Digital Commons Network^™

Internet Use Policies In The Public Schools Of Nebraska: Implications For Health Education, David A. Dennison

Student Work

Nebraska school board presidents (n=604) were asked to respond to a 36-item questionnaire that addressed the issues of health education and the Internet use policy regulating Internet use in the public schools. The response rate was 22.3 percent (n=135). Nebraska school board presidents reported that health education was not an important item to take into consideration when developing an Internet use policy, but reported that that sexual content, drug content, violence-related material and commercial content, respectively were very important items the Internet use policy should regulate. Thus, this study revealed that the school board presidents of Nebraska were not aware …

Middle-Level Summer School Effectiveness As Measured By Student Gains In Achievement And Attitude, Melanie Janine Mueller

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent, if any, an effective middle level summer school program, using Edmonds' (1979) five effective schools characteristics (e.g., educational leadership, emphasis on basic skills, high expectations, safe climate, frequent monitoring of student progress) enhanced students' academic achievement and change in attitude.

An Evaluation Of The Self-Esteem Of At-Risk Middle -Level Youth With Intervention Of The Mentorship Program, Lisa Marie Sterba

Student Work

This study concentrated on the self-esteem of at-risk middle school students in a mid-west city involved in an alternative school Mentorship Program. This study examined two aspects of a structured mentorship program for at-risk youth attending an alternative middle school. The first purpose of the study was to evaluate the possible effect of the mentorship program on the self-esteem of the student, while the second purpose was to examine the perceptions of the program's participants. The first method was examined utilizing a quasi-experimental, design and the second employed a qualitative methodology. The Mentorship Program had 16 planned sessions to engage …

Women’S Ways Of Leading? A Qualitative Content Analysis To Determine Leadership Messages Contained In Literature Of National Panhellenic Conference Groups, Andrea M. Fechner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study documented the leadership messages sent to women in 16 of the National Panhellenic Conference groups' official literature. The purpose of the study was to provide detailed descriptive analysis using excerpts from the official literature to show both traditional and non-traditional (women's ways of leading) theoretical themes as well as to determine the use of followership versus leadership messages to women. The approach to this study was the use of qualitative content analysis whereby messages were collapsed into larger theme categories. Datum from content analysis was represented in excerpts and quotes from the official literature of the 16 groups …

Correlation Of A Social Skills Self-Rating Survey And A Teacher Rating Inventory For Students At A Residential School For The Deaf, James Thomas Haley

Student Work

Students aged 12 to 15 at a Midwestern residential school for the deaf completed the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Youngsters (MESSY- DHH). Faculty at the school completed the Meadow Kendall Social Emotional Assessment Inventory (SEAI) to rate the behavior of the same students. Pearson’s correlations were conducted to determine if relationships existed between scores on the MESSY-DHH and the SEAI. Results indicated inconsistent correlations between scores on the MESSY-DHH and individual scale scores on the SEAI.

Utilization And Integration Of Technology By Teachers: A Case Study, Dawn Shipley Basinger

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning process of teachers as they begin to implement an innovation. The research problem was based on the need to understand better the processes by which teachers come to integrate technology into their instructional practices. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (Hall, Wallace, & Dossett, 1973) provided the conceptual framework for facilitating change in teachers' use of technology to support instructional practices. The constructivist approach to learning characterized the setting for the courses-Introduction to Technology for Teachers (ITT) and Software Applications, Teaching Methods, and Software Development for Teachers ( AMDT …

Implementation And Effects Of A Conflict Resolution Program In A Urban Middle School, Deborah A. Frison

Student Work

Conflict is the most crucial issue jeopardizing school safety in middle schools today. With escalating violence, a school-based program teaching conflict resolution skills may reduce disruption to an orderly environment and provide a peaceful alternative to violence. The primary purpose of this study was to identify and investigate possible effects of a conflict resolution program in an urban middle school. The secondary purpose was to examine the program ’s impact on students selected as conflict resolution managers. Data were collected from the total student body, and teachers, as well as conflict resolution managers. In this study, there was no decrease …

Citizen Participation In The Digital Age: An Evaluation Of The Potential Of A Website To Encourage Community Involvement In School Board Issues, Scott Chambers

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the potential for school board websites to engage the public by promoting a greater understanding of school board issues and accepting feedback and recommendations from the local community. An analysis of school board websites in Ontario was conducted to measure the effectiveness of existing websites as a method for communication. The findings reveal that until school boards provide an incentive for citizens to visit their websites on a regular basis, they will not become a strong way to connect to the community.

Using A Multiple Intelligence Checklist In Determining Multiple Intelligence, Rebecca Vee Ralston

Theses

Multiple Intelligence Theory was introduced in 1983 by Howard Gardner in his book Frames of Mind. Since the book was introduced. many educators who were searching for new methods to reach their students have utilized the theory of Multiple Intelligences in their classes. To assist in determining students' areas of strength in Multiple Intelligence. The Multiple Intelligence Checklist (MJC) was used in this study. Students, seven hundred seventy-seven, from a suburban elementary school were asked to complete the MIC. Data was collected from students in grades 2 through 5. A factor analysis was completed to determine if the checklist would …

Effects Of Curricular Adaptation On Participation Levels Of Students With Severe Disabilities In Inclusive Classes, Sherry L. Stuhr-Huffman

Student Work

A monumental body of research has been conducted in the past two decades focusing on the benefits of inclusion for students with disabilities in the regular classroom.

