The Application Of Adult Learning Principles In Effective Preaching,
2011
Walden University
The Application Of Adult Learning Principles In Effective Preaching, Randall C. Deville
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Evidence suggests that a disconnect is growing between the information provided in Christian sermons and the life challenges faced by those church attendees. To bridge that divide, the purpose of this study was to better understand the characteristics of a sermon that enhance learning for churchgoers in Christian churches. The guiding question focused on churchgoing adults' perception of the sermon. Additional sub questions explored the relationship of the principles of adult learning, communication theory, and ambient teaching with churchgoers' and preachers' experiences with sermons. A qualitative case study design included one-on-one interviews with 5 preachers, 5 focus groups with 9 …
National Music Education Standards And Adherence To Bloom's Revised Taxonomy,
2011
Walden University
National Music Education Standards And Adherence To Bloom's Revised Taxonomy, Vada M. Coleman
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Pressures from education reforms have contributed to the need for music educators to embrace new and diverse instructional strategies to enhance the learning environment. Music teachers need to understand the pedagogy of teaching and learning and how these affect their praxis. The purpose of this multiple case evaluative study was to investigate the instructional methods used in 10 middle school general music programs to assist students in obtaining the National Standards for Music Education. Bloom's revised taxonomy was the theoretical framework used to evaluate the teaching praxis of the participating teachers. The research questions for the study addressed the effectiveness …
The Effect Of Elementary Mathematics Coaching On Student Achievement In Fourth, Fifth, And Sixth Grade,
2011
Walden University
The Effect Of Elementary Mathematics Coaching On Student Achievement In Fourth, Fifth, And Sixth Grade, Stewart, Merita Trimuel Stewart
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Due to recent waivers and current expectations of teacher performance, schools have been tasked to close their student achievement gaps in mathematics by 2014. Yet students still have not performed well in mathematics, which may be a direct link to teachers' instructional practices. Identifying a coaching model to improve student achievement and teachers' instructional practices is important to district leaders, school administrators, and teachers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how a coaching practice with teachers affected student achievement in elementary mathematics. The theoretical foundation of this study was the coaching model, first used by Joyce and Showers, …
Emotional Intelligence And Graduate Student Satisfaction At Online Institutions Of Higher Education,
2011
Walden University
Emotional Intelligence And Graduate Student Satisfaction At Online Institutions Of Higher Education, Christa Thompson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The effect of emotional intelligence (EI) among students in education settings could prove essential to determining the needs of student satisfaction leading to retention and graduation. However, lack of research has yet to determine whether EI is an important factor of student satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to determine whether a relationship exists between EI in graduate students and satisfaction with their overall academic experience at their online institution of higher education. Participants included graduate students enrolled in a masters' or doctoral program at an online institution of higher education. They were surveyed to measure their …
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cross Grade Level Collaboration To Improve Collegial Interactions,
2011
Walden University
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cross Grade Level Collaboration To Improve Collegial Interactions, Fidelia Johnson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Researchers have connected student achievement to teacher collaboration; however, there is a paucity of studies conducted on how teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions to achieve better student performance, professional development, teacher effectiveness, and job satisfaction. The purpose of this case study was to investigate how rural southeast Georgia elementary school teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions. The theory of collegial coaching provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions focused on improving teacher effectiveness and student learning via collaborative …
The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Literacy Achievement Of Secondary Students,
2011
Walden University
The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Literacy Achievement Of Secondary Students, David P. Jones
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Proficiency in language arts and communication skills is essential to success in the global workforce. Most states assess students in language arts literacy (LAL) through standardized tests that assess a student's ability to read, interpret literature, and write expressively. Although educational reformers strive to improve the foundations that prepare students in literacy, reforms have not fully incorporated the theory of emotional intelligence (EI), which explains a student's ability to use, understand, perceive, and manage their emotions in order to think critically, make decisions, and solve problems. Although it is not known whether EI directly correlates to literacy, emotional skills are …
Content Area Literacy: Relationship Between Lesson Design And Professional Development,
2011
Walden University
Content Area Literacy: Relationship Between Lesson Design And Professional Development, Jodi Owens-Kristenson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite Minnesota's investment in professional development in content area literacy, secondary students are not showing expected literacy gains. A lack of literacy proficiency limits future options for students. The purpose of this study was to examine content-area literacy strategy inclusion and its relationship to professional development in the context of complexity theory, efficacy theory, transformational learning theory, structured teaching, and constructivism. A cross-section correlation survey research study was conducted to investigate the relationship of time spent in systematic professional development, type of professional development, rate of strategy inclusion, and confidence in literacy strategy inclusion in lesson design. Convenience sampling was …
