Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
File Type

Articles 6151 - 6180 of 7025

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Teacher Implementation Of Mobile Learning Initiative At A Sixth Grade School: A Phenomenological Study, Tina Hemphill Fitts Oct 2015

Teacher Implementation Of Mobile Learning Initiative At A Sixth Grade School: A Phenomenological Study, Tina Hemphill Fitts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with the adoption and implementation process as teachers at Tops Sixth Grade School (all participant and institutional names herein are pseudonyms, unless otherwise specified) transition from a one-to-one laptop initiative to a school-wide adoption of mobile learning. Using Rogers’s (1995) IDT and Wenger’s (1998) CoP theories, this study defined the adoption process as the manner through which an individual or group seeks and processes information about an innovation and then forms an attitude that leads to adoption or rejection. Participants included eight sixth-grade teachers whose …


Benchmark Exam Utilization In California Public Middle Schools And Standardized Test Scores: A Non-Experimental Correlational Study, Michael Marcos Oct 2015

Benchmark Exam Utilization In California Public Middle Schools And Standardized Test Scores: A Non-Experimental Correlational Study, Michael Marcos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

his quantitative non-experimental correlational research study intends to determine whether there was a correlation between the utilization of benchmark exams and state standardized test performance. Strictly focusing on schools that utilize benchmark exams, for how long they’ve utilized the exams, how frequently the exams are administered, how the exams are created, whether or not their administration is mandatory, and teacher satisfaction with the benchmark exams were considered as predictor variables. The Academic Performance Index (API) score change between the 2011 base API score and the 2012 growth API score was the criterion variable. The sample consisted of ninety-three California public …


A Correlation Analysis Of Faculty Interaction With Undergraduate Students In Online Courses And Student Course Completion Rates, Claudia Restiano Oct 2015

A Correlation Analysis Of Faculty Interaction With Undergraduate Students In Online Courses And Student Course Completion Rates, Claudia Restiano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The extent in which a teacher communicates with his or her students in an online setting may affect student course completion rates. The increased use of online courses and degree programs at the post-secondary level has fundamentally changed the way faculty members and students interact, and ultimately may impact student course completion rates. Course completion is an aspect of student retention. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to analyze the correlation between faculty interaction with online undergraduate students in required introductory English composition courses and student completion rates in those courses. Blackboard is a learning management system …


Special Educators’ Perceptions Of Using Educational Rap Music To Build Phonemic Awareness Skills For Students Identified With Mild Intellectual Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Martha Plumlee Oct 2015

Special Educators’ Perceptions Of Using Educational Rap Music To Build Phonemic Awareness Skills For Students Identified With Mild Intellectual Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Martha Plumlee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand special educators’ experiences and perceptions of using rap music to teach phonemic awareness skills to students with mild intellectual disabilities, in three Smith County (pseudonym) public school self-contained special education classrooms. A purposive sample utilized six participants in data collection comprised of semi-structured interviews, observations, documents, and one focus group. Data was analyzed using phenomenological reduction. Using Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, Gardner’s (1983) multiple intelligences theory, and Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory, the essence of the shared experiences and perceptions were reported. An analysis of the data from semi-structured …


Job Satisfaction And Dissatisfaction Factors Influencing Contract Renewal Of Generation Y And Non-Generation Y Teachers Working At International Schools In Asia, Benny Fong Oct 2015

Job Satisfaction And Dissatisfaction Factors Influencing Contract Renewal Of Generation Y And Non-Generation Y Teachers Working At International Schools In Asia, Benny Fong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current literature on job satisfaction and dissatisfaction does not comprehensively explain the possible relationship among the many factors in Herzberg et al.’s (1959) two-factor theory and teacher retention in international schools in Asia. While research exploring different individual factors to retention and job satisfaction exists, quantitative studies do not appear in great abundance, especially literature with international schools as the target. Given access to quantitative data, international school administrators may plan strategically and implement initiatives to retain and empower effective teachers, both Gen Y and non-Gen Y. The purpose of this correlational study is to examine the relationship between factors …


A Proposal For A Local Church Infertility Ministry, Melanie Gruner Sep 2015

A Proposal For A Local Church Infertility Ministry, Melanie Gruner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

How is the church addressing the difficult issue of infertility? Pastors may not be adequately trained to handle the demon of infertility, which is a growing epidemic. Thirteen Scriptural remedies for the struggle of infertility are proposed in the form of a manual which is designed to equip and be implemented by churches. The hope is that churches will effectuate either a group dynamic or individual canvas for a detailed analysis of what Scripture teaches about infertility. Research involves surveying pastors and infertile couples about what they believe is being done in churches to relieve the sting of infertility. Results …


Adoption Of Ereaders By Senior Adults: A Phenomenological Study, Dale Tysor Sep 2015

Adoption Of Ereaders By Senior Adults: A Phenomenological Study, Dale Tysor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A majority of the previous research on older adults and their use of technology has focused on computers and the Internet. Most of the eReader-specific research examined younger participants in an academic setting. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the perspectives of Georgia senior adults in their adoption of eReaders. The adoption of an eReader was generally defined as the acquisition of an eReader, followed by the selecting, downloading, navigating, and reading of eBooks using an eReader. This study took place in a public library and was designed to answer 3 research questions: (a) What are contributing …


Phenomenology Of Transformation Through Participation In A General Education Development Program, Sherrie Mitchell Sep 2015

Phenomenology Of Transformation Through Participation In A General Education Development Program, Sherrie Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to describe how young adults experience transformation through participation in a federally funded General Education Development (GED®) program located within a small urban area in the southeastern region of Georgia. Specifically, transformative learning theory and its overarching themes was applied to the perspective of the individuals who shared the experience of transformation. The queries of the study were to determine: (a) how the participants understood transformation, (b) how the participants described their experience of transformation in a federally funded GED program, (c) what transformation(s) were described and perceived from the GED program, …


