Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Anissa Harris

Abstract

Underprepared students desiring to enter teacher education programs struggle to achieve minimum state-required Praxis I exam scores. This problem affects teacher education programs, student success, and university enrollment and retention. With proper resources and support, these students may experience personal and academic success that may be transferred to their own students once they are certified teachers. At the participating mid-South university, the effectiveness of the existing remedial program was unknown. The study's purpose, rooted in the constructivist learning principles of Dewey and Bruner, was to address the effectiveness of the local university's existing remedial program in assisting the teacher education students in meeting state testing requirements. In this qualitative case study, existing deidentified student Praxis I scores (n = 41), archived remedial course information and departmental records, and deidentified course grades were analyzed descriptively and collectively to determine the effectiveness of the remedial program. All data were coded and analyzed for patterns to reveal problems or resources relative to student performance. Key findings indicated that although the remedial courses addressed many Praxis I concepts, a redesign of the content and instructional approach may benefit underprepared students. Recommendations included using the data-based white paper produced from this study as a guide to improve remedial courses. This study may affect social change by providing an innovative approach to improve remedial programs to affect student achievement outcomes.

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