Educational Methods Commons^™

Professional Learning Community Implementation And Perceptions Of Influence On School Culture, Herbert L. Chambers Jr.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As school leaders strive to achieve educational success at all levels in schools, this research provided educational professionals with feedback on how the implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) is perceived as influencing school culture. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative survey design was to examine how educators perceived that school culture is influenced by the practice of PLCs. Descriptive statistics were calculated for 57 survey items. This research design provided the perceptions of school leaders, teachers, and support staff at the elementary, middle, and high school levels based on five identified dimensions of the Professional Learning Community Assessment – …

Connecting Classroom Physics To Real-World Research: A Citizen Science Approach In Ap Physics 1, Heather M. Landgarten

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1 emphasizes evidence-based reasoning, quantitative modeling, and scientific inquiry. However, secondary science instruction often remains focused on procedural problem solving and standardized assessment rather than authentic scientific practice. This study examined the integration of citizen science projects into an AP Physics 1 curriculum to provide students with authentic research experiences while reinforcing physics concepts during the post-AP examination instructional period.

Using a classroom-based mixed-methods pre–post design, students participated in citizen science activities through publicly available research platforms, including Zooniverse. Students collected and classified authentic scientific data, analyzed real-world datasets, developed research questions, compared observations with theoretical …

Teaching For Autonomy: Helping Young Students Define, Create, And Fight For A Better World, Riley Mcgowan

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

I define an Autonomous Student as a learner detached from the capitalist mindset, who learns not just to reproduce the working world but to better themselves and the future. A learner who is independent, flexible, civically engaged, connected with their community, and has their own idea of success that is not tied to the school or the economy. A learner who can uncover injustice and knows how to fight back. As it is currently set up, the education system in the US does not work toward creating autonomous students. Instead, the focus is on reproducing society as it is and …

Why Is It Always The Boys?: Evaluating Disciplinary Issues Within The Classroom, Brian P. Lynch

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This thesis explores the concept of discipline in the classroom and the overrepresentation of male students in disciplinary action.  American public schools are nearly equally represented with male and female students, yet disciplinary action is taken far more frequently toward male students.  Throughout the course of this paper, a history of disciplinary action in America is relayed.  Psychological and social factors are acknowledged to explain the differences of actions in the classroom between male and female students.

To best impact students in the classroom and relieve the overrepresentation of male disciplinary issues, a community program should take place throughout the …

Storytelling And Equity: A Program Evaluation That Promotes And Supports Narrative-Based Learning And Open Dialogue Practices At Higher Ed Institutions, Regis A. Peeples

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On college campuses worldwide, storytelling functions as a primary method for transmitting and affirming knowledge. It serves to validate lived experiences, acts as a relational teaching tool, and supports theoretical inquiry. Given that teaching is inherently political, storytelling can also perpetuate hate, oppression, and other social harms within academic environments. Even when educators use storytelling constructively, limited training exists on the full range of its impacts on students, particularly in terms of what may be described as “dangerous” storytelling. Dangerous storytelling refers to narratives, intentional or authentic, that reinforce or cultivate phobias about physical appearance (e.g., race, culture, nationality), propagate …

Advancing Data Extraction Workflows For Single-Case Design Meta-Analysis Using Large Language Models, Yaosheng Lou

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) are a form of longitudinal research that is particularly valuable for studying marginalized and underrepresented populations. Meta-analysis plays an essential role in synthesizing evidence across studies and enhancing the generalizability of findings. However, as interest in SCEDs grows and the evidence base expands, conducting meta-analyses has become increasingly labor-intensive and time-consuming. This dissertation addresses these challenges by examining the applicability of large language models (LLMs) for data extraction and meta-analytic dataset compilation in the context of SCED meta-analysis. Because LLM performance is influenced by model selection, prompt design, and the specific materials being extracted, this dissertation …

