Education Commons^™

An Examination Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Spiritual Well-Being Scale In A Sample Of African American Women, Mary Catherine Dugan

Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation of the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) (Paloutzian & Ellison) using a sample of African American women recruited from the community. The purpose was to determine the appropriateness of using the SWBS with a sample not included in the earlier norming studies (Ledbetter et al., 1991). The sample consisted of 168 African American women who were parents or guardians of youth attending middle school in a Midwestern urban area. The women completed a survey including demographic information, parent scales, and the SWBS. Construct validity of the SWBS was examined by conducting a …

Student Experiences During The 1954-1955 Merger Of Harris And Stowe Teachers Colleges, Kenneth Allen Wetstein

Dissertations

This project is a historiography of the merger of Harris and Stowe Teachers Colleges following the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. 483 (USSC 1954) Supreme Court decision. In September 1954, these two racially segregated teachers colleges, both operated by the St. Louis Board of Education, were merged on the Harris Teachers College campus. This merger represented the first instance of desegregated public education in the city of St. Louis. Fourteen alumni who attended the two colleges during this period participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews, recalling their experiences during the merger. This study also involved the collection of data archived …

The Effect Of Socioeconomic Status On Year-To-Year Persistence Of First-Generation And Continuing Generation Students At Two-Year And Four-Year Institutions: Developing A Conceptual Model, Jim S. Settle

Dissertations

Estimating the persistence of first-time students from the first year to the second year of college is a growing social and financial concern for postsecondary education. Studying how socioeconomic status affects year-to-year persistence may help to identify and assist those students who had socioeconomic profiles most likely to indicate challenges to year-to-year persistence.

This study used data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/98). BPS is a nationally representative survey designed to provide additional information about the patterns of educational attainment and persistence for a subset of the more than 51,000 students included in the NPSAS:96 survey. This study …

How High School Science-Related Experiences Influenced Career Persistence, Andrew Dwight Shaw

Dissertations

The events of 9/11 brought into focus two ongoing trends that were present before this tragedy and have continued since: 1) The United States needs more scientists if it is to ensure its freedoms and maintain its economy. 2) The number of scientists in the ¿pipeline¿ is declining because of the diminished presence of foreign scientists (they are wanted in their own countries), the under-representation of minorities and women, and the reduced numbers of students able and willing to take on the scholastic rigors necessary for a science or engineering degree. Though much has been written about improving science education, …

Navigating Cultures And Epistemologies In Science And Technology Education, Kathleen Theresa Kurzk

Dissertations

This investigation focuses on the nexus of science and culture in the lives of marginalized youth in the United States and South Africa. The epistemologies and contextual realities of cross-cultural learner cohorts and their understandings of scientific phenomena are examined. The researcher was a participant observer within the context of the Science, Technology & Culture: Empowering Learners (STC) program, an after-school and school-based collaboration focused upon integrating science, technology and culture. Electronic communication provided a vehicle for dialogue between youth in St. Louis, Missouri, USA and a South African Township. Study findings include documentation of the marginalizing effects of poverty …

An Analysis Of Rhythm Systems In The United States: Their Development And Frequency Of Use By Teachers, Students, And Authors; And Relation To Perceived Learning Preferences, Paul Charles Varley

Dissertations

One of the issues facing music educators is the way in which they teach students to read rhythms accurately. Using the current educational philosophy of differentiation, or teaching a student by appealing to their preferred learning style, as a backdrop, the researcher proposed that music educators tend to teach rhythms using a limited number of systems, thereby failing to utilize many of the available systems.

The researcher examined the published rhythm systems dating back to the early nineteenth century, surveyed band students in grades 7-12 concerning their preferences in learning rhythms and their learning styles, surveyed music teachers concerning their …

Alice Parker: American Choral Composer, Arranger, And Educator, Gail H. Fleming

Dissertations

This investigation is an in-depth examination of Alice Parker's philosophy of music in relation to choral teaching, arranging, and composing. The researcher proposes that within the context of multi-cultural American music, Alice Parker's unique approach to music making and how it is manifested within her choral compositions, arrangements, and teaching techniques is a significant and valuable area of study for music educators and students. Further, it is beneficial to administrators and the general public, as well.

Within the literature review, Alice Parker's unique and effective approach to music making is related to the need for a philosophy of music, educational …

Relationship Between Course-Taking Behavior, Gender, And Mathematics Achievement On The Missouri Assessment Program (Map), Geraldine Dressel Baumgart

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between student course taking, specifically the year of Algebra completion (grade 8, 9, 10, or not completed), and performance on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) mathematics test in grades 8 and 10. Data collected were student scores on the MAP tests, TerraNova tests in Communication Arts and Mathematics, student math grades, and demographic factors of gender and race. The sample of 512 students was taken from one school district in east central Missouri.

The MAP mathematics tests contain 3 item types. Item type was statistically significant with both males and females scoring highest on Multiple …