Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Relationship Between Self-Directed Learning And Information Literacy Among Adult Learners In Higher Education, Tiffani Reneau Conner

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-directed learning and information literacy. Participants completed the Personal Orientation in Self-Directed Learning Scale ([PRO-SDLS], Stockdale, 2003) and the Information Literacy Test ([ILT], James Madison University, 2003). The PRO-SDLS is a self-report scale consisting of 25 statements about self-directed learning preferences in college classrooms. The ILT is a 60-item multiple-choice test that assesses the information literacy skills of college students. Correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regressions were used to test relationships and differences between self-directed learning and information literacy. Despite claims that teaching information literacy creates self-directed learners, composite scores …

Effects Of Summer School Transition Program And Grade Level On Seventh, Eighth, And Ninth Grade Students' Grades, Attendance, And Behavior, Katie Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative study sought to identify the effects of attending a summer school transition program and students' grade levels (seventh v. eighth v. ninth) on students' grades (based on course failures), attendance (based on students' absences), and behavior (based on number of behavioral office referrals). The students who participated in this study were identified as at-risk during one of three educational transitions: from elementary school to middle school, between seventh and eighth grade in the middle school, and from middle school to high school. As part of their elementary school to middle school, intra-middle school, or middle school to high …

Worldwide History And Philosophy Of Andragogy: 2012 Limited To English Language Documents, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

This paper on the History and Philosophy of Andragogy is mainly limited [with a few exceptions] to a chronological history and the accompanying philosophy of andragogy, in line with when the English language documents were published and personal descriptions of events were written down. Some of these documents, however, present aspects of the events and ideas which recount the years and contexts in which they appeared in published form. This will not be an exact history of the events and philosophy as they appear in chronological order. But, this will be presented in the general sequence of the years that …

School Board Members And The Underrepresentation Of Women In The Superintendency: A Case Study, Cherri S. Barker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The general purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how personal attitudes, values and beliefs of individual board members, and the culture of the community affect hiring decisions for the position of superintendent in rural West Texas as it relates to the underrepresentation of women in this position. Local school boards are responsible for selecting and hiring the superintendent of schools. Although most educators are women, women continue to be underrepresented in the superintendency. The research design of the study utilized a qualitative multi-site, multi-subject case study of 15 former school board members in eight rural West Texas school …

Gaining Insight Into Hispanic Students’ Postsecondary Plans, Neel A. Brown

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

While the growth of the Hispanic population in the United States is outpacing other ethnicities, college enrollment and graduation rates of Hispanic students continue to lag behind other groups. This longitudinal, qualitative case study explored when, how, and why a sample of Hispanic high school seniors at a large high school in North Central Texas made decisions regarding their postsecondary educational and career choices.

The foundation of this research relied on a series of 39 individual interviews with 13 Hispanic high school students over the course of their 2012 senior year. Analysis of the data uncovered themes regarding family influence, …

The Effect Of School Wide Positive Behavior Support, William Royal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effect of the implementation of a School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) Program on teacher morale. This quantitative study used the Perdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO) to survey the faculties for two rural, Title I middle schools in Tennessee. Middle School 1 implemented the SWPBS program. Middle School 2 was the control group. The surveys were given to each school's faculty before implementation and after implementation at Middle School 1. The study examined the changes in the opinions of the two faculties for each of seven factors, rapport with the principal, satisfaction with teaching, salary, teaching load, …

The Relationship Between Principal's Emotional Intelligence Quotient, School Culture, And Student Achievement, Jeff Noe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between secondary school principal's emotional intelligence quotient, school culture, and student achievement. Partial correlation was conducted to examine the degree of relationships between principal's emotional intelligence quotient and school culture controlling for the effect of student achievement, and between principal's emotional intelligence quotient and student achievement controlling for school culture. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine the combined effect of principal's emotional intelligence quotient and school culture on student achievement. The study population consisted of secondary school principals and teachers within Virginia Department of Education's Region VII. Quantitative data …

Nature Versus Nurture: Campus Involvement’S Effect On Student Leadership Development, Stephanie Souvenir

