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Virtual Coaching Of Novice Science Educators To Support Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Dennis Garland Jan 2013

Virtual Coaching Of Novice Science Educators To Support Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Dennis Garland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to a multitude of convergent circumstances, students labeled in the disability category of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience high rates of academic and behavioral failure. Such failure frequently leads to the students’ dropping out of school, involvement in the judicial system, or a combination of those outcomes. Science is an academic content area that has the potential to enhance behavioral and academic success of students with EBD. Researchers, nonprofits, and business leaders have provided an impetus for nationwide reform in science education. Concurrently, a corpus of legislation has influenced the preparation of new teachers to use evidence-based teaching …

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An Examination Of The Relationship Between Marzano's Causal Teacher Evaluation Model And Student Achievement At Nine High Schools In A Large Suburban School District In Central Florida, Dana Jacobson Jan 2013

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Marzano's Causal Teacher Evaluation Model And Student Achievement At Nine High Schools In A Large Suburban School District In Central Florida, Dana Jacobson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the relationship between student achievement and teacher evaluation during the first year of implementation of the Marzano Causal Teacher Evaluation model in a large suburban school district in Central Florida. The population included high school level teachers and students. Teacher evaluation and performance data were collected and analyzed for relationships using Spearman Rho and Chi-Square Analysis. Variables reviewed included: (a) Marzano‟s Causal Teacher Evaluation Model iObservation© protocol, (b) categorized teacher years of experience, (c) student growth scores based on a teacher‟s student success on statewide assessments as calculated using VAM or an administered pre- and posttest, …

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Properties Of High Energy Laser Light Transmission Through Large Core Optical Cables, Christopher Kennedy Jan 2013

Properties Of High Energy Laser Light Transmission Through Large Core Optical Cables, Christopher Kennedy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laser induced damage is of interest in studying the transmission of large amounts of optical energy through step-index, large core multimode fibers. Optical fibers often have to be routed around objects when laser light is being transmitted between two locations which require the fiber to bend into a curve. Depending on how tight the bend is, this can result in transmission losses or even catastrophic damage when the energy density of the laser pulse exceeds the damage threshold of silica glass. The purpose of this study is to: Establish a minimum bend radius that would allow high energy (GW/cm2 ) …

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Extensions Of S-Spaces, Bernd Losert Jan 2013

Extensions Of S-Spaces, Bernd Losert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given a convergence space X, a continuous action of a convergence semigroup S on X and a compactification Y of X, under what conditions on X and the action on X is it possible to extend the action to a continuous action on Y . Similarly, given a Cauchy space X, a Cauchy continuous action of a Cauchy semigroup S on X and a completion Y of X, under what conditions on X and the action on X is it possible to extend the action to a Cauchy continuous action on Y . We answer the first question for some …

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Beam Deflection, Matthias Münnich, Jan 2013

Beam Deflection, Matthias Münnich,

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to fully understand the third order nonlinear optical response of materials under high irradiance excitation it is necessary to study the temporal and polarization dependence of nonlinear refraction and absorption. There are several existing approaches such as Z-scan and pump-probe techniques to determine those responses. As part of this work, these approaches will be briefly outlined before presenting beam deflection, applied from photothermal beam deflection, as an alternative experimental technique to determine the nonlinear refraction with its temporal and polarization dynamics. This technique measures the angle of the probe beam deflected via the index gradient of the material …

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Examining The Effects Of Self-Regulated Strategy Development In Combination With Video Self-Modeling On Writing By Third Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Katie Miller Jan 2013

Examining The Effects Of Self-Regulated Strategy Development In Combination With Video Self-Modeling On Writing By Third Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Katie Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the effects of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD), a cognitive strategy instructional method, on opinion writing by third grade students with learning disabilities. A video self-modeling (VSM) component was added to the SRSD method. A multiple probe across participants, single-subject design was used to determine the effectiveness of the SRSD instructional strategy, (POW + TREE), in combination with video self-modeling. Data from various components of writing, including essay elements, length of responses, time spent writing, and overall writing quality, were collected and assessed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. All students who received the intervention improved their …

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Dynamic Feedback Pulse Shaping For High Power Chirped Pulse Amplification System, Dat Nguyen Jan 2013

