Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Developing Purpose In College: A Mixed Methods Study To Investigate How First-Year And Senior Students Developed Purpose At A Large Research Midwestern University, Laura J. Coombs

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

The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to investigate how students develop purpose at a large research Midwestern University. More specifically, this study assessed how students developed their sense of purpose in college, according to both first-year students and senior students.
The central research question for this study was: how do students develop purpose in college? More specifically, how do first-year students compare with senior college students when developing purpose in college? The Developing Purpose Inventory (DPI), created by William Barratt, was utilized to determine how students were developing purpose in college, according to Arthur Chickering’s student development …

Teacher Attitudes Of Inclusion And Academic Performance Of Students With Disabilities, Jonathan Earl Sutton

Dissertations

Since the integration of the inclusion model, supported by the IDEA (1997), within public schools, teacher resistance and frustration has risen (Hardy, 1999). The climate of general education teachers’ classrooms furthermore, has not been the same (Liu & Meyer, 2005). Key elements ensuring success of inclusion and the implementation of inclusive education are the views, perspectives, and attitudes of the personnel who have the responsibility for implementing it; the teachers (Shade & Stewart, 2001). Avramidis and Norwich (2002) argued that successful implementation of any inclusive policy or programming is extremely dependent upon the educators being receptive and positive. Hines (2011) …

Interagency Barriers And Facilitators In Transition Planning For Students With Disabilities, Deanna Lynn Taylor

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study examined the barriers and facilitators identified by both vocational rehabilitation counselors and special educators in four states (Florida, Maryland, Oregon and Utah) regarding collaboration in transition planning. Two survey questionnaires were disseminated: one to vocational rehabilitation counselors and one to special educators in that requested information on perceptions of the level of knowledge on transition planning and activities, level of satisfaction, and open-ended questions for suggestions on how to improve collaboration between the two groups. The surveys were nearly identical and were designed to explore barriers that the two disciplines experience working with each other as well as …

A Qualitative Study To Examine The Relationships Of First-Year Student Residents And Their Resident Peer Assistants At A Four Year Private University, Janet P. Goodman

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

This research study investigated the characteristics of a positive resident to resident peer assistant relationship. At Nebraska Wesleyan University, resident peer assistants “are trained students dedicated to giving their peers personal and academic guidance” (Nebraska Wesleyan University, 2011, sect. Peer Assistants). Peer Assistants work to “organize social and educational programming on their floors and in their buildings. They coordinate social activities and enforce community standards, university policies and state laws” (Nebraska Wesleyan University, 2011, sect. Peer Assistants). Two Residential Education Coordinators at Nebraska Wesleyan University recommended residents they believed had a highly interactive relationship with their resident peer assistants for …

Technology Implementation: Teacher Age, Experience, Self-Efficacy, And Professional Development As Related To Classroom Technology Integration, Stephanie Renee Tweed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the combination of factors that pertain to the implementation of new technologies in the classroom. Specifically, the study was an analysis of the age of the teacher, years of teaching experience, quality of professional development, and teacher self-efficacy as defined by Bandura (1997) to examine the manner in which these factors relate to implementing new technologies in the classroom. Participants in this study were located in 2 different school districts in East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to K-5 teachers by way of email from school …

Academic Achievement Of Elementary Students: A Comparison Study Of Student Athletes Versus Nonathletes, Kimberly R. Dyke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The place of sports in academic institutions has been analyzed at length for several years. However most studies focus on the participation of high school and university students in school sports. Very little research exists to suggest a positive or negative correlation between academic achievement and participation in interscholastic sports at the elementary level. As a result the relationship between academic performance and participation in school sports among elementary students in grades 4 and 5 was investigated in this study. Through an independent-samples t test analysis of 1,605 fourth and fifth grade boys and girls, it was determined that students …

Response To Intervention Framework And Progress Monitoring Process: K-3 Regular Education Teachers’ Perceptions, Jarrod G. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions regular education teachers have of the Response to Intervention framework and the Progress Monitoring Process. Participants of the study included 246 K-3 regular education teachers from 4 Northeast Tennessee school systems. The survey achieved a 42% return rate for a total of 104 participants. Specifically, this research assessed K-3 regular education teachers’ perceptions of the RTI framework as a whole, their perceptions of the progress monitoring process, their perceptions of their readiness to implement an RTI framework, their perceptions of the effectiveness of the professional development opportunities they had …

Teacher Perceptions Of Working With Children With Specific Special Education Exceptionalities In The General Education Classroom, Kimberly Geneva Fisher

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which general education teachers in elementary schools believe they are prepared to teach children/students with specific special education exceptionalities in the general education classroom. The study addresses the exceptionalities of: autism, speech/language disorder, specific learning disability, and emotional disability and using a multiple method quasi-experimental design that yielded quantitative and qualitative data. The study used an original instrument entitled the General Educators Preparedness for Inclusive Education (GEPIE). The instrument used a vignette/scenario design to assess levels of perceived preparedness. Third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers in South Mississippi were …

Factors That Impact Administrator-Teacher Relationships, Patrick Sean Gray

Dissertations

Retaining teachers continues to be problematic for educational leaders across the country. With these numbers steadily increasing, one must examine the reasons as to why teachers are leaving the profession and how school administrators can address these problems if schools are going to maintain and increase their levels of success. Reasons teachers leave the profession can be attributed to the relationship teachers have with their building-level administrator.

