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2009-2010 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2009-2010 graduate catalog for Morehead State University.

Using Blackboard To Create Library Research Skills Assessment, Maura A. Smale, Mariana Regalado

Publications and Research

Like other college and university departments, academic libraries are increasingly expected to assess their services and facilities. This article describes an initial step in the development of a comprehensive assessment program for library instruction in the Brooklyn College Library. A pre- and post-quiz were developed based on the curriculum for a required library session in an introductory English composition course. The quizzes were designed to establish a baseline for student knowledge of information literacy as well as measure the effect of library instruction on student learning. We also sought to evaluate the suitability of the Blackboard learning management system for …

Literacy Leadership In Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of Teaching And Learning In Two School Districts, Gregory Berry

Dissertations and Theses

Improvement in literacy learning in secondary schools requires a dual focus: a district and school organizational leadership approach, and a classroom- and instruction-focused approach. To help close the achievement gap and improve learning for all students, whole school reform efforts must be focused on literacy. Elements of whole school reform may include professional development programs such as professional learning communities, peer coaching, and literacy coaching. The sociocultural contexts that these approaches incorporate can help improve the learning of both teachers and students and can bring about significant secondary school reform and academic improvement.

This dissertation study is a qualitative, collective, …

Teaching Happiness: The Role Of Positive Psychology In The Classroom, Jennifer M. Gilpin

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Happiness can be defined in various ways, and characterizing traits that reflect sustained happiness in an individual can be a daunting task. For the purpose of this paper, I propose that contentment regarding the past, satisfaction in the present, optimism about the future, as well as cultivating individual strengths and virtues will result in sustained happiness. Using findings from and relating to the field of positive psychology, I will suggest that these qualities can be fostered in students and will benefit students individually and ultimately society as a whole.

Enhancing Homework’S Effectiveness Through Student Motivation And Parental Involvement, Jonathan T. Beutlich

Master of Education Program Theses

Homework has varying degrees of effectiveness; therefore, it is important for teachers to know what elements aid in making homework assignments more effective to learners. There are outside factors that contribute to homework’s effectiveness as well as types of homework assignments that will increase students’ success. Two of the factors contributing to homework’s level of benefits are student motivation and parental involvement. There are three types of homework assignments that increase the positive aspects of student motivation and parental involvement include interspersal assignments, interactive homework assignments, and project-based assignments. Improved homework benefits education, specifically Christian education, by enabling a tightly …

Transforming Perspectives Through Service-Learning Participation: A Case Study Of The College Counts Program, James O. Peacock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A case study has been conducted on the College Counts program, a well-integrated service-learning program, to examine the experiential learning of 10 former participants. It was the objective of this investigation to view the learning of 10 college students, through the lens of transformational learning, as they reflect on their experiences as participants in the College Counts program. Transformational learning theory was used as a lens to determine if high school students have the ability to engage in transformative learning. Students reported in their own voices transformative learning in one or more of the following forms: increased cultural inclusiveness, commitment …

Online Education For Nontraditional Adult Students: Perceptions And Attitudes Of Emergency Services Workers In Asynchronous Learning Environments, R. Jeffery Maxfield

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The goal of this research was to better understand the lived experiences and perceptions of nontraditional, adult college students in an asynchronous online environment. Contemporary researchers have investigated the differences between online education and the traditional, in-class learning. Most of the work has been done in quantitative methodologies, focusing on the similarities and differences in cognitive achievement. The extant literature is replete with studies and positions claiming little or no difference between the two delivery methods. However, most research is not presented in a theoretical construct; therefore, it is difficult to create a nexus between one study and the next. …

A Study Of Utah Teachers' Developmentally Appropriate Beliefs And Practices As Related To Perceptions Of Kindergarteners' Successful School Entry, Mary Mceuen Darnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was an exploration of 450 Utah kindergarten teachers' perceptions of problems children face at the time of kindergarten entry, as well as an examination of the teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices. Consistent with previous research, teachers' beliefs were found to be more developmentally appropriate than their reported practices. This study also investigated the relationship between both teacher and classroom/school demographics and teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices. Further, the relationship between teachers' perceptions of children's transition to kindergarten and beliefs, practices, teacher demographics, and classroom/school demographics was studied.

