Digital Commons Network^™

The Most Evangelistic Kentucky Baptist Churches In Eastern Kentucky, Paul R. Badgett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to acknowledge the value and role of the smaller church in Eastern Kentucky as it relates to reaching people for Christ. According to Gary England, Richland Southern Baptist Church in Peoria, Illinois, the average size of a Southern Baptist Church is around one hundred active members. This means that the majority of Southern Baptists are being reached for the kingdom of God by the smaller church. Almost all of the churches in Eastern Kentucky fall into this small church classification. Therefore, this project will attempt to deal with the smaller work, and will seek …

Bridging Academic Writing With Service-Learning: Measuring Student Perceptions And Learning Outcomes Of An Academic Writing Course, Karen Gabrielle Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference between students who completed a service-learning component and those who did not complete a service-learning component in the areas of student achievement of learning outcomes and perceptions of the course. Proponents of service-learning claim that students write higher quality papers and are more engaged, motivated, and satisfied when they complete a service-learning component. However, these findings are largely based on anecdotal and qualitative evidence that lack empirical evidence to strengthen these claims. This study employed a quasi-experimental design using static group comparison to measure differences between …

A Comparative Analysis Of Factors Contributing To The Biblical Worldview Among High School Students In The American Association Of Christian Schools Of Georgia, North Carolina, And South Carolina, Michael Hugh Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This non-experimental quantitative study is a comparative analysis of factors contributing to the biblical worldview of students attending select Christian schools in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The research design uses non-randomized control groups, an instrument which includes original questions in addition to items from three other instruments, and a Likert-type scale. Results imply that the subjects appear to consistently reflect orthodox doctrine in their responses, if not always in their behavior. The subjects were homogenous in many of their answers even though there were particular questions that evoked a wide disparity of answers. The particular …

The Effect Of School Size On The Utilization Of Educational Technologies, Daniel Nelson Patton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of school size, as defined by student enrollment and by total school budget, on the utilization of educational technologies. The focus group for this investigation was Christian schools that were further delineated by three criteria: (a) membership, (b) scope of program, and (c) geographic location. Membership was schools that were members of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Scope of program was schools with comprehensive programs. Geographic location was schools in two ACSI regions. The survey instrument covered 23 categorical questions, several of which contained sub-questions. Survey data including …

A Comparison Of Student Achievement Between Missouri Professional Learning Communities Project Participants And Non-Participants, Chanda Long

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to suggest a response to the following research question: Is there a significant relationship between student scores on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) achievement test and the type of Missouri high school attended, PLC or NPLC? This study focused on two populations of high school students in the state of Missouri: those that were participants in the state’s Professional Learning Communities Project (PLC) and those that were not participants in the state’s Professional Learning Communities Project (NPLC). Both school populations were arranged in a typical ninth through twelfth grade configuration.

The means …

A Comparison Study Of Remediation Services Offered To Latino Students In The Primary Grades, Melissa Harold Lannom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This comparative study was designed to assess the efficacy of Reading A-Z, an online reading program with differentiated reading levels from kindergarten to sixth grade, on first through third grade Latino students. Ten Virginia elementary schools in a single school district participated in this study of tutoring services offered to low-performing, Spanish-speaking students. Increases in individual instructional reading levels (IRL) and word recognition in isolation (WRI), as measured by Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) assessment, were documented using pretest scores collected in fall 2007 with posttest scores collected in spring 2008. An independent t-test was used to determine if differences …

The Effect Of Graphic Organizers On The Academic Achievement Of High School Students In United States History Who Receive Instruction In A Blended, Computer-Based Learning Environment, George Kim Conley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of graphic organizers on the academic achievement of high school students receiving instruction in United States History via an online blended learning environment. With 60 participants in the study, the students were equally divided into two groups of 30 participants each. Group I was designated as the treatment group, while Group II formed the control group. A two-tailed t-test was used to determine that the means of the two posttests were not significantly different at a probability level of .05. Therefore, the results of this research study indicated that high …

Highly Qualified Teacher Status And The Reading Achievement Of Students With Disabilities, A. Helene Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the advent of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, many changes are occurring in the field of special education. More than ever before, students with disabilities are being included in each state’s NCLB required assessment to determine adequate yearly progress. This has resulted in an influx of students with disabilities enrolled in intensive reading classes in the schools. Educators, administrators, and reading coaches are attempting to figure out the best way to educate these students to achieve the reading gains that NCLB requires. The purpose of this study was to examine factors believed to affect reading achievement of …

