Secondary Education Commons^™

Overcoming Barriers Of Plcs At The High School Level: A Case Study Of The First-Year Implementation Of The Plc+ Framework, Jessica Mcabee

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study was prompted by a desire to understand the perceptions of teachers on the characteristics of effective professional learning communities (PLCs) at the high school level. Data were collected via survey and focus group interviews to answer questions regarding barriers high school PLCs face as well as what effective PLCs look like at the high school level. The survey population included 122 high school teachers currently involved in PLCs in one school district in the upstate of South Carolina. Survey questions were on a Likert scale that assessed three areas regarding the effectiveness of PLCs: critical elements, human resources, …

Who Takes Dual Enrollment Classes? A Research Brief, David Naff

MERC Publications

This research brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores three questions: 1) What are Dual Enrollment classes? 2) Who takes Dual Enrollment classes? and 3) What strategies promote greater access to Dual Enrollment? An accompanying podcast episode is linked in the research brief.

Building A School Culture Of Success For Multilingual Learners: A Multiple Case Study Of Perspectives From Secondary School Leaders, John P. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

The present study seeks to address achievement and opportunity gaps for Multilingual Learners (MLs) by studying secondary schools who have established a school culture that prioritizes ML support and success. It draws on existing literature in the fields of ML best practices, educational leadership, and school culture research to study case schools in order to distill from their lived experiences recommendation for practitioners. The author used a multiple case study methodology to delve into four case schools identified as exemplars of cultures for ML success. The author used in-depth qualitative interviews to find out if leaders in any secondary schools …

Improving College Students’ Views And Beliefs Relative To Mathematics: A Systematic Literature Review Followed By A Multiple Case Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Experiences That Underpin Community College Students’ Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, And Values In Mathematics, Marquita H. Sea

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics is particularly important due to its relevance in our daily lives. It is a general requirement throughout schooling. Unfortunately, many students openly declare negative views/beliefs regarding math in their personal and academic lives. These in turn, negatively influence students’ achievement related behaviors and outcomes. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to determine what types of studies/initiatives have aimed to enhance students’ views/beliefs relative to mathematics, including domain general and specific perceptions of math as well as their judgements of who is successful in mathematics and if they themselves can be successful. Specifically, the review centered on the components …

Secondary English Teachers’ Experiences Of Agency: Connections To Shifting Educational Contexts During Covid-19, Kristina Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools around the world to enter uncharted territory. Due to the unprecedented nature of the educational crisis, it was important to examine how teacher agency may have been affected. Teacher agency can have important implications for school climate, policy, and the experience of stakeholders. The main focus of this study was to cultivate an understanding of secondary English teachers’ perceptions of agency as they navigated teaching throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. An ecological framework was used to examine teachers’ experiences of agency in the context of COVID-19. The study utilized a basic qualitative design with in-depth interviews …

Self- And Socially-Regulated Learning In Middle School Science Classrooms: A Multiple Case Study, Lauren Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

Students must employ self-regulated learning (SRL) and socially-regulated learning (soRL) in the science classroom, which includes a wide array of independent and collaborative learning activities. However, little is known about how student SRL and soRL co-occur in students’ learning and how the classroom teacher influences that regulation in situ (Cabrera et al., in preparation; Panadero et al., 2015). This explanatory, sequential case study analyzes classroom video data from six middle school science classrooms. The study uses an integrated coding scheme that captures SRL and soRL behaviors, soRL modes, and targets of regulation (Greene & Azevedo, 2009; Hadwin et al., 2018; …

Use Of Technology And Its Impact On Higher Order Thinking In The Science Classroom, Mauree Angelina Haage

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focuses on examining the impact of technology on higher order thinking in the science classroom by first examining the impact of a teacher’s knowledge of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy on the integration of higher order thinking activities and then by examining what levels of higher order thinking exist when technology was utilized. Previous research has found correlations between the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy exhibited when using technology, particularly probeware, simulations/virtual labs, and special software like LoggerPro. In addition, previous research has shown a trend of teachers inaccurately categorizing their lessons and activities as having a higher order thinking level …

Do Students’ Questions During Chemistry Lectures Predict Perceived Comprehension And Exam Performance?, Bradley W. Bergey, Jennifer G. Cromley, Avi Kaplan, James D. Bloxton Ii

