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A Commitment To Excellence In Educational Leadership: A Reflective Essay, Michelle A. Hunt

Graduate Research Papers

The role of a principal is an overwhelming one – many faceted, imbued with great responsibility and strict accountability. I know the perfect principal does not exist. The "perfect" robotic leader would have little, if any, positive impact on her learning community. There are, however, some very human characteristics that, if practiced, would positively contribute to the community's educational success.

These practices and values are set forth in this reflective essay. I am confident that those who share my vision – that every human being matters and makes a contribution to the entire learning community – will experience the joy …

2007-08 University Of Northern Iowa Panther Basketball Media Guide, University Of Northern Iowa

Athletics Media Guides

Contents:

--University
--Coaching Staff
--2007-08 Panthers
--2006-07 Review
--Opponents
--History

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities

No abstract provided.

Children With Developmental Disabilities : Considering Positive Impact On The Family System, Tracie L. Self

Graduate Research Papers

Families who have at least one child with a developmental disability face challenges unique to their situation. With reported incidents of developmental disabilities on the rise, research parameters are being expanded to give more complete consideration of growing family needs. While the historical treatment of these families has often been negative, current research trends have begun to consider positive impact on families.

Positive impact includes areas such as quality of life, the child as a source of happiness, and an overall increase in personal family strength. The trend towards positivism is beginning to be reflected in theoretical understanding and in …

How Are We Stacking Up?: Current Reforms In Science Education Twelve Years After Publication Of The National Science Education Standards, Robert E. Yager

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In education Science-Technology-Society (STS) is commonly viewed as another add-on to a course or the curriculum. This view portrays STS as being plagued with the same problems as traditional teaching of science and technology; information is transmitted to students by lecture, verification laboratories, or textbooks and other written materials. This article presents the case that STS instruction, when effectively implemented, captures more broadly key aspects of both science and technology, and does not succumb to the common problems of traditional instruction. Essential characteristics of effective science teaching are presented.

The Effects Of Service Learning On Children, Cedilia R. Corken

Graduate Research Papers

Service learning is a teaching strategy used to connect classroom curriculum with service projects in the community (Skinner & Chapman, 1999). These opportunities enrich educational goals and enable students to apply what is learned in the classroom to meaningful service opportunities in their communities (National Commission on Service Learning, 2007). Service learning opportunities require a specific process in which students prepare and participate in the service opportunity as well as reflect and connect what was learned to classroom content (Eyler & Giles, 1999).

Education is changing and evolving. Educators are responsible for meeting the needs of all students, with various …

The Impact Of Grouping For Reading Instruction On Student Attitude And Self-Concept, Michelle Renee Keegan

Graduate Research Papers

Researchers have found a parallel between types of grouping and attitudes of students regarding reading. The majority of students placed in the "lower" reading group in their classrooms have had negative perceptions and overall attitudes about reading. Research has indicated that the curriculum taught in these lower reading groups has differed from those in medium and higher groups due to different skills and practice that teachers have felt were required for students to succeed. Teachers' overall expectations have been found to be lower for those in lower academic groups in school. Students who have had motivation, self-efficacy, self worth, competence, …

Self-Esteem & Developmental Assets: An Examination Of The Pertinent Literature Off The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Developmental Assets In Adolescents, Angela Gorsuch

Graduate Research Papers

Adolescent development has been studied heavily as scholars have sought to understand the process of biological, emotional, and cognitive development during the transition from childhood and adulthood. Research has often focused on one indicator, self-esteem, on how well young people navigate this transitional period in their lives. Scholars have agreed that self-esteem is a reflection of a young person's psychological well-being during adolescence. High self-esteem generally indicates an adolescent is successfully handling these critical years of development and is exhibiting positive qualities and behaviors. On the reverse, low self-esteem is often an indication an adolescent may not be negotiating this …

Acupuncture For Labor Pain Management A Review Of The Literature, Saraj Brainard

Graduate Research Papers

The process of giving birth is one of the most natural and instinctual processes in the animal world. Although natural, it is often a painful experience that the explanation for differs from culture to culture. Women have been giving birth naturally all over the world since the beginning of time even though there have been methods of pain management for many years. In Western society, we have used biomedical methods such as anesthesia and epidurals to relieve this pain since at least the 1960s (Rooks, 2000). Although the most generally accepted method of pain management, epidurals may not be the …

