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Theses/Dissertations

2014

University of South Carolina

Articles 1 - 30 of 51

Full-Text Articles in Education

Determining The Change Styles Preferences Of Principals In South Carolina's Secondary Schools With A Background In The Fine Arts, Sterling Bernard Harris Dec 2014

Determining The Change Styles Preferences Of Principals In South Carolina's Secondary Schools With A Background In The Fine Arts, Sterling Bernard Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Very little research has been published regarding the change style preferences and leadership styles of secondary principals in South Carolina who have a common background. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the preferred change style preference of principals in South Carolina that have an arts background and the change style preferences of principals without an arts background. This study would also determine if these styles were the same or different. Quantitative data were gathered from online administration of the Change Style Indicator (CSI), the South Carolina Department of Education, and the South Carolina Association of School …

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Beliefs, Practices, And Preservice Teachers: A Case Study, Janie Riddle Goodman Dec 2014

Beliefs, Practices, And Preservice Teachers: A Case Study, Janie Riddle Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Existing in the chronology of content area literacy instruction is a convincing body of research that supports the role of strategic learning in students’ literacy development. However, much of what is known about teaching reading comprehension strategies is not part of the instruction found in many secondary classrooms. Even though studies have shown how students benefit from using comprehension strategies, the instructional necessities for teaching those strategies are not part of many secondary teachers’ practices. Additionally, the historical focus on literacy practices and strategies is shifting towards attention on the critical role of the disciplines in secondary literacy and the …

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Which Student Characteristics Correlate With Discipline Referrals? A Case Study Of A Diverse, High-Poverty Rural School District In The South, Jeannie Baltimore Monson Dec 2014

Which Student Characteristics Correlate With Discipline Referrals? A Case Study Of A Diverse, High-Poverty Rural School District In The South, Jeannie Baltimore Monson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of discipline referrals in a diverse, high-poverty rural school district. The framework is based upon the Diamond (2004) study which, like this research, was built on the notion that socioeconomic inequality is a major factor for disproportionality in student discipline. This study identified the assets and deficits of the sample population and analyzed them in relationship to the referrals accrued. This study was conducted in a small, rural, southern school district. Of the population, approximately 78% are on free and reduced lunch and is made up of Caucasian students, 53%, …

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Exploration Of Implicit Bias On Multidisciplinary Team Members When Referring African American Students For Special Education Services, Twana Romona Fletcher Dec 2014

Exploration Of Implicit Bias On Multidisciplinary Team Members When Referring African American Students For Special Education Services, Twana Romona Fletcher

Theses and Dissertations

The disproportionality or overrepresentation of African American students in special education is a longstanding problem that continues to be prevalent today. There are numerous reasons why this phenomenon continues to persist including but not limited to implicit bias among multidisciplinary team members (MDT). One function of the MDT is to decide if a student needs to be referred for special education services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the decision making processes of the MDT members to determine if implicit bias impacted their decision to refer an African American student for special education services. This qualitative study …

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Relationships Between Prior Experiences, Current Teaching Contexts, And Novice Teachers' Use Of Concrete Representation For Mathematics Instruction, Elizabeth Lee Johnson Dec 2014

Relationships Between Prior Experiences, Current Teaching Contexts, And Novice Teachers' Use Of Concrete Representation For Mathematics Instruction, Elizabeth Lee Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This case study documents the perceived influences on three novice elementary teachers’ use of concrete representations for teaching mathematics. In order to develop mathematical proficiency, students need access to a variety of representations (i.e. pictures, words, symbols, concrete materials, and real world contexts) to make sense of mathematical ideas. Three sources of data were collected: video-recorded lessons, interviews, and a focus group. Analyses indicated that although concrete representations were accessible to all three teachers, they were least used among the available representations. Verbal expression was most prominent, followed closely by abstract written symbols. Technology, which was not one of the …

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A Phenomenological Study Of Student Engagement In United States History Classrooms, Emily Louvette Manigault Dec 2014

A Phenomenological Study Of Student Engagement In United States History Classrooms, Emily Louvette Manigault

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the relationship between student engagement and the perception of academic achievement (learning) by teachers and students in an urban high school social studies course. Over the past several years, educational leaders and researchers have tried to find a cause for a number of issues in public education, including low academic achievement, increasing student drop-out rates and the decline of positive perceptions of schools in general. As a result, there has been increasing research done on the level of engagement that students experience during their schooling. Much of the research has focused …

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Bibimbap: Identity Construction In Korean Third Culture Kids During Higher Education, Megan I. Beard Dec 2014

