Clifford, You have all of the headings except the Definition of Key Terms. However, you do need to be more specific about your own study. Your paper sounds like you are discussing the journal article rather than your own research to be conducted. I would like to see you make the necessary changes per my detailed comments on your returned paper. Please click on the link beneath the rubric for your returned paper. Marla IX540: Unit 4:Draft Sections of Educational Research Proposal Directions: Your instructor will review your Unit 4 Assignment with the assumption that you have earned the full 50 points. If there are any deductions from that score, a comment will be provided to let you know what you did and that should tell you how to correct it. You are urged to use this rubric as a guide when you are completing your Unit 4 Assignment. Criteria Expectation Possible Points Introduction The Introduction Section has a clear statement of the: · Research Problem Statement · Purpose of Research Statement The research problem is significant and researchable using a quantitative methodology. 8 Review of Literature The Review of Literature section fully reviews one of the required minimum of three articles for the final proposal. The review thoroughly evaluates the quality and rigor of the article based on established criteria. The review clearly addresses all of the following: · The relevance of the article to your research study. · The article’s topic provides a foundation or support for your research study. · The research hypotheses were related to your research study. · The conclusions of the study were supported by the data in the study. · The conclusions establish or supports the need for your research study. 10 Methodology The Methodology section presents a clear, detailed, and appropriate description of the following: · Research Design · Research Hypothesis · Null Hypothesis · Independent variable · Dependent variable · Operational definitions · Participants · Sampling Plan The Methodology section demonstrates knowledge of the relationship between the different elements of the methodology. 15 Graduate-LevelWritten Communication Assignment is free of spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Citations and reference list are properly formatted in APA style. 10 Timeliness: Please refer to the course Syllabus for the late policy. Instructor Comments: 43 Points Case Study Patient Name: Mr. John Penzey Age: 30 Symptoms: Nausea, headaches, muscle cramps, increased urination and blurred vision Medical History: Tonsillectomy age 5 Family History: Mother deceased from myocardial infarction, father still living with diabetes and high blood pressure Review Mr. Penzey's medical information and tests to determine what his condition might be. STRESS RELATED DISORDERS: THE CASE OF MR. PENZEY Blood Pressure and Heart Sounds Blood pressure: 170/90 Not only is Mr. Penzey's blood pressure results elevated, you notice upon listening with the st ...

1. Clifford,
You have all of the headings except the Definition of Key
Terms. However, you do need to be more specific about your
own study. Your paper sounds like you are discussing the
journal article rather than your own research to be conducted. I
would like to see you make the necessary changes per my
detailed comments on your returned paper. Please click on the
link beneath the rubric for your returned paper.
Marla
IX540: Unit 4:Draft Sections of Educational Research Proposal
Directions: Your instructor will review your Unit 4 Assignment
with the assumption that you have earned the full 50 points. If
there are any deductions from that score, a comment will be
provided to let you know what you did and that should tell you
how to correct it. You are urged to use this rubric as a guide
when you are completing your Unit 4 Assignment.
Criteria
Expectation
Possible Points
Introduction
The Introduction Section has a clear statement of the:
· Research Problem Statement
· Purpose of Research Statement
The research problem is significant and researchable using a
quantitative methodology.
8
Review of Literature
The Review of Literature section fully reviews one of the
required minimum of three articles for the final proposal. The
review thoroughly evaluates the quality and rigor of the article
based on established criteria. The review clearly addresses all
of the following:
· The relevance of the article to your research study.

2. · The article’s topic provides a foundation or support for your
research study.
· The research hypotheses were related to your research study.
· The conclusions of the study were supported by the data in the
study.
· The conclusions establish or supports the need for your
research study.
10
Methodology
The Methodology section presents a clear, detailed, and
appropriate description of the following:
· Research Design
· Research Hypothesis
· Null Hypothesis
· Independent variable
· Dependent variable
· Operational definitions
· Participants
· Sampling Plan
The Methodology section demonstrates knowledge of the
relationship between the different elements of the methodology.
15
Graduate-LevelWritten Communication
Assignment is free of spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors.
Citations and reference list are properly formatted in APA style.
10
Timeliness: Please refer to the course Syllabus for the late
policy.
Instructor Comments:

3. 43 Points
Case Study
Patient Name: Mr. John Penzey
Age: 30
Symptoms: Nausea, headaches, muscle cramps, increased
urination and blurred vision
Medical History: Tonsillectomy age 5
Family History: Mother deceased from myocardial infarction,
father still living with diabetes and high blood pressure
Review Mr. Penzey's medical information and tests to determine
what his condition might be.
STRESS RELATED DISORDERS: THE CASE OF MR.
PENZEY
Blood Pressure and Heart Sounds
Blood pressure: 170/90
Not only is Mr. Penzey's blood pressure results elevated, you
notice upon listening with the stethoscope an abnormal, low
frequency gallop sound.
Heart Sounds

4. A normal heart beat sounds like this:
Normal Heart Sound
Mr. Penzey's heart sounds are more abnormal like this:
Mr. Penzey's heart sounds
CT and Lab Results
A CT scan was performed (shown on the left) which
demonstrated a mass on the right adrenal gland (right arrow).
Compare Mr. Penzey's results (patient) below to the normal or
reference range for each of the components tested from his
blood sample.
Lab Results:
Reference Patient
Sodium 136-144 mmol/L 150
Potassium 3.7-5.2 mmol/L 3.0
Renin 0.5-3.3 ng/mL/hr 0.4
Aldosterone 2-9 ng/dl 21
serum pH 7.35-7.45 7.45
ECG Results

5. ECGs are often used to look at abnormalities in heart
conduction. They are also a good tool for understanding how the
heart functions together with the nervous system. An
electrocardiogram (ECG) represents the electrical current
moving through the heart during a heartbeat. ECGs can assist
doctors in diagnosing and determining any current or past heart
abnormalities and can be a regular screening tool for those with
heart disease.
Note the normal ECG on the top left compared with Mr.
Penzey's ECG on the bottom. Notice the pronounced QRS
complex as compared to the normal reading followed by a quick
downward slope of the T wave just after the QRS complex.
Genetic Testing
A polymerase chain reaction test or PCR was performed on the
DNA extracted from the patient. His father and younger brother
also volunteered samples of their blood for comparison. All
three family members showed the presence of the chimeric
11beta-hydroxylase/aldosterone synthase gene on an agarose
gel.
When ACTH binds to this abnormal gene it triggers the
production of aldosterone synthase. Aldosterone synthase
becomes over-expressed in all the family members versus the
control sample (M) as seen on the agarose gel.
This concludes the case study on Mr. Penzey. Answer the
questions within the case assignment to complete the lesson.

6. DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION 1
DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION
5
Using Cultural Diversity to Improve Education
Clifford Miller
IX540 Research Methods for Education and Instructional
Technology
Professor Marla Smithson
Kaplan University
Using Cultural Diversity to Improve Education
Introduction
As globalization and technological advancements affect various
sectors of the economy, the effects trickle at an increasing rate
into the education systems across the world. Consequently, the
present day teacher faces a highly diversified classroom than
the case in the previous decades (Banks, 2015). While exploring
the topic that initiated this study, it became inevitable that the
teacher’s dilemma in terms of classrooms that are highly
diversified could not be altered under all circumstances. The
most common social stratification factors that defined the
classroom groups include; race, socioeconomic status, class,
ethnicity/ culture, and religion (Banks, 2015). Therefore, it was
necessary to explore the topic below in order to determine the
research title that attempts to understand the parameters
surrounding the different racial/ cultural backgrounds that

7. defined the composition of the classroom.
Topic: “Teachers’ Perception towards the Effects of Differences
in Racial Identities of Students and Teachers”.
The topic resulted into curiosity about how teachers react to the
multiple students’ racial/ cultural identities and the effect on
the level of productivity. This study is significant because the
findings impact on the performance of the teachers and students
within a diverse classroom environment. The teachers will apply
the research findings into implementing strategies or
interventions aimed at minimizing or eliminating the challenges
defined through negative elements resulting from students’
racial diversity. Likewise, the students will appreciate efforts
made by the teachers to acknowledge the impact of cultural
disparities on the students’ classroom productivity. The school
administrators and parents also stand to benefit through
receiving the worth of their time/ effort and money,
respectively. The administrators should benefit from adopting
effective communication channels with the diverse workforce/
customers, as customized from the findings of this study. Since
parents share the same or a much worse predicament as their
children, the findings of this study will enhance their tolerance,
patience and understanding of the challenges faced by both the
students and teachers. There has been improvement in the way
racial diversity in the classroom is perceived by stakeholders in
the education sector, especially the white teachers. White
teachers form the majority of the teaching staff in the country
while white students are the minority when assessed against the
rest of the students from different races/ cultural backgrounds.
The white teachers have devised ways of positive interaction
with the highly diversified classroom that eliminates
intimidation (Banks, 2015). However, the efforts are yet to
make a substantial impact across the education sector.
Understanding the perception of the teachers with regards to the
students’ racial differences should ensure a holistic
improvement in classroom performance, especially by students
from the minority races.

