Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Liberty University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 991 - 1020 of 1732

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Secondary Teachers Trained In Content-Only Areas Throughout Their First Year Instructing English Language Learners, Bonnie J. Carmen Dec 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Secondary Teachers Trained In Content-Only Areas Throughout Their First Year Instructing English Language Learners, Bonnie J. Carmen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of first-year, general education content teachers working with ELLs in secondary schools who have limited or no training to do so. The first-year teacher experience was defined as the situations and circumstances of teachers in their introductory year of instruction; their expectations upon entry, the realities of the actual experience, and the concluding reflections following their first year. Schlossberg’s transition theory guided this study as it lends itself to capturing the transition process and added information to the body of research on teaching ELLs - more specifically the experiences …


The Effect Of A Social-Emotional-Behavioral Framework On Middle School Student Achievement: A Causal-Comparative Study, Meredith Nicole Ford Jordan Dec 2019

The Effect Of A Social-Emotional-Behavioral Framework On Middle School Student Achievement: A Causal-Comparative Study, Meredith Nicole Ford Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With heightened accountability requirements, schools are under pressure to produce academic results while addressing behavioral challenges. The implementation of social-emotional-behavioral frameworks has improved behavioral outcomes in students, but the impact on academic outcomes has yet to be answered. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the full implementation of a social-emotional-behavioral framework produces the desired academic outcome results and growth on state-standards achievement tests in students with disabilities at the middle school level. Ninety-two Virginia middle schools formed the sample population. Three settings implemented a three-tier framework for one-two (MSA) years, three-four years (MSB), and five years plus …


High School Language Students' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Effective Teaching Practices: A Collective Case Study, Janet Lynn Lainé Dec 2019

High School Language Students' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Effective Teaching Practices: A Collective Case Study, Janet Lynn Lainé

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The influence of globalization on today’s society has propagated an increasing need for individuals who are able to communicate in languages other than English. However, while a large percentage of high school students recognize the importance of a second language (L2) for future jobs, only a very small percentage of students pursue advanced language study at universities, an aspect that may be due to disparate notions about effective foreign language teaching practices. The purpose of this collective instrumental case study was to understand the perceptions of effective language teaching practices for high school language students and teachers at two independent …


Measures For Comparing An Augmentative And Alternative Communication Application For Use Within A Kindergarten Curriculum, Anna Camille Johnson Mckelphin Dec 2019

Measures For Comparing An Augmentative And Alternative Communication Application For Use Within A Kindergarten Curriculum, Anna Camille Johnson Mckelphin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to measure the influence of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with symbol-supported communication applications (apps) on stimulating kindergarten students to increase expressive language in the general education setting in an elementary school located in Washington, DC. The study sample size was 31 students. The research aimed to identify these tools as an effective strategy to assist kindergarten students in using more verbal language, thereby lowering the risk of communication frustration and increasing the expression of learned knowledge. Language data usage was collected by viewing speech acts as operators in a planning system, then integrating …


Learning Strategies Of Secondary School Technology Education Teachers And Their Students, Michael Ray Craft Dec 2019

Learning Strategies Of Secondary School Technology Education Teachers And Their Students, Michael Ray Craft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States has long been known as a nation of innovators and doers, supported by an educational system based on these concepts; however, our school systems have had problems producing students prepared to retain the United States as a global leader. Technology Education is an exception. Technology Education provides the opportunity to apply knowledge, theory, and concepts to real-world applications through the use of activities that encourage innovation and creativity. This study used a quantitative causal comparative design to investigate the learning strategies of secondary school Technology Education teachers and their students, distribution of learning strategies in the Technology …


Reading Scripture: Developing Intimacy With God, The Church, And Community, Tammy Janiece Jacko Dec 2019

Reading Scripture: Developing Intimacy With God, The Church, And Community, Tammy Janiece Jacko

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

By addressing the biblical literacy that results from not reading Scripture, and lack of discipline, Christians will experience spiritual growth, maturity, and a Christian worldview as a result of applying proper exegesis and hermeneutics of Scripture. The purpose of this Doctor of Ministry thesis project is to help Christians read the Bible by engaging in proper biblical interpretation. According to Fee and Stuart, “a text cannot mean what it could never have meant for its original readers/hearers. The interpretation of the biblical text is what the original writer had first spoken or written,” directly from God; therefore, developing the skills …


