Education Commons^™

Chinese International Students’ Narratives Of Their Experiences In A Graduate Pathway Program: An Exploratory Study, Lu Norstrand

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because of the tremendous growth of Chinese international students’ enrollment in American higher education and the rapid rise and development of Pathway programs in American universities, I determined the main purpose of this research was to determine the experiences of three Chinese international students in a Graduate Pathway program at a public four-year university in the Southeastern U.S. Three research questions were addressed:

1. How do three Chinese international students describe their academic experiences in a Graduate Pathway program in the U.S.?
2. How do these students describe differences in their learning experiences between the U.S. and China?
3. How do these students …

Using The Cipp Evaluation Model To Examine A Bachelor Of Science In Health Systems Management Program, Somer Goad Burke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this formative evaluation was to explore the effectiveness of a Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management (BS HSMT) program in supporting student success through gathering information that led to recommendations for program improvement. The evaluation setting was a public university in the southeastern United States that began enrolling students in the BS HSMT in the fall semester 2017. The BS HSMT was developed to meet the local workforce need for professionals trained in health management and to offer a non-clinical bachelor’s degree for students not competitive or not admitted to their first-choice selective major (described in …

Identifying The Academic And Emotional Risk And Resource Factors Of Underrepresented Students In Accelerated Coursework, Jasmine L. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are many benefits of student participation in accelerated curricula in high school such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBD) or Advanced Placement (AP) coursework. Benefits include skipping introductory coursework in college, being better prepared to deal with the stressors of college, and positive impacts on peer relationships, self-image, and the development of the concept of success (The International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2019). However, the extent to which all students, regardless of demographic background, are able to participate in and benefit from such programs is a little less known. Previous research indicates that the IBD tends to enroll high-achieving …

Assessing Many-Body Van Der Waals Contributions In Model Sorption Environments, Matthew K. Mostrom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The energy used in the separation and purification of small volatile atoms and compounds represents a sizablefraction of the world’s energy consumption as a whole 1 Noble gases in particular represent a unique challenge as their separation currently relies on distillation methods that work by virtue of small differences in the density of their pure phases. Highly porous Metal-Organic Materials (MOMs) offer a cheaper, more efficient alternative to cryogenic distillation, and studying their properties using various simulation methods has become an important and active area of research. The family of Potentials with “High Accuracy, Speed and Transferability” (PHAST) have been …

Honokiol Loaded Mpeg-Pcl Micelles For The Treatment Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Amna Shahid

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a multi-factorial age-related retinal hypoxic disorder resulting in irreversible loss of vision is the foremost cause of blindness in United States. Current treatment strategies used to treat disease involve multiple intraocular injections of Anti – VEGF agents into the vitreous of eye. In addition to the issues of drug localization and targeted delivery, the need to frequently inject drug into the eye raise patient compliance issues. These challenges call for sustained drug delivery system. In this study, a sustained drug delivery system was prepared by loading an anti- HIF agent, honokiol into MPEG-PCL polymer. These …

Latino/A Student Success In Higher Education: A Study In Persistence, Ronald K. Maccammon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a detailed accounting of the experiences of Latinos students who persist in higher education. The supports and barriers they encountered, as well as their recommendations for educational stakeholders looking to effect persistence were examined. The grand tour question guiding this research was: “What do some Latino students and their institutions do to enable decisions to persist and how do they do it?” Sub-Questions providing depth for the research were: (a) how do the participants make meaning of their experiences to persist to graduate; (b) what are the participants’ perceptions of the …

Teacher Certification Pathway And Mathematical Quality Of Instruction, Gail Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The formal documentation of alternative routes to teacher certification programs in the United States began in 1983 (Ludlow, 2011). According to the former US Secretary of Education’s Annual Report on teacher quality the high demand for teachers in high needs areas, such as mathematics, has caused growth in alternative certification routes for teachers (Paige, 2002). The many factors that influence teaching quality make it difficult to determine what impact, if any, a teacher’s preparation program has on the quality of their instruction. Current research on teacher quality shows varied results, making it hard to reach a conclusion about the effectiveness …

Reproductive Ecology And Phenology Of Thalassia Testudinum (Hydrocharitaceae) In Tampa Bay, Florida, Sheila Scolaro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Successful sexual reproduction and recolonization are critical in maintaining genetic diversity within seagrass meadows. Thalassia testudinum flower, fruit and seedling production were assessed visually at 10 sites within Tampa Bay, Florida approximately every 4 weeks from May to July 2017 to determine if there is spatial and temporal variation in sexual reproductive effort and if location within a meadow effects sexual reproductive effort. Results from this study reveal strong temporal variability throughout the reproductive season. The month of May was observed as peak Thalassia testudinum anthesis and June was peak fruiting in Tampa Bay during 2017. Flower and fruit density …

