Identifying Supports For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder,
2016
Dominican University of California
Identifying Supports For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Rushworth
Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lack social and communication skills, leading to challenging behaviors. This impacts family functioning and can lead to parents being isolated and feeling stressed (Russa, Matthews, & Owen-DeSchryver, 2014). The parents of these children must learn how to handle the challenges that come along with the disorder. Parents of children with ASD need to have more supports in place to feel more supported (Nealy, O’Hare, Powers, & Swick, 2012). The literature revealed that the programs implemented today focus mainly on the child outcomes, lacking focus on parent needs (Samadi, McConkey, & Kelly, 2012). Parents find …
Total Communication Methods For Preschool Children With Autism: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Parent And Professional Perceptions,
2016
Liberty University
Total Communication Methods For Preschool Children With Autism: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Parent And Professional Perceptions, Leigh Beesley
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to explore experiences of using a total communication system with preschoolers diagnosed with autism as explained by their parents and teachers. The research focused on the experience specifically relating to functional communication and social interactions. Determining resources that parents and teachers need that may have made the employment of the strategies more successful, was of importance to this study in order to determine implications, or future needed research. The participants in this study, determined by purposive sampling, included parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and speech therapist located in an elementary school setting. The study …
A Correlational Study Of The Motivation And Engagement In Teachers: Experience And Effectiveness,
2016
Liberty University
A Correlational Study Of The Motivation And Engagement In Teachers: Experience And Effectiveness, Cynthia Phillips
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
he purpose of this correlational study was to determine if there is a relationship between the motivation and engagement level of induction (first four years) teachers as compared to veteran (five or more years) teachers using the overall score on the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES, 2013) and the Motivation and Engagement Scale (MES-W, 2012) developed by Martin (2012). Teachers from four participating districts located in northeast Georgia were divided into two groups based on years of teaching experience. Both groups participated in an online survey (MES-W, 2012), which collected demographic data as well as responses to the MES-W survey. …
A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Providing Interventions For Students Diagnosed With Adhd,
2016
Liberty University
A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Providing Interventions For Students Diagnosed With Adhd, Timoth Garner
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences in the public school setting of teachers involved in providing interventions for students diagnosed with ADHD. The theories guiding this study were Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), Human Ecology or Bioecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005), and theory of self-efficacy (Zimmerman & Bandura, 1994; Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1990; 1992). The study followed the theory, concepts, and methods of the phenomenological research model that allowed participants to provide a personal perspective and reflection on their experiences. The following four research questions guided the study: How do teachers …
Effects Of Enrollment In College Success Skills Course On Academic Outcomes Of Community College Students,
2016
Liberty University
Effects Of Enrollment In College Success Skills Course On Academic Outcomes Of Community College Students, Keith Hill
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
A nonexperimental, causal-comparative (ex post facto) research design was used in this study to examine the effectiveness and value of a College Success Skills course for students who tested into three developmental courses at the community college. The discussion and debate as to the efficacy of developmental education at community colleges has been continuing for decades. In many states, legislators seem to be prioritizing the issue of developmental education and the cost involved, both in time and money to students and taxpayers. The issue is complex as students arrive at community colleges with a wide variance in basic academic skills …
A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Perception Of Second Language Acquisition And Personality Type By Adult Second Language Learners In A Formal Learning Environment,
2016
Liberty University
A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Perception Of Second Language Acquisition And Personality Type By Adult Second Language Learners In A Formal Learning Environment, Rebecca Shisler
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the perceived experience of second language acquisition for adult second language learners in a formal learning environment at the Community College of Virginia (a pseudonym) and to describe how these learners perceived that their personality type either enhanced or inhibited their experience of second language acquisition. All students who were enrolled in an introductory-level Spanish course at the Community College of Virginia were invited to complete a preliminary questionnaire to determine their initial eligibility for the study. Prospective participants who met the initial eligibility requirements of the study took the …
Put Me In Coach: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Examining School Wide Positive Behavior Support Coaches' Experience With Program Implementation,
2016
Liberty University
Put Me In Coach: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Examining School Wide Positive Behavior Support Coaches' Experience With Program Implementation, Kimberlie Rieffannacht
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe lived experience during School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) implementation for School Wide Positive Behavior coaches in Pennsylvania public schools. Participants, identified as co-researchers throughout this study, included 11 SWPBS coaches selected from seven elementary schools who are implementing the program with fidelity, as defined by Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support Network (PAPBS, n.d.). The literature surrounding the SWPBS program is largely quantitative and does not include the coaches' experiences. Thus, this research filled an important gap in the literature on the crucial issue of providing positive behavior support that is …