Student Perceptions Of Learning Introductory Mathematics In An Online Environment In Higher Education, Jamie Lynn Brooks Nov 2019

Student Perceptions Of Learning Introductory Mathematics In An Online Environment In Higher Education, Jamie Lynn Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the essence of student perception of learning introductory mathematics courses in an online environment at the college level. The central research question was, “What are the lived experiences of students who have completed introductory college mathematics courses in the online learning environment?” The phenomenon described was that of the beliefs and attitudes of the students who participated in introductory mathematics courses on the college level. The ideas explored were if students believe they learn effectively in this environment and how they believe they can best learn. Student beliefs and attitudes …


A Transcendental Phenomenology Of General Education Teachers' Experiences Instructing Twice-Exceptional High School Students, Jill Denise Collet Nov 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenology Of General Education Teachers' Experiences Instructing Twice-Exceptional High School Students, Jill Denise Collet

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study examined the experiences of 10 teachers of twice exceptional students at two high schools in northeast Ohio. The central research question was: What are the shared experiences of general education high school teachers instructing twice-exceptional students in northeast Ohio? Sub-questions explored how participants described their experiences in meeting the educational needs of twice-exceptional learners, how teachers described their self-efficacy in regard to teaching twice-exceptional students, and obstacles they found while teaching these students. Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental model to find the essence of the phenomenon was utilized to collect data through interviewing participants, conducting online focus groups, …


A Phenomenological Hermeneutic Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Spanish Elementary Dual Immersion Principals, Osvaldo Garcia Nov 2019

A Phenomenological Hermeneutic Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Spanish Elementary Dual Immersion Principals, Osvaldo Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological hermeneutic study was to describe the lived experiences of Spanish elementary dual immersion school principals who have led or are leading in Spanish elementary dual immersion schools. At this stage in the research, Spanish elementary dual immersion schools were generally defined as educational institutions designed to provide instruction in English and Spanish. The following central research question guided the study: What is the leadership experiences of Spanish elementary dual immersion school principals? The researcher delved into the challenges, benefits, and transformational leadership traits of Spanish elementary dual immersion school principals. The theory which guided …


Student Perceptions Of Trivium-Based Education In Classical Christian Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Robert Todd Mitchell Nov 2019

Student Perceptions Of Trivium-Based Education In Classical Christian Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Robert Todd Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of students who graduated from modern classical Christian schools. The theoretical framework utilized is Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (SLT) as it relates to his concept of academic self-efficacy (ASE). Bandura (1986) posited that there are four constructs that serve as predictors in the development of ASE: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and physiological response. To address the research problem, I identified a purposive criteria sampling of 8 participants who graduated from accredited and member ACCS schools having experienced all three components of the trivium. Of the eight …


The Relationship Between Teachers’ Understanding And Implementation Of Differentiated Reading Instruction And Third-Graders’ Reading Achievement Scores, Diedre L. Capers Nov 2019

The Relationship Between Teachers’ Understanding And Implementation Of Differentiated Reading Instruction And Third-Graders’ Reading Achievement Scores, Diedre L. Capers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether the predictor variables, teachers’ perceived understanding and implementation of differentiated instruction, as measured by the Understanding and Implementation of Differentiated Instruction survey, had a relationship to the criterion variable, third-grade students’ reading achievement, as measured by the mClass: Reading 3D Text Reading and Comprehension Test. Using convenience sampling, third grade teachers from six rural North Carolina counties were invited to participate in the study. Data from 54 third grade teachers who consented to participate were analyzed using a Pearson product moment correlation. The results of this study indicated that a …


The Prevalence And Importance Of Ethnic Diversity In Children’S Literature, Rose Schewe Oct 2019

The Prevalence And Importance Of Ethnic Diversity In Children’S Literature, Rose Schewe

Senior Honors Theses

Despite the complicated past of ethnic censorship, ethnic diversity has a prominent role in children’s literature published in the United States because diversity is accurately representative of the culture in which today’s young readers live. Children’s literature has advanced in terms of ethnic diversity in recent decades, but obstacles that prevent the stories of various minority groups from being told continue to exist. In order for all children to feel properly included in the literary world, children must be given the opportunity to see both people who are different from them as well as people who bear similarities to themselves …


