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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant Apr 2012

Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examined music-integrated (MI) instruction, framed by automatic information processing theory and elements of prosody. A quasi-experimental, pre- and posttest design was utilized to ascertain the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency among first grade students. Subjects were students in two public elementary schools in Georgia. To determine the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency scores, independent samples t-tests were employed to compare students' Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) test scores. Analysis revealed to what degree MI instruction in reading had effect upon two DIBELS indicators, specifically nonsense word fluency (NWF) and phoneme segmentation fluency …


The Relationship Between Text Message Volume And Formal Writing Performance Among Upper Level High School Students And College Freshmen, Brian Wardyga Apr 2012

The Relationship Between Text Message Volume And Formal Writing Performance Among Upper Level High School Students And College Freshmen, Brian Wardyga

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to reveal whether there is a relationship between students' volume of text messaging and formal writing performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test writing section. The study also examined gender as a contributing variable in this measure. As a supplementary correlation, student text message volume was also compared to their Writing I course final grade. The study focused solely on texting because texting has become the preferred method of telecommunication among teens and young adults (Lindley, 2008, p. 19). The design included a questionnaire that collected data to show whether any relationships exist that indicate …


The Correlation Between The Three Reading Fluency Subskills And Reading Comprehension In At-Risk Adolescent Readers, Craig Courbron Apr 2012

The Correlation Between The Three Reading Fluency Subskills And Reading Comprehension In At-Risk Adolescent Readers, Craig Courbron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine which of the three reading fluency subskills were most strongly correlated with reading comprehension in adolescent at-risk readers. The participants were 82 adolescent males (ages 13-19) who had been committed to a juvenile detention facility. Archival data from a two-year period was collected from a maximum security juvenile detention facility in a rural section of the Northeastern United States. The Measures of Academic Progress test was used to collect reading comprehension data; the Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 test was used to collect reading speed and reading accuracy data; the Multidimensional Fluency Scale was …


Examining Factors That Predict School Psychologists' Perceptions Of The Response To Intervention Process, Terry Bullock Apr 2012

Examining Factors That Predict School Psychologists' Perceptions Of The Response To Intervention Process, Terry Bullock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With increasing emphasis on accountability measures and widespread focus on implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) procedures in schools, it is critical to examine the impact these changes have on the role of practitioners involved in the process. This correlational study examined the factors of school psychologists' involvement in RtI, degree level, and years of experience to determine which of these best predict school psychologists' perceptions of the RtI process. Using information from the literature regarding RtI, the researcher's experience working as a school psychologist and with RtI, and review of a previous survey that examined RtI, an instrument was …


Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom Apr 2012

Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of Native Americans entering college is higher now than it has been over the past 40 years; however, the degree completion rate has been less than half that of White students. This research study was a bounded case study of Native American students enrolled in the teacher education program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the perceived factors influencing the retention rate of Native American college students. Some of the theoretical models that explain why students stay or leave an institution before earning a college degree look more toward explaining this phenomenon in a …


A Values Comparison Of Liberty University Freshmen, Steve R. Vandegriff Apr 2012

A Values Comparison Of Liberty University Freshmen, Steve R. Vandegriff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been debate over generally accepted values, not only in the context of education, but also within the context of those who are considered people of faith. This study is an investigation to determine if there are any differences between the two contexts, with responses being drawn from students enrolled in a required introductory university course on the campus of a Christian university. The variables of this study will be gender and ethnicity, giving a picture of student values, prior to being influenced by university pedagogy. A survey was made available by Hogan Assessments, self-titled as Motives, Values Preferences …


The Long-Term Social & Emotional Outcomes Of Subject-Area Acceleration On Gifted Learners, Dana King Apr 2012

The Long-Term Social & Emotional Outcomes Of Subject-Area Acceleration On Gifted Learners, Dana King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study utilizing transcendental phenomenology methods sought to understand the long-term social and emotional outcomes associated with subject-area acceleration. The participants were high school gifted juniors and seniors from one rural high school the southeastern United States. Data was collected through surveys, individual interviews, and focus group interviews. The rich details produced by this study enabled the researcher to construct a voice for this population by analyzing overarching themes emerging from surveys and interviews. The results of this study indicated that participants experienced primarily positive social and emotional outcomes of subject-area acceleration. The study will help guide teachers, …


