Research and pupil voice

"There are many reasons for involving children and young people in the process of research (Kirby, Lanyon, Kronin, & Sinclairl,2003). We may for example believe that the research will be better or more meaningful,and have greater validity in revealing children’s views and experiences. Additionally we may believe in the importance of democratic participation, and that children should contribute to the decision-making process in the development of aspects of their lives that particularly concern them. We may also as educators recognize that contributing to the research process provides an important vehicle for personal development. There is therefore a growing body of interest in developing research that might be described as participatory,whether this involves ensuring that the voices of all children are included, extends to the active engagement of children in the research process, or (as in emancipatory research traditions) involves children explicitly leading the research process.

Integration of conceptual mathematical relationships into constant time delay instruction

There is constant debate over mathematics education in the United States. One central controversy is whether or not the current methods used to teach students mathematics are effective. Some scholars believe that students are not getting enough practice and that they are not getting a good conceptual understanding of mathematics. It has been shown that mathematics equations are rich in patterns and inter-relationships and when children understand these relationships they have higher mathematic skill levels than their peers who do not. This study examined the effectiveness of using an empirically supported, fast paced mastery oriented teaching procedure that promotes automaticity and fluency while also addressing a conceptual understanding of mathematics. Participants were general education students in the first grade referred for mathematics assistance. In Experiment one, a constant time delay procedure was used to teach the students a set number of single digit addition and subtraction facts with integrated mathematical relationships. In Experiment two, constant time delay was used again to teach the participants 18 single digit addition problems. Effectiveness and efficiency of teaching conditions were evaluated. The results of experiment one are inconclusive with only one participant being able to continue through the whole experiment and little change in her data. However, experiment two demonstrated that the children were able to learn simple addition facts using a constant time delay procedure

The Effects of Being Placed in Special Education Classes Versus General Education Classes and Teacher Certification on Students\u27 High-Stakes Testing Scores

The introduction of new laws such as the amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1997) and the No Child Left Behind Act have changed education for special education students in the United States. Students with disabilities are now more frequently being held to the same standards as those students without disabilities. These federal laws are designed to help close the achievement gap among all students regardless of race, gender, poverty, or disability status. Special education students are now required to participate in statewide high-stakes testing programs alongside their nondisabled peers. Another movement involves including students with disabilities in the general education classroom for their instruction rather than being segregated. This movement corresponds with the “least restrictive environment” that has been a part of IDEA since its inception, but whose implementation in practice has not been consistent. Research has provided evidence for the social benefits of inclusion, but little evidence exists for the academic benefits. Special education students may benefit academically from being included in the general education classroom, but variables that affect their performance need to be investigated. Evidence exists for the positive effects of certain teacher qualifications with nondisabled students, but again, little research has looked at these effects with disabled students. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the affect on disabled students’ high-stakes test performance when they are included in the general education classroom. Also, it examined certain teacher qualifications that may affect special education students’ high-stakes test scores. A value-added model was used to examine these variables

An Investigation of Wild Bee Diversity and Abundance in Plots Managed by \u3ci\u3eThe Nature Conservancy\u3c/i\u3e in South-Central Nebraska and of Beneficial Arthropods Associated with Native Nebraska Flora

Insect pollination is an essential ecosystem service, and bees are the principal pollinators of wild and cultivated plants. Habitat management and enhancement are a proven way to encourage wild bee populations, providing them with food and nesting resources. I examined bee diversity and abundance in plots managed by The Nature Conservancy near Wood River, NE. The plots were seeded with 2 seed mixes at 2 seeding rates: high diversity mix at the recommended rate, high diversity mix double the recommended rate, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation planting (CP) 25 mix at one-half the recommended rate, and NRCS CP25 mix at the recommended rate. I measured wild bee abundance and diversity, and established a database of wild bees associated with the plots. I also compared genus richness and abundance among the plots using and aerial net and blue vane traps to collect bees. Significant differences were not observed in genus richness and diversity among the plots; however, plot size and the ability of blue vane traps to draw bees from a long distance may have influenced my results. In 2008, 15 genera and 95 individual bees were collected using an aerial net and in 2009, 32 genera and 6,103 individual bees were collected using blue vane traps. I also studied the beneficial insects associated with native Nebraska flora. Seventeen species of native, perennial flora were established in 3 separate plots located in eastern Nebraska. I transplanted four plants of each species in randomized 0.61 m x 0.61 m squares of a 3.05 m x 9.14 m plot. Arthropods were sampled using a modified leaf blower/vacuum. Insects and other arthropods were identified to family and organized into groups of predators, parasites, pollinators, herbivores, and miscellaneous. Associations between plant species and families of beneficial arthropods (predators, parasites, and pollinators) were made. Pycnanthemum flexuosum Walter attracted significantly more beneficial arthropod families than 7 other species of plants tested. Dalea purpurea Vent and Liatris punctata Hook also attracted significantly fewer beneficial arthropod families than 4 other species of plants tested. In total, 31 predator, 11 parasitic, 4 pollinator, 31 herbivore, and 10 miscellaneous families of arthropods were recorded

