Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Is Setting Higher Standards The Answer?, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters

Raising the expected performance standard in each year of school and holding all teachers and students accountable for achieving these higher standards may not be the most effective way to improve levels of performance in Australian schools.

Using Wikipedia In Israel Studies Courses, Shira Klein

History Faculty Articles and Research

Instructors of Israeli history or literature, like professors in other areas, complain about students’ use of Wikipedia—and with good reason. Unlike peer-reviewed scholarship, many Wikipedia articles contain information that is both incomplete and wrong. Most instructors will warn their students that relying on Wikipedia is a sure recipe for failing assignments. Yet there is a way to mobilize this giant encyclopedia for pedagogical purposes. When students in Israel Studies classes are assigned to edit Wikipedia articles, they achieve multiple goals: they gain critical reading skills, shape public knowledge about Israel, and engage in active learning. This article explains how to …

Sharpening The Saw: How To Be A Lifelong Learner While Leading A School, Bob Steffes

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

School administrators are currently faced with increased responsibilities and expectations as a result of escalating state and federal mandates. As a result, administrators need to learn new skills and acquire additional knowledge in a variety of areas such as curriculum and instruction, data analysis, assessment, and diverse classrooms. Unfortunately, while these demands intensify, budgets are tightening and making it difficult to engage in quality professional development. Finding the time, motivation and finances necessary to be a life-long learner continue to be a challenge. With his Seventh Habit of “Sharpen the Saw,” Stephen Covey (1989) warns of letting our minds atrophy …

Applying An Andragogical Approach To Foster Lifelong Self-Directed Learning In The 21st Century Higher Education Classroom Settings, Suwithida Charungkaittikul, John Henschke

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The relationship between adult learning and self-directed learning (SDL) is a topic worth exploring on both theoretical and practical grounds. It is essential to provide a nourishing and encouraging environment for fostering self-directedness in adult learners. This will allow adult students to actively take responsibility for their own continuing lifelong learning. This study aims to explore the practical application of Andragogy as an overarching instructional element for fostering self-directed learning in the higher education classroom setting. We examine the role of self-directed learning in adult education; explore the implementation of the andragogical approach; and propose strategies to foster more sustainable …

Lifelong Learning Conceptualized From The Lens Of Enhancing Social Inclusion For Teachers, Mary M. Ruettgers

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

To be effective in the 21st century classroom, educators must be lifelong learners who promote social inclusion (European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning [EUCIS-LLL], 2011). Pre-service teacher candidates must explore and develop social inclusion during teacher development programs to be life-long learners and more effective in the classroom. Therefore it is imperative for teacher preparation programs to provide pre-service teacher candidates with meaningful opportunities to be life-long learners and develop an understanding of and model social inclusion practices in their classrooms. In order to understand the candidate’s initial perception of social inclusion, the researcher will have candidates self-assess at …

Lifelong Learning: The Key To Successful Aging, Tina Grosso

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The silver tsunami brings new challenges to societies across the globe. At the forefront of this greying population trend is the desire for older adults to lead active and independent lives well into their later-years. As a result, lifelong learning initiatives that promote physical, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being are imperative. In particular, health education programs that assist with the detection, management, and prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, are at the forefront of public health discussions. Knowing when to retire, where to access long-term care services, and what to do if there is an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis are just …

Foreword, Michael D. Shonrock

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

No abstract provided.

When Mind & Body Meet: Lifelong Learning For Flourishing, Rachel Blair

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Flourishing is a modern term which, when used in the field of Positive Psychology, communicates positive growth both in oneself and in one’s interactions with the world. Flourishing is the goal of lifelong learning in terms of Positive Psychology. Though there are established models of flourishing, including Martin Seligman’s PERMA theory, none of these theories account for the role of the body in wellbeing. In this paper, the author will explain the reciprocal relationship between the body and the mind, bringing in evidence from multiple disciplines which suggests that full, optimal functioning/flourishing extends beyond mental health and must include physical …

The Construct Of Lifelong Learning Imbedded In A Nursing Clinical Course, Teresa R. Hamra, Deb Chanasue, Erica Ciarlo

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This article lays out the design for incorporating a clinical project for students to research a clinical issue and evidence-based practice, along with one-on-one student simulation learning experiences in a final semester nursing clinical course. The project intended to introduce students to the concept of lifelong learning. The final semester course in the nursing program provided students the opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills gained throughout the nursing program and demonstrate their learning through a self-directed research project and their individual performance in individual simulation learning experiences.

