Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2759
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Item THE EFFECT OF SCHOOL CLIMATE (STUDENT AND TEACHER ENGAGEMENT) ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE(2016) Marcus, Kenneth; Davis, Thomas; Kivlighan, Dennis; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Title of Dissertation: THE EFFECT OF SCHOOL CLIMATE (STUDENT AND TEACHER ENGAGEMENT) ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE Kenneth L. Marcus, Doctor of Education, 2016 Directed By: Dr. Thomas Davis, Assistant Professor, Education Policy and Leadership, Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership This quantitative research study was designed to compute correlations/relationships of student engagement and student achievement of fifth grade students. Secondary information was collected on the relationship of FARMS, type of school, hope, and well-being on student achievement. School leaders are charged with ensuring that students achieve academically and demonstrate their ability by meeting identified targets on state and district mandated assessments. Due to increased pressure to meet targets, principals implement academic interventions to improve student learning and overlook the benefits of a positive school climate. This study has provided information on the impact of school climate on student achievement. To conduct this study, the researcher collected two sets of public fifth grade data (Gallup Survey student engagement scores and DSA reading, mathematics, and science scores) to determine the relationship of student performance and school climate. Secondary data were also collected on teacher engagement and the percentage of students receiving FARMS to determine the effect on students. The findings from this study reinforced the belief that school climate can have a positive effect on student achievement. This study contributed quantitative data about the relationship between school climate and school achievement.Item UNPROVEN INNOVATION: IPADS IN K-12 ENVIRONMENTS(2015) Robinson, Meri Elizabeth; Davis, Thomas E; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Nationally, the education sector spends more than 5 billion dollars annually on digital tools, “yet seldom are technology solutions factored into any viable equation for improving student academic achievement” (Moersch, 2014, p. ix). Consider the following case in point: In July 2014, Apple announced that in just 3 years, the company had sold more than13 million iPads to educational institutions worldwide (Cavanagh, 2014). Put into perspective, that represents more than 5.2 billion dollars spent by the education industry to purchase iPads, which is the equivalent of the annual salaries of 89,655 teachers (“High School Teacher: Salary,” 2014). Despite such vast expenditures, there have been very few attempts to evaluate the efficacy of these digital tools on improving academic achievement. This research involved a quantitative data review of participant (student and teacher) survey data to explore one of the country’s largest K-12 iPad implementation undertakings in an effort to identify (a) best practices and (b) lessons learned from implementing the iPad into K-12 educational environments. It should be noted that the school system forming the basis of this research already had administered and collated the surveys used in this study.Item Factors Influencing the Engagement of White Undergraduates Attending Public Historically Black Universities(2010) Carter, Joelle Davis; Fries-Britt, Sharon L.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence the engagement of White, undergraduate students attending public HBCUs. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have experienced an increase in White, undergraduate student enrollment since the early 1980s (American Association of University Professors, 2007; Libarkin, 1984; Standley, 1978). Student engagement has been consistently linked to positive student outcomes such as cognitive and social development, college adjustment, and persistence rates (Berger & Milem, 1999; Cabrera, Nora, Terenzini, Pascarella & Hagedorn, 1999; Harper, 2004; Kuh, 1995; Pike, 2000). However relatively little is known about student engagement on HBCU campuses and even less is known about the engagement of non-Black students on HBCU campuses. HBCUs have been known for their ability to provide support resulting in academic success for African American students (DeSousa & Kuh, 1996; Fleming, 1984; Flowers & Pascarella, 1999), but little research has examined their ability in providing such support for other student populations, like White undergraduates. Thus, the primary research question guiding this study was: what factors influence the engagement of White, undergraduate students attending public HBCUs? This qualitative multiple case study explored the experiences of 22 White undergraduate students attending two, public HBCUs, located in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern parts of the United States. While all the of the participants' experiences were unique and distinctive, the results from document analysis and individual and focus group interviews revealed five factors influenced their engagement: (1) faculty-student interactions, (2) staff-student interactions, (3) involvement in co-curricular activities and university-sponsored programs, (4) prior diversity experiences, and (5) first-year experiences. Based on these findings, recommendations for future research and practice are offered.