Leadership Styles And Faculty Satisfaction In The State University System Of Florida,
2011
Walden University
Leadership Styles And Faculty Satisfaction In The State University System Of Florida, Justin Ted Bateh
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Universities must retain satisfied employees to enhance productivity and reduce turnover. Leadership represents one of the fundamental factors in job satisfaction. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between perceived academic administrator leadership styles and the satisfaction of faculty members. The independent variables were the transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant leadership styles of academic administrators as evaluated by faculty members. The dependent variable was job satisfaction of full-time faculty members. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used to identify the leadership style of an administrator as perceived by faculty members. Spector's Job Satisfaction Survey was used to assess …
A Case Study Investigating Teachers' Knowledge And Implementation Of Response To Intervention,
2011
Walden University
A Case Study Investigating Teachers' Knowledge And Implementation Of Response To Intervention, Regina Sims
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The local school district in the current study was struggling to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) targets in reading because secondary students were scoring below the basic level in reading and their content area teachers had little or no training in reading deficiencies. What had been speculated, yet never tested, was the utility of teacher training in research-based reading programs and interventions on increasing reading achievement scores. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine issues hampering RTI implementation. This case study focused on analyzing the perceptions of secondary RTI teachers within an urban school district in Texas. …
Factors That Influence Special Education Teachers' Career Decisions In A Rural School District In Southern Indiana,
2011
Walden University
Factors That Influence Special Education Teachers' Career Decisions In A Rural School District In Southern Indiana, Theresa Lemons
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Attrition of special education teachers is a national problem resulting in lost monetary resources, school climate discontinuity, and lower student achievement. Within a small, rural district in southern Indiana, special education teacher attrition has risen since 2008 and continues to rise. District administrators want to retain teachers to ensure a continuity of instructional services for students with special needs. To explore this problem, an intrinsic qualitative case study was employed, guided by a research question that investigated the factors that special education teachers and administrators perceived as influencing special educators' career decisions. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Billingsley's schematic representation of …
Increasing Students' Academic Involvement: Chilean Teacher Engagement With Learners In Blended English As A Foreign Language Courses,
2011
Walden University
Increasing Students' Academic Involvement: Chilean Teacher Engagement With Learners In Blended English As A Foreign Language Courses, Christopher P. Johnson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Learning English as a foreign language (EFL), a highly valued skill in the Chilean marketplace, is an arduous and complex personal endeavor requiring high student motivation. Reflecting this challenge is the heightened anxiety among EFL students, whose work has been associated with historically meager results. Blended learning, the fusion of face-to-face and online content delivery and assessment, offers a promising solution to EFL learner reticence. Evidence suggests that an active online teacher presence in a blended EFL course can enhance student engagement. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of EFL instructional specialists concerning (a) student involvement …
Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Writing Achievement,
2011
Walden University
Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Writing Achievement, Jacqueline Hilary Blackmore
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Past research has shown that learner-centered environments can improve students' self-esteem and increase their academic skills. The purpose of this study was to determine whether teaching the core curriculum within a caring classroom environment increases students ability to communicate effectively and perform at higher achievement levels in writing. The study addressed the experiences of teachers in implementing a new writing program with a strong emphasis on social skill development as a precursor to good writing. Guided by the social learning theories of Dewey, Rogers, and Vygotsky, who contended that social interaction is vital to the development of cognition, a qualitative …
The Relationship Of Faculty Demographics And Attitudes Toward Technology Integration,
2011
Walden University
The Relationship Of Faculty Demographics And Attitudes Toward Technology Integration, Brian Michael Mckinley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Stakeholders in a midsized rural high school district were concerned that faculty failure to integrate educational technologies into instruction was adversely affecting student performance as measured by recent state mandated test scores. The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships existed between faculty age, gender, tenure, and overall attitude toward technology, and the implementation of technology into classroom instruction. Dewey's and Knowles' theories of adult learning were used as theoretical frameworks because they emphasize the practical application of knowledge in the transfer of learning. The research design was a one-time cross-sectional survey of teachers within the district. The …
The Effects Of Principal Leadership Behavior On New Teachers' Overall Job Satisfaction,
2011
Walden University
The Effects Of Principal Leadership Behavior On New Teachers' Overall Job Satisfaction, Sherree L. Thomas
