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The Curriculum Implications Of Liberation Theology As A Theory For Social Change., Alvaro Basista Alcazar
The Curriculum Implications Of Liberation Theology As A Theory For Social Change., Alvaro Basista Alcazar
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
From the perspective of those in the underside of history, contemporary education has so stagnated that it has lost its capacity to be a force for social change in a world plagued by social cruelties and injustice. Liberation theologians have shown considerable success in redirecting tightly institutionalized and intellectualized religious communities from their weddedness to imperial notions and practices of faith into one solidly aligned with the struggle of the poor and the marginalized. These theologians of the poor make a distinction between Christianity and Christendom---the former being the vision of a Jewish religious reformer named Yeshua and the latter …
A Comparison Of Faculty Perceptions Of University Technology Transfer By Level Of Institutional Success In The Technology Transfer Process., Paula T. Jacobi
A Comparison Of Faculty Perceptions Of University Technology Transfer By Level Of Institutional Success In The Technology Transfer Process., Paula T. Jacobi
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study was to gather information concerning faculty perceptions of university technology transfer and to compare the perceptions of faculty towards university involvement in technology transfer activities by the relative success of the institutions in technology transfer. The objectives were to describe selected faculty at two land grant universities in the southern portion of the United States. The study was designed to describe faculty based on certain personal, professional, and demographic characteristics, and to compare faculty at an institution defined as successful in technology transfer and an institution that is relatively unsuccessful on certain selected measures. Participants' …
Home And Classroom Learning Environment Correlates Of Academic Self -Efficacy In Middle School Mathematics., Thaddeus Theodore Claiborne
Home And Classroom Learning Environment Correlates Of Academic Self -Efficacy In Middle School Mathematics., Thaddeus Theodore Claiborne
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study investigated the relationship between home and classroom learning environment characteristics and middle school students' self-efficacy beliefs about mathematics. Specifically, the study examined linkages between sources of efficacy in the home and classroom learning environments and the strength of students' self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics. Social cognitive theory includes self-efficacy beliefs as a major source of human agency and functioning (Bandura, 1997). Enactive mastery experiences, vicarious learning (modeling), verbal persuasion, and physiological/affective states (emotional arousal) are four sources of human efficacy. While numerous studies have been completed linking self-efficacy to learning and achievement (Pajares, 1996b), no studies within schools were …
An Exploration Of Middle And High School Students' Perceptions Of Deviant Behavior When Using Computers And The Internet., Annie Jean Harris Daniel
An Exploration Of Middle And High School Students' Perceptions Of Deviant Behavior When Using Computers And The Internet., Annie Jean Harris Daniel
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
If the current trend continues, the use of computer technologies and the Internet will increase for teaching and education. It is urgent that researchers study computer and Internet deviance. The purpose of this study was to explore middle and high school students' perceptions of deviant behavior when using computers and the Internet. The target population for this study was middle and high school students. The accessible population included all students who attended a middle or high school in the East Baton Rouge Parish School which has computers that are capable of accessing the Internet (1,150 students---575 middle school students and …
Group Evaluation System Measuring Self-Reported Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Program Impact In Adult Limited Resource Audiences With Diverse Literacy Skills., Annrose Mary Guarino
Group Evaluation System Measuring Self-Reported Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Program Impact In Adult Limited Resource Audiences With Diverse Literacy Skills., Annrose Mary Guarino
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
A Group Evaluation System was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Family Nutrition Program for use with adult limited resource audiences with diverse literacy skills. Using existing nutrition education resources, an exit survey instrument was developed and tested for validity and reliability. The group administered test format incorporated food associated graphic illustrations and response symbols with written questions read by the instructor. An instrument mock-up was reviewed by an expert panel and two intended-audience focus groups, one with functional reading skills and one without. During data collection, a pretest was conducted with a convenience …
The Emergence Of Lay Ecclesial Youth Ministry As A Profession Within The Roman Catholic Church., Charlotte Faye Mccorquodale
The Emergence Of Lay Ecclesial Youth Ministry As A Profession Within The Roman Catholic Church., Charlotte Faye Mccorquodale
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The astonishing growth of lay ecclesial ministry in the Roman Catholic Church began in the 1960's with the advent of the Second Vatican Council and with the emergence of a variety of specialized ministries one such ministry was to youth. The focus of this query was on the emergence of the profession of lay ecclesial youth ministry. The growth of the professional field of lay ecclesial ministry in the Roman Catholic Church can be seen in the writings of bishops, theologians, authors, national ministerial associations, and researchers as they address four major areas of concern. Those areas include: (1) the …
