Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

What Impact Does Technology Integration Have On The K-12 Classroom?, Nicole Jean Elliott

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technology use is part of our everyday lives and as technological advances continue at a rapid pace, school districts are integrating technology into the K-12 classroom. This paper explores how technology integration may impact four areas in the K-12 classroom. These four areas are: student achievement, student motivation and engagement, the ability to differentiate instruction, and the learning of, or enhancement of, 21st Century skills. Another concept explored in this paper is the need for professional development to correspond with technology initiatives. While several studies show a positive correlation by implementing technology initiatives, opposite findings are also identified and discussed …

Determining The Optimal Amount Of Physical Activity For Promoting Academic Benefit Among School-Aged Children, Matthew Edwin Fiscus

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the relationship between physical activity and academic performance, the optimal amount of physical activity to enjoy these benefits, and the best way to measure this optimal amount of activity. Research yielding positive associations between physical activity and academic performance has increased significantly over the past 20 years. Multiple articles reviewed in this paper support the following examples of academic benefits gained from participating in physical activity: improved standardized test scores, higher grade point average, enhanced cognitive skills, and improved academic behaviors. Parents, teachers, and administrators understand these relationships to some degree but often, the implementation of physical …

Malts: Mucho Acquisition Of Language By Teaching With Songs, Matthew J. Hanson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fluency in a foreign language (FL) increases when curriculum concentrates on the most common and frequent vocabulary. The following research hypothesizes that songs in the FL can replace curriculum textbooks when combined with storytelling since they contain the most common vocabulary and grammatical structures required for FL communication. This research outlines studies documenting the use of songs in the FL classroom, and includes a 10-week curriculum demonstrating that songs have the potential to change FL curriculum when they are employed consistently and in partnership with storytelling.

The Reform And Influence Of Standards-Based Grading In Secondary Schools, Leah K. Heck

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Standards-based grading is being utilized in many secondary schools across the United States. Research shows that there are many benefits that students are afforded, such as the ability to have a more personalized learning approach, be provided accommodations and modifications to show mastery within the standards, and have the ability to show more academic achievement in a rigorous environment. As educators make the change to standards-based grading they are also met with many challenges, which include ensuring parents and students are aware of why the change is necessary, as well as putting in the time, effort to train teachers accordingly …

An Analysis On The Research In Relation To The Methodology Of Comprehensible Input, Brenna K. Hoeg

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was threefold. First, it examined what research concludes concerning the best ways to use the Comprehensive Input (CI) methodology to teach grammar, vocabulary, literacy, and culture. Second, it explored and evaluated the five benefits to teaching with CI (increases vocabulary retention, increases cultural understanding, increases motivation, personalizes learning and uses multiple modalities). Finally, this thesis assesses what research has concluded to be the drawbacks of CI (lack of substantial sample size in research, lack of resources, misconceptions associated towards CI, and inconsistent data within CI research). In alignment with research, this thesis concludes that providing …

School Start Times: Is Later Better For High School Students?, Rodney Paul Kimbler

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to answer the question: School start times: Is later better for high school students? Research for this study focuses primarily on high school start times in the United States from 1988 to 2017. Factors include changes at puberty including melanin production, circadian rhythms and homeostatic systems. High school start times of 7:30 a.m. or earlier make it difficult for students to acquire 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep on school nights. Beyond teen biology, there are community factors to consider such as part-time jobs, athletic practices, child care, and school bus schedules. In summary, there is no …

Failing Forward: How Student Failure Builds A Framework For Lifelong Learning, Andrew R. Kurkowski

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humans have been dealing with the issue of failure since their existence. No matter the field, whether it be business, athletics, science, mathematics, etc., students and professionals are going to experience minor and major failures in their pursuits. Some may say that the main goal of the educator is to encourage students to pursue lifelong learning. With this being the case, one question that this paper aims to address is how to teach students use these inevitable life events as tools for growth in the academic environment and whether this mindset is effective in accomplishing the development of lifelong learning …

Montessori Adolescent Program Design In A Non-Farm Environment, Rhonda Michelle Lovette

