Browsing by Subject "middle school"
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Item Co-teaching: Using the CO-ACT to Identify Quality Co-teach Practices and Predict Academic Outcomes for Students with Disabilities(2012-02-14) O'Neil-Omelan, KirstenThis research was designed to examine patterns related to quality of Co-teach implementation, as evidenced by Co-teacher responses to the Colorado Assessment of Co-teaching (CO-ACT), and the usefulness of the CO-ACT in serving second purpose of predicting student academic outcomes. Participants consisted of 48 teachers (24 Co-teach partnerships) and 162 students with disabilities in grades 6-8 who were enrolled in a Co-teach class of the study?s partnerships during the 2007-08 school year. The CO-ACT examines quality of Co-teach partnerships through measurement of various factors linked to Co-teaching best practices, and provides a scoring system identifying partnerships as exemplary and non-exemplary. Student academic outcome data consisted of district-designed local assessments and statewide assessment measures. Student academic outcome data was collected and analyzed for students with disabilities in identified Co-teach partnerships. Four areas were examined in relation to the CO-ACT and its ability to predict student academic outcomes: a) whether the CO-ACT was able to predict student academic outcomes; b) the importance of the individual factors; c) the impact of the degree of Co-teacher agreement of practices; and d) analysis of these areas by subject area (math, reading, science and social studies). These four qualities were the basis for the four research questions for the study. Specifically, the aim of the study was to identify correlations among the qualities of each Co-teach partnership, and to determine whether there was a relationship between the quality of the partnership and student academic performance. Study findings indicated that in the area of math and science some CO-ACT factors were statistically significant in predicting student academic outcomes. However, when taking all study analysis into consideration, overall the results indicated that the CO-ACT did not provide statistically or practically significant predictions of student academic outcomes. Although the CO-ACT was designed to measure the presence of behaviors within a Co-teach setting that are reflected within the Co-teach literature as best practices, the exemplary or non-exemplary practices of Co-teachers did not appear to correlate with student academic outcomes. Implications of findings and recommendations for further research are discussed.Item Converting among fractions, decimals, and percents: an exploration of representational usage by middle school teachers(2009-05-15) Muzheve, Michael TapfumaUsing both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analyses techniques, this study examined representations used by sixteen (n = 16) teachers while teaching the concepts of converting among fractions, decimals, and percents. The classroom videos used for this study were recorded as part of the Middle School Mathematics Project (MSMP). The study also compared teacher-selected and textbook representations and examined how teachers? use of idiosyncratic representations influenced representational choices on the number test by the teachers? five hundred eighty-one (N = 581) students. In addition to using geometric figures and manipulatives, a majority of the teachers used natural language such as the words nanny, north, neighbor, dog, cowboy, and house to characterize fractions and mathematical procedures or algorithms. Coding of teacher-selected representations showed that verbal representations deviated from textbook representations the most. Some teachers used the words or phrases bigger, smaller, doubling, tripling, breaking-down, and building-up in the context of equivalent fractions. There was widespread use of idiosyncratic representations by teachers, such as equations with missing or double equal signs, numbers and operators written as superscripts, and numbers written above and below the equal sign. Although use of idiosyncratic representations by teachers influenced representational choices by students on the number test, no evidence of a relationship between representational forms and degree of correctness of solutions was found. The study did reveal though that teachers? use of idiosyncratic representations can lead to student misconceptions such as thinking that multiplying by a whole number not equal to 1 gives an equivalent fraction. Statistical tests were done to determine if frequency of representation usage by teachers was related to the textbook, highest degree obtained by teacher, certification, number of years spent teaching mathematics, number of years teaching mathematics at grade level, number of hours completed on professional development related to their textbook, and total number of days spent on the Interagency Education Research Initiative (IERI) professional development. The results showed representation usage was related to all the above variables, except the highest degree obtained and the total number of days spent on the IERI professional development.Item Impacts of graduate student content specialists serving in middle school classrooms on teachers and graduate students(2009-05-15) Mowen, Diana L.Improving student achievement is a major concern across the United States. One strategy being implemented to help students achieve in math and science is the partnering of teachers with professionals in math and science careers. One such program is the Fellows Integrate Math/Science in Rural Middle Schools program, from which this research stems. The intent of the program was to match middle school teachers with graduate students preparing for careers in science, technology, mathematics, or engineering fields. The graduate students spent ten hours a week in classrooms, interacting with teachers and students. Improved student performance in math and science, improved teacher content knowledge, and improved graduate student communication skills were expected program outcomes. This research assessed the impact of program participation on the teachers and graduate students involved. Data were collected from 33 middle school teachers and 33 graduate students over the course of two years of program participation. Questionnaires included a pre post measurement of knowledge, experience, and comfort level with education related groups and issues and summative program evaluations. Major findings of the research included: 1. Teacher knowledge, experience, and comfort levels with education related groups and issues did not change significantly because of participation in the program. 