Leading The Way: A Critical Narrative About The Creation Of An Online Professional Development Program, Otis Wilder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leading the Way is a narrative examination of how I (the author) built a professional development training program for the hospitality industry in cooperation with my university and numerous hospitality industry leaders from our community. The program was developed over the course of a year by a large team of people working together to create the Hospitality Leadership Program (HLP). My role in the creation of the HLP was that of instructional designer and curriculum developer. The purpose of the narrative is to provide a critical view of the interactions between the fields of instructional design and curriculum development during …

Modelo Filosófico-Literario De La Retrospectiva Contemporánea, Bermaries A. Vélez Maldonado

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Este trabajo define el concepto de retrospectiva contemporánea como “mecanismo de análisis textual que simplifica la manera en que una obra clásica se logra tornar contemporánea”. Desde teóricos como Immanuel Kant hasta otros como Fernando Ángel Moreno permiten aquí una explicación de cómo se logra dislocar la obra clásica La vida es sueño para colocarla en el mundo de la interpretación contemporánea, y entonces así, verla como una obra escrita en el presente, bajo las preocupaciones y perspectivas de escritores en la actualidad.

Swimming Of Pelagic Snails: Kinematics And Fluid Dynamics, Ferhat Karakas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pteropods (also known as sea butterflies or sea angels), are holoplanktonic marine snails which swim by flapping a pair of extremely flexible wings. The wings are modified from the molluscan foot and the wing motions are supported by the fluid pressure without any rigid support. Sea angels (gymnosome pteropods) are completely naked; in contrast, sea butterflies (thecosome pteropods) have negatively buoyant aragonite shells which vary in geometry and size among different species. Pteropods are seasonally abundant in the ocean, and an important food source for the other zooplanktons, fishes, and whales. Though studies have been conducted regarding their biology, ecology, …

Facilitating Early Intervention Through Teacher Training In Brief Functional Behavior Assessment, Casie L. Peet

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly 30% of students who enter state-funded early childhood education programs exhibit significant problem behavior, putting them at risk for long-term adverse behavioral and academic outcomes. Tier 2 behavioral interventions might not be effective for all when delivered in a one-size-fits-all fashion suggesting that individualizing behavioral intervention to the student’s specific concerns may be. To do so, it is necessary to collect problem identification data indicative of each student’s concerns and function of problem behaviors. This question is particularly pertinent in early childhood settings where educators have a wide range of training experiences and backgrounds. Early childhood teachers are essential …

Students' Perceptions Of Career And Academic Advising In College Learning Communities, Kelly M. Hallas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if community college students in differing learning communities had different perceptions of their career and academic needs and whether students in different learning communities perceived their career and academic advisor as meeting these needs (i.e. are they satisfied with their advising). In addition, this study examined the variables of gender, ethnicity, and enrollment status and their relation to students’ needs and satisfaction across learning communities.

The Community College that provides the backdrop for the inquiry has recently transitioned to Academic and Career Learning Communities. This institution defines its communities as similar majors …

Distributed Leadership: Leadership Teams And Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support, Joseph D. Latimer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary educational legislation in the last 30 years has reflected the age of accountability in which positive student academic outcomes and yearly student progress are the main goals of the school system. In addition to accountability legislation, schools are mandated to implement multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to provide a continuum of services for all students. To implement MTSS and the necessary system changes, many schools are using distributed leadership models and practices such as leadership teams to maximize the human and material resources available. This study examined the conceptualization and enactment of distributed leadership in a school that is …

Exploring The Association Of Academic Psychological Capital And Experiential Learning With Academic Performance, Diane Kutz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research study expands upon the body of research seeking to define the effect of Academic Psychological Capital (Academic PsyCap) and student Participation in Experiential Learning on one success measure of students, Academic Performance, as measured by grade point average (GPA). It also seeks to investigate the moderating effect of Experiential Learning on the relationship between Academic PsyCap and Academic Performance. The study argues that Social Cognitive Theory and Broaden and Build Theory supported a reciprocal relationship between Academic PsyCap and Participation in Experiential Learning Activities and the positive relationship between both constructs and Academic Performance.

