Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

Students with learning disabilities (LD) often struggle with a variety of literacy skills including reading comprehension. Fortunately, students with LD can learn strategies to help them better comprehend what they read. Self-questioning is one reading comprehension strategy that has been validated to be effective for students across a range of age and ability levels. To use the self-questioning strategy, students stop periodically while reading a passage, generate a question about what they read, and then answer that question before continuing to the next paragraph. This study examined the effects of teaching a self-questioning strategy to three sixth graders with learning disabilities. Specifically, a multiple baseline across participants design demonstrated that self-questioning was functionally related to improved reading comprehension quiz scores. Additionally, all participants demonstrated generalization of the strategy to a different content area. This thesis also presents limitations of this study, directions for future research, and implications for practitioners.

Committee: Moira Konrad (Committee Chair); Sheila Morgan (Advisor) Subjects: Special Education

MAE, Otterbein University, 2023, Education

The curriculum presented is for struggling high school readers so that they can use mastery experiences with two high yield reading strategies – self-questioning and summarizing – to improve their reading comprehension, which will build self-efficacy and help them to develop a growth mindset. The question that drove this research is what is the best way to meet the academic needs of a diverse student population in a remedial reading class in a way that helps them to build their literacy toolbox and develop a respect for and maybe even a love of lifelong learning? The curriculum is built upon current research of the Active View of Reading Model in conjunction with best practices in reading comprehension strategies and tools to build self-efficacy and a growth mindset. The unit plan outlines how to use a variety of graphic organizers to help students organize and comprehend short stories, videos, novels, textbooks, and non-fiction resources that can be found in an Environmental Science classroom as well as ways to utilize self-questioning and summarizing to increase students' comprehension. It also incorporates Fisher and Frey's Gradual Release Model and collaborative conversations to help students increase self-efficacy.

Committee: Dee Knoblauch (Advisor); Allison McGrath (Committee Member); Carrie Scheckelhoff (Committee Member) Subjects: Reading Instruction; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Educational Studies

The ability to construct a cohesive and coherent mental representation of a word problem, along with advanced reading comprehension skills, constitutes pivotal factors in effectively solving mathematical word problems. Proficient problem solvers adeptly employ a problem-model strategy, whereby they skillfully translate the problem into a nuanced qualitative mental representation of the problem situation. In contrast, less successful problem solvers tend to adopt a simplistic and superficial direct translation strategy. Furthermore, advanced reading comprehension skills play a crucial role in adeptly navigating the complex semantic-linguistic characteristics of word problems, including the intricate sequencing of known elements, the explicitness of semantic relations, and the relevance of information embedded in the text. Consequently, this empirical study sought to investigate the impact of a self-questioning strategy on the comprehension of additive problems among four elementary school students, who were systematically trained to pose experimenter-generated questions in order to discern the semantic relations among the quantities presented in the problems. The findings of this study revealed a marked enhancement in the students' abilities to discern and interpret the semantic relations among the quantities in the problems, and to proficiently transfer the self-questioning strategy to comprehend two-step additive problems.

Committee: Sheila Alber-Morgan (Advisor); Leah Herner-Patnode (Committee Member); Laurice Joseph (Committee Member); Moira Konrad (Committee Member) Subjects: Mathematics Education; Reading Instruction; Special Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education)

