Secondary Education Commons^™

Making Inquiry Accessible: Inquiry-Based Design And Instruction For English Learners In Secondary Social Studies Classrooms, Meghan T. Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This dissertation explores inquiry-based instruction for English Learners (ELs) in secondary social studies classes. The first article explored the existing literature in the field. The second article considered instructional design choices that could increase learning outcomes in an inquiry designed for ELs, implemented in a culturally and linguistically responsive classroom. Finally, the third article is an exploratory case study that examined how a secondary high school social studies teacher and ESL co-teacher designed and implemented inquiry-based instruction in a co-taught ESL class. The research questions included: 1. How do teachers build trust in a culturally and linguistically responsive social studies …

Effects Of Constant Time Delay Using Multiple Acquisition Exemplars On The Generalization Of Self-Instruction To Complete Vocational Tasks For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Anna Norby

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This study presents findings from a multiple probe design that evaluated the effects of constant time delay with multiple acquisition exemplars on the acquisition and generalization of self-instruction to complete vocational tasks for high school students with intellectual disability. The research included three high school students with intellectual disability, and data were analyzed across baseline, intervention, and generalization conditions. Instruction targeted the use of self-instruction procedures embedded within vocational tasks, with multiple exemplars incorporated during acquisition to promote stimulus generalization. Participants were screened using a set of pre-arranged vocational tasks to identify existing skill levels and determine appropriate instructional targets, …

Relevance And Reciprocity: Fostering Meaningful Inquiry In The Social Studies Classroom, Christy Cartner

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This dissertation investigates the factors contributing to students' perceptions of meaningful inquiry. After using the C3 Framework and designing instruction using the Inquiry Design Model for a decade, I wanted to better understand the students' experience to fine-tune how I implement inquiry in the classroom.

Article 1 was written for Social Education and describes the year of IDM blueprints that I designed to loop the concept of equality through units spanning the social studies disciplines of sociology, history, civics, geography, and economics. Through designing and facilitating these inquiries, I discovered my problem of practice, which was how to better engage …

Examining How Well High School Geometry Students Learn Concepts Of Three-Dimensional Figures Using A Project-Based Instructional Strategy, Lenora A. Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This paper examines how well the introduction of an integrated approach, namely, Project-based Instruction (PBI), which uses real-world contexts to investigate problems, leads to improved academic performance and student motivation in a 9^th Grade Geometry class studying three-dimensional figures and their properties. The experimental group worked through the researcher-designed unit that included mini-lessons, six benchmark lessons, and the design and creation of a final product to address the driving question of the unit. The comparison group experienced a normative teaching strategy designed by the classroom teacher. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was chosen for the proposed study to …

An Exploration Of Ibdp Coordinator Leadership In Southeastern U.S. Public High Schools, Raymond W. Scheetz Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Along with its brand, vision, and curricula, International Baccalaureate (IB) provides member schools with requirements and expectations, such as implementing a program coordinator. However, the need for flexibility that would allow for global implementation leaves the nature of IB’s required program coordinator positions subject to local discretion in many ways. However, while increasing in numbers globally, IB Diploma Programs are still not widely implemented in public high schools throughout the U.S. Southeast. As a result, the position of an IBDP coordinator is unusual in such schools in the region. Also, the IBDP coordinator position has not been substantially defined or …

An Examination Of The Effects Of School-Based Experiences On High-Achieving Black Female High School Students Using Photovoice 2.0, Kameron R. White Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

This study used a youth-led participatory action research inquiry and Photovoice 2.0 methodology to investigate the school-based experiences of seven high-achieving black female students across two public high schools. The objectives of the project were to explore how high-achieving Black high school girls perceived their academic identity within their school setting, and to determine any school and/or classroom contextual factors that affected these participants' school-based learning experiences and outcomes. The demographic makeup of each school was also evaluated through qualitative analysis to consider if it served as a moderating variable in participants’ reported school-based experiences. It is through gained insight …

Engaging Multilingual Learners In Mathematics Learning, Parastoo Zareie

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

As the number of Multilingual Learner (ML) students attending public schools rises, so does the demand for those who can teach them. Research shows that due to the existence of gaps between different types of knowledge, theory, and practice, the results of teacher preparation programs are often fragmented and do not fully benefit participating teachers (Ball, 2000). To address these gaps, a Professional Development (PD) framework, called PrimeD (Professional Development, Research, IMplementation, and Evaluation) has been proposed. It organizes PD for preservice teachers into four phases of Design, Implementation, Evaluation, and Research, and works in a cyclic nature to provide …

Examining High School Mathematics Teachers' Research-Based Instructional Practices And Their Relationship To Students' Learning Outcomes: A Convergent Parallel Mixed-Method Study, Isiaka Busari

