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Liberty University

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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2012

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Articles 61 - 90 of 110

Full-Text Articles in Education

School Change: Adolescents Transitioning From Conventional Schooling To Home-Based Online Education, Harvey Klamm May 2012

School Change: Adolescents Transitioning From Conventional Schooling To Home-Based Online Education, Harvey Klamm

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of six recently graduated adolescents to extrapolate the valued essence of their transitional encounters in changing from conventional school to home-based online schooling. The homeschool research shifted the emphasis from the outcome-based academic achievement studies prevalent during the past 20 years to a focus on internal and external factors impacting student learning within this technological instructional process. Findings produced from analysis and interpretation of reflective adolescent lived experiences revealed rich truth regarding the internal emotions, environmental adaptations, academic ramifications, and social adaptations encountered when changing from conventional schooling to home-based online school. …


Teachers And Hand-Held Graphing Technology: An Examination Of Concerns, Edward Helton May 2012

Teachers And Hand-Held Graphing Technology: An Examination Of Concerns, Edward Helton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this nonexperimental causal-comparative study was to examine the concerns of teachers in reference to the graphing calculator, as measured by the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) and compare the results to a combination of levels of concerns between groups. The study participants were high school teachers of mathematics in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee (n = 128). This study utilized a two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine the effect of two independent variables, formal training and experience teaching with a graphing calculator, on seven dependent variables, teachers' Stages of Concern (stages 0-6). Also, a one-way …


The Effects Of Repeated Readings On Third Grade Students' Reading Achievement And Attitudes, Tennille Kasper-Scheriff Apr 2012

The Effects Of Repeated Readings On Third Grade Students' Reading Achievement And Attitudes, Tennille Kasper-Scheriff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effects of a reading strategy, repeated readings, on third grade students' reading achievement and attitudes. One hundred sixteen third grade students as members of six classrooms in one elementary school participated in this 10 week study. Using a quasi-experimental pretest posttest design, students' mean reading scores and mean reading attitude scores were evaluated. The Measures of Academic Progress test was used to collect data on students' reading achievement (Northwest Evaluation Association, 2009), and student attitudes toward reading were measured by the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) (McKenna & Kear, 1990). Data was analyzed using analysis of …


Discipling Worship Leadership: Biblical And Theological Rationale For Discipling Worship Leaders, Byron Spradlin Apr 2012

Discipling Worship Leadership: Biblical And Theological Rationale For Discipling Worship Leaders, Byron Spradlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current worship literature reveals very little guidance to assist Protestant church leaders in training, discipling or mentoring congregational worship leadership. Therefore, this thesis project researched and presents a basic rationale for developing worship leadership discipling curricula strategically targeting the needs related to discipling and training artistic Christians who are called to worship leadership in the local church.


Accommodations In Homeschool Settings For Children With Special Education Needs, Patricia Koelsch Stoudt Apr 2012

Accommodations In Homeschool Settings For Children With Special Education Needs, Patricia Koelsch Stoudt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study was designed to examine how homeschooling parents in Pennsylvania make the determination to engage with public school districts to accommodate the special education needs (SEN) of their children. This phenomenological study used direct interviews with 30 Pennsylvania families who are homeschooling children with SEN. Data were analyzed by using the constant comparative method. The study found that even though Pennsylvania's law allows families and school districts to work together to provide services to address the children's SEN, this does not happen often. Most families in this study utilized services from private resources. These private services were paid …


Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom Apr 2012

Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of Native Americans entering college is higher now than it has been over the past 40 years; however, the degree completion rate has been less than half that of White students. This research study was a bounded case study of Native American students enrolled in the teacher education program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the perceived factors influencing the retention rate of Native American college students. Some of the theoretical models that explain why students stay or leave an institution before earning a college degree look more toward explaining this phenomenon in a …


Standing In The Gap: A Study Of College-Bound Latinas' Resilience In Completing High School Within An At-Risk Environment, Shane York Apr 2012

Standing In The Gap: A Study Of College-Bound Latinas' Resilience In Completing High School Within An At-Risk Environment, Shane York