Professional Identity Development Among Nursing Students: The Impact Of Structured Reflective Practice, Abdelmonim El Fadely, Kamal Takhdat, Charaf-Eddine Ahraiba, Rahma Bouali, Sabah Selmaoui, Boujemaa Agorram

Health Professions Education

Purpose This study aimed to assess the impact of a structured reflective practice intervention on the development of professional identity among nursing students. Method A mixed-methods design was adopted. The intervention, based on guided reflective practice, was implemented with a voluntary sample of 58 participants. The evaluation relied on a quasi-experimental quantitative approach using the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale, with a comparison group and both pre-test and post-test measurements. A qualitative component was also included to explore the dimensions of the studied concept in greater depth. Results Quantitative findings showed a statistically significant difference between the post-test means (p < 0.001), indicating that the reflective practice intervention had a positive effect on the experimental group compared to the control group. The qualitative results further illuminated students’ reflections, which were organized into ten themes corresponding to the study’s conceptual framework: professional knowledge and skills, values and ethics, the nursing role, leadership, professional self-image, social image of the profession, sense of belonging, identification with role models, theory–practice integration, and career choice. These dimensions provided a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of professional identity, capturing the complexity of the concept. Conclusion These results support the integration of reflective practice as a pedagogical approach to fostering the construction and development of a positive professional identity. Professional identity, as a rich and multidimensional concept, goes beyond the process of professionalization—it represents its ultimate achievement.

The Impacts Of Experiential Learning On Moral Development, Jacob Tyler Greenfield

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Burnout remains a widely studied phenomenon in the healthcare literature, with much of the focus placed on reactive mitigation strategies that lack meaningful engagement with moral development. Healthcare education programs rarely incorporate formal learning experiences that promote moral development as a means of addressing burnout symptoms. This qualitative single case study examined how health professions students describe the impact of experiential learning on their moral development. Participants engaged in adapted photovoice methods, focus groups, and interviews to reflect on how serving as a Project MUSHROOM student leader influenced their morality. Four themes emerged: 1) recognizing bias and the need to …

Academic Outcomes Of Associate Degree Transfer Students From Selected Two-Year Campuses To A Public Urban Research University In The Northeast U.S: An Empirical Analysis Using Administrative Unit Record Data, Michelle Bianchi

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study examined academic outcomes for associate degree transfer students at an urban, public research university in the Northeast United States. In particular, this study examined differences in rates of retention, rates of graduation, and cumulative upper-division grade point average (GPA) at graduation between associate degree transfers and direct-entry undergraduates at the same institution, taking into account the two-year college attended. This approach provides a lens into campus effects, considering the profiles of associate degree transfers from identified two-year colleges to search for similarities and differences in academic outcomes for transfers by two-year college attended.

The study relied on student-level …

Listening In Lectures Self-Assessment, David Keck

A. Listening in Class and in Professional Settings

A handout designed to help students assess -- and ultimately improve -- their listening habits in the classroom. Sections include Preparing for Class; Mindset; Relationship with the Instructor; Relationship with Fellow Students; During Class; and After Class.

Using Curated Co-Teaching Tools To Elicit Tacit Experiences Related To Collaboration, Innovation, And Satisfaction Between Co-Teaching Pairs, Lisa Caputo Love

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative, phenomenological study that documents the lived experiences of co-teaching pairs while they engage with a curated co-teaching “toolkit.” The toolkit, which comprises high-leverage practices and related resources, helps to elicit emotions and descriptions of the pairs’ experiences. A mosaic of data was gathered and analyzed for evidence of collaboration and innovation sparked by the toolkit and to assess participants’ perception of feeling valued and satisfied in the co-teaching role. The findings outline that the participants reported that access to the tools and time for their implementation could be helpful, but that more consistency in work pairings …

Exploring Healthcare Students' Perceptions About Race And Privilege At A Large Academic Medical Center: A Pilot Study Of A Peer Education Program, Elizabeth A. Brown, Dante Pelzer, Katrina Black Reed, Chinieka Jackman-Rogers, Madison Kimmell

