Gender Differences In Written Expression At The Elementary Level,
2012
Western Kentucky University
Gender Differences In Written Expression At The Elementary Level, Ashley D. Melloy
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The use of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) in schools is increasing, as it is a useful indicator of students’ basic academic skills. CBM measures are often used for identifying students at-risk, monitoring their progress during interventions, and even making special education eligibility determinations. Much of the research has focused on CBM in the area of reading. Relatively few studies have examined the area of CBM-Written Expression. A couple of studies indicated there are gender differences on CBM-Written Expression measures. This study sought to determine if gender differences exist at the elementary level and, if so, at what grade level such differences …
A Needs Assessment Of Communicare's Children Mental Health Services,
2012
Western Kentucky University
A Needs Assessment Of Communicare's Children Mental Health Services, Shelley Greenwell Fentress
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
This document is a review of literature on needs assessments and the benefits of conducting one. Communicare is a mental health agency that serves the Lincoln Trail Region. Currently, most of the revenue from their children programs comes from Medicaid, which is a fee-for-services payer source. The Kentucky Medicaid Program is in the process of contracting with managed care organizations to oversee services that have been paid directly from Kentucky Medicaid. With these changes, mental health organizations must identify specific community service needs as well as expanding revenue sources. Applying for grants is one way mental health agencies can expand …
Evaluation Of Performance-Based And Pre-Set Conventional Criterion For Reinforcement In Check In-Check Out,
2012
University of Southern Mississippi
Evaluation Of Performance-Based And Pre-Set Conventional Criterion For Reinforcement In Check In-Check Out, Lauren Lestremau Harpole
Dissertations
The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of criterion-setting, performance-based or pre-set conventional, as evidenced by improvements in children’s behavior. Participant behavior was evaluated through teacher reports of appropriate behavior and observed academically engaged behavior as well as decreases in problem behavior and disruptive behavior. Eight elementary school students in a Southeastern town referred for exhibiting behavior problems served as participants in addition to their teachers. The effects of the different methods of criterion setting on the dependent variables were evaluated. Teacher ratings of appropriate behavior were assessed through evaluation of Daily Behavior …
The Impact Of Distractor Duration On Spatial Working Memory In Early Childhood,
2012
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Impact Of Distractor Duration On Spatial Working Memory In Early Childhood, Brian Keiser
College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Spatial attention appears to act as a rehearsal mechanism in spatial working memory (Awh, 1999; Awh & Jonides, 2001) as adults have trouble maintaining spatial information in their mind when required to shift their attention to locations unrelated to the to-be-retained location. Futhermore, adults increase intentional directed attention to the to-be remembered location when warned ahead of time that distractors will be present during the memory delay (Awh, 2003). Our initial study looked at the presence of a distractor and its impacts on spatial working memory in children. We found that the distractor did impact three and six year old …
Comparison Of Pass Assessment Scores In Single-Gender And Heterogeneous Middle Schools In South Carolina,
2012
Liberty University
Comparison Of Pass Assessment Scores In Single-Gender And Heterogeneous Middle Schools In South Carolina, Patricia Canada
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In response to the mandates of No Child Left Behind, (NCLB), educators across the country struggle to close the gaps between males and females. Some of the physiological differences existing between the male and female brain suggest support for single-gender instruction, which is on the rise within this country as well as other parts of the world. Using the theoretical framework based on brain research, the purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the effect of single-gender instruction on assessment results in Palmetto Assessments of State Standards (PASS) math and reading scores of public middle single-gender schools to mixed-gender …
Using The Good Behavior Game To Decrease Disruptive Behavior While Increasing Academic Engagement With A Headstart Population,
2012
University of Southern Mississippi
Using The Good Behavior Game To Decrease Disruptive Behavior While Increasing Academic Engagement With A Headstart Population, Brandy Marie Hunt
Dissertations
The Good Behavior Game (GBG) has been widely supported as an effective intervention to alter a variety of target behaviors, in various settings, with varying age groups; however, there are areas warranting further investigation. Prior to the present study, no study has examined the GBG’s effectiveness in decreasing disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate academic behaviors within a preschool population. The present study adds to the literature base by investigating the GBG’s effectiveness in simultaneously decreasing classroom disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate behaviors. A multiple baseline design across three Headstart classrooms was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the GBG on …
Public Versus Private Praise: A Direct Behavioral Comparison In Secondary Classrooms,
2012
University of Southern Mississippi
Public Versus Private Praise: A Direct Behavioral Comparison In Secondary Classrooms, John Travis Blaze
Dissertations
The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of teacher public and private praise on students’ appropriately engaged behavior (AEB) and disruptive behaviors (DB). Overall, four general education classrooms in southern Mississippi employed a multiple-baseline design across two pairs to assess the effects of public and private praise. Each classroom’s mean percentage of observed intervals of AEB and DB across public and private praise intervention phases was assessed and compared. Overall, visual analysis of the graphs, multilevel modeling, effect sizes, and odds ratios showed that both public and private praise were more effective than no treatment at …
Effects Of Controlling Versus Autonomy-Supportive Language On Learning A Novel Motor Skill And Cortisol Release,
2012
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Effects Of Controlling Versus Autonomy-Supportive Language On Learning A Novel Motor Skill And Cortisol Release, Andrew Mcmahon Hooyman