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to look at the life experience factors that led to high school graduation through the eyes of resilient Latinas between the ages of 18 and 25. A grounded theory approach was used in combination with Paulo Freire's praxis and a resiliency conceptual framework to derive constructs directly from the data itself. Participants were selected through a purposive, snowball method until saturation was met. Extensive qualitative interviews were employed to gather the data used to derive theory. All data were coded and reviewed in light of the three research questions. Validity and trustworthiness were established …


Effects Of A Developmental Boot Camp: Improving Student Performance On A College Placement Test, Heather Hill Apr 2012

Effects Of A Developmental Boot Camp: Improving Student Performance On A College Placement Test, Heather Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nationwide, students are entering college unprepared for college-level work. Recent high school graduates are placing into developmental courses at an alarming rate. The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of a developmental boot camp on standardized placement test scores of students enrolling at a community college in North Carolina. The study has a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design. Collected data will include participants' scores on the pretest and posttest placement test. A control group of eligible students who chose not to participate will be posttested for comparison. Instruments include ASSET® placement test and Computer-Adaptive Placement Assessment …


A Heuristic Inquiry Into The Stress That Home Educators Experience, Jennifer Rathmell Apr 2012

A Heuristic Inquiry Into The Stress That Home Educators Experience, Jennifer Rathmell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the stress that families incur when they choose home education as their primary educational method. Extensive studies exist regarding stress that traditional education teacher's experience. However, the research on stress experienced by parents who are the primary educators of their children is limited. This study endeavored to provide insight and add to the home-education body of research. Using a heuristic inquiry research design, nine home educators participated in four data collection methods: a homeschool questionnaire, The Occupational Stress Inventory - Revised (OSI-R), a focus group, and individual interviews. …


A Comparative Study Of The Teaching Methods Of Christian And Secular Preschools, Lloyd Mcdaniel Apr 2012

A Comparative Study Of The Teaching Methods Of Christian And Secular Preschools, Lloyd Mcdaniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is a comparative study of the teaching methods of Christian preschools and secular preschool. I used two Christian and two secular preschools for the study. The study included interviews of the teachers and preschool directors and observations of actions in the classroom. Many children enter kindergarten not fully prepared for a classroom environment. Some of these children have never been outside the home without a parent and to be placed in a strange setting with strange people and answering to adults that are not parents, can be quite stressful. They are expected to become adjusted and start learning …


The Correlation Between The Three Reading Fluency Subskills And Reading Comprehension In At-Risk Adolescent Readers, Craig Courbron Apr 2012

The Correlation Between The Three Reading Fluency Subskills And Reading Comprehension In At-Risk Adolescent Readers, Craig Courbron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine which of the three reading fluency subskills were most strongly correlated with reading comprehension in adolescent at-risk readers. The participants were 82 adolescent males (ages 13-19) who had been committed to a juvenile detention facility. Archival data from a two-year period was collected from a maximum security juvenile detention facility in a rural section of the Northeastern United States. The Measures of Academic Progress test was used to collect reading comprehension data; the Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 test was used to collect reading speed and reading accuracy data; the Multidimensional Fluency Scale was …


Comparison Of The Effects Block And Traditional Schedules Have On The Number Of Students Who Are Proficient On The Biology End-Of-Course Test In Forty Public High Schools In The State Of North Carolina, Tonia Bonner Apr 2012

Comparison Of The Effects Block And Traditional Schedules Have On The Number Of Students Who Are Proficient On The Biology End-Of-Course Test In Forty Public High Schools In The State Of North Carolina, Tonia Bonner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the difference between the number of overall students, African-American students, and students with disabilities on a semester 4 x 4 block schedule who were proficient on the North Carolina Biology End-of-Course Test and the number of the same group of students on a traditional 45-50 minute yearlong schedule who were proficient on the NC Biology End-of-Course Test in the state of North Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year. A causal-comparative design was used and three null hypotheses were tested using chi-square analysis. Archival data was used. The results showed that there was a significant association between the …


Determining If Instructional Delivery Model Differences Exist In Remedial English, Latanya Carter Apr 2012

