Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Mandated Continuing Education And The Competency Of Illinois Physical Therapists, Denise Lynn Hunter Ethington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Continuing education (CE) mandate laws are passed by states because it is in the public interest. The intent behind the passage of Illinois's CE law for physical therapists is to protect public health and safety through ensuring the competency of providers. However, studies into the impact of mandated CE on competency have been mixed. The problem addressed by this study was whether Illinois's CE law was effective in improving the competency of physical therapists and its impact on patient care. The purpose of this study was to understand what role mandated CE played in developing the competency of physical therapists …

Teachers' Narratives On Turnover In Focus County Schools, Deonne Beckwith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Focus County School District in the Mideast United States experienced a 12% teacher turnover rate over the last 2 years. The purpose of this study was to explore those factors that led to teachers leaving the district. Bandura's social cognitive theory was the guiding theory to examine and explain those factors that contributed to the district's teachers' attrition. Using narrative inquiry, the teachers' thick descriptions of their experiences were collected through the interview process. The data consisted of 9 personal interviews of teachers who left the district. .The data were analyzed and coded through the 6-part LaBovian model of abstract, …

Improving Literacy For Diverse Low Socio-Economic Status Middle School Students, Vivian Fowler Means

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an urban district, Surfside School personnel were concerned that student literacy proficiency levels were low during 2011-2014 and teachers had not been able to close the achievement gap despite a focus on literacy practices and literacy professional development (PD) provided by the district. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers and administrators in relation to the best instructional practices for increasing self-efficacy when teaching literacy skills and related literacy PD for teachers. Knowles' andragogy theory and Vygotsky's social learning theory formed the theoretical foundation of this study, which hold that PD should provide …

The Experience Of Children Living With Sensory Processing Disorder, Melissa Scotch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition that alters the way an individual perceives sensory information. Although the condition has been studied for more than 40 years, SPD remains a difficult condition to diagnose, treat, and live with because it affects individuals uniquely, and the symptoms can change from childhood to adulthood. For children diagnosed with SPD, the misinterpretation of sensory cues can cause difficulties in family, social, and academic settings. While there is some research on the assessment and treatment of SPD, what is missing is a deeper understanding of the family, social and academic challenges these children …

Improving Depression Screenings For Adults Living With Hiv/Aids Through Education And Training, Shermanda Brumfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are 4 times more likely to have a diagnosis of depression than persons without HIV. The specific problem at a rural clinic in a southern region of the United States, was a lack of continuity in the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) screening procedures that made sure that PLWHA were screened, identified, and referred. Early identification and treatment can help patients cope with barriers that affect health outcomes. The purpose and goal of this project was to develop and implement an evidence-based depression screening protocol to improve clinical staff practices and adherence to the PHQ-9 …

Professional Development Experiences Of Southern California Elementary School Teachers, Kim E. Du Cloux

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have concluded that teachers' frustration with the lack of quality teacher professional development can be addressed by acknowledging teachers' voices and involving them in the planning and design of their professional development. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore 3rd through 5th grade elementary teachers' experiences with professional development in their schools or in their district in Southern California. Hargreaves and Fullan's concept of professional capital and Shulman's construct of knowledge growth in teaching provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions that framed the interview protocol for this study focused on teachers' …

High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high school. This study addresses how clinical social work practice may be utilized to enhance the experience of the transition process for Black male students from high school to college. Through the use of a qualitative in-depth interview process, 16 school-based social workers provided professional perspective and expertise that resulted in …

Understanding Planned Change Among Remote Nonfaculty Employees In Higher Education, Erin Lubin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementing planned change in online university divisions with remote nonfaculty employees is a unique challenge. The problem that compelled this study was the need to understand the challenges of implementing planned change for a group of geographically remote nonfaculty employees who served as field team members (FTM) in an online university's support division. The purpose of this research was to explore change from the perspectives of remote FTM, their managers, and the division's Vice President to better understand and suggest research-derived strategies to make change initiatives more meaningful and inclusive. The qualitative ethnographic design was informed by systems theory, Tuckman …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Practices And Professional Development For Differentiating Mathematics Instruction, Sandra Mujagic Varajic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers and administrators in a Title I elementary school in a southeastern state are concerned that there has been a trend over the past 3 years of declining standardized assessment scores in mathematics for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of practices, and professional development (PD) for differentiating mathematics instruction. This study was grounded in the conceptual framework of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and Tomlinson's differentiated instruction (DI). Purposeful sampling was used to select 8 teachers and 1 mathematics coach, who worked with students in Grades …

Academic Engagement, Motivation, Self-Regulation, And Achievement Of Georgia Southern University Sophomore Students, John O. Lemay Iv

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Research has shown that engagement, motivation, self-regulation, and their individual effects on student achievement are established factors that influence college students’ success. However, what is less clear are these variables’ relationships and their collective influence on achievement. Since students face unique trials as they persist through college, consideration of these relationships and their effect on the achievement of all students is necessary. There is a widening achievement gap between sexes; females have now passed males in enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Previous research in this area has been largely centered on undergraduate female students in their freshman year, but the …