Publications and Research

Question generation is theorized to support comprehension, self-regulation, and achievement, yet the empirical based for whether and how student-generated questions are associated with comprehension monitoring and whether they predict future performance remain open questions. To address these, we investigated the questions undergraduate students in an introductory chemistry course recorded in question logs across an 8-lecture unit and their relations with post-lecture self-appraisals of comprehension and exam performance. Results indicated that students who generated more questions during lectures, who were able to resolve fewer of their questions, and who generated questions indicating large exam-relevant knowledge gaps reported lower levels of comprehension …

Teachers’ Perception Of College And Career Education Exposure On Middle School Students, Francisco Jose Valverde, Joshua Davidow

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Properly preparing middle school students for their transition to high school and postsecondary endeavors requires early exposure to college and career information and resources. Across the United States, high school students have access to a scattered array of programs and resources aimed at career development and college preparation. Unfortunately, none of these college and career resources are integrated into the K-12 student experience in any systemic or holistic way. Furthermore, very few of these resources are even directed at K-12 students prior to their time in high school. This gap in college and career education is due to a lack …

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.

Determining The Difficulty And Discrimination Parameters Of A Mathematics Performance-Based Assessment, Abraham Gyamfi, Douglas G. Wren

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Performance-based assessment (PBA) is different from traditional testing methods in that PBA presents real-life problems for students to solve by integrating critical thinking with their content knowledge and skills. Implementing PBA regularly in mathematics classes is associated with improved student achievement and motivation to learn; however, there are concerns about the general lack of psychometric data to support the use of performance assessments. To address such concerns, this study applied item response theory to estimate the difficulty and discrimination indices of items that comprised a newly developed mathematics PBA. Data were collected by administering the PBA to 750 senior high …

Exploration Of Industry Certifications Within Career Pathways, Ashley Childs

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explored industry certifications in career and technical education. A grand tour question and three research questions guided this study. Data collected from interviews with graduate of career pathway programs, career and technical education instructors, and industry employers provided a thorough understanding of the issues experienced in career and technical education. This study revealed a need for appropriate industry certifications in career and technical education programs and the workplace. In addition, the participants expressed a desire for students to start preparing earlier for their careers and be provided with alternatives to college for post-secondary education.

A Novel Approach To Social Justice Education, Jennifer R. Banas, Sara Gershon

Health Sciences and Physical Education Faculty Publications

Singular efforts in PK-12 settings to instill a social justice mindset will not achieve the same outcomes as social justice education infused throughout content area instruction. In collaboration with 10th -grade teachers, we developed and implemented a biblioguidance curriculum to develop students’ social justice and content area competency. Evaluation findings from the pilot implementation indicate there was a significant impact on some social justice competencies and all targeted content area competencies. Also, students appeared to recognize the benefits of a biblioguidance approach. In light of the outcomes, we celebrate the curriculum's successes and offer suggestions for ongoing improvement.

Young Adult Literature In The Classroom: A Tool To Inspire Students And Encourage Reading Both Inside And Outside Of The Classroom, Naomi Nagy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper examines the potential of incorporating more young adult literature into high school English and language arts classrooms. Drawing on past research of others and the thoughts and opinions of a handful of current high school students, this paper will focus on what young adult literature is, why more teens and young adults should read it, and how it can be incorporated and taught in the average high school English classroom. These studies, along with the thoughts and experiences provided by high school students surveyed for this paper, may not reflect the thoughts and opinions of every high school …

Attrition, Mobility, And Retention Patterns Of Public-School Teachers, Matthew Hise

Theses and Dissertations

Attracting and retaining teachers may be a problem in many rural school districts. According to previous research, teacher attrition is greater in rural regions due to various demographic and other factors. Retention was also cited as a key issue in these rural school districts. The number of teachers quitting their professions before they can retire has risen drastically. In addition, teachers in rural schools and in some suburban and urban places confront obstacles such as lack of resources, little support, poor pay, inconsistent professional development opportunities, and inadequate preparation that cause them to lose their enthusiasm for teaching. Therefore, this …

