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Articles 1 - 26 of 26
Full-Text Articles in Education
School District Superintendents' Response To Ethical Dilemmas: A Grounded Theory, Fay Sprouse
School District Superintendents' Response To Ethical Dilemmas: A Grounded Theory, Fay Sprouse
All Dissertations
Ethical dilemmas, situations involving a conflict between values or principles, often arise when employees of school districts violate laws or professional codes of behavior. Ethical dilemmas also occur when there are inequities in educational programming, resulting in missed opportunities for students. This qualitative study, conducted with the grounded theory research methodology, analyzed school district superintendents' responses to ethical dilemmas experienced in the course of their professional career. Critical influences on the decision-making process and the ethical frameworks utilized by participants were examined. A 'Model of Superintendents' Responses to Ethical Dilemmas' was developed and participants' stories were used to elucidate the …
Preservice Teacher Attitudes And Intentions Toward An Inclusive Educational Environment: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Julie Jones
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The purpose of this research project was to identify preservice teacher beliefs, attitudes, and intentions toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in a predominately general education environment. A survey instrument was created based on Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of planned behavior and disseminated to three universities in South Carolina. This study improves upon existing studies of preservice teacher attitudes because it takes place at more than one institution and is grounded in a theory that explores the many- layered aspects of attitude.
Preservice teacher attitudes were moderately positive on all measures: behavioral beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. …
The Influence Of International Service-Learning On Cultural Competence In Baccalaureate Nursing Graduates And Their Subsequent Nursing Practice, Roxanne Amerson
The Influence Of International Service-Learning On Cultural Competence In Baccalaureate Nursing Graduates And Their Subsequent Nursing Practice, Roxanne Amerson
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A series of research studies was completed over 3 years to evaluate baccalaureate nursing students' transcultural self-efficacy following the completion of service-learning projects. A quantitative pilot study was completed in 2007 with a convenience sample of students (n=60) enrolled in a community health nursing course. Several clinical groups worked with local communities and one clinical group took part in a one-week program in Guatemala. The Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool (TSET) was administered at the beginning and completion of the semester. A paired-samples t test demonstrated a significant increase for pre-test to post-test total and subscale scores.
A follow-up field study was …
Roles, Responsibilities, Celebrations, And Post-Presidency Aspirations Of Female College Presidents, Almeda Jacks
Roles, Responsibilities, Celebrations, And Post-Presidency Aspirations Of Female College Presidents, Almeda Jacks
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Of the 3,300 university and college presidents in higher education in the United States, only 23% are held by females (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2007). The percentage of female students in most institutions in higher education is higher than those of male students.
The Central questions that guided this research study are as follows: What are the roles and responsibilities of presidents of higher educational institutions? How do presidents of higher education celebrate their professional and personal accomplishments? Additionally, what are the post-presidency aspirations of the eight women interviewed who all currently are in their first presidency position in …
An Analysis Of Working Conditions Of South Carolina Teachers And Expected Working Conditions Of Clemson University Student Teachers, Tammy Bobo
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Results of the 2007-2008 South Carolina inservice teachers' survey were analyzed for levels of reported competence, autonomy, and relatedness in existing working conditions. These results were compared to the expected level of competence, autonomy, and relatedness indicated by preservice teachers in January of 2009 at Clemson University. Levels of existing competence, autonomy, and relatedness reported by inservice teachers in their working conditions were consistently higher than the levels expected by preservice teachers and these differences were found to be significantly different using an analysis of variance.
Themes revealed by principal component analysis showed similarities to the basic needs of competence, …
A Perceptional Analysis Of The South Carolina Principal Induction Program As Perceived By Program Participants, Jerome Hudson
A Perceptional Analysis Of The South Carolina Principal Induction Program As Perceived By Program Participants, Jerome Hudson
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BOLD
Ninth Grade Academies In South Carolina: Early Adopters Versus Late Adopters, Daniel Mullis
Ninth Grade Academies In South Carolina: Early Adopters Versus Late Adopters, Daniel Mullis
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The addition of ninth graders to the high school level brought administrative challenges: increased failure rate, truancy, and disciplinary infractions; as a solution, the Ninth Grade Academy concept evolved. This study's purpose was to examine South Carolina schools' academies to determine if early adopters were more effective than late adopters. The study's research was based on Institutional Theory with its main focus as Institutional Isomorphism. This qualitative study used survey results to determine how much administrators used data from existing academies before beginning their own implementation process. The study used institutional theory to assess whether new academies were a form …
Examining Client Motivation And Counseling Outcome, Guy Ilagan
Examining Client Motivation And Counseling Outcome, Guy Ilagan
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University mental health clinics have experienced a marked increase in demand for services without an increase in resources to meet the rising demand. Consequently, university mental health centers need strategies to determine the best allocation of their limited resources. Transtheoretical Model, based on client motivation, may offer valuable insight into whether a university student is likely to benefit from campus mental health counseling.
