Education Commons^™

Multilingual Education Curriculum Development In Low And Middle-Income Countries, Gena N. Wambsganss

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the curricula implemented in four mother-tongue based multilingual education programs in the Philippines, Thailand, East Timor, and Cameroon. The method for conducting research in this thesis is based on the five principles to enhance learning presented by the World Bank and the prism model developed by Thomas and Collier. The five principles presented by the World Bank are as follows: (1) Teach children in a language they understand starting with Early Childhood Education and Care services through at least the first six years of primary schooling. (2) Use a language children understand for instruction in academic subjects …

Contextualizing Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education Preschools Within The Turkmen Community Of Afghanistan, Carrie Ann Shaver

Theses and Dissertations

The Turkmen Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) Preschool program in Afghanistan provided the ideal environment to research how evidence-based MTB-MLE preschool programs can be implemented in a way that aligns with the cultural and linguistic views of the Turkmen people in Afghanistan such that supervisors, teachers, and the community strive to implement and participate in the program to the fullest extent. Data was triangulated by the use of interviews, participant observation, and MTB-MLE preschool monitoring reports. A qualitative research method was used to gain insights into the perceptions and experiences of supervisors, teachers, and the community on the MTB-MLE program. …

Self-Determined Motivation In Foreign Language Learning: Examining The Effects On Students' Achievement, Yawo Badagbo

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between foreign language motivation and self-determined motivation, as well as the issue of students’ perceptions of strategies used to improve foreign language motivation and achievement among undergraduate students in the department of foreign language. This research was conducted in two mid-western universities among undergraduate foreign language learners. The participants were undergraduate foreign language learners. A total of 391 students from 18- 43 years old started the paper-and-pencil surveys in which they shared their views and perceptions about foreign language learning motivations and strategies to improve motivations and achievement. However, only 380 completed the majority of …

Summer Therapeutic Program For Children, Randi Losalu

Social Work Independent Study Projects (ISP)

Children who struggle during the school year will continue to do so through the summer months. As such, it is important to have therapeutic opportunities and programming available for those children. Addressing the therapeutic needs of children with serious emotional disturbances and/or social deficits can take many forms. Adventure therapy and experiential activities are supported by a variety of theoretical perspectives including Experiential Learning Theory, Systems Theory, Existential Theory, Behavioral/Cognitive Behavioral Theory, and Psychodynamic Theory. Through the use of adventure type activities, participants are able to address and reach therapeutic goals in a different manner than the traditional office setting. …

Faculty And Staff Perceptions About Concealed Carry Initiatives And Their Effect On Campus Safety: A Multi-State Examination, Heidi Marie Ahl-Quanbeck

Theses and Dissertations

Concealed carry on campus is a polarizing debate affecting higher education today. Concealed carry refers to the carrying of a weapon in public while concealed from view. Prompted by isolated instances of gun violence as well as the changing gun culture within our society, ten states now permit weapons on campus as a result of legislation or institutional policy. Yet, little is known about faculty and staff perspectives on concealed carry on campus initiatives or how weapons could affect perceptions about campus safety. The purpose of this study is to better understand faculty and staff perspectives on concealed carry, to …

Educational Leadership Development In Saudi Arabia: Experiences Of Participants Of The Saudi Oxford Program For Educational Leaders, Azizah Fhad Alogali

Theses and Dissertations

Given the recent surge of interest in educational leadership development in Saudi Arabia, a qualitative study was undertaken to evaluate the perspectives of participants in one intensive leadership training program called the Saudi Oxford Program for Educational Leaders (SOPEL). Using interview data with SOPEL participants and an analysis of their final projects, a holistic understanding of the participants’ experiences emerged. Findings included a confusion/conflation of concepts of leadership and management; a desire for more responsiveness and sensitivity to feedback on the part of the participants; logistical, linguistic, and administrative hurdles; quality control concerns; and a need to evaluate programs’ effectiveness …

The Effects Of Cultural Participation On Health Outcomes Among American Indian/Alaska Native Elders, Collette Adamsen

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) history represents a number of traumatic events inflicted upon each tribal generation that has yet to recover. These events have led to major consequences on the health of this population. AI/AN people experience the worst health disparities in the nation (Espey et al., 2014; Warne & Lajimodiere, 2015). Previous studies have shown that loss of land, cultural devastation, and inadequate health care access are associated with the high rates of health disparities endured by AI/AN people throughout North America (Walters, et al., 2011). AI/AN beliefs tell us that culture serves a fundamental role in managing good …

