Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Student Achievement In Grade 7: The Correlations Between The Stanford Achievement Test, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, And Performance On The Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills (Taks) Math And Reading Tests, Kristen Karrh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

State-mandated testing programs are more prevalent and have greater implications for public school systems since the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the implementation of standards-based reform practices. The 331 grade 7 students involved in this correlation research endeavor all attended a public middle school in Texas. One evaluated and analyzed fall 2007 Stanford 10 Achievement Test and Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (8th edition) results, and spring 2008 Math and Reading Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scale scores to determine the statistical significance and strength of the relationship and whether or not …

No Child Left Behind Act: The Impact On The Performance Levels Of Gifted Students Relative To Those Of Non-Gifted Students, Rochelle Lenea Hopson-Lamar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to determine the impact of the implementation of NCLB on the performance levels of gifted students relative to those of non-gifted students. The study involved the 2001, 2002, 2008, and 2009 Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) results of 1,978 middle grades students from a school in rural Northwest Georgia. The analysis included comparing the Mann-Whitney statistics, two-sample independent z-test statistics, and the percentage of improvement in performance levels of the gifted and non-gifted students, as measured by the CRCT in reading, language arts, and mathematics. The findings revealed that, since the implementation …

Relationships Between Students’ Fitness Levels And Academic Achievement, Theresa Linam Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study compared fifth grade students' physical fitness levels to academic achievement based on the premise that health and physical fitness has an effect on one's ability to learn and achieve academically. Due to No Child Left Behind and the mounting pressures to reach Adequate Yearly Progress, many school officials view non-assessed activities like physical education and recess as unnecessary, consequently creating a case for the elimination of any subject that is not directly measured through standardized testing. Finding a link between fitness and academic achievement may cause educational leaders to reevaluate time spent during the school day. Data was …

Educational Opportunities For Clinical Counseling Simulations In Second Life, Victoria Walker, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article will present the pedagogical opportunities of using a 3D virtual learning environment in counselor skills development. A critical competency of counseling students is their ability to demonstrate basic counseling skills including attending, listening, empathy, warmth, and respect. For online educators, assisting their students in developing these skills in realistic counseling situations can be difficult. With the development of new 3D virtual learning environments such as Second Life, educators may be able to assist students with an environment more conducive to developing effective counseling skills. The authors will discuss the possible uses of Second Life in role-playing simulations and …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of How Leadership Styles And Practices Of Principals Influence Their Job Satisfaction And Retention, Eric Matthew Denton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses the challenge principals face in retaining highly qualified and effective teachers in their schools. Although efforts to recruit new teachers have proven successful, teachers are leaving education at alarming rates, especially in the first four years of their careers. The purpose of this study was to identify what school principals can do to increase teachers' job satisfaction and retention. To do so, 12 veteran teachers from four schools were interviewed from February to April 2009. The participants answered questions concerning their levels of job satisfaction, their perceptions of their principals' leadership styles, and their reasons for continuing …

The Influence Of Acculturation, Religiosity, And Forgiveness Style On The General Health Of Korean Americans, Woohyun Daniel Chong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study investigated the psychometric utility of several psychological instruments for the Korean population and explored the relationship between acculturation, religiosity, unforgiveness, forgiveness style, and general health of Koreans. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were conducted to investigate the appropriateness of the Religious Commitment Inventory-10 (RCI-10), the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Scale - 12-Item Form (TRIM-R and TRIM-A), the Rumination about an Interpersonal Offense Scale (RIO), the Decisional Forgiveness Scale (DFS), and the Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS) with collected data from 273 Korean Americans and Koreans. Several instruments required item adjustments to meet CFA criteria. Multiple regression analyses indicated that factors …

