Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2759
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF ART-BASED EDUCATION FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: A CASE STUDY OF ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS(2010) Abedin, Golnar; Spreen, Carol Anne; Weible, Thomas; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits of arts-based education for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) placed in an inclusion program. The goal was to examine the potential of arts education as an inclusive curricular component that enhances students' engagement in learning. The study is framed within the education policy context in which many LD adolescents are at risk of dropping out of school due to the large gap between their basic skills and the expectations of standards-based curriculum. A quality arts program at a public charter school was chosen as the site for this case study that involved investigating seven LD adolescents' engagement in their music and drama classes during an eight-week curriculum unit through qualitative research methods. Based on the application of the social-constructivist theoretical framework, students' individual learning profiles, as well as environmental aspects of learning in the arts such as teachers' pedagogical styles and the classroom context informed the findings of this study. Students' narrative accounts regarding their learning experiences in arts education classrooms served as the primary source of information for the themes in the findings. Interviews with parents, teachers, and the school director were used to gain a comprehensive understanding of students' strengths and weaknesses in learning and to gain insights into the place of the arts in their overall educational opportunities. Qualitative methods of analysis were used to derive three over-arching themes based on students' experiences learning in the arts. The themes included 1.) "It feels like you open up to yourself," (The Importance of Nonverbal, Embodied Engagement in Learning); 2.) "You get to create what's your own;" "it has some thought part of it centered near you," (Student Ownership of the Learning Process); 3.) "In arts there is no wrong answer;" "it's a safer social environment," (Social and Environmental Context of Learning). These themes showed the importance of successful learning experiences for adolescents with LD within a diverse school curriculum that offers them multiple modes of engagement and expression. Participation in arts education classes enhanced LD students' self-efficacy beliefs and motivation, providing them with inclusive and meaningful educational opportunities.Item A grounded theory of deaf middle school students' revision of their own writing(2010) Yuknis, Christina; Hultgren, Francine; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study used a grounded theory methodology to examine the experiences of deaf middle school students attending a program for deaf children in a public school to answer the following question: How do deaf children in middle school construct meaningful texts? The students were in one of two self-contained classes taught by a teacher of the deaf. The eight students and two teachers were each interviewed at least once. Classroom observations of the students engaged in writing an essay were conducted, and writing samples from each student were provided by the teachers. All of the data were analyzed, and a grounded theory that describes the experiences of the deaf students emerged. The theory consists of one core category and four key categories, which encompass three parts of writing: Knowing, Experiencing, and Doing. The core category, which captures the essence of what revision is to the students, is Living in Language and is the sole category in Knowing. Three key categories fall under the Experiencing heading: Interacting with the Text, Interacting with Instruction, and Interacting with Self as Reviser. The final key category is the sole category in Doing: Fixing Wrongs. This research contributes to the literature by illustrating how deaf students who are in one middle school understand, experience, and approach revision tasks. A significant understanding is that the students in this study are not given many opportunities to construct meaningful texts independently in their classes. Despite the lack of control over their own texts, the students have developed strategies to successfully “play the game” of writing in school. In addition, recommendations for future research and ways to improve instruction are offered. The greatest implication for instruction is that teachers need to step back and consider how instruction impacts the students. Students especially need to be empowered to control their own writing and develop metacognition of their own work. Future research can be done to test the theory using a broader scope of participants in other settings. It could also examine the writing process from the teachers’ perspectives to provide information about what informs their instruction of writing and revising.Item A Narrative Inquiry into Perceptions of the Development of Self-determination by Community College Students with Learning Disabilities(2006-05-03) Faber, Alice B.; Mawhinney, Hanne B.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)ABSTRACT Title of Document: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO PERCEPTIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-DETERMINATION BY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES Alice B. Faber, Doctor of Education, 2006 Directed By: Associate Professor Hanne B. Mawhinney, Department of Education Policy and Leadership Individuals with disabilities have not traditionally had the same freedom of choice and control over their own lives as non-disabled individuals have had. This is especially true in the realm of education, but in the past thirty years both educational leaders and advocates for individuals with disabilities have stressed the need for persons with disabilities to develop self-determination. This study describes the factors that effected the development of self-determination by three individuals who formerly received special education services for learning disabilities. The research question was: How do community college students with learning disabilities who received special education services in school describe the influences on their capacity to be self-determining? Narrative methods of inquiry were used to explore the descriptions of three young adults who had been identified as having a learning disability, were currently enrolled in a community college, and had received special education services in school. They described influences they perceived on their capacity to be self-determining. In addition, I followed the theoretical perspective of Bronfenbrenner on the ecology of the developing person, of the environment, and especially of the evolving interaction of the two. I also explored the concept introduced by Wehmeyer that self-determination is an educational outcome. The findings highlighted the importance of the role of families, friends, educational setting, and religion on the development of self-determination. The findings also emphasized the concept of the individual with self-determination as a causal agent of his/her life who displayed the essential elements of decision-making, self-advocacy, self-awareness, goal-setting, goal-attainment, problem-solving, locus of control, and never settling for less. Implications for policy and practice included establishing better communication between the home and educational setting and helping parents with questions regarding their child's disability. School personnel need to develop additional skills in helping students become self-determining and in working with students with learning disabilities. Further research needs to develop a better understanding of families with children who are not self-determining to learn what supports would be effective for them in encouraging their children to grow in this area.Item Academic and Social Integration of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in a Carnegie Research-I University(2003-12-05) Liversidge, Anne Gray; Mawhinney, Hanne B; Education Policy, and LeadershipOf the small number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students who enroll in mainstream colleges and universities, between 60% and 80% do not persist to attain a college degree. Reasons for the high attrition rate are several, including academic and social difficulties and dissatisfactory experience with college life. This study uses case study methods to illustrate the complex phenomenon of how deaf and hard-of-hearing students are integrated academically and socially into college life at a Carnegie Research-I university. Data gathered from surveys, open-ended interviews, and focus groups are analyzed and used to describe the perspectives of 10 study participants, five undergraduates and five graduates. Documentary evidence and theoretical sampling are other methods used. Data were collected during three semesters. The findings showed that when deaf and hard-of-hearing students are positively integrated into college life, they are more likely to maintain a high level of commitment to college and persist. Pre- and within-college factors that assist the students in their dynamic decision-making process of enrolling and staying in a mainstream university include the following factors: previous mainstream experience, development of study skills and support systems, ability to self-advocate, and level of commitment to attaining a college degree. Additional influence on persistence was the availability of support from the office of disabled student services (DSS) through services such as sign language interpreters and note-takers. The findings are compared to existing literature and theory and are used to raise additional questions for further study. Recommendations for colleges and universities as well as policy-makers working with this student population are provided.