A Retro Development In Education: Evaluating The Feasibility Of Integrating Place-Based Education Into Mississippi Curriculum Standards,
2017
University of Southern Mississippi
A Retro Development In Education: Evaluating The Feasibility Of Integrating Place-Based Education Into Mississippi Curriculum Standards, Colby K. Mcclain
Honors Theses
This thesis evaluates the feasibility of integrating place-based environmental education activities from Think Green, Take Action: Books and Activities for Kids into the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) Frameworks for Science and Social Studies for K-5. As children develop and experience the world, their ability to understand and interpret the surrounding environments expand; however, Mississippi schools are not focused on experiential environmental education, even though experiencing and understanding the surrounding environment is vital in fostering eagerness to learn. Due to a growing disconnect between humans and the natural world, this thesis examined 37 place- and environment-based activities for children, sixteen …
A Meta-Analysis Of The Longitudinal Relationship Between Adolescent Depression And Academic Achievement.,
2017
University of Louisville
A Meta-Analysis Of The Longitudinal Relationship Between Adolescent Depression And Academic Achievement., Rachel E. Buehner
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Researchers in the fields of both education and mental health endeavor to develop and implement interventions which will bring children and adolescents greater academic success and optimally address mental health issues. Educators seek to target risk factors which might impede a student’s success in the classroom, while mental health providers seek to reduce issues within a child’s environment which might be risk factors for depression. Evidence for a cross-sectional relationship between adolescent depression and academic achievement is well-supported, with depression and achievement being negatively correlated in adolescents. The longitudinal relationship between these two variables is not fully understood, however. While …
Untangling The Role Of Postsecondary Education In Economic Success.,
2017
University of Louisville
Untangling The Role Of Postsecondary Education In Economic Success., Erin Smith Banjanovic
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explored the relationship between postsecondary education and economic success through a person-centered lens. A sample of 365,315 employed individuals between the ages of 25 and 35 from the American Community Survey (ACS) were used in combination with data from three occupational databases (O*NET, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the NORC occupational dataset) to examine this topic. The various sources of data were merged together by occupation to permit examination of occupational characteristics and creation of two measures of education and occupation match: 1) match in education level attained and required, and 2) match in field of study and field …
Multiple Imputation Of The Guessing Parameter
In The Case Of Missing Data,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Multiple Imputation Of The Guessing Parameter In The Case Of Missing Data, Grant J. Orley
College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Missing data are a significant problem in testing. Research into strategies for dealing with it have yielded no clear consensus about the best approach to take. Accuracy of ability estimates, fairness and scoring transparency are affected by the choice of missing data handling technique. In this simulation study, we propose a technique of multiple imputation of the guessing parameter using both item difficulty and individual ability estimates. This approach was compared to several other popular strategies for imputing values, such as: treating the item as incorrect, imputing a guessing parameter of 0.5, proportion correct imputation, multiple imputation of responses, and …
You're Getting It!: How Preschool Teachers And Students Experience Literacy Tabletop Games In The Classroom,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
You're Getting It!: How Preschool Teachers And Students Experience Literacy Tabletop Games In The Classroom, Katherine Sydik
College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to examine affordances of literacy tabletop games in a preschool classroom environment as well as the experiences of young children between the ages of 3 and 6 and teachers playing the games. The following themes emerged from the research: “That’s How Games Are” relating to views about games and play, “How The Teacher Does It”, relating to developmentally appropriate educational practice for playing games with preschool children, “A Way to Keep Them More Engaged”, relating to preschool children’s motivation while playing literacy games, “Things Kids Need to Know for Kindergarten”, relating …
Examining Culture And Gender Roles In Latina Undergraduate Participation In Stem At Utrgv,
2017
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Examining Culture And Gender Roles In Latina Undergraduate Participation In Stem At Utrgv, Stephanie Garza
Theses and Dissertations
The study was designed to examine the role of familism and gender role beliefs on Latina pursuit of a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. This study surveyed Latino/a undergraduate students at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley to determine the influence of socioeconomic status, familism and gender role beliefs on pursuit of careers in STEM. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Pan-Hispanic Familism scale, the Attitudinal Familism scale and the Gender Role Beliefs scale. Findings revealed how major selection and pursuit of STEM is affected by students’ income level, familism, gender, and gender role beliefs. Results …
A Wood Comes Toward Dunsinane: The Synthesis Of Traditional And Constructivist Methodologies,
2017
Oakland University
A Wood Comes Toward Dunsinane: The Synthesis Of Traditional And Constructivist Methodologies, Randall L. Kaplan
Language Arts Journal of Michigan
Education professionals now favor Constructivist and project-based strategies for learning over Traditional methods, which include such frowned upon practices as rote memorization and recitation. The Constructivist approach is being taken to its natural apex by educators like Larry Rosenstock who have created Constructivist utopias such as High Tech High in San Diego, the school put under the microscope in the 2015 documentary film Most Likely to Succeed. Project-based, experiential units of study are effective, exciting, and edifying for both students and teachers. They promise to prepare students for the type of world they will inhabit, a world whose economy …
