Education Commons^™

Uncovering Transformative Experiences: A Case Study Of The Transformations Made By One Teacher In A Mathematics Professional Development Program, Rachelle Myler Orsak

Theses and Dissertations

Effective professional development is vital for improving mathematics teaching (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2007), so studying effective professional development programs is important to the field of mathematics education. This case study presents findings on one teacher, Rebecca, and her experiences in a five-semester mathematics professional development for elementary teachers. The participants in this professional development engaged in collaborative problem solving of challenging mathematical tasks over extended periods of time. I used qualitative research methods based on grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2006) to analyze Rebecca's entrance and exit surveys, video data of Rebecca's individual interviews, and video data …

Civics And Citizenship Education In Schools In Afghanistan, Mohammad Tariq Habibyar

Master's Capstone Projects

This thesis focuses on the status of civics and citizenship education in schools in Afghanistan. My purpose for this study was (a) to understand what is taught about civics education in classrooms, (b) what concepts of civics education are addressed in the national curriculum and the text books, and (c) what role civics education plays in Afghan schools to produce productive citizens. My assumption is that schools have direct impact on civics understanding of the students and how they use their civics knowledge in everyday life. Civics education raises students’ political, governance, and social awareness and informs them about their …

Education Faculty Math Curriculum And In-Service Teachers Needs, Sayed Sarwar Yaqubi

Master's Capstone Projects

This study accomplished as an education master thesis and addresses the following issue- the education faculty math curriculum in Jowzjan University in Afghanistan and the in-service teachers’ needs. I conducted this study on third-year in-service teachers who are studying at the Jowzjan University in Afghanistan. This study was conducted as qualitative study; there were 11 participants from the third-year in-service teachers. The methodology system was interview with participants. Because of the lack of time I did just one time interview with the participants. There were not class observation and group discussion. The finding from this study revealed some important and …

Nursing Faculty Shortage: Nurses' Perceptions As A Key To Administrative Solutions, Evelyn M. Klocke

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The nursing faculty shortage is well documented. Higher education administrators turn away qualified student applicants because of the lack of qualified nursing faculty. Furthermore, they find recruitment and retention of qualified nursing faculty a challenge. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of the nursing faculty role, causes of the faculty shortage, and solutions to the shortage as perceived by: 1) nurses currently in a faculty role and 2) nurses with a master’s degree who were not employed in a full-time faculty position. A qualitative study using the phenomenological method was undertaken. Two groups of nurses were interviewed. …

Doing Good Qualitative Research In Public Health: Not As Easy As It Looks, Stacy M. Carter, Jan E. Ritchie, Peter Sainsbury

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this paper, we discuss qualitative research for public health professionals. Quality matters in qualitative research, but the principles by which it is judged are critically different from those used to judge epidemiology. Compared to quantitative research, good quality qualitative studies serve different aims, answer distinct research questions and have their own logic for sampling, data collection and analysis. There is, however, no need for antagonism between qualitative research and epidemiology; the two are complementary. With theoretical and methodological guidance from experienced qualitative researchers, public health professionals can learn how to make the most of qualitative research for themselves.

How Does Video Analysis Impact Teacher Reflection-For-Action?, Geoffrey Albert Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Reflective practice is an integral component of a teacher's classroom success (Zeichner, 1996; Valli, 1997). Reflective practice requires a teacher to step back and consider the implications and effects of teaching practices. Research has shown that formal reflection on teaching can lead to improved understanding and practice of pedagogy, classroom management, and professionalism (Grossman, 2003). Several methods have been used over the years to stimulate reflective practice; many of these methods required teachers to use awkward and time-consuming tools with a minimal impact on teaching performance (Rodgers, 2002). This current study analyzes an innovative video-enhanced reflection process focused on improving …

You Have To Make Something Of All That Rubbish, Do You? An Empirical Investigation Of The Social Process Of Qualitative Research, Stacy M. Carter, Christopher F. Jordens, Catherine Mcgrath, Miles Little

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this article, we examine participants' talk about qualitative research. We provide empirical support for post-structural theorizations of the interview and propose three distinct but related dimensions of qualitative research: emotional, purposive/relational, and epistemic/ontological. In this study, participants often became upset but constructed participation as enjoyable and cathartic. The purpose of participation was to assist the communities to which one belonged. Participation was an active, reflexive practice that reconstructed the self and changed knowledge about one's self. This latter epistemic/ontological dimension of participation appeared to be the most compelling for participants, but it is also the hardest to observe, with …

