Digital Commons Network^™

Political Efficacy And Expected Participation Among Lower And Upper Secondary Students. A Comparative Analysis With Data From The Iea Civic Education Study, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The process of political socialisation of adolescents includes more than the acquisition of knowledge about society, citizenship and the political system. In a democracy, citizens are expected to participate actively in the political process. Active participation, however, requires citizens to believe in their own ability to influence the course of politics, in other words, to feel politically efficacious. Therefore, enhancing control beliefs and the willingness to act politically could be viewed as important areas of civic and citizenship education. This paper examines changes in levels and relationships regarding efficacy and expected participation using data from students at different stages of …

Pathways From School To Further Education Or Work : Examining The Consequences Of Year 12 Course Choices, Sue Thomson

LSAY Research Reports

Particular subjects or subject combinations are traditionally more likely to act as gateways to higher education or to vocational education and training, while other combinations are more likely to lead to the workforce or perhaps to unemployment. In general, tertiary or vocational qualifications facilitate the transition to work, and graduates earn significantly more than those who enter the workforce directly from school. However, some groups of students are less likely to participate in further education and training, including low achievers and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The literature has pointed to differences in curriculum participation according to background variables such …

Annual Report, Arts & Sciences Academic Affairs Committee, September 2005, Arts & Sciences Academic Affairs Committee

Academic Affairs Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Content Analysis Of Undergraduate Courses And Course Content On The Armenian Genocide In United States Higher Education, Christina Berian Pelosky

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The purpose of this study was to determine how many courses exist, or how much course content exists in Division IA colleges/universities regarding the Armenian Genocide in undergraduate higher education throughout the United States. Armenians throughout the world commemorate the genocide of 191 5 on April 24 each year to remember the slaughter and displacement of the thousands of Armenians during the rule of the Ottoman Empire (Balakian, 2003; Hovannisian, 1986; Melson, 1992; Miller & Miller, 1993). The Ottoman Empire succeeded in killing an estimated 1.5 million Armenians and eliminated the possibility of their living as a group in the …

The Development Of Professional Expertise Through Reflection In The Principalship, Eric Mclaren

Publications & Research

The study of principals as learners is important because the landscape of public education is changing. Schools are becoming more diverse and the demands on schools more varied and complex. The role of the principal is increasingly ambiguous, complex, and varied. Principals must adapt and develop'their professional practice. Effective principals learn from experience to meet the shifting expectations of the role and the needs of the school.

Multiple learning experiences help principals become more proficient in their jobs. Initial certification, induction into the role, continuing professional education, and learning from experiences are means to the development of expertise. This study …

The Perception Of The Value Of The Use Of Primary Source Documents Among East Tennessee Lakeway Area History Teachers In Grades 5-12., Matthew Elliott Drinnon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of history and social studies teachers in the Lakeway Area of East Tennessee concerning the use of primary source materials in classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine what value the educators in the intact group held for the use of primary source documents, how much time was devoted to the analysis of primary source documents by students in those classes, and potential barriers to the implementation of the use of primary source materials.

The research design was descriptive and used data gathered from a survey instrument constructed by the researcher. A …

Scoring Subscales Using Multidimensional Item Response Theory Model, Christine E. Demars

Department of Graduate Psychology - Faculty Scholarship

Several methods for estimating item response theory scores for multiple subtests were compared. These methods included two multidimensional item response theory models: a bi­factor model where each subtest was a composite score based on the primary trait measured by the set of tests and a secondary trait measured by the individual subtest, and a model where the traits measured by the subtests were separate but correlated. Composite scores based on unidimensional item response theory, with each subtest borrowing information from the other subtest, as well as independent unidimensional scores for each subtest were also considered. Correlations among scores from all …

Neutral Or Unsure: Is There A Difference?, Christine E. Demars, T. Dary Erwin

Department of Graduate Psychology - Faculty Scholarship

University students responded to a survey measuring identity development using a 4-point Likert-type scale with two additional options: neutral and unsure. The level of identity development of students who chose neutral was compared to the level of identity development of students who chose unsure on the same item. On average, these two groups of students had similar scores. Neutral and unsure did not seem to be used to indicate different levels of the construct of interest. Often these two categories were used as a middle response, but on one scale they were used as a moderately high response

What Is "Good" Education Research?, Karl Hostetler

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The question of what counts as good education research has received a great deal of attention, but too often it is conceived principally as a methodological question rather than an ethical one. Good education research is a matter not only of sound procedures but also of beneficial aims and results; our ultimate aim as researchers and educators is to serve people’s well‐being. For their research to be deemed good in a strong sense, education researchers must be able to articulate some sound connection between their work and a robust and justifiable conception of human well‐being. There is a good deal …

Assessing Library Instruction Assessment Activities, Jim Kapoun

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

For several years I have been using PowerPoint for various library instruction classes. In the spring of 2000 I was asked by a senior undergraduate psychology student (Lynn) to participate in a project she had to complete for her senior research class. She had attended my psychology library instruction class and was impressed with my use of PowerPoint to emphasize major points. Her problem statement to prove was that students learn more from a PowerPoint-enhanced lecture than a lecture with overheads or a traditional lecture. I accepted her invitation and was part of her experiment team.

