Education Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Into The Nature Of The Relationship Between Pre-Service Teacher Fixed Factor Characteristics And Edtpa Performance Ratings, Timothy David Gouraige

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study used a quantitative, analytical, non-experimental, explanatory research design. The study used simultaneous multiple regression analysis and analysis of covariance to investigate the factors that may influence the outcome of pre-service teachers’ performance on the edTPA, and to contribute to the overall knowledge of edTPA as a pre-service teacher performance assessment. The study explored the relationship between pre-service teacher demographic and academic performance characteristics and his or her edTPA summative performance ratings in an effort to determine if a relationship exists between these fixed factors and student performance on edTPA. Additionally, this study used comparative statistics, specifically ANCOVA, to …

Exploring The Critical Thinking Skills Of Respiratory Care Students And Faculty, Bshayer Ramadan Alhamad

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Introduction: Today, with the increased demands in health care, working as a competentrespiratory therapist requires being a highly skilled, critically thinking professional. Although students are expected to learn how to think critically mostly in the academic environment from their faculty, only a paucity of studies has assessed the critical thinking of respiratory care students, with none, to our knowledge, assessing that of faculty. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed method study was to (1) assess the overall critical thinking skill levels of both respiratory care students and faculty, (2) investigate whether respiratory care faculty have stronger overall critical thinking skills …

The Influence Of Student Teacher Mentoring On Teacher Self-Efficacy In New Jersey, Susan S. Elias

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate what influence, if any, mentoring a student teacher has on the self-efficacy of the cooperating teacher. In addition, this study investigated the influence of other student, staff, and school variables including teacher gender, years of experience, level of education, number of student teachers mentored, grade level taught, teaching assignment, and the percentage of students in the school on free and reduced-price lunch on teacher self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was measured using the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001). Mentor teachers were directed to complete the assessment twice: once while …

An Exploration Of Teacher Perception Of The Marzano Causal Teacher Evaluation Model And Its Impact On Professional Practices, Susan Kathryn Graziano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Teacher evaluation practices have been a common topic of discussion at the federal, state, and local levels in recent years. The literature asserts that teacher evaluation has a dual purpose: (1) to improve teacher instructional practice, and (2) to inform personnel decisions (retention and dismissal) (Donaldson & Papay, 2014; Gabriel, 2015; Garrett & Steinberg, 2015; Marzano & Toth, 2013). While districts are certainly utilizing evaluation instruments for the purpose of making personnel decisions, there is little research to support the claim that teacher growth is occurring as a direct result of teacher evaluation practices. It is essential that educational leaders …

The Influence Of Instructional Time On Student Achievement In Grades 3, 4, And 5 In Language Arts And Mathematics On The 2011 New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge (Njask), Michelle A. Telischak

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this cross-sectional, non-experimental, explanatory quantitative research study was to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between instructional time and student achievement in Grades 3, 4, and 5 on the 2011 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge in Language Arts Literacy (LAL) and Mathematics. The unit of analysis was school. The sample included all public elementary schools in the state of New Jersey with students who participated in the NJASK 3-5 LAL and Mathematics assessments for the 2010-2011 school year.

The independent or predictor variable of interest was instructional time, which is defined as the …

Student-College Match And Bachelor's Degree Completion, Ryan P. Hudes

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This dissertation investigates the prevalence of postsecondary student-college match and explores its relationship with bachelor’s degree completion. This study differentiates itself from existing undermatch studies by examining alternative student-college match scenarios – including undermatch, match, and overmatch and examining the phenomena’s relationship with a student outcome. Using nationally-representative data, this study found that 40.6% of students undermatched (or attended an institution with a selectivity rating below their academic potential), 35% overmatched (or attended an institution with a selectivity rating above their academic potential), and 24.4% matched (or attended an institution with a selectivity congruent with their academic potential). This study …

The Disability-Diversity Disconnect: Redefining The Role Of Student Disability Within The Postsecondary Environment, Katherine C. Aquino

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current understanding of student disability continues to be misperceived as a form of impairment, rather than as a part of student diversity within the higher education environment. Although nearly one in ten college students have a documented disability affecting cognitive, physical, or psychological functioning, stigmatization of students with disabilities continues to occur in the postsecondary environment. The purpose of this study is to examine if there is a perceived difference in academic and social inclusion within the postsecondary environment for students with and without disabilities. Guided by the theory of intersectionality, minority group model, and social model of disability, …

Evaluating The Impact Of State Funding Vehicles Of Appropriations And Financial Aid On Graduation Rates At Public Institutions: A Multilevel Analysis, Tara Abbott

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Guided by a theoretical framework derived from principal-agent models, persistence theories or college impact models, and microeconomic theory, the present study utilized multilevel modeling techniques to assess the correlation between state higher education funding vehicles of appropriations, need-based financial aid, and merit-based financial aid and graduation rates after controlling for known covariates at the institution and state levels. The present study also evaluated the correlation between funding vehicles and minority student graduation rates as well as determined if funding vehicles impact institutions with greater percentages of minority students differently than those with a less diverse student population. The present study …

The Influence Of An Extended School Day On Middle School English Language Arts And Mathematics Achievement In A New Jersey Suburban School District, Davida Lindsay-Harewood

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the influence of an extended school day, reported in instruction minutes, on academic achievement of general and special education middle school students in one public suburban New Jersey school district using English Language Arts and Mathematics data from the 2014 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK). The sample was selected using Propensity Score Matching, a statistical technique employed to reduce the influence of selection bias. The final sample consisted of 238 students in Grade 6, 238 in Grade 7, and 238 in Grade 8 in the New Jersey suburban, upper middle-income school district during …

The Predictive Accuracy Of Family And Community Demographic Factors On The 2011, 2012, And 2013, Grade 6 Connecticut Mastery Test, Kelly Ann O'Leary

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study used a correlational, explanatory, longitudinal design with quantitative methods to predict the percentage of students who will score at or above Goal. Archival data from Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) Math and Reading scores from 2011, 2012, and 2013 in conjunction with five-year estimates of the U.S. Census data were examined. The study focused on 21 out-of-school demographic variables, grouped by family human capital and community social capital, to predict the percentage of students in Grade 6 who scored at or above Goal, the district level, on the CMT. The study examined 130 school districts in Connecticut who took …

Estimating Matriculation With A Focus On Financial Aid And Test Optional Policies: Data From A Liberal Arts Institution In The Northeast, Hillary Morgan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The climate in college admissions is more competitive than ever, making understanding the college choice factors that contribute to a student’s enrollment decision increasingly important. Using admitted student data from a liberal arts institution in the northeast for fall 2008 to fall 2011, and after controlling for student preparedness, government financial aid awards, student and family characteristics, and student level of interest, I examine the relationship between (1) institutional financial aid variables, (2) a dummy variable of being test optional in the admissions process or not, and (3) the interaction between the two.

General findings of multivariate probit regression analysis …

Perceptions Of Teachers On The Influence Of The Regional Achievement Centers On One Priority School In One Urban District In New Jersey: A Qualitative Case Study, Olivia Russo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of teachers regarding the interventions implemented by the Regional Achievement Center. The Regional Achievement Centers, RACs, were recently put into place through Governor Christie as a reform method for failing schools and are part of the New Jersey Department of Education’s mission to transform the department. Research was conducted using a qualitative design with a constructivist approach to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of those teachers working directly with the RAC teams in one of the states’ lowest performing schools.