Puzzled Representations: Popular Media And How Educators Come To Know Autism, Vanessa N. Keener

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

People learn about the world through popular culture. Popular culture media representations of autism can be found in TV, film, literature, Internet media, advertisements, and more. This study employed a quantitative correlational design to survey 273 Georgia educators regarding their perceptions of autism, including knowledge about autism, best practices for teaching students labeled as having autism, perceived positivity and accuracy of popular media representations of autism, as well as participant identification with popular media representations of autism and personal characteristics (i.e., age, sex, level of education, type of degree, years of teaching experience, professional and personal experiences). Six major findings …

Relationship Between School Climate And Student Achievement, Gail H. Greenway

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Increasingly public schools in the United States are finding that factors beyond curriculum and instruction impact student achievement. Much research has been conducted on the relationship between school climate and student achievement (Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, 2009; Guo & Higgins-D’Alessandro, 2011). This study set out to determine if there was a correlation between school climate and student achievement in middle schools in the Central Savannah River Area Regional Educational Service Agency region in the state of Georgia. Findings from this quantitative study indicated that there is a statistically significant, positive relationship between school climate and student achievement in middle …

Workplace Faculty Friendships And Work-Family Culture, Megumi Watanabe, Christina Falci

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although various work-family policies are available to faculty members, many underuse these policies due to concerns about negative career consequences. Therefore, we believe it is important to develop an academic work culture that is more supportive of work-family needs. Using network data gathered from faculty members at a Midwestern university, this study investigated the relationship between friendship connections with colleagues and perceived work-family supportiveness in the department. It also explored the role of parental status in the relationship for men and women. Results show that faculty with larger friendship networks have more positive perceptions of work-family culture compared to faculty …

Can Parents’ Growth Mindset And Role Modelling Address Stem Gender Gaps?, Albert Cheng, Katherine Kopotic, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Despite widespread interest and value in introducing and better-preparing students to enter the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, a gender gap persists as women are underrepresented among STEM jobs and degree completion. Although some work has evaluated whether interventions and certain pedagogical practices improve growth mindset, little is known about the mediating role of parents and whether those effects are more pronounced for females. In this study, we explore the extent to which the mindsets of a student’s parents regarding math ability influence the student’s mindset in math ability and longer-term STEM-related outcomes. We pay particular attention to …

Leading Ladies: A Mixed-Method Study Of The Influence Of Gender Bias On Leadership Styles For Women Who Lead Secondary Schools, Angela S. Coaxum-Young

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method study is to determine if women who lead secondary schools have gender bias experiences that might influence their leadership styles. The study focused on the accounts of five women who lead secondary schools, their gender bias experiences, their perceived leadership style and whether or not they believed the experience influences how they lead. Through in-depth interviews and survey completion, the data from both sources revealed the common leadership styles and gender bias experiences among the research participants. When examining the shared experiences three salient themes emerged: (a) A belief that gender bias still exists …

Speaking Out Despite White Noise: Examining The Leadership Of African American Female Technical College Presidents And Vice Presidents, Ashley Morris

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to explore the experiences of African American female leaders in higher education. More specifically, this study examined the experiences of these leaders who assume the role of presidents and vice presidents at Georgia technical colleges. The study contextualized the experiences of these leaders and illustrated how those experiences influence their leadership methods and the establishment of their leadership presence. The results of this study form a context for understanding the leadership methods of African American female leaders.

Faculty Senate Librarian's Report 2017 Combined, Georgia Southern University

Faculty Senate: Librarian's Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluación Del Impacto De La Desnutrición Por Exceso E Interacción Social En Escolares Del Segundo Ciclo Del Nivel Básico, Ysabel Noemí Tejeda Díaz

Theses and Dissertations

Esta investigación consistió en la evaluación del impacto de la desnutrición por exceso e interacción social en los escolares del segundo ciclo del nivel básico en una escuela pública en Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana. Se estudiaron (a) los tipos de interacciones que se producen entre los participantes y (b) las interrelaciones sociales desarrolladas en el entorno escolar. Así como el impacto en los niveles de popularidad e influencia de acuerdo a las teorías de Herrera (2008) y Rizo (2007) en el ámbito escolar.

Se realizó una investigación mixta, a partir del abordaje del problema desde los aspectos cualitativo y cuantitativo, …

Shining A Light On The National Professional Development Framework For All Who Teach In Irish Higher Education: Why It Matters, How It Works., Roisin Donnelly, Theresa Maguire

Journal Articles

In higher education, we have become increasingly aware of the narrative of being part of a knowledge-based economy, and know there are strong, compelling reasons for continuous professional development (PD) to support our role as educators. For anyone who teaches and supports learning in Irish higher education, PD is fundamental for remaining current in their role, it provides the drive to progress their career, and to deal with change in the sector. Prior to 2016, there has not been a mechanism or route in place nationally to give structure, focus and support to individual academic staff to avail of relevant …

Faculty Senate Minutes-2017

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.