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Teacher attrition has become a concern at local, state, and national levels. As a result, a number of researchers have examined the factors that affect teacher job satisfaction and retention. However, in spite of all the efforts in research to find a solution, problems associated with teacher attrition have not significantly improved. This study was developed to examine new teachers' job satisfaction as based on their perceptions of principals' transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. Hezberg, Maunser, and Snyderman's 2-factor theory and Burns's and Bass's transformational and transactional leadership theory guided the research questions. A convenience sample of 71 new teachers …
Influential Factors That Affect Retention And Language Acquisition In Beginning Esl Adults Students,
2011
Walden University
Influential Factors That Affect Retention And Language Acquisition In Beginning Esl Adults Students, Luis Manuel Rodriguez-Garcia
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study explored the problem of student attrition in beginning courses of an Intensive English Program (IEP) that may affect the sustainability of the IEP. The purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions of continuing students and the factors that influenced their motivation and engagement to persist studying in the IEP. Constructivism and behavioral social learning theory guided this study. The research problem addressed the need for students to remain in IEPs and achieve second language acquisition. The research questions were designed to learn what instructional approaches motivated and engaged participants to persist in successive introductory courses. A …
A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Unique Experience Of Male Elementary Teachers,
2011
Walden University
A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Unique Experience Of Male Elementary Teachers, Alberta N. Richardson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The percentage of male teachers is at its lowest number in 40 years. The problem is that fewer males are choosing elementary teaching as a career choice. As a result, many elementary students rarely see a male teacher during their formative education years. This issue is a concern for superintendents, college of education deans, recruiters, school administrators, and parents whose children are not being exposed to a diverse teacher workforce that includes male elementary teachers. The purpose of this study was to better define and understand the unique experiences of male elementary teachers in today's classroom. The conceptual framework for …
Background And Leadership Traits To Effectively Lead Faculty Senates In California Community Colleges,
2011
Walden University
Background And Leadership Traits To Effectively Lead Faculty Senates In California Community Colleges, Julie Adams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Although the major responsibility for community college governance falls to presidents and administrators, researchers have recognized the integral role of faculty in governing higher education institutions. Few studies, however, have explored the effectiveness of contributions of faculty elected to community college academic senates. The purpose of this research was to investigate the background traits and leadership skills of elected academic senate presidents in order to identify both their perceptions of themselves as leaders and the perceptions of other faculty senate members. This study was based in the theory of transformational leadership in organizations and its impact on the effectiveness of …
Technology Strategies In The Classroom After Completing Professional Development,
2011
Walden University
Technology Strategies In The Classroom After Completing Professional Development, Peggy B. Johnson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In a school district, teachers and administrators found that students lacked the academic technology immersion necessary to ensure their technological preparation for the 21st century. Professional development was offered to prepare teachers to integrate 21st century technology into their instruction; however, teachers were not fully implementing technology. Administrators and stakeholders have indicated concern. The purpose of this study was to explore whether professional development was effective in increasing teachers' capacity to integrate student-directed technology into instruction. The study, guided by Prensky's transformation and Siemen's connectiveness theories, indicated that technology immersion was necessary within schools. The overarching research questions explored the …
Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Young Adults With Learning Disabilities,
2011
Walden University
Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Young Adults With Learning Disabilities, Karin Ann Marie Coles
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Positive academic self-efficacy beliefs are associated with increased motivation, higher levels of persistence, and overall academic success. There is a gap in the literature regarding how young adult learners with identified learning disabilities who are also enrolled in postsecondary education characterize their development of academic self-efficacy beliefs and corresponding adaptive coping skills. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to develop a meaningful understanding of the lived experiences of young adult students with learning disabilities in the development of their self-efficacy beliefs and adaptive coping skills. Social learning theory, particularly the self-efficacy belief components, was the guiding conceptual framework for …
The Transition From High School To College In Texas: Hispanic Students On The U.S.-Mexico Border Redefining College Readiness,
2011
University of Texas at El Paso
The Transition From High School To College In Texas: Hispanic Students On The U.S.-Mexico Border Redefining College Readiness, Hector Hernandez Jr.
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
This study addresses the barriers and challenges that could potentially impede successful high school-to-college transitions for Hispanic high school students on the U.S.-México border from the perspective of Hispanic youth. U.S. demographical data indicates that the Hispanic population continues to grow at a rapid pace and accounts for the majority of the U.S. population growth in the last decade (Fry & Gonzales, 2008). Hispanics have been identified not only as the fastest growing ethnic group, but also as highly underrepresented in institutions of higher learning. While numerous perspectives and descriptions of this phenomenon have been advanced by scholars, practitioners, and …
