Education Commons^™

All Along The Ivory Tower: Black American Identity As Voiced By Poetic Youths, Jeremy D. Greene

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to help amplify and analyze Black American elementary student voice in a post-2020 world. Discussions and writings were conducted at the students’ charter school in spaces where students voiced what it meant to be a Black American youth through both verbal and written means. The current qualitative study focused on using discussions and creative writing to help participants make sense of their identity in their school, community, and the United States. This research provided students’ counternarratives regarding stereotypes associated with being Black American students and focused on how such spaces can positively impact …

The Effect Of A Music Therapy Video In-Service On Staffs' Beliefs About Music Therapy In Behavioral Health, Jesus Javier Garcia

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a short video presentation, about music therapy in behavioral health, had a positive effect on staff members’ beliefs about music therapy in that setting. A total of 26 staff members, from different departments, participated in the study and completed a pre- and post-presentation questionnaire. Responses were analyzed and compared to investigate whether the video had a positive effect on staff members’ beliefs about music therapy in behavioral health. Participant demographics and pre- and post-video questionnaire responses were also analyzed and compared to explore the differential impact of the video by subgroups …

Where Are All The African-American Women Superintendents In California, Oregon, And Washington State?, Toniesha D. Webb

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

There are many African American women in leadership positions such as Assistant Superintendents, Network Superintendents, Directors, Principals, Assistant Principals, and Coaches. There is a disconnect for African American women in leadership and the highest position of authority in a school district. This leads to the question, what are the barriers, if any, that are limiting the amount of African American Women in the far western states to transition into Superintendent positions? In the reverse, what supports did the women who are superintendents have in their leadership ascension? Finally, what structures need to be developed and formalized in order to facilitate …

Where Am I?: The Absence Of The Black Male From The E-Suite, Brian Bedford

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

According to current U.S. labor statistics, Black male executives are underrepresented in every major industry in the United States. Common impediments preventing Black males from occupying executive positions include workplace white supremacy, biculturalism, repressive structures, and disparate career development. Using critical race theory as a framework, this basic qualitative study investigated the experiences of eight male executives, five Black and three white, from various industries to understand their perceptions and perspectives on race and racism, and examined their workplace lived experiences to study why there are not more Black males in the e-suite. Moreover, strategies to increase Black male representation …

Teacher Cultural Competency And The Effect On Slavic Student Performance, Erin Marston

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Student demographic data in today’s elementary and secondary schools have shown an increase in the numbers of diverse students in classrooms across the United States. This change in classroom demographics has established the need for changes to both the classroom educational environment and the preparation of our teachers. Research supports a few documented ways teachers can support both their student experiences and academic performance. Culturally competent teachers, cultural humility, and culturally relevant pedagogy are a few of the ways educators can adapt to the change in student demographics. Linking the literature to these findings will help provide an overview of …

Human Capital Formation And Return Migration Within Mong Communities In Rural/Semi-Rural Northern California, Chong Yang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This research uses computational grounded theory to explore the human capital formation and stay/return migration experiences of well-educated Mong adults living in various rural/semi-rural Northern California localities within Butte, Yuba, and Sutter Counties. Rural vitality is dependent on the return of these well-educated rural-raised adults. Out-migration of rurality’s best and brightest contributes towards a brain drain and the hallowing out of rurality’s human capital. Findings of this research is conveyed using two research articles examining two different points on the continuum of rural vitality. The first article examines 19 Mong adults’ educational experiences within their rural communities and college education. …

¡Con Ganas Todo Se Puede! Journeys Of First-Generation Latina Nontraditional Community College Student-Mothers / ¡Con Ganas Todo Se Puede! Viajes De Madres Latinas No Tradicional Que Son Estudiantes Primera-Generacion En Colegio Comunitario, Myra Gardea-Hernández

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Nontraditional college student enrollment in the United States is rapidly growing and is predicted to continue to increase. Similarly, female students are currently the majority student population on college campuses. Although numerous studies document college student experiences, few focus on first-generation Latinas who are student-mothers at community colleges. The purpose of this study was to explore the educational experiences of first-generation Latina nontraditional student-mothers enrolled at a community college in California to identify the ways in which grit (ganas) and mindsets influenced their success. This inquiry followed Moustakas’s (1994) transcendental phenomenology research process. Individual interviews of five Latinas were analyzed …

