Education Commons^™

Hip-Hop, Medellín And Social Change, Veronica Henao Posada

Master's Theses

This study explores the ways in which the Hip-hop movement is producing social change in Medellín, Colombia. Looking specifically at a Hip-hop school called Cuatro Elementos Skuela, which exists autonomously and with very little state support in the Medellín neighborhood of Aranjuez, I argue that young people are contributing to the reconstruction of the city’s social, cultural and economic fabric. I start by explaining the historical context of Medellín, describing the different sets of conflicts that unleashed high levels of violence and caused the fragmentation of the social, cultural and economic fabric. Moreover, I review the role of the …

Professional Learning Communities Enhancing Capacity For Improved Student Learning, L. Keith Adams

Master's Theses

Educators continue to be challenged with improving the nation's schools. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 created an elusive moving target towards perfection as the ultimate goal. This was a mandate for every school receiving federal funds to close the achievement gap. Recently, states have been applying for waivers to help them move out of the NCLB rut of narrowly focused and unattainable goals. The pressure of school improvement and its challenges, with limited funding, continue for schools to supply efficient and effective professional development that will benefit student learning. The Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, wrote in …

Undoing The Factory Model: A Practical Field Test In Blended Learning, Adam Holden

Master's Theses

The successful implementation of e-learning strategies into the learning process is not a new idea. Education was first introduced to the concept of digital natives using technological tools to learn over a decade ago now, and yet we remain a nation struggling to come to terms with the educational potential of technology. It is true, that the past ten years has seen a significant integration of hardware into the classroom; the question must be asked however, whether this has been wastefully accomplished by many schools, without predetermined planning or the development of strategic outcomes for its use. Merely, introducing these …

The Impact Of Maturity And Parenting Style In Delinquent Behaviors, Nichole Lind

Master's Theses

Most of the previous research about juvenile delinquency has focused on why some adolescents become delinquent. Elliott and Voss (1974) theorized that delinquent behavior occurs due to the aspiration opportunity disjunction, or goals that are beyond one’s means. Moffitt (1993) shifted the focus of research as to why most adolescents quit their delinquent behavior and others persist towards a lifetime of criminal activities. Mounts (2002) found that parents who had higher levels of parenting management practices had adolescents with lower levels of drug use and drug using friends. Moffitt (1993) proposed that it is a perceptual shift or an exit …

Organized Camp And Character Development 2013, Veronica Ripp

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organized camp and character development. In particular, it looked to determine to what extent organized camp affected campers' character, including how much change in character campers' experienced in a week at camp, what aspects of character were most influenced, and what factors about camp had the most impact on campers' character. The study was multimodal in design, using the Values in Action Inventory for Youth (VIA-Youth) as a pre and posttest for quantitative analysis and camper interviews, staff interviews, and researcher observations for qualitative analysis. Seven completed VIA-Youth pre …

Resistance Training Behaviors In College-Aged Women 2013, Melanie Kornblatt

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of women’s training behavior in the weight room. A secondary purpose was to determine what their beliefs and perceptions were in regards to lifting weights. Participants were college-aged females ranging in age from 17-29 years. Observations of weight lifting activities were conducted during peak hours of operation (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3- 6pm) in the fitness facility. A total of 60 hours of observations were conducted over a period of four weeks. In addition to observations, two focus groups were conducted. Participants were divided into two specific groups: I …

Factors Affecting Daily Stress In Siblings Of Children With Special Needs, Todd Blackwill

Master's Theses

For families who have a children with disabilities, a great amount of stress are put on not only the primary caregivers but all members of the family unit. This study examined what factors influence stress experienced by siblings of children with disabilities. These factors included severity of the children’s disabilities, gender of the siblings, how much help the siblings provide in the care of the children with disabilities, and the number of people in the families. The purpose was to raise awareness of the participants and pinpoint certain characteristics that affect how frequent and how intense stress is experienced by …

Parenting Nutrition Skills Workshop: An Evaluation Of Facilitated Group Discussions To Enhance Parenting Nutrition Self Efficacy, Lisa A. Dawes

Master's Theses

Abstract

Parenting Nutrition Skills Workshops: An Evaluation of Facilitated Group Discussions to Enhance Parenting Nutrition Self-Efficacy

By: Lisa Dawes, RD, CDE

This research study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using facilitated group discussion (FGD), a less traditional method of nutrition education, for increasing parents’ feelings of self-efficacy in their ability to make nutrition-related decisions, and to set and enforce nutrition-related boundaries with their children.

