Education Commons^™

The Importance Of Practice: Learning To Teach Student-Centered Labs With Confidence, Linda Nix

Dissertations

This quantitative research study examined the relationship between science teachers’ science education experiences (high school, undergraduate science courses, teacher education program science methods courses, in-service teaching, and professional development) regarding exposure to student-centered labs and science teacher self-efficacy in teaching student-centered labs. This research study also examined the relationship between science teachers’ opportunity to practice teaching student-centered labs during their science teacher experiences (teacher education program science methods course, in-service teaching, and professional development) and science teaching self-efficacy in teaching student-centered labs as they relate to the social constructivist and experiential learning theories.

A modified version of the Science Teaching …

An Exploratory Investigation Into The Role Of Evaluation Theory In Evaluative Thinking, Lyssa Wilson Becho

Dissertations

The field of evaluation generally agrees that evaluation theory is important. Evaluation theorists and scholars have written prolifically about the role of evaluation theory in practice. However, the empirical literature associated with how and why evaluation theory is important is still emerging. In particular, how evaluation theory fosters high quality evaluation practice through transparent logical reasoning, attention to values and valuing, and contextual responsiveness, and how these inform evaluative thinking are understudied phenomena in the field.

This study intends to provide insights into the relationship between evaluation theory and evaluation practice to answer two major research questions. The first research …

Values In Evaluations Of Maternal And Child Health Programs, Erica Lynn Dodds

Dissertations

Values are a central component in evaluation and are prominently discussed in evaluation theory, but relatively little is known about how they are used in practice. The theory-practice gap in evaluation may cause unsound evaluation practice or irrelevant or impractical evaluation theory. However, little is known about this gap as it relates to values and valuing. Failing to take certain values into account in an evaluation risks reinforcing the status quo to the detriment of vulnerable populations, so identifying how the theory-practice gap plays out in the use of values is important.

This study focuses on the maternal and child …

College Adjustment, Belongingness, Academic Self-Efficacy, Persistence, And Academic Success Among First-Generation College Students, Heather R. Highhouse

Dissertations

Previous research has compared the impacts of college adjustment, belongingness, and academic self-efficacy on first-generation and continuing-generation college students. However, the impacts of these factors on academic success (GPA) and persistence of first-semester, first-generation college students have not been investigated. The primary purpose of this study was to examine college adjustment and belongingness for first-semester, first-generation college students, with a focus on race and gender. This study also examined the impact of academic self-efficacy (i.e., course self-efficacy and social self-efficacy), college adjustment, and belongingness for academic success (GPA) and persistence of these students. The roles of race and gender in …

Career Pathway Orientation Courses And Their Influences On Student Career Decision Making, Daniel Weidner

Dissertations

High schools must create skill- and decision-making experiences to support student college and career readiness and effective transitions to careers. However, traditional career education models have lacked effectiveness. This study examines a career pathway model that includes career orientation courses focused on developing career awareness and advising, confirming and challenging student’s career decision-making. Surveys and interviews were used to identify impacts these courses had on student career choice and the influence different aspects of the orientation course had on their decision-making. From this, best practices were identified, changes to the model were proposed and modifications to policy were developed to …

Exploring The Characteristic Triad Of Resilience: Personal Disposition, Family Support And The Environment Within The Cultural Context Of Quality Mariachi Academies In The Impoverished Central Valley Of California, Lucia Vazquez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study, was to explore through the lens of the Characteristic Triad of Resilience: personal disposition, family support and environment, how participation in community-based Quality Mariachi Academies (QMA) in impoverished counties contribute to educational resilience.

Methodology: This qualitative multi-case study explored the lived experience of ten resilient students in the impoverished San Joaquin Valley of Central California, utilizing the Characteristic Triad of Resilience as the framework in the context of Quality Mariachi Academies. Data collected from resilient students was triangulated with data from parents, grandparents and site staff.

Findings: Community-based Quality Mariachi Academies …

The Intersection Of Andragogy And Courtroom Practice, Grant Shostak

Dissertations

Learning takes place not only in a traditional classroom setting, but in a plethora of avenues outside of the lecture hall. Learning paradigms like life-long learning and Andragogy, the teaching of adults, have been used by adult educators for fields such as education, finance, accounting, law enforcement, nursing, technology, and many others. A review of the existing literature has revealed an absence of the application of andragogy to the courtroom setting. This paper investigates and discusses the andragogical orientation of successful trial lawyers in Missouri. This study has shown that successful trial lawyers have adapted and share particular principles of …

Exploring Restorative Justice, Suspensions, And Expulsions With African American Males, Dorothy L. Mosby

