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Science Inquiry Kits And Teacher Preparedness To Teach Science As Inquiry In Elementary Classrooms, Angela Clayton Jan 2009

Science Inquiry Kits And Teacher Preparedness To Teach Science As Inquiry In Elementary Classrooms, Angela Clayton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Science Education Standards (1996) indicate that science education should include inquiry instruction. Many teachers still struggle with how to implement inquiry in their classrooms and a lack of high quality inquiry-based instructional materials has been posited as a hindrance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to observe the instructional practices of three elementary teachers when using an inquiry-based science kit program in their fourth grade classrooms. Teacher practices and their attitudes towards their preparedness to teach science with the support of the curricular program were examined. Data were collected through pre/post survey comparisons, observations, and a focus …


Roses Are Red, Violets Are Bluehow Poetry In Science Can Help Students Learn Something New, Kimberly Casselman Jan 2009

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Bluehow Poetry In Science Can Help Students Learn Something New, Kimberly Casselman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an attempt to examine how poetry integrated with science could assist eighth graders in the memorization of key science vocabulary words. Furthermore, it would investigate if student attitude, interest, and motivation would improve with the use of the poetry. Instruction was adjusted to implement poetry into astronomy lessons. Memorization activities such as poems, chanting, and repetition were used to help students remember the vocabulary and the definitions. Pre/post tests were used to interpret if the poetry did assist in the memorization of the astronomy vocabulary. Science interest surveys and science attitude surveys were used to interpret if …


The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Repeated Readings On The Reading Performance Of Middle School Students With Mild Intellectual Disabilities, Mark Cerasale Jan 2009

The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Repeated Readings On The Reading Performance Of Middle School Students With Mild Intellectual Disabilities, Mark Cerasale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has mandated that all public school students will be reading at grade level by the 2013-2014 school year. Florida has embarked on an agenda to ensure that the kindergarten through high school student population is reading at or above grade level by 2014. Many of Florida's low-performing student population, including middle school students with high incidence disabilities, are reading below grade level. Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, this study examined the impact of computer-assisted repeated readings on the reading performance of three middle school students with mild intellectual disabilities over …


Marital Satisfaction: Factors For Black Jamaicans And African Americansx Living In The United States, Nvischi Edwards Jan 2009

Marital Satisfaction: Factors For Black Jamaicans And African Americansx Living In The United States, Nvischi Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Marital satisfaction is the strongest predictor for happiness in many areas of life (Russel & Wells, 1994). A satisfying marriage is associated with better general adjustment and fewer health problems (Bray & Jouriles, 1995). Factors that contribute to marital satisfaction reported by researchers include religion and spirituality (Anthony, 1993; Marks et al., 2008; Shehas, Boch & Lee, 1990), family of origin dynamics (Cohn, Silver, Cowan, Cowan, & Pearson, 1992; Webster, Orbuch, & House, 1995), and quality of family relationships (Timer, Veroff, & Hatchett, 1996). Additionally, satisfying marriages are beneficial to couples and children of these marriages. The purpose of this …


Examining The General Quality Of Early Childhood Education And Structural Variables In Support Of Early Childhood Inclusion In Beijing, China, Bi Ying Hu Jan 2009

Examining The General Quality Of Early Childhood Education And Structural Variables In Support Of Early Childhood Inclusion In Beijing, China, Bi Ying Hu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to (a) explore the global quality of early childhood programs within the Chinese socio-cultural context, and (b) examine the effects of teachers' years of experience, degree, major, and class size on teachers' perceptions of developmentally appropriate practices, inclusion, and training needs in order to provide services for children with disabilities in regular classrooms. The researcher completed observations in 40 early childhood classrooms using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- Revised (ECERS-R). Results from classroom observations revealed that the global quality of the early childhood learning environment was between minimum and good. Areas that …


The Contributions Of Professional School Counselors' Values And Leadership Practices To Their Programmatic Service Delivery, Margaret Shillingford Jan 2009

The Contributions Of Professional School Counselors' Values And Leadership Practices To Their Programmatic Service Delivery, Margaret Shillingford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professional School Counselors (PSCs) have been called to be leaders for educational reform to support the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students through the coordination and facilitation of their comprehensive, developmental school counseling program (American School Counselor Association , 2005; National Model). The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of PSCs' values and leadership practices to their programmatic service delivery (counseling, coordinating, consulting, and curriculum). The three constructs and instruments investigated in this study were: (a) Schwartz Value Theory (the Schwartz Value Survey ; Schwartz, 1992), (b) the Leadership Challenge Theory (the Leadership Practices …


