Education Commons^™

Chaos Theory In Educational Systems: Principals' Perceptions Of Sensitive Dependence On Initial Conditions, Suzan B. Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the characteristic of chaos theory called sensitive dependence on initial conditions or butterfly effect in schools and school systems. The purpose of the study was to develop insight into school systems by determining if categories or factors of behaviors or decisions have been observed in school systems which are sensitive to initial conditions and are therefore likely to produce exponential effects. A modified critical incident technique was used to collect data from experienced principals in three moderate sized regions in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. Participants reported incidents that were sensitive to initial conditions during interviews. The …

Interactive Television In The Classroom: A Comparison Of Student Math Achievement Among Three Instructional Settings, Sherri L. Hodge-Hardin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A dramatic expansion of distance learning through the use of interactive television (ITV) is allowing colleges and universities to offer students potentially unlimited access to educational and training opportunities. While the expanding information age beckons us to consider mechanisms for using communication technologies for the benefit of meeting the needs of learners in a variety of locations, the question may be raised--Is ITV an effective medium of instruction? This study examined the effectiveness of using an interactive television system to broadcast developmental algebra classes at East Tennessee State University. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were …

Prediction Of Student Completion Of An Associate Degree Radiologic Technology Program, Donna R. Shehane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the admission/selection process of the Radiologic Technology Program at East Tennessee State University to ascertain predictive validity of the admission process and to identify specific indicators leading to program completion. The population for this investigation consisted of 510 students who had applied to East Tennessee State University and the Radiologic Technology Program from 1991 through 1993. Data were collected from institutional and program academic records. Correlation research was chosen to establish validity. One-way Analysis of Variance and t-test were applied to investigate different admission parameters and discriminate analysis was completed due …

American Students' Expectations Of Teachers In The Japanese Language Classroom, Nariyo Kono

Dissertations and Theses

The Japanese as a foreign language classroom in the United States is full of information about the target culture and cross-cultural interaction between American students and Japanese instructors. This cross-cultural interaction promotes culture learning but sometimes produces potential conflicts due to American students and Japanese instructors having different expectations of each other.

The purpose of this study was to investigate student expectations of their Japanese teachers and to explore similarities and differences among Japanese and American expectations. The research questions addressed were 1) What do American students expect of their Japanese teachers in the Japanese language classroom? Do their expectations …

The Use Of The First Language (L1) And The Target Language (Tl) In The Foreign Language Classroom, Jeanine L. Huber

Dissertations and Theses

Oftentimes it is the foreign language classroom that provides the basic foundation for language exposure and acquisition. In the context of the foreign language classroom there is not much exposure to the TL outside of this setting. This being the case, the quantity of the TL should be relatively high as it is an essential requisite for language acquisition. In addition, most recent research tends to suggest that high quantities of TL from the instructor is ideal. The main purpose of this study has been to focus on university-level foreign language classrooms to explore the issue of language choice, Ll …

Russian-Speaking Pentecostal Refugees And Adult Esl Programs: Barriers To Participation, Elena Valerijevna Zaitseva

Dissertations and Theses

Pentecostals from the former Soviet Union are the most recent and fastest growing refugee group in Oregon. Because the refugee population's low English skills may increase their dependence upon welfare assistance, their nonparticipation in ESL programs is treated as a social issue. Efforts to increase the English literacy levels of Russian-speaking Pentecostal refugees are limited by lack of empirical data regarding forces that affect this population's decision to participate or not to participate in educational activities. The purpose of this study was to gather information about barriers to participation in ESL programs by adult Russian-speaking Pentecostal refugees. To this end …

American Deaf Students In Ennl Classes: A Case Study, Janice Elisabeth Ruhl

Dissertations and Theses

Many deaf students who seek post secondary education need some sort of developmental education in reading and writing to ensure success in college. These students often end up in college preparatory or remedial classes that are designed for native speakers of English. For many of the deaf students entering college, English is a second language or a first language that they have failed to achieve fluency in.

This study describes the experience of two deaf students enrolled in English as a Non-Native Language classes for the first time at an Oregon community college. The Office of Students with Disabilities and …

Update On The Role And Status Of Women Correspondents In The Television Network News: A Content Analysis, Lonnie Travis Flora

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Communication by Lonnie TraVis Flora on October 5, 1995.

