Master of Education (M.Ed.) Theses

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Browsing Master of Education (M.Ed.) Theses by Subject "Academic performance"

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    The Effects of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations on Academic Performance of Seventh Grade Students
    (2015) Chirica, Bettina; Kariuki, Patrick
    The purpose of this study was to examine the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on academic performance of 7th grade health students. The population of this study came from University School, which was a K-12 laboratory school enrolling 499 students, 267 included girls and 232 included boys. The sample consisted of 7th grade students between the ages of 13 and 14 year olds in a health class. There was a total of 16 students of which 10 were girls and 6 were boys. Two units, which were similar in comprehension and difficulty, were selected for this study. First unit was taught using extrinsic motivation strategies and second was taught using intrinsic motivation strategies. At the end of each unit the students were administered a unit test and data were recorded. Both test scores were compared for difference. The results showed no significant difference in overall test scores when students were taught using extrinsic and intrinsic strategies. Similarly, no significant difference was found when boys and girls were compared. However, the overall mean score of intrinsic motivation was slightly higher. The results suggest that teaching using intrinsic motivation strategies may be beneficial to students than using extrinsic motivation.
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    The Effects of Traditional Seating versus Flexible Seating on Academic Performance in a Selected Kindergarten Classroom
    (2019-05-08) French, Macy
    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of traditional seating versus flexible seating on academic performance in a selected kindergarten classroom. The sample consisted of students from a kindergarten classroom that contained both flexible and traditional seating options. The students were divided into two groups and were instructed to complete their work sitting in either flexible or traditional seating for one week at a time, then the groups were switched. Each participant experienced both types of seating. The participants were observed to determine their overall academic performance on a given task, whether they mastered the content with a score of 80%, and the time in which the assignment was completed. The data were analyzed using a paired t-test and a chi square “goodness of fit” test. The results revealed no significant difference in academic performance (P = .561) and no significant difference in time of completion (P = .696). The chi square revealed there was also no significant difference in student mastery (P = .517). The results indicate that flexible seating did not significantly increase or decrease the participants’ academic performance in this study.
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    A Parent’s / Guardian’s Involvement in Educational and Extra-curricular Activities Leads to Improved Student Academic Success
    (2019-05-08) Shell, Mary; Dula, Mark
    In this study, the question proposed is: Do children whose parents / guardians take an active role in either educational or extra-curricular activities show a higher rate of academic achievement? The goal of this study, which took place in a rural elementary school in East Tennessee, is to prove that parent/family engagement in a child’s educational or extra-curricular activities leads to greater academic achievement for that student.
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    Relationship Between Smartphone Usage and Academic Performance of High School Students
    (2020) Bennett, Russell; Kariuki, Patrick
    Today’s youth are obtaining, or obtaining access to, smartphones at younger and younger ages. The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a relationship between smartphone usage and academic performance of high school students. This study also examined whether or not there was a difference between smartphone usage and academic performance for boys and for girls. The population for this study was from a high school in northeast Tennessee. Two English Language Arts (ELA) classes from each grade nine through twelve were invited to participate. Smartphone usage by the participant was measured with a researcher-created survey. A student’s cumulative high school GPA was used to measure academic performance. The results indicated there was no relationship between smartphone usage and academic performance of high school students. Significant differences between the smartphone usage and academic performances were found for both boys and girls with the higher of the two coming from the girls. While it has been shown that electronic devices can be used for learning purposes as well as distract and pull students off-task from academic activities, this study suggests there is no relationship between a student’s use of a smartphone for academic purposes and his or her academic performance.