A Case Study Of Nontraditional Females In Teacher Education Programs, Natasha Brown Spellman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the experiences of nontraditional female students age 30 and older as they persisted in teacher education programs. The impact of life roles, internal and external risks to persistence, and support systems were considered. Case studies of five nontraditional female students from three university settings were conducted to understand the overall experiences, barriers encountered, and supports utilized in teacher education programs. Interviews, two-column memoing, and document analysis were used to triangulate data. The findings revealed that situational barriers, followed by institutional barriers, posed significant threats to persistence in teacher education programs. All of the nontraditional females struggled to …

An Analysis Of Rx For Discovery Reading For Elementary Students Below Grade Level In Reading, Susan Kay Stanley

Christian Perspectives in Education

Abstract Rx for Discovery Reading® is an intervention developed by the National Institute for Learning Development to impact the reading abilities of students below grade level in reading. For this study, the areas of phonological processing, decoding, and fluency were investigated using pre- and post-test scores from the KTEA-II, GORT, and DIBELS. The problem studied was whether Rx for Discovery Reading® would raise the mean standard scores in these three areas. Using a small-group format, twenty-nine students were involved in the intervention for fifty forty-five minute sessions over one school year. Eight NILD educational therapists in a variety of geographical …

The Method Of Teaching New Testament Greek, Charles King

Christian Perspectives in Education

Based on teaching experience the author proposes an approach to teaching New Testament Greek which has resulted in greater use of the langauge and less fear of its study.

Implementation Of Response To Intervention For English Language Learners, Lynn R. Bailey

Christian Perspectives in Education

Response to Intervention is utilized to provide parents, teachers, and specialists with the data needed to implement and measure the effectiveness of evidence-based instructional and behavioral strategies matched to student needs. English Language Learners are in particular need of research-based instruction paired with progress monitoring as they seek to meet state standards in a new language. Parents, students, and school personnel all benefit from seeing Christ-like consideration for foreigners modeled through Response to Intervention.

An Analysis Of Dissertations On Church Growth Published During The Past Five Years (2004-2008), Kyoung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis was to analyze dissertations published during five years (2004-2008) and identify recent research trends and principles related to church growth. This was research on researches analyzing 141 dissertations posted on ProQuest Dissertation and Theses. Coding sheets by content analysis and statistical data converted into percentage were utilized. Most dissertations were descriptive and pre-experimental researches. Case study and survey were common. Theological majors and schools, Korean researchers, 10 target subjects, and three denominations covered the majority. Teaching and leadership were prevalent principles. Homogeneous unity was never seen. New principles were associated with social, personal, or cultural …

An Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Criterion-Referenced Competency Test Reading Comprehension And Lexile Scores And Fountas And Pinnell's Guided Reading Levels In A Georgia Public School District, Lynnda G. Higgins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the current study was to compare Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell's guided reading levels to the reading comprehension and Lexile scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The researcher designed a correlational study to answer the following question: How do the Fountas and Pinnell guided reading levels among third grade students who were instructed in guided reading correlate with the reading comprehension and Lexile scores which were generated by the CRCT? The purpose was also to determine whether guided reading levels, gender, and ethnicity had a correlation to reading comprehension and Lexile scores on the …

A Biblical Basis For Social And Political Involvement Within A Traditional Dispensational Framework, Thomas D. Ice

Article Archives

Traditional dispensationalism1 has the reputation of lack of interest in social and political involvement. This may or may not be a fair perception. I think it has largely been true with some notable exceptions.2 However, I do think that dispensational theory, whether developed and applied or not, is capable of producing a theology of social and political involvement that is consistent with the principles of dispensational theology. The goal of this paper is to layout a broad outline of just such a theology. The biblical covenants provide a framework by which we can know how God wants us to behave …

Covenants And Dispensations, Thomas D. Ice

Article Archives

No abstract provided.

The Accuracy Of Youth Ministers’ Conception Of The Lasting Faith Tendency Of Youth, Wesley A. Sirles

Faculty Dissertations

The assumption of the current study is that ongoing church attendance is a foundational component of the quest for genuine discipleship in young people. Chapter 1 examines the problem of the exodus of youth from the church and defines the critical terms for this study. The research questions used to guide the study are introduced.