Determining If Instructional Delivery Model Differences Exist In Remedial English, Latanya Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study is to test the theory of no significant difference that compares pre- and post-test assessment scores, controlling for the instructional delivery model of online and face-to-face students at a Mid-Atlantic university. Online education and virtual distance learning programs have increased in popularity and enrollment since their inception. Students tend to enroll in online courses for their flexibility and convenience and find online courses to be just as challenging as face-to-face courses (Pastore & Carr-Chellman, 2009). Russell (1999) conducted a meta-analysis which found that there were no significant differences between the modes of class …


Transformational Discipleship: A Model For Sermon-Based Small Groups For Life Transformation, Jon Harless Apr 2012

Transformational Discipleship: A Model For Sermon-Based Small Groups For Life Transformation, Jon Harless

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In consideration of the Great Commission commanded by Jesus Christ, it is certain that the goal of every pastor is to present to the Lord transforming or maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. With this in mind, the purpose of this project is to research and champion the effectiveness of Transformational Discipleship by providing the biblical and theological merits of this discipleship process while also providing a more concrete understanding of the practical effectiveness of this method of discipleship for life transformation in the fulfilling of the Great Commission. This method of discipleship here described as "transformational" is when the pastor's …


A Study Of Ethnic Minority College Students: A Relationship Among The Big Five Personality Traits, Cultural Intelligence, And Psychological Well-Being, Teresa Smith Apr 2012

A Study Of Ethnic Minority College Students: A Relationship Among The Big Five Personality Traits, Cultural Intelligence, And Psychological Well-Being, Teresa Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Institutions of Higher Education are challenged to educate an increasing, diverse ethnic minority population. This study examines (1) if the theory of the Big Five personality traits as a predictor of the cultural intelligence theoretical model remains constant with ethnic minority college students attending a southeastern United States Historically Black College or University, and (2) if there is a predictive relationship between cultural intelligence and the psychological well-being of ethnic minority college students. Ethnic minority college students received an online survey that included demographic questions, the Cultural Intelligence Scale (Earley & Ang, 2003), Goldberg's (1999) Internal Personality Item Pool (IPIP), …


The Long-Term Social & Emotional Outcomes Of Subject-Area Acceleration On Gifted Learners, Dana King Apr 2012

The Long-Term Social & Emotional Outcomes Of Subject-Area Acceleration On Gifted Learners, Dana King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study utilizing transcendental phenomenology methods sought to understand the long-term social and emotional outcomes associated with subject-area acceleration. The participants were high school gifted juniors and seniors from one rural high school the southeastern United States. Data was collected through surveys, individual interviews, and focus group interviews. The rich details produced by this study enabled the researcher to construct a voice for this population by analyzing overarching themes emerging from surveys and interviews. The results of this study indicated that participants experienced primarily positive social and emotional outcomes of subject-area acceleration. The study will help guide teachers, …


The Impact Of Georgia's Esol Endorsement On Teachers' Attitudes And Secondary English Language Learners (Ells)' Achievement, Traci Mcbride Apr 2012

The Impact Of Georgia's Esol Endorsement On Teachers' Attitudes And Secondary English Language Learners (Ells)' Achievement, Traci Mcbride

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As school districts are facing increasing pressure to meet annual yearly progress goals based upon the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001), teacher preparation and effectiveness, especially in teaching specific subgroups, is an issue that resonates with many educators today. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined the impact teachers who have obtained an ESOL endorsement have on standardized test scores in six high schools within one district in northeast Georgia. Additionally, the researcher compared teachers' attitudes and perceptions of six themes towards ELL inclusion in their mainstream classrooms in these same schools with findings from the original survey designed by Reeves …


A Phenomenological Study Of Teacher And Administrator Experiences In The Analysis And Interpretation Of Student Assessment Data, Matthew Ross Apr 2012

