Digital Commons Network^™

Career Concerns, Pathing, And Professional Development Of High-School Technology Educators, Linda A. Tolan

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Interaction As A Manifestation Of Identity: Undergraduate African And African American Students At One Historically Black University, Gwendoline Ibamiwi Ayuninjam

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines factors that explain interactions between undergraduate African and African American students enrolled at one Historically Black University (HBCU). It explores beliefs, cultural and contextual factors that shed light on interactions across the two categories of students. The research 1) identifies factors that explain inter‐group interaction; 2) analyzes identified factors; and 3) examines their impact on overall attitudes, behaviors, interactions, and relations across the two groups. Identity theory and social identity theory are applied to explain interaction patterns. Both theoretical frameworks acknowledge the importance of the individual’s goals and purposes and apply conceptions of the self in exploring …

Collaboration: Faculty Perspective, William D. Woody

SPS Faculty Publications

From the chapter introduction: Over the past decade and a half, I have worked with many undergraduates as teaching assistants, research assistants on my projects, and advisees who conduct research for honors or other advanced programs. However, in very few cases have I had the special opportunity to genuinely collaborate with a student on research. The materials that follow define collaboration and set it apart from other modes of working with undergraduates, discuss selection processes, goals, challenges, and advantages of collaboration, and provide examples from my work with an outstanding undergraduate student, Joseph Hamm. I conclude this chapter with specific …

Activity Systems Within Blended Problem-Based Learning In Academic Professional Development, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

Blending face-to-face and online problem-based learning environments presents opportunities for both learners and lecturers to take part in collaborative knowledge construction. Activity theory is a suitable framework to investigate such environments and the learning processes that both sets of participants experience when engaging in these complementary environments. This paper attempts to map out the potential for activity systems using a blended problem-based learning approach through the exploration of an accredited academic staff development programme in Ireland. Firstly, an analysis of tool use and the discourse that participants and tutors engage in is presented. Secondly, tutor reflections about the evolution of …

The Impact Of Professional Development On Assessment And Grading Practices For Secondary Teachers, Nicole Lynn Roorda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies suggest that a potential misalignment between assessment and grading practices in reporting secondary student academic achievement has negatively impacted students since grades may not truly reflect actual achievement. Accordingly, the purpose of the current study was to compare secondary teachers' use of academic and nonacademic factors when reporting student achievement before and after professional development on assessment and grading practices. Following change theory, the study investigated the efficacy of employing professional development as a means of influencing more standard and appropriate practices among secondary teachers with regard to using academic and nonacademic factors when employing standards-based reporting to determine …

A Teacher Self-Appraisal Checklist For Physical Educators To Assess Instructional Performance, Robert S. Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

Many of the instructional challenges physical education teachers are confronted with today are very different from even those of our recent past. Advances in educational practices have found different ways to reach students, respond to their activity needs, and provide more interesting, effective, safe, as well as, novel ways to approach the teaching-learning process. Exploration into "Best Practices", instructional methods, and teaching effectiveness over the past three decades has brought about numerous changes that have focused on enhancing the quality of the teaching-learning experience in physical education. Student assessment, teaching effectiveness and instructional accountability are just a few of the …

The Effect Of The Texas Student Success Initiative On Grade 5 Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills (Taks) Failures, Ginny Lee Hunt

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In an effort to end social promotion and hold students' accountable for learning,retention in grade is included in promotion policies that require students to pass state tests and courses to be advanced to the next grade.

This study examined the impact of promotion and retention on the achievement of grade 5 students who failed the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. The study compared the achievement of the grade 5 students who failed the TAKS tests in reading and math and were promoted to the

grade 5 students who failed and were retained to determine …

Teacher-Student Relationships In Primary Schools In Perth, Natalie C. Leitao

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigated teacher-student relationships at Perth metropolitan schools in Western Australia. From the literature, three key social and emotional aspects that affect teacher-student relationships, namely, Connectedness, Availability and Communication, were identified as important to good, positive teacher-student relationships. Data were collected in four parts: (1) through a teacher questionnaire; (2) through a student questionnaire; (3) through teacher interviews; and (4) through student interviews. The three relationship aspects formed the structure of a teacher questionnaire in which ten stem-items were conceptualised from easy to hard - four stem-items for Connectedness, three for Availability, and three for Communication - and answered …

We've Thrown Away The Pens, But Are They Learning? Using Blogs In Higher Education, Katrina Strampel, Ron Oliver

Research outputs pre 2011

In today’s university classrooms, “the time of restricting students products and learning opportunities to ink on paper are past” (Siegle, 2007). Blogs are only one of many computer-mediated technologies starting to dominate blended and wholly online courses. Most people assume that using these technologies, because it is what the students want, will translate into increased learning opportunities. As the literature continuously asserts, however, learning, and especially reflection, does not just happen (Boud, Keogh, & Walker, 1985). It seems imperative, therefore, that extra measures are taken when any technology is being implemented in a university classroom to ensure high levels of …