Dynamic Feedback Pulse Shaping For High Power Chirped Pulse Amplification System, Dat Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this proposal is the development of high peak power laser sources with a focus on linearly chirped pulse laser sources. In the past decade chirped optical pulses have found a plethora of applications such as photonic analog-to-digital conversion, optical coherence tomography, laser ranging, etc. This dissertation analyzes the aforementioned applications of linearly chirped pulses and their technical requirements, as well as the performance of previously demonstrated parabolic pulse shaping approaches. The experimental research addresses the topic of parabolic pulse generation in two distinct ways. First, pulse shaping technique involving a time domain approach is presented, that results …

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Accelerated Life Model With Various Types Of Censored Data, Kathryn Pridemore Jan 2013

Accelerated Life Model With Various Types Of Censored Data, Kathryn Pridemore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Accelerated Life Model is one of the most commonly used tools in the analysis of survival data which are frequently encountered in medical research and reliability studies. In these types of studies we often deal with complicated data sets for which we cannot observe the complete data set in practical situations due to censoring. Such difficulties are particularly apparent by the fact that there is little work in statistical literature on the Accelerated Life Model for complicated types of censored data sets, such as doubly censored data, interval censored data, and partly interval censored data. In this work, we …

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Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Science Using Critical Incident Technique: A Case Study Approach., Meera Ravikumar Jan 2013

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Science Using Critical Incident Technique: A Case Study Approach., Meera Ravikumar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this case study using qualitative and quantitative methods was to investigate pre-service elementary teachers’ initial self-efficacy beliefs about science and science teaching by exploring the K-12 science experiences of these prospective elementary teachers. Of the 108 participants who completed the science teaching efficacy belief survey (STEBI-B) (Enochs & Riggs, 1990), 12 participants were selected to be interviewed using Flanagan’s (1954) critical incident technique. Participants were asked to share their past positive and negative incidents during their K- 12 years with science and science teachers. They were also asked to report how past incidents affected them at …

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The Impact Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten On The Academic Achievement And Kindergarten Readiness Of Students In A Large Suburban School District, Jordan Rodriguez Jan 2013

The Impact Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten On The Academic Achievement And Kindergarten Readiness Of Students In A Large Suburban School District, Jordan Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the United States, state governments are allocating millions of dollars to support Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs. Recent research has indicated that students that participate in VPK demonstrate higher academic achievement scores across a number of subject areas. Moreover, VPK participants are more likely to enter primary school on grade level, which in turn leads to a reduction in grade retention. Studies have indicated that although all students that participate in VPK programs benefit from such programs, minority students and students that come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds benefit at an even higher level. The intent of this study was to determine …

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Wavelength Scale Resonant Structures For Integrated Photonic Applications, Matthew Weed Jan 2013

Wavelength Scale Resonant Structures For Integrated Photonic Applications, Matthew Weed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An approach to integrated frequency-comb filtering is presented, building from a background in photonic crystal cavity design and fabrication. Previous work in the development of quantum information processing devices through integrated photonic crystals consists of photonic band gap engineering and methods of on-chip photon transfer. This work leads directly to research into coupled-resonator optical waveguides which stands as a basis for the primary line of investigation. These coupled cavity systems offer the designer slow light propagation which increases photon lifetime, reduces size limitations toward on-chip integration, and offers enhanced light-matter interaction. A unique resonant structure explained by various numerical models …

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The Impact Of Growth Conditions On Cubic Znmgo Ultraviolet Sensors, Ryan Boutwell Jan 2013

The Impact Of Growth Conditions On Cubic Znmgo Ultraviolet Sensors, Ryan Boutwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cubic Zn1-xMgxO (c-Zn1-xMgxO) thin films have opened the deep ultraviolet (DUV) spectrum to exploration by oxide optoelectronic devices. These extraordinary films are readily wet-etch-able, have inversion symmetric lattices, and are made of common and safe constituents. They also host a number of new exciting experimental and theoretical challenges. Here, the relation between growth conditions of the c-Zn1-xMgxO film and performance of fabricated ultraviolet (UV) sensors is investigated. Plasma-Enhanced Molecular Beam Epitaxy was used to grow Zn1-xMgxO thin films and formation conditions were explored by varying the growth temperature, Mg source flux, oxygen flow rate, and radio-frequency (RF) power coupled into …

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Trace Contaminant Control: An In-Depth Study Of A Silica-Titania Composite For Photocatalytic Remediation Of Closed-Environment Habitat Air, Janelle Coutts Jan 2013