The purpose of the study is to identify as well as describe the frequency and relative importance of circumstances that may impact administrator-teacher relationships. A questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was mailed to …

Meeting Minutes, Wku Staff Council

Staff Council

Minutes of the May 1, 2013 meeting.

Minutes, Arts & Science Faculty Meeting, Wednesday, May 1, 2013, Arts & Sciences Faculty

The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Minutes

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Two After School Strategies For Improving The Parenting Knowledge And Parenting Perceptions Of Preschool Families Enrolled In A Title 1 Program, Rae Ette Veronna Newman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A parent is a child's first educator in communication, social/emotional skills, motor development, and academics. As the achievement expectations placed on schools increase and the schooling population continually diversifies, the need to increase the overall parental involvement in schools and their ability to assist with academics in the home becomes more significant to ensure academic success for all children. By acquiring the fundamental parenting knowledge and skills, despite the barriers and additional disadvantages, parents can overcome daily obstacles, reduce family stress, and support developing proficient children. By encouraging positive parenting skills, parents can increase their parenting self-efficacy.

The purpose of …

The Idaho Statewide System Of Support: Scaling Up Whole-System Reform In A Rural Western State, Steven M. Underwood

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Idaho Statewide System of Support (SSOS) assists schools in meeting state standards for all students. In 2009, it created and implemented a revised theory of action which emphasized improvement planning and capacity-building support programs. This study examined the impact of the SSOS in general and its Idaho Building Capacity (IBC) Project in particular on Reading and Mathematics outcomes for students who are economically disadvantaged in Title I funded schools. A Pooled Interrupted Times Series design was employed to examine possible changes in the level of achievement or rate of improvement in schools. Within-subjects comparisons of trends before the intervention …

Examining Leadership Preparation That Makes A Difference: A Comparison Of Graduate Effectiveness And Identification Of Program Components Most Valued, Randy David Lance

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The role of the school principal has radically changed over the past half century. Many colleges of education are trying to develop alternative approaches to not only meet the needs of the adult learners who enroll in educational leadership preparation programs, but also to equip future school leaders with strategies for meeting the expectations set forth by the implementation and accountability of the No Child Left Behind legislation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a difference, if any, exists between individuals who graduated from the Boise State University (BSU) nontraditional educational leadership preparation program and a sample …

Global Ambassadors Returnee Program: Can We Change Campus Culture?, Lynn Butler

Capstone Collection

The Education Abroad office at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is in a growing phase, quickly expanding and working conscientiously to increase the numbers of students studying abroad. In the midst of VCU’s transition from a commuter school to a residential campus, the administration seeks to internationalize the university, citing study abroad as one of its main goals. While VCU consistently works to create affordable program options for students of all majors, what VCU lacks is an institutional culture and awareness of study abroad. The Global Ambassadors returnee program seeks to create returned student programming that provides reflective opportunities and professional …

Overcoming Barriers To Teaching Action-Based Environmental Education: A Multiple Case Study Of Teachers In The Public School Classroom, Terry Rachael Adams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As the human population increases, it becomes increasingly more important for society to understand the impact of humans on the environment. Preserving fixed resources by engaging in sustainable practices is necessary to ensure those resources are available for future generations. Since the early 1960s, policy makers and educators alike have sought to ensure that students graduate environmentally literate. Previous research has identified a multitude of barriers that limit classroom teacher’s ability to integrate environmental education into their curriculum. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers overcome those barriers that restrict the integration of action based environmental education …

Home Gardening: Quick Tips To Efficient Watering, Roslynn Brain

Roslynn Brain

In Utah’s dry climate, water is a gardener’s best friend. Water conservation is an important aspect of the home garden, and understanding efficient water management techniques can save you time and money. Knowing how to water properly will help you to maintain a more productive, sustainable garden and help the environment by reducing your consumption of this precious resource.

Expectations V. Reality: A Study About Chinese Students' Expectations And Experiences At A Midwestern University In America, Sarah J. Barg

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

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to add to the research regarding the expectations and experiences of Chinese students studying at an American university. In doing so, this study sought to examine newly arriving Chinese students’ expectations of what their experience would be like compared to the reality of what their experiences actually were while attending Midwestern State University (MSU). Ten participants participated in two semi-structured interviews. The first set of interviews explored what Chinese students expected their experience studying at MSU to be like. The following interview explored the actual experiences the Chinese students had while studying at …

Due Process And Employee Performance, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

As school boards face financial challenges due to a faltering nation economy and increasing calls for accountability, school business officials and other education leaders need to develop plans for effective documentation of staff performance to justify employment decisions and to avoid unnecessary litigation.

All states require education leaders to provide varying levels of due process when dealing with teachers and other staff members with tenure or continuing contracts who are subject to discipline or dismissal, but the laws often leave practical details unanswered.

Development Of The Parental Acceptance Questionnaire (6-Paq), Ryan L. Greene

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For over 10 years, mental health professionals have used acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help parents in the therapy context. However, to date the field lacks a psychometrically sound measurement tool to assess ACT-pertinent factors within parenting or frameworks. Such a limitation indicates that investigation into the development of an alternative measure is warranted.

In collaboration with Utah State University (USU), Dr. Clint Field, a psychology professor, and Ryan Greene, a USU school psychology student, sought to develop a reliable and valid measure for use with parents that is rooted in the six primary processes theorized to contribute to …