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2015

Theses/Dissertations

University at Albany, State University of New York

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Articles 1 - 30 of 32

Full-Text Articles in Education

Prospective Secondary Teachers' Conceptualizations Of Literacy And Literacy In Their Content Areas, Jane Costello Bonacci Jan 2015

Prospective Secondary Teachers' Conceptualizations Of Literacy And Literacy In Their Content Areas, Jane Costello Bonacci

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract


General Education Teachers' Knowledge, Training, And Perspectives Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Evidence-Based Interventions : An Exploratory Study, Jeannette L. Cahill Jan 2015

General Education Teachers' Knowledge, Training, And Perspectives Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Evidence-Based Interventions : An Exploratory Study, Jeannette L. Cahill

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Federal law requires that children with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), receive their education in the least restrictive environment, which frequently includes general education settings. Children with ASDs characteristically exhibit difficulties in social interaction, communication, and restricted interests. Consequently, general educators may face various challenges when teaching this population of students. Teachers’ opinions regarding the general practice of inclusion have been thoroughly researched, and they generally express positive views. The goal of the current study was to expand upon previous research about general educators’ perspectives regarding teaching students with ASDs. More specifically, this study investigated general educators’ …


The Process Of Learning To Do Social Work In The Undergraduate Field Practicum In Mainland China : Bsw Students' Perceptions Of Most Useful Learning Event, Qiang Chen Jan 2015

The Process Of Learning To Do Social Work In The Undergraduate Field Practicum In Mainland China : Bsw Students' Perceptions Of Most Useful Learning Event, Qiang Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Social work educational programs have been rapidly expanded in mainland China since 2000, and field practicum is considered as one of the most problematic areas. This qualitative study explores baccalaureate social work students’ perceptions of the most useful learning event in the field practicum. Critical Incident Technique-based interview was conducted with 27 students from one undergraduate program in Beijing. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Nvivo software, guided by a constant comparative method in the ground theory tradition. From data analysis, a general learning process emerged that reveals similar patterns of learning among the student participants. This general learning process comprises …


The Impact Of Criteria-Referenced Formative Assessment On Fifth Grade Students' Theater Arts And English Language Arts Achievement, Fei Chen Jan 2015

The Impact Of Criteria-Referenced Formative Assessment On Fifth Grade Students' Theater Arts And English Language Arts Achievement, Fei Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of criteria-referenced formative assessment (CRFA) on elementary students' achievement in theater arts and the transfer effect of the treatment on English language arts (ELA) achievement. The role of gender and task type in moderating the treatment-achievement relationship was also explored. The analytical sample included 520 fifth-grade students from thirteen classes who participated in the Arts Achieve project. Selection bias in treatment assignment was adjusted with propensity score analysis (Rosenbaum & Rubin, 1983) for the purposes of obtaining asymptotically unbiased estimates of treatment effects.


Formative Assessment For Collaborative Knowledge Building In Chinese Elementary Science Classrooms, Jingping Chen Jan 2015

Formative Assessment For Collaborative Knowledge Building In Chinese Elementary Science Classrooms, Jingping Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate a technology supported collaborative formative assessment for knowledge building to help students reflect on the progress of their knowledge advancement and to sustain deeper inquiry. Guided by the knowledge building theory ( Scardamalia & Berieter, 2003; Scardamalia & Berieter, 2006) and the formative assessment framework (Wiliam & Thompson, 2007), a two-phase design based research was conducted to test and refine the assessment design in the six-grade science classrooms at a Chinese elementary school. The assessment was designed as a technology supported, student-directed formative assessment which focused on three major attributes …


Women's Decision To Major In Stem Fields, Stephanie Conklin Jan 2015

Women's Decision To Major In Stem Fields, Stephanie Conklin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This paper explores the lived experiences of high school female students who choose to enter into STEM fields, and describes the influencing factors which steered these women towards majors in computer science, engineering and biology. Utilizing phenomenological methodology, this study seeks to understand the essence of women’s decisions to enter into STEM fields and further describe how the decision-making process varies for women in high female enrollment fields, like biology, as compared with low enrollment fields like, computer science and engineering. Using Bloom's 3-Stage Theory, this study analyzes how relationships, experiences and barriers influenced women towards, and possibly away, from …


Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Education Policy On Their Teaching, Professional Development, And Sense Of Efficacy For Literacy Instruction, David Clickner Jan 2015

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Education Policy On Their Teaching, Professional Development, And Sense Of Efficacy For Literacy Instruction, David Clickner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study examined teachers’ (a) perceptions of the impact of policy on their teaching and professional development, (b) knowledge of policy initiatives and the protocols their schools have in place to support them, (c) perceptions of policy, and (d) self-efficacy for literacy instruction and professional development’s impact on it. The investigation focused on three policy initiatives: Response to Intervention, the Common Core State Standards, and the Annual Professional Performance Review program, New York State’s teacher evaluation system. The sample included K-4 classroom and special education teachers and literacy/reading specialists working in New York State. Results revealed that respondents’ perceptions of …


Investigation Of School Professionals' Self-Efficacy For Working With Students With Asd : Impact Of Prior Experience, Knowledge, And Training, Laura Corona Jan 2015

Investigation Of School Professionals' Self-Efficacy For Working With Students With Asd : Impact Of Prior Experience, Knowledge, And Training, Laura Corona

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

School professionals who work with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) play a significant role in the academic experiences of these students (Ruble & McGrew, 2013). Unfortunately, some evidence suggests that teachers of students with ASD experience a high risk of burnout (Coman et al., 2013), due in part to the multiple challenges associated with teaching students with ASD (Iovannone, Dunlap, Huber, & Kincaid, 2003). Research has begun to examine factors that ameliorate or prevent teacher burnout, including teacher self-efficacy, or teachers’ beliefs regarding their abilities to bring about positive outcomes for their students (Ruble, Usher, & McGrew, 2011). The …


An Examination Of The Effects Of A Technology-Based Graphic Organizer (Tbgo) And The Ipad On The Persuasive Writing Of Fourth-Grade Students With And Without Disabilities, Julienne Marie Cuccio Slichko Jan 2015

An Examination Of The Effects Of A Technology-Based Graphic Organizer (Tbgo) And The Ipad On The Persuasive Writing Of Fourth-Grade Students With And Without Disabilities, Julienne Marie Cuccio Slichko

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Writing strategies, such as graphic organizers and mnemonic devices, have supported students in planning in advance of writing and technology has the potential to alleviate the burden of handwriting fatigue for struggling writers. Furthermore, under the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2010), fourth-graders are expected to be able to use technology to compose essays across writing genres. The integration of mobile technologies, such as the iPad, is becoming commonplace in education at all levels; however, little empirical research currently supports the iPad as a medium for written expression. This study adds to the current research base by conducting the first …


The Relationship Of Disability Status On Attendance, Behavior, And Achievement Indicators For Students Receiving Intensive School-Based Mental Health Counseling, Meghan Morris Deyoe Jan 2015

The Relationship Of Disability Status On Attendance, Behavior, And Achievement Indicators For Students Receiving Intensive School-Based Mental Health Counseling, Meghan Morris Deyoe

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This causal comparative study investigated the relationship of an identified disability (IDEA declared vs. non-declared) on success outcomes for sixth through twelfth grade at-risk students enrolled in a school-based mental health program. Outcome variables included: selected attendance, behavior, and achievement indicators for students who were enrolled in and received intensive school-based counseling.


The Effect Of Poetry As A Write To Learn Activity On Content Acquisition, Content Area Writing Proficiency, And Classroom Engagement In An Inclusive Middle School Social Studies Setting : A Mixed Methods Study, Tammy Geneive Ellis-Robinson Jan 2015

The Effect Of Poetry As A Write To Learn Activity On Content Acquisition, Content Area Writing Proficiency, And Classroom Engagement In An Inclusive Middle School Social Studies Setting : A Mixed Methods Study, Tammy Geneive Ellis-Robinson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract


Perceived Teacher Significance : Ninth Grade Student Reported Affinities For Teacher Traits, Interactions, And Outcomes, Paul D. Fallon Jan 2015