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the idea of constructing a Montessori adolescent program outside of the prescribed curriculum of living in a working farm environment. There is a focus on Maria Montessori’s life and influence. The Montessori Method is briefly explained. Early adolescents, ages 12-15, have different needs than elementary children do; therefore, this thesis strives to design an early adolescent program located in a non-farm setting. Montessori is based on three tenets: the prepared environment, developmentally appropriate materials and the prepared adult. This has been very well developed and applied for pre-school and elementary age children, however, not as well in …

The Benefits Of Creative Abilities In Education For 21st Century Learners, Emily E. Natrop

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creativity is defined as the use of imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. Creative abilities, while less defined, include abilities such as independent or divergent thinking, problem solving, curiosity, adaptability and self-awareness. Creativity has long been seen in education and learning as a skill linked to artistic endeavors. However, moving beyond this link, researchers have begun to pursue creativity’s role in academics outside of artistic content. It is this link and a lack of realization of the importance creativity plays in the overall success of students that calls to be looked at closely. This …

Stimulating Creativity, Originality, & Divergent Thinking, Julia Ohmann

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores research relating to the growth and promotion of creative uniqueness and original ideation in the visual arts classroom. The research reveals a number of strategies that teachers can put into practice to increase students’ creativity. These include: teaching skills in brainstorming and having original ideas through divergent thinking; using physical movement as a method of stimulating creative ideas; teaching metacognition of the creative thinking process; allowing freedom of exploration and experimentation with materials and concepts to promote discovery and trial-and-error; using copying- and imitation-based lessons as tools to teach basic skills; and others. The application materials include …

Game-Based Learning’S Effectiveness In The Middle School, Bradly Gene Scherer

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project offers an overview of GBL and an example of GBL curriculum created for middle school math students. The study explores the question: What effects do GBL practices within curriculum have on middle school (grades 5-8) students to increase student motivation and academic success? The research suggests a positive correlation between GBL and motivation. Students who are allowed to participate in GBL are more excited and motivated to learn, as well as more confident in the skills they learn. GBL allows students to be more in control over their learning, creative, empowered, and describe learning as fun. Students also …

Parental Involvement: Importance, Reality And Application, Paul Stiles

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parents have always been actively involved in their child’s education. As researchers continue to explore factors that drive academic success, parental involvement has emerged as a factor that promotes positive outcomes. Just how they are involved and why they become involved is something that researchers continue to examine. However, regardless of the research conclusions on parental involvement, parental involvement initiatives continue to be implemented at a surprisingly low rate. This paper examines modes of parental involvement, barriers to parental involvement implementation and ways to minimize barriers while maximizing parental involvement effectiveness.

Bridging Funds Of Knowledge In Learning To Teach: The Story Of A Japanese Pre-Service Teacher’S Authentic Teaching Practicum Experience, Seung Eun Mcdevitt, Miyuki Kurihara

Education Specialties Faculty Publications

The field of early childhood education and care has been in the forefront of setting the effort to increase diversity in its teaching force. Little is known about learning processes of teachers with diverse backgrounds in teacher education and what experiences and knowledge they bring to the field to educate and care for our youngest children. This qualitative case study tells stories of an Asian pre-service teacher during her process of becoming an early childhood educator through exploring her personal and cultural funds of knowledge based on her teaching practicum experiences. By listening carefully to her voice in her process …

Annual Report Of Externally Funded Grants And Contracts July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017, Office Of Research And Sponsored Programs. Morehead State University.

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Reports and Publications

Annual Report of Externally Funded Grants and Contracts July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017.

The Impact Of The Summarization/Paraphrasing Strategy, Frayer Model, And Student Engagement On Reading Comprehension, Yolanda Janiece Reilly

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods research examined student achievement in reading comprehension as measured by the North Carolina End-of-Grade Test for Reading Comprehension, and specific reading strategies (Frayer Model & Summarization/Paraphrasing strategy) in Grades 6–8 classrooms. The purpose of this research was to determine if a difference exists in student reading comprehension achievement between students instructed using the Frayer Model and students instructed using the Summarizing/Paraphrasing strategy, when used with fidelity, and which reading strategy students found to be more engaging between the Frayer Model and Summarization/Paraphrasing strategy. Engagement is a major factor in education that impacts achievement in the classroom as well …

Expanding Approaches To Teaching For Diversity And Social Justice In K-12 Education: Fostering Global Citizenship Across The Content Areas, Ariel Tichnor-Wagner, Hillary Parkhouse, Jocelyn Glazier, Jessie Montana Cain

