Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Student Success In Virtual Versus In-Person Learning During A Direct Instruction Math Intervention Course, Christina Lindmeier

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Public education has always been thought of as being completed in a brick and mortar setting with students in desks and teachers at the front of the classroom. Students interact with their peers and learn through lecture and hands-on activities. This general understanding was quickly changed in the spring of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools had to shift from in person learning to online learning with little to no planning time. As schools began to transition back in the fall of 2020, school boards had to make the choice of continuing all virtual learning, creating a hybrid learning …

Evaluating A Speech Training Software Program Called Nativeaccent Based On Empirical Studies, Farideh Nekoobahr, Jacqueline Hawkins, Kristi L. Santi, Janeen R. S. Antonelli, Johanna Leigh Thorpe

Journal of English Learner Education

This article evaluates a Computer-Assisted Language Learning program called NativeAccent and demonstrates that the software is designed based on systematic instructional strategies and empirically-proven theories. The instructional strategies include an initial assessment, training sessions, a final reassessment, repeated measurement, graphic presentation and systematic and rigorous interpretive guidelines, and individualized dosage. The empirically-supported theories are rooted in the four research-based theories of Universal Design for Learning, Learning Science, Intelligent Tutoring System, and Automatic Speech Recognition. In matching the components of the four theories mentioned above to the design of NativeAccent and evaluating the software, the purpose is to help administrators, educators, …

Collaborating With K-12 Partners: Improving Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Rural English Learners Science Through A Guided Experiential Learning Opportunity, Dana Manning, Erin Pearce

Journal of English Learner Education

With changing demographics in the United States, educator preparations programs (EPPs) must consider incorporating more experiential learning opportunities for preservice teachers to grow in their self-efficacy when working in diverse classrooms. At a rural university in the southern United States, researchers designed an instructional unit that transcended three educator preparation courses to provide an opportunity for students to design and deliver a 5E science lesson to English learners from a rural school district. The results from this study indicate that preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching English learners increased as evidenced by the Teacher Sense of Self- Efficacy Scale, adapted for …

Embracing The New Normal: Infusing Academic Language And Technology To Empower Ells, Scott B. Freiberger

Journal of English Learner Education

This au courant, research-based article offers specific program ideas for teachers during this unprecedented time when supporting our ELLs is especially needed.

Predictive Measures Of Teacher Effectiveness During Student Teaching, Kristen M. Carlson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The student teaching semester of a teacher candidates career is performative in the need to impress a university supervisor, cooperating teacher, and pass any licensure required assessments. Two data collection points during this semester are from a required performance assessment (edTPA) and a perception survey (CM Exit). This article reviews the predictive validity of the two tools based on three years worth of data from one mid-sized, Midwestern teacher preparation program.

A Case Study Regarding Induction Supports And Activities And Their Impact On Successful Teacher Retention, Alicia Ponds

Doctorate in Education

At the end of every school year, new teachers either stay or leave public classrooms. Multiple challenges drive these new teacher choices. State, district, and local administrators struggle to fill teacher vacancies. New teacher departures challenge schools with the maintenance of an attractive work environment and provision of quality student education. This case study shares how five successful Minnesota educators apply extrinsic activities and intrinsic supports to not only meet these challenges, but effectively respond to the 2019-2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through research interviews, this qualitative study analyzes intrinsic supports and extrinsic activities in relation to positive teaching …

Assessing Perceptions Of Group Work Using Team-Based Learning, Lauren Ferry, Phillip J. Wong, Kathryn Hogan

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Group work is frequently incorporated into courses; however, student perceptions of their experiences and the benefits of group work might differ based on the structure of course. In this study, we examined student perceptions of group work in a team-based learning (TBL) course. Undergraduate students completed pre- and post-surveys on their team work experiences over a semester. Students had lower agreement with the statement “working in groups usually ends up with one person doing all of the work” and higher agreement with “working in a group makes me feel as though I am part of a learning community” at post-test. …

Rapid Shifts In Educators’ Perceptions Of Data Literacy Priorities, Kristin Fontichiaro, Melissa P. Johnston