Attitude, Culture, And Teaching Mathematics, Jordan Taylor Green Oct 2019

Attitude, Culture, And Teaching Mathematics, Jordan Taylor Green

Senior Honors Theses

International assessments have revealed discrepancies between the mathematics achievement scores of various countries and also between the scores of male and female students around the world. Although math education may look similar on the surface in different countries, there are subtle differences in the methods and the attitudes that teachers and students adopt from their cultures. These differences may be explained in part by the theory of mindsets, specifically the contrast between fixed and growth mindsets. Mindset theory illuminates the impact of beliefs and values on academic achievement, particularly in the area of math. These same principles also seem to …


Psychometric Analysis Of The Medical Terminology 350 Final Test Using Item Analysis And Kr20, Kristen Nicole Bowers Oct 2019

Psychometric Analysis Of The Medical Terminology 350 Final Test Using Item Analysis And Kr20, Kristen Nicole Bowers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Meaningful quantitative research studies require the use of instruments that have acceptable validity and reliability. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Medical Terminology 350 Final Test (MT350) in a population of secondary health science students. The MT350 is an assessment instrument that measures participants’ recall of medical terminology meanings and is currently being used to assess learning in health science education. A review of literature has revealed a lack of psychometric analysis of the commonly used MT350. Past practice has suggested instruction that uses mnemonics can favorably influence medical vocabulary retention, but …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between Academic Entitlement And Education Financing Among Undergraduate Students, Nicola Ifill-Fraser Oct 2019

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Academic Entitlement And Education Financing Among Undergraduate Students, Nicola Ifill-Fraser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academic entitlement among students is a growing problem and concern for universities. Students with a sense of entitlement towards their education believe that positive academic outcomes are owed to them and should be awarded, not based on mastery of educational content, but on non-academic aspects of education, such as attending class, participating in class, or paying tuition fees. Additionally, academically entitled students have unrealistic expectations about the role of instructors and demanding attitudes and behaviors toward faculty. The factors precipitating these actions and behaviors appear to be multi-facted and remain unclear. To add to the growing body of literature on …


How To Improve Test Scores On The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test In Evidence-Based Reading And Writing, Lavinia Sonia Mikaela Callahan Sep 2019

How To Improve Test Scores On The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test In Evidence-Based Reading And Writing, Lavinia Sonia Mikaela Callahan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied research study is to determine how to improve test scores on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing for high school students in a school in Hawaii and to formulate a solution to address the problem. The problem is that test scores revealed that only 63% of students were proficient for the 2017-2018 school year. The central research question for this study is “How can test scores be improved on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing at a school in Hawaii?” The theoretical framework for this study …


Tech For Understanding: An Introduction To Assistive And Instructional Technology In The Classroom, Taylor Caldwell Aug 2019

Tech For Understanding: An Introduction To Assistive And Instructional Technology In The Classroom, Taylor Caldwell

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

This paper examines the different types of assistive and instructional technology available to students who are classified with one or more of the thirteen disabilities outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (referred to as, IDEA). While the roles of assistive and instructional technology are different, there are many instances where their uses may overlap. Thus, while these two categories will be discussed separately, it should be noted that some information may be applied to each category and more than one piece of technology. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the world of assistive …


The Semantics Of Article Acquisition, Emily G. Renie Aug 2019

The Semantics Of Article Acquisition, Emily G. Renie

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

Accurately using articles has consistently been a difficult task for English language learners as articles are often treated as solely grammatical forms rather than also recognizing as representatives of complex semantic properties. This paper aims to synthesize individual research on semantic factors which influence article acquisition and explore how they interact with each other. This paper especially focuses on how native and second language speakers of English acquire and understand the concepts of definiteness and specificity and explores these features within the framework of Chomsky’s theory of Universal Grammar. This paper examines the Fluctuating Hypothesis (FH) and its use as …


The Effectiveness Of Inquiry And Computer Based Learning In Remediation Of Science Students, Kelli Caras Aug 2019