Teachers’ Perceptions Of Motivational Support In Middle School Classrooms: A Multiple Case Study,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Teachers’ Perceptions Of Motivational Support In Middle School Classrooms: A Multiple Case Study, Cherie Marlene Gibson
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Student motivation is central to educational outcomes such as achievement, engagement, well-being, and educational attainment. Current trends in education show that students’ overall level and quality of motivation decline throughout the years of schooling, particularly in middle school. Framed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the purpose of this multiple case study is to understand how teachers support the fulfillment of student’s basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness which is required for active engagement, positive school functioning, and self-determined forms of motivation. Teachers’ sense of efficacy and conceptualizations of their role in supporting their students’ motivational needs were also examined. …
Examining The Affordances Of Dual Cognitive Processing To Explain The Development Of High School Students’ Nature Of Science Views,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Examining The Affordances Of Dual Cognitive Processing To Explain The Development Of High School Students’ Nature Of Science Views, Luke Jackson
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
This mixed method study was aimed at examining the influence of dual processing (Type 1 and Type 2 thinking) on the development of high school students’ nature of science (NOS) views. Type 1 thinking is intuitive, experiential, and heuristic. Type 2 thinking is rational, analytical, and explicit. Three research questions were asked: (1) Do the experiential process (Type 1) and the logical process (Type 2) influence the development of students’ NOS views? (2) If there is an influence on students’ NOS views, then what is the nature of relationship between the experiential process (Type 1) and the development of NOS …
Exploring Self-Authorship In Post-Traditional Students: A Narrative Study In Students’ Meaning-Making,
2017
University of New England
Exploring Self-Authorship In Post-Traditional Students: A Narrative Study In Students’ Meaning-Making, Lisa Wardlaw Myers
All Theses And Dissertations
This qualitative study explored the narratives of ten post-traditional students enrolled in a degree completion program in a small, regional public university. The narratives provide insight of post-traditional students and their experiences with self-authorship: a way of knowing that empowers people to skillfully navigate life from consciously constructed epistemological, intrapersonal, and interpersonal paradigms. The findings in this study revealed that 6 of 10 of the participants demonstrated decision-making at lower levels of self-authorship, with half those indicating movement toward self-authorship and the other half exhibiting no indication of self-authorship. The participants also demonstrated the same patterns of self-authorship development as …
The System For Teacher And Student Advancement And Embedded Professional Development: A Case Study,
2017
Liberty University
The System For Teacher And Student Advancement And Embedded Professional Development: A Case Study, Laconti Bryant
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of educators who participated in The System for Teacher and Student Achievement (TSTSA) and ongoing, applied professional development at multiple school sites in The School District of the Southwest. The guiding theories guiding this study were Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory and Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory to understand their experiences and perceptions about participating TSTSA and ongoing, applied professional growth for a minimum of three years. Participants in this study took part in face-to-face field interviews. In addition, documentation, direct observations, and participant observations were considered, compared, …
A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Financial Literacy And Student Loan Debt Of Female Graduate Students,
2017
Liberty University
A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Financial Literacy And Student Loan Debt Of Female Graduate Students, Melissa Begich
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the level of financial literacy of women with higher education degrees with student loan debt. The definition of financial literacy is an understanding of the impact of accumulating student loans to pay for education expenses. This study seeks to understand the experience by using the following four research questions: (1)When first obtaining student loans, what information was received regarding the loan process and expectations once no longer in school? (2) What contributing factors influenced participants’ decisions to take on student loans? (3) What obstacles and/or resources do participants believe would …
A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study Of Secondary Educators' Pedagogical Strategies And Perceptions Of College Readiness In A Concurrent Enrollment Program,
2017
Liberty University
A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study Of Secondary Educators' Pedagogical Strategies And Perceptions Of College Readiness In A Concurrent Enrollment Program, Amanda Stirgwolt
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study explored the impact of the educator on the success of concurrent enrollment programs. Concurrent enrollment (CE) programs provide students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. This study aimed to understand the past success of CE programs by identifying the pedagogical strategies of the teacher. Through a qualitative grounded theory approach, 16 high school CE teachers from different high schools in Connecticut were studied to explore their teaching perceptions and pedagogical strategies. Data were collected through self-perception questionnaires, a semi-structured teacher interview, classroom observation, and document analysis. Data were analyzed through constant comparative analysis, …
The Leadership Behaviors Of College Freshmen,
2017
Liberty University
The Leadership Behaviors Of College Freshmen, Kevin Wallace
