Digital Commons Network^™

Philosopher's Stone: The Faustian Geist Of Development, Salikyu Sangtam

Dissertations

The present study juxtaposes scientific rationality with polyphonic rationality in respect to societal development. This is done to illuminate how scientific rationality provides a narrow and truncated view of development. In order to explicate the exclusion of polyphonic rationalities/knowledges in favor of scientific rationality, several development scholarships are examined along with an episode of developmental scheme and two episodes of development programs. This is done to expound (note: ‘→’ = influences) how scientific rationality → scholarships → organizational/institutional schemes, such as the MDGs → actual applications of development schemes, such as transmigration and compulsory villagization. The present inquest, …

A Study Of Novice Instructors’ Questioning Techniques And Classroom Discourse Surrounding Those Questions, Kitty Lane Roach

Dissertations

The goals of this dissertation were to examine how novice calculus teachers used questions in their classrooms, how those questions and their use might change after video case-based course coordination, and what evidence of influence on student learning might be seen in undergraduate student achievement. This research focused on one way to elicit student ideas--by asking questions--and how professional development might facilitate asking questions as a way to learn about student thinking in calculus. This dissertation defined question depth (in terms of cognitive demand), question category (comprehension check, content check, elicit thinking, probe thinking), and discourse neighborhood as aspects of …

Mathematicians' Evolving Personal Arguments: Ideas That Move Proof Constructions Forward, Melissa Louise Troudt

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

One Academic Year Study Of Experiences Of One Cohort Of Graduates From A Midwestern University’S Teacher Education Program, Chris Albers

Dissertations

Teacher attrition is a growing problem within the education system in the United States. A study that tracked the experiences of graduates of a particular program was designed to gauge the program’s success. There were three research questions. The first asked, What are the first year teaching experiences of Midwestern University educator preparation program graduates? The second question was in two parts and asked, What do graduates of Midwestern University educator preparation program perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of their ability to carry out their duties as a first-year teacher? How does this change from August to May? The …

Exploring An Act Preparation Course As An Intervention Method For African American Students, Theresa Linette Harris Badgett

Dissertations

In recent years, there has been an interest in the effectiveness of college assessment preparation, which has prompted many studies. The majority of these studies researched instruction/coaching on the Scholastic Assessment Tool (SAT). Notably, the college entrance exam has become a growing concern for minorities, particularly African American students. Prior research by ACT, Inc. (2012, p. 2) has shown African American students rank the lowest in American College Test (ACT) scores of all racial groups. Between 2006 and 2011 the average ACT composite scores increased for White, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and American/Pacific Islanders. Hispanic scores remained unchanged and the …

What Concerns Are Secondary Mathematics Teachers Experiencing With The Implementation Of The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics And Is There A Relationship Between The Concerns And Professional Development Received?, Suzanne Therez Jennings

Dissertations

Using the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as the theoretical framework, this mixed-methods study utilized three research methods, quantitative, profile interpretation, and qualitative to answer the research questions to investigate the concerns teachers were experiencing during the first year of implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and to determine if professional development affected those concerns. The Stage of Concern questionnaire which included two open-ended questions was employed to survey 88 secondary Mississippi mathematics teachers. MANOVA was used to investigate any differences in the means of the relative levels of intensity present within the subgroups which are inconclusive. …

Determining The Academic Achievement Of English Language Learners (Ells) By Using Additional Measures Of Growth, Adriana Maria Marin

Dissertations

Accountability measures employed in the country to determine the academic achievement of all the student population rely solely on the results obtained on the standardized tests. Such measures have often placed English language learners’ (ELLs) at risk of academic failure despite the fact that research on second language acquisition (SLA) has stated the complexity involved in the learning/acquisition process of a target language. Scholars have also discussed the influence accountability measures and the issues with the validity of the tests implemented to assess ELLs may have on such results. Therefore, in an effort to obtain a more comprehensive idea of …

Assessing Biogeochemical Impacts And Environmental Conditions Associated With Cross-Shelf High Chlorophyll Plumes In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Erin Brooke Jones

Dissertations

The northern Gulf of Mexico is a complex marine system subject to episodic physical phenomena such as loop current eddies. Flow fields generated by these eddies can result in cross-shelf exchanges between riverine influenced shelf waters and the offshore water column. This study considers the impacts of high chlorophyll plumes (HCPs) resulting from cross-shelf exchanges to the bio-optical properties of affected waters and how these plumes are influenced by their environment. The seasonal, interannual and decadal chlorophyll cycles of the Gulf of Mexico and the northern Gulf of Mexico are described to provide context for evaluating the ecological effects of …