Exploring Critical Incidents And Rites Of Passage Of A First Year Special Education Teacher In An Urban Middle School, Melissa A. Mccarty

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to examine critical incidents that occurred with students in a unique school milieu during my first year as teachres. In collaboration with my fellow students, we examined and reflected upon the previous experiences and perceptions of three first year teachers who had collectively written their thesis on their first's years teaching experience.

Exploring Critical Incidents And Rites Of Passage Within The First Year Of A First Grade Teacher In A Suburban Elementary School, Cory J. Merante

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to explore critical incidents, rites of passage, and the unique school milieu during our first year as teachers. We examined and reflected upon the previous experiences and perceptions of three first year teachers who had undertaken this same project.

Exploring The Professional Growth Of A First-Year Elementary Mathematics Teacher Utilizing The Model Of Holonomy, Joanna Philippi

Student Work

This thesis is written by one of three first-year mathematics teachers exploring the beginning of a career in education. As a group we met regularly to discuss our progress, share research, and at times collaborate in writing portions of this study. Parallel to this first-year experience is participation in a graduate program, CADRE (Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced Teachers).

Exploring Critical Incidents And Rites Of Passage Within The First Year Of A Fourth Grade Teacher In A Suburban Elementary School, Melissa C. Saunders

Student Work

The purpose of my study was to explore the influence of rites of passage, critical incidents and the unique school milieu during my first year as a fourth grade teacher within a suburban elementary school. I examined and reflected upon the previous experiences and perceptions of three first year teahers who had undertaken this same project.

Perceptions Of A First Year Teacher Using Non-Mimetic And Mimetic Works Of Art, Barbara Schmid

Student Work

This study is a replication and expansion of the research trilogy that three CADRE colleagues, Jennifer Bernard, J.P. Caruso, and Stacy Stewart conducted with the 1998-1999 school year. The research was conducted by an artist who was, in addition to being a first year teacher, a full time graduate student involved in the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced Teachers project, also known by the acronym CADRE.

Factors Affecting Computer Implementation And Impact On Teaching And Learning In Northeast Louisiana, Ruth Bonner-Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between degree of computer implementation and (a) teacher personal use of computers, (b) teacher motivation, (c) curriculum integration training, and (d) curriculum integration support. The study also investigated the relationship between degree of computer implementation and (a) collaborative learning, (b) self-directed learning, (c) active learning, and (d) teacher practices. An analytical survey provided a numerical description of bow the independent variables and the dependent variables were related in the population.

Quantitative data were analysed using the following statistical procedures: (a) Mann-Whitney U test to determine the relationship between teacher motivation and degree of computer implementation, …

Effect Of Cooperative Learning (Student Teams -Achievement Divisions) On African American And Caucasian Students' Interracial Friendships, James Edward Cook

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gauge the impact of cooperative learning teams on interracial friendships. The participants were 256 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in English classes (20% African American and 80% Caucasian) at a rural middle school in Louisiana. After delivery of instruction, the experimental group studied worksheets in teams, received rewards based upon the team's performance, and received individual grades based upon individual exam scores. The control group studied worksheets individually and received individual grades. This eight week study utilized the sociometric question, “Who are your friends in this class?” as the pretest and posttest …

A Parent Handbook: How Parents Can Foster Learning To Enhance Formal Schooling, Janet M. Mckee

All Master's Theses

This project examined the role of fostering brain development before formal schooling begins.

Exploring The Professional Growth Of A First-Year Middle School Mathematics Teacher Utilizing The Model Of Holonomy, Angela D. O'Connor

Student Work

This thesis was written by a first-year middle school mathematics teacher who acted as a vulnerable observer while exploring the beginning of a career in education. During this first year experience I participated in a graduate program, CADRE (Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced Teachers) that enhanced my knowledge regarding the profession of education and supported me through the events that I encountered during this first year of teaching.

The Role Of Education In The Treatment Of Chronic Pain Patients: A Quantitative Study Of Factors That Influence The Self -Management Of Chronic Pain, Donna L. Agan Edd

Dissertations

The factors involved in the successful self-management of chronic pain are not well understood. Many issues complicate addressing these factors. Individual suffering, exhaustion of family resources, and the costs to society for medical care, lost wages, welfare and disability benefits demand increasingly more resources each year. At the micro level, patients who live the daily rigors of chronic pain want medical science to solve their malady. At the macro level, health plan administrators want their patients to successfully self-manage pain with the least medical intervention and cost, because they know a cure is not probable. In the middle, the medical …

Prepare Preservice Teachers To Use Technology In Education Classrooms: An Evaluation Of The Program Used At The University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Anna Marie Mudd