Measuring Students' Pro-Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors Before And After Demonstration-Based Instruction, Collin Ryan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A growing amount of research exists on environmental education programs which incorporates the viewpoints of students into its assessment of the program’s efficacy. This research seeks to add to that body and evaluate an environmental education program about the sustainability of plastics, using both quantitative and qualitative data collected from participating students. The data was collected after a 90-minute instructional block of demonstration-based environmental education meant to inform students on the variability of plastics’ properties and the sorting and remolding processes of recycling. It also aimed to help build pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in the students, and a sense of …

Effects Of A Video Based Intervention On Job Interview Skills Of Youth With Autism, Kelsey T. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I conducted a multiple-probe-across-participants design to examine the impact of a video-based intervention on interview skills of youth with autism. First, I conducted a systematic literature review of interview interventions. Results were used to guide the development of this study’s measure and procedures. Finding that previous literature relied on rubric measures to rate interview skill behaviors, I developed and piloted a primary measure for examining direct speech production. Using transcripts and video analysis, this study captures the construct of interview skills using both quantity (frequency of relevant/irrelevant c-units) and quality (interview skills rubric score). The intervention consisted …

School Library Resources For Inclusive Online English Language Learning: Teachers’ Perspectives About Differentiating Instruction In The Context Of English As Second Language, Angela Eze, Charity N. Onyishi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

In an inclusive education setting, learners with and without disabilities are guided to study in the same classrooms with adaptable facilities and equipments. With this arrangement in place, assistive technology becomes an absolute requirement, and the school library is a medium for providing and using inclusive resources. In the current education system where online learning is speedily overtaking face-to-face learning modalities, school Library resources are indispensable for the effective inclusion of all learners through differentiated instruction. Such is critically essential for English language learning, especially in Nigeria, where English is learned as a Second Language. However, little is known …

Overview Of Standards For Technological And Engineering Literacy (Other), Philip Reed, Tyler Love, Scott Bartholomew, Kelly Dooley

STEMPS Faculty Publications

In 2020, the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) published Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy: The Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education (STEL) [1]. These standards open with a clear rationale why all Pk-12 students should study technology and engineering:

Technology and engineering are pervasive in all aspects of our lives. Every human activity is dependent upon the products, systems, and processes created to help grow food, provide shelter, communicate, work, and recreate. As the world grows more complex, it is increasingly important for everyone to understand more about technology and engineering [1, p. 1].

The …

Blast-Building Leaders For Advancing Science And Technology: A Partnership Between The Virginia Space Grant Consortium And The University Of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, And Old Dominion University, Cynthia Tomovic, Mary Sandy, Julie Back, Vukica Jovanovic, Kim Lester, Edward Murphy, Sueanne Mckinney, Mileta Tomovic

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This paper presents the development and delivery of educational summer intensive programs for high school students that are designed to encourage students’ interests in the STEM-related fields and the motivation to pursue a STEM-related degrees in college. BLAST (Building Leaders to Advance Science and Technology) is designed as a summer-intensive, residential, on-campus STEM-learning experience for rising ninth and tenth graders. With the intention of improving the STEM-related workforce pipeline in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) offers multiple BLAST programs across the Commonwealth. BLAST programs are designed as intensive three-day, STEM-related three-hour lecture-lab experiences that are reinforced …

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 …

Counterstories Of High School Black Males And Their Experiences Of The Mainstream Curricula, Kayla Turner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This is an inquiry into the experiences Black males have with the current high school curricula. Theoretically drawing on critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Delgado, 1995; Dixson & Rousseau, 2006; Ladson-Billings, 2009; Solórzano & Yosso, 2001, 2004), I explore how high school Black males’ suggestions and ideas can be used to shift the current curricula to a curricula that is more culturally sustaining. I challenge deficit research on Black male learners by focusing on the educational successes of Black males. Methodologically, I utilize counterstorytelling (Delgado, 2017; Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) to illustrate the experiences of three academically successful high school …

Analyzing The Academic Achievement Of Secondary Virtual Learners During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Christina Kaye Board

Dissertations and Theses

Secondary students from a mid-sized school district in the rural Midwest who had chosen an asynchronous learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed to determine predictors of academic achievement and perceptions of their learning during the pandemic. An explanatory, mixed methods case study was conducted to sequentially analyze quantitative data and qualitatively analyze their experiences. Archival data from 288 students [F(7, 281) = 20.87, p < .001] was used predict grade point average (GPA) during virtual learning (M = 2.43, SD = 0.89) using a multiple linear regression (R2 = .326). This study was done to determine what factors help educators understand the variables that aide in student achievement while virtual learning. Predictor variables included race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, grade level, past attendance, past GPA, and number of parents/guardians in the home. Significant predictors were grade level, past GPA (M = 3.05), and sex. The focus of the qualitative research was on access to technology, digital literacy, attitude, motivation, and social connectedness prior to, during, and post-virtual learning. Four themes emerged. Results from this study suggest that schools should consider the type of virtual environment they provide, instructional design that includes social interaction, and professional development for staff prior to implementation of a virtual learning environment to increase achievement.

