Education Commons^™

Achieving Dentin Conservation Using Dynamic Navigation Technology For Locating Calcified Canals, Madison W. Saunders

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Pulp canal obliteration (PCO) is a common sequela of dental trauma, caries, restorations and vital pulp therapy procedures. Despite the application of high magnification and CBCT imaging, access cavity preparation for such cases is prone to procedural errors that may lead to substantial loss of dentin structure thereby reducing the long-term prognosis. This study aimed to achieve dentin conservation using a novel computer assisted dynamic navigation system (Navident) in comparison to freehand access preparation for locating calcified canals.

Methods: Forty maxillary and mandibular central incisors (tooth #9 and tooth #25) were 3-D printed to simulate PCO. They were randomly …

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Early Literacy Growth In Public Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Bruce A. Fillman

Theses and Dissertations

Student early literacy readiness is predictive of later academic success and pre-k programs are a proven intervention to develop early literacy; however, the cost of pre-k programs differs greatly. These differences in cost are related to the opportunities and services included within each program. This study examined four pre-k programs offered within a large school system in Virginia to determine if there were differences in students’ early literacy growth by program attended and evaluated the ratio of cost to achievement of each pre-k program to determine their cost-effectiveness. To do this, two one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) were conducted to …

Teacher Approaches To Women’S History, Gender, And Feminism In Secondary Social Studies, Kimberly R. Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

While several scholars have worked to reimagine social studies curriculum from a feminist perspective, there are few studies that look at how teachers understand and experience gender equity work (Bohan, 2017; Engebretson, 2018). This study seeks to bridge that gap between theory and practice in order to progress toward a more gender-equitable social studies education. Utilizing a hermeneutic circle design to facilitate dialogue across participants, I conducted one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with seven secondary social studies teacher participants and collected participant-provided curriculum materials. Using techniques from constructivist grounded theory, I analyzed how teachers made sense of their experiences trying to include …

Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training With In Situ Training On Workplace Conversational Skills Of Transition-Aged High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Holly N. Whittenburg

Theses and Dissertations

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high rates of unemployment in the years immediately following high school (Hendricks & Wehman, 2009; Roux et al., 2015), yet very few studies to date have investigated approaches to teaching transition-aged high school students work-related social skills within competitive, integrated workplace settings. Furthermore, difficulties in developing relationships with coworkers within the workplace may negatively affect employment (Baldwin et al., 2014; Sperry & Mesibov, 2005). Research is needed that examines methods for improving interactions with coworkers.

This study investigated the effects of a behavioral skills training (BST) with in situ training intervention package …

Cyberbullying: School Administrators' Perceptions Of Law And Prevalence, And Their Roles In Prevention, Intervention And Discipline, Suzan Gragg Denby

Theses and Dissertations

This study was aimed at investigating secondary school administrators’ experiences with and their perceptions of cyberbullying, as well as their intervention and prevention procedures. As technology has become ubiquitous in our society, students’ use has increased and impacted the school environment. Given the potential for cyberbullying and the negative effects of such, schools harbor the responsibility to prevent and intervene in such occurrences. This can be a tricky process.

This study included 12 administrators of secondary schools across eight school divisions in Virginia. Through an interview process, administrators spoke of their experiences with technology and cyberbullying incidents, and how they …

A Critical Multiple Case Study Analysis Examining The Implementation Of The Every Student Succeeds Act (Essa) To Promote Positive School Climate, Weade W. James

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the role of federal policy in improving school climate, and examined how federal policy, specifically the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is being implemented at the state-level to address school climate issues. A qualitative multiple-case study design with content analysis was used as the leading approach to understanding how states are implementing ESSA’s school climate measure for accountability. ESSA is the nation’s federal education law that was enacted in 2015 and replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB). I compared states’ implementation of ESSA’s school climate and safety (SCS) measure, including how states are measuring SCS and whether …

Psychometric Developments Of The Ace-Iq: Understanding The Trauma History Of Latine Immigrants, Jorli K. Swingen Dr.

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a profound effect on an individual’s physical and mental health. The World Health Organization has recently updated the ACE questionnaire so it could be used with international populations. The Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), has not been translated to Spanish or used with Latine immigrants.

This study translated the ACE-IQ into Spanish, evaluated the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, and collected data on 184 four adult English Language Learners in Chesterfield County, VA.

