Education Commons^™

Educators’ Perceptions About The Uses Of Primary Sources In Social Studies Classroom, Jeremiah Curtis Clabough

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what conceptions educators have regarding primary resources. The researcher attempted to answer the following questions:

1. How do educators define primary sources?
2. How do educators think primary sources should be used in the classroom?
3. How, if at all, do educators currently use primary sources in the classroom and what are their reasons for their use or lack of use?

An online survey was distributed to the members of National Social Studies Supervisors Association (NSSSA). Members of NSSSA were selected because they are leaders in the field of social studies education and provided a …

Interactive Whiteboard Transition: A Case Study, Jason S Beach

Doctoral Dissertations

This case study examined the process teachers use when incorporating interactive whiteboards in the classroom and daily curriculum. Participants were drawn from a small group of three elementary and three high school teachers who received an interactive whiteboard, but no formal training. The school system purchased over 300 interactive whiteboards and was not able to adequately train all of the teachers before the beginning of the school year. Findings were compared to relevant models of andragogy, TPACK, and CBAM. The results indicate that a teacher’s prior technological ability aids in the implementation of new technologies in the classroom. The findings …

Teaching Evaluator Competencies: An Examination Of Doctoral Programs, Susanne Anna Maria Kaesbauer

Doctoral Dissertations

Program evaluators may currently enter the field of evaluation through a variety of avenues. Entry into the profession at this time is uncontrolled by a professional body of evaluators, as an evaluator certification process does not yet exist in the United States of America. One avenue for evaluators to enter into the profession is through a graduate training program in evaluation. This study sought to understand the preparedness of evaluators who enter the profession in this manner. Specifically, this study aimed to determine the current state of the teaching of evaluator competencies, across 26 doctoral evaluation programs in the United …

Between Centralization And Decentralization: Changed Curriculum Governance In Chinese Education After 1986, Tingting Qi

Doctoral Dissertations

China’s curriculum system has been undergoing substantial transformations since 1986. In response to public criticism of the highly prescribed national curriculum, the central state of China is attempting to build a more inclusive system which is composed of national curriculum, province curriculum and school-based curriculum. The new curriculum system accommodates more flexibility in carrying out national curriculum policies and even encourages local input in curriculum development and management. Apparently, the current curriculum reform in China is moving toward decentralization.

The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the complexity of decentralization reform in China’s curriculum system and examine the dynamics …

Inter-Rater Reliability And Related Variables Of A Newly Developed Measure Of Quality Of Student Participation, Lisa Nicole Edge

Doctoral Dissertations

Some researchers suggest that quality is preserved when students are rewarded for quantity of class participation (Boniecki & Moore, 2003; Bruss, 2009; Mainkar, 2007; Zaremba & Dunn, 2004); however, few studies have targeted the systematic assessment of participation quality. The primary purpose of the study was to develop a reliable system for rating quality of student participation, investigate whether quality of participation is preserved when students are given credit for the amount of class participation, and examine the relationship between participation quality and important course variables.

The researcher in the current study developed a rating system to evaluate the quality …

Preservice Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' Current Notions Of Proof In Euclidean Geometry, Michael Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations

Much research has been conducted in the past 25 years related to the teaching and learning of proof in Euclidean geometry. However, very little research has been done focused on preservice secondary school mathematics teachers’ notions of proof in Euclidean geometry. Thus, this qualitative study was exploratory in nature, consisting of four case studies focused on identifying preservice secondary school mathematics teachers’ current notions of proof in Euclidean geometry, a starting point for improving the teaching and learning of proof in Euclidean geometry.

The unit of analysis (i.e., participant) in each case study was a preservice mathematics teacher. The case …

Decolonial Multiculturalism And Local-Global Contexts: A Postcritical Feminist Bricolage For Developing New Praxes In Education, Katharine Matthaei Sprecher

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents a conceptual bricolage that explores complex, reflexive, and interrelated dimensions of educational praxes. My work is grounded in the assertion that the ever-changing, local-global nature of contemporary societies requires new approaches to curricula, pedagogies, policies, and practices in U.S. schools to meet the challenges and opportunities of a global era. Presenting my research and findings as four articles, I begin with a dialectical analysis of theoretical and pedagogical literatures to develop an adaptable framework for decolonial multicultural education. In Article 1, I demonstrate how this framework synergizes aspects of social reconstructionist and critical multicultural, global, and …

