Education Commons^™

Transition From Brick And Mortar To Online Teaching: Middle-Grade Teachers' Perspectives, Cathy Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand how middle-grades teachers describe the transition from brick and mortar to online teaching of middle-grades students. A qualitative, descriptive case study design provided the framework for this study. An investigation into the lived experiences of a group of online middle-grades instructors making the transition from a traditional classroom setting to an online environment was conducted using interviews and online journaling.

The questions guiding this study were (a) How does a middle-grade teacher describe the transition from brick and mortar to online teaching of middle-grades learners? (b) What do middle-school teachers …

Leading Through Laughter: Humor And Perceived Effectiveness Of P-12 Principals, Laurie B. Mascolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of leadership has yielded boundless research studies across disciplines, with a plethora in the business and political realms. The medical field and other social science have also joined the ranks, with education now entering the landscape. Educational leadership is a burgeoning field of research, but very little has been studied regarding the impact of humor and educational leadership. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the humor style and the perceived effectiveness of school principals, the leadership style and the perceived effectiveness of school principal, as well as possible relationships between and …

Use Of Strategic Intentionality In Becoming Military Friendly, Allison V. Gorman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As institutions begin to implement and promote military friendly initiatives in response to the introduction of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, it becomes important that there is a congruence between what institutions say they are doing and what they actually do for student veterans. The literature investigation suggested that strategic intentionality may serve as an important framework for evaluating the implementation of military friendly initiatives.

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the role that strategic intentionality plays in the successful implementation of military friendly initiatives at three four-year, public post-secondary institutions in the State of Georgia. This …

Faculty And Staff Perspectives Of A Behavior Assessment Team: A Case Study Evaluation, Kerry Greenstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following the shooting at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 2007, colleges began formally implementing threat assessment teams to help identify threats and prevent violence from occurring. On many campuses those teams have developed into Behavior Assessment Teams (BATs) that evaluate threats as well as support students by identifying concerning behavior and strategically implementing interventions to reduce the risk of violence. Many of those teams are now well established and need some method for evaluating their effectiveness.

The purpose of this study was to understand faculty and staff perceptions of a campus BAT and evaluate a team’s effectiveness as defined by the …

The Relationship Between Financial Aid Type And Academic Success In A Public Two-Year College In Georgia, Donald D. Avery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between financial aid type and academic success in a public two-year institution in the state of Georgia. Financial assistance contributes significantly to higher education in the form of subsidy to the participants in higher education through student financial aid. Much of the research available on this topic is based on data provided by four-year institutions and research was not identified which investigates the aid type and potential relationship to academic success.

In an attempt to establish this relationship, the investigation considered grades earned in foundational coursework as …

An Examination Of The Correlation Between The Seven Critical Leadership Functions And Middle School African-American And Hispanic Student Achievement, Shannon A. Flounnory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined possible correlations between each of the seven critical leadership functions and achievement in the areas of mathematics for eighth grade African-American and Hispanic students. The 117 participants included school leaders and students from 12 of the 19 middle schools in a metropolitan school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Principals from the middle schools in the district distributed the Critical Leadership Functions Questionnaire to members of their leadership team (e.g., assistant principals, school counselors, department chairs, etc.). CRCT scores measured student achievement. The researcher conducted a correlation study, using Pearson’s multivariable correlation data …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Principals' Instructional Leadership And Transformational Leadership Behaviors, Michael J. Finley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ instructional leadership behaviors and transformational leadership behaviors. In addition, the study examined the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ instructional leadership and a principals’ level of degree and principals’ teaching area background. This quantitative study was driven by two teacher questionnaires: the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). The subscales examined in the PIRMS include framing the school goals, communicating the school goals, supervising and evaluating instruction, coordinating the curriculum, monitoring student progress, protecting instructional time, …

Retention Pathways For African American Males, Thaddeus L. Shubert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a dropout prevention intervention on attitudes toward education among African American males in a rural alternative school in southeast Georgia as a means of understanding retention pathways for this population of students. The researcher approach to retention personified the slogan “Think Globally, Act Locally” by examining the nationwide dropout rate in the United States and implementing a dropout prevention program in a rural Georgia county. African American males have an alarmingly high attrition rate at the middle school, high school, and college levels and so research on how to …

Identification Of Specific Learning Disabilities: Georgia School Psychologists' Perceptions, Marie T. Underwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An on-line survey was conducted to investigate the assessment practices and perceptions of 366 practicing school psychologist in the state of Georgia concerning various operational components, and the use of RTI when determining SLD eligibility. Results were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression to determine if psychologists’ perceptions could be predicted based on various explanatory variables. Results revealed that a little over half of the respondents preferred assessment of cognitive processing deficits evidenced through patterns of strengths and weaknesses for establishing SLD classification; while well over two-thirds continue to also value analysis of cognitive ability (IQ) scores. Psychologists’ assessment practices were …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Dropout Prevention Strategies In A Rural Ninth Grade Academy, Shawn A. Davidson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dropout rate among Georgia high school students is a critical issue within the United States’ educational system. As a result, large numbers of programs have been created to reduce the dropout rate. This study examined the stakeholders’ perceptions of dropout prevention strategies in a rural ninth grade academy to examine effective dropout prevention programs implemented at the school. Participants in the study included administrators, teachers, and students who dropped out of the academy between 2009 and 2012. Interviews were conducted to gather information from the participants. In addition, school and district documents related to prevention programs at the academy …