There is evidence of internal consistency for the ACE-IQ as a whole (α = .908) and within subscales. Three factors were identified …

The Impact Of Registered Apprenticeships On The Middle-Skills Gap In Virginia, Yolanda Macklin Crewe

Theses and Dissertations

The skills gap debate has raged among scholars and policymakers for the last few decades. The key questions are whether the gap exists, the extent of the gap and how to minimize the gap. Of particular concern is a skills gap for middle-skills occupations. Since 2014, the federal government has invested over $500 million in registered apprenticeships as a strategy to address the skills gap. Likewise, Virginia has invested over $7.5 million and implemented policies such as VA Executive Order 49 (EO49), to expand registered apprenticeships as a workforce strategy to diminish the skills gap.

The goal of this research …

An Integrated Exploration Of The Contextual, Relational, And Individual Factors That Impact High School Completion Among African Americans, Lesley B. Winchester

Theses and Dissertations

African American students are consistently reported as having among the lowest high school graduation rates when compared to other races (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). While many studies have sought to explore the potential risks of high school dropout, the intention of this study is to examine the factors that support the exemplary resilience of those students who do complete high school. The present study adopts the framework of García Coll et al.’s, (1996) integrative model of developmental competencies in minority children, as it seeks to identity whether and how contextual (spiritual, educational, cultural); relational (caregiver psychological and physical …

An Investigation Of Elementary School Teachers’ Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices In Two Cultures: A Comparative Study In China And The United States, Alicia R. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Effective teaching is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Throughout the world, there are high expectations for teacher and student performance. Teachers and students need to navigate the demographic and cultural shifts occurring around the world. Teachers’ cultural awareness and knowledge base of culturally relevant teaching practices is critical to their effectiveness. Based on the need to better understand the cultural responsiveness of teachers, this comparative study investigated elementary school teachers’ culturally relevant teaching practices in China and the U.S. through the use of video-cued ethnography. The following findings were revealed from the study: (a) differences in …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Influence Of A Stem Career Planning Course And Perceived Stress On Career Search Self-Efficacy And Retention In Engineering Undergraduate Students, Autumn Randell

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a) the influence of a STEM career planning course on undergraduate engineering students’ career search self-efficacy, b) the influence of perceived stress on building students’ career search self-efficacy, and c) the relationship career search self-efficacy had in predicting students’ odds of persistence in an engineering major. The researcher analyzed students’ week 1, week 6, and week 14 scores of career search self-efficacy and perceived stress. Data were collected from the Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 cohorts of a STEM career planning. As a result, the analysis included (N = 286) undergraduate engineering students. Repeated measures multilevel …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Disproportionality Of Dual Language Learners In Special Education In Virginia: A Mixed Methods Study, Melissa J. Cuba

Theses and Dissertations

The disproportionality of dual language learners (DLLs) in special education has been a persistent and complex issue for decades. These students have multidimensional identities that require a look at how they are positioned in school systems and the broader social landscape. Using a multilevel model of intersectionality and an explanatory mixed methods design, this study examines how social categories, practice, and policies influence the representation of DLLs in special education in Virginia, a state where DLLs represented 13 percent of the total student population in 2018-19. Findings from this study reveal overrepresentation and underrepresentation of 63 DLL subgroups using nuanced …

Impact Of Student’S Gender And Perceived Skin Tone On Educators’ Disciplinary Decisions, Kierstyn K. Johnson-Wigfall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this proposed dissertation is to examine the relationship of students’ skin color and gender to school disciplinary decisions for African American children. While skin tone bias or colorism is frequently studied, limited research has been completed about its prevalence in American public schools during the discipline process. For example, school suspension leads to higher rates of absenteeism, lower academic achievement and higher chances of incarceration. Even students who receive an office referral and return to c lass minutes later miss pertinent instruction time. This study aims to: 1) add to the body of literature about this topic, …

Teachers' Attitudes Toward The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities In The General Education Classroom In A Rural School District, Robin M. Pelt

Theses and Dissertations

According to the research, inclusion in the general education setting is valuable to the academic and social development of students with disabilities. Teachers play a significant role in the success of students with disabilities in this setting (Coombs-Richardson & Mead, 2001; Fuchs, 2010; Test et al., 2009). Research shows that teachers display positive and negative attitudes toward inclusion based on the severity of the disability category (Cook, 2001; Ernest & Rogers, 2009). The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom in a rural school district. An …

Language-Supportive Strategies And Their Associations With Child Language Outcomes During Instructional Time, Erin S. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I conducted a correlational study that examined the frequency of educator-delivered language-supportive strategies during instructional time in public Kindergarten classrooms. Additionally, I explored the association between educators’ use of language-supportive strategies and child language outcomes. To index child language, I assessed a sample of 96 children from 10 different classrooms on standardized measures of expressive and receptive language. I recruited 10 educators to participate in the present study and assessed their use of language-supportive strategies during instructional time in the classroom through transcription and coding of audio recordings. The educators completed demographic forms for themselves as well …

