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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Corpus-Based Approach To Determining Standard American English, Delys Ann Waite Snyder Dec 2007

A Corpus-Based Approach To Determining Standard American English, Delys Ann Waite Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

Many teachers, test designers, textbook writers, and instructional designers turn to books written by usage experts to determine what is correct standard written American English. Unfortunately, though, experts often disagree about what is correct and what is incorrect, and this disagreement can create problems with validity when people create and assess instruction about usage. One way to discover the rules of standard English usage is to describe what writers actually do in printed, edited English. Researchers can access large collections of standard English through digital text archives, which can be searched electronically. The text archives for this study were taken …


An Evaluation Of Compatibility, Effectiveness, Utility, And Implementation Of Plagiarism-Detection Software Operating In The Honor Code Environment At Brigham Young University, George Louis Joeckel Dec 2007

An Evaluation Of Compatibility, Effectiveness, Utility, And Implementation Of Plagiarism-Detection Software Operating In The Honor Code Environment At Brigham Young University, George Louis Joeckel

Theses and Dissertations

Turnitin plagiarism-detection software was operating as a pilot program conducted by the Center for Teaching and Learning in Winter 2007 on the Brigham Young University (BYU) campus. A sample of 6 instructors and 79 student users participated in this evaluation. The evaluation findings show that Turnitin is compatible with the academic honesty environment created by BYU's Honor Code. Turnitin has been effective at detecting intentional and inadvertent plagiarism at BYU. It has also addressed the problem of multiple submissions of the same material. Recommendations are made for promoting Turnitin at the campus and department level. Training tools are proposed for …


An Evaluation Of A Student Response System Used At Brigham Young University, Coral Marie Hanson Nov 2007

An Evaluation Of A Student Response System Used At Brigham Young University, Coral Marie Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is two fold: (a) to evaluate the technology (hardware and software) of the student response system (SRS) used at Brigham Young University (BYU) and (b) to evaluate which instructional methods being used with the SRS students' feel are most helpful. In the past, the student response systems supported by BYU have not fully met the needs of professors and problems with the systems have limited professors' uses of the SRS. Ten professors were randomly selected to participate in the evaluation using a stratified random sampling technique. The data collection methods consisted of classroom observations, interviews …


Development Of The Characteristics Of Science Questionnaire (Csq): Assessing Student Knowledge Of The Utah State Secondary Science Core Intended Learning Outcome 6 On The Nature Of Science, Bradford N. Talbert Sep 2007

Development Of The Characteristics Of Science Questionnaire (Csq): Assessing Student Knowledge Of The Utah State Secondary Science Core Intended Learning Outcome 6 On The Nature Of Science, Bradford N. Talbert

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching students about the nature of science is an important and necessary part of secondary science curricula. The Utah State Office of Education has provided specific guidelines called intended learning outcomes (ILOs) to teachers in the state. The ILOs are based on the national standards presented in the Project 2061 publications of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1990 and 1993. The ILOs are not tied to any one scientific discipline such as biology or chemistry, but are intended as global statements describing what scientists do and how scientific knowledge is gained. ILO 6 prescribes that students …


Differential Item Functioning Analysis Of The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, Jared Andrew Lees Sep 2007

Differential Item Functioning Analysis Of The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, Jared Andrew Lees

Theses and Dissertations

Differential item functioning (DIF) is present when examinees who have the same level of a trait have a different probability of correctly answering a test item intended to measure that trait (Shepard & Averill, 1981). The following study is a DIF analysis of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), a preference profiling instrument developed by Herrmann International to help individuals identify their dominant preferences and then classify their level of dominance into four preference quadrants. Examinees who completed the American English version of the instrument were classified as the reference group and examinees of the International English version were classified …


Testing The Assumption Of Sample Invariance Of Item Difficulty Parameters In The Rasch Rating Scale Model, Joseph A. Curtin Aug 2007

Testing The Assumption Of Sample Invariance Of Item Difficulty Parameters In The Rasch Rating Scale Model, Joseph A. Curtin

