Education Commons^™

The Diffusion Of Innovative Technologies Among Elementary And Middle School Teachers: Examining The Relationship Between Access To Social Capital And Level Of Technology Adoption, John Patrick Bayerl

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between public school elementary and middle school teachers’ access to social capital (the independent variable) and their level of adoption of innovative technologies (the dependent variable). The study was founded on both diffusion of innovations and social network theory.

Study participants were teachers from three schools, sharing two buildings in a single school district. The initial phase of the research involved informal interviews with key policy makers from each school, conducted for the purpose of identifying innovative technologies present at each study site. An existing survey instrument was …

An Experiment Analysis Of The Impact Of Advertising And Food Packaging On Women's Eating Behavior, Amy S. Collings

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Obesity is considered a national epidemic and is associated with increased eating behavior and decreased physical activity. Research has demonstrated biological underpinnings, but the dramatic increase in prevalence rates in recent decades (Flegal et al., 2002) suggests that environmental influences also contribute (Hill et al., 2008). This led researchers to speculate about the impact of our purported “Toxic Environment,” in which high-calorie, energy-dense foods are readily available for consumption and technological advances have decreased physical activity (Wadden et al., 2002). Most of the literature examining the theory of the Toxic Environment is correlational in nature, limiting causal inference. A pilot …

Core Curricular Elements Of Effective Undergraduate Technology Management Academic Programs, Pamela R. Becker

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Technology management skills have become increasingly important to employers in today’s rapidly changing technological environment; yet a scarcity of research exists regarding desired core competencies of undergraduate technology management majors. The purpose of this study was to determine the core curricular elements of an effective undergraduate technology management academic program.

A quantitative mixed-mode (Internet-based and paper-based) survey design using a 5-point Likert rating (strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat disagree, and strongly disagree) was used to solicit opinions from members of the sample population regarding core curricular elements of effective undergraduate technology management programs. Implementation of this …

High School Students’ Perception Of Technology And Its Influence On Their Intent To Select A Technology College Major: A Study In Gender Differences, Kaninika Bhatnagar

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate technology perceptions of high school students and analyze the results by gender. The objective was to examine whether high school boys and girls differ in their technology perceptions and whether that difference is related to their intent to select a technology major in college.

The research employed survey analysis of 152 students from two high schools from suburban and rural locations in the Midwest. The sample included 72 boys and 80 girls. The students were surveyed to examine their confidence in working with technology products, their locus of control (or their perception …

A Survey Of Registered Dietitians' Perceptions Of Constructivist And Behaviorist Instructional Approaches And Delivery Methods In Accredited Dietetics Programs, Martha A. Smith

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This purpose of this research study was to test learning theories and models of teaching (constructivist vs. behaviorist) used in dietetic education programs. Additionally, the focus of accreditation for dietetics education is the quality and integrity of a program regardless of its instructional delivery method. Therefore, this study examined the variations between on-line and on-campus delivery methods.

Research questions that guided this study included:

1) To what extent do educators use constructivist or behaviorist theoretical approaches during instructional delivery?

2) What are the differences in learning between on-line education and oncampus delivery methods?

3) As far as constructivist and behaviorist …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Servant-Leadership Behavior Of The Elementary School Principal, School Climate And Student Achievement As Measured By The 4th Grade Mathematics And Reading Michigan Educational Assessment Program, Ryan L. Cunningham

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what relationship exists between the servant-leadership behavior of the elementary school principal, school climate, and student achievement. Data were collected through the use of two survey instruments. The (Revised) Servant-Leadership Profile: 360 (SLP-R: 360), developed by Page and Wong (2000), was used to assess principals’ perceptions of their servant-leadership behavior. To assess teachers’ perceptions of the health of the school climate, the Organizational Health Inventory for Elementary (OHI-RE), developed by Hoy, Tarter, and Kottkamp (1991), was used. The SLP-R: 360 was utilized as a self-perceived leadership style inventory, and the OHI-RE was …

Dissatisfaction Theory And Superintendent Turnover: An Exception To The Rule, Richard Perry

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The cycle of change and superintendent replacement in a public school district was documented and later named Dissatisfaction Theory by Iannaccone and Lutz (1970). Since then there have been multiple studies that have further documented failed relationships between the values of the community, the school board, and the superintendent. The research has demonstrated that dissatisfied voters replace school board members who in turn replace the superintendent with someone who will reflect the ideology and policies desired by the community.

The purposes of this study were to a) Better understand the dynamics of the position of superintendent, b) Inform superintendents, school …

An Examination On The Impact Of School Grade Configuration On Eighth Grade Student Academic Achievement In Reading, Writing, And Math, Joyce Lutrey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research effort was to examine the impact of grade configuration on eighth grade student achievement in Math, Reading, and Writing. The quantitative research design used publicly available data and studied the 2000 through 2007 Arizona standards-based, eighth grade student test results across six grade configurations for all Arizona eighth grade students. Additional variables included student gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and charter versus public schools.

