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Full-Text Articles in Education

An Investigation Of The Factors That Motivate K-12 Christian School Teachers To Participate In Professional Development And The Relationship To Job Satisfaction And Retention, Bonita Bailey Dec 2013

An Investigation Of The Factors That Motivate K-12 Christian School Teachers To Participate In Professional Development And The Relationship To Job Satisfaction And Retention, Bonita Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to advance knowledge by examining the reasons that motivate teachers to participate in professional development and the relationship to teacher job satisfaction and retention in Christian-based K-12 Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) member schools. The study contributes to the literature in the field because of very limited research on Christian-based schools, especially with regards to professional development, job satisfaction and retention. The study was a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational research design using two instruments, i.e., the Participation Reasons Scale (PRS) and the Job Satisfaction/Retention/Demographic Survey. The PRS scores indicated that the motivating factors for teachers to …


A Phenomenological Study Of Principals Who Transformed A Positive Impact Of School Change, Jason Faklaris Dec 2013

A Phenomenological Study Of Principals Who Transformed A Positive Impact Of School Change, Jason Faklaris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study gathered, examined, and described the knowledge, beliefs, and actions of selected high school principals who had improved student achievement in their schools. This study was conducted to better understand the experience of providing moral leadership in schools, responding to moral challenges within educational settings, and understanding the factors which resulted in the phenomenon of high school principals raising student achievement to consistently meet state requirements. High school principals were selected for participation in the study based on their record of increasing the scores of their students on the Georgia high school graduation test and the Scholastic Aptitude …


First Grade Teacher Perceptions Of A Character Education Program, Gina Skinner Dec 2013

First Grade Teacher Perceptions Of A Character Education Program, Gina Skinner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study will be to describe perceptions of first grade teachers at a north Georgia elementary school regarding a character education program. Although the debate continues as to who should instill our children with values, little documentation exists concerning how educators perceive their role as instructors of character. Many character education programs exist, and many schools have adopted their use. However, school systems are struggling with budget issues, and when deciding where funding may be cut, non-academic programs such as character education are often the first areas terminated. Yet, teachers appear to have little voice in …


Classroom Management Strategies: The Impact On Student Achievement, Hope Sowell Dec 2013

Classroom Management Strategies: The Impact On Student Achievement, Hope Sowell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to test the theoretical Classroom Management Teacher Behavior Continuum of Wolfgang and Glickman (1980) that suggests that interventionist, noninterventionist, and interactionalist classrooms may differ in student outcomes. This study explored whether student outcomes in statewide standardized tests reading, English language arts, and math differ by interventionist, noninterventionist, or interactionalist teacher instruction management (IM) and behavior management (BM) styles. Survey data from eighty-three 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers regarding instructional and behavioral classroom management beliefs were contrasted in the percentage students passing standardized tests of reading, ELA, and math using MANOVA at …


A Phenomenological Study: Students' Perceptions Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports In Pennsylvania Middle Schools, Brenda Zack Nov 2013

A Phenomenological Study: Students' Perceptions Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports In Pennsylvania Middle Schools, Brenda Zack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of middle school students in schools that have implemented School-wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) at the universal tier with fidelity. Much of the research on SWPBS has focused on achievement gains, discipline improvement, implementation process, and school personnel perceptions. There was a lack of research regarding students' perceptions of their real-life experiences of SWPBS. The rationale for this study was that students' perceptions can assist in improving SWPBS implementation at the universal level and promote implementation for schools considering SWPBS. The central question was what meaning do middle …


Teachers' Perceptions Of Administrative Support In Incentive Grant Schools, William Crowder Nov 2013

Teachers' Perceptions Of Administrative Support In Incentive Grant Schools, William Crowder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' perceptions of administrative support in incentive grant schools. The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of participation in an incentive grant on the perceived level of administrative support. The research questions were as follows: 1. Do teachers who are participating in an incentive grant program perceive they have greater support from their supervising administrator than the teachers who are not participating in the incentive grant program within the same secondary schools? 2. Do teachers who have 10 or more years of experience who are participating in an …


Qualitative Legal Research: Issues Pertaining To Student Use Of Personal Handheld Technology, Corie Franklin Nov 2013

Qualitative Legal Research: Issues Pertaining To Student Use Of Personal Handheld Technology, Corie Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In an effort to support school leaders in policy development, this research is an evaluation of jurisprudence related to student use of personal handheld devices. The qualitative legal analyses of 15 recent court cases representing both federal and state jurisdictions were analyzed to determine patterns and trends within the decisions of the courts. The researcher sought to identify the following: The way the U.S. courts addressed the balance between students' civil liberties and the interest of school officials in maintaining and operating safe, orderly, efficient, and effective learning environments. The identifiable trends within the legal cases related to student use …


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 …


Effects Of Single-Gender Education On The Reading Achievement Of Third Through Fifth Grade Boys, Michael Brown Aug 2013

Effects Of Single-Gender Education On The Reading Achievement Of Third Through Fifth Grade Boys, Michael Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is said repeatedly, boys can't read. However, the statement should be boys can read they just don't. Understanding there is a need for action is the first step educators must take in helping boys emerge as confident and successful readers. Single-gender classrooms can be successful tools when seeking new ways in which to engage boys in reading. This is a step towards creating atmospheres where boys are encouraged to read and where reading is tailored to their interests. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to examine the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) reading achievement scores of third …


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 …


The Effects Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Informational Text Comprehension And Metacognitive Awareness Of Fifth Grade Students, Margaret Mccown Jul 2013

The Effects Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Informational Text Comprehension And Metacognitive Awareness Of Fifth Grade Students, Margaret Mccown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on informational text comprehension and metacognitive awareness of fifth grade students. This study tested the theories of metacognition and social cognition with a focus on self-regulation and self-efficacy. Participating students included a heterogeneous mix of regular education students, students with disabilities, and English learners (ELs). Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, this study examined the effects of CSR on informational text comprehension using the Qualitative Reading Inventory-5 (QRI-5) and Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Metacognitive awareness was measured using the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI). Data …


The Impact Of Selected Initiatives On The Reading Criterion Referenced Competency Test Scores Of African-American And Disadvantaged Students In Grades 3, 5, And 8, Eric Fuller Jul 2013

The Impact Of Selected Initiatives On The Reading Criterion Referenced Competency Test Scores Of African-American And Disadvantaged Students In Grades 3, 5, And 8, Eric Fuller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to examine the impact of selected research-based whole-school reading reform programs, Success for All (SFA), Core Knowledge, and Direct Instruction (DI) on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) reading scores of African-American students and students from disadvantaged subgroups in Grades 3, 5, and 8 in a large urban school system. The target sample consisted of 61 elementary schools and 16 middle schools. Student data consisted of 3,533 data points for African-American students and 7,550 data points for disadvantaged students attending reform and non reform schools respectively. A causal-comparative research design was the methodology …


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 …


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.