Education Commons^™

Playboys, Single Girls, And Sexual Rebels: Sexual Politics 1950-1965: A Trilogy Of Significant Developments., Amy Denise Dolinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the years between 1950 and 1965, three significant developments in American culture left women struggling to merge the housewife archetype of the Cold War era with changing attitudes toward sexuality. Because of these cultural shifts, the developments that dominate the research presented here are; first, the changing elements in the lives of the women who pass through the halls of academia during this time of societal flux; second, the impact of the development of the birth control pill; and third, the impact of the publications of Playboy magazine and Sex and the Single Girl. These developments mark a …

Aspiring To The Superintendency: Factors That Influence The Decision, Regina P. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates and identifies the factors impacting the superintendency and examines them, positive and negative, as they influence potential and current superintendent certificate holders to complete the process of applying for a superintendency. Three sample groups were used in this study: current Maine superintendent certificate holders, students enrolled in graduate administration classes, and currently practicing superintendents. These three groups were selected because of their unique positioning on the career ladder to the superintendency (Burnham, 1988). The aggregate sample included 236 respondents, comprising 82 superintendents, 90 certificate holders and 64 students. Three survey instruments were designed for this study specifically …

Grading The General Chemistry Laboratory: A Constructivist Approach., Barbara Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Constructivist theories of learning posit that instructors cannot transfer their knowledge to students; students must actively construct their own understanding. The Inter-Chem-Net project uses technology and instrumentation to provide an individualized experience within the large general laboratory course, effectively establishing a constructivist methodology. A grading rubric was developed to communicate course expectations and provide an easy and reliable method of evaluating student work in the general chemistry laboratory. The grading rubric separates the learning outcomes into a checklist of skills associated with each particular grade. This checklist provides detailed feedback for individualized choices of experiments, a key component of the …

The Effect Of Direct Experience On Generating Insight Into And Deepening Understanding Of Academic Topics Studied By High School Seniors In The Field, Lowell W. Libby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Progressive educators have long criticized many traditional teaching methods at the secondary level as intellectually stultifying and irrelevant. The current wave of progressive secondary school reform, including in Maine, seeks to improve learning for all students by actively engaging them in the learning experience. The focus, however, is primarily on classroom practices, with little written about the potential importance to academic study of one practice - field-based learning - which has an established record for engaging students actively in learning. The reasons for this omission are varied, including a lack of understanding of field-based learning at the secondary level. This …

Making The Transition To Curriculum Integration: A Curriculum Design In Middle Level Schools, Wallace Martin Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate middle level teachers' transitional process as they move from an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary curricular format to curriculum integration. This study was designed to identify key stakeholders in this transitional process and determine the role each played, and to identify and investigate the key steps and obstacles along the way. The primary participants in this study were identified as teachers in the process of transitioning to a curriculum integration model. They and two other teachers on their five-teacher team, five students, three parents and the school principal were interviewed. Teacher interviews were most extensive, delving …

Women’S Ways Of Leading? A Qualitative Content Analysis To Determine Leadership Messages Contained In Literature Of National Panhellenic Conference Groups, Andrea M. Fechner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study documented the leadership messages sent to women in 16 of the National Panhellenic Conference groups' official literature. The purpose of the study was to provide detailed descriptive analysis using excerpts from the official literature to show both traditional and non-traditional (women's ways of leading) theoretical themes as well as to determine the use of followership versus leadership messages to women. The approach to this study was the use of qualitative content analysis whereby messages were collapsed into larger theme categories. Datum from content analysis was represented in excerpts and quotes from the official literature of the 16 groups …

Adult Student Satisfaction With Overall Learning Experiences At East Tennessee State University., Linda Gale Wyatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined adult students' perceptions of satisifaction levels within specific areas of the ETSU campus. The population surveyed included 106 undergraduate adult learners aged 25 years and older. The Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, 4-year College and University Version was the survey instrument used to share feedback about the adult learners' collegiate experiences thus far. Responses received would give campus leadership feedback about the satisfaction levels of adult learners at ETSU.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the adult learner at ETSU is satisfied with his/her overall learning experience. Adult students were asked to rank programs …

Policy And Practice Concerning Essay-Grading Criteria In Developmental English And College-Level English Programs In Tennessee Community Colleges., Walter Paul Wolford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The criteria used to grade college essays have been the subject of research for over three decades. Using quantatative data, this study investigated the differences in essay-grading criteria and essay-grading policy among full-time faculty members who teach English composition in Tennessee's community colleges.

