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Full-Text Articles in Education

Senior's Health Information Website: Technology Acceptance Related To Information Retention, Jane Madsen Jan 2007

Senior's Health Information Website: Technology Acceptance Related To Information Retention, Jane Madsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The formative study investigated health information for seniors on the Internet with consideration of usability of the selected system, user's perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, system use, and performance, i.e. information retention. A theoretical model was developed by the researcher, i.e. JAM's Senior Health Information Technology Acceptance Model, as an enhanced version of the traditional Davis Technology Acceptance Model. The new model provided the critical relationship between the senior health information system and other technology acceptance components. Computer self-efficacy was added to the hypothetical model to better explain the seniors' technology usage and performance. The hypotheses and the research …


Human Sexuality Education In The Middle Grades Classroom: A Review Of Curricula In A Sample Of Florida School Districts, Melinda Myrick Jan 2007

Human Sexuality Education In The Middle Grades Classroom: A Review Of Curricula In A Sample Of Florida School Districts, Melinda Myrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which human sexuality topics are covered in Florida middle school science classrooms and the process by which curricular decisions are made regarding human sexuality education on a county-wide basis. Primary data included interviews with county-level administrators who oversee curricular decisions related to the middle-grades science curriculum or health curriculum in twelve school districts within the state. These districts represented four geographic locations and districts of various sizes. Administrators from four of the twelve studies in the sample chose to provide information regarding their human sexuality education curriculum. In two cases, teacher leads were identified …


The Relationship Between Master's Level Counseling Practicum Students' Wellness And Client Outcomes, Elizabeth O'Brien Jan 2007

The Relationship Between Master's Level Counseling Practicum Students' Wellness And Client Outcomes, Elizabeth O'Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Client outcome research focuses primarily on three specific aspects of therapy: therapist technique, client behaviors and therapeutic interaction. The term "therapeutic interaction" focuses on the relationship between the counselor and the client, and is often ignored in client outcome research. Counselor specific contributions to the therapeutic process are called therapist characteristics may be an innovative way to assess how counselors' impact clients' outcomes in counseling. For the purposes of this study administering the Five Factor Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle and the Outcome Questionnaire to master's level student counselors assessed therapist characteristics. The Outcome Questionnaire was administered to clients at a …


The Relationship Between Mentoring And Elementary Beginning Teachers' Intent To Stay In The Teaching Field, Deborah Partridge Jan 2007

The Relationship Between Mentoring And Elementary Beginning Teachers' Intent To Stay In The Teaching Field, Deborah Partridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this survey research study was to determine if a relationship existed between mentoring for beginning elementary teachers and teachers' intent to stay in the teaching field. The key attribute analyzed was the significance of having or not having a mentor. Teachers' perceptions regarding mentoring were analyzed and teacher opinions of the most important elements of a mentoring program were discussed. Results indicated there was not a statistical significance between mentoring and teachers' intent to stay in the teaching field. The qualitative portion of the survey revealed that beginning teachers felt availability, accessibility, and receptivity of the mentor …


The Use Of Science Reform Instructional Methods And Their Effect On 3rd Grade Students' Participation And Attitude Towards S, Heather Robinson Jan 2007

The Use Of Science Reform Instructional Methods And Their Effect On 3rd Grade Students' Participation And Attitude Towards S, Heather Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether the use of science reform instructional methods had an effect on student participation in and attitudes towards science education. The participants in this 12 week study were third grade students. Data were collected using a pre and post attitudinal survey, student journals, a participation log, and a researcher reflection journal. Several conclusions were made. The use of science reform instructional methods did affect student participation and attitudes towards science. Student journals indicated that students enjoyed the use of technology, hands-on science equipment, working in pairs or small groups and the …


The Impact Of Computer Based Simulation Training On Leadership Development, Stanley Sidor Jan 2007

The Impact Of Computer Based Simulation Training On Leadership Development, Stanley Sidor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between measures of emotional intelligence after participation in a simulation based leadership development program as applied to a student cohort at a community college. Additionally, this study was conducted to investigate significant differences in emotional intelligence subscales when compared to the categorical variables of age, race, gender, position type, number of years employed, and time. All 300 students in the introductory management classes in the Bachelors of Applied Science business principles classes in the Business program were invited to participate. A total of 201 questionnaires representing 103 individuals were returned, …


