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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Methodological Analysis Of Research Into The Effect Of Professional Learning Community On Student Academic Achievement, Brandon K. Thacker Jul 2016

A Methodological Analysis Of Research Into The Effect Of Professional Learning Community On Student Academic Achievement, Brandon K. Thacker

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed all published research articles examining the relationship between professional community efforts (plc) (used here as a broader category than, but inclusive of, Professional Learning Communities or PLCs) and student academic achievement (SAA) that reported primary research findings published before January 1, 2015. This study specifically identified primary, quantitative studies of SAA that in context are plc, but which may or may not be labeled as such, that were published before January 1, 2015. Analyses examined how many studies of plc and SAA were of a descriptive, correlational, causal comparative, quasi-experimental,or experimental design type, evaluated …


An Analysis Of Due Process Hearings Involving Students With Significant Disabilities In Their Least Restrictive Environment, Wendy Seiter Nichol Jun 2016

An Analysis Of Due Process Hearings Involving Students With Significant Disabilities In Their Least Restrictive Environment, Wendy Seiter Nichol

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzed all available hearings from 2013 to 2015 in a national database of due process hearings regarding placement issues and determinations of the least restrictive environment for individual students with significant disabilities. The main research question was whether parents/guardians and due process hearing officers sought placements for these children with significant disabilities that considered creatively and holistically a range of options rather than just a dialogue between already extant possible programmatic offerings. The research resulted in a description and taxonomy of the types of issues and factors arising in the hearings for students with significant disabilities from 2013 …


Understanding Author Academic Disciplinary Background To Direct A More Effective Use Of Standardized Testing Within The School Community, Joseph Jensen Jun 2016

Understanding Author Academic Disciplinary Background To Direct A More Effective Use Of Standardized Testing Within The School Community, Joseph Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Since the days of Horace Mann, standardized testing has been used as a control mechanism by policy makers to determine who makes decisions about what will happen in public schools. A dynamic struggle for educational control and governance has continued since that time between the local, state, and federal levels. This struggle for control puts school principals in a unique organizational position where they are expected to use standardized tests within the school community with teachers, students, and parents to improve education but at the same time manage external accountability mandates from district, state and federal levels of governance. To …


The Impact Of Demographic And Educational Factors On International Students' Propensity To Trust: Implications For School Officials In Higher Education, Samuel D. Brown May 2016

The Impact Of Demographic And Educational Factors On International Students' Propensity To Trust: Implications For School Officials In Higher Education, Samuel D. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

School officials responsible for the growing international student populations struggle to find ways to help them navigate inconsistencies that may exist between federal regulations and institutional policies, and would benefit from increased understanding of ways to gain trust from diverse student populations. To determine whether student demographics might be related to propensity to trust, this study used the validated Propensity to Trust Scale (PTTS) by Frazier, Johnson, and Fainshmidt (2013), as well as a demographic questionnaire developed to measure students' background and educational attributes. Responses to an online survey from 576 international students from 71 countries were collected from a …


The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Implementation Factors And Self-Reported Rti Implementation Efforts, Kim Jones Mar 2016

The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Implementation Factors And Self-Reported Rti Implementation Efforts, Kim Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is an educational reform effort that is being implemented across the nation. Considering that the systematic implementation of the RTI process requires organizational change, teachers may be hesitant or resistant to engage in the change process. This study organizes the potential barriers of RTI implementation into the RTI implementation factors of vision, professional development, professional support, and time resources. This quantitative study explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of these RTI implementation factors and teachers' self-reported RTI implementation in their classrooms. The survey results came from 553 elementary school teachers across the state of Utah (30% …


Psychological And Behavioral Dimensions Of Team Trust And Adherence To Collaborative Team Norms Within Plcs, Anne L. Staffieri Mar 2016

Psychological And Behavioral Dimensions Of Team Trust And Adherence To Collaborative Team Norms Within Plcs, Anne L. Staffieri

Theses and Dissertations

In response to increasing demands placed on public education, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have emerged as a means of providing teachers with opportunities to collaborate together. Collaboration has been shown to improve teaching practices and lead to better student outcomes. Trust has been shown to be an important factor contributing to the success of PLC teams. Adherence to collaborative norms is also an important factor in the ability to collaborate successfully in PLC teams, yet few studies exist that empirically assess the relationship between trust and adherence to norms regarding the collaboration process. Participants in this study are public high …