This study revealed beliefs about the importance of essay-grading criteria and beliefs about written and unwritten essay-grading policies among those who teach developmental English, college-level English, and those who teach both levels of English. This study hypothesized that there were no differences among the English composition teacher's beliefs about the importance of the twenty essay-grading criteria nor …

Statistical Power Analysis Of Dissertations Completed By Students Majoring In Educational Leadership At Tennessee Universities, Heping Deng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to estimate the level of statistical power demonstrated in recent dissertations in the field of educational leadership. Power tables provided in Cohen's (1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences were used to determine the power of the statistical tests conducted in dissertations selected from five universities in Tennessee. The meta-analytic approach was used to summarize and synthesize the findings. The population of this study consisted of all dissertations successfully defended by doctoral students majoring in educational leadership/administration at East Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Tennessee State University, the University …

An Exploration Of Common Domain Skills Necessary For Intraschool And Classroom Success, Phillip A. Hatch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study is on teachers' perceptions of those classroom skills and intraschool skills needed for success in schools currently engaged in the implementation of a model of school reform. An instrument was developed based on the skills identified by the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (1992) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1989). Faculty in schools currently engaged with a model of reform responded to survey items based on two scenarios: one describing a classroom environment; the other describing an intraschool environment. Data were collected from 495 faculty members in 22 schools in …

Rural Nonfarm Scott County, Tennessee Women And Their Pathways To Baccalaureate Degrees, Jo A. Lobertini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand why women from Scott County, Tennessee, left home to attain the baccalaureate degree and returned home to live and/or work. More specifically, understanding (1) the educational aspirations, motivations, and discouragements prior to attending college; (2) the educational persistence, motivations, and discouragements while attending college; (3) and the reasons for returning to Scott County after attaining the baccalaureate degree. The population of this study included all females over the age of 25 who had a bachelor's degree, attended grades 1–12 in Scott County, Tennessee, and returned there to live. The primary form …

Assessing The Racial Awareness Of Majority Group Member Students At East Tennessee State University And The Factors Related To Racial Awareness, Lavern Terrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the racial awareness of majority group member students at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and factors related to racial awareness. Seven research questions and five hypotheses were examined. The Oklahoma Racial Attitudes Survey-Preliminary Form (ORAS-P) was used to identify the racial awareness of White students enrolled at ETSU during the fall of 1999. Forty-six classes were surveyed obtaining a sample totaling 395 students. In addition to completing the ORAS-P, students in the sample were asked the following demographic questions: gender, age, city and state of birth, name and location of high school …

A Case Study Of Effective Teaching Techniques For Diverse College Populations: Generation Xers And Baby Boomers, Karen O. Fritz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify teaching techniques that could be used in college classrooms for effectively teaching two different age cohorts: Baby Boomers and Generation X students. Baby Boomers are those people born between 1946 and 1964. The subsequent generation, known as Generation X, was born between 1965 and 1981. A multi-case qualitative study was designed to include interviews with faculty, focus groups with students, and classroom observations at three different community colleges in east Tennessee. Thirty-one faculty, ranging in age from 29 to 65, comprised the faculty panel. There were 48 student participants. Half of the …

Perceived Barriers To The Teaching Of Critical Thinking Skills By Nursing Faculty In Generic Bsn Programs In Tennessee, Renee C. Shell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching critical thinking is a national education goal. The ability to think critically is considered an essential skill of nursing graduates and is a necessary component of competent nursing practice. Therefore, nursing programs must address critical thinking for accreditation. The literature reports that teachers in all areas of education are having difficulties infusing critical thinking teaching strategies into their current teaching practices and critical thinking is lacking in new nursing graduates. This research study sought to identify barriers to the implementation of critical thinking teaching strategies as perceived by nursing faculty in generic, BSN programs in Tennessee. Data were collected …

Whole-School Elementary Literacy Programs: Variation In Implementation And The Relationship To Student Literacy Achievement, Lucie C. Boucher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that whole-school early literacy program reform should take precedence in our schools (Pikulski, 1994; Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Discovering how the components of a whole-school early literacy program interact to affect student achievement is the next step in planning for program development. Studies focusing on effective schools have not yet provided information about the impact of a whole-school program on student achievement or about the contribution of each the individual components to the whole program (Anderson & Pellicer, 1998; Creemers, 1997; Creemers & Reezigt, 1996; Wong & Meyer, 1997). However, descriptive studies spanning several decades conducted in …