Female Faculty Perspectives On Blended Learning At Universities In Saudi Arabia, Hind Hamed B Alghanmi

Theses and Dissertations

Adopting technology is one of the priorities in the Saudi education system. The reform of Saudi education leads to the need to focus on BL as a tool for adopting technology into any college classroom. This study focuses specifically on technology usage for teaching among female faculty. In 2018, women’s education in Saudi Arabia has undergone an incredible social transition, and women’s education is different and more advanced than before. This study looks to learn about female faculty members’ views and experiences as they relate to the adoption of BL in their classrooms. It seeks to provide in-depth knowledge essential …

Faculty Experiences With Instructional Innovations: A Phenomenological Study Of Faculty Use Of Instructional Video, Timothy Patrick Oneal

Theses and Dissertations

Colleges and universities create learning environments that strive to optimize strengths and minimize weaknesses of learners. Media rich environments have changed the current generation of learners just as it is now changing higher education. There is currently a need to examine the experiences and perceptions of instructors when adopting innovations such as instructional videos for use in their media enriched curriculum delivery. This study used a phenomenological approach to discover why and how faculty at a 4-year public university use the innovation of instructional video in their classrooms. The phenomenon studied was the adoption process and the motivation of the …

Mentoring Experiences In Medical Education: A Phenomenographic Study Among American Indian Medical Students And Those In Residency, Naomi M. Bender

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to better understand how currently enrolled American Indian (AI) medical students and recently graduated physicians in residency experienced mentoring during medical school. This study consisted of 19 participant-recorded interviews that were later transcribed, analyzed, and coded for thematic outcomes. Participants were all current AI medical students in the same Northern Midwest Medical School (NMMS) in years one, two, three, or four, or they were recent AI graduate physicians from the same institution and were in years one or two of residency. The theoretical frameworks that guided this research were Kalbfleisch’s Mentoring Enactment …

Academic Interventions In Secondary Schools: Examining Teachers' Perceptions Of Implementing A Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Shannon Mortrud

Theses and Dissertations

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2015) only 34% of eighth grade students in the U.S. scored at or above proficient in reading and only 33% were at or above proficient in math. Reading comprehension is essential for the acquisition of knowledge in all coursework and those students who have reading deficits may experience increased academic failure. Deficits in math skills may also increase core academic failure for secondary students expected to complete rigorous courses in algebra and beyond. In a review of the literature, Blount (2012) deduced that academic failure is one of the main predictive risk …

American Indian Professionals: Educational Decision-Making And Persistence, Colleen M. Burke

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian graduate students are experiencing a higher matriculation rate in higher education today; however, those rates are still lower than other underrepresented minority groups’ rates. The purpose of this study is to conduct exploratory research to investigate the decision-making process of American Indian/Alaskan Native professionals who persisted to graduation from their graduate programs. This study explores the participants’ graduate school experiences relating to education, tribal values, decisions, their social support, and perseverance. The theoretical framework of decisionmaking theory, i.e. Prospect Theory, was used to evaluate the educational decisions of the participants. Decision-making theorists include corporate culture in their discussions; …

Teacher Perspectives On The Impact Of High-Stakes Testing On Students With Disabilities : A Grounded Theory Study, Tammy Marie Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA), No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (NCLB), and Every Child Succeeds Act 2015 (ESSA) has changed how public schools adapt to standards and accountability systems for all students, including students with mild-to-significant cognitive disabilities. Federal legislation has changed the focus of teaching and learning since the implementation of NCLB. This movement has altered the way students with disabilities are compared to their same-age peers.

High-stakes testing has generated numerous challenges for educators, administrators, parents, and students across the nation. Increased pressure has been placed on schools to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), …

Examining The Relationship Between Academic Integrity And Moral Reasoning Among Physical Therapy Students, Gary Dean Schindler

Theses and Dissertations

According to research conducted from 2002-1012 by the International Center for Academic Integrity, 43% of graduate and 68% of undergraduate students admitted to cheating on written assignments or tests. However, minimal research exists on physical therapy (PT) students’ perceptions of academic dishonesty. Moral reasoning has been investigated throughout medical programs with PT students having displayed lower levels than other professional students. However, no studies investigating the relationship between academic integrity and moral reasoning in PT students exist. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate moral reasoning and academic integrity among PT students.