Role Expectations Of The District Superintendent: Implications For Deregulating Preparation And Licensing, Theodore J. Kowalski, Lars G. Björk

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

At this juncture when policymakers are being asked to choose between deregulation and reform, problems affecting the superintendency need to be framed appropriately and policy decisions need to be based on evidence and not raw politics or emotion. Deregulating a profession clearly is a serious matter that is prudent either when the need for the state to protect the public from practitioners is no longer valid or when the underlying knowledge has been found to be fraudulent or irrelevant (Kowalski, 2004). This paper identifies role expectations and position requirements that have evolved for school district superintendents over the past 100 …

Action Research For Female Science Teacher Development: Case Pakistan, Harcharan Pardhan

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

2004-2005 Profile, Morehead State University. Institutional Research & Analysis.

Office of Institutional Research & Analysis Publication Archive

2004-2005 issue of Profile Magazine.

The Evaluation Of The Use Of Technology/Electronic Media In Teaching Or Delivering Instructions/Lectures At A Florida University: History, Philosophy And Practices, Iwasan D. Kejawa

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

According to the previous survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University Student Academic Affairs department in 2001, it was indicated that faculty uses of teaching and learning technologies/electronic instruction media to teach and deliver their lectures at the college were lacking.

With the current research study, investigations were thoroughly made and suggestions are provided on the improvement of faculty performance in the use of technologies at the institution to teach and convey knowledge to their students. In this report, the institutional personnel and its administration are made aware whether all existing technologies are being optimally used by faculty. This study also …

The Effects Of The Michigan Transition Outcomes Project, Jane E. Finn

Dissertations

This study investigated whether the Transition Outcomes Project used in Michigan resulted in improved compliance with the transition components required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA 1997) and interviewed staff who have implemented this model to identify their perceptions ofhow it affected the transition planning process for students with disabilities. The study used qualitative and quantitative measures. The quantitative measures studied the effectiveness of the model, while the qualitative measures investigated the perceptions of the school personnel who implemented the model in their district.

Findings showed that the Michigan Transition Outcomes Project is an effective model …

The Factors Influencing The College Choice Of The Leaving Certificate Cohort, Patrick O Sullivan

Theses

This thesis examines the factors that influence the college choice and decision making behaviour adopted by Leaving Certificate Students choosing third level colleges in tertiary education. It attempts to understand the decision making process and associated influences that affect students when considering a third level college. The position adopted for this study is that of a consumer behaviour perspective.

Whether or not the potential students operate a systematic process, logically thinking throughout each step, is worthy of research. Secondary research confirms the many variables influencing the decision-making process, particularly in the USA and UK. However, in-depth knowledge regarding the criteria …

At-Risk Students' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Popular Culture And The Media On Their Lives., Rebecca Cupples Draper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study is comprised of indepth interviews with 16 at-risk high school students. The students were asked to give reasons for their discipline problems in high school. They were also asked to give their perspectives on various forms of popular culture. Questions regarding television, movies, music, video games, and sports were posed to determine the participants' interest level in each of the areas. The students were then asked to gauge how much these interests had taken away from their schoolwork. The students' perceptions and life experiences were explored in depth via the interview process.

In general, the lives of …

High-Stakes Testing And Special Populations, Gary H. Sherwin, Todd Jennings

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This opinion paper critically examines the use of high-stakes testing on special populations. Without appropriate accommodations, standardized exams are not valid for some students with special needs. Unfortunately, many classroom teachers who must initiate testing accommodations lack knowledge of appropriate accommodations and regularly fail to provide the necessary testing accommodations. The deficit understanding of testing accommodations makes comparisons between classrooms, schools, and districts invalid since some scores loose validity. Solutions specific to standardized testing and students with special needs are offered and a more encompassing solution to the problems incurred from these tests when used for high-stakes is suggested.