Perceived Teacher Significance : Ninth Grade Student Reported Affinities For Teacher Traits, Interactions, And Outcomes, Paul D. Fallon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A cross-sectional sample of 257 public school ninth grade students (53% female) reported on the traits, interactions, and outcomes of their most significant teacher. The sample was diverse ethnically, geographically, academically, and when using criteria to report on a significant teacher. Of 129 variables, 16 factors associated with the teacher-student learning relationship. Associations of factors to grade point average, gender, studenting skills, "favorite" versus "most significant" teacher, and student type were analyzed. On average, 87% of the sample identified a significant teacher, most often female, at their current school. Students tended to agree that their significant teacher was different in …


Cognitive And Emotional Effects Of Learning Chinese By Playing An Online Game, Shuyi Guan Jan 2015

Cognitive And Emotional Effects Of Learning Chinese By Playing An Online Game, Shuyi Guan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT


A Study Of The Emergence Of Student Tacit Knowledge In Response To Environmental Images And Science Instruction, Rory J. Glass Jan 2015

A Study Of The Emergence Of Student Tacit Knowledge In Response To Environmental Images And Science Instruction, Rory J. Glass

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to identify the presence of students’ tacit understandings as they apply to environmental science content, and to discover how these understandings emerge and are viewed and interpreted by teachers. Towards that end over ten hours of classroom video was recorded and analyzed, from both large urban and smaller urban classrooms. Additionally, interviews were conducted with 15 students and two teachers to gain insight into their thinking on an array of topics related to the environment and environmental reasoning. It was hypothesized that students’ understandings and teachers’ interpretations of them may be influenced by their …


A National Survey Of Kindergarten Screening : Purposes, Tests, And Procedures, Kiana Ashley Jannesari Jan 2015

A National Survey Of Kindergarten Screening : Purposes, Tests, And Procedures, Kiana Ashley Jannesari

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Kindergarten screening is an opportunity to assess all entering school children and decide whether they are in need of further evaluation. Current school district level policies and procedures, however, have not previously been documented on a national level, including those to be used for individuals from diverse backgrounds (i.e., English Language Learners). In the past, school entry assessments have, at times, been linked to decisions about children's school readiness, which is problematic because screening does not provide diagnostic information, and definitive conclusions may not be made based on the results. Also, a major challenge for screening programs is the limited …


Phase Imaging Using X-Ray Optics, Bushra Kanwal Jan 2015

Phase Imaging Using X-Ray Optics, Bushra Kanwal

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Conventional x-ray imaging is a widely used imaging technique in medical diagnostics as well as material analysis. It utilizes only absorption-contrast imaging, which records intensity attenuation due to absorption. A major limitation of this technique for medical imaging is the poor contrast of weakly absorbing details in the soft tissue. Mammography and angiography are two examples where improved contrast is required. In the quest for better contrast in x-ray imaging, a number of different phase contrast imaging techniques have been explored. Phase contrast imaging offers an improvement over traditional absorption contrast because the x-ray wave field traversing an object experiences …


The Acquisition Of Adult Skills In Oecd Countries : Individual And Societal Antecedent, Suehye Kim Jan 2015

The Acquisition Of Adult Skills In Oecd Countries : Individual And Societal Antecedent, Suehye Kim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using the OECD the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIACC), the World Bank open data, the OECD data lab, and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this study sets forth two conceptual frameworks to examine the effect of education on adult basic literacy and problem solving skills in technology-rich contexts. Based on a traditional approach to adult skills, this study explored how a differentiated form of initial education influences the acquisition of basic literacy and numeracy. Second, it build a proposed model assessing the effect of post-initial learning on problem solving skills in technology-rich contexts given that adults are required …


Explaining Participation : An Explanatory History Of Select Gender Patterns In Undergraduate Stem, Michael Pasquale Mastroianni Jan 2015

Explaining Participation : An Explanatory History Of Select Gender Patterns In Undergraduate Stem, Michael Pasquale Mastroianni

