve the practice of novices is a near novice; someone who was most recently themselves a novice. In many case study programs, we hold up exemplary practitioners as models, but these experts may be too far removed in their levels of expertise to impact the practice of true novices. Experts and evangelists might be useful in creating vision for change, but …

Promoting Girls’ And Boys’ Engagement And Participation In Senior Secondary Stem Fields And Occupational Aspirations, Helen Watt

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Sufficient numbers of people with science and mathematics qualifications are needed for continuing growth in productivity and industry innovation. The Australian Industry Group (2015, p. 5) cautioned, ‘the pipeline of STEM skills to the workforce remains perilous’ because participation in sciences and advanced mathematics at school and university is in decline, participation is not comparable with other nations, and our students underperform in major international studies. Gender differences in enrolments and career plans continue to fuel the concern of researchers with interest in gender equity. Many have argued girls prematurely restrict their options by discontinuing particular STEM subjects in adolescence, …

Beyond The Lone Hero: Providing Supports For New Teachers In High-Needs Schools, Sarah Elizabeth Barrett, Donna Ford, Carl James

Occasional Paper Series

This essay examines the activities and challenges encountered in a partnership between a faculty of education and a local school board in Toronto, Canada. The goal was to address concerns over a 40% drop-out rate amongst Black students in the Toronto District School Board.

Teachers were to identify areas of concern, and to use university resources to investigate and improve work with students. Initially, findings were disappointing, teachers often felt isolated working on their own, and some administrators perceived the project as disruptive to the overall running of the school.

Faculty came to the realization that to help support their …

Introduction: High Needs Schools - Preparing Teachers For Today's World, Jonathan Silin

Occasional Paper Series

The subject of this Occasional Paper is the preparation of teachers for schools that—lacking sufficient resources, effective leadership, or vocal advocates—are failing to educate their students by any reasonable measures.

Going From Quality Learning Objectives To Quality Assessments, Kendra Barker

SIDLIT Conference

Great course design requires strong learning objectives that power quality formative assessments. In this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to use Bloom’s Taxonomy to write learning objectives that create formative and measurable outcomes, when working with a qualified Subject Matter Expert. Participants will learn the “do’s” and “don’ts” of writing assessments, types of assessment questions to use, and how to format those questions to meet the course’s learning objectives.

Cutting Time, Not Corners: Rapid Prototyping In Instructional Design, Joelle Pitts

SIDLIT Conference

Trends in digital teaching and learning combined with the learning preferences of college students result in an ever-increasing need for digital learning objects and experiences. Time, budget, and environmental restraints compound instructional design challenges, resulting in too many projects spread over too few staff members. Rapid Prototyping (RP) is an iterative design process originating from the software engineering sector. Adapted to instructional design, RP allows academics to facilitate the design, development, and assessment of multiple learning objects to maximize resources, while catching problems early in the development stage. Discussion will center on how RP can overcome common instructional design problems. …

The Role Of Technology In Personalized Learning And The Effect On Student Achievement, Allison Jean Pilley

Dissertations

Personalized learning is not a new concept and can be traced back to the 1700s, but it has become increasingly popular in today’s schools (Bray & McClaskey, 2015). With the high rate of technology introduction into classrooms, the implementation of personalized learning has become easier as instruction shifts from teacher-led to student-centered (Grant & Bayse, 2014). The purpose of this study was to identify the role of technology in personalized learning and to determine if the implementation of the pedagogy had an effect on student achievement scores. Elementary classroom teachers and elementary principals served as the participants for this study, …

College Of Health Professions Assessment Plan, Developed Spring 2016, College Of Health Professions

News, Magazines and Reports

The assessment plan was developed to assess the College of Health Professions (CHP) student learning outcomes (SLOs). The SLOs were developed by CHP Dean and then revised by the Dean’s Administrative Council, and the CHP Academic Affairs Committee. They were approved by the CHP faculty in spring 2015. The student learning outcomes were developed based on the CHP mission statement and core values. The mission statement, core values, and student learning outcomes are included below.

