Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.184-195).

Since the development and implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, educators have received pressure from local, state, and federal policyholders for students to achieve academically and for schools to make adequate yearly progress to avoid state and federal sanctions. The purpose of this study was to examine educators' perceptions of the effects of high-stakes testing and the accountability policies in high poverty and low poverty schools. The theoretical frameworks were conservation of resources theory, jobs demands-resources model, and job autonomy and control theory. Research questions focused on understanding educators' perception of high-stakes testing regarding curricula, instructional practices, available instructional support, and job satisfaction. A cross-sectional, quasi-experimental design was used to obtain both quantitative and qualitative with a sample of 200 teachers and 6 principals, respectively. To investigate the differences in responses between teachers, a two-way factorial analysis of variance was used. Quantitative findings indicated that teachers in lower poverty schools had a lower perception when it came to the curricula, instructional method, and instructional support. Teachers in lower poverty schools expressed higher job satisfaction. Qualitative findings showed that principals felt that the Georgia Professional Standards teaches how to pass the test and does not give students the opportunity to apply what is learned. These findings illuminate the role of poverty in high-stakes testing and accountability policies; they also assist policymakers and stakeholders in identifying supports needed to ensure that all children succeed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms at East Tennessee State University regarding technologies in multimedia classrooms, students' learning achievements, instructors' instructional methods, and students' learning styles. Two surveys in multimedia classrooms and traditional classrooms were designed to measure and compare students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms. The VARK (Fleming, 2002b) learning style survey was used to calculate the students' learning styles. The research was conducted during spring semester, 2002. Participants in this study included 187 students in multimedia classrooms and 110 students in traditional classrooms at East Tennessee State University. The majority of students were from the School of Business and the College of Applied Science and Technology. The results of data analysis showed that there were no significant differences in students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms regarding technologies, learning achievements, and learning styles. However, there were significant differences in students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms regarding instructors' instructional methods. Students in multimedia classrooms had better perceptions of instructors' instructional methods than students in traditional classrooms. Furthermore, the majority of students in multimedia classrooms and traditional classrooms had positive attitudes towards multimedia classrooms. Several recommendations for future research, VARK learning styles, and administrators and policy makers at East Tennessee State University resulted from this study. A future study with a larger and more diverse population using both quantitative and qualitative methodology is recommended to further explore the effectiveness of multimedia classrooms in higher education. Reinforcement of training, technical support, and classroom maintenance are recommended to administrators and policy makers at East Tennessee State University in order to use multimedia classrooms more effectively.

Since 2003, the Canadian government has repeatedly called for research into innovative ways to teach Core French (CF) – a non-immersion program, where French as a Second Language (FSL) is taught on a daily basis, or a few times per week. This exploratory study investigates the driving forces behind the widespread popularity of a CF method called the Accelerative Integrated Method (AIM), which combines target language use with gestures, high-frequency vocabulary, and drama to accelerate the development of fluency from the onset of classroom instruction. In order to learn more about the “meaningfulness” of this growing trend (Fullan, 2007), this mixed-method inquiry attempts to shift the focus from product to process, comparing educator perspectives and AIM implementation within two Ontario contexts: (a) where AIM was mandated for elementary (Grades 4-6) FSL instruction, and (b) where AIM was an optional method for FSL teachers to use (or not). Survey and interview data were collected from and triangulated across a variety of educators from both contexts, including FSL consultants (n = 18), principals (n = 8), CF teachers (n = 9), and one Ontario Ministry of Education representative. Four semi-structured interviews and multiple observations were also conducted with those CF teachers who were using AIM (n = 8). An additional CF teacher who had attempted to use AIM, and had subsequently rejected it, was also interviewed. Findings showed that AIM implementation and educator perspectives did not vary significantly based on whether AIM was mandated or optional for CF instruction. A clear preference emerged towards using AIM and the accompanying resources during the beginning stages of CF instruction. Discussion about the growing popularity of AIM was positive; however, it also exposed a range of emotions about when and how AIM should be used. In terms of implementation, while some AIM routines, activities, and strategies were used by all, each AIM teacher exercised their agency while using the method, supplementing and adapting for different reasons. Implications include the need to reexamine the objectives of micro-level AIM policies, recognize the adaptability of AIM, and consider including detailed observations in future research linking AIM to student achievement.

