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A Phenomenological Study of Epstein’s Parental Involvement Framework With Middle-School English Language Learner (ELL) Teachers and Language Specialists
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of ELL teachers and language specialists who engage in parental involvement practices. A phenomenological research design was used to reveal and describe middle-school ELL teachers’ and language specialists’ experiences and perceptions of parental involvement and its influence on student academic success at one middle school in the Pacific Northwest. Purposeful sampling was used to select the study’s participants. The teachers and language specialists used for this study had a minimum of 2 years of experience to ensure they had basic knowledge about the phenomenon of parental involvement. Data were gathered using semistructured interviews, document artifacts and a reflective journal from November 2018 through April 2019. After each interview was transcribed, significant statements were extracted, and the analyzed statements were paired with six a priori key themes from Epstein’s (2009) parental involvement framework. Through axial coding three subthemes emerged from the data. Data analysis and results revealed that when ELL teachers and language specialists used parental involvement strategies, they were able to assist parents to be involved with their children’s education, which in turn could influence the children’s academic outcomes. Consequently, the participants also revealed the inherent challenges associated with the communication attribute of the framework. This research study is insightful because it contributes to the body of knowledge around how middle-school staff can use parental involvement strategies to influence academic success with their ELL student populations
Values and the Decision Persist to Graduation at a University in Alaska
No full textUniversity graduation rates concern students, their families, educators, and policy makers. Students attend university, often using borrowed money, expecting to complete a 4-year program. Nationally, about half of incoming first-time freshman have completed a 4-year program in six years. The state of Alaska has the second lowest college graduation rate in the nation, and a University in Alaska has a six-year graduation rate of 17%. There are 10 universal values, and the purpose of this study was to examine how these values influence students from a University in Alaska to either attend the school to graduation, or leave the school without graduating. From a quantitative survey of graduates and nongraduates from a University in Alaska, the researcher determined that graduates were more influenced by the values of self-direction, universalism, benevolence, achievement, and stimulation compared to the nongraduates, who found conformity, self-direction, benevolence, universalism, and tradition to be more influential. The researcher also found that when each of the 10 values were compared individually, nongraduates were more influenced to the decision to leave a University in Alaska without graduating by the values of tradition and conformity, than were students who chose to stay to graduation. The researcher concluded that the graduation rate of a University in Alaska may be improved by greater support for activities that strengthen connections to the University built on the values of tradition and conformity
The Pedagogical Impact of Secondary Science Teacher Efficacy on Blended Learning Implementation: A Phenomenological Study
Get PDFAs new pedagogical approaches, such as blended learning, are implemented in classrooms, it is important to properly prepare the teachers to ensure fidelity of implementation. The descriptive phenomenological study examined the influence of secondary science teacher efficacy on overcoming obstacles and sustaining the Blended Learning pedagogical approach at a high school in the southern United States. Using purposeful sampling based on specific criteria nine teachers were selected to participate in the study. Through two interviews and a focus group, the researcher collected data based on the participants’ shared experience of implementing the flipped classroom instructional model. The data was themed according to the four sources of teacher efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. The results suggest that teacher efficacy does influence the implementation of the Blended Learning pedagogical approach. Key findings from this study include teachers need time to plan for the transition, teachers need time to implement the pedagogical approach with support, teachers need support and coaching from school leaders, and teachers need time to collaborate to build collective teacher efficacy. The results of this study are significant to as it supports the importance of providing teachers with time to plan and implement the pedagogical approach to fidelity and understanding the role of teacher efficacy. As Blended Learning becomes more commonplace in the secondary science classroom, stakeholders need to understand how to support teachers throughout implementation
How Content Teachers Transition to Teaching a STEAM Curriculum
No full textAn increasing number of educators are supporting the STEAM approach to education, so that students will have the necessary skills and abilities needed for the 21st century workforce. Entire schools as well as school districts have transitioned to STEAM. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how content teachers make the transition from their traditional educational approach to implementing a STEAM curriculum. The researcher used purposeful sampling to select one participant from the arts discipline and one teacher from the STEM discipline at two research sites used in the multiple case study. Data collection methods included one-on-one interviews, a focus group, and observations of corroborating artifacts and documents. Findings led to four themes which depicted the process that teachers went through to transition to STEAM. Teachers developed a mindset to teach from STEAM perspective, started small and built up, used collaboration as a resource, and participated in ongoing professional development. The transition process appeared to support Mezirow’s (1991) steps involved in transformational learning theory and the STEAM movement. Future research could include a deeper look at how teachers transition to STEAM, how non-STEM classes are involved in STEAM, and how educational leaders make decisions to transition a school’s curricular approach
Job Satisfaction and Compassion Satisfaction Among Orthotic and Prosthetic Practitioners: A Descriptive-Multiple Case Study
