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Full-Text Articles in Education
An Action Research Study: Inclusive Culture Formation In A New High School, David Wayne Parrish
An Action Research Study: Inclusive Culture Formation In A New High School, David Wayne Parrish
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The culture of a school community is critical to every aspect of its existence, including academic expectations, degree of inclusiveness, safety, and overall well-being of students and staff. While culture can be an abstract, elusive concept, it makes itself known upon entering the school. School culture can exist on multiple levels, exerting a cohesive impact on relationships and interactions and opportunities. Adding to its complexity, a school culture can be perceived differently by individuals, depending on their unique experiences. Further, a school culture is inevitable and difficult to change; a culture will form and once formed, is resistant to even …
When A Man Loves A Woman: The Lived Experiences Of Male Sober Partners In Romantic Relationships With Women Who Struggle With Addiction, Katharine Rose Sperandio
When A Man Loves A Woman: The Lived Experiences Of Male Sober Partners In Romantic Relationships With Women Who Struggle With Addiction, Katharine Rose Sperandio
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of the phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of male sober partners who are in romantic relationships with women who struggle with addiction. The theoretical framework of the study was social constructivism given the impact of social gender roles on experiences. Five male sober partners were identified as meeting the criteria for the study. Data collection consisted of a semi-structured interview. The interview entailed demographic and open-ended questions that highlighted the participants’ experiences. The primary questions of the study were: What does it mean to be a sober male who is in a relationship with a woman …
A Phenomenological Study Of Student Engagement In An Urban K-8 School, David Joseph Gesualdi
A Phenomenological Study Of Student Engagement In An Urban K-8 School, David Joseph Gesualdi
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Student engagement is an indicator of student achievement. For students living in poverty it is difficult to engage in a school that is not relatable to their own cultural norms and values. This phenomenological study sought to understand the lived experiences of these students and their teachers related to student engagement. The purpose of this study was to provide insights and perspectives of students’ and teachers’ personal experiences within a mathematics classroom. The key research questions targeted understanding student perceptions of their own level of engagement—behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively; teacher perceptions of their students’ levels of engagement; instructional factors that …
Being Myself In School: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Historically Underrepresented High Ability Middle School Students, Melanie Joy Lichtenstein
Being Myself In School: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Historically Underrepresented High Ability Middle School Students, Melanie Joy Lichtenstein
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Chimamanda Adichie (2009), Nigerian novelist, warns the “danger of a single story” is that it becomes the only story. Current scholarly research often features the stories of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students through deficit-lens while focusing on underrepresentation, underachievement, and undernomination. This deficit experience unfortunately becomes the “single story” for many high-ability and high-potential culturally diverse children in school. This phenomenological study aimed on centering the personal stories of middle school high-ability young adolescents who are members of historically underrepresented populations to answer the question: What is it like to be high-ability and a member of an underrepresented population …
Giant Steps: Toward A Developmental Trajectory Of Creative Talent As A Jazz Improviser, Anthony Michael Washington
Giant Steps: Toward A Developmental Trajectory Of Creative Talent As A Jazz Improviser, Anthony Michael Washington
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Expert jazz improvisers follow a developmental trajectory that is useful to understanding creative ability. Because this domain uses creativity as a fundamental part of its performance, its development naturally includes techniques for developing one’s creativity. This study explored the development of expert and eminent jazz improvisers' creative abilities and delineated critical experiences, skills, dispositions, and activities associated with developing elite talent in this domain. I conducted interviews with expert jazz improvisers to gain retrospective accounts of their talent development process in addition to exploring autobiographical and biographical accounts of developmental activities of selected eminent jazz improvisers. I employed grounded theory …