"They All Work...When You Stick To Them": A Qualitative Investigation Of Dieting, Weight Loss, And Physical Exercise, In Obese Individuals, Samantha L. Thomas, Jim Hyde, Asuntha Karunaratne, Rick Kausman, Paul Komesaroff

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background To explore the extent to which people living with obesity have attempted to lose weight, their attitudes towards dieting, physical exercise and weight loss solutions, why their weight loss attempts have failed, and their opinions about what would be most beneficial to them in their struggle with their weight. Method Qualitative study, using open-ended interviews, of 76 people living with obesity in Victoria, Australia in 2006/7. Individuals with a BMI of 30 or over were recruited using articles in local newspapers, convenience sampling, and at a later stage purposive sampling techniques to diversify the sample. Data analysis was conducted …

Dialogue As Performance. Performance As Dialogue, Laura Lynn

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation is an arts-based qualitative study in Leadership and Change that describes the qualities of dialogue revealed through the felt experience of Native and non-Native American music composers engaged in a dialogue through music composition. The fifteen co-collaborators who participated in the study range in age from three-years-old to elders. The study is theoretically embedded within Performance Studies, Dr. Carolyn Kenny’s music therapy model Field of Play, and aesthetic philosophy. Methodologically, this work is expressed through performance ethnography and autoethnography and privileges textual and non-textual modes of account including photographs, video excerpts, poetry, and music manuscript. The text is …

Mystic Inspiration Of Effective Habits?, Dennis Mcdougall, Rhonda S. Black, Garnett J. Smith, James Skouge

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Although numerous and diverse publications address professors’ writing and research productivity, exceedingly few empirical studies report findings for interventions designed and implemented to increase professors’ research productivity. This study used an innovative mixed methods design with a concurrent triangulation strategy and methods from two research traditions that investigators rarely integrate – quantitative single-case interventions and qualitative inquiry. Processes and findings from this study illustrate how researchers can combine these methods to illuminate the how and why of changes in performance in participant-interventionist studies. In this study, university professors used goal setting and behavioral self-management techniques to increase their daily research …

Creating Culturally Relevant Techonological Operas In An Urban School, Dianna Isaac-Johnson

Dissertations

The project described in this study developed due to the gap in achievement between African-American and white students. As music teacher I noticed my urban students could rap all the words of popular songs. Therefore I incorporated the use of technology with an authentic need to learn reading, writing, and lyric development for science and history content within a "hip-hop opera". This study details the instructional sequence, in which students watched musical performances, learned songs with a karaoke machine, and wrote new lyrics for the songs based on history and science material. I combined the students' lyrics into new versions …

Preparing A Surpassing Moral Force: The Dynamics Of The Brigham University Singers, David Ray Burton

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative study that takes a close look at an exemplary performing group, the Brigham Young University Singers. Using the methods of phenomenology and naturalistic inquiry, the author presents a rich, thick description of the daily activities and unique culture of the choir. Both strengths and weaknesses of the group are identified so that others can have an authentic, vicarious experience through reading the Singers' story. The author also identifies seven principles that contribute to the success of the group so that other choral conductors can adapt them to their own unique situations. Educators in all disciplines can …

The Social Construction Of Authorship: An Investigation Of Subjectivity And Rhetorical Authority In The College Writing Classroom, Johannah Rodgers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although we use the term author on a daily basis to refer to certain individuals, bodies of work, and systems of ideas, as Michel Foucault and other critics have pointed out, attempting to answer the question “What is an Author?” is by no means a simple proposition. And, starting from the position that there is no single, or definitive answer to this complex question, this dissertation seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion of the genealogy of authorship by investigating the ways in which conceptions of the author have informed models of the writing subject in the field of rhetoric …

Justifying Knowledge, Justifying Method, Taking Action: Epistemologies, Methodologies, And Methods In Qualitative Research, Stacy M. Carter, Miles Little

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this article, the authors clarify a framework for qualitative research, in particular for evaluating its quality, founded on epistemology, methodology, and method. They define these elements and discuss their respective contributions and interrelationships. Epistemology determines and is made visible through method, particularly in the participant- researcher relationship, measures of research quality, and form, voice, and representation in analysis and writing. Epistemology guides methodological choices and is axiological. Methodology shapes and is shaped by research objectives, questions, and study design. Methodologies can prescribe choices of method, resonate with particular academic disciplines, and encourage or discourage the use and/or development of …