8. Problem Statement
Despite the changing student demographics in the United States
to a highly diversified classroom in terms of race, the teaching
fraternity has made minimal changes in terms of the white
majority status. Consequently, the racial disparity between the
teacher and students continues to widen. This affects the quality
and speed of performance by the teacher thus negatively
impacting on the students’ productivity (Aguirre, 2003).
Purpose
Based on the problem statement, there is a need to evaluate the
perception of the teachers on racial/ cultural diversity that
defines their classroom. The racial disparities in students’
backgrounds influence the dynamics of the classroom and
teaching sessions. This study intends to develop a knowledge
database on the challenges/ impacts of racial diversity in the
classroom with regards to the teachers’ perception of the same.
Furthermore, the research also explores the strategies applied by
the teachers to address or solve the identified challenges (Cole,
2008). Getting familiar with the problems and their respective
solutions should ensure effective use of the students’ cultural/
racial diversity in the classroom to improve the teacher’s
content delivery skills and thus increase classroom productivity.
Review of Literature
The article to be reviewed by this paper is “Teacher
Perspectives Regarding Gifted Diverse Students” by Szymanski
(2013). In this study, the research question to be answered
included;
· What are the teachers’ perceptions in training with Hispanic
gifted learners?
· How do teachers choose the students to participate in a
talented or gifted program?
· How are classroom instructions modified by teachers to meet
the talented and gifted students’ needs?
· What barriers are perceived by teachers to affect the
participation of Hispanic gifted students in talented or gifted
programs?

9. This article acknowledges that teachers often play a role in
recommending variety of programs and services to children in
schools. The outcome of this process is influenced by many
factors beyond the general classroom. Teachers’ perception of
the needs of students is relatively influenced by their individual
experiences. This may include the differences in language and
culture. According to Szymanski (2013), these are the major
reasons why the Hispanics are underrepresented in the gifted
and talented programs since teachers are less diverse and less
culturally competent therefore, holds little expectations for
these students. With respect to the levels of underrepresentation
of the minority group and the growing diversity in the student
population, it is very crucial to increase the teacher’s
understanding (Szymanski, 2013). With a related background of
study, this article therefore, will help me understand the
perception of teachers towards the effects of differences in
racial identities of students. It will also lend a hand in
determining the strategies for improving the understanding of
teachers and solving the negative effects of such diversities.
After the completion of the study, Szymanski found various
results. He found out that teachers’ experience differences as
they train to work with diverse, gifted and low income students,
teachers use their personal beliefs in compensation in
identifying and accommodating gifted students due to their lack
of training and lastly, teachers perceive the barriers that exist
for students taking part in gifted programs (Afolayan, 1994).
These findings from the study give a broader understanding on
the perception of teachers towards diverse gifted students and
how it shapes the interaction between teachers and students.
The findings show the effects of the perception of these
diversities which also applies in the effects of perception of
student diversities. Also through the results, the researcher is
able to find some solutions to these challenges which include
understanding the unique needs of gifted learners so as to help
teachers identify the needs in the students and integrated

10. training for working with both the gifted students and the
English language learners. This will also be essential in solving
my research problems by solving the challenges of the teachers’
perceptions.
The state of sharing racial identity between the teacher and
students is important in determining the learning process. If the
teacher’s race coincides with the students’, there is bound to be
some natural connection based on common habits and reasoning
(Altugan, 2015). Therefore, the teacher may develop a natural
bias for the students because of easy relation to a wide array of
themes. Likewise, the students in this scenario enjoy the
benefits of similar racial concepts thus forging a stronger
relationship with the teacher as compared to their bilingual
peers. As a result, the students become highly motivated and
engaged to ensure an exciting classroom atmosphere. The same-
race students readily trust the teacher while similar
combinations from different races may experience natural
difficulties that trigger nervousness, resistance, and to some
extent dislike for the teacher (Altugan, 2015). All these
negative elements attract a retaliatory approach from the teacher
thus developing the latter’s negative perception of such
students. Such classrooms are dull and the teachers may become
harsh and impatient. A common misunderstanding arises from
the examples provided by the teacher in class sessions that may
directly or indirectly infringe on the socio-cultural aspects of
the students. Therefore, such students may lose their focus on
how to receive the content and deliberately ignore or rebel
against the teacher, despite whether the mistake was deliberate
or unintended. When such a teacher regularly loses the context
mission, they may subconsciously develop a disliking for the
students from different racial backgrounds (Jang, & Jiménez,
2011). It is important for the teacher to appreciate their limited
understanding of other cultures in order to strengthen their
flexibility in class. The findings of this study should empower
the teacher through sensitivity and awareness of the dynamics
surrounding multi-cultural interactions.

