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2015

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Articles 751 - 780 of 1217

Full-Text Articles in Teacher Education and Professional Development

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Cross-Curricular Connections At The Incident Level, Melita M. Penchalk Jan 2015

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Cross-Curricular Connections At The Incident Level, Melita M. Penchalk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many curricular innovations, including cross-curricular teaching, are started in schools without adequate teacher preparation and support, reducing the effectiveness of the interventions in supporting student learning. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the implementation of the cross-curricular connections teaching technique in middle schools. Research questions focused on how middle school teachers experienced implementation of cross-curricular teaching at the incident level and how teachers perceived cross-curricular teaching and its long-term value. Myers-Briggs personality type theory informed the study, supporting the postulation that teachers are more comfortable teaching from their personality types. Data from 10 middle school teachers …

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Program Evaluation Of A Tutoring Program To Prepare Disenfranchised Students For College, Rhonda Lee Petrini Jan 2015

Program Evaluation Of A Tutoring Program To Prepare Disenfranchised Students For College, Rhonda Lee Petrini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2001, the San Colombano Project has provided the College-Bound Tutoring program for disenfranchised prospective first-generation college students in a southwestern community of the United States. However, an evaluation of the program had never been conducted. The purpose of the study was to conduct a qualitative, responsive program evaluation in a naturalistic setting using a case-study approach with a constructivist lens to create a narrative portrait of the program. Guided by critical race theory, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Wlodkowski's motivational theory, the study explored the effectiveness of the program. Interviews were conducted and archival data were examined to …

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Promoting Information Literacy Through Teacher - School Library Media Specialist Collaboration, Pamela Denise Taylor Jan 2015

Promoting Information Literacy Through Teacher - School Library Media Specialist Collaboration, Pamela Denise Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schools that support collaboration between teachers and school library media specialists (SLMS) outperform those that do not. Teachers at a rural Georgia middle school were not using the library media program or being trained on how to collaborate with the SLMS to promote student achievement. Guided by Bruner's socioconstructivist theory of learning, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to investigate teachers' experiences with integrating technology and information literacy into the curriculum and to examine the collaborative services the SLMS could provide to enhance integration. Eight teachers in Grades 6th through 8th comprised the sample. Data sources included teacher …

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Effect Of Sleep On Vigilance, Short-Term Memory, And Learning In College Students, Ayesha Uddin Jan 2015

Effect Of Sleep On Vigilance, Short-Term Memory, And Learning In College Students, Ayesha Uddin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite years of research supporting a link between sleep and cognitive functioning, little research has focused on the effect of sleep on cognitive factors in the college population. According to the trace reactivation hypothesis, sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and learning. Cognitivism further indicates that the processing of information is limited when sleep is restricted. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of sleep on vigilance, short-term memory, and learning; an additional goal was to test whether these variables influence grade point average (GPA). Sleep and GPA data were collected using self-report questionnaires. …

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College Mission Change And Neoliberalism In A Community And Technical College, Christine Mollenkopf-Pigsley Jan 2015

College Mission Change And Neoliberalism In A Community And Technical College, Christine Mollenkopf-Pigsley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators of 2-year colleges are working in an environment where they seek to balance the social development of the student and the community's demand for a trained workforce to achieve economic development. This balance has resulted in ambiguity about the mission and purpose of 2-year colleges. The purpose of this case study was to explore a community college's experiences with mission change by exploring the interaction between a neoliberal public policy environment and the traditional social democratic mission of academia. Harvey's conceptualization of neoliberalism was used as the theoretical framework. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with members of …

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Exemplary Teachers' Perspectives On Effective Teaching Elements In Danielson's Framework For Teaching, Derek Jon Olson Jan 2015

Exemplary Teachers' Perspectives On Effective Teaching Elements In Danielson's Framework For Teaching, Derek Jon Olson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reforms in teacher evaluation are enacted to increase student achievement. Although there is research on teacher evaluation and teacher quality, there is little that addresses effective teaching as conceptualized in Danielson's Framework for Teaching, a commonly used evaluation tool. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine which of the 4 domains and 76 elements of Danielson's framework are viewed by award-winning teachers as having the greatest impact on effective teaching and learning. Constructivism formed the theoretical basis for this study. The research questions examined to what extent state and national teachers of the year perceive differences in the …