Data from seven Midwest PT programs …

The Effect Of Different Written Task Instructions On Students’ Scores In A Physical And Virtual Environment, Ademola Amida

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic laboratory activities offer opportunities to help students learn about concepts and develop practical competencies in electronic circuit systems. Evidence in the literature suggests that the effectiveness of laboratory activities might be affected by the type of instructions provided (explicit or implicit), and the lab environment (physical or virtual) in which the activities were performed.

This study investigated the effect of different written task instructions (explicit versus implicit) and lab environment (physical versus virtual) on students’ scores in an electronic circuit task. This study was a quantitative experiment that used a repeated measure factorial design to determine how the written …

Exposing Second Year Medical Students To The Clinical Reasoning Process Prior To High Fidelity Simulation Learning, Phondie Simelane Simelane

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical reasoning is a highly complex process that is both difficult to impart and acquire (Bowen 2006, Custers 2005, Merriënboer 2010, Schmidt 2015). Second year medical learners appear to lack strategy to effectively step through the presented scenarios (Allen, personal communication, March 2, 2015). Though possessing a degree of background knowledge, immature clinical reasoning skills make data collection (focused history, focused review of systems and focused physical assessments) a challenge to efficiently navigate. As oppose to discriminating their line of questions, learners sweep through a wide range of information. Consequently, problem solving takes on a shot gun approach resulting in …

Instrumental Music Participation And The Differences In Academic Performances For Students In Poverty, Shawn A. Oban

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the emphasis on No Child Left Behind and high stakes testing, school districts and administrators have been limiting or eliminating fine arts courses from an already shrinking curriculum, focusing on the subjects being tested. Students living in poverty are often entering formal schooling behind academically.

The researcher examined longitudinal test data from 2010-2015 from middle school aged students in a large Midwest school district. The researcher focused on test scores from the sixth grade when instrumental music was offered, examined test data from tenth grade, and studied academic growth. All student scores were included, but the independent variables …

Use Of C-Map As A Cognitive Tool In Collaborative And Individual Concept Mapping For Enhancing Ell Students' Reading Comprehension, Enaz Yousef Rasheed Mahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Among those who teach English to English Language Learners (ELL), reading comprehension is considered an essential language skill critical for knowledge acquisition and information exchange. However, in various parts of the world, including Jordan, reading comprehension has been reported as a difficult area for ELL students to master.

The purpose of this study was to investigate in-depth the impact of the use of the reading software C-map as a cognitive tool in collaborative and individual concept mapping to promote reading comprehension among ELL readers. The independent variable of this study was concept mapping, which functioned on three levels: collaborative, individual, …

Examining The Role Of Motivation In The Relationship Between Perceived Academic Stress And Coping Among Freshmen, Ying Dong

Theses and Dissertations

First-year college students commonly face academic stress that is negatively associated with academic achievement and persistence. It has been found that problem-focused coping (PFC) effectively decreases stress, but emotion-focused coping (EFC) exacerbates stressful situations in the long term (Carver & Scheier, 1994; Kim & Duda, 2003). Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) posits that cognitive appraisals determine the selection of stress coping. In the current study, two motivation indicators, causal attributions for academic stress and value of college education, were recognized as cognitive appraisals that were respectively placed into the TMSC to test their role …

Experiences Of Beginning Teachers In A Resident Teacher Program: A Phenomenological Study, Emmanuel Adjei-Boateng

Theses and Dissertations

There has been considerable attention and focus, in the field of education, on development support for beginning teachers. Beginning teachers are very important to the success and future of education. Their success in the classroom is very critical. The Resident Teacher Program or a teacher residency is a comprehensive means of providing beginning teachers with developmental support. This initiative is usually organized through the concerted efforts of a college of education and school district. Within this dissertation, attention is given to the potential or real benefits and to the successes and challenges of an existing Resident Teacher Program. In a …

Grammar Enhanced Biliteracy: Naskapi Language Structures For Facilitating Reading In Naskapi, William Joseph Jancewicz

