Papers by Toni Sondergeld
Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Jul 29, 2013
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Aug 28, 2015
This article investigates the impact of scaffolded feedback instruction provided through an under... more This article investigates the impact of scaffolded feedback instruction provided through an undergraduate methods course. Because of a desire for preservice teachers to have online teaching experience and due to low performance scores in assessment on the edTPA, a project was created which partnered preservice teachers with middle-grades students. Preservice teachers provided digital feedback, as students worked on a research project, while receiving scaffolded instruction about feedback in their methods course. Our study utilizes a mixed-methods intrinsic case study design. Participants included 82 rural middle school students and 16 preservice teachers from a large public university in the Midwest. As a result of participating in the methods course, preservice teachers' abilities, confidence, and beliefs about giving feedback improved. Middle-grades students reported feeling positive about receiving feedback and felt it was helpful. Implications for instructors, preservice teacher training, middle-grades student learning, and issues related to studying teacher education are discussed.
Applied Measurement in Education, Jan 2, 2021
ABSTRACT Response process validity evidence provides a window into a respondent’s cognitive proce... more ABSTRACT Response process validity evidence provides a window into a respondent’s cognitive processing. The purpose of this study is to describe a new data collection tool called a whole-class think aloud (WCTA). This work is performed as part of test development for a series of problem-solving measures to be used in elementary and middle grades. Data from third-grade students were collected in a 1–1 think-aloud setting and compared to data from similar students as part of WCTAs. Findings indicated that students performed similarly on the items when the two think-aloud settings were compared. Respondents also needed less encouragement to share ideas aloud during the WCTA compared to the 1–1 think aloud. They also communicated feeling more comfortable in the WCTA setting compared to the 1–1 think aloud. Drawing the findings together, WCTAs functioned as well if not better, than 1–1 think alouds for the purpose of contextualizing third-grade students’ cognitive processes. Future studies using WCTAs are recommended to explore their limitations and other factors that might impact their success as data gathering tools.
The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, Mar 1, 2022
School Science and Mathematics, May 1, 2020
Investigations in mathematics learning, Oct 25, 2017
The Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) describe mathematical behaviors and habits that st... more The Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) describe mathematical behaviors and habits that students should express during mathematics instruction. Thus teachers should promote them during classroombased mathematics instruction. The purpose of this article is to discuss the validation process for an observation protocol called the Revised SMPs Look-for Protocol. An implication of this study is that users with a robust understanding of the SMPs may feel confident using the protocol as a validated and reliable tool in research and school-based settings. We discuss opportunities and challenges for mathematics teacher educators engaging in classroom observations, in light of this observation protocol.
ProQuest LLC eBooks, 2009
Palgrave Macmillan eBooks, Feb 18, 2014
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Jul 1, 2012
ABSTRACT In this study, we used Rasch model analyses to examine (1) the unidimensionality of the ... more ABSTRACT In this study, we used Rasch model analyses to examine (1) the unidimensionality of the alphabet knowledge construct and (2) the relative difficulty of different alphabet knowledge tasks (uppercase letter recognition, names, and sounds, and lowercase letter names) within a sample of preschoolers (n = 335). Rasch analysis showed that the four components of alphabet knowledge did work together as a unidimensional construct, indicating all alphabet tasks administered were measuring the same underlying skill. With regard to difficulty of tasks, letter recognition was easier than letter naming, which in turn was easier than letter sounds, and uppercase letter names were easier than lowercase letter names. Most notably, most of the alphabet tasks overlapped, and the Rasch models for the single tasks were no more reliable than the combined measure. This suggests that these alphabetic tasks do not measure distinct skills but are instead indicators of a single ability. Consequently, we support the conceptualization of alphabet knowledge as a unitary construct, and suggest that those assessing and teaching alphabet knowledge in preschool use tests and methods that combine the various alphabetic tasks rather than separating them. These combined assessments will be more likely to capture the range of abilities within a preschool sample and avoid the floor and ceiling effects that have so often complicated early literacy research.
Teacher Development, Jul 3, 2014
ABSTRACT Building teachers’ confidence in their understanding of nature and encouraging the use o... more ABSTRACT Building teachers’ confidence in their understanding of nature and encouraging the use of field experiences with students are important factors in increasing environmental awareness in students. A River Runs Through It (ARRT) is an integrated environmental education professional development program, immersed practicing teachers in hands-on field inquiry while providing them with valuable experiences, tools, and support necessary for raising teacher enthusiasm and self-confidence. The authors begin by taking a broad look at environmental education. They then narrow the focus to their environmental education professional development program – ARRT – and the positive knowledge and attitudinal impacts found from allowing teachers to explore local outdoor environments with a support system that aided them in bringing their ARRT experiences into their own classrooms.
Roeper Review, Oct 31, 2007
Replication studies are essential with any construct of interest in order to provide further dept... more Replication studies are essential with any construct of interest in order to provide further depth and understanding. This study replicated Siegle and Schuler's (2000) perfectionism study with gifted early adolescents. Perfectionism differences among grade level, birth order, and gender were explored using a between-subjects factorial MANOVA. Similar to the previous study, we found that the FMPS is an appropriate measure of perfectionism in gifted adolescents (grades 6–8) and that females have greater concern over Organization than males. However, there were many differences in our results compared to the previous study, highlighting the continued need to study and replicate existing work before generalizations can be made about gifted early adolescents.
Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education, Apr 1, 2022
Higher education professionals in art history agree that the downward trend of funding and enrolm... more Higher education professionals in art history agree that the downward trend of funding and enrolment will continue if changes to art history curriculum are not made that bring to light how relevant and helpful art history can be to students of all demographic populations and academic majors. This study seeks to explore student perspectives of how art history is currently being taught and their opinions on what outcomes art history class offers that they value. Current art history students completed a survey that assessed student perspectives about their art history class. Findings indicate that students value art history knowledge (AHKO) and find lecture to be efficient. However, they would also appreciate other instructional methods such as in-class activities, which they believe would help them learn critical thinking (CTO), and discussion and homework projects, which they believe would help them learn creativity. Students of all majors find AHKO, CTO, creativity to be valuable skills that are taught in art history.
Mid-Western educational researcher, 2020
Current Issues in Education, Feb 9, 2014
Appropriate views of the nature of science are vital to scientific literacy yet rarely taught in ... more Appropriate views of the nature of science are vital to scientific literacy yet rarely taught in US schools primarily due to naïve NOS views held by teachers. Thus, most school teachers need further educational NOS experiences and instruction. Science education literature suggests teachers can learn NOS through both implicit (learning through doing) and explicit (precise utilization) professional development opportunities. Through an integrated field studies teacher professional development program (A River Runs Through It [ARRT]) we implemented both implicit and explicit NOS instruction to see if the combination of methods would improve NOS beliefs following the program. Results obtained from pre and post VNOS-C (see Appendix A) surveys show a modest post-test increase in teachers' informed NOS views in all NOS aspects (except Inferential which remained the same), supporting the notion of using both implicit and explicit instruction in teaching the nature of science. In the context of a place-based, field oriented and naturally integrated watershed, our work offers insight into the value of using both implicit experiences and explicit instruction in the teaching of the nature of science for changing participant views of NOS. However, due to the large number of naïve post-test NOS views in Empirical, Theory vs. Law, Inferential, Scientific Method, and Tentative aspects we realize extended NOS experiences and instruction are necessary if science teacher educators expect to elicit dramatic and sustained change in teacher NOS beliefs. Our study demonstrates that the combination of implicit and explicit NOS instructional methods in teacher professional development programs could be a meaningful method of impacting teachers' NOS beliefs as we saw an increase in all NOS aspects from pre to post with the exception of one area which remained the same.
Mid-Western educational researcher, 2012
Scientifically based research used to inform evidence based school reform efforts has been requir... more Scientifically based research used to inform evidence based school reform efforts has been required by the federal government in order to receive grant funding since the reenactment of No Child Left Behind (2002). Educational evaluators are thus faced with the challenge to use rigorous research designs to establish causal relationships. However, access to student-level longitudinal or comparison group data is often scarce, which significantly restricts researchers' choice of research design. Although most state departments of education have school-and district-level data available to the public, the individual student-level data that are often needed to perform appropriate statistical analyses are unavailable. This exploratory study demonstrates the process of and provides evidence that microanalytical simulation methods, conducted using Microsoft Excel, may be a useful research tool in the field of education if adequate school-level modeling information is available. These simulation methods may assist in providing greater opportunities to execute more rigorous methodological designs.
School Science and Mathematics, Apr 1, 2014
Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 2017
The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of early preparation for postseconda... more The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of early preparation for postsecondary education and explore the effectiveness of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). This comparative case study included 836 students from two cohorts (GEAR UP and Non GEAR UP). We compared high school attendance, retention, behavior incidents, GPA, graduation rates, and college attendance by GEAR UP, socioeconomic status, and race. GEAR UP students performed significantly better on all measures. There were differences found in both cohorts along SES and racial lines; these differences were less pronounced within the GEAR UP cohort. Recommendations for school reform, collaborations between education institutions, and further research are included.
Secondary STEM Educational Reform, 2011
It has been clearly established over the last quarter of a century or so that science, mathematic... more It has been clearly established over the last quarter of a century or so that science, mathematics, and technology education among precollege students in the United States is severely lacking (National Science Board, 2006; Carnegie-IAS Commission, 2009). Problem solving, analytical skills, and critical thinking associated with these content areas are necessary traits for our students to possess in order for the United States to successfully compete in the twenty-first century. While our nation at large struggles to provide quality K-12 education in mathematics, science, and technology, this situation is even more bleak for urban and low socioeconomic status students (National Science Board, 2006; National Center for Educational Statistics, 2009). At-risk children often face additional barriers including lower-quality teachers who are not adequately trained to teach mathematics and science (National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, 2006); limited advanced- or rigorous-course offerings in these content areas (Norman et al., 2001); and insufficient materials to support the needs of quality instruction (UNESCO, 2008).
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Papers by Toni Sondergeld