Theses and Dissertations

Rasch is a mathematical model that allows researchers to compare data that measure a unidimensional trait or ability (Bond & Fox, 2007). When data fit the Rasch model, it is mathematically proven that the item difficulty estimates are independent of the sample of respondents. The purpose of this study was to test the robustness of the Rasch model with regards to its ability to maintain invariant item difficulty estimates when real (data that does not perfectly fit the Rasch model), polytomous scored data is used. The data used in this study comes from a university alumni questionnaire that was collected …


Syntactic Attrition In L2 Mandarin Speakers, Shu Pei Wang Aug 2007

Syntactic Attrition In L2 Mandarin Speakers, Shu Pei Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how syntactic skill was maintained or lost by L2 Mandarin Chinese learners over time. In addition, this study endeavored to discover how a learner's L1 affects the attrition process of word order in Mandarin Chinese. To find out how certain Chinese syntactic structures were subject to attrition over time and how syntactic errors could be attributed to L1 transfer, five types of Chinese syntax that either resembled English, were very different from English, or had no counterpart in English were selected. They included subject-verb-object sentences, modifiers before modified, time and other adverbial …


Reliability Of Pre-Service Teachers Coding Of Teaching Videos Using Video-Annotation Tools, Brigham R. Dye Jul 2007

Reliability Of Pre-Service Teachers Coding Of Teaching Videos Using Video-Annotation Tools, Brigham R. Dye

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher education programs that aspire to helping pre-service teachers develop expertise must help students engage in deliberate practice along dimensions of teaching expertise. However, field teaching experiences often lack the quantity and quality of feedback that is needed to help students engage in meaningful teaching practice. The limited availability of supervising teachers makes it difficult to personally observe and evaluate each student teacher's field teaching performances. Furthermore, when a supervising teacher debriefs such an observation, the supervising teacher and student may struggle to communicate meaningfully about the teaching performance. This is because the student teacher and supervisor often have very …


Evidence Supporting The Validity Of Inferences Required By The Intended Uses Of The Technology Integration Confidence Scale, Jeremy Michael Browne Jul 2007

Evidence Supporting The Validity Of Inferences Required By The Intended Uses Of The Technology Integration Confidence Scale, Jeremy Michael Browne

Theses and Dissertations

Many teacher preparation programs provide opportunities for their preservice educators to gain the requisite technology integration skills and knowledge. However, they often ignore the dispositions that affect whether a teacher will actually use technology in the classroom. In an effort to address this oversight, the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University developed the Technology Integration Confidence Scale (TICS). It was hoped the TICS could be used to (a) establish a baseline preservice teacher profile, (b) monitor the effects of curricular adjustments, (c) identify preservice teachers in most need of intervention, and (d) predict in-practice behavior. Although a pilot …


The Young Women Resource Room: An Implementation Of A Dvd-Based Training Station Instructional Program, Scott R. Hamblin Jul 2007

The Young Women Resource Room: An Implementation Of A Dvd-Based Training Station Instructional Program, Scott R. Hamblin

Theses and Dissertations

A review of the development and implementation of a DVD-based kiosk for the Young Women (YW) organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Young Women desired to implement a public kiosk to display several multimedia-based presentations relating to the YW program. This paper describes the development, usability evaluation, and implementation of the kiosk. Recommendations for improvements and further enhancements are included. The project was successfully developed and implemented to the satisfaction of the Young Women General Presidency.


Patterns Of User Activity In The Blackboard Course Management System Across All Courses In The 2004-2005 Academic Year At Brigham Young University, Michael E. Griffiths Jun 2007

Patterns Of User Activity In The Blackboard Course Management System Across All Courses In The 2004-2005 Academic Year At Brigham Young University, Michael E. Griffiths

Theses and Dissertations

The following report discusses the use of the Blackboard Course Management in terms of overall patterns of activity as recorded in the Blackboard activity database across the whole campus of Brigham Young University during the 2004-2005 academic year. The report contains a set of data represented by tables and graphs that summarize activity, or clicks, in the Blackboard system performed by students, professors, and assistants. The clicks are summarized according to a number of different categories and criteria and analyzed to show interesting patterns of activity. The report is designed to show a general campus wide summary of Blackboard activity …