Trace Contaminant Control: An In-Depth Study Of A Silica-Titania Composite For Photocatalytic Remediation Of Closed-Environment Habitat Air, Janelle Coutts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collection of studies focuses on a PCO system for the oxidation of a model compound, ethanol, using an adsorption-enhanced silica-Ti02 composite (STC) as the photocatalyst; studies are aimed at addressing the optimization of various parameters including light source, humidity, temperature, and possible poisoning events for use as part of a system for gaseous trace-contaminant control system in closed-environment habitats. The first goal focused on distinguishing the effect of photon flux (i.e., photons per unit time reaching a surface) from that ofphoton energy (i.e., wavelength) of a photon source on the PCO of ethanol. Experiments were conducted in a bench-scale …

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Development Of Laser Spectroscopy For Elemental And Molecular Analysis, Yuan Liu Jan 2013

Development Of Laser Spectroscopy For Elemental And Molecular Analysis, Yuan Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy are still growing analytical and sensing spectroscopic techniques. They significantly reduce the time and labor cost in analysis with simplified instrumentation, and lead to minimal or no sample damage. In this dissertation, fundamental studies to improve LIBS analytical performance were performed and its fusion with Raman into one single sensor was explored. On the fundamental side, Thomson scattering was reported for the first time to simultaneously measure the electron density and temperature of laser plasmas from a solid aluminum target at atmospheric pressure. Comparison between electron and excitation temperatures brought insights into the …

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Investigation Of A Novel Magnesium And Acidified Ethanol System For The Degradation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants, Phillip Maloney Jan 2013

Investigation Of A Novel Magnesium And Acidified Ethanol System For The Degradation Of Persistent Organic Pollutants, Phillip Maloney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For centuries chemists have sought to improve humankind’s quality of life and address many of society’s most pressing needs through the development of chemical processes and synthesis of new compounds, often with phenomenal results. Unfortunately, there also are many examples where these chemicals have had unintended, detrimental consequences that are not apparent until years or decades after their initial use. There are numerous halogenated molecules in this category that are globally dispersed, resistant to natural degradation processes, bioaccumulative, and toxic to living organisms. Chemicals such as these are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and due to their negative environmental …

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Spectrally Uniform Frames And Spectrally Optimal Dual Frames, Saliha Pehlivan Jan 2013

Spectrally Uniform Frames And Spectrally Optimal Dual Frames, Saliha Pehlivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Frames have been useful in signal transmission due to the built in redundancy. In recent years, the erasure problem in data transmission has been the focus of considerable research in the case the error estimate is measured by operator (or matrix) norm. Sample results include the characterization of one-erasure optimal Parseval frames, the connection between two-erasure optimal Parseval frames and equiangular frames, and some characterization of optimal dual frames. If iterations are allowed in the reconstruction process of the signal vector, then spectral radius measurement for the error operators is more appropriate then the operator norm measurement. We obtain a …

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Prediction Of Optical Properties Of Pi-Conjugated Organic Materials For Technological Innovations, Iffat Nayyar Jan 2013

Prediction Of Optical Properties Of Pi-Conjugated Organic Materials For Technological Innovations, Iffat Nayyar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic π-conjugated solids are promising candidates for new optoelectronic materials. The large body of evidence points at their advantageous properties such as high charge-carrier mobility, large nonlinear polarizability, mechanical flexibility, simple and low cost fabrication and superior luminescence. They can be used as nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with large two-photon absorption (2PA) and as electronic components capable of generating nonlinear neutral (excitonic) and charged (polaronic) excitations. In this work, we investigate the appropriate theoretical methods used for the (a) prediction of 2PA properties for rational design of organic materials with improved NLO properties, and (b) understanding of the essential electronic …

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Stereotypes, Perceptions Of Similarity, And Cultural Identity: Factors That May Influence The Academic Achievement Of Immigrant Students., Tamara Fagan Jan 2013

Stereotypes, Perceptions Of Similarity, And Cultural Identity: Factors That May Influence The Academic Achievement Of Immigrant Students., Tamara Fagan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, the United States has been known as the nation of immigrants due to the increasing number of immigrant students in the public school system. Although the population of immigrant students steadily increases annually, American society still pressures immigrants into acculturation to fulfill the United States ideals of academic achievement despite the United States claim of multiculturalism (Malcolm & Lowery, 2011). This research focuses on 1st - and 2nd generation immigrant students’ strife of acceptance in U.S. culture, while sill preserving their own native culture, and the influence it has on academic achievement. The researcher interviewed eight (8) adult …

