Browsing by Author "Candy Beal, Committee Member"

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Autobiographical Pedagogy: A Personalized Approach to Instruction in the English Classroom
(2006-12-08) Kaulfuss, Alex Russell; Sid Johnson, Committee Member; Candy Beal, Committee Member; Ron Honeycutt, Committee Member; Ruie Pritchard, Committee Chair
An important point which educational researchers have discovered and validated time and time again is that our students are different. They learn differently from adults, and they learn differently from each other. Most teachers know that they cannot teach all students the same way, that some difference in instruction and assessment are necessary in order for students not only to achieve their potential but also to succeed in the first place, and that students must be able to make relevant connections between themselves and the material being presented. For this study, I designed, presented, implemented, and evaluated a holistic approach to teaching literature and writing, which combines elements of differentiated instruction, differentiated assessment, and narrative pedagogy, entitled The Autobiographical Approach to the English Classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a degree of success could be found with The Autobiographical Approach to the English Classroom. My subjects for this study were ninety-six 12th grade students, composing four English classes, two at the AP level and two at the academic level. Minority students accounted for about thirty three percent of the research population. Several times during the course of this investigation, I measure the results i.e., grades, evaluations, opinions, etc., of The Autobiographical Approach to the English Classroom. The goal of the study was to determine if the Autobiographical Approach to the English Classroom was effective in the areas of student learning and attitudes. I determined that not only were the grades that the students earned demonstrative of success but also that the students were responding with interest and enthusiasm, mainly because of their ability to offer input into their own assignments and assessment and also because of the connections made through narrative instruction. Also, The Autobiographical Approach proved to help students retain their learning, in that students were able to aptly reply to questions asked of material that had been taught using this approach greater than six months earlier. Future research on this topic could include its expansion beyond the English classroom to other disciplines, as well as compare this approach to other pedagogical approaches in controlled studies; a study of its long term effectiveness beyond the six month period, even into the next school year would be valuable. Grade levels other than high school seniors could be included in additional studies of this pedagogical method.
The Effects of Spatial Layouts on Students' Interactions in Middle Schools: Multiple Case Analysis
(2004-04-08) Pasalar, Celen; Candy Beal, Committee Member; Frank J. Smith, Committee Member; Henry Sanoff, Committee Chair; Robin Moore, Committee Member
This research aims to indicate how small school environments are spatially organized and how spatial relationships influence students' behavior and interactions. Four school buildings with differing spatial layouts were selected. Selected cases were representative of both 'academic house' and 'finger plan' type school buildings. This study analyzes schools as a spatial organization; as a social organization; and as a set of interactive interfaces for social and educational activities. The 'space syntax' technique was used to develop the spatial data, which provided information on the spatial layout attributes. The integrated and segregated areas of each school building were characterized by the syntactic variables. Behavioral mapping technique was used to identify students' activity and movement patterns with respect to the syntactic attributes of spatial layouts. Both findings from the analysis of students' behavior and the spatial layouts were related to students' perceptions about the social organization of their school communities and the role of the spatial characteristics. Overall analysis provides evidence suggesting that spatial layout and distribution of educational facilities in school buildings modulate patterns of use, movement, and the potentials for interactions. School building layouts, with higher accessibility, shorter and direct walking distances, and highly visible public spaces, generated higher rates of incidental interactions among students. The space occupancy rate in highly accessible areas was also correlated with students? movement and interaction rates. Students' ability to get to know others in the same grade through interactions was higher in academic house type school buildings. However, the rate to know students from different grade levels was higher in finger plan type schools, which offered better visual and physical access among the public areas. Overall findings indicated that single-story school buildings were the more advantageous for fostering social interactions among students. This study provides the impetus to further reconsider and develop innovative educational facilities and their spatial planning. The study concludes that spatial layout of school buildings is an important constituent of both formal and incidental interactions among students.
Exploring congruity of curriculum and instruction policy positions between the North Carolina Association of Educators and its teacher members
(2009-02-26) Spragley, Kelvin Lamont; John Lee, Committee Chair; Jessica Decuir-Gunby, Committee Co-Chair; Candy Beal, Committee Member; Sylvia Nassar-McMillan, Committee Member
To better understand issues of congruity between the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) and its teacher membership, this study surveyed a sample of NCAEâ€™s membership about issues related to curriculum and instruction. The research reported here utilized a model (exchange theory) that makes a distinction between voluntary membership organizations and non-voluntary membership organizations. The survey sampled 263 NCAE teacher members. Descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, and content analysis addressed three specific questions about congruity of positions taken by NCAE on curriculum and instruction issues and the beliefs of NCAE members. Results suggest NCAE members hold views very congruent with NCAE leadership. The importance of making distinctions between teacher views in non-bargaining states is a major implication of the findings.