11. A notable contribution to this study was the findings of Genesee
(2012) through a survey intended to assess the teachers’
perception of cultural diversity. It emerged that age played an
important role in determining the relationship between teachers
and students. Elderly teachers were found to harbor negative
perceptions to racial diversity in their classrooms while the
young generation of their peers enjoyed the contrast in terms of
students’ race. The elderly teachers are deemed to have learned
and plied their trade in an era when racial segregation was
common and encouraged through formal structures (Genesee,
2012). Meanwhile, the young generation of teachers has lived
through the globalization era characterized by high levels of
cultural interactions and coexistence. Therefore, the young
teachers are more flexible and enjoy versatility that comes with
racial disparities in a learning environment. According to Jang
and Jiménez (2011), as human beings advance in age their
tolerance and learning abilities diminish. Therefore, the elderly
teachers probably lack patience to accommodate the intricate
details of racial diversity. An interesting perception by the same
authors revealed the advantage of students from different races
to enjoy academic advantage due to exposure to more than one
culture. Such students may struggle to adapt to the learning
process at school and stand a high chance of practicing truancy.
However, once they overcome their classroom discomforts or
break the racial barriers from a social context, they form a
stronger and more positive learning experience and atmosphere
that attract the teachers (Jang, & Jiménez, 2011). These findings
explain why some teachers have integrated bilingualism and the
use of home language in their sessions to create fun in learning
and enhance student engagement.
Methodology
Research Design
This study employs the cross-sectional research design because
little attention is paid to time dimensions thus flexibility of the
duration as long as the information or data is collected.
Furthermore, the study relies on pre-existing differences that

12. cannot be altered by the researcher but dictate the selection
process that cannot be randomized (Rindfleisch, Malter,
Ganesan, & Moorman, 2008). The existing differences may also
not be instantly changed upon establishing and applying
interventions. This study design is perfect for a comparative
analysis of the minority and majority races with regard to the
research problem. The study design is hinged on employing a
passive approach that allows minimum interruptions to the
participants or subjects of research paving way for establishing
causal inferences based on the findings (Rindfleisch, Malter,
Ganesan, & Moorman, 2008). Some advantages of this study
design include;
· Low cost: the study design is inexpensive due to the short time
involved and application of survey techniques to collect data.
· Flexibility of outcome: Estimations of the prevalence of an
outcome is possible since a sample is drawn from the entire
population. The study design can also use a large number of
targeted respondents or samples, and it is not limited by
geographical boundaries (Rindfleisch, Malter, Ganesan, &
Moorman, 2008).
This study also involves a mixed system that integrates
qualitative and quantitative research models to arrive at the
findings. The qualitative aspect stems from the need to assess
the unique experiences and find meaning to what defines the
relationship between the students and teacher. The quantitative
aspect involves collection, counting and interpretation of
responses from the different student races as part of the teacher
evaluation processes.
Research Hypothesis
The hypothesis to be tested is: The negative perception of
culture, religion, family background, and language diversity by
teachers is detrimental to academic performance.
Null Hypothesis: The negative perception of culture, religion,
family background, and language diversity by teachers does not

13. affect academic performance.
Independent Variable
The independent variables are culture, language, religion and
family background.
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable is the perception of teachers.
Participants and Sampling Plan
Participants in the study include white teachers since they form
majority of the teaching fraternity in the United States and
provide greater ease of selection. The engagement of the
participants is made on a voluntary basis. The target classrooms
are derived from public schools due to their highly diversified
students in terms of race and culture. A total of 20 classroom
sessions across 20 different public schools will be used for this
study. Careful selection of the schools will be made to
accommodate; different regions and a mixture of low, middle
and high income areas.
Data Collection Procedures
Questionnaires: This will be the first method of data collection
that should define specific data or information that needs
further assessment. The questionnaires also serve to verify the
commitment of the participants to the research objectives.
Interviews: Face-to-face interviews will be administered to the
shortlisted participants that meet the minimum requirements
essential to the scope of this study. The essence is to capture
preliminary perceptions of the participants to diversity in the
classroom. This is essential in defining and eliminating
elements of bias.
Observation: The researcher will attend the chosen class

