Education Commons^™

The Sound Of Fury: Teaching, Tempers, And White Privileged Resistance, Tema J. Okun

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

This essay focuses on the resistance of students situated in positions of privilege in classrooms addressing issues of dominance, identity, and oppression related to race and racism. Examining the psycho/social history of two critical aspects of resistance – defensiveness (related to guilt and shame) and denial – the author draws from both practice and theory to explicate the roots of this resistance and offer specific, effective ways to support students in moving through resistance into responsibility.

Pushing Me Through: A Poetic Representation, Jessica Nina Lester, Rachael Gabriel

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

For many children and adults labeled learning disabled (LD), the very process of being identified and eventually labeled is oriented to as difficult to understand, disorienting, and just a taken-for-granted part of a system that names some ‘normal’, even gifted, while others are named abnormal. Minimal research exists that attends to the ways in which the official ways of talking about LDs are worked up in the everyday language of those most involved in the special education process, particularly the students themselves. Thus, in this article, we present, in an alternative form of writing (Richardson, 1997), a poetic representation of …

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum, Volume One, Issue One, Shane Willson, Landon S. Bevier, Rachael E. Gabriel, Taylor Krcek, Alaina Elizabeth Smith

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

It is with great pride that we present to you the inaugural issue of Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum. Here we have attempted to create an innovative, peer-reviewed space in which people from numerous disciplines, or even those claiming no discipline, can present research, multimedia, and art aimed at furthering the ideals of social justice, broadly defined. Social justice is not a concept owned by the academy, for attempts to create a more just world can come from many professions, or even from no profession at all. By applying the traditionally academic peer-review process to work done by activists, artists, …

The Relationship Between Secondary School Teachers' Perceptions Of Principal Ethical Leadership And Organizational Health, Jessica H Chambers

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to determine if any significant relationships existed between secondary school teachers’ perceptions of principal leader integrity as measured by the Perceived Leadership Integrity Scale ([PLIS], Craig & Gustafson, 1998) and schools’ organizational health as perceived by secondary school teachers and gauged by the Organizational Health Inventory for Secondary Schools ([OHI-S], Hoy & Feldman, 1987). The study also explored the seven OHI-S dimensions: (1) Institutional Integrity, (2) Initiating Structure, (3) Consideration, (4) Principal Influence, (5) Resource Support, (6) Morale, and (7) Academic Emphasis—and their relationships with the demographics of the sample. The sample …

Exploring The Role Of Email, Blackboard, And Facebook In Student-Instructor Interactions Outside Of Class: A Mixed Methods Study, Olivia Laura Halic

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation was a mixed methods triangulation design combining quantitative and qualitative components. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it examined the association between the frequency and quality of students’ online interactions with instructors and the quality of student-instructor relationship. Second, this study explored the meanings of student-instructor interactions mediated by online tools. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey from 320 undergraduate students enrolled at a public research university. Qualitative data sources were in-depth interviews with six undergraduate students and six professors, observations of student-instructor interactions on Facebook, and artifacts of student-instructor interaction via email. Hierarchical …

Exploring The Concerns Of Teachers And Principals Implementing Response To Intervention In A Pilot Project: Where Policy And Practice Collide, Lisa Michele Bilton

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods, multi-site study was to identify and explore the concerns of teachers and principals implementing a pilot Response to Intervention (RTI) model in three elementary schools in the southeast United States and to determine whether these concerns differed significantly from the beginning to the end of the first year of implementation. The Stages of Concern from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (George, Hall, & Stiegelbauer, 2006; Hord, Rutherford, Huling, & Hall, 2004) served as the theoretical framework for the design and analysis of this study.