Childhood obesity is on the rise; poor food choices, portion control, and inactivity are identified as contributing causes. Parents play a major role in creating healthy habits and providing a well-balanced diet for their …

Reactions To English Language Learning In Chile As A Means For Personal And National Development, Kortnee Byrd

Master's Theses

In our globalized world today, English has developed into the worldwide

language. Chilean leaders, in connection to their development goals to reach a developed

country status by 2020, have highlighted the need for Chilean citizens to become

bilingual in order to attract foreign investment and further integrate into the world

market. Leaders also highlight how English education will serve as an equalizing

measure to combat the socioeconomic inequality that has plagued this country since

Spanish colonization. While the economic benefits are clear, questions remain as to what

the social and cultural costs will be. This research project presents how a …

Unpacking The Study Of Instructional Improvement: Issues, Outcomes, And Implications Of Three Comprehensive School Reform Efforts, Gabriella Silva Gorsky

Master's Theses

There is a long history of educational reform efforts in the United States. Current literature on school reform suggests that a comprehensive approach that involves implementing instructional change across many instructional domains is more effective at producing the types of far-reaching improvement desired compared with mono-focal approaches focusing on a single new strategy. This study explored the impacts and outcomes of the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP), America’s Choice (AC), and Success for All (SFA) within the Study of Instructional Improvement (Ball, Cohen, & Rowan, 2010) schools to answer three primary questions: Are student outcomes on TerraNova mirrored by outcomes on …

Supporting Minority Students Through Mentoring: Best Practices For Formal Mentoring Programs, Elizabeth Stockslager

Master's Theses

Approaches such as universal education, state and national standards, and reform acts have sought to ensure that all students in America receive the same level of education. However, education systems are limited by institutionalized racism. An analysis of the education system through the lens of Critical Race Theory highlights the need to look outside of the traditional school setting, while Culturally Relevant Pedagogy gives insights for understanding the best practices in meeting the needs of minority students. This research considers how mentoring provides support and success for minority students by working with students outside of the school structure. Using the …

The Effect Of Work-Related Programs On Dropout Rates: A Meta-Analysis, Jill Young

Master's Theses

One in four students drop out of school, which has long-lasting implications for the individual, employers, and society at large. Work-related programs, such as those that include career exploration or vocational training, are often employed by schools and communities to reduce school dropout rates. This thesis provides an update to a meta-analysis of experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of dropout prevention programs conducted by Wilson, Tanner-Smith, Lipsey, Morrison, and Steinka-Frey in 2011, focusing on work-related dropout prevention programs. This study determined through meta-analysis of the logged odds-ratios that work-related programs have an odds-ratio of 1.66, indicating that work-related programs significantly reduce …

Factors In Destination Decisions For Cuban Study Abroad, Kari Beall

Master's Theses

In January of 2011, the Obama Administration loosened the regulations on academic travel to Cuba, allowing students to travel to this island nation as part of an academic program. These changes have created an ideal environment in which to study the factors that influence the institutional decision to create a new study abroad program. This is an area that has seen very little if any previous research. This study hopes to investigate the connection between the goals of education abroad as a whole and the reasons a study abroad program, in this case to Cuba, is actually created. Studying the …

Identifying Student Perspectives: Addressing The Financial Barriers Facing Low-Income Students In Study Abroad, Lauren Miranda

Master's Theses

International education today is largely concerned with improving diversity throughout study abroad but despite institutional strategies which seek to address the barriers facing underrepresented students, the overall student profile of study abroad remains unbalanced. Cost is continuously deemed the biggest barrier affecting students' ability to study abroad, a burden that is most likely heavily felt by low-income students. Therefore, the focus of this study is to identify the student perspective in relation to the financial barriers affecting low-income students' intent to study abroad. The results of this study will identify necessary student resources which institutions like Loyola University Chicago can …