The Effect Of "Project Adventure" On Self-Esteem Of Learning Disabled Students, Nava Shaked

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of "Project Adventure," a program of physical activity, and self-esteem on learning disabled children and non-disabled children. The hypothesis was that the "Project Adventure" program would have a positive effect on the self-esteem of all the students, with an especially strong effect on the Learning Disabled students.

The subjects, 22 regular education students and 11 Learning Disabled students participated in a 9 week Project Adventure program in Oakcrest High School (Mays Landing, New Jersey). The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory had been used for assessment as a pretest and a posttest. The …

Use Of Language Learning Strategies By Proficient And Less Proficient Learners, Charlene Frances Mills

Dissertations and Theses

Recent research has found that the use of good language learning strategies can affect students' chances of gaining proficiency in a second language. The purpose of this study was to see if there is a relationship between strategy use and language learning proficiency. It sought to answer these questions: (1) Does a successful learner use different strategies on specific tasks than does a less successful learner? and (2) Will the successful learner use more metacognitive and affective strategies while doing tasks than will a less successful learner? For the first part of the study, 17 students in an ESL program …

Factors Affecting Parent Perceptions Of Children's Performance In Inclusive Classroom Settings, Amy M. Johnson

Theses & Honors Papers

The subjects of this study included parents of forty - five students with learning disabilities who were integrated in the regular education classroom from rural Virginia. A self developed questionnaire was used to collect the data . Thirteen (28%) of the questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that divorced parents, married couples working between 20 to 29 hours per week, married parents who both had finished college, single I divorced parents who had finished High School only, and parents who had one child or all children in the family receiving Special Educational services …

The Effects Of Dialogue Journal Writing On The Writing Apprehension Level Of Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities, Jennifer H. Dooley

Theses & Honors Papers

This study examined what effects writing in dialogue journals has on the writing apprehension level of middle school students identified as having a learning disability related to writing. Twenty eight students participated in the study , eleven of which served as a control group and eleven as an experimental group (other subjects were eliminated randomly ). Each subject completed the Writing Apprehension Measure before and after the treatment. During the six - week study , the control group wrote in journals three times each week. The experimental group wrote in journals three times each week and received a response from …

Treatment Approaches For Pathological Gambling: Review Of Literature And Development Of New Program, Karen Lee Hafner

Dissertations and Theses

Pathological gambling is a treatable, but complex addiction. Defined as out of control gambling that disrupts relationships, employment and/or education. People from all social, economic and cultural groups are affected. Pathological gambling is a problem throughout this country, and in Oregon 61,000 people are estimated to have this disorder. There is a lack of information and extensive misinformation about gambling; and gambling has, historically, been considered a moral weakness. Treatment for pathological gambling is a recent development, and still is not widely available. Pathological gambling is pervasive, poorly understood, and costly and deserves further study. Existing literature on pathological gambling, …

Comparison Of The Effect Of Instructional Versus Industry-Specific Computer Simulation On Students Learning In A Front Office Management Course, Mohamed Abdul-Ghani

Doctoral Dissertations

A survey was administered to assess the current and future state of academic computer use in teaching front office management courses, and to evaluate the degree of importance educators of these courses placed in various features of educational software. In addition, an instructional or industry-specific computer simulation program was integrated in a front office management course for undergraduate students. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there were any differences in students' knowledge of the subject matter, attitude toward computers, and ability to transfer the learned skills to another industry-specific software, which could be attributed to the usage …

The Effect Of School Size And The Interaction Of School Size And Class Type On Selected Student Achievement Measures In Tennessee Elementary Schools, Kenneth Earl Nye

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze student academic achievement in reading and mathematics for grades K through 3 to determine if there was a school-size effect. This study further analyzed whether the school-size effect differed across the three class types: small (S), regular (R), and regular with aide (RA), to which students had been assigned. Several null hypotheses were posited regarding the effect of school size and interaction of the school-size effect with each of the three class types on the academic achievement of students.

