Education Commons^™

Digging Deeper: Enriching Transition To Adult Life Outcome Research Through Life-Histories, Jennifer Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Post-secondary outcomes for students with and without disabilities have been documented in transition research for over three decades. However, despite efforts to improve outcomes by the field of transition, former students with disabilities outcomes have remain lower than their non-disabled peers. Historically, the data, which has been collected mostly by means of survey research, has focused on what has happened to students since they exited school. Despite valiant efforts to improve adult outcomes, what has remained unclear, is why post-school outcomes have not improved in the areas of employment, post-secondary education, independent living, personal/social relationships, and community involvement.

Missing from …

Parent Involvement And Academic Achievement, Patrick Andrew Lussenhop

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research has shown that increasing parental involvement has a positive impact on the academic performance of students yet, for a variety of reasons, many schools struggle to get parents involved. Providing online data systems to communicate student progress with parents is one way schools may encourage parent involvement in their children's education. This study explores the relationship between parent use of an online data system and student academic achievement. Data from a Student Information System (SIS), including course grades, grade point average, attendance, and parent log-in information, was gathered over a four year period for a cohort of students from …

An Occupational Analysis Of Prepress In The Des Moines And Eastern Iowa Regions, Lee John Geisinger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is important that educators use a relevant, up-to-date curriculum when educating on a specific occupation. Job task analysis is an effective way for educators to understand an occupation and provide students with valuable information. This study analyzed prepress technicians' duties and tasks.

This research used the occupational analysis method called the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process. The DACUM process uses an expert worker panel to identify the duties and tasks of an occupation. This study found that there are 9 duties and 55 tasks for a prepress technician. After identifying the duties and tasks, the study confirmed those duties …

Increasing Teacher Diversity: Contributions Of A College Of Education Recruitment And Retention Program, Kate Elise Schmuck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There are very few minority teachers in pk-12 schools today even though research indicates that minority teachers are beneficial in classrooms. Teacher education programs are working to bring more teachers of color into the field, but few minority recruitment and retention programs have been evaluated. Most of these evaluations have been qualitative studies of the students in the programs, examining current and recommended practices to recruit and retain minority students into teacher education programs. This research was a qualitative study interviewing graduates of a minority teacher recruitment and retention program. It sought to answer the question: how does the recruitment …

Maggie And Her Students: Talking And Reasoning In A Reform-Based Mathematics Classroom, Debra Louise Semm Rich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this qualitative case study, I explored how Maggie, the teacher, and her students used language to advance students' conceptual understanding of mathematics in a reform-based mathematics classroom. Specifically I sought to describe how Maggie's reform-based mathematics classroom environment impacted the quantity and quality of mathematical language spoken by her students. Maggie's eighth-grade mathematics classroom was observed during a course of study on data and statistics. Three semi-structured interviews with Maggie, artifacts provided by her, and fourteen 52-minute classroom lessons, supported with field notes, were analyzed.

Environmental themes were revealed as they related to Maggie, her beliefs, goals, knowledge, and …

Functional Behavior Assessment: Procedures, Components, And Personnel, Hannah Louise Robson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Challenging behaviors at school inte1fere with a student's ability to effectively learn. In these situations behavioral assessments are frequently conducted and current practice adamantly supports the use of functional behavioral assessments (FBA) in addressing challenging behaviors among students. This study examines the assessment methods and personnel most frequently included in the FBA process in a Midwestern regional education agency through the review of completed assessments in a one year period. The results of this study suggest that record reviews and observations are utilized in the majority of the cases as part of the assessment process, along with an interview and …

Resident Assistant Use Of Student Development Theory And Its Relation To Supervisor Knowledge And Use, David Michael Schmid

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Resident assistants perform various functions and serve students in many aspects during their time in university residence halls, with one of their central responsibilities being to encourage student development. This study examined the use of student development by resident assistants and its relation to supervisor knowledge and use of student development theory.

