Department: ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus) ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
130 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 30.
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1.
Acar, Omer.
Argumentation Skills And Conceptual Knowledge Of Undergraduate Students In A Physics By Inquiry Class.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2008, Ohio State University
► Teaching argumentation skills has been the focus of science education research which…
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▼ Teaching argumentation skills has been the focus of science education research which views argumentation instruction as a way to improve scientific reasoning skills in science classrooms. Argumentation research has mostly focused on examining the quality of classroom discourse in science classes, scaffolding student argumentation process, and in-service science teacher development of pedagogical skills related to argumentation. Yet, there is paucity of studies exist in the literature which has examined prospective science teacher development of argumentation skills. This study aims to reduce this gap in the argumentation literature. This study investigated prospective science teacher development of argumentation skills and conceptual knowledge, relationship between argumentation skills and conceptual knowledge, and the relation of argumentation and conceptual knowledge gains to prospective science teacher initial conceptual knowledge level in an undergraduate course where argumentation skills were incorporated to the science curriculum. Initially, data were collected from 125 students who were involved in an inquiry-based physics course at a midwestern university. Argumentation skills for the concepts of balancing and sinking and floating were assessed by the use of argumentation tests which were constructed for this study and administered four times during the course. In addition to written argumentation tests, argumentation discourse of one small group of students was audio-taped two times during the course. Physics conceptual knowledge was administered at the beginning and at the end of the instruction by a conceptual test which was constructed for this study. A total of 36 students who responded to all the data collection activities comprised the analysis sample. It was found that the prospective science teacher argumentation skills regarding balancing and sinking and floating concepts improved during the course. More specifically, their counter-argument and rebuttal evidence and justification scores developed during the course. It was also found that improvement of counter-argument and rebuttal evidence scores was content independent whereas improvement of counter-argument and rebuttal justification scores was content dependent. The results showed that prospective science teacher conceptual physics knowledge was improved from the beginning to the end of the instruction. More specifically, their declarative and situational knowledge scores increased from the pretest to the posttest. The results also showed that prospective science teacher argumentation scores can be related to physics conceptual knowledge pretest and posttest scores. In addition, it was found that argumentation gain scores were not related to prospective science teacher initial conceptual knowledge level. According to these findings, implications regarding prospective science teacher education and explicit teaching about argumentation were discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: White, Arthur L.
Subjects: Science education
Keywords: argumentation; prospective science teachers; physics by inquiry
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3.
Allam, Yosef S.
Enhancing Spatial Visualization Skills in First-Year Engineering Students.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► Spatial visualization skills are a function of genetics and life experiences. An…
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▼ Spatial visualization skills are a function of genetics and life experiences. An individual’s genetic spatial visualization aptitude can be enhanced through proper instruction and practice. Spatial visualization skills are important to engineers as they help with problem formulation and thus enhance problem-solving ability. They are also vital to an engineer’s ability to create and interpret visual representations of design ideas. This study seeks to investigate the experiential factors affecting spatial visualization skills and methods with which these skills can be enhanced. This study also investigates the correlation between spatial visualization ability and pre-college life experiences, as well as spatial visualization ability and academic performance. Participants were selected from an introductory engineering course. Participants in the treatment and control groups were pre- and post-tested using the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test—Rotations to gauge spatial visualization ability. The treatment consisted of students being given a series of technology-generated representations of figures from various perspectives that may aid in visualization of these objects. Scores between the treatment and control groups were compared and checked for statistical significance. Participants were also given a questionnaire to complete. The answers from the questionnaire were coded for levels of pre-college experience in certain key areas that are hypothesized to aid in the development of spatial visualization skills. These quantitative experience levels were correlated to pre-test results to verify the hypothesis of these life experiences’ significance in spatial visualization ability development. The relationship between student academic performance and spatial visualization ability was also investigated.Instructional tool utilization and access effects on spatial visualization skill gains between pre-tests and post-tests were not significant. This is potentially due to a substitutive rather than additive effect to student experiences through usage of the instructional tool. Developmental experiences with stackable toys such as Legos and building blocks were a significant predictor of initial spatial ability, confirming previous findings. Developmental experiences with home improvement activities significantly affected graded performance in coursework. Initial spatial ability was also a significant predictor of course grades. Course grade and resource web-based applications can be used successfully in the deployment of open access electronic instructional tools. Institutional web applications can also be used to automate and conduct large studies. Access, utilization logging, grades, and enforcement of experimental design parameters and treatment group segregation can be provisioned via online course grade and resource repositories such as Carmen, by Desire-to-Learn, employed in this study. Improvements in data accessibility must be made in course web applications to facilitate more studies conducted in this manner. Improvements in usability, reporting, and analysis are necessary to allow for streamlined study implementation and data dissemination for educational research in courses employing web applications. Improvements to course web applications can allow educational researchers to effectively capitalize on this technology.
Advisors/Committee Members: Mount-Campbell, Clark.
Subjects: Education; Engineering; Higher education
Keywords: engineering education; engineering graphics; spatial visualization; Carmen; Desire2Learn; Blackboard; quantitative educational research
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5.
