Date of Award

12-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education Systems Improvement Science

Committee Chair/Advisor

Dr. Reginald Wilkerson

Committee Member

Dr. Stacy Che

Committee Member

Dr. Renee Jefferson

Committee Member

Dr. Jane Clark Lindle

Abstract

Educational leaders and practitioners face challenges in South Carolina schools, but through improvement science processes (Bryk, Gomez, Grunow, & LeMahieu, 2015), they can collectively develop solutions which directly address those issues. In this Participatory Action Research (PAR) study, I partnered with participants in ongoing Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles (Bryk, et al., 2015) to improve student outcomes. I triangulated multiple data points and corroborated findings with students’ own perceptions to provide evidence that students can achieve in eighth grade Algebra 1 when given the opportunity to enroll in the course and when afforded appropriate ongoing academic interventions that foster conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, and academic performance. As this is the first research study in the state of South Carolina which assessed the impact of inclusive enrollment practices and academic support (e.g., Focused Note-taking and Collaborative Study Groups) on outcomes dimensions (i.e., conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, and academic performance) among Algebra 1 students, educational leaders and practitioners are encouraged to use this research study as a basis for future action research in their own district and school settings.

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