How Can School Leaders Support Teachers In Becoming Culturally Proficient? Lessons From Teachers And School Leaders That Support Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices, Sherri Simek Rodriguez

Dissertations

This study was a program evaluation of educator cultural proficiency in a suburban school district in Illinois from 2019-2020. The primary research question explored was how school leaders can support teachers to become culturally proficient in order to support underserved students. Employing a qualitative research methodology, with data gathered from school leader and teacher interviews, and document analysis, this study identified key components to improve culturally proficient practices. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the following: ensure that all staff members examine and eliminate institutional beliefs, policies, practices, and teaching that perpetuate racial inequalities; implement culturally relevant practices; and prepare all …

Studying The Impact Of Grit In The Learning Of Young Children By Way Of Implementing A Student-Teacher Mentorship Program In Elementary Grades, Azra Naqvi

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Children are born with the potential to become successful in life, provided their developmental needs are met. One component is developing the foundational skills, behavior, and attitude that will remain essential ingredients for a successful life. While most children entering school are prepared to learn, there may be some who lack foundational skills that prevent them from learning. The change leadership model developed by Wagner, Kegan, Lahey, Lemons, Garnier, Helsing, and Ark (2006) was used to assess the culture, context, conditions, and competencies of a small, nonpublic Islamic school located in a suburban area. This study aimed to explore …

Examining The Efficacy Of An Intervention Package Delivered Via An Online Learning Tool To Improve Prerequisite Algebra Skill Fluency, Nicole Bricko

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation study investigated the efficacy of a multi-component intervention package delivered via an online learning tool on math fluency for prerequisite algebra skills for three 6^th-grade students. Students were referred by their math teacher due to concerns with academic performance. Target skills were individualized for each student based on screening assessments and measured continuously during both baseline and intervention. The multiple-probe across skills design demonstrated that students increased their math fluency on prerequisite skills. A staggered pattern of increases across skills for two participants indicated experimental control was achieved and student’s performance improved. The Quizlet^® intervention …

A Mathematical Model Of Pancreatic Cancer Growth And Response To Treatment, Allison Cruikshank

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of death due to cancer in the United States. Analyzing the effects of radiation is extremely valuable in determining when a patient is allowed surgical resection, which is, presently, the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer. This study examines pancreatic tumor growth and shrinkage to predict tumor response and change of resectability for pancreatic cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. This is done using ordinary differential equations as a mathematical model. Mathematical models have increasingly been applied to various biological systems/processes to analyze the principles involved. In our project, a population dynamical …

2021 April, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for April of 2021.

Educating For Sustainable Forestry: Perspectives On The Career Readiness Of New Professionals, Samantha Jones

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored forestry career readiness from the perspective of forestry employers and early career forestry professionals. A virtual focus group interview, individual online interviews, and a review of forestry education documents produced study data. Participants were selected through snowball sampling. Data were analyzed through open and axial coding. Salient themes emerging from this inquiry centered on the dynamic complexity of forestry, field competence, interpersonal skills, and situated learning. Study findings concluded that sustainable forest management required field skills to conduct remote forestry activities and interpersonal skills to negotiate diverse stakeholder interests. Implications for educational practice and recommendations …

Leadership Style And Subordinate Work Stress, Jennifer Yoho

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the work stress perceived by public safety dispatchers and determine whether the supervisor’s leadership style played a role in the stress experienced. Research showed, and evidence suggested, that many stress-related symptoms at work occur because of unhealthy supervisor-subordinate relationships (Skakon, Nielsen, Borg, & Guzman, as cited in Belanger et al., 2016). Previous researchers found that a leader with a toxic, laissez-faire, or destructive leadership style increased the stress experienced by the employee (Syed, Rehman, & Kitchlew, 2018) while a supervisor with a transformational leadership style decreased the stress (Abbasi, 2018). Pishgooie, …

Teacher Perceptions Of Teaching Science Using The 5e Instructional Model, Erica Sheilasha Gaines