A Community Of Practice For School Leaders: Its Impact On Their Perceptions Of Collaborative Practice, Levels Of Trust, Self-Awareness, And Self-Efficacy, Richard Michael Smith
A Community Of Practice For School Leaders: Its Impact On Their Perceptions Of Collaborative Practice, Levels Of Trust, Self-Awareness, And Self-Efficacy, Richard Michael Smith
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
“There is a marked difference between possessing knowledge and skills and being able to use them well under taxing conditions. Personal accomplishments require not only skills but self-beliefs of efficacy to use them well” (Bandura, 1993, p. 119). Low school leader self-efficacy leads to the poor performance of school leaders and declining climates in their schools (Versland, 2013). The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to examine the influence of the use of a collaborative community of practice (LCoP) on school leaders’ perceptions of their levels of trust, self-awareness, and self-efficacy. Measurement instruments included semi-structured interviews, unstructured interviews, …
The Lived Experiences Of Poor And Working-Class Students At A Wealthy University, Dane A. Pascoe
The Lived Experiences Of Poor And Working-Class Students At A Wealthy University, Dane A. Pascoe
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
There are several universities in the US that are highly selective and attended by students from very wealthy backgrounds. In recent years, many of these selective, wealthy universities have faced public pressure to enroll higher numbers of poor and working-class students. Not much is known, however, about the experiences of poor and working-class students who attend these universities. My research sought to shed light on this by asking, “What are the lived experiences of poor and working-class students who attend a wealthy university?” I answered this question with a hermeneutic phenomenological study of poor and working-class students who attended a …
A Program Evaluation Of Student And Teacher Perceptions Of An Online Edgenuity High School Course Program In An Urban High School, Titinesha Llewellyn
A Program Evaluation Of Student And Teacher Perceptions Of An Online Edgenuity High School Course Program In An Urban High School, Titinesha Llewellyn
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract This program evaluation is concerned with the value of online learning for academic student achievement as perceived by teachers and students. Online learning programs are becoming commonplace within traditional educational settings. These types of programs resolve a variety of educational issues related to equal access of curricula, funding, and quality. The current issue lies with educational institutions’ ability to implement these types of programs using research-based methods and strategies that enhance academic student achievement. This study initiates the research by identifying the perceptions of the stakeholder participants in the Edgenuity online learning program regarding graduation rates and other comparisons …
Teaching Along The Way: An Ethnographic Study Of Faculty Growth And Sensemaking On The Camino De Santiago, Benjamin Boone
Teaching Along The Way: An Ethnographic Study Of Faculty Growth And Sensemaking On The Camino De Santiago, Benjamin Boone
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This study examined the experiences of faculty members from U.S. universities who led students on a short-term summer study abroad program that incorporated the Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage route in Spain. The study sought to understand how faculty leaders engaged in sensemaking (Weick, 1995) of these experiences in the context of their faculty roles on their home campuses. The ethnographic methods included six years of field work in Spain, participant observation as faculty program director, and in-depth interviews with faculty leaders. The findings show that participants engaged in sensemaking through three theoretical constructs. The construct of family addresses …
Examining Persistence: The Influence Of Joining Of Pan-Hellenic Black Greek Letter Organizations On African-American Male Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions, Charles R. Smith, Jr.
Examining Persistence: The Influence Of Joining Of Pan-Hellenic Black Greek Letter Organizations On African-American Male Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions, Charles R. Smith, Jr.