Study findings indicated that teachers perceive 20% of kindergarten …

Complex Systems In Engineering And Technology Education: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating The Role Computer Simulations Serve In Student Learning, Douglas J. Walrath

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research was conducted to determine if students receiving complex systems instruction in the form of software simulations recognize patterns and underlying elements of complex systems more effectively than students receiving traditional instruction. Complex systems were investigated with an analytic (reductive) approach in a control group and with a synthesis approach in the treatment group. Exploration of this top-down approach to learning complex systems counters traditional bottom-up methodologies, investigating systems and subsystems at the component level. The hypothesis was that students experiencing complex systems scenarios in a computer-based learning environment would outperform their counterparts by constructing a greater number of …

Teaching Patterns: A Pattern Language For Improving The Quality Of Instruction In Higher Education Settings, Daren Olson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One method for improving the appeal of instruction is found in Christopher Alexander’s work on architectural design patterns. In this qualitative research study, student comments on teacher/course evaluation forms were analyzed to generate six instructional design patterns. The teacher enthusiasm pattern encourages teachers to show (a) increased scholarship and enthusiasm towards the subject matter, (b) genuine concern and enthusiasm towards the students, and (c) mastery of and enthusiasm towards the act of teaching. The balanced curriculum pattern recommends that teachers (a) determine the appropriate depth or breadth of subject matter and communicate it to the students, (b) create a balanced …

The Curricular And Instructional Implication For The Tacit Knowledge Exhibited While Creating A Forensic Craniofacial Reconstruction, Daniel Marion, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In our teaching careers, K-12 classroom teachers come to know that the way a given student connects the dots to comprehend a concept, lesson, or subject is not always (and most likely never is) in a straight linear fashion. The connections between the dots are defined as the student’s personalized understanding (tacit knowledge/knowing) of concepts, lessons, and/or subjects. The student most likely did not perceive, process, and/or retain the concept, lesson, or subject in the manner it was taught to her or him. Teachers asking a student to explain how he or she arrived at an answer or knew the …

Model For Teaching Musical Discernment In The Christian Secondary School, Zachary J. Vreeman

Master of Education Program Theses

Recent technological advances in recording and reproducing music have greatly changed the way that members of this culture interact with music. With an ever-expanding wealth of recordings, students in Christian secondary schools are faced with an increasing number of musical choices and must be equipped to discern musical activity in a God-glorifying way. This study researches the factors influencing students' musical attitudes over which schools have the most control, describes a biblically-based Christian attitude towards music, and finally proposes a model based on that research for teaching musical discernment from a distinctly Christian standpoint. The proposed model includes the establishment …

The Effect Of Graphic Organizers On The Academic Achievement Of High School Students In United States History Who Receive Instruction In A Blended, Computer-Based Learning Environment, George Kim Conley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of graphic organizers on the academic achievement of high school students receiving instruction in United States History via an online blended learning environment. With 60 participants in the study, the students were equally divided into two groups of 30 participants each. Group I was designated as the treatment group, while Group II formed the control group. A two-tailed t-test was used to determine that the means of the two posttests were not significantly different at a probability level of .05. Therefore, the results of this research study indicated that high …

A Case Study Of Teachers' Mathematics Content Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Mathematics And Teaching, Brian R. Evans

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This study intended to measure teacher mathematical content knowledge both before and after the first year of teaching and taking graduate teacher education courses in the Teach for America (TFA) program, as well as measure attitudes toward mathematics and teaching both before and after TFA teachers’ first year. There was a significant increase in both mathematical content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics over the TFA teachers’ first year teaching. Additionally, several significant correlations were found between attitudes toward mathematics and content knowledge. Finally, after a year of teaching, TFA teachers had significantly better attitudes toward mathematics and teaching than neutral.

The Effect Of Direct Instruction Versus Discovery Learning On The Understanding Of Science Lessons By Second Grade Students, Marisa T. Cohen

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This study examined the effectiveness of discovery learning and direct instruction in a diverse second grade classroom. An assessment test and transfer task were given to students to examine which method of instruction enabled the students to grasp the content of a science lesson to a greater extent. Results demonstrated that students in the direct instruction group scored higher on the assessment test and completed the transfer task at a faster pace; however, this was not statistically significant. Results also suggest that a mixture of instructional styles would serve to effectively disseminate information, as well as motivate students to learn.

Improving The Self-Esteem Of At-Risk Youth, Gavrielle Levine, Deborah Majerovitz, Elizabeth Schnur, Charletta Robinson, Cadine Soman

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This study, which is part of a larger study, describes and evaluates a federally-funded (U.S. Administration for Children and Families, CBAE) program, RESOLVE, designed to increase self-esteem and encourage healthy life choices of at-risk youth. This program combines an educational component teaching healthy lifestyles, goal setting, and refusal skills to avoid unhealthy behaviors with a vocational training component. Preliminary data from post-test analysis show increased content knowledge and modest increases in self-esteem suggesting that this program is a promising way to reach a challenging population. It incorporates best practices in health education by taking a holistic approach and addressing physical …

Cognition And Student Learning Through The Arts, Steven A. Melnick, Judith T. Witmer, Martha J. Strickland

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

An increasing number of recent research studies suggest connections between cognition, social and emotional development, and the arts. Some studies indicate that students in schools where the arts are an integral part of the academic program tend to do better in school than those students where that is not the case. This study examines home/school factors that contribute most to variance in student learning and achievement and the arts from over 8,000 students in grade 5. The findings suggest in-school arts programs may have less of an impact on student achievement than proposed by previous research.

