Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Parental Involvement In Higher Education: Understanding The Concerns And Expectations Of The Parents Of College Students, Wilson Onu

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Parental involvement in higher education has become more prevalent on college campuses as evidenced by increased reports in news media, journalistic articles, and academic publications. Parents who play an active role in their children's day to day college experiences present a new challenge for college administrators who often find themselves attempting to address parents' concerns while being mindful of student development goals as well as complying with federal laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protect college students' privacy. Using Nietzsche's 'perspectivism' as a conceptual rationale and employing a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, this study …

A Case Study Of Gender Neutral Policies In University Housing, Josh Chave

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Gender neutral housing is an innovative new policy being developed in colleges around the country. One reason to create these policies is an attempt to meet the unique needs and challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. As the number of gender neutral housing policies in the United States continues to rise, research has been slow to meet the growing demand for empirical data on gender neutral housing.

The dissertation presented a case study of one institution. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with administrators, gender neutral housing committee members, residence life staff, and students. This dissertation examined the …

The Impact Of Politics On Education In Haiti: 1988-2008, Gertrude Joseph

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Education in Haiti has changed dramatically since 1988 as a result of political and social instability. Haiti has also experienced the exodus of families and children to other countries due to the country's instability. Many administrators, teachers, and policy makers who do not understand the changing elements in Haiti and its educational structure are not able to meet the needs of students in Haiti or Haitian students who relocate in other countries.

The research explored the impact of turbulent political changes in Haiti on education from 1988 to 2008; this period encompasses the first democratic election in 1990 and the …

Student Characteristics, Academic Self-Concept And Language Arts Literacy Performance In Traditional And Block Scheduling In Two Urban Schools, Luana Gipson-Bruce

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The effectiveness of language arts literacy (LAL) block scheduling on student achievement atid self-efficacy is a strategy of education reform. Language arts skills in urban schools is noted in the 1983 report "A Nation at Risk", which documents the seriousness of urban school literacy difficulties. In addition, state standardized requirements have attested to poor language arts performance in many minority schools.

The purpose of this study is to describe the demographic, health, academic self concept and student achievement of a 6& grade sample of 62 students in two urban schools, one which implements a traditional scheduling language arts program and …

Ethnographic Study Of Buddhist Education, Based On Burgess' Social Science Method At An American University And A Private Buddhist Organization, Wan-Ming Lu

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The literature shows that there are many studies about Buddhism in the United States and religion on college campuses, but few studies specifically about Buddhism in American universities. The purpose of this study is to explore how American college students approach and learn about Buddhism. A qualitative research study of clinical ethnography was applied to conduct this study at the Florida International University (FIU) and Florida Buddhist Association (FBA). FBA was chosen to compare with FIU so that the features of Buddhist education at FIU would be clearer.

Eight students and four teachers (instructors) were interviewed at FIU; and two …

The Brazilian Telenovela "El Clon": An Analysis Of Viewers' Online Vicarious And Virtual Learning Experiences, Elizabeth Barbosa

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This research involves investigating Brazilian telenovelas as a medium to disseminate knowledge about different cultures and customs. Through a qualitative content analysis this study examines messages posted in the "El Clon" telenovela-world forum with reference to the Muslim cultural theme explored by the telenovela.

The theoretical framework overarching this study is the combination of Bandura's social learning/cognitive theory and Freire's dialogical/participatory communication. In order to operationalize the study, a qualitative content analysis is undertaken utilizing the sub-dimension parasocial interaction model proposed by Sood & Rodgers (2000). The messages are analyzed in order to explore how forum participants engage in the …

Relationships Between Non-Linguistic Variables In Second Language Acquisition And The Attained English Language Proficiency Of Taiwanese University Students, Chihming Hsieh

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Second language acquisition (SLA) research, the study of how people learn to communicate in a language other than their native language, encompasses a broad range of questions from a wide variety of perspectives. One of the most widely recognized facts about SLA was that some individuals are more successful in learning a second language than are others (Gass & Selinker, 2001). Students with the same initial linguistic abilities, who receive the same education, even in the same institution, often do not achieve the same linguistic competency levels at program completion (Dornyei, 1998). This phenomenon cannot be explained purely by linguistic …