The study was conducted …

Predicting Transfer Student Degree Completion At The University Of South Florida - Tampa Utilizing Pre-Matriculation Data, Danielle Busson Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the ability of demographic and academic pre-matriculation variables to predict degree completion of transfer students at the University of South Florida –Tampa. The University is situated in a state with performance-based funding and with a high number of students who transfer from Florida College System community and state colleges to the university. Transfer students are predicted to become an additional population included in performance metrics thus increasing the need for the university to begin to analyze degree completion barriers to shape early intervention.

Participants in the study were 970 students who transferred …

Civic Engagement Amid Civil Unrest: Haitian Social Scientists Working At Home, Nadège Nau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unlike many of the autoethnographic accounts in world anthropologies discourse, this study employs critical educational ethnography to both address the geopolitics of Haitian anthropology while also spotlighting an understudied group: university faculty. This study addresses: What are the conditions of academic labor for anthropology professors working in Haiti? Moreover, what is the price of being an anthropology professor at the School of Ethnology at the State University of Haiti (UEH), and how do professors add meaningful value to their labor through sacrifice, ingenuity, and civic engagement? Despite professors’ work-related challenges and Haiti’s severe “brain drain” levels, for many professors, their …

A Narrative Inquiry Into A Principal’S Understanding Of School Culture And Its Influences On Principal Leadership, Robert M. Holby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Culture has been discussed and written about at great length from roots in anthropology (e.g., Tylor, 1920; Mead, 1928) to development of the concepts of organizational culture (Schein, 1985, 2010) and school culture (e.g., Bolman & Deal, 2013; Deal & Peterson, 1991, 2009). Societies, organizations and schools as organizations create, develop, and maintain culture—deep-seated assumptions, values, ways of thinking and acting that characterize how we do things, how we live.

In a school the principal is often cast as responsible for influencing or creating a culture and climate for change (Fullan, 2008; Jones et al., 2013). Thus, it is important …

The Participation Of Children With Multiple Disabilities In The Florida State Alternate Assessment: Parent Perspectives, Lora Reese

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The perspectives of parents of children with multiple disabilities regarding their understanding and involvement in their child’s participation in the Florida State Alternate Assessment (FSAA) Performance Task and Datafolio are explored in this study. In the United States, federal policies require all students to participate in state-wide formal assessments, including students with multiple disabilities. Current research literature examines the perspectives of teachers and other education professionals regarding the many facets of formalized assessment. However, the perspective of parents of children with multiple disabilities and their child’s participation in formal alternate assessment is scant. Throughout this study, the reflections of six …

To Cross The Ocean In Full View Of The Sun: The Chinese Government’S Grand Strategy To Influence Academic Freedom And American University Culture, Chris Crandall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation will explore the Chinese government's attempt to influence the American higher education system through a host of soft power methods. The importance of why academic freedom is a keystone within the American academic system, as well as why, how and what can be done to arrest the Chinese government's influence will be researched in the following pages.

Facilitators And Barriers To Treatment Engagement In A Behavioral Parent Training Program, Holland Hayford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study sought to analyze caregivers’ perspectives regarding facilitators of, and barriers to, attending the behavioral parent training programs (BPTs) known as Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS) and Developing Our Children’s Skills K-5 (DOCS K-5). Participants included 43 caregivers who successfully completed their respective DOCS program. These caregivers answered two questionnaires which contained items addressing demographic variables (i.e., gender, race, ethnicity, household income, level of education, number of children, and program attendance) and logistic factors of the DOCS programs (i.e., course location, class length, time of day, course duration, availability of transportation, availability of childcare). …

The Culture Of Learning Disabilities, Race And Athletics: An Examination Of Student-Athlete Experiences In Predominantly White Institutions Of Higher Education’S Division One College Football Programs, Ashley L. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students’ educational experiences vary. The differences in these experiences can be attributed to a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographic location, socio-economic status, age, gender, race, ability, and individual experiences before and during schooling. In this study, the researcher examined the intersectionality of race and disability in the context of postsecondary education and student-athletes through the experiences of participants who identified themselves within select categories, namely as Black/African American and student-athlete. Of equal importance, participants struggled to meet normalized standards of learning during their P-12 educational experiences and/or were identified with a categorical learning disability. As will …

K–12 Teachers’ Experiences “With Or Without” Breastfeeding/Pumping Policy In The School Workplace, Michelle Mae Phillips

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the experiences of classroom teachers who are lactating and expressing milk in a situation with or without school/district policies related to lactation and breastmilk expression. As there is little in the published literature that describes postpartum K–12 teachers' experiences while pumping breastmilk in the workplace. There is a need for studies that highlight these experiences and explore how policies impact breastfeeding teachers. The study was guided by three research questions: (1) How do classroom teachers who are, or have been, lactating and expressing milk during their workday experience school/district policies related to lactation and breastmilk expression? (2) …