The Effectiveness Of Inquiry And Computer Based Learning In Remediation Of Science Students, Kelli Caras

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The state of Virginia requires science Standards of Learning tests to be conducted as a graduation requirement as well as a measure of teacher performance. In an attempt to increase graduation rates, the state has adopted an expedited retake policy allowing certain students to retest if their scores were close to passing but fell short. No requirement, however, was given as to the means of remediation that the students must attend in order to retest. This quantitative study examined the effectiveness of three instructional strategies in improving student performance during the retest. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was used …


The Date Of The Muratorian Fragment: An Inference To The Best Explanation, John F. Lingelbach Aug 2019

The Date Of The Muratorian Fragment: An Inference To The Best Explanation, John F. Lingelbach

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Three hundred years after its discovery, scholars find themselves unable to identify the more likely of the two hypotheses regarding the date of the Muratorian Fragment, whether it is a late second- to early third-century composition or a fourth-century composition. In light of the lingering problem of the Muratorian Fragment’s date and its significance, a new study has been conducted, and this dissertation features an exposition of that study’s conduct and findings. The study sought to break the impasse and identify the more likely of the two hypotheses regarding the date of the Fragment—that it is either a late second- …


The Influence Of Homeschooling On The Lives Of College Graduates: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Rose Elliott Aug 2019

The Influence Of Homeschooling On The Lives Of College Graduates: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Rose Elliott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the influence of a K–12 home education on the academic, familial, spiritual, and vocational aspects of the adult lives of select four-year college graduates. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory framed this study, as it purports that learning and development occur in the symbiotic relationship between learner and environment. Central research question: How do select four-year college graduates describe the influence of a K–12 home education on their adult lives? Sub-questions: (a) How do participants describe the impact of a K–12 home education on their experiences in higher education? (b) How do participants …


Teachers’ Self-Perceived Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Instructing English Learners In Middle Tennessee, Angela Hughes Jul 2019

Teachers’ Self-Perceived Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Instructing English Learners In Middle Tennessee, Angela Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the population of English learners (ELs) continues to grow, so does the achievement gap between ELs and non-EL peers. Educators must analyze what could be contributing factors to Els’ low performance, such as misconceptions about ELs, teachers’ attitudes toward teaching ELs, and how teachers perceive themselves as able to instruct ELs effectively. Further research was needed to examine ELs in the general education classroom and teachers’ attitudes to determine when and why teachers feel less or more self-efficacy teaching ELs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze 74 general education teachers’ sense of self-efficacy for teaching English …


Effects Of Primary Grade Literacy Field Experiences On Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy: A Causal-Comparative Study, Lauren E. Kirk Jul 2019

Effects Of Primary Grade Literacy Field Experiences On Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy: A Causal-Comparative Study, Lauren E. Kirk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Learning to read is an essential skill, yet many new teachers enter the profession unprepared to be effective literacy teachers. Teacher preparation has been at the forefront of many reforms in education. However, discrepancies still exist in how teachers are prepared to enter the profession. This study investigated preservice teachers’ sense of efficacy for primary literacy instruction by the amount of field experience. The levels of field experience included no/ introductory field experience, reading practicum experience, and clinical teaching experience. Participants were preservice teachers who had been accepted into the educator preparation program at small, private universities in Texas and …


The Relationship Between English Learners’ English Language Proficiency And High Stakes Assessments In Virginia, Jannette Duhart Jul 2019

The Relationship Between English Learners’ English Language Proficiency And High Stakes Assessments In Virginia, Jannette Duhart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to increases in immigration patterns, U.S. schools face many challenges when educating this fast-growing minority immigrant population who confront many social, cultural, economic, and linguistic obstacles. Lack of English proficiency, in many instances, impedes this newly arrived group from fully integrating and participating within societal contexts. Children of immigrants have the dichotomous task of learning academic content and demonstrating subject knowledge on high stakes assessments while learning English as a new language. English Learners, Hispanics in particular, are twice as likely to drop out of school. Dropout rates create accountability issues for schools in the U.S. that have experienced …


English For Speakers Of Other Languages (Esol) Teacher Experiences With Newcomer Students At The Secondary Level: A Phenomenological Study, Lindsey Marie Conrad Jul 2019