Outcomes Of Mentoring Relationships Between University Service-Learning Students And Language Minority Students, Casey C. Peterson Mar 2016

Outcomes Of Mentoring Relationships Between University Service-Learning Students And Language Minority Students, Casey C. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores mentor outcomes of university students serving in service-learning mentoring relationships between university service-learning student volunteers and language minority student mentees. These outcomes are helpful in improving academic and personal progress for both the student mentors and the mentees. The mentoring relationships may be particularly important given the challenges facing an increasing number of language minority students in communities and schools today. Research indicates that student mentees perform better academically when mentors assist in their learning and growth. As part of the greater network of educational and community leaders, university administrators have the opportunity to create mentoring opportunities …


Teacher Quality And Well-Being: A Q-Squared Analysis, Lisa Keovongsa, Macleans A. Geo-Jaja Feb 2016

Teacher Quality And Well-Being: A Q-Squared Analysis, Lisa Keovongsa, Macleans A. Geo-Jaja

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Literature review argues that teachers are the most important element in determining the quality of a national education system (Gopinathan 2006). While quality education is often defined in the narrower sense of measurable outcomes, teachers still play an equally significant role in achieving widespread quality through developing critical thinking skills and instilling the value of education. In the context of Cambodia, education appears at a deficit in consideration of the country’s high drop out rates and low percentages of passing graduation. With this in mind, I decided to examine Cambodian teacher quality and their perspectives on well-being as well as …


Youth Leadership Development As An Important Component In Rights In Education: Who, How, What, And Why, Melissa Tingey, Macleans Geo-Jaja Feb 2016

Youth Leadership Development As An Important Component In Rights In Education: Who, How, What, And Why, Melissa Tingey, Macleans Geo-Jaja

Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


The Nature And Function Of Professional Support Networks For Teachers Of English Language Learners, Betsy Lynn Ferguson Dec 2015

The Nature And Function Of Professional Support Networks For Teachers Of English Language Learners, Betsy Lynn Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

The English learner (EL) population in the United States continues to grow. To improve their pedagogy in working with this population, many educators have received training in English as a Second Language (ESL), but the gap between ELs and their native English speaking peers persists. When teachers engage as members of professional support networks, they are more likely to successfully implement the strategies learned in their ESL professional development (Echevarria, Richards-Tutor, Chinn, & Ratleff, 2011). This study considered the nature and function of the professional support network of a district's ESL-endorsed teachers. Using network theory methods, 257 teachers and other …


How The Hispanic Perception Of Brigham Young University Affects Its Multicultural Student Body, Jorge Encinas, Clifford Mayes Nov 2015

How The Hispanic Perception Of Brigham Young University Affects Its Multicultural Student Body, Jorge Encinas, Clifford Mayes

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to investigate potential for the small amount of Hispanic students that attend BYU. I noticed this when I noticed that the percentage of the student body that is of Hispanic has been lower lately. Meanwhile similar educational institutions in Utah have had an increasing percent of their student body be from Hispanic consent. Dr. Mayes and I believed that the perception that Hispanic students have of BYU might be a primary reason for why Hispanic students are not attend BYU.


Professional Learning Committee Team Functionality And Team Trust, Chris S. Wood Jul 2015

Professional Learning Committee Team Functionality And Team Trust, Chris S. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

In response to increasing demands placed on public education, professional learning communities (PLC) have emerged as a means of providing teachers with opportunities to collaborate together. Collaboration has been shown to improve teaching practices and lead to better student outcomes. Many collaborative teams, however, struggle to reach their collaborative potential. Trust has been shown to be an important factor contributing to the success of collaborative efforts. Few studies exist that empirically assess the relationship between team functionality and team trust. This study examines the relationship between these two constructs. A measurement tool was developed by the author to measure PLC …


Principal Learning-Centered Leadership And Faculty Trust In The Principal, Shane Justin Farnsworth Jul 2015