Resilient Teachers: A Qualitative Study Of Six Thriving Educators In Urban Elementary Schools, Paul Giroux

Dissertations

This qualitative research study used elements of phenomenological and narrative research methodology to explore the common characteristics and experiences of a sample of resilient elementary teachers working in urban schools. The six research subjects in this study’s sample each had at least eight years of teaching experience, and each participated in a cycle of three in-depth interviews designed to determine their degree of resilience and to develop a portrait of their personal and professional characteristics, experiences, attitudes and beliefs. Once the data collection phase was complete, data was coded and then analyzed to identify which of the characteristics and experiences …

Online And Face-To-Face Student Attrition At A Wisconsin Technical College, Fredrick Sheldon Rice

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Institutions of higher learning have long been concerned about the issue of student attrition. The problems and issues surrounding the attrition of undergraduate students in four-year colleges and universities have been well documented. Two-year colleges may not be able to apply all the same strategies used by four-year institutions to improve the persistence rates of students. Adding to the already complex issue of student persistence is the emergence of distance education. Attrition improvement strategies and practices are not necessarily universal in design. Systematic analysis of individual institutions is required in order to develop improvement initiatives for its specific student population. …

Cultural Disparities Of Sat Scores And The Influence On Higher Education Opportunities For African American And Latino Students, Nichelle Hoover

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Inequalities in the distribution of education resources and cultural identification can lead to lower SAT scores for African American and Latino students. By using SAT scores as one of the primary sources to determine admission to institutions of higher education, educators may be denying minority students admission to a variety of colleges and universities, depriving the student of his or her best choice and the college of an engaged and diverse student body, and contributing to the perpetuation of inequalities in the system. The evidence contained in this literature review shows that, given the current system, those students' SAT scores …

Michigan Elementary School Facility Quality And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Brett A. Geier

Dissertations

Studies on school facility quality and its impact on student achievement have been conducted throughout the nation with varying results. Some studies conclude a significant relationship exists between facility condition and student achievement, while others refute this potential phenomenon. Much of the research concludes that not enough analyses have been conducted to make appropriate generalizations. This research study focused on the condition ofelementary schools in Michigan and utilized the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (M.E.A.P.) examinations in reading and mathematics at the third, fourth and fifth grade levels as the dependent variable to assess the relationship between building condition and student …

2007-2008 Common Data, Morehead State University. Institutional Research & Analysis.

Office of Institutional Research & Analysis Publication Archive

2007-2008 issue of the Common Data.

Part-Time Work As A School Psychologist, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

U.S. News and World Report recently rated school psychology as one of the 25 best careers for 2007, highlighting a variety of factors converging to create a strong job market outlook for school psychologists. It emphasizes the generally positive working conditions experienced by those working in our field. One of the many perks to the profession of school psychology is the potential for flexibility in one’s work, such as through parttime positions. While numerous occupations do not lend themselves to part-time work, many school districts offer appealing parttime positions to school psychologists. This is not only a good option for …

Wku Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

Asg Student Social And Emotional Health Report, Michael. E. Bernard, Andrew Stephanou, Daniel Urbach

Wellbeing

This report presents the results of sophisticated Rasch measurement analysis and multi-level modelling to validate and support the use of the ACER Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) student and teacher surveys for reporting on the social and emotional well-being of students from the early years of schooling through to senior secondary school levels. It describes the social and emotional well-being of over 10,000 students attending 81 schools across Australia. Among the more important findings of this research are the characteristics of students with low levels of social and emotional well-being compared with students with higher levels of social and emotional …

Patterns Of District Performance In Student Achievement: Connecting Resources To Student Achievement, Peter Simpson, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

School Finance and Student Achievement

This presentation is the first sequence of a three-phase study using a mixed method sequential explanatory strategy (Creswell, 2003). The study is research in-progress that investigates how resources can increase or diminish the value resources as they move through the education delivery system contributing in variations in its overall performance (Porter, 1985). The study is unique, because it combines, and is based on microeconomic and complex adaptive theories to examine resource utilization within school districts. This first sequence has two analytical goals and steps: (1) to verify the significant correlation, but with patterns of variability for district performance measured by …

College Students’ Perceptions Of Their "Best" And "Worst" Courses And Instructors, Debra S. Emmelman, Michael Decesare

Sociology Faculty Publications

This paper presents results from a content analysis of college students' descriptions of their "best" and " worst " courses and instructors. We were interested primarily in two issues: how college students evaluate their courses , and the extent to which they emphasize various dimensions in their evaluations. We found that students evaluated their course experiences along seven interrelated dimensions: factors external to the course, level of tedium, classroom activities, classroom atmosphere, instructor's comportment, workload/assignments/grading issues, and acquisition of knowledge and skills. These dimensions were emphasized to different degrees and tended to vary in oppositional manners according to the type …

2007 Fall Nutshell, Morehead State University. Institutional Research & Analysis.

Office of Institutional Research & Analysis Publication Archive

Fall 2007 issue of the Nutshell.

