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Due to anxiety, low confidence, and inadequate content knowledge, many college students struggle to complete their developmental math coursework. As colleges redesign their programs to address these issues, careful research is imperative to determine the factors that best meet the needs of these struggling students. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of one college's redesigned program (integrating online, mastery, and project-based learning) compared with the traditional program. Using Weiner's attribution theory of achievement motivation and emotion as a guide, this mixed methods case study used a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design in conjunction with a qualitative examination of student interviews. The study used archived quantitative data and interview data from community college students in the Western United States. The quantitative data was analyzed using multiple regression, and a thematic analysis was used for the interview data. The results indicated that students in traditional courses achieved higher final exam scores than those in the revised courses. However, the revised and traditional math students did not exhibit significantly different attitudes toward math. Some of the key factors that directly impacted student success included the availability of student support services, student collaboration, and self-concept and motivation. Based on these results, the participating college and similar colleges will be able to make more informed decisions to improve the efficacy of their developmental math programs. These revisions will then help to improve student attitude and success in mathematics, will motivate students to persist in their education, and will better equip students to positively contribute to their future communities and workplaces.

TITLE: Impact of the trade days project on the key competencies of Kunratice Elemetary School graduates AUTHOR: Tom Tychtl DEPARTMENT: Department for research and development of education SUPERVISOR: PhDr. Veronika Laufková Ph.D. ABSTRACT: This thesis deals with the project called "Trade days", which is implemented at the Kunratice Elementary School, especially its impact on the development of key competences od school graduates with an overlap onto their future life. The work is based on theoretical findings on key competences, constructivist concept of teaching, organisational forms of teaching and project-based learning, which are then used in the practical part. In the practical part, the thesis aims present the functioning of the project and, based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, to present the results of the impact of the "Trade days" project on the development of key competencies and the overlap of this development into the future life of school graduates. KEYWORDS: key competencies, project-based learning, secondary school, qualitative research, graduates

The long-term goal of this project was to inform the design of an entrepreneurial-focused charter school utilizing school-based enterprises (SBEs) to anchor a project-based learning (PBL) curriculum. The study was two parts: 1) to determine the extent of schools utilizing this innovative approach to teach an entrepreneurial-centered curriculum, and 2) to perform and initial feasibility study to determine potential for developing this school in Stockton, California. A content analysis supplemented with interviews and correspondences was used to determine that few, if any, schools in the United States emphasize entrepreneurship and utilize SBEs to support PBL. The feasibility study employed the expertise of education and business leaders to determine that the model has conditional strength. To be successful, the model must build on certain success factors, strong mission and leadership, well developed PBL curriculum and training, and community support, while addressing the legal and logistical challenges of operating school-wide SBEs in a high school environment.

This case study focused on the understandings of the administration and teaching staff with regard to the implementation and student academic growth of the B-L Upward program. The understandings were formed from data collected through structured, face-to-face interviews. The questioning of the staff members assisted in determining an understanding of the instructional model of the B-L Upward program. The experimental nature of the B-L Upward program allowed students, primarily those graduating from eighth grade and heading into high school, to choose an alternative to the traditional secondary learning environment. The current case study is an examination of the B-L Upward program through the interview process involving the administrative and teaching staff with regard to program implementation and student academic growth. Four members of the administrative staff directly responsible for the management of the B-L Upward program and eight members of the teaching staff currently employed at the school were interviewed regarding their understandings of the BLU program. The case study approach provides a detailed picture of the understandings of these staff members. Recommendations for practice and for the continuation of further research were included at the study’s conclusion.

The World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (ACTFL, 2014) encourage teachers to help their students use the target language to “investigate, explain, and reflect” on the relationships between cultural products, practices, and perspectives. However, while most language instructors agree that language and culture should be connected, many fail to teach culture explicitly because they are so focused on the language components of their courses. Of those who do teach culture explicitly, many either teach only about the cultural products and not the perspectives, or they teach the culture in English because of its complexity. This project explores the use of e-portfolios for explicitly teaching culture in the target language across all three communicative modes. The project was implemented in a 4th semester university Spanish course in the fall of 2013. Students were required to view and interpret culturally authentic materials such as newspapers, proverbs, documentaries, news reports, and videos about pop culture. In addition, students interacted with native speakers both within and outside the United States using technology. Students were also asked to produce business plans, commentaries, community projects, ethnographic interviews, stories, and videos in the target language. The project evaluation revealed that when culture is explicitly taught in the target language, the following changes may occur: a positive attitudinal shift towards the target culture, a desire for learning the language beyond the classroom, an increase in autonomous learning, and an improvement in linguistic skills. Pedagogical implications and principles that might be applicable in foreign language instruction include the fact that technology appears to be one promising way to provide increased access to culture. In addition, scaffolding is found to be important to both students' experiences with culture and their interaction with technology. Also students may find the exploration of current social issues and problems very motivating and engaging. This has the potential to give students increased opportunities to think critically.

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This experiment was designed to determine which assessment method: continuous assessment (in the form of daily in-class quizzes), cumulative assessment (in the form of online homework), or project-based learning, best predicts student learning (dependent upon posttest grades) in an undergraduate mathematics course. Participants included 117 university-level undergraduate freshmen enrolled in a course titled "Mathematics for Calculus". Initially, a multiple regression model was formulated to model the relationship between the predictor variables (the continuous assessment, cumulative assessment, and project scores) versus the outcome variable (the posttest scores). However, due to the possibility of multicollinearity present between the cumulative assessment predictor variable and the continuous assessment predictor variable, a stepwise regression model was implemented and caused the cumulative assessment predictor variable to be forced out of the resulting model, based on the results of statistical significance and hypothesis testing. The finalized stepwise regression model included continuous assessment scores and project scores as predictor variables of students' posttest scores with a 99% confidence level. Results indicated that ultimately the continuous assessment scores best predicted students' posttest scores.

This Master's thesis presents experimental work on the introduction of media project training in the system of secondary vocational education. This work reveals the methodological basis using of project and media- project training in the system of secondary vocational education. The examples of the use of social media in Russian and foreign education are presented, and platforms for implementing media project training are identified. The possibilities of cooperation between social media and the system of secondary vocational education are revealed. The experience of implementing media project training on the example of the College of management and service «Style» is presented. / В настоящей магистерской диссертации представлена опытно-экспериментальная работа по внедрению медиапроектного обучения в систему среднего профессионального образования. В работе выявлены методологические основы использования проектного и медиапроектного обучения в системе среднего профессионального образования. Представлены примеры использования социальных медиа в российском и зарубежном образовании, выявлены площадки для реализации медиапроектного обучения. Выявлены возможности сотрудничества социальных медиа и системы среднего профессионального образования. Представлен опыт реализации медиапроектного обучения на примере Колледжа управления и сервиса «Стиль».

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