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An Autobiographical Study Of My Beliefs, Attributes, And Practices As An Instructional Support Consultant, Jennifer Wilcox Dove

Dissertations

Problem . People ask what I do as an instructional support consultant. Over time, I have created my own approach to instructional support. This study uncovers the beliefs and attributes that drive my practices as an instructional support consultant, as well as those that comprise my model of instructional support.

Method . Using a narrative autobiographical approach, I analyzed early experiences that provided a foundation for beliefs I have about teaching and learning. With the help of close colleagues, I analyzed my current beliefs,attributes, and practices. I wrote stories using my journals and conversations I had with close colleagues. I …

Means And Ends Of The Andrews University Leadership Program: A Study Of Its Critical Components And Outcomes As They Relate To The Mission Statement, José A. Alaby

Dissertations

Problem. The history of education shows tensions between its means and ends. Tensions became more apparent in contemporary Christian educational institutions. The Leadership Program (LP) of Andrews University was developed as an alternative and innovative means of delivering graduate education with a defined mission. It is job-embedded-theory and practice are united in the participants' workplaces, where they show their competency in 20 areas. It stresses the importance of the individuality of the participant in the development of a teaching/learning community. Yet, the dialectical relationship of the LP's ends and means has not been systematically studied in light of its …

A Theoretical Proposal For Reaching Irreligious Czech People Through A Mission Revitalization Movement, Petr Činčala

Dissertations

The main goal of this study was to develop a theory of missionary outreach to unchurched Czech people which is biblically informed and culturally relevant. The theoretical proposal for a plausible model of churching in the Czech Republic builds on basic theological, philosophical, and conceptual assumptions (chapter 2), a societal analysis of the problem of Czech churching (chapter 3), and a review of the issues relating to the situation of existing churches and religious movements.

Based on Wallace’s theory of revitalization movements a model is developed for starting a missionary movement that aims at reaching today’s unchurched and seemingly irreligious …

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Theodore Hesburgh's Fund-Raising Speeches For The University Of Notre Dame, Peggie Mathaba Ncube

Dissertations

Problem Statement. Literature reveals that college or university presidents play a key role in raising funds for their institutions. These roles are well documented, and yet many presidents face challenges in raising adequate funds for their institutions. Success stories of some university presidents are recorded, but no research has studied their rhetoric in raising funds in an attempt to uncover their formula for success. One such president is Theodore Hesburgh of the University of Notre Dame.

Methodology. This study assumes a rhetorical design, specifically the Burkean dramatistic approach to analyze Theodore Hesburgh's fund-raising speeches to the alumni of the …

The Relationship Between Demographic And Attitudinal Characteristics Of Primary-School Teachers And Implementation Of The Continuous Assessment Program In Swaziland, Hibajene Monga Shandomo

Dissertations

Problem. The purposes of this study were to determine the extent to which primary school teachers were implementing the Continuous Assessment Program (CAP) and to examine personal and institutional factors that may be related to the implementation of the program.

Method. A questionnaire designed to measure degree of implementation and attitude toward the Continuous Assessment Program was administered to a stratified random sample of 600 Grade 1 to Grade 7 teachers from 54 schools. Personnel from the National Curriculum Center (NCC) delivered and collected the questionnaires from each school. Completed questionnaires were then forwarded to the researcher. Data were coded …

Veteran Teacher Perceptions Of The Grossmont Model Of Peer Assistance And Review. Is It A Viable Alternative To Traditional Evaluation?, Edwin L. Basilio Edd

Dissertations

This study looked at factors that influenced veteran teacher perceptions of the newly implemented Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program in the Grossmont Union High School District. More specifically, the study explored (1) reasons why teachers with at least five years of successful teaching experience voluntarily chose to forfeit their regularly scheduled traditional evaluation and substitute it with a peer review, (2) factors that contributed to positive perceptions of the PAR program, (3) factors that contributed to negative perceptions of the PAR program, and (4) perceived differences between the traditional and PAR methods of teacher evaluation. This study incorporated multiple …

A Study Of Select Decisions That Fostered The Growth And Development Of Solusi University In Zimbabwe, Israel Sampson Mfune