Ayas, Cemalettin.
THE IMPACT OF THE OHIO GRADUATION TEST ON GEOGRAPHY INSTRUCTION AS PERCEIVED BY THE SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS IN CENTRAL OHIO.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of social…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of social studies teachers concerning the impact of the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) on geography instruction in the secondary schools of central Ohio. To answer the major question in addition to supplementary research sub-questions, an exploratory study employing quantitative methods was designed.The population of this study consisted of all secondary social studies teachers who are currently teaching in the middle and high schools of central Ohio. A specifically developed 28-item cross-sectional survey as the major data collection instrument for this study was constructed through a content validity approach and pilot tested. The survey instrument was then administered via the Internet to a randomly selected sample of secondary social studies teachers. The data gathered were analyzed by SPSS 16.0. Data analysis of the study basically utilized descriptive statistics. Tables and figures were constructed to present the results. The major demographic profile of the research subjects is by and large Caucasian males who teach middle class students with above average OGT scores in suburban public schools for 11 or more years. A great majority of those teachers have a master’s degree, hold a comprehensive social studies (7-12) licensure and completed at least two or more college level geography courses. One-third of these teachers work at a middle school and two-thirds work in a high school setting. Typically they work as teachers of U.S. History, World History and U.S. Government. The study overall suggests that it would be reasonable to infer that the OGT has impacted the way in which geography instruction is delivered in the secondary schools of central Ohio. The results of this study indicate that social studies teachers do practice more of a “teaching to the test” strategy since the implementation of the OGT. The findings specifically suggest that teachers who teach the grades where the OGT is administered evidently perform more “teaching to the test” behavior and are under more pressure. However, the most important impact that the OGT has had on geography instruction is a noteworthy decrease in the amount of time teachers spend with geography in their general social studies curriculum. According to the data, the time devoted to teaching geography is diminishing. Even though geography is one of the social studies subjects tested on the OGT, the decrease in the amount of time to teach geography within the social studies curriculum might imply that the geography portion of the social studies test on the OGT is not as important as the others or that geography is over-shadowed in the social studies curriculum by other subjects—particularly by history. This was evidenced by the finding that teachers consider geography the least emphasized among the social studies content areas tested on the OGT. As a result, along with recommendations for further research, contributions to the related literature and implications for both policy-making and teaching and learning were discussed in detail.
Advisors/Committee Members: Miller, Steven.
Subjects: Education; Geography; Secondary education; Social studies education; Teacher education; Teaching
Keywords: Ohio Graduation Test, Geography Instruction, Social Studies Education
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6.
Baker, Jonathan Ramon.
Web-Based vs. Classroom Instruction of Statistics.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► This study compares the performance and experiences in an introductory statistics course…
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▼ This study compares the performance and experiences in an introductory statistics course across two modalities: web-based and classroom-based instruction. The research was conducted in classrooms from each learning environment for two teachers at a large midwestern community college. The results from the Pre-Test, Post-Test, and departmental final exam indicated that students in web-based statistics courses can have levels of average achievement comparable to that of their classroom-instructed counterparts. Yet, the facts that distance learners entered the course with stronger levels of mathematical preparedness, and had greater proportions of students at the extremes of the performance indicators, jointly challenge the notion of web-based instruction being “as good as traditional.” The faculty interviews, student questionnaires, and both virtual and physical instructional observations informed the researcher that the successful teaching strategies in the classroom can have an online comparative. Independent of modality, students desire teacher immediacy. It is also confirmed that the asynchronous nature of online learning that allows students to learn at their own pace will continue to drive student interest in spite of any potential barriers. The researcher recommends that future studies control for relevant student characteristics and any instructor effect to measure overall learning gains over longer periods of time. Hybrid courses were discussed as being the next modality on the horizon that would merit further research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Brosnan, Patricia.
Subjects: Mathematics education
Keywords: online, web-based, face-to-face, distance learning, statistics education, mathematics education, Internet, asynchronous, social interaction
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7.
Beauregard, Heidi Lynn.
The Evolution of Adult Literacy Education Policy in the United States and the Erosion of Student-Empowered Learning.