Performance Appraisal Systems In Higher Education: An Exploration Of Christian Institutions, Forrest Flaniken Jan 2009

Performance Appraisal Systems In Higher Education: An Exploration Of Christian Institutions, Forrest Flaniken

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although there is substantial literature on the use of performance appraisal in the for-profit world, there is little literature available concerning the appraisal of staff positions in higher education. More knowledge is needed in this area since there is considerable research indicating that performance appraisal creates benefits to an organization and its employees. This study provides a comprehensive review of the development and use of performance appraisal in the United States, and a detailed look at the purposes, benefits, and challenges of performance appraisal. The study found a very high usage of staff performance appraisal in its population of 108 …


Mystery Shopper Motivations And The Presence Of Motivation Crowding, Pamela Allison Jan 2009

Mystery Shopper Motivations And The Presence Of Motivation Crowding, Pamela Allison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mystery shopping is used in a variety of service industries to measure service performance, as a training tool for employees, and to ensure the safety and security of the product offered. The persons performing this activity, mystery shoppers, experience various motivations, some of which are similar to employees and/or volunteers. These motivations can be intrinsic, where the performance of the activity is a reward itself, or extrinsic, meaning performance of the activity is a method for attaining a reward. The dominance of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation can shift within the individual, which is termed motivation crowding. Individuals can crowd in …


Go With The Flow: Examining The Effects Of Engagement Using Flow Theory And It's Relationship To Achievement And Performance, Karen Cooper Jan 2009

Go With The Flow: Examining The Effects Of Engagement Using Flow Theory And It's Relationship To Achievement And Performance, Karen Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Worlds have become an attractive platform for work, play, and learning. Businesses, including the public sector and academia, are increasingly investing their time, money, and attention to understanding the value of virtual worlds as a productivity tool. For example, educators are leading the way with research in Second Life, one of the more popular virtual worlds, as a potentially powerful medium for creating and delivering instruction. Still, little is empirically known about the value of virtual worlds as viable learning platforms. This study examined the instructional potential of Second Life for creating engaging activities, and to investigate the relationship …


A Study Of The Relationship Between Second-Order Change Leadership Behaviors Of Principals And School Grades Of Florida Title I Elementary Schools, Gonzalo La Cava Jan 2009

A Study Of The Relationship Between Second-Order Change Leadership Behaviors Of Principals And School Grades Of Florida Title I Elementary Schools, Gonzalo La Cava

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between second-order change leadership behaviors and the grade assigned to schools in large urban districts by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE). A total of 101 Title I elementary school principals from large urban school districts with 60+% students on Free and Reduced School Lunch participated in the study. Specifically, this study analyzed 7 of the 21 second-order change factor responsibilities. They include (a) knowledge of curriculum, instruction, assessment, (b) optimizer, (c) intellectual stimulation, (d) change agent, (e) monitoring/evaluating, (f) flexibility, and (g) ideals/beliefs. The findings of this study were …


Examining Factors Taht Affect Knowledge Sharing And Students' Attitude Toward Their Learning Experience Within Virtual Teams, Jinxia He Jan 2009

Examining Factors Taht Affect Knowledge Sharing And Students' Attitude Toward Their Learning Experience Within Virtual Teams, Jinxia He

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined factors that might impact student knowledge sharing within virtual teams through online discussion boards. These factors included: trust, mutual influence, conflict, leadership, and cohesion. A path model was developed to determine whether relationships exist among knowledge sharing from asynchronous group discussion and the above five factors. In addition, this study examined if there are any relationships between quality and quantity of knowledge sharing and students' grades. A correlation design was conducted to discover if there are any relationships among these five factors and knowledge sharing within virtual teams. Participants in this study were 148 undergraduate students from …


Extending The Technology Acceptance Model Using Perceived User Resources In Higher Education Web-Based Online Learning Courses, Cheng-Hsin Ku Jan 2009

Extending The Technology Acceptance Model Using Perceived User Resources In Higher Education Web-Based Online Learning Courses, Cheng-Hsin Ku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine students' acceptance of the World Wide Web Course Tools (WebCT) online learning system. The Perceived Resources and Technology Acceptance Model (PRATAM) was created based on previous research to address the factors of perceived resources, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward using, behavioral intention to use and actual system use. The aim for this research was to investigate the critical determinants and provide the causal relationships regarding students' acceptance behaviors when using WebCT. While institutions are expecting to adopt online learning to reach more students, there are still many challenges for …


