ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6
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- All Subjects: Education
- Creators: Wolf, Leigh
Description
The purpose of this mixed methods action research project was to address the problem of practice of incorporating foundational grammar, spelling, and punctuation (GSP) instruction into community college journalism classes through the intervention of online interactive modules called The Story Mechanics Project (SMP). The modules were developed and piloted during the first two cycles of action research. Following feedback and changes in local context influencing the intervention’s need and purpose, the modules were modified and simplified for the current research cycle. The main areas of focus were the efficacy of intervention, student perceptions of self-efficacy, and insights from designing and facilitating the intervention through a lens of critical digital pedagogy. The intervention was carried out in an online, asynchronous introductory journalism class in the Spring 2022 semester. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a pretest/post-test skills assessment, a post-intervention survey with a retrospective component, final course writing assignment submissions, and the researcher blog. Results showed the intervention had a positive but insignificant impact on students’ GSP skills application and that it did not significantly affect student perceptions of self-efficacy in the GSP domains; there was no significant relationship between students’ perception of self-efficacy and their application of GSP skills in their writing submissions. Pedagogical insights regarding humanizing learning, balancing tensions, and releasing control emerged from qualitative analysis. Study limitations included a small sample size and a focus on GSP errors instead of correct usage. This study collaborated the need for a more effective way to teach story mechanics.
ContributorsCalo, Jeanette (Author) / Weinberg, Andrea (Thesis advisor) / Wolf, Leigh (Committee member) / Pilbeam, Renee (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Struggle is a behavior that is often perceived in a negative light in education. Students respond to struggle by avoiding them. Likewise, educators respond by removing obstacles (e.g., heavily scaffolded instruction) or providing assistance prematurely. The ability and opportunity to engage in struggle, specifically productive struggle, is critical in mathematical problem solving. Large bodies of research have shown the benefits of productive struggle and even temporary failure. Grounded in the idea that productive struggle is necessary for learning, this qualitative action research aimed to examine the impact of productive failure instructional design (PFID) on mathematics instruction from the perspectives of four middle school teachers in urban communities in California. In the study, teachers created and implemented an 8-week mini unit focusing on problem solving based on PFID. Data were collected and analyzed from multiple sources, which included pre- and post-surveys, teacher reflection journals, interviews, questionnaires, informal meetings, classroom observations, and student pre- and post-tests. Findings from the study indicated that after implementing PFID, teachers had a deeper understanding of the importance of intentionally embedding productive failure in their mathematics instruction, as well as a more positive attitude towards struggle. The study also revealed that teachers viewed PFID as highly beneficial and effective. Lastly, the study showed that six factors in a professional development affected teachers’ willingness to implement PFID in their classroom: flexibility, professional growth, hands-on experience, collaboration, enjoyment, and ease of integration into existing teaching curriculum.
ContributorsRehak, Youlina Thol (Author) / Baker, Dale (Thesis advisor) / Wolf, Leigh (Committee member) / Rodriguez, Jose M. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The importance of teacher collaboration and professional growth are highlighted by their inclusion in the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In ESSA, it is recommended that teachers are provided with opportunities to collaborate and participate in learning communities. The purpose of this action research study was to address the problem of practice of a lack of teacher collaboration and professional learning community (PLC) at Sun Valley High School (SVHS); a 9th-12th grade public school in southern California. Through previous cycles of research, an online collaborative space to foster and support teacher collaboration was created; the PLC Team Hub. This study examined the attitudes and experiences of three teachers participating in a first-year, cross-curricular PLC Team and their interaction with the PLC Team Hub. Data gathered includes survey data, teacher interviews, audio of PLC Team meetings, teacher-generated artifacts, and digital researcher journal. Results suggested that the PLC Team Hub was effective in facilitating teacher collaboration and communication for these teachers. Further, teachers reported that they observed evidence of cross-curricular student engagement and learning as a result of their participation in the PLC Team Hub. Recommendations focus on the future of the innovation and the need for institutional and administrative support to continue the PLC Team Hub at SVHS.
