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- Creator:
- Sullins, Sean
- Description:
- International Mindedness is a developing theme in International Baccalaureate education that has evolved in the 21st century to include sustainability of the planet among other themes. This project has been created to develop International Mindedness (IM) using sustainable food choices in a Project Based Learning environment. The guiding question for this project is: How can teachers develop IM among students using project based learning through sustainable food choices? International Mindedness is evolving and schools are in need of resources to develop International Mindedness in students. Curriculum has been developed in this project which contains lesson plans, slide shows, a project description, grading rubric and graphic organizer. The curriculum guides students’ research about how sustainable their eating habits are and helps them design a more sustainable lifestyle that takes into account global implications of personal choices. The project has been assessed by three educators at an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program in a Southern Californian school who found it useful for developing international mindedness but also found it difficult to address standards with the curriculum in isolation. It is recommended that additional curriculum is created and shared that addresses the need for International Mindedness in students.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Gustafson, Amber
- Description:
- Music education may hold the key to improving the self-efficacy of students classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged. Increasing self-efficacy for these students also potentially improves their chances of academic success. This study investigated the ways in which an El Sistema-inspired after-school orchestra program impacts socioeconomically disadvantaged students’ self-efficacy as well as the correlations that exist between students’ participation in the music program and their self-esteem, perseverance, motivation, and outlook on their personal future. Participants included fourth and fifth grade students enrolled in an orchestra program at a public elementary school in Southern California as well as their parents, teachers, and the school administration. The study was carried out through a mixed-methods approach, which consisted of student surveys, observations, and interviews with parents and school staff. Results revealed participation in the music program provided students with access to several sources of self-efficacy and produced strong correlations to measures of self-esteem and perseverance. Relationships between participation in the after-school orchestra and levels of motivation and outlook on personal future were also indicated but to a lesser degree. This study provides evidence music programs are valuable and can provide the right type of environment to reach children who are at-risk and give them the opportunities they need to succeed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Eyerly, Michael
- Description:
- Emotional Disturbance negatively affects educational, social, and employment outcomes. The purpose of this project is to offer the needed supports and education for general education teachers to implement inclusion successfully, meet the unique learning needs of students with Emotional Disturbance, and positively influence social and academic outcomes. The research questions presented include 1) How can general education teachers be better supported to positively affect learning and outcomes for students with Emotional Disturbance in an inclusive setting? 2) What do general education teachers need to better support students with Emotional Disturbance in an inclusive setting? Currently, students with Emotional Disturbance experience more negative outcomes than other students with and without disabilities. This project was designed to introduce various supports to meet the needs of students with Emotional Disturbance. The instructional and behavioral interventions offer the needed assistance to teachers working with students with Emotional Disturbance, increasing students’ potential for positive outcomes. Research illustrates the need for additional resources for teachers working with students with and without Emotional Disturbance, and the consequences for not offering this additional support, such as increased dropout rates, relationship difficulties, and increased unemployment. Further research will help provide adequate support for students with Emotional Disturbance. Improving assistance teachers receive increases the supports students receive and their overall positive outcomes in inclusion settings. Offering these supports can create more effective educational settings and increases the overall positive outcomes for students with Emotional Disturbance. Keywords: Emotional Disturbance, inclusion, instructional, strategies, behavioral, interventions.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Owen, Marie
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to determine teachers’ perspective on the potential effectively a commercial language arts curriculum supports students with mild and moderate disabilities. The following research questions guided this study: What is the perspective of educators on the adoption committee for the language arts program? What are the most beneficial components of the program in supporting learners with mild and moderate disabilities? How accessible program component to educators? The researcher used a mixed methods approach that included an online survey and personal interviews. The participants in this study included middle –level general educators who teach in classrooms that include students with mild and moderate disabilities. The results suggest that participants felt that the program had embedded differentiated components that utilized some universal design for learning principles. The content videos and interactive whiteboard lessons were considered engaging and scaffolded instruction. However, the writing component of the program was less favored by the participants. Needed is further research on the relevance and effectiveness of commercial programs to the education of students with disabilities in general education classrooms
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Lukic, Ana
- Description:
- It being the 21st century, it is important for educators to adapt to the technological way of teaching, and implement Google Documents into the writing curricula. Google Docs have become an important instructional, and technological Web 2.0 that are being implemented into classrooms around the world today. Further research was needed to hear the voices of students and their honest opinions of utilizing Google Docs throughout their writing process. This qualitative research design focused on six 4th grade students, who were interviewed, observed, and who’s writing pieces were analyzed for background knowledge of Google Documents, time efficiency, collaboration, and motivation throughout the process. Research has proven that the inclusion of Google Docs impacts student writing in a positive, engaging, and entertaining manner, and it motivates students to write.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Jacoby, April
