Education Commons^™

Do Culturally Engaging Reading Materials Matter? An Analysis Of Rural Libraries In Burkina Faso, Erica Ernst

Master's Theses

Academics have noted the lack of culturally relevant reading materials in African libraries. Book collections are primarily composed of donated materials from western countries intended for a western, rather than African audience. This research project aimed to gain insight onto children’s reading preferences in the rural Burkina Faso and to learn about the popularity of local photo books that were added in 2009. Quantitative methods examined library book checkout records in three categories of African, French, and local photo books. Additionally the library subscription records were used in order to gain information about the children including age, gender, and ethnicity. …

Controlling Nanoparticle Dispersion For Nanoscopic Self-Assembly, Nathan S. Starkweather

Master's Theses

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter and devices on the nanometer scale. Below the critical dimension length of 100nm, materials begin to display vastly different properties than their macro- or micro- scale counterparts. The exotic properties of nanomaterials may trigger the start of a new technological revolution, similar to the electronics revolution of the late 20^th century. Current applications of nanotechnology primarily make use of nanoparticles in bulk, often being made into composites or mixtures. While these materials have fantastic properties, organization of nano and microstructures of nanoparticles may allow the development of novel devices with many unique properties. …

Effective School-Wide Discipline Programs Promote Student Achievement, Jeremiah Lamar Bundrage

Master's Theses

Student discipline has been a concern for school districts for many years. Many district and school level administrators have made the decision to strictly enforce local and district level discipline policies. The initial logic was intended to reduce negative behavior by simply demanding responsible student interaction. The strict enforcement of such policies increased student absenteeism as well as created a communications barrier between school leaders and parents. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a school-wide discipline program. The study will explore the methods needed to implement such program as well reveal how the discipline program …

Correlating Social Media Policy To The Isllc Standards, Bret Gowin

Master's Theses

The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) was a committee developed in 1996 by the Council of Chief School Officers (CSSO) that created standards to direct the training of aspirant school administrators. The objective of each of these standards also may provide guidance for administrators in their daily mission to lead their school to providing the highest quality education possible. Social media is a fairly new communication tool that school leaders must consider in the development of school policy. This communication tool has an overabundance of considerations, both positive and negative, that must be measured when developing policy on its …

Understanding How College Students' Literacy Is Affected By Texting Sms Lexicon, Katherine L. Herrman

Master's Theses

Spelling and grammar have always been taught in schools as means of proper language mechanics (U.S.D.E., 2006). Recently, the use of correct spelling and proper grammar in writing among college students has seemed to weaken (Junco & Cotton, 2011). Although there may be many factors that could contribute to this decrease in proper language use, the development of new technologies may be playing an important role. Presently, one of the newest technologies, cell phones, is in the hands of many young adults. Most of these young adults are using their cell phones to send and receive instant messages, or text …

The Impact Of Water On Girls' Formal Education: A Study Of Kenyan Secondary Schools, Jennifer Emick

Master's Theses

This study applies a human rights lens to view how the lack of access to potable water in Kenya’s rural areas impacts girls’ education. This research is intended to serve as a baseline for iteration and expansion, with the long-term goal of developing a greater understanding of the ways in which water development projects and the smarter provision of basic resources can be used as strategies for achieving gender equality in both education and civic participation.

Pre-Service Teacher Dispositions, Kevin Splichal

Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to discover what other universities are doing to address pre-service teacher dispositions. Many universities have utilized assessment tools and policies directed toward student dispositions which can be very useful for institutions who have not yet begun the process of evaluating disposition traits in their candidates. This analysis can be most beneficial to departments and colleges who are looking for research based practices during their own implementation phases of policy creation geared toward assessment of pre-service teacher dispositions. The research will be most useful for any educator working with pre-service teachers. This data can be …

The Effects Of Video Self-Modeling On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Casey N. Schmidt

Master's Theses

Video self-modeling (VSM) is a type of intervention that has been developed to assist students in viewing themselves successfully in a wide variety of domains. Previous research regarding VSM states that it is beneficial to children with autism spectrum disorder and has helped them improve functioning in many settings. Specifically, VSM is useful to children with autism spectrum disorder because it minimizes attentional and hearing requirements, and allows the child to see themselves as they could be rather than as they currently are. Video modeling avoids reliance on social interactions or the presence of a therapist to promote learning. This …

Investigating The Instructor's Role In New Student Sense Of Classroom Community, Alix E. Davidson