Beyond Obligation: Social Workers As Lifelong Learners, Carla Mueller, M. Denise King

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The profession of Social Work is dynamic. “Social workers practice in rapidly changing and complex environments where they encounter challenges that include increasing evidence-based practice requirements, a shifting information landscape, and diminishing workplace resources” (Nissen, Pendell, Jivanjee, & Goodluck, 2014). Lifelong learning has long been recognized in the field; indeed, it is incorporated into our professional responsibilities. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics states, “social workers should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to social work” (2017, Section 4.01). Social workers are also held accountable by state licensure to participate in ongoing professional …

Feeling Valued, Supported, And Satisfied: Perceptions Of Special Educators And Principals, Tanya Lynn Rapert

Dissertations

High teacher attrition and low teacher retention rates continue to plague the field of special education, which leads to teacher shortages year after year (Andrews & Brown, 2015; Vittek, 2015). Solutions for increasing special education teacher retention continue to be explored (Billingsley, 2005; Brownell & Sindelar, 2016; Tyler & Brunner, 2014). The purpose of this study was to discover trends or themes connecting special education teacher work conditions and job satisfaction, principal support, and decisions of teachers to continue teaching special education. Participants for this study were special education teachers and principals from 60 accredited public K-12 school districts in …

A Study Of Effective Strategies For Retention For At-Risk Students At A Small Private Liberal Arts College, Michael Heath Morgan

Dissertations

Student retention in higher education is currently one area most colleges are looking to improve and build upon (Baer & Norris, 2016). Higher education institutions in the United States have been under increased scrutiny from lawmakers and accrediting agencies to provide an affordable education for a diverse population for jobs in a highly technical economy (Boateng, Plopper, & Keith, 2015; Slanger, Berg, Fisk, & Hanson, 2015). Some colleges and universities are exploring programs to engage the modern student through the creation of learning communities, first-year programming, and interventions to bridge the gap of those students who are highly unlikely to …

An Action Research Study: The Development And Implementation Of A School District Action Plan For Students Identified With Adverse Childhood Experiences, Ben Hebisen

Dissertations

The focus of the study was to create and implement a district action plan for students identified with adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s). The research focused on an alternative school setting and students with social and emotional needs. The researcher determined areas of need based on the highest percentage of ACE identifiers. The action plan developed after the collection and analysis of data through an ACE’s questionnaire given to adult students enrolled in the school districts alternative program. Data included interviews conducted with the educational support counselors who worked with the students enrolled at the research site. The information from the …

A Mixed Methods Study On Faculty Caring And Trust As Perceived By Undergraduate Students In Classrooms At A Mid-Western University, Pamela L. Grant

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between caring and trust within the undergraduate classroom using two valid instruments and an original open-ended survey. The participants were from a mid-western university that included international students. Fifty undergraduate students volunteered to participate in the study. No undergraduate students were excluded from participating in the study, based on diversity. Evidence of a correlation between caring and trust was found using the Caring Professional Scale developed by Swanson (1991) and the Modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory adapted for students (MIPI-S) developed by Henschke (1989). The Cronbach alpha for the CPS was 0.74 to 0.97 and for …

Identifying And Interpreting The Technological Self-Efficacy Ratings Of Teachers In Midwestern School Districts With 1:1 Technology: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Gregory Edwards

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study, which included 182 teachers across three Midwestern school districts, was threefold. First, the researcher sought to determine the technological self-efficacy ratings of teachers at school districts with 1:1 technology in relation to the ISTE’s National Education Technology Standards for Teachers. Based on the study’s findings, participants had the lowest mean self-efficacy ratings for ISTE’s fifth standard, which focused on teachers’ lifelong learning and growing as professionals (ISTE, 2008). Participants had the highest mean ratings for the fourth standard, which related to digital citizenship (ISTE, 2008). Second, the researcher aimed to identify if there was …

Relationship Between Teachers’ Use Of Cognitive Coaching In The Classroom And Teacher Efficacy, Gretchen A. Demasters