Bibimbap: Identity Construction In Korean Third Culture Kids During Higher Education, Megan I. Beard

Theses and Dissertations

Amidst increasing interconnectedness and transmigration of the 21st century, a number of families are leaving South Korea for business, work, or education; their children are raised as Third Culture Kids (TCKs)—children who accompany their parents abroad. This study used the lens of cultural globalization to examine how Korean TCKs used their life experiences to inform their identity construction, especially during higher education. Participants were Korean students and recent alumni from universities in Korea, the United States, and abroad who had spent at least three childhood years living outside Korea with their families. Data were collected through a series of unstructured …

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Differentiating Self-Reported Imagery Abilities With Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Brian D. Seiler Dec 2014

Differentiating Self-Reported Imagery Abilities With Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Brian D. Seiler

Theses and Dissertations

Motor imagery (MI), a top-down knowledge-driven process involving the deliberate cognitive simulation or rehearsal of an action without engaging in overt physical movements, shares the same neural networks as movement execution improving motor learning and enhancing performance of motor tasks. The capacity to form images is not universal, and is a variable, moderating factor of neural activity impacting intervention effectiveness and distinguishing between individual imagery abilities. Measuring imagery abilities through self-report measures (i.e., MIQ-3 and VMIQ-2) is common, but the importance of behavioral and neuroimaging techniques have also been highlighted. Despite the robustness of these questionnaires, few studies have investigated …

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A Legal Analysis Of Court Cases And Administrative Investigations Related To Violations Of The Clery Act: Getting Good From The Bad And The Ugly, Tiffany Nichole Richardson Dec 2014

A Legal Analysis Of Court Cases And Administrative Investigations Related To Violations Of The Clery Act: Getting Good From The Bad And The Ugly, Tiffany Nichole Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

College brochures paint pictures of beautiful campuses, diverse student populations, renowned professors, and the best educational programs. What colleges never include in those brochures are the ugly crime statistics. In 2012, higher education institutions reported 41,708 liquor arrests, 20,486 burglaries, 4,837 forcible sex offenses, 951 hate crimes, and 31 murders. The reporting requirement, along with other regulations, has been required of institutions of higher education since 1990 under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, yet so many colleges and universities are facing lawsuits, investigations, settlements, and fines for failing to comply. This legal …

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Principal Longevity, Leadership Behaviors, And Student Academic Achievement, Jennifer Mcleod Swearingen Dec 2014

Principal Longevity, Leadership Behaviors, And Student Academic Achievement, Jennifer Mcleod Swearingen

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing Pearson’s correlation and other forms of data analysis, the researcher explored relationships between principal longevity, leadership behaviors, and student academic achievement in this study. Additionally, the study considered the degree to which leadership behavior ratings seem to be associated with student academic achievement. The researcher found positive correlations among all three variables, with the strongest correlation being between principal longevity and student academic achievement. The only correlation that was found to be statistically significant was between principal longevity and student academic achievement. The researcher was also able to identify the highest and lowest rated leadership behaviors for principals with …

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The African American Male Achievement Dilemma Through The Eyes Of The African American Male Superintendent, J.R. Falor Green Dec 2014

The African American Male Achievement Dilemma Through The Eyes Of The African American Male Superintendent, J.R. Falor Green

Theses and Dissertations

This research study explores the perspective of African American male superintendents on the African American male achievement dilemma. How do African American male superintendents theorize and respond to the underachievement of African American male students? Do their experiences give them greater insight, and how has this potential insight contributed to the implementation of initiatives that have improved the performance of this subgroup? Three major theoretical perspectives were explored during my review of the literature. Critical Race, Social Reproduction, and Oppositional Culture Theory encompassed the most consistent themes during my research, and helped to situate the study within the broader education …

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Toward A Theory Of Safe Passage: Agentic Practices Of Women Writers Who Teach, Lillian Gordon Reeves Dec 2014

Toward A Theory Of Safe Passage: Agentic Practices Of Women Writers Who Teach, Lillian Gordon Reeves

Theses and Dissertations

Past studies show that narrative is an effective tool for guiding teachers to develop teacher identity, to recognize their practical knowledge, and to engage in teacher transformation, especially during initial teacher training and the early years of their career. Consequently, other researchers have identified how narrative studies inform what we know about teachers’ identities, their practical knowledge, and their transformations during initial training and early career teaching. However, we do not know how narrative functions in the experiences of teachers beyond initial teacher training and early career teaching. This study intends to fill this gap in the research. In this …