Fathers As Readers : A Program For African American Fathers And Their Children, Amber Nicole Boyd

Graduate Research Papers

The achievement of African American literacy learners has become a significant topic in education. How to best meet the needs of these learners through the study of the African American family will be the focus of this project. This project will consider, specifically, the father's momentous role in the literacy learning of the African American child. Trends in research will be identified in this paper, an overview of significant literature published on the subject of African American family literacy will be discussed, and findings that support the father's significant impact on learning in the African American family will be presented. …

Use Of Learning Styles In The Selection Of Instructional Strategies : Does Pedagogy Lead To Practice?, Roger E. Baker

Graduate Research Papers

Much has been written about the importance of learning styles in instructional design. Learning styles can be measured by the use of personality profiles such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Learning styles can also be measured by Learning Style Inventories and defined by cognitive theory such as Gardner's multiple intelligences. This literature review explores the different approaches to the study of learning styles and the practical use of learning style indicators as a tool for selecting instructional strategies.

Many challenges exist in designing instruction to the personal level including costs, time, and instructor limits. Philosophical questions on the benefits …

Significance Of The General Public For Public Relations: A Study Of The Blogosphere's Impact On The October 2006 Edelman/Wal-Mart Crisis, Sergei Golitsinski

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The focus of this study is the general public and its significance in a public relations context. The study questions one of the fundamental principles of public relations, according to which organizations communicate only with those publics which have the potential to cause them negative consequences. The general public, according to -this principle, is considered insignificant and even nonexistent. This study's hypothesis is that new communication technologies have given the general public the power to cause direct negative consequences for organizations. To evaluate this hypothesis, the study examines the October 2006 Edelman/Wal-Mart crisis caused by the "Wal-Marting Across America" blog. …

On The Effect Of Cranial Deformation In Determining Age From Ectocranial Suture Closure: A Test Of The Meindl And Lovejoy Method, Ingrid L-A Sensor

Honors Program Theses

Available techniques for determining age from human cranial remains are limited. This unique study examines the usefulness of Meindl and Lovejoy's method of determining age based on ectocranial suture closure patterns and compares it to a multifactorial approach which employs various age determining factors from across the cranium. In this study, the multifactorial model includes the following cranial aging indicators: dental development and attrition, the amount of closure of the maxillary and basilar sutures, and general pathological degeneration. What makes the study different is that the sample of crania upon which this comparison is performed contains mostly crania that exhibit …

Educational Programs In Correctional Facilities: Are They Worth The Cost?, Adam Robert Baggett

Honors Program Theses

The examination of correctional facility education programs is important because it will identify whether or not the correctional system is going beyond just confining inmates and is actually attempting to help prevent inmates from returning to its facilities. This study will focus on Iowa's correctional facilities due to the fact that residents of Waterloo, Iowa voiced their concern about correctional facility education, which was then passed on to the principal investigator. If the correctional system is not providing educational programs to inmates, then this will verify local concerns. It will also show that the correctional system is not providing inmates …

Father-Son Bonding: The Influence Of Paternal Relationships On College Males' Sexual Behavior And Values, Erica L. Spies

Honors Program Theses

While several studies (DiClemente, Wingood, Crosby, Cobb, Harrington, & Davies, 2001; Pistella & Bonati, 1998; Whitaker, Miller, May, & Levin, 1999; Whitaker & Miller, 2000) have found a relationship between close mother-child relationships during adolescence and adolescents' delayed initiation of sex and increased contraceptive use, only a handful of studies (Diiorio, Kelley, & Hockenberry, 1999; Dittus, Jaccard, & Gordon, 1997; Rodgers, 1999) have examined the influence of father-son relationships on college males' sexual behavior and contraceptive use. To examine how father-son relationships influence college males' sexual behaviors and values, this study surveyed 18- to 28-year-old college males (N=l 15) about …

The Conceptualization Of Mental Illness Held By North-Eastern Iowa Legislators, Jennifer J. Younie

