Education Commons^™

Documenting Elementary Teachers' Sustainability Of Instructional Practices: A Mixed Method Case Study, Bridget Cotner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School reform programs focus on making educational changes; however, research on interventions past the funded implementation phase to determine what was sustained is rarely done (Beery, Senter, Cheadle, Greenwald, Pearson, et al., 2005). This study adds to the research on sustainability by determining what instructional practices, if any, of the Teaching SMART[reg] professional development program that was implemented from 2005-2008 in elementary schools with teachers in grades third through eighth were continued, discontinued, or adapted five years post-implementation (in 2013). Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: What do teachers who participated in Teaching SMART[reg] and district administrators …

Through The Camera Lens Of Development: An Exploration Of Ngos' Representations Of Africa, Sebastian Lindstrom

Master's Capstone Projects

The purpose if this qualitative research is to acquire new knowledge in the African visual representational landscape, a digital space carefully filmed and edited by some of the most celebrated and acknowledged, mostly Western, NGOs in the world. The most watched Africa-related video from 50 NGOs were selected, downloaded and analyzed. After continuous re-watching of a 3.5 hour long set of visual data tree themes emerged. One segment relates around the NGOs intervention, another about the term or statement ‘help’, and the last theme is HIV/AIDS. The findings include the realization that the beneficiary was never explaining the intervention of …

Leading Between The Lines: Exploring The Development Of Identity Among Literacy Specialists, Peter Joseph Lancia

Educational Studies Dissertations

This dissertation study addresses the phenomenon of literacy leadership through a multiple case study of four practicing veteran literacy specialists in elementary schools in different New England cities. Using qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, namely extensive interviews and the Voice Centered Relational Method, respectively, narrative portraits were created that suggest themes related to their role, preparation, and ongoing development as well as models of leadership in their schools. In addition, the portraits suggested how the social context of their schools impacted the development of their identity, particularly in the relationships they built among colleagues and principals. With a …

Men Making Meaning Of Eating Disorders: A Qualitative Study, Robin Leichtman

ETD Archive

There is a stark contrast between the research and published accounts reflecting women's experiences in coping with an eating disorder in comparison to men's narratives. Because of this, many medical and mental health providers do not consider an eating disorder as a possible diagnosis when men present with symptoms associated with an eating disorder. This notion was confirmed by Menstuff┬« (2012), who reported men are often not diagnosed and/or are embarrassed by being diagnosed with an eating disorder because eating disorders have become more associated with a problem women or gay men experience. Assumptions that eating disorders are a female …

Qualitative Methods In Socio-Spatial Research, Phillip O'Neill, Pauline M. Mcguirk

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This chapter explores the rationale for qualitative methods, the origins of qualitative research, and a number of important issues relating to the conduct of qualitative research. The chapter is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to qualitative methods in socio-spatial research. Rather its intention is stimulate the reader's interest in qualitative methods and encourage their pursuit in a rigorous effective manner. Comprehensive guides and key references to qualitative methods can be found in Crang (2003), Hay (2010) and Herbert et al (2009). Qualitative methods were developed in the 1980s and 1990s as an alternative way to make observations, collect …

'Treats', 'Sometimes Foods', 'Junk': A Qualitative Study Exploring 'Extra Foods' With Parents Of Young Children, Nicholas A. Petrunoff, Rachel L. Wilkenfeld, Lesley King, Victoria Flood

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective The present study investigated parents' understanding and approaches to providing energy-dense and nutrient-poor 'extra foods' to pre-school children and explored variation between parents of low and high socio-economic status in relation to these issues. Design We conducted thirteen focus groups. Data were subject to framework analysis. Setting Child-care centres in distinctly socially disadvantaged and socially advantaged areas. Subjects Eighty-eight parents of children aged 3-5 years. Results The three most common terms parents identified to describe foods that are not 'everyday foods' were 'treats', 'sometimes foods' and 'junk'. Parents' perceptions regarding what influences them in providing food to their children …

Smoking Cessation In Drug And Alcohol Treatment Settings: A Qualitative Study Of Staff And Client Barriers And Facilitators, Billie Bonevski, Amanda Wilson, Adrian Dunlop, Anthony Shakeshaft, Flora Tzelepis, Scott Walsberger, Michael Farrell, Peter James Kelly, Ashleigh Guillaumier, Eliza Skelton

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference 2014, 9-12 November 2014, Adelaide, Australia