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if a difference exists between leadership behaviors of male and female college freshmen and the amount of extra or co-curricular activities they participated in during high school. Leadership was measured using the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (S-LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2013) and was guided by the theoretical framework of leader identity development (LID) as promulgated by Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, Mainella, and Osteen (2005) and revised by Komives, Longerbeam, Osteen, Owen, and Wagner (2009). Participants consisted of 98 male and 84 female incoming college freshmen attending a mid-size Catholic university located …
Socialized Leader Development: A Phenomenological Study Of The College Army Rotc Student Perspective And Experience,
2017
Liberty University
Socialized Leader Development: A Phenomenological Study Of The College Army Rotc Student Perspective And Experience, Ammon Campbell
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine leader development within the college Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in order to understand from the participating cadets’ perspectives, the leader development experience. The study focused on the following central research question: How do participants view and interpret their collegiate Army ROTC leadership development experience? Guiding theories for this study were Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (1978), Bandura’s social learning theory (1977) and Tajfel’s identity theory (1982). The study involved twelve college seniors involved at three distinct universities; the data related to their experience as leaders and was collected through reflective journals, …
A Case Study Describing Practices And Beliefs Of Teachers Who Are Effective In Their Classroom Behavior Management In A Diverse Rural School System In Georgia,
2017
Liberty University
A Case Study Describing Practices And Beliefs Of Teachers Who Are Effective In Their Classroom Behavior Management In A Diverse Rural School System In Georgia, Busani Siphambili
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this nested case study was to describe the practices and beliefs of teachers who are effective in their behavior management with minority students (African American) in three rural schools. This study was shaped by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural behavior theory that states that learning is a social process and the origination of human intelligence in society or culture. It also emphasizes that the development of thinking is a shared process, not an individual one, and that children learn by participating and sharing other people’s frame of reference. Social interactions play an important role in the development of cognition. …
The Effects Of Case-Based Instruction On Undergraduate Biology Students’ Understanding Of The Nature Of Science,
2017
Liberty University
The Effects Of Case-Based Instruction On Undergraduate Biology Students’ Understanding Of The Nature Of Science, Amy Burniston
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Undergraduate science education is currently seeing a dramatic pedagogical push towards teaching the philosophies underpinning science as well as an increase in strategies that employ active learning. Many active learning strategies stem from constructivist ideals and have been shown to affect a student’s understanding of how science operates and its impact on society- commonly referred to as the nature of science (NOS). One particular constructivist teaching strategy, case-based instruction (CBI), has been recommended by researchers and science education reformists as an effective instructional strategy for teaching NOS. Furthermore, when coupled with explicit-reflective instruction, CBI has been found to significantly increasing …
A Case Study Of Black Students' Education And Socialization Since Public School Closure In Prince Edward County Virginia,
2017
Liberty University
A Case Study Of Black Students' Education And Socialization Since Public School Closure In Prince Edward County Virginia, Jeffrey Scales
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this case study was to explore the concerns about lower academic and social achievement of current Black students in Prince Edward County Public Schools where many local citizens believe were the results of public schools closing for five years from 1959-1964 and forced court ordered reopening. This single instrument qualitative study was conducted to gather greater knowledge from participants who had firsthand knowledge of the extended closure of public schools or reopening of schools over 50 years ago from former students, and community leaders. This researcher utilized face-to-face interviews, focus groups and extensive historical documentation to explore …
How Service Learning Opportunities Impact Transformational Learning Experiences For Grades 6-12 School Students: A Case Study,
2017
Liberty University
How Service Learning Opportunities Impact Transformational Learning Experiences For Grades 6-12 School Students: A Case Study, Sherry Ballew
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this single instrumental case study was to explore how service learning (SL) opportunities are perceived by participants to impact transformational learning (TL) experiences for students in Grades 6-12. The model used to support this concept was the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model (WSCC), which views community involvement to be as important in the development of the child as traditional classroom instruction (Rooney, Videto, & Birch, 2015). The theory guiding this study is transformational learning (Mezirow, 2000). TL theory is a lens through which to view the learning experiences associated with SL. For this single instrumental …
The Relationship Between A Community Of Inquiry And Transformative Learning,
2017
Liberty University
The Relationship Between A Community Of Inquiry And Transformative Learning, Patrick Dempsey
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
To prepare learners for success in the 21st century, institutes of higher education must provide students with meaningful learning opportunities, including participation in discourse and critical reflection. The community of inquiry framework describes the elements necessary to create collaborative, online learning environments, while transformative learning describes the content and outcomes of meaningful learning. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study of 242 online, graduate MBA students from a business school in Maryland, was to measure the relationship between a community of inquiry and transformative learning in online, graduate business courses. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyze scores from …