The subjects included 331 university students at a liberal arts, public university in the Southeastern part of the United States. The subjects consisted of all students over age 18 who visited the research site campus mental health …
Exploring Different Instructional Designs Of A Screen-Captured Video Lesson: A Mixed Methods Study Of Transfer Of Learnng, Ryan Visser
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Digital instruction, whether in the form of training delivered on CD/DVD-ROMs or online courses delivered via the Internet is being used in all levels of education. It can, after all, increase student achievement if designed properly (Moersch, 1999). Many established instructional technologies (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint®) have been researched to determine effective and ineffective instructional designs. However, newer technologies such as screen-captured videos, have not.
Because the research of newer, multimedia instructional technology is 'in its infancy' (Mayer, 2001, p.194), a timely challenge for instructional technologists is to determine how to design and research these technologies. Theoretical frameworks on which to …
Exploring Teacher Perceptions Of Influential Facilitators Of Elementary Mathematics Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Sandra Linder
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This dissertation examines the role of the facilitator in elementary mathematics professional development. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to answer the central research question: How do United States elementary school teachers perceive an influential facilitator of elementary mathematics professional development (EMPD)? Phase one of this study explored teacher perceptions through a phenomenological design, which informed the second phase of the study, the implementation of a survey instrument to elementary school mathematics teachers on a larger scale. This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter One presents a rationale for examining the role of the facilitator in professional …
A Formative Experiment Investigating The Use Of Nonfiction Texts In Writing Workshop To Assist Fourth-Grade Readers And Writers, Kelly Tracy
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Using the methodology of a formative experiment (Reinking & Bradley, 2008), this study investigated how writing workshop using expository and informational texts could be implemented in a fourth-grade classroom to improve students' reading and writing abilities and attitudes.
Eighteen students from a fourth-grade class at a rural school in a large district participated in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected prior to and after implementation of the intervention to establish a baseline of performance and to determine progress toward the pedagogical goal. Additionally, qualitative data were collected throughout the intervention. Quantitative data were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test …
Social Support And Persistence Among University Transfer Students Attending A Community College: A Grounded Theory Study, Stanley Burdette
Social Support And Persistence Among University Transfer Students Attending A Community College: A Grounded Theory Study, Stanley Burdette
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This study explored the role of social support in relation to the persistence of community college students enrolled in a university transfer program at a single institution. Student persistence rates in community colleges are low in comparison to other sectors of higher education. To explain community college student persistence, past researchers relied on theories of student retention that were developed from data collected in traditional four-year colleges and universities. Although the dominant theories of student retention emphasized social integration and involvement, the role of social support as related to persistence in community colleges was not adequately explored. The purpose of …
Perceptions Of County Extension 4-H Agents/Educators Regarding Essential Elements And Delivery Modes Of Positive Youth Development And Their Collective Impact On Character, Kellye Rembert
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The purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of county 4-H agents/educators regarding the level of emphasis placed on the eight elements (caring adult, safe environment, mastery, service, self-determination, inclusiveness, futuristic view, and engagement) in each of the four delivery modes (clubs, special interest, school enrichment, and camping). Participants were also asked to give their perceptions of the character in action of the youth participating in the county 4-H program. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was used to collect data regarding agent/educator perceptions. Participants responded to a web-based survey and provided 4-H youth demographic information from ES237 Federal …
Exploring Pre- And Post-Admission Characteristics Of Retained First-Year Students Enrolled In Non-Proximal Distance Learning Programs Within Public, 2-Year Colleges, Laurie Hillstock
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The primary purpose of this study was to explore pre- and post-admission characteristics of retained first-year students enrolled in non-proximal distance learning programs within a public, 2-year college environment. Pre-admission characteristics included student attributes, such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, GPA, and technology experience. Post-admission characteristics included lifestyle variables (i.e., employment status, family obligations, and finances) and student perceptions regarding institutional variables (i.e., academic integration, commitment and technology access). The sample for this study consisted of 197 first-year students enrolled in non-proximal distance learning programs from among five, public, 2-year colleges in Virginia during the 2008-09 academic year.