Dissertations

Problem. Decision making is a practical day-to-day phenomenon. It manifests itself in various ways, such as choosing w/hat to do or not to do. in evaluating and fulfilling what is now and what is expected. Decision making is a cycle covering the time from when a decision is conceived to the time its outcome is visible. Because decision making appears so ordinary, it is often considered an ordinary activity. A good, well-thought-through decision can go a long way in the life of an organization. This study focuses on how Solusi went about the decision-making process, the implementation of those decisions, …

Exploratory Study Of The Relationships Between Community Building And The Social, Academic, And Spiritual Engagement At Antillean Adventist University, Zilma Enid Santiago

Dissertations

Problem. This research examined the students’ sense of community building in a college and how such perceptions influenced academic, social, and spiritual engagement in a 4- year Christian university.

Method. The study was an exploratory study that used survey methodology. Data collection was done using a 150-question research instrument that consists of several sections designed to gather information about the demographic characteristics of the population, and to measure the following variables: sense of community, and the academic, social, and spiritual engagement. Both descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistical techniques (one-way analysis of variance and canonical correlations) were used …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Identification Of The "Tongues" Of 1 Corinthians 14 Utilizing A Socio-Exegetical Approach To Interpretation, Angel Hernandez

Dissertations

Problem. The Corinthian tongues is a subject that has been extensively covered in the literature, especially in exegetical Bible commentaries, but no empirically developed curriculum for college-level instruction has been found. The purpose o f this study was to develop such a curriculum. The approach to the interpretation o f the tongues of 1 Corinthians 14 was interdisciplinary: both theological and sociological.

Method. The instructional product development method formulated by Baker and Schutz and revised by Naden was used in this study. The process consisted of ten steps including; assessment of the need for a new curriculum, identification and …

The Seed In Genesis 3:15 : An Exegetical And Intertextual Study, Afolarin Olutunde Ojewole

Dissertations

The Topic

This dissertation seeks to ascertain the meaning and referent of the “seed” and its related pronouns in Gen 3:15.

The Purpose

The meaning and referent of “seed” and its related pronouns in Gen 3:15 have been discussed throughout the history of Jewish and Christian interpretation. This dissertation analyzes Gen 3:15 exegetically, intratextually, and intertextually, tracing the meaning of this “seed” in Genesis, the rest of the Old Testament, and the New Testament. The Introduction briefly surveys the centuries of the Jewish and Christian interpretations of Gen 3:15 classifying them into related categories such as literal, naturalistic, historical, political, …

Exemplary Bilingual Teachers In Puerto Rico: A Multiple-Case Study, Aurea Laracuente Araújo

Dissertations

Problem. Within a context of inadequate pre-service training, insufficient administrative support, and an ambivalent social environment regarding the teaching of ESL in Puerto Rico, a number of conscientious bilingual teachers try to overcome the odds of the system and have an impact on students' ability to speak English. Some even become exemplary teachers. How do they learn to meet so many expectations successfully in spite of real short comings found in their job, and how do they acquire the skills and competencies necessary to be exemplary bilingual teachers in Puerto Rico?

Method. A qualitative multiple-case study design was …

The Effectiveness Of The Writing Workshop Model To Teach An English-As-A-Second-Language College Writing Course In Puerto Rico: A Look At Students' Outcomes, Marie Jacqueline Agésilas

Dissertations

Problem. Questions have been raised regarding the number of limited-English-proficient students who enter undergraduate schools every year. This study was designed to look at the effectiveness of the Writing Workshop model in improving English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) college students' writing skills in a small liberal arts university in Puerto Rico.

Method. Students registered in two Intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language writing classes were asked to take a pretest-posttest related to writing skills and a pretest-posttest related to composition skills to indicate their level of agreement for each of the 22 statements on a Likert-type (survey) instrument--strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (4)--related to their attitudes …

A Study Of The Reported Long-Term Attitudinal And Behavioral Effects Of An Eighth-Grade Environmental Education Project And The Development Of An Innovation Configuration To Promote Environmental Education, Jean Lomino

