Education Commons^™

The Other Side Of The Story: An Exploratory Case Study Of Barriers Experienced By Tennessee Transfer Pathways Students, Alexis Hartley

Doctoral Dissertations

The vital topic of improving the experiences of transfer students is investigated comprehensively in this research. A qualitative method was used in the design of the case study to explore the experiences that transfer students had while participating in a state transfer pathway program. In particular, this approach focused on the barriers that transfer students faced and the knowledge and actions that were required to overcome these barriers. After completion of an accredited associate's degree, students who have participated in the Tennessee Transfer Pathway (TTP) are eligible to transfer into a four-year program at one of the state's participating four-year …

Development And Validation Of A Survey To Identify Predictors Of Choice And Early Departure Among Tennessee Promise Scholarship Recipients, Patrick Biddix, Gresham D. Collom

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Publications and Other Works

In this study, we developed and validated an instrument to reveal factors affecting college choice and early community or technical college departure among Tennessee Promise-eligible participants. This scale may be used by colleges and states to predict who may be at risk of either not enrolling or dropping out in free college contexts. Our findings suggest that state policymakers and institutions need to address factors beyond finances that may serve as barriers to student enrollment and success in statewide promise programs.

Student Choice-Of-Text In An Upper Secondary Independent Reading Program: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Brian M. Deloach

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effects of student choice-of-text and reading comprehension outcomes in a 12-week independent reading program in an upper-secondary school. Students aged 17-18 (N = 52) were divided into two groups with one receiving an assigned text of age-appropriate Lexile estimate and genre; the other group was given free choice-of-text from an appropriate Lexile level from a classroom library. This quasi-experimental study followed a pretest-posttest, one-way ANCOVA model with both groups receiving the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test series before and after the intervention. Both groups made modest gains; however, the ANCOVA results revealed no statistically significant difference between the …

Online Program Management Providers And Higher Education: A Revelatory Case Study On Value Co-Creation, Britta Svoboda

Doctoral Dissertations

With an increase in distance learning and online degree programs, many higher education institutions have partnered with online program management (OPM) providers, leading to a dramatic growth of the OPM industry over the past decade. The purpose of this study was to develop an empirically based understanding of the value proposition of entities of higher education partnering with OPMs through an in-depth, revelatory case study of value co-creation as experienced in the partnership between a doctoral research institution, specifically an academic department, and its OPM provider. The following research question guided this study: How does an OPM co-create value with …

An Examination Of University Employees' Green Workplace Behaviors, Stephanie Nicole Jones

Doctoral Dissertations

As colleges and universities implement or enhance campus sustainability programs and administrators seek to understand the impact of such programs on their campuses, much effort has focused on understanding the green behavior of students enrolled at these institutions. However, given that universities employ large numbers of faculty and staff, it is also important to understand employees’ green behaviors. This descriptive survey research study sought to better understand the green behaviors of employees at a research university in the southeastern part of the United States. Potential participants were emailed a link to an online Qualtrics survey consisting of 31 closed and …

Empathy-In-Teaching As A Multidimensional Disposition In Counselor Education, Eric R. Baltrinic, Melissa Luke

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Empathy is a disposition noted among established teaching competencies in counselor education. However, current descriptions of empathy are unidimensional and lack an operational definition for evaluating teaching dispositions. The term empathy-in-teaching is a multidimensional concept suitable for expanding our current understanding of empathy within the current teaching dispositions in counselor education. Implications for application of the concept of empathy-in-teaching within the current teaching dispositions and future research suggestions are offered.

The Journeys Of Six Mom Pedagogues: Enacting Personal Convictions And Disrupting The Status Quo, Macy Halladay

Doctoral Dissertations

Home education or “homeschooling” began to re-emerge in the late 1960’s in the US, parallel to civil rights initiatives and shifting educational policies (Murphy, 2014). Nevertheless, few studies have been dedicated to examining the lives and practices of homeschool parents (Goldberg, 2021; Lois, 2006; Ray, 2021). Rather, topics have centered on homeschool demographics, academic outcomes, and challenges (Hauseman, 2011; Isenberg, 2007; Lines, 2000; Shepherd, 2010).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of six homeschool mothers’ everyday lives and the meanings assigned to their pedagogical decisions and related feelings in their journeys of becoming Mom …

The Policy Feedback Loop: Exploring English Learner (El) Policy, Policy Implementation, And The Relationship Between Policy, Research, And Practice, Nathan D. Koerber

