Education Commons^™

Examination Of How Attraction Dimensions Predict Collaborative Mentoring Relationships In College Students., Ashlee Lorraine Poppo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has identified that one limitation of traditional mentoring occurs when there is a mismatch between the mentor and the protégé in work styles and personalities. Further, most of the literature on mentoring has not examined the informal mentoring that occurs between college students. Recent research has identified this type of peer mentoring as collaborative mentoring. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of interpersonal attraction in the development and success of collaborative mentoring relationships and to further examine which attraction dimension was the best predictor of the success of the relationship. Multiple regression analysis showed task …

Teaching Happiness: The Role Of Positive Psychology In The Classroom, Jennifer M. Gilpin

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Happiness can be defined in various ways, and characterizing traits that reflect sustained happiness in an individual can be a daunting task. For the purpose of this paper, I propose that contentment regarding the past, satisfaction in the present, optimism about the future, as well as cultivating individual strengths and virtues will result in sustained happiness. Using findings from and relating to the field of positive psychology, I will suggest that these qualities can be fostered in students and will benefit students individually and ultimately society as a whole.

Views And Use Of Theory By Practicing Instructional Designers, Joseph B. South

Theses and Dissertations

Formal instructional design (ID) theories, intended to guide instructional designers' decision-making and design practices, have grown in abundance in recent years. These ID theories are based on learning theories that form the foundation for applied work in the field. However, researchers are concerned that these theories may not be applicable to the day-to-day practice of instructional designers. While some studies investigate the application of ID process models, studies of learning theory and ID theory in practice are rare. Consequently, there is little information about the nature and extent of the gap between our field's theory and its practice. This qualitative …

A Comparison Of Reading Interventions Based On Preference To Reading Interventions Identified By Brief Experimental Analysis, Debborah Eda Smyth

Dissertations

The available literature on children's acceptability of interventions is rather sparse and offers little support for the link between acceptability and effectiveness (e.g., Foxx & Jones, 1978; Shapiro & Goldberg, 1986; Turco & Elliot, 1990). The present study compared the effects of treatment preference to treatment effectiveness using a brief experimental analysis to select skill-based oral reading fluency interventions. The use of a brief experimental analysis (BEA) (Daly, Martens, Hamler, Dool, & Eckert, 1999) has been demonstrated to be an effective procedure for selecting oral reading interventions. However, the studies on brief experimental analysis to date have not examined student …

Composition Classroom Narratives Of Teaching And Learning, Annie J. O'Dowd

Doctoral Dissertations

This was an action research study examining 1) narratives community college writing students had about themselves as writers in a college-level writing course and 2) the connection between those narratives and student experience of collaborative learning activities. The study of narrative is particularly useful in determining how people make meaning of experiences in their lives.

The class utilized three types of teaching and learning to explore the writing process, including lecture, discussion groups and collaborative learning activities. Students and teacher used a social-constructionist approach to conversation that implemented a process of reflective dialogue about writing and writers' strategies.

At the …

Levelising: A Collaborative Learning Practice For Strength-Based Organizations, Cheri B. Torres

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the experience of Appreciative Inquiry practitioners participating in collaborative learning. Participants engaged in a process of action and reflection called levelising, designed to surface assumptions and hidden frames of reference (Peters, 1999). Although the focus of their eight-month dialogue was on understanding post-modern organizational design and strength-based organization practices, the researcher was interested in the impact of levelising on the participants' practices, including the researcher's own.

Data sources consisted of phenomenological interviews with eight participants, email posts, and field notes. Analysis data revealed six themes, four of which addressed group dynamics and forums for engagement. Two addressed …

Generalization Effects Of Social Story Interventions For Individuals With Asperger's Disorder, Jennifer Alphonso Abraham

Dissertations

Social Stories™ (Gray, 2004) is a relatively new intervention designed to teach appropriate skills to individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Although there is preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of Social Stories it has typically been implemented in one target setting. As a result, there are little data to support whether or not the effects of Social Stories will generalize to other settings. The current study examined the effectiveness of Social Stories for increasing appropriate behaviors exhibited by four children diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder. Generalization effects across settings were assessed using a typical Social Story (Train and Hope) format and …

