Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Building A World-Class Learning System, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

This study sought to understand how five jurisdictions – British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea, which have all performed unusually well in international achievement surveys over the past two decades – are approaching school education and its transformation. Geoff Masters describes key aspects of the learning systems these jurisdictions have established, comments on how they are now redesigning their learning systems for the future, and discusses insights into what may be required for any jurisdiction to perform well on measures of the kind currently used in international surveys.

Can Blended Learning Address Indian Academic Issues?, Vijay Joshi, Sukanta K. Baral

International Review of Business and Economics

Over the years, India has implemented social reforms aimed at providing education to all. This is observed from the growth in GER (Gross Enrollment Ratio) over the years that has resulted in a decrease in the number of students absent in schools. Coronavirus, nonetheless, has disturbed this scenario and is testing the functions, efficiencies, and practices of India's schooling framework. This research paper, written for stakeholders in government, and the education sector, anticipate the extent to which there is a need of continuing the imparting of education. The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the …

Gaining A Better Understanding Of Higher Education: During And Post-Pandemic Scenario, Krati Sethi, Manas Roy

International Review of Business and Economics

Because of the coronavirus epidemic, faculty as well as the students have had to respond to “out of the ordinary” difficulty by quickly switching from traditional class - room education to online learning forms via “virtual classrooms”. Students facing challenges and continuing facing difficulties for various reasons required to adapt this modification in this delivery of curriculum becoming un attentive. Few solutions have been developed for students to assist them in freely transferring to virtual classrooms and maintaining proper online learning etiquette. A series of recommendations is offered in the present study to help students so that they can explore …

Design-Based Implementation Research Baseline Data Collection: Technical Report, Koomar Saalim, Adam Taskeen, Winston Edward Massam, Anthony , Gervace, Mrope Winifrida Jacob, Fredrick Mtenzi, Mwakabungu Fika, Aneth Komba, Sara Hennessy, Barretto Johnpaul

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

This research study aims to investigate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of a tech-supported, decentralised, and school-based teacher continuous professional development (TCPD) model, to improve learning outcomes in rural Tanzanian primary schools. The research will test and iteratively improve the national TCPD model and roll-out (including the semi-structured Communities of Learning), as outlined in the Tanzanian National TCPD Implementation Plan (2021). We seek to understand the model’s effectiveness and the role that technology can play. The research team includes researchers from EdTech Hub, Aga Khan University, and the Tanzania Institute of Education. The study employs a Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) …

Increasing The Effectiveness Of K-12 Stem Worshops Through Targeted Context And Creative Technolgies, Melina Lopez

Master's Theses

Economic projections reveal a need for one million more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professionals over the next decade than the United States is producing at the current rate. As a result, STEM education is a major focus of recent legislation and funding in Congress as the number of STEM professionals is inadequate to support innovation and the ever-changing economy. In response to the urgent need for more competitive STEM professionals, there has been a widespread implementation of workshops, organizations, and school programs aimed at amplifying K-12 student STEM literacy and interest. Some programs are even created to specifically …

Teacher Evaluation In Saudi Arabia Relative To National And International Teacher Evaluation Standards And Best Practices, Suhayb Kattan

Dissertations

Teacher evaluation systems are essential in tracking the quality and effectiveness of teachers and education systems. This dissertation examines the teacher evaluation system in Saudi Arabia through multiple perspectives, including research-based frameworks for teacher evaluation, norms and best practices from OECD countries, and established Saudi Teaching Standards. An explanatory sequential mixed methods model was used. Data collection involved 643 responses to a teacher survey that covered working conditions, existence of professional learning communities, and teacher evaluation practices, methods, and uses. Following the survey, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 teachers and 3 key informants.

Findings from this study indicate the …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

A Comparison Of Machine Learning Techniques For Validating Students’ Proficiency In Mathematics, Alexander Avdeev

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A principal goal of this project was to compare several machine learning (ML) algorithms to explore and validate math proficiency classifications based on standardized test scores. The data used in these analyses came from the 6th-grade students’ mathematics assessment records of the New York State Education Department’s Testing Program (NYSTP). Our approach was to test a number of competing machine learning (ML) algorithms for classifying students’ as proficient based on their test scores and other demographic information. Our samples were drawn from the 2016 test-taking cohort of 6th-grade students (N=156,800). Five classifiers including multinominal logistic regression (MLR), XGBoost, Tree-As, Lagrangian …