Does Success For All Impact Reading Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities?, Stacey Smith-Davis Jan 2007

Does Success For All Impact Reading Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities?, Stacey Smith-Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks an answer to the question: "Will students with learning disabilities who were provided reading instruction through the Success For All reading program demonstrate higher reading achievement on selected reading assessments (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and the Qualitative Reading Inventory-3) than the students with learning disabilities who were provided reading instruction through other reading programs?" Determining the impact of the Success For All reading program on reading assessment scores will add to the research about effective reading instruction methods for use with students with learning disabilities. The target population of this study was third grade students with learning …


Recreational Technology And Its Impact On The Learning Development Of Children Ages 4-8: A Meta-Analysis For The 21st Century Cl, Joey Templeton Jan 2007

Recreational Technology And Its Impact On The Learning Development Of Children Ages 4-8: A Meta-Analysis For The 21st Century Cl, Joey Templeton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on technology (specifically video games and interactive software games) and their effects on the cognitive development of children ages 4-8. The research will be conducted as a meta-analysis combining research and theory in order to determine if the educational approach to this age group needs to change/adapt to learners who have been affected by this technology. I will focus upon both the physical and mental aspects of their development and present a comprehensive review of current educational theory and practice. By examining current curriculum goals and cross-referencing them to research conducted in fields other than education (i.e. …


The Relationship Between Admission Credentials And The Success Of Students Admitted To A Physics Doctoral Program, Teresa Wilkerson Jan 2007

The Relationship Between Admission Credentials And The Success Of Students Admitted To A Physics Doctoral Program, Teresa Wilkerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher developed this study based on the Hardgrave, et al. (1993)statement that for a doctoral student, it was "more than just standardized scores, previous academic performance, and past work experience ultimately affects whether the candidate will be successful in the program" (p. 261). This study examined both the subjective and quantifiable aspects of application materials to a physics doctoral program to explore potential relationships between the credentials presented in the application and the ultimate success of the admitted students. The researcher developed questions with the goals of addressing the problem of attrition in doctoral programs and gaining a better …


The Effect Of Technology Acceptance On Undergraduate Students' Usage Of Webct As A Collaborative Tool, Huei-Hsuan Yang Jan 2007

The Effect Of Technology Acceptance On Undergraduate Students' Usage Of Webct As A Collaborative Tool, Huei-Hsuan Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to use the Technology Acceptance Model (Pan, 2003) for re-examination of the relationships between students' attitude toward the use of WebCT and the relevance of the actual usage in light of social presence and sociability. By using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by F. Davis (1989), this study focused on variables such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, subjective norms, attitude and actual use of WebCT to account for the effect towards the achievement in the exam which is an outcome variable. The data were collected over three different time …


A Cultural Contingency Leadership Model For A Multinational Higher Education Joint Venture, Frankie Albritton Jan 2007

A Cultural Contingency Leadership Model For A Multinational Higher Education Joint Venture, Frankie Albritton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addressed the need for empirical research on the leadership of multinational virtual teams (Davis & Bryant, 2003; Early & Gibson, 2002; Ilgen, Lepine, and Hollenbeck, 1997; Prieto & Arias, 1997), particularly in the field of educational leadership (Cheng, 1995). This was accomplished through the development of a model based upon the cultural values discovered through the use of Hofstede's (1980, 2001) Values Survey Module 94 (VSM 94). As workers will bring values from their own cultures to the multinational workplace (Bochner & Hesketh, 1994), research was conducted to determine the cultural values of economics professors in the United …


What Is College-Level Writing? - The Common Ground From Which A New Secondary Post Secondary Composition Partnership Can Be Formed, Nancy Jane Berger Jan 2007

What Is College-Level Writing? - The Common Ground From Which A New Secondary Post Secondary Composition Partnership Can Be Formed, Nancy Jane Berger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the Introduction to What is "College-Level" Writing?, editors Patrick Sullivan and Howard Tinberg state that the title asks "one of the most important questions in our profession" (xiii). However, even after 418 pages of essays written from the perspectives of high school teachers, college instructors, students, and administrators, the answer remains elusive because college-level writing does not, in fact, start in college - it starts in high school - where high school teachers believe they are instilling in their college-bound students the writing skills required by post-secondary institutions. The students, meanwhile, show up in first-year composition classes to find …