Journal of Media Literacy Education

To meet the challenges of a data-driven society, high school students need new arrays of literacy skills. In the United States, school librarians, who work across disciplines, are well-positioned to help students improve their data practice, but they first need new domain knowledge. This article presents findings from an evaluating survey and session evaluation data from a virtual data literacy conference, which were part of a federally-funded project to develop data literacy skills among high school librarians and educators. Findings indicated a noticeable shift in participant perceptions of the need and urgency for data literacy instruction across content areas and …

Timss 2019 Australia. Volume I: Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Nicole Wernert, Sima Rodrigues, Elizabeth O'Grady

TIMSS 2019

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS was first conducted in 1995 and the assessment conducted in 2019 formed the seventh cycle, providing 24 years of trends in mathematics and science achievement at Year 4 and Year 8. In Australia, TIMSS is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement …

Copyright Information, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Open Educational Resources: What Do Students Want?, Aneeza Hussain, Joyette K. Noel

Publications and Research

This project aims at identifying the needs and requests of students for Open Educational Resources (OERs) in order to develop rubrics for design, evaluation but also revisions of OERs. For this purpose literature searches on the matter were conducted to determine if information on students’ perspective on OER content and expectations existed. Simultaneously, feedback from fellow City Tech students with experience using OERs has been collected. Our results provide insight on how City Tech students perceive OERs, in comparison with traditional resources. This also pinpoints the key pedagogical features that OERs should offer in order to attract, engage and better …

Career And Technical Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward And Their Participation In Technology-Based Professional Development Training In Mississippi’S High School Districts, Natalie N. Hill

Dissertations

The use of technology has become an essential part of daily interaction in Career and Technical education learning environments. There is very little research regarding career and technical teachers’ attitudes and participation in professional development, although previous studies have been conducted referencing K-12 teachers’ attitudes. A qualitative research methodology was employed to investigated the insight of CTE teachers’ attitudes toward the professional developments that they had attended. This study also investigated whether training was appropriate to teachers’ learning needs in high school districts in MS. The population for this study included seven high school career and technical teachers in five …

Mitigating The Impacts Of Covid-19: Lessons From Australia In Remote Education, Anna Dabrowski, Yung Nietschke, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Anne-Marie Chase

Student learning processes

This literature review provides an overview of past and present responses to remote schooling in Australia, drawing on international research. The paper begins by discussing historical responses to emergency and extended schooling, including during the COVID-19 crisis. The discussion then focuses on effective teaching and learning practices and different learning design models. The review considers the available evidence on technology-based interventions and their use during remote schooling periods. Although this research is emergent, it offers insights into the availability and suitability of different mechanisms that can be used in remote learning contexts. Noting that the local empirical research base is …

Exploring The Relationship Between Student Online Discussion-Board Activity And Student Grades, Frank Robert Talbott

Dissertations

As students, instructors, and higher-education administrators delve further into cyberspace, scholarly literature and practice require further insights into the dynamics of online learning. This study examined the relationship between online student discussionboard activity and student grades and, consequently, addressed a dearth in the literature about this relationship. Student Involvement Theory provided the theoretical foundation of this research. This study’s sample consisted of 200 online undergraduate students in online business-analytics courses. Regression-analyses findings supported the relationship between student postings of certain mathematical-symbol references (e.g., for equalities, inequalities, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and student grades. Therefore, administrators, faculty, and course designers …

A Snapshot Semester: Students’ Reflections Of Performance And Mental State Throughout A Graduate Course, Bradley D. Borges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students are anecdotally reputed to be among the most stressed groups of young adults. Common sources of stress for graduate students have included coursework, assistantships, finances, career preparation, and family (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2013; Mazzola, Walker, Shockley & Spector, 2011; Oswalt & Riddock, 2007). Guided reflection can be used by educators to assist students in both learning (Boud, Keogh & Walker, 2013; Kolb, 1984) and managing stress (Shoulders, Whitehead, & Morrison, 2018). By understanding how students’ progress through a semester in terms of both their learning and their management of stress, instructors and academic advisors can better anticipate times …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

