Education Commons^™

Perception Of Alumni Of The Department Of Agriculture At Stephen F. Austin State University, Sherifat Rufai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

University alumni surveys have served various purposes since they were introduced in the 1930s in the United States. The Department of Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) aimed to evaluate alumni perceptions between the Fall of 2010 and the Spring of 2022 to provide an opportunity to examine the relationship between degree fields and occupations and the agriculture curriculum, salaries, and demographic data for college graduates. This study's web-based survey was designed to include closed-ended and open-ended questions to collect individual opinions using Qualtrics Survey Software. The survey materials were made available on the alumni's social media accounts. …

An Evaluation Of The Break Up With Salt Community-Based Hypertension Education Program, Helena L. Salgado

LSU Master's Theses

Introduction: Hypertension is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and contributes to renal disease, premature death, and disability. More recently, hypertension has also been identified as a risk factor for serious symptoms or as an underlying cause of death from Covid-19. Break up with salt (BUWS) is a 4-session, community-based nutrition education program of the LSU AgCenter, developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to help Louisiana’s adults prevent or mange hypertension. The BUWS curriculum focuses on the DASH diet, healthy food selection and preparation skills, and physical activity and stress management. BUWS was piloted in a …

Defining Inclusion: Surveying Educator Perceptions And Practices In Chile, Christina A. Bosch

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite earlier attempts to arrive at unified theories or conceptualizations, the international literature on inclusive education has increasingly documented the proliferation of operationalizations of inclusion in and even within single instances of policy, research, and practice, and called for further scholarly attention to such subjectivity. Specifically, there is a dearth of international research linking definitions to perceptions to practices within special and/or inclusive education, and findings on the efficacy of interventions to promote inclusive education practices in Spanish-speaking contexts or literature are similarly sparse. This study investigates how Latinx educators in K-12 schools conceptualize and practice inclusion with respect to …

Claremont College Students’ Perceptions Of Sexual Education Effectiveness: An Analysis Of Demographic Characteristics And Values, Michelle Calcany Blair

Pitzer Senior Theses

The purpose of this paper is to determine college students’ attitudes and evaluations of their K-12 sex education while considering demographic factors; in doing so, one can provide young adults with more autonomy over their education while better understanding how to make sex education more effective. The demographic factors that were considered along with student responses were: state of schooling, whether their schooling was religious or non-religious, whether one’s school was public or private, political affiliation of the school and neighborhood, race of the participants, and gender of the participants. These factors were deemed relevant for helping shape how people …

A Statistical Analysis Of The Unm Facets Design Identity & Beliefs Survey Data, Clarissa A. Sorensen-Unruh

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

The NSF-funded FACETS (Formation of Accomplished Chemical Engineers for Transforming Society, NSF Award 1623105) grant aims to transform the undergraduate engineering experience in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico to address attrition within engineering majors, especially among underserved populations (Brainard & Carlin, 1998). The UNM FACETS Design Identity & Beliefs survey, an assessment tool used as part of the research of the grant, generated the dataset used in this study. I performed several different statistical analyses on the dataset, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. The …

Strengthening Families In Santa Cruz County, Yajaira Rubio-Mendoza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Parenting is very rewarding and enjoyable, yet it can be challenging and exhausting. Therefore, there is no right way to be a parent. At La Manzana Community Resources (LMCR), a family program of Community Bridges, there is a strong belief in strengthening families within the Santa Cruz County community. That is why LMCR provides various services such as, Triple-P Positive Parenting Program. Triple-P, funded by First 5, provides parents and caregivers parenting support ranging from birth to 12 years of age, with additional support for families with teens, and families of children with special needs. The …

The Development Of A Survey Instrument To Measure Transactional Distance In Secondary Blended Learning Environments, Dennis Lane

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The goal of this study was to develop a survey instrument to measure transactional distance in secondary blended learning environments. This study resulted in a 35-item survey instrument, the Blended Learning Assessment Scale of Transactional Distance (BLASTD), which was tested using a convenience sample of secondary students (n=222) at a secondary blended learning site. The research followed a methodology for scale development developed by Hinkin, Tracey, and & Enz, and was conducted through the following seven steps: (1) Item Generation; (2) Content Adequacy Assessment; (3) Questionnaire Administration; (4) Factor Analysis; (5) Internal Consistency Assessment; (6) Construct Validity; and …

Developing And Implementing A Sustainable Assessment Program For The Self-Aware College Language Tutor, Brian L. Adler