Doctoral Dissertations

This study will explore the EL policy implementation process and offer evaluative feedback by systematically reviewing the history of US federal educational language policy and its impact on schools and classrooms, as well as the role research, has played in the development of EL policy. Additionally, this study will explore how current language policy implementation impacts programming and practices in both the UK and the US through two separate case studies, as a means of providing evaluative feedback on the policies.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the complicated history of EL policy and its impact, as well …

Assessing Graduate Student Needs And Responsive Institution Assets: Application Of An Asset And Capacity Building Hybrid Framework, Jessica D. Osborne

Doctoral Dissertations

This study seeks to better understand the needs of graduate students at a large southeastern university through a qualitative needs assessment framed by Altschuld’s (2015) asset / capacity building needs assessment model. Through graduate student focus groups and faculty, staff and administrator interviews, this study investigates the needs, successes, and assets of and for post-baccalaureate students within the university setting and context. Qualitative analysis procedures inductive thematic content analysis, primarily following an interpretivist paradigm (Fereday & Muir-Cochraine, 2006; Saldana, 2016). Findings illustrate the existence of both specific graduate student needs as well as assets to supplement these needs. Study analysis …

Reducing Youths Unemployment In Nigeria: The Development Of A Technical And Vocational Education And Training Survey Instrument, Omotola Olabisi Akinsola

Doctoral Dissertations

Youth unemployment has been on the rise for many years in Nigeria. Despite the high number of youths enrolled in formal education in Nigeria and the number of graduates each year, job opportunities to absorb these graduates are few. TVET has been proposed as an educational intervention in reducing youth unemployment.

A systematic review revealed that the interventions aimed at reducing youth unemployment were pooled into four categories: the use of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in schools, the introduction of entrepreneurship education in schools, the engagement of public-private partnership (PPP), and career guidance counseling for students.

In …

An Investigation Of How Institutional And State Characteristics Influence Community College Award Rates, Jacob A. Kamer

Doctoral Dissertations

Community colleges are an essential element of the American postsecondary landscape and workforce preparation. In 2017, over six-million students, which represented roughly one-third of the total undergraduate enrollment in the United States, were enrolled in community colleges. In the past ten years, the importance of community colleges in the economic need for greater postsecondary credential attainment has been underscored by state policies and national initiatives. The wide variation in both the nature of community colleges and the students they serve makes examining the outcomes of these institutions difficult and oftentimes imprecise.

Assessing the performance of community colleges and determining what …

The Ibc-Why Model: Juggling Structure And Rhetorical Theory In The First-Year Composition Classroom, Jessica Anne Cyphers

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses the issue of structure in the composition classroom. In particular, it looks at the history of the five-paragraph essay and the scholarly debate that has surrounded it for more than fifty years. By doing a stasis analysis, the author discovers that scholars have been talking past each other at the level of definition. Based on this finding, the author proposes the development of a new organizational model—the Introduction-Body-Conclusion (IBC) model—by which student can improve their understanding of structure across genres. In addition, by applying the IBC model to the Composition 101 program at the University of Tennessee, …

The Challenge Of Counseling Research In Developing A Signature Pedagogy For Quantitative Methods, Richard S. Balkin

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Research in counseling is at risk of becoming impertinent, if not irrelevant, with an over-emphasis on perceptions of counselors or counselors in-training, and a lack of evidence supporting client-centered outcomes and community needs. Students seeking doctoral degrees in training may have limited interest in research, and research courses are typically taught outside of the discipline by individuals unaffiliated with the counseling profession. Research courses may not be aligned with the needs of counseling researchers who focus on individuals and small groups. Developing a signature pedagogy emphasizing tools and methods consistent with the needs of emerging counseling researchers may be important …

Education And The Black Community: What Are We Missing?, Evetty Satterfield, Katherine Mencer

Black Issues Conference

Teachers of Color in the state of Tennessee comprise only 13% of overall teachers in the workforce*. As Tennessee's student body becomes increasingly diverse, recruiting and retaining teachers of color, as well as providing cultural relevant content, is paramount. This session will provide an interactive presentation that will allow community voices to shape education priorities among Black and Brown students in Knox County Schools. Led by Knox County School Board Member, Evetty Satterfield and 2018 Teacher of the Year, Katherine Mencer, participants will engage in an action lab. Action labs are problem solving platforms that engage citizens to create solutions …

The Impact Of Community Schools On Education Outcomes In Knox County Schools, Jack Larimer

Haslam Scholars Projects

This thesis seeks to isolate the effect of community schools on the education outcomes of students participating in the program as well as the added benefit to the community. It relies on OLS regression with state-based standardized testing results to predict the relationship of adding a community school program in Knox County. Furthermore, the Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) generates an estimate of the economic impact Knox County schools have on the Knox County economy. Both results, interpreted alongside personal experience, highlight the policy benefits of additional community schools in a given County. This process also highlights shortcomings of …

The Effect Of Per-Pupil Expenditures On Sol Pass Rates, Meghan Flynn

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Concurrent And Predictive Validity Of The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test – Group Ability Test, Brooke Lauren Browarnik

Doctoral Dissertations

Within the framework of a pretest/posttest design, relations among the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test – Group Ability Test (UNIT-GAT) and two measures of reading achievement: the Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency, Second Edition (TOSWRF-2) and the Test of Silent Word Reading Comprehension, Second Edition (TOSCRF-2) were examined for 140 children between the ages of six and fifteen, enrolled in one of three Boys & Girls Clubs in the eastern United States. Based on a counterbalanced administration at pretest, UNIT-GAT Analogical Reasoning (AR) scores moderately correlated with TOSWRF-2 Form A scores (r = .45, p < 01), TOSWRF-2 Form B scores (r = .41, p …

Perceptions Of Student Engagement: Understanding Knowledge And Policy Implications Among K-12 District Leaders, Ann Marie Cisney-Booth

Doctoral Dissertations

Student engagement is widely documented from the perspectives of students, teachers, and school-level administrators (Bazenas, 2014; Marks, 2000; Rosenquist, 2015; Sutherland, 2010; van Uden, Ritzen, & Pieters, 2013). At this time, understanding student engagement from the perspective of district leaders, including members of the school board, represents an untapped area of research. Engaged students are more likely to learn, find the learning experience rewarding, as well as are more likely to graduate and pursue higher education (Marks, 2000). In this regard, student achievement is contingent upon the development of a sense of efficacy and confidence in their ability to be …

Understanding Implementation Of Developmental Education Delivery Models In A Community College Setting, Sherry Ann Marlow Ormsby

Doctoral Dissertations

The field of higher education faces many barriers in providing quality education to students, with educating underprepared students as one of the most challenging and complex (Parker, 2007). Although developmental education may have found a permanent home in community colleges exclusively, the greater concern is not the location of remediation education, but rather the impact on student success (Parker, Bustillos & Behringer, 2010).

Until students arrive at higher education institutions academically prepared to be successful in college-level courses, developmental education will continue to be a critical mission of community colleges (CCA, 2012). Too many students are lost in the developmental …

Developing An Eportfolio As A Capstone Experience For Graduate Studies In Information Science: A Process-To-Product Model And Its Implementation, Peiling Wang

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

As the world is rapidly changing into a knowledge and information society, it is important for higher education to prepare graduates for successful careers and life in facing the 21st century challenges. Lifelong learning is one of the much-needed skills. Since the turn of the century, pioneers have sought theories, pedagogies, and best practices to innovate education. ePortfolio has been proposed as a learner-centered approach to teaching, learning and assessment. Adopting ePortfolio is more than just an innovation in teaching, educators are transforming education from a positivistic paradigm built on behavior theory to a post-modern paradigm or multi-paradigmatic approach. What …

Family Experiences With Standardized Assessments Leading To Participation In The Opt Out Movement, Christy Lee Evans

Doctoral Dissertations

With the hope of giving voice to individuals who are usually left out of conversations regarding standardized assessments—the families who live with the effects of those tests on their children—this study was designed to answer the following research questions:

1) Who are some of the individuals who are participating in the opt out movement?

2) How are some individuals making the decision to participate in the opt out movement?

a) What knowledge do these individuals who are participating in the opt out movement have regarding the standardized assessments that their children are being given in public schools?

b) How have …

Development And Validation Of The Statistics Assessment Of Graduate Students, Dammika Lakmal Walpitage

Doctoral Dissertations

This study developed the Statistics Assessment of Graduate Students (SAGS) instrument, and established its preliminary item characteristics, reliability, and validity evidence. Even though there are limited number of assessments available for measuring different aspects of statistical cognition, these previously available assessments have numerous limitations. The SAGS instrument was developed using Rasch modeling approach to create a new measure of statistical research methodology knowledge of graduate students in education and other behavioral and social sciences. Thirty-five multiple-choice questions were written with stems representing applied research situations and response options distinguishing between appropriate use of various statistical tests or procedures. A focus …

Learning To Teach Online: An Investigation Of The Impacts Of Faculty Development Training On Teaching Effectiveness And Attitudes Toward Online Instruction, Karen Elizabeth Brinkley

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between one approach to training for online faculty and the ways in which the program influenced the participants’ teaching effectiveness and attitudes toward online instruction. Two research questions guided this study: (1) how did participating in an intensive course redesign intervention influence instructors’ teaching effectiveness in the online environment? and (2) how did participating in the training influence instructors’ beliefs or attitudes about online teaching? The theoretical framework guiding this study was the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model, developed by Mishra and Koehler (2005). Using a concurrent, mixed-methods design, …

Status Of Nuclear Security Education And Research In Bangladesh And Looking Forward, Md. Shafiqul Islam, Md. Mobasher Ahmed

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Bangladesh uses category I of nuclear materials and category 1-5 of radioactive materials in the field of research, medical and industries. The Government is going to implement its first nuclear power plant under an IGA between the Bangladesh and Russian Governments. With the emerging global nuclear and radiological terrorism by potential adversaries, enhancing nuclear security is the paramount importance for the country. The paper has found no established communication channels among stakeholders in order to work in a coordinated and collaborative manner for strengthening the nuclear security. This has resulted lacking importance of education, research, training and knowledge management initiatives …

Development And Initial Validation Of A Flipped Classroom Adoption Inventory In Higher Education, Taotao Long

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop and initially validate an inventory to learn about the critical variables involved in a higher education instructor’s decision to adopt a flipped classroom instructional model. A flipped classroom is an instructional model in which students’ learning is divided into two phases, the self-directed pre-class learning phase and the in-class student-centered active learning phase. Both phases are typically technology-enhanced. This study addresses a gap in the recent research regarding the identification and assessment of the critical variables that are related to a higher education instructor’s decision to adopt a flipped classroom instructional model. …

A Comparison Of Comprehension Accuracy And Rate: Repeated Readings And Listening While Reading, Megan Amber Schall

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a need for effective and efficient reading interventions in American schools. Two empirically supported reading interventions are Repeated Readings and Listening While Reading. Previous researchers have evaluated the effects of these interventions individually on reading fluency and comprehension, and in comparison on students’ reading fluency. This is the first study to compare the relative effectiveness of each intervention on students’ comprehension, which is the typical purpose of reading. The current study extends previous research by considering the instructional time required to complete each intervention, and converting students’ comprehension accuracy scores into a comprehension rate measure. Additionally, students read …

Pre-College Characteristics And Online Homework Learning: Factors Associated With First Year Engineering Students’ Academic Success, Wenshu Li

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to develop a working model to predict at risk students in an Introduction to Engineering course. The model considers both students’ pre-college characteristics, psychological traits, and online homework learning behavior. The study assisted the course instructor in the creation of an early warning system and the development of targeted interventions for students at risk. A reliable and valid instrument to measure engineering students’ pre-college characteristics was initially developed. The study also applied data mining to analyze the student online homework logs in order to observe engineering students’ homework learning process. A decision tree model …

Solving The Migrant Children Public School Enrollment Issue In Urban China: A Policy Study Perspective, Hui Huang

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is designed to learn lessons from China’s experiences of seeking to solve the migrant children’s education issue, specifically, the city public school enrollment issue. In China, access to public schools is the main channel for migrant children to be well educated. With the hope to inspire education policy makers and researchers on solving this issue, it is important to find out how the central and local governments work out proper policies to ensure equal compulsory education for migrant children. Qualitative research methods including content analysis and historical analysis are deployed in this dissertation to review related policy documents …

Advisory Councils In School-Based Agricultural Education Programs In Tennessee, Samantha Renee Ogle

Masters Theses

Advisory councils are essential to successful, working relationships among school-based agricultural education programs and the surrounding community. The purpose of this study was to describe how school-based agricultural education programs implement and utilize advisory councils in Tennessee and to determine agricultural education teachers’ perceptions of program advisory councils. Findings indicated 76.5% of program respondents had an active advisory council. The results indicated a positive perception of advisory councils; however, most teachers felt they could better utilize their advisory council. The belief that the agricultural education teacher is the leader of the program’s advisory councils was also implied. Future research is …

Measuring School-Based Agriculture Education Total Program Success: Classroom, Ffa, And Sae, Katie J. Shields

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) is exploring options for determining effectiveness of career and technical eduction programs. The purpose of this study was to deteremine the metrics Tennessee agricultural education teachers perceived as indicators of excellent total programs – classroom instruction, FFA (student organization), and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). A Delphi was used to obtain a general consensus by a panel of 21 agriculture teacher experts. A 66.7% agreement rate was determined a priori to represent a general consensus. The panel identified one classroom, five FFA, and three SAE metrics to indicate total program excellence. Student pesticide certification was …