Education Commons^™

Connecting Rather Than Colliding: When American And Chinese Rhetorical Styles Meet In The University Classroom, Karen Shea

English as a Second Language Faculty Publications & Research

Many American teachers can see differences between the way their domestic and international students organize an argument; fewer would be able to explain these differences. Due to the recent wave of Chinese students enrolling in American universities, many professors are grappling with cultural differences ranging from the unfamiliar classroom behavior to the diverse rhetorical styles of these students. Misunderstandings may form a rift between the students, who write according to their own Eastern rhetorical upbringing, and the professors, who assign and assess the writing based on their Western rhetorical tradition. As a result, many professors are looking for ways to …

Backwards Planning, Forward Thinking, Valerie Balkun, Donna Thomsen

English Department Faculty Publications & Research

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Personality Factors (Behavioral Motivators) & Attitudes Toward Group Experiences, Dr. Christine Perakslis, Stacey L. Kite

Technology

The freshman experience typically requires a profusion of challenging adjustments relating to a new and demanding college environment. One significant force of attrition is transition or adjustment difficulties for freshmen. Successfully influencing freshmen includes efforts that focus on helping students make an academic, personal, and social adjustment to college. Group work provides opportunities for patterns of interaction (Evans, Forney, & Guido-DiBrito, 1998; Tinto, 2005; Upcraft, Gardner, & Associates, 1989).

It is believed that there is intensity in temporary group environments due to a need for individuals to quickly evaluate and adjust to other members, with speed and accomplishment as driving …

The Effects Of Social Media On College Students, Qingya Wang, Wei Chen, Yu Liang

MBA Student Scholarship

As social media sites continue to grow in popularity, it is our premise that technology is a vital part in today’s student success equation. This descriptive, exploratory research study drew a random sample (N=48) of males (n=26) and females (n=22) who were administered a student perception questionnaire on how social media affects college students. Thirty-five percent of the participants were undergraduates and 65% were graduate students, studying at Johnson & Wales University. Thirty-one percent of participants have full-time jobs, 30% have part-time jobs and 39% do not have jobs. The results of the survey questionnaire indicate that 45% of the …

Jwu, Johnson & Wales University Magazine, Fall 2011, Johnson & Wales University - Providence

JWU Magazine

No abstract provided.

Crisis Preparedness: Do School Administrators And First Responders Feel Ready To Act?, David J. Alba, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

A majority of public school districts have developed crisis preparedness plans; however, policy and procedural implementation is inconsistent across schools, districts, and states. Furthermore, while the literature regarding best practice in school safety recommends conducting a variety of drills in conjunction with first responders, there is little research literature that examines the perceptions of the personnel responsible for the planning and implementation of these types of collaborative efforts (Graham, Shirm, Liggin, Aitken, & Dick, 2006; Kano & Bourque, 2007; United States Government Accounting Office, 2007). This study explored the perceptions of 60 Rhode Island school principals, three district-level administrators, and …

Beginning Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Differentiate Instruction For Diverse Learners, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of Preparedness (28 items, alpha = .96) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. The following areas presented challenges to teachers when attempting differentiation: pre-existing ideas of how to teach which contradict differentiation, misinformation regarding differentiation, and classroom management skills. …

Perspectives Of Suburban Public School Teachers On The Characteristics Of Students At-Risk For Dropping Out Of School, Michael J. Sollitto, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study focuses on a major problem facing today’s educators: high school dropouts. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the reasons that students drop out of school and programs that may address the needs of students at-risk for dropping out of school. Literature in this area was reviewed to identify what can be learned from these studies. Research questions addressed differences in teacher perspectives of the characteristics of elementary, middle, and high school struggling students. Differences in teachers’ perspectives based on tenure and type of teaching assignment were examined. A sequential, mixed methods approach was taken. The researchers began …

Teacher Professional Development In One K-12 School District In Rhode Island: A Study Of Perceptions, Casale B. Maryann, Ralph Jasparro

K-12 Education

The purpose of the qualitative phase of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of professional development and the extent to which teachers believe it expands their knowledge and skills and improves student learning. Teachers from an urban ring district in Rhode Island were asked to participate in a focus group discussion. A thorough analysis of the content of the responses to focus group questions was completed. In general, teachers felt that the most effective professional development experiences had been on topics of their choice and those facilitated by teachers. According to focus group results, collaboration and relevancy were two …

College Student Perceptions Of Student Life Programs, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D.