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examines the relationship between high school mathematics teachers' research-based instructional practices and students' learning outcomes in Algebra 1 classrooms at a high school in a central region of a Southern U.S. State. The research addresses improving mathematics proficiency in the United States, where national performance remains below average. Guided by psychological and social constructivism, the study involved three Algebra 1 teachers and 171 students. Data were collected through classroom observations using the Mathematics Classroom Observation Protocol for Practices (MCOP²), teacher interviews, and student pre-and post-tests. Quantitative data from tests and MCOP² were …

Mc Means Mentor The Child: Examining School-Based Hip-Hop Clubs For Youth Empowerment, Leadership Development, And Capacity For Change, Daniel Wolford

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the relationship between students in a school-based hip-hop club and their ability to develop leadership capabilities through club activities. This study followed a hip-hop club at an urban high school in the Midwest to better understand how hip-hop spaces impact youth participants. The participants included four current members of the club and three alums, all of whom were African American. This study used qualitative methods through heuristic inquiry to understand the phenomenon of hip-hop clubs. Data collection methods included session notes, musical creations, semi-structured interviews, and a Microsoft Teams group chat. Additional heuristic data was collected through …

Exploring The Impact Of An Appalachian Higher Education Institution Had On Fostering Solidarity, Capacity, And Agency Of Female Appalachian Students Seeking To Positively Influence The Quality Of Life For Themselves And Appalachian Communities, Analiese Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Appalachian women navigating higher education encounter multifaceted challenges, often confronting marginalization and a lack of representation within academic spaces. This study investigates the experiences of female Appalachian students at Mountain University in Kentucky, aiming to shed light on their journey and the university's impact on their lives and communities. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews, the research explores themes of solidarity, capacity, agency, and Quality of Life. Findings reveal a robust sense of solidarity among Appalachian peers and faculty, fostering a supportive environment conducive to personal and academic growth. Participants express opportunities to engage with their communities positively, contributing to …

Poc@Fwcd: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Black@ Instagram In K-12 Independent Schools, Chaka Cummings

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The summer of 2020 saw many aspects of American society deal with the racial reckoning that arose in the wake of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Their murders sparked outrage, protests, and calls for action and change in the United States through a critical examination of race relations across numerous facets of society. Structures such as educational institutions were called to perform this critical examination much in the same way that cities and industries were. A catalyst in the calls for change came from students through their utilization of social media platforms.

This study is …

An Intersectional Queer Case Study Of Two Youth Organizations In A Rural Kentucky High School, Eric Michael Moser

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Secondary schools in the United States are hostile environments for students in the queer community. Schools in rural communities often pose greater challenges for queer students with less access to affirming and accepting educators. Rural schools often offer school-based agricultural education (SBAE) and the National FFA Organization as opportunities for students. Both programs have been found as unwelcoming environments for underrepresented groups, with little known about the experiences of queer students. To address hostility toward queer youth, schools have implemented Genders and Sexualities Alliances (GSAs) as an opportunity to discuss queer topics and create safe spaces. This qualitative case study …

Investigating The Relationship Between Empowerment And Secondary Science Teachers’ Technology Integration Knowledge, Jane Elizabeth Walsh

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Empowered teachers believe they can improve their work conditions and positively impact student outcomes. Likewise, teachers with technology integration knowledge can effectively use technology to enhance lessons and improve student learning. This quantitative correlational study investigated teachers’ empowerment, teachers’ technology integration knowledge, and associations between empowerment and technology integration knowledge. Two hundred fourteen randomly selected high school science teachers from across the United States responded to a survey intended to measure empowerment and technology integration knowledge. The teachers' average responses indicate that teachers generally agree with statements surrounding empowerment (M = 3.93, SD = 0.54) and technology integration knowledge …

Doing The Work: Using Questions, Tasks, And Sources To Navigate Teaching Contentious Social Studies In Secondary Classrooms, Bonnie Patrice Lewis

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This explanatory case study examines how two secondary social studies teachers use inquiry-based learning to mitigate the risks of teaching contentious social studies in a charged classroom. Research questions included: 1. How do two in-service secondary teachers use inquiry-based instruction to navigate teaching contentious social studies during charged times? 2. What curricular and pedagogical choices were made by the in-service teachers to navigate risk when designing inquiry-based instruction that features contentious social studies during charged times? 3. What curricular and pedagogical choices were made by the in-service teachers to navigate risk when delivering inquiry-based instruction that features contentious social studies …

High School Student Perceptions Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Candice Conley

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This case study examines student voice and their interpretations of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework used in one Kentucky high school. Qualitative interview data from high school student focus groups was analyzed using grounded theory to develop themes related to PBIS implementation.

