Education Commons^™

Exploring Diverse Blended Families: Using Critical Discourse Analysis To Hear Their Voices, Robin Moore-Chambers

Dissertations

It has been predicted that if you were born in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a one in two chanceof either living in a blended family as a child or as an adult (Coleman, Ganong, & Fine, 2000).In 1989, Glick predicted that in the 21st century, blended families would be the leading family form. Today in 2010, they are far from being a new phenomenon (Stewart, 2008). They are a rapidly growing part of the American population according to Census data and over half of American families may be blended, i.e., formed by (married or non-married) partners with children. …

Perceptions Of Effective Instruction In Community Colleges: A Student View, Stephen Kent Biermann

Dissertations

ABSTRACT Stephen K. Biermann PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A STUDENT VIEW This qualitative study was designed to identify key elements of effective instruction as perceived by community college students. Since the majority of research pertaining to effective instruction has been primarily conducted using a quantitative format, it is important to consider other methodologies for future research. The use of qualitative research helped capture student dialogue in its fullest, unhindered by the constraints of a survey tool or scale. The students involved in the study voluntarily participated in either individual interviews or focus groups and commented upon various …

Predictors Of Acculturative Stress For International Students In The United States, Christopher Sullivan

Dissertations

International students in the United States are confronted with a wide range of challenges and difficulties as they move to a new country and need to adapt to a new cultural, social, andacademic environment. This study examined the relationship between acculturation orientation, or how these cultural changes are addressed, sources of social support, and the level of acculturative stress these students experience. Data was collected using an on-line survey from international students at six public universities in Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data collected from the 648 students who participated in the study. Descriptive …

Differences In Student Knowledge And Perception Of Learning Experiences Among Non-Traditional Students In Blended And Face-To-Face Classroom Delivery, Julieta A. Arano-Ocuaman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of traditional and blended (partially online and partially face-to-face) course delivery methods. This study further examined the impact of using technology to improve student learning by providing meaningful learning in the areas of content delivery, communication and collaboration, evaluation and feedback, and personal learning experiences. Non-traditional students enrolled in an elementary statistics course either delivered as a traditional course or a blended course participated in the study. It was hypothesized that students enrolled in the blended course would perform better and prefer this method of delivery compared to students enrolled …

The Relationship Among Mathematics Anxiety, Mathematical Self-Efficacy, Mathematical Teaching Self-Efficacy, And The Instructional Practices Of Elementary School Teachers, Lydia Joan Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to explore the relationships among the variables of mathematics anxiety, mathematical self-efficacy, mathematical teaching self-efficacy, and the instructional practice of elementary school teachers. The study included 320 practicing elementary teachers who teach mathematics to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. These teachers completed the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale, the Mathematics Teaching and Mathematics Self-Efficacy survey, and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey. Quantitative data analysis methods included descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results indicated a statistically significant relationship between mathematical teaching self-efficacy (efficacy) and mastery approaches to instruction, as well as …

The Effect Of A Math Emporium Course Redesign In Developmental And Introductory Mathematics Courses On Student Achievement And Students' Attitudes Toward Mathematics At A Two-Year College, Amy Renée Bishop

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of computer-based instruction on student mathematics achievement and students' attitudes toward mathematics in developmental and introductory mathematics courses, namely Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra, at a community college. The researcher also examined the relationship between attitudes and achievement. The sample consisted of 112 students, and the study was conducted during the Spring 2010 semester at a community college in south Mississippi. The participants were enrolled in one of six classes taught by the researcher. The control group consisted of three classes (one Intermediate and two College Algebra sections) …

Effects Of Toyota Family Literacy Program On Reading Achievement Of Kindergarten, First, Second, And Third Grade Students By Gender And Grade Level, Regina Renae Stewman

Dissertations

For the last 15 years, federal legislation has required that public schools involve parents in their child‘s education. Yet, there has been no solid definition for parent involvement (also known as family literacy) and limited research on family literacy. This mixed study examined the influence of Toyota Family Literacy, which focuses on Hispanic immigrant families, on the literacy achievement of students in kindergarten through third grade, as well as parental efficacy in helping their child succeed in school, in three Northwest Arkansas Schools. The study examined student literacy achievement by gender and grade level using the Developmental Reading Assessment 2 …

Effects Of Single-Sex Classrooms Versus Coeducational Classrooms On Math And Literacy Achievement, Constance Matchell

Dissertations

This research project was designed to add to the limited available research concerning the effectiveness of single-sex education within a public elementary school setting. Following the first year of implementation of a single-sex classroom pilot program, the effects by gender of classroom grouping (single-sex education versus coeducation) on reading and math achievement were investigated for three consecutive grade levels from second grade through fourth grade.