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to find if leadership skills are developed from co-curricular involvement. Research would determine whether natural-born leaders were drawn to student involvement opportunities, or whether involvement develops the average students’ leadership skills. To arrive at a conclusion, research asked the question “Does involvement on a college campus develop leadership skills?” Research was answered by quantitative research. Fifty undergraduate students from a private Midwestern university were surveyed. Each participant was given two assessments. One was a leadership self-assessment and another was a campus involvement assessment. The campus involvement assessment was created for the purpose of this …

The Effect Of Implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Student Misbehavior In A Large Urban High School, John Power

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect that implementing School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) had on student misbehavior as determined by Office Discipline Referrals, chronic student misbehavior, In School and Out of School Suspensions assignments, and student tardy referrals in a large urban high school. School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a systematic, proactive, preventive, research-based approach that has shown to reduce student misbehavior when implemented with fidelity. The study focused on the Primary Prevention Tier of SWPBIS to prevent and reduce student misbehavior. The study attempted to answer the question is School-wide …

Single-Sex Education Versus Coeducation In North Georgia Public Middle Schools, Catherine Blake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The U.S. Department of Education is giving more liberties to school districts to offer single-sex schools in order to adequately serve the needs of students. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to test the theory of students' performances based on their educational environment by comparing students who received instruction in a single gender classroom in a public middle school compared to students who received instruction in a mixed gender classroom in a public middle school. The achievement test, Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test, was used with each site school. There were two years of data collected with the …

Concussions And Student Sports: A 'Silent Epidemic', Susan C. Davies, Charles J. Russo, Allan G. Osborne

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

An issue that has gained attention concerns concussions among student–athletes in elementary and secondary schools. In fact, in light of the “silent epidemic” of concussions among student–athletes, in the six month period ending in August of 2011, the number of states that enacted statutes on concussion management jumped from eleven to thirty–one and the list of jurisdictions with laws in place continues to grow.

Based on the significance of concussion management, the remainder of this article is divided into two sections. The first part of the article examines the background on concussions while the second offers recommendations for concussion management …

Problematic Students Of Nasp-Approved Programs: An Exploratory Study Of Graduate Student Views, Leasha Trimble, Sandra Stroebel, Fred Krieg, Robert Rubenstein

Robert L. Rubenstein

This study reports the findings of an electronic exploratory survey of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Student Representatives. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the perspective of graduate students concerning problematic peers and their experiences with them in school psychology training programs. Findings suggest that (a) students are unsure whether or not their training programs have an official procedure in place for dealing with problematic students; (b) the problems they observe most commonly involve poor interpersonal skills; (c) consistent with other mental health programs, school psychology graduate students most often talk with their peers or …

Problematic Students Of Nasp-Approved Programs: An Exploratory Study Of Graduate Student Views, Leasha Trimble, Sandra Stroebel, Fred Krieg, Robert Rubenstein

Fred Jay Krieg

This study reports the findings of an electronic exploratory survey of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Student Representatives. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the perspective of graduate students concerning problematic peers and their experiences with them in school psychology training programs. Findings suggest that (a) students are unsure whether or not their training programs have an official procedure in place for dealing with problematic students; (b) the problems they observe most commonly involve poor interpersonal skills; (c) consistent with other mental health programs, school psychology graduate students most often talk with their peers or …

Problematic Students Of Nasp-Approved Programs: An Exploratory Study Of Graduate Student Views, Leasha Trimble, Sandra Stroebel, Fred Krieg, Robert Rubenstein

Sandra S. Stroebel

This study reports the findings of an electronic exploratory survey of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Student Representatives. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the perspective of graduate students concerning problematic peers and their experiences with them in school psychology training programs. Findings suggest that (a) students are unsure whether or not their training programs have an official procedure in place for dealing with problematic students; (b) the problems they observe most commonly involve poor interpersonal skills; (c) consistent with other mental health programs, school psychology graduate students most often talk with their peers or …

Creating Opportunities Or Building Barriers: Framing Policy For Placement Testing As An Impactful Part Of The First-Year Experience, Megan Beach, Karin Ann Lewis

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

Placement tests are an integral aspect of the first-year experience. As policymakers seek to raise high school standards and ensure that more students graduate prepared for the academic rigor of college, placement tests are being called upon to serve new purposes. Placement tests are touted for their ability to predict college success, but do these tests really measure student attainment of specific college readiness skills? How can they fit with or contribute to institutional initiatives?