Using open and axial coding, themes were developed from common student interpretations of PBIS within focus groups. Participants discussed a variety of positive techniques teachers use inside the classroom and responses to student behavior. Reward systems were discussed, but more importantly students offered suggestions of interventions and supports to offer at school. When asked to …

Wha Up Bruh, You Good: A Critical Analysis Of Mentoring Programs For African American Males In Community College, Taran Landell Mczee

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This qualitative case study used a phenomenological research approach to explore the lived experiences of African American male community college students who participate in mentoring programs. Mentoring programs for African American males in higher education have been implemented to help improve retention, academic performance in the classroom, sense of self, intention to complete, and graduation rates (LaVant et al., 1997). Critical race theory (CRT) informed the use of qualitative interview methods to represent the lived experiences of the participants and to elevate the knowledge of young African American men in research on higher education mentoring programs. Research participants were 8 …

Standards Do Not Happen In A Vacuum: Local, State, And National Influences On Kentucky Academic Standards For The Social Studies And Curriculum Development, Ryan Douglas New

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This dissertation includes three articles that focus on local, state, and/or national influences on the development and implementation of state standards for social studies. Each article provides insights into how external influences at various levels can mediate the enactment, understanding, and/or adhering of state-level standards.

Article One, “The State of Social Studies Standards: What Is the Impact of the C3 Framework?” (2021) is a national case study that examines the impact the C3 (College, Career and Civic Life) Framework had in influencing the development of fifty state standards and the District of Columbia. The C3 framework pulls together content, concepts, …

The Language Of Power: An Investigation Of How The Macropolitics Of Education Policy Affects The Micropolitics Of Schooling English Learners, Catherine E. Vannatter

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The population of English Learners (ELs) continues to increase across the United States, and these students persistently perform below their native English-speaking peers in measures of academic achievement. Federal government leaders passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, which modified how state and local educational agencies identify, instruct, assess, and reclassify ELs and revised what funding EL programming could receive. In this multiphase study, I investigated how the macropolitics of federal and state policy became enacted in the micropolitics of a mid-sized school district in Kentucky. Through an initial phase of document review followed by a mixed methods …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Teacher Grit, Technology Self-Efficacy, And Technology Integration, Joshua Jeremiah Shiloh Marsh

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The use of educational technology applications has grown tremendously in the last decade. Instructors are now equipped with hardware and software applications previously unavailable, such as mobile and interactive technologies. These tools can have tremendous impact on students’ learning and teacher practices. Teachers can improve their assessment capabilities through technology integration, provide better learning opportunities for students with learning disabilities, and promote deeper learning practices. Due to these benefits, budgets at the federal, state, and local levels of the United States now have specific allocations regarding technology-related purchases. Nevertheless, barriers remain regarding the effective integration of technologies in public schools. …

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: An Evaluation Of Secondary Agricultural Textbooks, Tara Elizabeth Rojas

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Students are impacted by representation present within their lives in the media they consume, organizations in which they participate, and school interactions. Among school interactions with primarily White school staff, students interact with textbooks to learn about industry norms and concepts. Missing representation can harm students’ sense of belonging which can lead to feelings like solo-status or isolation. Using both critical race theory and social semiotics, this work explores the representation present within secondary agricultural textbooks. The first study utilizes photos and case studies, observing both gender and race as mutually exclusive variables and compares data to the current public-school …

Peer Supports Across Inclusive Environments, Lyndsay Mccullers

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Peer-mediated interventions provide opportunities for students with disabilities to learn a variety of different skills and meet individualized goals. Peers can provide targeted social, behavioral, and academic supports to students with moderate and severe disabilities. One specific peer-mediated intervention is peer support arrangements. These interventions involve providing supports to students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms or other instructional contexts. These supports contain four key components: selection of students, training of peers, peer delivery of supports, and adult monitoring. When implemented with fidelity, peer support arrangements provide numerous benefits to both students with and without disabilities.

Comparing Self-Delivered To Instructor-Delivered Reinforcement During Vocational Instruction For Students With Intellectual Disability Using Video Activity Schedules, Katherine Elise White

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

In this study, an adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare the effectiveness of teaching vocational task when using self-delivered reinforcement versus instructor-delivered reinforcement while using video prompting. Participants consisted of four high school students who had been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Results indicated that instructor delivered reinforcement was slightly more effective at teaching a vocational task for 2 of the 4 participants. The results of the other 2 participants indicated that both forms of reinforcement delivery were similarly effective.

