Education Commons^™

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 …

Give Back, Give Books: A Formative Program Evaluation, Wendy Lynn Fritz

Education Doctoral

For over a decade, the Rochester City School District (RCSD) has reported substandard test scores and graduation rates. In 2007, in response to negative press regarding academic achievement, Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy launched a city wide campaign designed to eradicate illiteracy in the city of Rochester. Part of Mayor Duffy’s literacy initiative involved engaging the community in this effort. In conjunction with the Mayor’s campaign, the Rochester Education Foundation (REF), a non-profit organization whose primary goal is to improve learning and success among Rochester city schoolchildren, began its Give Back, Give Books program. REF was established in 2005 and their …

Black Students Perceptions Of Their Access To Precollege Counseling Practices, Tonja M. Williams

Education Doctoral

Despite an increase in college enrollment for all racial groups over the past three decades, the rate at which Black students attend college continues to significantly trail that of White students. A contributor to this gap includes Black students inadequate access to college-going and financial aid information. The purpose of this study was to understand how access to school counseling activities impacted Black high school students college choice decisions. this study included, seventeen 12 th Participants for grade Black male and female students who attended two high schools in an urban school district in New York state. Eight of the …

A Study Of Change Readiness: Factors That Influence The Readiness Of Frontline Workers Towards A Nursing Home Transformational Change Initiative., Veronica A. Barber

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to determine factors that influence the readiness of frontline workers toward a nursing home’s planned organizational change. Individual levels of readiness toward change were assessed to determine if there were differences in levels of readiness and: organizational commitment, relationship with direct supervisor, and perceived organizational support. Demographic variables were also assessed to determine whether a relationship existed with change readiness. A quantitative method was employed for the study using a single-subject survey design. 460 employees from a large not-for-profit nursing home in upstate New York completed the survey. The organization was in the planning …

What Employees Value In Company Wellness Programs And Their Perceptions Of The Incentives Offered To Them To Participate, Shadi Wageeh Sifain

Education Doctoral

Employer-sponsored wellness programs have emerged as programs which seek to improve overall employee health and to reduce health care costs. Integrating benefit delivery and providing employee benefits can be directly correlated to the effectiveness of a wellness program, as measured by the total return on investment for shareholders (Wolff, 2008). Additionally, effectiveness is positively impacted when the incentives provided to the population are both meaningful to them and offered immediately instead of offered to them in a delayed fashion (Wyatt, Morrato, O’Hill, Ghushchyan, & Sullivan, 2007). The purpose of this study is to understand the following: (a) How employees perceive …

Climbing The Ladder: The Experiences Of Women Senior Leaders In Southern Baptist Colleges And Universities, Allison Barritt Langford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interview study was to explore the career pathways, barriers, and keys to success experienced by women senior administrators in Southern Baptist colleges and universities. The researcher conducted an interview study with both open-ended and closed survey questions. The interviews primarily involved open-ended questions without response options and were conducted via the telephone. The researcher targeted the population of 42 women senior-level administrators. From this population, 20 women participated in the study. The researcher interviewed the 20 participants and collected a vita for 16 of the 20 women in the sample. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Member …

Effects Of Comprehensive Education On Elementary School Student Performance On Standardized Exams, Kenneth Vaughn Higbee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose if this study was to compare math and reading Criterion Reference Test (CRT) scores of 3rd and 5th grade students using two distinct educational models: a comprehensive educational curriculum (CEC) model and a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) curricular model. While the CEC curricular model focuses on a combination of core and non-core curriculum, the NCLB curricular model focused on a combination of intense core remediation and the reduction of some non-core curriculum. Students were from two demographically similar frontier Nevada elementary schools. Test scores were compared in 2004 when both schools used identical curricular approaches, and then …

Evaluating And Improving The Quality Of Teacher’S Language Modeling In Early Childhood Classrooms, Lillian White Englund

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The relationship between pre-school teachers and the children in their classrooms directly influences the degree of success the children experience in school and in life. The emphasis on quality pre-K education in the U.S. has resulted in an increased need for highly qualified teachers who are capable of engaging in meaningful interactions with young children. An important component of high-level teacher-child interactions is the teacher's ability to model language for children as they acquire vocabulary and language context.

