Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Academic Momism: Perceptions Of Female College Faculty’S Role Expectations In High-Stakes Stem Courses, Donna Cempa-Danziger

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study looked at how female faculty in higher education who teach high-stakes courses may experience a role of academic momism (AM) and how they negotiate their roles and responses within a patriarchal system. Gender bias and prescriptive stereotyping of women as communal may lead female STEM instructors to be perceived more as “academic mothers” (Bernard, 1964) rather than respected academicians. Within higher education institutions, students often perceive their female professors as more concerned about their emotional well-being, nurturing, service oriented, and less academic when compared to male faculty members. The demanding nature of high-stakes courses in STEM-oriented …

Cultural Competence And Motivation To Control Prejudiced Reactions Of Criminal Justice Students: A Survey Methods Approach, Carole Marguerite Byrd

Theses & Dissertations

Implicit bias and discrimination in the police department can lead to devastating effects for people of color in racially diverse urban and suburban areas. However, there is very little research on the racial attitudes and assumptions that aspiring police recruits and other criminal justice professionals have about people of color who reside in inner cities and diverse communities. This study focused on assessing cultural awareness and motivation to control prejudiced reactions in a self-selected group of criminal justice undergraduate college students to see what bias they may have prior to entering the police department. Students completed a survey that included …

“Who We Are On Paper”: Celebrating Writing Identity And Diversity With High School Seniors In A Dialogic Ela Classroom, Karen Larson Buechner

Theses & Dissertations

Grounded in theory that views language and writing as inextricable from the social event within which it occurs, the purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore how the dialogue produced within the context of a detracked English Language Arts (ELA) classroom contributed to students’ perceptions of their writing identity. The class consisted of a racially, socioeconomically, and academically diverse group of 12th-grade students enrolled in a suburban, public high school. Findings illustrated that writing identity was enacted through multiple iterations of literacy processes embedded in a curriculum that was culturally responsive and implemented through dialogic methods. The analysis of …

A Meaningful Paradox Of Color-Blind Racism And Racial Literacy: Understanding The Phenomena Of White Women Teachers Educating Students Of Color, Alaisa Rigoni Grudzinski

Theses & Dissertations

Recognizing school resegregation and the demographic imperative as systemic problems impacting the educational outcomes of students of Color, this study examined the role of White women teachers’ racial views within the sociocultural context of teaching and learning. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore how 15 high school teachers described their lived experiences as educators of Latinx, Black, and Asian students in a racially diverse, public high school on Long Island, New York. This qualitative study was conceptualized through combining the theoretical lens of critical whiteness studies and critical pedagogy utilizing a qualitative phenomenological methodology for data collection, with …

Toward An Understanding Of Student Agency Within Institutional Dis/Ableism: A Critical Phenomenological Study, Shalinie Sarju

Theses & Dissertations

Students classified with dis/abilities and situated in segregated special classes learn in a system of compulsory able-bodiedness. Peripheralized school high students in special classes experience marginalization and oppression leading to poor academic and postschool outcomes. This critical phenomenological study sought to investigate the lived agentic experiences of high school students classified with dis/abilities and placed in a special class for educational instruction during distance learning and in-person school. To gain deeper insight into students as actors in their learning environment, it was necessary to examine the forms of capital that students harnessed toward their agency. Five high school students in …

Positioning Co-Teachers In An Integrated English As A New Language Class: Making Sense Of Teaching Roles, Kelley E. Cordeiro

Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how co-teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and General Education (GE) perceived their roles, agency, and professional positioning within co-taught elementary integrated English as a New Language (ENL) classes. Theories of positioning and educational change guided this study, exploring teachers’ perceptions of parity and observations of their discourse and interactions within the context of school and district cultures and policies. ESOL and GE co-teachers who implemented the collaborative cycle of instruction with fidelity experienced parity in their partnerships. These teachers utilized their distinct areas of expertise and had a common understanding of each teacher’s …

A Narrative Inquiry: What Does It Mean To Be A Black Male Teacher?, Nathaniel Marner

Theses & Dissertations

Nationwide, only 2% of K-12 teachers in the United States are Black males. As student demographics are shifting, more Black male teachers are needed in urban schools as well as in suburban settings (where this research took place). Research has shown that when Black students see examples of same-race teacher role models in schools, it increases student outcomes and influences future aspirations. Therefore, my narrative research study examined the stories of Black male educators in suburban elementary and middle schools with mostly students of color. Stemming from my own story of why I became a teacher, my motivation for this …