Dissertations

Zero tolerance programs led to unequal consequences for African American males because the programs targeted behaviors African American students were more likely to receive discipline for, which resulted in an increase of disciplinary situations for the students. With the disproportionate suspensions and expulsions of African American male students in public schools, Illinois Senate Bill 100 addressed the discipline issues to reduce the number of long-term suspensions and expulsions. In the 2016–2017 school year, the state of Illinois implemented Senate Bill 100. The bill reconstructed the procedures on how school administrators suspended and expelled students; Restorative Justice was a technique used …

The Perceptions Of Online Community College Instructors Regarding The Most Effective Collaborative Instructional, Content Specific, And Social Interaction Learning Strategies To Help Online Students Succeed, Maureen Curry

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover what collaborative instructional, content specific, and social interaction learning strategies online community college instructors perceive to be most effective in helping students succeed.

Methodology. Data were collected through interviews and review of artifacts. The target population consisted of online community college instructors in southern California. Twelve participants from three community colleges were chosen using both criterion and convenience sampling procedures.

Findings. Most online community college instructors apply a variety of collaborative instructional strategies through shared discussions, relevant group projects for content specific learning, and community building interaction …

The Influence Of Social Capital On Community Sustainability In Meacham Park, Missouri During 1996 -1999, Sheila Green-Samuels

Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social capital on the phenomenon of community sustainability in Meacham Park Missouri, a Black neighborhood located in south St. Louis county. It is believed that social capital influences the collective action needed to create structures which lead to economic growth essential to community sustainability (Farrell, 2007, Ginwright, 2015; Putnam, 1993). The core idea of Robert Putnam’s social capital theory is there is value in social networks (Putnam, 2000, 1993). Examined were experiences of current and past residents of Meacham Park using social capital constructs to analyze the significance …

A Rural Telehealth Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Devon Schlottach

Dissertations

Problem Rural healthcare consumers experience increased health disparities, especially when accessing health care. The use of telehealth to improve access has become an essential competency for nurse practitioner (NP) students. This study evaluated NP students’ confidence and competence of rural social determinants of health (rSDOH) before and after a telehealth simulation.

Methods A descriptive, cohort design was used to review NP students’ pre- and post-surveys, written case studies, and a video-recorded telehealth OSCE for a patient living in a rural area.

Results Student self-rated knowledge of rural health care did not improve despite didactic learning and simulation (z = …

Effect Of Integrating Adult Learning Concepts And Curriculum Structure Into Customer Service Training For Specialty Pharmacy Employees, Caroline Mccallister

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the effect of integrating adult learning into a structured curriculum specifically designed to address the learning needs of patient services coordinators (PSCs). The research was conducted for two primary reasons: (a) to determine the effect, if any, of presenting new hire training created using adult learning principles and sound curriculum design had on satisfaction levels with that training, and (b) to determine the effect, if any, of presenting new hire training created using adult learning principles and sound curriculum design had on the length of time needed for a new hire to …

Participation Status In An Arkansas Better Chance Program On Early Literacy And Mathematics Readiness, Shanda R. Trotter-Coleman

Dissertations

The current study explored the effects of ABC prekindergarten program status by gender and ethnicity on early literacy and mathematics readiness for students entering kindergarten in a large urban school district in Central Arkansas. The study used scores for kindergarten students categorized by their prekindergarten participation in the school district’s ABC prekindergarten program (participated versus no participation), gender, and ethnicity (White and non-White). The NWEA MAP Growth assessment was used to measure literacy and mathematics achievement in all nine elementary schools in the Central Arkansas school district. In all four hypotheses, the main effect of ABC prekindergarten program participation was …

Institutional Adoption And Implementation Of A Mandated Community College First Year Experience Course, Carmen Varney Purpus

Dissertations

This purpose of the research study is two-fold. The first aim is to establish strategies that can guide community colleges interested in the implementation of a mandated First Year Experience course as well as to identify barriers community colleges may encounter to help them move from desiring a mandated student success course to acting to create one. It is widely believed that student success course helps students learn to be successful, but it is not a widely accepted practice to mandate it for all students.