This study of school size benefited from having an extant database of information …

An Analysis Of Study Abroad Administration At U.S. Colleges And Universities, Trevor Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the organizational structures and practices that appear to characterize successful study abroad operations in U.S. colleges and universities. The researcher was also interested to know if these differ from the organizational structures and practices of less successful operations. Institutional members of NAFSA: Association of International Educators affiliatied with the Section on U.S. Students Studying Abroad (SECUSSA) were surveyed by means of a questionnaire. A total of 348 usable questionnaires (a 52.6% response rate) were returned from universities and four year colleges which were then placed into four groups-large private, smallprivate, large public …

The Effect Of Cooperative Games/Activities Involving Elementary Students On Cooperative Social Interaction, Karen S. Collins

Student Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether Cooperative Games/Activities influenced children’s cooperative values and interdependence in the classroom. Twenty-seven boys and twenty-eight girls were assigned to three groups: two cooperative games/activities experimental groups and one control group. Each student was pretested using a Group Behavior and Atmosphere Scale. Following the pretests, students in the control group continued with their regular physical education activities and the experimental groups played cooperative games. Cooperative games were played twice a week, for six weeks, for an average of forty-five minutes. After six weeks, all students were retested to determine changes in behavior. …

An Analysis Of Age, Gender, Education, And Race/Ethnicity As Performance Indicators On Tests Of Perceptual Speed, Accuracy And Spatial Skills, Gail C. Musgrave

Student Dissertations & Theses

To ascertain the effect of age, gender, educational level and race/ethnicity on test performance, a battery of three tests measuring perceptual speed, accuracy, spatial orientation, and visualization was administered to a sample of 362 applicants in the Odessa, Texas, Job Training Partnership Act, an agency which retrains displaced workers. The sample was stratified into five age groups: 17-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and over 60. Further definition placed each person in one of five educational levels ranging from General Equivalency Diploma to Bachelors degree. Multiple regression analyses determined the effect of the independent demographic variables. ANOVAS determined ethnic performance variations. As …

Theoretical Considerations For The Contemporary Counselor; Lawrence Kohlberg's Theory Of Moral Reasoning And Its Impact On Developmental Counseling; And Gender Differences In Moral Development: From Criticism To Theoretical Construction To Implications For Counselors Of The Twenty-First Century, Rhonda Jo Briley

Student Dissertations & Theses

No abstract is provided.

Dropping A Line Into A Creek And Pulling Out A Whale: A Phenomenological Study Of Six Teachers' Experiences Of Their Students' Stories Of Learning, Mary Kathryn Kramp

Doctoral Dissertations

This is a study of six college teachers' narratives of their experiences of their students' stories of learning. These six teachers took part in a two year project supported by Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), in which participants created opportunities in their courses for their students to tell their stories of learning, thereby allowing their students to self-assess their learning and senses of self as learners. Their students' stories became a context for these teachers to reflect upon their teaching and senses of self as teachers. Results of the FIPSE project showed they made significant changes in …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Critical Thinking Skills And Preferred Learning Styles Of First Year Nursing Students, Gloria J. Clocklin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between the manner in which nursing students preferred to learn and their ability to think critically. First year nursing students (N = 197) from four colleges in a rural Midwestern geographic region were the subjects for the study. Students represented practical nursing, associate degree nursing, and baccalaureate degree nursing programs and were all in their first nursing course. Entire cohort groups from each college were included in the study.

The Kolb (1985) Learning Style Inventory and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA, Watson & Glaser, 1980) were administered …

The Undergraduate Experience And Giving: What Makes A Donor?, Laura C. Simic

Masters Theses

Private support of public higher education has become increasingly important for institutions to remain competitive in times of decreasing tax support. Among scholars, there is general agreement that private support has become the vital ingredient which provides the difference between adequate and great institutions. There is little agreement, however, about the primary factors that motivate donors to give to colleges and universities.