Florida First Year Teachers' Perceptions Of Preparedness To Meet National Educational Technology Standards For Teachers (Net, Larry Bedenbaugh Jan 2007

Florida First Year Teachers' Perceptions Of Preparedness To Meet National Educational Technology Standards For Teachers (Net, Larry Bedenbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if first year teachers in Florida perceived they were adequately prepared by their preservice education programs to meet the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). The study was designed to gather data about first year teacher perceptions of personal technology proficiency and self-reported technology integration practices. The data were measured using the First Year Teacher Perceptions Related to Preparedness to Meet National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) survey instrument. The sample (N=257) for this study was drawn from the population of Florida first year PreK-12 public classroom teachers from the …


The Effects Of Reciprocal Teaching Strategies On Students' Comprehension Of A Seventh Grade Life Science Text, Brooke Bess Jan 2007

The Effects Of Reciprocal Teaching Strategies On Students' Comprehension Of A Seventh Grade Life Science Text, Brooke Bess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research study was conducted with 7th grade life science students at a public middle school in central Florida. The author used Reciprocal Teaching (RT) as described by Annemarie Palincsar and Anne Brown (1984) to examine changes in student comprehension when reading their life science textbook and changes in how the students used the predicting, questioning, and summarizing strategies. The RT strategies ask students to employ 4 strategies: predict what they will read, generate questions about what was read, clarify any ideas that were not understood in the reading, and summarize the main idea of the reading. Students were …


We're Becoming Bilingual And Biliterate! An Ethnographic Study On How A Dual-Language Program In Florida Contributes To The Literacy Development Of English-Language Learners, Diane Black Jan 2007

We're Becoming Bilingual And Biliterate! An Ethnographic Study On How A Dual-Language Program In Florida Contributes To The Literacy Development Of English-Language Learners, Diane Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine whether participation in a dual-language program by English-language learners (ELLs) contributed to the literacy development of this student population. This qualitative research spanned 5 months and was conducted within an elementary school located in central Florida. It is important to note that the researcher was also a teacher within the dual-language program under study, hence possessed an inside perspective of the program and the progression of several participating students. The study was guided by the following research questions: 1. What factors contribute to the improved literacy development for ELLs through participation in …


Principals Application Of Knowledge To The Structure And Support Of Special Education Programs In Florida Middle Schools, Lisa Fuehrer Bugden Jan 2007

Principals Application Of Knowledge To The Structure And Support Of Special Education Programs In Florida Middle Schools, Lisa Fuehrer Bugden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was developed to determine middle school principals' knowledge about the structure of the special education program in their schools and the support given to the personnel who serve students with disabilities in that program. The principals' knowledge was compared to the application of their knowledge to determine if principals were applying what they knew when making decisions about structuring and supporting the special education program in the school and the teachers and staff who work within the programs. In addition, various personal and school factors were analyzed to determine if any of these variables were significant in explaining …


Online Fundraising Trends Among Selected Business Schools In The United States, Joanne Chive Jan 2007

Online Fundraising Trends Among Selected Business Schools In The United States, Joanne Chive

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many business schools in the United States have experienced a decrease in funding. To compensate for the reduced revenue and remain competitive, a number of these institutions have discovered new and creative ways to raise money, such as using the Internet. This study examined the impact that the Internet has on business school philanthropy and identified online giving trends among randomly selected AACSB International accredited institutions in the United States. A 20-item questionnaire was used to measure the results. Of the 107 business schools that participated in this study, 36.4% (n=39) raised money online. Data also revealed that 66.7% of …


An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Counseling Self-Efficacy And Counselor Wellness Among Counselor Education Students, Jennifer Curry Jan 2007

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Counseling Self-Efficacy And Counselor Wellness Among Counselor Education Students, Jennifer Curry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research in counselor training has focused on the difficulties and challenges facing counseling practitioners that result in high stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and counselor impairment. The American Counseling Association's (ACA) Code of Ethics has addressed the ethical issues inherent in counselor impairment. Further, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has focused on the development of counselors that will assist them in being resilient to workplace stressors. Wellness is a theoretically based construct that holds much promise for bolstering the resilience of pre-service counselors. In addition, counselor self-efficacy has been linked to greater …