Since 2003, the Canadian government has repeatedly called for research into innovative ways to teach Core French (CF) – a non-immersion program, where French as a Second Language (FSL) is taught on a daily basis, or a few times per week. This exploratory study investigates the driving forces behind the widespread popularity of a CF method called the Accelerative Integrated Method (AIM), which combines target language use with gestures, high-frequency vocabulary, and drama to accelerate the development of fluency from the onset of classroom instruction. In order to learn more about the “meaningfulness” of this growing trend (Fullan, 2007), this mixed-method inquiry attempts to shift the focus from product to process, comparing educator perspectives and AIM implementation within two Ontario contexts: (a) where AIM was mandated for elementary (Grades 4-6) FSL instruction, and (b) where AIM was an optional method for FSL teachers to use (or not). Survey and interview data were collected from and triangulated across a variety of educators from both contexts, including FSL consultants (n = 18), principals (n = 8), CF teachers (n = 9), and one Ontario Ministry of Education representative. Four semi-structured interviews and multiple observations were also conducted with those CF teachers who were using AIM (n = 8). An additional CF teacher who had attempted to use AIM, and had subsequently rejected it, was also interviewed. Findings showed that AIM implementation and educator perspectives did not vary significantly based on whether AIM was mandated or optional for CF instruction. A clear preference emerged towards using AIM and the accompanying resources during the beginning stages of CF instruction. Discussion about the growing popularity of AIM was positive; however, it also exposed a range of emotions about when and how AIM should be used. In terms of implementation, while some AIM routines, activities, and strategies were used by all, each AIM teacher exercised their agency while using the method, supplementing and adapting for different reasons. Implications include the need to reexamine the objectives of micro-level AIM policies, recognize the adaptability of AIM, and consider including detailed observations in future research linking AIM to student achievement.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of CCTIA over TDCI for 9th grade students&rsquo / understanding of chemical bonding concepts. Also, the effect of instruction on students&rsquo / attitude toward chemistry as a school subject and the effect of gender difference on understanding of chemical bonding concepts and attitudes toward chemistry were investigated. The subjects of this study consisted of 41 ninth grade students from two classes of a chemistry course in TED Ankara High School. This study was conducted during the 2003-2004-spring semester. The classes were randomly assigned as control and experimental groups. Students in the control group were instructed by TDCI whereas students in the experimental group were instructed by CCTIA. CBCT was administered to both groups as a pre-test and post-test in order to assess their understanding of concepts related to chemical bonding. Students were also given ASTC as a school subject at the beginning and end of the study to determine their attitudes and SPST at the beginning of the study to measure their science process skills. At the end of the study, we administered interviews to the students. The hypotheses were tested by using ANCOVA and ANOVA. The results revealed that CCTIA caused a significantly better understanding of scientific conceptions related to chemical bonding concepts than the TDCI. In addition, these two modes of instruction developed the similar attitude toward science as a school subject. Also, science process skill was a strong predictor in understanding the concepts related to chemical bonding. Alternatively, no significant effect of gender difference on understanding the concepts about chemical bonding and on students&rsquo / attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject was found.