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Amid the racial unrest stemming from the summer of 2020, in the United States, many institutions had difficult conversations about race and the impact of racism with employees, students, and patients. In January 2021 and February 2021, we recruited undergraduate students for the Peer Education Program (PEP), a voluntary program conducted at a large academic medical center, and encouraged students to have a safe space to discuss controversial topics in healthcare. From April 2021 to July 2021 four interdisciplinary healthcare students met once a month for 1 hr to discuss privilege, race/racism, leadership, and advocacy and their influence on health …

From Enthusiasm To Exhaustion: Investigating Burnout In New Secondary Teachers, Casey Gruver

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Teacher burnout remains a critical concern and commonly experienced phenomenon in secondary education, particularly among educators in their first five years of practice. This mixed-methods study examined the experiences and perceptions of burnout among new secondary teachers (grades 7–12) in a single, large suburban school district. Guided by the Job Demands Resource Model and Conservation of Resources Theory, the study explored how job demands, access to resources, and organizational supports shape early-career burnout. Survey data and semi-structured interviews support the framework that burnout is a multidimensional, cumulative experience influenced by job demands and insufficient organizational resources.

Exploring Culturally Responsive Faculty Practices That Support Student Success In Community College Classrooms, Mary Catherine Flynn

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the culturally responsive teaching practices used by six community college faculty and instructors in their in-person courses. Faculty and instructors taught courses included in certificate and degree programs related to early childhood education, human services, and criminal justice at one midwestern community college. Specific content areas included sociology, political science, and child development. Data collection for this study included comprehensive interviews with each instructor, an analysis of documents including syllabi, student assignments, and assessments, and multiple classroom observations. This study was anchored in a theoretical framework based on the constructs of culturally responsive teaching practices. Each …

Merger Crisis Role-Play: Organizational Behavior In Action, Jyro B. Triviño

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

To advance professionally, students must be prepared to navigate dynamic and contentious organizational environments by articulating their varied views, protecting their personal and professional intentions, anticipating challenges, and then fostering consensus. This paper addresses a high-stakes, multi-round immersive role-play simulation of a company merger in an undergraduate Organizational Behavior course. Grounded in the core pillars of experiential learning, adaptive leadership, and organizational sensemaking, this classroom exercise places students in a pre-set, realistic post-merger leadership team facing immediate business challenges. Compared to traditional case studies, this method requires students to demonstrate real-time organizational behavior competencies, providing a powerful platform for negotiation …

Educator Understanding Of Mtss: A Quantitative Descriptive Study, Danielle Valiente

Dissertations of Practice

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) require coordinated implementation across the full educator workforce. This study examined MTSS knowledge and self-reported understanding across the Illinois educator workforce to identify the specific knowledge gaps a targeted professional learning solution would need to address. Using a quantitative descriptive design, 208 Illinois public school educators across 16 job roles and four experience bands completed an online survey consisting of an eleven-item true/false knowledge assessment, a ten-item multiple-choice knowledge assessment, and a 10-item Likert self-report inventory. Data were disaggregated by job role and by years of professional experience. Educators demonstrated strong understanding of MTSS structural …

Ai Policy In Virginia Public Schools: A Comparative Analysis, Jesse Senechal, Jamelle Simmons, Jonathan D. Becker, Melissa Ware, Michael Broda, Kindy Anderson, Eric Byers, Kiana Bradford, Thea Racelis, Meleah Ellison

MERC Publications

This MERC research and policy review explores policy implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in Virginia public schools. It is part of a two part series with a companion report focused on AI implications for PK-12 teaching and learning. The report has two parts:

1. A review of the AI policy landscape around PK-12 education
2. Virginia AI policy analysis

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations for PK-12 policy and practice.