The Relationship Between Motivation And Online Social Presence In An Online Class, Yedong Tao Jan 2009

The Relationship Between Motivation And Online Social Presence In An Online Class, Yedong Tao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of student motivation and perceived online social presence in an online course. Better understanding of the relationship between online social presence and motivation would assist researchers to identify and develop effective instructional strategies for the success of students' online learning experience. This study was conducted during the Fall 2007 semester at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida. Data for this study were collected from participating students enrolled in three online sections of EME 2040, Introduction of Educational Technology. In this course, pre-service teachers learn …


An Investigation Of Linguistic, Cognitive, And Affective Factors That Impact English Language Learners' Performance On A State Standardized Reading Achievement Test, Carine Strebel Halpern Jan 2009

An Investigation Of Linguistic, Cognitive, And Affective Factors That Impact English Language Learners' Performance On A State Standardized Reading Achievement Test, Carine Strebel Halpern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies has been proposed as a means to better prepare secondary school-aged students for today's information-dense, fast-paced, fast-changing global society, and to improve the academic performance of struggling adolescent readers. This proposition of a direct and positive impact of reading comprehension strategies on reading achievement for all students has not been investigated with English language learners (ELLs) who, by definition, do not possess the same level of English language skills as their native-English speaking peers. This mixed-method study investigated linguistic, cognitive, as well as affective factors that impact adolescent ELLs' performance on a standardized …


The Impact Of Advanced Placement (Ap) Participation And Success On School-Wide Student Achievement, David Christiansen Jan 2009

The Impact Of Advanced Placement (Ap) Participation And Success On School-Wide Student Achievement, David Christiansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate two research questions concerning: (a) the relationship between the percentage of students within a high school who participated in the Advanced Placement program and the school-wide student achievement of a high school and (b) the relationship between the percentage of students within a high school who successfully performed in the Advanced Placement program and the school-wide student achievement of the high school. It was determined in this study that there was a statistically significant relationship between Advanced Placement (AP) student participation and school-wide student achievement and there was a statistically significant relationship …


A Confirmation Factor Analysis Of Teaching Presence Within The Florida Online Reading Professional Development Program, Melinda Stevison Jan 2009

A Confirmation Factor Analysis Of Teaching Presence Within The Florida Online Reading Professional Development Program, Melinda Stevison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Community of Inquiry model provides a framework for recognizing and evaluating interpersonal behaviors in online educational settings. One of its three components, teaching presence (TP), describes those behaviors that are under the auspices of the online instructor. By examining these interactions and behaviors through the theoretical lens provided by teaching presence, and by measuring them with the Teaching Presence Scale (TPS), it may be possible to gain greater understanding of the practices employed most effectively by online instructors. This dissertation describes the background, theoretical and empirical foundations, methods, and results of a study on TP. The purpose of the …


A Comparison Of Eighth Grade Reading Scores By State And By The Four Census-Defined Regions Identified By Naep, William Gordon Ii Jan 2009

A Comparison Of Eighth Grade Reading Scores By State And By The Four Census-Defined Regions Identified By Naep, William Gordon Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study provided information for policymakers and practitioners by comparing performance of eighth grade students in 2007 on state standardized reading assessments and by the four census-defined regions identified by NAEP. NCLB required states to set their own performance standards and to create their own data collection instruments resulting in increased transparency of student performance data and a lack of uniform accountability systems. The inability of educators, policy-makers, and the general public to make state-by-state comparisons in the area of reading was the catalyst for the study. NAEP data were collected from NCES and state performance data were collected from …


Psychological Sense Of Community And Retention: Rethinking The First-Year Experience Of Students In Stem, Melissa Dagley Falls Jan 2009

Psychological Sense Of Community And Retention: Rethinking The First-Year Experience Of Students In Stem, Melissa Dagley Falls

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation looks at the relationship between a STEM learning community's co-curricular activities and students' perceived sense of community (SOC)to determine which activities most influence SOC and, in turn, retention. This investigation shows that SOC can be impacted by a multitude of factors found within the college environment. The most influential of these factors are open acceptance, student academic support services, and residential experiences. Most importantly there were significant differences for African American students participating in the STEM learning community on the measures of SOC, retention, and being on-track in mathematics. Additional data suggested higher levels of being on-track in …