<p>Многе студије посвећене настави и&nbsp;<br />учењу органске хемије истичу<br />чињеницу да ученици средњошколског<br />узраста показују значајне тешкоће<br />током савладавања концепата из овог<br />домена. На основу тога, циљ овог<br />истраживања био је да се помогне<br />ученицима у превазилажењу тих<br />тешкоћа, применом системичких<br />задатака (СЗ) као инструкционог<br />метода.<br />У истраживању су учествовали<br />ученици III разреда гиманзије &bdquo;Јован<br />Јовановић Змај&rdquo;&nbsp; из Новог&nbsp; Сада, а<br />истраживање је спроведено током<br />школске 2012/13. године. За потребе<br />истраживања конструисани су тестови<br />знања који су садржали два основна<br />типа задатака: конвенционалне,<br />линеарне задатке (ЛЗ) и системичке<br />задатке (СЗ).&nbsp; Поред тестова знања<br />примењена је и седмостепена<br />Ликертова скала за&nbsp; самопроцену<br />уложеног менталног напора.<br />Резултати истраживања су показали да<br />ученици&nbsp; обучавани системичким<br />приступом&nbsp; (експериментална група),<br />остварују&nbsp; боља&nbsp; постигнућа на<br />финалном тесту знања (како у ЛЗ, тако<br />и у СЗ) од ученика контролне групе,<br />који су обучавани применом<br />традиционалног приступа.&nbsp; Виша<br />постигнућа&nbsp; ученика експерименталне<br />групе праћена су&nbsp; нижим&nbsp; нивоима<br />уложеног менталног напора, у односу<br />на ученике контролне групе.<br />Испитана веза&nbsp; између постигнућа и<br />менталног напора&nbsp; резултовала је<br />високом релативном ефикасношћу за<br />инструкциони метод заснован на<br />примени СЗ, и ниском релативном<br />ефикасношћу за традиционални<br />приступ. При томе је установљено да је<br />инструкциони метод примењен у<br />експерименталној групи више погодан<br />за испитанике женског пола, него за<br />испитанике мушког пола.&nbsp; Са друге<br />стране, традиционална настава је била<br />једнако неповољна за испитанике оба<br />пола.<br />Надаље, након примене експлораторне<br />факторске анализе, СЗ су<br />окарактерисани као&nbsp; валидни и<br />релијабилни&nbsp; алати за процену<br />ученичког смисленог разумевања.<br />Поред СЗ, конвенционални есејски<br />задаци, као и задаци допуњавања са<br />више од два захтева такође су се<br />показали ефикасним за процену<br />ученичког смисленог разумевања.<br />На крају&nbsp; овог&nbsp; истраживања,&nbsp; СЗ су<br />окарактерисани као алати који<br />ефикасно процењују нивое ученичког<br />системског мишљења. У овом делу<br />истраживања је потврђено да су управо<br />испитаници женског пола у оквиру<br />експерименталне групе достигли<br />највиши&nbsp; очекивани&nbsp; ниво системског<br />мишљења&nbsp; &ndash;&nbsp; ниво комплексног<br />повезивања концепата у домену<br />органске хемије.</p> / <p>Mnoge studije posvećene nastavi i&nbsp;<br />učenju organske hemije ističu<br />činjenicu da učenici srednjoškolskog<br />uzrasta pokazuju značajne teškoće<br />tokom savladavanja koncepata iz ovog<br />domena. Na osnovu toga, cilj ovog<br />istraživanja bio je da se pomogne<br />učenicima u prevazilaženju tih<br />teškoća, primenom sistemičkih<br />zadataka (SZ) kao instrukcionog<br />metoda.<br />U istraživanju su učestvovali<br />učenici III razreda gimanzije &bdquo;Jovan<br />Jovanović Zmaj&rdquo;&nbsp; iz Novog&nbsp; Sada, a<br />istraživanje je sprovedeno tokom<br />školske 2012/13. godine. Za potrebe<br />istraživanja konstruisani su testovi<br />znanja koji su sadržali dva osnovna<br />tipa zadataka: konvencionalne,<br />linearne zadatke (LZ) i sistemičke<br />zadatke (SZ).&nbsp; Pored testova znanja<br />primenjena je i sedmostepena<br />Likertova skala za&nbsp; samoprocenu<br />uloženog mentalnog napora.<br />Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali da<br />učenici&nbsp; obučavani sistemičkim<br />pristupom&nbsp; (eksperimentalna grupa),<br />ostvaruju&nbsp; bolja&nbsp; postignuća na<br />finalnom testu znanja (kako u LZ, tako<br />i u SZ) od učenika kontrolne grupe,<br />koji su obučavani primenom<br />tradicionalnog pristupa.&nbsp; Viša<br />postignuća&nbsp; učenika eksperimentalne<br />grupe praćena su&nbsp; nižim&nbsp; nivoima<br />uloženog mentalnog napora, u odnosu<br />na učenike kontrolne grupe.