Between Fall 2008 and Spring 2009, 18 participants, including six administrators and …

Self-Direction And Technology Use Among New Workforce Entrants, Lila Louise Holt

Doctoral Dissertations

With the knowledge age evolving, colleges and universities should be ever vigilant to assure that the pedagogies practiced are adequately preparing future workers with skills required to keep pace (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006). Business managers have identified self-direction and technology use as increasingly important in the 21^st century (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2006), yet a gap in research of pedagogies that advance self-directedness and promote technology use has been found. To help identify new pedagogies, the purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between self-directed learning (SDL) and technology use of people …

A Comparative Analysis Of School Counselors' And School Principals' Perceptions Of School Counselors' Activities, Deborah K Buchanan

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional survey study was to compare school counselors’ and principals’ perceptions of the frequency with which school counselors perform activities that align with the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005) and those activities that do not, as measured by the School Counselor Activity Rating Scale (SCARS) (Scarborough, 2005). Results indicate that the school counselors and principals that participated in the study agreed that school counselors are spending most of their time engaged in activities that align with the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005). Significant differences (p < .05) appeared on 10 items in which five were related to counseling activities, primarily as they relate to small group counseling. Principals indicated their school counselors were conducting small group activities related to academic and substance abuse issues more frequently than the school counselors indicated. Other areas that showed significant differences (p < .05) between school counselors’ and principals’ responses included …

"Your World Stops": The Relationship Chiasm Between Teachers And Students In Court-Mandated Adult Education, Rondal David Mottern

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the experiences of teachers working with court-mandated students in GED/ABE programs. While there is a considerable body of literature on adult correctional education, this literature almost exclusively deals with teachers and students working within incarceration settings, where students are in jail or prison. There is a lack of research on the experiences of teachers working with students who are a part of the correctional system but are placed within the community, i.e., students who are in community corrections programs such as probation and parole. This study begins to fill that void in the research literature. This research …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction And School Climate In An Era Of Accountability: A Mixed Methods Study Of Two High Schools On Tennessee’S High Priority List, Jeffrey Anton Knox

Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods study examines how teachers and administrators react when the school is under the stress of an accountability system. In this study, teacher job satisfaction and school climate are measured as these often overlooked variables have a great impact on student academic achievement (Goddard, Sweetland, & Hoy, 2000). Accountability systems such as No Child Left Behind need to be explored for negative unintended consequences such as the lowering of teacher job satisfaction and school climate. Questionnaires, interviews, and observations are used to measure teachers’ job satisfaction and school climate of two high schools that have been on Tennessee’s …

Improving Facilitation Through Levelising: Reflecting In And On Practice, Willard Donald Creekmore

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the experience of engaging in reflective practice through the framework of Levelising. Reflective practice has been of interest to professionals and educators of professionals for many years. However, Levelising is a recently introduced approach. Levelising categorizes the reflective process into four modes. These modes include an awareness of what is occurring (Level I), considering one’s actions (Level II), considering one’s conceptual frame (Level III), and considering the conceptual frames of others (Level IV). This study focuses on my personal experience of improving my facilitation using Levelising as a framework for reflective practice. The context of the study …

A Survey Of Tennessee Extension Agents’ Perceptions Of The Tennessee Extension Agent Performance Appraisal System, Joseph Leonard Donaldson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study aimed to describe extension agent perceptions of the Tennessee Extension Agent Performance Appraisal System. A survey instrument was developed to address the research questions. The instrument had two sections: Satisfaction with the Current Appraisal System (14 items) and Satisfaction with Appraiser Performance (7 items). The instrument was reviewed by an expert panel and pilot tested with a group of 39 extension agents. The instrument was deployed online to the study population.

The population studied consisted of all extension agents employed by the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University in January, 2010 (N=312). The total completed responses were …

Bullying, Victimization, Associated Distress & Transition Among Intellectually Gifted Children, Taylor Kaine Pelchar

Doctoral Dissertations

This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of bullying and victimization among children identified as gifted who are in the last grade of elementary school (4th grade) and first two grades of middle school (5th and 6th grades). Additionally, I investigated if the children experienced distress associated with bullying and victimization and if the distress varied systematically across the three grades. The study took place at one elementary school and two middle schools located in Tennessee. There were a total of 35 participants [4th grade (n = 15), 5th grade (n = 13), and 6th grade (n =7)]. The results indicated …

Between Centralization And Decentralization: Changed Curriculum Governance In Chinese Education After 1986, Tingting Qi

Doctoral Dissertations

China’s curriculum system has been undergoing substantial transformations since 1986. In response to public criticism of the highly prescribed national curriculum, the central state of China is attempting to build a more inclusive system which is composed of national curriculum, province curriculum and school-based curriculum. The new curriculum system accommodates more flexibility in carrying out national curriculum policies and even encourages local input in curriculum development and management. Apparently, the current curriculum reform in China is moving toward decentralization.