Ai And Ambitious Learning Practices, Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver, Sadhana Puntambekar, Krista Glazewski, Luettamae Lawrence, Nikol Rummel, Vincent Aleven, Gautam Biswas, Suraj Uttamchandani, Asmalina Saleh, Haesol Bae, Thomas Brush, Bradford Mott, James Lester, William Goss, Dana Gnesdilow, Rebecca Passonneau, Purushartha Singh, Chanmin Kim, Marcelo Worsley

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This symposium will provide opportunities for discussion about how Artificial Intelligence can support ambitious learning practices in CSCL. To the extent that CSCL can be a lever for educational equitable educational change, AI needs to be able to support the kinds of practices that afford agency to students and teachers. However, AI also brings to the fore the need to consider equity and ethics. This interactive session will provide opportunities to discuss these issues in the context of the examples presented here.

Teachers’ And Learners’ Perceptions Of The Use Of Science Content Songs In The Teaching And Learning Of Ionic Bonding, Omollo D. O, Winston Edward Massam

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Factoring learner engagement during chemistry lessons is key if conceptual understanding is an objective. This qualitative action research study explored the possibility of using science content songs to enhance learners’ engagement, motivation and interest in ionic bonding and related chemistry concepts among high school learners in Kenya. The study aimed at transforming learner attitudes in chemistry through songs as pedagogies and making them active participants during chemistry lessons. Two chemistry teachers and 65 form two students were purposively chosen to participate in the study. Out of the 65 students, 8 were selected through a random sampling method to participate in …

Educators’ Perceptions Of The Universal Design For Learning Framework In Support Of Economically Disadvantaged Third And Fourth Grade Students, Luke Callahan

All Theses And Dissertations

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles that provides an innovative curriculum and instructional design framework. By eliminating learning barriers across a wide range of learner variations, UDL implementation can enhance teaching and learning. This study explored the perceptions of a sample of third and fourth-grade school teachers in a suburban school district outside of Boston, Massachusetts, implementing the principles of UDL to support the achievement of economically disadvantaged students. The constructivist theories of Vygotsky and Piaget guided the study's conceptual framework. The five prominent themes that emerged from the semi-structured interviews were (1) classroom learning environment, …

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

All Theses And Dissertations

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

Effect Of The Virtual Simulation Paired Prebriefing-Debriefing Strategy On Nursing Students’ Self-Efficacy Perceptions And Virtual Simulation Performance In The Care Of Patients Experiencing A Myocardial Infarction, Laura M. Penalo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Through the use of virtual simulations (VS) in nursing education, nursing students are exposed to a variety of clinical scenarios that may potentially improve their learning of competencies, increase their self-efficacy, and enhance their future clinical performance. Despite limited quantitative research incorporating evidence-based strategies such as prebriefing and debriefing as part of the VS experience, this educational technology continues to gain popularity. In 2020, the use of VS in the nursing curriculum exponentially increased when the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted traditional in-person clinicals, laboratory, and human patient simulation (HPS) experiences. Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs have benefited from the use …

No Excuses Yet No Solutions: The Inherent Anti-Blackness Of The No-Excuses Charter School Model, Tshala A. Pajibo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The No Excuses model of education has routinely been labeled abusive and harmful to students. The No Excuses model has garnered significant pushback from students, families, and stakeholders because of procedures and policies that have caused physical, mental, and bodily harm to young students. While many education stakeholders have examined how No Excuses charters and their policies have harmed Black children, not many have examined why. This paper argues that the No Excuses charter model is completely at odds with Black cultural and educational values. This paper suggests deeper studies of the educational mindsets and opinions of No Excuses …

A Case Study Of Secondary Students' Perspectives On Standards-Based Grading And The Development Of 21st Century Learner Attributes, Michelle Blackley

Dissertations

Implementation of standards-based grading (SBG) practices can be a high benefit, low-cost initiative that directly impacts student achievement and growth. This case study aimed to determine if the theoretical value of SBG outlined in research aligns to the students’ perspectives of its value on academic learning, growth and development of 21^st century skills. Secondary students were interviewed and responses were organized into three themes: development of 21st century learner attributes, strengths of SBG and areas to improve. Results revealed that SBG supports individualized learning pace, development of a growth mindset, emotional well-being, student to teacher collaboration and 21^{st …}

Mapping The Complexities And Benefits Of Research-Design Partnerships, Emma Mercier, Luettamae Lawrence, June Ahn, Christopher Wegemer, Maya Benichou, Yael Kali, Yotam Hod, Marcela Borge, Kimberley Gomez, Ung-Sang Lee, Susan Mckenney, Cindy Poortman, Paula Arce-Trigatti, Britte Haugan Cheng