Stakeholders’ Perceptions And Practice Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In A Private School, Elizabeth Maria Franklin

Dissertations

Many culturally responsive theorists support culturally responsive pedagogy for closing the achievement gap in the rapidly changing demographics of America’s education system. The purpose of this case study was to examine stakeholders’ perceptions and practice of culturally responsive pedagogy in St. Andrew Academy (pseudonym), a Catholic NativityMiguel school located in a Midwest metropolitan area. The goals were: (a) to examine middle school teachers’ and the principal’s perceptions of culturally responsive pedagogy and extent of culturally responsive teaching implemented in the school, (b) to examine how parents perceived culturally responsive caring relationships with teachers and the principal, and (c) to examine …

Special Education Teachers' Beliefs And Perceptions Of Evidence-Based Reading Instruction, Loretta Jackson Tatum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to identify and uncover themes that emerged from special education teachers’ experiences, beliefs, and perceptions of evidence-based reading instruction. The theoretical framework that guided this study consisted of the epistemological theory of knowledge and Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Data collection methods included semistructured in-depth interviews, documentation analysis, and classroom observations. Data analyses involved reflecting on 13 special education teachers’ collective comments, dialogues, written documentation, and interview transcripts. Three themes emerged regarding the phenomenon of teaching reading to children with disabilities (a) Knowledge sources, (b) Environmental diversity, and (c) Organizational constraints. These essential …

Nursing Students’ Perceptions Of How Working As Nursing Assistants Impacts Their Education, Jerry Harvey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to develop an understanding of how working as a nursing assistant impacts the ability of nursing students to meet the high demands of school during their junior year of a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) pre-licensure program. Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory, Situated Learning Theory, and the Johari Window Communication Model each suggested that immersing oneself in the culture of nursing would have positive outcomes for the student working as a nursing assistant. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to explore the following research questions: (a) What are the unique experiences of …

A Correlational Study Of Teacher Demographics And Racial Color-Blindness, Dudley Freeman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Two primary camps of thought guide K-12 education: Color-blind ideology and Multiculturalism (Rattan & Ambady, 2013). Color-blindness implies color does not matter (Neville, Lilly, Duran, Lee, & Browne, 2000). Shifting student demographics in K-12 education and unchanging demographics of a predominately White, female teaching force create a need for better understanding the dynamics affecting teachers and their interaction with the students they teach. This correlational study utilized multiple regression analyses to answer the following research question: How accurately can racial color-blindness be predicted from the linear combination of age, years-of-experience, and political philosophy for K-12 teachers located in an urbanized …

The Relationship Between Online Classroom Incivility And Sense Of Community Of Online Undergraduate Students, John Spohn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Incivility is not just bullying and physically threatening students. Uncivil behaviors include more mild forms of classroom disruption, including plagiarizing, posting terse responses, and continually asking for extensions for assignments. A student’s motivation for learning can be hampered, when subjected to incivility causing classroom disruptions. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between student incivility in the online learning environment, as scored by the Incivility in Online Learning Environments instrument, and the student’s sense of community, as measured by the Community Classroom scale. This quantitative study seeks to extend Tuckman’s model (1965) of the Theory of Group …

A Collective Case Study On Elementary School Administrators’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of A School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention And Supports Framework, H. David Cawthon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to explore and understand administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions on how a school-wide positive behavior intervention and supports (SWPBIS) framework influences school climate at the elementary school level. The theory guiding this study was grounded in B.F. Skinner’s theory of operant behavior and applied behavior analysis, which supports the use of positive reinforcement to increase desired behavior in a real world setting. A rich description of the perceived influence a SWPBIS framework has on school climate was constructed by answering the central research question: “How do administrators and teachers perceive the influence of …

The Relationship Of Organizational Identity And Alumni Participation Interest Among Online, Non-Traditional, Undergraduate Students At A Southeastern Private Religious University, Mary Hendrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Colleges and universities depend heavily on alumni participation in the areas of financial contributions, positive advertising, and student recruitment. As higher education institutions increase the number of fully online programs, it is important to ensure that students feel a sense of connectedness to the university. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between non-traditional, online, undergraduate students’ sense of connectedness to their college and their subsequent interest in alumni participation after graduation. This research provides information that would fill a gap in the literature on the correlation between perceptions of identity when related to …