14. sessions in a manner that provides the least interference to the
proceedings. They will observe and record the interaction
between the teacher and students, especially elements that
provide opportunities for racial conflict.
Video/ Tape recording: Due to the potentially generic
atmosphere that may be presented as a result of the awareness
of the study, the researcher may discreetly record a second set
of classroom sessions without the knowledge of the participants.
However, this procedure must be sanctioned by the school
administration to avoid potential legal actions from the
participants.
Data Analysis
Framework analysis: the researcher shall use a pre-defined
framework that captures the aims, interests and objectives of the
study to assess the collected data/ information. This approach is
important in the sieving of collected information to retain
particular material and discard the rest (Dixon-Woods, 2011).
Thematic network analysis: involves coding of the collected
data/ information to enable the researcher link the relevant
section of the study findings. Coding is important because it
accommodates the input from the participants that may not be
captured within the Framework Analysis process. Coding has
the potential to provide an independent perspective that may fall
outside the study hypothesis.
Statistical analysis: Since some part of the study involves
collection and tabulation of responses from the different
students’ races, the summations and relevant comparisons of the
total will be required to provide some supporting values to
framework analysis and thematic network analysis.
Expected Results

15. Race disparities between the teachers and the students are
bound to breed a negative perception of the students by the
teachers. Consequently, the quality of education will be affected
through; lack of enthusiasm by the teacher, declining students’
engagement, and lack of cooperation from either parties.
Ethical Considerations
Informed consent: Race is a contentious topic capable of raising
legal actions at the slightest of provocation. It is important for
the researcher to acquire informed consent from all participants
and explicitly share the objective nature of the study with his
subjects before embarking on the study.
Bias: The volatile nature of the study topic in line with racial
disparities may encourage biasness from both the researcher and
the participants. Therefore, all the information and analysis
must be supported by records or data/ information as directly
received from the study processes.
Falsehood: There is a possibility the respondents may attempt to
paint a different picture from realty for fear of victimization or
exposure. The researcher must strive to ensure the process is
authentic and encourages truthful presentation of facts.
Limitations
· It is difficult to find pure subject based only on racial
considerations since other social stratification factors provide
further disparities within a particular race including; gender and
class. This might differently affect the classroom experience of
students from the same race.
· Absolute implementation of the findings and intervention is
difficult to achieve in the short-run since race is a historical
phenomenon and some of the related concerns that may arise

16. have generally been accepted in the society. Minorities cannot
be defined in other ways unless reference is made to the
majority.
Conclusion
Most of the teachers (White) negatively perceive racial
disparities in classroom thus affecting the quality of education.
The relationship is based on social retaliatory coexistence that
runs through history that may be passively or actively induced
during class sessions. Creating awareness of this concern is an
important way of establishing the desire to effect change.
Encouraging innovative interactions between teachers and
students outside the classroom may expose each to the other’s
needs and foster objective and productive classroom
experiences.
References
Afolayan, J.A. (1994). The implications of cultural diversity in
American schools. To Improve the Academy. Pp. 135-144.
Aguirre, R.J. (2003). Racial and ethnic diversity in America.
Science Handbook. (Vol. 1)
Altugan, A. S. (2015). The Effect of Cultural Identity on
Learning. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 190, 455-
458.
Banks, J. A. (2015). Cultural diversity and education. London:
Routledge.
Cole, W.R. (2008). Educating everybody’s children: Diverse
teaching strategies for diverse learners. (2nd Ed.).
Dixon-Woods, M. (2011). Using framework-based synthesis for
conducting reviews of qualitative studies. BMC medicine, 9(1),
39.
Genesee, F. (2012). The Home Language: An English Language
Learner's Most Valuable Resource.
Jang, E. Y., & Jiménez, R. T. (2011). A sociocultural

17. perspective on second language learner strategies: Focus on the
impact of social context. Theory into Practice, 50(2), 141-148.
Rindfleisch, A., Malter, A. J., Ganesan, S., & Moorman, C.
(2008). Cross-sectional versus longitudinal survey research:
Concepts, findings, and guidelines. Journal of Marketing
Research, 45(3), 261-279.
Szymanski, T. (2013). Teacher perspective regarding gifted
diverse students. Gifted Children. 6 (1).