Degree: MEd, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► This study examines the evolution of adult literacy education policy in the…
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▼ This study examines the evolution of adult literacy education policy in the United States over the past three centuries through the lens of Brian Street’s (1984) ideological and autonomous models of literacy. Until the turn of the 20th century, ideological models of literacy flourished in the United States. As a result of changing definitions of literacy and more strict federal policies, at present, the autonomous model prevails. Economically-motivated adult literacy education policies have altered the nature and purpose of adult literacy programs. Government intrusion into adult education has forced both individuals and community-based providers to relinquish their decision-making authority. In addition, government-imposed expectations and accountability requirements often supersede the individual learners’ power to set their own goals. What was once an area of education driven by adult learners’ thirst for knowledge and self-improvement is increasingly guided by top-down, economically-motivated policies that eliminate the power of individuals to mandate their own educational pursuits in adulthood. The autonomous model of literacy does not allow for critical engagement with social issues because it does not recognize them. Literacy in the autonomous model is tied to the dominant social structures in society. If other forms of literacy are excluded from schooling, the dominant social structures cannot be upset; social hierarchies remain in place, and non-dominant groups continue to experience oppression, even if they do not recognize it as such. The autonomous model of literacy has become entrenched in the American adult literacy education system. However, adult literacy educators should not become complicit in this act of oppression. Instead, they should make every attempt to continue to promote ideological principles in their classrooms. Although this is clearly a different era from the colonial period and industrialization, educators in the Information Age must encourage their students to engage in controversial social issues and explore the power differentials in society tied to different forms of literacy so that they can take back their power in the adult literacy classroom and use educational endeavors to solve their own problems and fulfill their own purposes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Clark, Caroline.
Subjects: Adult education; Education; Education history
Keywords: adult literacy; adult basic education; education policy
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9.
Bell, Clare Valerie.
Cultural Diversity And White Teacher Scaffolding Of Student Self-Regulated Learning In Algebra Classes.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2008, Ohio State University
► The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to examine the ways…
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▼ The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to examine the ways in which teachers use classroom discourse for teaching and learning mathematics, developing self-regulated learning, and engaging culturally diverse students, including low SES students and students of color, in meaningful classroom interactions. Three classes participating in the Classroom Connectivity in Promoting Mathematics and Science Achievement (CCMS) research study were selected as cases for in-depth investigation. Each case included a White teacher and culturally diverse students. Data were gathered through videotaped classroom observations, observer notes, and demographic data reported by students. Post-observation and end-of-year teacher interviews provided additional data and opportunities for verification of analyses. Data were analyzed to create descriptive narratives of classroom interactions for each case. Cross-case analysis was used to identify continuities and discontinuities for the purpose of understanding teachers' and students' uses of classroom discourse for learning mathematics with understanding and developing strategic learning skills in culturally diverse learning communities. Analyses revealed that several aspects of teacher-led classroom discourse have potential to support learning mathematics with understanding and developing self-regulated learning skills. First, social and analytic scaffolding helped students know how to participate in discussion and to explore the mathematics more deeply when the relationships between classroom participation and learning were made explicit. The productive scaffolding observed involved pressing for students' expressions of understanding and providing feedback. Furthermore, relating difficulty with problem solving to opportunities to learn with deeper understanding set norms for open discussion and created a safe atmosphere for taking risks, aspects of learning that are particularly important for students of color and students with fixed-entity theories of intelligence. Explicit instruction in academic discourse supported communication in content-specific registers of language and may have increased engagement in dialogic discourse. In one case, student agency and the development of academic language were supported by highlighting students' contributions to classroom discourse, which stimulated dialogic discourse. Additionally, students' personal/cultural social discourse was described as the “lubricant that keeps the [mathematical] conversation going” in the class where students expressed the most mathematical reasoning. This has important implications for how engaged learning is defined in classrooms with culturally diverse learners. Finally, the use of technology to support learning, along with the intention of addressing inequities, has potential to support dialogic discourse. A teacher's philosophy and approach to teaching and learning may be more important than mere access to technology in addressing issues of equity with incorporation of technology. A teacher's stance on what it means to teach and learn appears to work in concert with incorporating technology to create more equitable learning environments for culturally diverse students.
Advisors/Committee Members: Blackburn, Mollie.
Subjects: Mathematics education; Multicultural education; Teaching
Keywords: cultural diversity; self-regulated learning; teaching mathematics
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11.
Braxton, Macel A.
Adult ESL Language Learning Strategies: Case Studies of Preferred Learning Styles and Perceived Cultural Influence in Academic Listening Tasks.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 1999, Ohio State University
► The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence that cultural…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence that cultural background and preferred learning styles had on the language learning strategies that English as a second language (ESL) students chose to use in an English as a second language (ESL) university classroom, specifically one dealing with academic listening. Academic listening prepares the ESL students for the skills that they will need to enter a university and to be able to retrieve the information from their professor's lectures and from their class discussions within the course work itself.Qualitative methodologies were used to gather and analyze the data. Four ESL students served as individual case study subjects. Data were collected by classroom observations, three video taped observations as well as two private interviews with each of the four ESL case study subjects, one interview with the ESL teacher, an example page of students' note-taking skills from lectures, and informal discussions with two informants.The qualitative findings suggested that cultural background and preferred learning styles influenced the language learning strategies used by the four ESL students when they performed academic listening tasks. Memorization, participation, native language, religion, and body language were perceived cultural variables which seemed to influence the language learning strategies used by the four ESL students. Thus, the ESL students improved their note-taking skills and were able to develop their listening comprehension skills due to these perceived cultural variables. The four ESL students relied on two learning style preferences (i.e., visual and auditory) because they provided a means for them to understand the listening tasks which they performed in their ESL academic listening class. These two learning style preferences seemed to influence their listening behaviors as well as aiding them in learning English. Memorization and guessing served as the main language learning strategies which aided the four ESL students in comprehending the lecture information when they took notes in their ESL academic listening class.The ESL teacher's strategies were perceived as valuable in enhancing the ESL students' listening comprehension and aiding in their learning of English. The use of language learning strategies appeared to produce a positive effect on ESL students' academic listening skills development and served as a means to aid them in acquiring academic English.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hancock, Charles R.
