Education Commons^™

Specialized Accreditation In Collegiate Aviation: An Analysis Of The Perceived Value Of Specialized Accreditation By The Aviation Accreditation Board International, Charles Daniel Prather

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Council on Aviation Accreditation (CAA) was established in 1988 in response to the need for formal, specialized accreditation of aviation academic programs. The first aviation programs were accredited by the CAA in 1992, and as of November 2007, the newly renamed Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) recognized a total 78 accredited programs at 26 institutions worldwide. Although the number of aviation academic programs accredited by the AABI has steadily grown, there are currently only 26 percent of UAA member institutions with AABI accredited programs.

In an effort to understand the current status of specialized accreditation in collegiate aviation and …

Examining The Role Of Reciprocity Within The Formative Assessment Process Alongside Prospective Teachers, Juliann M. Kaftan

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This self-study examines the role of reciprocity within the formative assessment process in order to explore preservice teacher understandings of the complexities of the teaching/learning/assessment process. I study myself in relation to my practice in order to provide an account of how my knowledge of teaching is lived out in practice. Through the various chapters, I give the reader glimpses of my background and the particular situations that draw out theory/practice relations. The conceptual framework gives the reader an idea of the assumptions that frame my thinking. In particular, I articulate knowledge as experiential and perception as multi-layered. Self-study methodology …

Reading Comprehension By People With Chronic Aphasia: A Comparison Of Three Levels Of Visuographic Contextual Support, Aimee R. Dietz

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This repeated measures investigation evaluated the impact of three levels of visuographic context—(a) photos of high-context scenes, (b) photos of low-context scenes, and (c) no-context—on the reading comprehension of narratives by people with chronic aphasia. The researcher defined high-context scenes as photographs in which people interact with each other, the natural environment, and the central action of the scene and low-context scenes as photographs with no central action and limited-to-no interaction between the people and the natural environment. Participants included 10 medically-stable adults with chronic aphasia and concomitant reading comprehension deficits. The participants read three different narratives, each presented with …

The Identification Of Factors Influencing The Diffusion Of An Assessment Innovation On A University Campus, Ann Louise Mccann

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explored the extent of and reasons for the adoption of an innovation (REAL) on a university campus (MSU). REAL was an assessment system to improve teaching, student learning and accountability. A mixed methods approach was used, with an electronic survey of faculty (n = 568) and telephone interviews with adopters (n = 9). Using a stratified random sample from all eight colleges, the survey measured perceptions of REAL related to: relative advantage, trialability, result demonstrability, visibility, compatibility, complexity, image and voluntariness. The interview questions also explored the strategies of senior administrative support, collaborative leadership, flexible vision, staff development, …

Developing Cultural Awareness: A Grounded Theory Study Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Field Experiences In Taiwan, Scott E. Hovater

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With a mandate from the US Department of Education to train future teachers to be culturally sensitive to students from diverse backgrounds, colleges of education are turning to study/teaching abroad programs as one means of helping future teachers develop more cultural awareness/sensitivity. This study explores whether pre-service teachers experiences in one teaching abroad program in Taiwan has helped to foster cultural awareness.

A grounded theory methodology was used in order to establish a theory of becoming culturally aware as perceived by the pre-service teachers themselves. Primary data came from focus groups and interviews with secondary data from classroom observations, and …

A Typology And Discourse Analysis Of The Status And Appointments Of Librarians At Land Grant Universities, Mary K. Bolin

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examined the status of librarians at land grant universities in each state (n=50). University websites were the source of data on librarians’ employee group (faculty/staff), administrator title, rank system, tenure eligibility, and faculty senate representation. The data were analyzed to find frequencies and cross tabulations. The findings indicate four status types in the population: Professorial (n=21); Other ranks with tenure (n=14); Other ranks without tenure (n=5); Academic or professional staff (n=10). Eighty percent of the institutions in the population have librarians who are faculty (n=40), and 85% of …

Exploring And Explaining Weight Changes In First Semester Freshmen College Students: Relationship To Enrollment In A Wellness Course And Other Variables Using A Mixed Method Design, Janice L. Jewett

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to examine and explain causes of body weight changes in first-semester freshmen. A mixed method design was used to conduct an experimental component, search for statistical relationships among variables, and explore and further explain the findings related to body weight changes.