Middle School Student Responses To Family Health Questions: The Effects Of Family Caregiving On The Education Of Middle School Students With Family Health Issues, Constance T. Siskowski

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

More than currently recognized, family health situations, often compounded with family caregiving responsibilities, affect students' learning and academic performance. Three out of five middle school children (n=3,848) from a large, socio-economically and culturally diverse population sample, responded to the 88-question What Works Survey conducted in 2002, and indicated that someone needing special medical care lived either with them or close by them. Nearly two of five of these students (38.6%) documented that their learning is hindered as a result of their family health/caregiving situation. Among students with family health situations who reported hindered learning, only students who are Asian-Pacific Islanders …

The Study Of The Role And Effects Of Vocational Education On The Local Economic And Social Development In China, Chich-Jen Shieh

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined the relationship between vocational education and the development of regional social economy, as related to the background of the current reform of the vocational and educational system in China. It also reviewed and analyzed the reform of vocational educational systems in six regions in China. In particular, this study investigated the interrelationship between labor force resources, urban and rural vocational education and the development of social economy. The special phenomena accompanying vocational education and the economic development were illustrated. Research explored the importance and impact of vocational education on the economic and social development.

From this study, …

Looking Ahead: A Five-Year Plan For The Lynn University Athletic Department, John Mccarthy

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

As Athletic Director Dr. Richard Young retires from Lynn University during the summer of 2002, Lynn University athletics faces the challenge of transition in an ever-evolving National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Sunshine State Conference and University.

During the first 16 years of intercollegiate athletics, Lynn University has amassed an incredible 16 National Championships. During Dr. Young's nine-year tenure at the helm, the athletic program has made the transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to NCAA Division II, has made the transition into the Sunshine State Conference and has begun a Master's Degree program in Sports and Athletic …

A Study Of High School Summer Sports Camps: Is There A Way To Implement Summer Sports Camps At Lynn University That Will Benefit All Aspects Of The Overall Mission And Goals Of Lynn University, Tim Devinney

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Lynn University is a successful university in many phases. One area that Lynn excels in is athletics. The athletic department as a whole has won several national championships. Many programs are highly ranked nationally year after year. Within this success there is one aspect of college athletics that Lynn University does not have. There are no summer high school sports camps. Many other colleges utilize summer camps to aid their sports programs and universities as a whole.

This research project contains a comprehensive study concerning summer high school sports camps. First the nature and purpose of the study are discussed. …

A Study To Identify And Evaluate The Drop In Participation Of Sixteen To Twenty Year Olds In Physical Activity, Alison Claire Davies

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Factors That Effect The Course/Subject Selection Process Of High School Students Of African Descent, Denise-Bonnette Jones

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Advanced societies require technologically literate citizens who can solve problems, manage complexities, find and use resources, and learn and apply evolving technologies (Owen, 1997). Today's rapidly changing economy is defined by constantly evolving technologies and falling behind is a recipe for disaster (Augustine, 1997). At the forefront is a reality that for most people, particularly the youth, the period during and beyond high school is marked by important career decision-making tasks. Determining what to do next in their lives remains an important but arduous developmental task for the youth leaving secondary school. As the world of work becomes more complex …

Sexual Harassment Policies And Procedures In South Florida Community Colleges: Perceived Affects On Teaching Learning, Lyn J. Pont

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The purposes of this research were to determine: 1.) if sexual harassment policies, content, communication and subsequent related training, or lack thereof, subject South Florida community colleges to legal risk; and 2.) the perceptions of how sexual harassment policies and procedures affect students and faculty, their interactions, and how students learn and how faculty teaches, being mindful of a possible cultural component.

In determining if the sexual harassment policies and training subjected the colleges to legal risk, a sexual harassment policy and procedural grid was used to analyze the policies in place at all four South Florida community colleges. The …

A History Of Athletics: Lynn University And It's Predecessors, Chris Emerson

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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