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The retention of African-American male students at predominantly White institutions is an issue that continues to plague colleges and universities in the United States. African-American men have the lowest college graduation rate of any segment of the population. Pointedly, two-thirds of African-American male students who attend public four-year schools do not graduate within six years. Yet, research highlights how social engagement supports many minority students who find themselves on the campuses of predominantly White institutions. Establishing social connections builds a support system for these students and can prevent social isolation. One manner of social engagement steeped in history is the …
A Program Evaluation Of The Reading Mastery Initiative In A Rural Primary School, Michael J. Daddario
A Program Evaluation Of The Reading Mastery Initiative In A Rural Primary School, Michael J. Daddario
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Educational success and attainment, and individual sustainability depend on reading ability. School leaders, especially at the elementary and primary level, have great responsibility ensuring student success in learning to read. In this era of standards-based curriculum and high stakes testing and accountability, school leaders must be certain the programs employed to grow student reading ability are successful. This program evaluation analyzes the effects implementing a scripted, direct instruction reading program has had at a rural, primary school. Specifically, this study investigated the correlation between the Scholastic Reading Inventory and the Virginia Third Grade Reading Standards of Learning Assessment, analyzed the …
An Evaluation Of Evidenced-Based Practice In A Separate Day School For Students With Emotional Disabilities, Sara Pritchard-Mitchell
An Evaluation Of Evidenced-Based Practice In A Separate Day School For Students With Emotional Disabilities, Sara Pritchard-Mitchell
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This program evaluation is focused on the social skills instructional processes of a separate day school for students with emotional disabilities (ED) in Upstate New York. The CIPP model of program evaluation was used to highlight the processes involved with the school’s program, specifically teacher led social skills instruction. To determine the program’s quality of social skills instruction multiple forms of qualitative data were collected. Teacher interviews and multiple classroom observations allowed for a humanistic approach to understanding teacher’s perceptions, practices, and beliefs regarding social skills instruction. This constructivist research design allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the current programing …
A Program Evaluation Of Middle School Science Teachers’ Perceptions And Instructional Practices With The Next Generation Science Standards: Science And Engineering Practices, Antoinette Marie Glenn
A Program Evaluation Of Middle School Science Teachers’ Perceptions And Instructional Practices With The Next Generation Science Standards: Science And Engineering Practices, Antoinette Marie Glenn
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is the most recent reform in science education across the United States. The NGSS demands a shift in both teaching and learning. Yet there is no direction on how teachers are to implement this shift in their classrooms. This mixed-methods study examined 12 middle school teachers’ perceptions and the instructional practices within the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) by using interviews and classroom observations. Findings suggest that there was a shift in instructional practices and a varying degree of implementation of the eight SEPs. The data analysis identified ongoing needs related to specific …
The Influences On K-2 Teachers' Approaches Towards Assessment And Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Leah K. Shy
The Influences On K-2 Teachers' Approaches Towards Assessment And Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Leah K. Shy
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Kindergarten-second grade teachers often have to navigate conflicting paradigms as they attempt to honor the developmentally appropriate practices best suited for their young learners while working within the demands of the current educational paradigm of high-stakes testing and standardization. This challenge is acutely experienced in the assessment of young children, yet little research has been done to look at how teachers in the early elementary years approach or use assessment in developmentally appropriate ways. The purpose of this study was to use a constructivist grounded theory approach to address the overarching question: How do K-2 teachers come to their conceptualizations …
A Program Evaluation Of Gameday The Diii Way, Erin Beth Wojtkun
A Program Evaluation Of Gameday The Diii Way, Erin Beth Wojtkun
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Through discussion with the membership, Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association identified an issue at gameday environments. The fans, especially parents, were causing fan issues at athletic events. This program evaluation focuses on Gameday the DIII Way training program. Gameday the DIII Way is a program where the NCAA and the Disney Institute partnered to create a training for the DIII membership that focuses on dealing with poor fan behavior. This program evaluation is grounded in a pragmatic paradigm. For this program evaluation, an online survey was sent to a sample population of the participants. The research focused …
Mental Health Professsionals: Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders And Moral Development, Benjamin Sean Newman