Dissertations

Problem. Increasing scientific evidence reveals that this planet is in serious environmental jeopardy. Since 1977, when an international group of K-12 educators met in the USSR and established goals for teaching environmental education worldwide, many schools have endeavored to fulfill these goals through the use of various curricula and teaching strategies. Although some progress has been made, most K-12 public schools have not done enough to meet the demands of environmental problems. In 1996, my co-teacher and I designed and implemented an environmental project, called Mission Environment, that we hoped would help our students develop long-term positive environmental attitudes …

Paul's Apparent Reversal Of Concern For The Weak Brother In L Corinthians 10:29b-30: An Examination Of The Text In Light Of Greco-Roman Rhetoric, Moses Oladele Taiwo

Dissertations

Problem . In 1 Cor 8:1-10:29a, Paul has been consistently on the side of the brother in 8:11 whose conscience is weak to eat food offered to idols. But, in 10:29b-30, he seems to reverse himself, here suggesting that one should be able to eat anything, regardless of its provenance or the effect such eating may have on others. Or, what should be made of the two questions asked in the text that appear neither fitted to the context nor directly answered by what precedes and follows in the discussion of εἰδωλόθυτα in 8:1-11:17?

Approach . Scholars have employed various …

Study Of The Efficacy Of A Christian-Based Inpatient Hospital For Treating Eating Disorders, Depression, And Spiritual Distress, Robert Alan Darden

Dissertations

Problem . Outcome studies continue to indicate that a substantial proportion of individuals with eating disorders have a dangerously limited response to treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a Christian cognitive-behavioral-based inpatient hospital that specializes in eating disorders was an effective program for treating eating disorders. Next, this study sought to determine if this inpatient hospital was effective in treating both depression and spiritual distress. Finally, this study examined the relationship between depression and spiritual distress with treatment outcome.

Method . Five hundred and eighty-two patients were admitted to an inpatient hospital between July 1, …

Refugee Experiences Of Trauma And Ptsd Effects On Psychological, Physical, And Financial Well-Being, Karen J. Cusack

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Truth Claims Of Online Higher Education A Social Constructionist Analysis, Thomas Wells Brignall Iii

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Strange Blessing, Gabrielle A. Halko

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Floating Holidays: A Novel, Christopher Joseph Torockio

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward And Usages Of Humor Among Practicing Marriage And Family Therapists, Nicholas Todd Wilkens

Dissertations

A descriptive study was conducted exploring attitudes toward and usages of humor among marriage and family therapists. This was an internet study, novel for both St. Mary's University and for marriage and family therapy research in general.

The literature review highlighted the research and theory that has evolved over the past century, addressing the topic of humor in mental and physical health and development. It was noticed that humor has not been a significant topic of study in marriage and family therapy research, nor have attitudes toward and usages of humor been measured among any of the health professions, though …

Arq Protocol For Joint Source And Channel Coding And Its Applications, Bin He

Dissertations

Shannon's separation theorem states that for transmission over noisy channels, approaching channel capacity is possible with the separation of source and channel coding. Practically, the situation is different. Infinite size blocks are needed to achieve this theoretical limit. Also, time-varying channels require a different approach. This leads to many approaches for source and channel coding. This dissertation will address a joint source and channel coding that suits Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) application and applies it to packet switching networks. Following aspects of the proposed joint source and channel coding approach will be presented:

1. The design of the proposed joint source …

A Behavioral Systems Analysis Of Textbook Quality Improvement, Elizabeth T. Suarez

Dissertations

Behavioral systems analysis is a deliberate approach to systems-design that is intended to help a system achieve its ultimate goals. The present study used behavioral systems analysis in an attempt to improve the quality o f a college-level textbook. Formative and expert evaluations were used to assess the needs of the textbook. Once the needs were determined, a six-step process of analysis, goal specification, design, implementation, evaluation, and recycling was used to meet the objectives specified by the needs assessment.