Get PDFOrthotic and prosthetic practitioners are faced with heavy caseloads of patients that impact symptoms of burnout, which is another word for stress. This qualitative, descriptive-multiple case study investigated Orthotic and Prosthetic (O&P) practitioners in the United States and their views on whether job satisfaction influences compassion satisfaction, while working with patients who have lost one or more limb(s). The research study also included whether burnout or depression have a significant effect on job satisfaction and compassion satisfaction. This research study was conducted using a three-phased data collection process that included in-depth interview sessions, along with researcher’s notes, a prepared open-ended questionnaire, and an online questionnaire. The participants in this study were selected using purposive sampling through a professional network and O&P professional groups. Nine participants completed the telephone interview sessions, the prepared open-ended questionnaire, and the online questionnaire. The O&P practitioners in this research study believed that job satisfaction and compassion satisfaction are complementary when working with individuals who have lost one or more limbs—both needs must be met in the workplace
The Effectiveness of Biblical Worldview Integration with Early Adolescents in Thailand
Get PDFChristian educators and institutions may make use of an instructional pedagogy known as biblical worldview integration. This pedagogical instrument intentionally connects every aspect of the curriculum to at least one element of a biblical worldview to inculcate that worldview in students. This research study was conducted over the course of the second semester at a Christian international school in Thailand that implements biblical worldview integration across the curriculum. Focusing on Thai Buddhist middle-school students, research was conducted in three parts: pre- and post-surveys with students to determine change in worldview, parent interviews, and teacher interviews. While an analysis of the worldview surveys showed no statistically significant change in students’ worldviews, the interviews with teachers and parents contravened the survey data, and revealed some factors may lead to student change. Interviews suggested the greatest method in effecting change in students was a strong relationship with teachers. It is recommended that educators who wish to make an impact on their students develop strong positive relationships with them. Worldviews develop over time; therefore, it is further recommended that further longitudinal research be conducted
The Power of Play: An Action Research Study Examining Teachers’ Use of Gamified Learning Practices to Develop Habits of Mind in Elementary Students
No full textThe development of specific habits and skills is critical to students’ academic success. Costa and Kallick (2008, 2009) created a framework of these habits over their 25 yearslong collaboration called habits of mind. In this framework, Costa and Kallick detail the habits that students need to develop to be successful in school and beyond. An action research study was conducted to determine the influence of gamified learning practices to help students develop habits of mind in elementary students. The study participants were elementary teachers from upper elementary school in a large, suburban school district. Over eight weeks, five participants spiraled through three cycles of action research using Stringer’s (2014) protocol of look, think, act. Using observations, reflection journal, and focus group interviews, data participants explored a connection between specific gamified learning practices and increased development of habits of mind. The results of the study found that the gamified learning practices of avatars, points, leaderboards, and levels helped students develop habits of mind. Specifically, this study and its participants noted a change in habits—such as managing impulsivity, persistence, responding with wonderment and awe, and striving for accuracy—more frequently and with more significant discussion
Insight Into How College Freshmen Understand Their Reading and Text Experiences
Get PDFThis qualitative case study was designed to add insight to the scholarly literature about how college freshmen understand and describe their reading experiences. Two research questions guided this study: How do college freshmen understand and describe their educational reading experiences, and how do college freshmen understand the difference between college level reading and the reading experiences they had in high school. The researcher utilized semistructured interviews with a sample of 13 participants in a rural county in the western portion of the United States. Participants also provided textual samples from their freshman level college courses. Each participant had completed at least one semester of postsecondary education at either a community college, technical school, or four-year university. The key findings in this study were that despite warnings of increased rigor and volume, students were ultimately overwhelmed with the substantial reading requirements upon entering college. Class participation based on the course reading was rigorous and deep. The most common way to manage the amount of required college reading was to just skim the text and highlight the main ideas. Nearly all participants indicated that they completed high school with little or no reading of textbooks or prose fiction. College freshmen who attended technical schools experienced the biggest gap in preparation for the reading experiences that they faced in college. Community college students indicated the least amount of personal responsibility for their reading skills or abilities. Conversely, attendees of four-year universities shared the most personal responsibility for their learning and reading skills or practice
Encouraging Prekindergarten Children’s Learning in a Head Start Program through Outdoor Play
No full textThis action-research study was designed to discover how to encourage teachers to use outdoor learning environments to prepare prekindergarten children for kindergarten by helping them gain skills described in a framework of learning outcomes designed for Head Start. The framework described five areas of skills needed for success, which included communication skills, book knowledge, writing, physical coordination, general knowledge, mathematics, the ability to attend and engage in new learning, interacting with peers and adults, and controlling and understanding emotions. The study of a Head Start Program included teachers to help determine if outdoor learning environments could help teachers embrace an inquiry-based learning format for their students and reduce behaviors by the children that impede learning. Participating teachers addressed the specific barriers to outdoor play the program had identified by developing strategies to address those barriers, implementing the strategies, and evaluating the experiences after the implementation phase. Data were gathered through close observation, teacher interviews, and daily journals to detect if the teachers intentionally planned to use outdoor learning environments, how they implemented those plans, and how they interacted with the children during outdoor playtime once the barriers to outdoor play were removed or diminished in accordance with the strategies developed. This study was designed to actively search for solutions to encourage teachers to employ the benefits of outdoor play, especially as it pertains to preparing children for kindergarten using a framework designed for Head Start