The purpose of this study was to use Wesley Black’s Lasting Faith Scale (LFS) to compare the lasting faith tendency of youth (reflected by their LFS scores) with what their youth ministers believed would be their groups’ LFS scores. LFS responses were also evaluated for …

Viewing The World Through Oprah's Eyes: A Framing Analysis Of The Spiritual Views Of Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Jeanette Crosby

Masters Theses

Oprah Winfrey is an American icon. She has a hand in almost every form of media: movies, television, books, Internet, and radio. In her rise to success, another place that she has infiltrated is the church. Because of her wide range of influence, her thoughts and teaching on spirituality have made their way into both the home and church. Over ten years ago, talk shows had a reputation for portraying mainly negative topics. To combat this stereotype, she made a push to encourage more positive topics of discussion on her show. Yet after receiving criticism for "preaching," she withdrew from …

Hauntings In The Church: Counterfeit Christianity Through The Fin De Siècle Gothic Novel, Melissa Ann West

Masters Theses

The lengthy Victorian period, extending from 1832 until 1901, was a time of cultural turmoil. New scientific discoveries were being made daily, and Christianity was forced to deal with issues of Darwinism, occultism, and growing disbelief in God. By the start of the fin de siècle, God was an impartial deity sitting on His almighty throne, and man was nothing more than a highly evolved animal. The church, both Catholic and Anglican, did not exist to lead man toward salvation, but existed because of a dated adherence to cultural tradition.

No one genre captured the religious upheavals of the age …

Expunging Father Time: The Search For Temporal Transcendence In The Novels Of Aldous Huxley And Tom Robbins, Stephanie Abigail Taylor

Masters Theses

This study explores the connection between the time concepts of Aldous Huxley and Tom Robbins. For both authors, time imprisons man on two fronts, or in two cages, if you will. The smaller of these cages is society's concept of time, clock time, which constrains the activities of man, forcing him to submit to his fate as a mere drone operating on the assembly line of life. In this prison, man cannot take the proper time to commune with nature, to look inward at himself and his life, or to focus on the real meaning and goal of life--escape from …

A Study Of Pastoral Burnout Among Korean-American Pastors, Young Sun Jin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a resource of prevention and overcoming from pastoral burnout to Korean-American pastors. This project is born out of the author's five year journey in ministry as a senior pastor of Korean-American church. This study is performed from literature research, survey observation, and personal experience. Especially, the case study was based on research targeting the pastors who belong to the Capital Presbytery of KAPC, and conducted through analysis of the statistical data obtained from a questionnaire survey. In that view, this dissertation presents the definition, various factors and symptoms of burnout among the …

Low Academic Performance And Specific Learning Disabilities: Determining The Better Predictor Of Aggressive Behavior At School, Cherry Lurae Flake Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher sought to determine whether an overall low average or a specific learning disability is a better predictor of a student displaying aggression at school. Further, she investigated for any interaction between an overall low average and a specific learning disability. The subjects were students in grades six through eight who attended a traditional middle school in a somewhat rural school district. The subjects had been punished by an out-of-school suspension at least once for an act of aggression during the 2006-2007 school year. Using a multiple regression analysis, the researcher found a negative correlation between overall average and …

To Read Or Not To Read: The Influence Of Literature On Behavior Management, Katherine E. Ray

Senior Honors Theses

Perhaps one of the most discussed issues in American education is that of classroom management. This is not simply an elementary-level problem either, as would be expected due to the younger student’s short attention spans, but an issue that affects the middle and high schools as well. More and more, behavioral issues are becoming a problem because they cause disruption in the classroom and restrict the students from reaching their full learning potential. But are these problems only due to the special needs of students, such as ADD or ADHD, or does the issue lie deeper? Perhaps reviewing the literature …

Mind Vs. Media: A Civil War Between Typography And The Mediated Image, Elizabeth J. Neffinger

Senior Honors Theses

The past thirty years have marked the start of a new kind of civil war in our digitally powered American society. There is a deep chasm between the cry for the lost art of typography and the mediated power of the Image. We are a culture battling a war in our own heads, attempting to assimilate Images without replacing the need for a written text.

