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A Two-Sample Adaptive Procedure Based On The Log-Rank And Peto And Peto's Wilcoxon Tests, Annie A. Tordilla

Dissertations

It has been shown that under a location-scale model y = μ + βz + σε at where y is right censored, the Log-Rank test is asymptotically efficient for the Extreme minimum value error distribution while Peto and Peto's Wilcoxon test is asymptotically efficient for the Logistic error distribution. We propose a two-sample adaptive test, which first selects between Extreme minimum value and Logistic error distribution as to which is a better fit to the data, then performs the asymptotically efficient test (Log-Rank or Peto and Peto's Wilcoxon test) for the selected distribution. The performance of the adaptive test is …

Validating The Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale, Charmeka. Whitehead

Dissertations

This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale (ATS) measurement by assessing attitudes of counselors in training towards juvenile sex offenders. The specific aims of this study were to determine (a) internal consistency of the ATS, (b) construct validity of the ATS based on exploratory factor analysis, and (c) the degree to which this instrument has convergent and discriminate validity. The intellectual merit of this study was to provide appropriate scale validation of the ATS so that it might be used to assess attitudes of mental health professionals who work with juvenile sex offenders. …

The Implementation Of Interventions And Strategies For Children Who Struggle With Reading Utilizing The Read 180 Program, Rebecca Josephine Haag Guyne

Dissertations

All children can learn if given the opportunity, correct assistance, and appropriate instruction. Finding the learning tools which will enhance and encourage learning is the ultimate way to make certain that all students can and will learn. Many teachers use their gut instinct to determine the interventions and strategies to present in their classroom. Improvement will only occur for teachers and students when best practice or research based interventions and strategies are not only accessible but utilized correctly on a daily basis. Children with reading disabilities find fluency and reading comprehension a challenge. The most effective method reported in the …

The Relationships Of Learning Style Balance And Learning Dimensions To Self-Directed Learning Propensity Among Adult Learners, Sarah Tullos Hutto

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of learning style characteristics to self-directed learning propensity among adult learners. The learning style characteristics investigated were learning style balance as measured by a scoring method developed by Mainemelis, Boyatzis, and Kolb (2002) and learning style dimensions as measured by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI). The Oddi Continuous Learning Instrument (OCLI) was used to measure self-directed learning propensity. A questionnaire was used to collect descriptive information about the participants for age, gender, years of professional work experience, and graduate degree program in the categories of business, education, health, and …

Mathematics Achievement Of Regular Education Students By Placement In Inclusion And Non-Inclusion Classrooms And Their Principals' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Loretta Rodgers Hartfield

Dissertations

This study examined mathematics achievement of fourth and fifth grade students in Mississippi and principals' perceptions of inclusion.

A sample of 462 students from eight separate elementary schools was selected for this study. Fifteen principals completed the Principal and Inclusion Survey regarding inclusion education. Eight of the 15 principals were interviewed with 10 open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of inclusion.

Data were analyzed using an independent two-tailed t test and Pearson product moment correlation. The independent two-tailed / test was used to determine differences in mathematics achievement for fourth and fifth grade students in inclusion classrooms compared to non-inclusion classrooms …

The Effect Of The Alabama Mathematics, Science, And Technology Initiative (Amsti) On Middle School Students' Scores In Mathematics And Science, Toni Boyd Ramey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) program in middle schools reduced the gaps found between students' CRT scores; specifically, did the gaps found in the CRT scores within the respective subgroups race, gender, SES, and special/regular education narrow? The subject areas considered by this study were mathematics and science. Student-level data were collected and examined for longitudinal changes over a three year period in which the AMSTI program was implemented at two participating public middle schools. The dependent variables used were mathematics and science CRT scores …

Study Of Thermal Frontal Polymerization Utilizing Reactive And Non-Reactive Additives, Veronika Grace Viner

Dissertations

Thermal frontal polymerization is a process that involves a propagating front travelling through a monomer/initiator solution and converting monomer into polymer. The effects of different reactive and non-reactive additives on front temperature, front velocity, and pot life were studied in a thermal frontal polymerization system of multifunctional acrylates. One issue with thermal frontal polymerization of acrylate monomers is the amount of smoke and fumes produced due to high front temperatures. The effect of thermally-expandable microspheres was studied utilizing a variety of monomers. Solid additives including fillers, inert phase changer materials, and high thermal conductive fillers were investigated. The addition of …

Tuning Pig Liver Esterase Enantioselectivity For The Synthesis Of Unnatural Serine And Tyrosine Analogues, Dale Anthony Rosado Jr.

