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Teacher Efficacy And The Use Of Specific Instructional Practices By Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Science Teachers In The United States, Larry Dale Burton

Dissertations

Problem. Current reform efforts in science education are constructivist in nature and call for major changes in the way science has been taught in the schools. Teacher efficacy, a measure of perceived instructional empowerment, is one variable which has been linked to teacher change and general classroom innovation. However, the specific relationship between efficacy and innovative science instruction had not been examined.

Method. This descriptive study employed a correlational design utilizing cross-sectional survey methodology. Data were collected via a three-part survey instrument. The purpose ofthis design was to gather descriptive data on science education in seventh- and eighth-grade classes in …

A Descriptive Multiple Case Study Of Three Elementary Schools In Project Homecoming, The Inclusion Program Within The Dallas Independent School District, Sharron A. Caraker

Dissertations

Topic. The focus of this study was the actions, policies, and procedures used in the successful implementation of an inclusion program in three elementary schools participating in Project Homecoming within the Dallas Independent School District. I was interested in how these actions, policies, and procedures affected the different groups within the schools--students, parents, certified staff, and non-certified staff as well. The data gathered in this study should be useful to other school districts in the process of developing an inclusion program in the elementary school.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the actions, policies, and procedures needed …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Moral Developmental Theory: The Influence Of Collectivism On Moral Reasoning Of Asian Students And Caucasian American Students, Chang-Ho Clyde Ji

Dissertations

Problem Statement. Lawrence Kohlberg's stage model of moral development has attracted agreat deal of attention from educators and psychologists. Not surprisingly, his work has also inspired considerable criticism and revisionism. A number of authors have argued that Kohlberg's theory does not incorporate the collectivistic moral reasoning that emphasizes human relationships among individuals, families, the community, and society in general.

Methodology. Analyses of variance, t-test, correlational analyses, and regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between ethnicity, moral reasoning, and collectivism using the Defining Issues Test (DIT) and the Individualism-Collectivism (INDCOL) Scale. These scales were administered to 179 Asian students …

An Analysis Of The Personalities Of A Sample Of Students At Grand Valley State University Who Consume Alcohol, Jeanette Mcdowell

Dissertations

Problem. Literature on alcohol abuse among college students suggests that drinking patterns differ according to the expectations that people have about consuming alcohol. These expectations are strongly aligned to the personality traits/characteristics of theconsumer. At Grand Valley State University, alcohol abuse on campus is a great concern. The purpose of this study was to analyze the personalities and needs of some students at the university who have been participants in the Time Out program--a program structured for those who have been involved in alcohol use and have violated the rights of others while under the influence.

Method. Three instruments, a …

Mediating Contexts In Trans-Generational Faith Transmission : A Qualitative Study, David John Mcclintock

Dissertations

Problem. This descriptive study explored the experience of faith transmission across generations in order to seek to identify the conditions that are intrinsic to successful faith transmission, and conversely, the conditions that my lead to a rejection of faith in Jesus Christ.

Method. Diads were chosen purposively so that the diads were: (1) known to the interviewer, (2) representative of the convergent or divergent paradigm, (3) residents of Australia, and (4) composed of children between 20-40 years of age. Convergent diads were defined as diads in which all in the diad when interviewed were members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. …

A Study Of Gender-Role Attitudes Among Contemporary White And African American Couples, Margaret Cecile Dust

Dissertations

Problem. Limited and conflictual studies have been completed on White and African American marriages and gender-roles. As a result, this study sought to compare perceptions of gender-roles in White and African American married couples. In addition, this study looked at relationships between gender-roles, length of marriage, and level of education in White and African American married couples.

Method. A total of 92 couples (26 African American, 33 White interacting married, 33 White non-interacting defacto) participated in this study. The defacto couples served as a control group.

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory, Masculine-Feminine Sex-Roles Survey, and a demographics sheet were given to …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Nurturing Spousal Friendship And Marital Quality, Cherryl Anne Galley

Dissertations

Problem

Limited research has addressed the value of friendship between husbands and wives to the health and well-being of their marital relationships. The present study evaluated the relationship between spousal friendship and marital quality. It made a gender analysis as well.

Method

The Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Caring Relationship Inventory, and a demographic questionnaire were mailed to 500 couples (1000 married individuals). One or both spouses were members of a Lutheran or a Seventh-day Adventist church in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The sample consisted of 176 married individuals who volunteered to participate anonymously in the research project. A total of …

Instructional Approaches To Conventional Spelling In Holistic Classrooms : A Descriptive Study, Laurie Sue Hale

Dissertations

Problem. Spelling instruction in American schools has adhered to the same traditional format for more than 40 years. However, the whole-language philosophy advocates the delivery of spelling instruction through meaningful interactions with receptive and projective print. Since the whole-language movement is based on a philosophy of teaching and learning, rather than a prescriptive instructional model, perhaps many teachers who do not teach spelling holistically simply do not know how.

This study looks at the instructional components and contextual milieu in which holistic spelling instruction occurs. It also presents the strategies for conventional spelling that are used by teachers and students …

A Descriptive Case Study Of Teacher Study Groups And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Study Groups On Professional Growth, Rita Henriquez-Roark

Dissertations

Problem. Few studies have focused on defining and delineating the essential characteristics of veteran teacher study groups or the perceptions of teachers about how study groups affect their professional growth.

