Education Commons^™

Adult Learning And Development Theories And Principles Represented In Theater, Jeffrey Miele

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how adult learning and development theories and principles are represented in theater. The study also investigated if there was significant evidence to support the idea of using dramatic works as an example to illustrate adult learning and development theories and principles as an educational tool. Ten plays were analyzed along with an accompanying rubric that the evaluator completed while reading the plays. The rubric searched for information if adults and/or educators were present in the text, how andragogy and barriers were presented, along with other theories and principles. The findings suggested that …

Examining Generational Differences In The Workplace: Work Centrality, Narcissism, And Their Relation To Employee Work Engagement, Judith L. Fenzel

Theses and Dissertations

In the workplace of today, an unprecedented four generations of workers work side by side. While this blend of generations adds valuable diversity to the workforce, it also adds complexity.

Despite popular interest in the subject of generations in the workplace, systematic research of the specific generational differences of work centrality, narcissism, and their relation to employee engagement is limited. It is vital to examine the possibility of significant generational differences in order for HRD practitioners and scholars to understand the focus and direction of strategies intended to improve individual and organizational performance. Using a quantitative research methodology, an online …

Compelled To Be Connected: An Ethnographic Exploration Of Organizational Culture, Work-Life Balance, And The Use Of Mobile Workplace Technologies, Kristopher J. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an ethnographic exploration of organizational culture, work-life balance, and the use of information and communication technology ("ICT") in the work and home settings. The researcher was embedded for nine weeks within the Information Technology ("IT") department at the corporate headquarters of a mid-sized manufacturing firm in the upper Midwest. The espoused values of the organization proved contradictory, one favoring work-life balance and the other requiring that employees be available to work anytime and from anywhere. The behaviors observed provided insight as to why employee actually used ICT after hours--because it was required of their role and/or because …

The Career Development Of Latina Women Achieving The Position Of Public High School Principal, Consuelo A. Palacio

Theses and Dissertations

For this qualitative study, I used the lens of the Social Cognitive Career Theory to investigate the lived experiences of Latina women navigating their career paths into the roles of public high school principals. Latina women are underrepresented and in some states they are not represented at all. Few Latina women have secured the position of high school principal in public education; however for those who have, it is unclear how they attained the position. It was significant to learn about the factors that have lead to the representation of Latina women who serve as high school principals. The representation …

Discursive Tactical Negotiations Within And Across Literacy Coaching Interactions, Carolyn S. Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the researcher employed de Certeau's theoretical insights into cultural production in everyday life to examine how literacy coaches and teachers discursively negotiated issues of identity, power, and positioning during coaching interactions. The study also explored how literacy coaches and teachers enacted emotions within these discursive negotiations of identity, power, and positioning; and how physical, social, and ideological spaces were shaped by and reflected in coaching interactions. Data were generated during a yearlong qualitative study of literacy coaches and teachers interacting within a mid-size, suburban district in the U.S. Midwest. The researcher used a microethnographic approach to discourse …

The Ethos Of Excellence In An Effective School: A Study Of An Exemplary Urban School, Karen Danita Gyenfie

Theses and Dissertations

THE ETHOS OF EXCELLENCE IN AN EFFECTIVESCHOOL:

A STUDY OF AN EXEMPLARY URBAN SCHOOL

This research project was organized in three phases. Phase I began with the selection of the high performing urban school site to be studied. Phase II of the study centered on the researcher's study of the school's policies, curriculum, instructional practices, personnel, and related artifacts. The researcher processed, analyzed, and coded all data in accordance to qualitaive standards in order to identify those indigenous practices that impact the success of the school.

The findings of the study including the following:

1. School improvement is a multifaceted …

Innovation In Academic Libraries During A Time Of Crisis, Dane Michael Ward

Theses and Dissertations

During a period of rapid social and technological change, academic Academic libraries and librarianship are experiencing a period of great change, or crisis, influenced by multiple factors including emerging technologies, declining budgets, and changing information. More than a transitory historical phase, these changes represents a fundamental transition between paradigms (Kuhn, 1962). Academic libraries and librarianship are moving from a paradigm focused on collections and books to a paradigm focused on learning. Within this context, innovations are new processes, services and products that facilitate this transition to the new paradigm.