Utilizing Reflective Narratives To Promote Academic Mindsets: Building Relationships, Developing Responsibility, Fostering Resilience, And Providing Relevance For Adolescents, Debra Gardner-Baasch

All Theses And Dissertations

Preparing students for life after high school requires more than a focus on building content knowledge. With the goal of overall well-being for adolescents, education must expand beyond the traditional focus on academic excellence to develop the noncognitive factors that promote academic mindsets and build relationships, develop responsibility, foster resilience, and provide relevance for students. This research study investigates how reflective narratives can be utilized as universal interventions within personalized learning plans to foster the noncognitive factors of academic mindsets. Combining the research of social science about resilience, connectedness, and hopefulness with the research of social neuroscience, this study explores …

Academic Vocabulary Instruction And Adult English Language Learners In The Arabian Gulf: A Phenomenological Study Of Instructor Perspectives, Indrani Ibrahim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe 11 ESL instructors’ experiences and perceptions of why some adult learners in their college level ESL programs in the Gulf States of the Middle East have challenges to academic reading comprehension success. The theories that guided this study were epistemological and axiological ones whereby participants’ descriptions of perceptions regarding academic vocabulary instruction, instructional self-efficacy, and experiences were explored. Adult learning theory of Malcolm Knowles’ coupled with the social cognitive theory espoused by Albert Bandura are the frameworks that underscore the adult learner context and their social learning and instructional environments within …

Ireach Blended Learning Model And Reading Lexile Growth Of Freshmen In Maryville City Schools, Whitney Ann Schmidt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Maryville City School system has implemented the first year of the iReach blended learning model for which all students in the school district have access to either a laptop or an iPad to support their learning every day. The availability of research on the impact of iReach is limited because the blended learning instructional model is relatively new and has not yet been subjected to numerous research studies. The purpose of this ex post facto quasi-experimental quantitative study was to compare student reading Lexile growth data collected through the use of the Reading Comprehension Assessment before and after iReach …

Factors Influencing Participation In Professional Development To Promote Online Course Excellence And The Impact On Faculty Confidence And Teaching, Elizabeth Ann Mascher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing participation in professional development designed to safeguard online course excellence and the impact on confidence and teaching. This purpose was achieved through a convergent mixed-methods investigation of faculty viewpoints of online course delivery and professional development offerings at a Midwestern state university. To support continued academic success in an increasing online market, the university implemented Quality Matters professional development to promote excellence in online course design. Analysis of data collected from a survey, in-depth interviews, and a focus group revealed faculty perspectives regarding the effectiveness of online course delivery, benefits …

Investigating The Impact Of Cad Simulations On Student Design Thinking, Manaz R. Taleyarkhan

Open Access Theses

Facilitating students to become informed designers is a goal in engineering education that has been proposed by multiple studies. The use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software has been used as a learning tool to promote design thinking in practical settings for undergraduate students. However, very little is known about the informed design process undertaken by these students while using the interactive and learning focused CAD tool to solve design challenges. This paper analyzes the nature of design thinking that happens when students use a particular CAD tool. In this study, I have adapted Crismond and Adams' Informed Design Teaching and …

High School Teachers’ Perceived Self-Efficacy In Teaching Literacy Across The Curriculum In Tennessee First Core Region 1 High Schools, Ashley N. Keys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the high school level teachers are often departmentalized by their content area and do not teach subjects outside of their specialties. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) introduced literacy standards across the curriculum requiring reading and writing instruction in all courses. The adoption not only affected traditional literacy teachers but also science, math, social studies, and career and technical education teachers who may have had little or no training or experience in teaching literacy to adolescents. These teachers, because of little training or experience in teaching literacy, may feel unprepared for the CCSS literacy shifts or inadequate in delivering literacy …