Dissertations

Leaders in today’s public schools must offer professional development to provide support to teachers without overwhelming them or adding more to their plates (Preciado, 2015). With ever-expanding responsibilities and accountability for teachers in the classroom, providing much-needed support is a top priority (Preciado, 2015). Teacher attrition is costly to school districts, and it is largely due to lack of support for teachers (Neason, 2014). Edwards (2015) reported teachers who grow in efficacy stay a longer length of time in one district, increase their implementation of new teaching strategies, and have more positive attitudes toward professional growth. The focus of this …

A Content Analysis Of Cultural Sensitivity Within K-5 English Language Arts Common Core Fictional Exemplar Texts, Kevin D. Starks

Dissertations

In this study, the researcher investigated cultural sensitivity within the mandated English Language Arts Common Core exemplar fictional texts that “serve as useful guideposts in helping educators select texts of similar complexity, quality and range” (Common Core State Standards, n.d., p. 2) for kindergarten through fifth grade, for the state of Missouri. The researcher utilized a modified version of Frances Ann Day’s children’s literature evaluation framework, “Evaluating Children’s Books for Bias,” an adaptation of the Council on Interracial Books for Children’s, “Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks,” to test for cultural sensitivity within 50 of the 90 suggested fictional …

The Impact Of Expanded Access And Increased Engagement And The Effect On Closing The Achievement Gap, Amy Lynn St. John

Dissertations

Considering instructional time is one of the most valuable and expensive resources in public education, there is nominal research examining the effectiveness of its use (Farbman, 2015). The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between the amount of extended learning time provided to eligible students at least one grade level below in reading or mathematics and their scale score growth determined by middle-ofyear results on the i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment. i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment results were examined of students who attended an extended learning time after-school program focused on remediation of standards specific to mathematics and reading in grades …

Lifelong Learning Through A Higher Education Lens, Roger Mitch Nasser, Holly Karraker

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Higher education administrators and faculty often cite lifelong learning as a central focus. In fact, many institutions include lifelong learning in their student outcomes or mission statements. However, few may actually define what lifelong learning means as a construct. Research has suggested lifelong learning is a skill developed over time (Knapper & Cropley, 2000) which leads to self-directed development in the years following graduation (Candy, 1995). While researchers may agree lifelong learning is a skill, there appears to be a lack of literature explaining how higher education faculty may develop this skill in students. The following discussion will attempt to …

Examination Of The Educational Impact Of Delayed Identification Of Gifted Students, Timothy Perkins

Dissertations

Gifted programming provides many children with an opportunity to reach their potential (Olszewski-Kubilius & Thomson, 2015). For years, gifted studies have been underfunded (Azano, Callahan, Missett, & Brunner, 2014). A lack of research into gifted programming has left glaring holes in the current understanding of best practices (Plucker & Callahan, 2014). This study included an examination of gifted programming from the standpoint of cognitive theory. The researcher examined archival data from School District A to determine students’ overall academic success when compared to the number of years spent in gifted programming. The data yielded a negative correlation between years spent …

Guidelines For U.S. Teacher Leaders In Adult Classrooms To Enhance International Undergraduate Satisfaction, Somanita Kheang

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research was to (a) explore the issues that international undergraduate students face during academic experiences at U.S. colleges and/or universities, (b) study the relationship between U.S. professors and international undergraduate students as measured by the extent of congruency between U.S. professors’ and international undergraduate students’ online survey results, and (c) propose appropriate guidelines for U.S. Teacher Leaders in adult classrooms to enhance international undergraduate students’ learning satisfaction. The researcher used convenience sampling that included 96 participants at Lindenwood University, Saint Charles. The researcher conducted a focus group discussion with 14 international undergraduate students from 10 …

Do Impacts On Test Scores Even Matter? Lessons From Long-Run Outcomes In School Choice Research, Collin Hitt, Michael Q. Mcshane, Patrick Wolf

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

We have attempted to collect every experimental and quasi-experimental study of school choice in the US that examines attainment impacts. Most of these studies also examine impacts on test scores. We use an expansive definition of school choice, including private school voucher programs, charter schools, early college high schools, magnet schools, and vocational schools. We compare impacts on test scores to impacts on later attainment outcomes. Our question is, across all studies, do program impacts on test scores predict impacts on later outcomes?

