Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Returning To School After A Pandemic: K-6 Special Education Teachers Perspectives On Students With Disabilities Returning To School In Regard To Mindset, Behavior, Social Connections, And Academic Achievement, Andrea Xenios

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine K-6 special education educators’ perceptions of the impact on students with disabilities returning to school after the trauma of a pandemic for 2 years with regard to behavior, academic achievement, mindset, and social connections.

Methodology: This qualitative study interviewed 10 special education teachers who taught before, during, and after the pandemic in Orange County, CA. Semi-structured open ended interview questions was the main source of data collection with other sources including observations, and artifacts. Data was coded and the researcher analyzed the data for themes and patterns.

Findings: The study …

Software Developers’ Experiences With Call In The Context Of The Four Language Competencies (Reading, Writing, Listening, And Speaking) And Teacher And Learner Fit: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Artem Kalyanov

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how CALL software developers identify and describe their experiences with developing CALL software in the context of the four language competencies: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, along with teacher and learner fit.

Findings: The analysis of the collected data revealed six key findings that shed light on the developers’ experiences. The findings related to how CALL software developers combine different language competencies; how they implement continuous testing and evaluating of key elements of the language competencies; and how they ensure the development of a CALL program that is both …

Post-Pandemic Student Attendance, Becki Delloyd

Dissertations

Student attendance has been a national concern since the start of compulsory education in America; however, since the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance plummeted to never- before-seen attendance rates. Nationally, by the end of the 2021-2022 school year, nearly one in three students were absent 10% or more of the school year (Attendance Works, 2023). My 39-question survey conducted in two vastly different states between April and May of 2023 corroborated the national data and resulted in nearly one in three students being absent 10 or more school days in a year. Through my study, I explored parents’ perceptions of post-pandemic K–12 …

The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Students In The School Setting: The Adaptations Needed For Tiered Supports, Eleni M. Gajewski

Dissertations

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on students in the school setting and identify necessary adaptations needed, particularly through a tiered system of support. The research aims for two primary objectives by employing a constructivist framework utilizing mixed methods for data collection. Firstly, it aims to provide districts with a foundation for understanding the social-emotional and academic consequences of the pandemic on students. Secondly, its purpose is to empower districts to leverage this comprehensive evaluation as a proactive approach to cater to the diverse needs of all students. This includes responding to the challenges posed …

Online Education: Benefits And Challenges For Refugee Students, Roza Badritdinova

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Currently, only 3% of refugees are pursuing higher education opportunities compared to the 37% higher education participation rate globally. There is an urgent need for quality academic work to leave behind the endless descriptive accounts of refugee life and move toward identifying effective strategies and successful solutions that could facilitate the integration of refugees into higher education. Technology has proffered some hope in providing access to public education for marginalized populations. This study looked specifically at how one online education organization attempts to address refugee education and multiple barriers that prevent the majority of the world’s university-age refugee youth …

Overcoming The Impostor Phenomenon: Exploring The Strategies Special Education Charter School Leaders Used To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Damaris Ocasio Owens

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive mixed method study was to explore and describe the coping skills used to overcome the nine behavioral characteristics by special education charter school leaders who identified as experiencing impostor phenomenon (IP) by the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance,1985), while leading the transition to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This descriptive mixed-methods research design used quantitative and qualitative data to identify special education leaders with IP and explore the coping skills they used during distance learning. The first phase of the study was a quantitative 20-question survey, the CIPS, used to …

Self-Regulation And Academic Motivation As Predictors Of Academic Achievement Of Undergraduate Students In An Online Learning Environment, Sonia Almwalad

Dissertations

Problem

Online learning is a form of distance education that occurs via the Internet (Adams, 2004; Carliner, 1999). The success of online learning depends on student-related factors such as acceptance, willingness, and motivation (Almaiah et al., 2019; Almaiah et al., 2020). When online learning systems are not utilized, students cannot realize the concomitant benefit of improved performance. Online learning has many positives, but it does present a problem when it comes to academic success. Motivation and self-regulation are two of the key factors for successful online learning given that students are subject to minimal supervision or guidance from teachers in …

How Teachers Build Relationships With Students In A Bimodal Environment, Andrew Salazar

Dissertations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers nationwide were encouraged or required to teach on a bimodal platform, forcing them to create lessons, deliver lessons, and build student relationships in a way they had not experienced before. The purpose of my study was to investigate the strategies teachers were using to build relationships with students in a bimodal environment and compile a comprehensive list of effective strategies that leaders could utilize in professional development for other teachers. The context of this inquiry was a sixth through eighth grade middle school in an urban school district. I used a mixed methodology using …