Co-Creating A Culture Of Belonging Through The Relational Co-Teaching Framework: A Critical, Transformative Auto|Ethnography, Elizabeth L. Stein

Theses & Dissertations

This critical, transformative auto|ethnography highlights power relations and culture as it documents my four-month collaborative journey with co-teachers and their students in their fifthgrade suburban school in Northeastern New York. This study describes how Ms. K., a general educator, and Ms. D, a special educator, negotiated power and reimagined a culture of belonging through the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The co-teachers’ interactions were analyzed on macro, meso, and micro levels with data sources, including transcripts from cogenerative dialogues and semi-structured interviews, written reflections through student journaling, researcher’s journal, and other artifacts. A theoretical bricolage guided my …

Global Citizens In The 21st-Century Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Motivational Aspects Of Global Awareness, Robert James Windorf

Theses & Dissertations

The present global setting is increasingly driven by the interdependence of heightened environmental, political, socio-economic, and technological forces. As a result, today’s students need a variety of skills to succeed on both professional and personal levels. A wide and increasing array of scholars strongly advocates for students to achieve enhanced global awareness to become global citizens and to successfully navigate this challenging global environment. The growing importance of global awareness and understanding students’ motivational behaviors toward its attainment strongly inspired the purpose of this dissertation study. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was utilized for this dissertation study to examine how …

Enacting Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In Diverse Secondary Classrooms: Teachers’ Perceptions, Preparation, Current Practices, And Challenges, Mariola Krol

Theses & Dissertations

Due to an increasingly diverse student population in U.S. public schools, there has been a pertinent need for teachers to enact culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) when educating children from racially and linguistically diverse backgrounds. CSP is an asset-based approach that uses the cultural capital of communities of color to guide curriculum development, classroom climates, instructional strategies, and relationships with students. Although much is known about CSP, less work has explored how teachers enact CSP in diverse classrooms and how their background knowledge, lived experiences, pre-service preparation, and in-service professional learning may facilitate this process. Therefore, this case study examines the …

Towards An Understanding Of The Testing Opt-Out Movement: Why Parents Choose To Opt Out Or Opt In, Margaret Paladino

Theses & Dissertations

Long Island, New York has led the nation in parent opt-out rates. The Opt-Out Movement is a grassroots coalition of opposition to high-stakes tests that are used to sort students, evaluate teachers, and rank schools. Approximately 50% of students in grades three to eight opted out of the English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics tests in 2019 (“Projects: ELA and Math Opt-Outs 2016-2019,” 2019). Quantitative research has shown a racial disparity between parents who opted out and opted in with White, middle-class parents participating in the opt-out movement at greater rates than Latinx, Black, and Asian parents (Au, 2017; Bennett, …

Religious Sister Educators: A Narrative Study Through A Feminist Lens, Lisa Peluso

Theses & Dissertations

Through the dedicated labor of women religious, the Catholic school system represents the largest private system both nationally and internationally (Arthur, 2005; United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, 2016). Once the backbone of American parochial schools, the presence of religious sister educators within Catholic schools has become an increasingly rare occurrence. Using a theoretical framework based on feminist theory and rooted in the concepts of oppression and identity, this dissertation study examines the personal, religious formation, and professional experiences of two retired religious sister educators who successfully devoted over four decades to the mission of Catholic education as they navigated …

Dialogic Teaching In A Detracked High School Ela Class: "We Talk Here", Signy Emler

Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation combines the two fields of dialogic teaching and detracking in a study of one teacher’s English Language Arts high school classroom. The policy of tracking students into separate academic classes perpetuates segregation and is antithetical to the principles of democracy. Dialogic teaching is where students and the teacher engage in inquiry and exploratory talk to co-construct knowledge, and all students are provided with frequent opportunities to express their voices. Grounded in theory that views language and identity as socially constructed and situated, this qualitative case study examined how students from different racial, socio-economic, political and cultural backgrounds worked …

College Student & Parenting: How Many Hours Does This Take?, Kristi Lynn Riggs

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Nontraditional students with children are a growing population within the college and university environment (Ross-Gordon, Jovita 2011). Many questions about the struggles these students endure to achieve a degree have yet to be discovered. The aim of this exploratory descriptive study is to examine the relationships between the average study times of nontraditional students with children, versus students without children who attend Pittsburg State University (PSU) in the Spring 2017 semester. Data for this study was collected through a survey instrument which was administered through Survey Monkey^tm. The instrument was delivered via the PSU Mr.Bulke email system to …

Emotional Regulation And Technology In Various Educational Environments, Aimee Boyle