Transformational Leadership And A Culture Of Efficacy: A Search For Correlation In The Alabama Two-Year College System, Johnny H. Mcmoy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project explores the predominant leadership characteristics among community college presidents as measured by Bass and Avolio’s transformational leadership continuum, the degree of collective teacher efficacy among faculty, and any correlation that exists between them. The populations studied are the presidents and faculty of community colleges in Alabama. Two instruments were employed, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Bass and Avolio (1995) and Goddard’s CE-SCALE (2000, 2002), as a measure of collective teacher efficacy.

The researcher found evidence of mid-range collective efficacy scores among faculty and strong evidence of pervasive transformational leadership characteristics among college presidents. The researcher …

Classworks As A Means To Gaining Equity In The General Education Math Classroom: Perceptions Of Students Receiving Special Education Services, Diane Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the importance of math steadily increasing, researchers in the field of special education have made efforts to increase the performance of students with disabilities (Fuchs et al., 2008; Gersten, Jordan, & Flojo, 2005). Despite the deficits these students face, the trend has been for many years that most students with disabilities in math receive their instruction in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that students receiving special education services have regarding the effectiveness of Classworks, a computer-assisted instructional program, in helping them gain equity in the general education math classroom. Critical …

African American Teenage Males Speak Out: The Influence Of African American Males On The Academic Achievement, Identities, And Lives Of African American Teenage Males, Otha J. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the influence of the presence of or lack for African American males on the academic achievements, identities, and lives of five African American teenage males who live in middle Georgia, a predominately White rural area. Theoretically, I draw upon the works of Derrick Bell (1987, 1992, 1999), Pedro Noguera (2003, 2008), Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic (2000, 2012), Gloria-Ladson Billings (2001, 2003, 2009, 2013) and William F. Tate (2006), Cornel West (1993, 2001, 2008), Carter G. Woodson (1933, 2010), W. E. B. DuBois (1903, 1996), and others on critical race theory and William Watkins (2005, 2006) on …

Untold Stories And Silenced Voices: Lives Inside A North Georgia Elementary School, Donna S. Troupe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an inquiry into the lived experiences of Southern, white, female teachers who teach their overwhelmingly Southern, white student populations in a rural/suburban North Georgia elementary school. I explore the obstacles and challenges they face as they experience the negative and crippling effects of the policies and practices forced upon them in their teaching and learning environments. Drawing upon the theoretical works of Dyer (1997), McIntosh (2012), Anderson & Collins (2007), Morrison (1992), Jupp (2013), Sleeter (1993, 2003), Smith (1944,1949), and hooks (1992) on race and critical white studies; the works of Apple (2001,2008), McLaren (1998), Foucault (1977), Freire …

Transition Competencies: Secondary Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Frequency Of Performance, Tonisha L. Johnson Ed. D.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millions of high school students are receiving special education services from teachers who may be inconsistently performing competencies during transition planning that leads to sustainable, postsecondary success. Secondary special education teachers’ frequency of performance of transition competencies during transition service delivery are essential to fulfilling their duties and responsibilities towards effectively implementing the Individualized Education Program of students with disabilities. The purpose of this descriptive study is to examine the correlation among secondary special education teachers’ perceptions of their transition competencies’ frequency of performance, during annual transition services. This study employed a quantitative methods approach involving an adapted version of …

May I Walk Beside You? Exploring The Journey Into The Careers Of African American Women In Childcare Through Their Stories, Lisa K. Heusel Dr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study the African American childcare provider’s life experiences are heard through the use of narrative inquiry and oral history. Often perceived as individuals who could not become teachers in the K-12 system, the women presented tell the reader in their own words what factors lead them to becoming childcare providers. By focusing on oral history, the stories told solidify the idea of the past creating the present. Education, religion, socioeconomics, culture and racial issues play an important part in each person’s life. Therefore, these factors were the main focus when participants were asked to describe their lives. The …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Merit Pay In Georgia, Jessica Edenfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the perceptions of implementing a merit pay plan as reported by elementary teachers in three rural Georgia school districts, one of which was participating in the Race to the Top (RT3) initiative. The study examined the perceptions of 109 elementary teachers in regard to merit pay implementation, models of merit pay, factors worthy of reward, and the impact that perceptions of school culture has on attitudes towards merit pay. The study employed a descriptive survey approach to address the research questions. An amended version of the Teacher Survey on Performance Pay was employed to explore the perceptions …

A Mixed Methods Case Study Exploring The Outcomes Of Implementing A Digital Learning Management System In A Fourth Grade Language Arts Classroom, Sarah C. Mayberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Classrooms of today are in continual flux and state and local mandates are constantly reforming the curriculum in order to help prepare students to compete in a global society; in addition, advancements in technology have greatly impacted today’s students and how they learn as well as the way teachers instruct. As educators, we need to recognize what our students need to become successful citizens in today’s society, which often requires students to be critical evaluators of various types of information and requires them to become literate across a wide range of literacies. Not only is it critical that classroom teachers …

