Digital Commons Network^™

Language Skill Development In Japanese Kokugo Education: Analysis Of The Television Program Wakaru Kokugo Yomikaki No Tsubo, Ruri Yoshii

Dissertations and Theses

Any type of education implemented by a modern nation-state is, at least in part, a tool for socializing its people. In this regard, Japanese language and literature education, kokugo, has played an important role in Japan by emphasizing nationalism and the integrity of a Japanese identity. According to Ishihara (2007) and Lee (1996 [English translation 2010]), kokugo, since its inception in 1900, has promoted moral awareness and assimilation of Japanese ideals across the country. However, responding to unsatisfactory test results in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2003 and 2006, Japan's Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and …

The Impact Of Documentation Status On The Educational Attainment Experiences Of Undocumented Hispanic/Latino Students, Brittanie Alexandria Roberts

Dissertations and Theses

The issue of undocumented immigration has recently taken center-stage in the media and national politics in the United States. A large population of undocumented youth grows up with legal access to public education through high school, following the Supreme Court decision of Plyler vs. Doe, but faces legal and economic barriers to post-secondary education. Following high school, undocumented Hispanic/Latino youth legal protections end, greatly limiting chances for upward mobility through traditional post-secondary education pipelines. In some cases, knowledge of future barriers to post-secondary education leads to a decline in educational motivation.

The current political atmosphere makes this study a bit …

An Exploratory Study Of Teachers' Uses Of Data To Understand Students' Cognitive And Affective Engagement, Nicole Van Gasse

Dissertations and Theses

Since its introduction in the 1980's, student engagement has been a popular topic in educational research. In the beginning, engagement was thought of as a simple construct; however, it is now believed that student engagement involves four separate, but equally important components (Appleton, 2012; Christenson, Reschly, Appleton, Berman, Spanjers, & Varro, 2008). The components of academic, behavioral, affective and cognitive engagement are each vital to the ongoing educational success of students, and ideally, these would remain high throughout all of the years that students are in school. Unfortunately, research shows that most students' engagement levels continuously decrease from elementary school …

From The Whiteboard To The Web: Equipping Administrators To Recruit, Hire, And Induct Top Quality K-12 Online Teachers, Daniel Keith Huld

Dissertations and Theses

Online learning is taking our nation by storm and changing the face of education forever. By 2014 we are projected to have 10 million students taking at least one online class (Nagel, 2009). The online revolution is one of the greatest changes the field of education has seen in the last 25 years (Greenway & Vanourek, 2006). This major shift in education also represents a major shift in how our teachers are prepared and what great teaching looks like in online settings.

The online classroom is distinctly different than the brick-and-mortar classroom, and success in the classroom does not necessarily …

Early Childhood Educators' Perception Of Oregon's Professional Development System: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Ingrid Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

Since 2011, the state of Oregon has embarked on a comprehensive educational policy change to create a unified birth to twenty educational system. As part of the birth to age five early childhood and family investment strategy, mandated participation in Oregon professional development system is required for all early childhood educators working in Office of Child Care licensed programs. To date, research on early childhood educators' experience in professional development systems has focused primarily on experiences with regulatory systems. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how four early childhood educators made meaning of their experiences of professional engagement in Oregon's state …

Assessing Generic And Program-Specific Dose-Response Relations Between Engagement In Contemplative Practices And Reductions In Teachers' Occupational Stress And Burnout, Jessica Leigh Harrison

Dissertations and Theses

Teaching is a stressful, uncertain, and emotionally laden profession (Chaplain, 2008; Farber, 1999; Johnson et al., 2005). One approach to reduce psychological distress and improve well-being in teachers is through the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs. While MBSR programs have been shown in several studies to be effective with regard to improving well-being in teachers, little research has been done to date examining the relationship between program dose and outcomes. This study examines the relationship between both generic and program-specific dose and outcomes of stress and burnout. Results showed some evidence that generic yoga frequency is related to …

The Power Of Reflective Professional Development In Changing Elementary School Teachers' Instructional Practices, Carolina Christmann Cavedon

Dissertations and Theses

With the new goal of K-12 education being to prepare students to be college and career ready at the end of high school, education needs to start changing at the elementary school level. The literature suggests that teachers need reflective professional development (PD) to effectively teach to the new standards and to demonstrate change to their current instructional practices. This mixed-method multiple-case study investigated the impacts of a reflective professional development (PD) in changing elementary school teachers' instructional practices.