Reactions Of Men Of Color To A Commonly Used Rape Prevention Program: Attitude And Predicted Behavior Changes, John D. Foubert, Brandynne J. Cremedy

John D. Foubert

African American, Latino, and Asian first-year college men (36) saw The Men’s Program, an all-male rape prevention workshop, and wrote answers to four open ended questions to determine how men from non-white groups react to a commonly used rape prevention program. Using a multi-stage inductive analysis, participant responses fell into five main themes including reinforced current beliefs and/or no changes, increased awareness of rape and its effects on survivors, increased understanding of consent, plans to intervene if a rape might occur, and plans to change behavior in their own intimate situations. Participants mentioned specific ways in which they planned to …

African Descent Women's Conceptualization Of Ethnic/Racial And Gender Identities, Wendi Saree Williams

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

This qualitative study explored racial/ethnic and gender identities of African descent women. Specifically, 13 African descent women were interviewed about influences on their racial/ethnic and gender identities, the process by such identities developed in order to assess the applicability of current theories, and whether they perceive an interaction between their racial/ethnic and gender identities. Phase One, an initial focus group informed Phase Two of the study; individual interviews. Phase Three, a member-checking focus group, validated themes generated from data analysis. All focus groups and interview sessions followed a semi-structured format. Family, educational experiences, physical features, oppressive experiences, political movements, and …

Implementation Of A Life-Skill Centered Token Economy: The Experience Of A Peer Teacher, Joseph Fredrick Bellak

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how a peer teacher implemented, evaluated, and modified a life-skill centered token economy (LSCTE) model. The LSCTE is a hybrid of various components of token economy models that I have researched and observed. It is a classroom management model designed to help students participate in various roles/jobs that prepare them for community involvement and employment by giving them simulated experiences within a micro-society in the classroom. A peer teacher volunteered to implement the LSCTE. The findings demonstrated the participant's success with teaching children responsibility and accountability. Some of the benefits of the model reported by the …

Medical Model Influence In Counseling And Psychotherapy: Counseling Psychology Training Directors' Views, Dallas R. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The practice of counseling and psychotherapy is influenced by a number of ideologies, models, and paradigms. Among these, the medical model's influence is particularly salient. The ideology of the medical field pervades the theory, research, and practice of psychology and its influence deserves close examination. The few studies in this area that have been conducted are descriptive and basic in nature. The present study aimed to contribute richness and depth to conversations about medical model influence. By interviewing Counseling Psychology training directors and applying a qualitative analysis, this study provided the following themes that characterize views of the medical model's …

Scholarly Use Of Information: Graduate Students' Information Seeking Behaviour, Carole A. George, A. Bright, T Hurlbert, E C. Linke, G St. Clair, J Stein

Carole A. George

Introduction. This study explored graduate students' information behaviour related to their process of inquiry and scholarly activities. Method. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with one hundred graduate students representing all disciplines and departments from Carnegie Mellon University. Analysis. Working in pairs, we coded transcripts of interviews into meaningful categories using ATLAS.ti software. The combined use of quantitative and qualitative analysis aimed to reduce subjectivity. Results. Graduate students often begin with a meeting with professors who provide direction, recommend and provide resources. Other students help to shape graduate students' research activities, and university library personnel provide guidance in finding resources. …

Longitudinal Qualitative Research Design: Experience Over Time, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this paper I examine time in qualitative researchdesign. I focus on a study design that is almost absent from the literature, inwhich qualitative data are collected repeatedly and prospectively from a cohort of individuals over a long period. I will refer to this design as longitudinal qualitative research, and argue that it carries risks and benefits. It heightens the need for ethical clarity, particularly in respect to repeated participation. Unless the aim is to examine a trajectory of experience, longitudinal design may diminish a study's explanatory power by making the sampling less purposive: commitments to long engagement must be …

What Is Comprehensive Sexuality Education Really All About? Perceptions Of Students Enrolled In An Undergraduate Human Sexuality Course, Eva Goldfarb

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study was to use qualitative evaluation techniques to explore the perceptions of students enrolled in undergraduate human sexuality classes regarding their expectations for the course as well as outcomes. One hundred forty-eight students were surveyed at the beginning and again at the end of the semester-long course. While pregnancy and STI prevention were considered important components of their courses, other outcomes associated with positive, healthy sexuality were given greater emphasis. Results suggest that while primary and secondary level sexuality education have been increasingly focused on abstinence-only education with a focus on pregnancy and STI reduction, this …