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12.
Brown, Stefanie Suzan.
The Effects of a Scripted Writing Program on the Written Expression Skills of Middle School Students.
Degree: MEd, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► Writing is a skill with which many students struggle, but especially those…
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▼ Writing is a skill with which many students struggle, but especially those identified with special needs. Previous studies have shown that teaching students strategies has been successful; however, using Direct Instruction has been most effective in improving and increasing written expression skills particularly for struggling students (Walker, Shippen, Alberto, Houchins, & Chalk, 2005). An important element of Direct Instruction curricula is that it is scripted. The current study examined the effects of a scripted writing program on the number of correct minus incorrect writing sequences (CIWS) and total words written (TWW) by middle school students. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a scripted program to teach basic writing skills and paragraph writing in three different middle school classrooms. A scripted program developed to improve written expression was used to instruct middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Two dependent variables (CIWS and TWW) were evaluated in this study. Students moved into intervention by class when the majority of the subjects’ baseline data remained stable or decreased. Instruction took place with the entire classroom not with just several students. Three-minute writing prompts were collected weekly throughout the study to measure progress with both variables. Results show the scripted presentation was successful for some students, though not all. Social validity results indicating consumer satisfaction are discussed, as well as limitations, practical implications, and suggestions for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hessler, (Theresa) Terri.
Subjects: Education
Keywords: written expression; scripted program; middle school students
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15.
Chang, Yuh-Fang.
Topic familiarity and second language learners' oral performance.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 1997, Ohio State University
► In the field of second and foreign language acquisition, it is now…
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▼ In the field of second and foreign language acquisition, it is now widely recognized that a second language learner's language, like the language of native speakers, varies in different situations and in response to different tasks. What is not clear, however, are the underlying causes of this variation. Several causes of interlanguage variation such as linguistic contexts, tasks, and interlocutor have been identified and researched. However, there may be other possible important factors in interlanguage variation that remain unexplored or under-researched. Topic of discourse is one such factor. As Tarone (1988) states "the topic of communication... is one of the most under-researched areas in the study of interlanguage variation" and "the precise effects of topic upon variation have yet to be established" (p. 119).The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between discourse topics and second language learners' oral performance. In addition, this study is intended to investigate whether SLA processes such as language transfer occur differentially as claimed in the discourse domain hypothesis advanced by Selinker and Douglas (1985). Six Taiwanese graduate students participated in this study. Data were collected from the NS-NNS conversation and NNSs presentation. The data were audiotape recorded and then transcribed. The grammatical complexity, fluency and accuracy of subjects' speech production were analyzed. It was found that discourse topics have a great impact on the fluency of L2 learners' speech production.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hancock, Charles R.
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16.
Chi, Hyun Jung.
Development and Examination of a Model of Science Teacher Identity (STI).
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► In this study, a new conceptual model of Science Teacher Identity (STI)…
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▼ In this study, a new conceptual model of Science Teacher Identity (STI) was proposed and examined. The construct dimensions of science teacher identity were conceptualized; a newly developed instrument to measure the level of science teacher identity was tested for validity and reliability; and preliminary evidence in support of the STI model was gathered. For this study, a 48-item questionnaire was developed in Likert format to measure the nine postulated dimensions of the proposed STI model: science teachers' personal learning experience, having knowledge and skills, community practice, science teaching practice, degree of success, social respect, belief and value in science teaching, intrinsic satisfaction, and representation. To validate the construct validity of nine dimensions, the model of STI was quantitatively and qualitatively examined using a sample of 17 preservice science teachers who were completing a graduate level science teacher preparation program. Techniques used included administration of a questionnaire, interviews, and document analysis. To examine the underlying structural formation of the STI model, subscale score reliabilities and correlations of each dimension of the STI model to a variety of variables were analyzed using survey data from an instrument administered to 414 experienced science teachers. Results provided empirical evidence that the construct of science teacher identity can be explicitly modeled and reliably measured. Also, preliminary findings supported the construct validity of the STI model, with several hypothesized correlations implied by the model being documented, and the change in level of STI expected to be associated with professional development experiences being observed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Haury, David.
Subjects: Science education
Keywords: Science Teacher Identity; Teacher Identity; Teacher Education; Psychometrics
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17.