Self-Efficacy And Classroom Management: A Correlation Study Regarding The Factors That Influence Classroom Management, Stephanie Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Classroom management has proved to be a plaguing aspect of the teaching and learning process over the past century. This single skill has heavily contributed to teacher stress and burnout (Gordon, 2002;Jepson & Forrest, 2006), teacher turnover (Ritter & Hancock, 2007; Rosas & West, 2009), overall teacher self-efficacy (Caprara, Barbaranelli, Borgogni, & Steca, 2003; Edwards, Green, & Lyons, 2002), student achievement and teacher performance in the classroom (Edwards et al., 2002; Milner, 2002; Poulou, 2007), and is commonly a major concern of principals regarding new teachers (Principal Perspectives, 2004; Williams, 1976). The purpose of the study was to determine if …

Perceived Efficacy Of Beginning Teachers To Differentiate Instruction, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of teacher efficacy (10 item survey, alpha = .90) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Research questions addressed levels of self-efficacy, perceptions of preparedness, teaching tenure, and number of certifications held. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. No significant relationships were found for tenure and …

School Reform Initiatives: Their Impact On Teacher Burnout And Perceptions Of Efficacy, W. Wesley Cottongim

Dissertations

This study involving 2,478 teachers from south central Kentucky sought to determine the impact school improvement initiatives have on a teacher. More specifically, it explored how experiencing school improvement initiatives affect the measured levels of burnout and self-efficacy of a teacher.

Participants (n = 2,478) of this study came from school districts within the south central region of Kentucky. The participating districts were selected due to varying sizes of enrollments and the number of employed teachers. Participants were invited to participate in this study via an email invitation. Two previously published instruments were used. Participants were first asked to provide …

Time For Learning, Kris A. Monahan

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Learning takes time, but providing time does not in itself ensure that learning will take place (Carroll, 1963; Stallings & Kaskowitz, 1974; Anderson, 1981; Aronson, Zimmer & Carlos, 1999; Berliner, 1990; Kidder et. al., 1975). We need to examine more closely how students are using time and which conditions maximize student engagement. As schools continue to struggle with meeting state and national standards using traditional educational pedagogies and structures, whole school reforms are often implemented to improve student learning and success. While several studies have attempted to begin this exploration, few, if any, actually ask students about their experiences, perspectives, …

School Change: Adolescents Transitioning From Conventional Schooling To Home-Based Online Education, Harvey Klamm

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of six recently graduated adolescents to extrapolate the valued essence of their transitional encounters in changing from conventional school to home-based online schooling. The homeschool research shifted the emphasis from the outcome-based academic achievement studies prevalent during the past 20 years to a focus on internal and external factors impacting student learning within this technological instructional process. Findings produced from analysis and interpretation of reflective adolescent lived experiences revealed rich truth regarding the internal emotions, environmental adaptations, academic ramifications, and social adaptations encountered when changing from conventional schooling to home-based online school. …

The Relationship Between Academic Achievement And School-Based Mental Health Services For Middle School Students, Lisa Ogle Williams

Dissertations

Mental health issues among American adolescents and children can negatively impact their potential for school success. As many as 10% of students among the general education population suffer from psychiatric disorders, yet only between 1% and 5% of those students are being served. The effects of mental health difficulties are problematic for students because they negatively impact academic performance, behavior, attendance, and school violence (Whelley, Cash, & Bryson, 2003). There are often barriers to academic performance relative to psychiatric illness and problems that include inadequate health insurance coverage, lack of transportation, shortages of child mental health professionals, and stigmas associated …

Teacher Perceptions Regarding Positive Behavior Intervention Support, Lawanda Joy Singleton Thornton

Dissertations

Almost every school uses positive behavior intervention support (PBIS) to not only increase students’ academic achievements but also their behavioral and social/emotional needs. The participants in the study were a random sample of K-12 public school teachers in the state of Mississippi; the instrumentation was a 32-question teacher perception survey.

