Digital Commons Network^™

Beauty, Breasts, And Brains: An Exploration Of Using The Adolescent Female Body As A Resistance Site, Hanna Andrews Beall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent girls are continuously barraged with messages regarding what it means to be a girl and the appropriate way in which to do so. Particularly within the South, there are strict boundaries for acceptable forms of femininity both within school and in the broader social context. However, within the walls of the classroom, these lived experiences of girls are often ignored. By ignoring the lived experiences of girls in schools, many girls are being marginalized, trivialized, and dismissed from the school environment. This dissertation examines the hidden curriculum as it applies to adolescent girls in schools today and offers a …

String Theory And Our Relationship With Nature: The Convergence Of Science, Curriculum Theory, And The Environment, Virginia Therese Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum Theory affords us the opportunity to examine education from a multitude of directions. This work takes advantage of that opportunity to explore the relationships between science, nature, and curriculum using string theory and our ideas about the environment as a backdrop. Both the energy and multiple possibilities created by strings and the rich history leading up to the theory help to illustrate the many opportunities we have to advance discussions in alternative ways of looking at science. By considering the multiple dimensions inherent in string theory as multiple pathways and interweaving metaphors from Deleuze and Guattari, Michel Serres, and …

Investigating Parents' Of Immigrant Origins Perceptions, Expectations And Experiences With American Educational Communities, Mary Jo Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate parents of Latino origins' perceptions of educational environments in preschool programs in the US by examining individual experiences, expectations and socio-cultural understanding regarding American educational systems. Thisstudy consist of five female parents of Latino origin with children enrolled in a child care programat a midsouthern US, urban community college. Across the eight-week data collection period, the parents participated in a series of activities to communicate their perceptions and experiences with North American educational institutions. primary methods of collecting data includeda sequence ofinterviews, field observations recorded in a journal, parents' photo representations …

The Role Of Teacher Expectation On Disproportionality Of African American Males In Special Education In Middle Schools In Richmond County School System, Claudette Jackson Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined the problems of disproportionality of African American males in special education in middle schools in Richmond County, Georgia. Disproportionality occurs when the risk for being identified in a particular disability category is not proportional to the population being considered. The issue of disproportionality of African American males and other minority students in special education has been studied and debated well over thirty years and today continues to be a problem for the education community. The purpose of this study was to understand the role teacher expectations play in disproportionality of African American males in special education. …

One Drug, Two Drugs, Three Drugs, More: A Critical Habilitative Narrative Inquiry Into Autism Spectrum Disorder, Virginia Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With increasing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) being diagnosed since its inception, there is reason for significant concern in regards to the cause, treatment, and prognosis of the disorder. This work investigates some of the political, economic and social factors that impact treatment for persons identified with ASD in the context of public education. Utilizing a grounded theory approach to critically analyze current legislation and practices governing special education services in the public school setting, a disturbing picture is revealed of not only how we educate persons labeled as disordered, but also how we respond to them socially. Future …

Moving From A Textbook To Facebook College Students' Motivations For Using Social Networking Sites In Education, Heather J. Halter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined college student motivations for using social networking sites for educational purposes. Motives were examined through the uses and gratifications approach. If we can determine student motivations for using social networking sites, perhaps we can determine a way to successfully implement social networking sites into the classroom. By adding the concept of satisfaction, we can also determine if students will use the sites again. If students are satisfied with educational social networking site use, they will return to these sites for educational purposes again. Data was collected by giving a questionnaire to undergraduate students that assessed social networking …

Exploring A Five Factor Mentoring Model Within Elementary Science, Joyce M. Smolik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of several elementary science mentors and their mentees within one school district based on a fivefactor mentoring model. Utilizing a qualitative methodology in the form of a case study, five mentors and three mentees were interviewed using a structured protocol. From verbatim interview data and field notes, three themes pertaining to the role of the mentor within elementary science emerged as emotional support, technical support, and educative support. Within the five-factor mentoring model, personal attributes suggested notions of support and expert status as critical elements for effective mentoring. …