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This explanatory study examines three focal periods in undergraduate STEM as related to the gender gap. Social, economic, and more general historical data are used to develop a clear and powerful explanation of baccalaureate trends in biology and engineering. Specifically, historical accounts are offered for 1) a ten-year period in undergraduate biology in which the number of baccalaureates awarded to men decreased 44 percent, while the number of baccalaureates awarded to women decreased one percent; 2) the start of a twenty-year period in which the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the biological sciences increased 150 percent—from 36,068 degrees in …


The Effects Of Parental Monitoring And Parent-Child Relationships Quality On Children's Academic Engagement In Mother-Headed, Single-Parent Families, Benjamin Robert Malczyk Jan 2015

The Effects Of Parental Monitoring And Parent-Child Relationships Quality On Children's Academic Engagement In Mother-Headed, Single-Parent Families, Benjamin Robert Malczyk

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using a sample of 110 mother-headed single-parent families, this longitudinal study examined the relationship between pre-adolescent students’ academic engagement and three variables: Parental monitoring, parent-child attachment, and observed child-parent relationship quality. Special interest resided in the extent to which observed relationship quality or attachment moderated the relationship between parental monitoring and academic engagement.


Comparing Organizational Configurations Of Principal Autonomy In Finland And New York, Harry Leonardatos Jan 2015

Comparing Organizational Configurations Of Principal Autonomy In Finland And New York, Harry Leonardatos

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This exploratory study compares organizational configurations of principal autonomy in Finland and New York State. Evidence from Finnish school site visits and surveys distributed to principals in New York State and Finland is utilized to compare principal autonomy in two distinct educational settings.


Does Student Status Affect Perceptions Of School Climate And Bullying?, Samantha Palladino Jan 2015

Does Student Status Affect Perceptions Of School Climate And Bullying?, Samantha Palladino

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Students with disabilities are a diverse group of individuals who may experience the world in ways that are distinct from typical peers. Extant research suggests that these students are at risk for academic, social, and emotional challenges. Given the amount of time that students spend in school, their perceptions of the school climate and experiences with bullying have the potential to significantly impact their well-being academically, socially, and emotionally. While there is expansive literature related to school climate and bullying, few studies have investigated these topics simultaneously and specifically through the lens of students with disabilities. This was an archival …


Understanding The Role Of Literature In The Reading Lives Of Secondary English Students, Tracy Pontin Jan 2015

Understanding The Role Of Literature In The Reading Lives Of Secondary English Students, Tracy Pontin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Students’ perspectives on their high school reading experiences can provide great insight into the long term influence literature has in the lives of adolescents; however, students’ voices are seldom prioritized in the current research and in the conversations about curriculum and educational policy. This dissertation presents and analyzes the narratives of high school students nearing graduation as they reflect on the texts and social practices of English. The conceptual framework of this study is informed by Louise Rosenblatt’s transactional theory and Mikhail Bakhtin’s belief that an individual’s interaction with literature inspires rethinking and reevaluation of the reader’s “inconclusive present.”


Current Status Of Rti Implementation : Influences On School Psychologists' Service Delivery And Self-Efficacy, Elizabeth Sabourin Jan 2015

Current Status Of Rti Implementation : Influences On School Psychologists' Service Delivery And Self-Efficacy, Elizabeth Sabourin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a prevention-oriented approach to helping all students succeed academically. It is a framework that, when applied properly, influences all decision-making within a school building and/or district. Currently, most American school districts report using an RtI framework. Specifics regarding implementation, however, are unknown at this time. Given that RtI is a systems-wide approach which is philosophically disparate from traditional ways of viewing students struggling academically, it has the potential to shift traditional school psychological roles. Our knowledge regarding the degree to which RtI has changed school psychologists’ practices is incomplete at this time. Additionally, there is …


The Effect Of A Dual Coding Elucidation Technique On Idiom Comprehension In Esl And Efl Learners, Denis Samburskiy Jan 2015

The Effect Of A Dual Coding Elucidation Technique On Idiom Comprehension In Esl And Efl Learners, Denis Samburskiy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study relied on the assumption that literal meaning of some idiomatic expressions (i.e., their conceptual motivation) could have a positive effect on the comprehension of their correct figurative sense. To test this hypothesis, a Dual Coding elucidation technique, in which important elements of correct figurative meaning were mapped onto literal ones, was designed to facilitate the comprehension of 15 highly imageable idioms. This technique was administered in the form of an online questionnaire to Russian- and Korean-speaking EFL and ESL learners. The facilitative effect of this technique was assessed taking into account several relevant variables: the learners’ levels of …