A Comparison Of Full-Day And Half-Day Preschool: Analyzing Behavioral And Social Development, Laura Miller May 2007

A Comparison Of Full-Day And Half-Day Preschool: Analyzing Behavioral And Social Development, Laura Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare full-day and half-day preschool programs by analyzing behavioral and social development of three-year-old and four-year-old children. Data was collected from 31 participants enrolled in a preschool in Wilmington, Delaware that offered both full-day and half-day programs. Measures of social cooperation, social interaction, social independence, externalizing behavior, and internalizing behavior were obtained from the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales- Second Edition. Between-subjects analysis of variance tests revealed that the children in the half-day program displayed higher social skills. In addition, one half-day classroom displayed more problem behaviors. Implications for future research on comparing …


A Study On The Impact Of Parental Structure On High School Students' Academic Performance, Erica Rell May 2007

A Study On The Impact Of Parental Structure On High School Students' Academic Performance, Erica Rell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the cumulative GPAs and highest combined SAT scores of students from varying backgrounds and parental structures. A total of 83 participants (36 males and 47 females) from a southern New Jersey Catholic high school were surveyed concerning their individual type of parental structure, their cumulative GPA, as well as their highest combined SAT score and individual SAT test scores. Results showed that the interaction between gender and type of parental structure did not have a significant impact on cumulative GPA, on SAT verbal scores, on SAT math scores, on …


The Relationship Of Locus Of Control, Assimilation/Acculturation And Academic Performance, Sandra Padró May 2007

The Relationship Of Locus Of Control, Assimilation/Acculturation And Academic Performance, Sandra Padró

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between locus of control, assimilation/acculturation and academic performance of a group of students in a Southern New Jersey, urban middle school. It was hypothesized that the more assimilation/acculturation of Hispanic students into the Anglo culture a more internal locus of beliefs will be demonstrated and a better academic performance. A total of 137 students participated in this study. Data was collected using a LOC survey and a SASH-Y survey. An Anova-One Way and a Two-Way Anova were used to determine the relationship of these variables. The results demonstrated a connection …


The Effectiveness Of School Uniforms On Students' Academic Achievement And Overall Classroom Behavior, Bobbi Jo Adams May 2007

The Effectiveness Of School Uniforms On Students' Academic Achievement And Overall Classroom Behavior, Bobbi Jo Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to see what effect school uniforms had on students' academics and behavior. Subjects were seventh and eighth grade students, from a school which recently implemented a uniform policy for the 2006-2007 school year. Their academic and discipline records were collected from the current and previous year. Students from the previous year, who were not required to wear uniforms, were placed in the control group (n=55). Students, who were now required to wear uniforms, were placed in the experimental group (n=55). A t-test for independent samples was run on the data. No significant difference …


The Relationship Between Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religiosity And Meaning In Life, Diane Woyciechowski May 2007

The Relationship Between Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religiosity And Meaning In Life, Diane Woyciechowski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following study was to determine whether there is a significant relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity and the presence of and search for meaning in one's life. Since religion has previously been found to play a role in one's physical and mental health, the present study offers additional evidence to religion's role in the mental health field. Three measures were used to collect the data for this study, including a demographic form, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Intrinsic/ Extrinsic Religiosity Revised Scale (I/E-R). Sixty-eight students were recruited for this study, 31 males and …


The Effects Of Being A Mentor On High School Students' Self-Efficacy And Communication Skills Development, Annemarie Wagner-Fehn May 2007

The Effects Of Being A Mentor On High School Students' Self-Efficacy And Communication Skills Development, Annemarie Wagner-Fehn

Theses and Dissertations

The outcome of mentoring programs on the child being mentored has been widely researched in recent years. However, little empirical research has been conducted to determine the effects that these relationships have on the person doing the mentoring. The purpose of this research was to investigate if becoming an adolescent mentor would (a) positively affect high school students' feelings of self-efficacy and (b) affect their communication skills development. Thirteen high school students from Big Brothers Big Sisters School Based Mentoring Program participated in this study. A t-test for paired samples revealed no significant differences between the pre and post …