This mixed-methods study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a professional development intervention designed to improve the quality of language modeling …

Application Of A Judgment Model Toward Measurement Of Clinical Judgment In Senior Nursing Students, Tiwaporn Pongmarutai

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Clinical judgment, defined as “the application of the nurse’s knowledge and experience in making decisions about client care” (The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2005, p. 2), has been recognized as a vital and essential skill for healthcare providers when caring for clients. Undisputedly, nurses represent the largest component of the healthcare profession and, therefore, play a major role in ensuring quality patient care in the United States. Although the concept of clinical judgment in nursing has been discussed for more than three decades, and in spite of numerous efforts to improve student clinical judgment, the recent literature …

A Critical Analysis Of The Identification, Placement, And Assessment Policies For Achieving Educational Parity Of Bilingual Learners, Lilia Rocio Estrada

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study analyzed the process of proper identification, placement, and assessment of Bilingual Learners (BLs) by investigating the perceptions of members in the Texas Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC). The findings focused on LPAC perceptions of their decisions to identify, place, and assess BLs as well as how these compared among members with different positions. Also, the LPAC members’ perceptions from schools that followed a dual language education program were compared to those schools that followed a transitional bilingual education program. It was found that majority of LPAC members lacked the confidence in assessing BLs, LPAC members holding higher positions …

Predicting College Student Classroom Performance With A Simple Metacomprehension Scale, Amber Lee Klein

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study investigated the relationship between college student metacomprehension and the error of predicted classroom performance. College student metacomprehension was evaluated using the Metacomprehension Scale (MCS) designed by Moore, Zabrucky, and Commander (1997a). Prior to an examination administered by a course instructor, covering course content, students predicted the percentage score he/she expected to achieve. The predicted score was subtracted from the obtained score generating an error score. It was hypothesized that error of predicted classroom performance is a function of student metacomprehension, as measured by the MCS. Results indicate the MCS was not a reliable indicator of student predicted …

Assessment Of College Students' Understanding Of The Equals Relation: Development And Validation Of An Instrument, Gregory D. Wheeler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research indicates that many elementary students do not comprehend that the equal sign is an indication that an equality relation exists between two structures. Instead, they perceive the equal sign as an indication that a particular procedure is to be performed. As students mature, and as their exposure to the equal sign and equality relations in multiple contexts increases, most obtain the ability to interpret the equal sign as an indicator of an equivalence relation. Incorrect usages of the equal sign, however, by post-algebra students indicate a tendency for students to regress back to a comprehension of the equal sign …

An Investigation Of High School Dual Enrollment Participation And Allied Health Program Enrollment In A South Texas University, Martina Flores

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The shortage of allied health professionals has caught the attention of legislators and higher education institution administrators. The current study used a concurrent embedded mixed method design to investigate factors that motivated students to participate in health science technology (HST) dual enrollment courses while still in high school. It sought to identify the factors or variables students believed helped them be successful in the health science courses. Additionally, the quantitative portion of the study investigated academic achievement as a function of high school achievement (HSAch), high school performance (HSPerf), Aptitude (Apt), and ProActive measures taken by students. Two focus groups …

An Analysis Of Psycho-Educational Profiles Of Elementary Students Referred For Special Education Consideration Due To Literacy Difficulties, Amy M. Bowers

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the results of a uniquely constructed literacy assessment technique, combining Dehn’s (2006) interpretation of psychological processing assessment and the Reading Rockets (Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc., 2005) interpretation of academic achievement. The study employed a quantitative descriptive research design using ex post facto data. The population was selected from one northwest Georgia school district and consisted of 54 elementary school students (first through fifth grades). Participants in the population met the following criteria: 1) received three tiers of reading intervention in the RTI process, 2) were referred for initial special education consideration, 3) were from either …

Characteristics Of Effective Interpreter Education Programs In The United States, Lisa Ann Boegner Godfrey

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The general purpose of this study was to investigate effective practices of interpreting education programs in the United States as measured by the readiness to credential gap. The increasing demand for interpreters has created an environment with under-credentialed interpreters and this is compounded by the fact that the field of interpreter education is relatively new and little research has been done regarding interpreter education. There has been much dispute as to the content and experiences sign language interpreting programs need to include, but there have been no clearly identified characteristics of successful interpreter education program s shown to result in …