Ai In Pk-12 Education: Implications For Teaching And Learning, David Naff, Meleah Ellison, Casey Bailey, Tzu-Wei Wang, Kiana Bradford

MERC Publications

This research and policy review from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for teaching and learning in public PK-12 education. It is part of a two part series with a companion report focused on AI implications for PK-12 policy. The report explores two questions:

1. How is AI shaping teaching and instructional practice?
2. How is AI shaping student learning and development?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations for PK-12 policy and practice.

The Retrograde Pendulum: Reversing Course On Standards-Based Grading, Jay C. Percell

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This commentary details one large, suburban school district that, after a decade-long commitment to implementing standards-based grading (SBG), reversed course, abandoned the initiative, and returned to traditional grading. This article provides a postmortem of the ambitious reform effort, drawing upon previous research and recent district survey data from teachers and parents. Among the factors leading to the reform's reversal are that, despite a carefully planned, multi-year rollout, the initiative was unable to resolve persistent concerns about implementation inconsistency, student motivation, and the technology reporting platform. Internal pressures were exacerbated by external turmoil, including personnel turnover and the COVID-19 pandemic, and …

Boys Will Be Empathetic: How Does Media Literacy Education Impact Adolescent Boys’ Empathy?, Karley A. Betzler

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many adolescent boys are using social media each day for a variety of reasons. How social media is being utilized by these students, what they are being potentially exposed to online, and how it is impacting their offline lives has raised questions and concerns for many educators. This literature review explores how teaching media literacy skills to adolescent boy students impacts their empathy. This review specifically focuses on research done around the impact of social media use on the development of empathy and masculinity, how the impacts of boys’ exposure to the manosphere are being felt and perpetuated in schools, …

Humanizing Education Through Subject-Centered Instruction: A Mixed Methods Case Study Of Engagement And Achievement In An Exploring Hip-Hop As Literature English Elective, Alicia Hyman-Peters

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how humanizing education through relationally-driven, subject-centered teaching affects student engagement, literacy, and achievement in an Exploring Hip-Hop as Literature English elective at a diverse high school in Northeast Florida. Drawing on Freire’s concept of humanization, Noddings’ Ethic of Care, Palmer’s focus on subject-centered learning, and the culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies of Ladson-Billings, Paris, and Alim, the research investigated how humanized education restores meaning and connection to learning. Using a Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Design, data from thirty students were gathered through surveys, participation and assignment records, standardized assessments, interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations. Quantitative findings …

Considerations For School Leadership In Leveraging School-Based Behavior Analysis For Systemic Improvement In Public Education, Virginia Public Schools Behavior Analyst Network, Kira Austin, Elizabeth Boynton, Amanda K. Cash, Meredith Eads, Daniel Irwin, Selena Layden, Daria K. Lorio-Barsten, Emily Muise, Nadine Pittman, Felicia Shelton, Indya Watts-Graves

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Public schools face significant challenges, including rising student behavioral needs, chronic absenteeism, and high rates of teacher burnout. These issues are interconnected with and inextricably linked to a need for effective, evidence-based behavioral supports. Educators frequently enter the field lacking the necessary skills and training to manage complex student behavior, often resulting in a reliance on punitive practices that exacerbate problems.

This paper proposes that the expertise of school-based behavior analysts (SBBAs), who are Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®) specializing in education, offers a powerful, underutilized solution. SBBAs are trained in applied behavior analysis (ABA), a data-driven science focused on …

Early Stem Impressions, Student Engagement, And Readiness For Digitalization, Myron Sheu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study examines how early impressions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) shape business students’ learning behaviors and, ultimately, their readiness for organizational digitalization. Focusing on gender differences, subgroup identities, and perceived obstacles, the analysis uses survey data processed through correlation matrices, regression models, and subgroup heatmaps to trace the relationship between initial attitudes toward STEM and subsequent engagement patterns. The findings reveal consistent links between positive early impressions and active participation in structured STEM activities, along with gender-based distinctions in action preferences. Subgroup analyses further uncover nuanced patterns where stereotypes or perceived barriers correspond with reduced engagement. Collectively, …