This research project was designed to add to the limited available research concerning the effectiveness of single-sex education within a public elementary school setting. Following the first year of implementation of a single-sex classroom pilot …

Effects Of After-School Programs On Math And Literacy For Fourth And Sixth Grade Students, June Elliott

Dissertations

The general purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if participating in after-school programs affected students’ math and literacy achievement in four elementary schools and two middle schools located in a school district in central Arkansas. The study investigated this phenomenon as it related to gender at two different grade levels. The independent variables were participation in after-school programs (participated versus no participation) and gender (male versus female). The dependent variables were math and literacy achievement measured by the state’s Augmented Benchmark Examinations. A review of the literature identified the various aspects after-school programs including the need for such …

Student Persistence In Associate Degree Nursing Programs At Mississippi Community Colleges, Kathryn Lee Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors of student persistence and attrition in addition to strategies that may help students persist in associate degree nursing programs at community colleges. Data were collected from nursing students enrolled in first-year associate degree nursing programs at participating Mississippi community colleges and analyzed using multiple regression and repeated measures ANOVAs. Tinto’s Classic Model and Bean & Metzner’s Nontraditional Model of Student Attrition were utilized in this study. This mixed methods convenience sample yielded 564 participants, and the results were as follows: environmental factors and demographic factors of student persistence were found to …

Emotional Maturity Of Adolescents And Adults In Ged Programs, Billy Joe Riffle

Dissertations

When discussing issues relating to students in General Educational Development (GED) Option and pre-GED programs with educators, the contention exists that it is possible to make reasonably accurate predictions on the success or failure of a student by observing a number of items. Looking at their cumulative records shows their academic and attendance history. Insight is gained by looking at their family dynamics and how they relate to adults. Much can be learned about them from their discipline reports and the nature of any infractions. One of the most intriguing aspects gained through experience and observation is the perception of …

Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of In-School Suspension, Amelia Shondra Jackson

Dissertations

Providing a safe and orderly school environment for students to learn is of paramount importance to school administrators, teachers, students, and the general public; however, the learning process should not be compromised while trying to maintain such an environment. There are many alternative approaches that can be utilized that would rectify the problem we as educators face in providing a safe and orderly environment. At-risk students are usually the ones who have the most serious infractions. These students exhibit a cyclical pattern of recalcitrant behavior. It is imperative that these at-risk students be identified as early as possible, and intervention …

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Motivation Characteristics On The Academic Achievement Of Upward Bound Participants, Brenda Leigh Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of self-efficacy and motivation characteristics on the achievement of at-risk students. Seventy-nine Upward Bound program participants completed self-efficacy, motivation, and demographic questionnaires. The relationship between GPA and self-efficacy was significant, negative, and low in strength. High GPA was associated with high self-efficacy (as shown by lower numbers on the survey). Gender, length of time in the Upward Bound (UB) program, length of participation in the UB summer program, college sponsor (community or four-year college), self-efficacy characteristics, and motivation characteristics significantly predicted academic achievement as measured by GPA. The relationship between …

The Effects Of Higher Education Endowment Management Practices On Endowment Performance, Robert Louie Stanton Mcelhaney

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify college and university endowments valued from $100 million to $1 billion and to determine the relationship between the five-year investment performance and selected endowment management practices. Data on the five-year investment performance and endowment management practices were obtained by the use of a survey instrument. The survey instrument was sent to 293 colleges and universities. Usable responses were received from 56 institutions. The 56 participants provided data on endowment performance, endowment governance, investment policies, investment managers, and investment manager selection practices.

To determine the endowment management practices that would best explain the …

Older Adults And A Writing Workshop: A Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Lynn Alex

Dissertations

This study examines how older adults experience the phenomenon of participating in a writing workshop and how older adults interpret their experiences, understandings, and realities of writing. Ten older adults, ranging in age from 62 to 83 with varying degrees of experiences in writing, participated in this study. Through a semi-structured interview, each participant related his or her experience first as a writer and then as a member of a writing workshop offered through a Community Literacy Center in a mid-sized Appalachian city.