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Increasingly our field is recognizing the necessity of close, collaborative relationships with educators, policy makers, students and other potential stakeholders if our design and research work is to have a lasting and more equitable impact on education. However, this work is not easy or quick, and we lack both detailed examples of how it is done and training for new (and current) scholars in how to do it. This symposium brings together a group of scholars who actively engage in RPPs and DBIR in order to highlight the lessons that have been learned and extend our discourse into the realities …

Equitable Assessment For Elementary Dual-Language Learners, Joliette Mandel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis points out the contradictions between the goals of standardized testing and the goals of dual-language elementary education. I argue that dual-language elementary schools in the New York City Department of Education would be better served by a performance assessment model to measure student and school accountability for several reasons. Performance assessment is more equitable for students who are marginalized by their race, language, or class. Many students who attend dual-language schools in the NYCDOE fall into all these categories. I will discuss in depth why standardized testing is failing students, particularly those in dual-language elementary programs. Next, I …

Fostering College Students’ Fact-Checking Skills: Three Studies Assessing Lateral Reading Instruction In A General Education Course, Jessica E. Brodsky

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

While online information is abundant and easily accessible, its quality varies widely. Fact-checkers evaluate online information by reading laterally, i.e., opening a new browser tab to research sources and verify claims. This dissertation consisted of three studies that used course outcomes assessment data to examine the impact of a lateral reading curriculum on college students’ fact-checking skills. The curriculum was first implemented in Fall 2018 as part of a general education civics course. It has been taught every semester since then, though the content and format of implementation have changed. Data used in the current studies were collected during the …

Student Characteristics, Institutional Factors, And Outcomes In Higher Education And Beyond: An Analysis Of Standardized Test Scores And Other Factors At The Institutional Level With School Rankings And Salary, Jonathan Wai, Bich Tran

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

When seeking to explain the eventual outcomes of a higher education experience, do the personal attributes and background factors students bring to college matter more than what the college is able to contribute to the development of the student through education or other institutional factors? Most education studies tend to simply ignore cognitive aptitudes and other student characteristics-in particular the long history of research on this topic-since the focus is on trying to assess the impact of education. Thus, the role of student characteristics has in many ways been underappreciated in even highly sophisticated quantitative education research. Conversely, educational and …

Does The Timing Of Money Matter? A Case Study Of The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, Jessica Goldstein, Jonathan N. Mills, Albert Cheng, Collin E. Hitt

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

This paper examines the effect of a state-financed merit-aid scholarship—the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (ACS)—on post-secondary outcomes at a large university in Arkansas. Exploiting scholarship eligibility requirements, we implement a fuzzy regression discontinuity design to identify the scholarship’s causal impacts on college outcomes. The analysis focuses on currently enrolled sophomores, juniors, and seniors who receive the scholarship to investigate the broad impacts of receiving money at nontraditional points in an individual’s college trajectory. Findings indicate small, negative impacts of scholarship receipt on short-run outcomes such as GPA and credit accumulation, but large statistically significant declines in the likelihood of graduating …

Changes In Teachers’ Mobility And Attrition In Arkansas During The First Two Years Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Andrew Camp, Gema Zamarro, Josh B. Mcgee

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a trying period for teachers. Teachers had to adapt to unexpected conditions, teaching in unprecedented ways. As a result, teachers' levels of stress and burnout have been high throughout the pandemic, raising concerns about a potential increase in teacher turnover and future teacher shortages. We use administrative data for the state of Arkansas to document the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers’ mobility and attrition during the years 2018-19 to 2021-2022. We find stable turnover rates during the first year of the pandemic (2020-2021) but an increase in teacher mobility and attrition in the …

Creating Safe Schools: An Exploratory Study Of Educator Perspective On Student Behavior And Restorative Practices In Schools Implementation, Rachel Danielle Vargas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Restorative practices in schools (RPS) is an Integrated Student Support process that many U.S. K-12 schools utilize to combat student behavior and racial disparities against students. Initial research suggests that RPS is a successful tool to drop suspension rates, create safe school environments, and help students stay engaged in school. However, there is not sufficient empirical evidence to support a successful implementation model, leading to mixed results and opinions about the effectiveness of RPS. The purpose of this study was to explore the program processes of RPS and determine effective implementation strategies that lead to successful student outcomes. Data were …