The Interrelationships Among Perceived Parenting Styles, Psychological Entitlement, And Subjective Well-Being, Emily A. Dreiling

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Developing An Efficient Failure Prediction Model In Support Of A Distributed Operating System For Autonomic Networks, Jondi Hesham Abed

Dissertations

Network fault management has been a vibrant research area in computer networks because of the immediate benefits that it can deliver to network operators and service providers. Unfortunately, most existing fault management systems (to date) target a specific domain. Ideally, collateral damage due to network failures could be mitigated if they could be predicted in advance of their occurrence. Homeostasis could then be more easily maintained by taking corrective measures to avoid imminent failures before they occurred.

Here, we set out with precisely the objective of designing an automated system that is capable of predicting the imminent occurrence of system …

Blended Learning And Bottlenecks In The California State University System: An Empirical Look At The Importance Of Demographic And Performance Analytics, Maureen Augusta Guarcello

Dissertations

In Fall 2014 over 460,000 students enrolled in the 23-campus California State University system; unfortunately, more than 20,000 qualified applicants were denied admission due to capacity and budgetary constraints. In response to continued overcrowding, the Chancellor's Office and Board of Trustees are investigating "bottlenecks," defined as anything limiting students' ability to graduate in a timely manner. Blended learning, a pedagogy combining face-to-face and computer-mediated instruction, presents a potential solution to alleviate overcrowding and bottleneck problems.

In an effort to investigate the extent to which student demographics and performance analytics explain student success outcomes in a popular blended learning psychology course, …

Maintaining Consistency Between A Design Model And Its Implementation, Hector M. Chavez

Dissertations

Software design models are increasingly being used as part of the software development process as analysis and design artifacts and to automatically generate code that developers can further modify or extend, greatly expediting the software development process. This, however, has introduced the challenge of maintaining consistency between the design models and their implementation as they evolve during the development process. Traditional software testing and verification techniques have been well studied in the past, and they are an integral part of many software development projects, however, they are not well suited for consistency checking between a design model and its implementation. …

Assessing The Interpersonal Effectiveness Of The Dear-Man Skill Using A Social Psychology Paradigm, Matthew T. Jameson

Dissertations

For more than 50 years, social psychology has investigated persuasion techniques intended to facilitate influencing the behavior of others. This body of research has identified a variety of effective techniques and principles (see Cialdini, 2007). Over roughly the same period, clinical psychologists developed interventions targeting assertiveness, the ability to influence others in socially appropriate ways (see Long, Long, & Whitson, 2009) and the related construct “interpersonal effectiveness,” the ability to influence others without harming relationships or self-respect (Linehan, 2015, pp. 231-237). A literature review conducted by the author was unable to identify linkages between these two related areas of inquiry. …

Ultrafast Charge Carrier Dynamics In Bare And Surface-Modified Semiconductor Nanoparticles, Jameel Abdul-Hadi Hasan

Dissertations

Charge-carrier relaxation dynamics in semiconductor nanoparticles has been in the forefront of research for last three decades both for their fundamental nature as well as for applications in light-harvesting, luminescent labels, light-emitting diodes and nonlinear optics. Significant research has focused on II-VI semiconductors with emphasis on CdS and CdSe that are toxic. On the other hand, ZnO and TiO2 semiconductor nanoparticles are less toxic and have enormous applications in photo-catalysis, water splitting, solar cells and optical sensors. However, the investigations of charge-carrier dynamics in these semiconductor nanomaterials compared to II-VI semiconductor quantum dots are quite limited. The knowledge of charge-carrier …

At-Risk High School Graduates: Succeeding Despite The Odds, Suzette Michele Luster

Dissertations

The high school dropout rate and the low skill set of high school graduates are of significant concern to stakeholders across the country. Based on a report released by the Education Research Center (2011), approximately 7,000 students drop out of school every day and of those students, a large percentage of them have only the basic skill sets that prevent them from accessing competitive vocational opportunities or successful entry into post-secondary education. Understanding the educational journey of students identified at risk could provide stakeholders with critical information with regard to educational reforms based on an early warning system and dropout …

Use Of Photography To Support The Learning Process Of Science Teachers Of Ninth Through Twelfth Grade In The Schools Of Kuwait, Abdulaziz Alenizi