A Phenomenological Study Of Teacher And Administrator Experiences In The Analysis And Interpretation Of Student Assessment Data, Matthew Ross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative empirical phenomenological study was to examine the experience of analyzing and interpreting student assessment data from the perspective of both teachers and administrators in order to identify: (a) those aspects of the experiences which are similar or dissimilar among the two groups, (b) the priorities and influences which affect those experiences, and (c) the most critical issues expressed by the participants. Ten teachers and five administrators participated in three in-depth individual interviews, online reflective journaling, and follow-on focus group interviews. This study revealed that the experiences of teachers and administrators can be characterized and described …


The Effectiveness Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Programs In Georgia Middle Schools, Kristy Rutland Arnold Apr 2012

The Effectiveness Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Programs In Georgia Middle Schools, Kristy Rutland Arnold

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Discipline issues and inappropriate student behavior in the classroom are issues that administrators and teachers throughout the country deal with on a daily basis and often lead to a loss of instructional time. This causal comparative study examined school-wide discipline programs and compared the behavior of students in schools using school-wide positive behavior management systems to the behavior of students in schools that do not implement school-wide programs based on the numbers of office referrals at each level of behavior. Three middle schools in one northwest county in Georgia were compared based on the presence of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions …


A Case Study Of Factors Leading To Student Success In An Accelerated Licensed Practical Nurse To Associate Degree Nursing Program, Sherry Taylor Apr 2012

A Case Study Of Factors Leading To Student Success In An Accelerated Licensed Practical Nurse To Associate Degree Nursing Program, Sherry Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study attempted to discover and comprehend the relationship of students and contributing factors of success, of one Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, to formulate an understanding of which contributing factors are most beneficial to enable students to persist to graduation and/or successfully pass the national nursing licensure examination. Multiple methods of data collection were used; a survey mailed to each of the 86 nursing graduates, three follow up focus group interviews with six graduates per group, a focus group interview with four nursing faculty, observation in classroom and clinical settings, and document …


Relationships Between Educators' Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Administrators' Gender, Stephanie Potter Apr 2012

Relationships Between Educators' Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Administrators' Gender, Stephanie Potter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the differences between teachers' mean job satisfaction scores based on the administrators' gender and examine the relationship between the administrators' gender and teachers' organizational commitment plans in Tennessee middle schools. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment was measured by the Tennessee Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Survey that was administered online and completed by Tennessee teachers voluntarily and anonymously. A stratified random selection of schools based on the administrator's gender (female, n = 85; male, n = 85) was selected (N = 170) from those achieving the predetermined response criteria …


A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of New Secondary School Assistant Principals, David Stanton Apr 2012

A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of New Secondary School Assistant Principals, David Stanton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study followed five secondary school assistant principals during the 2010-2011 school year. The participants range in age from their early 30s to early 50s, three of the participants serving as assistant principals in high schools; and two as assistant principals in middle schools. All five participants work in two school districts in Oakland County, Michigan, a suburban county northwest of Detroit and were promoted to administrative work within the past three years. The participants provided monthly calendars and journals along with discipline reports to demonstrate through their schedules, duties, and, most importantly, their own words, the experiences of …


Why Students Are Choosing Not To Participate In Honors And Advanced Placement Classes: The Phenomenon In One Georgia High School, Susan Buice Apr 2012

Why Students Are Choosing Not To Participate In Honors And Advanced Placement Classes: The Phenomenon In One Georgia High School, Susan Buice

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine the causes for high school students' decisions not to enroll in Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. This study is a transcendental phenomenology whose participants are students who have been determined to be potentially successful in Advanced Placement classes by the AP Potential publication but who have chosen not to take any advanced classes. I will use an initial interest survey, individual interviews, and focus groups in order to gain knowledge from the students about their reasons for choosing not to participate in the Honors/AP classes. After coding the responses, I will …


A Values Comparison Of Liberty University Freshmen, Steve R. Vandegriff Apr 2012

A Values Comparison Of Liberty University Freshmen, Steve R. Vandegriff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been debate over generally accepted values, not only in the context of education, but also within the context of those who are considered people of faith. This study is an investigation to determine if there are any differences between the two contexts, with responses being drawn from students enrolled in a required introductory university course on the campus of a Christian university. The variables of this study will be gender and ethnicity, giving a picture of student values, prior to being influenced by university pedagogy. A survey was made available by Hogan Assessments, self-titled as Motives, Values Preferences …


