Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Teachers' And College Students' Perspectives Toward E-Textbooks As An Educational Tool, Nariman Ali Alawami

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to understand the perspectives of teachers and students regarding their use of specific e-textbooks in a higher education learning environment. The e-textbooks used by the teachers and students were examined in order to determine functions and features to focus on during the inquiry. This study was particularly interested in the design of e-textbooks and how they are used by both teachers and students in the learning process. The participants in the research were also prompted to suggest improvements to e-textbooks. A case study approach was used as the methodology to examine three teachers represented …

Associations Between Teacher Interactional Quality And Student Achievement: A Classroom-Level Analysis Of Randomized And Non-Randomized Teacher Assignments In The Measure Of Effective Teaching Project, Chelsie Amber Hess

Dissertations

The powerful role teachers have on students’ learning and academic performance has been well established in the empirical literature. However, researchers have not been successful in explaining what exactly it is about teachers that foster students’ academic success in the classroom. The premise of this dissertation was that teachers who provide affirming, supportive, and organized interactions, also known as teacher interactional quality, have beneficial effects on students’ academic achievement. This dissertation used the largest education dataset of United States students, known as the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET), to examine the association of teacher interactional quality on classroom achievement. The …

Biology Laboratories At A Distance: A Case Study And Experiment Of Ecology And Evolution Labs With Community College Students, Beverly E. Ranney

Dissertations

Community colleges deliver more courses online; laboratory-based courses face challenges in how to do this. This study examined how ecology and evolution laboratories could effectively be delivered in an online biology community college course. Virtual simulations and hands-on, at-home kits were used in two groups. Results showed that students using the virtual simulations had higher learning gains and more positive perceptions towards their laboratory experiences than those students using athome kits. By evaluating learning gains on a pretest/posttest and utilizing interviews and focus groups, this research concluded that virtual simulations offered a superior learning experience for online learners. The results …

Property Rights And International Trade: An Institutional Determinant Of Export Structure, Gregory Alan Bonadies

Dissertations

This work investigates the connection, independent of other factors, between a country’s system of law and property rights and patterns of trade. Stronger property rights institutions are hypothesized to lead to greater diversity in exports and a greater proportion of higher value-added exports. Production and export possibilities depend on capital, labor, and technology. Technology is the way in which capital and labor resources can be organized for productive purposes. Property rights condition expressions of technology and thus production possibilities and export potential. Consequently, if property rights vary between countries, then technological expression, production possibilities, and export potential vary as well. …

Group Empowerment Capacity And Capability In Associate Degree Schools Of Nursing In The United States, Christy Lee Savell

Dissertations

The purpose of conducting this research was to determine the perception of group empowerment capacity (EC) and group empowerment capability (E) among faculty and administrators in associate degree nursing programs (ADN) in the United States (U.S.), whether there was a significant difference in the scores of EC and E between the two groups and if there was a significant relationship between the mediating variables and EC. The study was conducted online with administrators and faculty of ADN programs throughout the United States (U.S.). Information letters with questionnaire links were sent to all members of the Organization of Associate Degree Nurses …

I Matter, As Does The World: Critical Consciousness In Higher Education, Myra Dutko

Dissertations

This dissertation describes how graduate students in a community organizing class move along the critical consciousness pathway. Critical consciousness in the academic arena is critical to the development of democratic participation and agency in students. Critical consciousness is the ability to see, judge and act on issues of injustice in order to create social change. In addition, this research examines what barriers arise in that process. Research participants from an urban, private university in the Midwest narrate the creation of a learning environment and the process of moving towards critical consciousness awakening through journaling and focus group discussions. The data, …

Modifying Board Policy On Attendance For Alternative High School Students: A Policy Advocacy Document, Janine E. Gruhn

Dissertations

This proposed policy advocates for students in alternative high school programs to have flexible school day schedules according to Illinois State Board of Education compulsory attendance laws. Students in alternative high school programs are often referred for chronic truancy. Most school board policies state that all students need to attend school for the entire 300 minutes of the instructional day because when students do not attend for a full day or a half-day (150 minutes) the district is penalized in the amount of general state aid. This is all too often the case with students enrolled in a district’s high …

Personalized Professional Learning For Elementary Bilingual Educators: A Policy Advocacy Document, Nicole M. Robinson