The quantitative results revealed that there was no significant difference in change in body weight between the experimental and control group. Major findings in the quantitative analysis were that freshman males are gaining more weight than freshman females during their first semester in college. Drinking contributes to this weight gain. In addition, feeling …

Transformation In Teaching Practice Of Chinese Teachers Blending Western And Chinese Educational Approaches For Orphan Children In China: A Mixed Methods Study, Wen Zhao

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The goal of this study is to investigate how a group of twenty teachers who work in an intervention program for institutionalized children in the Guangzhou Children Welfare Institution adapt Western educational concepts and approaches to transform their Chinese teaching practice. The intervention curriculum integrates the Italian Reggio Emilia approach and the American approach to teacher education with the practice that underlies Chinese national guidelines for early childhood education. This mixed methods design uses both qualitative and quantitative data to explore the adaptation process in order to study how their teaching beliefs and perceptions of teaching and learning are transformed …

Parents’ And Teachers’ Beliefs About Parental Involvement In Schooling, Mary Kelly Haack

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Parental involvement in schooling is critical for children’s academic success. Despite its importance, parental involvement appears to be discouragingly low. Attribution theory may provide an explanation for perceived limited parental participation in specific activities to support their children's schooling and for strained parent/teacher relations. This study identified and compared the causal attributions made by teachers and parents for a hypothetical situation in which a parent was not sufficiently involved in their elementary aged child’s schooling. In addition, differences in attributions based on the education level of the parent were examined. Participants for the study were 80 regular education teachers in …

Seasons Of Presidential Leadership: A Mixed-Methods Study Contributing To A Theory On Insitutional Cycles In Higher Education, Roger G. Christensen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

SEASONS OF PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY CONTRIBUTING TO A THEORY ON INSTITUTIONAL CYCLES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Roger G. Christensen, Ph.D.

University of Nebraska, 2007

Advisor: Sheldon L. Stick

Studying higher education leadership is particularly useful when considered at different periods of an institution’s history; the kind of leader needed to head a major college or university will be different during different time periods. An important factor in identifying a leader for any institution is finding one qualified to lead during a particular stage of institutional development. Neff and Leondar (1992) stated that deriving presidential criteria from an appraisal of …

Treatment Decision-Making In Older Adults With Cancer, Maribeth Hercinger

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Decision-making for cancer treatment is becoming more and more complex and individuals are expected to be active participants in this process. As the diagnosis of cancer occurs more frequently among adults, health care professionals must be accountable to place a greater emphasis on assisting individuals with the difficult treatment decisions.

This study explored the experiences of older adults when making decisions for cancer treatment using a phenomenological approach. Thirteen in-depth, face-to-face interviews were completed with individuals who experienced a new diagnosis of cancer. Participants of the study included eight females and five males ages 51-83 years of age. Five major …

Mandatory Counseling: A Mixed Methods Study Of Factors That Contribute To The Development Of The Working Alliance, Tanya I. Razzhavaikina

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to investigate the process of mandatory counseling and factors that are pivotal in this process. Specifically, the goal of this research project was to assess how the working alliance (WA) changes at the early stage of mandatory counseling and to explain why this change occurs, based on: (a) client hope and motivation for treatment; and (b) qualitative interviews with selected clients.

In the first, quantitative phase of the study, data were collected via administration of self-report questionnaires (i.e., WAI, Hope Scale, and Motivation for Treatment Scale) to sixty-three correctional center …

New Pathways To Teaching In New Jersey: A Case Study Of The Alternate Route Teacher Education Program, Cheryl Reagan

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this case study was to identify the positive and challenging aspects of the New Pathways to Teaching in New Jersey (NPTNJ) Program, an alternate route teacher education preparation program located at the 19 community colleges in the state. The participants in this study included 10 teachers who were in their second or third year of teaching in the K-12 system and had completed their teacher certification program at one community college. Nine administrators who worked with one of the NPTNJ study participants were also included in the study. The major source of information was gathered through participant …

The Kugeria Women Water Project: A Mixed-Methods Evalutation Of A Women’S Micro-Initiative Project, Malinda Nanetté Hill-Schmidtke

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Advisor: John DeFrain

The Kugeria Women Group (KWG) of Murinduko, Kenya, founded in 1989, built an 11- kilometer water pipeline to provide potable water. Almost 20 years later, the pipeline is still providing water to over 300 families and is considered an example of a successful women’s micro-initiative. The two major goals of this dissertation were: 1) to investigate the organizational structures to determine which elements aided KWG in its successfully maintaining a water pipeline, and 2) to analyze KWG’s water consumption to ascertain if KWG stayed within its own pre-described regulations.

Result Mapping found the KWG’s success is an …