Western Connecticut State University
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Weapons at Connecticut public schools: An examination of motives and prevention methods
No full textOne of the primary reasons for conducting this study is to understand why students bring weapons to K-12 schools in the state of Connecticut. Another research goal was to identify ways to reduce weapon incidents in schools. Otte (2023) highlighted that for the school year 2021-2022, the incidents of students being caught with weapons at Connecticut schools reached the highest level since 2009. Moreover, according to the most recent data, that number has grown from 1,298 in the 2021-2022 school year to 1,432 in the 2022-2023 school year (EdSight, 2023). The concept of weapons in the K-12 schools in Connecticut raises many concerns for parents, educators, and school safety professionals. This research provides a first step to understanding what is happening in CT schools and exploring approaches that have successfully reduced it.State appropriations fund the Center through the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the Office of Higher Education
Optimizing Daphnia magna culturing for management at Lake Waramaug, CT by experimenting with a variety of food sources
No full textLarge-bodied Cladocera such as Daphnia are believed to affect algae and cyanobacteria
populations in Lake Waramaug. The Lake Waramaug Task Force sought to increase the
population of large-bodied Cladocera that had historically been greatly reduced due to the
introduction of landlocked Alosa pseudoharengus (alewife). The goal of this project was to
develop optimal practices for raising Daphnia magna by investigating the effects of different
food sources on fecundity. The experimental food sources were Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus
spp., and a combination of all three food sources (C.v., S. spp., YCT). Preliminary work during
the summers of 2021 & 2022 on the Lake Waramaug zooplankton farm suggested that current
culturing methodology resulted in approximately one organism per liter. A healthy population
should be closer to 10 per liter (B. Kortman personal communication, January 17, 2019). Our
objective was to develop a reliable practice that would result in >1 Daphnia per liter. The food
source that yielded the highest number of neonates and adults was the combination of
YCT/Scenedesmus/Chlorella vulgaris. Additionally, Scenedesmus alone yielded more neonates
compared to YCT or Chlorella vulgaris alone. Since Scenedesmus is twice the size of Chlorella
vulgaris, this additional mass of food could have contributed to these results. This project has
lake management value because it aids in the development of an optimal practice for raising
Daphnia magna populations in a lake where large bodied Cladocera were eradicated due to the
introduction of land-locked alewife
Perceptions of Black and Latino High School Males Regarding their Attitudes Towards Schools and of Hopefulness
No full textThe purpose of the study was to discover and give voice to the perceptions of Black and Latino adolescent males regarding their school attitudes (attitudes toward school, attitudes towards teachers, motivation/self-regulation, goal valuation, and academic self-perception) and their level of hope (agency and pathways) for the future. This mixed methods study used an explanatory sequential approach to understand the quantitative and qualitative data. The results of a multiple linear regression revealed that four independent variables: motivation/self-regulation, agency, attitudes towards teachers, and pathways, R = .729, R2 = .532, F(4, 242) = 68.256, p < .001, effect size = 1.137, large,
predicted academic self-perception. Qualitative themes included the following: intrinsic motivators support overall success, students want to be supported by educators to succeed, role models are essential, and schools should offer courses, clubs, and career tracks that will interest students. These results should be used to construct a positive school culture and inform teaching practice
The impact of virtual mathematics games on student achievement and engagement in the mathematics classroom
No full textThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of playing a virtual mathematics game on students’ mathematics achievement scores and student engagement regarding gender (male, female) and program type (game-based learning (GBL) enhanced mathematics program, traditional mathematics program). The current study took place at two urban middle schools within the same district. The researcher used a sample of convenience comprised of 431 seventh and eighth grade mathematics students taught by seven mathematics teachers. This quantitative study was quasi-experimental, with a treatment and a comparison group using intact classrooms of students. Student data were collected using five tools: a standardized mathematics assessment, student mathematics grades, student engagement in mathematics, demographic information, and data from the virtual game program. There was no statistically significant impact on student achievement scores. There was a significant interaction between engagement and gender with females who played the virtual mathematics game having significantly higher scores for the emotional subscale of engagement than males or females who did not play the game
An Exploratory Case Study of Educators' Experiences with COVID-19: Compassion Fatigue as an Unintended Consequence of a Global Pandemic2024