Exploring Refugee Students’ Second Language (L2) Motivational Selves Through Digital Visual Representations, Nhu Le

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While the ‘travel ban’ immigration executive order, ‘build a wall’ proposal, and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids under the Trump administration are still hot-button issues, the United States (US) is urged to maintain its leadership in addressing a rising global refugee crisis with over 65 million (70.8 million updated from United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR)’s website, https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html, as of April 2020) individuals displaced all over the world (Khurma, 2017). Millions of refugee families have fled from life-threatening conditions in their homelands, making perilous journeys to reach host countries in search of a better life. While settling into …

"You Want To Teach What?" An Examination Of Physical Education Teacher Candidates' Motivation To Teach Physical Education, Rebecca C. Wylie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the reasons individuals choose to become physical educators. Understanding these PE teacher candidates’ motivating factors for choosing this career is important as nearly half of all new teachers will leave the profession within the first three years of teaching (Ensign & Mays Woods, 2017). Using the theoretical framework of Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, (1984) motivation levels of the PE teacher candidates’ were also examined. For this study, six PE teacher candidates answered both the Attractors and Facilitators for Physical Educators questionnaire and the Academic Motivation Scale. The participants also participated in two semi-structured interviews examining their …

Care In Context: Constructing A Theory Of Care In One Fifth Grade Classroom, Emily J. Wingate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With a culmination of evidence suggesting the perception of caring relationships is associated with students' well-being (Natvig, Albrektsen, & Qvarnstrøm, 2003; Siddall, Huebner, & Jiang, 2013; Suldo, Friedrich, White, Farmer, Minch, & Michalowski, 2009), there is a need to better understand the ways in which care operates in the classroom. Further, there is a need to move beyond a prescription of caring behaviors to investigate the ways in which care, control, and conflict interact to impact classroom relationships. In the current study, I took a mini-ethnographic case study approach to investigate the concept of care within one fifth grade classroom. …

Early Adolescents' Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction And Frustration, Motivation, And Verbal Divergent Thinking Within An Out-Of-School Context, Megan Louise Atha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early adolescence is a vital time for the development of creative thinking and behaviors (Barbot et al., 2016) as well as for examining factors that influence the motivation of youth to engage and persist in creative processes and to develop creative abilities (Beghetto & Dilley, 2016). In order to support the motivation towards creative pursuits that may be unique to early adolescent youth, the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness may be important. Since out-of-school contexts are an increasingly important element of adolescents’ day-to-day experiences, research that investigates how contextual factors contribute to the development of …

Temporal Discounting And The Assessment And Treatment Of Academic Procrastination, Anthony Concepcion

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many individuals engage in procrastination at some point in their lifetime. Although procrastination is usually not detrimental, for college students, academic procrastination is correlated with adverse health effects (e.g., anxiety, depression, sleep hygiene) and poor academic performance (Akinsola, et al., 2007; Ferrari, et al., 1995). Furthermore, the prevalence of academic procrastination is high with reports of up to 95% of college students engaging in detrimental amounts of procrastination (Hussain & Sultan, 2010). Notably, students enrolled in online courses are likely to be at greater risk to experience adverse consequences associated with procrastination (Elvers, et al, 2003). Previous studies have focused …

Teacher Leadership: The Value Of Action Research In The Development Of Science Teacher Leaders, Vanessa Vernaza-Hernández

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The past few years have seen the establishment of many professional development programs for science teachers leaders aimed at improving the process of teaching and learning of science. One of these is the Robert Noyce Master Teacher Fellows (MTF) program, which is part of a research university in the southeastern United States. This is an extended teacher development program with the purpose of developing effective science and mathematics teachers into successful teacher leaders, professional development providers, curriculum developers, and formal mentors. One of the characteristics that distinguishes this MTF program is that, as part of the leadership development experiences, the …

Textbooks As A Tool For Planning And Facilitating Mathematical Discourse, Denise L. Polojac-Chenoweth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Across the nation, mathematics teachers are struggling to help their students meet the demands of high stakes testing while adhering to state standards for content and teaching and dealing with the time constraints imposed by school activities, paperwork, and testing schedules. Classroom mathematical discourse is touted as a central element of a quality mathematics learning environment. Nevertheless, many teachers struggle to implement mathematical discourse effectively. This dissertation aims to explore the use of textbooks as tools to support teachers in the planning and facilitation of mathematical classroom discourse.

In this study, I employed a mixed-methods design to investigate (1) how …