Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 63

Full-Text Articles in Education

Online Attrition At A Community College In Rural Appalachia: A Phenomenological Approach, Victoria Sue Ratliff Aug 2013

Online Attrition At A Community College In Rural Appalachia: A Phenomenological Approach, Victoria Sue Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The education attainment level of residents in rural Appalachia has consistently ranked below the remaining populous of the United States. Although distance education initiatives have attempted to bridge the disparities between rural Appalachia and the rest of the nation, online community college students in this region are likely to drop out or fail their classes. To understand the phenomenon of online attrition in rural Appalachia, a phenomenological study was conducted to determine what students experienced from the time they chose to enroll in online classes through the point of failure or withdrawal from their courses. This triangulated study utilized surveys, …


A Phenomenological Investigation Into The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Teachers Who Have Persisted In The Teaching Profession, Shana Market Norton Aug 2013

A Phenomenological Investigation Into The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Teachers Who Have Persisted In The Teaching Profession, Shana Market Norton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of 12 secondary school teachers from public secondary schools in northern Georgia regarding their feelings about self-efficacy and why they have persisted in the teaching profession. The research questions centered around their perceptions on how self-efficacy influences the academic achievement of their students, on what personality characteristics they feel teachers add to their positive or negative self-esteem in teaching, and on what factors they identify as influencing their professional self-efficacy in teaching. Teacher self-efficacy, the belief in oneself to succeed at completing a task, is a key factor in retaining teachers. Four data …


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Mathematics Class For Low Achieving Middle School Students In Northwest Georgia, Johnnie Coats Jul 2013

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Mathematics Class For Low Achieving Middle School Students In Northwest Georgia, Johnnie Coats

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

High-stakes testing has become crucial in public education, requiring students to meet increasingly higher standards, regardless of their ability levels. This causal-comparative study sought to determine the effectiveness of an intervention mathematics course in the middle school setting for at-risk, sixth grade students. The Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) math scores of 143 at-risk students enrolled in a remediation mathematics course were compared to scores from a control population of 143 at-risk students who did not participate in the class. Math scores from the 2008 administration of the CRCT test were used as covariates, and comparisons were made using …


Exploring The Spiritually Formative Experiences Of Female Seminary Spouses: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Benjamin Forrest Jul 2013

Exploring The Spiritually Formative Experiences Of Female Seminary Spouses: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Benjamin Forrest

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a qualitative research study exploring the spiritually formative experiences of nonstudent, female, seminary spouses whose student spouses are beyond the halfway point in their pursuit of an M.Div. at a large evangelical seminary in the eastern United States. Fifteen participants (twelve online nonstudent spouses and three residential nonstudent spouses) were purposefully sampled. The data, which was collected through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and discussion forums, was analyzed using transcendental phenomenological analysis. Through this analysis it became apparent that seminary spouses did in fact experience spiritual formation through their husband's education. …


Mentoring: A Grounded Theory Study Examining How The Relationship Between The Mentor And Mentee Becomes Mutually Beneficial, David Martin Jul 2013

Mentoring: A Grounded Theory Study Examining How The Relationship Between The Mentor And Mentee Becomes Mutually Beneficial, David Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This grounded theory qualitative study examined the mentee/mentor relationship between five first year teachers and their five assigned mentors in a school district in Central Florida. To generate a model that seeks to explain how and why a mentee/mentor relationship changes and evolves from that of a single directional stream of information to that of a bidirectional stream which benefits the professional development of both parties, the grounded theory approach was utilized. Three forms of data were collected: interviews, focus groups, and participant journaling. This data along with artifacts and documents describing the school setting and the use of mentors …


The Effect Of Single Gender Instruction On Eighth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement, David Hammel Jul 2013

The Effect Of Single Gender Instruction On Eighth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement, David Hammel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

n the research study, this investigator utilized a non-experimental, causal-comparative design (ex post facto) with archival data to determine the real impact single gender instruction had on eighth grade students' mathematics achievement. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the benefits of single gender mathematics instruction for eighth grade male and female students, when compared against traditional coeducational instruction. Specifically, the researcher compared students instructed in single gender eighth grade mathematics classes with students taught in traditional coeducational classes by analyzing fall vs. spring Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) computerized mathematics test score means. Additionally, honors vs. non-honors …


