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University of Central Florida

2006

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Articles 61 - 75 of 75

Full-Text Articles in Education

Parental Involvement: Teachers' And Parents' Voices, Karen Shearer Jan 2006

Parental Involvement: Teachers' And Parents' Voices, Karen Shearer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parents have been involved in the education of their children since the early days of our nation. Their roles have evolved from teaching the basics of reading writing and arithmetic in Colonial times to overseeing the selection of teachers and designing the curriculum during the early 1800s to providing academic support in the home up through the present time. Although educators are generally viewed as professionals and in charge of their students' education, the importance of parental involvement is readily acknowledged. Confusing to both parents and educators is what constitutes parental involvement. The research revealed numerous definitions for the term, …


The Relationship Of Student Achievement To Prinicpals' Self-Reported Use Of The Four Frame Theory, Donna Poniatowski Jan 2006

The Relationship Of Student Achievement To Prinicpals' Self-Reported Use Of The Four Frame Theory, Donna Poniatowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was developed to provide information about the relationship of principals' use of Bolman and Deal's (1991) four frame model of leadership to student achievement. The collection and analysis of student Florida Comprehensive Assessment Testing (FCAT) data over a 2 year period served as a measure to indicate whether or not an increase in reading mean scale score occurred from 2004 to 2005. Comparative analysis of both sets of data using multiple regressions was used to determine if there was a relationship between the self-reported leadership orientations of the principals and student achievement. In addition, the study was intended …


A Faith-Based Program Evaluation: Moral Development Of Seminary Students At The Louisiana State Penitentiary, Bruce Sabin Jan 2006

A Faith-Based Program Evaluation: Moral Development Of Seminary Students At The Louisiana State Penitentiary, Bruce Sabin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct an outcomes-based program evaluation for the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) campus of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The study included one primary research question, with two subquestions. The primary research question asked to what extent students in the program developed moral judgment consistent with program goals of rehabilitating students and preparing them for effective ministry. The first subquestion asked whether statistically significant differences existed in the moral reasoning of students of different class years. The second subquestion asked whether statistically significant differences existed in the moral reasoning of students of different …


The Relationship Among Wellness, Severity Of Disturbance, And Social Desirability Of Entering Master's-Level Counseling Students, Heather Smith Jan 2006

The Relationship Among Wellness, Severity Of Disturbance, And Social Desirability Of Entering Master's-Level Counseling Students, Heather Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A wellness paradigm may hold promise for unifying and strengthening the identity of the counseling profession. The construct of wellness may also hold implications for assessment of entering master's-level counseling students, as a tool for continuous evaluation of students, or for overall program evaluation. In this study, the only counseling-based wellness assessment measure, the Five Factor Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle, was tested for its relationship to two other constructs: psychological disturbance and social desirability. In order to test the research hypotheses, a total of nine programs (in five states) and 204 entering master's-level counseling students completed instrumentation packets comprised of …


The Impact Of Online Education On Academic Performance For Ladies Professional Golf Association Teaching And Club Professionals, Jill Fjelstul Jan 2006

The Impact Of Online Education On Academic Performance For Ladies Professional Golf Association Teaching And Club Professionals, Jill Fjelstul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ladies Professional Golf Association Teaching Professionals are scattered throughout the country, many of whom are self-employed. There was not a review session for Class A written test preparation prior to this study. The focus of this research, thus, was to assist first time test takers in their preparation of the LPGA Class A written evaluation through an online medium. The study was conducted between July and November, 2005, and was offered to LPGA T & CP Class B first-time test takers. Components of the online review session included self-evaluations, discussion postings involving test-related content, and practice quizzes. The study compared …


A Comparison Of Marriage Education And Brief Couples Counseling, Tina Livingston Jan 2006