Theses and Dissertations

Changes made to science education on the national level caused many changes for state education systems. In the state of Georgia, science education instructional leaders also saw the need for a change in the way science needed to be taught to students. Due to the need to improve science teaching and learning and to increase interest in the STEM fields, Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science were released in 2016. Science teachers were required to shift their instructional practices to teach science as a practice by engaging students in specific tasks aligned to science and engineering practices. This study focused …

A Case Study Of The Perspectives Of Black Children's Parents Regarding Their Role In Addressing The Achievement Gap, Jennifer Lona Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, collective case study was to understand the perspectives of Black children's parents regarding their roles in addressing the Black student achievement gap in their Virginia school district. For this study, the achievement gap referred to the disparity of academic performance between Black and White students. The theories guiding this study were social constructivism and social equity as they both support understanding the world based on participants’ experiences. The research questions are as follows: (1) What do parents of Black children identify as their roles in their children’s education? (2) How do parents of Black children …

A Phenomenology Of The Experiences Of Secondary Athletic Trainers With Athletic Training Student Aides In A Sports Medicine Career Technology Education Pathway In Texas, Amanda Marie Andrews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The intended purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experience of athletic trainers in the secondary school setting who supervise career technology education (CTE) health science students in the sports medicine pathway at high schools in Texas. Through the lens of the social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hacket, 2006) as a theoretical framework, this study will answered the central research question: What is the lived experience of secondary school athletic trainers in Texas supervising CTE pathway athletic training student aides? Sub-questions sought to further explore the participants’ relationship to student self-efficacy in career exploration …

The Perceptions Of Organizational Managers Regarding Strengths And Gaps Of Knowledge And Skills Of Generation Z Employees, Tori L. Hersey

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of the qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of organizational managers in the north central Florida area regarding the strengths and gaps in knowledge and skills of Generation Z employees. Generation Z is defined in the study as individuals born between the years 1997-2012. Managers of seven occupations, including a state prison facility, first responder, retail, restaurant, transport refrigeration, and grocery industries were asked open-ended questions and personally interviewed to determine any perceived strengths or gaps in the knowledge and skills of the employees falling into the Generation Z cohort. Strengths reported by the managers concerning …

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The 22-Item Empathy Assessment Index, Kelly L. Hoskins

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), an instrument based on the social cognitive neuroscience conceptualization of empathy, is a measure of interpersonal empathy with five components: affective response, self-other awareness, perspective taking, affective mentalizing, and emotion regulation. However, the most recently added component, affective mentalizing, has demonstrated high correlations with perspective taking. The high correlations may indicate a lack of discriminant validity within the index. This non-experimental, quantitative, and cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether the factor structure of the 22-Item EAI is a correlated five-component model. A snowball sample of 929 community members completed the 22-Item EAI as an online …

The Corridor Of Shame: An Immersed Analysis Of South Carolina Schools, Darren R. Burton

Senior Theses

This research project discusses school funding instruments of rural and urban schools in South Carolina and uncovers its effect on student academic achievement. Educational achievement is assessed based on report card datasets between 2018 and 2019, containing South Carolina Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) score data and South Carolina College and Career Ready Assessment (SCREADY) score data. This research project uses a comparative analysis to evaluate each group’s performance in the subjects of English Language Arts and science. The statistical analysis tools that this research project uses include analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression analysis, and Microsoft Power BI. The …

The Impact Of Professional Development On Teacher Learning And Use Of Technology In The Classroom, Craig R. Bocks

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Panorama Spring 2021, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This print issue of Panorama includes information on Southern Adventist University's incoming president and information on May's graduation ceremonies.

The Enrollment Of Adolescent Male Singers In Public School Choral Ensembles, Molly J. Bleess

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Persuasive social constructs of masculinity negatively impact the enrollment of adolescent male singers in public-school choral music programs. Research focused on the awareness of the systemic gender stereotypes threatens to invalidate boys' participation in the arts and strategies and approaches to support the middle level choral music experience for young male singers. A critical analysis of relevant scholarly research pertaining to this topic included single-sex ensembles, vocal models and their influence on possible future selves, use of improvisation and the development of self-efficacy and musical identity, and promotion of inclusive masculinities through voice classification methods and repertoire choices.