An Investigation Into Predictors Of Middle School Mathematics Achievement As Measured By The Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, Cheryl Thomasson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to locate variables from 2006 and 2007 Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) that could predict mathematics performance on the 2008 CRCT for a cohort of 449 students in two middle schools in Murray County in north Georgia. The student population was 80% Caucasian, 17% Hispanic, and 3% other. It was hypothesized that the predictors would be influenced by the high level of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Logistic regression was applied to three data sets, all students, students from Bagley and Gladden Middle Schools. Sixth-grade CRCT mathematics percent correct was the only …

Centering The Voices Of South Carolina's Early Care And Education Teachers: A Multi-Case Study Examining How They Select And Are Informed By Professional Development, Lenna Young

All Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the existing literature focused on quality early care and education (ECE). Specifically, this study examines two main research questions: (1) How do teachers in South Carolina licensed, privately-funded ECE programs select professional development opportunities and (2) How does participating in professional development inform their practices? These questions are particularly significant in light of the minimal requirements for teachers to enter the ECE field in South Carolina. Due to the low entry requirements for ECE teachers, professional development can play a key role in transforming minimally qualified individuals into teachers who care …

The Impact Of University Housing Construction Type On Psychosocial Development Of First-Year Students, Justin Owens

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of university housing construction type on psychosocial development of first-year students. Data were collected at a large, four-year, public, research university in the Southeast using the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Assessment. The population considered for this study consisted of first-year, traditionally-aged students living on campus within university housing at the research site for the spring of 2010. The study only considered students within three residential living environments: (a) modified-traditional residence halls, (b) adjoining suite style residence halls, and (c) super-suite style residence halls.
Multivariate analysis of covariance and analysis …

Implementing Reading And Writing In Secondary Mathematics, Mari E. Eisenhart

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Literacy in secondary mathematics continues to be difficult for many. Mathematics teachers and researchers continue to develop support documents for secondary math teachers. It is important to utilize the literacy strategies already established by other content areas. It is feasible to adjust these strategies to suit the needs of mathematics students. Literacy across the content areas is a relatively new idea in education, but literacy in mathematics is even more foreign. It is necessary to use the available literacy strategies to develop materials applicable in the secondary mathematics classroom.

Correspondence Of Job-Preference And Job-Matching Assessment With Job Performance And Satisfaction Among Youth With Developmental Disabilities, Julie Hall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effects of job preference and job match on job performance among four 19-to 20-year-old young adults with developmental disabilities placed in community-based job conditions. Prior studies have examined the effects of job preference on community-based job performance without the job-matching component. The researcher identified high-preference, high-match and low-preference, low-match job conditions and tasks using a video web-based assessment program. Each participant was subsequently placed in a randomized sequence of 30-min sessions on one high-preference, high-match job condition performing a preferred task and one low-preference, low-match job performing a non preferred task. Job coaches instructed and prompted …

Psychometric Properties Of Postsecondary Students' Course Evaluations, Michael J. Drysdale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several experts in the area of postsecondary student evaluations of courses have concluded that they are stable or reliable measures as well as being measures that provide ways of making valid inferences regarding teacher effectiveness. Often these experts have offered these conclusions without supporting evidence. Surprisingly, a thorough review of the literature revealed very few reported test-retest reliability studies of course evaluations and the results from these studies are contradictory. In the area of validity, the conclusions offered by scholars who conducted meta-analyses of mutlisection course studies are inconsistent. This leads to the following two research questions:

1. What is …

An Analysis Of Reverse Mortgage Clients At The Utah State University Family Life Center Housing And Financial Counseling Services, Cindy R. Stokes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study were to describe and categorize the types of clients seeking reverse mortgage counseling, and to document the growth in demand for reverse mortgage counseling from one counseling center: The USU Family Life Center - Housing and Financial Counseling Services (FLC HFC). A second purpose was to gain a better understanding of the reasons why more senior Americans are seeking reverse mortgages. A third purpose was to gain a better understanding of the retirement preparedness of current seniors seeking reverse mortgages, which could lead to improved counseling services, early retirement intervention awareness, and encourage increased pre-retirement …

Utah Kindergarten Teachers' Challenges And Concerns About Teaching Kindergarten, Ruth Jane Liebschutz Moore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative study was an exploration of 55 Utah kindergarten teachers' perceptions of challenges in teaching. It investigated written concerns teachers expressed in a statewide survey of kindergarten teachers. Study findings indicated that two main issues were communicated by teachers: a disparity between their developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices in the classroom, and concerns about children's kindergarten readiness and transition to school. About 56% of teachers felt a struggle in implementing their developmentally appropriate beliefs about education, for a variety of reasons: large class sizes, district and state mandates, and lack of resources, particularly time. Furthermore, 53% of educators conveyed …