Dissertations

This policy advocacy document advocates a policy to strengthen an existing elementary bilingual program through personalized professional development. Twin goals of the proposed policy are to (1) increase student achievement and (2) increase bilingual teacher retention. District 32’s bilingual program recently shifted from a Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) model to a Developmental Bilingual Education (DBE) model, which emphasized biliteracy. As a small suburban school district with a rapidly rising Hispanic and low-income student population, this shift raised awareness among district administrators of the need for a new professional development model geared toward its mostly inexperienced bilingual teachers. To be immediately …

Minority Middle And High School Students' Interest In Science: An Exploration Of Teachers' Perceptions, Caroline Makere

Dissertations

A high school teacher conducted a study about minority middle and high school students’ interest in science. The problem was to find out why African American and Hispanic students were showing very little interest in science. The researcher used four middle school science teachers and nine high school science teachers, all from inner city schools in a big city of the Midwest United States except for one middle school teacher from a nearby suburb. The participants answered a survey questionnaire followed with a face-to-face recorded interview. The findings of the study confirmed that students showed little interest in science due …

Effective School Discipline Policy And Practice: Supporting Student Learning Through Restorative Practices And Social Emotional Learning Skills, Jennifer Camilleri

Dissertations

School discipline is an ongoing area of concern, as keeping children in school and engaged in learning is required not only for their well-being, but also for that of society. In response to the failure of zero-tolerance policies and to the passing of Illinois Senate Bill 100, which restricts disciplinary action that remove students from school, XYZ Middle School is adopting a restorative justice model of school discipline. This model, based on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), is projected to reduce suspensions and address the racial disparity existing in disciplinary practices at the school. Combining SEL and restorative justice practices will …

School Libraries, Disabilities, And A Phenomenological Progression To Policy Change, Patrice Narret Foerster

Dissertations

Research has shown that school librarians are not well equipped to work with students who have disabilities. Applying a conceptual framework culled from the public policy process literature, this phenomenological study used interviews with Washington, DC, policy workers--some of whom advocate for students with disabilities--to explore the possible connection between library experiences and the placement of libraries within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The findings indicate that these workers are not framing libraries in the same way that library professionals do and are not viewing school libraries as a direct source of student instruction. This dichotomy suggests that …

Preparing Future Leaders: An Ethnographic Study Exploring The Culture Of Succession Planning And Leader Development In Christian Higher Education, Andrew Barton

Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to explore the culture of succession planning and leader development at Lipscomb University, using the 5C’s: Strategies for succession planning in the academy model. In the face of unprecedented disruption and complexity, the review of literature suggested the higher education sector in the United States is largely underprepared for the upcoming exodus and shortage of leaders. With religiously-affiliated institutions accounting for more than one in five colleges and universities in the US, there were no visible studies attending to succession planning and leader development in Christian higher education. Given the important contribution …

An Ethnographic Investigation On How Chief Nursing Officers Use Transformational Leadership To Lead And Support New Nurse Graduates, Susan Pailet

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine how chief nursing officers (CNOs) use transformational leadership to lead and support new nurse graduates based on the Transformational Leadership Skills Inventory (TLSi) tool developed by Larick and White (2012).

Methodology: The sample for this qualitative ethnographic study included 13 CNOs in 4 counties in California (Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside) working for hospitals and other healthcare settings. The data sources for this study included observations, interviews, and artifact reviews. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis.

Findings: 8 major findings emerged: (a) CNOs participate …

Predicting Purpose: An Examination Of Early Predictors Of Progression And Career Choice Among First-Year Nursing Students, Iris Hinderliter

Dissertations

The importance of socializing upper level nursing students into the nursing profession is well established in the literature, but less is known about the early predictors of progression and career choice among first-year nursing students using a career development framework. Understanding early predictors of progression, particularly for first generation and underrepresented minority college students, have important implications for diversifying the baccalaureate-prepared nursing pipeline, as well as for developing future career and educational interventions for program completion and student retention. This study utilized a cross-sectional, correlational design to examine predictive factors of progression and career choice among freshmen nursing students. While …

Evaluating Cultural Competency: A Theory-Driven Integrative Process/Outcome Evaluation Of An Associate Degree Program, Nancy E. Peer

Dissertations

Accreditation organizations have identified specific program outcomes that each nursing program must meet to maintain accreditation, including standards on cultural competence. However, research has shown there is no consistent method of teaching cultural competence or incorporating it into nursing curriculum, so nursing programs are at risk for misinterpretations or not meeting required program outcomes.