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The purpose of this study was to compare how different types of instruction effect the learning of a novel motor skill and how salivary cortisol correlates to learning differences. Participants (N = 44), average age 22.3 years (standard deviation 2.37), were randomly assigned to an autonomy-supportive, controlling-language or neutral language group which was manipulated via instructional video. Saliva was collected before and after each session, and questionnaires were given after pitching was completed during each day. Results showed that there was a significant difference among groups in throwing accuracy on performance and retention. Questionnaire results also showed significant group differences …
Cyberbullying Policy In Public Schools,
2012
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Cyberbullying Policy In Public Schools, Alison Humphries
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Many schools and school districts have had direct experience with the negative psychological effects of cyberbullying in their schools, ranging from high profile suicides to lower profile incidents that affect the ability of students to receive an education. Federal, state, and local regulations, as well as mandates from state educational agencies, require schools and school districts to address cyberbullying. Experts advocate that schools play a major role in addressing cyberbullying with anti-bullying policies in general and anti-cyberbullying policies in particular. This study presents case study portraits of two exemplary school districts, with a comparison to similar school districts, suggesting that …
Gifted Hispanic Identity: Exploring Relationships Among Resilience, Goals And Academic Orientation,
2012
Liberty University
Gifted Hispanic Identity: Exploring Relationships Among Resilience, Goals And Academic Orientation, Matthew Forrester
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological analysis was to explore the identity development of gifted Hispanic male students in the middle school setting. The study used a survey, multiple interviews and observations, along with focus group data to acquire data in four principle areas: academic orientation, ethnic identity, resilience and goals. Results indicate the importance of resilience as an interactive element in the process of identity development, as well as the importance of ethnic identity exploration and long-term goal setting in formulating a high achieving academic orientation. Other emergent themes such as language use and discrimination are also discussed in light …
Success Factors Identified By Academically Successful African-American Students Of Poverty,
2012
Liberty University
Success Factors Identified By Academically Successful African-American Students Of Poverty, Meredith Cooler
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore why some low-income minority students were academically successful in school using a three-tiered approach to research including individual student interviews, classroom observations, and photographs and follow up interviews on photographs to identify factors contributing to academic success. Twenty-five students in grades 3-8 meeting the criteria of African-American, low SES, and high achieving were selected and interviewed to identify factors contributing to their academic success as measured by Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress testing. The study participant responses were compared and discussed through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), …
Creating Opportunities Or Building Barriers: Framing Policy For Placement Testing As An Impactful Part Of The First-Year Experience,
2012
University of Kentucky
Creating Opportunities Or Building Barriers: Framing Policy For Placement Testing As An Impactful Part Of The First-Year Experience, Megan Beach, Karin Ann Lewis
Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice
Placement tests are an integral aspect of the first-year experience. As policymakers seek to raise high school standards and ensure that more students graduate prepared for the academic rigor of college, placement tests are being called upon to serve new purposes. Placement tests are touted for their ability to predict college success, but do these tests really measure student attainment of specific college readiness skills? How can they fit with or contribute to institutional initiatives?
Technology-Mediated Caring In Online Teaching And Learning,
2012
Brigham Young University - Provo
Technology-Mediated Caring In Online Teaching And Learning, Andrea Velasquez
Theses and Dissertations
As online K-12 education becomes more prevalent, there arises a need to examine caring as it is experienced in technology-mediated contexts. The first article in this dissertation examines the definition of the term "caring pedagogies" and synthesizes relevant research helpful to understanding its application in a variety of contexts, including the technology-mediated context. The literature review is organized in the following categories: understanding caring pedagogy (defining and measuring), developing caring characteristics in individuals, developing caring communities, and developing caring in unique contexts. This article concludes that more research related to care is necessary in contexts other than the early childhood …
The Influence Of One Scholar On Another: A Citation Analysis Of Highly Cited Authors In Instructional Design And Technology,
2012
Brigham Young University - Provo
The Influence Of One Scholar On Another: A Citation Analysis Of Highly Cited Authors In Instructional Design And Technology, Tyler Randall Small
Theses and Dissertations
While many historical articles and chapters on the foundations of Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) have painted an accurate picture of the field, it has been 21 years since anyone has given emphasis to the relationships of influence among IDT scholars. Many have written on various elements of the field, emphasizing events according to their own experience, which have increased our overall understanding of IDT. However, without insight on the connections between these pieces, the field appears to be only a broad array of isolated silos, each filled with its own research interest. This research sought to discover IDT's genealogy …
Finding Hope In The Darkness: Stories Of Two Chinese Newcomers Enrolled In A Canadian High School,
2012
University of Manitoba
Finding Hope In The Darkness: Stories Of Two Chinese Newcomers Enrolled In A Canadian High School, Yi Li, Denise J. Larsen
Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale
Hope has been described as the ability to envision a future in which one wishes to participate. A burgeoning body of research consistently points to the vital role hope plays in learning and successful change. Employing narrative inquiry (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000), in this paper, we explore two Chinese newcomer students’ stories of hope as they face the many challenges of undertaking a Canadian education. Findings indicate the value of communicating teachers’ belief in students, making hope more visible by inviting students to tell their stories of hope, and understanding hope as a process that evolves as students’ lives unfold.
