Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
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Item Exploring the Use of Cognitive Apprenticeship for Teachers and Students in Science Classrooms(2019) Lee, Yewon; De La Paz, Susan; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The primary goal of this dissertation is to explore the use of cognitive apprenticeship (CA) with teachers and students in science classrooms. In particular, studies that make up this dissertation explore ways that teachers can improve the quality of students’ written scientific explanations and the supports that teachers need in order to promote such growth in their students. CA is a complex instructional model that is challenging for both teachers and students to use, especially in secondary classrooms. Other reports indicate the potential of CA for teaching disciplinary literacy in history classrooms, but this approach has not often been used to teach scientific writing. This project explores that, in inclusive settings with heterogeneous learners, and in an afterschool program, with students with learning disabilities (LD) and those who are English learners (ELs). The first part of the work reported here involved a systematic review of the literature on science writing instruction with these populations and with struggling learners. A total of 14 studies (three randomized control trials, nine quasi-experimental, and two single case design studies) that met established criteria as high quality studies were identified and examined to determine whether researchers were including instructional elements that have been found to be effective for these learners (e.g., cognitive and linguistic supports) and to determine learning and writing outcomes that resulted from the science writing interventions. The next project focused on an in-depth study of two middle school science teachers who participated in PD that was focused on science writing, culminating in the implementation of a CA on constructing and critiquing explanations for scientific phenomena in writing. The goal in this work was to examine how doing so impacted the teachers’ beliefs and their subsequent choice of writing tasks for their science instruction. After this PD, both teachers expressed changes in their beliefs about learners that had lasting effects on their subsequent teaching. They also believed the CA led to improved writing in their students, including their ability to engage in argumentative reasoning. This realization led to changes in other beliefs about their students in general, and about the importance of incorporating writing instruction in class. Ultimately, these changes may have affected the types of tasks they assigned in class. Prior to implementing CA, they assigned writing tasks that were close-ended, but after, they assigned analytical writing tasks like a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) that promoted scientific reasoning. The third project in this dissertation was an intervention study (using single-case design methodology) that focused on teaching middle school students with LD and who are EL to write scientific explanations. The intervention provided cognitive supports such as procedural facilitators to guide students’ thinking. In addition, linguistic supports, such as the use of contextualized instruction on text structure, vocabulary, and grammar, and instruction on how language is used in a science was also provided to meet the needs of the sixth- and seventh-grade participants. After delivering instruction using CA (and four weeks later), students produced explanations that were rated as higher in overall quality, grammatical and lexical sophistication, and in the length of their writing. Of importance, they also made substantial gain in causal and mechanistic reasoning, which is central to good scientific writing. These findings lead us to believe that middle school science teachers who work with students with LD and those who are EL may underestimate their students’ ability to write. Contrary to their beliefs, findings from these projects suggest otherwise. Given sufficient and appropriate support such as those afforded by CA, our findings provide tentative support for the conjecture that all students, regardless of their disability status or language needs may be able to improve their reasoning and writing skills in science. CAs can be a powerful vehicle that can transform both teacher practices and student learning outcome.Item EFFECTS OF WORD AND STUDENT FACTORS ON INSTRUCTIONAL REINFORCEMENT IN A VOCABULARY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED WITH SECOND GRADE BILINGUALS(2018) Artzi, Lauren; Madigan Peercy, Megan; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study investigates effects of a twenty-minute read aloud vocabulary program developed for second grade English language learners (ELLs). In one condition, words were not instructed, in another condition words were reinforced six times, and words were reinforced fourteen times in a third condition. This study also examines generalized English vocabulary knowledge, Spanish language proficiency, and type of word (abstractness and cognate status) as possible influencers on the word learning. Two hundred and twenty-eight students across twelve classrooms participated in this study. This proof-of-concept study employed a within-subjects design where each study participant received each level of treatment. Findings reveal that the vocabulary instruction in the two instructed conditions compared to the exposed condition garnered significant strong positive effects (d=.64). There were small additional positive effects for the added reinforcement in the reinforcement plus condition (d=.24). Learning was promoted with higher levels of generalized English vocabulary knowledge, as determined through the Test of Oral Language Development IV (TOLD) scores on the oral vocabulary subtest. Students scoring in the higher half of the sample with respect to the TOLD performed better on word learning in the exposed and instructed conditions, compared to students who scored in the lower half of the sample with respect to the TOLD (d=.45). However, when comparing the word learning of the students who scored in the higher half of the sample on the TOLD in the reinforcement condition to those students who scored in the lower half of the TOLD in the more intensive reinforcement plus condition, the gap lessens with only small differences between the two groups (d=.21). Higher levels of Spanish language proficiency, as determined through the Aprenda 3 scores, facilitated the acquisition of cognates. Although students in this study more readily acquired the cognates in the exposed condition, the difference between cognates and noncognates dissipated in the instructed conditions. This finding indicates that without instruction, students are bootstrapping onto their cognate knowledge, but when instruction intervenes, students learn both the cognates and noncognates alike. Trends show that concrete words were more easily learned. However, there were no significant differences between abstract and concrete words.Item HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS TO BE RECLASSIFIED AS ENGLISH PROFICIENT?(2018) Anand, Supreet; MacSwan, Jeff; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)English Learners (ELs) constitute one of the fastest growing student populations enrolled in K–12 schools. One important factor influencing the academic achievement of ELs is attaining English language proficiency (ELP). Once ELs attain ELP, they are reclassified as English proficient. In practice, exiting or reclassify ELs indicates that they no longer need or receive specialized language supports or regular monitoring using ELP assessments. Reclassification is a high-stakes decision. A change from an EL to a non-EL status may impact state and federal funding. Some federal and state funds are allocated based on the per-pupil count of ELs enrolled in a school district. Understanding the relationships between reclassification policies, reclassification rates, and reclassified student outcomes is necessary to make decisions about resources and expectations for ELs. This study explored the population of ELs in one state and addressed the following research questions: 1. How long does it take ELs to be reclassified as English proficient based on the criteria established by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED)? 2. Does the probability of reclassification vary by grade cluster when first enrolled in the state’s public schools? 3. How do select individual student-level and family-level characteristics impact the probability of reclassification for students in the same grade cluster or who have been ELs for the same amount of time? The analytical sample consisted of ELs who started school for the first time in SY 2010-11 (Cohort 1) or in SY 2011-12 (Cohort 2) and who were continually enrolled during the observation period ending in SY 2015-16. The sample included students enrolled in all grades K-12; no new students were added to the analytical sample. The data were analyzed using a discrete survival analysis. The results indicated that ELs starting school in grades K-8, took on the average of four years to achieve ELP. ELs starting school in upper grades were reclassified faster than ELs who starting in Kindergarten. ELs identified as Hispanic or Latino, received free or reduced lunch, and receiving Special Education services had longer median times to ELP than their peers.