Education Commons^™

The Evolving Child: Theories Of Human Development In Waldorf Education, Sara Wright

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Due to its strong emphasis on spiritual development in conjunction with physical and cognitive development, Rudolf Steiner's educational philosophy and its role in Waldorf schools have been relegated to relative obscurity within the educational establishment. Steiner's theories have been perceived as too radical and unusual for incorporation into traditional educational practices. However, upon closer examination, the organizational structure of Steiner's developmental theory bears significant similarities to better-known models of human development. For example, the division of children's cognitive growth into a hierarchical series of stages is also found in Piaget's celebrated model of human development. Furthermore, parallel revelations concerning children's …

Eating Disorders: Personal Perspectives, Suzanne D. Holmes-Bunde

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This paper explores, through case studies, the personal experiences of individuals with eating disorders and their thoughts on prevention. Chapter one includes a brief literature review and reference to a more extensive review of prevention programs, included in the appendix entitled "Primary Prevention Programs." Chapter two describes the process of this study and the women who participated. Chapter three is the exploration into the case studies of these women and their ideas on prevention. The last chapter addresses the interpretation and application of the information that these women provided me with, in regards to my ideas on prevention and how …

An Exploration Of Social Withdrawal In Adolescence, Ryan Lee Channel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Social withdrawal is most frequently described in the literature as a form of social maladjustment characterized by a lack of prosocial and cooperative behaviors combined with shyness, anxiety, and oversensitivity leading to withdrawal from social interactions and avoidance of the peer group. Social withdrawal can lead to rejection by the peer group, with the assumption being that peers would not necessarily reject the socially withdrawn student if the child interacted appropriately in social situations. The opposite, however, may also be true. The rejection by peers may be the cause of the social withdrawal. This study focuses on an adolescent who …

The Effects Of A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Intervention On Irrational Beliefs And Burnout Among Middle School Teachers In The State Of Iowa, Shirley Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) bibliotherapy intervention on the level of burnout and irrational beliefs. This study specifically examined the impact of a REBT bibliotherapy intervention on middle school teachers' irrational beliefs and level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1986) and the Irrational Beliefs Test (Jones, 1968).

The subjects in this study consisted of 167 middle school teachers in the State of Iowa. These teachers taught sixth, seventh, or eighth grade or a combination of these …

Intervention Selection For Students With Asperger's Disorder, Tracy Lynn Gappa

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder (AsD) is a relatively recent possibility. Although first described in 1944, AsD was not recognized until its inclusion in the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1994. Due to the newness of the disorder and because of a lack of a consensual definition, there is considerable confusion among researchers in this field. For those children with characteristics of AsD, the confusion has resulted in misdiagnosis and, more importantly, inappropriate interventions. Individuals with AsD have deficits in several areas that impair their ability to function normally in the educational environment, …

Principal Succession: Realities Encountered By Successor Principals During The Succession Process, Kenneth Lester Rigdon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In order to better understand the realities of principal succession (an interactive sequencing process for changing school administrators) it was the purpose of this study to examine the relationship between four organizational frames (structural, human resource, political, and symbolic) delineated by Bolman and Deal (1997) and three traits noted in the literature as evident during school principal succession (predecessor leave-taking, succession source, and experience). There is little research regarding school principal succession, and concern exists regarding the adequacy of transition practices within organizations. A questionnaire was employed to survey all school principals in the state of Kansas who succeeded during …

Hong Kong Higher Education In Transition: The Academic Community's Perception At The Time Of 1997 Retrocession, Jiyu Yang

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of selected faculty and academic administrators of the 1997 retrocession of Hong Kong to China with respect to the dual challenge of Hong Kong higher education assisting with the modernization of socialist Mainland China while maintaining its function supporting the capitalist system in Hong Kong. Twenty-five selected faculty and academic administrators in two representative universities of Hong Kong were interviewed at the eve of the retrocession. Four related themes were investigated in the interviews: the implications of “one country, two systems,” the ability of the Hong Kong higher education system …

Fit To Print: A Content Analysis Of The Regent Universities' Student Papers, Ivy A. Sprague

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first comparative study conducted regarding the student publications for the three Iowa Regents' universities. The data collected shows that the three publications are not as different in terms of content as many of their readers seem to believe. As the data reflects, the Northern Iowan is significantly more campus-centered in its coverage. However, the difference is not so significant that the staff of the Northern Iowan could not increase its national and international coverage to make it more comparable to the other two newspapers. I hope this research can be of …

Effects Of External Rewards On Elementary Students' Intrinsic Motivation To Read And Reading Achievement : An Examination Of A Reading Incentive Program, Jennifer Deann Jacobson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to examine the effects of external rewards on students' intrinsic motivation to read and reading achievement. It specifically looked at how a reading incentive program affects students' motivational beliefs, time spent in out-of-school reading, and reading achievement. Participants included 83 fourth and fifth grade students from a rural elementary school in Midwestern Iowa. Participants were divided into three groups based on time spent in out-of-school reading before the incentive program was implemented. Specifically, the three groups were: high. middle, and low intrinsic reading groups. The dependent variables in this study included time spent in out-of school …

Home-School Collaboration: A Case Study, Sarah C. Ferguson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Current Instructional Practices At Selected Universities Utilizing Interactive Television Technology, Richard Shengmao Chang

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem approached in this study was to compare the teaching methods, classroom management, attitudes, and demographics toward Interactive Television (ITV) classes, which were developed in the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and National Kaohsiung Normal University (NKNU) ITV programs.

The data were collected from UNI and NKNU ITV teachers and remote site students. Two-way ANOVA and Chi-Square tests were used to identify the differences between the two programs. The significant results are noted.

Both schools' ITV teachers clearly identified the objectives of the courses, presented materials in an organized way; and, effectively employed visual teaching aids, summarizing techniques, overhead …

The Effectiveness Of Self-Monitoring For A Preschooler With Aggressive Behaviors, Nicole Fay Kimball

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study was designed to examine the effectiveness of self-monitoring as an intervention for a preschooler with aggressive behaviors. It specifically looked at treatment effects, parent and teacher evaluations of self-monitoring as a technique, the user-friendliness of self-monitoring, and adult time required to implement the intervention. The subject was Darin, a preschool-aged boy who attended a daycare affiliated with a Midwestern laboratory school. Other subjects included Darin's mother, his two main teachers at the daycare, and multiple aides at the daycare. Darin demonstrated aggressive acts at a high frequency in both the home and school settings. A self-monitoring intervention was …