Beyond this definitional work, the work serves as an exploration of …

The Effects Of An Undergraduate Algebra Course On Prospective Middle School Teachers' Understanding Of Functions, Especially Quadratic Functions, Jonathan Taniola Duarte

Theses and Dissertations

Although current reform movements have stressed the importance of developing prospective middle school mathematics teachers' subject matter knowledge and understandings, there is a dearth of research studies with regard to prospective middle school teachers' confidence and knowledge with respect to quadratic functions. This study was intended to fill this void. It generated information on prospective teachers' knowledge of quadratic functions as well as of their confidence to answer questions involving quadratic equations and multiple representations of functions.

The study employed a multiple-perspectives design, with data being collected from different vantage points - documents, pre- and post-teaching tests, artifacts, interviews, classroom …

Fostering Culturally Responsive Teaching In An Urban Preschool: A Qualitative Case Study, Denise Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Preschool years are significantly important for students in urban districts. Early childhood helps set the foundation for learning about school culture. Students who are able to connect their home environment to the school environment tend to do better in their academic setting. Fostering a pedagogy that is culturally sensitive to students is a teaching stance that enables success with curriculum and addresses the inequities that accompany low socioeconomic students. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore four urban teachers' formal understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy within an urban preschool. The teachers' espoused and enacted practice formulated the …

A Qualitative Case Study On Teachers' Identities, Ideologies, And Commitment To Teach In Urban And Suburban Schools, Talonda Michelle Lipsey

Theses and Dissertations

Using narrative inquiry, this study employed a Critical Race Theory lens to examine the ways in which identity factors such as race, culture, socioeconomic status, and gender work in concession with teachers' ideologies, as demonstrated by their values, beliefs, and perceptions about race, to inform their teaching practices, experiences with students and families of color, and commitment to teach. The main question this research study sought to examine was: How do teachers' identities and ideologies, as demonstrated by their values, beliefs, and perceptions, influence their decisions to remain in or leave urban and suburban classrooms?

The study focused on the …

Reading Comprehension And Nursing Education: A Missing Variable Associated With Nursing Student Attrition?, Debra L. Lajoie

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

READING COMPREHENSION AND NURSING EDUCATION:

A MISSING VARIABLE ASSOCIATED WITH

STUDENT ATTRITION?

by

Debra L. Lajoie, MSN

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

December, 2013

Under the Supervision of Susan Dean-Baar, PhD, RN, FAAN

The goals of nursing faculty and administrators are to select students most capable of completing the nursing program and to provide academic support needed for program completion. However, despite stronger entrance requirements, educators are still baffled by the persistent attrition from nursing education programs. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the level of reading comprehension of two groups of students, a pre-nursing student …

Effects Of Aromatherapy On Test Anxiety And Performance In College Students, Jocelyn Marie Dunnigan

Theses and Dissertations

Test anxiety is a complex, multidimensional construct composed of cognitive, affective, and behavioral components that have been shown to negatively affect test performance. Furthermore, test anxiety is a pervasive problem in modern society largely related to the evaluative nature of educational programs, therefore meriting study of its nature, causes, effects, and treatment. Aromatherapy is the skilled use of essential oils for physical and emotional well-being and has been used to increase relaxation, attention and memory. This study examined the effects of peppermint and rosemary aromatherapy essential oils and a control scent (apple) on self-reported test anxiety, emotionality and worry subscales …

Investigating The Impact Of Formal Reflective Activities On Skill Adaptation In A Work-Related Instrumental Learning Setting, Kevin M. Roessger

Theses and Dissertations

In work-related, instrumental learning contexts the role of reflective activities is unclear. Kolb's (1985) experiential learning theory and Mezirow's transformative learning theory (2000) predict skill-adaptation as a possible outcome. This prediction was experimentally explored by manipulating reflective activities and assessing participants' response and error rates when an instrumentally learned skill is applied in a novel way (skill-adaptation). Participants were randomly assigned to three conditions (interference, reflection, or critical reflection) using three blocking variables: (a) gender, (b) age, and (c) reflective propensity. Participants then completed a behavioral skills training program with embedded reflective activities. Afterwards, participants were asked to complete a …

On The Cusp: A School District And Two Communities Respond To An Oil Pre-Boom, Vincent Roman Genareo

Theses and Dissertations

This case study is an investigation of the attitudes, perceptions, and reactions of school staff and community members in a rural pre-boom school district. In the early stage of an oil boom, real and perceived disruptions commonly occur in the schools and communities that are affected. The preparations and responses that residents make to the changes may determine the community’s future success, so understanding the impacts in the initial pre-boom growth stage is vital. Using qualitative methods of interviews, participant observations, and document analyses, this study researched 41 participants in a rural school district and two communities. The literature review …