Patients' Perspectives On The Impact Of A New Copd Diagnosis In The Face Of Multimorbidity: A Qualitative Study, Sameera Ansari, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Sarah Dennis, Nicholas Arnold Zwar

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, often occurs in the presence of comorbidities, which may influence experience and management of the disease. No prior research seems to have gained perspectives of newly diagnosed primary care COPD patients in the context of multimorbidity. Aims: This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of a new diagnosis of COPD in the context of multimorbidity and also sought to gain a better understanding of how patients react to the diagnosis and incorporate it into their lives. Methods: Participants were identified from a cohort of primary …

Cultural Beliefs About Cancer Influencing Help-Seeking And Symptom Appraisal: A Meta-Synthesis Of Qualitative Findings, Sharon Licqurish, Peggy Chiang, Jennifer Walker, Lyn Phillipson, Fiona Walter, Jon Emery

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 2014 World Cancer Congress, 3-6 December 2014, Melbourne, Australia

Parents And Adolescents Discuss Gambling Advertising: A Qualitative Study, Samantha L. Thomas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The study specifically aimed to explore:

1. How socio-cultural factors may influence the meanings individuals construct about gambling.

2. How different audience segments (in this case parents and their children) interpret messages about different types of advertisements in different ways.

3. How the framing of messages about gambling may influence perceptions about the risks and benefits associated with different types of gambling products and services.

The specific objectives of the study were to:

1. Provide detailed qualitative information about how different audience segments interpret the messages they see in gambling advertisements.

2. Strengthen understandings about how different gambling advertising strategies …

Challenges Of Experienced Nurses In A Full-Time Online Rn-Bs Nursing Program, Diana Goldammer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Practicing nurses need to be qualified at the baccalaureate level at a rate of 80% by 2020 to meet the needs of the increasingly demanding healthcare industry. Designed to meet this need, the online RN-BS (registered nurses earning a Bachelor of Science) nursing program at a local university has a declining completion rate that needs to be addressed and increased. The conceptual framework for this project was a qualitative program evaluation with a case study design; the project was designed to determine if the structure of the program was limiting student success or if factors experienced by full-time working RNs …

Teachers Adapting Common Core Informational-Text Writing Instruction For Students With Mild To Moderate Disabilities, Diana Hawley

Doctoral Dissertations

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, students must now become skilled at using different types of writing to help them critique text and process information. They also are required to write informational text. Informational-text writing is challenging for students with mild to moderate disabilities, including students with language-learning disabilities, who often struggle with aspects of language necessary for learning to read and write. These students show striking challenges with productivity, grammatical and spelling accuracy, and sentence complexity, with differences in performance by genre (Koutsoftas & Gray, 2012; Scott & Windsor, 2000; Troia, Lin, Cohen, & Monroe, 2011). …

Black And Gifted: Hiding In Plain View, Deanna Lynn Hayes-Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract This dissertation examines representation of African Americans in gifted programs in an urban school district where the creation of gifted programs was enacted as a tool for desegregation. The research is conducted from the perspectives of gifted African American students in an effort to shed some light on whether an achievement gap exists or is the makeup of the program itself a deterrent to the enrollment of African American students. A qualitative study was conducted using personal narratives from students who were enrolled in a self-contained gifted program in the urban school districts. The participants gave personal interviews where …

A Study Of The Experience Of Female African-American Seventh Graders In A Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math (Stem) Afterschool Program, Beverley Fiona Hinds

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine what inspires or leads seventh-grade African-American girls toward an interest in STEM, to characterize and describe the context of an out-of-school STEM learning environment, explore the impact on the seventh- grade African-American girls who participated in the program as it relates to individual STEM identity, and identify personal and academic experiences of seventh-grade African- American girls that contribute to the discouragement or pursuit of science and math-related academic pathways and careers. Notable findings in this study included the following: 1. Participants were interested in STEM and able to identify both external …

Discovering Self, Leaving Struggle Behind, And Setting Examples: Perspectives From First-Generation, Minority Community College Women On The Value Of Higher Education, Antonia Sheel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how first-generation, minority community college women who participated in a Student Success course understood their higher education experiences. The researcher used a basic interpretive qualitative methodology to uncover how the value of higher education was constructed within those discussions. Five purposively selected students participated in one-on-one semi structured interviews. The participant's understandings were highlighted independently, reflecting a wide range of sentiments that were largely self-directed in essence, at times ambiguous and yet, complex in nature as the women made sense of their experiences. Through the use of thematic analysis, three dominant discourses about the value of higher …