Evaluation Of Juvenile Justice Education Programs: What The Numbers Say About Juvenile Recidivism, Kevin Egan Jan 2009

Evaluation Of Juvenile Justice Education Programs: What The Numbers Say About Juvenile Recidivism, Kevin Egan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year more than 100,000 juveniles are incarcerated in residential rehabilitative facilities. As part of their course of treatment, educational services are mandated for these incarcerated youth. Programs serving these individuals must provide adequate and appropriate educational programs for these juveniles. With a growing public concern over juvenile delinquency and recidivism, programs are being held accountable for the effectiveness and quality of the programming they offer. In Florida, juvenile justice programs offering educational services are monitored annually by the Juvenile Justice Education Enhancement Program. These programs receive a Quality Assurance (QA) rating as determined by a review team that spends …


Examination Of The Fidelity Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation And Its Relationship To Academic And Behavio, Jason Lafrance Jan 2009

Examination Of The Fidelity Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation And Its Relationship To Academic And Behavio, Jason Lafrance

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research was to examine the level of implementation of School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) in the State of Florida. The relationship between the fidelity of implementation of SWPBS as measured by the Benchmarks of Quality tool to academic and behavioral outcomes for middle and elementary schools was then analyzed. The academic outcomes for this study included FCAT Reading and Mathematics subtest scores. The behavioral outcomes were measured using the number of Office Discipline Referrals per 100 students and the number of days for Out of School Suspensions per 100 students. The literature review suggests that …


The Impact Of Academic Vocabulary Instruction On Reading Performance Of Sophomore Students On The Florida Comprehensive Assessme, Margaret Mcmillen Jan 2009

The Impact Of Academic Vocabulary Instruction On Reading Performance Of Sophomore Students On The Florida Comprehensive Assessme, Margaret Mcmillen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the change in sophomore reading scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test after the implementation of an academic vocabulary program and the change in teacher knowledge and professional practice after a program of staff development in academic vocabulary. The purpose was to determine the impact of the professional development on student reading performance. The study analyzed student data from 2008 and 2009 gathered from the Florida Department of Education, and teacher data collected from a survey used as a pretest/posttest. Variables used in the analysis of student data included demographic subgroups of white, African-American, and Hispanic students …


Elementary School Student Achievement: An Analysis Of School Size And Student Achievement, Natalie Odom Jan 2009

Elementary School Student Achievement: An Analysis Of School Size And Student Achievement, Natalie Odom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student achievement is the cornerstone of educational intuitions. Having a comprehensive understanding of what factors into having a successful student achievement rate requires the use of previous research and analyzing of historical accounts. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in student achievement when elementary school size was a factor. The analysis of the results offered beneficial information pertaining to Florida's public schools while providing a stepping stone towards future research. The results of this study and subsequent studies can provide information and guidance to decision makers regarding school size relative to student achievement. …


Post-Implementation Success Factors For Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp) Student Administration Systems In Higher Education In, Linda Sullivan Jan 2009

Post-Implementation Success Factors For Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp) Student Administration Systems In Higher Education In, Linda Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study investigated the post-implementation experiences of 6 higher education institutions following the initial implementation of a Student Administration ERP system and explored how these institutions used the post-implementation phase to maximize the benefits from the ERP system. A mixed-method approach consisting of an online survey and qualitative case study was utilized for data collection; within-case and cross-case analyses were performed to generate the research results and findings. The overall post-implementation experiences of the case study institutions were found to be similar in nature, regardless of institution size. Several post-implementation characteristics were also found to be shared in varying …


The Influence Of The School Choice Provision, Within The No Child Left Behind Legislation, On The Academic Achievement Of Studen, Lynn Kirkland Jan 2009

The Influence Of The School Choice Provision, Within The No Child Left Behind Legislation, On The Academic Achievement Of Studen, Lynn Kirkland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, Public Law 107-110 (U.S. Congress), was passed by Congress in response to perceived failure of the public school system to effectively educate students, particularly disadvantaged students in the United States. The relationship of NCLB school choice to student achievement has not been clearly established. This causal-comparative study examined the following: (a) FCAT mathematics and reading achievement gains of targeted fourth through eighth grade NCLB choice students and a comparison group of eligible non-choosers with matching demographic characteristics; (b) the pre-test academic ability levels of NCLB choice students in fourth grade through …


Character Education: Examining The Perceptions Of Elementary, Middle, And High School Teachers In A Central Florida School District, Jason Ampel Jan 2009