Perceptions Of Work Ethic Among College Seniors., Patricia Nolen Pierson
Perceptions Of Work Ethic Among College Seniors., Patricia Nolen Pierson
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Orientation and attitudes toward work are important issues in the workforce where fierce global competition and demands for increased productivity threaten virtually every business and industry. Managers and executives perceive an erosion of work ethic by America's young people and claim that today's college students have no realistic concept of "a day's work for a day's pay". The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the perceptions of work ethic among university seniors and further, to determine if differences in work ethic exist based on the variables gender, ethnic group, marital status, number of children, age, planned occupation, current …
Toward A Reconceptualization Of The Integration Of Culture And Language In The Korean Efl Classroom., Seung Bin Roh
Toward A Reconceptualization Of The Integration Of Culture And Language In The Korean Efl Classroom., Seung Bin Roh
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Many Korean EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students do not have sufficient opportunity to learn cultural knowledge and information in their classrooms. EFL teachers also tend to ignore the teaching of culture. Even though culture is taught, it simply delivers "fact-only" information rather than cultural awareness by comparing native with target culture. Teaching target cultural knowledge and information should be delivered within the native cultural frame, and teaching of culture must be an integral part of teaching and learning English. For the effective integration of culture in EFL classes apart from conveying simply "fact-only" information, this research advocates the …
Comparison Of Four Screening Procedures For Identifying Students For Special Education: Validation Of Problem Validation Screening., Amanda Mathany Vanderheyden
Comparison Of Four Screening Procedures For Identifying Students For Special Education: Validation Of Problem Validation Screening., Amanda Mathany Vanderheyden
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Four screening methods were compared to determine the extent to which each method accurately identified students who exhibited math and reading problems severe enough to warrant a full psycho-educational assessment for special education eligibility determination. Methods examined were teacher referral, two subtests from the Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills, Revised, the Developmental Reading Assessment, and a new screening measure called "Problem Validation Screening" (PVS). PVS consisted of three components: classwide curriculum-based measurement probes in math and reading, performance/skill deficit assessment, and a brief instructional session. All students enrolled in first and second grade classes at a participating school were exposed …
A Study Of The Measurement And Sources Of Teachers' Self And Collective Efficacy Beliefs In Professional Learning Environments., Amy Marie Barrilleaux Dellinger
A Study Of The Measurement And Sources Of Teachers' Self And Collective Efficacy Beliefs In Professional Learning Environments., Amy Marie Barrilleaux Dellinger
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study examined relationships between sources of efficacy information available in teachers' professional learning environments and teacher self-, work-group collective and faculty collective efficacy beliefs. An argument is presented that teachers' individual and collective efficacy beliefs are vital factors that mediate linkages between professional learning and meaningful change in schools. School professional learning environments are hypothesized to provide efficacy information that may serve to enhance teachers' beliefs in their abilities to accomplish tasks that are linked to effective teaching and learning. Social cognitive theory and triadic reciprocal causation provided the framework for this research. Self-efficacy theory, a sub-theory of social …
The Development Of An Instrument To Assess Strategical Information Processing Style., Beverly Allain Farrell
The Development Of An Instrument To Assess Strategical Information Processing Style., Beverly Allain Farrell
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Underpinned on the theories of individual differences and the information processing paradigm, the author hypothesized that there were five different strategical information processing styles (SIPS) that individuals prefer to use when processing information. The five constructs are visuo-spatial, analytical, social, categorical, and verbal. Based on this hypothesis, the researcher developed a self-assessment instrument containing specific measurable descriptors for each of the five hypothesized constructs. However, in this study the empirical evidence verified only four strategical information processing styles: visuo-spatial, analytical, social, and categorical. Although the verbal style is theoretically appealing, it did not prove to be a valid construct in …
Obstacles In Recruiting African Americans For Clinical Trials., Betty Monroe Kennedy
Obstacles In Recruiting African Americans For Clinical Trials., Betty Monroe Kennedy
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Previous abusive clinical trials have caused several obstacles in recruiting African Americans for clinical trials today. The memory of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study alone remains a hard pill to swallow and is a constant hindrance to recruiting potential African Americans specifically males, for clinical trials. The basic trust that African Americans have for physician researchers, U.S. government doctors, U.S. government-sponsored research, and biomedical research in general has been seriously, although not irrevocably, breached. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs African Americans have that support decisions to either participate or not …