Assessing Effectiveness Of Multicultural Readings In Increasing Ethnocultural Empathy For Undergraduate Students, Tripti Bhaskar

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined how multicultural readings included in the introduction to psychology curriculum were linked to an increase in students’ multicultural interest and sensitivity. Specifically, this study investigated the impact of reading and discussing multicultural articles on students’ ethnocultural empathy, universality-diverse orientation, and openness to diversity. Second purpose of the study was to examine possible individual differences associated with response to the intervention. Participants in the current study were undergraduate students enrolled in five sections of the introduction to psychology class, which were randomly assigned as control and experimental groups. The multicultural readings are four original research articles that examine …

Teachers' Experiences With Comprehension Instruction In Upper Elementary Classrooms, Kathryn Louise Solic

Doctoral Dissertations

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The Effects Of The Interspersal Procedure On Persistence With Computer-Delivered Multiplication Problems, Emily R. Kirk

Doctoral Dissertations

An across-subjects, post-test only design was used in two experiments to assess the impact of interspersing additional math problems (i.e., briefer problems and/or longer problems) among target math problems on students’ persistence when completing computer-delivered math multiplication problems. In Experiment 1, high school students who worked only target problems completed 32% more target problems and worked 22% longer than those who had briefer problems interspersed. Problem completion rates were significantly higher for those who had briefer problems interspersed. These results suggest that altering assignments by interspersing additional, briefer discrete tasks does not always enhance, and in some instances may hinder …

Unintentional Injury Content Assessment In Undergraduate Personal Health And Wellness Courses, Kiley Elizabeth Winston

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to describe course content on unintentional injuries in undergraduate personal health and wellness courses at four year public and private colleges and universities identified by the Eta Sigma Gamma directory in the United States. An instrument was created, validated and tested for reliability, and used to assess course content areas related to unintentional injuries in undergraduate personal health and wellness courses. The sample for the study included 106 participants (N=106) from public and private colleges and universities in 36 states. Chi-square analysis, ANOVA, factor analysis, and MANOVA tests were used to determine if …

Development Of A Standardized Nursing Curriculum For The Alabama Community College System: A Critical Case Study, Alice G. Raymond

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to describe how the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) standardized their nursing curriculum. A single research question was the focus of the study: “How did the ACCS develop its standardized nursing curriculum?” The sub questions were, “who were the key players in the process?”, “Who had the positions of power and dominance, and who did not?”, “Who were included and who were excluded in the process?”, “What were the reasons for inclusion and exclusion?”, and “What were the contextual elements that influenced the development of the curriculum?”

Data from multiple sources were gathered. …

A Philosophical Analysis Of Chet Bowers’ Ethical Theory Of Ecojustice: Shifting Towards Uncertainty Thinking In Science Education, Michael Paul Mueller

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze Chet Bowers’ ethical theory of ecojustice as the basis of an ecological philosophy of education that recognizes Earth’s uncertainty. Bowers’ main thesis is that the commons, or what were once shared by members of the community, should be strengthened by education reforms based on ecojustice criteria. He argues for certain ideologies of the local authority of the commons, “Western” science and scientists, and the “ecological crisis.” I argue that these certainties are uncertain, which justifies part certainty as deciphered by local people in places, in relation to others. Further, I develop a …

Identifying The Processes Of Teacher Application And Adoption Of A Novel Instructional Strategy, Jennifer Kathryn Richards

Doctoral Dissertations

Research on adolescent learning shows that students learn best when they are actively engaged with the content and when metacognitive teaching strategies are employed. Despite these findings, current studies show that most classrooms are still teacher centered and that passive learning strategies are the norm. To help teachers incorporate highly effective instructional strategies into their classrooms countless professional development workshops are offered each; yet most of these workshops fail to effect true change in the classroom behavior of teachers.

The design of this study compares teachers’ attempts to employ new instructional strategies within the context of a model curriculum with …

The Evidence Does Not Lie: A Forensic Investigation Program To Bridge The Gaps Between Crime Scene Investigation And Forensic Science, Jacqueline Trinkle Fish

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a heightened pubic awareness of the importance of forensic science to crime scene investigation. This study examined current graduate programs in forensic science and criminal justice in the United States to determine if higher education provides curricula that meets the needs of crime scene investigators.