Principal Learning-Centered Leadership And Faculty Trust In The Principal, Shane Justin Farnsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Principals are increasingly held accountable for student achievement outcomes. Existing research has found principal leadership indirectly affects student achievement (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). Principals face a problem when they are accountable for achievement outcomes and are dependent upon others and other variables to achieve those outcomes. Consequently, principals will benefit from a richer understanding of how their leadership indirectly affects student achievement. Using the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) measurement of principal learning-centered leadership (Goldring, Porter, Murphy, Elliot, & Cravens, 2009) and the Omnibus T-Scale measurement of faculty trust in the principal (Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 2003), …


Prospective First-Generation College Racial Minority Students: Mediating Factors That Facilitate Positive Educational Characteristics For College Admission, Lisa Michiko Parkinson Jul 2015

Prospective First-Generation College Racial Minority Students: Mediating Factors That Facilitate Positive Educational Characteristics For College Admission, Lisa Michiko Parkinson

Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college (FGC) students represent a small portion of the population of students on college campuses across the nation. Racial minority students are also highly underrepresented at four-year institutions. When one combines FGC students who are also racial minorities, they comprise an even smaller subgroup of students attending four-year college campuses. Research conducted to evaluate how FGC students perform their first year in college is prevalent. Additionally, research has been completed on factors that help predict a high school student's admission into and performance in college. However, very little research exists about factors identified in high school that may help …


A Multidimensional Policy Evaluation Of The Utah Statewide Online Education Program, Royd Lyman Darrington May 2015

A Multidimensional Policy Evaluation Of The Utah Statewide Online Education Program, Royd Lyman Darrington

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is in the area of online learning policy. Online learning is rapidly gaining popularity and is becoming more and more an integral part of the K–12 education landscape. Such a study is important because there are very few policies that have been created to govern online learning differently than traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Utah’s Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP) has been largely marketed as policy that does transcend these barriers. This research uses a multidimensional mixed-method case study to evaluate the program. The findings from this research provide evidence that the SOEP falls short of providing …


Teaching For Conversion: A History Of The Fundamentals, The Objective, And The Gospel Teaching And Learning Handbook For Seminaries And Institutes Of Religion In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Adam Smith Mar 2015

Teaching For Conversion: A History Of The Fundamentals, The Objective, And The Gospel Teaching And Learning Handbook For Seminaries And Institutes Of Religion In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Adam Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to document the history and the contributing factors that led to the formation of the Current Teaching Emphasis (2003), the Objective (2009), and the Gospel Teaching and Learning Handbook (2012) within Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The analysis of this history, contained herein, clearly identifies the principles that have driven the changes in S&I's description of teaching and learning, describes how these adjustments differ from previous approaches, illustrates the significance of this shift, and presents the contemporary issues that influenced the increased clarity and …


Student Voices In Teacher Evaluations, Brenda Sue Burr Mar 2015

Student Voices In Teacher Evaluations, Brenda Sue Burr

Theses and Dissertations

In an ever increasingly competitive global marketplace, a concern exists that American students are not being adequately prepared with the skills needed for the 21st century. As a remedy, improving quality of teacher instruction is a current national focus. Stakeholders are questioning current infrequent and inefficient methods of evaluating teacher performance. Many states are looking at using a 360 model of evaluating through multiple perspectives including the students themselves as key stakeholders. One method of accessing student voice and adding another perspective to teacher evaluations would be to include student evaluations in the rating of teacher performance, Student Evaluation of …


Relationships Matter: Social Networks Influencing Hispanic American Cadets' Decision To Participate In A University Rotc Program, Marc Earl Boberg Dec 2014

Relationships Matter: Social Networks Influencing Hispanic American Cadets' Decision To Participate In A University Rotc Program, Marc Earl Boberg

Theses and Dissertations

The Armed Forces of the United States and specifically the U.S. Army seek to have a racial/ethnic mix of officers (leaders) who match the racial/ethnic mix of the soldiers they lead and the country they defend. Currently Hispanic Americans are under-represented in the officer corps especially at senior levels. Social network theory was used to facilitate understanding a potential officer candidate's network of alters (people they interact with) and their relationships when they are seeking to make decisions related to enrolling in college and Army ROTC. When making the decision to enroll in Army ROTC, there is a complex social …


The Unique Skills And Traits Of One-Way And Two-Way Dual Immersion Principals, Ryan K. Rocque Nov 2014

The Unique Skills And Traits Of One-Way And Two-Way Dual Immersion Principals, Ryan K. Rocque