First Year Female Assistant Principals At The Secondary School Level: Transitions, Perspectives, Aspirations, Jennifer Tilton

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Women continue to be in the minority in school administration in public schools in the United States, although the majority of teachers are female. The role of assistant principal is the gateway to school administration. The purpose of this study was to describe the essence of the transition from teaching to school administration, the role of a female assistant principal, and the career aspirations of female assistant principals. This study used a phenomenological approach to understand the essence of the transition for the participants. Six women were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol to collect data on their experiences transitioning …

Chicanas Completing The Doctorate In Education: Providing Consejos De La Mesa De Poder, Sandra J. Castañón-Ramirez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study described four testimonios from Chicanas who have successfully completed a doctorate in education degree, both Ph.D. and Ed.D. The literature reviewed three important areas of study. The first is a review of the systemic challenges that Chicanas must hurdle; cheap labor, segregation of schools and neighborhoods, being silenced through English-only education, and deficit thinking. The second area of review focused on ways that Chicanas create strategies for success to overcome these challenges. The third was a review of the theoretical literature through a distinctly and relevant Chicana feminist lens.

Chicanas’ strategies for success were collected as testimonios. …

Early Care And Education Testimonios At The Borderlands, Jennifer Torres Siders

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Latinas represent a large proportion of the United States early care and education workforce, and thus have the potential to wield significant influence over the growth and development of millions of American children. However, the voices of Latina early childhood professionals often are missing in both research and mass media. Instead, social, political, and academic frames cast Latinas as foreign regardless of nationality, uneducated notwithstanding expertise, and passive despite action and influence. This testimonio analysis draws on Chicana feminist epistemology to re-center the perspectives of Latina child care providers and reveal more authentic insights on how they understand and perform …

Visual Arts: Teaching Creativity From Within, Del Camara

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In the ever-changing world of visual arts education, there is a gap in the literature about the incorporation of creativity, risk-taking, and play in the curriculum. The purpose of this study was to understand how high school visual arts educators teach visual arts and creativity in the age of digital media, including the practices art teachers use to engage their students in their development of art-making and ways teachers encourage students to take risks in art-making practices. Utilizing an arts-based research method focusing on four case studies in the Central Valley of California, this inquiry examined the way visual arts …

African American Faculty: A Study Of Their Experiences Related To Intercultural Competence At Predominantly White Institutions, Hervey A. Taylor Iii

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Underrepresentation of faculty of color in higher education is a phenomenon that has been studied and well documented by researchers for many years (e.g., Aguirre, 2000; Aguirre, Martinez, & Hernandez, 1993; Bair, Bair, Mader, Hipp, & Hakim, 2010; Chai et al., 2009; Collins, 1990; Turner & Myers, 2000). This issue is even more evident as it relates to the underrepresentation of African American faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Many studies have addressed the underrepresentation of African American faculty at PWIs (e.g., Alexander & Moore, 2008; Bower, 2002; Brown & Dancy, 2010; Cleveland, 2004).

According to the United States Department …

Professional Success For Music Majors : Understanding The Experiences Of Those Who Have Achieved, Jonathan Lucas Hess

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

his case study seeks to understand how the college experiences of successful professional musicians can be mapped onto their eventual professional success. Three highly accomplished professional musicians were interviewed about their college experience and musical careers. It was found that participants were highly motivated and had college experiences including collaborative learning, experiential learning, and needs-focused instruction. These conditions all resemble a student-centered learning experience that might be used as a model for effective pedagogical practice. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are offered.

Toward Intercultural Competence : Intercultural Training For Japanese Students In The United States, Tomoko Harpster

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project explored how study abroad program administrators can help Japanese students develop intercultural competence through predeparture and ongoing intercultural training so as to improve their capacity to adapt effectively to American cultural norms. The ultimate purpose of this thesis project was to help Japanese students who were studying in the U.S. balance their involvement with their peer group from Japan and build relationships with people in the U.S. in order to fully experience American culture. To provide a context for this study, a review of the literature was conducted regarding the challenges faced by Japanese students while studying …

Transformative Learning : An Examination Of The Impact Of Short-Term Study Abroad, Jesse Carson Pugh