2. Graduate students experienced a decrease in knowledge, experience, and comfort level with several education related groups and issues from the beginning of the school year to the end. Knowledge decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. High school students b. Teaching college students c. Theories of learning d. Planning a project e. Following through on project tasks Experience level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Science education reform b. Current issues in K-12 education c. Teaching college students d. Theories of learning e. Assessing student learning Comfort level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Elementary school students b. University faculty engaged in K-12 education c. Science education reform d. Teaching college students e. Theories of learning f. Evaluating educational activities 3. Graduate student gender, race, and age were not found to be predictors of success in this partnership program.Item Middle school students' representational understandings and justification schemes: gleanings from cognitive interviews(2009-05-15) Matteson, Shirley MarieThis dissertation investigated several aspects of middle graders? mathematical understanding based on representational models. Twenty (11 male, 9 female) sixth grade students were interviewed about their solution strategies and answer justifications when solving difficult mathematics problems. The interview participants represented a stratified demographic sampling of the student body of a culturally diverse middle school in a suburban school district in the southwestern United States. Data from the interviews were analyzed qualitatively. This involved ?chunking? cognitive interview transcripts into sections. Major themes were identified and manuscripts were developed around those themes. One theme examined the interviewers? ethic of care behaviors. Carol Gilligan noted differences in male and female ethic of care behaviors, but it was Nel Noddings who discussed the importance of such behaviors in the educational community. So what impact could the gender of the interviewer have on cognitive interviews? After considering ethic of care behaviors explicated by Hayes, Ryan and Zseller?s (1994) study with middle grades students, the interview transcripts were examined for specific positive and negative ethic of care behaviors. The theme of students? justifications of mathematical solutions was also selected. The major undertaking involved developing a justification scheme applicable across mathematical strands and grade levels. The justification scheme that emerged was based on the work of Guershon Harel and Larry Sowder. The first-level schemes of Language, Mechanistic, Authoritarian, and Visual were used to classify and define the justifications. Several second-level schemes were also defined. The justification scheme framework was applied to students? cognitive interview responses on four difficult mathematics problems. The third theme investigated the symbiosis of justification schemes with mathematical representations. This study examined possible links between representational formats and justification scheme categories. The premise of this study was that representations ?trigger? students? choices of justification schemes. Student responses were analyzed as to which aspect of the mathematical representation received the students? initial attention. The students? understanding of the representation was pivotal to their solution, as well as the students? reasoning, or justification, of the answer. Students focused on key aspects of the problem and developed solutions based on that information.Item Peer aggression among adolescents: characteristics of the victims(Texas A&M University, 2006-10-30) D'Esposito, Susan ElainePeer aggression is a significant problem among adolescents; it is relatively common and frequently experienced among adolescents. Recently, there has been growing attention to the occurrence and impact of bullying on adolescent's well being at school. There is still a lot to learn about why certain adolescents are targets for bullying. This study explores how certain personality traits, behaviors, and social status may be predictors for those who are targeted as victims of peer aggression. Students in three middle schools and one junior high school from three different school districts in Texas were asked to participate in this study. The sample consisted of 233 students. Students were both males and females who were attending 6th, 7th, and 8th grade and were between the ages of 12 and 15. Data was aggregated for each participating student from demographic information collected from the Cover Sheet, with participant demographics, Bullying/Victimization Scale (BVS), Behavior Assessment System for Children - Self-Report (BASC-SRP), and Social Support Scale for Children and Adolescents (Social Support - CFS). The data obtained supported the expectation that adolescents who presented with symptoms of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, high external locus of control, low self-reliance, and high sense of inadequacy are more likely to become victims of peer aggression than adolescents who are more socially competent, more psychologically well-adjusted, and who have a higher internal locus of control. Additionally, adolescents who show signs of social stress may also be more likely to become victims of peer aggression. This is an important step in the needed research because the victim is often overlooked when peer aggression is occurring. Identification of potential victims and assistance with development of their social skills may aid them in avoiding acts of peer aggression.Item Scaffolding in Technology-Enhanced Science Education(2011-08-08) Wu, Hui-LingThis dissertation focuses on the effectiveness of scaffolding in technology-enhanced science learning environments, and specifically the relative merits of computer- and teacher-based scaffolding in science inquiry. Scaffolding is an instructional support that helps learners solve problems, carry out tasks, or achieve goals that they are unable to accomplish on their own. Although support such as scaffolding is necessary when students engage in complex learning environments, many issues must be resolved before educators can effectively implement scaffolding in instruction. To achieve this, this dissertation includes two studies: a systematic literature review and an experimental study. The two studies attempted to reveal some important issues which are not widely recognized in the existing literature. The primary problem confronting the educator is how to determine which of the numerous kinds of scaffolding will allow