Theses and Dissertations

The principal is an important key to school success and student achievement (Anderson & Togneri, 2003; Met & Lorenz, 1997). Considering the role of principals of dual immersion schools, few studies have considered factors leading to their success (Nicholson, Harris-Johhn, & Schimmel, 2005; Simmons et al., 2007). With current advancements in skill mapping and meta-analyses, the understanding of skill and trait theory has improved, greatly enhancing the researcher's ability to effectively identify a leader's skills and traits (Derue, Nahrgang, Wellman, & Humphrey, 2011; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005; Scouller, 2011; Zaccaro, 2007). A clearer understanding of the skills and traits …


Faculty-Student Interaction And The Educational Outcomes Of Native American College Students: A Comparison Of First-Generation And Continuing-Generation College Students, Natasha Marilyn Gillette Aug 2014

Faculty-Student Interaction And The Educational Outcomes Of Native American College Students: A Comparison Of First-Generation And Continuing-Generation College Students, Natasha Marilyn Gillette

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing the College Student Experiences Questionnaire(CSEQ), a regression analysis was run to identify the ways in which 95 Native American college students attending an elite,religious, predominantly White institution (PWI)interact with faculty. These interactions were used to predict correlations with the educational outcomes of (1) aspirations for graduate school, (2) GPA and (3) overall gains from college. The findings were further disaggregated by first-generation and continuing-generation status. The findings suggest that none of the faculty-student interactions or demographic variables were significantly correlated with aspirations for graduate school. Gender, class standing and age were significantly correlated with GPA. A better relationship with …


Factors Related To High School Dropout Rates Among Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific Islander Youths In Salt Lake And Utah Counties In Utah, Afa K. Palu Jul 2014

Factors Related To High School Dropout Rates Among Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific Islander Youths In Salt Lake And Utah Counties In Utah, Afa K. Palu

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers across the globe have studied high school dropouts for decades and have identified various factors related to high school dropout rates. These factors have been found to be related to dropout rates among specific ethnic groups, including White, Asian, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic or Latino Origin high school students. However, the factors related to dropout rates among Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander high school students in the U.S. mainland have not been studied. This study was completed to better understand the factors related to dropout rates among Native Hawaiian or Other …


Development Of Trust And Collaboration Between Teachers In Plc Teams: The Roles Of Teachers, Principals And Different Facets Of Trust, Henry Hank Ryan Smith Mar 2014

Development Of Trust And Collaboration Between Teachers In Plc Teams: The Roles Of Teachers, Principals And Different Facets Of Trust, Henry Hank Ryan Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are being recognized as a leading strategy to improve student achievement. Trust is critical in effectively implementing the PLC model, and the school principal is best positioned to influence school trust levels. Using Hoy and Tschannen-Moran's (1999) five facets of trust, this research sought to clarify the impact of trust among PLC teachers on their team's collaborative practices. Focus group data were collected from 12 collaborative teams in 4 schools. Six of the teams were from one school that was struggling to implement the PLC model; the other six teams were from three schools that were …


Perceptions Of Elementary School Teachers, Counselors, And Principalsabout Bullying At Two School Sites In Utah And Mexico, Bernardo Villar Jul 2013

Perceptions Of Elementary School Teachers, Counselors, And Principalsabout Bullying At Two School Sites In Utah And Mexico, Bernardo Villar

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a serious issue that exists not only in the United States but in other countries as well. There are significant, and often devastating, implications for both the bully and the victim. This research focused on the perspectives of teachers, principals, and counselors related to bullying in two elementary schools in Utah and Mexico. Through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and archival records, this qualitative study explored different perspectives on bullying found in two schools exhibiting approximately the same student and teacher demographics. Interviews with teachers, counselors and principals allowed for comparison of differences and similarities between both locations. …


Kierkegaard And A Pedagogy Of Liminality, Sylvia Mcmillan Jun 2013

Kierkegaard And A Pedagogy Of Liminality, Sylvia Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

There is a strain of curriculum theory especially since the reconceptionalist movement that applies existential philosophy to educational issues and questions. There is also a related branch of curriculum theory that looks especially at existentialist theology to cast light on curriculum issues from a more religious slant. Both of these strains of analysis are rooted in Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism and existential theology (Huebner, 1999; Tillich, 1948). The educational implications of the works of Kierkegaard are a subject that has been virtually unexamined in either educational or Kierkegaardian scholarship except by two scholars whose works are already 40 years …