Teachers Instructional Portfolios (TIPs) were scored with a TIP rubric based on best practices in teaching mathematics problem-solving and science inquiry. …

Teachers Teaching Teachers: A Sustainable And Inexpensive Professional Development Program To Improve Instruction, Carol L. Campbell

Dissertations and Theses

School districts face tremendous budget challenges and, as a result, professional development has been "trimmed" from many school budgets. (Habegger & Hodanbosi, 2011). School administrators responsible for planning professional development face a daunting task and often focus on PowerPoints, district mandated training, one-shot presentations, and workshops that are delivered by expensive experts. These types of activities lack teacher collaboration, time for sharing of ideas and opportunity for reflection and analysis (Torff & Byrnes, 2011, Coggins, Zuckerman & Mckelvey, 2010).

The problem addressed in this study is that teacher professional development is usually planned by school administrators who are provided little …

Using Art To Teach Students Science Outdoors: How Creative Science Instruction Influences Observation, Question Formation, And Involvement, Christina Schull Cone

Dissertations and Theses

Elementary education has become increasingly divided into subjects and focused on the demand for high math and reading scores. Consequently, teachers spend less time devoted to science and art instruction. However, teaching art and science is crucial to developing creative and rational thinking, especially for observation and questioning skills. In this study, third grade students attending an urban school in Portland, Oregon received instruction of an art strategy using observational and quantifying drawing techniques. This study examines, "Will an art strategy observing the local environment help students make observations and ask questions?" and "In what ways are student learning and …

The Journey To Becoming Constructivist, Presidential Award For Excellence In Mathematics And Science Teaching, Secondary Mathematics Teacher, Gerald E. Young

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research study is to describe and analyze the self-reported experiences of exemplary high school mathematics teachers who underwent personal and professional transformations in order to develop and use a standards-based, constructivist (SBC) teaching paradigm in their classrooms. These teachers were all past recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), an award that required them to demonstrate that their mathematics instruction was rigorous in the manner described by the NCTM standards.

The following research questions are addressed: (a) What are the paths SBC secondary mathematics teachers who received the PAEMST pursued …

Aligning Counselor Training Clinics With The Dsm-5: Tips, Tools, And Challenges, Joel A. Lane, Lisa Aasheim

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation is intended to help counselor educators better understand the conceptual changes made in the DSM-5, as well as the implications of these changes for counseling training clinics.

Four Decades Of Systems Science Teaching And Research At Psu, Wayne Wakeland

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

Systems science (SySc) is defined, and a brief background is provided regarding some of the systems science-related societies, conferences, journals, research institutes, and educational programs. The SySc program at Portland State University in Portland, OR, USA, is described in detail, including its history, curriculum, students, faculty, and degrees granted. Dissertation topics are summarized via word diagrams created from dissertation titles over the years. MS degrees, student placement, and undergraduate courses are also mentioned, and future plans for the program are described including its support for sustainability education.

The Imposter Phenomenon Among Emerging Adults Transitioning Into Professional Life: Developing A Grounded Theory, Joel A. Lane

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study qualitatively explored the imposter phenomenon among 29 emerging adults who were transitioning into professional life. A grounded theory was developed that described the imposter phenomenon, internal and external contributing factors, and its impact in terms of performance and affective reactions. Implications for counselors of emerging adults are discussed.

The Relationship Of Socioeconomic Status And Counseling Outcomes, Lisa D. Hawley, Todd W. Leibert, Joel A. Lane

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined the relationship between various indices of socioeconomic status (SES) and clinical outcomes among clients at a university counseling center. It also explored links between SES and three factors that are generally regarded as facilitative of client change in counseling: motivation, treatment expectancy, and social support. Regression analyses showed that, overall, SES predicted positive changes in symptom checklists over the course of treatment. Individual SES variables predicting positive change were educational attainment and whether or not the client had health insurance. SES was not associated with motivation, treatment expectancy, or social support. Implications for SES research and counseling …

The Schools Our Students Deserve: A Statewide School Facilities Program For Oregon, Oregon School Capital Improvement Planning Task Force, Portland State University. Hatfield School Of Government. Center For Public Service

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

This report begins with a review of the state of school facilities in Oregon and a summary of recent school bond successes and failures, followed by an overview of school capital funding policy since 2000. It includes a discussion of existing facilities financing options and two brief case studies showing that the availability of state subsidies and matching funds can influence local funding decisions. A brief summary of existing school facilities programs in Western states sets the stage for detailed presentation of the Task Force recommendations, funding formula, and proposed staffing for the Oregon School Facilities Program. The report concludes …

Evaluation Of The Start Making A Reader Today (Smart), Beth L. Green, Amanda Cross-Hemmer, Lorelei Mitchell

Early Childhood

The goal of the Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) program is to support young children to develop early reading and literacy skills, as well as to increase their interest, confidence, and enthusiasm about reading. SMART pairs trained adult volunteers with PreK-3 rd grade children, primarily in schools serving significant proportions of low-income families. Thus, SMART augments the one-on-one reading support available in typical elementary schools. Volunteers read to children for 30 minutes, either once or twice a week, and provide books that children can take home and keep for themselves. Prior evaluation research (Baker, Gersten, & Keating, 2000) found …