Ncaa Division I Head Softball Coaches' Confidence, Openness And Stigma Tolerance Toward Sport Psychology Consultants, Laurie Ann Neelis

Dissertations

This study used a mixed-method to look at NCAA division I head softball coaches confidence, openness, and stigma tolerance about sport psychology principles and consultants, as well as what sport psychology principles, time of year used, and what a Sport Psychology Consultant (SPC) can do to help division I head softball coaches have more success with their teams. These variables were measured through the use of the Sport Psychology Attitudes - Revised Coaches instrument developed by Zakrajsek and Zizzi (2007). For the qualitative component, the researcher developed five inquiries that allowed for a more in-depth response from the coaches concerning …

Post-Disaster Effects Of Hurricane Katrina On Significantly Affected College Students Compared To Moderately Affected College Students, Charles Thomas Coleman

Dissertations

This quantitative study used independent t tests to explore the level of significance with four dependent variables of educational effects (grades), financial impact (monetary hardship), physiological effects (aches, pains, or injury), and psychological effects (mental stability or illness) related to significantly affected students and moderately affected students of post- Hurricane Katrina. To determine if there was a significant difference between moderately affected students compared to significantly affected students, a questionnaire specific to the dependent variables was administered to The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) students.

Data gathered in this study suggested the greatest significant difference among significantly affected students and …

The Relationship Between Ministry Praxis And Spiritual Development Milestones In The Lives Of Children, Leon Marcel Blanchette Jr.

Faculty Scholarship – Christian Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the children‘s ministry praxis in Nazarene churches and four significant spiritual milestones in the lives of Nazarene children. A mixed method study was used to obtain statistical, quantitative results from the population and then followed up with two small groups to explore those results in more depth through personal interviews. This study compares four quadrants of children’s spirituality, the Pragmatic-Participatory Model, Media-Driven Active-Engagement Model, Instructional-Analytic Model, and the Contemplative-Reflective Model. A quadrant is one of four categories that best describes a children‘s pastor‘s ministry praxis. These quadrants are sometimes …

An Investigation Of The Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge Framework In Successful Chinese Language Classrooms, Su-Ling Hsueh

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates whether technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPCK) is balanced and integrated in Chinese language classrooms. Three expert Chinese teachers in technology-enhanced classrooms, as well as their students, were observed and studied. Four and a half months of data were collected in the form of classroom observations, interviews, reflective journals, and document analysis. Four basic findings were derived from the study. First, the TPCK framework reflected an observable instructional process for communication between teachers and students. However, teachers did not knowingly integrate technology, pedagogy and content in technology-enhanced classrooms. Second, content was the focal point during …

Comprehension And Retention: The Effect Of Concrete Details And Causal Structure In Scientific Narrative, Wendi Michelle Wilcken

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine two of the salient elements of instructional narratives as a guide to instructional practice. The literature summarized in this report discusses the theoretical basis for narrative impact on comprehension and retention, enumerates and defines possible salient narrative elements from the literature, and examines the instructional impact of two of these elements: concrete details and causal structure. This is intended to help provide guidance to instructional designers and teachers who desire to use narrative in science instruction. Participants included 94 high school physics students. An experimental research design of 2 (Gender) x 2 …

Bullying: Understanding Attitudes Toward Bullying And Perceptions Of School Social Climate, Kisha Haye, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano, Courtney Miller

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Main questions: What are students’ attitudes toward bullying? Do those attitudes differ when students are involved in bullying? If students are involved in bullying, do they have different perceptions of school climate compared to those students not involved in bullying? Lastly, are students’ attitudes toward bullying related to their perception of school climate?

Bullying And Depression, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

A common misconception about bullying is that this phenomenon does not result in negative long-term consequences. In reality, children and adolescents who are involved in bullying face a host of psychological difficulties. Oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and depression have been identified as mental health disorders that are associated with bullying.