Remote Learning - The Future Of Education: Effective Instructional Strategies Used By Parent Educators And Recommendations For Building Capacity, Raelene Ferguson Haugen

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods Delphi study was to identify the remote learning instructional strategies used by expert Southern California parent educators for implementing the anticipatory set, modeling, checking for understanding, and guided practice elements of Madeline Cheek Hunter’s Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP) framework. The study sought to identify how expert Southern California parent educators rated the effectiveness of the remote learning instructional strategies in the aforementioned elements of Hunter’s ITIP framework. Additionally, the purpose was to generate recommendations from expert Southern California parent educators to build capacity in the identified effective instructional strategies.

Methodology: The classical …

From Empathy To Social Empathy: A Journey In A Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Workplace Graduate Certificate, Francesca Ferrari, Lisa M. Woodrum

Dissertations

This study aimed to explore and understand the impact of the Graduate Certificate in Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI Graduate Certificate) on master’s and doctoral students’ social empathy (SE) development. The participants in this certificate engaged in several online activities that increased their knowledge of microaggressions, privilege, and unconscious bias while building their social empathy. This certificate provided various tools and skills to its participants so that they might value diversity, look at the world from another’s perspective, and start a dialogue to promote social change. This case study involved 19 participants. To answer our research questions, we used …

Digital Equity: Difficulties Of Implementing The 1:1 Computing Initiative In Low-Income Areas, Demetric D. Williams

Dissertations

Successful One-to-One Computing Initiative implementation requires educators to communicate and collaborate effectively with everyone in the learning community. However, other factors such as teacher’s professional development, student’s perception, and parent’s perception often affect the implementation of the One-to-One Computing Initiative. School districts, which serve low-income areas in Mississippi, have difficulties ensuring students and communities have access to the information technology they need to participate outside the school setting. The concept is often called digital equity. However, when officials do not address the capacity, there is a vital threat to the participants’ civic, cultural, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential …

Exploring The Impact Of An Online Leadership Course On Japanese Undergraduates' Conceptions Of Leadership, Ryosuke Watanabe

Dissertations

Today’s complex problems transcend borders and require a collective and adaptive learning response. Literature suggests that, because the traditional hierarchical or positional style of leadership cannot effectively address problems we face today, leadership should take a more collaborative and systemic form. Rost (1991) characterized this new approach as the postindustrial paradigm of leadership. Unfortunately, changing the existing conception of leadership is not easy. Furthermore, assessing people’s leadership perceptions is challenging because leadership is often a tacit and latent construct. Because formal leadership education is still in its infancy in Japan, little is known about the impact of leadership education in …

Assessing The Relationship Between Mandatory Faculty Development For Online Career College Instructors And Transformative Learning, Tremayne Simpson

Dissertations

Online teaching and learning has become a primary focal point for higher education administrators. Institutions have focused their strategic plans to maximize opportunities to grow their campuses, through distance education. A consistent issue that has surfaced with distance education initiatives is teacher preparation for online education. The issue is further compounded in proprietary institutions that may have limited resources and guidance for structuring effective faculty development programs. It is beneficial for faculty program developers to implement adult learning concepts into their courses to improve the overall training transfer for instructors. Transformative learning is an adult learning theory that focuses on …

Teacher Sensemaking In Times Of Crisis: A Case Study Of The Teaching Of High School Ethnic Studies Classes During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Black Lives Matter Protests, Kay Flewelling

Dissertations

This is a study about secondary ethnic studies classes within the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, a novel coronavirus caused dramatic changes in society, and social protests erupted in the United States in response to violence against people of color. This period of dual crises created a collective period of turbulence for educators in the United States as schooling moved to emergency virtual environments. Though the impact of this time is not yet understood, early indicators suggest that existing educational inequalities for students of color will be exacerbated. This study explored ethnic studies teacher sensemaking to understand how teachers adapted their …

Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Autonomy Support, And Mindsets As Predictors Of Self-Regulation In University Online Learners, Ting Jin

Dissertations

Problem

In contrast to more traditional learning environments, it can be difficult to "see and hear" both the instructor and, more crucially, the students when engaging in online education. This has been one of the most common criticisms leveled against online education for a long time. The COVID-19 disruption and transformation of online learning in higher education underlines the fact that variance among online learners in terms of academic success and psychological well-being are determined by the level and quality of self-regulation. What is the degree of self-regulation among American university students who study online because of the COVID-19 pandemic's …