Can School Be A Source Of Trauma? Assessing Academic Traumatic Stress As A Mechanism Underlying The Health Outcomes Of Black Undergraduate Students, Ebony A. Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Research examining Black students’ school experiences demonstrates that exposure to oppressive power dynamics in schools may lead to adverse physiological and psychological consequences. Recent conceptualizations in public discourse further posit that traumatic educational experiences, operationalized here as academic trauma or the cumulative toll of adverse and oppressive experiences in academic settings, may influence Black students’ wellbeing even after they have graduated. However, academic trauma has yet to be investigated empirically, and the health contributions of such educational harm remain unstudied. Moreover, little is known about how culturally-relevant personal characteristics (e.g., emotion regulation strategies) influence Black students’ reactivity to academic trauma. …

Self-Efficacy Of Endorsed And Nonendorsed Elementary Teachers Of Gifted Students In Stem Education, Lianna L. Moss-Everhart

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared elementary endorsed and nonendorsed teachers of gifted students in science, mathematics, and STEM self-efficacy as well as self-reported use of STEM instructional strategies in central Virginia. The survey, adapted from the T-STEM survey by the Friday Institute at NC State University, focused on self-efficacy and use of STEM instructional strategies. ANOVAs, univariate linear analyses, were conducted on 39 responses to compare teachers’ self-efficacy and use of STEM instructional strategies. ANCOVA and moderated regressions were used to compare the groups of teachers while controlling for the variables of grade level, years of experience, and recent STEM training. Multiple …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Broad Validity Of A High Stakes English Language Proficiency Test, Carolyn N. Waters

Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandated that the English acquisition of all students identified as English learners be assessed annually using high-stakes standardized English language proficiency tests, and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 continues this testing mandate. The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® has been used for this and other purposes since 2005, and has been adopted by 40 State Education Agencies, including the Virginia Department of Education. However, despite the long-standing and widespread use of this assessment, no comprehensive independent evaluations of the test have been conducted. This mixed-methods study is a conceptual replication of …

Interpersonal Competency Configurations And The School Adjustment Of Early Adolescents With Disabilities: A Person-Centered Approach, Brittany I. Sterrett

Theses and Dissertations

The transition to middle school is a critical time in adolescence. The more complex school environment provides opportunities for growth and challenges for students with disabilities. Although special education strives to provide individualized supports to students with disabilities through data-based decision-making, the tools used to understand and meet the needs of these students are often unresponsive to the dynamic nature of development and student adjustment as they age. Grounded in developmental science, this study sought to create a data collection framework through a person-centered approach to inform the individualization process. Specifically, this study: 1) explored a decision process that allows …

From Small Beginnings To Large-Scale Harm: On Demagoguery And Misogyny In The Classroom And Writing Center, Shannon Roberson

Theses and Dissertations

My project is grounded in the rhetorical concept of aretê—excellence or virtue—as it relates to education and educational spaces within demagogic and misogynist cultural forces. The problems of demagoguery and misogyny stem from small-scale perpetuation of agonistic norms that go unaddressed in U.S. culture, a culture that is deeply identity-driven. These forces persist on social media platforms and within patriarchal systems of education.

For my project, I suggest rhetorical media literacy education of small-scale demagoguery moments on social media as a way to bring awareness to larger-scale events. On a micro-scale, social media influencers cultivate behaviors that mimic demagogic …

Work Hope And Work Volition: Exploring The Influence Of Community College Students’ Rurality And Socioeconomic Status, Jesse A. Wingate

Theses and Dissertations

Data from a sample of community college students (N = 478) in Virginia were used to examine relations among rurality, socioeconomic status, work hope, and work volition. Socioeconomic status, work hope, and work volition were positively associated. However, rurality, measured both as a continuous and categorical variable, was not correlated with work hope or work volition. Additional analyses showed convergence between measures of work hope and work volition confirming construct similarity. Results, limitations, implications, and recommendations for future study are included.

Sensory Substitution, Key To Inclusive Learning, Fathima Z. Zahir

Theses and Dissertations

Visually impaired students, in primary education, encounter unique challenges while learning creative skills, exploring artistic expression and developing problem-solving skills, because so much instructional content is delivered visually. Sensory substitution—an approach that replaces visual information with feedback from other intact senses like touch, sound, taste or smell—provides an opportunity to address those challenges.