Best Practices In Online Pedagogy: A Pearson Correlation Analysis Between Teaching Evaluation Scores And Transactional Distance Scores In Online Graduate Courses, William Angrove

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover how four universally recognized best practices in online pedagogy affected teaching evaluation scores in online graduate courses. The four best practices in online pedagogy are: Course Organization and Presentation, Learning Objectives and Assessments, Instructor-Student Interpersonal Interaction, and the Appropriate Use of Video or Multimedia. The researcher modified these best practices from the Jaggars and Xu (2016) Online Course Quality Rubric. The study utilized Dr. Michael G. Moore’s (1973) theory of transactional distance to understand the relationship between teaching evaluation scores and transactional distance. University instructional designers assessed and …

Teacher Preferences On Technology Use Using The Iteach Implementation Model: A Case Study In A Tanzanian Private School, Julia Keegan

All Theses And Dissertations

To advance both transformative school leadership skills and the use of ICT integration in this school, while aiming to enhance positive school change, this study used the iTEaCH (ICT-Technogogy-and-Collegiality) Implementation Model proposed by Choy (2013) to investigate, quantitatively, teacher perceptions of ICT use in a case study school in Tanzania. The iTEaCH Implementation Model provides focus on teachers’ choice of technology use, desire for technology use, pedagogy perceptions, and collegiality to identify gaps that might be used to inform teachers and school leaders of technology provision, professional development, and collegial support needs in the school.

Using a slightly modified version …

Technology-Based Family Education In Asl/English Bilingual Schools For The Deaf, Myriah L. Dixon

All Theses And Dissertations

More research on how ASL/English bilingual schools for the deaf educate hearing families to apply bilingual education methodology at home is warranted. Given the rising use of technology in schools, its role within these family education programs was the primary focus. Thirty-two participants from 22 different schools completed an online, researcher-developed survey. Follow-up, online interviews were conducted with 7 participants, and artifacts were collected from 10 schools. Qualitative and quantitative descriptions express the study’s results based on technology used as an informational and influential tool, counseling and coping tool, diversity tool, and program evaluation tool. Schools are using multiple forms …

Traditional Vs. Project-Based Learning: The Effects On Student Performance And Motivation In Honors Level Mathematics Courses, Sunletha Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since the charge by the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) to move away from the traditional learning (TL) method of instruction to more learner-controlled techniques, project-based learning (PBL) has been on the rise. This quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design study compared the academic achievement of 122 eleventh and twelfth grade students who were instructed using PBL techniques, with a control group of their counterparts who were instructed using TL techniques, in honors level mathematics courses. Pretest and Posttest data collected from both groups of students were statistically analyzed using independent t-tests, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), respectively, since …

Correlates And Effects Of Data-Informed Decision-Making: An Empirical Examination Of The Loose Coupling Theory Using A National Data Set, Xingyuan Gao

Dissertations

The notion of schools as “loosely-coupled” organizations has been widely discussed in the research literature. Many argue that the loose coupling is either a protective mechanism for schools to buffer external pressure or a barrier to implementing new reforms. Against the backdrop of standards-based reform and accountability policies in the last 15 years, which focus on tightening the system as the way to improve K-12 schools, I conducted three related studies to empirically test the loose coupling theory by applying two-level hierarchical linear models to nationally representative data in the US.

In the first study I evaluated the loose coupling …

Culturally Relevant Education For Rural Schools: Creating Relevancy In Rural America, Joshua J. Anderson

Dissertations

In this dissertation, I investigate the ways in which culturally relevant pedagogy is conceptualized and implemented by two secondary English Language Arts educators in one school district with a strong sense of rural identity. Culturally relevant pedagogy is considered by many professionals in the field of education to be an effective philosophy to inform instructional practices for narrowing the achievement gap of historically marginalized groups (Cummins, 1990; Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1994, 2000). A careful review of the literature on culturally relevant pedagogy reveals the discourse surrounding culturally relevant pedagogy has largely been dominated by urban voices (Cochran-Smith, 2003; Esposito & …