Purpose. The purposes of this study were to: (1) define and delineate the essential characteristics of existing study groups; (2) describe the effects of study groups on the professional growth of the teacher in the workplace and; (3) explore the implications of ongoing study groups on school change, school improvement, and staff development.

Methodology. This study used a descriptive, qualitative case study method based on interviews, observations, surveys, documents, and …

Student Evaluations Of Teachers, Student Ratings Of Teacher Behaviors, And Their Relationship To Student Achievement : A Cross Ethnic Comparison, Trudy Ann Holmes

Dissertations

Problem. This study was conducted to determine (1) whether student evaluations of teachers and ratings of teacher behaviors are related to the ethnicity of the students, (2) the relationship between overall student evaluations of teachers, classes, and ratings of teacher behaviors, and (3) the relationship between student evaluations of teachers, ratings of teacher behaviors, and student achievement.

Method. Two teacher evaluation instruments were administered to students in undergraduate classes at a Christian college and a Christian university. The Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) was used as a high-inference evaluation form and the Teacher Behavior Inventory (TBT) was used as …

The Book Of Joshua: Its Theme And Use In Discussions Of The Israelite Conquest And Settlement And The Relationship Of Archaeology And The Bible, David Merling Sr.

Dissertations

Problem. It has been suggested that the biblical account of the Israelite conquest of Canaan and the archaeological data are incompatible. This study evaluates the five main Israelite settlement theories and reevaluates the Book of Joshua as it relates to archaeology.

Method. Chapter 1 surveys the five archaeological theories of the Israelite emergence in Canaan. Chapter 2 critiques each theory. Chapter 3 examines the Book of Joshua from an archaeological and thematic perspective. Chapter 4 highlights presuppositions that have been brought to the archaeological data and the Book of Joshua. Chapter 5 uses the discussions of chapters 2, 3, and …

The Soteriology Of Ellen G. White Compared With The Lutheran Formula Of Concord: A Study Of The Adventist Doctrine Of The Final Judgment Of The Saints And Their Justification Before God, Gunnar Pedersen

Dissertations

The topic. The Adventist doctrine of judgment is part of a larger salvation-historical perspective that in Adventist theology is termed the Sanctuary Doctrine. This doctrine depicts the post-ascension soteriological work of Christ as reaching its consummation in the judgment and the parousia. Critics of the Adventist doctrine of judgment consider it perplexing and even incompatible with the basic principles undergirding the classical Protestant doctrine on forensic justification, understood as a present, complete reception and possession of salvation both existentially and forensically.

The purpose. This study aimed at investigating to what degree theclassical Protestant principles of grace alone, Christ alone, and …

Change In Seventh-Day Adventist Theology: A Study Of The Problem Of Doctrinal Development, Rolf J. Pöhler

Dissertations

Problem. Like other churches, Seventh-day Adventists face the challenge of harmonizing the essential immutability of revelation in Christ and what seem to be significant doctrinal modifications. This study provides the first in-depth treatment of the intricate problem of doctrinal development from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective.

Method. Chapter 1 defines the problem, chapter 2 offers a historical-genetic survey of proposed solutions, while chapter 3 presents a systematic-typological analysis of possible responses to doctrinal change in Christian theology.

Chapter 4 investigates the extent, nature, and direction of Seventh-day Adventist doctrinal developments in the light of the religious background of the church and …

The Background And Meaning Of The Sealed Book Of Revelation 5, Ranko Stefanović

Dissertations

The primary task of this study was to determine the background of the sealed βιβλίον of Rev 5 and its meaning and significance in its literary context.

The historical survey shows that the interpretation of the sealed βιβλίον has undergone significant modifications in the course of time. The earliest documented Patristic references to Rev 5:1-5 indicate that the early church interpreted the sealed βιβλίον most likely in the context of the exaltation of the resurrected Christ as the eschatological sovereign. From the third century on, however, numerous studies regarding the contents and meaning of the sealed βιβλίον have led to …

The Sanctuary And The Three Angels' Messages 1844-1863: Integrating Factors In The Development Of Seventh-Day Adventist Doctrines, Alberto R. Timm

Dissertations

The topic. The concepts of the cleansing of the sanctuary of Daniel 8:14 and the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12 were viewed by Sabbatarian Adventists as the main integrating factors in the development of their doctrinal system.

The purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the chronological development of the Sabbatarian Adventist interpretation of thecleansing of the sanctuary of Daniel 8:14 and the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12 from 1844 to 1863, followed by an investigation across time of the relationship between those two integrating factors and the early Sabbatarian Adventist distinctive doctrines of …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Creation Concepts And Themes In The Book Of Psalms, Gnanamuthu S. Wilson

Dissertations

This descriptive analysis provides a comprehensive and wholistic view of Creation in the Book of Psalms. It is viewed in the background of the rest of the Creation material found in the Old Testament and the ancient Near Eastern religious records. Hermeneutics and analytic induction have helped to create a synthesis of major concepts and themes about Creation.

After an introductory overview of the three categories of documents (chapter 1), a literature review on the Psalms (chapter 2) analyzes eleven major studies on Creation, then seven studies of individual Psalms, plus five minor studies. None of these provides acomprehensive, wholistic …