High-Stakes Testing And Assessment: One Is Not The Other, Enrique Murillo, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Since the institution of the common school and the advent of universal education, Americans have placed tremendous faith in public schools. Public education cultivates an informed citizenry, one of the pillars of a liberal democracy. But more importantly, schools are a repository for our common dreams of human potential and individual self-actualization. Because they so thoroughly shape the lives and life-chances of our youth, school issues are freighted with an emotional charge. Education remains the last fully public American institution, one in which millions of students cast their common lot daily and strive to become better readers, better citizens, better …

To Wonder, Wander, And Linger In The World Of Standardized Testing, Randall Wright, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

The standards movement began as a nobly-intended effort to establish a core curriculum—a template of knowledge and skills that would guide teaching and learning across the K-12 curriculum. Our attempts to standardize curriculum may have unintended and deleterious side-effect: The atrophying of the mind’s natural tendencies for exploratory play and inherently imaginative dimensions. This paper engages us in a critical remembering of our pedagogical relationships with children. It reminds us of children’s ways of being and asks how we might engage them in a rigorous appreciation of curricular literacies without thwarting their wonderful wanderings. Ultimately, we worry about the place …

The Identification Of Factors That Threaten Self-Efficacy And Collegiate Success On The Part Of College Transfer Students, Mark A. Frederick

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to identify factors that could be used to quantify and measure levels of perceived self-efficacy on the part of college transfer students. Previous research on college student retention as well as data gathered from focus group meetings as part of this project provided background information from which items were derived for inclusion on an instrument designed to measure transfer student academic self-efficacy. Factor analysis of the instrument's 25 items, completed by 159 transfer students at a large Midwestern university yielded a four-factor structure which included Community Integration, General Support Structures, Social Supports, and Academic Skills. A …

Volume 16, Number 02, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 16, Number 02 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Teaching And Trading: Local Voices And Global Issues From Central Asia, Sarfaroz Niyozov, Duishon Shamatov

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Ninth Grade Performance On The Ctbs 5th Edition, Kraig H. Grayson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Specialist in Education at Morehead State University by Kraig H. Grayson on April 20, 2005.

Koinonia, Jennifer Lindholm, Todd C. Ream, Dana Alexander, Skip Trudeau

Koinonia

Conference Spotlight
Spirituality, Religion, and the Undergraduate College Student, Jennifer Lindholm

ACSD 2005 Artist Spotlight: Shaun Groves

Ideas for Our Work
Thinking Theologically: The Moral of a Good Story, Todd C. Ream

Changing Our Name and Identity: Rebranding or Renewal, Dana Alexander

Features
The President's Corner

Editor's Disk

The Western Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

Meaningful Learning: Reconciling The Tensions Between Constructivist And Environmentally Sustainable Pedagogy, Nancy Van Kannel-Ray

Dissertations

Critics of constructivism argue, in many ways correctly, that this approach to education is culturally and environmentally damaging because constructivism may not develop an understanding of the interdependence between the human community and the world in which people live. Advocates for environmentally sustainable pedagogy argue the importance of understanding patterns of thinking that allow communities to live sustainably. The purpose of this study is to resolve the tensions between the two pedagogical frameworks: constructivism and environmental sustainability.

The tensions are resolved in two ways. First, there are forms of constructivism that align in viable ways with the criteria critics argue …

Learning Styles: A Focus Upon E-Learning Practices And Pedagogy And Their Implications For Designing E-Learning For Secondary School Students In Newfoundland And Labrador, Morris Cooze, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

With the increase of online learning in the K-12 environment, research must turn to specific studies focused upon this level. One area of investigation surrounds the development of online course content and individualised student learning styles. This review found that although there is a vast body of research concerning online learning in the post-secondary environment, this is not true for K-12 education. Recent studies have begun the discussion for secondary school students as online learning becomes more prevalent and accepted as a means of learning. The lessons that these studies bring forward may be of particular interest to instructional designers …

Adult Student Motivators At A University Satellite Campus, Janet Cosman-Ross, Diana Hiatt-Michael

Publications

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine what factors motivated the adult learners at a Southern California university complex. Using surveys and interviews, the study also provided insight into the expectations of the students in relation to their careers and personal growth. In addition, analysis of the data uncovered information on how employer reimbursement of education costs affected the students’ motivation, who influenced the students to attend school, and why the students chose this university over others in the area.

The Role Of Inferential Accuracy In Performance Rating Accuracy: A Field Study Of Teacher Performance Appraisal, Cynthia L. Cooper

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study first assessed the accuracy of performance appraisal ratings of high school teachers in comparison to the achievement of their students as measured by Virginia's Standard of Learning (SOL) tests. The overall performance rating scores of 145 teachers were compared to the pass rates of their students on SOL end-of-course tests. The rating sub-scores in each of four domains of performance were also compared to the SOL pass rates.

The study then tested the influence of Inferential Accuracy, a model proposed by Jackson (1972), on rating accuracy overall and of individual raters in the study. Inferential Accuracy is comprised …