Honors Program Theses

Available techniques for determining age from human cranial remains are limited. This unique study examines the usefulness of Meindl and Lovejoy's method of determining age based on ectocranial suture closure patterns and compares it to a multifactorial approach which employs various age determining factors from across the cranium. In this study, the multifactorial model includes the following cranial aging indicators: dental development and attrition, the amount of closure of the maxillary and basilar sutures, and general pathological degeneration. What makes the study different is that the sample of crania upon which this comparison is performed contains mostly crania that exhibit …

Język: Attitudes Toward Language In Poland, Angela Ott

Honors Program Theses

Perceptual dialectology is the study of how people perceive differences in language. This study was designed to discover Polish college students' attitudes toward the dialects in Poland. Modeled after Dennis Preston's 1986 study of language attitudes in the United States, a map questionnaire was distributed to 100 Jagiellonian University and Krosno College students in Fall 2006. Participants drew boundaries around the areas where people speak differently in Poland and rated each area's correctness compared to Standard Polish. Most participants indicated between three to five regions; the most commonly named regions were Podhale, Katowice, Katowice/Wroclaw, Poznan, and Warsaw. Over half of …

A Critical Examination Of Love, Marriage, And Society In Late 19th Century Aristocratic Russia As Seen Through Works Of Tolstoy And Chekov, Bridget Lynn Gongol

Honors Program Theses

Literature is a valuable resource for understanding the ideas, values, and social concepts of a given time period and culture. 19th Century Russian literature has some particularly pertinent works that quite clearly reflect societal views of love and marriage at the time and show the dynamic relationship between literature and social sentiment. By looking at the historical context of these works and analyzing the works within the historical context, we can better comprehend the social values of the time period. Further, through a chronological analysis of the texts, it is possible to see the progression of thought and view the …

The Role Of Spirituality In Women's Leadership At Community Colleges, Carol L. Hedberg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative research study examined the role of women's leadership in Iowa community colleges. Administrative leaders from community college settings, recommended by their presidents, wrote narratives about effective leadership traits and from these narratives, four women leaders were selected and later interviewed. Key thematic categories were developed from the written and verbal narratives. The resulting data set was then analyzed by a comparative case study approach. Emerging thematic categories were interpreted through the lens of four primary research questions addressing the relationship between gender, spirituality, and authentic leadership.

A plethora of issues surfaced from the data. Issues of gender and …

Pieces To The Puzzle, Ann L. Cracco

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Because low-income, first-generation, and disabled individuals have limited access to postsecondary education, Congress established TRIO, a series of programs designed to provide access to college for this targeted population. One initiative suggested to aid in retention and graduation for these TRIO students was mentoring. This study examined the perceived benefits of faculty mentoring for first-generation TRIO students to facilitate retention and graduation rates at a Midwestern Community College. Three faculty members and three TRIO students were interviewed to determine their perception of the benefits of faculty mentoring. The results were consistent with the literature that students who have access to …

Effects Of Identity On Public-Organization Relationships: A Case Study Of Student-University Relations, Nadezhda Olegovna Bocharova

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study tested the applicability of identification theory for diagnosing relationship quality between organizations and their publics in PR. A survey was posted on-line in a mid-Western university; 377 students of all classifications filled out the questionnaire. Factor analysis produced one-dimensional identification scale and three-dimensional relationship scale: reciprocity, commitment, and exchange. There were significant positive correlations between identity, reciprocity, and commitment, whereas exchange part of relationship negatively related to the above dimensions. Discussion of student publics was developed along with analysis of factors related to university life. Analysis of variance revealed that identity, reciprocity, and commitment decline with tenure in …

Neo Romance: Gender Renegotiation In Harlequin Romance Novels, Amanda L. Breeden

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Mass-market romance novels remain top sellers among popular fiction and paperback in the American market; however, academic scholarship examining the popular romance novel is dated. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the gender roles of the heroine and hero characters within the novels. This thesis is a content analysis that examines seventy-two Harlequin romance novels, publication dates 1971-2006. The findings in this thesis suggest that the gender roles of the heroine and hero deviate drastically from those analyzed in the 1980's and 1990's, specifically regarding sexuality and gender performance. Neo Romance emerges, characterized by a sexually aggressive, autonomous …