The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the complexity of decentralization reform in China’s curriculum system and examine the dynamics …

After The Final Bell: The Self-Directed Learning Practices Of Elementary Teachers, Susan Renee Wagner

Doctoral Dissertations

Are elementary teachers self-directed learners? If so, do their learning activities outside their classrooms translate into their classrooms? The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, if any, between elementary teachers’ self-directed learning and activities in their classrooms. A two phase, mixed methods design first utilized a quantitative study from which the results were used to denote the type of data collected in the second, qualitative phase. The quantitative Phase I of this study involved using a survey instrument in order to identify self-directed learners and identify categories of teacher learners. These quantitative data were gathered through the …

Incorporating Ethics Into Accounting Education: A Proposal For An Undergraduate Accounting Ethics Course For The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, Courtney Michaluk

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

2fs And A C: What's Your Grade At Life University?, Bonnie J. Weston

Black Issues Conference

Failing, Finding, and capturing your vision... using a simple business plan. This presentation will teach the audience to think of plannig life after college as creating their own business. Audience members will create a "business" plan to map out a successul journey to their goals and raise the "grades" in their lives. Developing, growing and leading a business to success begins with a strong strong foundation- the same is required for for life.

"You Know Black People Don`T…", Colber Prosper, Earl Coleman

Black Issues Conference

This interactive session will examine some of the historical foundations of African American identity; while challenging the perceptions and expectations of ¨acceptable behavior.¨

Research On The Historical And Philosophical Foundations Of Andragogy: Expanding Horizons And Deepening The Search In 2011, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

This paper on the History and Philosophy of Andragogy is mainly limited [with a few exceptions] to a chronological history and the accompanying philosophy of andragogy, in line with when the English language documents were published and personal descriptions of events were written down. Some of these documents, however, present aspects of the events and ideas which recount the years and contexts in which they appeared in published form. This will not be an exact history of the events and philosophy as they appear in chronological order. But, this will be presented in the general sequence of the years that …

Epc Newsletter, Fall 2011, Educational Psychology And Counseling Department

Educational Psychology & Counseling Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Connection, Fall 2011, College Of Education, Health, And Human Sciences

CEHHS Connection

This e-newsletter was created to let everyone in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences know about the many activities that are taking place in the college.

Accolades, Fall 2011, College Of Education, Health, And Human Sciences

Accolades Newsletter

In this issue of Accolades, you will learn about some of the wonderful work in which our students and faculty are engaging. As you know, the college motto is “Enhancing Quality of Life through Research, Outreach, and Practice,” and most of the stories contained herein truly embrace this mission. In particular, please take the time to read about how two of our doctoral students in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies are addressing the needs of refugees who have resettled in Knoxville from war-torn Iraq. You will also learn about students who moved their doctoral seminar class …

A Living Lecture For Lifelong Learning, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The author is seeking to improve the lecture, by adding numerous techniques with it to engage the learners more actively in the learning process, supporting it with the theories of large group meetings and andragogy, and naming it ‘a living lecture for lifelong learning’. The process of the living lecture for lifelong learning is described as follows. Before the presentation/lecture, which the leader has prepared on a predetermined topic prior to the time of its audible delivery, the audience may be divided into four teams and be asked to serve as listening teams. Each team respectively, listens to a five …

Organizational Learning And Employee Retention: A Focus Study Examining The Role Of Relationships Between Supervisors And Subordinates, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

Focusing on the relationship between supervisors and subordinates, the purpose of this research was to study the causal relationship among seven exogenous variables (Supervisor empathy with subordinates, Supervisor trust of subordinates, Planning and delivery of instruction, Accommodating subordinate uniqueness, Supervisor insensitivity toward subordinates, Subordinate-centered learning process, and Supervisor-centered learning process) and two endogenous variables (Employee’s job satisfaction and Employee’s intention to remain in the company). The study was based on the belief that the seven factors, which were beliefs, feelings, and behaviors of supervisors in helping adults learn, based on andragogical principles of learning, are not only methods to help …