Bullying Prevalence In Mississippi: A Comparison Of Urban And Rural Schools, Valarie Mccaskill Jun 2013

Bullying Prevalence In Mississippi: A Comparison Of Urban And Rural Schools, Valarie Mccaskill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the prevalence of bullying in urban and rural schools in Mississippi. Students at eight middle schools completed the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire to identify bullies and bully victims. The results of the study showed that approximately 50% of students in both urban and rural schools were identified as being bullied once or more during the current school term. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of bullying at urban and rural schools based on students who attended the eight middle schools who participated in the study. However, there was a significant difference in the prevalence of bullying …


Characteristics Of The Effective Online Teaching Faculty: Perspectives Of Online University Administrators, Dina Samora May 2013

Characteristics Of The Effective Online Teaching Faculty: Perspectives Of Online University Administrators, Dina Samora

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this explorative qualitative case study was to identify the characteristics online administrators reveal as existing in their most effective, and ineffective online teaching faculty (OTF). By identifying the characteristics of effective OTF, online administrators can develop practices to reduce and avoid the negative effects associated with ineffective OTF. Negative effects include increased transactional distance and student attrition. Analyzed were personal interviews of ten online administrators from eight different universities, a year of student surveys from six courses, and faculty handbooks. Interview questions sought the best approach to online facilitation, recommendations for retention of students, factors related to …


Comparing Traditional Period And Semester Block In High School Mathematics: Effect On Algebra I End-Of-Course Assessment, Chad Wallace Apr 2013

Comparing Traditional Period And Semester Block In High School Mathematics: Effect On Algebra I End-Of-Course Assessment, Chad Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

School systems continue to explore different ways to improve student achievement to meet the high expectations of preparing our students for a global community and market. For many years, educators have explored the use of time as an avenue for change to improve student scores on state end-of-course assessments. The purpose of this causal comparative study is to explore student achievement in a modified block format with students receiving instruction on either a semester block or a traditional period where clock hours for students are the same. This study will examine student achievement for males and females. The Virginia Standards …


An Examination Of The Effects Of Intrusive Advising And Support Services On Academically At-Risk Students, Earl Jones Apr 2013

An Examination Of The Effects Of Intrusive Advising And Support Services On Academically At-Risk Students, Earl Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study compared the effects of the intrusive form of developmental academic advising (IDAA) and the influence of additional academic support services on the mean cumulative Grade Point Averages (GPAs) of 4 randomly assembled groups of academically at-risk college students during 2 separate semesters. Academically at-risk students are defined as those students whose cumulative GPAs are below academic good standing at a university. The mean cumulative GPA of each student group was averaged prior to the beginning and at the end of the Spring 2012 and Fall 2012 semesters, respectively. All of these students were enrolled in a private …


Differences In Assessments Of Organizational School Climate Between Teachers And Administrators, Brandy Duff Apr 2013

Differences In Assessments Of Organizational School Climate Between Teachers And Administrators, Brandy Duff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the organizational school climate perceptions of teachers and principals and to ascertain the extent to which their perceptions differed. This causal comparative study used the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE) as the survey instrument for data collection. The OCDQ-RE was administered to 244 teachers and 11 administrators in four north Georgia elementary schools. The mean scores of the teachers and administrators were compared. The results indicated relationship the organizational school climate perceptions of teachers and administrators in only one of the four schools were alike. Administrators in each …


Nuestra Voz: A Critical Ethnographic Study Of Latina School Leaders, Angelica Ramsey Apr 2013

Nuestra Voz: A Critical Ethnographic Study Of Latina School Leaders, Angelica Ramsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The population of Latina/o students in public school across the United States is ever-increasing. This fast-growing population suffers from high dropout rates and academic underachievement. This epidemic of underachievement is alarming, as today's Latina/o student will be tomorrow's workforce. There is no time like the present to increase the number of Latina principals in high schools throughout the United States. The purpose of this critical ethnographic study was to understand the experiences of Latina principals in both established and burgeoning Latina/o communities in raising Latina/o achievement. Key findings included: (a) strong ethnic ties and identity, (b) similar stories of ascending …