Choi, Seonghee.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Korean Middle Schools: Exploration of Communicative Language Teaching through Teachers' Beliefs and Self-Reported Classroom Teaching Practices.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 1999, Ohio State University
► In the field of foreign and second language education, communicative language teaching…
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▼ In the field of foreign and second language education, communicative language teaching has been regarded as one of the ideal teaching approaches by many researchers and practitioners for the past three decades. This study investigated the communicative language teaching in Korean middle school English classrooms as a foreign language from the teachers' perspectives.The purpose of this descriptive survey research was to explore Korean English teachers' beliefs about communicative language teaching (CLT) and their beliefs about the main objectives of English teaching as well as teachers' practices of CLT in classroom instruction. School and classroom English teaching environments in the Korean context were also described.The target population of this study was all middle school English teachers in Seoul, Korea. The questionnaires, consisting of a total of 80 items, were sent to 110 Korean EFL teachers selected randomly from the target population. The data of 97 valid responses were coded and analyzed, using descriptive and correlational statistics.The result of the study showed that Korean EFL teachers had positive beliefs about the concepts of communicative language teaching, but it was reported that there were some discrepancies between their beliefs about CLT and their practices of CLT in classroom instruction. The results showed that Korean English teachers supported the concepts of CLT such as (1) to develop communicative classroom environments that blend the language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, (2) to provide appropriate, meaningful and comprehensible input to learners, (3) to use motivational activities such as games and songs, (4) to use audio-visual materials in language classrooms, (5) to use learner-centered activities and (6) to teach grammar in a communicative way. However, they reported that their teaching practices in classroom instruction were still largely teacher-centered, teacher-dominated and drill-driven rather than learner-centered. In correlational analysis, teachers' travel experience in English-speaking countries was shown to have low positive relationship with their self-reported level of English proficiency, and teachers' self-reported level of English proficiency was shown to have a low positive relationship with their classroom teaching practices of CLT.Based on the findings of the study, some implications are presented for teacher development and the development of teaching methods in Korean English education.
Advisors/Committee Members: Samimy, Dr. Keiko K.
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18.
Chou, I-Chia.
Exploring International ESL Students’ On-Screen Reading Behaviors with Two Academic Reading Purposes.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► This study explored international ESL graduate students’ on-screen reading behaviors in academic…
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▼ This study explored international ESL graduate students’ on-screen reading behaviors in academic settings. Students’ on-screen reading preference, tendency, frequency and strategy were investigated and compared between two academic purposes: reading for course preparation and reading for writing papers. This study also examined possible factors affecting students’ on-screen reading behaviors, namely students’ perception of on-screen reading, computer familiarity and second language proficiency. The results showed that students had low preference and tendency toward reading academic texts on a computer screen. However, they spent more hours per week reading for academic purposes on a computer screen as comparing to reading for leisure purposes. They also were willing to read more pages on a computer screen for academic purposes than for leisure purposes. In addition, students reported using more general reading strategies when reading on a computer screen than technology-involved strategies. When comparing the students’ on-screen reading behaviors between the two purposes, the students did not differ in their preference and tendency toward on-screen reading. They, however, spent significantly longer hours on on-screen reading for writing papers than for course preparation. The students also were willing to read more pages on a computer screen for writing papers than for course preparation. In terms of strategy use, students reported using strategies more frequently when reading for writing papers than for course preparation. With regard to factors affecting students’ on-screen reading behaviors, students’ perceptions of on-screen reading had the strongest association with their on-screen reading behaviors.The second factor, students’ computer familiarity, did not seem to have a strong correlation with students’ on-screen reading behaviors. Finally, students’ second language proficiency seemed to weigh differently on their on-screen reading behaviors between the two reading purposes. Second language had a positive and significant correlation with their on-screen reading behaviors in the reading for writing papers condition, but not in reading for course preparation condition. The study also investigated students’ attitude toward reading for the two purposes. The students overall considered reading comprehension and understanding terminology as the most important values when reading for either academic purpose. However, using reading strategies and taking notes were reported as more important when reading for writing papers than for course preparation. Being able to share what they have read with others, on the other hand, was considered more important when reading for course preparation than for writing papers. Despite the different attitudes found between the two reading purposes, these differences did not seem to associate with the students’ on-screen reading behaviors. Understanding students’ on-screen reading behaviors and identifying factors affecting the behaviors may help educational practitioners better prepare international graduate students to read academic texts on a computer screen effectively. It is also important to remember that the findings of the current study need to be interpreted cautiously in consideration of the limitations of the study. Finally, this study suggested continuous research to examine students’ on-screen reading behaviors using different groups, contexts and research designs. Moreover, identifying other factors that may affect students’ on-screen reading is necessary for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hirvela, Dr. Alan R.
Subjects: Education; Language; Literacy; Technology
Keywords: on-screen reading, ESL, graduate students, English for Academic Purposes, reading behaviors, L2 reading
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19.
Clark, Allen Stanley.
