Education Commons^™

The Challenges International Students Face In Adjusting To Their New Status As Graduate Students: An Exploratory Case Study, Vincent Womujuni

Dissertations and Theses

Over the last several years, the number of international students attending colleges and universities in the United States has increased substantially. While considerable time, effort, and university resources are often devoted to the recruitment of international students, it is unclear how well institutions are meeting the needs of these students. This growing number of international students requires foreign exchange professionals and university administrators to better understand the reasons why international students pursue higher education in the United States and the challenges they face.

This exploratory case study is to examine the challenges international graduate students encounter in adjusting to their …

Children’S Perceptions Of The Learning Environment And Aesthetic Qualities Within Their Classroom, Sheryl Reinisch

Dissertations and Theses

Primary grade children spend considerable time in elementary school classrooms. The learning environment can play a powerful role in the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of a child (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). The aesthetic dimension is particularly intriguing. Studies positively link the condition of schools to student achievement and behavior (Earthman, Cash, & Van Berkum, 1995; Yarbrough, 2001). Educational literature often addresses the topic of learning environments; however, a key ingredient seems to be missing, the voices of children. If children are spending so much time in these settings, what do they notice? This study addresses the fundamental …

Exploring Interethnic Dialogue Design, Stephen Hiroshi Gilchrist

Dissertations and Theses

Dialogue is a process that can help change the culture of our organizations and communities to better respond to interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Dialogue brings people together, in a safe environment, to reflect on and transform their assumptions that are often the root cause of conflict. Deepening the understanding of interethnic dialogue and conflict resolution can have a significant effect, not only in our organizations and local communities, but in helping create a strong and vibrant democracy.

Many organizations across the United States are currently involved in organizing interethnic dialogues. Each organization has developed a unique approach to the design …

From "Sit And Listen" Of "Shake It Out Yourself" : Helping Urban Middle School Students To Bridge Personal Knowledge To Scientific Knowledge Through A Collaborative Environmental Justice Curriculum, Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh

Dissertations and Theses

Science education and environmental education are not meeting the needs of marginalized communities such as urban, minority, and poor communities (Seller, 2001; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 1996). There exists an equity gap characterized by the racial and socioeconomic disparities in: levels of participation in scientific and environmental careers and environmental organizations (Lewis & James, 1995; Sheppard, 1995), access to appropriate environmental education programs (U.S. EPA, 1996), exposure to environmental toxins (Bullard, 1993), access to environmental amenities and legal protections (Bullard, 1993), and in grades and standardized test scores in K-12 science (Jencks & Phillips, 1998; Johnston & Viadero, 2000). …

Unfinished Journeys : Elder Learners In An Assisted Living Facility, Suzanne RenéE Simon

Dissertations and Theses

While multiple learning opportunities exist as the aging experience unfolds, elders facing some of the most complex physical and emotional challenges are often perceived as "too old to learn." For those living in long-term care facilities (LTC), lack of consideration as learners hinders numerous opportunities for growth. However, within the contexts of aging and learning, an attempt to understand elders as becoming and conceptualize them as learners might better serve their experience in long-term care.

The purpose of this study was to record notions about learning by capturing individual voices and shared meanings of a group of assisted living facility …

Nesting Like Birds, Teaching Like Spiders: Emerging Visions In U.S. Higher Education For Biocultural Sustainability And Ecological Literacy Education, Ariana Marta Francesca Kramer

Dissertations and Theses

Sustainability education is a growing field still being defined. It draws from environmental education, but includes social justice and economic equity alongside environmental health. International efforts to define the parameters of sustainability education at the university level have called for interdisciplinary approaches that emphasize culture. However, in the United States most programs concerned with sustainability follow in the footsteps of environmental studies with a focus on science and public policy.

Seven interdisciplinary master's programs in sustainability education were reviewed as potential models for how the larger university system might approach teaching for sustainability. Document analysis was used to compare program …