Understanding The Connections Between High-Stakes Test Consequences And School Literacy Experiences., Deborah Karen Setliff
Understanding The Connections Between High-Stakes Test Consequences And School Literacy Experiences., Deborah Karen Setliff
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this ethnographic study was to connect the remedial summer school experiences of two fourth-grade students and four fifth-grade students with their school literacy experiences the following year. Understanding the students' experiences and connecting the experiences with school personnel provided a link between the students' and school personnel's perceptions of high-stakes testing consequences. Bridging these perceptions through cross-case analysis revealed the physical, emotional, and philosophical effects high-stakes testing is having on the students, school administrators, classroom teachers, and reading curriculum and instruction at the two elementary schools studied. Integrating the findings at the two schools helped develop a …
Differential Modes Of External Change Agent Support In Diffusion Of Innovation., Janet Gibson Stevens
Differential Modes Of External Change Agent Support In Diffusion Of Innovation., Janet Gibson Stevens
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The main goal of this multiple-case exploratory study was to examine and describe the processes, perceptions and changes that occurred at the school level in ten south Louisiana middle schools, as the result of external change agent assistance given through the Louisiana School and District Accountability Program. Within this primary goal, the perception of external change agent influence on: (1) school effectiveness processes (i.e., discipline, teacher collaboration, expectations and quality of instruction); and (2) Fullan's school improvement processes were examined. This multiple case study involved five middle schools in Louisiana with two types of external change agents [i.e., the Distinguished …
Faculty Perceptions Of Communication Effectiveness In The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service., Sally Maureen Soileau
Faculty Perceptions Of Communication Effectiveness In The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service., Sally Maureen Soileau
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of the study was to determine communication patterns and effectiveness as perceived by specialists and agents of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, and relate communication effectiveness with selected demographic characteristics. A qualitative component of the study focused on personal communication experiences of the faculty. A total of 210 agents and 106 specialists participated in the study. The survey instrument was validated by an expert panel and administered via a web site with an initial electronic mail contact and personal and electronic mail follow-ups. From a choice of 11 different methods of communication, specialists and agents used email and …
Teacher Efficacy, Administrator Efficacy, School Culture, And Leadership Density., Roy Wade Smith
Teacher Efficacy, Administrator Efficacy, School Culture, And Leadership Density., Roy Wade Smith
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study examined new means for conceptualizing leadership in schools from a non-centrist perspective. Specifically, leadership in schools was conceived of, and studied as, an organizational construct rather than a set of personal attributes associated with positional authority. This non-centrist view of leadership is termed leadership density (Sergiovanni, 1987; Ellett, 1996), and is metaphorically represented in the study by characteristics of a small jazz combo. The primary focus of the study was the development of a new conceptual model of leadership, grounded within the small jazz combo metaphor. In an attempt to understand leadership from this new perspective, linkages between …
The Perceived Influence Of Selected Factors On The Decision Of Louisiana 4-H Teens And Non-4-H Teens To Volunteer., Kenneth Spoto
The Perceived Influence Of Selected Factors On The Decision Of Louisiana 4-H Teens And Non-4-H Teens To Volunteer., Kenneth Spoto
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The primary purpose of this study was to determine the contributions Louisiana 4-H teens and Non 4-H teens make to volunteer organizations and the principal factors influencing the decision of Louisiana teens to volunteer. A random sample of 2,281 teens, ages 14--19 years (9th--12th graders), enrolled in Louisiana public secondary schools of education were the participants of this study. The data collection instrument was pre-tested for reliability and yielded a .95 Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficient for 32 scale items. A total of 3,853 surveys were mailed or hand delivered in October and 2,281 usable responses returned for a response …
Professional Culture And Efficacy Correlates Of Organizational Effectiveness In Cooperative Extension Services., Rebecca Elaine White
Professional Culture And Efficacy Correlates Of Organizational Effectiveness In Cooperative Extension Services., Rebecca Elaine White
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Several important lines of inquiry have been developed during the past fifty years to study the complex nature of educational organizations. In particular, theorists, researchers, and educational policy makers have become increasingly concerned about the effectiveness of educational institutions. Recently, significant research and policy maker attention has been focused on issues of effectiveness of higher education. The Cooperative Extension Services as ancillary outreach units of state land grant universities are no exception and the extant literature has been focused primarily on outcomes as organizational effectiveness measures. This study addresses the need to develop more comprehensive conceptual frameworks for studying perceived …