The Crisis of Translation in the Western Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis of al-Qācida Communiqués.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► This dissertation takes into account the forces globalization exerts on international news…
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▼ This dissertation takes into account the forces globalization exerts on international news broadcasts primarily focusing on the invisible (Venuti, 1995), but vital role translation plays in enabling the global news process to take place (Orengo, 2005, p. 169). Particular attention is given to elucidating possible reasons behind translation distortion that occurs when language is transferred from source text to target text. Research for this dissertation revealed three primary causes of translation infidelity and are, therefore, explored, investigated, and analyzed in detail. First, significant evidence uncovered by Conway and Bassnett (2006, p. 5) incriminates two of the three major international news agencies for not offering any type of translator training for anyone on their staff. This fact alone calls into question translation competency and cultural sensitivity of international journalists, reporters, and editors. Second, the Western Materialism-Eastern Spiritualism ontological dichotomy, which has been explored by scholars (Huntington, 1993; Qutb, 1951) and novelists (Yaḥyā Ḥaqqī, Tawfiq al-Ḥakīm) seems to be causing a natural distortion of fidelity to take place when translating in the Arabic-English language pair; especially when religiously-charged Arabic terrorist communiqués are translated into mainstream western newspaper jargon. Substantial evidence is provided here to establish a causal relationship between this ontological gap and translator choices. Third, scholars from across disciplines (from Lippmann’s work in 1965 in the field of Political Science to Bassnett’s work in 2005 in the field of Translation Studies) have drawn the same conclusion: a journalist’s personal biases—a product of engrained ideologies learned through one’s society, educational system, and language—consciously and unconsciously influence their writing choices. Through Critical Discourse Analysis, English source text translations presented in this dissertation reveal the role and extent these three causes of translation infidelity impact international journalists’ translations in the English-Arabic language pair. This language pair was chosen due to linguistic misunderstandings that contributed to igniting the first two major wars of the 21st century—The War on Terror and The War in Iraq. Thus, a comparative analysis is made of translated communiqués from known terrorist organizations, such as al-Qācida, whose wording, content, and purport vary greatly between and among the major international press agencies. To enhance translation fidelity, an argument is made here for assessing journalist translators’ language proficiency using ACTFL reading and listening instruments and establishing a national education policy that requires journalism colleges to develop and implement a curriculum emphasizing experiential learning and real-world practical training in translation. Findings indicate that language maintenance programs should be established for practicing translator journalists in combination with periodic language proficiency examinations and the establishment of a new hiring policy that requires international news agencies to set language proficiency and cultural sensitivity standards for hiring practices.
Advisors/Committee Members: Samimy, Keiko.
Subjects: Education; Journalism; Language; Linguistics; Middle Eastern history; Middle Eastern literature; Political science
Keywords: translation; arabic; english; terrorism; alqaida; bin laden; news media; critical discourse analysis; middle east correspondent; BBC; AP; Guardian; Aljazeera
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21.
Colarossi, Alessia.
Exploring Cultural Competence: A Qualitative Study of the Role of Culture Emerging from Undergraduate Italian Language Programs in the Midwest of the United States.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► Despite the recognized importance of foreign language teaching and learning in current…
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▼ Despite the recognized importance of foreign language teaching and learning in current times, research is still lacking with respect to the understanding and transmission of foreign culture in undergraduate language programs at the college level. Furthermore, most of the research which has been conducted has been of a quantitative nature, and it has focused on linguistic aspects of learners of second or foreign languages in order to measure and better understand the mechanics of their learning and acquisition. This qualitative study was thus undertaken to draw attention to how foreign language programs, in this case Italian language programs, at the college level in the United States contribute to the understanding and diffusion of foreign cultures and how they comply with the national Foreign Language Standards (1999) with respect to the culturally oriented standards. Specifically, this study explored how three large Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level defined and operationalized the notion of cultural competence; what aspects of cultural competence the Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level emphasized; in what ways these programs attempted to teach culture and/or cultural competence, and to what extent, if any, the curricula of Italian programs were aligned with the Standards (1999) regarding culture and cultural competence. The study consisted of a singular-entity case analysis approach as well as cross-case analysis of three Italian undergraduate programs, and it included the following data collecting methods: questionnaire, interview, observations, departmental document analysis, such as syllabi, textbooks, and evaluation tools (i.e. quizzes, exams, and projects). One of the study’s major findings suggests that the national standards do not receive significant attention with respect to culture and cultural competence, and, if an attempt is made to align the curriculum with these standards, the implementation in the elementary classroom, especially of ‘perspectives’ and ‘practices’ (two important components of the standards), is limited. In addition, the overall analysis of the data suggests that there is a lack of clarity and understanding when it comes to the key notion of cultural competence. This qualitative study was the first investigation that attempted to measure the treatment of cultural competence across Italian undergraduate language programs (though the number of programs involved was limited). Instead of looking at just one program, this study sought to compare and contrast across programs in order to construct a more comprehensive picture of what takes place in the cultural domain. It is hoped that the exploration of the culturally-related situation found in the individual programs and across the three Italian programs investigated may provide useful data for future program assessment purposes and for documenting the status of culture and cultural competence since the publication of the standards in 1999. To summarize, this study was designed and intended to benefit a number of stakeholders: a) educational law makers; b) institutions providing foreign language courses; c) educators and governmental institutions involved with and studying the impact of the national standards for foreign language learning; d) pre-and in-service teacher education programs; e) learners of Italian. To one degree or another, its findings offer valuable input for each of those groups. In addition, due to its transferability, it may provide useful information for programs teaching other foreign languages.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hirvela, Alan.