A District-Wide Study Confirming The Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities And Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Joseph Samuel Backman Mar 2013

A District-Wide Study Confirming The Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities And Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Joseph Samuel Backman

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have studied professional learning communities for over two decades. Educators have utilized the elements of professional learning communities in their schools to improve instruction and student learning. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence that establishes, describes, and confirms this relationship. This study was completed to better understand the nature, strength, and types of relationships between the individual elements of professional learning communities and student achievement. The sample for this study was 26 elementary schools, 439 teachers, and nearly 11,000 students. An analysis of professional learning communities and student achievement data through hierarchical linear modeling indicated that each of the …


Closing The Church University In 1894: Embracing Or Accommodating Secularized Education, Brian William Ricks Dec 2012

Closing The Church University In 1894: Embracing Or Accommodating Secularized Education, Brian William Ricks

Theses and Dissertations

The late 1800s have been noted as a major transitional period for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the beleaguered pioneers first arrived in Utah they were isolated from the influence and expectations of the United States. During that time, leaders of the Church became influential in every aspect of life in Utah. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, the period of isolation had come to an end. Nationally, the social norms had changed and religion was expected to stay in the churches and out of politics. Church leaders were faced with serious questions regarding …


Viewpoints: Liberatory Ensemble And Character, Christopher Layton Clark Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Liberatory Ensemble And Character, Christopher Layton Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, submitted in article format, explores how the physical movement theories of Anne Bogart's Viewpoints may lead to a liberatory setting, one which echoes the theories of Paolo Freire, for college theatre students. It examines whether Viewpoints is effective in creating a studio classroom culture and whether the Viewpoints exercises can lead to a heightened clarity in individual performance, with a much more satisfying and involved learning experience for students of the theatrical arts. In addition, this dissertation applies the theory of Mead's symbolic interactionism to the discoveries that students make while using Viewpoints exercises. Research methods include autoethnography, …


Sheltered English Immersion Vs. Two-Way Bilingual Education: A Case Study Comparison Of Parental Attitudes And Hispanic Students' Perceived Self-Efficacy, Edith A. Mcgee Jul 2012

Sheltered English Immersion Vs. Two-Way Bilingual Education: A Case Study Comparison Of Parental Attitudes And Hispanic Students' Perceived Self-Efficacy, Edith A. Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

Two common forms of teaching English to English-language learners are bilingual education and sheltered English immersion. While both programs claim successful second language acquisition, other effects of the programs need to be considered. This research examines one of those effects: self-efficacy, or students' perception that they will be successful or unsuccessful in doing a specific task or acquiring a specific skill. Using archival records and semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, this qualitative study draws on the work of Bandura (1977, 1986, 1997) to explore differences in self-efficacy between students who have participated for 5 years in a two-way Spanish-English bilingual …


The Globalization Of Latter-Day Saint Education, Casey Paul Griffiths Jul 2012

The Globalization Of Latter-Day Saint Education, Casey Paul Griffiths

Theses and Dissertations

This work traces the development of the global educational system of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After a long period of providing schools for its membership in the Intermountain West of the United States, the Latter-day Saints ultimately settled on a system of supplementary religious education, designed to work in concert with public education systems. During the 1950s as the Church began to gain an international following, Church leaders moved to establish an international system of schools to meet their needs. These schools were largely supervised and directed by Americans personnel. Under the leadership of Church president …


Improving Student Engagement: An Evaluation Of The Latinos In Action Program, Jose Elder Enriquez Jun 2012

Improving Student Engagement: An Evaluation Of The Latinos In Action Program, Jose Elder Enriquez

Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic students make up 12% of the enrollment in Utah elementary and secondary schools but only 3.4% of the enrollment at Utah's colleges and universities, according to Alemán and Rorrer (2006). The intervention Latinos in Action (LIA) seeks to increase high school completion and college graduation rates among emergent bilingual Latinos by involving them as paraprofessional literacy tutors for younger Spanish-speaking students. This dissertation, written in article-ready style, reports on two studies of the program. Study 1, a survey of 128 high school students, found that those involved in the service and literacy program scored higher than their bilingual Latino …