Theses and Dissertations

The Naskapi language is the language of instruction in the early primary grades of the school in the Naskapi community. Only recently have Naskapi-speaking teachers received formal instruction in pedagogy, with a cohort of Naskapi teachers following courses for their Bachelor of Education degree towards careers teaching in the Naskapi language in their local school. These adults are highly motivated to become literate in their mother tongue in order to teach or prepare curriculum materials in the Naskapi language. This thesis explores how basic grammatical structures can be mastered, and provides insight into the form that pedagogical grammatical instruction should …

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 …

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 …

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Knowledge And Application Of Response To Intervention, Carrie Dannelle Jepma

Theses and Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a model for providing instructional and scientific-based interventions to all children who struggle. RTI uses data-based decision making for the interventions, instructional evaluation, intervention intensity and length of time, and evaluation and recommendations for any adjustments needed in instruction in both the problem-solving and standard protocol models. The difference between the two models of RTI is that the interventions are individualized for each student in the problem-solving model, but not the standard protocol model.

RTI has been used by schools and agencies with research to support that it meets the needs of children and is …

Perspectives Of General Education Teachers Who Work With Students With Autism, Beth Jolene Walters

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how general education teachers perceive their experiences working with students in their classrooms who have been diagnosed with autism. The study addressed the following research question: How do secondary school general educators perceive their experiences working with students in their classroom who have been diagnosed with autism?

Six secondary general education teachers were interviewed by the researcher, and the audio-recorded interviews were later transcribed by her. Initially, she analyzed the data to determine codes and categories. Next, she worked collaboratively with her doctoral advisor to discern themes and assertions.

Six themes …

Examination Of The Relationship Between Amercian Indian Cultural Identity And Academic Performance Of Nursing Graduates, Elizabeth Ann Yellowbird

Theses and Dissertations

There are great health disparities within the AI/AN population according to IHS documentation. Historical events such as complex political issues, poor education, boarding schools, and loss of language have heightened this difficult healthcare situation. Furthermore, issues such as lack of health professionals (especially AI/AN nurses) and access to healthcare services add to the dilemma. The cause for the low number of AI/AN nurses who graduate from college varies, but one significant area to consider is the relationship between poor academic performance influenced by cultural conflict. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between cultural identities of students …

A Case Study: Transitioning From A Five-Day School Week To A Four-Day School Week, Brian Duane Duchscherer

Theses and Dissertations

For over a century, most PK-12 schools across the United States have been using the same format of five days of school a week for approximately 9 months a year. The discussion of a four-day school week is being considered as many school districts try to balance their budgets each school year. Some schools in the past 30 years have begun changing to a four-day school week. The four-day school week can create controversy within a community, concerns among parents and students, and benefits for the school district as well as for parents and students. The researcher studied one rural …

Perceptions Of Five Low-Income Parents On School Readiness, Roanne Eugenia Malm

Theses and Dissertations

This small-scale qualitative study explored the perceptions of five low-income mothers regarding their child's readiness for kindergarten. The study has the potential to help early childhood advocates and other stakeholders (a) understand how low-income environments influence school readiness, (b) understand the aspirations low-income parents have for their children, (c) discover ways to improve the transition to school for economically disadvantaged children, and (d) engage parents in a more equitable manner--ultimately helping all children start kindergarten with success.

Parents selected for this study had a child age 4-5 who was the oldest child in the family, on a Head Start waiting …

Satisficing: A Decision-Making Strategy For School Choice, Kristine Anne Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate parent decision-making regarding school choice. Data were collected through a survey on how parents approached the decision making task of choosing a school for their child. Parents of kindergarten and first grade students in one public school district in Minnesota and five private schools in surrounding communities were invited to participate.

Four bodies of literature provide the theoretical basis of the study. They are education reform; school choice in Minnesota; factors parents consider when choosing schools; and decision-making theory.

Satisficing, a concept drawn from Herbert Simon's (1955, 1956) theory of bounded rationality …

Views Of Student Nurses On Caring And Technology In Nursing, Elizabeth Gail Brodell

Theses and Dissertations

Nurses entering the workforce are faced with many challenges, but today the multiple demands of patient care are complicated by a nurse's need to keep abreast of fast-changing technology. This research is universally relevant to nursing practice in educational settings and practice areas because nursing education needs to develop strategies to teach students the skills to manage technology, while keeping the elements of caring in learning and clinical practices.

This quantitative study examined the perceptions of nursing students on caring, technology as caring, the technological influences on caring practice, and their confidence level of PDA use. Participants were students accepted …