The second objective is to add to the limited body of research. A nonexperimental descriptive …

Using Technology As An Independent Learning Strategy To Support Vocabulary Acquisition For Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities, Donna M. Egan

Dissertations

Students at the secondary level encounter a plethora of content-rich, content-area texts. To achieve comprehension of these content-area texts, students are required to know the meanings, relationships, and contextual interpretations of each new vocabulary word. Students, especially exceptional students (those who have an Individualized Education Plan), struggle with academic demands, challenges of tiered vocabulary, and the lack of comprehensive vocabulary instruction. Researchers have examined the outcomes of computer-assisted instruction on exceptional students’ vocabulary development using various technology. To meet the critical academic vocabulary acquisition needs of secondary students with exceptionalities, research encourages using technological applications as independent word-learning strategies. This …

An Examination Of The Attitudinal And Structural Barriers To Successful Implementation Of Personalized Learning, Jeremy Sullivan

Dissertations

Personalized learning has become a common term in the education lexicon; however, there is not an industry-accepted and universally adopted definition or model. While personalized learning is mentioned in 39 states’ Every Student Succeeds Act plan, the models vary greatly because personalized learning requires a full paradigm shift from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine the current barriers K-12 classroom teachers experience when implementing personalized learning. The four core strategies of flexible learning environments, personal learning paths, learner profiles, and competency-based progression identified by Pane et al. (2017a) were utilized to frame personalized learning. …

Perceived Teaching Style And Academic Growth In An International School Setting, Jamie Elizabeth Martin

Dissertations

The presence of international schools has grown significantly around the world to accommodate a growing need for academic instruction that differs from that provided in local schools and to meet the rapid demands of globalization. As demands for international schools increase, demands for student performance are also increasing.

This quantitative correlational study seeks to determine if correlations exist between teaching style and student academic growth in mathematics within an international school setting. The study also determines if a dominant teaching style exists and if correlations between teacher grade level and teaching style can be made among international teachers who teach …

The Impact Of Campus Facilities On The Recruitment Of Students In Higher Education, Lucinnda Sue Mcdonald

Dissertations

The statement often has been made over the years that university recruitment efforts are strongly impacted by campus facilities. The subject has been a topic of research over the past several decades. This study indicates that as generations change and times change, the significance of various aspects of the university to the prospective student change as well.

This research effort is a mixed-methods study to provide insight on the facilities current students deem most important when determining which college or university they will attend. The research for this study was conducted through an online survey asking students to:

• Choose …

Meeting The Needs Of Graduate International Students In A Mid-South University: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study, Ifeyinwa Onyeke-Onwelumadu

Dissertations

NAFSA’s economic analysis indicates that international students and their families created or supported 340,000 jobs and contributed $26.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2013-2014 academic year (NAFSA, 2014). The analysis for reveals that for every seven international students enrolled, three U.S. jobs are created or supported by spending. These occur in the following sectors: higher education, accommodation, dining, retail, transportation, telecommunications, and health insurance. By the 2017-2018 academic year, the US witnessed further significant contribution of international students to the US economy, contributing $39 billion from living expenses, tuition, and fees. Also, the contributions of international students created …

Teaching English Learners: A Study Of Procedures And Perceptions Of Missouri Program Directors And Mainstream Classroom Teachers, Merica Schoen Clinkenbeard

Dissertations

Professional development for mainstream classroom teachers to meet the influx of diverse learners is not adequately met by most school districts (Quintero & Hanson, 2017). The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to gain information from English learner program directors about English learner program practices and professional development specific to the needs of English learners in Missouri school districts. Mainstream classroom teachers from different-sized schools with high- and lowincidence of English learner students were interviewed to gather the perceived level of understanding of best practices for the implementation of research-based strategies. The Missouri Professional Learning Guidelines for Student Success guided …

The Importance Of Leadership Motivational Activities In Encouraging International Students To Return To Their Tier 1 Universities, Eric Hall

Dissertations

Abstract

The problem is international students are not returning to their undergraduate Tier 1 institutions during a period when quality student enrollment is essential, and there is scant research on academic advising strategies that can be used to combat international student attrition at these universities (O’Keefe, 2013). Studies have often lumped all international students together and made efforts to attract more international students, but the reasons why international students chose research universities, and returned, were not being investigated in this manner (Hegarty, 2014).

The purpose of this proposed study was to gain an understanding of the decision-making and reasoning processes …

Innovative Teaching Practices To Accelerate Student Learning In The Areas Of Literacy And Science, Michelle Simmons, Paris Bouchard

Dissertations

The researchers of this joint dissertation aspired to create and implement innovative instructional practices that would accelerate student learning. Both researchers believed in the importance of experimenting with structures and processes that lead to instructional impact. They were both passionate about developing an instructional model that would accelerate student learning by focusing on student transfer of skills. They sought to answer the question, Can learning be accelerated when teachers are supported and encouraged to create and implement instructional practices grounded in research? One researcher studied a practice that would potentially increase students’ ability to think critically and problem solve using …

An Exploration Of Trust In Community Leadership Contexts, Richard Hudanick, Kimberlie M. Straatmann, Michael Miller, Andrea Harper, Joshua White

Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study of effective community engagement process examines community leader’s perceptions of their experiences and the role fostering and building trust plays in producing sustainable change in a Midwestern regional context. The purpose of this study was to explore how trust interacts with asset-based thinking and social learning experiences, including trauma-informed awareness, meaning-making, and empathy, to support community engagement efforts. The research team interviewed 26 individuals who were selected via purposive sampling. Study participants were active in their communities and practitioners in their respective professions. The study identified five overarching themes that emerged from participant interviews, including themes …

Factors Considered By Special Education Case Managers When Making A Decision To Mainstream Emotionally Disturbed Students From A Self-Contained Classroom To General Education Classes, Pamela Butler-Harris

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative comparative case study analyzes the perspectives, feelings, and beliefs of eight special education case managers who work with students who have been diagnosed as emotionally disturbed (ED), or exhibit ED type behaviors in Contra Costa County, California. It is the hope that through the identification of criteria leading to successful integration, policy makers and educators will be able to develop and implement effective strategies to successfully mainstream ED students, or students who exhibit ED type behaviors into general education classes.

Methodology: This qualitative comparative case study is designed around the following research question: What factors do special …

Equitable Access In Education: Access To Joy, Choice Options, And Strong Neighborhood Schools, Noah Hollenkamp, Albert J. Sanders Jr., Lindsay Schuessler

Dissertations

The purpose of this co-authored dissertation was to understand equitable access of quality educational opportunities in St. Louis, Missouri. Through the following research, we present a better understanding of equity and access in education from a classroom level, on a school level, and finally, on a regional level. This collection of research is the effort of a group of committed and concerned educators seeking to understand the ways of making quality education accessible for all families, specifically in the areas of school choice, quality neighborhood schools, and play in the classroom. By equitable access, we mean all families being able …

Student Perceptions Of Dual Enrollment Participation, Susan Hochstrat

Dissertations

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to explore students’ perceptions of the impact of dual enrollment participation on academic preparation and college knowledge prior to their first year of college.

Methodology: This was a qualitative research study that utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the impact of dual enrollment participation. Twelve previous dual enrollment students participated in semi-structure interviews.

Findings: The findings from this research study illustrate the impact of dual enrollment participation. Based on the findings students’ state that dual enrollment participation exposes them to rigorous coursework. Students expressed that they were prepared for college because dual …

Transforming Professional Development For Today's Educational Environment, Amy L. Geurkink-Coats, Richard A. Regina

Dissertations

Professional development is vital to education. It provides an opportunity for continued growth and learning for educators throughout their career. While teachers earn credentials and certification through a university, professional development is intended to hone skills and help teachers evolve in an ever-changing landscape. The changing landscape may involve technology, generational needs, or broader societal interests. This research is an analysis of the implementation of transformational professional development in one large suburban Midwestern school district and one large Midwestern high school in another district. It analyzes data regarding professional development and examines literature that studies teacher participation, attitudes, and transfer …

Environmental Science And Culture: Exploring The Factors Contributing To The Pro-Environmental Behavior Of Rural Youth, Michelle Donlan, Elizabeth Flotte, Patricia Silovsky

Dissertations

This mixed methods study contributes to the pro-environmental behavior literature by introducing the concept of environmental science capital to explore the factors influencing pro-environmental behavior in rural youth. This study’s proposed theory of change attempts to build upon the Kollmus and Agyeman model of pro-environmental behavior by theorizing that environmental science capital is the “missing middle” needed to overcome the barriers to pro-environmental behavior. We hypothesized that meaningful nature experiences, role models, connectedness to nature, STEM interest and environmental identity would help rural youth increase their environmental science capital in order to “bridge the gap” and overcome barriers to pro-environmental …

How Are Districts Using The Local Control Funding Formula To Close The Achievement Gap, Jacob Briggs

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe the impact of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) within Kern County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County in narrowing the achievement gap in underachieving populations identified as English Language Learners (ELL) and low socioeconomic status (low SES). Additionally, the purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify strategies implemented by districts who had the highest percentage of change in narrowing the achievement gap.

Methodology: A mixed-method study was conducted in two parts. First, a quantitative analysis was conducted by comparing the …

The Lived Experience Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning From High School To A Liberal Arts College, Joseph D. Bishop

Dissertations

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are transitioning into colleges and universities at a growing rate. All types of post-secondary institutions are seeing this influx, yet some are ill prepared to assist students with ASD, especially within the transition process. There is a gap in the research focusing on students with ASD within liberal art colleges. The purpose of this study is to understand the lived experience of students with ASD as they transition from high school to a small liberal arts college.

My research uses a phenomenological approach in order to develop descriptive themes. I interviewed seven students who …