The Effect Of Cold-Calling On Voluntary Participation In A Middle School Science Classroom, Kris Birkland

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study investigated the effect of cold-calling on voluntary participation in a middle school science classroom. Four sections of an eighth grade science class were observed: two of the sections were with a teacher who used cold-calling often, and two of the sections were with a teacher who does not use cold-calling. An observer recorded the number of students who volunteered to answer a question after it was first asked. Although the students in the class with the teacher who used cold-calling frequently had higher rates of voluntary participation, the results were not statistically significant; therefore, there is …

Effective Practices For Reducing The Use Of Restraint And Seclusion, Deborah Barry

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Restraint and seclusion are harmful practices that are often imposed upon vulnerable student populations. This literature review examines the prevalence of such practices, the ethical considerations associated with their use, and effective strategies for limiting their use. The research reveals the importance of evidence-based approaches in reducing restraint and seclusion practices. Models that utilize compassionate, trauma-informed care and promote emotional regulation strategies are shown to be the most successful in reducing the use of these detrimental behavior management practices. One specific approach, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS), was found to incorporate each of these elements into a model that minimizes …

Girls In Stem Day: From Space To Dna, An Analysis Of Middle School Girls' Interests In Stem Fields, Emily Carter

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Research specifically targeted at youth participation in STEM highlights the importance of community engagements outside of school to bolster interest in STEM. We ask the research questions: (1) How do girls who engage with a day-long STEM event at UNLV perceive hands-on science activities? (2) How did girls’ enjoyment of science activities shift their interest in science topics? The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence middle school girls’ interests in STEM fields through a day-long STEM event. This research was conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2020 called Girls in STEM Day …

Sacred Heart University Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 2, Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University Magazine

Contents: Forward: Crating Inclusivity --SHU Goes Pro --Turning Zs To Ws. Leading: Restoring the "Crown Jewel" of Downtown Fairfield --Campus in the clouds --The Trace Race. The Day After Tomorrow: Representational Opportunity --The Conversation We're Not Having --The Way We (Might) Live Now. Where Language Is No Barrier. Something Old, Something New. Spirit: SHU and 42 --The Power of Opportunity --Remembering Don Feeley. From The Archive.

Pushout, Persistence, Pullback, And Resistance: The Unnecessarily Complicated Experiences Of Women Of Color In Stem, Edna A. Olvera , '21

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In this thesis project, I explore the unnecessarily complicated path of persistence for women of color in STEM. I find that these students are pushed out by the larger culture and climate of STEM which is hostile to their existence. However, there are students that are not pushed out but rather chose to leave STEM in favor of other academic pursuits. For students that do persist, the strategies they engage in order to persist are strategic and agentic. These students are aware that they must navigate STEM carefully. Within persisting, students also resist and push back against the dominant STEM …

Reclaiming Civics: Negotiating Priorities For Civic Education Pedagogy, Skylar Thoma , '21

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Civic education has always been a battleground in American political debates, yet it is more necessary than ever given intense political polarization and waning participation among youth. After providing a brief synopsis of the history of civic education, this thesis considers four pedagogical frameworks available to educators as they attempt to address these challenges: civic knowledge, skills, values, and motivation. In order to address low political participation among youth, a traditional emphasis on civic knowledge is insufficient for motivating students; rather, educators should directly cultivate students' political efficacy through experiential learning programs. Meanwhile, a reliance on a common values system …

The Influence Music Education Programs Have On Identity Development, Cultural Awareness, And Trauma Related To African American Youth That Live In Urban Settings, Michele Colbert

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Research continues to document results that suggest a positive relationship between music education programs and student academic achievement. However, there are an insignificant number of studies that look at the influence music education programs have on variables such as identity development and self-concept regarding its impact on African American youth that live in economically disadvantaged communities. Seeking to ascertain the manner by which an urban multicultural choral program influences identity development, promotes cultural awareness, and combats levels of stress in youth of color, I utilized a basic interpretive qualitative study design, drawing on elements of phenomenology. In an effort to …