Mental Health Professsionals: Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders And Moral Development, Benjamin Sean Newman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Mental health professionals who provide treatment to sex offenders navigate the complex legal, ethics and moral intersections surrounding the population within the professional-personal dialectic. The purpose of this research study was to explore the potential relationship between mental health professional’s attitudes toward sex offenders and their level of moral development in order to encourage increasingly effective training and experiential interventions which then may impact treatment outcomes. Research participants included licensed and non-licensed counselors, social workers and psychologists (n = 135). Along with a demographic questionnaire and the Marlowe- Crowne Social Desirability Scale, the Defining Issues Test was used as a …
Connecting Access And Efficiency: Community College Course-Taking Patterns That Predict Vertical Transfer, Laverne Wingate Ellerbe
Connecting Access And Efficiency: Community College Course-Taking Patterns That Predict Vertical Transfer, Laverne Wingate Ellerbe
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Vertical transfer is a centennial symbol of access that also provides inputs for operational funding and produces outcomes for performance-based funding (PBF). Thus, this mission-critical community college function may be leveraged to decisively impact the higher education completion agenda. Yet, deeper insights into student level data are needed to understand what powers vertical transfer efficiency. Previous research used administrative data, analyzed access, and tracked transfer outcomes, but few studies have used vertical transfer as a single analysis framework to reconcile access and efficiency goals while examining tensions between access, accountability, and resource allocation. The body of research tends to isolate …
The Impact Of The Balanced Literacy Approach In Reading Instruction On Student Reading Motivation And Reading Competence, Jami Beth Clements
The Impact Of The Balanced Literacy Approach In Reading Instruction On Student Reading Motivation And Reading Competence, Jami Beth Clements
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the impact Balanced Literacy Reading Instruction had on student motivation to read and student reading competence in the elementary school of one public school district. This study analyzed extant student summative reading assessment data and extant teacher observation data. The study also administered the Self-Regulation Questionnaire-Reading Motivation to measure the reading motivation of students who had received Balanced Literacy Reading Instruction in the district from first grade through fifth grade. The study sought to determine the amount of reading time administered during reading instruction during the implementation, the current level of …
A Study Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Impact Of Feedback On Teacher Instructional Practices In Reading, Tiffany Lashawn Chatman
A Study Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Impact Of Feedback On Teacher Instructional Practices In Reading, Tiffany Lashawn Chatman
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Effective reading instruction is paramount to the success of students in school and well into adulthood. Students that read below grade in third grade are more likely to drop out of high school and earn less income as adults. Teacher effectiveness is critical in helping to close these ongoing gaps with regards to reading. Teacher quality is very important to student achievement and as a result, teacher evaluation processes have become essential in determining and retaining quality teachers. Additionally, teachers’ and administrator’s perceptions of evaluations, particularly, perceptions of administrative feedback given and the impact it has on changing instructional practices, …
Engaging Teachers To Improve Administrator Support In An Urban Middle School: An Action Research Study, Barbara R. Kimzey
Engaging Teachers To Improve Administrator Support In An Urban Middle School: An Action Research Study, Barbara R. Kimzey
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract High teacher turnover in urban schools, such as at the school in which this study was conducted, has persistently negatively impacted school reform efforts aimed at closing the achievement gap (Donaldson & Johnson, 2011; Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013). Since effective teachers have the greatest direct impact upon improving student achievement, high teacher turnover rates in low-performing schools that serve large populations of minority and low-income students help perpetuate the low performance of those schools (Ingersoll, 2002; Ronfeldt et al., 2013; Stronge, 2010; Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997). Furthermore, research indicates that teachers tend to stay in schools where …
Unfolding The Logic Of A 21st Century Learning Center: Program Evaluation, Monica Rene Manns
Unfolding The Logic Of A 21st Century Learning Center: Program Evaluation, Monica Rene Manns
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract Community Learning Centers (CLC) provide extended learning opportunities for students and families that live in fiscally under-resourced communities. These centers provide opportunities for academic enrichment. This includes an array of additional services, programs, and activities. The programs should be designed to reinforce and complement the academic program of participating students and provide the families of students with opportunities for dynamic and meaningful engagement in the education of the child. Significant research has been done on the effectiveness of community learning centers but little research has been conducted on the formative process for establishing programming for a community learning center. …
An Evaluation Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Professional Development Provided Through A School-Based Mental Health Program, Nyah Donnielle Hamlett
