The problem of the study was to determine if the use of a reflective writing assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of a college semester indicated an industrial technology student's knowledge and skills related to technological and engineering literacy. Experiences gained during project-based learning activities were used as the basis for…

The purpose of this study was to examine social interactions across three high school concert band classes and to describe how these everyday practices might engender student contributions during full ensemble rehearsals. Language is a medium for human action, and a key resource through which students and teachers might establish classroom norms,…

After finding research confirming that the innovative approach of project-based learning (PBL) improves 21st century education for all students, the administrators of a large local diocesan Catholic school system (LDCSS) initiated PBL implementation in their schools. The problem was that after 6 years it was not known how the teachers were…

The purpose of this study is to determine if Project-Based Learning (PBL) retrieval activities can impact knowledge gains and retention in high school mathematics students, and to look for a possible relationship between student achievement level, retrieval activity type, and mathematics knowledge retention. For two mathematical topics, ten high…

Purpose: To explore the relationship between knowledge change, self-confidence, and satisfaction with learning concepts of growth and development across the pediatric age span using a virtual learning environment (VLE), My Virtual Child©. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive correlation design. Measurement: An author-created assessment entitled…

Behavioral and Social Science (BSS) classes provide students with understandings of human behaviors, motivations, and actions that are crucial to confronting both social and personal problems. Moreover, most community college degrees require that students take at least one BSS class - anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and/or…

In recent decades, a movement in mathematics education has emphasized active learning, real-world connections, and conceptual understanding. Despite this, students often struggle to relate mathematical concepts to real-world scenarios, leading to concerns about their ability to apply knowledge outside the classroom. Moreover, national and local…

Preparing secondary students for college entrance requirements and the expectations of the job market, a market which is actively seeking the employees who are most qualified to take on jobs that require data analysis skills, is becoming increasingly important. Federal, state, and local education administrators and personnel must rewrite many of…

This study delved into the professional development strategies employed to enhance novice classroom teachers' grasp of culturally responsive teaching and pedagogy and their subsequent impact on cultivating equitable classroom environments. The research question guiding this investigation was: What specific components of culturally responsive…

Teachers' individual beliefs regarding the value of the academic material they teach, the nature of the subject, how they should teach it, as well as their assumptions regarding students, classrooms, instructional materials, the nature of learning, and how students construct knowledge can all have considerable influence over their teaching…

This dissertation is about designing learning environments that foreground students' epistemic agency as they "do science" in a science classroom. I build on the prior work that combines two important strands in learning sciences - agent-based modeling of complex systems and constructionism to design learning environments. I call such…

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate by using a PBL design if giving student more ownership in classroom cellphone policies has positive outcomes. This study looked at not only the behavioral aspect of classroom cellphone usage, but also the impacts of using a PBL design on student engagement, ownership, and knowledge…

Hurricanes pose significant risk to life and property to communities adjacent to the tropical cyclone basins of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In the United States, there are significant public misconceptions about hurricane hazards such as wind and storm surge, despite timely and accurate forecasts and warnings. However, appropriate…

After school programs are held in many schools nationwide. This research reviews the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences related to staff's ability to provide active and engaging activity plans to the students enrolled in the Los Angeles Expanded Learning Program. The study utilized mixed methods via both a survey and focus groups.…

The purpose of this action research was to implement a digital game development project and describe its effects on the performance and attitudes of eighth-grade students in a required computer science course at South Carolina School District Alpha. The following research questions were explored: (1) How does the game development project impact…