Biblical Literacy: An Expositional Christ-Centered Approach To Bible Study, Paula K. Offutt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research aimed to examine biblical literacy from an expositional Christ-centered approach to Bible study. Using a triangular curriculum design focusing on scriptural theology, Bible study methodology, and a transformative approach to Christ-centered learning, the action research results revealed that an expositional Christ-centered approach increases biblical literacy. The researcher garnered data by hosting four bi-weekly Bible study sessions employing pre-and-post assessments to capture participants' current and post-state of biblical literacy. The validity and reliability of the pre-and-post assessments were determined by a focus group that reviewed the measurement tools and provided feedback confirming the trustworthiness and dependability of the …

Low Academic Outcomes: A Result Of Food Insecurity And Student Mental Health During Covid19, Kristen Riley Cole

Honors Theses

Food insecurity has significantly increased throughout the United States as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many schools switched to remote learning and children lost access to free school meals, affecting them psychologically and academically. This study examined the relationship between food insecurity and low academic outcomes, accounting for student mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD, as well as parental involvement as a possible protective factor against mental health. The current study administered a survey through Amazon’s MTurk to reach a diverse group of participants across the United States. Data analysis from the study can conclude that food …

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

School Leadership Review

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

Outdoor Operations Of Multiple Quadrotors In Windy Environment, Deepan Lobo

Dissertations

Coordinated multiple small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAVs) offer several advantages over a single sUAV platform. These advantages include improved task efficiency, reduced task completion time, improved fault tolerance, and higher task flexibility. However, their deployment in an outdoor environment is challenging due to the presence of wind gusts. The coordinated motion of a multi-sUAV system in the presence of wind disturbances is a challenging problem when considering collision avoidance (safety), scalability, and communication connectivity. Performing wind-agnostic motion planning for sUAVs may produce a sizeable cross-track error if the wind on the planned route leads to actuator saturation. In a multi-sUAV …

Penguatan Keterampilan Mahasiswa Melalui Penggunaan Schoology Dan Instagram Dalam Pembelajaran Pancasila Di Era Pandemi Covid-19, Mohammad Nur Huda, Mukhamad Murdiono, Ahmad Muhibbin

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This research aims to describe the strengthening of student skills through the use of Schoology and Instagram in learning Pancasila in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic. The research design used was a case study qualitative research. Data collection tools in this study were interview guides, observation, and document study. The validity of the data in this study used triangulation of sources and techniques. The data analysis technique in this study is a flow model. The results showed that strengthening student skills including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity was carried out through the use of Schoology and Instagram in …

Using Twitter To Enhance Secondaryschool Student's Vocabularyachievement, Uswatun Hasanah, Mirjam Anugerahwati

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This paper examined the effectiveness of Twitter to enhance the students’ vocabulary achievement, because vocabulary is considered to have an important role in increasing students’ academic achievement and skills. It employed a quasi-experimental design and involved 64 students which divided into control and experimental group. The findings of the research discovered that both of group increased their achievement; however the students in experimental group get higher score than control group. The students in the control group were categorized as students with “good” achievement, while the students in the experimental were students with “very good” achievement.

Revealing Attitude And Motivation Of Young Efl Learners Through Metaphor Analysis: Learning English In The Crisis Time, Yossy Sunda Permatasari, Sri Rachmajanti, Utari Praba Astuti

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aimed to find out learners’ attitude and motivation toward online English learning during COVID-19 outbreak. Eight first graders were involved in an interview session to reveal their perspectives through metaphor. The results of metaphor analysis showed that the learners have low motivation and attitude although they tend to get good score in English subject. Due to many obstacles in its implementation, students, teacher, and parents hope that the English teaching and learning activities can be done face-to-face completely to result in effective learning process.

Pengembangan Augmented Reality (Ar) Berbasis Android Pada Pembelajaran Pemodelan Bangun Ruang 3d, Rahmania Sri Untari, Fitria Nur Hasanah, Mahardika Darmawan Kusuma Wardana

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The purpose of this research and development is to obtain empirical findings about the development of Android-based Augmented Reality (AR) and measure the effectiveness of using AR to improve problem solving skills in learning 3D spatial modeling at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Surabaya. The development model used is the ADDIE model. Based on the results of validation by material and media experts, it shows that Android-based AR is very good and feasible to be implemented in elementary school students. The average validation result of material experts and experts is 4.9. There is a significant effect between problem solving ability before being …