Influences Of Mothers And Dual-Career Families On The Educational Attainment Of Female College Students, Mansi Patel May 2007

Influences Of Mothers And Dual-Career Families On The Educational Attainment Of Female College Students, Mansi Patel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand if mothers have an influence on their daughters by (a) determining if a relationship existed between the educational attainment of mothers and the level of education female college students strive to achieve and (b) verifying if female college students are more likely to come from households with working mothers and dual-career families. A sample of 50 predominantly Caucasian female college students at Rowan University were surveyed on their personal and family background. A non-parametric correlation test revealed that a significant relationship existed between the educational attainment of mothers and the aspired educational …


The Effects Of Pre-Exam Exposure To Music On Test Anxiety, Samuel Parashis May 2007

The Effects Of Pre-Exam Exposure To Music On Test Anxiety, Samuel Parashis

Theses and Dissertations

Students (N = 39) were divided into three groups by the investigator based on a predetermined sign-up block assignment. Eleven students listened to a 7-minute compact disc audio track of Mozart's Piano Sonata K333. Thirteen listened to a 7-minute compact disc audio track of Anima's Spirit of the Southwest. Others (n = 15) sat in silence for a 7-minute period. Following the 7-minute period, all subjects attempted a logic test for 10 minutes. Next, subjects completed the Individual Test Anxiety Assessment by Samuel Parashis. A two-way Analysis of Variance, ANOVA, was conducted on the data collected from the Individual Anxiety …


Self Perceptions Of Sibling Relationships, Cory R. Mueller May 2007

Self Perceptions Of Sibling Relationships, Cory R. Mueller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to associate birth orders effect on an individual's perception of their sibling, family, and social roles. Research has asserted that children learn by observing the actions of their siblings, which transcend into other aspects of their own lives. One hundred and one undergraduate college students were separated into three categories: younger sibling subjects (n=47), older sibling subjects (n=49), and only children subjects (n=5). The participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire comprised of 25 statements about their sibling, family, and social relationships based on a 5 point …


Health Locus Of Control Of Children With A Chronic Health Condition, Margo K. Shevchenko May 2007

Health Locus Of Control Of Children With A Chronic Health Condition, Margo K. Shevchenko

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the health locus of control among a group of pediatric patients (n = 15) at Cooper University Hospital between the ages of 10 and 17 (mean age = 13.93) with chronic health conditions. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, form C, was used to determine whether children with a chronic health illness had an internal health locus of control (health was self-controlled) or if their health was determined by external factors, such as chance or fate or by their doctors or other people. Mean scores showed the highest health locus of …


Does Student Engagement Vary Among Colleges Within A University?, Amrinder Kaur May 2007

Does Student Engagement Vary Among Colleges Within A University?, Amrinder Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between student engagement and different colleges within a university. Research has asserted that student engagement is closely related to student learning and that student engagement varies from institution to institution depending on various factors. However, there has been minimal research on student engagement among colleges within the same university. A sample of 120 undergraduate college students (20 from each of the six colleges) was recruited from Rowan University to complete the National Survey of Student Engagement in four different areas: Level of academic challenge, Active and collaborative learning, Student-faculty interaction …


Body Image In Middle School Students, Erin Lichtenwalner May 2007

Body Image In Middle School Students, Erin Lichtenwalner

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the body images of Middle School aged students. A population of 62 students (37 males, 25 females) was given a survey that questioned their level of body image, their practice of weight-control behaviors, and the various potential influences on these areas. The results showed that this particular population had a higher level of body image than previous studies indicate. It also showed that students at this age are engaging in weight-control behaviors. The major influences on body image and weight-control behaviors were found to be peers and the media. This research, along with previous …


Social Norms: Actual Versus Perceived Alcohol Consumption Of College Freshmen, Erick M. Nuñez May 2007

Social Norms: Actual Versus Perceived Alcohol Consumption Of College Freshmen, Erick M. Nuñez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the actual frequency of alcohol consumption of college freshmen (n = 84) and the students residential status. The participants consisted of fifty-six resident students and twenty-eight commuter students. The frequency of alcohol consumption by students in general as perceived by the participants was also analyzed. The secondary purpose was explore a relationship between actual alcohol drinking norms and perceived alcohol drinking norms. The Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms were administered and analyzed using basic tables. Results demonstrated that freshmen resident students consume alcohol at a greater …