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23.
Cordi, Kevin Dean.
Using Stories and Drama to Improve My Teaching: A Professional Storyteller “Bends Back” to Look Forward.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► Employing autoethnography as methodology, this study details the promise and problems from…
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▼ Employing autoethnography as methodology, this study details the promise and problems from my fourteen years as a classroom teacher and nine years as a storytelling teacher at the secondary level. It juxtaposes these experiences using the storytelling and storymaking processes found in process drama and dramatic inquiry. With dramatic inquiry, it examines how story is used to sustain the inquiry of students as they engage in the fictional world not as passive listeners, but as active agents or co-constructors of drama worlds (O’Neill, 1995). This is a critical study of how my identity as a professional storyteller and storytelling teacher has changed as a result of studying and teaching using pedagogies known as process drama (Heathcote, 1984; O’Neill, 1982) and dramatic inquiry (Edmiston, 2009). These methods of teaching employ improvisation and teacher-in-role (Heathcote, 1984) to co-construct and imagine in a drama world (O’Neill, 1995). As a storyteller, I have viewed storytelling within a limited “organized storytelling” (Stone, 1999) context with fixed rules and set descriptions of the essential story elements including tale, teller, and audience (listener). This study challenges these traditional assumptions of how story has been used in storytelling introducing other contexts, namely dramatic contexts, for classroom learning. It also questions how and why organized storytelling privileges the told story when story is used for classroom learning and explores how storymaking can be included in performed stories. It shows through autoethnography and thick description my transition from storytelling teacher to one who purposefully incorporates more – namely storymaking in my classes, process drama and dramatic inquiry. In addition to performance storytelling, this work values storymaking (King, 1993) and a different form of performance (Peterson & Langellier, 2004) found in “everyday narratives.” Applying these everyday narratives to classroom contexts when students are using process drama or dramatic inquiry, the teacher narratives are changed. This study examines how teachers can use the five dimensions of narrative as outlined by (Ochs & Capps, 2001) to improve their instruction. It details how improvisation (Heathcote, 1984) and facilitation by the teacher (and students) can expand the learning that comes from using narratives. Most of all, this work uses writing and telling stories to improve my teaching practice. Honest and situational examples in the form of scenarios and narratives highlight and emphasize my teaching. It is about the personal change in my teaching; it is about how I am identified and how I identify myself when using stories.
Advisors/Committee Members: Edmiston, Brian.
Subjects: Communication; Education; Educational evaluation; Educational sociology; Educational theory; Elementary education; Folklore; Higher education; Language arts; Literacy; Multicultural education; Reading instruction; Rhetoric; Secondary education; Teacher education; Teachi
Keywords: storytelling; story-making; improvisation; process drama; narrative; teaching; inquiry; identity; story-telling; faciliator
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24.
Costner, Beth Greene.
The effects on student achievement and attitudes of incorporating a computer algerbra system into a remedial college mathematics course.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2002, Ohio State University
► The current study examined the effects of using a computer algebra system…
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▼ The current study examined the effects of using a computer algebra system (CAS) and graphing utility on the achievement and attitudes of students in remedial college mathematics. The participants were enrolled in night sections of a basic algebra course and were identified for remedial work by a placement examination. Students came from various mathematical backgrounds, but all had experienced a cycle of mathematical failure that needed to be broken.Both adult learning theory and social constructivist theory informed the design of the research and influenced the instruction. The use of technology was designed to further support and better facilitate success for all students in the treatment sections. A CAS offered students a fresh look at mathematics previously studied, facilitated an inductive approach to content, and provided immediate feedback for the students. The CAS use was primarily focused on the rules of exponents, solving linear equations in one variable, and graphing linear equations in two variables. However, the Texas Instruments' TI-92s were available at all times in the classroom for treatment students, except during assessments.The effect of CAS on achievement was examined by comparing scores from the three researcher-developed tests and the departmental Final Examination. These assessments focused primarily on pencil-and-paper procedures and were designed to reflect the curricular goals of the department. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare the means of the treatment (n=25) and control (n=25) groups on each assessment and CAS-specific questions. Multiple regression analysis was used to factor in the effect of gender and age on both the Final Examination and CAS-specific questions. No statistically significant difference in achievement was found on the assessments.Affective factors were examined quantitatively using a Likert-type instrument. Paired sample t-tests were conducted in order to identify significant changes in attitudes, and multiple regression analysis was employed to determine whether gender or age were significant factors in attitude results. The end-of-term questionnaire and classroom observations provided qualitative data for investigation of the affective domain. Significant difference in attitudes was found and themes indicating differences in classroom culture emerged.
Advisors/Committee Members: Wagner, Sigrid.
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26.
Dantas, Maria Luiza.