Andragogy And Transformative Learning: Imigration Meets Ratioalism In College Classrooms, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

Although Andragogy and Transformative learning (TL) are highly prized concepts in Adult Education, many scholars are critical of their principles and often confusing strategies. While educators immerse themselves quite successfully in the nuances of theory, they remain puzzled over how to apply them in the classroom. A robust and dynamic approach that can capture the meaningfulness of these ageless paradigms is greatly needed. Therefore in this session we will identify some of the illusive elements that obfuscate the application of Andragogy and TL in university classrooms – undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral.

The Scenario Of A Learning Society Model Toward Promoting A Positive Paradigm Shif For Communities, John A. Henschke Edd, Suwithida Charungkaittikul

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

This study uses a prospective qualitative approach. The Ethnographic Delphi Futures Research (EDFR) technique is used to propose a learning society model. The data include a review of the peer-reviewed literature, a field study visit and observation of five best practices communities in Thailand, in-depth interviews to gain experts’ perspectives, mini-Delphi techniques questionnaires, focus group discussions, and model evaluation. Qualitative data were transcribed and analyzed using content-analysis. Forty-two individuals (e.g., policy makers, practitioners from public and private agencies, educational personnel, and community leaders) were involved in the data collection effort. Results revealed essential elements for development of a learning society …

Balancing Student Participation In Large College Courses Via Randomized Credit For Participation, Daniel Fox Mccleary

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study was an extension of research reported by Krohn (2010), which showed that daily credit for self-reported participation in designated credit units tended to balance participation across students (i.e., fewer non-participants, more credit-level participants, and fewer dominant participants). The purpose of the current study was to determine if similar results would be achieved by randomly selecting half of the discussion days in designated credit units for participation credit.

The study was done in 3 large sections of an undergraduate class (approximately 54 students per class). Students self-recorded their in-class comments each day on specially designed record cards. At …

Inter-Rater Reliability And Related Variables Of A Newly Developed Measure Of Quality Of Student Participation, Lisa Nicole Edge

Doctoral Dissertations

Some researchers suggest that quality is preserved when students are rewarded for quantity of class participation (Boniecki & Moore, 2003; Bruss, 2009; Mainkar, 2007; Zaremba & Dunn, 2004); however, few studies have targeted the systematic assessment of participation quality. The primary purpose of the study was to develop a reliable system for rating quality of student participation, investigate whether quality of participation is preserved when students are given credit for the amount of class participation, and examine the relationship between participation quality and important course variables.

The researcher in the current study developed a rating system to evaluate the quality …

Validation Of The Monitoring Academic Progress: Reading (Map: R): Development And Investigation Of A Group-Administered Comprehension-Based Tool For Rti, Angela Nicole Hilton-Prillhart

Doctoral Dissertations

Monitoring Academic Progress: Reading (MAP: R), a silent, group-administered screener was piloted as part of a comprehensive Response to Intervention program. MAP: R along with AIMSweb© Maze and STAR reading were administered to 1,688 students in Grades 1-3. Overall alternate-form reliabilities for MAP: R resulted in moderately high stability (Grade 1 = .79, Grade 2 = .78, and Grade 3 = .75). Test-retest reliability was .90 for Grade1, .84 for Grade 2, and .89 for Grade 3. Concurrent validity, correlations for MAP: R and AIMSweb© Maze ranged from .43 to .69, with correlations for MAP: R and STAR ranging from …

Preservice Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' Current Notions Of Proof In Euclidean Geometry, Michael Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations

Much research has been conducted in the past 25 years related to the teaching and learning of proof in Euclidean geometry. However, very little research has been done focused on preservice secondary school mathematics teachers’ notions of proof in Euclidean geometry. Thus, this qualitative study was exploratory in nature, consisting of four case studies focused on identifying preservice secondary school mathematics teachers’ current notions of proof in Euclidean geometry, a starting point for improving the teaching and learning of proof in Euclidean geometry.

The unit of analysis (i.e., participant) in each case study was a preservice mathematics teacher. The case …