Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Bullying In The Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Vanessa Cristina Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this paper was to describe the study concerning special education students in middle school who were bullied. Many students in the special education program are being bullied, whether it is due to their disabilities or other factors (Mishna, 2003; Rose, Espelage, & Monda-Amaya, 2009; Coloroso, 2008; Christensen, Fraynt, Neece, & Baker, 2012). While several quantitative studies have been conducted addressing this worldwide phenomenon, few qualitative studies have been performed. A phenomenological approach allowed the participants to share their own experiences with bullying. Twenty-five students from several middle schools (6th, 7th, 8th grades) in a city in the …

Effect Of Instruction And Textbook Adoption Procedures On Kindergarten Students' Learning Of The Concept Of Rectangle, Francisco Rivera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to produce scientific knowledge about the ability of kindergarten children to learn the correct mathematical concept of rectangle. The subjects of this study were kindergarten children in a public school district whose population had a large proportion of Hispanic and economically disadvantaged children. A Solomon Four-Group Design as described by Campbell and Stanley (1963) was used. Both the control and experimental groups received instruction using a district adopted curriculum. A description of how the district's curriculum addressed the concept of rectangle was included in the results. The experimental group received additional instruction using a …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Parental Involvement And Home-School Connections In A South Texas Border Town, Cynthia A. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Latinos have a high amount of individuals residing in poverty, and, yet, are still the fastest growing minority group in the nation (Gandara & Contreras, 2009; National Council of La Raza, 2014). For some families, living in poverty and the need to earn a living prevents parents from being actively involved in their children’s education (Moreno & Gaytan, 2013). Therefore, the need to form alliances with parents is critical. Partnerships with parents must be formed to better understand the necessities of these children. Consequently, educators should convey to parents the significance of forming links between the home and school. Moreover, …

Knowledge, Skills, And Dispositions Influencing Middle School Teachers' Decision Making In Planning Social Studies Instruction In A Hispanic Serving School, Angela Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The issue of highly qualified teachers as the key to improving the educational system in the United States has become a primary focus in education. The federal educational policy No Child Left Behind Act 2001, describes what it means to be a highly qualified teacher in core subject areas, and all states are required to use this criterion for defining what teachers should know, and be able to do. Accordingly, certified teachers in today’s public school classrooms must possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions so that all students, including those students who have been historically disadvantaged and those who are …

Re-Envisioning Professional Development For The Teaching Of Writing: Lessons Learned From The National Writing Project And Where We Go From Here, Susan M. Diaz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this thesis, I compare what we know about the teaching of writing from thirty years of disciplinary research and development versus what secondary pre-service and in-service teachers know about it. In terms of theoretical and practical alignment, I also examine the transition in Texas from one standardized test (TAKS) to another (STAAR) and the implications for teachers. Finally, I outline a Professional Development sequence for secondary school teachers that would better prepare teachers to teach writing across the secondary school curriculum, including an argument for particularly effective methods of delivery for communicating this information. This professional development design includes, …

A History Of The Texas Education Agency Instructional Facility Allotment (Ifa) Program In Hidalgo County School Districts Located In The Texas Rio Grande Valley From 1997 To 2007, Michael J. Sandroussi

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examines the implementation of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Instructional Facility Allotment (IFA) Program in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) through documentation chronicling Hidalgo County school districts from 1997 through 2007 that secured IFA & EDA monies to build new facilities. Participants in this study included Hidalgo County school districts, three school architects, ten Hidalgo County school district superintendents and one Texas state senator. The fifteen school district superintendents were asked to complete an Instructional Facility Allotment (IFA) and Existing Debt Allotment (EDA) survey. The three architects, ten superintendents and state senator were interviewed in order to provide …

Dropout Prevention: Factors Contributing To The Resiliency Of At-Risk Hispanic Students And Their Pursuit Of A High School Diploma, William Roach

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Dropping out of high school has become a reality for far too many Hispanic high school students. Some estimates have the Hispanic dropout rate at close to 50% (Stutz & Hobbs, 2008). Research on factors contributing to this high dropout rate is well documented and schools across the nation are well aware of the problem. But in spite of this knowledge, the dropout epidemic persists. The purpose of this study was to determine, from a student perspective, what can be done to reduce the number of Hispanic dropouts. Forty-six at-risk Hispanic seniors in a small Texas high school along the …

Creation Of Post Ap Chemistry Class, Julian Medrano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The creation of a Post AP Chemistry Class to be taught at the high school level for grade 12 students is discussed. The class is to be taught under the supervision of the University of Texas Pan American professors and taught by an MS Chemistry teacher, in order to better transition students into upper level chemistry courses beyond Chemistry 1401 and 1402.