Dissertations

The synthesis of disubstituted and homologated unnatural amino acids and the development of a mass spectrometry based assay for enantioselectivity are presented here. Disubstituted and homologated unnatural amino acids have proven to be effective for the treatment of diseases and for use as imaging agents. Peptides that contain unnatural amino acids have also proven to be effective treatments for various disease states including cancer. The potential to evaluate such unnatural amino acids for pharmaceutical properties is limited by the available syntheses. No method currently exists that will allow for the synthesis of homochirally similar unnatural amino acids from a common …

Teaching Science In Light Of World View: The Effect Of Contextualized Instruction On The Scientific Compatibility Of Religious College Students' World Views, Paula Rae Gossard

Dissertations

Authors of recent science reform documents promote the goal of scientific literacy for all Americans (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989, 1993). Some students, however, feel apprehensive about learning science due to perceptions that science is antagonistic to their world views (Alters, 2005; Esbenshade, 1993). This study investigated the effect of an introductory science course taught in the context of a Christian, theistic world view on the scientific compatibility of religious college students' world views. For the purposes of this study, students' understanding of the nature of science, affective attitudes toward science, and beliefs regarding creation were used …

Teacher Education Preparation Assessment System And The National Council For Accreditation Of Teacher Education Accreditation, Deborah Lynn Vaughan Stoulig

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the assessment systems of teacher preparation programs have changed since the new NCATE Standards were implemented in 2004, what methods of data collections are being used, and to measure coordinators' perceptions of the assessment systems. An electronic survey was developed by the researcher based upon a review of related literature, the researcher's personal experience, and years of reviewing data collection software. An invitation to the survey was emailed to 631 NCATE Coordinators or equivalent as identified from their institution's website with 221 participants completing the survey for a return rate of …

Predictors And Influences Of Graduation Rates In Mississippi Public Schools, Donna Rebekah Holden Chiasson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if possible predictors of graduation rates in Mississippi existed. This study included 10 independent variables and one dependent variable. The independent variables consisted of average daily attendance, algebra I scores, teacher salary, socioeconomic status (as expressed in the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch within a school), eighth grade math MCT scores, eighth grade language MCT scores, the number of teachers with advanced degrees, the school's outcome of Adequate Yearly Progress, school size, and principal leadership style.

The dependent variable was graduation rate. A total of 100 schools were …

Comparing Indigenous And External Teachers: Beliefs, Origins Of Beliefs, And Expectations, Richard H. Fowler

Dissertations

This phenomenology examines rural economically poor school teachers' beliefs, belief origins, and their expectations of and for their students. Data analysis employed two lenses. The proposed lens examined participants as either indigenous or external utilizing Banks' (2001) cross-cultural teaching experiences. In this study, the indigenous participants experienced childhoods in poor rural towns, while external participants experienced childhoods in urban/suburban areas. A second emergent lens examined participants as experiencing working-class or middle-class childhoods. Findings utilizing lens one were mixed and varied with no definitive pattern. The emergent lens utilizing economic class of participants' childhoods found a number of consistent differences between …

Neon Allegiance, Jason Paul Olsen

Dissertations

This collection of thirty-one poems is built around my personal search for place, the idea of "home," and how it is relationship more than mere geography that defines the places one encounters in a life. In these poems, that idea of "home" ties back to intimate relationships with family and friends, but also with relationships involving culture—both historical and popular—as a whole.

The collection itself is a pastiche of strategies and stylizations, united by a defined and consistent voice. The geographic locations vary—from Las Vegas (where the largest number of poems and energy are focused) to stops in points across …

Metaevaluation Of Hiv/Aids Prevention Intervention Evaluations In Sub Saharan Africa With A Specific Emphasis On Implications For Women And Girls, Tererai Mafukidze Trent

Dissertations

Despite numerous attempts by international agencies to halt the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), nowhere has the impact of HIV/AIDS been felt more acutely than among women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). SSA women account for 59% of adults over the age of 15 living with HIV/AIDS and 76% of those 15-24 who are infected (United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS [UNAIDS], 2007).