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Who Let The Elephant In The Room? Analyzing Race And Racism Through A Critical Family Literacy Book Club, Lamar L. Johnson Dec 2014

Who Let The Elephant In The Room? Analyzing Race And Racism Through A Critical Family Literacy Book Club, Lamar L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to interpret, investigate, and analyze how race, racism, and power are embedded and intertwined not only in society but also in the education system and in homes and communities. Specifically, through parent and student engagement during a series of book club meetings, I investigated how parents’ racial identities impacted how they created critical dialogue pertaining to issues of race, racism, and power with their children. Guided by critical race pedagogy, critical race theory (CRT) and CRT methodology, this study used race as a critical analytic lens to examine the lives and work of people …

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Culturally Relevant Teaching: A Case Study On Teaching Statistics In The High School Setting, Lashaune Natae Smith Dec 2014

Culturally Relevant Teaching: A Case Study On Teaching Statistics In The High School Setting, Lashaune Natae Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Public school enrollment is increasing for African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native students. However, minority and immigrant children tend to perform lower academically than White, middle-class students. Hence, there is a growing need to reform pedagogical practices for underachieving student populations to have improved chances for school success. Culturally relevant teaching is an effective approach to addressing the social and academic needs of minority students. The purpose of this study was to examine culturally relevant teaching in high school statistics classrooms of predominantly African American students. Using a qualitative case study research design, this study examined two …

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The Role Of The Learning Community In The Professional Development Of Literacy Teachers, Abbey Spoonmore Duggins Dec 2014

The Role Of The Learning Community In The Professional Development Of Literacy Teachers, Abbey Spoonmore Duggins

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored a learning community in action. The purpose of this study was to investigate the professional conversations that teachers in a learning community had and the impact of those conversations on the practices and beliefs of the individual teachers in the community. Specifically, the study sought to discover how and why facets of professional learning transferred (or did not transfer) into classroom practice. The researcher spent five months with a learning community comprised of six middle school literacy teachers and attended their learning community meetings, visited their classrooms, and videotaped them teaching. Each classroom visit was …

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How School Leadership Develops Parental Involvement Strategies With Social Capital In Four South Carolina Middle Schools, Anthony Neil Boatwright Dec 2014

How School Leadership Develops Parental Involvement Strategies With Social Capital In Four South Carolina Middle Schools, Anthony Neil Boatwright

Theses and Dissertations

Passed in 2001, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate requires schools to have a comprehensive plan for addressing parental involvement. Identifying successful practices to increase social capital and academic achievement in lower socio-economic schools appears to be the area that is having the most impact. Principals can contribute to higher success rates by generating productive partnerships between the school and parents/guardians. The purpose of this study is to describe the parental involvement strategies that four successful South Carolina (SC) middle school principals used and to identify successful practices being implemented to increase social capital and academic achievement. The researcher …

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Leadership Perspectives On International Education For Public School Students In South Carolina: Two Case Studies, Frederick Eugene Brown Dec 2014

Leadership Perspectives On International Education For Public School Students In South Carolina: Two Case Studies, Frederick Eugene Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how two rural public school districts in South Carolina conceptualize and implement an international education, according to the perspectives of administrators and teachers. This comparative case study of two public school districts spans the districts’ elementary, middle, high and career center schools and seeks to understand how the presence of a major multinational corporation influences school internationalization. The data on their perspectives on internationalization were drawn from interviews. I interviewed the school principal and teachers involved in internationalizing the curriculum, policy and practice in each of the ten schools. In addition to school level personnel, I interviewed …

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Virtual High Schools Versus Brick And Mortar High Schools: An Analysis Of Graduation Rates For Low Socio-Economic Students In South Carolina, Alice Denise Montgomery Dec 2014

Virtual High Schools Versus Brick And Mortar High Schools: An Analysis Of Graduation Rates For Low Socio-Economic Students In South Carolina, Alice Denise Montgomery

Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001 was designed to ensure that all students are receiving an appropriate education. All states were mandated to implement state-wide assessments to monitor student achievement. With the identification of student needs that came from the results of state-wide assessments, leaders at both the state and district levels began to develop programs to address these needs. The virtual high school is one of the alternative settings for education that came out of this movement. Full-time virtual high schools have a growing enrollment every year. However, the progress these schools are making in the …

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Intensive Dual Enrollment: Early Credits Or Empty Promises, Brian J. Modarelli Dec 2014