Dissertations

The research utilized a descriptive quantitative research design. The number of participants was limited to an acceptable number in the range of 250-300. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyses were conducted using various types of statistical designs for interpretation, specifically Spearman correlation analysis. The study revealed that visual media such as images and photographs made it easy for the students to understand the concepts of science subjects, specifically biology, physics, and chemistry. Visual media should be included in the curriculum to enhance the comprehension level of students. The government of Kuwaiti, therefore, should to encourage the use of …

Cultural Diversity In Massive Open Online Courses: The Correlation Between Cultural Indicators And Students' Attrition, Fatma Alabdullaziz

Dissertations

Massive open online courses (MOOC) have become one of the recent innovations in the field of higher education. These courses are distributed via the Internet and free, attracting thousands of students in a course from all over the world. However, there is a serious issue concerning MOOC students’ completion rates. Previous research studies have explored a variety of factors that might lead to low completion rates for MOOCs. However, students involvement from various culture and language backgrounds was a factor not investigated in the literature a factor that could have affected students’ completion rates. This study redesigned an activity theory …

Development Of A Stereochemistry Concept Inventory, Alexey Leontyev

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Elementary Physical Educators’ Perspectives Of Curriculum And Instruction In The United States And Thailand, Udon Nampai

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs, perspectives, and opinions of physical education (PE) teachers regarding PE curriculum (the content and teaching styles, the purpose of PE, and the potential improvements related to PE curriculum) at the elementary level by: (a) examining current curricular and instructional practices and perspectives of exemplary Thai PE teachers; and (b) examining curriculum development and instructional practices of current exemplary PE teachers in the United States (U.S.). The participants were eight exemplary PE teachers. A semi-structured interview design was utilized in order to gather information of participants’ perspectives. Each interview lasted approximately …

Barriers To Computer Programming Student Success: A Quantitative Study Of Community College Students In Southwest Missouri, Tiffany D. Ford

Dissertations

Student success in computer programming courses has been a long-studied problem and computer science major retention has historically been substantially lower than other majors. The issue of retention for computer science majors has become more pronounced in two-year, open-enrollment institutions. This quantitative study, grounded in Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, attempted to address some of the causes of poor retention for entry-level computer science majors at two-year colleges by looking for predictors of student success in their first computer programming course. Two of the intelligences from Gardner’s (1993) theory, Logical-Mathematical and Visual-Spatial, were used along with two factors: student success …

New Computational Methods For Optimal Control Of Partial Differential Equations, Jun Liu

Dissertations

Partial differential equations are the chief means of providing mathematical models in science, engineering and other fields. Optimal control of partial differential equations (PDEs) has tremendous applications in engineering and science, such as shape optimization, image processing, fluid dynamics, and chemical processes. In this thesis, we develop and analyze several efficient numerical methods for the optimal control problems governed by elliptic PDE, parabolic PDE, and wave PDE, respectively. The thesis consists of six chapters. In Chapter 1, we briefly introduce a few motivating applications and summarize some theoretical and computational foundations of our following developed approaches. In Chapter 2, we …

Solution Of Nonlinear Time-Dependent Pde Through Componentwise Approximation Of Matrix Functions, Alexandru Cibotarica

Dissertations

Exponential propagation iterative (EPI) methods provide an efficient approach to the solution of large stiff systems of ODE, compared to standard integrators. However, the bulk of the computational effort in these methods is due to products of matrix functions and vectors, which can become very costly at high resolution due to an increase in the number of Krylov projection steps needed to maintain accuracy. In this dissertation, it is proposed to modify EPI methods by using Krylov subspace spectral (KSS) methods, instead of standard Krylov projection methods, to compute products of matrix functions and vectors. This improvement allowed the benefits …

Mississippi High School Assistant Principals' Perceptions Of Their Readiness To Pursue The Principalship And Factors That Might Influence Readiness, Bennett Teague Burchfield

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if certain factors, as well as the influence of these factors, affect the perceptions of assistant principals’ readiness to pursue the principalship. Mississippi high school assistant principals (n=107) responded to an online questionnaire that gathered personal and professional demographic data and also collected a readiness rating as well as an influence of factors ratings both based on a 5-point Likert scale.