An Evaluation Of Eligibility, Accessibility, And Social-Emotional Outcomes For Young Children In The New York State Early Intervention Program, Kirsten M. Siegenthaler Jan 2015

An Evaluation Of Eligibility, Accessibility, And Social-Emotional Outcomes For Young Children In The New York State Early Intervention Program, Kirsten M. Siegenthaler

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A wealth of interdisciplinary research on early childhood development by the neurobiological, behavioral, and social sciences has occurred in the past 100 years. The findings from this research have led to an understanding and appreciation of the importance of early life experiences, the centrality of relationships in early childhood to support positive development, the complexity of social skills that are learned in early childhood and their long-term effect on adult success and well-being, and the ability to impact the trajectory of children’s development with effective early intervention. The New York State Early Intervention Program (NYSEIP) is one of the largest …


Eighth Grade Girls' Knowledge Building With Narrative Texts, Julie Smit Jan 2015

Eighth Grade Girls' Knowledge Building With Narrative Texts, Julie Smit

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study focused on the knowledge building work of eighth grade female avid readers who were invited to discuss their experiences with reading narrative fiction. The study examined the kinds of knowledge these students drew on and constructed and the processes they used to do so. The following research questions were asked: What kinds of experiences do eighth grade female avid readers have with narrative works? What kinds of knowledge were being built? How do these avid readers arrive at new understandings? How do these eighth grade female avid readers transform their individual and collective understandings?


White Privilege In Teacher Education : A Critical Analysis Of Discourse, Kenneth P. Sider Jan 2015

White Privilege In Teacher Education : A Critical Analysis Of Discourse, Kenneth P. Sider

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This inquiry seeks to understand how preservice teachers interact with White privilege during a teacher education course dedicated to diversity and teaching. By pairing grounded theory with phenomenology, insights into participants’ pre-existing beliefs around race and Whiteness are examined. Given the cultural mismatch between an increasingly diverse public school student population and the historically stable White preservice teacher population, a closer look at persistent and resistant linguistic phenomena undergirding White dominance in the educational setting is useful. Participants’ pre- and post-term papers are used to anchor the research, and an asynchronous, online, peer-mediated discussion of bell hooks’ autoethnographic essay “Learning …


Three Essays On Higher Education, Fang Song Jan 2015

Three Essays On Higher Education, Fang Song

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In the first chapter, I analyze the growth patterns of postsecondary education costs in re-cent years. It shows the trends of college revenue, expenditure and other financial items using data drawn from the Delta Data Project between 1987 and 2010. Connections be-tween various categories of revenue / spending and state-level macroeconomic indicators were analyzed using GLS models. College tuition had been growing rapidly over time, whereas total revenues and expenditures did not grow so much. The differences in the responses of public sector and private sector institutions to changes in state-level factors stem from differences in their main sources of …


Transnational Higher Education In The Anglophone Caribbean : Analyzing Barbados' Regulatory Approaches To Quality, Kay Diana Thompson Jan 2015

Transnational Higher Education In The Anglophone Caribbean : Analyzing Barbados' Regulatory Approaches To Quality, Kay Diana Thompson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT


Quality Assurance In Private Higher Education : The Case Of Ghana, Linda Tsevi Jan 2015

Quality Assurance In Private Higher Education : The Case Of Ghana, Linda Tsevi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explores private higher education and implementation of quality assurance procedures in Ghana, a country in West Africa. While focusing on the three main isomorphic classifications (coercive, mimetic and normative) of DiMaggio and Powell’s (1983) institutional theory, this study examines how regulatory measures are not only designed to enhance the quality of private higher education institutions, but also how they impact the efforts employed by private providers towards meeting quality assurance standards in the environment in which they are located. Using a qualitative methodology, participants from five private university colleges and two private chartered institutions are selected as constituting …