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Currency In Transition: An Ethnographic Inquiry Of Bitcoin Adherents, Justin Fletcher Jan 2013

Currency In Transition: An Ethnographic Inquiry Of Bitcoin Adherents, Justin Fletcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Internet and other telecommunications systems have reshaped the means by which markets are accessed, generated, and transformed. Recent innovations in computer science have led to the development of a virtually bound, decentralized, encrypted currency system known as bitcoin. Unlike conventional currency systems, the Bitcoin protocol is cryptologically defined with a virtual structure that allows it to simultaneously operate as currency, commodity, and market shaping socio-political force. Its decentralized design permits it to function as a free-market response to fiat currencies vulnerable to inflation, regulation, and manipulation. Given the cultural significance anthropologists and other social scientists have assigned to various …

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Interpreting Diet And Nutritional Stress In Napoleon's Grand Army Using Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analysis, Sammantha Holder Jan 2013

Interpreting Diet And Nutritional Stress In Napoleon's Grand Army Using Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analysis, Sammantha Holder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A mass grave containing the remains of at least 3269 Napoleonic soldiers from 1812 was discovered in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2001. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses were performed on collagen from 78 femoral samples to explore dietary variation within the sample. Starvation and nutritional distress were also evaluated through the examination of nitrogen enrichment in bone collagen. Clinical studies have demonstrated that enriched nitrogen isotope values can indicate periods of nutritional stress and starvation; however, this is the first study to examine its use as a diagnostic indicator of starvation in a historical population using bone tissue. According to …

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Naep-Related Visual Arts Assessment In Classroom Applications, Debra Mcgann Jan 2013

Naep-Related Visual Arts Assessment In Classroom Applications, Debra Mcgann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research study investigates classroom visual art assessments and their potential to improve teacher instruction and student learning. In order to examine this topic more thoroughly, a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)-related classroom assessment was designed and administered to the researcher’s Drawing and AP Art History classes. Students were also asked to fill out a questionnaire that asked about their past art experiences and motivation to participate in art activities such as creating artwork outside of the school setting or attending an art museum. Students observed, described, and analyzed contemporary artwork, and they created and wrote about their …

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A Study Of Student Achievement And Educational Intervention Strategies In Traditional And Virtual Format Algebra 1 Courses Within Volusia County School District, Paul Nehrig Jan 2013

A Study Of Student Achievement And Educational Intervention Strategies In Traditional And Virtual Format Algebra 1 Courses Within Volusia County School District, Paul Nehrig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare achievement results of students enrolled in traditional and virtual Algebra 1 courses in the School District of Volusia County, Florida and to identify which educational interventions are utilized by traditional and online teachers to promote student success, especially for at-risk populations. Two research questions guided this study. This study is significant, as school districts expand virtual options for K-12 students to meet legislative mandates and student demand, while also exploring and developing methods to ensure student success. Student scores on the Florida Algebra 1 End of Course Exam (EOC) were compared to …

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Utilizing Ipads To Enhance Student Engagement In Vocabulary Learning: A Case Study, Sarah Park Jan 2013

Utilizing Ipads To Enhance Student Engagement In Vocabulary Learning: A Case Study, Sarah Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to research evidence, the relationship between vocabulary and reading proficiency is so powerful that it is a valuable predictor of reading comprehension and academic achievement in the later school years (Scarborough, 2011). The major contributor to reading problem is the vocabulary demand of texts that students are assigned in school (Mckeown, Corsson, Arts, Sandora, & Beck, 2012). National Assessment of Education Progress (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012) stated the essential link between the words students know and students’ ability to use those words to understand what they read. Therefore, researchers and educators have both agreed the importance of …

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Theoretical And Computational Studies Of Diffusion Of Adatom Islands And Reactions Of Molecules On Surfaces, Syed Islamuddin Shah Jan 2013

Theoretical And Computational Studies Of Diffusion Of Adatom Islands And Reactions Of Molecules On Surfaces, Syed Islamuddin Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation focuses on the study of post deposition spatial and temporal evolution of adatom islands and molecules on surfaces using ab initio and semiemperical methods. It is a microscopic study of the phenomena of diffusion and reaction on nanostructured surfaces for which we have developed appropriate computational tools, as well as implemented others that are available. To map out the potential energy surface on which the adatom islands and molecules move, we have carried out ab initio electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) for selected systems. For others, we have relied on …

