Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Tools And Community : How Women Become Researchers In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Karen L. Mccomas

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) is a female-dominated discipline in danger of losing its professional autonomy. In 2002, the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA) reported that 6-7% of all faculty positions in CSD were vacant, predicted a substantial increase in vacancies through 2012, and declared the issue of faculty preparation as the "most significant threat to our [CSD] future" (p. 5). In 2008, ASHA reported that, although more people were receiving Ph.D. degrees, only half accepted positions in higher education. The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of the problem of too few researchers in CSD by increasing …

Implementation Of Language And Literacy Practices By Prekindergarten Teachers In The West Virginia Universal Pre-K System, Leslie Papelier

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the perceived frequency of implementation of language and literacy practices for 217 West Virginia Pre-K teachers. Teachers were employed in public school-based and community-based classrooms for 4-year-olds. Respondents completed the Language and Literacy Practice Survey (LLPS), which measured their perceived frequency of implementation of 18 language and literacy practices. Their overall perceived ability level for implementing effective language and literacy instruction was also assessed. Respondents also rated their use of resources and materials to facilitate effective language and literacy instruction. Additionally, respondents answered open-ended qualitative questions to determine perceived constraints that may hinder their effective implementation of …

The Effectiveness Of Marshall University's Master Of Arts In Teaching And Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certificate Programs As Determined By Graduates' And Completers' Perceptions, Melissa F. Spivy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined graduates’ and completers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of Marshall University’s alternative certification programs, the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certificate (PBTC), from 1999-2010. This nonexperimental descriptive cross-sectional study used the Spivy Survey of MAT and PBTC Program Effectiveness to collect data. Based on the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards, this survey used 20 closed-ended questions and two open-ended questions to investigate graduates’ and completers’ perceptions. Data indicated that graduates and completers perceived their preparation was moderately prepared based on the mean scores. All median and mode scores indicated graduates …

The National Board Certification Process: A Comparison Of The Perceptions Of National Board Certified Teachers And National Board Candidates In West Virginia, Raymond L. Singleton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

More than twenty years of research have been devoted to the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process, much of it focused on the effects of National Board certified teachers (NBCTs) on student achievement. Less attention has been paid to the effects of the process on teachersʼ skills and practices, while virtually no research has focused on teachers who attempted the process but did not succeed (NB Candidates). Using the NBPTS Five Core Propositions as a basis for survey items and open-ended questions, this mixed-methods study examined and compared the perceptions of West Virginia NBCTs and National Board …

Marriage Vows And Economic Discrimination: The Married Teacher Problem, Sabrina Thomas

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study analyzes the rapid increase of economic discrimination against married women teachers in the early twentieth century, particularly during the Depression. It challenges the notion that economic discrimination against married women teachers was simple, easy, and largely was unchallenged. I argue that the creation and proliferation of marriage bars in the early twentieth century involved a compounded and multifaceted set of economic and social concerns. Support for this argument is accomplished by examination of the national debate on marriage bars as well as careful investigation of the local debate illustrated in Huntington, West Virginia.

A Study Of Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices About Early Literacy Learning, Jennifer Mayo

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated differences in literacy beliefs and related instructional practices for 427 West Virginia K-2 early childhood teachers to determine how early literacy instruction is best facilitated for young children and whether their beliefs clustered into identifiable literacy models. Respondents completed the Teachers‘ Beliefs about Literacy Questionnaire (TBALQ) which measured the level of belief and degree of influence on the implementation of 24 statements coded as: top-down (child-centered); bottom-up (teacher-directed); or interactive (balanced) instructional practices.