Quantitative reasoning is an individual's ability to understand quantitative information in context, represent and model such information in various forms, solve real-world problems using mathematical and statistical knowledge, and communicate ideas using quantitative arguments. Quantitative Reasoning (QR) courses are increasingly popular as gateway mathematics for students whose majors lie outside science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Professional organizations and policy documents recommend incorporating innovative assessment approaches in QR courses, including continuous and formative assessment. However, many QR instructors are unsure about what types of assessments to use and how to implement such assessments to evaluate and support student learning. Moreover, previous studies, including my pilot research, have found that many QR instructors use traditional, summative assessments. In this dissertation study, I explored instructors' intentions, behaviors, and reflections on formative assessment, aiming to answer two sets of research questions: (a) What kinds of assessments do QR instructors use? To what extent do the instructors use their assessments as stated in their course syllabus? (b) How do QR instructors implement their assessments to support student learning? In particular, how do instructors implement questioning, feedback, and peer- and self-assessment? What are their related perceptions and experiences? To examine these questions, I employed a collective case study design, recruiting 8 instructors from eight public postsecondary institutions in Ohio that offered Ohio Transfer 36–approved QR courses. The data sources included the instructors' course documents, semistructured interviews of the instructors, and observations of their teaching. I used six Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) rubrics for the class observations. I conducted individual and cross-case analyses to compare and contrast the instructors' perceptions and practice (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gregory Foley (Committee Chair); Allyson Hallman-Thrasher (Committee Member); Mathew Felton-Koestler (Committee Member); Gordon Brooks (Committee Member) Subjects: Literacy; Mathematics; Mathematics Education

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2019, Educational Studies

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the self-questioning with visual prompt fading on the reading comprehension of fifth graders who struggle with reading comprehension. A multiple-probe experimental design across four English Language Learners (ELLs) was used to evaluate the effects of self-questioning on the ability of participants to answer comprehension questions. The study took place in an urban charter school located in the Midwest. The participants were trained to generate and answer questions while reading an expository passage, followed by a multiple-choice comprehension quiz. The results indicate that the participants successfully maintained the self-questioning skills two weeks following intervention. The study findings are consistent with previous findings demonstrating the effects of the self-questioning intervention on struggling readers.

Committee: Sheila R. Alber-Morgan (Advisor); Helen Cannella-Malone (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; English As A Second Language; Reading Instruction

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1985, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1974, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1971, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Educational Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of embedding and fading self-questioning prompts strategies on the reading comprehension of third graders who are at risk for academic failure due to reading comprehension difficulties. The researcher used a single-subject multiple probe experimental design across participants. Participants were third graders from a large Midwest urban school district, who were at risk of academic failure. Six participants' reading comprehension of science expository text were measured through researcher-generated quizzes and standardized pre and posttests. Visual analysis was used to examine the effects of self-questioning strategies with prompt fading. This study's supports results previous research indicating that explicit instruction of comprehension strategies, such as self-questioning, can improve learners' comprehension skills. Prompt-fading techniques were used with self-questioning strategies to promote participants' autonomy.

Committee: Ralph Gardner III Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Samuel Hodge Ph.D. (Committee Member); Laurice Joseph Ph. D. (Committee Member); Sheila Morgan Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Literacy; Reading Instruction; Special Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Educational Studies

Students who are at-risk for reading require extra support with instruction and learning and have a greater chance of academic failure in the future. Thus, students who struggle with reading and the comprehension of text have limited background knowledge, lack the skills to connect with the text, and do not know how to read with a purpose. This study addressed these deficits through the use of a self-questioning strategy to increase comprehension performance. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of student-generated self-questions on expository reading comprehension of fourth grade at-risk learners. The generalization of comprehension skills was also assessed.

Committee: Sheila Alber-Morgan Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Reading Instruction; Special Education

MEd, University of Cincinnati, 2002, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

This study analyzes the relationship between an eighth grade teacher's questioning techniques between two classes of differing mathematical achievement. One class was an algebra class and the other a pre-algebra class. An observation instrument was created and used to evaluate eight characteristics of each question asked by the teacher. This instrument was used during two months of observations in both classes. When the results were compiled and analyzed, discrepancies were discovered in some of the question's characteristics. The findings imply that subconscious differences in teaching style might exist when dealing with middle school students on different mathematics tracks.