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

When selecting a study abroad program, some students undertake a semester or academic-year study abroad program, while other students undertake a two-to eight-week study abroad program. Both study abroad opportunities allow students to become immersed in a culture different from their own. This research project is an exploratory study that looks at the impact of short-term study abroad programs on undergraduates at a public institution. This study examines how participants change in regards to their understanding of the host culture, explores what students learn about their host cultures, and looks at the intercultural development that the students gain from spending …

College Students And Voter Mobilization Campaigns : A Grounded Communication Theory For Increasing Political Efficacy And Involvement, Vanessa M. Robinson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined which channels, messages, and sources were most effective in increasing political involvement among college students. Political participation among college students has decreased in every election since eighteen year- olds were given the right to vote. Numerous campaigns targeted to increase political participation among college students have been implemented but there is no evidence that these campaigns have been effective.

This study developed a grounded theory for increasing political participation among college students l;!ased on several focus group interactions. Students were asked to report on which channels, messages and sources they currently received political information from and were …

The Effects Of Music And Metronomic Beat On Heart Rate, Ratings Of Perceived Exertion, And Physical Endurance Prior To A Heart Rate Cut-Off, Cheryl Ann Louie

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of music and metronomic beat on heart rate (HR). ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). and physical endurance in healthy females ages 18 to 30. Volunteers were screened via a health questionnaire and the Astrand Work Test on a Monark bicycle ergometer. yielding a predicted aerobic working capacity (V02) of 28 mililiters or more. The 30 subjects were then randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions (music or metronome group) for a cycling test at 75% capacity. HR and Borg RPE were measured repeatedly, with a posttest measure of physical endurance (kilometers travelled). No significant …

The Development Of Rhythm In Young Children Aged One To Four Years, Davidah Koseff

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to assess how young children between the ages of one and four years develop rhythm skills. The project was a pilot study conducted at 11 preschools and day care centers in Stockton, California, and included 60 children. Thirty behaviors comprised the test of various aspects of rhythmic performance. The children were video-taped and the tapes were then analyzed. By examining how many children in a particular age group could perform a particular task, a sequence became apparent. This body of research can now be used as a basis for further studies with the aim …

Career Counseling Practices In Abet-Accredited Engineering Cooperative Education Programs, Gary Richard Martin

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the career counseling practices in all schools of engineering in the United States with ABET-accredited engineering Cooperative Education programs. Procedure. A thirty-two item questionnaire was developed and sent out to all ABET-accredited Cooperative Education offices. All the engineering coordinators in each office filled out the questionnaire. Eighty-six percent of the schools responded to the surveys. Findings. (1) Most engineering Co-op coordinators have educational backgrounds in engineering and have taken at least one class in career counseling. (2) Co-op coordinators tend to have caseloads and other responsibilities which restrict the …

Chinese American Images In Selected Children's Fiction For Kindergarten Through Sixth Grade, Laureen Chew

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate Chinese American images in selected children's fiction to determine whether or not data support the position of the Council on Interracial Books for Children, that the works of fiction studied tend to stereotype Chinese Americans.

After reading the selected fifteen works of fiction, a criterion checklist was devised by the investigator to examine the behavior and lifestyle of Chinese Americans depicted in a variety of circumstances. validity of the criterion checklist was established by a panel of experts in the area of Chinese American studies. Inter-rater reliability was determined by two readers …

The Academic Achievement Of Chinese-American Fluent English Proficient And Non-Minority Background Intermediate Grade Students (Bilingual, Asian-American), Edmund W. Lee

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

More than a decade has passed since the United States Supreme Court made its historic decision in Lau v. Nichols on January 21, 1974. Ruling in favor of the non-English-speaking Chinese plaintiffs, the Court upheld earlier guidelines established by the office for Civil Rights for school districts with more than five percent national origin-minority group children. In delivering the Court's opinion, Justice Douglas reiterated these words of J. Stanley Pottinger, former director of OCR:

The Effects Of Voluntary Aerobic Exercise And Exercise Incentives On Aerobic Capacity And Blood Lipid Levels In College Age Men And Women, Tamara Jean Shanholtzer

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Most authorities on exercise agree that regular vigorous endurance type activity results in aerobic fitness (7, 10, 17, 36, 37). Rhythmic repetitive and dynamic activities using large muscle groups would include such aerobic exercise as Jogging, walking, swimming, cycling, tennis, basketball, racquetball, and soccer (1, 7, 10, 17). In addition, cardiovascular fitness has been suggested to be postively linked with a reduction in the incidence of coronary heart disease (1, 11, 36, 38, 53). Sometimes, problems that lead to adult illnesses are the result of lifestyles that deploy early in childhood (11). Health education procedures have been used to provide …

Classroom Music Continuum For The Vallecito Union School District, Kindergarten Through Sixth Grade, Deborah Glow Martin

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

It is generally recognized and accepted that music is a vital part of a child's education. The Music Educators National Conference stated in "The Child's Bill of Rights in Music":

Every child has the right to full and free opportunity to explore and develop his capacities in the field of music in such ways as may bring him happiness and a sense of well-being.