Chi-square testing showed there were student achievement differences in Math, Reading, and Writing across grade configuration, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and between charters and public schools. These differences were likely due to the …

The Monroe County Intermediate School District: A Case Study, Donald A. Spencer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Throughout the history of public education in Michigan, there has been an intermediate unit of educational government. This unit of educational government exists between the State Department of Education and the local school districts. Currently, there are fifty-seven intermediate school districts in Michigan providing educational services and governance functions.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the Monroe County Intermediate School District in order to inform educational leadership.

Research Design: This study was an interpretive, historical case study. The study explored the manner in which culture was perpetuated via the system of education in Monroe, Michigan, throughout …

The Academic And Behavioral Benefits Of Auditory Integration Training In High School-Aged Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Jenny Lauterbach

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a double-blind experiment that assessed the effectiveness of auditory integration training (AIT) on the academic performance and behavior of 10 high school students between the ages of 15 and 17 years, all diagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The subjects were administered a standardized test of auditory processing skills (TAPS) (Gardner, 1996), after which they participated in 15-20 minute sessions of auditory integration training (AIT) once a day for a period of four weeks. Some participants were exposed to filtered music, whereas others were exposed to non-filtered music. At the end of the 4 weeks, …

Voices Of Poverty: Perspectives Of One School's Student, Teachers. And Parents, Kristen Weatherwax

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the challenges of poverty through the stories of students and their families in one Michigan elementary school. The goal was to explore the needs, challenges, and obstacles confronting children in poverty in a small Michigan town by focusing on the perspectives and experiences of low-income students and their parents/guardians. Two families and one teacher were interviewed in depth, using open-ended, semi-structured interview techniques. Two case studies were constructed from the content of the interviews, and key thematic findings that emerged revealed ongoing stress, fear, sadness, and frustration with which the children lived, as well as strong …

An Examination Of The Relationship Of Six Risk Factors Associated With Dropping Out Of High School For Students With Disabilities In South Central Michigan, Dawn Gallup

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative, retrospective (ex post facto), research in south central Michigan was to determine the relationship of six risk factors associated with dropping out of high school to students with disabilities (SWDs). The six risk factors were (a) grade retention (never held back or held back one or more times), (b) age compared to peers (same age as peers or one year or older than peers), (c) limited English proficiency (English speaking or English as a second language), (d) category of disability (learning disabled/emotionally impaired or cognitively impaired/other), (e) mobility (the number of school districts or …

Perceived Value Of Faculty-Developed Course Websites: A Student-Faculty Comparison, Donald W. Southwell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a case-study examination of faculty-developed course websites and their usage within a single mid-western community college environment. Its purpose is to develop an understanding of the perceived value of selected course websites from both student and faculty perspectives based on website design and use. The study analyzes course websites from instructional and technological theoretical perspectives, drawing from literature in the fields of education and technology studies.

To understand course websites within the context of their usage, three selected course websites were paired with the instructor and a subset of students to form a case study unit. The …

Special Education Reading Instructional Strategies In One Midwestern Intermediate School District, Marliese Temme

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Reading is one of the most important skills needed throughout life. Recent national studies combined with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Law and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act have heightened the educational community’s awareness of the broken link between research-based instructional strategies and actual implementation. This study sought to determine to what extent research-based instructional strategies were integrated into the teaching of students with reading difficulties, and to what extent sustainability factors were evidenced in service delivery models. From the original 46 survey participants, a subset of thirteen special education teachers participated in …

Why Do Students With Hearing Impairment Resist Wearing Fm Amplification?, Jennifer Lynn Franks

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The benefits of Frequency Modulation (FM) amplification usage among school-aged children is widely researched and established. The benefits provided from FM systems for students with a hearing impairment (HI) would suggest that consistent usage among these students would be high. However, interactions with various-aged HI students and their teachers have shown the opposite: there appears to be a lack of consistent usage. Previous research has looked at what influences people with a hearing loss not to wear their hearing aids. Research investigating reasons why FM systems are not used is limited. There are well-known benefits of FM usage among those …

The Effectiveness Of Electronic Whiteboards And Powerpoint Lessons In The Mathematics Classroom, John K. Feldkamp

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A popular method of teaching in today’s k-12 classroom is standardizing lessons on Microsoft office’s PowerPoint. Another tool which is starting to become more common in classrooms is electronic white boards, which are similar to smart boards. Attempting to discover the most effective way to teach in the math classroom, I investigated these techniques at a local school.