Virtual And Blended Instruction And School Lunch Eligibility On Student Achievement During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Leann Ferrell Helms

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the effects of virtual and blended instruction and school lunch eligibility on student achievement during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic measured by the 2021 ACT Aspire Interim Assessment scores. Scores chosen were from seventh- and ninth-grade students in five schools giving the ACT Aspire Interim Assessment prior to Winter Break. The scores were used to provide academic performance data for the dependent variables used in each hypothesis. Bronfenbrenner developed the ecological systems theory in 1979 to identify environmental factors affecting a person’s characteristics over a lifetime. COVID-19 affected education and instructional delivery during …

The Effects Of Blended Learning On Student Achievement Within Various Environments: A Program Evaluation, Christine Nicole Harris

Dissertations

Educational K-12 learning environments have had limited to no change over many decades. Due to recent initiatives to social-emotional programs, school safety measures, and the need to increase academic achievement, there has been a push for school choice options that go beyond the traditional ways of learning. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of blended learning on student achievement within various environments in Grades 3-8. I used a mixed methodology to compare quantitative extant data from Achieve3000®, State Standardized Assessments, as well as qualitative data through teacher, parent, and student surveys. I collected 229 student extant …

The Virtual Education Setting In Grades 9-12: How The Practices For Online Teacher And Learning Impact Student Achievement, Kimberly Acosta

Dissertations

Countless virtual school options are in operation all around the world. A growing number of teachers and students throughout the nation, continent, and world are working and learning online. With virtual learning steadily increasing, it is critical for educators to establish and implement the best online teaching and learning practices. The purpose of my study was to identify and explore the practices of effective teachers in the virtual school setting and how those practices impacted student achievement outcomes. The context of this inquiry was full-time national virtual public high school charter schools operating under the umbrella of the same national …

Student Engagement And Equitable Student Learning Outcomes, Douglas K. Harter

Dissertations

Student engagement is consistently shown by research to be a critical component of student learning. An opportunity to link variables of perceived student engagement, perceived student-teacher relationship and clarity, an in-person learning format, and a remote learning format presented itself when, in March of 2020, all Illinois public schools were mandated by Governor J.B. Pritzker to teach in a fully remote structure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Student survey data results were examined using Wagner et al’s (2006) 4 C’s model to determine if there were statistically significant differences among student engagement and student-teacher relationships when compared across in-person and …

Guided Online Coaching For Teachers Of Emergent Bilinguals In A Tesol Practicum Course During Covid-19, Dawn Thieman

Dissertations

Guided online coaching for teachers of emergent bilinguals (EBLs) is a job-embedded professional development model established from the educational policies and practices described in the No Child Left Behind Act and Every Student Succeeds Act. Having effective teachers who ensure an equitable, creative, and linguistically and culturally relevant education for all EBLs is of paramount importance in the ever-changing demography of schools in the United States. The guided online coaching for teachers of EBLs offers a collaborative, facilitative, dialogic, and reflective coaching process for positively influencing teacher transformation, thus providing a creative language teaching pedagogy for EBLs. The purpose of …

Collaborative Online Education: A Case Study Of An Ed.D. Program, Han Rong, Yang Zhang, Rongjing Cao, Jinge Xu

Dissertations

This dissertation discusses collaborative teaching and learning models of online courses. Four research questions guide the study: How do instructors design online courses to facilitate instruction using collaborative teaching and learning models? When instructors co-teach online, how do they utilize collaborative teaching and learning models? How do students build online learning communities from collaborative teaching and learning models? and How do instructors and students evaluate online collaborative teaching and learning models? We conducted a case study of an Ed.D. cohort of Chinese students in the College of Education of the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). We employed a qualitative approach …

An Evaluation Of Virtual School's Preparation Of Second Grade Students For Third Grade Reading Proficiency, Lisa Richardson

Dissertations

Third-grade reading proficiency is an indicator of future student success in middle school and ninth grade, on-time graduation rates, and career success; however, 44% of third-grade students in one state were not meeting this goal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which virtual school in second grade prepared students for third- grade reading achievement. I used a mixed methodology to compare extant data from a state database on third-grade state achievement tests in the area of English Language Arts. Sixty-one second and third-grade teachers completed surveys, and three teachers participated in follow-up interviews. The data …

The Application Of Motivational Design To Office Hours Conducted Within Fully Online Courses, Mark P. Ferguson

Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of office hours conducted within online classes and created a framework for instructors to use when adapting office hours, office hours structures, and office hours procedures for online educational environments. A mixed-method approach using a sequential explanatory design was used to first gather quantitative information concerning student perception and use of office hour within online classes and student interaction preferences within online classes. This information was then used to in the development of a framework base the ARCS Model of Motivational Design and Social Information Processing Theory for instructors to use when planning and implementing …

Reproducing The Status Quo In The Middle School English Classroom: A Critical Examination Of Literacy Learning Via Personalized Learning Technology, Michele Mcconnell

Dissertations

Personalized learning technology (PL Tech) is a growing educational reform movement supported by federal grant dollars. As a bourgeoning educational movement, no research has been conducted to explore the potential effects of such structures in supporting student literacy learning. Additionally, current education reform research often lacks the perspective of the students experiencing the reform. Therefore, this study sought to examine the lived experiences of middle school students using PL Tech to understand what structural and cultural arrangements influenced students’ literacy learning.

Portraiture, a qualitative methodology, was employed to conduct the study at a charter school in Fresno, California implementing PL …

Vocational Education: Cna Students’ Perspectives Of Soft Skills In Training And The Workplace, Kimberly S. Mcclendon-Payton

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify CNAs’ perceptions about the most important soft skills used by CNAs in training and the workplace.

Methodology: This quantitative research study identified CNAs’ perceptions of the most important soft skills they used based on the composite model for soft skills. CNAs were selected based on purposeful sampling. Likert scores were collected from the survey responses.

Findings: Examination of the quantitative data from the 35 CNAs revealed that brainstorming is the most important collaboration soft skill in CNA training and the workplace.

Conclusions: Results based on the findings of this study …

A Telehealth Palliative Care Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Lindsey Q. Mcintyre

Dissertations

Problem: Palliative care is a service focused on symptom management and improved quality of life for persons with serious or chronic illnesses and is widely underutilized. Although advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) possess a unique skillset to contribute to palliative care, there is minimal reporting on palliative care training for this professional group. The purpose of this clinical scholarship project was to implement the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) online training program for APRN students in the BSN-DNP program and evaluate its effect on student performance during a telehealth objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).

Methods: An observational, descriptive …

The Effect Of Pedagogical Agent Persona On Performance, Self-Efficacy, And Attitudes In Adult Learners In An Online Environment, Justin L. Mathews

Dissertations

Pedagogical agents, virtual avatars that are often included in online training or educational modules, have been studied in a variety of disciplines to determine the extent to which their inclusion in online or multimedia learning environments may influence both cognitive and affective outcomes in learners. The present study examined the effect of a peer-like pedagogical agent providing motivational messaging in an online English language learning environment to determine if the agent will positively affect college students’ performance, self-efficacy, and attitude in comparison to a control group. All participants studied an online, self-paced English grammar module, either with (treatment version) or …

Adapting Independent Reading For The Virtual Classroom, Ellen J. Foley

Dissertations

There is no doubt that the 2020-2021 school year was an unprecedented one. Around the world, COVID-19 school closures forced teachers to change their instructional practices with very little time, preparation, or guidance. While frustrating and challenging, experiences from this particular school year provide unique insight into pedagogical adaptations from in-person contexts to virtual ones.

This qualitative, grounded theory study examines the experiences of six secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers and their adaptations of independent reading pedagogies for their virtual classrooms during the 2020-2021 COVID-19-impacted school year. Independent reading is a practice that depends on proximal classroom factors including …

On Blending Active Student Responding With Synchronous Instruction To Evaluate Response Accuracy, Nicole A. Hollins

Dissertations

As of 2016, approximately 28% of college students in the United States were taking at least one online course (U.S. Department of Education, 2016), and it was projected that the percentage of students enrolled in online courses would continue to increase 33% each year (Pethokoukis, 2002). The COVID-19 pandemic hastened further shifts from in-person to virtual learning for many institutions of higher education. Given this rapid shift to online instruction, it is critical to evaluate the effectiveness of online instructional procedures. Providing multiple opportunities for students to respond to instruction has proven to be an effective procedure across most educational …

Predicting Student Success In Coursework Within A Regional Online School: An Analysis Of Student-Level And School-Level Predictors, Cary J. Stamas

Dissertations

Online education options in the K-12 environment have steadily increased from the infancy of online education at the turn of the millennia. Educators have utilized this format to meet the many different needs that exist for all students. Early research into the academic success of students in these environments prior to 2000 indicated there was no significant difference in student achievement for distance learning as compared to face-to-face learning. Since 2000, there has been increased focus on student performance in higher education online environments, but research is limited for K-12 schools. For the research that does exist, school-level variables and …