The Economics Of A Young Audience, Cicely Bosley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a theatre for young audiences' (TYA) teacher, artist, and administrator, I seek to explore where and how TYA fits into business and economic models to open a dialogue between TYA practitioners and business administration professionals. Through this qualitative study, I endeavor to foster a new language for TYA practitioners to enhance fundraising and audience development. By its own definition, TYA is a hybrid field that strives for both artistic form and educative function. With a dual focus of form and function, administrators struggle to advocate for TYA organizations within existing models. To move through this challenge, I look to …

The Effect Of Brief Training In Motivational Interviewing On Client Outcomes And Trainee Skill Development, Tabitha Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice that focuses on working through client ambivalence and increasing clients' motivation to change. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effect that a unique student-based training in MI had on counselor trainees' ability to perform MI, and on client outcomes. This training program consisted of one initial four-hour training session, two hours of follow-up supervision, and formal feedback via MITI 3.0 scores. Counselor-trainee skill was assessed via the MI Knowledge Questionnaire, the Helping Responses questionnaire, and the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity code 3.0. In addition, the following instruments were used to …

The Contextual Impact Of Income Inequality On Social Capital And Adverse Social Outcomes, Jeannie Schiff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An interdisciplinary approach to policy and governance recognizes that many social welfare problems are interrelated, and policy-makers have long recognized a need to address the root causes of these problems. There is much evidence that income inequality is one of these root causes but research suggesting the effect of income inequality is mediated by social capital has complicated the relationship, as have theories of causality that take different approaches. This study takes an ecological approach to these issues to test the relationship between income inequality, social capital and selected adverse outcomes proposed by the relative income hypothesis. The relative income …

Designing An Experiential Web-Based Learning Model To Deliver The Acquisition And Application Of Knowledge To Hospitality Event, James Hogg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most hospitality institutions have increasingly moved classes online but are concerned about migrating classes and instructional content online. The concern is most Web-based models are designed to deliver the acquisition of knowledge but lack the ability to transform that knowledge into applied career skills for practical use in the industry. The purpose of this study was to test a new Web-based instructional model. The model supported delivering both the acquisition and application of knowledge. Educators, researchers, and practitioners can utilize the new model to enhance the application of career skills and enhance organizational objectives by providing just-in-time training. The new …

The Relationship Between Average Daily Attendance, School Policies And Procedures And Principals' Emphasis On Attendance Issues In Selected Florida Secondary Schools, Michael C. Arnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of the historical research that has taken place over the past 50 years regarding student absenteeism has focused on influences on students over which the principal had very little control such as student demographics, family characteristics and the student personal or psychological factors. Researchers have begun analyzing school climate and its effect on student attendance from the perspectives of students and teachers. School climate is the one aspect that influences a student attendance patterns and can be modified by the principal. This study sought to identify if there was a relationship between the high school principals‟ perspective on student …

He Reads, He Scores: The Effect Of Soccer Texts On Students' Attitudes And Achievement In Reading, Daniela Koppeser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recent focus on boys' underachievement in literacy has prompted interventions to improve their attitudes and achievement. One research-based strategy to engage boys in reading is to provide texts that are relevant to them. This study examined the impact of reading about a typical boy interest area, sports, on students' attitudes and achievement. The results did not show that students who read soccer texts had improved reading attitudes or achieved higher literacy scores than students who read texts from the traditional school curriculum. However, this research suggests that the relationship between reading soccer texts and an increase in reading attitudes …

Chinese Students' Willingness To Communicate In English In Canada, Min Zeng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how Chinese students at a Canadian community college were willing to communicate (WTC) in English, and the sociocultural factors that enhanced or limited their willingness to communicate in English in and outside class. The study used a mixed-method design that combined quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis procedures. Data were collected through a survey, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. First, a questionnaire was administered to 120 Chinese students enrolled in a Canadian college and 46 students responded. From the 46 respondents, twelve participants were selected for semi-structured interviews. Four participants were further selected for a …