Impact Of Looping On Middle School Science Standardized Achievement Tests, Tammy Barger Apr 2013

Impact Of Looping On Middle School Science Standardized Achievement Tests, Tammy Barger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Looping may be defined as a teacher remaining with a group of students for multiple academic years. In this quantitative study, looping was examined as a factor on science achievement. State-wide eighth grade school level 2010 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) data were used. By responding to a mailing, school administrators indicated if 2010 eighth grade students had or had not been looped. The schools' percentage of advanced and proficient Science PSSA data were used to determine if the independent variable had a significant impact on science achievement. The results of the independent t-test analysis suggest that looping does …


Effects Of Gender On North Carolina Community College Boards Of Trustees' Perceptions Of Community College Presidents, Cynthia Dean Apr 2013

Effects Of Gender On North Carolina Community College Boards Of Trustees' Perceptions Of Community College Presidents, Cynthia Dean

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to compare the effects of gender on the perceptions that members of the boards of trustees of community colleges have of community college presidents. This study was guided by two research questions; the first one comparing the participants' perceptions of the male and female leader with the leader's gender acting as the sole independent variable; the second one examining the interaction effect of the participant's gender and the leader's gender on the participant's perception of the leader. Twelve boards of trustees within the North Carolina Community College System self-selected to participate. Participants read …


More Than Just A Good Book: Employing U.S. Department Of Education Guidelines To Teach Character Education Using Literature, Suzy Besson-Martilotta Apr 2013

More Than Just A Good Book: Employing U.S. Department Of Education Guidelines To Teach Character Education Using Literature, Suzy Besson-Martilotta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research study, which was conducted as a qualitative content analysis, was to discover to what extent children's literature from a popular anthology could be used to teach the tenets of character education according to U.S. Department of Education (2005) guidelines in a pre-Kindergarten through second grade setting. A team of participant-coders, which consisted of experienced early childhood educators, evaluated and analyzed each of the 44 complete books contained in the 320 page anthology, The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury: Celebrated Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud (Schulman, 2005), in order to investigate opportunities to explore …


A Collective Case Study Of The Perceptions And Implementation Of Self Advocacy From Four Educators Of Students With Disabilities, Heather Heap Apr 2013

A Collective Case Study Of The Perceptions And Implementation Of Self Advocacy From Four Educators Of Students With Disabilities, Heather Heap

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study identified four educators' perceptions and their implementation of teaching advocacy to students with disabilities within a public secondary educational setting. Federal mandates, such as Public Law 94-142, requested educators including administrators, counselors, special educators, and general educators to help facilitate self advocacy skills in the public educational setting. Using observations, comprehensive interviews, and available documentation, this collective case study identified four educators' experiences (an administrator, a counselor, a special educator, and a general educator) in developing student self advocacy as it pertains to the educators' perceived role in working with students with disabilities. This study identified their …


The Relationship Between The Amounts Of Time Spent In One School During Early Field Experiences And Student Teacher Performance, James Gregory Mar 2013

The Relationship Between The Amounts Of Time Spent In One School During Early Field Experiences And Student Teacher Performance, James Gregory

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative non-experimental correlational study was designed to investigate the correlation between the amount of time a teacher candidate spent during their early field experiences at one school location and performance ratings on their student teacher evaluation sheet. The rating scale was based on the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a difference in the level of teacher candidates' performance as outlined by the INTASC standards for secondary students in relationship to the number of hours of early field experience spent at one school location. All …


The Effectiveness Of Ground Groups On Student Behavior In A Southeast Tennessee School District, Ryan Goodman Feb 2013

The Effectiveness Of Ground Groups On Student Behavior In A Southeast Tennessee School District, Ryan Goodman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effectiveness of ground groups on office discipline referrals in a southeast Tennessee school district. Ground groups are meetings that students attended once a week in an effort to find the "middle ground" through modeling and observing particular behaviors. The primary hypothesis examined four schools from two separate districts over the course of two academic school years. The first group included schools from southeast Tennessee that incorporated ground groups and was classified as the treatment group. The second group included comparable schools from southeast Tennessee that did not incorporate ground groups …