This thesis will argue that the mediated Image is not a death sentence to critical thinking; rather it is an undeniable, inescapable power that can be used to positively influence our culture. It will research …

On Earth As It Is In Heaven: The Social Gospel As A "Theology Of Liberation", Joseph Francis Super

Masters Theses

Gustavo Gutiérrez is considered the father of Latin American liberation theology. Walter Rauschenbusch is considered the father of the Social Gospel in the United States. Although their circumstances differed greatly, both theologians made similar contributions to social Christianity, even though Gutiérrez does not seem to recognize it fully. Gutiérrez asserts that a theology of liberation must interpret the gospel in light of both the current reality and the values of the oppressed and then must use this theology to attack the social structures of oppression. This thesis asserts that Rauschenbusch did just that with his social gospel. Thus, the social …

The Perfect Dilemma: Aspect In The Koine Greek Verbal System, Accepted And Debated Areas Of Research, Christopher H. Johnson

Senior Honors Theses

Verbal aspect is a recent but very promising field of study in Koine Greek, which seeks to describe the semantic meaning of the verbal forms. This study surveys the works of the leading contributors in this field and offers critiques of their major points. The subject matter is divided into three sections: methods, areas of agreement, and areas of dispute, with a focus on the latter. Overall, scholarship has provided a more accurate description of the Greek verbal system through the theory of verbal aspect, though there are topics that need further research. This study’s suggestions may aid in developing …

The Preliminary Assessment And Incidence Of Sexual Identity Issues At Liberty University, Jessica L. Buker

Senior Honors Theses

Currently, homosexual identity development is discussed through various models: stage model theory and milestone events. Different researchers propose their own models of homosexual identity development. These models may have different stages, but have the same underlying themes which are acceptance, attitude changes, frequent disclosure, and increased social contact with other homosexuals. There was a great need to develop an appropriate measure of homosexuality to be used by the Student Care Office at Liberty University. The measure could be used to asses and obtain a preliminary measure of incidence of the people who met our criteria for being included in the …

Making Sense Of Cultural Complexity: An Experimental Study Of Third Culture Individuals’ Interpersonal Sensitivity As A Result Of Intercultural Adaptation, Allyn D. Lyttle

Masters Theses

This study examined third culture individuals, defined as people who lived in a country other than that of their nationality during their developmental years, seeking to determine a difference in interpersonal sensitivity between third culture individuals and mono-cultured persons. While popular literature asserts such specialized skills developed as a result of intercultural adaptation, this assertion has not been empirically supported. Data was collected using web-based surveys, which yielded a sample size of 142. The instrument measured participants' intercultural experience and interpersonal sensitivity in two classifications, emotional sensitivity and social sensitivity. Results showed third culture individuals as having significantly higher social …

"Life Wants Padding": Food, Eating, And Bodies In George Eliot's Novels, Tess Rebecca Stockslager

Masters Theses

This thesis uses six of the novels of George Eliot (those that take place entirely in rural England), works from the field of psychology, the concepts of realism and sympathy, and a metaphor of liquidity from Thomas Carlyle to explore several ways that body fat shapes identity and mediates relationships with others. Boundaries are the guiding concept: the chapters move from a demonstration of how boundaries between the self and others are created (padding), through a discussion of how sympathy can enable those boundaries to be broken (stuffing), to two case studies of characters whose boundaries of selfhood are in …

Born To Skate, Liberty University

April/May 2009

No abstract provided.

Fbi Agent Speaks To Liberty Students, Liberty University

April/May 2009

No abstract provided.

Liberty University Junior To Intern At Nasa This Summer, Liberty University

April/May 2009

No abstract provided.