To help answer the question, "Why do people give?" a study was conducted of University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Communications alumni with regard to aspects of their undergraduate experience. The alumni were divided into non-donor and donor …

The Level Of Management Support Behaviors And The Effect On Participation Rates In Corporate Fitness Programs, Diane Braatz

Dissertations

Survey methods were used to evaluate the relationship between the nature and degree of management support provided to corporate fitness programs and employees' participation rates in those programs. A questionnaire requesting information about demographics, participation rates, and supportive management practices in the areas of coaching, modeling, and reinforcing, was sent to representatives of 400 companies. Completed questionnaires representing 157 organizations were returned. Across all respondents, the mean reported level of employee participation in fitness programs was 20.7%; the range was 2 to 67%. The level of employee participation was positively related to the total level of management support (i.e., combined …

A Grounded Theory In The Development Of The Tantric Proposition In Leadership Education, Marsha Wislocki Goin

Dissertations

The advancement of a new theory in the field of leadership education directed the focus of this study. A new paradigm directed toward an inclusive leadership model was advanced and the findings integrated, resulting in the development of a model reflecting four dimensions of leadership theory: (1) transformational, (2) transactional, (3) charismatic, and (4) intuitional.

These four dimensions, supported within a quadrilateral design and incorporating an Eastern philosophical motif represented as a mandala, were then interfaced with the four dimensions of tantric philosophy: (1) spiritual, (2) emotional, (3) intellectual, and (4) sensing, resulting in a tantric mandala of leadership design. …

Women And The Public School Superintendency: An Integrative Review Of The Dissertation Research, Carol A. Swingle

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to prepare a comprehensive summary, evaluation, and synthesis of the dissertation research conducted from 1970 to 1994 regarding women public school superintendents.

The units of study for this research synthesis were the 79 criterion-selected doctoral dissertations completed at colleges and universities in the United States between 1 970 and 1994 that utilized women public school superintendents as their sole, or primary, data set.

Data were collected relative to both the content and the quality of the selected dissertations. Data analysis was completed using the integrative research review techniques of listing factors, taking a vote, …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And School Climate, Christine L. Jensen

Dissertations

The study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership and school climate in elementary schools in w est Michigan with enrollments of 200-800 students. Eighteen school districts with 294 participating teachers completed two questionnaires.

The independent variable of transformational leadership was investigated by using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire to measure teachers' perceptions of leadership factors. The dependent variable of school climate was investigated by using the Organizational Climate Descriptor Questionnaire-Revised Elementary. The questionnaire was used to determine teachers' perceptions of principal openness, teacher openness, and overall school climate.

As a result of the data analysis, the investigation supported that there was …

The Relationship Between Non-Native English Speakers' English Proficiency And Their Callings In The Lds Church In The United States, Dena Marie Wright Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

As part of BYU's Distance Learning Project to teach English for gospel purposes, a committee created a survey to assess the English needs of LDS non-native English speakers in native-language units in the United States. This thesis uses several sections of the survey to correlate proficiency, callings in the Church, and demographic information. In addition to survey data, this thesis uses qualitative information from focus groups, and interviews to illustrate the statistical findings. The theory underlying this research is that learning precedes involvement in a community. Although learning in the LDS Church community is multi-faceted, this study examines the learning …

Effect Of Parenting Style And Supervision On Adolescent Risky Behavior And Academic Achievement, David L. Mccullough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether correlations existed between parenting style, degree of supervision, risky behavior (substance use) and academic achievement. Subjects' responses were also summarized to develop a profile of the population's behaviors and attitudes.

The study was based on 57 high school seniors' responses to a 95-item questionnaire which they voluntarily completed during their home economics class at Woodstown High School in southern New Jersey.

Relationships were analyzed by applying the chi square test for independence using the critical value of alpha at .05. The results of this analysis indicated that the hypothesized relationships approached …

The Effect Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilization On Grayson Lake, Kentucky, Timothy W. Spier

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Timothy W. Spier on July 31, 1995.

The Effect Of A Drug Use Prevention Curriculum On A Measure Of Self-Esteem, Irven E. Simpkins Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Longitudinal studies have indicated that drug use prevention curricula are effective in increasing students' knowledge of the harmful effects of drugs, improving their social skills, and developing healthier interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effect of a drug use prevention curriculum on students' self-esteem over a short time span. Sixty-seven students were pretested with a measure of self-esteem after being divided into a target and a control group. Five lessons were taught to the target group over a period of five weeks. All students were then posttested and the results were analyzed using a …