Emergent Voices From An Orphanage School In Belize, Central America, Pamela Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An attempt is made in this study to gain a better understanding of a non-traditional early learning program in an orphanage school setting, located in Ladyville, Belize, Central America. The teaching staff of Liberty Children’s Home (LCH) and Learning Centre (LLC) discovered innovative and strategic ways to differentiate traditional academic ways of early learning. The teaching approaches emulate a theoretical social-constructivist theory, implementing methodologies from Pikler, Montessori and Reggio Emilia. In 1996, a comprehensive literacy survey was conducted in Belize that indicated the functional literacy rate to be approximately 40 percent (Cornerstone, 2007). In addition, it is estimated one person …

The Integration Of Information And Communication Technologies In The Content Areas And Adolescent Motivation, Lindsey Diane Blackwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the types of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) integrated into the content area classrooms of two local high schools, and whether the use of these ICTs motivated adolescent students to read and write in the content areas. The investigator created a student survey, student, teacher, and other support faculty interview protocols, and a classroom observation protocol to collect data for the study. The investigator faced several challenges which prevented her from spending adequate time in the schools. Due to these challenges, sufficient data was not obtained to form conclusions about the research questions. This …

General Education Reform At A Community College A Grounded Theory Study, Daniel Dutkofski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The attempts to reform general education programs in higher education have been applied and studied throughout the history of higher education in the United States, but with even greater frequency and urgency over the past fifty years. Countless studies show the high percentage of institutions participating in these efforts and further studies lament the state of general education both as a reason to initiate reforms and as a result of the reforms. This effort is difficult enough for universities, but is further complicated when the curriculum for general education is part of a community college degree program. A grounded theory …

Effects Of A Bonus On Quality Improvement For Pre-School Classroom Educators, Ilene E. Wilkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interest in teacher effectiveness and merit pay has continued to be a high priority for major stakeholders in the field of education as well as the public. The focus of this research was to test the hypothesis that the implementation of a classroom bonus plan would improve the observable attributes and behaviors of teaching that have been determined to be effective in improving student learning. Specifically, the study was conducted to measure intentional teacher-student interactions, classroom quality, environment and organization as well as emotional and instructional support in Pre-K classrooms as measured by Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). During a …

Bullying: Out Of The School Halls And Into The Workplace, Lucretia Cooney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to identify those people at most risk of being bullied at work. While much research is being conducted on school bullying, little has been conducted on workplace bullying. Using data gathered from a 2004 study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center for the General Social Survey, which included a Quality of Work Life (QWL) module for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), linear regressions indicated significant findings. As predicted, workers in lower level occupations, as ranked by prestige scoring developed at National Opinion Research, are more likely to be …

Novice Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Preparedness For Selected Challenges And Responsibilities Facing Teachers In A Minority Francophone Environment, Roger Lebel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perceptions of nine novice teachers in the minority Francophone environment of southwestern Ontario were investigated. Challenges previously identified in the literature are attributed to minority Francophone environments. Participant narratives exposing their experiences with these challenges were studied over a seven month period using critical ethnography and analyzed. Key findings indicate five challenges experienced by novice teachers in this study: politics of identity related to assimilation, limited resources, hidden Francophone curriculum, attitudes toward challenges and issues related to pre-service and ongoing professional development. Participants were not aware of the pervasive nature of these challenges and reported a sense of being overwhelmed. …

