Browsing by Subject "Middle school students"
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Item The Effect of High Intensity Physical Education Instruction on the Cardio-Respiratory Fitness of Middle School Students(2010-07) Kelley, David; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study was to examine the effect of intensified physical education instruction on the cardio-respiratory fitness of middle school students. This study occurred over an eight week period and utilized a pre-test/post-test design. All participants in the study received daily physical education. The treatment group received intensified physical education instruction over the course of a thirty day intervention period. During the intensified physical education instruction, students were engaged in activities designed to elicit a heart rate intensity level within a personal target heart rate zone for ten minutes. The control group received normal physical education instruction during the same time period. Attainment of target heart rate zone was assessed and recorded through a series of self-reported pulse checks using heart rate monitor watches. Cardio-respiratory fitness was measured pre and post-intervention using the FitnessGram PACER test. The results of the study revealed that there was no statistically significant increase in the average PACER score of the treatment group. However, a small increase was noted by the researcher, prompting the recommendation for additional research over a longer period of time to continue the evaluation of intensified physical education instruction as a method to increase the cardio-respiratory fitness of middle school students.Item Motivation, Achievement, and Middle School Boys(2009-07) Henry, Blake; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study was to determine whether alternate teaching strategies helped to improve motivation and achievement in 7th grade boys. The study used a quasi experimental pretest/posttest design to determine and compare the effects on motivation and achievement produced by three teaching strategies: conventional lecture, lecture delivered through a computer, and group discussion. One instrument used to measure motivation in this experiment was a survey that measured student perceptions about the class. The other instrument used in this study was designed to measure achievement and consisted of two chapter tests that were adapted from the principal textbook used for the 7th grade Religion classes involved in this experiment. The study began in March 2009 and concluded in May 2009. The results of the study were compared to data gathered from September 2008 to March 2009. No significant improvement was recorded for motivation through the use of any teaching technique. There was significant improvement recorded in achievement for the experimental group through the use of group discussion, but no significant improvement was recorded when the experimental group was taught by lecture through the computer. Future research on these areas could involve a long term study on the effects of group discussion on motivation and achievement, as well as how other uses of technology can help to improve motivation and achievement in middle school boys.Item Social Media in Middle School Literacy Instruction(2023-05) Wivell, Rebecca; Finch, Maida; Sessoms, Diallo; Williamson, Thea; Doctoral Studies in Literacy; Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction: LiteracyThis qualitative case study took place in an 8th-grade classroom and was considered practitioner research which explored an innovative approach to writing instruction utilizing a social media platform. Participants included six, 8th-grade students who were all students in a writing class and helped to seek the answers to the following questions: (a) how do middle school students use Twiducate for academic writing in the classroom?; (b) what is my role as the teacher related to writing instruction using Twiducate?; (c) how do middle school students collaborate and give peer feedback for writing purposes? Formative data analysis was used throughout this study and I used coding to find patterns in my data and develop themes. This study shows how students used social media to write and collaborate and what the teacher’s roles are during those events. Findings include the teacher transitions between four roles: discussion facilitator, feedback coach, writing teacher, and supporter to improve student writing. Students used Twiducate to engage in the writing process and created a class developed artifact to refer to for learning, while collaborating and giving peer feedback throughout the process. Twiducate empowered students to be independent writers and built a community of learners invested in each other’s writing. Findings extend knowledge about middle school writing and ways to integrate social media into classroom settings, while engaging students.