The first objective of this study was to produce and publish an improved edition of a textbook and to begin …

Utopia Park, Utopian Church: James K. Humphrey And The Emergence Of The Sabbath-Day Adventists, Romauld C. Jones

Dissertations

James K. Humphrey was a Baptist minister who joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church shortly after migrating to the United States from Jamaica at the turn of the twentieth century. A leader of uncommon skill and charisma, Humphrey ministered in Harlem, New York, during the period the area became the Black capital of the United States, leading his congregation to a position of primacy in the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Yet Humphrey believed that the African American experience in Adventism was one of disenfranchisement, a problem he attempted to ameliorate with the establishment of the Utopia Park Benevolent …

The Relative Importance Of Academic Achievement In Determining The Self-Esteem Of Students In Rural British Columbia: An Empirical Examination Of Students In Grades 6, 8, 10 And 12, Scott E. Bergstrome Edd

Dissertations

As school systems across North America struggle to redefine themselves, educators everywhere are seeking a balance between academic achievement and the human and social needs of their students. The purpose of this correlational study was to quantitatively assess the construct of the school experience, as determined by academic achievement, as measured by GPA, and the level of involvement in school activities, from the perspective of four measures of student self-esteem. Data were collected from 263 students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 in a small district in southwestern Canada. The first part of this study explored the relationship between …

"How Should One Love?": Alternative Love Plots And Their Ethical Implications In The Victorian Novel, Jennifer J. Carpentier

Dissertations

In reading Victorian fiction through an ethical lens, I am attentive to questions of what constitutes the good, loving, w ell-lived life. It is my contention that Victorian writers turned to fiction - specifically, the rapidly emerging novel form - to explore the ethical implications of being in love, and the problem s occasioned by erotic love. The writers I examine modify the basic Aristotelian search for a specification of the good life for human beings: they used novels as testing grounds for the ethical question, "How should one love?"

My study of 19th-century British fiction reveals a strain of …

Fay Weldon's Late Bloomers And Comedy And A Lawyer, A Vet, And A Couple Of Dogs, One Of Them Dead, Susan Rote Siferd

Dissertations

Creative dissertation begins with a critical study of comedy as Weldon employs it in her novels of marriage, infidelity, and divorce. Traditionally, comedy ends in marriage; Weldon's dark comedies end in self-understanding as a necessary prerequisite to growth and possible future relationship. However, Weldon does not celebrate divorce. She recognizes the impact on women's lives of historic period, world events, and their own female nature. An avowed feminist, Weldon yet refuses to blame men for women's problems, but insists that while women struggle against sexism, they often conform to it. If there is no genre designation comparable to "bildungsroman" for …

The Romans Commentaries Of William Of St. Thierry And Peter Abelard: A Theological And Methodological Comparison, Steven R. Cartwright

Dissertations

In 1140, William o f St. Thierry, a Cistercian monk and former Benedictine abbot, accused Peter Abelard, the well-known philosopher and theologian, of propagating grave errors concerning Christian doctrine in his theological teachings. William’s accusations resulted in Peter’s condemnation at the Council of Sens in 1140.

This study compares the commentaries on the Episode of St. Paul to the Romans written by William of St. Thierry and Peter Abelard in the mid-1130s, only a few years before William’s accusations. While this conflict has been much studied, no one has previously examined it via these commentaries, which are the only literary …

Qualitative Inquiry Of Biased And Exemplary Practices Of White Supervisors In Multicultural Supervision, Brian D. Paul

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ben Jonson And The Mirror: Folly Knows No Gender, Sherry Broadwell Niewoonder

Dissertations

Ben Jonson, Renaissance poet and playwright, has been the subject of renewed evaluation in recent scholarship, particularly new historicism and cultural materialism. The consensus among some current scholars is that Jonson overtly practices and advocates misogyny in his dramas. Such theorists suggest that Jonson both embodies and promulgates the antiwoman rhetoric of his time, basing their position on contemporary cultural material, religious tracts, and the writings of King James I. However, the external evidence cited by late twentieth-century writers as to the nature of women's position in seventeenth-century England is contradictory and speculative. A more productive method of determining misogyny …

E-Docspros : Exploring Texpros Into E-Business Era, Zhenfu Cheng

Dissertations

Document processing is a critical element of office automation. TEXPROS (TEXt PROcessing System) is a knowledge-based system designed to manage personal documents. However, as the Internet and e-Business changed the way offices operate, there is a need to re-envision document processing, storage, retrieval, and sharing. In the current environment, people must be able to access documents remotely and to share those documents with others. e-DOCPROS (e-DOCument PROcessing System) is a new document processing system that takes advantage of many of TEXPROS's structures but adapts the system to this new environment. The new system is built to serve e-businesses, takes advantage …