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of technology in various educational environments. Specifically, it looked at the ways in which technology is integrated into special education classrooms, and how it impacts learning. Two self-contained special education high school classrooms were studied, using qualitative methods of data. These included field notes based on observations and a semi-structured interview. In addition, a review of the literature on this topic was conducted to better place the study within the context of wider work done in this area. The data from the two classrooms were analyzed using the constant comparative …

The Use Of Feedback In Group Counseling In A State Vocational Rehabilitation Setting: A Pilot Study, Saara Grizzell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thirty individuals with disabilities receiving services at a vocational rehabilitation state agency attended a ten week skills based group counseling program. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: feedback or the treatment-as-usual. Prior to each session, participants filled out the Outcome Questionnaire-45, a questionnaire that provides measures of four different aspects of counseling outcomes: level of symptom distress, problems with interpersonal relationships, social role performance, and mental health functioning. Reports were then generated showing each participant’s scores and progress over time. Group counselors and participants in the feedback condition received these weekly reports. At the end of the …

An Investigatory Study Of Relationships Among Selected Theoretical Components Of Letter-Writing Fluency, Pamela C. Reutzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research that shows the need for letter-writing fluency as a foundation for being able to attend to higher-level thinking skills in writing calls for more research as to what the components of letter-writing fluency actually are and how they are related to writing efficiency. To study the components of letter-writing fluency, four assessments were used to evaluate 49 kindergarten students’ letter writing abilities. These assessments were made in December of their kindergarten year. The first assessed subskill was letter-naming fluency (LNF), which has previously been shown to be predictive of reading ability. The other two subskills that were assessed focus …

Perception Of The School Experiences Of Five Generations Of Deaf Students, Charles Depew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate deaf participants’ perspectives of their educational experiences within the last 50 years. The study was comprised of five deaf participants educated in the public school setting, and four deaf participants educated in the residential setting. The qualitative study utilized three in-depth interviews, a survey, and the researcher’s reflections/notes. The findings suggest deaf students’ educational experiences are impacted by low academic expectations. Sign language can be a powerful learning tool or a barrier for deaf students as deaf students depend on sign language and visuals to support their learning. Both spoken and written …

Examining The Impact Of Different Virtual Manipulative Types On The Nature Of Students' Small-Group Discussions: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Case Study Of Techno-Mathematical Discourse, Katie L. Anderson-Pence

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the influence of different virtual manipulative types on the nature of students' techno-mathematical discourse (TMD) when working with a partner. The research used a concurrent mixed-methods design using identical samples to compare and synthesize the results. For this study, six fifth-grade students participated in nine sessions of mathematics instruction using virtual manipulatives. The study compared three virtual manipulative types: combined (multiple representations, open environment), pictorial (single visual representation, open environment), and tutorial (multiple representations, structured environment). Students' levels of discourse in generalization, justification, and collaboration were measured as well as students' use of physical and computer gestures …

A Qualitative Study Of Women High School Principals' Career Life Histories, Jan Bradshaw Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gender inequalities in the workplace continue to plague aspiring career-directed women. In public education, it is established that there are fewer women high school principals than there are men. In a profession predominantly employing women, the question remains, “Where are the women high school administrators”? This study examines the sociopolitical genders systems and psychological dynamics that perpetuate gender inequality. It then discusses the encumbered or constrained choices women make that are burdened or made more complicated by gendered sociopolitical or psychological dynamics. This study explored the unintentional career journeys of seven women high school principals and analyzed their career life …

The Non-Profit Education System In Cambodia: Case Study Of Two Programs, Sasha I. Zuflacht

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the strengths and weaknesses of two non-profit education systems in Cambodia using organizations focused on educating and supporting Cambodian youth. The study addresses the challenges that these different schools face and what they are doing to overcome these issues. Questionnaires were distributed and interviews and guided conversations were conducted at The Global Child and The Ponheary Ly Foundation; teachers, staff, volunteers and students participated. This study discusses how strategies and structure vary between these two different organizations and the impact they are having on education and youth in Cambodia. The information collected indicates that non-profit education programs …

Trait Differences In Gender In Technology Use And Study Habits Of Rural Community College Students, Phillip Marc Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore the trait differences by gender of the study habits and technology use patterns of rural community college students. Significant research and data presently exists at the university level specific to study habits and technology use, but little research had been conducted targeting those topics in a rural community college setting.