A phenomenological analysis method was used to identify and analyze themes of meaning that emerged in the …

The Relationship Between Leader Decision Making And Student Achievement At K-3 Title I And Reading First Elementary Schools, Emily Kathleen Richmond

Dissertations

This mixed methodology study investigated the relationship between administrator and teacher perceptions of leader decision making regarding five variables (reading training, reading curriculum, program evaluation, financial support, and student assessment) and student achievement (in the single content area, reading, at the 3rd grade level) in Title I K-3 schools receiving Reading First Grants (RFGs) and Title I K-3 schools not receiving RFGs, in four states (Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, and Oklahoma). Respondent data and district data regarding percentages of students achieving proficient and above on state third grade reading assessments were analyzed via Pearson Correlations, Multiple Regression Analysis, and a MANOVA. …

The Knowing-Doing Gap: The Influence Of Teacher Feedback In Changing Principal Behavior - A Mixed Methods Study, Kimberly St. Martin

Dissertations

This mixed methods study attempted to determine how a system of regular feedback from teachers on principal's work influenced the way in which two principals incorporated the 21 Leadership Responsibilities into their daily practice. Since Principals are the front line of school reform, even when a school commits to an improvement effort that is well grounded in research such as Response to Intervention (Rtl), the principal plays a key role in leading the change of adapting the school processes, culture, roles and responsibilities, norms, and systems to support implementation. To play this role effectively, the principal often finds it necessary …

Determining Characteristics That Increase Success On The National Asthma Educator Certification Exam, Karen Kain

Dissertations

The National Asthma Educator Certification Board, Inc. (NAECB) is a voluntary health certifying board created in 2001 to evaluate the professional competence of asthma educators. The primary purpose of the NAECB is to prepare and conduct examinations to test the qualifications of candidates for certification as asthma educators. Certification is voluntary and is not required by law for employment in the field, although some agencies may use AE-C® certification as a basis for employment, job promotions, salary increases, or other considerations. The mission of the NAECB is to promote optimal asthma management and quality of life among individuals with asthma …

4-H Leaders: Factors That Affect Their Persistence In The 4-H Youth Development Program, Regina Schinker

Dissertations

For over one hundred years, the 4-H youth development program has educated millions of children across the country in a variety of programs; from livestock husbandry to leadership skills. Like all programs that have endured, 4-H has had to adjust its focus as society has changed. One area in the 4-H program that has not changed is the heavy reliance on adult volunteer leaders to deliver the educational programs to 4-H youth. Because of the reliance on volunteer 4-H leaders, 4-H professionals and extension office staff are concerned about issues of retention.

The case study examines two related issues: First, …

Composing Ourselves: Utilizing Literacy Narratives To Promote Knowledge And Reflection In Preservice Secondary English Teachers, Cheryl Henderson Almeda

Dissertations

My research entails examining and interrogating the literacy narratives written by six preservice secondary English teachers before their first semester of teaching. After writing their literacy narratives, these teachers worked together in two focus groups to consider, celebrate, and interrogate their memories they recorded in their narratives. They shared conversations which focused on their reflections, their teaching strategies, and the ideas they embraced as newly forming teachers.

This study considers claims made by Dewey (1933), Lortie (1975), Schulman (1986), and others, who emphasize the importance of learning through observation and the intuitive nature of reflective learning and teaching. It emphasizes …

Orientation And Mobility, Reading, And Math: Analysis Of Data For Children With Visual Impairments From The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study, Dawn L. Anderson

Dissertations

This dissertation research comprised three studies focused on vision-specific skills, and their association with functional and academic outcomes for school-age students with visual impairment. The studies involved analysis of secondary data for 850 students with visual impairment who participated in the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS). Data in the SEELS were gathered using direct assessment and parent and teacher responses for a nationally representative sample of elementary and middle school students.

The first study used Chi Square analysis to determine if participation in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training, or if the time when O&M instruction was received, was associated …

The Impact Of Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers On The Mentor Teacher, Patti Andrea

Dissertations

Since the early 1980s, policy makers and educational leaders have pinned high hopes on mentoring as a vehicle for reforming teaching and teacher education (Feiman- Nemser, 1996). A review of literature written throughout the evolution of mentoring illustrated that researchers focused most of their attention on a relatively narrow aspect of mentoring relationships and relatively little attention has been paid to mentor benefits (Ragins & Kram, 2007). This study examined the patterns, similarities, and differences of the mentor teacher’s perspectives of potential mentor benefits of mentoring university pre-service teachers.

A phenomenological study was conducted to explore whether mentors attained leadership …

An Examination Of The Leadership Practices Of Effective Rural Superintendents: A Multiple Case Study, Mark Forner

Dissertations

This research examined the leadership practices of rural superintendents who have led their districts to significant improvement in student academic achievement. The overall research goal was to examine how Waters' and Marzano's six correlates of effective superintendent leadership practice have been applied by school leaders who have successfully pursued academic reform in their rural school districts. A multiple case study approach was used to examine the work practices of seven superintendents leading rural school districts in Michigan where student academic performance was on the rise.