Teaching and Learning Publications

Educators today must be able to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse student body and to teach all students the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for civic participation in a globalized, pluralist society. While state departments of education and national teacher organizations have begun to adopt global awareness in their teaching standards and evaluation tools, there is a Fostering global citizenship across content areas2need for educators to understand what globally competent teachers actually do in classrooms across subject areas and grade levels. This qualitative, multiple case study explores the signature pedagogies (Shulman, 2005) of 10 in-service teachers in …

Predicting Faculty Integration Of Faith And Learning, Kimberly Hardin

Teacher Education

Concern regarding the secularization of Christian higher education has

prompted researchers to investigate the extent that faith and learning

is integrated at a faculty level and what factors might predict faculty

integration (Lyon, Beaty, Parker, & Mencken, 2005). This research

attempted to replicate Lyon et al.’s (2005) logistic regression model

predicting faculty integration of faith using survey responses gathered

as part of Phase II of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

(CCCU) Denominational Study (Rine, Glanzer, & Davignon, 2013).

Respondents included 2,074 faculty from 55 institutions. The first

model used in this study suggested that the most powerful predictors …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Induction On Teacher Efficacy, Julie Anne Stanley

Education Dissertations and Projects

States have turned to effective induction programs in response to rising teacher attrition rates and a widening student achievement gap. Comprehensive induction programs that develop highly efficacious teachers report a decline in teacher attrition, an increase in job satisfaction, and a rise in student achievement. The intent of this research was to assess the level of the perceived self-efficacy of fourth-year teachers across the domains of instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management following the completion of the county’s induction program. The study explored the induction program’s structure in a large, urban North Carolina county to evaluate the extent of …

Passion For Teaching: Self-Efficacy Of Elementary Special Education Teachers Who Have Persisted In The Special Education Teaching Field For At Least 5 Years., Lisa Diane Stewart

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to gather perceptions of elementary general curriculum special education teachers who have persisted in the special education teaching profession past the 5-year mark. Based on Bandura’s (1977) Social Cognitive Concept of Self-Efficacy Theory, this study sought to understand self-efficacy in elementary general curriculum special education teachers who have remained in special education for at least 5 years. Lived experiences of nine elementary general curriculum special education teachers were gathered through three in-depth interviews. Follow-up interviews provided rich, thick description and member checking was utilized to triangulate the data.

A Study Of Teacher Job Satisfaction, Teacher Preferred Leadership Behaviors, And The Impact Of The Leadership Behaviors On Teacher Job Satisfaction, Lorna Jackie Tobias

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study’s purpose was to examine teacher job satisfaction, teacher preferred leadership behaviors, and the impact of these behaviors on teacher job satisfaction. Current research points to a myriad of contributing factors regarding teacher job dissatisfaction including increased accountability, heavy workloads, low salary, and perceived lack of principal support. In this study, 81 teachers secondary from an urban school district in North Carolina completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 2004) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1994). This online survey identified job satisfaction levels of teachers, preferred leadership behaviors, and correlations between teacher job satisfaction and the preferred …

A Study Of Student Attitudes And Dispositions Toward The Use Of The Inquiry Method In Teaching Eighth-Grade Social Studies, Michael George Bolling

Education Dissertations and Projects

Despite a recent emphasis on instruction that utilizes higher level critical thinking skills in middle schools, too many history teachers rely primarily on rote memorization due to state standards that place an emphasis on teaching to a multiple choice standardized test. The difficulty of having to teach copious amounts of information is that it can give rise to the problem of coverage. Teachers feel they must cover massive amounts of material so their students will do well on the standardized test at the end of the school year. This leaves little time for engaging the students in higher level critical …

Middle School Teacher Perspectives Of Ldc In A Rural Southeastern North Carolina School District, Adrain Shavonne Batten

Education Dissertations and Projects

The mixed-method phenomenological study surveyed middle school teacher perceptions of the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC). The study population consisted of 16 sixth through eighth grade English language arts, science, or social studies teachers. The data for this study were analyzed from the 2011-2012 school year until the 2015-2016 year. The researcher utilized Stufflebeam’s (2003) context, input, process, product (CIPP) model to create the research questions. The following research questions guided the study: (1) To what extent does the LDC model influence middle school teacher decisions in the type of the instructional strategies they choose to use in their classrooms; (2) …

One More Student: Session 1: What Tools Can Help Teachers Be Successful In Keeping Students, Charles Larenas, Dan Ryan, Sarah Grison

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Workshops

This interactive slide show identifies the needs and challenges or the community college student, and how to best support those needs with practical teaching tools to improve student retention and success. This is the first session of a four-part workshop series which was designed as professional development for instructors teaching FYE101 at Parkland College.