A Comparison Of Marriage Education And Brief Couples Counseling, Tina Livingston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated marital adjustment for couples participating in one of two treatment groups; the Brief Integrative Couples Counseling model(Young & Long, 1998, 2007); and the PREPARE/ENRICH Empowering Couples marriage education weekend workshop (Olson & Olson,2000). This study examined the following research questions: Do couples show a different level of marital adjustment following Brief Integrative Couples Counseling compared to those who receive a marriage education treatment?; Do couples show greater marital adjustment following Brief Integrative Couples Counseling compared to those who participated in a Marriage Education weekend workshop treatment over time? This article presents an exploration of mean marital adjustment …


An Investigation Of Principals' Attitudes Toward The Knowledge And Use Of Learning Styles In Therapeutic Settings, Renee Pancoast Jan 2006

An Investigation Of Principals' Attitudes Toward The Knowledge And Use Of Learning Styles In Therapeutic Settings, Renee Pancoast

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In March, 2006 the Principal's Attitudes Toward the Knowledge, Value, and Application of Learning Styles with Students in Therapeutic Settings survey developed by the author was distributed to 120 principals belonging to the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. Two mailings yielded a return of 68 (56.6%) usable survey instruments from which principals' self-reporting on knowledge, value and application of learning styles was examined. Focus for this study was provided through three research questions: (a) to determine to what extent principals in therapeutic settings self-reported general knowledge of learning style applications, (b) to determine to what extent principals exhibit …


Middle School Mathematics Teacher Certification, Degree Level, And Experience, And The Effects On Teacher Attrition And Student Mathematics Achievement In A Large Urban District, Bonnie Swan Jan 2006

Middle School Mathematics Teacher Certification, Degree Level, And Experience, And The Effects On Teacher Attrition And Student Mathematics Achievement In A Large Urban District, Bonnie Swan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the backgrounds and experiences of middle school mathematics teachers that often distinguish "quality" teachers, including certification, experience, degree type, and degree level and how those demographics and others vary for different types of schools. The emphasis was on profiling teachers in a large urban district by describing their basic features and distributions, as well as how middle school mathematics teachers, according to those differences, relate to student mathematics achievement, teacher attrition and teacher mobility. Student achievement was measured by test results from the Norm Reference Test-Normal Curve Equivalent (NRT-NCE) mathematics portion of …


How My Practice Of Using Manipulatives In Teaching Multiplying And Dividing Fractions Influences The Students' Conceptual Unders, Vickie Bale Jan 2006

How My Practice Of Using Manipulatives In Teaching Multiplying And Dividing Fractions Influences The Students' Conceptual Unders, Vickie Bale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how my practice of using manipulatives to teach multiplying and dividing fractions to 8th grade students facilitated their conceptual understanding of those operations. The students who participated in the study were enrolled in one of my intensive mathematics classes. Before the lessons began, I interviewed the students and gave them a pre-assessment to determine their content knowledge and comfort level with manipulatives. The students engaged in activities that included solving problems using various manipulatives. During the activities, I made observations of their problem solving techniques and how they used the manipulatives. At the conclusion of the …


Alternative Teacher Certification: An Investigation To Determine The Effectiveness Of Alternative Teacher Certification In The State Of Florida According To Principals' Perspective, Nelson Torres Jan 2006

Alternative Teacher Certification: An Investigation To Determine The Effectiveness Of Alternative Teacher Certification In The State Of Florida According To Principals' Perspective, Nelson Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alternative Certification Programs (ACPs) have been established in 47 states across the country, including Florida, to help alleviate the teacher shortage many public school districts have been experiencing during the last two decades. This teacher shortage has been reported to be more prevalent in areas where fully qualified and committed teachers are most needed. Current literature has identified areas such as inner-city schools, at-risk and minority students, bilingual education, math and physical sciences, and the special education field as the educational areas where the shortage is most significant. Faced with this dilemma, states have instituted ACPs as unconventional ways to …


The Effect Of School Culture On Science Education At An Elementary School: An Ethnographic Case Study, Lori Meier Jan 2006