Evaluation Of A High School Science Fair Program For Promoting Successful Inquiry-Based Learning, Julia Nykeah Betts

Dissertations and Theses

The success of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in supporting science literacy can be challenged when students encounter obstacles in the absence of proper support. This research is intended to evaluate the effectiveness of an Oregon public school district's regional science fair coaching program in promoting inquiry skills and positive attitudes toward science in participating high school students. The purpose of this study was to better understand students' perception of program support, obstacles or barriers faced by students, and potential benefits of IBL facilitated by the science fair program. Data included responses to informal and semi-structured interviews, an anonymous survey, a Skills …

Integrating K-W-L Prompts Into Science Journal Writing: Can Simple Question Scaffolding Increase Student Content Knowledge?, Brandon Joel Wagner

Dissertations and Theses

Writing-to-learn strategies have been administered in the past to enrich student learning. The purpose of this study was to see if K-W-L prompts in science journal writing could benefit student content knowledge within biology. Two high school biology classes were provided with learning journals. The journals given to the students during the treatment unit were provided with K-W-L question prompts to guide student learning while during the comparison unit students were given an open ended writing assignment. Pre and posttests were administered to determine student-learning gains. Student motivations and opinions of the treatment were collected through student interviews. The combined …

3d Systems' Technology Overview And New Applications In Manufacturing, Engineering, Science, And Education, Trevor Snyder, Mike Andrews, Mark M. Weislogel, Peter Moeck, Jennifer Stone-Sundberg, Derek Birkes, Madeline Paige Hoffert, Adam Lindeman, Jeff Morrill, Ondrej Fercak, Sasha Friedman, Jeff Gunderson, Anh Ha, Jack Mccollister, Yongkang Chen, John T. Geile, Andrew Paul Wollman, Babek Attari, Nathan Botnen, Vasant Vuppuluri, Jennifer Shim, Werner Kaminsky, Dustin Adams, John Graft

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since the inception of 3D printing, an evolutionary process has taken place in which specific user and customer needs have crossed paths with the capabilities of a growing number of machines to create value-added businesses. Even today, over 30 years later, the growth of 3D printing and its utilization for the good of society is often limited by the various users' understanding of the technology for their specific needs. This article presents an overview of current 3D printing technologies and shows numerous examples from a multitude of fields from manufacturing to education.

Using Music-Related Concepts To Teach High School Math, Vytas Nagisetty

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research was to test a strategy which uses music-related concepts to teach math. A quasi-experimental study of two high school remedial geometry sections was conducted during a review lesson of ratio, proportion, and cross multiplication. A pretest was given to both groups. Then, Group A received normal textbook instruction while Group B received the treatment, Get the Math in Music, which is an online activity involving proportional reasoning in a music-related context. Afterwards, a posttest was given to both groups. Pretest and posttest scores were used to compare gains in subject knowledge between the groups. Then …

Designing The Plane While Flying It: A Case Study On Nursing Faculty Development During Academic Electronic Health Records Integration In A Small Liberal Arts College, Karen Elizabeth Maxwell

Dissertations and Theses

The expectation of graduating nurses today is to be knowledgeable and responsive to rapidly changing technology in the health care environment. Although federal mandates, Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations, and nursing program accreditation initiatives are pushing an "informatics" healthcare agenda by promoting the implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems by 2014 in all healthcare facilities, very few US nursing schools provide students with access and training in, EHR systems. In addition, nursing faculty may not have a clear understanding of healthcare informatics; the use of information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision-making. Nursing education …

The Impact Of The Tax Revolt And School Reform On Oregon Schools During The 1990s, Beth Cookler

Dissertations and Theses

When Oregon voters passed the property tax limitation initiative, Measure 5, and the state legislature enacted school reform under the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century during the 1990-91 school year, the trajectory of public schooling in the state changed significantly. After Oregon's tax revolt, the state legislature also enacted legislation that equalized school funding throughout the state. The combination of equalization and the Measure 5 step-down to the $5 per $1000 tax limitation led to a decrease in statewide school funding over the decade. Many wealthy urban districts experienced years of budget cuts, while rural districts received additional …

Understanding Male Nursing Student Perceptions Of The Influence Of Gender: A Qualitative Case Study Approach Of Students, Faculty, And Administration In A Pacific Northwest Nursing Program, Jennifer Anne Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