Academic Advising In Higher Education: Distance Learners And Levels Of Satisfaction Using Web Camera Technology, Terri Hernandez Jan 2007

Academic Advising In Higher Education: Distance Learners And Levels Of Satisfaction Using Web Camera Technology, Terri Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of in-seat face-to-face advising in contrast to web camera advising of College of Arts and Sciences psychology majors in the 2005-2006 academic year. Satisfaction levels were determined and analyzed based on random assignment to either the control group (in-seat face-to face) or the experimental group (web camera) advising. The data collected for this study consisted of participants' responses to the Academic Advising Inventory (AAI) administered to undergraduate psychology majors (N = 102). Overall, students were satisfied with advising services regardless of the advising group to which they were randomly assigned. …


Rural Teacher Satisfaction: An Analysis Of Beliefsand Attitudes Of Rural Teachers' Job Satisfaction, John Huysman Jan 2007

Rural Teacher Satisfaction: An Analysis Of Beliefsand Attitudes Of Rural Teachers' Job Satisfaction, John Huysman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to understand the beliefs and attitudes of teachers that affect their perceptions of job satisfaction in one small rural Florida school district. Data collected included a self-administered survey of Likert-type items measuring 20 factors for job satisfaction (96% response rate), individual semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Analysis of the data confirmed prior research suggesting that multiple factors influence job satisfaction. Intrinsic satisfaction factors were the best predictors of overall job satisfaction: security, activity, social service, variety, and ability utilization. Extrinsic factors were most likely to predict overall dissatisfaction: recognition, company policies, opportunities for advancement, …


High School Literacy Coaches In Florida: A Study Of Background, Time, And Other Factors Related To Reading Achievement, Donald Boulware Jan 2007

High School Literacy Coaches In Florida: A Study Of Background, Time, And Other Factors Related To Reading Achievement, Donald Boulware

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to understand the work lives of literacy coaches in central Florida by studying who they were, what they did, and what they believed influenced student achievement. In addition, it was important to understand the perceptions of literacy coaches as to what factors influenced positive changes in student achievement. Of 27 central Florida literacy coaches, this study examined the academic and professional background of each coach, explored the time spent on ten key literacy coaching activities, and analyzed work factors related to student achievement in reading on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Although the literacy …


Virtual Vistas: High School Students Describing Their Experiences In Online Courses., Amy Scheick Jan 2007

Virtual Vistas: High School Students Describing Their Experiences In Online Courses., Amy Scheick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research indicates that distance education courses can be as effective as traditional courses when the method and technologies used are appropriate to the instructional tasks. The number of states, counties, and school districts that provide online courses for high school students has rapidly expanded during the last ten years. The number of students, who enroll in these courses, has often grown by double digits each year. Understanding K-12 students' experiences in, and expectations of, online learning is important for many reasons. Online learning is certainly growing and may become a graduation requirement in more states. Currently Michigan requires every …


Enhancing The Knowledge And Involvement Of Hispanic Families Of Children With Disabilities Through Specifically Designed Family, Mayra Camacho Jan 2007

Enhancing The Knowledge And Involvement Of Hispanic Families Of Children With Disabilities Through Specifically Designed Family, Mayra Camacho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2005, the nation's minority groups totaled 98 million, or 33% of the country's total population. According to the U.S Census Bureau News (2007), Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the country with 14.8% of the total population and 44% of the minority population. The same report indicated that the Hispanic population accounted for almost half (48%) of the national population growth between 2005 and 2006, yet, students from minority backgrounds, including ethnically diverse students for whom English is their second language, exhibit lower academic achievement when compared to the majority group (Lyon et al., 2001). …


Internationalization Efforts At State Universities In Florida, Rachid Bendriss Jan 2007

Internationalization Efforts At State Universities In Florida, Rachid Bendriss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today's global environment poses more and more challenges for higher education institutions to provide learning opportunities that enable students to become globally competent and prepared to face the challenges of an increasingly global society. For many universities, internationalizing their campuses can help students acquire knowledge, skills, and experiences to be able to compete in the global economy and become productive members of a diverse world society. The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which internationalization had been realized in Florida's public universities by determining (1) whether there was a relationship between articulated commitment and the level …