Informal conversational interviews were conducted with three Residence Life Coordinators at the University of Northern Iowa and three Hall Directors at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Between two and five of the resident assistants supervised by these individuals were also interviewed.

Results indicate that while resident assistants may …

The Link Between Functional Behavioral Assessment And Behavioral Intervention Plans, Megan Kathleen Seamans Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The inclusion of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavioral intervention plans (BIP) in the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) 2004 changed the way an educator can discipline a student with a disability . Limited research has been conducted to evaluate FBAs and BIPs completed in the school setting, more specifically the use of FBA data to inform the BIP, and compliance with IDEIA mandates. The current study examined 72 initial FBAs and BIPs completed by school teams in a Midwest regional education agency. Findings indicate the majority of teams were out of compliance with IDEIA …

Effects Of Environmental Variables On Food Consumption, Denise Eslinger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Overweight and obesity is a growing epidemic among adults, adolescents, and children in the United States. Since 1980, rates of obesity have doubled among adults and tripled among children, and college students are not immune to this trend. This may be due, in part, to portion sizes that exceed individuals' caloric needs. Although many studies have demonstrated that people's food consumption is highly influenced by environmental factors ( e.g., the size of a portion that is given), there has been very little theoretical work exploring the reasons for this influence. To determine if portion size would affect consumption when a …

The Impact Of Attachment Disorder On The Family And Child, Stephanie Durocher

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

John Bowlby's attachment theory suggests that based on their needs for protection, comfort and nurturance, infants form attachments with their primary caregivers. The initial relationships a person has with others will serve as a blueprint for all future relationships. This connection has a significant influence on every area of a person's life, including cognition, physical and emotional health, future relationships, education and development of values. When an infant's needs are met with inconsistency, abuse or maltreatment, the influence on a child's life and those caring for the child is widespread. This study sought to explore the impact caring for a …

Raising Good Soviets: Media Depictions Of Soviet Life And Upbringing Under Khrushchev, Chelsea Miller

Honors Program Theses

Policies on education and upbringing affected almost every individual in the Soviet Union, from the youngest child to the oldest pensioner. These policies reflected the current ideological path of the party and the need to train the children to accomplish the country’s goals. On a more personal level, these policies helped the children evolve into successful adults able to easily enter the workforce. When the public saw that these policies were not being enforced or implemented, they expressed their dissatisfaction. These individuals were able to safely voice their criticisms by pointing out the educational system’s failures within the ideological framework …

Pre-Service General Education Teachers' Attitudes On The Education Of English Language Learners, Rachel Margaret Zidon

Honors Program Theses

Although increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) are joining native English speaking peers in general education classrooms, little research has been conducted to investigate general education teachers' preparation to work with ELLs in a classroom setting or their attitudes toward teaching ELLs. This research surveyed 260 pre-service general education teachers at a mid-sized university in the Midwest to explore their perceptions in the following areas: (1) their level of training and perceived preparedness to work with ELLs, (2) accommodations they would make for ELLs, (3) their expectations for ELLs, and (4) their attitudes toward including ELLs in general education …

Scholarship Management System, Eric Irvin Sauser

Honors Program Theses

The following document is my personal reflection looking back at the process to develop the Scholarship Management System. I will begin by offering a high‐level overview of the system as well as why I chose the project for my honors thesis. I will then explain the steps I took to complete the project as well as the functionality included in the system. I will close by assessing the value of the system to the users and provide a statement of my personal gains as a result of this project.