A criterion-based selection methodology was used to identify the superintendent subjects and their districts. A …

The Phenomenology Of The Bachelor Of Science In Hvac Engineering Technology From Ferris State University, Michael Feutz

Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has evolved from industry-specific training to a more broad-based education that incorporates core academic learning objectives and prepares the student for work (Rothwell & Gerity, 2008; Uloa, 2006; Reese, 2002; Rojewski, 2002; Stone, 2002; Schmidli, 2001). Little is known about how well individual programs align with the industry for which graduates are prepared, (Zinser, 2003) or what CTE has meant to its graduates.

This research focused on graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineering Technology (HVAC-ET) at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. A phenomenological design was used …

The Allocation Of Time And Goods: Three Essays On American Household Shopping Behavior, Jing Cai

Dissertations

Consumers’ shopping behavior connects market goods expenditure with the out of- market time allocation in their daily time use. This study is composed of three essays. In the first essay, data are collected from the American Time Use Survey and it is found that an individual’s time devoted to shopping is positively determined by opportunity cost of time. Grocery shopping and other shopping, as two distinct types of shopping, react differently to a series of individual and household characteristics as well as by seasons. The corresponding marginal effects also differentiate between shopping time, leisure time, and home production time. In …

A Study Of The Impact Of A K-12 School District–University Doctoral Cohort On District Leadership Capacity, Sharon Davis

Dissertations

The phenomenological study examined how a K-12 school district–university partnership impacted a school district’s leadership from the perspectives of cohort members and non-cohort members. The doctoral cohort consisted of 22 candidates. The intent of the program was to merge theory with best practice and to focus on increasing the district’s leadership capacity. The study involved a purposeful sample of 10 participants that included 5 teachers who participated in the doctoral educational cohort and 5 teachers who were not members of the cohort. Data were collected through interviews.

This doctoral cohort was modeled on learning theory that addressed the needs of …

Direct Care Workers Perceptions And Practices Related To Quality Of Life In Long Term Care, Karen M. Kinyon

Dissertations

The focus of this case study was to discover how DCWs define success in their practice and what institutional and individual factors contribute to their successful practices. It describes how DCWs perceive quality of life for NH residents and how their practices reflect quality of life indicators. The conceptual model for which this research is based on was developed around the concepts that individual and institutional factors contribute to the successful practices of direct care workers; and, how these DCWs perceive quality of life influences how they practice to promote quality of life for nursing home residents. Using a case …

The Influence Of Conflict Resolution Programs On Student Conduct Violations In Middle Schools With A School Uniform Policy, Edward C. Breitenbach

Dissertations

School safety is a very important issue for school staff, parents, and students. When school safety is lacking, students suffer in emotional, academic, and social areas. One recent intervention middle schools are examining is the student uniform policy.

In some cases, school uniforms have been shown to have a profound effect on school safety, attendance levels, and student achievement. Other studies, however, have found conflicting results in terms of the real effects of a school uniform policy. Many of the research studies that attempt to investigate school uniform policies suggest that there are other variables involved besides the school uniform …

Paths To Upper Level Positions In Public Relations, Patrick J. Bishop

Dissertations

Preparation for a career in the field of public relations (PR) is based on a set of unique core competencies typically found in liberal arts. Though PR professionals rarely gain business degrees, they acquire knowledge, skills, perspectives, and strategies wellsuited to executive-level positions in business. Additionally, managerial positions in PR offer greater potential for influence than task-oriented roles with limited strategic opportunity.

This study examines the advancement of PR practitioners into upper-level management positions in business. The purpose of this research is to identify factors and behaviors that contribute to, or hinder, PR professional’s attainment of top-management positions. This study …

The Effectiveness Of Articulation And Transfer Agreements Between Missouri Community Colleges And Universities In Promoting The Successful Completion Of A Four-Year Degree, Katherine Sue Perkins

Dissertations

American community colleges have become important in the pursuit of a four-year degree. The state of Missouri established an Associates of Arts degree and the 42-hour general education block option to assist students with transfer and degree completion in the shortest time possible. If articulation agreements in Missouri are promoting ease of movement through higher education systems as desired, the total number of terms and hours accumulated to the completion of a four-year degree should not vary among transfer students and native university students. Using Tinto’s Student Integration Model as a theoretical framework, this study compares the number of semesters …