Factors That Influence Transfer Of Hazardous Material Training: The Perception Of Selected Fire-Fighter Trainees And Supervisors, Divya Bhati Jan 2007

Factors That Influence Transfer Of Hazardous Material Training: The Perception Of Selected Fire-Fighter Trainees And Supervisors, Divya Bhati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of factors on transfer of training and was based on the work of Broad and Newstrom (1992). For the purpose of this study the Broad and Newstrom (1992) transfer of training barriers are rephrased into positive statements. The nine transfer of training factors are: (1) reinforcement on the job; (2) little interference from immediate (work) environment; (3) supportive organizational culture; (4) trainees' perception of training programs being practical; (5) trainees' perception of relevant training content; (6) trainees' being comfortable with change and associated effort; (7) trainer being supportive and inspiring; (8) trainees' perception of training …


A Case Study Of The Perceptions Of Principals Of Voucher Eligible High Schools In Florida, Robert Bolen Jan 2007

A Case Study Of The Perceptions Of Principals Of Voucher Eligible High Schools In Florida, Robert Bolen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983 has prompted a series of attempts to revise the educational system's outcomes. Legislative and executive reform bills have resulted in Educational Vouchers being a prime source of reform. A case study of the perceptions of public high school principals in Florida that are at Voucher Eligible high schools to those perceptions of principals at schools graded 'A' as of the 2002-03 academic school year was the focus of this study. Four public high school principals from two Florida districts were used in this study. Two schools were identified as Voucher Eligible …


Effects Of Advance Organizers On Learning And Retention From A Fully Web-Based Class, Baiyun Chen Jan 2007

Effects Of Advance Organizers On Learning And Retention From A Fully Web-Based Class, Baiyun Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the short-term and long-term effects of two kinds of advance organizers (AOs), a visual concept map and a text outline. The AOs were administered in a fully Web-based course in health care ethics. The outcome measures are students' knowledge acquisition and application in two posttests. This study was conducted through a post-test only control group design with a random assignment. The population of the study involved 166 college students who participated in this online class in their junior or senior year. The voluntary research participants were randomly assigned into the two treatment …


A Relationship Between Career Decision And Motivation To Persist, Patricia Ann Ferguson Jan 2007

A Relationship Between Career Decision And Motivation To Persist, Patricia Ann Ferguson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the past few decades, research on student retention has been primarily focused on the constructs of social integration, lack of financial support and academic under-preparedness (Astin, 1975; Bean & Metzner, 1985; Cabrera, 1993; Pascarella,1982; Tinto, 1975). This study examined the phenomenal occurrence of low retention due to "lack of major and career direction." The Career Decision Scale and the Achievement Motivation Profile assessments were administered to 105 students at a comprehensive community college. Six linear regressions were conducted to determine if there were statistical relationships between:(a) career decision and the motivation to persist and; (b) career indecision and the …


Characteristics Of Academic Writing In Education, Andrew Kemp Jan 2007

Characteristics Of Academic Writing In Education, Andrew Kemp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to Stangl (1994), Jalongo (2002), Richards and Miller (2005) and a host of other authors regarding publishing in educational journals, understanding the audience for an article is of utmost importance. Huff (1999) notes that an author must understand the audience for whom s/he writes. While much of this understanding of audience comes down to suitable topics (Silverman, 1982), articles must also fit the style of the journal to which it is being presented (Olsen, 1997). With this in mind, the purpose of this study is to characterize the writing style of academic writing in education. This research will involve …


The Impact Of Co-Teaching On Student Learning Outcomes In Secondary Social Studies Classrooms Implementing Content Enhancement R, Kimberly Zgonc Jan 2007

The Impact Of Co-Teaching On Student Learning Outcomes In Secondary Social Studies Classrooms Implementing Content Enhancement R, Kimberly Zgonc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if differences exist in student learning outcomes between students who are instructed in a co-taught or non co-taught environment in secondary social studies classrooms implementing Content Enhancement Routines (CER). This study examined student and teacher data from seventeen matched pairs of co-taught and non co-taught middle and high school general education social studies teachers who participated in professional development in CER and professional development in co-teaching if applicable. Of the 34 participating teachers, 23 were visited by school district personnel to verify implementation of CER. Five co-teaching teams, each consisting of a …