Education Commons^™

Social Support During The Academic Transition Of International Students In Ph.D. Programs, Deborah A. Westin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and analyze the mechanisms of social support for international students in Ph.D. programs during an academic transition. Purposive sampling was used to identify participants, two each from the People's Republic of China, India, and Africa. This study employed a phenomenological research method to explore the social support networks that these six students established, the nature of their interactions with the host culture and the effect of social support on academic success. Data collection methods included individual interviews with international students and two staff members from the Office of International Education, one …

Differentiated Educational Strategies In The Elementary Art Classroom, Mary Amber Bush

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides elementary art teachers strategies for teaching lessons in a method called "differentiation". The purpose of differentiation is to tailor lesson plans to try and meet unique needs of the students. Lessons can be differentiated through content, process, or product. A teacher may choose one of these three areas and provide different approaches to the lesson to meet different learning needs of the students. To meet different learning needs in an efficient way, students are grouped for lessons based on their readiness, interests, or their learning styles. This thesis provides greater detail on content, process, product, readiness, interests, …

Evaluation Of An Adult Education Technology Program, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult education technology program at a chartered alternative adult education center in Florida. The adult education center had a low rate of students passing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This study examined the impact of the use of computer technology in an effort to improve student learning in mathematics, reading, and science. Computers at the institution were used by all students for tutorials to prepare them for the FCAT and to obtain a high school diploma. The research questions for this study were as follows:

1. Is the education technology program …

Evaluating Transformative Spirituality In An Organizational Leadership Program At A Christian University, Elizabeth D. Rios

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of Christian higher education, some educators are more concerned with marketing their programs to nontraditional students, the fastest growing segment of new enrollments. Although many view that as a blessing, the issues of mission and specifically spirituality are of concern to educators and administrators who want to avoid the secularization already impacting many fine schools in the country. At satellite locations, some educators perceive that the lack of structured practices and intentional procedures and the marketing of convenience-based structural models have watered down the offerings of Christian higher education. This applied dissertation evaluated whether spiritual development and …

The Biodiesel Project: A High School Multi-Discipline Class Collaboration And Graphic Imaging Technology Unit Plan, Charles E. Cimo

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis project, my intention was to integrate diverse high school courses with poignant subject matter to increase the amount of learning students can achieve. This unit plan explored a Prince George High School (Virginia) multi-class cooperative effort involving biodiesel production. The project involved creating a biodiesel refinery built by Production Systems classes according to plans purchased from the Internet. The research for converting used kitchen oil into biodiesel and the titration of the fuel was conducted by Chemistry classes. Graphics Imaging Technology students created a logo, a poster, and designed brochures that described the processes and benefits of …

Comparison Of Event History Analysis And Latent Growth Modeling For College Student Perseverance, Richard Samuel Mohn Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Event history analysis is the most prevalent modeling technique used to model event occurrence with longitudinal data (Cox & Oakes, 1984; Menard, 1991; Singer & Willett, 1993, 2003). An alternative is to model longitudinal data within the SEM framework, known as latent variable growth modeling (McArdle, 1988; Meredith & Tisak, 1990), which can provide a more robust framework. Whether or not a student remains in college presents an appropriate context within which to examine the modeling of event occurrence with longitudinal data. The purpose of the study was to compare event history and latent growth modeling as for predicting change …