Using data collected from an online questionnaire, interviews, and a literature review, the researcher examined the perceptions of 51 crime scene investigators and practitioners affiliated with the National Forensic Academy at The University of Tennessee. The data gathered was used to identify and rank the skills most important for accurate processing and collection …

Strategies And Skills Used By Middle School Students During The Solving Of Non-Routine Mathematics Problems, Terry D. Rose

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the processes and strategies selected middle school students use during the solving of non-routine mathematics problems. Qualitative research methods were used to identify the cognitive and metacognitive skills and processes used in problem solving and to determine the affective influences on the problem solving process.

Six middle grade students were selected to participate in the study. Each student was interviewed four times. The first interview was conducted in order to develop student profiles by obtaining information about each student's family, school, and mathematics background. The second and third interviews consisted of two phases. First, …

Managing Instructional Information: A Decision Support System To Aid In Textbook Selection, Fred B. Wheeler Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of developing a decision support system--a set of computerized information management tools to collect, store, analyze, and report information--to aid in the selection of classroom textbooks. The study was designed to assess the economic, technical, and operational feasibility using a management information systems model. A textbook selection decision was regarded as a combination of both operational control and managerial control decision types, semi-structured in nature, requiring a wide range of data having specific information characteristics.

Working in a rural North Carolina school system, three administrators, twelve special education teachers and …

The Effectiveness Of Computer Assisted Instruction Of Chapter I Students In Secondary Schools, Robert Lloyd Davidson

Doctoral Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction in the mathematics classroom. Mathematics achievement scores of Chapter I students receiving only traditional instruction were compared to mathematics achievement scored of Chapter I students using computer assisted instruction. Chapter I students from grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 at Fulton High School, Knoxville, Tennessee, were chosen. Form J of the Metropolitan Instructional Mathematics Test was administered to establish the initial level of students' mathematical achievement. Thirty-six students were in the control group and 18 were in the experimental group. The 18 students in the …

Learning Style Preferences For Design And Their Relationship To Standardized Test Results, Roger H. Siles

Doctoral Dissertations

Statement of the Problem: The emergence of the proficiency testing movement has created a situation in which schools must administer these tests in a setting most conducive to student success. Students' performance on tests depends not only on their knowledge and skills, but also on conditions under which tests are taken. "Conditions of test administration affect test performance and hence test reliability by having differing effects on different test takers."

Recent research in the area of student learning style indicates that the various environmental elements of sound, light, temperature, and design affect student learning and test performance. This research indicates …

An Investigation Of The Differences In Religious Conflict And Anxiety Among Religiously Fundamentalist Students Enrolled In Hiwassee College, Johnson Bible College, And The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, Clarence Victor Mccall Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in religious conflict and anxiety among religiously fundamentalist students enrolled in three institutions in East Tennessee. It was felt that such an inquiry would provide insight into the difficulties encountered by the religiously fundamentalist student as that person moves and functions in higher education.

The subjects were 301 freshman students. The study was accomplished in two phases. Phase one involved meeting with freshman English classes at two of the institutions and introductory Sociology classes at the other institution and asking the students to provide certain biographical information as well as …

Tooth Eruption/Cognitive Development/Arithmetic Computation, Joseph August Baust Sr.

Doctoral Dissertations

The problem of the study was to investigate whether readiness for beginning formal arithmetic, typified by the types of skills required by arithmetic computation, or the Conservation of Number could be predicted by the eruption of the permanent incisors, chronological age, or the combination of chronological age and tooth age.

Sixty-six children were randomly selected for the testing so that there were 33 boys and 33 girls in the sample. The children were first grade, middle-class, Caucasoids from Knoxville, Tennessee. The chronological age of each child was computed in months, and each child had his teeth photographed to check for …

A Study Of East Tennessee Regional Phonology: Its Influence On Reading Performance, Margaret B. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to analyze the pronunciation of pupils and teachers to determine the deviation from the expected pronunciation for each group, and to determine the influence of dialect on reading performance of pupils. A random selection of twenty first grade, third-generation pupils and twenty elementary, second-generation teachers from four small, rural, all-white elementary schools in Sevier County, Tennessee were interviewed with the use of an instrument which the investigator developed from an arbitrary selection of one-hundred-sixty-two pictorial words. These words were teaching examples for the eighteen vowels and diphthongs that are taught as phoneme-grapheme correspondences in …

The Development Of Scales To Measure Attitudes Towards Reading, Betty Sue Heathington

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument or instruments to measure the attitudes toward reading of children in grades one through six. Criteria were established for such an instrument. The Likert-type scale was chosen as the most appropriate type of instrument to meet the established criteria.

