What Teaching Strategies Can I Employ to Improve Student Achievement in the Addition of Fractions with Different Denominators?

The purpose of this action research was to determine what instructional strategies could be used to improve student achievement in fraction addition. An eighth grade intensive math class practiced multiplication facts and hands-on applications of fractions concepts for 2 months. Pretests/posttests were used to measure improvement in computation and understanding.

The Predictive Power of Homework Assignments on Student Achievement in Mathematics

This study examined the relationship between homework performance (percent of homework completed and percent of homework correct), student characteristics (Stanford Achievement Test score, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status), perceptions, and challenges and academic achievement determined by the students’ average score on weekly tests and their score on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Norm Reference Test (NRT) mathematics assessment.

The Integrated Process of Engagement in Adult Learning

This paper explores the role of engagement in adult learning based on Illeris’ three dimensional model of learning and Yang’s holistic theory of knowledge and learning. Engagement and learning are integrated processes by which adult learners gain a deeper understanding and make meaning of the activities he or she is exposed to in a given learning environment.

The effect of active student responding in computer -assisted instruction on social -studies learning by students with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three student response conditions during computer-assisted instruction on the acquisition and maintenance of social-studies facts. Two of the conditions required active student responding (ASR), whereas the other required an on-task (OT) response. Participants were five fifth-grade students, with learning disabilities enrolled in a private school. An alternating treatments design with a best treatments phase was used to compare the effects of the response procedures on three major dependent measures: same-day tests, next-day tests, and maintenance tests. ^ Each week for six weeks, participants were provided daily one-to-one instruction on sets of 21 unknown social-studies facts using a hypermedia computer program, with a new set of facts being practiced each week. Each set of 21 facts was divided randomly into three conditions: Clicking-ASR, Repeating-ASR, and Listening-OT. Hypermedia lesson began weekly with the concept introduction lesson, followed by practice and testing. Practice and testing occurred four days per week, per set. During Clicking-ASR, student practice involved the selection of a social-studies response by clicking on an item with the mouse on the hypermedia card. Repeating-ASR instruction required students to orally repeat the social-studies facts when prompted by the computer. During Listening-OT, students listened to the social-studies facts being read by the computer. During weeks seven and eight, instruction occurred with seven unknown facts using only the best treatment. ^ Test results show that all for all 5 students, the Repeating-ASR practice procedure resulted in more social-studies facts stated correctly on same-day tests, next-day tests, and one-and two-week maintenance tests. Clicking-ASR was the next most effective procedure. During the seventh and eighth week of instruction when only the best practice condition was implemented, Repeating-ASR produced higher scores than all conditions (including Repeating-ASR) during the first six weeks of the study. ^ The results lend further support to the growing body of literature that demonstrates the positive relation between ASR and student achievement. Much of the ASR literature has focused on the effects of increased ASR during teacher-led or peer-mediated instruction. This study adds a dimension to that research in that it demonstrated the importance of ASR during computer-assisted instruction and further suggests that the type of ASR used during computer-assisted instruction may influence learning. Future research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of other types of ASR during computer-assisted instruction and to identify other fundamental characteristics of an effective computer-assisted instruction. ^

Catholic student movements in Latin America: Cuba and Brazil, 1920s to 1960s

This dissertation examines the ideological development of the Catholic University Student (JUC) movements in Cuba and Brazil during the Cold War and their organizational predecessors and intellectual influences in interwar Europe. Transnational Catholicism prioritized the attempt to influence youth and in particular, university students, within the context of Catholic nations within Atlantic civilization in the middle of the twentieth century. This dissertation argues that the Catholic university movements achieved a relatively high level of social and political influence in a number of countries in Latin America and that the experience of the Catholic student activists led them to experience ideological conflict and in some cases, rupture, with the conservative ideology of the Catholic hierarchy. Catholic student movements flourished after World War II in the context of an emerging youth culture. The proliferation of student organizations became part of the ideological battlefield of the Cold War. Catholic university students also played key roles in the Cuban Revolution (1957-1959) and in the attempted political and social reforms in Brazil under President João Goulart (1961-1964). ^ The JUC, under the guidance of the Church hierarchy, attempted to avoid aligning itself with either ideological camp in the Cold War, but rather to chart a Third Way between materialistic capitalism and atheistic socialism. Thousands of students in over 70 nations were intensively trained to think critically about pressing social issues. This paper will to place the Catholic Student movement in Cuba in the larger context of transnational Catholic university movements using archival evidence, newspaper accounts and secondary sources. Despite the hierarchy's attempt to utilize students as a tool of influence, the actual lived experience of students equipped them to think critically about social issues, and helped lay a foundation for the progressive student politics of the late 1960s and the rise of liberation theology in the 1970s. ^

Implementing restorative justice practice in schools: what pedagogy reveals

In the ongoing pursuit for creating safe, nurturing and relational school cultures, educators continue to turn to restorative justice (rj) principles and practice. Predominantly, schools begin to engage with rj in an effort to address harm done, causing its discourse to be situated in literature tied to classroom management and behaviour. However, in this location, the effectiveness of rj can be limited because the power relationships underlying the original punitive, managerial structures maintain their grip. Drawing on a qualitative study that examines the experiences of educators committed to implementing rj principles, this article explores how placing rj in the context of engaged, productive pedagogies better nurtures the hoped for relational and peaceful school culture.

Photography student working in darkroom

Inscriptions: Verso: [stamped] Photograph by Freda Leinwand. [463 West Street, Studio 229G, New York, NY 10014].

Photography student working in darkroom

Inscriptions: Verso: [stamped] Photograph by Freda Leinwand. [463 West Street, Studio 229G, New York, NY 10014].