Textbook Bling: An Evaluation Of Textbook Quality And Usability In Open Educational Resources Versus Traditionally Published Textbooks,
2012
Brigham Young University - Provo
Textbook Bling: An Evaluation Of Textbook Quality And Usability In Open Educational Resources Versus Traditionally Published Textbooks, Jennifer Lynn Price
Theses and Dissertations
This mixed-methods study evaluated quality, usage, and perceptions of open educational resources compared to traditionally published textbooks. Because textbooks and other related materials make up a significant portion of educational costs, open educational resources have been explored for potential cost savings at all levels of education. These resources use public domain or open-licensed materials as the content component of free eTextbooks or low-cost printed textbooks. This evaluation explores how teachers and students use textbook resources both in and out of the classroom and the degree to which the content and design of open textbooks compares in quality and value to …
The Relation Between High-Quality Prekindergarten Classroom Environments And Literacy Outcomes For Students Learning English As A Second Language,
2012
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Relation Between High-Quality Prekindergarten Classroom Environments And Literacy Outcomes For Students Learning English As A Second Language, Allison Q. Osborn
College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
U. S. students’ early English literacy skills are critical for their later reading and subsequent school success (e.g., Badian, 2000; Collins, 2010; Molfese et al., 2001; Storch & Whitehurst, 2002). Children’s literacy skills are stronger when they attend high-quality prekindergarten classrooms, especially classrooms with strong instructional supports (Hamre & Pianta, 2005). Moreover, some research has suggested that students who enter school with the weakest skills and with higher risk of academic difficulty (including students who speak English as a second language) benefit the most from high-quality instruction and interactions in early literacy and reading (Connor, Morrison, & Petrella, 2004; Downer …
A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Origination And Manifestation Of The Cyberbully/Cyberbullying Victim Relationship From The Perspective Of Cyberbullying Victims,
2012
Liberty University
A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Origination And Manifestation Of The Cyberbully/Cyberbullying Victim Relationship From The Perspective Of Cyberbullying Victims, Michael Boyd
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Cyberbullying has gained a considerable amount of media attention in recent years (Kowalski, Limber, & Agatston, 2008). However, little is known about the details of cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationships within the lived experience of victims. This phenomenological study investigated the origination and manifestation of the cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationship. The study is phenomenological in order to examine the origination of the cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationship and how the relationship is manifested in the lived experience of participants who were cyberbullying victims. The study examines the impact of the cyberbully/cyberbullying victim relationship from the theoretical perspective of Vygotsky's (1986) sociocultural learning theory and Maslow's …
Can Practice Calibrating By Test Topic Improve Public School Students' Calibration Accuracy And Performance On Tests?,
2012
Old Dominion University
Can Practice Calibrating By Test Topic Improve Public School Students' Calibration Accuracy And Performance On Tests?, Rose M. Riggs
Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations
The effect of a calibration strategy requiring students to predict their scores for each topic on a high stakes test was investigated. The utility of self-efficacy towards predicting achievement and calibration accuracy was also explored. One hundred and ten sixth grade math students enrolled in an urban middle school participated. Students were assigned to either a calibration practice group or a no practice condition. Students in the practice condition completed a self-efficacy scale specific to math at the beginning of the study. They also practiced making predictions for each topic on each of three tests over a three month period …
Evaluation In Computer-Assisted Language Learning,
2012
Brigham Young University - Provo
Evaluation In Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Benjamin L. Mcmurry
Theses and Dissertations
Evaluation of Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) needs to be scrutinized according to the same standards of evaluation as other professional materials. Evaluation can be divided into two distinct, yet similar, categories: formal (following a prescribed evaluation model) and informal. The aim of this dissertation is two-fold. The first purpose is to benefit the field of CALL by situating CALL evaluation in the context of frameworks used formal evaluation. The second purpose is to discover informal evaluation practices of CALL practitioners. First, with regard to formal evaluation of CALL materials, practices and insights from the field of evaluation would help CALL …