The following questions guided the research:

1. What were the study habits of rural community college students?

2. How did rural community college students use technology?

3. Were there significant differences, by gender, in the study habits of rural community college …

Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Students: Perceptions Of Success, Barbara B. Blozen

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Although there are a number of anecdotal reports on demographic characteristics and academic success of accelerated nursing students, few empirical studies have been undertaken to examine these students' success, despite this type of programs' existence for more than a decade, and only three studies have soughtto examine the perspective of the accelerated nursing student. Using Knowles' adult learning theory as a guiding framework, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, from the accelerated nursing students' perspective, the factors they reported as contributing to their success on the NCLEX-RN. This study also examined demographic characteristics of these accelerated students. …

Study Of The Success Of Taiwanese Expatriate Managers On Overseas Assignments: A Grounded Theory Approach, Hsiu Ching Ko

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore critical influences on expatriate performance during overseas assignments.

Multinational corporations (MNCs), in order to compete in today's global economy, need to have trained professionals who can succeed as expatriates. However, what demands do such professionals face? The purpose of the study was to explore critical influences on expatriate performance during overseas assignments. Thirteen former Taiwanese expatriate managers from 5 Taiwan-based MNCs participated in the study. Data were gathered from in-depth interviews about the participants' experiences during their overseas assignments. Through open, axial, and selective coding procedures associated with micro- and comparative analyses …

The Effects Of Use Of A Metacognitive Strategy On The Language Anxiety Of Missionaries At The Missionary Training Center, Laura Millet Bichon

Theses and Dissertations

Language anxiety is a form of anxiety that can negatively affect language learners by disrupting their cognitive processing, by rendering their learning experience unpleasant, and by reducing the quantity and quality of their language production. The language anxiety research contains many suggestions for anxiety reduction, one of these being the use of metacognitive language learning strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a self-monitoring, metacognitive strategy called ASWE on the language anxiety levels of young male and female missionaries in the intensive language learning program at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. The ASWE …

Study Skills For School Success, Terry Mills Tanneberg

All Graduate Projects

"Study Skills for School Success" is a project study focusing on the skills characterized by effective study. The specific nature of study skills and the influence of the home environment are also examined. A major product of this project study is a handbook entitled "Study Skills for School Success." Focusing on the parents of elementary children, the step-by-step handbook is designed to serve as a resource guide for the effective implementation of a home study skills program.

An Affective Strategy To Teach Self-Monitoring Study Skills To Secondary Severely Emotionally Disturbed (Sed) Students., William T. Roach Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This author developed and implemented a self-monitoring study strategy with an affective focus. It was designed to address eight target behaviors that interfered with classroom performance. Based on a questionnaire and inventory administered to 34 students and eight teachers the problems identified were directly associated with the process of independent study. The targeted problems were demonstrating impatience, setting goals, allowing distractions to delay, reviewing paper before turning in, rushing through an assignment, expecting assignment to be difficult, requesting assistance appropriately and relying too much on others. The strategy was eventually used with 13 severely emotionally disturbed students at the secondary …

Attitude And Opinion Profile Of The High School Vocational Student Versus The Academic Student, Bernard Austin Belstad

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a study of certain attitudes and opinions held by a selected group of High School students. The information thus gained has been used to determine how the students see themselves in their school, home and community environment. From this data, inferences are drawn concerning concepts that influence career or educational choices, The values of High School students are remarkably homogeneous, considering the variety of their backgrounds and their relatively unrestricted opportunities for freedom of thought and personal development, or lack of it.

A Follow-Up Study Of The Utah State University Business Education Graduates Receiving Bachelors Degrees, 1969-1976, Cynthia Olsen Krebs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The 1969 through 1976 graduating classes of the business education program at Utah State University were surveyed in this study. The questionnaire was designed to ascertain the work experience of the graduates, the educational status of the graduates, and the value the graduates place on the courses contained in the business education program according to the occupations of the graduates.

Graduates are employed in a large variety of occupations, and the majority of the graduates hold teaching certificates. The majority of the graduates have not completed advanced degrees, and are undecided as to whether or not they will continue their …

An Evaluation Of Central Washington University In Meeting The Objectives Of The Degree Program In Teacher Education, John Harold Dallum

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a descriptive study of the findings from a questionnaire designed to evaluate the achievements of Central Washington University in meeting the expressed objectives in the Undergraduate Catalog as a statement of responsibility. The study was accomplished by a survey limited to the Central graduates in teacher education. The essential direction of the study was to compare the stated and implied objectives applicable to the program in teacher education at Central Washington University. The achievement of stated goals was indicated by rating to the questionnaire by graduates of Central Washington University Department of Education.