Welcome to WestCollections Repository

The repository is a service of the Western Connecticut State University libraries. Research and scholarly output included here has been selected and deposited by the individual university departments and centers on campus.

Recent Submissions

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    A Case Study of the Perceived Influence of Visual Thinking Strategies on Teacher Practice
    (Western Connecticut State University, 2022-03-07) Connors, Christina Beatrice
    The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the use of visual thinking strategies (VTS) on teachers’ perceptions of their general teaching practice. A qualitative, multiple case study was conducted to investigate the experience of teachers using VTS. Eligible teacher participants were identified through the Visual Thinking Strategies Organization and the Watershed Collaborative. Responses to a screening questionnaire were used to form a purposive sample focused on maximizing diversity from the pool of eligible respondents. The two cases – teachers practicing VTS in K-12 settings and teachers practicing in VTS outside of the K-12 setting – were investigated separately and then compared in a cross-case analysis. The quintain of perceived teacher experience guided the data analysis of this multiple case study. Themes that addressed the quintain were identified, and case findings that related to the themes were grouped accordingly. As the findings of each case were identified and classified, factors that influenced the quintain were determined and clustered (Stake, 2006). An analysis of the data indicated that using VTS lent itself to a humanistic teaching style. This has implications for educators and educational institutions wishing to implement humanistic teaching practices and raises further questions pertaining to VTS and humanistic education practices that might be explored through future research.
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    Positive Relationships Make the Difference: A Case Study of Secondary Educators' Perspectives on Student Connectedness to School2022
    (Western Connecticut State University, 2022-11-08) Fox, Thomas R.
    The typical high school in the United States can be considered a community comprised of students, teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches, and support staff interacting with one another. A student’s level of connectedness to the school community can have several short and long-term positive impacts on his or her well-being. However, not all students feel as connected to their school as others. This is especially true for students in grades 9-12 in the United States (typically adolescents between the ages of 14-18). This qualitative case study sought a deeper understanding of student connectedness to school from the vantage point of students and educators at a high school in Connecticut. This study utilized pre-existing survey data (n = 643) and educator interviews (n = 10) to address the research questions. The pre-existing survey data from students were utilized to select educators who were interviewed. The survey data also provided descriptive statistics to help the reader better understand the students in the school where the research occurred. The interview data served as the primary data focus. The survey findings demonstrated that students form meaningful connections with a diverse range of adults within the high school. The findings from the educator interviews suggested that educators believed that they could increase students’ feelings of connectedness to school by purposefully working towards creating trusting and psychologically safe learning environments, mindfully humanizing interactions with students, and leveraging opportunities to increase informal interactions with and between students. The findings also indicated that educators believed increasing students’ feelings of connectedness to school can be accomplished by encouraging their students to engage in
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    Teacher Beliefs Regarding Middle Level Students and Engagement: Passion, Curiosity, Perseverance, and Interest
    (Western Connecticut State University, 2022-12-05) Grieco, Beth A.
    Since the early 20th century, education has shifted from the teacher being the sole disseminator of information for students to the teacher serving as the facilitator of curricular experiences that are engaging and promote critical thinking. This is especially impactful for middle level aged students as there is a decrease in student engagement after the elementary years. Examining ways that teachers understand and facilitate student engagement in middle level education has the potential to facilitate increased levels of engagement in their classrooms and increase students’ overall engagement in schooling, even beyond middle school. In order to examine the phenomenon of student engagement in the classroom, a qualitative approach was utilized with this research study. Classroom observations and teacher interviews were conducted to better understand teacher perspectives and the way engagement was actualized in the classroom through teacher directed activities. Findings suggested that there was a disconnect between what the teachers discussed as the importance of student engagement and what they carried out in their classrooms. Areas that teachers did not demonstrate through observation included encouraging flexible thinking, curiosity, and creativity. Ensuring that teachers are trained in the variety of areas that promote all dimensions of student engagement will help teachers utilize student engagement to improve student academic and social achievements.
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    Optimizing Daphnia magna culturing for management at Lake Waramaug, CT by experimenting with a variety of food sources
    (2024-12) Rodriguez-Hernandez, Maria
    Large-bodied Cladocera such as Daphnia are believed to affect algae and cyanobacteria populations in Lake Waramaug. The Lake Waramaug Task Force sought to increase the population of large-bodied Cladocera that had historically been greatly reduced due to the introduction of landlocked Alosa pseudoharengus (alewife). The goal of this project was to develop optimal practices for raising Daphnia magna by investigating the effects of different food sources on fecundity. The experimental food sources were Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus spp., and a combination of all three food sources (C.v., S. spp., YCT). Preliminary work during the summers of 2021 & 2022 on the Lake Waramaug zooplankton farm suggested that current culturing methodology resulted in approximately one organism per liter. A healthy population should be closer to 10 per liter (B. Kortman personal communication, January 17, 2019). Our objective was to develop a reliable practice that would result in >1 Daphnia per liter. The food source that yielded the highest number of neonates and adults was the combination of YCT/Scenedesmus/Chlorella vulgaris. Additionally, Scenedesmus alone yielded more neonates compared to YCT or Chlorella vulgaris alone. Since Scenedesmus is twice the size of Chlorella vulgaris, this additional mass of food could have contributed to these results. This project has lake management value because it aids in the development of an optimal practice for raising Daphnia magna populations in a lake where large bodied Cladocera were eradicated due to the introduction of land-locked alewife.
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    The Effect of Mindfulness Coaching on Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Mindfulness Utilizing a Mixed-Reality Simulation Environment
    (Western CT State University, 2020-05-07) Taraz, Parvin K.
    The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of mindfulness coaching on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and mindfulness, utilizing a mixed-reality simulation environment. Data was collected via a concurrent embedded mixed methods design. This study involved a treatment group of preservice teacher participants that received mindfulness coaching and a comparison group of preservice teacher participants that did not receive mindfulness coaching, within a mixed-reality simulation environment. Each preservice teacher participant completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale to measure mindfulness and the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale to measure self-efficacy as pretests and posttests. Participants were also interviewed. Findings were then analyzed and while there were no statistically significant quantitative results, qualitative analysis resulted in the following finding statement: Participating in a mixed-reality simulation environment influenced the teaching self-efficacy beliefs of preservice teachers and learning about mindfulness strategies while engaging in that process enabled preservice teachers to cope with in-the-moment stressors and consider ways to utilize mindfulness as classroom teachers.