Education Commons^™

What Are Students Perceptions Of Their First-Year Experience In Relation To Support They Receive From The Fashion Institute Of Technology, Joshua Jacob Wilkin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Student affairs professionals view the first-year experience as a beneficial program that assists college students with their academic and personal development. While there have been many qualitative studies (Meyer, Spencer, & French, 2009; Stebleton, Jensen, & Peter, 2010; Corella, 2010) and quantitative studies (Hendel, 2007; Woolsey & Miller, 2009; Morrow & Ackerman, 2012) regarding first-year experience programs, much of this research has focused on retention instead of how students’ experiences can be affected by their sense of belonging to their particular institution.

The purpose of this study was to investigate students’ perceptions of their first-year experience in relation to …

Identifying Elementary School Student Understanding Of Learning Disabilities, Michael Quinn Bair

Theses and Dissertations

This school-based study examined the knowledge level of third through fifth grade students who are not being served in special education regarding learning disabilities, personal learning styles, and their perceptions of their peers with learning disabilities. This study circumvents teachers', administrators', and parents' awareness which has been thoroughly researched and instead, directly assesses through interviews what elementary students (n=45) know about learning disabilities. The goal of this study was to gain a greater understanding of what the students' perceptions are of their learning experience in general and what their understanding of learning disabilities are more specifically through interviews to give …

Teacher Expectations Of Students In A Predominantly African American School District, Durand Duron Payton

Dissertations

Wong and Wong (2004) reported teachers‟ perceptions could become a self-fulfilling prophecy when addressing the students. According to Haycock (2001) once teachers‟ perceptions had developed, even if they were inaccurate, teachers would begin to act as if their beliefs were factual. By acting as though the beliefs were real, teachers could essentially cause their perceptions to materialize into the expectations of students. The purpose of this study is to explore teachers‟ expectations of students in a predominantly African American school district. Ferguson (1998) had considered the behaviors in which teachers' perceptions of the students‟ impact their expectations towards the students. …

A Narrative Study Of Novice Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Science Instruction, Roberta Harrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is hoped that, once implemented, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will engage students more deeply in science learning and build science knowledge sequentially beginning in Kindergarten (NRC, 2013). Early instruction is encouraged but must be delivered by qualified elementary teachers who have both the science content knowledge and the necessary instructional skills to teach science effectively to young children (Ejiwale, 2012, Spencer, Vogel, 2009, Walker, 2011). The purpose of this research study is to gain insight into novice elementary teachers’ perceptions of science instruction.

This research suggests that infusion of constructivist teaching in the elementary classroom is beneficial …

School Principals' Perceptions Of Bilingual Education And Their Relation To English Language Learners' 8th Grade Reading Performance On Staar, Imelda Mares

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research examined school principals’ perceptions of bilingual education to determine whether perceptions were a function of gender, age, years of experience, level of academic knowledge of bilingual education, and language discourse or bilingualism. Moreover, this study explored whether principals’ perceptions of bilingual education were related to English language learners’ 8th grade reading performance as measured by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Thirty-one middle and high school principals in five school districts from south Texas and one district from southeast Texas responded to an electronic survey that solicited demographic information, perceptions of bilingual education, and academic …

Inclusion And Autism: General Education Teachers’ Perceptions, Deborah B. Hayes Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate general education teachers’ perceptions of being prepared to work with students identified with autism, grade level assignments, time concerns, and the presence of an ancillary attendant in their classrooms. Participants in this study were located in one city school system in North East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to 230 teachers, of whom 79 responded. Four research questions were analyzed, 3 with single sample t tests and 1 with a one-way ANOVA. Results indicated no statistical significance regarding grade level assignments and general education teachers’ perceptions …

The Effects Of Peer Tutoring On Junior High General Education Students' Attitudes Toward Students With Severe Disabilities, Amanda Kim Hunsaker

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if and how the perceptions of general education students toward their peers with severe disabilities changes when they participate in a peer tutoring program. The study was conducted in a suburban/rural district in Utah and included 102 participants in treatment and control groups over three junior high schools. The data found mixed results. One of the three schools had a significant difference in the attitudes of the treatment group after being part of a peer tutoring program. The study shows that being part of a peer tutoring program can have a …

On Becoming A Teacher (Or Not): Students Of Color's Perceptions Of Teachers' Work, Consideration Of Teaching As A Career, And Implications For Diversifying The Teaching Force, Amanda Lee Winkelsas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The racial/ethnic demographics of the American public school teaching force stand in contrast to the racial/ethnic demographics of the students and families who are served by our public school system. In an effort to understand the racial/ethnic demographic disparities between the teaching force and the public school student population, this study explores the perceptions of students of color as they relate to teachers' work, authority, and power. Utilizing a participatory, mixed methods approach in one public, urban, college preparatory school, I analyze the experiences, cultural models, and knowledges that shape students' perceptions of teachers' work and their own consideration of …

The Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Perceptions Of Diabetes Responsibility, And Their Impact On Treatment Adherence Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Richard Wayne Wooten

Wayne State University Dissertations

Treatment non-adherence for Type 1 patients; especially during adolescence, is viewed as the precursor for healthy, or unhealthy patterns of self-care in adulthood. The risk for long-term health problems such as blindness, renal failure, heart attack, lower limb amputations, and stroke are exacerbated if healthy monitoring of the condition is not adhered to consistently, and early after diagnosis. The present study sought to examine theoretical constructs which are important to overall treatment adherence among adolescents with Type 1 diabetes and their maternal caregivers. Self-efficacy and perceptions of diabetes self care between child and mother were disseminated through the inclusion of …

Differentiated Instruction In A Standards-Based Middle School Science Classroom, Marsha Ranata Hogan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle schools in Georgia and all over the United States face unique obstacles for enhancing the academic accomplishment of an increasingly diverse group of learners. Under pressure to implement innovative research-based teaching practices to overcome these challenges, many schools and teachers adopt differentiated instruction (DI), a teaching approach designed to accommodate different learning styles and levels of ability. This study was grounded in Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences and Lev Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) theory. The research questions investigated in this study were designed (1) to explore the perceptions of science teachers regarding how they apply DI and …

From Frances Elliott Clark To Today's Higher Education Music Educators: An Exploration Of The Perceptions And Usage Of Digital Audio Via Electronic Reserves And Digital Databases, Kathleen Lopresti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is a lack of research on the use of digital audio from the perspective of music educators in higher education. Researchers [for example: James Mason and Jared Wiercinski (2009), Jean E. Ferguson (2004), Richard Griscom (2003), Scott R. Phinney (2005) and Kathryn Sullivan, John J. Stafford, and Cindy Badilla-Melendez (2004)] have, however, studied streaming audio in relation to university students and libraries. Knowing the perceptions of instructors is important, because according to Oblinger & Oblinger (2005), they may not have the same perceptions as the students. Additionally, Moseley (2010) recommended further qualitative studies concerning the perceptions of faculty …

Sea Island Cascades: An Analysis Of Principals' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Factors Related To The Overrepresentation Of African American Males Identified As Having An Emotional Disability, Jacinta Maria Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of the overrepresentation of African Americans in special education is a persistent concern that has negatively impacted African American male students, their families, school districts, and the field of special education. School districts throughout the nation report a higher representation of African American males in special education programs than their presence in the general education environment would predict. In South Carolina, 42.5 % of African Americans receive special education services whereas 53% are categorized as having an emotional disturbance (ED). Of the 53% of the African Americans categorized as ED, 79% are males. In the Charleston County School …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Dropout Prevention Strategies In A Rural Ninth Grade Academy, Shawn A. Davidson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dropout rate among Georgia high school students is a critical issue within the United States’ educational system. As a result, large numbers of programs have been created to reduce the dropout rate. This study examined the stakeholders’ perceptions of dropout prevention strategies in a rural ninth grade academy to examine effective dropout prevention programs implemented at the school. Participants in the study included administrators, teachers, and students who dropped out of the academy between 2009 and 2012. Interviews were conducted to gather information from the participants. In addition, school and district documents related to prevention programs at the academy …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Merit Pay In Georgia, Jessica Edenfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the perceptions of implementing a merit pay plan as reported by elementary teachers in three rural Georgia school districts, one of which was participating in the Race to the Top (RT3) initiative. The study examined the perceptions of 109 elementary teachers in regard to merit pay implementation, models of merit pay, factors worthy of reward, and the impact that perceptions of school culture has on attitudes towards merit pay. The study employed a descriptive survey approach to address the research questions. An amended version of the Teacher Survey on Performance Pay was employed to explore the perceptions …

Using A State-Wide Survey To Determine The Impact Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Students' Self-Reported Perceptions, Feelings, And Behaviors, Rachel Youngblom

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined student responses to the Minnesota Student Survey in 286 schools across the state of Minnesota. Of these schools, 143 of the schools had implemented PBIS and the other 143 schools had not. The study included elementary, middle, and high schools. The schools were coded as either small (under 150 students), medium (151-480 students), or large (over 480 students). For schools that had been trained to implement PBIS, fidelity of implementation was also considered and all schools were coded as having either high fidelity (80 or higher for SET; 70 or higher for BoQ) or low fidelity. The …

College Student Perceptions Of Mental Health Counseling At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Holly Barkeim

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Counseling Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato offers mental health counseling services to MNSU students that are free, confidential, and conveniently located on campus. Despite the range of services, the affordability and confidentiality, as well as current marketing strategies used by the Counseling Center, services appear to be significantly underutilized by students on campus. This study examines student perceptions of on campus mental health services and barriers that may prevent students from accessing services. The goal of the project is to assist the Counseling Center in improving their marketing strategies to students identified as being underserved.