Negotiatin opportunities for literacy teaching and learning across contexts and over time in a first grade classroom.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 1999, Ohio State University
► This is a yearlong ethnographic study examining the nature of literacy learning…
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▼ This is a yearlong ethnographic study examining the nature of literacy learning and teaching in a first grade classroom, and involving a collaborative relationship between a researcher and a classroom teacher. This study builds on the premises of a sociocultural perspective by taking a comprehensive look across contexts, situating opportunities for literacy learning and teaching in the classroom context as co-constructed and from the perspectives of classroom members, and in layers of context outside the classroom, including the school, district (and state standards), and family and community. It further builds on a “situated perspective” on the nature of classroom life and literacy practices by tracing major aspects of life in a first grade classroom across contexts and over time. Four “tracer units” are used as analytical tools and interpretive elements: (1) assessment practices; (2) a piece of the classroom's literacy curriculum called “songs and poems;” (3) a planned literacy event over time called “shared reading;” and (4) the story of the literacy learning of one student named Derek. As “snap shots” taken in the flow of classroom life, these tracer units illuminate the nature of the tracers themselves and the system or stream of classroom life in which they are embedded. They display three consistent themes: (a) the multi-layered nature of contexts in which literacy learning and teaching is embedded and situated; (b) the interdependence of layers of context; and (c) the negotiated, co-constructed and situated nature of classroom literacy learning and teaching. This study shows the impact that multiple layers of context have on classroom literacy practices over time, and demonstrates how the co-constructed and situated nature of literacy teaching and learning influence teacher decision making, classroom literacy practices and curriculum, and student learning. Thus, it shows that to understand the nature of literacy learning and teaching it is necessary to examine it as situated and constituted across contexts and over time.This study illuminates and provides insights into the central role and power of teachers as decision makers in the process of curriculum development. It reveals that artful teaching involves orchestrating the flow of classroom life by taking into account and negotiating possibilities, conflicting expectations and the varied elements that make up daily school and classroom life. Similarly, this study shows that both literacy teaching and learning processes involve active decision making and negotiation of possibilities, expectations and images of a reader and writer, and situated constraints and tensions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kantor, Rebecca.
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27.
Darling, Kami E.
Progressive Inclusion: An Ethnographic case study. The daily life of a progressive and inclusive classroom.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► The present ethnographic study is designed to examine an inclusive classroom culture…
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▼ The present ethnographic study is designed to examine an inclusive classroom culture when the pedagogy is progressive. It takes a comprehensive look at daily events within the classroom, following four tracer children who reflect a wide range of abilities, through the rituals of teaching and learning within this classroom. The researcher acted as a participant observer using multiple methods of data collection for viewing the teaching practice, the co-construction of knowledge, the collaboration between educators and the experiences of the children. This study reveals that the progressive pedagogy is able to create an e/affective teaching and learning context for children with diverse abilities, which otherwise may be referred to as an “inclusive classroom.” The data yielded that progressive pedagogy builds an authentic, all inclusive community. When the pedagogy is progressive, a separate, articulated approach for children with disabilities who are included in the inclusive classroom may not be needed. This ethnography illuminates that socially constructed projects within the progressive practice are a teaching and learning context for all and diverse students, and progressive pedagogy offers an “invisible” layer of support for children of diverse abilities including those with identified disabilities. Additionally, intervention methods used in this classroom were explored from the progressive lens finding that views on pull-out intervention by the children, a practice that contradicts progressive ideals, differs based on community membership.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kantor, Rebecca.
Subjects: Education
Keywords: inclusion; progressive education; early childhood inclusion; collaboration; community; co-teaching; pedagogy; educational practice; Dewey; progressive inclusion
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29.
Douglass, Lisa.
The Intersection of Middle-Grade Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding Mathematics and Adolescents.
Degree: PhD, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus), 2009, Ohio State University
► The aim of this study was to gain an enhanced understanding of…
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▼ The aim of this study was to gain an enhanced understanding of middle-grade teachers’ beliefs about adolescents and teaching mathematics. The participants were three veteran middle-grade teachers in different school districts who were purposively selected by the researcher. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, observations of local contexts, and written responses from the participants. In the data analysis phase, an interpretive approach was used. From the data analysis, four themes emerged: 1) Teachers’ expressed beliefs about adolescents’ mathematical learning are not necessarily borne out in their pedagogical practice; 2) Confronting their own folk beliefs about adolescents’ mathematical learning allows teachers to consider alternatives to those beliefs, and can influence their teaching practice. In the absence of this confrontation or without impetus for change, teachers will be more likely to abandon thoughts of changing their pedagogical practice; 3) Teachers have firmly embedded traditional beliefs about mathematics instruction, although they may co-exist with student-centered views; and 4) Teachers recognize adolescents’ individual differences and needs but do not necessarily act upon those differences and needs in their instruction. The findings from this study have implications for middle-grade teacher education and teacher beliefs literature. The study suggests the need for further research on teacher beliefs about adolescents influencing teaching practice.
Advisors/Committee Members: Woolfolk Hoy, Anita.
Subjects: Mathematics education
Keywords: Adolescents, Middle-School Mathematics, Teacher Beliefs
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