Students’ Meaning-Making Journeys Towards Self-Authorship Through Self-Designed Gap Year Experiences, Erin Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological, qualitative study addressed student perceptions of their meaning-making process towards self-authorship in a self-designed gap year experience and was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the Southeast. Data was gathered through interviews from a purposeful sample of gap year program participants and program administrators. Emerging themes and categories were identified by coding and analyzing the interview data, such as continual reflection reinforces the value of individual meaning-making, self-expectations versus self-worth, the influence of societal expectations are minimized, and self-designed learning helps to solidify changes in self-authorship. The data showed a strong connection between multiple meaning-making contexts …

Covid-19: Descriptive Case Study Of A K-8 School District’S Abrupt Transition To Remote Learning From A Traditional In-Person Model, Matthew C. Ferreira

All Theses And Dissertations

COVID-19 resulted in many changes worldwide in how humans and organizations interact and operate. One such significant adjustment was the closure and transition from a classroom instruction model to a remote instruction model across the United States. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore student achievement, teacher preparation and instructional hours, and student attendance levels for grades kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) at four schools in a single school district. The study examined these datasets at a school administrative unit (SAU) comprising of three terms during the 2019-20 school year, comparing pre-COVID-19 levels with post-COVID-19 levels. The …

Cuban Immigrants’ Experience With Acculturation And How They Cope In The United States, Lourdes Araujo

Dissertations

Objective: This research examines how Cuban immigrants experience cope and adapt to the United States. Cuban immigration is associated with specific stressors related to the immigration experience and the necessary process of acculturation and assimilation. These major stressors can result in mental health concerns among Cuban immigrants; however, no studies have examined how acculturation may influence Cuban immigrants’ coping skills and resultant mental health concerns. This unique study is the first to examine the coping skills Cuban immigrants use during acculturation and the effects of these skills on Cuban immigrants’ mental health. Methods: Seventeen participants completed a semistructured interview and …

The Role Of Culture In The Transfer Of Training, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Organizations interested in raising their performance and results spend large sums of money on training their employees, but unless the resultant learning is transferred to the work situation, that investment will not yield a return. This study's initial premise is that national cultures may play a part in the transfer process. The study’s purpose is to identify national cultural factors which may influence training and learning transfer. Leadership trainings among school leaders in Ghana and Burkina Faso, West Africa were observed and recorded using Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov’s (2010) Six Cultural Dimensions model as a framework of analysis. Some cultural …

Science In Early Childhood Education, Olivia Kocina

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Science is often limited or absent in an early education classroom. It is important to give children an outlet to experience science in the classroom or through lesson plans. Having science at an early age can provide children the opportunities to build up their reasoning, to question things about the world, and later in life to feel more confident in other STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities or areas. To address this need, I created a 3-day program for 3 to 5 year-olds at Little Learners of Aptos School in Aptos, California.

An Evaluation Of One School District Standards Assessment Program, Derrick King

Dissertations

This project focuses on how one school district uses quarterly assessments to identify standards students have not mastered. This project identifies how some schools utilize quarterly assessment data with varying results. One problem I have identified is a lack of a consistent expectation from district leadership, regarding the expectation for how schools should use the assessment program. In my research, I examine two schools that use the assessment program differently. The literature I present reveals how the program can help improve student achievement. The research reveals what is working well, and what is not. In closing, I recommend implementing a …

The Impact Of Parent Training On Access To Care For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rian Brown-Beasley

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that impacts communication and behavior. Parents of children with ASD have the difficult challenge to identify appropriate treatment to address their children’s needs. There are unproven treatments that appeal to parents that can cause harm. Parents need targeted educational opportunities in evidence-based interventions such as Applied Behavior Analysis to foster positive outcomes for their children. The purpose of this study was to determine baseline parental knowledge of evidence-based intervention for children with ASD and if specialized parent training increased parental knowledge of ASD interventions, and to determine socioeconomic status was a factor …

Availability And Perceived Effectiveness Of High School Programs, Services, And Approaches To Address Trauma-Related Outcomes In The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan, Jaime Vanenkevort