Collaboration For The Common Good: Examining Americorps Programs Sponsored By Institutions Of Higher Education, Erin B. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The report, A Crucible Moment, published in 2012 by the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement described a crisis in higher education surrounding the lack of civic learning and engagement opportunities for students. This crisis has led to decreased political participation and a general lack of knowledge in civics education (National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, 2012). Educating students for citizenship in America’s colleges and universities will assist with sustaining the country’s democracy by engendering a sense of civic responsibility in young adults that will last throughout their lifetime. This qualitative case study …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Students’ Perceptions Of Pursuing Pharmacy As A Potential Vocation, Michael W. Firmin, Valerie Bouchard, Jordan Flexman, Douglas C. Anderson

Pharmacy Practice Faculty Publications

We present the findings from a phenomenological, qualitative research study that explored the personal constructs of an inaugural class, entering a newly-established direct-entry, preferred admission, pre-pharmacy program at a private, selective, Midwestern university with an enrollment of 3000. The focus of the study was to appraise students' perceptions regarding their rationale for pursuing a future career in pharmacy. The sample consisted of 36 students (26 females, 10 males). Data was collected via in-depth interviews of each student who had enrolled in the first year of the program. Overall, students demonstrated their belief that they would be a good fit for …

Novice, Rural New York State Teacher Perceptions Of Their Classroom Management And How These Perceptions Affect Their Job Satisfaction And Retention, Shawn Bielicki

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological inquiry listened to the voices of five novice teachers from a rural area in New York about their encounters with classroom management and their perceptions of job satisfaction and retention. Data were triangulated through the use of four audio recordings, an online focus group featuring two online discussion board topics and two online discussion board replies, and two individual phone interviews per participant. Data analysis resulted in nine emerged themes. Findings indicated that participants felt (a) experience was necessary to succeed; (b) issues with classroom management are part of the job; (c) approaches to classroom management were …

Understanding The Process By Which A Healthy Population Seeks Nutrition And Exercise Information, Sally Hillis

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Faced with an overwhelming amount of available sources and different perspectives, researchers in the field of Nutrition and Health Sciences continually strive to identify key factors that shape a healthy lifestyle. Employing a qualitative methods design, this pilot study research project utilized a constructivist grounded theory approach to develop a model explaining the process by which healthy individuals acquire nutrition and exercise information. This model rests on the philosophical views and actions of participants in seeking meaningful and reliable sources guiding their decision-making strategies and offers a more complete understanding of this process. Implications of this research would be to …

Science Fair: Is It Worth The Work? A Qualitative Study On Deaf Students' Perceptions And Experiences Regarding Science Fair In Primary And Secondary School, Vivian Lee Smith

Dissertations

Science fairs have a long history in American education. They play an important role for establishing inquiry-based experiences in a science classroom. Students may be more motivated to learn science content when they are allowed to choose their own science fair topics. The purpose of this study was to examine Deaf college students’ perceptions and experiences regarding science fair participation during primary and/or secondary school and determine the influence of science fair involvement on the development of language skills, writing skills, and higher order thinking skills as well as its impact on choice of a STEM major.

This study examined …

Scrutininzing Sexuality And Psychopathology: A Foucauldian Inspired Strategy For Qualitative Data Analysis, Valerie Harwood, Mary Lou Rasmussen

Valerie Harwood

No abstract provided.

The Role Of General Education In The Development Of Ethical Reasoning In College Students: A Qualitative Study On The Faculty Perspective, Deborah J. Erie

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Historically, colleges and universities saw their purpose as educating individuals to be productive, civic-minded individuals. General education was the curricular structure used to provide students with the skills and knowledge that promoted moral and ethical behavior. As societal forces changed the complexion of higher education, the singular purpose of a college education also changed.

There has been extensive research on the ethical and moral development of college students, but little research on the faculty role in the development of ethical reasoning in college students through general education coursework. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the attitudes of …

How College/University Administrators Handle The Disgruntled Parent, Loreal E. Robertson

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative study explored how student affairs and academic affairs professionals communicate with parents of undergraduate students who attend MidPointe University (MPU). The literature review indicates that there has been little research conducted on the nature of the interaction between college and university administrators and parents. Available research studies indicate that administrators communicate with parents with more frequency than expected, considering the past findings. Millennial students are sheltered, pressured, unique, and are overly involved (Howe & Strauss, 2007; Elam, Stratton & Gibson, 2007). Parents of today’s students are making an extra effort to be involved in the lives of their …