Gender Issues In Islamic Schools: A Case Study Of Two Schools In The United States, Hilda Yacoub Sabbah

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to explore and explain how boys, girls, teachers, and principals "do gender" in Islamic schools in the United States. The goal is to seek plausible explanations of how boys and girls interact formally and informally during the day, how they create differences, and how they interact with teachers and principals. This descriptive study utilized a case study design. The education of girls is very important for their individual growth and development, as well as for the welfare of both the Islamic and American societies and nations. Therefore, scholars and educators should work together to solve problems interfering …

Using Live Modeling To Train Preservice Teachers To Integrate Technology Into Their Teaching, Richard Edward West

Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers feel that teacher preparation programs are not doing enough to prepare teachers to effectively use technology. The result is a plethora of teachers who may know the basic functions of different programs, but who are unprepared to integrate these skills into their teaching. One method used by a few preservice programs, including BYU's, is the use of modeling sessions, otherwise referred to as live modeling. In these modeling sessions, the instructor models for the preservice teachers how a K-12 teacher could teach with technology, while the preservice teachers participate as if they were K-12 students. This thesis is …

Factors Of A Low-Ses Household: What Aids Academic Achievement, Allison Ann Milne

All Graduate Projects

The home factors oflow-SES primary students, having high academic achievement were investigated. Six second grade students were identified as qualifying for free and reduced lunch, while also having high academic achievement. Their primary caretakers were interviewed in order to investigate the factors within their homes that aid academic achievement. The results of this study showed that none of these high achieving second grade students had home factors that were typical for low-SES home environments. Four common themes were identified within the homes and attitudes of the participants' caretakers; (a) educational resources/influences, (b) the mother's education, ( c) relationships, and ( …

Using Questionnaires In Qualitative Human Geography, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Phillip O'Neill

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This chapter deals with questionnaires, an inlormation-gathering technique used frequently in mixed method research that draws on quantitative and qualitative data sources and analysis. We begin with a discussion of key issues in the design and conduct of questionnaires. We then explore the strengths and weaknesses for qualitative research of various question formats and questionnaire distribution and collection techniques. Finally, we consider some of the challenges of analysing qualitative responses in questionnaires and we close with a discussion of the limitations of using questionnaires in qualitative research.

Doctors' Views About The Importance Of Shared Values In Hiv Positive Patient Care: A Qualitative Study, A Lawlor, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Robert Veatch has proposed a model of the doctor-patient relationship that has as its foundation the sharing of values between the doctor and the patient. This paper uses qualitative research conducted with six doctors involved in the long term, specialised care of HIV positive patients in South Australia to explore the practical application of Veatch's value sharing model in that setting. The research found that the doctors in this study linked "values" with sexual identity such that they defined value sharing, in part, as a shared set of values and beliefs about sexual identity and practices. They voluntarily identified themselves …

Factors Forecasting The Effect Of Rapid Prototyping Technologies On Engineering Design Education., Jeffrey Dale Mather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents information gathered and analyzed through an electronic internet-based Delphi Survey process. The purpose of this study is to identify a consensus of factors that might forecast the future effects of Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology on engineering design education when used for the purpose of overcoming the limitations of 2D representation of 3D space. The identification of consensus was developed from the collection of opinions from a panel of experts in RP technology.

Early adopters of emerging technologies can reduce risk through careful research, but decisions must often be made before significant quantitative data are available. Expert subjective …

Challenges In The Payment Of Primary School Teachers’ Salaries: The Case Of Lilongwe District (Malawi), Ken Kaziputa Ndala

Master's Capstone Projects

This study investigated the payment system of primary teachers in Malawi with an aim of finding the weaknesses for improvement. Lilongwe district was chosen as a case study. The study followed the qualitative methods of face-to-face interviews with ministry officials at central office, division office, district office and head teachers. Other partners in the payment system were also interviewed, thus, the police and banks.

Little is known on how teachers are paid in other developing countries. A lot of work however seems to be done in teacher management with an emphasis in recruitment and deployment. Payment of teachers being part …

Qualitative Research Methods For Studying Creativity, K. Meador, Scott L. Hunsaker, K. Kearney

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of Excellence And Equality: A Qualitatively Different Perspective On Gifted And Talented Education, Scott L. Hunsaker

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract available.