The Effects Of Microblogging On Middle School Students' Engagement And Critical Thinking,
2016
Liberty University
The Effects Of Microblogging On Middle School Students' Engagement And Critical Thinking, Sondra Singleton
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of microblogging as an authentic real-world technology in a middle school classroom in response to the 2010 Department of Education’s call to provide students with more relevant digital experiences. The non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design study was used to determine if microblogging used in a writing activity affected middle school students’ engagement and critical thinking. This study was important as it addressed the heretofore understudied middle school sector. This research used a convenience sample of 119 sixth-grade and seventh-grade language arts students in a suburban northwest Florida public middle school. …
Parental Involvement In Elementary Children’S Religious Education: A Phenomenological Approach,
2016
Liberty University
Parental Involvement In Elementary Children’S Religious Education: A Phenomenological Approach, Peter Bunnell
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The issue of parental involvement in religious education is an important one for the family, the church, the Christian school, and society. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe parents’ concepts and practices of involvement in their children’s religious education as evangelical Christian parents in Midwestern communities. This research addressed four research questions: (a) What are evangelical parents’ concepts and practices of involvement in their children’s religious education? (b) What informs evangelical parents’ concepts and practices of involvement in their children’s religious education? (c) What content do evangelical parents consider important to their children’s religious education? (d) Why …
The Correlation Between Student/Instructor Rapports, Student Perceptions Of Instructor Effectiveness, And Course Grade Expectations,
2016
Liberty University
The Correlation Between Student/Instructor Rapports, Student Perceptions Of Instructor Effectiveness, And Course Grade Expectations, Erin Yezbick
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The researcher attempted to determine if a correlation exists between student/instructor rapport, student perceptions of instructor effectiveness, and course grade expectations for freshman general education courses at a career college in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Previous studies have determined that rapport affects motivation (Bergström, 2010; Frisby, Berger, Burchett, Herovic, & Strawser, 2014; Legg & Wilson, 2009), perceptions of teacher effectiveness (Giles, 2011; Kozub, 2010), and evaluation scores (Barth, 2008; Kowai-Bell, Guadango, Little, & Ballew, 2012). The researcher asked the following research questions: Is there a relationship between student/instructor rapport, as measured by the Professor-Student Rapport Scale …
A Phenomelogical Study Of Reclassified Elementary School English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Educational Experiences,
2016
Liberty University
A Phenomelogical Study Of Reclassified Elementary School English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Educational Experiences, Fernando Betanzos
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this study was to provide an insight into how former English learners’ educational experiences allowed them to attain English language proficiency and meet grade level standards in English Language Arts. This study was informed by the theoretical frameworks of Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, and Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, as they pertain to English learners. The data collection procedures included student semi-structured interviews, elementary school principal semi-structured interviews, and review of site documents such as student work samples, report cards, attendance records, discipline records, state standardized test scores, Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment scores, and English …
A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Grade Retention As Experienced By Middle School Students Who Were Twice Retained,
2016
Liberty University
A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Grade Retention As Experienced By Middle School Students Who Were Twice Retained, Dimetri Richardson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of grade level retention for twice retained, middle school students in Eastern Virginia. During data collection, 10 twice retained, middle school students in grades 6-8 residing in Eastern Virginia were surveyed, interviewed, and provided personal journals. The theory guiding this study was constructivism, due to its consideration of individuals’ unique experiences and multiple realities (Piaget, 1954). This study’s qualitative data was coded using horizonalization, and clusters of meaning were developed, which allowed textural and structural descriptions of the participants’ unique experiences. The study’s findings reveal twice retained, middle school …
Teachers’ And Administrators’ Perceptions Of The Under-Representation Of African American Males In Gifted And Talented Education Programs,
2016
Liberty University
Teachers’ And Administrators’ Perceptions Of The Under-Representation Of African American Males In Gifted And Talented Education Programs, Roy Sermons
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological case study is to explore the reasons for specific perceptions by urban middle and high school teachers and administrators about the underrepresentation of gifted African American male students in educational programs for the gifted and talented. Perceptions about gifted African American male students are generally defined as the views, thoughts, and patterns of educators pertaining to the characteristics of gifted students, recommendations for admission into gifted and talented education programs, and social and psychological factors that impede the enrollment of urban African American males into such programs. The phenomenological case examines social, cultural, and psychological …
A Correlational Analysis Of Test Anxiety And Response Time On A Computerized Adaptive Math Test Among Seventh Grade Students By Gender,
2016
Liberty University