A Case Study: The Preparedness Of Adult Education Students For College-Level Education, Julie Gibbons Griffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Each year adult education programs have served over three million people. Approximately 40% of these students aged 24 years and younger who were economically and educationally disadvantaged have benefited from postsecondary education. Although adult education programs have offered high school diploma (HSD) and General Educational Development (GED) credentials to the adult population including young adults, many of the graduates who enrolled in higher education failed to enter at college-level. Because most non-traditional students left college during their first year, their preparation for college-level education had a dire consequence for not only their success, but that of society as well. The …

Effect Of The 6+1 Trait Writing Model On Student Writing Achievement, Nancy Kay Dejarnette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this study was to determine the difference between teaching the 6+1 Trait Writing Model to fifth graders and the traditional writing workshop method of teaching writing on overall student writing achievement according to the data supplied by a writing rubric. The study involved 8 classes of fifth graders in 2 different schools. One school provided instruction according to the 6+1 Trait Writing Model, and the other school provided instruction using the traditional writing workshop method of teaching writing. It was hypothesized that students receiving instruction using the 6+1 Trait Writing Model would exhibit greater gains in writing …

Obtaining Success With Freshman Transition Plans: A Study Of Programs In Four High Schools In Virginia, Martin Eugene Ringstaff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the successes and challenges small school (school population between 300-900 students) administrators and teachers experienced when designing, implementing, and sustaining their ninth-grade transition programs. The purpose of this study was to add valuable insight to the knowledge that currently existed for the development and implementation of freshman transition programs. This study identified common and unique elements in the implementation designs of transition programs in four small high schools in the state of Virginia. Fifty-two teachers were surveyed and the four high school principals completed their questionnaires. Significant differences were noted in the years of teaching experience …

A Study Of The Biblical Worldview Of K-12 Christian School Educators, Mark Kelly Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abstract Mark K. Wood. A STUDY OF THE BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW OF K-12 CHRISTIAN SCHOOL EDUCATORS. (Under the direction of Dr. Ellen Lowrie Black) School of Education, November, 2008. This study was designed to investigate the influence of six factors on the biblical Christian worldview of Christian school educators as measured by The Nehemiah Institute’s PEERS (2003) worldview assessment. The study sample consisted of 141 Christian school educators from six different Christian schools; three Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) located in Idaho, and three Association of Classical & Christian Schools (ACCS) located in Idaho, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. A causal-comparative design …

Personality Characteristics Of Counseling Students At A Midwest Evangelical Seminary As Correlates Of Success, Satisfaction, And Self-Perceived Effectiveness, Keith Edward Marlett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

his study examined the question of how well personality traits as assessed by the MMPI-2 (clinical and L, F, K validity scales) and the NEO PI-R (domain scales) predict useful post-graduation markers of success in Master's level counselor education students. The subjects were 74 graduates of a seminary counselor education program in the Midwest. Participants completed the MMPI-2 (first 370 questions) and the NEO PI-R prior to admission and a post-graduation self-report questionnaire. Significant correlation between several personality traits and post-graduation markers of success emerged, but after Bonferroni adjustment, did not retain statistical significance and are therefore noted as trends …

Improving Student Engagement: Use Of The Interactive Whiteboard As An Instructional Tool To Improve Engagement And Behavior In The Junior High School Classroom, Georgia Lyn Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of interactive whiteboard use on student engagement and appropriate at-task behaviors of junior high school students. Two hundred twenty-six students at two public schools in northeast Florida were observed during the second quarter of the school year. Data were collected using an at-task checklist, and students completed an attitude survey regarding their perception of their own engagement and enjoyment with interactive whiteboard use. Significant differences were noted in student behavior between instruction without interactive whiteboard use and instruction with interactive whiteboard use. No significant correlations were found between the variables gender and ethnicity and improved …

Academic Effects Of Writer's Workshop, Marla S. Smithson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation was to study the effects of a process writing curriculum, Writer’s Workshop, on the writing achievement of fifth grade students as measured by the Georgia Fifth Grade Writing Assessment. The study used three years of data and a total of 321 subjects in determining improved writing scores. The investigation equated and compared the performance levels using a Chi-square contingency table, finding that the group prior to implementation surpassed the performance of the cohorts in the following two years. An independent samples t-test evaluated scale scores from the latter two years, resulting in no significant difference …