Using Shared Leadership To Achieve School Improvement Goals: A Qualitative Study Of One High School's Journey, Leigh Putman Jan 2013

Using Shared Leadership To Achieve School Improvement Goals: A Qualitative Study Of One High School's Journey, Leigh Putman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the impact of shared leadership committees on school improvement efforts. The research identified which leadership factors lead to successful shared leadership committees and which supports and structures were needed for the committees to be meaningful in regards to school improvement. Certified staff who had been a part of the shared leadership committees at one high school in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia took part in the study. The participants were divided according to the committee on which they served and two were randomly selected two from each committee for participation in the study. All study …


A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceptions Of Change, Theresa Gardner Jan 2013

A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceptions Of Change, Theresa Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify teachers' perceptions of how leadership styles and practices of administration can improve the process of broad-based change in an educational organization. The study focused on the lived experiences of 12 teachers and school administrators (coresearchers) during a major change in their school district. Guided interviews were utilized in order to understand the essence of their experiences. Results indicated the importance of communication during the process of change as it relates to perceptions of involvement, buy-in, self-worth, job satisfaction, and support and impact on instruction.


A Phenomenology Of Academic Support In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Homes Of At-Risk Students, David Barber Dec 2012

A Phenomenology Of Academic Support In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Homes Of At-Risk Students, David Barber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

I examined the home environment and the amount of academic support non-English speaking parents are able to provide for their English Language Learner (ELL) children in the United States school system. In particular, the focus is on the families of children who struggle academically in the state of Georgia, where non-English speaking children are mainstreamed into regular education classrooms with limited support. Although there has been a great deal of research on how ELLs learn and what type of program can be used to best facilitate mastery of academics as they are learning the English language, the focal point of …


Rhode Island School Terrorist Attack Preparedness, Michael Dube Nov 2012

Rhode Island School Terrorist Attack Preparedness, Michael Dube

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the state of safety and terrorist attack preparedness in Rhode Island Schools as determined by Rhode Island school leader perceptions. The study is descriptive in nature as it gathers data to describe a particular event or situation. Using a researcher generated survey based on terrorist preparedness guidelines and suggestions in part from the Department of Homeland Security (2007), U.S. Department of Education (2007), National School Safety Center (2005), and National Association of School Resource Officers (2005), Rhode Island school administrators were asked to use a Likert rating scale to indicate levels of agreement with accepted terrorist preparedness …


A Study Of The Relationship Between Middle School And High School Teachers' Instructional And Behavior Management Practices And Demographic Variables, Deborah Santiago Nov 2012

A Study Of The Relationship Between Middle School And High School Teachers' Instructional And Behavior Management Practices And Demographic Variables, Deborah Santiago

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although teachers implement differentiated instructional techniques to provide students with enriching hands-on activities related to real life experiences, the implementation of instructional techniques has required teachers to rethink and revise their approaches to classroom management (CM). While a gap in research exists on current practices in the field of instructional and behavior management, empirical research is needed to understand the many facets involved with CM. The purpose of this correlation and causal-comparative study is to identify whether relationships exist between the demographic variables (gender, education degree, years of teaching experience, and school assignment) and CM practices used by a group …


The Correlation Of The Perceived Leadership Style Of Middle School Principals To Teacher Job Satisfaction And Efficacy, Jack Dale Jr. Nov 2012

The Correlation Of The Perceived Leadership Style Of Middle School Principals To Teacher Job Satisfaction And Efficacy, Jack Dale Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study addressed the idea that a middle school principal could possibly impact teacher effectiveness in the classroom through the relationship of the teacher- perceived leadership style of the principal to teacher job satisfaction and efficacy. The sample consisted of 142 certified teachers from 8 public middle schools in an East Tennessee school district. Teachers completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, (Bass & Avolio, 2004) and the Job Satisfaction Survey, (Spector, 1994). Findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership did not have a statistically significant relationship to teacher job satisfaction. A new …