A Correlational Analysis Of Test Anxiety And Response Time On A Computerized Adaptive Math Test Among Seventh Grade Students By Gender, Michael Brom
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Studies have shown that test anxiety has become more prevalent since the adoption of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 and that test anxiety negatively affects student achievement. Early research viewed test anxiety as being a unidimensional construct; however, recent research has purported that test anxiety is a multidimensional construct. Consequently, test anxiety being viewed as multidimensional has changed how test anxiety is measured as evidenced by the development of multidimensional test anxiety measurement scales. Literature indicates that there is a gap in the study of K-12 test anxiety and response time data on assessments. A nonexperimental correlational …
A Grounded Theory Study On Building Positive Teacher-Student Relationships In Christian Schools,
2016
Liberty University
A Grounded Theory Study On Building Positive Teacher-Student Relationships In Christian Schools, Joy Stouffer
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to understand how teachers and students from open-enrollment Christian schools in Guam and Hawaii described the process of building positive teacher-student relationships. The framework guiding this study was social constructivism and Vygotsky’s (1980), Bruner’s (1997) and Bandura’s (1993) theories on the influence of environmental factors on the perceptions of the teacher-student relationship. The central research question asked how teachers and students described the process of building positive teacher-student relationships in Christian schools. Data collection methods included online surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. A systematic, grounded theory approach, data analysis, and …
Academic Intervention: Acceleration And Remediation,
2016
Liberty University
Academic Intervention: Acceleration And Remediation, Barbara Franklin
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Eighth grade math students must pass a standards based test to be promoted to the next grade. Students who were at risk of failing the state’s annual test faced impending retention. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to see if an intensive nine-week (55 min per day) remedial Math Connection (MC) class for 67 suburban, eighth grade students identified as at risk of failing, could significantly increase the scores; concurrently, at this Title I school, they were compared with 122 eighth grade students who were not identified as at risk of failing. The dependent variable was measured using the …
An Analysis Of Social And Demographic Variables And Student Graduation Success,
2016
Liberty University
An Analysis Of Social And Demographic Variables And Student Graduation Success, Lisa Taylor
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
he dropout population does not reflect an equal representation of all student subgroups (Kena et al., 2015). There are many negative outcomes that often coincide with the decision to drop out, such as lower overall lifetime income as well as emotional and physical fitness (Chapman, Laird, Ifill, & KewalRamani, 2011). This dissertation examines how graduation success varies by the social variables of school engagement, students’ closeness to parents, and self-esteem and the demographic variable of race through the lenses of the social development model (Hawkins & Weis, 1985), the school membership theory (Wehlage, 1989), and the self-determination theory (Deci, Vallerand, …
A Phenomenological Study: Exploring The Needs, Wants, And Desires From The Voices Of African-American Males Desiring To Graduate From Community College,
2016
Liberty University
A Phenomenological Study: Exploring The Needs, Wants, And Desires From The Voices Of African-American Males Desiring To Graduate From Community College, Yvette Harris
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore factors that could lead to academic success for African-American males enrolled in community college. By conducting a phenomenological study, those factors leading to graduation will be derived from the particular lens of perception of the participants’ lived experiences. The guiding theories are those of Derrick Bell’s Critical Race Theory (CRT, 1977), Vincent Tinto’s (1975) Theory of Departure, and John Bean’s (1979) Theory of Student Attrition. A convenience participant sample totaling 10 African-American males was comprised of students who were currently enrolled in a community college. The data collected for this …
Exploring The Relationship Between The Freshman Academy Environment And Academic Achievement And Resilience,
2016
Liberty University
Exploring The Relationship Between The Freshman Academy Environment And Academic Achievement And Resilience, Taneesha George
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Student success or failure during the transition to high school is an accurate predictor of student success beyond the ninth grade. In an attempt to support students during this transition, many schools across the nation have implemented small learning communities called freshman academies to bridge the apparent gap in achievement between middle and high school. Research has linked freshman academies and ninth grade success in terms of test scores (Styron & Peasant, 2010). There is, however, little empirical research that examines the success of freshman academy students in terms of promoting resilience and other factors during this time of risk. …
The Complex Life Experience Of First-Generation College Students Who Are Working Adults In The Appalachian Region Of The United States: A Phenomenological Study,
2016
Liberty University
The Complex Life Experience Of First-Generation College Students Who Are Working Adults In The Appalachian Region Of The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Deborah Thurman
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
he purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe and understand the complexity of life experiences for first-generation college students or recent graduates who are working adults in the Central and South-Central Appalachian region of the United States in light of the construct resilience and how purposefully selected students continued study despite difficulties. In this study, information gathered was synthesized regarding three issues: first-generation students, working adult students, and the influences of Central and South-Central Appalachian regional culture. The theory used to guide this study is resilience as it relates to the educational persistence of working, adult, first-generation college …