Character Education: Examining The Perceptions Of Elementary, Middle, And High School Teachers In A Central Florida School District, Jason Ampel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While schools are academic institutions to prepare our country's youth for their future, developing a child's character and civic responsibilities is necessary and is often deleted from the explicit curriculum set forth in most school districts throughout the country. This study investigated the perception of character education of teachers in a Central Florida school district, as it related to teacher importance, teacher efficacy, and teacher practice of character education. This study investigated the responses of 497 classroom teachers surveyed within one Central Florida school district. The questionnaire used in this study was designed to illuminate teacher perceptions of character education, …


Are Approaches To Teaching And/Or Student Evaluation Of Instruction Scores Related To The Amount Of Faculty Formal Eduational Co, Kristen Schellhase Jan 2009

Are Approaches To Teaching And/Or Student Evaluation Of Instruction Scores Related To The Amount Of Faculty Formal Eduational Co, Kristen Schellhase

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there are correlations among an instructor's approach to teaching, student evaluation of instruction outcomes, and the amount of formal coursework in education a teacher has completed. Three research questions provided the focus for the study: (1) to determine if there is a correlation between the number of formal educational courses taken by athletic training educational program (ATEP) faculty and their approach to teaching; (2) to determine if there is a correlation between the amount of formal educational courses taken by ATEP faculty and their students' evaluations of instruction; and (3) to …


The Effect Of The Dove Evolution Film As A One-Shot Media Literacy Treatment, Daniel Wheeler Jan 2009

The Effect Of The Dove Evolution Film As A One-Shot Media Literacy Treatment, Daniel Wheeler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of the Dove Evolution film as a one-shot media literacy treatment to change sociocultural attitudes toward appearance. Four speech classes at the University of Central Florida were used in a Solomon four-group design. Group 1 received a posttest; Group 2 received a pretest and a posttest; Group 3 received the treatment and posttest; and Group 4 received the pretest, treatment and posttest. The treatment consisted of the Dove Evolution film, a viral video introduced in 2006 by Dove as part of its Campaign for Real Beauty. The film has received …


Finders Keepers: A Comparative Study Investigating Teaching The Florida Research Process Finds Model Through Three Different Approaches At The Elementary School Level, Karen Serrell Jan 2009

Finders Keepers: A Comparative Study Investigating Teaching The Florida Research Process Finds Model Through Three Different Approaches At The Elementary School Level, Karen Serrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The children's taunt "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers" gives new credence to the information search process at the elementary school level. Children keep what they find, claim it as their own, and accept information without discernment or critique. This study examines the effectiveness of teaching information literacy skills through three different approaches. The first curricular approach uses direct instruction to teach children how to do research using the Florida Research Process FINDS Model. The second approach pairs the FINDS Model with a unit of study that is related to classroom curriculum. The third approach examines the FINDS Model in conjunction with …


An Investigation Of Scholar-Baller And Non Scholar-Baller Division I Football Student-Athletes' Academic, Athletic, Intrinsic Motivation And Athletic Identity, Janet Rasmussen Jan 2009

An Investigation Of Scholar-Baller And Non Scholar-Baller Division I Football Student-Athletes' Academic, Athletic, Intrinsic Motivation And Athletic Identity, Janet Rasmussen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As less than 3 % of student-athletes go on to play sport professionally, it is important that they are prepared for careers outside of athletics (Susanj & Stewart, 2005). Many football student-athletes have low grade point averages and graduation rates. Universities incorporate academic motivational programs to help combat low academic performance. One unique program, Scholar-Baller, utilizes popular culture within its curriculum to bridge the gap between academics and athletics. This dissertation examined the differences between Scholar-Baller and Non Scholar-Baller Division I football student-athletes' motivation (academic, athletic, intrinsic) and athletic identity using expectancy-value theory and self-affirmation theory as its framework. In …


An Examination Of Consumer Experience And Relative Effects On Consumer Values, Andrew Walls Jan 2009

An Examination Of Consumer Experience And Relative Effects On Consumer Values, Andrew Walls

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the ever changing business climate, the service sector has become a major focus of attention. One key aspect of this competitive environment is the effort of many businesses to differentiate themselves by creating unique customer experiences that accompany their products and services. The challenge to creating memorable consumer experiences is the proper identification of specific characteristics that influence experiences and gaining better understanding of how these impact consumers perceived values. To this end, this study attempted to develop a model that identifies influencing dimensions of consumer experiences and investigates the composition of consumer experiences and the relative outcome on …