Bullying: An Age-Old Problem That Needs New Solutions, Shelley Hymel, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

In recent years, bullying has begun to receive serious research attention within the scientific community, with the first systematic studies on bullying emerging in the 1970s by Norwegian researcher, Dan Olweus. Today, bullying is recognized as a worldwide issue for children and youth around the globe, and research on the topic increasing exponentially. Media attention to the tragic deaths of youth who were victims of bullying has raised public awareness in countries around the world, and our rapidly growing capacity for global communication has given rise to an unprecedented international exchange of information, as well as cross-national studies of the …

Student Response Systems In Higher Education: Moving Beyond Linear Teaching And Surface Learning, Harry L. Dangel, Charles Xiaoxue Wang

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, instructors in colleges and universities increasingly have used Student Response Systems (SRSs)--typically in large classes to increase the level of student engagement and learning. Research shows that both students and instructors perceive SRSs to be beneficial, although evidence of improved learning has been less clear. Experts emphasize that instructors must consider how technology might enhance good pedagogy in order for increases in learning to occur. SRSs do increase student engagement and provide prompt feedback—two key practices that promote learning. However, professional groups propose goals for students in higher education that focus on deep learning rather than …

Mixed Methods Approaches In Family Science Research, Vicki L. Plano Clark, Catherine Huddleston-Casas, Susan Churchill, Denise O'Neil Green, Amanda Garrett

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The complex phenomena of interest to family scientists require the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Researchers across the social sciences are now turning to mixed methods designs that combine these two approaches. Mixed methods research has great promise for addressing family science topics, but only if researchers under¬stand the design options and procedures that accompany this methodological choice. Discussions of mixed methods in the family science literature are difficult to locate, and little has been written about how family scientists apply this approach in practice. This article presents an overview of mixed methods research, including its definition, terminology, and …

Family Myths, Beliefs, And Customs As A Research/Educational Tool To Explore Identity Formation, William E. Herman

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This paper outlines a qualitative research tool designed to explore personal identity formation as described by Erik Erikson and offers self-reflective and anonymous evaluative comments made by college students after completing this task. Subjects compiled a list of 200 myths, customs, fables, rituals, and beliefs from their family of origin and then reflected upon the relevance and meaning of such items. The research and instructional tool described in the paper should be of considerable interest to teachers who work to promote self-reflection amongst adolescents as well as case study researchers and therapists who wish to study identity formation and values.

Anxiety And Depression As Comorbid Factors In Drinking Behaviors Of Undergraduate Students In An Urban Private University, Charles Vohs, Robert Gable, Cynthia Ward, Joseph Barresi, Ronald Martel, Dameian Slocumb

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This study examined differences among four drinking behavior groups (non-drinkers, low-risk drinkers, high-risk drinkers, and frequent high-risk drinkers) with respect to anxiety and depression in undergraduate males (n = 457) and females (n = 485). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results indicated significant differences among the groups only with respect to anxiety (F = 6.49, p < .001), and in levels of anxiety (p < .01) between high-risk females and males. Findings imply needed changes in prevention approaches to reduce high-risk drinking.

High School To College Transition: A Profile Of The Stressors, Physical And Psychological Health Issues That Affect The First-Year On-Campus College Student, Terence Hicks, Samuel Heastie

Faculty Working Papers from the School of Education

The purpose of this article is to provide identified stressors, physical and psychological health issues that affect first year campus college students as they transition from high school to college. The Health Behaviors, Self-Rated Health and Quality of Life (QOL) questionnaire was administered to 514 university college students. Results from this study determined that there were significant differences among student life stressors and physical and psychological health status between first-year on-campus and first-year off-campus college students. Most importantly this study documented compelling information regarding selection of roommate, poor housing, chronic and temporary diseases, injury and prescription medicine among college students …

Using Social Cognitive Theory To Predict Physical Activity In Inner-City African American School Children, Jeffrey J. Martin, Nate Mccaughtry

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Researchers using social cognitive theory and employing built environment constructs to predict physical activity (PA) in inner-city African American children is quite limited. Thus, the purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the ability of important social cognitive variables (e.g., self-efficacy) and built environment constructs (e.g., neighborhood hazards) to predict African American children’s PA. Children (N = 331, ages 10–14) completed questionnaires assessing social cognitive theory constructs and PA. Using multiple regression analyses we were able to account for 19% of the variance in PA. Based on standardized beta weights, the best predictors of PA were time spent outside …

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

K-12 Education

A questionnaire was administered to school principals (N=88). The questionnaire data, along with student data, were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to investigate the relationships among leadership preparation practices, self rated leader behavior, the school learning environment, and student achievement. After controlling for demographic variables, the amount of variance explained was incremented a statistically significant degree between: preparation practices and leader behaviors ( R2 = 5%); preparation practices and student achievement ( R2 = 5%); preparation practices and leaders’ instructional knowledge ( R2 = 6%); and leaders’ instructional knowledge and instructional practices in schools ( R2 = 5%).