Novel Readings: Exploring the Effects of Technology-Enhanced Activities on Literature Engagement and Social Learning in a Middle School Setting
(2003-06-29) Cuper, Prudence H.; Carol Pope, Committee Member; Peter Hessling, Committee Member; Candy Beal, Committee Member; Hiller A. Spires, Committee Chair
The purpose of this case study was to examine the effects of adding technology-based reading activities on adolescent learners' cognitive engagement with text and social learning. The informant group included an 8th grade reading/language arts teacher and five students selected purposively to represent diversity in the areas of gender, race, and reading interest/ability. Technology-based activities used in the study included an Internet research activity, a discussion forum, and a web site for literacy activities called Literacy Junction (www.ncsu.edu/literacyjunction). The study parameters for assessing cognitive engagement with text were based on Corno and Mandinach's reading framework of planning, connecting, and selecting as the operative dynamics during engagement. Similarly, analysis of the findings was based on this model. In brief, findings suggest technology-based literacy activities can enhance: 1) pre-reading engagement with multiple perspectives on text-related social issues; 2) critical evaluation of information resources; 3) personal connections to text-related social issues that include written articulation of personal positions followed by dissemination of these positions to global (Web) audiences. The constructs underlying the study's inquiry into technology and social learning were chiefly Vygotsky's interpersonal and intrapersonal learning modes. Findings suggest technology-based reading activities can abet interpersonal and intrapersonal learning largely through the dynamics of computer-mediated anonymity, virtual counterparts, and perceived audience. Regarding interpersonal learning, it was observed technology-based activities facilitated collaborative or shared meaning-making, group-based critical evaluation of resources, and distributed expertise, all of which synergistically supported the processes of socially constructed knowledge. Regarding intrapersonal learning, technology-based activities permitted and fostered a unique means of safely exploring and negotiating personal identity, the central developmental issue during adolescence. Among several intrapersonal learning benefits from technology-based activities, the freedom to be more candid and to assume various identity guises was key. With both cognitive engagement and social learning, findings indicate a significant potential in technology-based activities for liberating and harnessing student energies towards literacy ends, personal growth, and collaboratively derived knowledge.
The Phrygian Sonnet: The Effects of Using Music to Teach a Seventh Grade Poetry Unit
(2003-06-29) Salyers, Bethany Lyn; Candy Beal, Committee Member; Steven Katz, Committee Member; Ruie Pritchard, Committee Chair
The purpose of this study was to understand what occurred when music was infused into a seventh grade poetry unit. Music was used as a co-text in this study, meaning that it was given equal time, energy, and respect as the poetry used in the unit. The unit was nineteen days long, during which, students learned about narrative, free verse, and lyrical poetry. The students also learned about author's intent, language use, mood, metaphor, interpretation, and the role of the audience. During this unit, the students completed two projects that allowed for students to choose to work with either poetry or lyrics. While the use of music caused no significant growth in content knowledge, there was no negative learning effect either. Students found the unit to be engaging and appreciated the amount of choice given to them. Teacher observations, along with student statements, conclude that the use of music raised interest levels in the poetry unit and made the unit fun. The students also noted that a variety of lesson structure played a positive role in the overall effectiveness of the unit. The issues that were raised in the implementation of this study pertain to the allowance of explicit lyrics, time constraints, and managing the duel roles as both teacher and researcher. Finally, the teacher gained new insights into her teaching and came up with several recommendations for future implementation.
Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Film in English Language Arts Instruction
(2010-04-29) Long, Sheryl Renee; Candy Beal, Committee Member; Bonnie Fusarelli, Committee Member; Carl Young, Committee Member; Carol Pope, Committee Chair
While film has long been included in English language arts instruction, it has typically been relegated to the position of supplementary resource and considered a nontraditional text. The interest in expanding English language arts instruction to address twenty-first century literacies demands difficult choices about what textual forms to include and necessitates a reassessment of filmâ€™s importance. Preservice teachers offer an interesting perspective on this question because they are at an important juncture in their experience with the English language arts. They are completing years of study in which they have been the recipients of English language arts instruction. Now students of a teacher preparation program, they receive direct instruction from faculty who are closely attuned to the theoretical movements within the discipline. Simultaneously, they are engaging in fieldwork that allows them to observe K-12 teachersâ€™ instructional practices. As they form their own philosophies of English language arts instruction, they must reconcile these multiple perspectives into a personal understanding that will shape the ways in which they teach â€“ in effect, their refined understandings represent the future of English language arts instruction. This qualitative study utilized a multiple case study approach to explore preservice teachersâ€™ perceptions of film in English language arts instruction. The participants in this study were five preservice teachers who were enrolled in an adolescent literature course in a large public university. Data included interviews, participant observations, and student documents. Findings suggested preservice teachers believed film could be used as a complement to print texts in English language arts instruction. They saw film as useful for creating interest in print texts, for comparing and contrasting with print texts, and for assisting struggling readers. While they expanded their concept of text to include film as a nonprint form of text, they regarded print texts as authoritative to nonprint texts. Findings also indicated that preservice teachers closely associated digital video with the use of film in English language arts instruction and were eager to use digital video for composing student-created texts. These results suggested that teacher education programs can influence preservice teachersâ€™ perceptions of film by providing meaningful experiences that integrate film.