Navigating Knowing/Complicating Truth: African American Learners Experiencing Oral History As Real Education., Lavada Taylor Brandon
Navigating Knowing/Complicating Truth: African American Learners Experiencing Oral History As Real Education., Lavada Taylor Brandon
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Dominant explanations for why urban African American learners dropout is that these students are "at-risk" (Swanson, 1991; Sartain,1989; Levine, 1988; Macchiarola, 1988). Such explanations blame the victim while exonerating the role schooling plays in shaping students' "at-risk" conditions (Woodson, 1933/1998; Tatum, 1997; Freire, 1970/1997; Shujaa, 1994; Gordon, 1993). This research contests these explanations for why African American learners dropout by centering 10 African American students' voices to highlight the role curriculum plays at casting them at-risk. Consequently, this work shifts reproach from individual students' home environments to the larger structural dimensions of curricula (what we know) and instruction (how we …
Learning To Teach In A Virtual Environment: A Case Study Of The Louisiana Virtual Classroom Teachers., Rachel Geralyn Sellers
Learning To Teach In A Virtual Environment: A Case Study Of The Louisiana Virtual Classroom Teachers., Rachel Geralyn Sellers
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
In the 2000 school year the Louisiana Department of Education commissioned a Distance Learning Task Force Committee to establish State Standards for Distance Education. These Standards supported the core beliefs set forth by the state's educational technology goal: "All educators and learners will have access to technologies that are effective in improving student achievement" (State Standards, p. 1). Emerging technologies, such as web-based instruction, were implemented to support these standards. These new technologies prompted the Louisiana Center for Educational Technology to establish the Louisiana Virtual Classroom. This project was a program that included a consortium of high school teachers for …
Holding Up And Holding On: Socialization Experiences Of Beginning Teachers In Differentially Effective Schools., Pamela Sanders Angelle
Holding Up And Holding On: Socialization Experiences Of Beginning Teachers In Differentially Effective Schools., Pamela Sanders Angelle
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The current study examined the socialization experiences of beginning teachers within the context of differentially effective middle schools. A mixed method design, using quantitative and qualitative approaches, was employed. The sample consisted of ten middle schools in Louisiana, five matched pairs, using an intensity strategy. The study was conducted in six phases of data collection. Phase One designed and carried out a pilot study. Interview data from school principals and mentors was collected in Phase Two, while Phase Three involved the collection of survey data from beginning teachers to measure perceptions of assistance, monitoring, team-building, and intention to remain in …
The Call From The Stranger On A Journey Home: Curriculum As Creative Transformation Of Selfhood., Hongyu Wang
The Call From The Stranger On A Journey Home: Curriculum As Creative Transformation Of Selfhood., Hongyu Wang
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Both utilizing and problematizing the notions of stranger, home, journey, and self through cross-cultural inquiry, gender analysis, psychoanalysis, and autobiography, this study attempts to draw a new picture of the human self and a new vision of curriculum. It draws upon the works of three great thinkers: Michel Foucault, a French philosopher; Confucius, an ancient Chinese sage; and Julia Kristeva, a French psychoanalyst. Traveling through a contradictory yet generative space provided by the Foucaultian subject, the Confucian self, and the Kristevian subject, this study intends to address the issues of differences, connections, and creativity in depicting a new landscape of …
The Open Gates: The Rise Of Student Loan Indebtedness And The Social Processes Of Borrowing Money In The Pursuit Of Higher Education., Wendell Wayne Brumfield
The Open Gates: The Rise Of Student Loan Indebtedness And The Social Processes Of Borrowing Money In The Pursuit Of Higher Education., Wendell Wayne Brumfield
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of students at a two-year college about their student loan debt management and the level of indebtedness incurred as a result of utilizing student loans. A survey was conducted in the Spring 2001 semester at Louisiana State University at Eunice in which a systematic random sample was selected. The 37-question survey instrument used in the study included 15 demographic questions and one-open ended question requesting respondents to provide suggestions that could be used to help other students. In addition, 21 perception statements were asked loan recipients. This study found that …
Factors Associated With Research Anxiety Of Human Resource Education Faculty In Higher Education., Chadwick Charles Higgins
Factors Associated With Research Anxiety Of Human Resource Education Faculty In Higher Education., Chadwick Charles Higgins
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The dissertation examined factors associated with research anxiety of university faculty members. Faculty at research universities have, in the past and at the present, had to deal with pressures associated with roles as researchers, teachers, and service initiators (Miller, 1994). The "publish or perish" atmosphere that accompanies most research university faculty positions often generates questions regarding confidence in one's ability to not only conduct meaningful research, but also to develop a solid and statistically sound research study. The purpose of the study was to determine if certain factors explain possible causes of research anxiety in higher education. These factors included …
An Inquiry Into The Influence Of Taped Books On The Oral Reading Performance Of Struggling Third-Grade Readers., Dolores Doga Harris