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A Comparison Of Preservice Teachers' Responses To Bullying Scenarios, Cynthia Louise Davis Jan 2015

A Comparison Of Preservice Teachers' Responses To Bullying Scenarios, Cynthia Louise Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This nonexperimental study was conducted to determine differences that exist between PreK to 4th grade preservice teachers' beliefs about the severity of bullying, their empathy with victims of bullying, beliefs about their ability to cope with bullying in the classroom, and their ability to intervene in bullying issues. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior provided the study's theoretical base and demonstrated a connection between participants perceived ability to cope with bullying behavior and willingness to intervene. The participants (N = 112) were students in a 2-year community college PreK to 4th grade education transfer degree program. Data …

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Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer Jan 2015

Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted to the U.S. Senate the need to focus on air traffic control (ATC) training to meet job qualification and attrition rates within the career field. One U.S. Department of Defense military service assists the FAA in providing worldwide ATC services. This service is referred to as the agency throughout this paper to ensure confidentiality. The agency's ATC career field manager echoed the FAA's call for action in his 2014 Strategic/Action Plan. In August 2013, the agency's ATC trainer program was published. As of December 2015, the program had not been evaluated. The …

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Use Of Traditional 3-Hour Lectures In Preparing Students For The Childbearing Clinical Setting, Teresa Pohle Jan 2015

Use Of Traditional 3-Hour Lectures In Preparing Students For The Childbearing Clinical Setting, Teresa Pohle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following completion of a 4-year nursing program, some graduates have difficulty applying theories learned in the classroom to the clinical environment. This difficulty results in healthcare employers providing additional in-house training to ensure graduates' ability to safely care for their patients. The purpose of this research was to explore how traditional lecture methods have prepared students for the clinical environment. Based on a constructivist theoretical framework, a case study design was used to examine students' learning of theories delivered by traditional lecture methods. The research questions focused on student activities in the classroom and clinical setting, teaching strategies, critical thinking …

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Community College Instructors' Perceptions And Use Of Feedback, Janeth Martin Walker Franklin Jan 2015

Community College Instructors' Perceptions And Use Of Feedback, Janeth Martin Walker Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many community college students, especially those who are required to take developmental education courses, do not complete course and degree goals. Research shows that constructive feedback practices used by instructors improve academic achievement while destructive feedback practices diminish student learning. Using a constructivist framework, the purpose of this qualitative, instrumental case study was to understand how faculty who teach developmental education and entry level college courses perceive and use feedback in a large urban community college in the Southwestern United States. Data were collected through 17 in-depth, face-to-face interviews and written feedback examples submitted by the faculty members. Interview transcripts …

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Elementary School Teachers' Perception Of Art Integration To Improve Student Learning, Lynn Maxey Fagan Jan 2015

Elementary School Teachers' Perception Of Art Integration To Improve Student Learning, Lynn Maxey Fagan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers are seeking effective teaching strategies to support an array of student learning needs. The arts hold the potential to transform the learning experience for students; however, the use of art integration is limited and unknown to many educators. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to interview and observe 8 elementary school teachers who were identified by the school administration as successfully having integrated art into the curricula, defined by teaching with and through the arts across all content areas. The intent of this study was to explore the participants' perceptions about the use of art integration in …

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Promoting Critical Thinking And Reflection In A Capstone Course For Adult Learners, James-Etta Goodloe Jan 2015

Promoting Critical Thinking And Reflection In A Capstone Course For Adult Learners, James-Etta Goodloe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

University instructors can improve how they promote critical thinking in the classroom by fostering reflective writing habits with students. Midwest University requires all undergraduate students to complete 2 capstone courses, which are framed around a critical thinking curriculum. The skills of analyzing and reflecting on experiences are important components of critical thinking. Despite this acknowledged importance of critical thinking, there is currently no structured training for instructors of the capstone course on how to develop critical thinking abilities among adult students. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceptions of the instructors of the capstone courses and …