Student Work

Universities are facing the dilemma of keeping up with technology while facing budget cut. Preparing preservice teachers to face the demands of the technologically advanced classroom is a continuing challenge and of great interest. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the laboratory/modular approach currently being used at University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Education and the effectiveness in preparing preservice teachers for the technology needs of the classroom. This study also investigated whether the elements of technology required to meet Nebraska competencies were covered in the laboratory/modular training program used at UNO. Two groups, preservice teachers and …

A Comparison Of Awareness: Web-Based Faculty Development Versus Paper-Based Faculty Development At The University Of Nebraska Medical Center, Melissa A. Diers

Student Work

The research's question prior to conducting the study was web-based faculty development as effective as print-based faculty development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The study compared the University of Nebraska Medical Center faculty levels of self-perceived awareness of (1) supported web-based applications and (2) consultant services available to assist faculty in the integration of web-based technologies. Currently at UNMC there are 557 full time faculty, two random groups were selected from the total population for a total sample of 200 study participants. One group was requested to complete a questionnaire upon the completion of a web-based tutorial. The …

The Effects Of Graphic Organizers On Student Internalization, Aaron F. Smeall

Student Work

This study sought to determine what, if any, effect the use of graphic organizers had on concept internalization. The study participants were high school freshmen and sophomores in language arts class. The students read several pieces of literature and journaled during their reading. The control group utilized a reader response section in their journals, while the treatment group used graphic organizers. The study determined that the use of graphic organizers increased the level of distancing to a greater degree than did the use of reader response journaling. The study held distancing as evidence of internalization. The data, therefore, indicated that …

Social Interaction Differences In Regular Education Classes For A Secondary Student With Multiple Disabilities., Ramona Sue Routley

Student Work

Since secondary students with severe disabilities are being included into regular education classes, there is no research proposing the ·best class choices to· enhance social interaction with peers without disabilities·

A Longitudinal Study Of Predictors Of Student Achievement Related To Socioeconomic Status, Race/Ethnicity, Attendance, And Student Mobility, Theresa Ann Norris

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to examine achievement gains of elementary students over a five-year period of time. This analysis identified predictors at the student, classroom, and grade level and analyzed them for their impact on academic achievement as measured by gain scores and scale scores. In particular, various aspects of mobility including type, timing, and reason for transfers were examined.

Work -To-Family Conflict Of High School Assistant Principals, Stephen Gregory Aspleaf

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to examine specifically work-to-family conflict among high school assistant principals. The work-to-family conflict model as developed by Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) and further developed by Stephens and Sommer (1996) was used. The Stephens and Sommer survey instrument was modified to fit the educational setting. The assistant principal sample was selected from public high schools from the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.

Nineteenth-Century Virginia Female Institutes, 1850-1890 : An Analysis Of The Effect Of Education On Social Life, Jennifer Harrison

Master's Theses

Until recently, serious study of women's education has been neglected, and studies of the educational systems of the South have lagged behind those of similar institutions in the North. This thesis examines female educational institutions in the South during the period 1850-1890, focusing specifically on four schools in Virginia: the Buckingham Female Institute in Buckingham County, the Southern Female Institute in Richmond, the Lynchburg Female Seminary in Lynchburg, and the Virginia Female Institute in Staunton. Using support from diaries, letters, and autograph books, mainly kept by the elite and upper middle class students who attended these schools, this study attempts …

Assessing The Racial Awareness Of Majority Group Member Students At East Tennessee State University And The Factors Related To Racial Awareness, Lavern Terrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the racial awareness of majority group member students at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and factors related to racial awareness. Seven research questions and five hypotheses were examined. The Oklahoma Racial Attitudes Survey-Preliminary Form (ORAS-P) was used to identify the racial awareness of White students enrolled at ETSU during the fall of 1999. Forty-six classes were surveyed obtaining a sample totaling 395 students. In addition to completing the ORAS-P, students in the sample were asked the following demographic questions: gender, age, city and state of birth, name and location of high school …

Statistical Power Analysis Of Dissertations Completed By Students Majoring In Educational Leadership At Tennessee Universities, Heping Deng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to estimate the level of statistical power demonstrated in recent dissertations in the field of educational leadership. Power tables provided in Cohen's (1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences were used to determine the power of the statistical tests conducted in dissertations selected from five universities in Tennessee. The meta-analytic approach was used to summarize and synthesize the findings. The population of this study consisted of all dissertations successfully defended by doctoral students majoring in educational leadership/administration at East Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Tennessee State University, the University …

An Exploration Of Common Domain Skills Necessary For Intraschool And Classroom Success, Phillip A. Hatch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study is on teachers' perceptions of those classroom skills and intraschool skills needed for success in schools currently engaged in the implementation of a model of school reform. An instrument was developed based on the skills identified by the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (1992) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1989). Faculty in schools currently engaged with a model of reform responded to survey items based on two scenarios: one describing a classroom environment; the other describing an intraschool environment. Data were collected from 495 faculty members in 22 schools in …