Secondary Education Teacher Preparation Programs Should Differentiate Curriculum And Instruction For Traditional And Nontraditional Preservice Teachers, Cynthia Jane Schairer-Kessler

Theses and Dissertations

Much demand remains for teacher education programs to produce highly qualified teachers. Current trends show that almost half of today's preservice teachers are considered nontraditional in terms of age and life experience. The purpose of this study was to determine whether secondary education teacher preparation programs should differentiate curriculum and instruction for traditional and nontraditional preservice teachers. Research questions incorporated four variables of professional demeanor, teaching and learning, interpersonal skills, and time management. Data was collected through a presurvey at the beginning of the student teaching semester and a postsurvey at the end of the semester, as well as an …

Organization Strategies To Enhance Math Performance Of High School Students With Attention Deficit Disorders, Martina Wilkerson

Theses and Dissertations

Will the use of organizational strategies and tools improve overall academic performance for students with attention deficit disorders in a high school resource room math setting? The student participants in this study were taught to use organizational strategies and tools including an assignment completion strategy, a task analysis, and notebook checks to improve their classroom participation, assignment completion, and assessment scores. The overall results indicate that the students slightly improved their academic performance upon the implementation of organizational strategies and tools. Of the data reported, 37% of the students with ADHD and 40% of students without ADHD showed improvement because …

Examining Middle School Students' Statistical Thinking While Working In A Technological Environment, Melissa Arnold Scranton

Theses and Dissertations

Examining Middle School Students' Statistical Thinking

While Working in a Technological Environment

Melissa Arnold Scranton

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how students think in a technological environment. This was accomplished by exploring the differences in the thinking of students while they worked in a technological environment and comparing this to their work in a paper and pencil environment. The software program TinkerPlots: Dynamic Data Exploration (Konold & Miller, 2005), a construction tool that middle school students use for data analysis was the technological environment. In both environments, types of critical, creative, and statistical …

The United States Growth Over 16 Years Of Student Correct Responses On The Timss: Are We Really That Far Behind?, Jacob Michael Zonts

Theses and Dissertations

National rank on international assessments, as measured in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), gives a limited view of the data presented. This study used average scale score data from the TIMSS (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011) that were then disaggregated based on content domains (i.e., number, algebra, measurement, geometry, data, earth science, life science, physical science, biology, physics, and chemistry). These data were graphed to show the growth of the U.S. national average scale scores in comparison to three top scoring countries (i.e., Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore), and three other post-industrial countries similar to the U.S. …

An Investigation Of The Use Of The Ipad And Textbooks On The Achievement Of Students With Special Needs In Algebra, Ahmet Kilic

Theses and Dissertations

Educational leaders and policy-makers assume that replacing the technological tools currently used in schools with new, portable ones will result in widespread usage of the device for educational purposes by students and teacher, and an increase in student achievement. This study examines these assumptions with twenty students taking an Algebra-2 course in a northern New Jersey charter school. The mixed methodology used in this study included classroom observations and assessments, surveys for both students and teachers, and interviews with parents through home visits. Findings show that iPad integration in an Algebra-2 class led to a slight increase in student achievement, …

Alignment Between Secondary Biology Textbooks And Standards For Teaching English Learners: A Content Analysis, Joseph H. Hanks

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the most recent science education reform movement in the U.S. is science literacy for all Americans. Science literacy among U.S. students remains low, however, as compared with students in other industrialized countries, and is lowest among English Language Learner (ELL) students. Although there are barriers to developing science literacy for all adolescent students, ELL students often experience additional barriers that make developing science literacy even more challenging without support. Because textbooks are often heavily relied upon by secondary science teachers, the opportunity for many ELLs to develop science literacy may depend upon the support for these students …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Integrating Science And Engineering Content And Pedagogy In An Elementary School Classroom, Katie Nicole Barth

Theses and Dissertations

Fewer students in the United States are choosing to study and enter careers in the STEM disciplines-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This problem is being addressed through current educational reforms focusing on Integrated STEM curriculum and instructional design. This mixed-method quasi-experimental study researched the effects of science-engineering integration on student learning, student attitudes, and student interests in science within an elementary setting through the creation and implementation of an integrated science and engineering unit of instruction focused on the water cycle. Comparisons of student performance on end-of-unit science assessments revealed no significant differences in student learning between students who experienced …