Master's Theses

The purpose of the study is to determine whether an instructor’s intentional effort to build community in his/her classroom results in a higher sense of classroom community among students. This study also examined what types of community building activities were conducted by each instructor and measured the students’ responses to each different activity. This was intended to establish a preliminary set of best practices for creating classroom community. A two-part questionnaire, including an adapted version of the Classroom Community Scale, was administered to instructors (n=5) and students (n=113) enrolled in two or four unit courses at California Polytechnic State University. …

Teaching Introductory Programming Concepts: A Comparison Of Scratch And Arduino, Anne Beug

Master's Theses

Computing has become an integral part of modern America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2008 and 2018, the United States will have 1.4 million job openings in computing fields [1]. Since the early 2000's (just after the "dot com bust"), the number of students enrolled in computing majors (Computer Science, Computer Engineering, etc.) dropped precipitously by over 50%, only starting to rise again in 2009 [2]. One way to rectify to this gap between demand and supply is to start training students in computational thinking during high school. While the Computer Science Advanced Placement AB test has …

Middle School Math Teachers' Perceptions Of Standards, Assessment Literacy, And Professional Learning: A Colorado Case Study, Michael Wayde Brom

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions sixth through eighth grade middle school math teachers in Colorado had of the professional learning they had received related to implementing the Colorado Academic Math Standards (CAMS), and also determine the teachers’ level of understanding in each of the following areas: (a) state standards alignment and curriculum, and (b) assessment literacy. The study was designed to demonstrate how each area complemented the other two areas and their collective impact on instructional practices and student learning. The researcher’s hope was that the findings of this case study may be helpful, at …

Parental Quality Of Marriage And The Effects It Has On Children's Willingness To Support Married, Separated, Or Divorced Parents, Deirdre Deiter

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to investigate how martial quality affects children’s willingness to provide support to their divorced, separated, or married parents. It was hypothesized that children would be more willing to provide support to parents with higher levels of marital quality prior to divorce or separation. One focus of the current study was to investigate the amount of support given to parents from a younger sample of adult children than typically studied. Data were collected from both the virtual and on-campus student population. One hundred and twenty-four students participated in the study (45 males and 79 …

Influence Of University Level Direct Instruction On Educators' Use Of Technology In The Classroom, Angie M. Garner

Master's Theses

Previous research regarding technology integration in education has indicated that when technology is integrated into the classroom with fidelity it can enhance educational experiences ranging from academic achievement to student attitudes toward education and student self-concept. Research has also indicated, however that despite the growing presence of technology in classrooms, it is not being effectively utilized. Further research investigating this disparity between presence of technology and integration of those technologies for student-centered learning opportunities has revealed that there are several underlying factors related to effective educational technology integration. Those factors which are considered to be most influential are (a) time, …

Opportunities Preschool Teachers Use To Offer High Quality Instruction: Investigating Experiences Of Professional Development, Hannah B. Mudrick

Master's Theses

This study identified the professional development opportunities Connecticut pre-kindergarten teachers found helpful for improving their teaching and how this information was related to their personal characteristics and their level of high quality instruction and supports for early literacy. Participants were 16 female teachers from eight different centers across central and eastern Connecticut. High quality instruction and supports for early literacy were assessed observationally, and teachers’ ideas about professional development and their personal characteristics were assessed through semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that although teachers did mention multiple different professional development opportunities, discussion was overwhelmingly identified as the most helpful opportunity. …

An Analysis Of Barriers To And Strategies For Improving Parent Engagement, Candice Renee Shakur

Master's Theses

Research shows that parent engagement can be a useful tool for improving student achievement. But, in many low-income urban schools, encouraging schools and parents to invest in parent engagement is a struggle. This paper explores some of the barriers that exist in low-income urban communities that work to limit parent engagement; it also identifies some of the strategies available to increase the frequency and quality of parent engagement in low-income urban communities.

Policy-Borrowing And Globalization Challenging French Universities In The 21st Century, Charlotte Stroumza

Master's Theses

French universities are currently undergoing an overhaul and, in my thesis, I analyze the 2007 Loi relative aux Libertés et Responsabilités des Universités (LRU), or law that makes universities autonomous, as a policy borrowed from the United States. This thesis attempted to analyze the process of policy borrowing using Phillips and Ochs' method. It also considered the role that the Bologna Process and globalization may have played in the creation of the LRU. The conclusion is that the LRU is the result of three phenomena: policy-borrowing from the United States; pressures from international and regional agencies; the individual understanding of …

Socially Including A 'Resistant People': Intercultural Education And The Roma In Italy, Mary Cristine Mcsweeney