One More Student: Session 4: How Can We Get Students To Come Back?, Charles Larenas, Dan Ryan, Sarah Grison

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Workshops

This interactive slide show encourages community college faculty to explore their own teaching goals, provides an understanding of how developing a growth mindset in students can help them to return for more education, and shares some practical teaching tools to support student retention and success. This is the last session of a four-part workshop series which was designed as professional development for instructors teaching FYE101 at Parkland College.

One More Student: Session 2: Is There Such A Thing As Intrusive Teaching?, Charles Larenas, Dan Ryan, Sarah Grison

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Workshops

This interactive slide show promotes supporting students with "intrusive teaching" and encourages faculty to get to know students outside the classroom by understanding the non-academic challenges faced by community college students and providing practical tools, armed with resources available for students, to engage in "intrusive teaching." This is the second session of a four-part workshop series which was designed as professional development for instructors teaching FYE101 at Parkland College.

One More Student: Session 3: Is There Such Thing As An Exciting Lecture?, Charles Larenas, Dan Ryan, Sarah Grison

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Workshops

This interactive slide show discusses the academic challenges of the community college student, and offers practical, research-based methods to help engage students in effective learning strategies. This is the third session of a four-part workshop series which was designed as professional development for instructors teaching FYE101 at Parkland College.

A Framework For Improving Teacher Efficacy In High-Poverty Schools, Shelia D. Burnette

Education Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study examined the change of teachers’ levels of poverty awareness and their sense of efficacy after being exposed to targeted research-based strategies and resources. The focus was on building leadership capacity; fostering safe, healthy learning environments; and focusing on students, professionals, and systems of learning to address turning high-poverty schools to high-performing schools. Eight high-poverty urban schools participated in the study with five focus schools analyzed throughout the study (sample=XX). Study participants completed pre- and post-assessment measures of poverty awareness and their sense of efficacy to impact achievement for high-poverty students. Participants were given access to resources, …

First-Year Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Readiness For The Classroom, Kathryn Elizabeth Pritchard

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses the impact of teacher preparation programs on novice teachers’ perceived readiness for the classroom. An explanatory sequential mixed-method, three-phase design was used involving two collections of quantitative data and a focus group convened to explore themes that emerged from quantitative data. Data collected suggest whether the type of teacher preparation program completed by a preservice teacher impacts a novice teacher’s perceived sense of readiness for teaching. Butin (2010) discussed “translating research into effective practice has been the weak link” (p. 4) in research studies. Studying a potential connection between teacher sense of readiness for the classroom and …

The Impact Of Instructional Coaching On The Self-Efficacy Of Beginning Teachers In The Facilitation Of Student Learning, Shannon White

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the impact of instructional coaching on the self-efficacy of beginning teachers in the facilitation of student learning. Beginning teachers are still learning their craft when they enter the teaching profession. Research indicates that schools are losing beginning teachers before they have adequately developed their abilities. Many systems are providing support to beginning teachers through mentoring and instructional coaching. It is essential that schools support beginning teachers as they hone their abilities to facilitate learning in their classrooms. To best meet the needs of beginning teachers, an understanding of best practices for coaching needs to …

The Perceptions Of Stem From Eighth-Grade African-American Girls In A High Minority Middle School, Lachanda Nichole Hare

Education Dissertations and Projects

Even with the existence of STEM curriculum and STEM programs that target women and minorities, African-American females still lag behind other ethnic groups in STEM fields. Reasons for the underrepresentation of females in STEM fields can be traced back to the early years of schooling. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that impact African-American females’ perspectives of STEM subjects and STEM careers. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach was used for data collection with a survey, focus group, and interview. Forty male (N=12) and female (N=28) students from different ethnic groups were surveyed. The focus group and …