Matching Items (4)
Description
The availability and subsequent expansion in the use of online learning environments has provided a new avenue for teacher professional development: blended learning. While blended learning environments may provide attractive benefits to teachers and school administration, the impact of blended teacher professional development has been largely unexamined in the existing research. This mixed-methods study investigated professional development outcomes for 64 teachers participating in district sponsored teaching professional development, 32 in a blended course and 32 in a face-to-face equivalent of the course. Outcomes of the professional development were measured using pre- and post- instructional belief surveys, participant satisfaction surveys, and interviews measuring retention of instructional beliefs and application of new instructional strategies. Additionally, participants who did not complete the course were interviewed to learn about their experience in the course and reasons for non-completion. The results of this study show similar changes in instructional beliefs for both the blended and face-to-face sections and significantly higher satisfaction with course content, materials, and instructor involvement among blended participants. However, blended participants were less likely to be transitioning to, or practicing new strategies as measured by interviews 12 weeks following course completion. A large number of blended participants showed evidence of their knowledge of new instructional strategies, but were reluctant to apply new strategies in their classrooms. Non-completers primarily cited lack of time for their withdrawal, but expressed an interest in future blended learning courses. The recommendations from this study should inform districts, schools, and teachers about blended learning for teacher professional development.
ContributorsLeake, Stephanie (Author) / Garcia, David (Thesis advisor) / Archambault, Leanna (Committee member) / Cruz, Heather (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
The purpose of this action research study was to examine the impact of cogenerative dialogues on instructor and student perceptions of rigor in a master's and certification program for alternatively certified teachers. Additionally, the study was designed to determine if these open dialogues would impact instructional decisions of college instructors in the program. The investigator used a mixed methods research model that included surveys, interviews, and video of the dialogues to measure the impact. The results of the study indicated that both sets of participants remained consistent in their identification and definition of the term rigor. The cogenerative dialogues did have an impact on instructor understanding of student definitions of rigor. Instructors began to change some instructional decisions as a result of the dialogues in small groups.
ContributorsDeSimone, Melissa (Author) / Carlson, David L. (Thesis advisor) / Jordan, Michelle (Committee member) / Cruz, Heather (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Many students in the United States are graduating from high school without the math skills they need to be considered college ready. For many of these graduates, who find themselves starting their higher education at a community college, remedial math can become an insurmountable barrier that ends their aspirations for a degree or certificate. Some students must take as many as four remedial courses before they are considered college ready. Studies report that between 60% and 70% of students placed into remedial math classes either do not successfully complete the sequence of required courses or avoid taking math altogether and therefore never graduate (Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010). This study compared three low-level freshman math classes in one Arizona high school. The purpose of this study was to implement an innovative learning intervention to find out if there was a causal relationship between the addition of technology with instruction in a blended learning environment and performance in math. The intervention measured growth (pre- and posttest) and grade-level achievement (district-provided benchmark test) in three Foundations of Algebra classes. The three classes ranged on a continuum with the use of technology and personalized instruction. Additionally, focus groups were conducted to better understand the challenges this population of students face when learning math. The changes in classroom practices showed no statistical significance on the student outcomes achieved. Students in a blended online environment learned the Foundations of Algebra concepts similarly to their counterparts in a traditional, face-to-face learning environment.
ContributorsBolley, Staci (Author) / Schugurensky, Daniel, 1958- (Thesis advisor) / Cruz, Heather (Committee member) / Barnett, Joshua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Providing nutrition information at point of sale at restaurants has gained in popularity in recent years and will soon become a legal requirement. Consumers are using this opportunity to become more informed on the nutritional quality of the foods they consume in an effort to maintain healthfulness. Prior research has confirmed the utility of this information in adult populations. However, research on adolescents in school environments has resulted in mixed findings. This study investigated the effect of exposure to calorie and fat information on student purchases at lunchtime in a high school cafeteria. Additionally, it explored other factors that may contribute to students' food selections during school lunches. The research methods included analysis of changes in cafeteria food sales in one school, surveys, and focus groups. Analysis of cafeteria food sales during lunch did not show any significant change in the average number of calories and fat purchased per student between pre and post intervention. However, information gathered from focus group questioning demonstrated how students used the nutrition information to change their behavior after they have purchased their food.
ContributorsFresques, Audrey Delfina (Author) / Schugurensky, Daniel, 1958- (Thesis advisor) / Barnett, Joshua (Committee member) / Cruz, Heather (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013