At-Risk Hispanic Students' Perception Of Afterschool Programs: A New Model Targeting The Needs Of English Language Learners, Cynthia Wise Galvan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to explore 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) as support systems for at-risk Hispanic youth. Expanding upon previous theories that analyzed afterschool programs and bilingual programs separately, this study sought to understand how 3rd, 4th and 5th grade at-risk Hispanic youth attending the 21st CCLC, Afterschool Centers on Education, perceive the afterschool programs in a small school district in South Texas. The study analyzed five afterschool program constructs pertaining to what literature says are best practices for afterschool programs and bilingual programs inclusive of safety, self-esteem, interactive, and engaging, language, and cultural characteristics. This …

Academic And Social Aspects Of Recent Immigrant Children's School Experiences In A Public Elementary School In A U.S.- Mexico Border Town In South Texas, Alicia Judith Bolt

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this study I examined school experiences of recent immigrant students who came to the Ollin South elementary school in Texas, U.S., with prior schooling in Yolitzli, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Using an ethnographic perspective, I analyzed how children and their parents and teachers described children's schooling experiences, challenges, and transition processes. I conducted semi-structured and open-ended interviews with ten students enrolled in 1st through 5th grade in a public elementary school in Ollin, Texas. I also interviewed the parents and teachers of the students to gain a broader perspective of student experiences and schooling processes on both sides of the border. …

Utilizing Concept Mapping As A Teaching And Learning Tool To Prepare For The Science Taks Test, Rosa Linda Zuniga

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Concept mapping was used with Donna High School students to determine its effect on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. Concept mapping was used with models such as the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol model (SIOP), the 5- E model, and the Learning Groups model. This measure was taken because the models used have not helped students improve their TAKS scores significantly. The findings of this research reveals that using the process of concept mapping together with the SIOP model helps students clearly see related concepts and motivates them to think more deeply. Students quickly realize what concepts …

Impact Of Flash Animation In Learning Concepts Of Matter Among Elementary Students, Rhodora S. Santos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examines the instructional effect of flash animation on students' achievement in learning specific concepts of matter. The subjects used in this study were 5th-grade students of the researcher from Dan Ramirez Elementary. Each class or section of these students was randomly assigned as the control group (n = 20) and the experimental group (n =20). The subjects in the control group were exposed to traditional textbook reading while the subjects in the experimental group were exposed to flash animation. To measure the students' achievement from the concepts learned, a pre-test and a post test were both administered to …

The Effect Of Scaffolding On Children's Oral Language Development, Ana Villaurrutia

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This was a quasi experimental nonequivalent control group design used with 71 subjects in two Head Start center settings. LAP-D assessment results were also taken in account for the purpose of comparison regarding the dependent variable. The subjects were children 4 and 5 years old who were attending classes in two different Head Start centers. These subjects were students from 2 classrooms from Center One and 2 classrooms from Center Two. In Center One, teachers were trained in the use of scaffolding techniques, whereas in Center Two teachers had no training on scaffolding techniques. An analysis of variance procedure was …

The Effect Of A Family Literacy Parental Involvement Intervention On Oral Language Development, Azucena C. Escobar

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The subjects that participated in this study were 36 Hispanic children who attended Head Start Programs. The participants were 4 and 5 year olds from four classrooms. An intervention, training of parents regarding literacy activities was implemented in the study to determine the outcome of parental involvement on oral language development. This researcher implemented parental training prior to the treatment. Parents were to provide their children with oral language intervention for fifteen to twenty minutes, three times a week. These activities took place at the children's home from March through June of 2004. Children's oral language development was determined using …

Using Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities To Identify Gifted Students And Augment Their Gifted Potential, Sande Kristiansen-Hagne

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study was to examine the potential for using Dabrowski's theory of overexcitabilities as an alternative method for identifying gifted students and augmenting development of gifted potential in students. Specifically, in what ways can Dabrowski's psychic overexcitabilities and Theory of Developmental Potential be used to find and serve the educational and emotional needs of the residual group of unidentified and unserved gifted students?

Educational implications and strategies are suggested and discussed. Pedagogic and curricular strategies that utilize the interactive nature of Dabrowski's psychic overexcitabilities and emotional development are examined. The benefit of development of an instrument to measure overexcitabilities at …