Date of Award
Fall 12-15-2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Audrey Rabas, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Meghan Cavalier, Ed.D.
Third Advisor
Kallie Dace, Ed.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this exploratory qualitative case study was to explore the actions of one middle school art teacher implementing blended learning methods in an eighth grade art class to understand what effect the art teacher perceives blended learning has on eighth grade middle school art students’ engagement in the subject matter. Mezirow’s Transformational Theory was the framework that guided the study. The study was conducted in a rural middle school located in the Midwest region of the United States over a nine-week period focusing on one middle school art teacher and an eighth grade art class using blended learning strategies. Data was collected through observations, interviews, and document analysis and then coded based on themes relating to the three research questions. The first research question considered art classroom norms, routines, and classroom expectations and whether they were used to support the implementation of blended learning strategies. The second question focused on the NCAS connecting to the blended learning instructional material. The final research question examined student-centered instructional strategies implemented to engage students individually in a blended learning environment. The data was triangulated to assure accuracy in the results, which found that blended learning was perceived by the art teacher in the study to support student engagement in the subject matter. The art teacher perceived increased student interaction with the blended learning resources provided in the Schoology learning management system (LMS). Further possible research could include a study regarding art teachers’ perceptions in middle school art classes using blended learning to compare the results from a larger sample size.