MA TESOL Collection

The aim of this project was to determine whether language tutors at a community college in the U.S. state of Virginia who play an active role in the design and implementation of new assessment strategies will see an increase in awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and whether this awareness will drive them to change and adapt their learning and tutoring for the better. The author will show that assessment can be used as an avenue for tutors to share strengths with one another through indirect observation in the form of recorded tutoring sessions, qualitative surveys, and informal interviews. …

Motivation For Mathematics: The Development And Initial Validation Of An Abbreviated Instrument, Kenneth Lee Butler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study outlines the development and initial validation of an abbreviated instrument intended to measure motivation for mathematics of university students in developmental algebra courses. I look across many of the predominant theories on motivation with the aim of representing several of these theories as latent constructs in a single instrument that is short enough to be administered in a reasonable amount of time, but inclusive enough that it could incorporate subscales representing multiple distinct latent factors. This study answers a call by researchers expressing a need to investigate relationships between disparate theories on motivation and is a response to …

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables In A Rural Elementary School: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation, Patricia Marie Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program is a federally funded program intended to increase public school students' fruit and vegetable consumption. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to evaluate the implementation of this program at a rural southwestern Title 1 elementary school to determine teacher perceptions of the program and whether the program met federal goals. Social ecological model and social cognitive theory grounded the investigation. The mixed method design included semi-structured interviews with 11 teachers accompanied by an anonymous web-based open response questionnaire and document reviews. Descriptive statistics were reported for Likert scale survey items and invoice documents …

Caseload/Workload Study Of Speech Language Pathologists In Missouri Public Schools, Jinyu Du

Masters Theses

"A survey was distributed to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Missouri public schools to obtain statewide information regarding caseload number, workload related activities and SLPs' level job satisfaction on various aspects of their job. An online questionnaire was sent to school-based SLPs in Missouri to solicit factual information on average monthly caseload numbers, factors that impact caseload assignments and the percentage of time spent on various professional responsibilities and job satisfaction ratings. Results indicated that 24% of the respondents had caseloads that exceeded the maximum state regulated caseload number for SLPs. Respondents were also largely unaware of the maximum caseload regulation …

Impact Of A Visual Programming Experience On The Attitude Toward Programming Of Introductory Undergraduate Students, Saurabh Godbole

Open Access Theses

Traditionally, textual tools have been utilized to teach basic programming languages and paradigms. Research has shown that students tend to be visual learners. Using flowcharts, students can quickly understand the logic of their programs and visualize the flow of commands in the algorithm. Moreover, applying programming to physical systems through the use of a microcontroller to facilitate this type of learning can spark an interest in students to advance their programming knowledge to create novel applications. This study examined if freshmen college students' attitudes towards programming changed after completing a graphical programming lesson. Various attributes about students' attitudes were examined …

Exploring Faculty Adoption And Utilization Of Blackboard At A Community College In The Kentucky Community And Technical College System, Brent A. Eldridge

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The study explored the faculty adoption and use of a Blackboard at a community college in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. A cross-sectional survey design was constructed through the lens of Rogers’s Perceived Attributes of Innovations and Chickering and Ehrman’s Implementing Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever to investigate perceptions and opinions on faculty members’ use of Blackboard in their courses. The survey was piloted, modified and deployed to a population of 932 central Kentucky community college faculty who were recruited to participate in the online survey. Descriptive demographic items (gender, age, highest degree attained, years of teaching …

Student Perceptions Of School Climate: A Validity And Data Use Study Of A District-Developed Survey, Mya L. Martin-Glenn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 25 years, researchers have consistently reported that students' perceptions of their school's climate can have a measurable impact on their level of engagement in school, motivation to learn, social development, and, ultimately, their academic achievement. In light of the continued emphasis on education reform and school accountability, the ability to accurately measure the learning environment, interpret the results from that measure, and then determine the appropriate course of action in addressing areas of concern has become increasingly important for school leaders. This dissertation used an embedded mixed methods design to examine one district's self-developed measure of their …

The Elementary Teacher’S Role In Moral Education: An Investigation Of One Albuquerque Public School Site, Melanie L. Bauer

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the elementary teacher’s role as a moral educator. The context is the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) in New Mexico. I have investigated the Character Counts! program, the moral education program which has been adopted and utilized by the school district. I describe the goals and rationale behind the Character Counts! program, as written about in existing documentation and literature. In addition, I have conducted interviews with individuals in APS in charge of creating and disseminating such information. I have reported on the perceived effectiveness and shortcomings of the Character Counts! program as described by the people in …

Do Teachers In Portable Classrooms Feel Connected?, Kenneth R. Gorman

All Graduate Projects

This report was an analysis of a specific population of teachers who taught in portable classrooms. The focus of the research and questionnaire was to determine whether these teachers feel connected to students, other teachers, administration, and the rest of the school because they are in portable classrooms. Research includes current reports and studies on portable classrooms nationwide and a local questionnaire. The study concludes with suggestions and recommendations for future teachers and administrators.