Empowerment Of The Teen Parent: Policies And Practices Of An Urban School Based Teenage Parent Program, Selena Elizabeth Washington

Dissertations

This study documents the narrative of a long term urban high school based program (1978-2012) for pregnant and parenting students, and how this school based program has developed a model of support using Title IX federal law guidelines to construct policies and procedures within multiple contexts. This study examined the policies and procedures, implementation, effectiveness, and outcomes of this school based teenage parent program through the lens of a social justice and culturally relevant theoretical framework. As a qualitative case study, this inquiry used content analysis of documents, and open and axial coding of semi-structured interviews with administrative stakeholders, to …

The Effects Of Extrinsic Motivation On High School Attendance, Eric Conrad Wilken

Dissertations

The Missouri School Improvement Plan’s fourth standard addresses the importance of attendance to the accreditation of school districts. Because of this standard many school districts are in need of a successful plan to increase attendance; therefore, this study was designed to determine the extrinsic motivators educators use to encourage attendance and the influence the motivators have on students. The population for this study included accredited public school districts in the west central and southwest regions of Missouri. A stratified sample consisting of 45 high schools was selected from public school districts with 400 or fewer students in grades K-12 during …

A Mixed Method Study On Schema-Based Instruction, Mathematical Problem Solving Skills, And Students With An Educational Disability, Bill Casner

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the student outcomes of implementing schema-based instruction on students in grades 3-8 identified with an educational disability and ascertain how students’ developed mathematical problem solving skills. After special education teachers in a metropolitan school district in the Midwest administered a pre-assessment, the researcher used the results to select 21 students with an educational disability to participate in the mixed-methods study. Special education teachers implemented Asha K. Jitendra’s (2007) educational program titled, Solving Math Word Problems: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities Using Schema-Based Instruction, during the 2013-2014 school year and taught participants using …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of The Suspension/Expulsion And Graduation Rates Of Missouri Public High School Special Education Students, Matthew F. Glazer

Dissertations

The researcher conducted a study focused on the suspension/expulsion and graduation rates of Missouri public high school special education students. The goal was to determine if these areas of focus influenced one another. Analysis occurred through the use of secondary data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education within the following school years: 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015. Additionally, public school personnel received online surveys via SurveyMonkey. The four hypotheses targeted the following: a difference between public high school special education students and graduation rates, the number of students with disabilities suspended/expelled, the graduation rates of non-suspended/expelled special education …

The Effects Of One-To-One Technology On Students In Schools With A High Population Of Students From Low-Socioeconomic Households, Ryan J. Persinger

Dissertations

Low socioeconomic status is widespread throughout the United States (Makarewicz, 2013). Education is one factor to help people break the cycle of poverty (Payne, 2013). This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of one-to-one technology on equipping students from low-income families with the education needed to break the cycle of generational poverty. A rural school district in southwest Missouri was selected for the study. Students, parents, and educators were surveyed to gain their perspectives concerning the efficiency of one-to-one technology. Data were gathered to assess the statistical differences in English II end-of-course exam scores, attendance rates, graduation rates, and …

Private Sector Emiratization: Evaluating The Policies And Practices Designed To Achieve Abu Dhabi's Strategic Hrm Goal, Khaled Sultan Saeed Ai Kaabi

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is two-fold: firstly, to gauge the job satisfaction levels of UAE nationals employed in the private sector and secondly to consider the HRM policies and procedures most likely to attract and retain such individuals. The issue is of contemporary importance because the UAE has a fast-growing population, and already overstaffed public sector and, a labor nationalization program that has yet to have a significant impact on the ratio of nationals employed in the private sector visa- vis the classic public sector. Using a combination of employee survey and expert interview feedback this study provides a …

A Look At Grit: Teachers Who Teach Students With Severe Disabilities, Donna Baker Martin

Dissertations

This study investigated special education teachers and the grit needed to stay in the field especially for those who teach students with moderate to severe disabilities. The purpose was to explore and describe the impact of Grit on retention as perceived by special education teachers who teach students with severe disabilities. This explanatory, sequential mixed methods study included the Grit-S survey as a locator for special education teachers in five California counties and the target population included special education teachers who taught in California.