<br />Ispitana veza&nbsp; između postignuća i<br />mentalnog napora&nbsp; rezultovala je<br />visokom relativnom efikasnošću za<br />instrukcioni metod zasnovan na<br />primeni SZ, i niskom relativnom<br />efikasnošću za tradicionalni<br />pristup. Pri tome je ustanovljeno da je<br />instrukcioni metod primenjen u<br />eksperimentalnoj grupi više pogodan<br />za ispitanike ženskog pola, nego za<br />ispitanike muškog pola.&nbsp; Sa druge<br />strane, tradicionalna nastava je bila<br />jednako nepovoljna za ispitanike oba<br />pola.<br />Nadalje, nakon primene eksploratorne<br />faktorske analize, SZ su<br />okarakterisani kao&nbsp; validni i<br />relijabilni&nbsp; alati za procenu<br />učeničkog smislenog razumevanja.<br />Pored SZ, konvencionalni esejski<br />zadaci, kao i zadaci dopunjavanja sa<br />više od dva zahteva takođe su se<br />pokazali efikasnim za procenu<br />učeničkog smislenog razumevanja.<br />Na kraju&nbsp; ovog&nbsp; istraživanja,&nbsp; SZ su<br />okarakterisani kao alati koji<br />efikasno procenjuju nivoe učeničkog<br />sistemskog mišljenja. U ovom delu<br />istraživanja je potvrđeno da su upravo<br />ispitanici ženskog pola u okviru<br />eksperimentalne grupe dostigli<br />najviši&nbsp; očekivani&nbsp; nivo sistemskog<br />mišljenja&nbsp; &ndash;&nbsp; nivo kompleksnog<br />povezivanja koncepata u domenu<br />organske hemije.</p> / <p>Many studies dedicated to the teaching and<br />learning of organic chemistry courses have<br />emphasized that high school students have<br />shown significant difficulties in mastering the<br />concepts of this discipline. Therefore, the aim<br />of our study was to help students to overcome<br />these difficulties by applying systemic<br />questions (SQs) as the instructional method.<br />Тhis study included third grade students from<br />one high school (&bdquo;Jovan Jovanović Zmaj&rdquo;) in<br />Novi Sad, Serbia. The experiment was<br />conducted during the 2012/13. school year.<br />For the purpose of this research, knowledge<br />tests with conventional, linear questions (LQs)<br />and systemic questions (SQs) were<br />constructed. In addition to knowledge tests, the<br />seven-point Likert scale for measuring of<br />mental effort was applied.<br />This work shows that students from the group<br />exposed to the new teaching method<br />(application of SQs) achieved higher scores on<br />final testing than students from the control<br />group,&nbsp; who were taught by the traditional<br />method, when students&rsquo; achievements in LQs<br />and in SQs, were studied. These results were<br />followed by observation of lower levels of<br />mental effort by students from the<br />experimental&nbsp; group, and higher levels of<br />mental effort&nbsp; in the control group, invested<br />during solving both types of questions.<br />This correlation between achievement and<br />mental effort resulted in high instructional<br />efficiency for the applied method in the<br />experimental group, and low instructional<br />efficiency for&nbsp; the traditional teaching and<br />learning method applied in the control group.<br />In addition it was found that the application of<br />SQs was more suited to female students than<br />for male students in experimental group, while<br />traditional method was less effective for both<br />genders in control group.<br />Furthermore, after conducting an exploratory<br />factor analysis on the obtained data, SQs were<br />characterized as valid and reliable tools for<br />assessing students&rsquo; meaningful understanding.<br />Apart from&nbsp; this, essay questions and<br />completion type of questions with three or<br />more requests were found to be useful in<br />assessing students&rsquo; meaningful understanding.<br />At the end of this study, SQs were<br />characterized as effective tools for assessing<br />different levels of students&rsquo; systems thinking.<br />These results emphasized the fact that female<br />students from experimental group reached the<br />highest expacted level of systems thinking &ndash;<br />level of complex connection of concepts from<br />organic chemistry domain.</p>