Committee: Dr. Janet Bobango (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2012, Psychology

In Cognitive Therapy (CT), therapists work to help patients develop a specific set of skills to cope with negative emotions. While mastery and use of these skills has been related to reduced risk for relapse, current methods of assessing patients' mastery of these skills are cumbersome and would present substantial difficulties for clinical use. In this study, we sought to examine the validity of a brief and easily scored measure of CT skills and investigated if therapist techniques might be a more robust predictor of symptom reduction in early sessions for patients who possess greater pre-treatment skills. In a sample of 65 depressed patients participating in CT, we pilot test the new Patient Competencies Scale (PCS)—with one version to be completed by patients and a second version by therapists. The PCS correlated with intake and post treatment ratings on related measures of skills and depression severity as well as change in these assessments over the course of treatment. Client rated skill acquisition predicted reductions in depressive symptoms over the course of therapy even when including scores from the Ways of Responding questionnaire as a covariate. Neither patient nor therapist versions of the PCS was found to be predictive of risk of relapse in the year following acute treatment. We compare the PCS to previous self-report measures and recommend the development of a clinical interview to assess patient competencies. Furthermore, because therapists' use of Socratic questioning has been posited to foster patients' independent usage of these skills, we examine whether therapists' use of these techniques interacted with patients' baseline skills in predicting early symptom change. We report on an interaction between baseline skills and Socratic questioning in predicting early symptom change. For patients with higher baseline skills, Socratic questioning was particularly strongly related to early session-to-session symptom improvements.

Committee: Daniel Strunk PhD (Advisor); Jennifer Cheavens PhD (Committee Chair); Jennifer Crocker PhD (Committee Chair) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Therapy

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2010, Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency use of cooperative learning techniques by students enrolled in a university, methods of teaching in non-formal environments course. In addition, the researcher sought to describe student cognitive processing capability when answering higher or lower cognitive level questions during a ten-week university course. Students (N=14) enrolled in a ten-week university, methods of teaching in non-formal environments, course were the convenient population for the study. The researchers randomly assigned each student into one of two groups prior to the first class session; the groups were labeled lower cognitive and higher cognitive. Each group received a closing reflection at the end of each class session. A bonus question was added to each closing reflection; the lower cognitive group received a closing reflection with a lower cognitive level bonus question, while the higher cognitive group received a higher cognitive level bonus question. The researchers also demonstrated the use of cooperative learning techniques in three lectures during the course. Four instruments were used to describe student use of cooperative learning techniques, and student cognitive processing capabilities on the assignments. Results were that five of the students used cooperative learning techniques in their microteaching lessons, using a total of three techniques (timed-pair share, jot-thoughts, and window-paning), 12 times throughout their lessons. The majority (n=4) of the students who implemented cooperative learning techniques scored in the top 50% on the cognitively weighted final examination. Student answers in the lower cognitive group were assessed as right or wrong; on average, students answered ten questions correctly, three questions wrong, and had one missing closing reflection. The higher cognitive questions were assessed using a critical thinking rubric. None of the students scored higher than the lowest level of critical thi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: M. Susie Whittington (Advisor); Larry Miller (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Education; Curricula; Education; Higher Education; Secondary Education; Teacher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus)

Formative assessment involves the probing of students' ideas to determine their level of understanding during the instructional sequence. Often conceptualized as a cycle, formative assessment consists of the teacher posing an instructional task to students, collecting data about student understanding, and engaging in follow-up strategies such as clarifying student understanding and adjusting instruction to meet learning needs. Despite having been shown to increase student achievement in a variety of classroom settings, formative assessment remains a relative weak area of teacher practice. Methods that enhance formative assessment strategies may therefore have a positive effect on student achievement. Audience response systems comprise a broad category of technologies that support richer classroom interaction and have the potential to facilitate formative assessment. Results from a large national research study, Classroom Connectivity in Promoting Mathematics and Science Achievement (CCMS), show that students in algebra classrooms where the teacher has implemented a type of audience response system experience significantly higher achievement gains compared to a control group. This suggests a role for audience response systems in promoting rich formative assessment. The importance of incorporating formative assessment strategies into regular classroom practice is widely recognized. However, it remains challenging to identify whether rich formative assessment is occurring during a particular class session. This dissertation uses teacher interviews and classroom observations to develop a fine-grained model of formative assessment in secondary science classrooms employing a type of audience response system. This model can be used by researchers and practitioners to characterize components of formative assessment practice in classrooms. A major component of formative assessment practice is the collection and aggregation of evidence of student learning. This dissertation p (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Irving PhD (Advisor); Douglas Owens EdD (Committee Member); Ross Nehm PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Science Education; Secondary Education; Teaching