Master's Theses

As "the situation of the Roma" in Europe has grown increasingly concerning, the European Union (EU) has urged Member States to promote the social inclusion of this diverse population. While the EU has challenged Member States to implement intercultural education, Italy has claimed its own "via Italiana" (or "Italian way") as to how it is going about this process. In an attempt to better understand intercultural education and the role of education in social inclusion projects, this paper aims to address the following questions: What are some of the implications of the intercultural educational initiative currently underway in Italy with …

One Sex, One School, Who Wins: How Single-Sex Learning Environments Impact Educational Attainment, Socio-Emotional Health, And Ambitions, Bradley Kirshenbaum

Master's Theses

Research on single-sex schools has covered a variety of matters regarding the effectiveness of their programs. This paper examines research on single-sex schools over the past 30 years in an effort to harmonize the past discourse with present trends. Journal articles and government research were used to synthesize the variety of methods used to ascertain whether single-sex schools have a positive influence on boys, girls, or both parties. Research trends have overwhelmingly supported all-girls schools, while remaining skeptical of any positive influence on boys. Much of the research supporting all-girls schools also suggests that single-sex schools' benefits are applicable to …

Cristo Rey And Christ The King Jesuit High School: Two Schools, Two Demographics, Two Realities: One Model, Alfredo Astorga-Velasquez

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze two Catholic high schools that follow the same innovative private urban model called the Cristo Rey Model. In this model the students work one day per week in entry-level jobs in Chicago area firms and through this work-study program students earn money in order to pay a portion of their tuition. Both high schools are in Chicago, are run by Jesuits, and serve youths from low-income families. The model and goals are the same even though the schools serve different demographic groups and communities: one Latino and the other African American. The …

Muppets Abroad: Globalization Of Multiculturalism And The International Co-Productions Of Sesame Street, Julianna Carlson Palm

Master's Theses

In recent years globalization has been cited as the cause or force changing our world, making it more interdependent and "smaller" through new means of technology and communication. As such a force, globalization is seen as pervasive in all aspects of contemporary life. Sesame Street has been used as an educational tool in the United States since 1969 and since that time, the producers of the program have created a presence in various countries throughout the world, using the technology of television to communicate with preschool audiences. In particular in the last decade, new productions have begun and been funded …

The Reasons Why: Student Assignment Policies And Social Mobility In Wake County, North Carolina, Alicia Garcia

Master's Theses

The Wake County Public School System (Wake County) in Wake County, North Carolina has approached the student assignment process in different ways over the years. In 2000, Wake County instituted a policy designed to integrate schools based on socioeconomic status. In 2010, Wake County returned to assigning students to neighborhood schools. After a negative reaction to the 2010 policy, Wake County implemented a controlled choice student assignment policy for the 2012-2013 school year.

This thesis examines the three student assignment policies used by the Wake County Public School System over the last twelve years to answer the questions: Are any …

A Race To Educate: A Look At The Aims Of The Student Life Programming At Hampton University, From 1930-1940, And Its Intended Effects On The Black American Cultural Identity, Akela Louise Stanfield

Master's Theses

In 2010 President Barack Obama announced a 98 million dollar federal funding increase in the proposed 2011 national budget for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). With such an amount of money earmarked for the HBCU, questions arise about the importance of the HBCU in a seemingly integrated 21st century American college and education system. One approach to answering the questions is to look at the aims and outcomes of HBCUs during the 20th century, a time period when most were producing college graduates and compare them to the current aims and outcomes of the HBCUs, to determine the rate …

Deconstructing Demand For Women And Girls' Education, Linda Lu

Master's Theses

There is an increasing focus on the recognition of women and girls' education as a universal right. Many feminist scholars have questioned this rights-based approach to gender education and evaluated the challenges and solutions based on the international policy discourse. What is notably absent from this scholarship is a comprehensive look at how women and girls' demand for education is constructed though such universal declarations.

This thesis uses a postcolonial feminist framework to analyze how women and girls' demand for education is constructed through international gender education policy. Ultimately, through an analysis of policy and an assessment of the feminist …

Service Learning In The International Context: How Can It Be Beneficial When Studying Abroad?, Marquita Anna-Belle Butler

Master's Theses

This study focuses on service learning in the international context and the benefits it has on higher education study abroad programs. Study abroad participation at the collegiate level is continuing to rise every year and some programs even require it. Implementing a service learning component into a study abroad program is an increasing trend. For these reasons it was important to conduct this study. The study was based on a program based out of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Three cohorts went abroad and had a service learning component. Students went abroad in 2008 and 2010. Interviews about their …