The evidence on gender disparities in infection rates is indisputable; there is an urgent need to identify what is missing in HIV/AIDS prevention interventions: What is the evidence based upon …

The Functioning Of Global Fit Statistics In Latent Growth Curve Modeling, Kathryn K. Deroche

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sensitivity Comparisons And Average Run Lengths Of The Mewms And Mewmv Control Charts Using Individual Observations With Singular Mean Shifts And Variance Changes, Chad Edgar Eshelman

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Study Of Sponsorship Effectiveness Between On-Site And Web-Based Sponsorship Activities, Issadee Kutintara

Dissertations

Virtually no evidence exists that current sponsorship activities on sporting event Web sites enable corporations to achieve sponsorship objectives including, but not limited to, increasing sales, improving image, or increasing awareness. The purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences of sponsorship effectiveness measures (brand awareness, attitude toward sponsorship, and purchase intentions) existed among a sample of Generation Y participants exposed to various sponsorship activities (on-site, online, and both on-site and online). The study surveyed 228 participants (112 on-site fans, 56 online fans, and 60 both on-site and online fans) exposed to the ESPN Winter X Games 13. …

Voices Of Striving Elementary Readers: An Exploration Of The Enhancement Of Struggling Reader Research Through Portraiture Methodology, Roland Kerry Schendel

Dissertations

This investigation was conducted to determine the value of using self-reports to elicit participant views of their reading struggles and to explore the potential benefits of using portraiture methodology as a means for illuminating the goodness inherent to struggling reader experiences in school. Three fourth grade participants were purposefully selected from one public and two charter elementary schools. Approximately three hours of interviews and 20 hours of observations were completed to collect data from each student over a 20 week period. With the participating students' teachers, approximately two hours of interview data were collected. Artifact gathering and the researcher journal …

The Use Of Classroom Walk-Through Observations As A Strategy For Improving Teaching And Learning: Teacher Perspective, Leslie Mcentire, Mark Weller, Thomas R. Sorensen

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of classroom walk-through observations and their effect on Communication Arts and Mathematics Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores, summer school placement, discipline referrals, and retention. This study was conducted in three Midwestern Middle Schools. This study focused on classroom walk-through observations. If the principal increased the number of classroom walk-through observations, would it have an impact on Communication Arts and Mathematics MAP scores, summer school placement, discipline referrals and retention? This study will attempt to determine if classroom walk-through observations had an impact on Communication Arts MAP scores, Mathematics MAP scores, …

Workforce Education And Development Curriculum Responsiveness To Culturally And Internationally Diverse Graduate Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Debra Sharon Ferdinand

Dissertations

This descriptive study used a mixed methods design and sought to examine students' perceptions on workforce education and development (WED) curriculum responsiveness to culturally and internationally diverse graduate students, at a Midwestern university on four dimensions: teaching strategies (to include delivery), curriculum inclusiveness, international responsiveness, and curriculum improvements. The research study design consisted of the mixed methods Follow-up Explanations Model (QUAN emphasized) complemented by the With-in Stage Mixed Model. A pragmatic paradigm guided the collection and analysis of the study's census data (survey and focus groups). A newly developed WED Curriculum Responsiveness Survey (.850 Cronbach's alpha index) containing closed- and …

Mechanics Of Stimulus & Response Generalization In Signal Detection & Psychophysics: Adaptation Of Static Theory To Dynamic Performance., Blake Allen Hutsell

Dissertations

The area of perceptual decision-making research seeks to understand how our perception of the world affects our judgment. Laboratory investigations of perceptual decision-making concentrate on observers' ability to discriminate among stimuli and their biases towards reporting one stimulus more frequently than others. Choice theories assume that these performance measures are determined by generalization of reinforcement along both stimulus and response dimensions. Historically the majority of research has addressed situations in which the difference among stimuli and resulting consequences of a perceptual decision are static. Consequently, little is known about the dynamics of stimulus and response generalization. The present research investigated …

A Comparison Of Methods For Teaching Auditory-Visual Conditional Discriminations To Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Laura Lee Grow

Dissertations

Early and intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is an approach to treating the behavioral deficits and excesses observed in children with autism spectrum disorders. The magnitude of improvement in the overall functioning of children receiving EIBI has stimulated additional research and widespread clinical dissemination through the publication of EIBI curricular manuals. Many EIBI manuals recommend teaching conditional discriminations using the simple/conditional method. Initially, component simple discriminations are taught in isolation and in the presence of a distracter stimulus. Finally, conditional discriminations, which include stimuli previously taught as simple discriminations, are presented to the learner. Although the simple/conditional method is often recommended …

Conservation Genetics And Systematics Of Several Turtles Species In The Southeastern United States, Joshua Robert Ennen

Dissertations

Chelonians (i.e., turtles) are an imperiled group of reptiles with about 66% of the recognized species listed as threatened by the IUCN. Most chelonian species have a unique set of life history traits (i.e., longevity, delayed sexual maturity, and low juvenile survivorship), which makes their populations exceedingly sensitive to increases in adult and juvenile moralities. With numerous anthropogenic effects (e.g., habitat alteration, exploitation, and over harvesting) negatively influencing mortality rates, chelonians have experienced global precipitous declines and extinctions.