The Impact Of Georgia's Esol Endorsement On Teachers' Attitudes And Secondary English Language Learners (Ells)' Achievement, Traci Mcbride Apr 2012

The Impact Of Georgia's Esol Endorsement On Teachers' Attitudes And Secondary English Language Learners (Ells)' Achievement, Traci Mcbride

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As school districts are facing increasing pressure to meet annual yearly progress goals based upon the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001), teacher preparation and effectiveness, especially in teaching specific subgroups, is an issue that resonates with many educators today. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined the impact teachers who have obtained an ESOL endorsement have on standardized test scores in six high schools within one district in northeast Georgia. Additionally, the researcher compared teachers' attitudes and perceptions of six themes towards ELL inclusion in their mainstream classrooms in these same schools with findings from the original survey designed by Reeves …


Why Students Are Choosing Not To Participate In Honors And Advanced Placement Classes: The Phenomenon In One Georgia High School, Susan Buice Apr 2012

Why Students Are Choosing Not To Participate In Honors And Advanced Placement Classes: The Phenomenon In One Georgia High School, Susan Buice

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine the causes for high school students' decisions not to enroll in Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. This study is a transcendental phenomenology whose participants are students who have been determined to be potentially successful in Advanced Placement classes by the AP Potential publication but who have chosen not to take any advanced classes. I will use an initial interest survey, individual interviews, and focus groups in order to gain knowledge from the students about their reasons for choosing not to participate in the Honors/AP classes. After coding the responses, I will …


Relationships Between Educators' Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Administrators' Gender, Stephanie Potter Apr 2012

Relationships Between Educators' Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Administrators' Gender, Stephanie Potter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the differences between teachers' mean job satisfaction scores based on the administrators' gender and examine the relationship between the administrators' gender and teachers' organizational commitment plans in Tennessee middle schools. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment was measured by the Tennessee Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Survey that was administered online and completed by Tennessee teachers voluntarily and anonymously. A stratified random selection of schools based on the administrator's gender (female, n = 85; male, n = 85) was selected (N = 170) from those achieving the predetermined response criteria …


A Heuristic Inquiry Into The Stress That Home Educators Experience, Jennifer Rathmell Apr 2012

A Heuristic Inquiry Into The Stress That Home Educators Experience, Jennifer Rathmell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the stress that families incur when they choose home education as their primary educational method. Extensive studies exist regarding stress that traditional education teacher's experience. However, the research on stress experienced by parents who are the primary educators of their children is limited. This study endeavored to provide insight and add to the home-education body of research. Using a heuristic inquiry research design, nine home educators participated in four data collection methods: a homeschool questionnaire, The Occupational Stress Inventory - Revised (OSI-R), a focus group, and individual interviews. …


The Effect Different Synchronous Computer Mediums Have On Distance Education Graduate Students' Sense Of Community And Feelings Of Loneliness, Lorene Heuvelman-Hutchinson Apr 2012

The Effect Different Synchronous Computer Mediums Have On Distance Education Graduate Students' Sense Of Community And Feelings Of Loneliness, Lorene Heuvelman-Hutchinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Because distance education is such a rapidly developing educational venue, knowing what factors impact success must be known. Loneliness and sense of connectedness, or community, are issues facing graduate distance education students. These issues may influence retention. The theoretical framework of a Community of Practice assisted in understanding the development of community using computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems. The research questions answered included whether the type of synchronous CMC used (text- or video-based) could impact loneliness and community from a distance. An experimental design (randomized subjects, control group, posttest only) was used with distance education graduate students to address the research …


What Do Middle School Boys Read? An Observation Of Middle School Boys' Reading Choices, Sheilah Cooper Barnett Mar 2012

What Do Middle School Boys Read? An Observation Of Middle School Boys' Reading Choices, Sheilah Cooper Barnett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study investigated what current middle school boys are reading. The purpose of this study was to gain information that would aid educators in providing those reading materials and communicating with male students concerning their reading habits. Six middle school males were chosen for this study, which utilized a phenomenological approach to capture individual experiences. Results showed that boys do read, but they often read materials which educators do not generally accept as valid reading material, such as magazines. Boys often do not view themselves as readers. Males enjoy books with a lot of action and prefer to observe …