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College Retention Connections With Multiple Influencing Factors, Jamie Esther Mccracken Jan 2015

College Retention Connections With Multiple Influencing Factors, Jamie Esther Mccracken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many challenges associated with student retention. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has focused on determining the factors affecting student retention across its campus and distance course delivery formats in order to improve student retention. The purpose in this study was to explore the extent to which age, course delivery, technical ability, and financial background determine retention at SMWC. Retention and attrition models of Tinto and Walleri laid the foundation of this study. Qualitative data on technical ability were collected from 69 students who responded to the survey instrument on Survey Monkey. Quantitative data on retention, age, course delivery, and …

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Soft Skills Perceived By Students And Employers As Relevant Employability Skills, Ann-Marie Claudia Williams Jan 2015

Soft Skills Perceived By Students And Employers As Relevant Employability Skills, Ann-Marie Claudia Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Local employers believe the lack of prerequisite soft skills is inhibiting the graduates from a local community college from securing employment. The rationale of this phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions of students and employers related to the soft skills needed to be successful in future employment. The theoretical framework was based on Mezirow's transformational and Daloz's mentorship theories. Individual face-to-face, semistructured interviews were used to gather data from 12 business and computer students and 7 employers (N=19) who were selected using purposeful random sampling. The typewritten transcripts of participants' responses were imported in MAXQDA 11, then were open …

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The Relationship Among Esol Services, Vocabulary, And Reading Comprehension In Primary Grades, Cassandra Marie Arcila-Knortz Jan 2015

The Relationship Among Esol Services, Vocabulary, And Reading Comprehension In Primary Grades, Cassandra Marie Arcila-Knortz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the growing English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) population in the United States, English instruction is becoming vitally important in schools. Despite this growing need, many schools are eliminating ESOL support services that promote English learning, and some schools are eliminating ESOL support services in primary grades. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether providing ESOL support in kindergarten improved students' reading level, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Vygotsky's social learning theory and theory of proximal development provided the theoretical framework of the study. The research questions concerned differences in comprehension scores, vocabulary scores, and reading …

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Effects Of Single-Gender And Coeducational Learning Environments On Middle School Mathematics Achievement, Tasha Graves Henderson Jan 2015

Effects Of Single-Gender And Coeducational Learning Environments On Middle School Mathematics Achievement, Tasha Graves Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of the increased number of schools failing to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP), school districts are searching for innovative ways to raise student achievement and meet the rigorous performance standards set by state governments. Using the theoretical framework provided by brain research and the theory of multiple intelligences, the purpose of this quantitative study was to compare 2 middle school classroom structures for differences in mathematics achievement among students. The study examined whether a significant difference existed in mathematics achievement scores on the state-mandated mathematics test for 2 groups (single gender classes versus coeducational classes) in 6 …

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A Program Evaluation Of A Remediation Program For Underprepared College Students, Jane Neuenschwander Jan 2015

A Program Evaluation Of A Remediation Program For Underprepared College Students, Jane Neuenschwander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This participant-oriented program evaluation study was prompted by the problem that a cohort remediation program for underprepared freshmen at a small, private university in Appalachia was implemented for 1 year and dropped without any review of the program's impact on retention. The purpose of this project study was to conduct a summative program evaluation that recorded perceptions from the cohort program's participants and to compare their retention rates with underprepared students' retention rates from the subsequent year's individualized remediation. The study was guided by Tinto's retention theory, which posits that academic and social integration is critical to retention. A Chi-square …

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Challenges African American Students Face When Adjusting To Predominantly White Institutions, Argyle Jeanine Smallwood Jan 2015

Challenges African American Students Face When Adjusting To Predominantly White Institutions, Argyle Jeanine Smallwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this case study was to explore the challenges African American students face when adjusting to predominantly White institutions and to review these institutions' diversity policies to determine whether the institutions are aligned with African American students' needs. The study was based on critical race theory to examine whether and how racial microaggressions influence racial tension at the predominantly White institutions selected for this study. The research questions were used to gauge (a) the level of comfort among African American students attending one of these predominantly White institutions, (b) their overall satisfaction with their decisions to attend the …