Using The Four Square Strategy To Enhance Math Problem-Solving, Andrea Gerrard

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether the use of the Four Square problem-solving strategy would improve the math problem-solving performance of students who receive supplemental services for language arts literacy and mathematics from a basic skills teacher or a special education teacher. The Four Square strategy was used in conjunction with the enVision math series. It was also used during all problem-solving lessons. Students' growth in math problem-solving was measured using the enVision problem-solving pre- and post-test and the Measure of Academic Progress Test (MAP). Students showed growth on the enVision test. The students showed work when solving problems instead of just …

The Use Of Graphing And An Effort And Achievement Rubric To Increase Students' Multiplication Fact Accuracy And Fluency, Joan Hackl

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of self-graphing and an effort and achievement rubric on increasing students' multiplication fact accuracy and fluency. The research design was a two-group pretest/posttest research design. Data was collected from student multiplication math fact quizzes. Students were given the same math fact quiz for a month before a new set of facts was introduced the next month. For each month, the first quiz of the month served as baseline data as no interventions were introduced for those quizzes. The second month of quizzes served as the self-graphing alone data, and the …

The Capacity To Lead: Building A Collaborative Organization Through A Shared Vision And Improved Staff Capacity In An Inclusive New Jersey Preschool, Kathleen Mccabe-Odri

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of my dissertation study was to examine my own leadership in the context of the community inclusive preschool that I own and operate along with my business partner. The focus was to build a collaborative organization through a shared vision and improved staff skill capacity. In order to implement the change process, I chose the specific learning environment of our instructional student centers (i.e., "zones") as the setting to conduct my action research project. The study describes both my personal leadership theory as well as an analysis of my leadership actions (i.e., theory in use) in order to …

Discovering Regalos: A Case Study Of Saint Anne's Middle School, Nicole Jenks May

Theses and Dissertations

Saint Anne's Middle School is a Catholic, bilingual, bicultural, middle school for girls that participates in the Milwaukee Parental School Choice Program. This case study explored reading and language arts as experienced in the school through the lens of a school library media specialist. The students’ social, emotional, and intellectual needs appeared to be met at the school for the most part. The school also exhibited best practices for teaching reading at the middle school level to bilingual students. However, to improve reading, the school would want to consider changing the school’s focus from reading comprehension to reading engagement so …

Content Analysis Of New Teacher Induction And Mentoring Documents In Five Partnership Districts: Reflections And Acknowledgments Of Complexity, Carol S. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine how documents used in new teacher induction and mentoring programs from five different school districts reflect and acknowledge the complexity of the programs of which they are a part. Extensive research has been conducted regarding various aspects of these two programs, often utilizing linear approaches to these programs. Research has called for analysis of the complexity of these programs. New teacher induction and mentoring documents were collected from each of the five districts, resulting in approximately 76 documents total. Documents were categorized into three main groups: mentor documents, mentee documents, and district …

Stories Of Success: Three Latino Students Talk About School, Carol Ann Litster

Theses and Dissertations

Latino students in the United States face significant challenges including very high student dropout rates and difficulties finding support for student academic success. This research focuses on Latino students who are successful despite these many challenges and explores how these successful students describe their experiences in school. Three successful Latino high school students describe their pathways toward academic achievement in this ethnography, which takes a narrative approach. The student stories illustrate the influence of families, peers, schools, and the interplay between ethnic and academic identity as relevant to how students achieve success. Although these students articulate very different experiences, supports …

Effects Of Fourth- And Second-Grade Cross-Age Tutoring On Spelling Accuracy And Writing Fluency, Rebekkah J. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

A quasi-experimental study determined the effects on students' spelling accuracy when cross-age tutors focused on fixing spelling in writing with their tutees. Fourth-grade tutors, both trained and untrained, helped second-grade tutees fix spelling mistakes in their writing using two strategies: visual memory and word parts. A control group of second and fourth graders were instructed to independently use these two strategies to fix mistakes in their writing. Second graders overall had significant gain scores on measures of spelling accuracy and writing fluency. Regression analyses showed that these gains were not due to a student's participation in either cross-age tutoring or …

The Use Of Applets For Developing Understanding In Mathematics: A Case Study Using Maplets For Calculus With Continuity Concepts., Raymond Ellis Patenaude

Theses and Dissertations

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) are founded on a long history of mathematics education research emphasizing the importance of teaching mathematics for understanding. The CCSSM along with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommend the use of technology in the teaching of mathematics. New mobile technologies in society facilitate use in mathematics classrooms, and these technologies rely on software applications called applets. Certain applets have been developed for use in teaching mathematics.

This study investigated the questions: Is it possible to determine the characteristics of applets that lead students toward greater understanding of mathematical concepts? …