Conflict Resolution In Elementary School, Nanci L. Moore May 2007

Conflict Resolution In Elementary School, Nanci L. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the effectiveness of conflict resolution training on students' ability to recall the steps of conflict resolution and to use conflict resolution strategies to resolve conflicts peacefully. Thirty-five third grade students from a middle class rural elementary school participated in the study. The experimental group (N = 17) received six weeks of conflict resolution training, and the control group (N = 18) received no intervention. All participants were assessed on recall of the six steps of conflict resolution and on the application of conflict strategies in response to a conflict scenario …


Comparing Friendships Of College Students From Intact And Divorced Families, Jennifer Shendock May 2007

Comparing Friendships Of College Students From Intact And Divorced Families, Jennifer Shendock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in quality and quantity of friendships in young adults with divorced parents compared to young adults from intact families. To identify this, college students (n=25) from a Mid-Atlantic University filled out a questionnaire related to friendship. The participants who fell into the divorced group (n= 7) filled out an additional questionnaire that examined the impact that parental divorce had on their life. Using a t test to compare the friendship scores, it was found that there was no significant difference in the quality of friendships of the participants from both …


Family Dynamics And Substance Use In Young Adulthood, Jonathan White May 2007

Family Dynamics And Substance Use In Young Adulthood, Jonathan White

Theses and Dissertations

An investigation was conducted examining the relationship between memories of family dynamics during the participants' adolescent years and substance use during their young adulthood. To carry out this research, a sample of 118 participants (72 women and 46 men) was recruited from a small public university in southern New Jersey. Participants were required to fill-out surveys assessing their memories of their families' patterns of interpersonal interactions and substance use. The statistical analysis of the data collected through the experimental procedures revealed several significant findings. Specifically, significant negative correlations were found between quality or frequency of health family dynamics and substance …


Preparing A Surpassing Moral Force: The Dynamics Of The Brigham University Singers, David Ray Burton Mar 2007

Preparing A Surpassing Moral Force: The Dynamics Of The Brigham University Singers, David Ray Burton

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative study that takes a close look at an exemplary performing group, the Brigham Young University Singers. Using the methods of phenomenology and naturalistic inquiry, the author presents a rich, thick description of the daily activities and unique culture of the choir. Both strengths and weaknesses of the group are identified so that others can have an authentic, vicarious experience through reading the Singers' story. The author also identifies seven principles that contribute to the success of the group so that other choral conductors can adapt them to their own unique situations. Educators in all disciplines can …


Extending The Reach Of Educational Research: Applying Product Commercialization Processes To Communities Of Practice, Richard Edward Culatta Mar 2007

Extending The Reach Of Educational Research: Applying Product Commercialization Processes To Communities Of Practice, Richard Edward Culatta

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to extend educational research beyond the research community could have a great impact on end-users such as teachers, students, or educational administrators. One way to extend the use of educational research is to create tangible educational products; such as virtual simulations, instructional videos, and printed materials; which can be easily and widely distributed. In order to transform research into products, members of the research community must adopt and implement certain product commercialization processes. Effective processes, if not recognized by members of the community, are not helpful for ensuring that quality end products are reached. Likewise, a supportive community …


Evaluating The Feasibility Of A Performance Improvement Initiative At Byu Broadcasting, Brandon L. Smith Mar 2007

Evaluating The Feasibility Of A Performance Improvement Initiative At Byu Broadcasting, Brandon L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of bridging performance gaps in the program stream between BYU Broadcasting's post production and master control environments by implementing a technical infrastructure that supports a file-based workflow. The system that was evaluated was an Apple Xsan running specialized software, called FORK. Performance gaps were identified and a technical evaluation of the system was conducted. Figuring out how the change initiative would affect and be affected by non-technical factors, such as human nature and social and cultural concerns, was integral to the evaluation process. The evaluation concluded that the System was …