Education Commons^™

Women In Recovery: Perceptions In Transition To Community College, Mandi Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance abuse is an area of concern for college administrators, and they have implemented campus programming in an attempt to address it. Additionally, prior researchers have studied substance abuse on college campuses in order to better understand how substance abuse affects student success. However, limited research exist that addresses the unique perspective of college students who are in recovery from substance abuse, and most studies were conducted in 4-year institutions rather than community colleges. This qualitative case study explored the transition experiences of female students in recovery who attend community college or have recently graduated. The sample included students from …

Preschool Enrollment And Elementary School Achievement In An East Tennessee School District, Derek Voiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference in achievement scores exists among students based on whether or not they attended preschool as measured by standardized achievement reading-language arts and math scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Achievement Program assessment for fourth grade students in a single East Tennessee school district. The variables of grade level and preschool attendance were considered. The population consisted of fourth grade students during the 2014-2015 school year. Data were gathered from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program achievement test scores obtained from the 2014-2015 school year and from the school district’s preschool …

At The Intersection Of Politics And Higher Education: Policy, Power, And Governing Boards In Oklahoma, Kirk Rodden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the perceptions of members of Oklahoma public higher education governing boards and legislators concerning higher education governance. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding among the participants as to the role governing boards should play in the system. The population for the study comprised 142 members of the Oklahoma Legislature and 107 members of 15 Oklahoma public higher education governing boards. The principal investigator used a web-based survey development company to design, collect, and store survey responses.

Results from the study were examined using independent samples t tests and one-way ANOVAs. From …

Perceived Value Of Higher Education Among Police Officers, Bradley D. Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether police officers perceive higher education to be important in improving their job performance and promotional opportunities, whether the perception of higher education varied by several independent variables, and the types of suggestions that officers might have for improving the college curriculum. Independent variables included gender, age, level of education, type of police agency, academic major, years of service as a police officer, and job duty. The dependent variable was scores on 3 dimensions: general attitude toward higher education, perceived utility of a criminal justice related degree, and career-related competencies.

A 34- …

Teacher Passion As A Teaching Tool, Brent L. Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to understand how passion is used by participating teachers at Hugo High School and if its use is intentional in the classroom. A qualitative research design was used for this study. The case study was determined to be the most appropriate method for this research because it provided an opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the research topic. This study used Fried’s definition of passion as one who is “in love with a field of knowledge, deeply stirred by issues and ideas that challenge our world, drawn to the dilemmas and …

The Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model And The Teacher Instructional Growth For Effectiveness And Results Model On Measures Of Teacher Effectiveness: A Comparative Study, Nichole R. Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare measures of teacher effectiveness between two different Tennessee teacher evaluation models. The two teacher evaluation models compared were the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM) and the Teacher Instructional Growth for Effectiveness and Results Model (TIGER). The measures of teacher effectiveness used were final observation scores and individual value-added growth (TVAAS) scores. The relationship between observation scores and growth scores were also compared for the two different evaluation models. There were four guiding research questions and corresponding null hypotheses. Data were provided from participating school systems. The sample for this study included …

Cyberbullying Incidents Among African American Female Middle School Students, Yvette Pennington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has shown an increase in cyber bullying acts against middle and high school students. The National Center of Education Statistics (2010) reported that cyberbullying incidents increased 73% between the years of 2007 and 2009. In 2011, 75% of cyberbullying victims were adolescents (National Center of Education Statistics, 2013). Using data collected from the Pew Research and American Life Project, the study examined the prevalence of cyber bullying acts against African American female adolescents compared to Caucasian male and female adolescents and African American male adolescents. Additionally, the study reported the cyber bullying incident that occurred most frequently as …

New Faculty Mentoring In Respiratory Care Programs, Kristen L. Mchenry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because of the potential age-related mass departure of seasoned educators in respiratory care programs, higher education institutions should develop strategies for attracting practitioners who hold or are pursuing graduate degrees to transition to academia. The purpose of this study was to identify current mentoring practices of new faculty members in Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) accredited respiratory care programs in the U.S. and to identify the perceptions of program directors regarding the observed impact of program mentoring practices.

The methodology for the study was quantitative nonexperimental survey research. The survey instrument was an electronic questionnaire. The survey consisted …

Academic Dishonesty In Higher Education: Perceptions And Opinions Of Undergraduates, Stanley K. Hodges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if statistically significant differences existed between identified student demographic characteristics (gender and age), academic variables (classification, GPA, and major), and students’ perceptions of academic dishonesty, as measured by the Attitudes and Perceptions of Academic Dishonesty survey.

A pen-and-paper survey was used to gather the data at the 3 participating universities and college (a 4-year public university, a 4-year private university, and a 2-year public community college). There were 22 items on the survey. There were 328 surveys distributed by the investigator to participating classes at the 3 institutions of higher education. All …

A Phenomenological Study On The Motivating Factors Influencing Participation In Tennessee’S Governor’S Academy For School Leadership, Amy B. Horton Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educational administration is such a demanding field, so it is important to understand why an aspiring principal would self-select to commit to an optional yearlong, intensive professional development activity with very little compensation and no promotion. Motivation may prove to be a key component of the recruitment and sustainability of professional development activities. By discovering the factors affecting both personal and professional motivation of beginning administrators to participate in a professional development led by the collaboration among the Tennessee Department of Education, Vanderbilt University, and Governor Bill Haslam, the researcher hopes to gain an understanding that may apply to future …

Homework Practices: Teacher And Parent Perceptions Of Efficacy And Purpose, Christy E. Hoeke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teacher and parent perceptions of homework effectiveness and homework purpose. Specifically, the researcher examined teacher and parent perceptions, perceptions of teachers in different grade level bands, and perceptions of teachers with different levels of experience. In this nonexperimental quantitative study, the researcher examined and analyzed the answers provided on an anonymous survey (Appendix A) provided electronically to educators and parents of students in five school systems in northeast Tennessee.

Parents had a higher perception of both homework effectiveness and homework purpose. Homework effectiveness was perceived as higher by the “other” group (not …

The Perceptions Of Father Involvement In Elementary Schools, Myles J. Hebrard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of father involvement in elementary schools. The focus of the study was to allow the researcher to develop a greater understanding of perceptions of father involvement, from both a father and teacher perspective. Data was collected from teachers and fathers through surveys and interviews. Specific content areas of the father survey included communication, activities fathers engaged in, training opportunities provided at the school, parent conferences, when events were offered, availability, and suggestions for school staff. Specific content areas of the teacher survey included communication, activities fathers engaged in, training …

Developing Effective Classroom Environments In A High School Looping Program: A Narrative Research Study, Caleb C. Tipton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study captures the narrative of the lived experiences of four teachers as they developed effective classroom environments in a high school looping program in an Eastern Tennessee school district. The study examined the stories and reflections of the participants in order to discover teacher perception, behaviors, and attitudes that help to establish teacher-student relational involvement which produces positive academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional student outcomes. The stories collected during the narrative study provide real-life, contextual data with which other practitioners might reflect upon their own teaching experiences and practices. The study also adds to the discussion on the potential impact …

The Perceptions Of High School Counselors' Roles In Developing A College-Going Culture, Lisa Condra Davies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of high school counselors includes providing equitable access to college and career opportunities for students (College Board, 2011). Attending college is viewed as a national priority that includes pre-college activities to promote postsecondary access (Savitz-Romer, 2012). High school counselors may have ambiguous roles that complicates their efforts (Engberg & Gilbert, 2014). Role confusion may arise when the high school counselors are asked to provide mental health services rather than professionally focus on college acceptance and completion for students.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of public high school counselors regarding their roles in …

Communication Apprehension Among Community College Students: A Phenomenology, John R. Bragg Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of communication apprehension among a purposeful sample of five community college students with high levels of communication apprehension. The phenomenon of Communication Apprehension (CA) is “an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons” (Beatty, McCroskey, & Heisel, 1998, p. 197; McCroskey, 1970, p. 269). All individuals experience some level of CA, and between 30% and 40% of individuals are estimated to experience high levels of CA. For the community college student with high levels of CA, the introductory communication course …

Dissertation Experiences Of Faculty Members: Individual, Relational And Structural Factors Of Success, Tanika R. Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explored the dissertation experiences of individuals working as faculty members across disciplines at regionally accredited four year universities. Research questions utilized the constructs of social development theory to explore dissertation experiences from an individual, relational and structural perspective. Prior scholars have used social development theory as a framework to explore the individualities of the student, the relationship with faculty advisors and mentors, and the resources provided by the department and institution when evaluating the dissertation process (Liechty, Liao, & Schull, 2009).

A purposeful, criterion sampling strategy and maximum variation sampling were employed to select a wide …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities On The Instructional Climate At Flintville Elementary School In Lincoln County, Tn, David Golden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities on the instructional climate at Flintville Elementary School in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Participants in the study included five teachers, the evaluation supervisor, and one parent from Flintville Elementary School. Through the analysis of interviews and a review of documents collected from Professional Learning Communities (PLC) meetings in grades Pre-K through 8, the investigator was able to extract meaning and code the data into categories that led to an understanding of the perceptions being researched.

Professional Learning Communities at Flintville Elementary School have changed the instructional climate concerning …

Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Ethical Climate Of Higher Education Administrators In Maryland Colleges And Universities, Brenda Disorbo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A quantitative research project was conducted at all public and private colleges and universities in the state of Maryland to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and ethical climate among higher education administrators. An online survey was completed by 278 higher education administrators working in public and private colleges in Maryland during the 2016 fall semester. Survey results were analyzed in conjunction with participant characteristics, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and ethical climates. Data were analyzed using MANOVA, Chi-Square, and descriptive statistics.

Findings indicate that the perceptions of ethical climate differed significantly by job satisfaction, gender and administrative position. …

Community College Honors Education And Student Outcomes: A Propensity Score Analysis, Jane B. Honeycutt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of honors education to student success by comparing honors-eligible community college students who met requirements to academically matched peers who opted out of honors participation. Honors program participation was defined as completing 12 or more credit hours of honors-level course work. The population for this study included 452 honors-eligible participants with 95 honors participants (HPs) and 357 non-participants (NPs) from a community college in Tennessee. The sampling frame was generated using a five-year participation window from 2008 through 2013. Propensity score matching alleviated the threat to validity for self-selection bias …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Sails (Seamless Alignment Of Integrated Learning Support) Program Collaboration In A Community College Setting, Kelley E. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2007, the Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS) program was implemented on a small scale at both Chattanooga State Community College (ChSCC) and Cleveland State Community College (CSCC) with the primary focus of implementing college remediation methods with area high school students during their senior year (ChSCC, n.d.). In cooperation with Governor Bill Haslam’s “Drive to 55” initiative within the State of Tennessee, the SAILS program expanded in 2013 to include 13 community colleges across Tennessee and has been touted as a possible solution to reducing the number of incoming college freshman who are required to participate in …