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King-Mertz Research/Creative Activity Award of Excellence
2023 - Inge Jones
Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction
The Effect of Music on the High School Foreign Language Classroom
The purpose of the study was to investigate how the use of popular music in the target language, presented without the expectation of educational and academic outcomes, has an effect on Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA), engagement and Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in a High School foreign language class. This study was guided by two research questions: How does the use of popular music in the target language, removed from the expectation of academic outcomes and for enjoyment only, reduce FLCA? And how does the use of popular music in the target language, removed from the expectation of academic outcomes and for enjoyment only, increase student engagement and WTC? The fourteen participants of a German II class were observed in their reactions and behaviors over a six-week intervention. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring FLCA and Foreign Language Enjoyment at three points during the study. At the end of the study, participants completed an Exit Survey with open-ended questions. Results revealed that both the questionnaire and the survey indicated a reduction in FLCA. Observation of classroom behavior supported an increase in engagement through recording students鈥� participation by count of hands raised. The mean of hands raised on days without music was 42 compared to the mean of hands raised on days with music at 58. This constitutes a difference of 38%.
Faculty Mentor: Sham鈥檃h Md-Yunus, Ph.D., Professor of Teaching, Learning and Foundations, Faculty
2022 - Elyse Bulla
Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction
The Impact of Teaching Soft Skills on the Ability Levels of 12th Grade Students
The purpose of this study was to find out if teaching certain specific soft skills (leadership, communication, and teamwork) increase students鈥� ability levels in those areas. The study used a mixed methods design. It was hypothesized that being specifically taught about and given chances to practice leadership, communication, and teamwork would increase students鈥� skill levels in those areas. The research question that guided the study was as follows: Does specific teaching about certain soft skills (leadership, communication, and teamwork) increase students鈥� ability levels in those areas? Eighteen 12th grade students from two classes, ages 17 and 18, participated in the study for six weeks. Participants rated themselves on three skills (leadership, communication, and teamwork) at the beginning and end of the study. The researcher also rated participants on those skills at the beginning and end of the study. The participants completed a pre- and post- open-ended survey about the three soft skills. In addition, the researcher also used an observation checklist to monitor behaviors of the soft skills during the six weeks of the study. Each of the three skills showed gains when post scores were compared to pre scores. The study revealed that communication in particular showed the highest gains (student rating, increase of 0.61; teacher rating, increase of 1.5; and observation, increase of 1.28), followed by teamwork and leadership.
Faculty Mentor: Sham鈥檃h Md-Yunus, Ph.D., Professor of Elementary Education, Faculty
2021 - Lacey Wright
Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction
The Effectiveness of Repeated Reading Practice on Fifth Grade DIBELS 8th Edition Progress Monitoring Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) Scores
The purpose of this study was to determine if using repeated reading as an intervention was effective at increasing participants鈥� oral reading fluency scores when measured using the DIBELS 8th Edition Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) progress monitoring passages. The researcher also wanted to determine how effective the repeated reading intervention was in increasing participants鈥� oral reading fluency scores. Twenty-one students, ages 10 and 11, from a single fifth-grade classroom participated in the study for six weeks.
Faculty Mentor: Sham鈥檃h Md-Yunus, Ph.D., Professor of Elementary Education, Faculty
2020 - Haley Hawkins
Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction
The Efficacy of Approaching Homework as a Formative Self-Assessment in a High School
The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of treating homework as a formative self-assessment, where participants graded and corrected their own assignments, had on a summative unit assessment. The researcher also wanted to determine the effect the treatment had on the participants鈥� mathematics self-efficacy. Thirty-four ninth and tenth grade students from two of the researcher鈥檚 Algebra I classes participated in the six-week study: one class was the experimental group and the other was the control group. The researcher used two different instruments on both groups: A summative unit assessment that was used to compare the two groups鈥� average scores. And a five-point Likert-scale mathematics self-efficacy survey used to compare the two groups鈥� averag