An Inquiry Into The Influence Of Taped Books On The Oral Reading Performance Of Struggling Third-Grade Readers., Dolores Doga Harris
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of the nine-week study was to explore, using taped book intervention, the oral reading fluency of six struggling third-grade readers. The low-income, inner city, African American students were selected using teacher recommendations, standardized test scores, and the school system's Grade Level Indicators of Essential Knowledge---Grade 3 English Language Arts. Procedures used in the study were observing, collecting field notes, reviewing documents, conducting open-ended interviews, prioritizing book selection interests, and making assessments. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included the following: (1) oral reading rate---the Gray Oral Reading Test-3 (GORT-3), two-minute timed readings, and Corduroy benchmark probes; (2) word recognition---Slosson Oral …
Ways Of Incorporating Photographic Images In Learning And Assessing High School Biology: A Study Of Visual Perception And Visual Cognition., Brenda Chaumont Nixon
Ways Of Incorporating Photographic Images In Learning And Assessing High School Biology: A Study Of Visual Perception And Visual Cognition., Brenda Chaumont Nixon
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study evaluated the cognitive benefits and costs of incorporating biology-textbook and student-generated photographic images into the learning and assessment processes within a 10th grade biology classroom. The study implemented Wandersee's (2000) 20-Q Model of Image-Based Biology Test-Item Design (20-Q Model) to explore the use of photographic images to assess students' understanding of complex biological processes. A thorough review of the students' textbook using ScaleMaster R with PC Interface was also conducted. The photographs, diagrams, and other representations found in the textbook were measured to determine the percentage of each graphic depicted in the book and comparisons were made to …
Transition To Work: A Study Of New College Graduates., Carolyn Carter Collins
Transition To Work: A Study Of New College Graduates., Carolyn Carter Collins
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The success of the transition to work is affected by many factors, including the organization entry process itself. Research shows that the first year of employment is a critical time period and the organizational entry process is not dearly understood. The central focus of this study was to determine what exactly do new college graduates encounter as they enter the workplace, and does that experience affect their opinions and attitudes. Further, do women and African Americans have a similar or different experiences than white males in the transition process. An exploratory descriptive study of a random sample of Louisiana State …
Exploring Organizational Learning Of The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service: A Qualitative Study Involving Parish Chairs Of Less Than Three Years Experience., Cathy Hirsch Hamilton
Exploring Organizational Learning Of The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service: A Qualitative Study Involving Parish Chairs Of Less Than Three Years Experience., Cathy Hirsch Hamilton
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This qualitative study was designed to facilitate the description, analysis and utilization of continual learning within the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES). The research linked exploration of a learning culture within an organization with the reflective practice of participatory action research methodology. Learning organizations promote knowledge sharing that allows for individual learning to make the transition into collective organizational learning. In order for transformative learning to occur, individuals must reflect on their actions to make sense of an experience. Explaining and thinking about what one is doing makes tacit knowledge explicit, therefore able to be shared and used for change. …
Effective Lobbying Strategies For Higher Education In State Legislatures As Perceived By Government Relations Officers., Ellen Prothro Murphy
Effective Lobbying Strategies For Higher Education In State Legislatures As Perceived By Government Relations Officers., Ellen Prothro Murphy
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various lobbying strategies for higher education in state legislatures as perceived by state government relations officers. The target population for the study was defined as individuals currently employed as state government relations officers for public institutions of higher education. Data were collected for this study by surveying government relations officers contacted through the 7th Annual State Relations Conference. The total number of usable responses was 109 (74%) of 147 surveyed from 36 states. The instrument utilized in this study was a researcher designed questionnaire that included a demographic …
Teacher Personal And School Culture Characteristics In Effective Schools: Toward A Model Of A Professional Learning Community., Dianne Fuselier Olivier
Teacher Personal And School Culture Characteristics In Effective Schools: Toward A Model Of A Professional Learning Community., Dianne Fuselier Olivier
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study was to explore personal and organizational factors within schools operating as professional learning communities and the relationships of these variables with intent to stay in teaching and organizational effectiveness. A conceptual framework, a Professional Learning Community Model, was developed to organize and conceptualize linkages among school culture, teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy, human caring, intent to stay, and organizational effectiveness. Original measures were developed to assess teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy and revisions/modifications of measures were used for school culture, human caring, and intent to stay. The study used a large sample and quantitative data analysis …