Role Expansion Of School Social Workers: An Educational Paradigm Shift, Sara Murrell

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone product includes three written documents. The purpose of this work was to discover and justify the role expansion of school social workers into school leaders. The first, a systematic literature review examining the roles of school social workers. This document will review the current literature describing which school social work roles promote school social workers as school leaders, and which roles act as barriers for school social workers to become school leaders. The second document is a conceptual paper. This document identifies the need for a paradigm shift in education towards a whole child perspective. This document looks …

Finland, A Package Deal: Disciplinary Climate In Science Classes, Science Dispositions And Science Literacy, Larry J. Grabau, Jari Levonen, Kalle Juuti

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Finland’s educational prowess, though tempered by recent international assessments, has remained intact. This report focused on lessons that could be learned regarding secondary-level science education from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015, science-focused assessment. That PISA iteration included not only science literacy but also students’ science dispositions (epistemology, enjoyment, interest, and self-efficacy) and the schools’ science climate measures (disciplinary climate and teaching support). Due to the hierarchical nature of the PISA data, multilevel models were employed in this Finnish study, involving 5582 students from 167 schools. Science dispositions (as outcome measures) were differently associated with teaching support and …

Stem Through Authentic Research And Training Program (Start) For Underrepresented Communities: Adapting To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Luke H. Bradley, Brittany N. Derr, Catherine E. Durbin, Michael J. Lauer, Fara Williams, Anthony P. Sinai, Julie A. Bradley, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

The STEM Through Authentic Research and Training (START) Program is a new program integrating academic, social, and professional experiences, in the theme of exomedicine, to build a pipeline into college for first generation and traditionally underrepresented students by providing year-round authentic opportunities and professional development for high school students and teachers. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the START Program has worked with the local Fayette County public school and community partners to provide content to over 300 students through: virtual laboratory tours with community partner Space Tango, "meet a scientist" discussions, and online near-peer student demonstrations aimed at making …

Equity-Oriented Conceptual Framework For K-12 Stem Literacy, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Thomas Roberts, Caitlyn Yost, Abigail Fowler

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

We introduce a conceptual framework of K-12 STEM literacy that rightfully and intentionally positions each and every student, particularly minoritized groups, as belonging in STEM. In order to conceptualize the equity-based framework of STEM literacy, we conducted a systematic review of literature related to STEM literacy, which includes empirical studies that contribute to STEM literacy. The literature on the siloed literacies within STEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, and mathematics literacy) also contributed to formulate the necessity of and what it means to develop STEM literacy. The Equity-Oriented STEM Literacy Framework illuminates the complexities of disrupting the status quo and rightfully …

Undoing The Traditions Of Grading And Reporting, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

One silver lining from the ongoing public health crisis might be the lasting impact of two modified approaches to grading and reporting of the past year.

Finnish Adolescent Girls’ Activity Patterns And The Effects Of An Activity-Based Homework Intervention On Their Physical Activity, Mari Kääpä, Sanna Palomäki, Henri Vähä-Ypyä, Tommi Vasankari, Mirja Hirvensalo, Alicia Fedewa

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The insufficient physical activity (PA) of adolescents is a global challenge, and there is a need to find opportunities to engage youth in active lifestyles. The majority of adolescents do not meet the recommended guidelines of physical activity, and especially females have low levels of activity as they approach adolescence. The goal of this study was to obtain insight into Finnish adolescent girls’ objectively measured physical activity by evaluating the effects of an activity-based homework intervention on low, medium, and high-active girls during after-school hours.

Method: A physical activity homework intervention was put into place for female adolescent girls. …

"Playing The Game": A Case Study Of Latinx Leaders In An Agricultural Youth Organization, Graciela Barajas

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Latinx members of the FFA Organization are disproportionately underrepresented in leadership positions. When they do get elected to leadership offices, they oftentimes have to accept behaviors that erase their cultural identity. This study aims to find what aspects of their identity they feel they have to give up in order to be seen as a potential state or national FFA candidate. Findings include the participation of the state-officer game, joining cliques that fit the white mold, and overall, assimilation on an individual and group scale. Recommendations include systemic change for state and national FFA staff, agricultural education, and the agricultural …

The Potential Role Of Trauma-Informed Positive Education In The Secondary Mathematics Classroom In Disrupting The Preschool-To-Prison Pipeline, Jessica Michele Doering

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This mixed-methods study considered the potential for trauma-informed mathematics education to disrupt the preschool-to-prison (or school-to-prison) pipeline. Phenomenological qualitative interviews were conducted in conjunction with the use of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC; Baker et al., 2016) scale to determine teacher perceptions of trauma-informed care practices, their thoughts regarding challenging classroom behaviors and the connection of these behaviors with trauma and the pipeline, and their ideas about how much of an impact teachers can have on students who present with challenging behaviors that might be symptoms of trauma or that might be an indicator of future incarceration. This …