The transition movement and food sovereignty: from local resilience to global engagement in food system transformation

The emergence of grassroots social movements variously preoccupied with a range of external threats, such as diminishing supplies of fossil energy or climate change, has led to increased interest in the production of local food. Drawing upon the notion of cognitive praxis, this article utilises transition as a trajectory guided by an overarching cosmology that brings together a broad social movement seeking a more resilient future. This ‘grand narrative’ is reinforced by ‘transition movement intellectuals’ who serve to shape an agenda of local preparedness in the face of uncertainty, rather than structural analysis of the global system. In this context, growing and producing food offers important multi-functional synergies by reconnecting people to place and its ecological endowments and serves to provide a vital element in civic mobilisation. Yet, local food could also become a means to build international solidarity in defence of food sovereignty and establish a global coalition opposed to the corporate agri-food agenda of biotechnologies, land grabbing and nutritional impoverishment.

The Role of Home Practice Engagement in a Mindfulness-Based Intervention

Over the last three decades, there has been a precipitous rise in curiosity regarding the clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-management of a broad range of chronic health conditions. Despite the ever-growing body of evidence supporting the use of mindfulness-based therapies for both medical and psychological concerns, data on the active ingredients of these mind-body interventions are relatively scarce. Regular engagement in formal mindfulness practice is considered by many to be requisite for generating therapeutic change; however, previous investigations of at-home practice in MBIs have produced mixed results. The equivocal nature of these findings has been attributed to significant methodological limitations, including the lack of standardized, systematic practice monitoring tools, and a singular focus on practice time, with little attention paid to the nature and quality of one’s practice. The present study used a prospective, observational design to assess the effects of home-based practice on dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological functioning in twenty-eight people enrolled in an MBSR or MBCT program. To address some of the aforementioned limitations, the present study collected detailed weekly accounts of participants’ home-based practice engagement, including information about practice time (i.e., frequency and duration), exercise type, perceived effort and barriers to participation, and practice quality. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the relative contribution of practice time and practice quality on treatment outcomes, and to explore possible predictors of adherence to at-home practice recommendations. As anticipated, practice quality and perceived effort improved with time; however, rather unexpectedly, practice quality was not a significant predictor of treatment-related improvements in psychological health. Home practice engagement, however, was predictive of change in dispositional mindfulness, in the expected direction. Results of our secondary analyses demonstrated that employment status was predictive of home practice engagement, with those who were unemployed completing more at-home practice on average. Mindfulness self-efficacy at baseline and previous experience with meditation or other contemplative practices were independently predictive of mean practice quality. The results of this study suggest that home practice helps generate meaningful change in dispositional mindfulness, which is purportedly a key mechanism of action in mindfulness-based interventions.

'Lines of flight': digital musical instruments, inclusive music bands, meaningful engagement in music-making and learning

In this study I examine the development of three inclusive music bands in Cork city. Derived from Jellison’s research on inclusive music education, inclusive music bands involve students with disabilities coming together with typically developing peers to make and learn music that is meaningful (Jellison, 2012). As part of this study, I established three inclusive music bands to address the lack of inclusive music making and learning experiences in Cork city. Each of these bands evolved and adapted in order to be socio-culturally relevant within formal and informal settings: Circles (community education band), Till 4 (secondary school band) and Mish Mash (third level and community band). I integrated Digital Musical Instruments into the three bands, in order to ensure access to music making and learning for band members with profound physical disabilities. Digital Musical Instruments are electronic music devices that facilitate active music making with minimal movement. This is the first study in Ireland to examine the experiences of inclusive music making and learning using Digital Musical Instruments. I propose that the integration of Digital Musical Instruments into inclusive music bands has the potential to further the equality and social justice agenda in music education in Ireland. In this study, I employed qualitative research methodology, incorporating participatory action research methodology and case study design. In this thesis I reveal the experiences of being involved in an inclusive music band in Cork city. I particularly focus on examining whether the use of this technology enhances meaningful music making and learning experiences for members with disabilities within inclusive environments. To both inform and understand the person centered and adaptable nature of these inclusive bands, I draw theoretical insights from Sen’s Capabilities Approach and Deleuze and Guatarri’s Rhizome Theory. Supported by descriptive narrative from research participants and an indepth examination of literature, I discover the optimum conditions and associated challenges of inclusive music practice in Cork city.

Toward an Understanding of Faculty Perceptions about Factors that Influence Student Success in Online Education

This paper explores factors that faculty perceive as significant in influencing student success in online education. Technological support, degree of comfort with technology and a student’s personal characteristics were deemed by faculty as critical to success. Understanding these key factors could help to improve student success in online education.

Accountability, Quality, and Student Success in Online Education: A Literature Review of Empirical Studies

This paper examines empirical studies on accountability, quality, and student success in online education. It advances that accountability and quality are critical components for student success in online education. It concludes that there is a lack of empirical studies that examine the effects of these measures on student success.

Project-Based Learning, Achievement, and Engagement in Second Graders

Second graders have fertile minds that are constrained by dull curriculums. Teachers fail to foster their interests, students are unengaged and as a result, their achievement suffers. This research will implement Project-Based learning (PBL) with the intention of increasing engagement, which is predicted to also increase achievement.

Hands-On Activities and Engagement in Kindergarten Students

The purpose of this action research study is to investigate the effectiveness of implementing hands-on activities for increasing the engagement of kindergarten students. Participants will be the teacher/researcher’s 18 kindergarten students in a charter school. It is hypothesized that hands-on activities will increase students’ engagement in the class.