A quantitative data …
Student Perceptions Of Reading Motivation In A Voluntary Summer Reading Program: A Mixed Methods Dissertation, Julie Mcgaha
Student Perceptions Of Reading Motivation In A Voluntary Summer Reading Program: A Mixed Methods Dissertation, Julie Mcgaha
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How might a voluntary, high school summer reading program affect students' literacy motivation? A sequential exploratory mixed methods line of research attempted to answer this question. In study 1, after completing a summer reading program, 900 students from the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades provided written responses to the open-ended question, 'What was the best thing about the summer reading program?' The researchers analyzed their responses with a phenomenological technique adapted from Moustakas (1994), yielding 11 motivational themes. In study 2, those themes guided the creation of a survey instrument, which then was administered to a different sample of 1600 …
Ethical Perspectives And Leadership Practices In The Two-Year Colleges In South Carolina, Shirley Butler
Ethical Perspectives And Leadership Practices In The Two-Year Colleges In South Carolina, Shirley Butler
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This study examined the ethical perspectives and leadership practices of leaders in community colleges. The participants consisted of 68 presidents and chief institutional officers from the two-year colleges in South Carolina. All participants completed the Ethics Position Questionnaire and the Leadership Practices Inventory. Demographic data were also gathered on the participants. The survey responses were collected electronically, and analyzed to determine what relationships existed between the leaders' ethical ideologies and perspectives and their leadership practices. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's Product-moment Correlation tests, and ANOVA tests were computed to examine the data. The findings from the study indicated several associations between leadership …
Equity To Adequacy: A Historical Analysis Of The Litigations Of Abbeville V. The State Of South Carolina, Charles Costner
Equity To Adequacy: A Historical Analysis Of The Litigations Of Abbeville V. The State Of South Carolina, Charles Costner
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As of June 2008, forty five of the fifty states have been involved in some form of litigation challenging the constitutionality of their State's K-12 public school funding system. South Carolina is among those 45 states.
The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the course of events within the court case Abbeville v. the State of South Carolina as the plaintiffs pursued a more equitable source of funding for public education. This study was also to provide a historical account of the litigations challenging the constitutionality of K-12 funding across the nation.
In 1993 forty of the …
Influencing Pedagogy And Belief: A Case Study In The Professional Development Of Teachers Of Mathematics, Charles Howard
Influencing Pedagogy And Belief: A Case Study In The Professional Development Of Teachers Of Mathematics, Charles Howard
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This study forms a holistic, rich description of the way a professional development experience transformed teachers of mathematics. This professional development targeted teachers from six underachieving schools in a southern state who trained for a week in inquiry techniques of instruction. The method used to study the impact this experience had upon participants is a case study design in which three of the high school teachers were the subjects of analysis. Additional data were incorporated from project administrators and other teachers and assistants involved with the professional development experience. Data sources include highly structured questionnaires, observations, semi-structured interviews, documents, archival …
A Case Study On Graduates From An Online Certificate Program And Their Experiences Related To Engagement Practices, Lorraine Angelino
A Case Study On Graduates From An Online Certificate Program And Their Experiences Related To Engagement Practices, Lorraine Angelino
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The number of students taking online courses increased 146% from fall 2002 through fall 2007. In addition, the number of distance education programs increased 299% from 2000–01 through 2006–07. As the number of students taking online courses continues to increase, institutions of higher education will need to focus on increasing student retention and increasing student success. Low retention rates plague online programs that lack engagement practices. One method to achieving student success is engaging online learners early and often using engagement practices focused on increasing interactions with faculty, other students, course content, and members of the community.