Leadership And School Success: The Behaviors And Practices Of A Principal In An Effective Urban High School, Andrew T. Alexson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the behaviors and practices of a principal in an effective, private, faith-based urban high school. The researcher interviewed school personnel, observed school operations, and reviewed school documents. The researcher administered two surveys to 15 faculty, staff, board members and the principal. The first survey included 76 questions that addressed Powell’s five domains of Vision, Mission, and Culture; Curriculum and Classroom Instruction; Collaboration and Shared Leadership; Family and Community Relations; and Effective Management. The second survey included 30 questions that explored Kouzes and Posner’s leadership characteristics of Model the Way; Inspire a Shared …

A Comparison Of A Christian And A State Institution Of Higher Education: The Relationship Between Religiosity And Academic Dishonesty Among Athletes, Lori Robertson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the relationship between religiosity and academic dishonesty among intercollegiate athletes at a private Christian college and a state university. This study also examined the level of academic dishonesty and the level of religiosity among intercollegiate athletes at both institutions. The researcher administered a questionnaire to 163 intercollegiate athletes. The questionnaire included 17 cheating behaviors and several subscales of religiosity (overall religiosity, intrinsic religiosity, organizational religiosity, and non-organizational religiosity). A significant difference was found in the level of religiosity between the athletes in the two schools. However, no significant difference was found in …

The Impact Of The Ferst Foundation For Childhood Literacy On The Home Literacy Environment, Gina Bennett Thomason

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined if, among families whose children were enrolled in the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, there was a relationship between the home literacy environment, measured by a scale survey, and the length of time enrolled in the program. Participants were a stratified random sampling from the population of parents in the State of Georgia whose children were enrolled in the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy program. Using a pilot-tested original survey instrument, 2,100 survey packets were mailed to participants. Valid returned surveys totaled 1,082. Valid surveys were analyzed to determine if a relationship existed between the home literacy …

The Effect Of The Teacher's Worldviews On The Worldviews Of High School Seniors, James A. Fyock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

James A. Fyock. THE EFFECT OF THE TEACHER’S WORLDVIEWS ON THE WORLDVIEWS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS. (Under the direction of Dr. Steve Deckard) School of Education, June, 19, 2008. Christian educators today are interested in assisting their students in formulating a biblical Christian worldview. One important factor in developing a biblical worldview in students is the Christian school teacher. This study examined the effect of teacher’s worldviews on the worldviews of high school seniors in a Christian school. The teacher’s worldview was measured by Nehemiah Institute’s PEERS (2003) worldview survey and was designated the attribute independent variable. A convenience sample …

Strategies Of Pastoral Leadership For Resolving Conflicts In Two Korean American Churches Around Los Angeles, Kiyoung Chang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to understand Paul’s leadership principles for resolving conflict in churches and to apply them to Korean American churches. The project will examine Paul’s leadership principles for solving church conflicts found in 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Ephesians and deal with the application of existing conflict theories.

Fire/Emergency Medical Services And Coping Methods: Mitigating Traumatic Stress Symptomatology, William Mark Holland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals must cope with a variety of job-related stressors. One significant stressor for fire/EMS providers involves exposure to personally disturbing incidents (PDIs). To manage the untoward effects of exposure to PDIs, fire/EMS professionals use a variety of coping methods. In this study, the effectiveness of various coping methods utilized by fire/EMS professionals for mitigating the negative effects of exposure to PDIs was examined. This study provides some clarity by identifying the subjective distress associated with certain PDIs and pinpointing detrimental coping methods of fire/EMS personnel through scores on the 28-item General Health Questionnaire and …

Parent And Community Involvement: A Case Study, Cynthia Crites

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is a description of a case study of parent and community involvement and the impact of that involvement on education. The study is based upon the observations, interviews, and reflections of the writer in one elementary school as a plan was implemented to increase parent and community involvement in that school. The primary methods of data collection were structured, open-ended interviews, transcribed minutes from various school-based committees, attendance logs, and event participant logs. The writer interviewed the school’s principal, four parents whose children attend the study school, five individual teachers, a focus group of five teachers, the school’s …

