Education Commons^™

An Econometric Model Of High School Graduation Rates In Oregon, Emily Mavrakis, Elizabeth Miller

Student Scholarship - College of Business

This study aims to analyze potential factors causing low high school graduation rates in the state of Oregon. We developed an econometric model measuring six independent variables: violent crime rates; income per family, the percentage of the population that is Hispanic, the percentage of family households with only one parent, alcohol use in adults, and teen pregnancy. Our dependent variable was measured as the percentage of the population between 18 and 24 without a high school diploma. From our results we found two of our variables to be economically significant: family structure and alcohol. However, the coefficient for alcohol suggested …

Preventing Anorexia In Adolescents Through Empowerment And Education (Paattee), Mimi Boumatar, Emma Hefton, Alex Johnston-Thomas, Dillon Van Rensburg

Western Libraries Undergraduate Research Award

Preventing Anorexia in Adolescents Through Empowerment and Education (PAATEE) is a primary preventive program that aims to reduce the risk of adolescent females from developing anorexia nervosa (AN) by using an evidence-based, multilevel approach. The program intends to reduce the risk of AN by influencing the social environment surrounding body image, increasing self-efficacy in program participants, providing education about eating disorders, and promoting intuitive eating practices.

Principals' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Jrotc Program, Patty Jean Blake

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this national study was to investigate the perceptions of public high school principals regarding the effectiveness of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program. The study examined the perceived influence of the program regarding the social development of the cadet, the behavior of the cadet, and the overall school environment. Data for this study was collected through an anonymous online survey emailed to current principals in public high schools across the United States where JROTC is offered as a course selection. Of the 3,062 schools identified as the population, 491 usable surveys provided participant information for …

The Convergence Of Emotional Geography And Teaching: Considering The Influences Of Emotionality On Female High School English Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Work, Brigitte Diane Knudson

Wayne State University Dissertations

This qualitative research study explored the ways in which sociocultural and professional emotional geographies contribute to female high school English teachers’ perceptions of the work of teaching, as well as how they shape their professional identities. Data collection methods over a 12-week period included a researcher reflective journal, survey, focus group interviews, and individual interviews.

The study sought to understand how female high school English teachers understand the work of teaching and considered their perceptions through lenses of gender and socioeconomic class of both the teacher and the teacher’s school of employments. To this end, the findings represented both a …

Exploring The Transition Of First-Generation Mexican American Students From Grade 8 To High School, Mary C. Curry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The dropout rate for first-generation Mexican Americans students in American schools has increased in the past decade. The purpose of this study, as reflected in the central research question, was to explore the factors that influenced the decision of first-generation Mexican American students to transition to high school or drop out after Grade 8. The research design was a phenomenological case study. The conceptual framework was based on current research surrounding first-generation Mexican American student dropout questions. In addition, how the concepts of family and community involvement and relationships between the home and school have an impact on the first …

The Licensing, Preparation, And Role Of High School Department Chairs, Gina Marie Mathews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited existing research indicates that high school department chairs may not be prepared to fulfill their duties because of varying role descriptions and training. This qualitative comparative layered case study examined the alignment of high school department chairs' contextual intelligence in an eastern seaboard region of the United States from 3 perspectives: (a) school districts' role descriptions, (b) local universities' leadership courses, and (c) a state's education department's licensure requirements. Sternberg's contextual intelligence, the learned skill of decision-making based on past experiences, present settings, and future ideals, conceptually framed this study. The primary research question explored the extent to which …

Barriers High School Teachers Encounter In Teaching Critical Thinking In Writing, Monica Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an urban high school in California, students are generally unskilled in critical writing. The problem has been associated with instructional barriers encountered by teachers. In this qualitative case study, English Language teachers provided their perceptions of such barriers and shared perspectives for solutions based in professional development. Grounded in the theories of Halpern, Saiz and Rivas, Weigle, and Harris and Graham, the conceptual framework emphasized instructional models that develop metacognition in writing, which can increase students' critical thinking. Selection criteria required participants who were English Language Arts teachers of writing critical thinking. Data from 4 participant interviews were coded, …

Understanding Teacher Morale, Jesse Senechal, Tamara Sober, Samantha Hope, Teri Johnson, Felicia Burkhalter, Teri Castelow, Debbie Gilfillan, Kenya Jackson, Autumn Nabors, Patrick Neuman, Rodney Robinson, Rob Sargeant, Stacy Stanford, Deanna Varljen

MERC Publications

This study emerged from discussions within the Policy and Planning Council of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC), a research alliance between Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education and seven surrounding school divisions.

The project has two goals. The first goal is to develop an understanding of the factors that impact teachers’ experience of their work in the current PK12 public school context. Although this topic could be, and has been, investigated through a number of lenses (e.g., burnout, trust, motivation), this project focuses on the idea of teacher morale, a choice that will be discussed in detail in the …

A Literacy Photostory: Improving Classroom Literacy Instruction, Melanie Goeddel

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In rapidly changing times, students need to understand and utilize various types of literacies in order to be productive citizens and communicate with each other in a fast-paced world. Literacy is often simplified to the ability to read and write, only on some occasions including other topics such as speaking and listening skills, or computer literacies. The need for improved literacy instruction is apparent in high schools, and this study seeks to inform educators of different needs and hopes that students may have in the broad field of literacy. This study seeks to expand the definition of literacy while simultaneously …

Social Worker Experiences Serving At-Risk Youth With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Sherriese S. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was a qualitative study of school social workers who worked with special needs adolescent youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities in a public high school. This study centered on the experiences of 10 social workers in a public high school in New Jersey. All 10 school social workers were interviewed individually to uncover (a) how they perceived the school social worker's role within the public school setting, (b) the lived experiences of school social workers who worked with special needs youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities, and (c) why they desired to continue working with at-risk special needs …

Identifying Leadership Potential In High School Students, Melody Lynn Baham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Leadership potential in regular students is not usually identified by organization advisors at the high school level. Teachers serving as advisors have academic workloads and they are trained to identify the gifted and honors students as leaders, but generally not those at the regular level. Although leadership potential exists in all students, organization advisors tend to seek out those at the top of the class. This study explored how organization advisors, who are also high school teachers, identify student leadership. A group of Student Council and 4-H advisors were interviewed to discover characteristics valued by organization advisors. The advisors were …