Intensive Dual Enrollment: Early Credits Or Empty Promises, Brian J. Modarelli

Theses and Dissertations

American high school students are afforded a wide array of opportunities to earn college credits. Industrious secondary students are enrolling in early credit options in steadily growing numbers, and are expecting the benefit of entering the university of their choice with several college credits already completed. However, an unmistakable lack of standardization and predictability exists regarding the transferability of college credits earned by secondary students. The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between the selectivity level of a university and that university’s willingness to accept either an associate degree or the transfer credits from an early credit …

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Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Study Abroad To Teaching Internship, Melanie G. Keel Dec 2014

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Study Abroad To Teaching Internship, Melanie G. Keel

Theses and Dissertations

Culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995a; Gay, 2010) and culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, 2012; Paris & Alim, 2014; Ladson-Billings, 2014) are urgent needs in classrooms because of the diverse student population teachers serve. This research is grounded in critical race theory (CRT) (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001; Bell 1995) and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) (Gay, 2010; Gay & Howard, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995a & 1995b) as lenses to interrogate a White pre-service teacher’s internship in the United States and a study abroad (Cushner, 2007; Keengwe, 2010; Malewski, Sharma, & Phillion, 2012) experience in Ecuador. During a 25 day study abroad that included daily …

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Pioneering Women Of Southern Education: A Comparative Study Of Northern And Southern School Founders, Sharon Ferguson Beasley Aug 2014

Pioneering Women Of Southern Education: A Comparative Study Of Northern And Southern School Founders, Sharon Ferguson Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined school founding practices of Northern and Southern women educators who initiated primary schools for blacks during the Civil War, reconstruction, and progressive eras. Case study and historical methodologies contrasted two Northern white and two Southern black school founders in the areas of backgrounds, religious affiliations, educational philosophies, political astuteness, and resourcefulness. This study relied on in-depth reviews, content analyses, and cluster analyses of archives, biographies, personal diaries, newspapers, newsletters, and secondary literature to answer the research questions. Strikingly, Rachel Crane Mather and Mary McLeod Bethune’s missionary zeal emerged from their evangelical duty of converting lives to the …

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The Ugliest Part Of The Job: Faculty Perceptions On Addressing Graduate Student Academic Misconduct, Kelly Ann Imbert Eifert Aug 2014

The Ugliest Part Of The Job: Faculty Perceptions On Addressing Graduate Student Academic Misconduct, Kelly Ann Imbert Eifert

Theses and Dissertations

Faculty can play a significant role in setting the academic standards of a university, and certainly for graduate programs. Addressing academic misconduct is one of many ways to set those standards at a university. Faculty perceptions of graduate student academic misconduct impact how they address it when it occurs. To understand those perceptions, a qualitative study through a semi-structured interview protocol with a supplemental document analysis was conducted. Business faculty who teach at the graduate level were selected to interview based upon research into academic misconduct by business majors. These faculty were recruited from three different institutions that are similar …

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Transforming The Culture Of The Stem Disciplines: A Multiple Case Study Of Successful Strategies For Inclusive Excellence, Telesia Evon Davis Aug 2014

Transforming The Culture Of The Stem Disciplines: A Multiple Case Study Of Successful Strategies For Inclusive Excellence, Telesia Evon Davis

Theses and Dissertations

In spite of the myriad initiatives promoting diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines at colleges and universities across the country and the increased funding for these types of initiatives, colleges and universities have experienced modest gains and, in some cases, slight declines in the graduation rates of women and underrepresented minorities (URMs). In addressing this issue, some institutions rely on traditional or “deficit” approaches that place primary responsibility on students for their success in the STEM fields. A growing number of institutions, however, embrace the concept of inclusive excellence, which is an assumption that underrepresented …

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The Efficacy Of Dual Enrollment Programs Influencing The Post-Secondary Motivations And Commitments Of Rural Secondary School Students, Patricia A. Ferguson Aug 2014

The Efficacy Of Dual Enrollment Programs Influencing The Post-Secondary Motivations And Commitments Of Rural Secondary School Students, Patricia A. Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

Rural secondary school students are often characterized as possessing fewer of the assets necessary for college enrollment, such as role models, moderate to high income, advanced high school coursework and exposure to high skill occupations (Gibbs, 2000). However, the students may participate in secondary and post-secondary initiatives, known as dual enrollment programs, which allow secondary school students to take college courses while enrolled in high school (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010). Though the programs provide advanced coursework, current dual enrollment research presents conflicting information about the initiative’s impact on the post-secondary success of its participants (Bailey, Hughes & Karp, 2002; …

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An Evaluation Of A Mediational Model Of Adolescent Global Life Satisfaction, Michael D. Lyons Aug 2014

An Evaluation Of A Mediational Model Of Adolescent Global Life Satisfaction, Michael D. Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