Dance/Movement Therapy and Autism: A Case Study

This thesis explores the development of the therapeutic relationship with a child with autism through dance/movement therapy. The characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder effect social interactions, communication, behavior and interests. This means there is difficulty engaging and maintaining reciprocal social interactions, and trouble with receptive and expressive language. The purpose of this study is to describe how movement mirroring in dance/movement therapy affects the development of the therapeutic relationship with a child with autism, through the analysis of the Ways of Seeing approach. The data collected in this clinical case study consisted of video tapped sessions and Laban Movement Analysis transcriptions of the sessions. The child participated in five dance/movement therapy sessions over five consecutive days. A relationship was created that produced growth for both the child and the dance/movement therapy researcher. This development was described through The Ways of Seeing Technique and Method. The findings are told through a narrative of the sessions through the eyes of the researcher

An Investigation of Wild Bee Diversity and Abundance in Plots Managed by \u3ci\u3eThe Nature Conservancy\u3c/i\u3e in South-Central Nebraska and of Beneficial Arthropods Associated with Native Nebraska Flora

Insect pollination is an essential ecosystem service, and bees are the principal pollinators of wild and cultivated plants. Habitat management and enhancement are a proven way to encourage wild bee populations, providing them with food and nesting resources. I examined bee diversity and abundance in plots managed by The Nature Conservancy near Wood River, NE. The plots were seeded with 2 seed mixes at 2 seeding rates: high diversity mix at the recommended rate, high diversity mix double the recommended rate, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation planting (CP) 25 mix at one-half the recommended rate, and NRCS CP25 mix at the recommended rate. I measured wild bee abundance and diversity, and established a database of wild bees associated with the plots. I also compared genus richness and abundance among the plots using and aerial net and blue vane traps to collect bees. Significant differences were not observed in genus richness and diversity among the plots; however, plot size and the ability of blue vane traps to draw bees from a long distance may have influenced my results. In 2008, 15 genera and 95 individual bees were collected using an aerial net and in 2009, 32 genera and 6,103 individual bees were collected using blue vane traps. I also studied the beneficial insects associated with native Nebraska flora. Seventeen species of native, perennial flora were established in 3 separate plots located in eastern Nebraska. I transplanted four plants of each species in randomized 0.61 m x 0.61 m squares of a 3.05 m x 9.14 m plot. Arthropods were sampled using a modified leaf blower/vacuum. Insects and other arthropods were identified to family and organized into groups of predators, parasites, pollinators, herbivores, and miscellaneous. Associations between plant species and families of beneficial arthropods (predators, parasites, and pollinators) were made. Pycnanthemum flexuosum Walter attracted significantly more beneficial arthropod families than 7 other species of plants tested. Dalea purpurea Vent and Liatris punctata Hook also attracted significantly fewer beneficial arthropod families than 4 other species of plants tested. In total, 31 predator, 11 parasitic, 4 pollinator, 31 herbivore, and 10 miscellaneous families of arthropods were recorded

Douglass High School: Students\u27 Perspectives on Attending a Segregated School

Douglass High School (DHS), named for the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, was a segregated high school built in 1924 located in Huntington, West Virginia. For thirty-seven years the three-story brick building served as a major academic, social, and cultural resource for African American families in Huntington. Many students considered the school to be the heart of the black community, even given the challenges of segregated schools of the era. This study traces the historical development of Douglass as a segregated African American junior/senior high school in Cabell County, West Virginia. The research focuses on the experience of DHS alumni to gain a better understanding of this historical moment in US education, specifically in regards to quality of education, sense of community within the school, and the role of teachers and administrative leadership

School Climate and Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Principals\u27 Uses of Power Strategies

The purpose of this study was to identify the power strategies used by elementary principals in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. It also examined the relationships between the power strategies used by those principals and the organizational climates of their schools. Schools\u27 climates and principals\u27 power strategies were measured based on teachers\u27 perceptions. The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire was used to measure the schools\u27 climate profiles, openness scores, and mean scores of the eight dimensions of school climate. The Perception of Principal Power Tactics Survey was used to measure teachers\u27 perceptions of principals\u27 uses of power strategies. Three hundred one teachers in fifty schools participated in the study. Teachers who participated had taught in their schools for two or more years under the supervision of the same full-time principal. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance, Pearson product-moment correlations, and t-tests. The principals were perceived to use a combination of power strategies, but were not perceived to use all power strategies equally. Rationality was the most frequently used power strategy followed by Ingratiation, Upward Appeal, Coalitions, Exchange, Assertiveness, and Sanctions. There were significant differences between principals\u27 use of Rationality, Ingratiation, Assertiveness, and Sanctions and the school climate profiles. The pattern with which principals used these power strategies appeared to affect teachers\u27 perceptions of the schools\u27 climates. The more open teachers perceived schools\u27 organizational climates the more teachers perceived principals to use Rationality, Ingratiation, Coalitions, and Exchange. The more closed teachers perceived the schools\u27 climates the more often teachers perceived principals to use Assertiveness and Sanctions. Principals\u27 use of Rationality was related to the teacher behaviors Disengagement and Esprit. Principals\u27 use of Assertiveness and Sanctions was related to teachers\u27 Hindrance behaviors. Principals\u27 use of Exchange was related to the Intimacy felt among teachers. Teachers\u27 perceptions of principals\u27 behaviors were apparently based on perceptions of the principals\u27 attempts at influencing teachers. Principals\u27 Thrust and Consideration behaviors were related to perceptions of principals\u27 use of Rationality, Ingratiation, Coalitions, Exchange, Assertiveness, and Sanctions. Principals\u27 Aloofness and Production Emphasis behaviors were related to their use of Upward Appeal, Assertiveness, and Sanctions