An Activity Theoretical Approach To Designing Curriculum And Instruction That Shift The Means And Ends Of History Education, Thomas H. Levine

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

Reformers want history education to help students learn to engage in historical inquiry, read critically across conflicting sources, and engage in civil discussion of controversial issues. How can we help teachers and students shift the roles, norms, and activity in history classrooms to achieve these aims? An activity-theoretical framework suggests the value of explicitly attending to multiple aspects of human activity when designing and presenting reform-oriented pedagogies or curricula. Such attention increases the odds that teachers who implement new approaches or curriculum will achieve significant shifts in the means and ends of history education.

Rigorous Curriculum And Sat, Feifei Li, Thanos Patelis, Robert Lissitz

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

The main purposes of this study are to investigate the relation between course-taking pattern and the SAT score, and examine the invariance of this relation across subgroups. In addition, we are also going to verify the accuracy of self-reported information from the SAT Questionnaire by examining the actual high school transcripts, and build the link between SAT and the achievement by correlating SAT scores with state assessment scores. If the SAT score is a function of high school course-taking behaviors regardless of students' gender, socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnicity, every student should be provided with equal opportunity for rigorous curriculum.

Improving Automaticity With Basic Addition Facts: Do Taped Problems Work Faster Than Cover, Copy, Compare?, James Cressey, Kristin Ezbicki

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This small pilot study compared the effectiveness of two interventions to improve automaticity with basic addition facts: Taped Problems (TP) and Cover, Copy, Compare (CCC), in students aged 6-10. Automaticity was measured using Mathematics Curriculum-Based Measurement (M-CBM) at pretest, after 10 days, and after 20 days of intervention. Our hypothesis was that the TP group will gain higher levels of automaticity more quickly than the CCC and control groups. However, when gain scores were compared, no significant differences were found between groups. Limitations to the study include low treatment integrity and a short duration of intervention.

Preservice, Secondary Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions Of Gender Equity, Margaret M. Monaghan

NERA Conference Proceedings 2008

This study examines preservice, social studies teachers’ perceptions of gender equity. The assumption that preservice teachers recognize gender as an important issue and are willing and able to take the initiative to remedy inequities in their classroom structures and content is considered. Six participants were interviewed using Seidman’s (2006) three-round, interview protocol. A focused life history was compiled to situate participants’ perceptions within their personal and professional experiences. Findings suggest a disconnect between preservice teachers' intentions and their practice in regards to gender equity. More explicit attention to gender equity in teacher education programs is recommended.

Students In Transition: The Library Of Congress Classification System As Initiation, June B. Joyner

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

See presentation description.

Information Literacy Across Disciplines: Sociology, Modern Languages, Nursing, And Library Science, Leo Mundy, Elizabeth Combier, Michelle Byrne, Shawn Tonner

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

See presentation description.

Plagiarism The Construct, The Research, The Response, Donna Gunter

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

See presentation description.

Go Ask The Freshmen: How Millenials Define Information Literacy And Their Own Skill Levels, Don Latham, Melissa Gross

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

See presentation description.

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

K-12 Education

A questionnaire was administered to school principals (N=88). The questionnaire data, along with student data, were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to investigate the relationships among leadership preparation practices, self rated leader behavior, the school learning environment, and student achievement. After controlling for demographic variables, the amount of variance explained was incremented a statistically significant degree between: preparation practices and leader behaviors ( R2 = 5%); preparation practices and student achievement ( R2 = 5%); preparation practices and leaders’ instructional knowledge ( R2 = 6%); and leaders’ instructional knowledge and instructional practices in schools ( R2 = 5%).

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

Teacher Education

A questionnaire was administered to school principals (N=88). The questionnaire data, along with student data, were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to investigate the relationships among leadership preparation practices, self rated leader behavior, the school learning environment, and student achievement. After controlling for demographic variables, the amount of variance explained was incremented a statistically significant degree between: preparation practices and leader behaviors (R2 = 5%); preparation practices and student achievement (R2 = 5%); preparation practices and leaders’ instructional knowledge (R2 = 6%); and leaders’ instructional knowledge and instructional practices in schools (R2 = 5%).

Supporting Children's Participation In Second Language Stories In An Irish Language Preschool, Maire Mhic Mhathuna

Articles

This paper considers how children learning a second language were supported as active participants during storytelling sessions in an Irish-language immersion preschool in Dublin. Audio-recordings and observations were made of the story sessions once a fortnight over a period of six months. The resulting transcripts were analysed from an interactionist perspective, recognising both the cognitive and social aspects of the process. The staff were also interviewed and a questionnaire was completed by the parents. The analysis showed that the practitioners provided support for the children through dynamic repeated readings of target books, scaffolded interactions, sufficient experience of storybook reading and …

Catalog, 2008-2009, Anderson University - South Carolina

Catalogs

The 2008-2009 undergraduate academic catalog and introduction to the university.