The Application Of Transformational Leadership Among Christian School Leaders In The Southeast And The Mid-Atlantic North Regions, Dan L. Bragg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Transformational Leadership is part of a growing body of research that is having impact in leadership development in every industry and service organization. The Christian schools leader can also take advantage of the ideas that integrate so well into Biblical principles. This causal comparative study utilizing correlation and parametric statistics (ANOVA) along with descriptive cross-sectional observation investigated the differences of Transformational leadership in two distinct regions to understand how transformational leadership responded to differing cultures. This research has taken a deeper look into the elements of transformational leadership that must be enacted for a Christian school to succeed and thrive …

Examination And Survey Of User Satisfaction With Internet-Based Learning Compared To Traditional Classroom-Based Learning, Melinda Carol Kushniroff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abstract Melinda Kushniroff. AN EXAMINATION AND SURVEY OF USER SATISFACTION WITH INTERNET-BASED LEARNING COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM-BASED LEARNING. (Under the direction of Dr. Clarence Holland) School of Education, April, 2008. Although some research has been done in the internet-based learning discipline, user satisfaction with internet-based classes compared to traditional classroom-based learning requires more attention and research due to the substantial and continued growth in this area. During the 2007 Fall semester, 720 university undergraduate students, internet-based and traditional classroom-based, were randomly sampled with the only requirement that the students be participating in at least one internet class and one traditional …

Education For Woman’S Ministries: A Rationale For And Review Of Woman’S Ministries For The Beginning Of The 21st Century, Monica Dawn Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide a theoretical basis for the development of programs for women in the church and Christian ministries. The author will approach this project by first defining women’s ministries as well as presenting the two predominant evangelical views of women in ministry. This project will also provide an overview of issues women encounter and the needs women have in today’s culture. After presenting a need analysis, the author will provide an overview of academic institutions training women in the field of women’s studies and/or ministries as well as curriculum being used to equip women …

A Strategy On Small Group Leadership Development For Transitioning Of Gaeumjung Church Into A Cell-Based Church, In Ho Jei

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to invent a strategy of small group leadership development to transition Gaeumjung Church to a cell-based church. This project was performed on the basis of field analysis, case study, and literature research. The case study was performed on nine churches with outstanding small group ministry. The author had been an associate pastor of Gaeumjung Church for one and half years and will be the senior pastor of the church in a few years. Therefore, this thesis is a result of his experience and expectation on the small group ministry of the church.

The Relationship Between Boards Of Education And The Superintendents In Michigan's Upper Peninsula: The Superintendents' Perspectives, Timothy D. Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The relationship between a board of education and superintendent is one of the most critical in a school district. Research has shown that a positive working relationship between a school board and superintendent has positive effects on a school district. This study examined the perceived relationships between the superintendents of the school districts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and their boards of education, from the perspective of the superintendents. School districts in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula face declining enrollments and budgetary shortfalls. The intent of the study was to determine if the superintendents’ perception of their relationships with their boards …

A Strategy To Equip Youth Leaders Into Developing Strategic, Balanced, And Strong Local Church Student Ministries, Richard Stanley Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide a strategy for a youth leader to comprehend the needed administrative elements of a successful local church student ministry so thoroughly that the youth leader can equip his leaders. The sources used are the Word of God, personal youth ministry experience, and external research. The key phrase used is “building a strategic, balanced, and strong” student ministry. The metaphor used is the construction of a building as it correlates to building a local church student ministry. The project emphasizes two major areas needed in student ministry: the necessary foundational components and the …

A History And Evaluation Of The Revolution Generation Youth Ministries Mentorship Program, William Lee Barnett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of academic and Para-church organizations reveals that few programs exist that provide a balance of academic and professional preparation for youth ministers. Revolution Generation Youth Ministries has attempted to design such a program. The purpose of this project is to explore the history and design of the Revolution Generation Mentorship Program and evaluate it in comparison to such programs. This evaluation will be accomplished through a programmatic comparison with the standards of the Association for Biblical Higher Education, accredited college programs and other internship programs. The information gathered will be utilized to strengthen the Revolution Generation Mentorship Program.

Using Career Education To Enhance School Success And Reduce The Dropout Rate, Cindy Lue Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The new career education program was developed to help over-aged and under achieving 9th graders who are one or more years behind in earning their high school diplomas. This program was designed to reduce the dropout rate and provide every student with a South Carolina State Diploma and a marketable skill upon entering the workforce. This study determined if the program reduced the dropout rate and if students participating in the career education program would show an improvement in factors established as dropout indicators. The students who met the programs qualifications began in the fall of 2006 and were studied …