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Examining Administrators' Perceived Influence Of Social Media On Adolescent School Discipline: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Stephanie N. Cox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand middle and high school administrators’ perceived influence of social media on school discipline and student behavior in southeastern Virginia. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Skinner’s behavioral theory of operant conditioning guided this study and provided the theoretical framework for learning through observation and reinforcement. Twelve middle and high school administrators participated in this study and shared their administrative experiences regarding social media and its perceived influence on student discipline and behavior in their respective schools. The central question guiding this research study was the following: What are the experiences of …

Unequal Partners: A Pilot Evaluation In Harrisonburg High School, Katherine Kowalk

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Background: Teens are considered a vulnerable population in regards to intimate partner violence with reported rates of 1 in 11 high school students being physically hurt by a significant other. Educational programs have been developed for teens to promote healthy relationships. This research examines whether “Unequal Partners: Teaching about Power, Consent and Healthy Relationships” by Sue Montfort and Peggy Brick provides relevant, engaging information to educate high school students on the importance of healthy relationships.

Methodology: Students at Harrisonburg High School were invited to attend a voluntary program consisting of “Unequal Partners” lessons during extended learning times. The program consisted …

A World Both Big And Small: Understanding Urban Middle School Teachers’ Sense Of Self-Efficacy In An Era Of Accountability, Richard Gallucci

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This explanatory case study seeks to understand the nature of middle school educators’ self-efficacy in an urban public school district during an era of accountability. The study was conducted in a progressive school district, known as OakRidge Pubic Schools. A sequential mixed methods design with a participant-selection model variation was employed. The study identified teachers’ level of self-efficacy via the Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001), a quantitative survey used to determine high and low self-efficacy focus groups. During these subsequent focus group interviews, the competing objectives of fulfilling responsibilities levied from accountability mandates and initiatives, …

Junior High Latino Parents' Perceived Roles In Home And School Partnerships, Mytzy Vania Rodriguez-Kufner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A rural K-12 district in the Midwest evidenced a rise in the Latino population from 2002 to 2013, yet parental participation amongst Latino parents at the junior high was low. Low parental involvement has been linked to lowered self-efficacy, which impacts student learning. Although there is a plethora of research on the positive aspects of parental involvement, there is little research on Latino parent involvement in small rural communities. Within this instrumental case study, Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's model of parent involvement was used to explore Latino parents' perceptions of their roles and responsibilities of communication strategies within the junior high …

Masculinities, Gendered Expression, And The Social, Emotional, And Academic Well-Being Of High School Boys, Cynthia Bazinet

Educational Studies Dissertations

There has been longstanding concern over the seemingly intractable problem of boys’ academic achievement. Despite extensive research, there is little consensus among researchers and educators regarding best practices and approaches in mitigating and remediating the problem. This mixed-methods study sought to illuminate the issue further by focusing on the meaningful lived experiences of six young men aged 18 to 24 who attended and graduated from a central Massachusetts public high school. The study asked participants to reflect through prompted writing upon the stresses and pressures as well as the factors and conditions that affected their abilities to manage their performativities …

A Theoretically Grounded Exploration Of The Social And Emotional Outcomes Of Transition To Secondary School, Stacey Waters, Leanne Lester, Elizabeth Wenden, Donna Cross

Research outputs 2012

Adolescent development involves a complex interplay between genetics, biology, and social and emotional relationships within multiple contexts of home, school and the broader community. The transition from primary to secondary school, coupled with the onset of puberty, can therefore be a difficult period for young people to negotiate at a critical period of their developmental pathway. Using a social ecological perspective, this article examines the impact of the transition experience on adolescent social and emotional health, both immediately following transition to secondary school and at the end of the first year in this new school environment. This 1-year prospective study …

Ark: At Risk Kids: A Preventive Discipline Program For Adolescent Students, Tad Jonathan Smith

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.