Shared Superintendency In Iowa: An Investigation Of Organizational Perceptions Of Leaders In Districts That Employ A Shared Superintendent, Roark Ronald Horn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The combination of declining enrollment and diminishing resources continues to pressure school leaders to make difficult choices; for an increasing number of districts one answer to this dilemma is to share a superintendent with a neighboring district. Research conducted by Decker, Talbot, and McCumsey (1990, 1991) showed that while potential financial benefits do exist to this type of organizational structure, this decision also comes with some cautionary concerns that must be considered. The purpose of this study was to provide additional information about shared superintendents to school districts that are considering moving to this kind of executive leader format. Specifically, …

Disrupting The Discussion : The Story Of Disruptive Students In The Online Classroom, Belle Doyle Cowden

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many online classrooms today are designed based on learner-centered principles. Implicit with this design perspective is the goal to create and facilitate a virtual learning community in which students learn from and share with each other through discussion based computer conferencing. In the current literature, little has been shared on what happens to the online learning community when students behave in a manner deemed challenging, difficult, or disruptive. However, as in the face-to-face classroom, disruptive student behaviors do appear in the online classroom.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how disruptive student behaviors impact the online learning community …

Cylinders And Spheres : Toddlers Engage In Problem Solving, Rosemary Geiken

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Every day more six million infants and toddlers (children under 3 years of age) enter some kind of out-of-home care, with 22% of this group attending center-based programs. Studies on the quality of care in centers indicate that 40% of these children are in poor quality settings while 51 % are in mediocre to medium quality settings. Two factors contributing to these low ratings are lack of age-appropriate materials and lack of learning opportunities. To address these data Piaget's theory of constructivism guided the design of a study to provide evidence of construction of knowledge that occurred when toddlers were …

Enrollment Of Students With Disabilities In Career And Technical Education, Cory C. Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The enrollment patterns of students with and without disabilities in Career and Technical Education (CTE) were examined. Data were collected from the transcripts and Individualized Education Plans (IEP) of 27 students with disabilities and the transcripts of 27 students without disabilities from three school districts at the end of their senior year. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analyses to describe differences between the enrollment patterns of students with and without disabilities as well as between students with different types and severity of disability. Overall, students in special education earned more CTE credits than students in general education. Additionally, …

Effective Professional Development For Teachers Of Students With Autism, Erin Marie Torruella

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The number of students with autism is on the rise. The main treatment for children with autism is their education. It is essential that teachers are prepared to work with students with autism. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a teacher training workshop held by Area Education Agency 267. Fifty-one participants of the workshop training responded to a survey regarding their implementation of strategies learned, their understanding of the content and strategies learned, the change in their planning and delivery of instruction, and the impact on their students' achievement.

The study found that the training …

A Comparison Of Face-To-Face And Online Instructional Delivery Methods In Large-Group Settings In A University Undergraduate Wellness Course, Lea Ann Shaddox

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Utilization of online delivery of the lecture component in an undergraduate wellness course is unique and undocumented in research. Wellness courses are traditionally taught with face-to-face lectures plus an activity component. This discipline is distinctive in terms of its activity components that are not conducted online.

The purpose of this study was to investigate two large group face-to-face and online courses to determine if the students enrolled were demographically equivalent and if there were differences in academic achievement in terms of final course grades and between subgroups of students. For the fall 2006 and spring 2007 semesters, 1,814 students were …

Our Voices: A Descriptive Account Of African American Parental Involvement In An Urban Elementary School, Charletta D. Sudduth

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Parent involvement may have implications for student achievement (Epstein, 1986; Hoover-Dempsey, Bassler, & Brisse, 1987; Lopez, Scribner, & Mahitivanichcha, 2001). Today African-American parents are frequently criticized for not being involved enough in their students' education (Dearing, Kreider, Simpkins, & Weiss, 2006). African-American parent involvement can be limited due to a lack of time, monetary resources, or transportation; past negative experiences with school; a non-welcoming school environment; or a different definition of parent involvement (Epstein, 2001, Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Hill, Castellino, Lansford, Dodge, Bates, et al., 2004; Hughes & Kwok, 2007). Missing from the research of both Hoover Dempsey and …

Multilingual Theatre: Community Value And Future Education Necessity, Diana Milree Garles

Honors Program Theses

This project is the culmination of my two passions: theatre and language. For me, these two things are priceless pieces of human identity, whether used consciously or not. I imagine there are very few people who have never played a role, or portrayed a certain character to embody a facet of their personality. I believe this research presents a natural, practical option for community and educational development through the use of theatre techniques. Language is a supporting element in theatre, and theatre can use language as an educational tool for exposure and for further understanding of many different cultures and …

The Efficacy Of An Intuitive Eating Education Program In A School Nutrition Education Curriculum, Nicole Healy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Childhood and adolescent obesity and eating disorders are increasing at an alarming rate in the United States and they occur at younger ages than previously observed. To combat childhood and adolescent obesity, many school nutrition education programs offer obesity prevention programs. Some of these programs consist of restrictive eating plans for obesity prevention, yet their efficacy has been questioned because an unintended consequence is that they may actually increase eating disorder behaviors. An alternative to programs that focus on restrictive eating is the Intuitive eating approach, which is based on the premise that an adherence to physiological cues in determining …

A Comparison Of Bullying In Public And Private Schools In A Small Midwestern Community, Daniel J. Ryan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Little attention has been given to the possible differences in bullying at private and public schools. Little significant research exists on bullying at private schools, its characteristics, and its differences from public schools. Inattention to this segment of the population can lead to broad and inappropriate generalizations that what works in public schools will work in private schools. This dissertation investigated to what degree there were differences between the number of incidences, types of bullying, and locations of bullying that took place at a public and private school in a small Midwestern community. The research examined the following factors and …

Master Students' Perception Of Informal Faculty Mentoring : An Explorative Investigation, Nangai Yang

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Originated from Mentor, a wise counselor to Ulysses and then teacher and protector to Ulysses' son Telemachus in Homer's Odyssey, the word mentoring now means teacher, advisor, sponsor and role model (Jacobi, 1991). The mentoring literature now characterizes this type of mentoring as informal or traditional mentoring that has been found to be very beneficial to doctoral students (Heinrich, 1995; Holland, 1995; Lyons, Scroggins & Rule, 1990; Schlosser, Knox, Moskovitz, & Hill, 2003). The purpose of this study was to investigate informal faculty mentoring at the master's degree level, namely the extent to which informal faculty mentoring activities were …

Effects Of Sexual Assault Education On College Students' Rape-Supportive Attitudes, Jessica Ann Ueland

Honors Program Theses

Few studies have measured the effectiveness of sexual assault programming is in decreasing acceptance of rape myths. This study examined two research questions. First, would students in a class that included a sexual assault education component be more likely to demonstrate a change in degree of rape myth acceptance than students who were not in a class that included sexual assault education? Second, within the treatment group, would males demonstrate a larger change in rape myth acceptance than females? At the end of the course, the treatment group showed a significant decrease in rape myth acceptance; there was not a …

Interface Design To Support Situation Awareness In Virtual Puppetry, Keisha Joy Harthoorn

Honors Program Theses

"Virtual Heritage" is the use of digital media to reconstruct cultures and cultural artifacts as they are today or as they might have been in the past. The central element is usually a threedimensional computer model of a person, place, or thing. Frequently, these are ancient monuments, temples, homes, and other social spaces (Jacobson, 2008). The goal of Virtual Heritage is to draw viewers into the virtual world and allow them to directly experience the overall context of the environment. This phenomenon is known to researchers as “presence.” It is a long held belief that the increased presence yields better …

The Value Of Leisure In Coping With Natural Disaster: A Case Study In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Katrina, Germaine Jackson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have witnessed more than their share of cataclysmic events, both natural and human-made. Most notable is Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 storm that ravaged the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The infamous history of Hurricane Katrina's devastation stems from a couple of factors. First, the death toll reached what, for Americans, was a shockingly high figure of 1,577 people. Second, and more socially and politically relevant, was the federal government's mismanagement of the crisis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of leisure services available to adolescents following the traumatic …