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

Teacher Education

A questionnaire was administered to school principals (N=88). The questionnaire data, along with student data, were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to investigate the relationships among leadership preparation practices, self rated leader behavior, the school learning environment, and student achievement. After controlling for demographic variables, the amount of variance explained was incremented a statistically significant degree between: preparation practices and leader behaviors (R2 = 5%); preparation practices and student achievement (R2 = 5%); preparation practices and leaders’ instructional knowledge (R2 = 6%); and leaders’ instructional knowledge and instructional practices in schools (R2 = 5%).

Achievement Motivation In African American College Students, April Michelle Muldrow

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between academic performance and stereotype threat (ST), achievement motivation, and racial socialization for African American (AA) students at an historically black university. Participants were 108 students randomly assigned to high or low ST condition. Students completed a performance measure, Noncognitive Questionnaire (NCQ), and Teenager Experience of Racial Socialization Scale (TERS) (Sedlacek, 2004; Stevenson et al., 2002). Results indicated that performance was not dependent upon threat, p = .63. Appreciation of AA culture was negatively associated with performance, p = .05. Drive toward academic self-development was positively related to performance, p = .05. Limitations and implications …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Instructional Methods Used With A Student Response System At A Large University, Charles R. Graham, Larry Seawright, Coral Marie Hanson

Faculty Publications

This study investigates the adoption of student response systems (SRS) across a large university campus. The study sought to understand how faculty members were using the SRS and what instructional strategies student and faculty found to be most valuable to their learning. The term "helpful" and the concept of "helpfulness" is used in place of "valuable" as it more clearly communicates to students and faculty the concept of how an SRS is of worth to them. Students were generally positive about the helpfulness of the instructional methods professors were using. Students found the ability to receive immediate feedback on their …

Technology And A House Of Learning, Charles R. Graham, Dawn Graham

Faculty Publications

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God. Technological innovations over the past decade have had a huge influence on our lives, from the way we communicate and recreate to the way we educate students in the U.S. Technology has even had an impact on our religious lives and on ways we share our beliefs with others.

Training School Psychology Graduate Students To Address Regional Shortages: A Distance Learning Model, Susan C. Davies, Julie Q. Morrison, Sawyer Hunley

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Addressing the shortages of school psychologists in underserved regions of the country is critical to the profession and the communities served by its members. This article describes a school psychology satellite training program using a hybrid approach combining distance learning technologies and face-to-face classroom meetings. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of sixteen graduate students in a rural, Appalachian region of Ohio as members of the first two cohorts enrolled in the school psychology satellite program.

The Emotional Intelligence And Resilience Of School Leaders: An Investigation Into Leadership Behaviors, Aileen Thompson Bumphus

Dissertations

Recent research suggests that leadership in schools and emotional intelligence are related. Furthermore, resiliency has been researched and found to be linked to successful leadership. As a result of these findings and the researcher's own professional experiences, it is speculated that emotional intelligence, resilience, and school leadership may be highly related factors in how one leads a school. The study of this three-factor relationship has been virtually overlooked in the research on school leadership and might prove useful in the recruitment, identification, development, and retention of effective school leaders.

A study of the emotional intelligence, resilience, and leadership of public …

The Effects Of Manageable Corrective Feedback On Esl Writing Accuracy, K James Hartshorn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of one approach to writing pedagogy on second-language (L2) writing accuracy. This study used two groups of L2 writers who were learning English as a second language: a control group (n = 19) who were taught with traditional process writing methods and a treatment group (n = 28) who were taught with an innovative approach to L2 writing pedagogy. The methodology for the treatment group was designed to improve L2 writing accuracy by raising the linguistic awareness of the learners through error correction. Central to the instructional methodology were four …