Postsecondary Course-Taking And Academic Performance Of Transitional Math Completers: A Quantitative Study Of Students In Illinois, Gina Caronna

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated the academic outcomes of high school students from one community college district in Illinois who took a high school transitional math course designed to give them direct placement into a college-level math course. The goal of successful completion of a transitional math course is to allow students direct placement into college-level math courses. This study provides a correlational analysis of specific academic success metrics between students who took transitional math and those who did not at one Illinois community college. The sample for this study included 100 students who completed a transitional math course and 525 …

Teachers’ Perspectives On The Inclusion Of Global Citizenship Concepts In Arabic-Language Secondary Curricula In Saudi Arabia, Ebtesam Altwejery

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This basic qualitative study utilized Freire’s (1973) theory of critical consciousness to aimed to explore Arabic-language teachers’ perspectives of the inclusion of global citizenship concepts in the Arabic-language secondary school curricula at a selected international school in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Three research questions addressed the purpose of this study and helped bridge a gap in the existing literature. In-depth individual interviews, document analysis, and two focus group were utilized to collect data from 10 participants who met the inclusion criteria for the study (Arabic-language teachers at the selected school; at least five years of teaching experience at K-12 …

All In Pix Ypar: A Youth Participatory Action Research Study Of Students With Significant Disabilities In High School, Jessica L. Jennings

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Education facilitates community involvement, participation, and acceptance, but not for students with significant disabilities who are taught in separate settings. The policy of separate education derives from arcane beliefs, limited research, and misconceptions that result in people with disabilities having choices made for them not with them. The All IN Pix YPAR asked six high school students with significant disabilities to photo document a week in their high school yearbook class. Each day after school, the students discussed a single photo using a modified photovoice method in structured interviews using the SHOWeD questioning protocol. After data capture, during a Zoom …

Identifying Misconceptions About Evolution Relative To Science Curriculum Exposure At The Secondary Level, Rachel Carney

Graduate Research Papers

Evolution is the foundation of the biological sciences. Addressing misconceptions related to biological evolution ensures students have a solid understanding of evolution so that they can become scientifically literate members of society. While studies have identified misconceptions about evolution, there is much less research on the degree to which specific biology curricula address these misconceptions. The goal of this study is to determine how exposure to the SEPUP biology curriculum affects the misconceptions about evolutionary theory held by 10th grade students.

This study took place at a moderately-sized school located in the Midwest. Students respond with their agreeability to a …

The Impact Of A Teacher-Developed Physical Fitness Program On The Self-Perception And Basketball Skills Of Two High School Students, Melaina Valdez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

PURPOSE: This study has two purposes: (a) to determine the effect of a teacher-developed physical fitness program on the performance of specific participant goals for the game of basketball and (b) to determine the impact of this same program on the overall perception of the participants amongst their peers when participating in the game of basketball. METHODS: The participants in this study included two high school males. Participant 1 had a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and was provided services through a 504 plan. This study occurred over a 5-week period, including a 5-week intervention, with the pre …

Availability And Accessibility As Determinants Of Use Of Electronic Reference Sources Among Secondary School Teachers In Ekiti State Nigeria, Adesanmi Mathew Farukuoye, Olayinka Folorunso, Elizabeth Bukunola Lateef

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Availability of information resources plays a major role in teaching and learning. For effective teaching to take place information resources must be provided and teachers must have access to various types of resources particularly in their areas of specialization. This will not only broaden their knowledge base but also prepare them ahead of the challenges that may face them in the course of imparting knowledge. A variety of activities that are performed by teachers in the course of carrying out their professional duties is hinged on close interaction with the various reference sources in their areas of specialization. These …