Teachers self-reported they were hard workers, diligent and finish what they start and they gave examples. …

Women And Men's Preferences For Delivery Services In Rural Ethiopia, Nancy K. Beam

Dissertations

This study aims to determine the combination of facility-based delivery care attributes preferred by women and men; if gender differences exist in attribute preferences; and key demographic factors associated with attribute preferences.

A Qualitative Study Analysis On How Utilizing A Token Economy Impacts Behavior And Academic Success, Solomon Defrancis Dr.

Dissertations

Utilizing a qualitative study analysis, this study examines how behavior impacts academic success utilizing a token economy with students who suffer from emotional disturbance disorder. Through focus groups of para educators, therapists and teachers on special education settings, there will be a comparative analysis of behavior and academic success. The study will consist of six education sites throughout the Antelope Valley: A kindergarten through eighth grade (Yellen Learning Center), a kindergarten through sixth grade elementary (Valley View Elementary), a seventh through eighth grade intermediate school (Joe Walker) and three high schools that are ninth through twelfth grade (Desert Pathways, Palmdale …

Implementation Of A Mentor Led Physical Activity Program Among Disadvantaged Youth, Karen M. Martin

Dissertations

Physical activity is an integral part of the war on pediatric obesity. Pediatric obesity is a worldwide epidemic affecting children of all races, classes, and gender. According to the Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 2013 over one third of Ohio children in grades nine through twelve were considered overweight or obese and engage in more than three hours of screen time, television, computers or video games daily. The purposes of this project was to introduce physical activity in the classroom environment in the form of physical activity breaks, led by physical activity leaders (PALs) to achieve improved BMI category, …

Perceptions Of Faculty Preparedness For Developing, Evaluating And Revising Bsn Curriculum, Meredith L. Roberts

Dissertations

Nurse educators are barraged with competencies, standards, outcomes, and initiatives to consider when developing, evaluating, or revising curriculum. The constructivist grounded theory study discovered and compared the perceptions and processes of faculty related to their preparedness and confidence in evaluating, developing, and revising nursing curriculum. Faculty's constructions were used to develop a middle range descriptive theory Challenged and Overwhelmed.

Community Literacy, Community College, And Community Leadership In The Rural South: A Tenuous Triangle, Denise Kay Perdue

Dissertations

This study explores a small, southern, rural community’s interrelational domains engaged in literacy development and the choices made by community leaders related to their understanding of literacy. Community domains affected by community members’ literacy deficiencies is ascertained by acknowledged sentience to the problem; however, the response to the challenges of inequitable access and denied liberties to all its members (i.e., education, employment, social strata, and governance) serves to articulate disparities in leadership for social justice and equity.

Within the context of ontological and epistemological assumptions, the transformative leadership conceptual framework by Brown (2006) of adult learning theory, transformative learning theory, …

Graduate Student Retention: An Examination Of Factors Affecting Persistence Among Master's Program Students At Comprehensive Public Institutions, Scott S. Gordon

Dissertations

This study focuses on persistence efforts at the master’s level at regional comprehensive public institutions, with student interviews and document research used as data sources. The interviews are conducted with students who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from master’s programs at one of the two institutions studied, while the documents examined were texts for internal and external constituencies.

While Tinto’s Longitudinal Model of Doctoral Persistence is used as a guide for the research, a variety of student retention models are examined that encompass both undergraduate and doctoral persistence. Challenges include the lack of models specifically intended for master’s …

The Perceptions Of Missouri High School Principals In Regard To The Missouri Learning Standards, Christopher Lee Kell

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to elicit the perceptions of high school principals regarding state education standards and whether or not increasing education standards has a positive impact on student achievement. Missouri adopted a new set of standards which placed academic focus on fewer topics per subject and required teachers to create lessons that increased critical thinking within the classroom (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [MODESE], 2013b). To identify how the new standards might affect student achievement, four research questions were asked as part of this study. As a result of these questions, findings showed perceptions of …

An Examination Of The Long-Term Academic Impacts Of Students Who Participated In The Missouri Preschool Program In Rural Southwest Missouri, Clinton R. Hall

Dissertations

The focus of this mixed methods study was to examine the possible differences between students who participated in the Missouri Preschool Program (MPP) and peers who did not attend the program. Areas examined through quantitative data in the study included academic achievement in communication arts in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The qualitative piece of the study included examination of areas such as social development, emotional development, and school readiness. Quantitative data were collected from one school district in rural southwest Missouri. These data came from Aimsweb assessments conducted at the district for the kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade levels …