This dissertation focuses on species within two chelonian genera, Gopherus and Graptemys. Although these two genera are vastly different ecologically, they are …

Teacher Recertification: A Historical Analysis Of The Illinois Process, Nancy Brodbeck

Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Nancy Negley Brodbeck, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Administration, presented on (DATE) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: TEACHER RECERTIFICATION: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ILLINOIS PROCESS MAJOR PROFESSORS: Brad Colwell, Ph.D., J.D. and Patrick Dilley, Ph.D. License renewal and recertification have long been standard practice in service professions. Ten years ago, a new law called for policy revision and mandated that Illinois teachers acquire continuing professional development to maintain certification. This study provides a historical perspective of the Illinois teacher recertification process, exploring its genesis and its metamorphosis. The nine stakeholders …

The Relationship Between Web Accessibility Policy And Practice In Postsecondary Institutions, Michael Whitney

Dissertations

From computer workstations to the world of the web, statutes and policies have afforded students with disabilities the right to participate in postsecondary education in a non-discriminatory manner. Automatic doors and adjustable tables are a commonplace on campuses and represent prime examples of accessible policy adherence, but what affect do accessible website design policies have on practice? The answer is monumental for the students with disabilities that rely on the integration of electronic curb cuts into institutional websites. In 2006, Illinois Board of Higher Education required public postsecondary institutions to develop and implement a website policy, report on the accessibility …

A Case Study Of How A Large Multilevel Efl Writing Class Experiences And Perceives Multiple Interaction Activities, Hsien-Chuan Lin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine students' experiences and perceptions of multiple interaction activities (self-directed, peer, and teacher feedback) implemented in a large multilevel EFL writing class in one private technological university in the southern part of Taiwan. Large size writing classes, quite common in private institutions of higher education in Taiwan, cannot be effectively operated to meet individual students' needs in improving their writing performance. Low achievers have difficulties in keeping up with competent writers in learning writing skills while advanced students complain of their learning too little from the class. This research, based on the activity …

Population Level Conditions As Signals Of Entrepreneurial Opportunities: A Cognitve Synthesis Of The Entrepreneurial Traits And Population Rates Perspectives, Matthew S. Wood

Dissertations

The ecology based environmental perspective implicitly suggests that population level founding rates, dissolution rates, and density levels influence the likelihood that entrepreneurs will launch new ventures within a given population domain. The central idea is that population rates and densities may act as signals to entrepreneurs regarding the viability of a new venture within a given population. Interestingly, whether or not population level factors actually influence the new venture creation process remains an open question. As such, the central purpose of this research is to utilize a cognitive approach to better understand how population level conditions and the individual differences …

Sustainable Commercial Interior Design, Órla Keane

Dissertations

This dissertation looks at the environmental benefits of 3 key areas in relation to interior design: Energy, Water and Air; energy efficient lighting, water efficient plumbing fixtures and the effects of interior materials and finishes on indoor air quality.

Qualitative research methodology: Extensive literature review of texts available on these topics, and also of the relevant building codes and environmental legislation applicable to Irish interior designers and the built environment.

Quantitative research methodology: A comprehensive survey of then currently practicing Irish interior designers, and their use of sustainable design strategies (or lack thereof). The survey was conducted in conjunction with …

The Impact Of A Simulation Based Leader Development Training Program On Transformational And Transactional Leadership Behavior, Robin Louise Mccoy Phd

Dissertations

Organizations devote considerable resources developing employees' capacity for leadership because they believe that "leaders" are essential in the operations of their organizations. Unfortunately, organizations do not have the time or resources to send their employees off for lengthy leader development training programs. This has contributed to the growing popularity of short-term training programs which are relatively inexpensive to conduct. However, researchers are increasingly requesting more empirical studies that examine the impact of these programs, yet these requests have remained largely disregarded. Additionally, there is a lack for developing methodologies to determine whether or not involvement in a short-term program facilitates …

On The Construct Validity Of Stereotype Threat Measures: Some Possible Boundary Conditions, Andrea Jane Marsden

Dissertations

Since 1995, much research has focused on the negative effects that stereotype threat (ST) may have on task and test performance (e.g., Nguyen & Ryan, 2008). To date, however, no research has examined the underlying meaning of this construct in a manner precise enough to determine if it is indeed a unique and meaningful concept and any potential boundaries. Therefore, the main goal of the current research was to obtain a better understanding of what distinctions, if any, exist between ST and similar constructs. Using a factorial design and examining correlations among variables, measures of ST were compared to measures …