For this study, teacher perceptions regarding PBIS were linked to five research questions. Following are the research questions with their findings with the level of significance set at the .05 level:

RQ1 Is there a relationship between the perception of PBIS and the number of years of teaching experience at …

What Influences Principal Perceptions Of Bullying?, Matthew Benjamin Alred

Dissertations

Bullying is a wide-spread problem that affects millions of students every day. School bullying is a serious social issue that can have both short-term and long-term devastating effects on the victims, bullies, and bystanders. Federal, state, and local agencies have created policies to address school bullying. However, the school principal has the most pivotal role in reducing the incidents of bullying and appropriately intervening in incidents that do occur. Furthermore, the principal is the most empowered by his or her role to bring about change to the school’s climate and culture which are key factors in the prevalence of bullying. …

An Investigation In The Development Of Europe's Erasmus Internship Policy, Frank Cullen

Articles

The involvement of the School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology in international mobility for work placement has experienced exponential growth over the past five years with the assistance of European Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus funding for European internships. The main purpose behind the European Commission funding ventures for internship (experiential learning) is to enhance the students’ cultural awareness, cultivate their language skills and develop their professionalism in their field of study. This paper provide an overview of the development of Erasmus internship and relationship between the the European Commission, the HEA, and DIT.

Preparing Students For Careers That Do Not Yet Exist, Glenn W. "Max" Mcgee

Publications & Research

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), as a self-described "teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry," has a history of pursuing innovations closely aligned with the vision and framework of the National Science Education Standards. Innovations include both methods and materials for inquiry-based student instruction as well as for delivering professional development for pre-service and practicing teachers. Instructional innovations described include yearlong student inquiry and research projects (SIR), self-paced physics instruction, student-driven energy and engineering projects, instruction in innovation and entrepreneurialism, and a host of student-led outreach activities to "ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds of students …

Evaluating The Impact Of The Beginning Teacher Induction Program On The Retention Rate Of Beginning Teachers, Adriane Lenette Watkins Mingo

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examined the Beginning Teacher Induction Program of a rural school system in North Carolina. The effects of mentoring, induction sessions, administrative support, ongoing staff development, and other support offered at the system level to beginning teachers were carefully analyzed.

The researcher used eight themes based on the objectives of the school system's Beginning Teacher Support Program: improving beginning teachers' skills and performance; supporting teacher morale; communications; collegiality; building a sense of professionalism and positive attitude; facilitating a smooth transition into the first and second years of teaching; putting theory into practice; preventing teacher isolation; building self-reflection; and retaining …

Cultural Immersion Experience In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Susan C. Davies, Autumn La Riche

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

This past summer, the University of Dayton offered its first study abroad course for graduate students in the Department of Counselor Education and Human Services (EDC). Eight school psychology graduate students, three students from other EDC programs, and two faculty members spent two weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina learning about their educational system and experiencing firsthand what it feels like to be immersed in another culture.

Understanding Early Faculty Experience: On Becoming Teachers, Scholars, And Community Members, Michele M. Welkener, Michelle Flaum Hall, Mary I. Grilliot

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

This article focuses on findings from a qualitative study of the experiences of pretenured faculty within their first two years in the academy. The authors share narratives from faculty participants who are diverse in their disciplinary backgrounds and prior experiences, focusing on the expectations they had upon entering the profession, the challenges they encountered, and what they found helpful for meeting the many demands of faculty life. Their stories provide evidence of the enduring need for faculty learning communities. Implications of this work can inform the efforts of faculty developers, college and university administrators, and anyone with an interest in …

Can They Teach? A Look At How Professors Learn To Educate, Dr. Roger Hiemstra, Elisabeth S. Mccaffery

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The purpose of this research project was to examine ways in which higher education professors are trained to teach. Eight professors from a small, liberal arts college in the northeast, who were also recipients of the college’s annual Teacher of the Year award, were observed in the classroom and interviewed about their educational training and background. By following the strategies of inductive reasoning and synthesizing these professors’ experiences and reflections, The author determined that many professors do not receive formal teaching training. The majority of the professors claimed to have learned to teach by trial and error and by emulating …

Research On The Use Of Learning And Degree Contracts Within University And Other Settings In Italy And The Usa, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

This paper presents some of the benefits of using learning contracts by some in the USA who have used them for many years, and others in Italy who had never used them, but were beginning to experiment with using them. Illustrations of results were provided by colleagues from both countries, comparisons were made between the two, and lessons learned from the experience were shared. There is a very different perspective between using them over a long period of time and just beginning to use them. However, the keenest insight is that they are beneficial at each stage along the way, …