Higher Education

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to describe and explore undergraduate student satisfaction with student life programming at a small, specialized college in the Northeast. Phase I of the study employed a quantitative instrument to determine the satisfaction and extent of involvement with programming (N = 240); Phase II employed focus groups (N = 4) to further probe and clarify findings from Phase I and to develop a holistic profile of student perspectives on programs designed to supplement their collegiate educational experience.

Collegiate Administrator Perceptions Of Organizational Culture: An Analysis Of Metaphors, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D.

Higher Education

This study sought to characterize college and university administrator perceptions of organizational culture, their perceptions of themselves versus other campus subcultures, and their perceptions of themselves as members of their campus communities, through an analysis of their use of metaphors. Primary research objectives included the identification of administrator perceptions of the dominant campus culture, their perceptions of related subcultures, their perceptions of group self-consciousness, and the characterization of administrators as a legitimate collegiate subculture. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing metaphor analysis as the framework for individual interviews. The very nature of the problem (i.e. asking administrators to …

Jwu, Johnson & Wales University Magazine, Commencement, Summer 2011, Johnson & Wales University - Providence

JWU Magazine

No abstract provided.

Using Skype As An Academic Tool: Lessons Learned, Martin Sivula

Technology

Several years ago I witnessed a graduate student speaking to person on his laptop screen. I asked, “who are you talking to?” He said to his wife in Turkey. I asked what software are you using? He said Skype, and it is free. Thus began my entry into the world of Skype. At first chance I downloaded Skype onto my personal computer. Since that time I have used Skype as a communication and instructional tool for academic purposes. Skype software allows communication (audio, video, and text) between and among various electronic devices (computers, mobile phones, smartphones, I pods, etc.) over …

Online Versus Face To Face College Courses, Ningning Shi, Chen Du, Xiaonan Jiang, Hala M. Bin Saab

MBA Student Scholarship

Students have perceptions of the on-line course environment whether they have taken an on-line course or not. A random sample (N = 100) of undergraduate (n = 34) and graduate (n = 66) students were administered a student perception questionnaire on students' attitudes towards studying online versus traditional classroom instruction in a large, private, southern New England University. Thirty-nine percent of the participants have a part-time job, 29% have a full-time job, and the remaining 32% are not currently employed. Thirty-three percent of the sample was male and 67% were female. Results of the survey questionnaire indicate that 29% of …

Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In A Mathematics Methods Course Affect Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics?,, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris

Teacher Education

This study is related to a previous study (Ribeiro, 2009) that examined teachers’ perceptions of teaching self-efficacy. In the first study the sample consisted of two groups of teachers that took the same professional development course in mathematics. The comparison group took the course in their school district with other teachers and the experimental group took the course with pre-service teachers in a university classroom. After completing the course, both groups were measured in three dimensions of teaching self-efficacy: student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom climate. Findings indicated that although both groups had significant gains in self-efficacy toward teaching mathematics …

Jwu, Johnson & Wales University Magazine, Spring 2011, Johnson & Wales University - Providence

JWU Magazine

No abstract provided.

Jwu, Johnson & Wales University Magazine, Winter 2011, Johnson & Wales University - Providence

JWU Magazine

No abstract provided.

Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups

Research Methodology

How would you describe your campus culture or your school environment? Would you carefully outline the details of the working conditions, the way people interact in meetings, or the unique communication style of your organization? Or would you rather use a descriptive phrase, or even a metaphor, to summarily reveal your organization’s culture? Metaphor analysis, as a means to uncover organizational culture, is an increasingly popular strategy for qualitative researchers. In interpretative qualitative studies, metaphors comprise a form of linguistic analysis which assists researchers who are interested in an intensive but short-term evaluation of organizational culture (Patton, 2002; Schmitt, 2005). …

Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

How would you describe your campus culture or your school environment? Would you carefully outline the details of the working conditions, the way people interact in meetings, or the unique communication style of your organization? Or would you rather use a descriptive phrase, or even a metaphor, to summarily reveal your organization’s culture? Metaphor analysis, as a means to uncover organizational culture, is an increasingly popular strategy for qualitative researchers. In interpretative qualitative studies, metaphors comprise a form of linguistic analysis which assists researchers who are interested in an intensive but short-term evaluation of organizational culture (Patton, 2002; Schmitt, 2005). …