Exploring Hispanic Teenage Pregnancy And School Resiliency: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study, Olga Estrada Apr 2012

Exploring Hispanic Teenage Pregnancy And School Resiliency: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study, Olga Estrada

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teenage mothers face multiple risk factors that may prevent them from graduating from high school. This study examined the phenomenon of Hispanic teen pregnancy and teen mothers' experiences with emphasis on academic, social , and personal factors to stay in school. The study explored the resiliency of twelve Hispanic teen mothers through a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Their stories provide an insight into the challenges the young pregnant/mothers encountered during pregnancy and motherhood at home and in school. Their lived experiences also provide a framework for exploring the school, personal, and economic factors that most influenced their ability to remain in …


Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant Apr 2012

Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examined music-integrated (MI) instruction, framed by automatic information processing theory and elements of prosody. A quasi-experimental, pre- and posttest design was utilized to ascertain the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency among first grade students. Subjects were students in two public elementary schools in Georgia. To determine the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency scores, independent samples t-tests were employed to compare students' Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) test scores. Analysis revealed to what degree MI instruction in reading had effect upon two DIBELS indicators, specifically nonsense word fluency (NWF) and phoneme segmentation fluency …


Assessing Intrinsic Values Of A Lecture-Free High School Science Education For Collegiate Science Work: A Case Study, Christopher Dorais Apr 2012

Assessing Intrinsic Values Of A Lecture-Free High School Science Education For Collegiate Science Work: A Case Study, Christopher Dorais

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study examined the efficacy of the individualized instruction teaching methodology as it was applied within high school science classes. Also examined was how individualized instruction at the high school level prepared students to do collegiate science level work.


The Relationship Between Text Message Volume And Formal Writing Performance Among Upper Level High School Students And College Freshmen, Brian Wardyga Apr 2012

The Relationship Between Text Message Volume And Formal Writing Performance Among Upper Level High School Students And College Freshmen, Brian Wardyga

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to reveal whether there is a relationship between students' volume of text messaging and formal writing performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test writing section. The study also examined gender as a contributing variable in this measure. As a supplementary correlation, student text message volume was also compared to their Writing I course final grade. The study focused solely on texting because texting has become the preferred method of telecommunication among teens and young adults (Lindley, 2008, p. 19). The design included a questionnaire that collected data to show whether any relationships exist that indicate …


An Examination Of Newbery Medal Books From The 1920s Through The 2000s: Biblical Perspective, Kimberly Fleming Apr 2012

An Examination Of Newbery Medal Books From The 1920s Through The 2000s: Biblical Perspective, Kimberly Fleming

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Content analysis was conducted to determine the frequency of the presence of positive Biblical virtues and paired opposite traits across 18 Newbery Medal books from the 1920s through the 2000s because the Newbery Award is a prestigious honor bestowed upon children's literature, and the criteria for selection among books specifically precludes the necessity of good character. The fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 served as the rubric by which the characters' thoughts, dialogue, and actions were measured. Consensus data was recorded, and chi-square tests of independence were conducted after three readers examined the presence and frequency of each …


The Effect Different Synchronous Computer Mediums Have On Distance Education Graduate Students' Sense Of Community And Feelings Of Loneliness, Lorene Heuvelman-Hutchinson Apr 2012

The Effect Different Synchronous Computer Mediums Have On Distance Education Graduate Students' Sense Of Community And Feelings Of Loneliness, Lorene Heuvelman-Hutchinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Because distance education is such a rapidly developing educational venue, knowing what factors impact success must be known. Loneliness and sense of connectedness, or community, are issues facing graduate distance education students. These issues may influence retention. The theoretical framework of a Community of Practice assisted in understanding the development of community using computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems. The research questions answered included whether the type of synchronous CMC used (text- or video-based) could impact loneliness and community from a distance. An experimental design (randomized subjects, control group, posttest only) was used with distance education graduate students to address the research …