An Evaluation Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Professional Development Provided Through A School-Based Mental Health Program, Nyah Donnielle Hamlett
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
There are profound implications for students who suffer from mental illness, have unmet social emotional needs, and those who are being taught by ill-prepared teachers with little self-confidence in their ability to adequately address student needs. Teachers spend a significant amount of time with students who experience social and emotional challenges which requires relevant high quality professional development to learn how to recognize possible student mental health issues and to collaborate with internal and external partners to address these issues. This study employed Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) Program Evaluation model to determine the context, input, process, and …
Making A Case For Using Effective Reading Programs: A Program Evaluation Of Wilson Fundations, Charles Garrett Chalfant
Making A Case For Using Effective Reading Programs: A Program Evaluation Of Wilson Fundations, Charles Garrett Chalfant
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Students who struggle to read at an early age are likely to continue struggling for not only the rest of their schooling, but the rest of their lives. Schools need to begin adopting research-based reading programs and measuring their effectiveness formatively throughout the school year. Research suggests that effective reading programs need to include phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. During the 2018-2019 school year, Wilson Fundations was implemented in K-2 at Summit Academy, a high-poverty Pre-K-8th grade school in Flat Rock, MI. The purpose was to uncover the potential effects of using Wilson Fundations as a reading program, …
The Impact Of Undergraduate Student Involvement In Creating Engaged Alumni, Katherine Elizabeth Winstead Reichner
The Impact Of Undergraduate Student Involvement In Creating Engaged Alumni, Katherine Elizabeth Winstead Reichner
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Undergraduate experiences can have a profound impact on a student’s emotional connection and affinity for their alma mater. For many graduates, involvement experiences like student organizations, membership in fraternities and sororities, and on-campus jobs can become an ingrained part of the individual’s social identity. This phenomenological study examines the experiences of young alumni at Christopher Newport University (CNU) through interviews with members of the class of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The research examines their experiences through the lens of Social Identity Theory, particularly the components of prestige and distinctiveness that are believed to increase connection to an identity …
Leaders Of Graduate Education At U.S. Doctoral Universities: Their Perceptions And Experiences Leading The Graduate Schools, Yi Hao
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The problem of interest for this study is to understand more about the leaders of graduate education in the United States, namely the graduate deans. After surveying the topic itself and the gaps in the relevant literature, I conducted a mixed-methods study through a sequential design to fill the gap in the literature on graduate deans as mid-level academic leaders in institutional contexts and to provide theoretical and empirical evidence in advancing the knowledge on academic leaders and leadership in U.S. graduate education. The study employs multiple data collection methods, including document analysis, a survey, and multiple case studies. Demographic …
Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Development Practices And Their Influence On Self-Efficacy: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Mcsweeney
Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Development Practices And Their Influence On Self-Efficacy: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Mcsweeney
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Teachers play a critical role when it comes to impacting student achievement. As a result, quality of teachers is an issue that is being addressed through continuing professional development. Even with this emphasis, current professional development is perceived by teachers as being ineffective and lacking in relevance to student and teacher needs. However, research-based professional development practices do exist, and this study sought to explore which of these features teachers perceive to be effective within the learning experiences of lesson study, book study, and peer observations. Additionally, self-efficacy can affect teacher impact on student achievement. Four sources of efficacy contribute …
Teacher Perceptions Of The Virginia Evaluation Process: A Program Evaluation Of Northshore High School’S Teacher Evaluation Process, Douglas Fulton
Teacher Perceptions Of The Virginia Evaluation Process: A Program Evaluation Of Northshore High School’S Teacher Evaluation Process, Douglas Fulton
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Teacher evaluation systems have served to remove ineffective teachers and support teacher professional development. Even with changes in evaluation systems that incorporated student-growth measures, teacher evaluation systems are more likely to serve for teacher development than teacher removal. This qualitative study focused on teacher perceptions of one school’s evaluation components in supporting teacher professional growth and student learning. The study broke the teachers into career level experience groups of novice, early career, and experienced. The required district/state evaluation components of goal conferences, classroom observations, and student-growth measures were selected for the study. The study also looked at the school practice …