Collective Efficacy And Collaborative Climate In Maine High Schools, Sarah Mackenzie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School reformers contend that a collaborative climate is conducive to effective schools. Collective efficacy is logically connected to collaborative climate and has the potential to enhance understanding of the psychosocial aspects of schools as organizations. This study's purpose was to examine the relationships among teacher efficacy, collective efficacy, and collaborative climate and to determine how, if at all, these three indicators of teacher and school effectiveness were statistically linked. I The study involved surveying 21 high schools. Teachers (n = 384) responded to a 40-item instrument consisting of variables related to their individual and collective efficacy, sense of collegiality, beliefs …

A Cohort Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Student Support Services Program At Southwest Virginia Community College, Michael J. Henry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Student Support Services Program is one of five federally funded “TRIO” programs provided for by Congress and administered by the Department of Education that are designed to improve grade-point averages and the retention and graduation rates of low-income individuals, firs t-generation college students, and students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine if the students who participated in the Student Support Services Program at SVCC achieved higher grade-point averages, retention rates, and graduation rates than did non-participants. There were no significant differences in grade-point averages between Student Support Services (SSS) Program participants and non-participants, The Student …

Comparison Of State Appropriations By Function And By Program To Actual Expenditures For The Two-Year Institutions In The Tennessee Board Of Regents System, Rosemary Y. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first purpose was to determine the extent to which the 14 two-year institutions of the Tennessee Board of Regents system expended funds in functional categories equal to the amount of funds provided by the appropriations funding formula for the same functional categories. The second purpose was to determine the extent to which the 14 two-year institutions expended funds for direct instructional purposes for each academic program equal to the amount of funds provided by the appropriations funding formula for direct teaching purposes for each academic program. Using an archival research design, appropriations …

The Use Of Alternative School Placements For Disciplinary Interventions With At-Risk Students, Tammie N. Feathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate effective ways of providing educational services for at-risk students who are repeatedly placed out of the regular classroom into an alternative school. Characteristics of both settings were investigated in terms of meeting student needs to determine what ingredients might be missing from either or both settings that should be implemented to help these students succeed. The research was qualitative and used a case study design. Primary data were gathered from interviews with five students placed in an alternative school setting and interviews with teachers and administrators in both the regular school and …

Pre- And Post-Matriculation Correlates Of Student Retention Within A Community College Setting, Pamela E. Goodman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the 1990s, due in part to declining enrollment numbers and prolonged budget constraints, student retention became a primary focus in higher education. Aligned with the nationwide interest, this longitudinal, archival study focused on the correlates of student retention at Walters State Community College, located in Morristown, Tennessee. The population involved 17,497 students enrolled from the fall semester of 1992 through the fall semester of 1997. Four sets of variables were investigated--demographic variables, pre-matriculation variables, post-matriculation variables related to grades, and post-matriculation variables related to enrollment. The data were collected through the use of a computer program written to access …

Factors Of Job-Related Stress As Perceived By Middle School Principals In Virginia, Teresa I. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted among middle school principals in Virginia to determine their perceptions of job-related stress factors. The entire population of middle school principals (grades 6, 7, 8) was selected to participate in the study. The Administrative Stress Index was used to assess factors that cause principals stress on the job and to measure their stress levels. A demographic data form was used to collect data on the variables of age, gender, administrative experience, assistant principal support, student enrollment, adults supervised, percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, location of school, type of school, experience as a middle …

Perceptions Of Tennessee Community College Leaders Regarding External Mandates, Institutional Effectiveness Practices, And Institutional Performance, Gary J. Skolits

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of academic and administrative community college leaders regarding the relationship between select external mandates and associated institutional effectiveness practices, institutional performance, and the use of assessment results for institutional improvement in Tennessee community colleges. Tennessee community colleges were selected for this study due to their decades long history with institutional assessments through the performance funding program. A primary assumption underlying this study was that Tennessee community colleges provide a historically unique assessment context for this study. The researcher developed a specific survey instrument for this study. The design of the …

A Qualitative Study Of A Team-Teaching Classroom And A Traditional One-Teacher Classroom In An Elementary School Setting, Johnny D. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study describes two heterogeneously grouped second-grade classrooms during the 1998-99 school year. One class featured collaborative team teaching, and the second class was taught by a traditional single teacher. There were 33 regular education students and nine at-risk students in the team classroom and 14 regular education students and eight at-risk students in the one-teacher classroom. One hundred three interviews were conducted with 21 students in the team classroom and 18 students in the one-teacher classroom, with 13 parents, with three teachers, and with the school principal. The researcher observed the two classes 61 times from September to May. …