Through the use of sensory substitution, this thesis proposes concrete ways to capitalize on the enhanced abilities of visually impaired primary school students. The research outcome of this thesis is a system of templates that puts these enhanced abilities to work for visually impaired students, to support …

“It’S Supposed To Be Super Easy And It’S Not”: Black And Latinx Student Experiences In The Doctor Of Physical Therapy Admissions Process, Melissa Yeung

Theses and Dissertations

Data provided by the Physical Therapy Central Application System (PTCAS) suggests that despite the large numbers of applicants to Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs on an annual basis, a gap remains between the number of White and Black and Latinx applicants who are offered admission to DPT programs. Efforts made by DPT programs to increase the diversity of their incoming cohorts include the use of holistic review processes and enrichment programs to recruit more diverse classes. However, research suggests that the undergraduate experiences of students of color have an impact on their aspirations to graduate and professional schools, and …

Separate And Unequal: Latinx Access, Enrollment And Completion Of Ap Coursework In The State Of Virginia, Virginia Elizabeth Palencia

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the national problem of overrepresentation of Latinx students in general education classes, this study addresses Latinx access to Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, enrollment, and completion patterns in Virginia, a growing destination state for many Latinx families and students. Through a secondary data analysis of both the Civil Rights Data Collection (2015-6) and College Board data (2016), this quantitative study mapped patterns of disproportionality in AP access, enrollment, and completion for Latinx students, who comprise 13% of enrollment in Virginia public high schools. In addition, a case study of two diverse school districts provides evidence of segregation and …

Predicting Black Male Undergraduate Degree Completion At A Pwi Examining Single Indicators Of Religiosity, Anxiety, And Depression., Nickolas Spears Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Religiosity is a well-known protective factor for mental health as a coping and resilience source, which positively affects Black male college students' academic success. However, less is known about whether religiosity predicts degree completion and buffers Black males' mental health from a quantitative research approach. Black males have one of the lowest degree completion rates at four-year institutions. Students who experience poor mental health outcomes have lower degree completion. This study utilized logistic regression to investigate whether religiosity: (1) predicted degree completion among Black male undergraduate students and (2) moderated anxiety and depression. The results suggest Black males identify high …

The Program, Aaron Douglas Estrada

Theses and Dissertations

In my work, I explore the engineering of identity and socioeconomics that are programed into Black and Brown communities. I refer to this as “The Program”. The Program validates, breaks, codes, and critiques the system that divided us. The Program is identifying with the struggle of growing up in a system that is programmed to see you fail. So if you get caught up in that system it’s a natural death within the program. But you can break and make your own program. If you stick to the program.

The paper's use of language is coded. Text has been written …

Multicultural Literature In The Elementary Classroom: A Comparison Of Traditional And Dual Language Classroom Teachers, Virginia Massaro

Theses and Dissertations

The number of English learners in the United States continues to increase and these students’ literacy scores are dramatically lower than their native English-speaking peers. White, female teachers dominate the teaching workforce, creating a cultural mismatch between teachers and students. Culturally relevant education can benefit student outcomes and incorporating multicultural literature is one way to do so. This non-experimental quantitative study examined the relationships between teachers’ multicultural characteristics, teachers’ use of multicultural literature, classroom level factors, and teacher demographics. A total of 35 teachers participated in an online survey and completed a book log, indicating texts used in their instruction. …

A Critical Examination Of Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Liberatory Pd, Christine C. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to develop an understanding of secondary teachers’ perceptions of liberatory (justice-oriented) professional development at three school sites in a single school district. As participants shared their perceptions, three significant themes emerged; they described 1) facing contextual constraints that limited their agency 2) desiring to be reframed as knowledge producers, yet 3) struggling to envision how their agency could support their liberation. These key findings led to an emergent theory of the Cycle of Professional Development Stagnation, a cycle involving barriers that perpetuate the framing of teachers as passive recipients of knowledge. As evidenced in this qualitative …

Investigating Equity Practices And Teaching For Global Readiness In A K-12 School District, Jamie M. Schlais Dr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated K-12 educators’ (N=154) teaching for global readiness practices; perceptions of individual global competencies; and supports needed to provide all students an equitable education. A fully mixed, concurrent triangulation, equal status design, combined Vessa’s (2016) Teaching for Global Readiness Scale (TfGRS) and McCain et al.’s (2014) Globally Competent Learning Continuum (GCLC) to examine educators’ perceptions of teaching for global readiness. Perceptions of district equity initiatives were obtained through teacher interviews and central office administrator questionnaires. Survey results for the second semester of the 2018 school year reported teachers engaged in critical literacy and transactional practices from “never” to …

Disentangling Student Engagement In Afterschool Programs, Ashlee M. Lester

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a line of research exploring the characteristics and role of student engagement in afterschool programs, specifically during early adolescence. The dissertation takes a two-study format, building off of my comprehensive exam Measuring engagement in out-of-school time programs. This first chapter is an introduction in which I will detail the underlying problem that is investigated in the following two manuscripts. Following this introduction, the two separate studies are presented.