This study extended previous research by simultaneously examining determinants and presumed psychosocial mechanisms related to the development of individual differences in adolescent life satisfaction, based on Evans‟ (1994) proposed model. Specifically, this study assessed the relations between personality (extraversion, neuroticism) and environmental experiences (stressful life events) on early adolescents‟ global life satisfaction as mediated by approach and avoidance coping behaviors using a sample of 529 students from one middle school in the south eastern United States. The results of this study found partial evidence to support Evans‟ model. Statistically significant relations were found for a number of individual pathways between …

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An Examination Of Relationship Factors Contributing To Student Persistence In Ing Run For Something Better, Brice Leon Sampson Cockfield Aug 2014

An Examination Of Relationship Factors Contributing To Student Persistence In Ing Run For Something Better, Brice Leon Sampson Cockfield

Theses and Dissertations

There is sufficient empirical evidence that children are more unfit now than ever before in the history of the United States. Defeating childhood obesity is a critical agenda issue for the First Lady Michelle Obama as the medical community and the United States at large continually cite research that obesity, poor nutrition, and low physical activity may affect children’s cognitive and physical outcomes. Much of the research in this area is quantifiable and measurable through body mass index, the number of repetitions of certain exercises, and physical stamina. As schools search for solutions to address this epidemic, school nutrition and …

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A Descriptive Study Of Prek-3 Alignment In South Carolina: Implications For Primary School Education, Kimberly W. Mcabee Aug 2014

A Descriptive Study Of Prek-3 Alignment In South Carolina: Implications For Primary School Education, Kimberly W. Mcabee

Theses and Dissertations

PreK-3 alignment is a continuum of experiences that begins in preschool when a child is three-years-old and extends through third grade. Many early childhood educators, researchers, and policy makers believe the implementation of PreK-3 alignment has the potential to make a significant difference in schools across America. It is considered by some experts to be the most promising solution to the problems facing education today. This study was designed to determine the levels of implementation of PreK-3 alignment in South Carolina’s primary schools, which practices impact student achievement, and the levels of student achievement in these schools. Primary schools were …

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Description Of The Practice Histories And Knowledge Structures Of High School Baseball Players, Benjamin Joseph Wellborn Aug 2014

Description Of The Practice Histories And Knowledge Structures Of High School Baseball Players, Benjamin Joseph Wellborn

Theses and Dissertations

Early specialization (Ericsson, et al., 1993) and early diversification (Cote, 1999) are two highly debated approaches to the development of elite sport performance. More research is needed to determine the types of practice that aid in the development of elite sport performance. Further, studies describing the practice and competition histories of high school baseball players are needed to determine the role of early specialization and non-specialization in the development of baseball players between the ages of 14 and 18. Two studies were conducted. The purpose of the first study was to determine whether predictions from early specialization (deliberate practice, Ericsson, …

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Impact Of An Educational Gymnastics Course On The Motor Skills And Health-Related Fitness Components Of Physical Education Teacher Education Students, Liana Webster Aug 2014

Impact Of An Educational Gymnastics Course On The Motor Skills And Health-Related Fitness Components Of Physical Education Teacher Education Students, Liana Webster

Theses and Dissertations

Standard 2 of the National Initial Physical Education Teacher Education Standards indicates physical education teacher candidates are physically educated individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to demonstrate competent movement performance and health enhancing fitness (NASPE, 2008). Many PETE programs seek to develop candidates’ content knowledge through various physical activity courses. However, limited empirical evidence exists that links activity courses to the development of content knowledge in the form of motor skill proficiency or fitness outcomes. This study examined the impact of an educational gymnastics course on PETE students’ motor skill proficiency and health-related fitness. A mixed method, pre-post no …

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Exploring The Validity Of Established Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Stage Models Of Sexual Identity Development: A Grounded Theory Study Of Women And Ethnic Minority Men., Omar Ali Shabaaz Troutman Aug 2014

Exploring The Validity Of Established Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Stage Models Of Sexual Identity Development: A Grounded Theory Study Of Women And Ethnic Minority Men., Omar Ali Shabaaz Troutman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a foundational understanding of how women and ethnic minority men come to espouse a lesbian, gay, or bisexual identity in an effort to develop a coherent theory. While stage models of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identity currently exist, their validity with the female and ethnic minority male populations was called into question. A grounded theory approach was used with participants from the southeastern United States who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Three main patterns emerged: Recognition and Progression of Identity Endorsement; Barriers to Identity Endorsement; and Rejection of Categorical Labels. …

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