The Serial Mediation Of The Relationship Between Sexual Shame And Marital Relationship Satisfaction By Sexual Communication In A Parallel Relationship Of Sexual Satisfaction And Marital Relational Intimacy, Mark A. Saunders Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual shame is a construct that has garnered increased research and interest in recent years, with much of the research targeted towards how sexual shame is affected by pornography use, moral disapproval of certain sexual activities, and shame about one’s belief about the sexual self. There is little research on the etiology of sexual shame and the determination of whether it is domain-specific or a component of global shame. This research studied how marital satisfaction may be affected by sexual shame through the mediation of sexual communication, relational intimacy, and sexual satisfaction, based on the belief that a couple’s satisfaction …

Stem Education As A Vital Preventive Response To A Pandemic, Emily Faulconer, Katherine Baker, Oliver Grundmann, Sarah Haines, Tyra Hall-Pogar

Publications

T he extraordinary work to develop feasible vaccines, effective medical treatments, and accurate epidemiological studies to alleviate the SARS-CoV2 pandemic would not have been possible without collaboration between academia, industry, government laboratories, and regulatory agencies that speak the common language researchers around the world know—science!

Mothers’ Accounts Of Attending To Educational And Everyday Needs Of Their Children At Home During Covid-19: The Case Of The Uae, Fatma F.S. Said, Nadine Jaafarawi, Anna Dillon

All Works

From March 2020 until July 2020, the UAE implemented mandatory distance learning due to COVID-19, which meant that children had to continue their learning remotely at home. Though schools concerted exemplary efforts to ensure that children received all that was necessary through advanced technology platforms and interfaces, the duty of ensuring that children continued to engage in successful learning fell solely on parents. This paper is based on a self-report study conducted during this first period of distance learning where parents were invited to anonymously complete a survey and then be interviewed. The paper relies on interviews as its main …

Can I Be A Scientist?: Adolescent Exposure To Stem Literacy And Students’ Conceptions Of Identity, Cristopher C. Alvarado , '21

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

There is a crisis of disenfranchised students dropping out of STEM majors and careers. The national STEM major retention rates in undergraduate institutions hovers around 40%, and this number is disproportionately smaller among marginalized students, especially women and students of color (Dagley et. al, 2015). These students, who struggle to identify within academic STEM communities, are failed by the inadequacy of texts that are unable to stimulate interest and engagement in their STEM identities. Based on student interviews, research of the literary market, and my own experiences, there is a severe de-emphasis on STEM nonfiction literature in the classroom for …

Library Programming For Autistic Children And Teens, Amelia Anderson

STEMPS Faculty Books

This second edition provides key information, updated program ideas, and practical tips that will help library workers feel more prepared to serve members of this prevalent population.

Since the first edition of this landmark guide was published, there has been increased interest in services for library patrons on the autism spectrum; indeed, more people of all ages now self-identify as autistic. Those who understand the unique characteristics of autistic young people know that ordinary library programming guides are not up to the task of effectively serving these library users. Well qualified to speak to this need, Anderson is an …

Gamification, Game-Based Learning, And Student Engagement In Education, Alan May

Leadership Education Capstones

Over the past few years the application of educational technology in the classroom setting has been increasingly popular. Educators at all levels, primary, secondary, and post-secondary have been exploring best practices in the use of educational technology and the impact that educational technology has on student learning. Many educators have explored the idea of gamification and game-based learning in their classrooms to improve student learning and student engagement. Using technology to create a gamified or game-based learning shows positive results and has fostered an environment that encourages students to collaborate with their peers, engage with content material, and stay motivated …

Examining Motivation As A Mechanism For The Effects Of Stereotype Threat On Stem Outcomes: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis, Delaram A. Totonchi

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Although African-American students start STEM majors with higher levels of interest compared to their racial majority peers, they drop out of these majors at higher rates. One often tested explanation for this racial disparity is stereotype threat–the anxiety related to being judged stereotypically or the fear of confirming such stereotypes. Stereotype threat negatively impacts academic outcomes through a variety of psychological mechanisms including declined motivation. Accordingly, in this study, I examined expectancy-value beliefs as motivational mechanisms for the effects of stereotype threat on STEM outcomes. Participants were 362 African-American students in introductory chemistry and biology courses who completed surveys at …