Things You've Inherited From Your Mother, Hollie Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Things You've Inherited From Your Mother' is a second-person novel narrated by its main protagonist, Carrie, who is simultaneously narrating her experiences to herself. In light of losing her mother to ovarian cancer and refusing to confront her grief, Carrie has fragmented herself into actor and commentator, protagonist and narrator. The resultant internal monologue features a constant reference to a "you," which is not meant to evoke the reader, as is common in second-person texts; instead, second-person perspective is used by the narrator-Carrie to comment on and analyze the experiences of protagonist-Carrie. Consequently, Carrie sees her life as unfolding like …

The Common Link: An Exploration Of The Social Cognitive Dimensions Of Meaning-Making In Algebra And The Visual Arts Using A Case Study Approach, Anoop Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is commonplace to hold that algebra and the visual arts are mutually exclusive activities. In this thesis, an attempt was made to connect how we learn in algebra and the visual arts from the social cognitive perspective proposed by Bandura (1986, 1997). That is, the personal, social, and behavioural dimensions of learning in algebra and the visual arts were considered. Also, the issue of a connection between algebra and the visual arts was tackled by taking into account the most recent advances in cognitive science, like the "situated movement," the notion, in a nutshell, that cognition is extended throughout …

The Relationship Between The Wisc-Iv Pri And The Executive Functioning Scale Of The Basc-2 In Children Referred For Psychoeducational Assessment, Christine R. Purcell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the question of whether the Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) of the Wecshler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003) is a measure of fluid reasoning by correlating the PM and the Executive Functioning Scale of the Behavior Assesment System for Children-Second Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1998) in a referred sample. Participants comprised 152 children (109 boys, 43 girls) ranging in age from 6 to 16 years. They were drawn from an anonymous archival database of 931 children who were referred for psychoeducational assessment due to persistent academic concerns, behavioral concerns, or both. Because this was …

Jane-Finch Black Youth Perspectives Of Africentric Schooling In Toronto, Tina Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An attempt is made to explore black youth perspectives of Africentric schooling in Toronto. Participants in this study consisted of five black males and five black females between the ages of 16 to 19. Youth perspectives about Africentric schooling and their desire to attend an Africentric high school were obtained. Youth perspectives revealed that all participants supported the social and cultural tents of Africentric schooling; however, they reported mixed reactions regarding their desire to attend such a school. Stereotypes, intra-group politics, and family and media opinions were fears and concerns of the participants interviewed. To build the academic strengths of …

Exploring The Psychometric Properties Of The Newly-Developed Undergraduate Nursing Student Academic Satisfaction Scale, Susan Dennison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument: the Undergraduate Nursing Student Academic Satisfaction Scale (UNSASS). A nonprobability, convenience sample of313 undergraduate nursing students from all four levels of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program completed the survey. Face and content validity was determined by a panel of undergraduate nursing students. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the construct validity and resulted in four factors (in-class teaching; clinical teaching; the program; and support and resources) which defined undergraduate nursing student satisfaction and accounted for 50% of the variance. The …

Addressing Adolescent Content -Area Literacy Through Site-Based Instructional Coaching, Jenni Donohoo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The methodology for this study combined a quasi-experimental design and a collective case study. Quantitative data were collected to determine if strategy-based instruction, delivered through a team teaching approach, would result in a significant increase in metacognitive awareness in participating grade 9 students as measured by the Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAl). Quantitative data were also examined to determine if the regulation component of metacognition was more positively correlated with exposure to strategy-based instruction than the knowledge component. In addition, this study attempted to understand the experiences of teachers as they learned together.

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Factors Impacting Females' Decision To Pursue Mathematics-Related Careers: A Case Study Approach, Atinuke Yemisi Adeyemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined factors that impact university female students' decisions to pursue careers in mathematics-related disciplines as well as the obstacles they encounter in the pursuit of their chosen careers. Data were collected through face-to-face and focus group interviews from six students in the second to final year from Mathematics and Physics departments at the mid-size university in Canada. The findings indicate that females made the decision to pursue careers mostly out of genuine interest in mathematics and science, and that they persevered in the face of obstacles due to strong self-confidence, sense of determination, hard work/effort, and …