A Process Model For Teacher Evaluation Of Education Administrators, Marla Caviness

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a process model for teacher evaluation of administrators. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current literature regarding evaluation of school administrators was conducted. Additional information from randomly selected school districts regarding evaluation of administrators was obtained and analyzed. Information from selected school districts regarding involvement of teachers in the process of administrator evaluation was also obtained.

Participation Versus Elimination In Middle School Sport Activities, Joseph Robert Cail

All Graduate Projects

Middle school students were surveyed to test two assumptions regarding fully participating versus being eliminated from sport activity and how elimination affects the choice ·of sport activity. The results showed that students would rather be participants than non-participants and that the possibility of elimination did not affect their choice of activity for most students.

Attitudes Toward Reading Held By Second Grade Students When Instructed In First And Second Grades Using The Basal Approach And The Whole Language Approach, Anne L. Kepner

All Graduate Projects

The attitudes toward reading held by second grade students when instructed using the basal approach and the whole language approach were studied. Forty surveys given to students at the end of their second grade year were analyzed. The results showed support for the hypothesis that students, taught reading by the whole language approach in first and second grades will have a more positive attitude toward reading than students taught reading by the traditional basal approach in the first and second grades.

A Handbook For High School Activities Coordinators, Douglas W. Helgeson

All Graduate Projects

A handbook for activities coordinators in AAA-size high schools was developed. The result of the study indicated that management of student activities was moving to the supervision of an assistant principal, and that a representative document for implementation and organization of student activities was needed. Further, the study demonstrated that a handbook for advisors and for students needed to be developed to complete the organizational loop.

Data were collected from all AAA-size high schools. Representative common job responsibilities for a half-time activities coordinator were provided. Recommendations from the conclusions were discussed.

Retention: The Fourth R, Retention Perception And Practices In The Kennewick School District, Steven G. Linn

All Graduate Projects

A descriptive study was conducted by means of a questionnaire to determine what the Kennewick School District teachers and principals perceived the official district policy to be regarding nonpromotion of a student. The results showed that principals had a clear understanding of the policy while half of the responding teachers did not. Retention practices were investigated and it was found that 74 students were retained for the year 1987 by teachers, with principals reporting 31 retentions district-wide. Criteria for nonpromotion decision making was identified and ranked in order of frequency used by both teachers and principals. Communication of the district …

A Measure Of Student Attitude Toward Physical Activity At Central Washington University, Timothy D. Clark

All Master's Theses

The attitudes of students who were involved in service courses offered by the Physical Education Department of Central Washington University during the Winter Quarter of 1984 were given G. S. Kenyon's Attitude Toward Physical Activity inventory. The results showed that attitudes for male and female tested were similar within the six domains of the inventory, even though a wide variation of response was obtained in the individual domains by each sex group.

The Nature Of The Middle School In Washington State - 1980, Edward Allen Barnhart

All Master's Theses

The nature of the middle school in the state of Washington and its conformance to the middle school concept was studied. Eighty-four of the state's ninety-two middle school principals reported on programs and offerings in their schools. The study indicated that Washington middle schools conform favorably to the concept in all major areas except grading practices and athletic programs. The schools recognize a developmental stage of transescence and minister to it through child-child- centered rather than subject-centered programs. Further study is recommended to compare the middle school with the junior high school in the state of Washington.

A Survey Of Administrators' Attitudes Regarding The Effectiveness Of The Middle School, John Charles Epperson

All Master's Theses

This study was made in order to gain data pertinent to assess the need for change from junior high school to middle school. The study did indicate that a majority of middle school administrators believe that educational philosophy was more influential than was economic expediency in the creation of the middle school. It was evident that the majority of middle school administrators believe that the students served by the middle school are more tranquil, better disciplined, and taught better, because of the middle school structure.

Due to responses received, it is recommended that further study of achievement levels be made.