Angelino and Natvig's …
A National Survey Of Teachers On Their Perceptions, Challenges, And Uses Of Information And Communication Technology, Amy Hutchison
A National Survey Of Teachers On Their Perceptions, Challenges, And Uses Of Information And Communication Technology, Amy Hutchison
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This study had five main purposes: (a) to investigate the extent to which literacy teachers nationwide integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into literacy instruction; (b) to investigate the extent to which ICTs are utilized in ways that promote the acquisition of literacy skills within digital environments; (c) to identify the perceived obstacles and challenges teachers face in their attempts to integrate ICTs into instruction; (d) to determine how literacy teachers define ICT integration and how they perceive the importance of ICT integration into reading instruction; and (e) to identify the distinguishing characteristics of teachers who report no or minimal …
Workplace Incivility And Conflict Management Styles Of Community College Leaders In The Nine Mega States, Michelle Bartlett
Workplace Incivility And Conflict Management Styles Of Community College Leaders In The Nine Mega States, Michelle Bartlett
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The purpose of the study was to examine the conflict management styles and perceived levels of workplace incivility of community college senior level administrators in the nine mega-states. Six research questions guided the study. Research question one described the self reported conflict management styles of the participants. Research question two described the participants' perceptions of workplace incivility. Research question three examined if relationships existed between conflict management styles and demographic variables. Research question four examined if relationships existed between workplace incivility and demographic variables. Research question five examined if relationships existed between workplace incivility and conflict management styles. Research question …
Ethical Leadership In Higher Education: Evolution Of Institutional Ethics Logic, William Hanson
Ethical Leadership In Higher Education: Evolution Of Institutional Ethics Logic, William Hanson
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In higher education, we face a decade in which institutional integrity and legitimacy is under fire. In the words of Charles Dickens, this is certainly 'the worst of times' both economically and ethically for our nation, as well as for our colleges and universities. While members of higher education call for student academic ethics reform, ethical infractions by institutional leaders and faculty permeate professional literature and news--student loan scandals, charges of plagiarism, and falsified research, are but a few. This study begins with the premise that perhaps our efforts toward reform should focus on a better holistic understanding of system …
An Investigation Of The Factors Influencing Special Education Directors In South Carolina In The Implementation Of Policy, Julie Fowler
An Investigation Of The Factors Influencing Special Education Directors In South Carolina In The Implementation Of Policy, Julie Fowler
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Educational administrators assume that government-imposed policies are foundational to everyday decision-making in their respective districts; however, inherent to policies are the interpreters and the ramifications of their interpretations. Personnel responsible for interpreting and implementing new special education policy, in Local Education Agencies (LEAs), are the local directors of special education. This study examined the role of networking and the spread of isomorphic pressures by isolating the factors influencing special education directors in the implementation of federal, state, and local policy at the local level.
Faced with the challenge of implementing IDEIA 2004, South Carolina directors of special education confronted tough …
Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Integration, Social Integration, And Persistence Among First-Semester Community College Transfer Students At A Four-Year Institution, Susan Whorton
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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the academic self-efficacy, academic integration, social integration, and persistence among community college students from a selected community college during their first semester at a four-year institution. More specifically, differences between students who participated in a first-year transfer transition program and students who did not participate in a transfer transition program were investigated. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey research design, data regarding transfer students' academic self-efficacy and perceived cohesion beliefs were collected from a web-based survey. These data were analyzed along with students' first semester academic performance and persistence data …
Investigations Of Storm Water Management Professionals' Perceptions Of Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavers As A Stormwater Management Option, Keith Poole
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ABSTRACT
This study examined stormwater management professionals' perceptions of PICPs
(Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement) as a stormwater management option to
conventional curb and gutter methodology from years past.
A self-administered survey questionnaire was developed as the primary research
methodology. Three hundred stormwater management professionals were randomly
selected as research subjects, and qualitative and quantitative methods were used to
collect data for the study. Specific statistical gathering methods and tests for this study
included: ex post facto experimental design, grounded theory design, correlation
coefficients and ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficients.
The survey found through quantitative analysis that although stormwater
professionals have …
Discovering The Academic And Social Transitions Of Re-Enrolling Student Veterans At One Institution: A Grounded Theory, Wade Livingston
Discovering The Academic And Social Transitions Of Re-Enrolling Student Veterans At One Institution: A Grounded Theory, Wade Livingston
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Student veterans have been overlooked as a unique student population at institutions of higher learning. Moreover, student affairs practitioners, faculty, staff, and peer students are largely unaware of the unique needs of student veterans. The purpose of this study was to build a base of research on the academic and social experiences of re-enrolling student veterans with the goals of better understanding the student veteran experience and discovering new avenues of support for this population.
The researcher conducted a qualitative study utilizing grounded theory methodology to answer the primary research question: how do student veterans manage college re-enrollment after deployment, …