- Description:
- Though research has shown mastery-based education (MBE) to be an effective approach to improving student achievement and motivation, it is still an innovation that few institutions have successfully implemented. By identifying common elements encountered by early implementers of MBE, this project was designed to provide a guide for the successful implementations of a Mastery Based Education system. Research and analysis of past and current efforts to implement mastery-based programs allowed for the identification of areas of success as well as areas of need. To verify the findings of the review of literature, an anonymous online survey was conducted of faculty at a newly launched MBE program. Studies concluded the three most significant areas of need were program alignment, preparation, and the instructional cycle. This project then drew from the tenets of organizational change theory and applied them to issues confronting innovative educational leaders when attempting educational reform. The resulting Guide for the Implementation a Mastery Based Education Program provides strategies for addressing (a) program alignment with a school’s mission and vision, state standards, and all instructional components; (b) preparation, including creating buy-in, initial development and training, and continuous support; and (c) the instructional cycle, including formative assessments, feedback, and interventions or enrichment. The guide concludes with a list of guiding questions educational leaders can use to evaluate their implementation plan. This project provides a valuable tool that institutions can use when considering the major shift to Mastery Based Education.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Lowe, Taylor
- Description:
- Many arguments circle the debate on the role cell phones play in today’s digital age classroom. The common held belief that cell phones are distractions to a student’s learning and only serve to disrupt their learning and understanding is being shaken by the arising belief that cell phones can actually serve to compliment one’s learning. Survey and action research has found that cell phones do not diminish or take away from a student’s learning of material but rather increase student engagement in lessons as seen through fewer prompts to stay on task and decreased observations of off task behavior. When cell phones are utilized in the classroom in a positive manner, they serve to cultivate a set of skills within the students that will allow them to be successful contributors to their future marketplace.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Blaha, Michelle
- Description:
- Middle school is an age where students are really finding themselves. By becoming more involved in campus activities and leadership roles, at-risk students would be given the guidance needed in order to become successful. The purpose of this study is to explore what impact a positive experience such as a leadership class might have on our students who struggle academically, socially, or emotionally. The research method used to analyze the data is a mixed methods design. Teachers will be filling out a survey in regards to their students’ academic, social, and emotional well being in their class. This data will be analyzed quantitatively. Qualitatively, teachers will have the ability to fill in any comments they would like to share. The comment section on their semester report cards will also be analyzed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Scheidler, Alexa
- Description:
- The adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has created quite a bit of media attention offering opinions from parents, teachers and administrators about the new standards and the resulting changes to curriculum. There is limited research on the student perspective. The research question used to guide this study is: What instructional strategies and supports do students perceive are effective in motivating them to succeed in high school Integrated Math classes based on the CCSS? The research defines motivating factors that affect student success such as connecting content to real world situations, student-centered classrooms, group collaboration and frequent formative, process-oriented feedback. The current study uses a survey of students in Integrated Math classes (n=132) including statements with responses on a Likert scale and additional open ended questions. The data was disaggregated by program, Special Education (n=12) and English Language Learners (ELL) (n=11), separating the students who are not receiving services for those programs (n=109) and also by gender, males (n=64) and females (n=68). A t-test for statistical significance was used with a significance level p<.05. The initial findings of the survey indicate that teacher-directed instruction, technology use, elements of student-centered learning, and group collaboration all contribute to the success and motivation of students in Integrated Math classes. ELL students indicate that they want more tools that other populations, females indicate they prefer note-taking more than males, and males are more likely to agree that they would like to start a problem before being told how to do it. Further research is needed to gather information linked to student achievement and gather more data from Special Education and ELL populations.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Sovgir, Nazanine
- Description:
- Inclusive practices have been introduced in educational settings during recent years. According to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004, schools are required to provide students with identified special education needs access to a free and appropriate education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The presumption of the law is that the placement of first choice is the general education classroom and that a student is only to be removed from that setting when education needs cannot be met with personalized supports and services. In other words, it is imperative that schools teach students with identified special educational needs in the general education classroom as much as possible. Elementary, middle, and high schools have strived over the past several decades to structure and support an inclusive environment for all students to have access to and success in grade level curriculum in the general educational setting. The product of this project is a six-page trifold guide for general education teachers, paraprofessionals and others interested in quality inclusive education that contains basic information about inclusion and strategies that work to support the learning of students with special needs. The trifold is significant to education in that teachers who read and use it acquire knowledge regarding inclusive practices that can help alleviate their concerns about not being fully prepared to structure learning experiences so that all students regardless of their learning styles learn in the general education classroom. Keywords: Inclusion, inclusive schooling, inclusive education, instructional strategies
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education