Full text linkThis exploratory qualitative case study analyzed educator perceptions and experiences with compassion fatigue during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The researcher explored educators’ experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic, educator responsibilities during the pandemic, to what extent educators experienced compassion fatigue, and educator perceptions of what was needed to support them from these experiences. In this study, 15 general education teachers and five administrators were interviewed utilizing semi-structured interview protocols with data analyzed utilizing NVivo. It was found that secondary traumatic stress (STS) or compassion fatigue (CF) were experienced by participants and can have a major role to play in educators’ well-being and effectiveness. The pandemic compounded the difficulties educators faced on a daily basis. The findings also revealed that educators experienced a lack of work-life balance, decline in health, and new professional challenges during the pandemic. As a result, educators felt helpless, apathetic, and emotionally and physically exhausted. Therefore, the findings indicate that participants in this study experienced elements of compassion fatigue during the COVID-19 Pandemic
An Exploration of Therapy Dogs in Educational Settings as Described by Multiple Stakeholders
No full textIn education, therapy dogs are used in a variety of manners, such as, but not limited to, reading assistance programs, stress reduction visits, or welcome ambassadors after community trauma. This study was designed to explore multiple perspectives about the reasons for and interactions with therapy dogs in educational settings. The research questions were: (a) How are therapy dog programs or visits operationalized in educational settings? (b) What are the experiences of students and educators who engage in therapy dog programs or visits? The participants included representatives from nationally-recognized therapy dog programs, therapy dog handlers, site coordinators, and students. The qualitative, multi-case study design compared the perspectives of how and why therapy dogs are employed in educational settings, and what the participants described as their sense of interaction with therapy dogs. The findings suggested that therapy dog programs or visits contributed to positive academic and social or emotional needs of students
Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of an Affective, Formative, and Data-Driven Feedback Intervention in Response to Mixed-Reality Simulations
No full textEducators and researchers have long contemplated the most effective ways to provide feedback to students, to build sustainable feedback practices, and to establish feedback literacy. While a considerable amount of research, theory, and practical approaches exist to support the effect of formative feedback practices, less research exists on the impact of affective elements related to feedback. This study set out to explore pre-service teachers’ perceptions of a feedback intervention that included affective, formative, and data-driven aspects. A mixed-reality simulation environment was selected as the context for the study, and eight pre-service teachers performing in the simulation were selected as participants. This qualitative multicase study included three rounds of simulations, feedback interventions, and interview questioning. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis framework. Findings showed that the application of confirmation, empathy, and reciprocity in the feedback intervention prompted the development of helping relationships that promoted personal growth. The Humanistic work of Rogers became a useful framework for these emergent findings. In addition, findings included participants’ preferences for formative feedback over data-feedback, particularly formative feedback that introduced engaging language, purposeful organization, and details and examples. Lastly, findings revealed participants’ perceived personal growth in feedback literacy, especially in regards to managing emotions and committing to the feedback process
Positive Relationships Make the Difference: A Case Study of Secondary Educators' Perspectives on Student Connectedness to School2022
No full textThe typical high school in the United States can be considered a community comprised of students, teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches, and support staff interacting with one another. A student’s level of connectedness to the school community can have several short and long-term positive impacts on his or her well-being. However, not all students feel as connected to their school as others. This is especially true for students in grades 9-12 in the United States (typically adolescents between the ages of 14-18). This qualitative case study sought a deeper understanding of student connectedness to school from the vantage point of students and educators at a high school in Connecticut. This study utilized pre-existing survey data (n = 643) and educator interviews (n = 10) to address the research questions. The pre-existing survey data from students were utilized to select educators who were interviewed. The survey data also provided descriptive statistics to help the reader better understand the students in the school where the research occurred. The interview data served as the primary data focus. The survey findings demonstrated that students form meaningful connections with a diverse range of adults within the high school. The findings from the educator interviews suggested that educators believed that they could increase students’ feelings of connectedness to school by purposefully working towards creating trusting and psychologically safe learning environments, mindfully humanizing interactions with students, and leveraging opportunities to increase informal interactions with and between students. The findings also indicated that educators believed increasing students’ feelings of connectedness to school can be accomplished by encouraging their students to engage
Connecticut K-12 Schools Safety and Security Needs Assessment Report
Full text linkThe main objective of this assessment was to examine the perspectives of a variety of school employees to determine the needs related to safety, security, and mental health issues in Connecticut schools