It is impossible to deal with all aspects of elementary music education in a single presentation; consequently, this thesis is directed toward a specific need in a particular school district, namely the Vallecito Union School District. …

The Need For English For Academic Purposes : An Analysis Of Prenominal Modification In Economics, Pat Kamalani Cafferty

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This paper shows the complexity of noun phrases within an academic text and suggests, therefore, the complexity of the reading process that the traditional approach may not cover adequately. In this thesis, we will look at the complexity of the reading and comprehension processes through an analysis of prenominal modification found in Chapter 25 (a chapter chosen at random) of Paul Samuelson’s Economics. Samuelson’s Economics is a basic text chosen for this analysis because of its introductory level vocabulary and concepts and its wide use by students in the areas of Economics, Business, and the like. Although abundant studies have …

Oscar Letson Matthews: Education And Morality In The Nineteenth Century, Haworth Alfred Clover

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM: The problem of the study is to make use of the biography of Oscar Letson Matthews to furnish insight into an understanding of moral values in American education in the mid-nineteenth century.

PURPOSE: Oscar Matthews was a Disciple of Christ moral educator who in 1860 influenced the formation of Hesperian College in Woodland, California. He taught elementary school in Colorado pioneer mining communities during 1873 and 1878. The purpose of this study is to determine if Matthews' practice of individual morality and its impact on his social setting may offer insight into how to inject individual morality in twentieth …

An Analysis Of The Affirmation Of Personhood In United Methodist Church Kindergarten Curriculum, Alice Ann Glenn

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

An analysis of the United Methodist Church kindergarten curriculum has been made in this thesis in an attempt to determine to what extent the curriculum affrims personhood, The study is limited to six years of kindergarten curriculum, fall 1967 through summer 1973.

The first objective is to examine the curriculum to discover the extent of affirmation of personhood in general. The second objective is to determine significant trends or changes over a six-year period of curriculum surveyed in terms of affirmation of personhood. The third objective is the recommendation of further changes in the curriculum so that it is more …

Cultural Influence On The Educational Aspiration And Attitude Of Selected Chinese High School Students In Stockton, California, Eva Liang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

It is thus the purpose of this study to explore the educational aspirations of a group of high school students whose ethnic background is Chinese with the intention of filling the gap in sociological research that has overlooked the Chinese community. As there are many opposing theories on the subject of aspiration, this case study of Chinese students seeks to clarify some of the theoretical perspectives and their problems. Moreover, any study of a minority group would inevitably expose some of the problems that the group faces. Once the nature of the problems is identified and understood, hopefully, solutions may …

The Female Image In The Caldecott Medal Award Books, Patricia Lee Brighton Roberts

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM: Millions of children read and view the Caldecott Winners each year There are no published studies regarding the possible stereo-typing of the role of the human, animal and inanimate female image in the texts and illustrations of these 37 books.

Purpose: The. investigation ·was conducted to determine the extent the total population of the Caldecott books did stereo-type the role of the human, animal and inanimate female image.

Procedures: The investigation was completed in four steps: (1) First, a panel of sociologists determined the content validity of the definitions used in the hypothesis; (2) Second, a Content Analysis Form …

Curso De Español Para Estudientes Del Primer Año De Bachillerato, Normal O Comercio De La Republica De Honduras, Jose Gilberto Arita

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Values In Music Education, 1950-1970, To Identify Changes And Directions Of Change, William Mervyn Jones

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what changes occurred in values in music education from 1950 to 1970, as presented in written value statements from the Music Educators Journal, and to determine the direction(s) of change. Eighteen categories of value under four general headings (Social Values, Psychological Values, Aesthetic Values, and Futuristic Values) were identified and were the focus of the study.