Nefdc Exchange, Volume 18, Number 2, Fall 2007, New England Faculty Development Consortium

New England Faculty Development Consortium Exchange

Contents

Message from the President - Judy Miller, Clark University

From the editors - Tom Thibodeau, New England Institute of Technology, and Jeanne Albert, Castleton State College

NEFDC Fall Conference, Friday, November 9, 2007, Worcester, Massachusetts; theme: Engaged Learning: Fostering Student Success; keynote speaker: George Kuh, Indiana University

Engaged Learning: The Foundation for Student Success, Note from our Fall Conference Keynote Speaker - George Kuh, Indiana University

Fall Conference Agenda

Learning Through Community Engagement - Kevin R. Kearney, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Reciprocal Mentoring - Mathew L. Ouellett and Susan E. McKenna, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Helpful …

Fact Book 2007, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Fact Book

The role and mission of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) reflects a distinctively metropolitan emphasis. Accordingly, many of the academic majors, research activities, and public service programs are designed to respond to its urban/suburban environment. The University also has state-wide responsibility for providing programs and services in criminal justice, gerontology, public administration, urban studies, and social work. The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) is a cooperative program of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. NBDC administers its small business program at locations throughout Nebraska. UNO exists for the purpose of providing appropriate …

Common Data Set 2007, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Common Data Sets

Common Data Set (2007 - 2008) for the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Evaluation Of An Adult Education Technology Program, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult education technology program at a chartered alternative adult education center in Florida. The adult education center had a low rate of students passing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This study examined the impact of the use of computer technology in an effort to improve student learning in mathematics, reading, and science. Computers at the institution were used by all students for tutorials to prepare them for the FCAT and to obtain a high school diploma. The research questions for this study were as follows: 1. Is the education technology …

2006-2007 Profile, Morehead State University. Institutional Research & Analysis.

Office of Institutional Research & Analysis Publication Archive

No abstract provided.

Assess And Assist: Capacity Building For All Teachers Of Students – With And Without Learning Difficulties, Ken Rowe

Student learning processes

Following a brief discussion of the fundamental importance of monitoring growth, this paper draws from emerging findings from evidence-based research and ‘state-of-the art’ practice in assessment and reporting of students’ developmental and learning progress – whether or not students experience learning difficulties. The monitoring of individual progress over time requires both diagnostic and developmental assessments of such progress on well-constructed scales (or ‘maps’) that are qualitatively described. The use of such ‘maps’ enables early detection of potential ‘risk factors’, and the monitoring of both individuals and groups across the years of schooling. Such ‘maps’ and their reporting products constitute major …

An Emic View Of Student Writing And The Writing Process, Michael Hass, Jan Osborn

English Faculty Articles and Research

This study uses student reflections of previous success in academic writing to guide instructors as they design writing assignments. Seventy-one students in five classes responded to a questionnaire designed to help them identify particularly successful writing experiences and reflect on the circumstances, strategies, and methods they believed impacted their success. Student responses to these questions were analyzed to identify broad categories or themes. This process produced an "emic" or insider's view of what constitutes successful writing assignments and writing process. The findings suggest that students self report their writing as successful when the writing assignment engenders engagement, commitment, collaboration, a …

School Cultures And Their Correlations With Student Achievement: An Analysis Of Schools That Have Improved, Christina A. Fraley

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The two purposes of this mixed-method study were to (1) conduct a quantitative study that would investigate the correlation of collaborative cultures relative to student achievement, by assessing the cultures of 100 schools and (2) to look at specific schools, using qualitative study methods to better understand insights toward improvements in their culture scores and/or IS TEP third, sixth, or tenth grade scores. One hundred public schools were invited to participate with 81 of the schools being those that participated in a similar project four years ago (Gruenert, 2005). From those who chose not to participate or did not respond, …

The Role Of The Interteach In Interteaching, Thorhallur Orn Flosason

Masters Theses

Interteaching is a relatively new instructional method, based on behavioral approaches to education, that has been offered as an alternative to the traditional lecture format in the college classroom. The present study examined the role of the cooperative learning component of interteaching in an undergraduate statistics class. An alternating treatments design, with conditions counterbalanced across two sections of the course, was used to determine whether or not the effectiveness of interteaching depends on the interteach (cooperative learning) component. Weekly exams were administered to measure student learning and social validity was assessed via a questionnaire that required students to rate their …

Mail And Web Surveys: A Comparison Of Demographic Characteristics And Response Quality When Respondents Self-Select The Survey Administration Mode, Dawn M. Mackety

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use a nonexperimental, quantitative design to compare mail and web surveys with survey mode self-selection at two data collection waves. Research questions examined differences and predictabilities among demographics (gender, ethnicity, age, and professional employment) and response quality (pronoun use, item nonresponse, response extremity, yea-saying, item completion errors, response length, response equivalency, anecdotal comments, and multiple response use) by survey mode and response wave. Analyses were conducted using chi-squares, ANOVAs, t -tests, and binary logistic regressions.

A questionnaire in mail and web formats containing 48 forced-choice and open-ended items was administered to a nonrandom …