The Effect Of School Culture On Science Education At An Elementary School: An Ethnographic Case Study, Lori Meier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ethnographic case study investigated one elementary school to understand how the school's culture influenced its science curriculum design and instruction. The main data was formal and informal semi-structured interviews with key teachers to understand their values, beliefs, practices, materials, and problems with science instruction. To triangulate these data, the researcher observed classroom practice, school-wide activities, and collected artifacts and documents. Data were analyzed using a theoretical framework that emphasizes that culture cannot be reduced to beliefs, values, practices, materials or problems, but rather each aspect of culture is interdependent and mutually reinforcing. The main finding suggests that the school's …


The Effects Of Hands-On Instructional Strategies On Fourth Grade Students' Attitudes And Performance In Mathematics, Lindsey Hosack Jan 2006

The Effects Of Hands-On Instructional Strategies On Fourth Grade Students' Attitudes And Performance In Mathematics, Lindsey Hosack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study summarizes research conducted in a fourth grade classroom in a suburban elementary school in the fall of 2005. This study investigated the practice of using hands-on instructional strategies, enhanced with technology, to improve students' attitudes and performance in mathematics. The classroom teacher supplemented conventional mathematics instruction with hands-on activities. Attitudinal data were collected using a pre- and post anxiety survey as well as journal writing assignments and student interviews. Performance data was collected using evaluative assessments. Results of this study showed a positive change in students' attitude towards mathematics. Student performance gains were recorded and analyzed throughout the …


Metacognitive Self-Regulation, Self-Efficacy For Learning And Performance, And Critical Thinking As Predictors Of Academic Succe, Edie Gaythwaite Jan 2006

Metacognitive Self-Regulation, Self-Efficacy For Learning And Performance, And Critical Thinking As Predictors Of Academic Succe, Edie Gaythwaite

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether metacognitive self-regulation, self-efficacy for learning and performance, and critical thinking could be identified as predictors of student academic success and course retention among community college students enrolled in online, telecourses, and traditional Fundamentals of Speech (public speaking) courses. The study was conducted during the Fall 2005 semester at Valencia Community College (VCC). Data for this study were collected from participating students enrolled in either one of the two online, two telecourse, and two traditional face-to-face public speaking courses chosen for analysis. Fifty-seven participants answered Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, and McKeachie (1991) Motivated …


A Case Study Of Four Years Documenting The Changes In The Process Of Self-Reporting Academic Program Plans Alongside The Perceptions Of Program Coordinators, Kedar Kulkarni Jan 2006

A Case Study Of Four Years Documenting The Changes In The Process Of Self-Reporting Academic Program Plans Alongside The Perceptions Of Program Coordinators, Kedar Kulkarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major Advisors: Suzanne Martin, Ph.D., Laura Blasi, Ph.D. Universities in the United States of America are faced with numerous challenges concerning quality assurance such as the quest for Continuous Quality Improvement. Implementation of technology has been a priority of many developing institutions of higher education. A large metropolitan institution of higher education has put into practice a technology based, on-line program quality assessment system, for its academic and administrative programs. This dissertation was a study of the changes reported over four years, 2001-2005, within ten initial teacher preparation undergraduate programs at the College of Education at this institution. Using a …


Educational Vision In Florida School Districts: Vision Alignment And Leadership Style, Cindy Sikkenga Jan 2006

Educational Vision In Florida School Districts: Vision Alignment And Leadership Style, Cindy Sikkenga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to address a gap in the organizational leadership research related to the sharing, or alignment, of leadership vision across organizational levels, with a focus on educational vision alignment in Florida K-12 public school districts. The study also sought to determine to what extent, if any, there were differences among Florida school districts exhibiting different levels of educational vision alignment. The broad question addressed by the current research was this: To what degree are the educational visions of superintendents and principals aligned within Florida K-12 public school districts? The following research questions further guided the …