All NMU Master's Theses

Twelve administrators at Michigan Upper Peninsula (U.P.) high schools participated in 12 separate structured interviews to identify programs, services, and approaches to address trauma-related outcomes. Participants were three U.P. superintendents, eight principals, and one Intermediate School District (ISD) social worker who described a convergence of factors affecting assessment measures of programs, services, and approaches to address student trauma-related outcomes in U.P. high schools. The interviews addressed the identification of programs, services, and approaches to address trauma-related outcomes at U.P. high schools and the assessment measures in use to evaluate available programs, services, and approaches. A systems theory approach and understanding …

Development Of Core Pharmacy Roles With Competency/Epa Alignment And Levels Of Entrustment., Kimberly K. Daugherty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this two-phase embedded mixed-method project was to investigate the extent to which a consensus exists among pharmacy professionals regarding core practice-ready roles for graduates that align with current pharmacy competencies/EPA statements with entrustment levels. Current competencies/EPAs were perceived as mapping to the core roles developed during this study, with some missing competencies. Some of the EPA levels of entrustment varied depending on the role to which it was mapped. Some levels were different than the current recommended EPA entrustment level recommended to be used by schools/colleges. The development of a set of core roles with the mapping …

Teacher Perceptions Regarding The Purpose Of K-12 Education, Peter M. Grostic

Dissertations

This study explored the perceptions of teachers regarding the purposes of K-12 education and the influence of belief sources on their perceptions. Purposes of K-12 education and the ways in which they have changed over time are topics for which researchers are concerned (Carpenter, 2005; Labaree, 2013). Addressing this concern, there is existing literature focused on understanding purposes through K-12 school mission statements (Schafft & Biddle, 2014; Stemler & Bebell, 2012), and a multitude of reflections regarding what K-12 education purposes should be (Biesta, 2015; Macallister, 2016; Robinson & Aronica, 2014). Less is known regarding what frontline K-12 education practitioners …

On The Value Of In-Class Lecture: Evidence From Introductory Corporate Finance Classes, Chien Chih Peng

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

This study examines whether the availability of in-class lectures can lead to difference in student peiformance between face-to-face and online introductory corporate finance classes. The ordinary least squares regression model is employed to analyze a sample of 284 students at a four-year state university in the Appalachian region. The results show that when assessed online, students receiving in-class lectures in face-to-face classes peiform significantly better than those receiving narrated PowerPoint slides on study aids in online classes. In addition, the results show that student's major and educational experience are significant determinants of student performance.

Implementing Change: A Case Study Of Adaptive Leadership, Tina Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Persistent low levels of student achievement is a concern that has been the focus of many school improvement initiatives. Research has demonstrated that Professional Learning Communities are an initiative that leads to improved academic outcomes. Additionally, research has demonstrated the importance of effective leadership for a change initiative to be successful.

Using the conceptual framework of adaptive leadership as applied to implement a school improvement initiative, this study was conducted to understand how instructional leaders perceive their leadership changed as a result of implementing professional learning communities in their school. The participants were instructional leaders who led schools participating in …

Secure Answer Book And Automatic Grading, Manoj Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In response to the growing need to perform assessments online, we have developed a secure answer book, as well as a tool for automatically grading it for our course on spread- sheet modeling. We applied these techniques to a cohort of about 160 students who took the course last term. In this paper, we describe the design, implementation and the techniques employed to enhance both the security of the answer book and the ease, accuracy and consistency of grading. In addition, we summarize the experience and takeaways, both from the instructor and the student perspectives. Although the answer book and …

Data And Assessment Management In Collegiate Recreation, Jeana Carow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Collegiate recreation programs and centers typically provide traditional programming space in addition to a range of physical activity spaces and resources, as a valuable part of the student experience. The external pressures of identifying and communicating departmental value and impact on the campus community has resulted in collegiate recreation departments’ use of data to communicate the effectiveness and impact of their work. The purpose of the study was to identify the data collection and assessment management practices of collegiate recreation departments, particularly focusing on the organization of data and assessment strategies as well as data collection, storage, reporting, analyzing, and …