Two rural schools and two urban schools with normally distributed populations according to ability and socioeconomic levels were used in the study. Pilot work, consisting of individual interviews with children in grades one through six, was conducted to explore the area of reading attitudes and to obtain statements suitable for the …

Factors Associated With County Extension Agent Dairy Educational Program Effectiveness In Selected Tennessee Counties, Rural Allen Peace

Doctoral Dissertations

Statement of the Problem: This study was designed to determine the relationship between county Extension workers' effectiveness with the county dairy program and their knowledge of dairying and related subjects in certain Tennessee counties. Next, relationships were to be determined between the foregoing and twenty-four selected independent variables within the following four sub-groups: (1) background and training, (2) county situation, (3) interests and attitudes, and (4) work related.

Professional Training And Responsibilities Of Supervisors Of Academic Teacher Of The Deaf As Perceived By Selected Administrators, Principals, Supervisors, And Teachers Of The Deaf, Peter O. Mba

Doctoral Dissertations

Statement of the Problem: Schmitt, Quigley, and Quadagno (1968, pp. 3, 27) pointed out that little attention had been given to the qualification and responsibilities of supervisors of academic teachers of the deaf as regards "evaluative studies." They stressed the need for some uniformity of practice in connection with the kind and degree of academic training and "professional experience" required of supervisors. Brill (1971, p. 138) supporting Schmitt and his partners, called attention to the relatively "little objective research" in regard to role definition for supervisors and necessary academic preparation for their position. Griffing (1968, p. 678) emphasized that definition …

Health Attitudes And Practices In An Isolated Appalachian Valley, Fanchon Felice Funk

Doctoral Dissertations

The general objective for this research was to describe health orientations and to develop recommendations for the improvement of health services in Clear Fork Valley, which includes Claiborne and Campbell Counties in Tennessee and a portion of Bell County in Kentucky. This general objective was divided into three specific phases: (1) to ascertain health perceptions and practices; (2) to determine the relationships existing between these perceptions and practices; and (3) to determine and evaluate stated desires for improved health care.

The writer first surveyed related literature, defined hypotheses, and developed a questionnaire. From those persons registered at the Second Annual …

Teacher Education In Florida, 1933-1961, And The Teaching Internship Program, 1941-1951, Frank Rennie Tubbs

Doctoral Dissertations

The Problem. This study is a historical survey of the development of teacher education in Florida from 1933 to 1961 and of the teaching internship program from 1941 to 1961. Various factors related to the program are discussed.

A Test To Determine The Relative Effectiveness Of Different Styles, Colors, And Return Order Solicitation Methods In Sales Letters, Donald S. Wakefield

Doctoral Dissertations

(From the Summary)

The purposes of this study were to determine the relative effectiveness of four different sales letter styles, the relative effectiveness of five different letterhead colors in sales letters, the relative effectiveness of two different order return forms, and the relative effectiveness of different colors in relation to percentage of sunlight in those areas where letters were received.

A Biracial Study Of Entry Job Facts Found Among Selected Manufacturing And Research Industries Located In Metropolitan Knoxville, Tennessee, And Their Implications For Selected Secondary Schools And Colleges, Ralph H. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations

Technical and social improvements have created rapid and complex changes in our present social order. The progressive advancement from the machine to the atomic to the space age, along with social changes, has created new sectional, national and international behaviors among people. Community, national and international leaders have attempted and are presently concerned with efforts to identify and remedy many of these problems arising from the "Age of Science and Technology."

An Analysis Of The Social Studies Teacher Education Curriculum In Selected Tennessee Institutions, Ralph Lee White

Doctoral Dissertations

(From Purpose of the Study)

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which social studies teacher education curricula in selected state institutions of Tennessee met recommendations and requirements established by state and national organizations and selected educators.