A Grounded Theory Study Investigating How Parents' Adolescent Experiences Influence Their Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Their Children's Middle School Education, Brenda Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore ways in which parents' past school experiences as adolescents influence their attitudes and behaviors toward their children's education. Three research questions related to parents' past experiences, current attitudes, and participation guided the study. Hope County School system (pseudonym), a suburban school system in the southeastern United States, was the setting for the study. Participants included 12 middle school parents. Three instruments were used for data collection: interviews, surveys, and reflective booklets. Data analysis was conducted using the grounded theory process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. From …

Role Clarity And Instructional Technology Support: A Naturalistic Examination Of Various Perceptions Of The Role Of The Itrt Within And Across Three High Schools, Ann Nash

Theses and Dissertations

Role clarity for any individual leads to more successful implementation of his or her job expectations. In a school, there are many individuals with various roles to fill. The Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) has multiple roles within a school including: training teachers, designing integrated curriculum, managing learning resources, modeling instructional strategies, acting as a technology resource, assisting content specialists, and preview and recommending software. This study found that stakeholders in schools consistently recognize the ITRT as both a trainer and designer of integrated lessons. Other instructional support roles are recognized only by some stakeholders in schools. When a greater …

Influences Of An Honors Program On Students At A Faith-Based University: A Qualitative Study, Carla Gaines

Master of Education Research Theses

American colleges and universities, including faith-based institutions, continue to actively recruit gifted college students through educational opportunities such as honors programs. Other research also indicates that the college campus context, challenging academic experiences, and diverse social interactions can have varying effects on students’ psychosocial development. Understanding the influences of these multiple factors on honors students can potentially provide insights into the effectiveness of these programs and their objectives. Using a qualitative research design, this study investigated the experiences and perceptions of honors students at a faith-based university. The participants indicated that through the honors program they were encouraged to pursue …

Climbing Into The Ivory Tower: A Look At Administrative Perspectives On Sexual Assault On The College Campus, Tasha Nichole Turner

Masters Theses

This study examines the attitudes of administrators about sexual violence on campus, as well as their knowledge of disciplinary policies and procedures to prevent and redress rape and sexual assault on campuses. This study begins the discussion about how administrators understand their current policies as well as the attitudes that may affect their understandings. I use Thematic Analysis to analyze responses to a series of open-ended questions surveying participants on their attitudes towards their universities policy and procedures for handling sexual assault. Findings suggest that the participants have overwhelming confidence in the established policies, the extent of their knowledge of …

Early Childhood Special Education In A Refugee Resettlement Community: Challenges And Innovative Practices, Jennifer J. Hurley, Rachel A. Warren, Rebecca D. Habalow, Lauren E. Weber, Sarah R. Tousignant

College of Education and Social Services Faculty Publications

There has been a significant increase in the number of children who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) who qualify for early childhood special education (ECSE) services (Banerjee & Guiberson, 2012). The current study investigates the challenges and innovative practices in the evaluation and (ECSE) services for preschool aged children who are refugees. Twenty-eight early childhood educators who work in a small refugee resettlement community participated in a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews resulting in themes regarding challenges and innovative practices. Challenges include: lack of validated assessments, wait time for evaluations, different cultural perspectives and family advocacy. Innovative practices include: …

Implementation Of Aquaponics In Education: An Assessment Of Challenges, Solutions And Success, Emily Rose Hart

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponic technology to grow both fish and plants together in a closed-loop system. While aquaponics can play a role in increasing food security, it may also be a potential educational tool because of its interdisciplinary nature and required technological skill set. With aquaponics, students could conduct hands-on activities involving chemistry, physics and biology to solidify their understanding of a range of theories. Beyond standard science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) principles, aquaponics may be related to projects on sustainability, environmental science, agriculture, the food system, health, economics, business and marketing. The interdisciplinary nature …

Facilitation Of Language Acquisition Viewed Through An Interpretative Lens: The Role Of Authenticity, Melanie Ann Harper

Wayne State University Dissertations

A paradigm is the conceptual framework or lens one uses to view reality. The field of speech-language pathology is traditionally rooted in the empirical paradigm, which believes that language can be fragmented into isolated skills and taught in a hierarchal fashion. This belief has resulted in service delivery models that remove students from naturalistic contexts for decontextualized exercises. Progress in language acquisition is measured objectively. The empirical belief is exemplified by the accountability requirements in special education law (e.g., IEP). It is compounded by the realities of public school speech-language pathologists (SLPs), such as high caseload numbers, multiple buildings, and …