them to educate students most effectively. The scaffolding forms that researchers create are often confusing, overlapping, or contradictory. In response to this, the first study critically analyzed the ways that researchers have defined and applied scaffolding, and provided suggestions for future scaffolding design and research. Moreover, studies tend to focus only on computer-based scaffolding rather than examining ways to integrate it with teacher-based instruction. Although researchers generally recognize that teacher-based support is important, research in this area is limited. The second study of this dissertation employed a quasi-experimental design with four experimental conditions, each of which include a type of computer-based procedural scaffolding (continuous vs. faded) paired with a type of teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding (early vs. late). Each class was assigned to use one of the four conditions. The findings indicated that students receiving continuous computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding performed statistically better at learning scientific inquiry skills than other treatment groups. Students using faded computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding showed the worst performance. However, among the four groups there existed no statistically significant difference in terms of the effect on students? ability to learn science knowledge. Moreover, teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding did not have a significant impact on either science content knowledge or scientific inquiry skills.Item The Effects of Single Gender Schools on Boys' Self-esteem and Academic Confidence(2012-04-19) Morgan, Nicholas; Liberman, Dov; MacNeil, Angus; Busch, Steve; Taylor, NancyMorgan, Nicholas G. “The Effects of Single Gender Schools on Boys’ Self-Esteem and Academic Confidence” Unpublished Doctor of Education Doctoral Thesis, University of Houston, May, 2011. ABSTRACT Boys are falling behind academically in many schools in the United States. Over that past thirty years, girls have surpassed males in academic achievement in all subject areas, including those traditionally thought of as easier for boys (mathematics and science). This achievement shift has been linked to teaching styles and practices in schools today, which often favor rely more heavily on female learning styles (Meyer, 2008). However, single gender schools are combating this sudden lack of academic achievement by teaching boys with techniques and practices thought to be more appropriate for boys learning styles and development. These schools are succeeding with boys on academic scales, but little research has been done on these boys’ self-esteem and academic confidence. Boys in mixed gender schools experiencing constant failure will continue a downward spiral of self-esteem and academic performance. Self-esteem has been widely accepted to be connected with academic success and they have a reciprocal relationship (Hamachek, 1995; Pajares & Schunk, 2001). This study contends that boys in a single gender campus, which focuses on appropriate teaching strategies and practices, will develop higher self-esteem in boys and thus find higher academic achievement. This study included 58 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade boys from two different Catholic parochial schools. The first school is an all-boy single gender campus, in which 39 students participated. The second school is a mixed gender campus with 19 participants. The participants’ self-esteem will be measured with the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, which breaks self-esteem into four subgroups. These subgroups include attitude towards self in social, academic, family, and personal areas of experience. Results of this study do not support the hypotheses that single gender schools would facilitate higher self-esteem in boys. No significant statistical differences were found within the four subscales or overall results. Furthermore, in this study, neither the single gender school nor the mixed gender school showed distinct advantages over the other regarding developing self-esteem. Limitations of this study include the relatively small sample size, the number of years that participants attended the school, only one gender being studied, and the additional family connections within parochial schools.Item The effects of the middle school concept on student achievement as identified by principals and the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) reports in selected middle schools in Texas(Texas A&M University, 2005-02-17) Brundrett, Robert ClintonThe purpose of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between the level of implementation of the middle school concept and student achievement. The level of implementation of the middle school concept was determined by the Texas Assessment of Middle Level Schools (TAMLS) which was completed by a random sample of middle school principals from across Texas. Student achievement and selected demographic data were obtained from the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) reports on the various campuses as published on the Texas Education Agency (TEA, 2003a) website. Student achievement, school size, and demographic variables were investigated using frequency counts, mean scores, standard deviations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson product?moment correlations across independent variable categories. The independent variable categories were the five criteria and the total score as rated by principals on the TAMLS survey. Major research findings of this study include: 1. Relationships were found between the TAMLS criteria of developmental responsiveness and teacher preparation and professional development with student achievement across all of the research questions examined. 2. Relationships were found between school size, the TAMLS criteria and student achievement. 3. Relationships were found between student ethnicity, the TAMLS criteria, and student achievement. The study results with regard to the relationship between the level of implementation of the middle school concept, taken in its totality, are inconclusive. This finding is supported in a review of the literature. Based on the findings of the study, researcher recommendations include: 1. Middle schools involved in reform efforts to improve student achievement should focus their efforts in the areas of developmental responsiveness and teacher professional development. 2. Principals of large middle schools (n ? 801 students) should consider the implementation of the middle school concept as a design strategy when reform efforts are undertaken.