The Relationship Between Principal's Emotional Intelligence Quotient, School Culture, And Student Achievement, Jeff Noe Nov 2012

The Relationship Between Principal's Emotional Intelligence Quotient, School Culture, And Student Achievement, Jeff Noe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between secondary school principal's emotional intelligence quotient, school culture, and student achievement. Partial correlation was conducted to examine the degree of relationships between principal's emotional intelligence quotient and school culture controlling for the effect of student achievement, and between principal's emotional intelligence quotient and student achievement controlling for school culture. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine the combined effect of principal's emotional intelligence quotient and school culture on student achievement. The study population consisted of secondary school principals and teachers within Virginia Department of Education's Region VII. Quantitative data …


School Board Members And The Underrepresentation Of Women In The Superintendency: A Case Study, Cherri S. Barker Nov 2012

School Board Members And The Underrepresentation Of Women In The Superintendency: A Case Study, Cherri S. Barker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The general purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how personal attitudes, values and beliefs of individual board members, and the culture of the community affect hiring decisions for the position of superintendent in rural West Texas as it relates to the underrepresentation of women in this position. Local school boards are responsible for selecting and hiring the superintendent of schools. Although most educators are women, women continue to be underrepresented in the superintendency. The research design of the study utilized a qualitative multi-site, multi-subject case study of 15 former school board members in eight rural West Texas school …


Single-Sex Education Versus Coeducation In North Georgia Public Middle Schools, Catherine Blake Oct 2012

Single-Sex Education Versus Coeducation In North Georgia Public Middle Schools, Catherine Blake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The U.S. Department of Education is giving more liberties to school districts to offer single-sex schools in order to adequately serve the needs of students. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to test the theory of students' performances based on their educational environment by comparing students who received instruction in a single gender classroom in a public middle school compared to students who received instruction in a mixed gender classroom in a public middle school. The achievement test, Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test, was used with each site school. There were two years of data collected with the …


The Effect Of Implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Student Misbehavior In A Large Urban High School, John Power Oct 2012

The Effect Of Implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Student Misbehavior In A Large Urban High School, John Power

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect that implementing School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) had on student misbehavior as determined by Office Discipline Referrals, chronic student misbehavior, In School and Out of School Suspensions assignments, and student tardy referrals in a large urban high school. School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a systematic, proactive, preventive, research-based approach that has shown to reduce student misbehavior when implemented with fidelity. The study focused on the Primary Prevention Tier of SWPBIS to prevent and reduce student misbehavior. The study attempted to answer the question is School-wide …


Relationship Of A Nutrition Intervention Class For Middle School Students On Nutrition Knowledge And Attitudes, Kathy Hood Aug 2012

Relationship Of A Nutrition Intervention Class For Middle School Students On Nutrition Knowledge And Attitudes, Kathy Hood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A pre-test post-test nonequivalent group design was utilized to investigate the role nutrition education has on a student's choice to eat healthy foods. The Nutrition Essentials: Teaching Tools for Healthy Choices nutrition module was used to teach clinically based nutrition. The research used rural Georgia seventh and eighth grade students' to evaluate the effects of nutrition education on the students' nutrition knowledge and attitudes using the SPAN student questionnaire. MANOVA was used to determine if changes occurred between the control and experimental groups. Results of the study showed that the short term study did not improve student nutrition knowledge or …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Origination And Manifestation Of The Cyberbully/Cyberbullying Victim Relationship From The Perspective Of Cyberbullying Victims, Michael Boyd Jul 2012

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Origination And Manifestation Of The Cyberbully/Cyberbullying Victim Relationship From The Perspective Of Cyberbullying Victims, Michael Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cyberbullying has gained a considerable amount of media attention in recent years (Kowalski, Limber, & Agatston, 2008). However, little is known about the details of cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationships within the lived experience of victims. This phenomenological study investigated the origination and manifestation of the cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationship. The study is phenomenological in order to examine the origination of the cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationship and how the relationship is manifested in the lived experience of participants who were cyberbullying victims. The study examines the impact of the cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationship from the theoretical perspective of Vygotsky's (1986) sociocultural learning theory and Maslow's …