Service Quality In Higher Education: Expectations Versus Experiences Of Doctoral Students At State-Supported Universities In Tennessee, James H. Lampley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a gap analysis model (SERVQUAL) of service quality measurement could be appropriately applied to higher education. The researcher asked doctoral students from six doctoral-granting, state-supported universities in Tennessee to complete a service quality survey, comparing their experiences with their expectations, thereby giving a measure of gaps in educational service quality at their institution. The research design included five research questions, with five null hypotheses testing the relationship between students' expectations and experiences, between overall satisfaction and service gaps, and between overall satisfaction and certain demographic variables (age, gender, ethnicity, type of …

An Analysis Of Teacher And Student Leadership And Gender Differentiation Within Academic Divisions At Three Virginia And Tennessee Liberal Arts Colleges, Mary L. Cole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated a range of leadership behaviors by teachers (teacher characteristics) and students (student characteristics) inside their higher education classrooms and various aspects of those environments (classroom characteristics). The behaviors and environmental aspects examined are those determined by research findings to foster and enhance participant growth and development. Cluster sampling was used for this study of 25 classes representing 5 divisions of the curriculum at 3 institutions. The instruments were administered to 277 students and 25 teachers during the spring of 1999. The null hypotheses for main effects of teacher, student, and classroom characteristics were tested on the …

Characteristics Of Viable And Sustainable Workers For The Year 2015, Brenda P. Dean

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to forecast characteristics of valuable workers within Middle Eastern Tennessee for the year 2015. The following areas were studied as they related to the forecast: (1) the projected employment skill demands of business and industry; (2) the initiatives required and proposed by business and industry to meet their respective employment demands; and (3) the external support by education required for industry and business to meet their employment needs. The Delphi panel was composed of 22 business and industry leaders who were nominated by the county executive of the ten counties of the study, officials …

Current Observations And Future Importance Of Leadership Attributes Perceived By Community College Presidents And Vice Presidents For Academic Affairs, E L. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pursuit of this study was to examine perspectives of select community college presidents and vice presidents for academic affairs regarding leadership attributes that were currently observed as being practiced by mid-level managers. The study also summarized these leaders' perceptions of the leadership attributes mid-level managers will need to possess to assume senior administrative positions, particularly the presidency, that will guide the institutions into the future. Based on an extensive review of literature, a list of 41 leadership attributes was established. The Community College Leadership Attribute Survey (CCLAS) was designed by the researcher and a pilot study was conducted. Sixty-five …

The Relationship Between Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of Empowerment And A Principal's Leadership Style, George W. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between teachers' perceptions of empowerment and their impressions of their principal's leadership style within Bolman and Deal's four organizational frames, selected teacher demographics, and school size. The study used the survey method of data collection. Completed School Participant Empowerment Scales, Leadership Orientations Other Scales, and demographics forms were received from 315 (90%) of the teachers surveyed. The criterion variable, or dependent variable, was the teachers' scores on the School Participant Empowerment Scale. Teachers' scores on the Leadership Orientations Other Scale, teacher demographics (age, educational level, and teaching experience), and school size were …

An Assessment Of Technology Classroom Environments In Chinese Universities, Jiexiu Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of graduate classroom environments as perceived by the graduate students and faculty in technology courses, at Chinese universities. Relationships between the different dimensions of the social environment of the graduate technology classrooms were examined. The Adult Classroom Environment Scale (ACES) was used to measure the actual and ideal classroom environments on seven dimensions. The research was conducted during Fall 1998. Participants in this study included 317 graduate students and 8 teachers in 8 classes from 6 universities in Beijing, China. The results of data analysis showed that there were significant …

Staff Development Programs In Public Elementary Schools In Northeast Tennessee, Richard A. Mcinturf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to collect and report on the perceptions of elementary school teachers as to the quality of staff development programs being offered in schools and school systems throughout Northeast Tennessee. A second purpose was to study the relationship between certain school district characteristics and teacher perception scores related to the staff development programs. The National Staff Development Council's Self-Assessment and Planning Tool was used to collect data related to teacher perceptions. Mean scores were calculated and t-test analysis completed for each variable named in the study. Conclusions of the study are consistent with most findings …