In contemporary American society, the nursing profession is predominantly made up of white women. Currently, males make up only 6.8 percent of the three million nursing professionals in the U.S. and they are considered gender minorities within the nursing profession and within nursing education. As gender minorities, male students are identified as experiencing nursing programs and the practice of nursing differently than their female counterparts. The purpose of this single instrumental, within site case study was to explore the learning environment for male nursing students and to investigate the nature of the interactions between nursing faculty and male undergraduate students …

Prospective Elementary Mathematics Teacher Content Knowledge: What Do We Know, What Do We Not Know, And Where Do We Go?, Eva Thanheiser, Christine Browning, Alden Edson, Jane-Jane Lo, Ian Whitacre, Dana Olanoff, Crystal Morton

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The authors reviewed 112 research studies from 1978 to 2012 on prospective elementary teachers' content knowledge in five content areas: whole numbers and operations, fractions, decimals, geometry and measurement, and algebra. Looking across these studies, this final paper identifies the trends and common themes in terms of the counts and types of studies and commonalities among findings. Analyses of the counts show that the number of articles published each year focusing on prospective teacher (PT) content knowledge is increasing. Most articles across the content areas show that PTs tend to rely on procedures rather than concepts. However, the focus of …

Mathematical Content Knowledge For Teaching Elementary Mathematics: A Focus On Whole-Number Concepts And Operations, Eva Thanheiser, Ian Whitacre, George J. Roy

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report represents part of a recent effort to summarize the state of knowledge of prospective elementary teachers' (PTs') mathematics content knowledge and the development thereof. Extensive reviews of the research literature were conducted by a recent PME-NA Working Group across various content areas. This report focuses on whole number and operations. Research in this area is scarce. What we do know from the literature is that PTs' knowledge of whole number and operations is insufficient and in need of improvement. PTs reason about whole numbers and operations in ways that are tied to the standard algorithms. At the same …

Beyond The Mcnair Program: A Comparative Study Of Mcnair Scholars' Understandings Of The Impacts Of Program Participation On Their Graduate School Experiences, Cristina Restad

Dissertations and Theses

The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program is a U.S. Department of Education TRIO Program, funded at 152 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico. In 2013, total funding reached over $35 million--of which, Portland State University received approximately $211,000 (US Department of Education, 2013). The program's goal is to introduce first-generation, low-income, under-represented group college students to effective strategies for succeeding in doctoral programs so they may become professors and create a more supportive environment for future non-traditional students. One way to explore program effectiveness beyond completion of the McNair Program is to ask the McNair Scholars themselves about …

Counseling Emerging Adults In The Midst Of Life Transition: Applying Theory And Research To Practice, Joel A. Lane

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

During the past decade, research examining 18- to 29-year-olds has resulted in the recognition of emerging adulthood as being a distinct developmental stage. Changing societal conditions during the latter 20^th century have contributed to a prolonged identity exploration process that extends well into the twenties. This period encompasses both increased autonomy compared to adolescence and also a moratorium from adult responsibilities, resulting in a subjective feeling of being ‘in-between’.

Converging with these changes are the many life transitions that are experienced during emerging adulthood. It is common for an emerging adult to graduate high school, leave home, enter college …

Training For Change: An Interview With Dr. Jeremy Brown, President, Pcc, Sheila A. Martin, Jeremy Brown

Metroscape

Interview with Dr. Jeremy Brown, President of Portland Community College, provides insights into PCC’s role in our community and in fulfilling our aspirations for a highly educated, engaged citizenry. The Indicators page shows us how community colleges like PCC fill important needs in the post-secondary education system.

Development, Implementation, And Assessment Of A Competency Model For A Graduate Public Affairs Program In Health Administration, Jill Jamison Rissi, Sherril B. Gelmon

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Competency-based education has become the norm for professional graduate degree programs. This paper describes the development, implementation, and ongoing validation of a competency model designed for a multifaceted public administration program. The model is based on accreditation standards and competencies promulgated by NASPAA and CAHME, and reflects a unique focus on community-engaged pedagogies. A framework consisting of 10 competencies was implemented in 2011–12 and validated through feedback from stakeholders, alumni, field preceptors, and graduates. A two-dimensional matrix of content coverage and expected levels of competency attainment delineates the articulation of competencies, curriculum, and course content, and provides a framework for …

Stories Of Success: Understanding Academic Achievement Of Hispanic Students In Science, Amanda Harris

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature shows that there is much evidence to suggest the challenges facing Hispanic students in American public schools. Hispanic enrollment in K-12 public schools has increased from 6 to 19% in the last thirty years, yet schools have not made adequate adjustments to accommodate this changing population. Issues such as remedial tracking and cultural differences have led to low high school graduate rates for Hispanic students and inequities in schooling experiences (Gay, 2000). Particularly in the area of science, Hispanic students struggle with academic success (Cole & Espinoza, 2008). Despite these obstacles, some Hispanic students are …