English For Speakers Of Other Languages (Esol) Teacher Experiences With Newcomer Students At The Secondary Level: A Phenomenological Study, Lindsey Marie Conrad

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers and other staff members who work with newcomer English Language Learners (ELLs) at the secondary level in two Northern Virginia public school systems. Stephen Krashen’s (1982) theory of second language acquisition guided this study as it explains the ways in which students learn and acquire new language skills throughout their schooling and social experiences. The following central research question guided this study: What are the experiences of ESOL teachers and staff members who work with newcomer ELLs at the …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Male High School Sophomores Who Are Struggling Readers, Nechellar Franklin Jul 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Male High School Sophomores Who Are Struggling Readers, Nechellar Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of African American male high school sophomores in the metro-Atlanta area who are struggling readers. The study encompassed investigation of the self-efficacy, future outlook, and how past and present reading experiences impact African American adolescent males’ ability to be hopeful and optimistic in their future career paths and postsecondary options. Participants comprised 12 African American high school sophomores enrolled in a Title I school found in the metro-Atlanta, Georgia area. The study was guided by one central research question and two research subquestions. In general, the research …


The Quality Of Transdisciplinary Team Assessment Practices For Mobile Technology As Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Laura Jeanne Mansfield Jul 2019

The Quality Of Transdisciplinary Team Assessment Practices For Mobile Technology As Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Laura Jeanne Mansfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While research acknowledges the impact the rapid growth in mobile technology is having on the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), little has been done to investigate the impact this development has had on assessment practices for matching an individual with the appropriate technology. The purpose of this descriptive and causal-comparative research study was to gather demographic and descriptive data on mobile technology as AAC and to investigate the quality of transdisciplinary teamwork assessment practices as evaluated by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) for the provision of mobile technologies as AAC devices across SLP practice settings. A random sample of 60 …


Mitigating Decline Of Church Growth Resulting From Misunderstanding Of Selected Messianic Passages In Psalms And Isaiah, Hiwatha Bell Jul 2019

Mitigating Decline Of Church Growth Resulting From Misunderstanding Of Selected Messianic Passages In Psalms And Isaiah, Hiwatha Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Paul admonishes the leaders in Ephesus to guard the flock whom God gave them oversight, to develop their spiritual insight by advancing their Scriptural aptitude so they would be able to withstand opposing forces outside the church as well as threats that would emerge from inside the church (Acts 20:28-30). Christ often engaged religious leaders in Judaism, accusing them of evangelizing to others (Matt. 23:15) and misleading those whom they had evangelized and proselytized (Matt. 15:1-13). The Bible is replete with Scriptures that require the shepherd to protect the sheep from wolves, thus the impetus for this report. This report …


Where Is God In Symbolic Exchange? A Theo-Semiological Analysis Of The Sons Of Anarchy, Alex Justin Holguin Jun 2019

Where Is God In Symbolic Exchange? A Theo-Semiological Analysis Of The Sons Of Anarchy, Alex Justin Holguin

Masters Theses

This thesis attempts to uncover the religious nature of communication by re-visioning and situating French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan’s theory of communication within a Christian theological context. By critically engaging Lacan’s theoretical concepts of the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real within this context, the thesis is able to access the intersection of rhetorical semiotics, psychoanalysis, and Christian theology to have a more fruitful understanding of how meaning is exchanged between subjects. Lacan’s inter-disciplinary affirmation of rhetoric and psychoanalysis has been able to produce incredible explanatory potential for how meaning, as the bedrock of speech and communication, operates through the psyche …


Factors Affecting International Students’ Developmental Functioning: Student And Faculty Perspectives From Liberty University, Andrea S. Childs May 2019

Factors Affecting International Students’ Developmental Functioning: Student And Faculty Perspectives From Liberty University, Andrea S. Childs

Masters Theses

The enrollment rates of international students are increasing, but the attrition rates of international students may also be on the rise. Aligning with Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, the goal of this study was to obtain insight about the encounters that undergraduate international students face. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these encounters to ascertain and compile core themes that will promote international student success. Data gathered from undergraduate faculty also contributed valuable insight. Recommendations were made for both the international student body and the undergraduate faculty. This qualitative research design investigated a small sample of undergraduate international students and …