National University System Repository
Not a member yet
5119 research outputs found
Sort by
DACA: Deferred Actions For Childhood Arrivals: A Life Changing Experience For Undocumented Immigrants
No full textCurrent immigration policies that reflect the United States ideals of a safe and secure nation also bring continued political battles amongst the government and their political struggles to safely battle the influx of immigrants that flood our borders. Hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants have made the treacherous journey to leave their past of political corruption, the uncertainty of job stability, and in some cases poverty stricken and gang controlled neighborhoods in order to gain entrance into the United States in hopes of a new beginning. The Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a federal government assistance program that offers undocumented immigrants the opportunity to apply for healthcare and educational benefits while gaining a temporary residential status and not be targeted for detainee or deportation operations. The educational and healthcare benefits that are afforded under different immigration policies towards immigrants in comparison to DACA portrays a much different view, such as a façade, and a displacement of position the federal government conveys to its nation. With the survey conducted in this research project the results were expected and varied as well. It adds to the ideal that DACA does give undocumented immigrants hope and the possibility of a better life
Narrowing the Achievement Gap in a Southwest United States High School
No full textSpecial education students spend most of their academic school days removed from the general education classroom, thus losing instruction from content specialists. This study was designed to help the researcher understand how general education teachers' self-efficacy influences their preparedness, whether general education teachers feel adequately prepared to educate special education students, and if feelings affect their classroom outcomes. The data acquired from this study helped create professional development, ongoing supports, and embedded training for teachers to increase their self-efficacy regarding their abilities to teach special education students and help build the teachers' collective efficacy. A qualitative case study was designed to investigate these phenomena at a high school in the southwestern region of the United States. General education teachers at a southwest United States high school completed an anonymous demographic survey. This voluntary anonymous demographic survey was sent to all general education teachers to complete, with a request that teachers volunteer to participate in an interview (two teachers from each department). A criterion sampling method was used to collect data from participants using thematic analysis; the demographic survey allowed the researcher to group responses based upon content, experience, education, perspective, training in special education, and their comfort level teaching special education students. The responses to the interviews allowed the researcher to gain more information about how to increase their self-efficacy when educating special education students. The responses led the researcher to understand that time and professional development were needed to enhance the collective efficacy of the general education teachers working in inclusive classrooms. Time is necessary for the collaboration of lessons and the students' needs associated with those lessons. Time is also necessary so that teachers can modify and accommodate lessons for the various learners in the room. Professional development on the various inclusion models, as well as how to modify and accommodate appropriately are skills that can be learned during this time. This research has also led the researcher to understand that more research can be completed on grading for students. While various grading models are used in classrooms and schools, the rationales for those grading models to determine the learning that has occurred can be enhanced
Reciprocal Teaching as a Reading Comprehension Instructional Strategy to Support the Integration of Science Literacy into the Middle School Classroom
No full textThe Massachusetts Science, Technology, and Engineering Framework integrates literacy skills into the standards and requires science teachers to use instructional strategies to support literacy in the classroom (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [MADESE], 2016a). However, secondary science teachers may not provide adequate instructional support for their students to build reading comprehension skills in science (Drew & Thomas, 2018). This study explored the experience and perceptions of middle school science teachers who integrated the reciprocal teaching reading comprehension strategy into their classrooms. The goal of the research was to determine middle school science teachers' perceptions and experiences using reciprocal teaching as a reading comprehension instructional strategy to support the integration of science literacy into the middle school science classroom. The research questions focused on gathering information on middle school science teachers' understanding of science literacy, support for science literacy in the classroom, and perceptions and experience of using reciprocal teaching as a means of teaching reading comprehension. In this study, the researcher used a qualitative methodology with a descriptive single case study research design using a purposive sampling strategy. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations occurred with middle school science teachers at a private, independent school for girls in grades 6 through 12 in a suburb south of Boston, Massachusetts. Data analysis occurred using thematic analysis. Findings indicate middle school science teachers perceive reciprocal teaching as an adaptable, easy to use reading comprehension instructional strategy to use in middle school science classrooms. Results may inform school leaders and assist middle school science teachers in supporting student understanding of concepts by teaching reading comprehension (MADESE, 2016a)