Facilitator Assessment Following A Stepfamily Education Course, Heather Sparks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of the facilitators of a stepfamily education course, based upon facilitator self-report as well as participant report. Agencies in northern Utah that provide services to low-income minority families were used to recruit a sample of 152 facilitators and 1,134 participants of which 519 of the participants were male and 613 of the participants were females. Additionally, 21 of the facilitators were male and 131 of the facilitators were female. Requirements for participants included having been previously married with no children or having children from a previous relationship that formed a current …

Using Formative Student Feedback: A Continuous Quality Improvement Approach For Online Course Development, Kristy T. Bloxham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to examine the use of frequent, anonymous student course surveys as a tool in supporting continuous quality improvement (CQI) principles in online instruction. The study used a qualitative, multiple-case design involving four separate online courses. Analysis methods included pattern matching/explanation building, time series analysis, and thematic analysis. Findings suggested that instructors used student feedback to make course changes that alleviated technical difficulties, added and clarified content, and contributed to future course changes. Students and instructors responded positively to the opportunity to give and receive anonymous feedback and felt that it helped improve the course. …

A Multi-Component School-Based Intervention Aimed At Increasing Vegetable Preference And Intake Among Elementary-Aged Children, Elizabeth Strasser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study aimed to implement and assess a school-based multi-component intervention aimed at increasing elementary school-aged children's knowledge of, preference for, and intake of vegetables. The multi-component intervention included lunchroom exposure, nutrition curriculum in the classroom, after school program vegetable curriculum, family friendly nutrition newsletter, vegetable fair and parent cooking class. Lunchtime vegetable consumption was assessed by direct observation. Changes in preference, attitude, and knowledge were assessed using a pre- and post-intervention survey.

The multi-component intervention was implemented at Canyon Elementary during the 2008-2009 school year. Classroom teachers provided 20 minutes of nutrition education to students in grades one through …

Mother-Child Attachment And Preschool Behavior Problems In Children With Developmental Delays, Mary S. Lamont

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Secure mother-child attachment has been found to be an important factor in the healthy emotional development of children and has been shown to have effects on child, adolescent, and adult behavior. Previous research has primarily focused on attachment in children who are typically developing. However, little research has been conducted in populations of children with developmental delays. The research thus far has suggested that medical situations, child disabilities and maternal emotions may affect interaction patterns between the mother and the child which may in turn influence the security of the mother-child attachment in children with developmental delays. This study contributes …

A Pilot Study Examining High School Physical Education Teachers' Understanding And Use Of Mosston's Style(S) Of Teaching, Greg L. Pierce

Master's Theses

The purpose of this project was to develop a questionnaire that could lend insight to physical educations teachers’ perceptions and use of Mosston's Teaching Styles. The researcher designed a pilot study in which he distributed the questionnaire to six teachers from three Santa Barbara District High Schools. Results show that the six teachers were familiar with all Mosston’s Styles. However, citing circumstances such as class time and class sizes, the participants in this study did not use all of Mosston’s Styles. These results may be useful for physical education teacher educators to help them understand teachers’ knowledge of Mosston’s Styles, …

A Study Of The Perceived Effects Of School Culture On Student Behaviors., Linda Cox Story

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has confirmed that the behaviors of human beings are influenced by their social environments. The school is the principal social environment of adolescents; thus, the school environment necessarily influences the behaviors of students to some degree.

This research project used the interview method to focus on perceptions of school personnel with regard to the elements of school culture that may negatively influence students' behaviors both inside and outside the school environment. The primary influences of school culture on students' behaviors were found to be peers, teachers, administrators, and parent involvlement. Governmental regulations, including those resulting from the Individuals with …

Visual Literacy: How Do They Do It?, Shantelle Marie Ford

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Due to the dramatic increase of technology in our world today, in addition to being textually literate, students must learn to be visually literate as well. Visual literacy essentially consists of the ability to read images. As students become more visually adept at reading images, teachers must become aware of their visual literacy strategies in order to adjust their instructional practices to support the new visual and verbal learner. This research consisted of interviewing elementary age students about wordless comic strips in order to answer the fundamental question: How do they do it? How do students in a modern age …