Respondents also self-rated their general position on a scale from 1 to 7 regarding whether children‘s literacy acquisition should be grounded in immersion (whole …

Grade Retention As Perceived By Kindergarten Through Third Grade Teachers, Brittany Leigh Pettay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the attitudes of kindergarten through third grade teachers regarding academic, emotional and social effects of grade retention, in addition to alternative interventions to retention. The teachers were asked to take part in a survey on grade retention as an intervention. After completing the initial survey, teachers were then asked to read an article entitled, "Grade Retention and Promotion" (Jimerson, Graydon, Pletcher, Schnurr, Kundert, & Nickerson, 2006) and then take a post-survey.

The results of this study reveal that the teachers' attitudes about grade retention were significantly changed when they were presented with a research-based article entitled "Grade …

The Effectiveness Of A Transition Program On Ninth-Grade Students Who Were Socially Promoted, Wanda V. Little

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of a newly implemented transition program on the academic achievement of low achieving and socially promoted students in a high school. The intended contribution of this study was to describe any effect the transition program might have towards academic achievement on the English I end-of-course exam and the accumulation of total academic credits to be applied towards promotion into the tenth grade.

The research questions providing a research framework for the study were: How did the target group's academic achievement compare to an earlier group who had been socially promoted but had not participated in …

The Digest Edition 2010/2 : Language In The Mathematics Classroom, Marion Meiers, Jenny Trevitt

Research Digest

A recent Australian review of numeracy teaching noted the significant role of language in mathematics learning. The National Numeracy Review Report (2008), commissioned by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), synthesised evidence on effective numeracy teaching to support the goal of improving numeracy outcomes for Australian students. The report of the review acknowledged the significance of language in mathematics learning, and recommended: That the language and literacies of mathematics be explicitly taught by all teachers of mathematics in recognition that language can provide a formidable barrier to both the understanding of mathematics concepts and to providing students access to assessment …

The Digest Edition 2010/3 : Civics And Citizenship Education, Suzanne Mellor, Marion Meiers, Pat Knight

Research Digest

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians set out two broad goals, the second of which stated that by the end of secondary schooling: All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens. (MCEETYA, 2008) Some important attributes of ‘active and informed citizens’ are listed in the elaboration of this goal. These indicate a broad view of the student learning outcomes that are expected to be gained from civics and citizenship education, including: appreciate Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, and have an understanding of Australia’s system of government, history and …

Going Public: What Writing Programs Learn From Engagement, Shirley K. Rose, Irwin Weiser

All USU Press Publications

An important new resource for WPA preparation courses. In Going Public, Rose and Weiser moderate a discussion of the role of the writing program vis-a-vis the engagement movement, the service learning movement, and the current interest in public discourse/civic rhetoric among scholars of rhetoric and composition. While there have been a number of publications describing service-learning and community leadership programs, most of these focus on curricular elements and address administrative issues primarily from a curricular perspective. The emphasis of Going Public is on the ways that engagement-focused programs change conceptions of WPA identity. Writing programs are typically situated at points …

What We Are Becoming: Developments In Undergraduate Writing Majors, Greg A. Giberson, Thomas A. Moriarty

All USU Press Publications

Greg Giberson and Tom Moriarty have collected a rich volume that offers a state-of-the-field look at the question of the undergraduate writing major, a vital issue for compositionists as the discipline continues to evolve. What We Are Becoming provides an indispensable resource for departments and WPAs who are building undergraduate majors. Contributors to the volume address a range of vital questions for undergraduate programs, including such issues as the competition for majors within departments, the job market for undergraduates, varying focuses and curricula of such majors, and the formation of them in departments separate from English. Other chapters discuss the …

Free Textbook Distribution Process In Sindh, Pakistan: A Study Of Stakeholders Perceptions, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid, Halah C. Simon

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Placed amongst the lower middle income countries (The World Bank 2010), a large segment of the population of Pakistan is unable to afford the expenses on basic amenities including education. In year 2003, the Government of Sindh, initiated a free textbooks scheme. This study investigates the transparency and efficiency of distribution process; examines the challenges and opportunities of the procurement and delivery process; and assesses the perceptions and feedback of the stakeholders. The study was conducted in all the districts of Sindh Province. The data were collected through analysis of documents, field survey, focus group discussions and interviews. The study …