The Influences Of Gender Identity On The Expectancies For Success And Perceived Task Value Of Three Different Activities, Chi Ching Chow

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of gender identity on expectancies for success and perceived task value. The Short form of the Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI-SF) was used to identify four gender identities, androgynous, feminine, masculine, and undifferentiated. The Self- and Task- Perception Questionnaire measured expectancies and task values on three physical activities. One hundred thirty-three students (62 males and 71 females) at the University of Northern Iowa who were enrolled in the aerobic training session of the personal wellness class participated. The mean age of the participants was 20.2 years (SD= 1.9). AN OVA results …

At Home Among Strangers: The Acculturation Process Of Female African Refugees In The Upper Midwest, Lori J. Dewitt, Judy C. Pearson, Adam W. Tyma, Kelly E. Wolf, David H. Kahl Jr.

Iowa Journal of Communication

This report details an action research project initiated by a team of university researchers with area female African refugees. The goal was to determine the primary issues facing this population and to provide potential solutions. Through focus groups, five problems emerged. Upon identification of these problems, and in conjunction with the refugees and other citizens, the researchers proposed the formation of a community-wide coalition charged with specific objectives to meet the needs of this growing population. Subsequent to the project, an inter-agency coalition, which reports to the city's human rights commission, was established to ameliorate the problems of the refugees.

Nurturing Children's Spirituality: A Preliminary Study Of The Challenges In "Mixed-Faith" Marriages, Isolde K. Anderson

Iowa Journal of Communication

North Americans' high levels of involvement in religious activities is well-documented (Barna & Hatch, 2001; Gallup & Jones, 2000). Yet there is little empirical research on how families with one religious parent and one non-religious parent nurture their children's faith at home. Parents in this situation may have difficulty balancing the different interest levels in religion among family members, knowing when and to whom to direct religious conversation, and how to create family rituals that are inclusive and not divisive. This preliminary study maps some of the communication challenges facing such "mixed-faith" couples regarding the faith development of their children. …

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 39, Number 2, Spring 2007 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Feminist Film And The Dilemma Of Killing Us Softly, Joanne Morreale

Iowa Journal of Communication

This essay traces the trajectory of Killing Us Softly, the classic feminist film critique of images of women in advertising. All four versions of the film from 1979 to 2001 provide insight into the social/historical context of the women's movement and its influence on advertising while simultaneously illustrating the influence of advertising on feminist discourse. As the original 1979 film is transformed in 1987, 2000, and 2001, this article analyzes its formal and strategic shifts in order to assess how feminist pedagogical films can best serve as tools for achieving social and political change.

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2006/2007, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Full-time Equivalency Enrollment
--- Degrees Granted
--- Degree Summary
--- Program Certificates
--- Pupils in Price Laboratory School
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree Objective, and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Everybody's Doing It But Me: Comparing Pluralistic Ignorance Across Behaviors, Katherine S. Corker

Honors Program Theses

This study examined pluralistic ignorance (PI) for a variety of behaviors and attitudes such as health behaviors ( exercise frequency, fruits and vegetables consumed, personal hygiene, marijuana use), subjective well-being, and television habits. Student and nonstudent participants indicated their, their best friend's, the average student's, and the average American adult's attitudes on various topics (e.g., drugs, personal well-being; Prentice & Miller, 1993) and completed measures of alienation (Dean, 1961 ). Student and nonstudent populations showed PI; however, some items showed greater PI than others. High PI items tended to be health behaviors for the student sample and television habits for …

Hegemonic Masculinity Within Television Commercials, Jonathan A. Hutchins

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examines the portrayal of masculinity and the socialization patterns that can be found within television commercials. Television commercials' depiction of social members and their roles act as guides for social members in which they desire to portray during day to day social interactions and situations. Social members are generally unaware of this social phenomenon because they take for granted their social world and the logistics within it. While television commercials aim to create and encourage consumption, the purchasing of a product, service or event, television commercials also create and encourage social members to believe that these advertised items …