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Challenges Of A Novice Nurse Educator's Transition From Practice To Classroom, Tori Brown Jan 2015

Challenges Of A Novice Nurse Educator's Transition From Practice To Classroom, Tori Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the lack of formal preparation encountered by novice nurse educators within a nursing program located in the southeastern region of North Carolina. This problem is significant at both the local and national levels because expert clinicians are needed to fill nurse educator vacancies that have led to qualified students being denied admission to nursing programs. A qualitative case study research design was employed to explore the perceptions of novice nurse educators in one nursing program transitioning from clinical nursing practice to the nurse educator role. The theoretical framework to guide this study was Benner's novice to …

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Principal Leadership Behaviors And Teacher Efficacy, Patricia Ellen Gallante Jan 2015

Principal Leadership Behaviors And Teacher Efficacy, Patricia Ellen Gallante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The attrition rate of teachers in an urban/suburban school district in a northeastern state caused schools to fail to attain annual yearly progress. To reverse this problem, administrators must understand the importance of their leadership and teacher efficacy and the need to nurture teachers to increase student performance. The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to determine whether a relationship existed between leadership and efficacy. Total-population sampling was used to obtain 19 elementary and middle teachers who completed two surveys to examine the relationship between principals' behaviors (human relations, trust/decision making, instructional leadership, control, and conflict) and teacher efficacy …

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Nurse Educators' Perspectives Of Supplemental Computer-Assisted Formative Assessment In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Jennifer Buehler Sugg Jan 2015

Nurse Educators' Perspectives Of Supplemental Computer-Assisted Formative Assessment In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Jennifer Buehler Sugg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the implementation of various strategies to improve outcomes, the pass rates for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for an associate degree nursing (ADN) program continue to decrease. This study examined the use of a supplemental computer-assisted formative assessment (SCAFA) as a strategy for NCLEX-RN success. A qualitative case study with a theoretical framework based on constructivism was designed to investigate nurse educators' perspectives of this particular strategy for successful outcomes. To explore these perspectives, data were collected from face-to-face interviews with nurse educators and from program documents from 1 ADN program in the southeastern United …

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Delphi Study Of Ecosystem Characteristics And Inclusion Of Elementary Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kimberly M. Walker Jan 2015

Delphi Study Of Ecosystem Characteristics And Inclusion Of Elementary Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kimberly M. Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recognizing characteristics that improve inclusion in general education classrooms allows educators and parents to make conscious decisions regarding how students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be included most appropriately. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to understand the opinions of individuals with expertise in the fields of autism and inclusion as to the characteristics and behaviors within the environmental constellation that support or inhibit inclusion of elementary students with ASD. The conceptual framework was based on tenets of applied behavior analysis, multiple intelligences, and ecosystem characteristics. Research questions addressed characteristics and behaviors of general and special education …

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Relationship Between Whole-Person Learning And Growth Mindset In First-Generation Learners, Marian Willeke Jan 2015

Relationship Between Whole-Person Learning And Growth Mindset In First-Generation Learners, Marian Willeke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Growth mindset is an important component for a journey towards self-actualization. It is unknown if whole-person learning can assist development of that growth mindset for first-generation learners. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine if exposure to whole-person learning positively influences a growth mindset by exploring the relationship between whole-person learning and a growth mindset in first-generation learners. Whole-person learning was presented as a vehicle for developing that growth mindset towards self-actualization. Dweck's Mindset Survey scores were collected from first-generation learners who participated in orientation courses either with or without whole-person learning in 4 institutions (n = 177) …

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Analysis Of An Early Intervention Reading Program For First Grade Students, Elizabeth Nicole Matthews Jan 2015

Analysis Of An Early Intervention Reading Program For First Grade Students, Elizabeth Nicole Matthews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor early literacy performance in public elementary schools has been a concern for many years. To that end, the purpose of this study was to examine an Early Intervention Program (EIP) in a public school. First grade students at the participating elementary school struggled with reading skills and were not meeting the grade standards of the local school district. In order to remedy this problem, the school implemented early support to provide struggling students with specific and targeted small group reading instruction. This quantitative program evaluation was intended to explore the effect of the EIP used at the participating elementary …