A multiple linear regression was used to predict the readiness of assistant principals to pursue the principalship based on personal and professional factors as well the influence of those …

School Connectedness And Racial-Ethnic Identity Among Alaska Native Students: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Robert J. Picou

Dissertations

This study was conducted from a theoretical foundation of Feagin’s (2010) racial framing and Brayboy’s (2005) tribal critical race theory. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of school connectedness as those perceptions relate to racial-ethnic identity among Alaska Native students in a large, predominately White school district. A quantitative phase in which School Climate and Connectedness Survey data were used to evaluate perceptions of school connectedness was followed up by a qualitative phase in which two focus group interviews were conducted to evaluate the degree to which Alaska Native students attributed their perceptions of school connectedness to …

On The Selection Of A Good Shape Parameter For Rbf Approximation And Its Application For Solving Pdes, Lei-Hsin Kuo

Dissertations

Meshless methods utilizing Radial Basis Functions~(RBFs) are a numerical method that require no mesh connections within the computational domain. They are useful for solving numerous real-world engineering problems. Over the past decades, after the 1970s, several RBFs have been developed and successfully applied to recover unknown functions and to solve Partial Differential Equations (PDEs).
However, some RBFs, such as Multiquadratic (MQ), Gaussian (GA), and Matern functions, contain a free variable, the shape parameter, c. Because c exerts a strong influence on the accuracy of numerical solutions, much effort has been devoted to developing methods for determining shape parameters which provide …

Investigating How Students Communicate Tree-Thinking, Carrie Jo Boyce

Dissertations

Learning is often an active endeavor that requires students work at building conceptual understandings of complex topics. Personal experiences, ideas, and communication all play large roles in developing knowledge of and understanding complex topics. Sometimes these experiences can promote formation of scientifically inaccurate or incomplete ideas. Representations are tools used to help individuals understand complex topics. In biology, one way that educators help people understand evolutionary histories of organisms is by using representations called phylogenetic trees. In order to understand phylogenetics trees, individuals need to understand the conventions associated with phylogenies.

My dissertation, supported by the Tree-Thinking Representational Competence and …

Assessing Awareness, Interest, And Knowledge Of Fractal Geometry Among Secondary Mathematics Teachers In The United States And China, Suanrong Chen

Dissertations

Fractal geometry has gained great attention from mathematicians and scientists in the past three decades (Fraboni, & Moller, 2008). As a new geometry language and subject, fractal geometry has significant value in teaching and learning secondary mathematics. The present study focused on investigating the current state of mathematics teachers’ awareness, interest, and knowledge of fractal geometry in the U.S. and China, as well as the factors that influence them.

The instrument of the study included a survey and a test designed by the researcher and validated by five experts. The results of the study indicated that secondary math teachers in …

The Relationship Between Professional Preparedness And Long Term Teacher Retention, Deborah Ann Smith

Dissertations

In an effort to identify relationships between certain demographic variables (i.e. age, years of experience, type of certification) and long-term retention, a group of public school teachers from a South-Central district of Mississippi were surveyed and asked to provide both demographic and opinion data that was compared to their response to a question asking how long they expected to remain in the teaching profession.

One purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between certain demographic factors and the amount of time teachers spend in the profession. Another purpose of this study was to examine the …

Generalization And Maintenance Of High School Teachers' Use Of Behavior Specific Praise Following Direct Behavioral Consultation In Classrooms, Traci Ann Taber

Dissertations

This study tested the efficacy of in situ direct training on increasing high school teachers’ use of behavior specific praise in the classroom. Of further interest was the extent to which training led to teachers’ maintained praise and generalized praise use in untrained classes. Students’ disruptive behaviors were measured concurrently to test the relationship between increased praise use and decreases in students’ inappropriate behavior in the classroom. Increasing the frequency of teachers’ use of praise statements with students for engaging in appropriate behavior has shown subsequent reduction in the occurrence of classroom disruptions resulting in less time that a teacher …

An Analysis Of The Correlation Between Act Scores And One-To-One Computing, Jeffrey Brian Heath

Dissertations

This study examined whether a relationship exists between one-to-one computing and student achievement, specifically ACT scores. This study also examined whether relationships exist among teachers’ perceptions of one-to-one computing, teachers’ years of experience, subjects taught by teachers, teachers’ skill level in the use of a computer for instruction, and teachers’ perceptions of changes in ACT scores. The results of this study could help policymakers and educators with decisions regarding implementation of one-to-one computing programs.

The sample of schools for investigating the relationship between one-to-one computing and ACT scores consisted of 33 secondary public schools with one-to-one computing programs located in …