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Optically Isotropic Liquid Crystals For Display And Photonic Applications, Jin Yan Jan 2013

Optically Isotropic Liquid Crystals For Display And Photonic Applications, Jin Yan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the past few decades, tremendous progress has been made on liquid crystal display (LCD) technologies in terms of stability, resolution, contrast ratio, and viewing angle. The remaining challenge is response time. The state-of-the-art response time of a nematic liquid crystal is a few milliseconds. Faster response time is desirable in order to reduce motion blur and to realize color sequential display using RGB LEDs, which triples the optical efficiency and resolution density. Polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (PS-BPLC) is a strong candidate for achieving fast response time because its self-assembled cubic structure greatly reduces the coherence length. The response …

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Computational Approach To The Problems Of Electro- And Photo-Catalysis, Sebastian Zuluaga Jan 2013

Computational Approach To The Problems Of Electro- And Photo-Catalysis, Sebastian Zuluaga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this work is to gain basis for rational design of catalysts used in fuel cells for conversion of chemical energy stored in hydrogen molecules into electric energy, as well as photo-catalysts used for hydrogen production from water under solar irradiation. This objective is achieved by applying the first principles computational approach to reveal relationship among compositions of materials under consideration, their electronic structure and catalytic activity. A major part of the work is focused on electro-catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells. Platinum (Pt) is widely used in the electrodes of fuel cells due to its good catalytic …

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Inverse Problems In Multiple Light Scattering, John Broky Jan 2013

Inverse Problems In Multiple Light Scattering, John Broky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The interaction between coherent waves and material systems with complex optical properties is a complicated, deterministic process. Light that scatters from such media gives rise to random fields with intricate properties. It is common perception that the randomness of these complex fields is undesired and therefore is to be removed, usually through a process of ensemble averaging. However, random fields emerging from light matter interaction contain information about the properties of the medium and a thorough analysis of the scattered light allows solving specific inverse problems. Traditional attempts to solve these kinds of inverse problems tend to rely on statistical …

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Reduced Susceptibility Of Deformation Due To Vibrational And Gravitational Effects On A Focus Variable Adaptive Lens, Victoriya Relina Jan 2013

Reduced Susceptibility Of Deformation Due To Vibrational And Gravitational Effects On A Focus Variable Adaptive Lens, Victoriya Relina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Orthodox optical devices, such as lenses, mirrors, and prisms, are composed of solidstate materials, which although well studied and implemented ubiquitously are severely limited in their adaptable properties. An arguably new field of adaptive optics has emerged to further expand photonic manipulation competences of optical components. Fluid-based adaptive optical components were introduced as early as 1968 [1]; such components have the ability to change the shape of their interface surface, thus allowing for a variable curvature profile. The method of manipulation varies greatly, as does the range of surface deformations. A solid-state optical component is affected by system vibration variation …

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Mechanochemistry For Solid-State Syntheses And Catalysis, David Restrepo Jan 2013

Mechanochemistry For Solid-State Syntheses And Catalysis, David Restrepo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional methods of synthesizing inorganic materials, such as hydrothermal, sol-gel, calcination and grinding steps, can typically require use of high temperatures, expensive precursors or use of solvents. Because of the energy-intensive nature or environmental impact these techniques, there is a push, especially from an industrial perspective, to move towards greener approaches. Mechanochemistry is a solvent-free alternative technique that can be used to synthesize a variety of materials under ambient conditions. Due to this, there is an increase in attention towards the use of this approach in both solid-state inorganic and organic chemistry. This dissertation reports the mechanochemical synthesis of a …

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A Comparison Of Students' And Parents' Mathematics Attitudes And Achievement At A Private Historically Black University, Kristopher Childs Jan 2013

A Comparison Of Students' And Parents' Mathematics Attitudes And Achievement At A Private Historically Black University, Kristopher Childs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to compare students’ and their parents’ mathematical attitudes using the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Instrument (ATMI). The sample consisted of 476 newly-enrolled students and 263 parents attending the New Student Orientation and Leadership program at a private historically black university. The sample was predominantly African American, with 96% of the students and 95% of the parents identifying themselves as African American. The ATMI total score and subscale scores of self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation were explored to determine if there was a relationship between the mathematics attitudes of students enrolled at a private historically black …

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