ContributorsSzabo, Zsuzsa Zelika (Author) / Wolf, Leigh (Thesis advisor) / Markos, Amy (Committee member) / Finnell, Todd (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Second Language Learners face a unique set of challenges when it comes to the learning process. This dissertation study specifically focuses on those challenges and how to train teachers working within a co-teaching model in an international school in Bangkok, Thailand. Using the ideology proposed by Stephen Krashen as a part of his Input Hypothesis Theory and framing the results through the lens of Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, I studied the effects of a professional development model that focused on phonemic awareness, comprehensible input, and a collaborative teaching approach. Using this as my methodological framework, I found that teachers were able to improve their teaching skills and become more confident in their approach when provided with training that gave them specific responsibilities to address within the process of teaching. Through the use of pre-post surveys, interviews, and observations, I was able to examine how resource sharing and collaborative lesson planning allowed teachers to be more confident in their approach to teaching and their abilities to support students that were attending an international school that was a part of one of the most successful and academically rigorous networks of schools in the United States of America. It was through an intentional designation of tasks and a collaborative training approach that teachers were not only able to better understand the needs of their students but also find ways to work with and learn from one another in the training process. Ultimately, I discovered that allowing teachers to share resources and best practices allowed them to build quality and far more engaging lessons for their students.
ContributorsThies, Elizabeth Ellen (Author) / Nelson, Brian (Thesis advisor) / Wolf, Leigh (Committee member) / Leyba, Ashley (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
ABSTRACTThis design-based research study addressed whether cognitive apprenticeships mediated by informal mentor networks can expand, deepen, and transfer knowledge with and for Learning Sciences students. Three cohorts of Learning Sciences students were invited to participate with all three represented in surveys, co-designs, and interviews, with conjecture maps produced as artifacts for personal, professional, and education agendas. Survey and interview responses demonstrate that each participant found that it was a helpful tool for collaborative learning. Theoretically grounded in situated cognition, communities of practice, and legitimate peripheral participation, the conjecture predicted improved outcomes in students' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs with informal mentor networks to support and encourage practice and engagement. Perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs did improve with confidence in conjecture mapping, however, through iterative co-design, the focus on informal mentor networks shifted from social media due to low usage among respondents to collaborative peer tutoring. Students expressed interest in expanding their networking and mentorship opportunities. Participatory co-design with conjecture mapping significantly improved recognition as a member in a community of practice for Learning Sciences students. Keywords: situated cognition, community of practice, legitimate peripheral participation, conjecture mapping, cognitive apprenticeship, mentorship, more knowledge other (MKO)
ContributorsBrouthers, Curtiss (Author) / Wolf, Leigh (Thesis advisor) / Craig, Scotty D. (Committee member) / Zuiker, Steven J. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
As schools continue to focus on outcome-based instructional practices, less emphasis is placed on the creativity and reasoning necessary for students to become effective critical thinkers. As a result, students struggle to demonstrate creative problem-solving skills in the classroom. This study examines how the facilitation of an instructional problem-solving intervention, Creative Cognitive Process Instruction (CCPI), can foster creativity, improve student metacognitive regulation, and support students in developing problem solving strategies. Participants included (n = 33) 7th grade science students in a California public middle school. Mixed methods were used to assess how and to what extent CCPI changed students' metacognitive regulation and attitudes and approaches to creative problem solving. Outcomes from this study indicate that a structured approach to problem solving along with creative and metacognitive instruction and a scaffolded support system had a positive impact on students' creative problem-solving perceptions and abilities. Notably, students demonstrated an attitudinal shift from “getting the work done” to “getting the work done well”, corresponding with a focus on understanding the problem followed by an improvement in solution synthesis. Students also demonstrated improvement in comprehension and metacognitive planning abilities, divergent thinking, their perception of science, and their self-perceived competency in science. This research may suggest how to enhance classroom practices to facilitate a more creative and engaged problem-solving mindset, foster the implementation of creative problem-solving strategies in the classroom, and support existing theories of the intersectionality of metacognition and creative problem solving.
ContributorsEl-Awar, Nadine (Author) / Markos, Amy (Thesis advisor) / Wolf, Leigh (Committee member) / Rillero, Peter (Committee member) / Ross, Lydia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023