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The Impact Of A Nonpublic Schools Early Childhood Development Program On Readiness Achievement, Catina Pierre Jan 2015

The Impact Of A Nonpublic Schools Early Childhood Development Program On Readiness Achievement, Catina Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers recognize that if certain academic skills are not present upon entrance into formal schooling, literacy achievement can be affected. The impact of a local early childhood program on student school readiness was unknown at the study elementary school. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the academic readiness between kindergarten students who participated in the Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development Program and those who did not. The theoretical framework was based on Bruner's constructivist theory of scaffolding, which highlights the importance of providing support to students in the initial stages of learning. Early achievement data from a …

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A Qualitative Assessment: Adult Perceptions Of Collaboration As Mitigation For Statistics Anxiety, Karl James Kinkead Jan 2015

A Qualitative Assessment: Adult Perceptions Of Collaboration As Mitigation For Statistics Anxiety, Karl James Kinkead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Math anxiety, defined as feelings of apprehension and fear of courses involving mathematics, often interferes with student learning in a variety of college-level courses. A related phenomenon, statistics anxiety, affects the performance of many students in statistics courses. Researchers have found evidence that including collaborative problem solving as an instructional methodology is effective at reducing the negative effects of statistics anxiety. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore adult perceptions of collaborative problem solving as an instructional methodology focused on improving the learning environment in a business statistics course. Behaviorist, constructivist, and adult learning theories provided the …

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A Program Evaluation Of My MathTm: Improving Student Computational Fluency Through Inquiry-Based Instruction, Andrea Townsend Jan 2015

A Program Evaluation Of My MathTm: Improving Student Computational Fluency Through Inquiry-Based Instruction, Andrea Townsend

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This program evaluation study addressed a critical deficiency in early childhood math proficiency for a local urban school district. To strengthen students' skills in mathematics, the district adopted the Common Core State Standards and piloted an inquiry-based instructional program called My Math. The purpose of this project study was to determine the extent to which My Math met the goals of improving Grades K-2 students' math proficiency. The conceptual framework was based on theories of multiple intelligences, social learning, and foundations of social development. The National Program Evaluation Standards were used to guide the program evaluation. The research questions centered …

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Engaging College Students In Online Remedial Mathematics Courses With Video Instruction, Elizabeth Henley Jan 2015

Engaging College Students In Online Remedial Mathematics Courses With Video Instruction, Elizabeth Henley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many students entering college in the United States need assistance in at least one academic area, causing remedial courses to be commonplace in higher education. This study evaluated the impact of video instruction in learning the content found in an online remedial math course. The instructional videos were created using the guidelines of Universal Design and cognitive load theory. A quantitative, quasi-experimental method was used to evaluate a dataset made available by a regionally accredited private New England college's online division. The online division offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certifications, and the students are located all over the …

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Elementary (K-5) Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction, Christopher Maddox Jan 2015

Elementary (K-5) Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction, Christopher Maddox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical method used by classroom teachers to enhance student learning. Researchers have described how students benefit from differentiated lessons, but have not explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of differentiation and student success. This gap is problematic because teachers' instruction directly affects student achievement. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how elementary (K-5) teachers define, familiarize, use, and perceive differentiation. The conceptual framework was rooted from a synthesis of ideas found in current refereed literature, and the educational concepts and constructionist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Purposeful sampling identified 12 participants for …

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The Self-Perception And Campus Experiences Of Traditional Age Female Muslim American Students, Carol Warren Koller Jan 2015

The Self-Perception And Campus Experiences Of Traditional Age Female Muslim American Students, Carol Warren Koller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Religion and spirituality have been found to contribute to the well-being of American university students. Although practiced by a small minority, Islam is the fastest growing faith in the United States, indicating a growing campus presence. The purpose of this study was to identify campus experiences that influenced the identity perception of traditional age Muslim American women. The conceptual framework included theories of identity negotiation, intergroup contact, and religious identity as well as campus climate structures developed to improve diversity. This phenomenological study took place at 2 public 4-year universities in California and included interviews with 6 participants. Interview protocol …

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