The Effect Of Two-Way Immersion On Students' Attitudes Toward Education, Other Cultures, And Self-Esteem, Jonathan Pedrone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research compared students who participated in a two-way French/English immersion program to students who participated in an English-only program to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in their perceptions of: (a) education, (b) attitudes towards other cultures, and (c) self-esteem. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to identify the differences in attitudes toward education, other cultures, and self-esteem between students enrolled in a two-way French/English immersion program and those enrolled in a traditional English-only program to test the theory of linguistic interdependence. This study is important because English language learners are the fastest growing subpopulation …

Moral Education And Lifelong Learning: Wisdom As A Developmental Ideal, Stephen A. Sherblom

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Moral education is a field with both formal and informal settings and approaches to cultivating, developing, and socializing the moral and ethical dimensions of being human. There is a rich debate occurring about what life-long learning in moral education is meant to produce. I argue that wisdom, as traditionally understood in the wisdom traditions, is a far more expansive and holistic conceptualization than those definitions on offer in the current psychological and social scientific literature on the subject. Traditionally understood, wisdom can help liberate us from the often too narrow constraints of current thinking, enabling an integrative and holistic approach …

Egg Awareness, Hailee J. French

Agricultural Education and Communication

In 2008, Proposition 2 passed, forcing all egg producers in California to provide more room inside of cages to their laying hens. The Humane Society of the United States [HSUS] initiated this battle and won but, less than a decade later decided that still wasn’t enough room for the birds. HSUS is now pushing to have a new measure on the ballot in November 2018 forcing all egg producers in California to produce their eggs cage free.

This project will survey the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo campus to gauge the campus’s understanding of egg production in California. …

Perceptions Of Trustees And Presidents Of The Competencies Essential For Successful 21st-Century Community College Leadership, Cliff Davis

Dissertations

An imminent wave of community college president retirements is well-documented in the literature, which will likely contribute to a serious leadership void on American community college campuses (American Association of Community Colleges [AACC], 2013; Eddy, 2013). To address this impending leadership crisis, governing boards must focus on how to develop leaders prepared to meet the unique and increasingly complex challenges of community colleges. In keeping with Katz’s (1955) three-skill conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe trustees’ and presidents’ perceptions about the importance of technical, human, and conceptual competencies to a successful 21st-century community …

Struggling To Survive: Addressing The Graduation Rate Of Cal Poly's Black Men, Malcolm Saleem Mills

Social Sciences

This research project examines and addresses the 2012 6-year graduation rate of Cal Poly’s Black men. Given President Armstrong’s 2022 vision for Cal Poly to be an: “Enriching, inclusive environment where every student, faculty and staff member is valued”; “Create a rich culture of diversity and inclusivity that supports and celebrates the similarities and differences of every individual on campus”; and “Enhances student success,” there is a startling lack of research addressing this demographic of students. A review of the literature highlights the issue of Black male graduation rates in higher education on a broader scale and examines the impact …

The Predictive Power Of Out-Of-School Community And Family Level Demographic Factors On District Level Student Performance On The New Jersey Parcc In Algebra 1 And Grade 10 English Language Arts/Literacy, Jamil Maroun

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive accuracy of community and family demographic variables, which are found through the use of the 2010 U.S. Census data, on the percentage of students at a district level who are Meeting or Exceeding Expectations on the 2016 New Jersey PARCC in Algebra 1 and Grade 10 English Language Arts/Literacy. The results of this study support the past research and existing literature that has found out-of-school community and family demographics affect and predict how students will perform on state standardized assessments. Based on this study, we can conclude that out certain …

A Comparative Accreditation Alignment Analysis Of Civil Engineering And Construction Management Bachelor Degrees With The Skill Requirements For Usaf Civil Engineer Officers, Joshua C. Chambers-Mills

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force Civil Engineer (CE) officer career field involves a host of duties and opportunities for technical competence and leadership excellence as the Air Force mission grows and personnel numbers shrink. Most CE officers spend their careers as a technical manager, performing a mixture of duties that require a wide variety of skills. Because of this, the use of engineering design skills have decreased and the use of project and construction management have increased. While the career field accepts a variety of architecture and engineering degrees for new accessions, technical management degrees like Construction Management have been …

Editor’S Welcome, Abbie Brown, Jill Stefaniak

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Welcome to this special edition of the Journal of Computing in Higher Education. (First paragraph) The articles in this issue focus on the instructional design process and the preparation of instructional designers. Instructional design is traditionally closely aligned with instructional technology; so much so that many refer to the discipline as instructional design/technology. We are honored to serve as guest editors for this special issue of JCHE and hope the articles that comprise this issue help articulate critically important aspects of the instructional design process as well as issues associated with the education of instructional designers.