PHD, Kent State University, 2011, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of integrating instructional strategies during problem-based learning (PBL) on student learning. A quasi-experimental 2 by 2 factorial design with an appended control was used to examine the effects of traditional teacher-led instruction compared to problem-based learning instruction with the interactions of cooperative learning methods—Jigsaw and traditional small group—and teacher question strategies—Socratic and didactic—on grade 5 student problem-solving skills, achievement, and attitude toward science. The sample consisted of grade 5 rural middle school students in an Ohio public school district. Six teachers were randomly assigned to the appended control group consisting of a teacher-led lecture-based environment or an experimental group consisting of a PBL environment with modified instructional strategies. Each experimental PBL group consisted of one of the following: traditional small group with didactic teacher questioning, traditional small group with Socratic teacher questioning, Jigsaw cooperative learning with didactic teacher questioning, and Jigsaw cooperative learning with Socratic teacher questioning. Results of the study support the use of PBL to improve student achievement. Students achieve at higher levels in science when compared to traditional teacher-led lecture instruction. The Socratic questioning groups had significantly higher achievement scores compared to the didactic questioning groups. The 2 PBL groups that used Jigsaw had a significantly more positive attitude towards science than the traditional small groups. There were no significant differences in problem solving between the groups. To assist in higher achievement and more positive attitudes when implementing PBL, the results of this study support the integration of Jigsaw cooperative learning method and Socratic questioning.

Committee: David Dalton PhD (Advisor); Christopher Was PhD (Committee Member); Averil McClelland PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Psychology; Elementary Education; Pedagogy; Science Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2012, Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

Psychological constructs are sensitive when they are threatening, have socially acceptable answers, and have different psychological costs associated with disclosure. Among the challenges researchers face when studying sensitive constructs are intentional response distortions by respondents to self-report measures of these constructs. Intentional response distortions are conscious efforts to misreport in a socially acceptable way to be seen more positively. Respondents may overreport their standing on desirable constructs or underreport their standing on undesirable constructs to come across more positively. This tendency towards misreporting makes the validity of the scores of self-report measures of sensitive constructs questionable. Although researchers have proposed many methods to address this challenge of deliberate distortions, a thorough comparison of these methods is missing in the literature. After reviewing seven of these methods, noting their strengths and limitations, a subset of them were compared. Specifically, utilizing a measure of counterproductive workplace behaviors, an experimental investigation of four different methods (i.e., conventional anonymity, counterbiasing, indirect questioning, implicit goal priming) was conducted to determine which method is most effective by addressing two research questions. In the first question, mean reporting of counterproductive behaviors from a 2 (honesty, neutral prime) X 3 (anonymity, counterbiasing, indirect questioning) factorial design was investigated to determine which method resulted in the highest reported mean frequency of counterproductive behaviors. Results showed that the indirect questioning method resulted in the highest mean reporting-the other methods did not differ from each other. To corroborate these results, the triangulation approach to establishing null results was used in question two to determine if the estimates from the self-report conditions corresponded to a point estimate determin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Milton D. Hakel PhD (Advisor); Scott E. Highhouse PhD (Committee Member); Dale S. Klopfer PhD (Committee Member); Jane V. Wheeler PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology