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Full-Text Articles in Education

Improving Qualitative Assessment In Higher Education, Chad Woodson Russell Jan 2013

Improving Qualitative Assessment In Higher Education, Chad Woodson Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers in turn the role education plays in civil, democratic society; the role assessment plays in education; and the role theoretical constructs and cultural contexts play in assessment. Then, through literature review, document analysis, and interviews, the analysis investigates, identifies, and recommends grounded-theory-derived practices for improving qualitative assessment in higher education settings. The process of qualitative assessment is understood as being heuristic and continual, requiring re-examination and revision to maintain both its validity and reliability. To this end, rubrics are essential to efficiently and reliably assessing everything qualitative, whereas the realities of institutional culture and politics require adroit …


Managing Threats: Examining Intra-Organizational Collaboration Between Academic And Student Affairs Divisions, Mignon Chinn Jan 2013

Managing Threats: Examining Intra-Organizational Collaboration Between Academic And Student Affairs Divisions, Mignon Chinn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tragic shootings in classrooms on the campuses of Virginia Tech (2007), Louisiana Technical College (2008), and Northern Illinois University (2008) where 39 students and faculty members lost their lives shattered perceptions of the college campus as a safe haven (Dungy & Roberts, 2010), brought heightened awareness to the decade-long increase of students with "severe mental health issues" enrolled in postsecondary education (Goldrick-Rab & Cook, 2011), and became a "tipping point" for new resource allocations for violence prevention in higher education (Dunkle, 2009). Following The Virginia Tech Panel Review (2007), threat assessment and management teams (TAMTs) became an intervention of choice. …


Exploring Mathematical Knowledge In Elementary Teacher Candidates With The Use Of Classroom-Based Artifacts, Erica Paige Gillentine Jan 2013

Exploring Mathematical Knowledge In Elementary Teacher Candidates With The Use Of Classroom-Based Artifacts, Erica Paige Gillentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


An Investigation Of Attitudes And Perceptions Of Preservice Teachers Compared To First Year Teachers Toward Inclusion, Nancy Eugenia Douglas Jan 2013

An Investigation Of Attitudes And Perceptions Of Preservice Teachers Compared To First Year Teachers Toward Inclusion, Nancy Eugenia Douglas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: over the last decade the mandated "push" for full inclusion has changed the dynamics of our general education classrooms to the extent that our general education teachers do not feel adequately prepared to teach. The lack of preparation may affect the pre-service teachers' attitude and perception of students with disabilities in a general education classroom. The limited research in this area prompted this study. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate how the perceptions and attitudes of inclusion and teacher efficacy differ from preservice teacher candidates to first year teachers. Preservice teacher candidates (n=40) and first …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between Campus Involvement And Perception Of Community Among Seniors Attending Mississippi's Public Universities, James Edward Hood Jan 2013

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Campus Involvement And Perception Of Community Among Seniors Attending Mississippi's Public Universities, James Edward Hood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between level of involvement and perception of community for senior students attending Mississippi's public universities. Data were collected using an online survey instrument consisting of questions from the college and university community inventory (Mcdonald, 1997) to measure community constructs and the college student experiences questionnaire (pace & Kuh, 1998) to measure involvement constructs. The study was conducted during the spring 2011 term and included 1,086 senior students. Resulting Pearson's correlation figures suggest a moderately significant relationship exists between level of involvement and perception of community for students in the study. This relationship …


Chinese Female Graduate Students' Academic Socialization Across Disciplines - Perspectives On Language, Culture, And Gender, Sheng Bi Jan 2013

Chinese Female Graduate Students' Academic Socialization Across Disciplines - Perspectives On Language, Culture, And Gender, Sheng Bi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From the mid-1950s, international education in the United States has witnessed stupendous growth. China boasts the largest number of English language learners in the world, and contributes to an increasingly large share of the global international student market. Being informed by a community of practice perspective and poststructuralist conceptualization of identity, the present study aims to explore the academic socialization experience of three female Chinese graduate students in the United States. The ethnographic case study collected data from various sources such as classroom observations, open-ended questionnaires, interviews with participants and with their course instructors, and written documents. The findings revealed …


The Effect Of Coach Expectations On Female Athletes' Motivation To Play, Megan Matthews Buning Jan 2013

The Effect Of Coach Expectations On Female Athletes' Motivation To Play, Megan Matthews Buning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This concurrent, embedded mixed methods study used predominantly quantitative analyses to examine coach expectations and behaviors on female athletes' intrinsic motivation to play softball. Qualitative methods in the form of structured, open-ended questions were used to enhance the data by examining athletes' perceptions of coaching behavior and changes in motivation and competence levels. A cluster sampling technique was used to randomly select 20 Division I softball teams competing in the United States. The resulting quantitative participant sample included 174 female collegiate athletes ranging in age from 18-22 years old, and 20 male and female head coach participants ranging in age …


A "Quiet Activist" During The Second-Wave Feminist Movement: Katharine Rea A Historical Case Study, Sara R. Kaiser Jan 2013

A "Quiet Activist" During The Second-Wave Feminist Movement: Katharine Rea A Historical Case Study, Sara R. Kaiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this historical case study dissertation is to discover the story of Dr. Katharine Rea in her role as Dean of Women and later faculty member in the higher education and student personnel program at the University of Mississippi. As the Dean of Women in the 1960s Rea was responsible for the well-being and quality of the educational experience of the women students at UM. Rea pursued leadership opportunities for the women students through academic honor societies, and student government. Moreover, Rea served as a faculty member in the school of education for ten years teaching courses in …


Mathematical Tasks Without Words And Word Problems: Perceptions Of Reluctant Problem Solvers, Sydney Margaret Holbert Jan 2013

Mathematical Tasks Without Words And Word Problems: Perceptions Of Reluctant Problem Solvers, Sydney Margaret Holbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study used a multiple, holistic case study approach (Yin, 2009) to explore the perceptions of reluctant problem solvers related to mathematical tasks without words and word problems. Participants were given a choice of working a mathematical task without words or a word problem during four problem-solving sessions. Data were gathered from problem-solving sessions, in the form of session transcripts, written reflections, and interviews to determine how the reluctant problem solvers perceived the problems presented in each session. Participants' views of the problems before and after working were recorded and thick descriptions of the sessions including quotes from …


Standardized Testing Placement And High School Gpa As Predictors Of Success In Remedial Math, Susan Carol Burrow Jan 2013

Standardized Testing Placement And High School Gpa As Predictors Of Success In Remedial Math, Susan Carol Burrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship existed between success in elementary algebra and a set of predictor variables including COMPASS score and high school GPA. Relationships for intermediate algebra and college credit accumulation over three semesters were also examined with COMPASS score and high school GPA as predictor variables. The study was conducted in a multi-campus regional rural community college in the southeast United States. The sample included 527 community college freshmen placing via COMPASS score into elementary algebra. Cases were sorted and 216 case level files were selected for study inclusion, 85% of …


The Relationships Between Advocacy Competency, Adult Attachment Styles, Climate And Comfort In Training, And Social Empathy., Tyler Rogers Jan 2013

The Relationships Between Advocacy Competency, Adult Attachment Styles, Climate And Comfort In Training, And Social Empathy., Tyler Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between adult attachment styles, climate and comfort in training, social empathy and advocacy competency in counselor trainees. Advocacy competency has become a critical aspect of counseling, yet few studies exist that determine the predictive influence of concepts such as adult attachment, climate and comfort of training, and social empathy. The following study surveyed graduate students in counseling to determine the influence of adult attachment, climate and comfort of training, and social empathy on advocacy competency beyond the stage in counselor program. A Pearson r and hierarchical regression model …


The Elderly And Internet Usage In Holly Springs, Mississippi, Sharon A. White Jan 2013

The Elderly And Internet Usage In Holly Springs, Mississippi, Sharon A. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The digital divide among senior citizens 65 and older has prompted a significant number of studies, surveys, and interviews of the barriers and benefits of Internet users and non-users. This project surveyed 39 participants through focus groups, in-depth interviews, and radio shows in Holly Springs, Mississippi, a predominantly African-American retirement community 30 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee. This study validates the difficulties senior citizens face when learning how to access the Internet. Cognitive issues revealed that senior citizens could not understand basic computer terminology or remember verbal or written commands during training classes. This project has shothat senior citizens must …


Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Dishonesty And Moral Development In Law School Students, Macey Lynd Edmondson Jan 2013

Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Dishonesty And Moral Development In Law School Students, Macey Lynd Edmondson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored whether a relationship existed between moral development and dishonest academic behaviors in law students. The quantitative portion of the study utilized a survey adapted from James Rest's Defining Issues Test and Donald McCabe's Academic Integrity Survey. Law students were solicited by email from two public institutions. The usable sample included 134 law students in the first, second, and third years of law school. Qualitatively, a law school honor council chair was intervieas part of a case study. The transcript was coded and explored for themes and emerging topics. In tandem, the quantitative and qualitative aspects …


Student Dropout From The Perspectives Of Junior High Counselors In Northeast Mississippi, Kelly Ann Bennett Jan 2013

Student Dropout From The Perspectives Of Junior High Counselors In Northeast Mississippi, Kelly Ann Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated fifteen junior high counselors' understandings about student dropout, particularly about identification of and interventions for students at risk for dropping out of school. As an educator, I desired to research the phenomenon of student dropout to understand how to better reach these types of students. Research is available concerning student dropout from the perspectives of teachers, principals, and student dropouts; however, little research on student dropout from the viewpoint of counselors exists. I utilized a qualitative design, in particular a descriptive case study, to develop understanding of the counselors' perspectives of student dropout. Data collection included individual and …


The Relationship Between Academic Entitlement, Academic Performance And Satisfaction With Life In A College Student Population, Rebekah Holmes Reysen Jan 2013

The Relationship Between Academic Entitlement, Academic Performance And Satisfaction With Life In A College Student Population, Rebekah Holmes Reysen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although academic entitlement (AE) has become a popular topic of discussion in the media, it has received very little scholarly focus in the higher education literature to date. AE has been defined as a belief held by students that they deserve high grades in school despite a lack of effort put forth into their work (Chowning & Campbell, 2009). AE has been linked to a variety of inappropriate behaviors in the classroom including sleeping during class or being rude to the instructor (Mellor, 2011). These uncivil behaviors pose as frustrating obstacles to the learning process for students and instructors. To …


Astronomy Week: An Investigation Of The Implementation And Identity Formation Of Participants, Carl Matthew Dewitt Jan 2013

Astronomy Week: An Investigation Of The Implementation And Identity Formation Of Participants, Carl Matthew Dewitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: our society has a great need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals and educational institutions are currently having difficulty keeping up with society's demand (Carnevale, 2011). Outreach efforts are a key strategy to encouraging young people to pursue STEM careers and evaluation methods need to be used to ensure that this outreach is efficient and effective in helping young students see themselves as prospective STEM professionals (Moskal, 2011). The purpose of this dissertation study was to investigate the implementation of an astronomy week supported by the center for mathematics and science education (CMSE) and its impact on …