Project Reconnect Program: Engaging Truant Adolescents Through Pre-Court Diversion, Trevis C. Killen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current literature on truancy diversion court programs has failed to examine middle and high school truants’ perceptions regarding how well truancy diversion court programs improve school attendance and performance. As a result, the purpose of this study was to examine participants’ perceptions regarding how well the Project Reconnect Diversion Program empowered their improved school attendance, compliance with school rules, and completion of classroom assignments. The researcher used a case study design to investigate the participants’ perceptions of the Project Reconnect Diversion Program. Purposive sampling was employed to select the participants who completed the Project Reconnect Diversionary Program during the …

Development And Support Of Dual Language Policies, Hollis Derek Cone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching a second language is not a new idea. Bilingual education has gone through a metamorphosis over the years. The most current bilingual program is the two-way or dual language program. Dual language programs educate students that speak a different language in the same classroom. The idea is that one group is strengthened in its native language; the other group acquires the second language.

Each local school board must implement its own policies to create a dual language program; unfortunately, few, if any, research studies exist that identify how local school boards can implement a dual language program. School districts …

Embracing A Diverse Curriculum In University Teacher Preparation Programs, Stascia R. Hardy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student diversity in public schools has escalated dramatically, and it is a reality that must be accepted by university teacher preparation programs. Teacher candidates need to be taught the necessary skills to successfully teach diverse student populations. Children come from many different cultures and backgrounds and pre-service teachers must be equipped to effectively teach them all. Culturally relevant teacher preparation programs are crucial to preparing teachers to teach across diverse boundaries and have culturally responsive classrooms. Teacher education programs must recognize the necessity to provide learning experiences for pre-service teachers to receive different perspectives of diversity. Demographic differences between teachers …

The Caring Beliefs And Practices Of Effective Teachers, Barbara D. Mccollum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current educational reform tends to emphasize an impersonal test-driven approach to teaching while the present research maintains this reform is inequitable because it neglects the personal component of teacher caring, which is necessary to reach all students, especially disaffected underachievers. The purpose of the present multi-case study was to determine the caring beliefs and practices of six effective teachers in two Title I Elementary schools in a central Georgia school system, how these beliefs and practices manifested in the classroom, and in what ways the teachers’ beliefs and practices may have been influenced by their own cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds …

Faculty Motivation & Intent To Teach Online, Michael S. Casdorph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The unified theory of user acceptance of technology, Motivation Orientation Scale – Faculty Version, and Individual Innovativeness Scale were used to predict faculty intent to teach online, to better understand what motivates faculty to teach online, and the relationship between faculty innovativeness and their intent to teach online. A sample of 348 self-selected full-time faculty at a large, public, comprehensive research university with integrated academic health center in the Southeast United States responded to an online survey. Results demonstrated that slightly more faculty than not reported a behavioral intent to teach online. Multiple regression analysis indicated that performance expectancy, effort …

Special Education Teachers' Experiences And Perceptions Of The Georgia Alternate Assessment, Veronica V. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of Georgia Teachers with administering the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) to elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities and determine how those experiences informed their perception of the Georgia Alternate Assessment. The GAA was designed to assess students with significant cognitive disabilities on grade level standards. The goal of including students with significant cognitive disabilities in standardized testing and statewide accountability systems is to positively impact the curriculum and instruction, and the teaching and learning process for these students. Georgia's special education teachers experience the GAA from within and are …

Chaos Theory, Theology, And Curriculum: Striving Towards The Impossibility Of The Gift, Thomas B. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It was once thought that small influences could not have a large impact on a grand scale. However, in the 1960s Edward Lorenz discovered that very small disturbances in weather conditions could have a great effect on huge weather systems. With an understanding of chaos theory, which posits that everything matters, I argue that a life based on the lessons of a theology inspired by postmodernism can provide a lens through which to see and act in this chaotic world. By living by this belief, the ability to give the true gift, which is an impossibility and is always to …

The Screen Speaks: Disability, Media & Schooling, Alicia S. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As society becomes more technological on a daily basis, we are heavily influenced by the steady influx of information we receive from various types of media. This dissertation will investigate the relationship between our investments with popular media, particularly film, and with teachers’ perceptions of students with disabilities in secondary schools. I will first look at how disability is viewed in society, discussing both the more traditional models that are moral, medical and rehabilitative in nature and the more contemporary social model. I will explore the history of disability in society, schooling, and film and uncover patterns that illustrate the …

Instructional Technology Integration And Situational Interest In Math, James A. Thompson Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivating students to be engaged in learning, especially in math, has been a perennial challenge for educators. Over the past 20 years, instructional technology has become an increasingly prevalent teaching tool that, according to many educational observers and researchers, can have a transformative effect on teaching and learning because of the way that it engages today’s students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between students’ perceptions of technology integration and situational interest in middle school math so that educational planners will be better informed when making instructional decisions concerning the use of technology in the …