Role Of Private Sector In Higher Education Of Pakistan: Predicaments And Insights, Wasim Qazi Dr., Halah C. Simon, Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The nationalization of industry and education in the early 1970s resulted in the deterioration of private sector with minimal investment in this field. This continued into late 90s with Pakistan recording comparatively low public spending on education as a percentage of GDP . Thus the government of Pakistan, in an effort to enhance intellectual capital and enrollments, established the Higher Education Commission (HEC) assigned to evaluate, improve and promote the higher education and research culture in both public and private sectors in Pakistan. Since its establishment in 2002, the HEC has “undertaken a systematic process of implementation of the five-year …

Rehabilitating Closed Schools: A Daunting Challenge For Pakistan, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid Jamil Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are 6034 non-operational schools in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh further complicating the work of the donor agencies; more than half of these non-operational schools (3843) only exist on papers. These shadow schools exist only to usurp international aid earmarked for education. Our research shows that proximity to the population; unavailability of teachers; and lack of infrastructure are some of the fundamental causes driving the closure of more than thirteen percent of schools. Our position is that a large number of these schools can be rehabilitated but that requires a three-phased plan. If implemented, proposed plan would enhance transparency …

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’S Semester At America’S Holiest University, Jessica Rimmer

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Koinonia, Brian Jensen, Emily J. Darnell, Philip Byers, Josh Arnold, Drew Moser, David Johnstone, Rob Pepper, Kim Stave, Ken Heffner, Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma, Christopher Bohle, Bob Crow

Koinonia

Best Practice Features
Life on Life Learning: Steps Towards Authentic Mentoring, Brian Jensen

The Heart of the Honor Code: I am My Brother's Keeper, Emily J. Darnell

Spotlight Features
Old People are "Whole Persons," Too: Why Understanding Heritage is a Foundational Component of College Student Development, Philip Byers

Ministry and Learning in Residence Life, Josh Arnold

Shepherding in an Age of Edupunks, Drew Moser

The Gap in the Curtain: Seeing Pieces of a Residential Community's Future, David Johnstone

Interviews
A Conversation with Juana Bordas, conducted by Rob Pepper

Looking Into the Future: Two Educators' Perspectives on Christian Higher Education, by …

A Case Study: The Evaluation Of The Graduate Middle School Education Program At A Southeastern University, Abbigail Armstrong

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to determine reasons graduate students do not complete requirements for a Master's in Middle Level Education degree at the southeastern university. Since the program's initial on-campus cohort (2000) the graduation rate has decreased from 80% to 62.96% with the fourth on-campus cohort (2005). The current cohort currently has five students enrolled which will yield a 29% graduation rate depending on student choice. Program faculty is concerned about the increasing difference between the number of applicants and number of those completing the program.

The researcher conducted a program evaluation, using Guba and Lincoln's four phases of responsive …

Program Evaluation Of Making Great Readers, Shelly Bullard

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to evaluate the Making Great Readers program which was piloted in two small Title I elementary schools in western North Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year. The study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program based on teacher perception and impact on student achievement.

A logic model was used to evaluate this pilot program with a focus on short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes. The research questions examined student reading achievement and teacher perspectives through a concurrent mixed methods approach. Quantitative analysis of phonemic awareness scores were taken from data gathered using the Dynamic Indicators …

The Impact Of Inclusion On The Academic Achievement Of High School Special Education Students, Harold Smith Dawkins

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examined the impact of inclusion on the academic achievement outcome of high school special education students as measured by English 1, biology, and algebra 1 as a function of gender, ethnicity, and years of inclusion. The study also examined the generalizations with confidence that could be made about the use of inclusion methodology in high schools within an urban North Carolina school district as measured by end-of-course test scale scores. Data from three traditional high schools within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District were used in this study. High school special education students lagged behind several other subgroups on end-of-course …