The Relationship Between Hexaco Personality Traits And Cyberbullying Perpetrators And Victims, David Smith Sep 2015

The Relationship Between Hexaco Personality Traits And Cyberbullying Perpetrators And Victims, David Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is an increasing problem in high schools across America with the threat of cyberbullying from both a perpetration and victimization standpoint. Cyberbullying is a problem for many youth because of the inability to escape the use of technology and the incapability of escaping the online community. This non-experimental predictive correlational study examined personality traits, using the HEXACO personality structure model, to predict the susceptibility of freshman high school students either being perpetrators or victims of cyberbullying. There were a total of 256 participants who took the Cyberbullying and Online Aggression survey along with the HEXACO personality model survey. This …


Teacher Immediacy From The Perspective Of Teachers Who Educate At-Risk Students In A High School Alternative Setting: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Connie Locklear Sep 2015

Teacher Immediacy From The Perspective Of Teachers Who Educate At-Risk Students In A High School Alternative Setting: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Connie Locklear

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to gain a deeper, richer understanding of teacher immediacy from the perspective of teachers who educate at-risk students in an alternative setting. This study consisted of 12 teachers who educate high school students that have dropped out of school or were potential dropouts prior to entering the alternative program. The study was designed to answer the following questions: (a) What are the opinions of teachers who work in an alternative setting about teacher immediacy? (b) What do teachers state as obstacles to establishing teacher immediacy? (c) What additional resources do teachers state …


Non-Science Co/Prerequisite Course Grades As Predictors Of Associate Degree Nursing Program Completion And First-Attempt Nclex-Rn Performance, Joey Trader Sep 2015

Non-Science Co/Prerequisite Course Grades As Predictors Of Associate Degree Nursing Program Completion And First-Attempt Nclex-Rn Performance, Joey Trader

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the potential relationship between non-science co/prerequisite courses (English Composition I, English Composition II, General Psychology, Child Psychology, and Nutrition and Diet Therapy) upon successful program completion and first-attempt NCLEX-RN results while controlling for age and gender in a traditional associate degree nursing program in the South Atlantic region of the United States. The rationale for the study was described with General Systems Theory while Schema Theory was tested and framed the study. The researcher employed binary logistic regression. There were 216 cases in the program completion dataset while there were 177 in the NCLEX-RN result data set. …


A Phenomenological Study Of Adult Reading Motivation, Audra Blyseth Sep 2015

A Phenomenological Study Of Adult Reading Motivation, Audra Blyseth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the factors that influence young adults’ (aged 18 to 24) reading experiences, reading habits and behavior, and desire to read. Three research questions guided this study: (a) How do young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 describe the factors that influence their reading experiences? (b) How do participants describe the effect of factors on their reading habits and behavior? (c) How do participants describe the effect of factors on their personal desire to read? Participants included young adults between the ages of 18 and 24. Data collection methods …


Personalized System Of Instruction And Student Performance In High School Weight Training Courses, Charles Allen Sep 2015

Personalized System Of Instruction And Student Performance In High School Weight Training Courses, Charles Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

School reform has applied pressure on the United States public school systems to improve student achievement. As a result of this pressure, educators are seeking instructional models that research supports improves student achievement. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to test the Social Cognitive Theory by comparing the achievement of all-male high school weight training students who had been taught using the personalized system of instruction (PSI) instructional model to students who had not been taught using the PSI instructional model on the state mandated Fitnessgram assessments, after controlling for prior Fitnessgram achievement within a large, urban high …


The Relationship Between Elementary Teachers’ Years Of Experience And Their Self-Perceived Pedagogical Competence In Alabama Elementary Schools, Amy Jones Sep 2015

The Relationship Between Elementary Teachers’ Years Of Experience And Their Self-Perceived Pedagogical Competence In Alabama Elementary Schools, Amy Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Years of teaching experience have been found to increase student achievement more than advanced degrees, formal training, and in-service professional development. Additionally, teachers with high pedagogical competence levels have achieved excellent academic results and have also taught and led students to be well-rounded. It has been competent teachers who have lain at the heart of the educational process, as a bridge between the curriculum and the learner. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between years of teaching experience and elementary teachers’ self-perceived effective pedagogical competence. A convenience sample of 159 elementary …


Examining The Effectiveness Of The Early College High School Model In The Rural Appalachian Region Of Western North Carolina, David Robinson Sep 2015

Examining The Effectiveness Of The Early College High School Model In The Rural Appalachian Region Of Western North Carolina, David Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Early College High School (ECHS) model of education became a reality in North Carolina in 2002, and although some rich data resulting from research targeting the success of ECHS is starting to emerge; the focus is primarily broad in its comparisons of subjects attending ECHS with those attending traditional high schools (THS). This quantitative correlational research study utilized archived student achievement data and data collected from AdvancEd student surveys to explore possible relationships that exist between school setting, student achievement on required standardized tests, and feelings of school connectedness for students. The study revealed statistically significant positive relationships between …


Effects Of Student Family Structure And Attendance On Academic Achievement In Middle Grades Mathematics, Bobby Sneed Sep 2015

Effects Of Student Family Structure And Attendance On Academic Achievement In Middle Grades Mathematics, Bobby Sneed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact student attendance and family structure had on academic achievement as measured by the Georgia mandated criterion referenced competency test (CRCT) in middle grades mathematics. There were many factors that could have come into play regarding the level of academic achievement each child experiences. With federal, state and local entities placing increased pressure on schools and educators to be more accountable, specifically in the form of student test scores, it seemed imperative to understand the external variables that may negatively impact student learning potential. Utilizing the student’s family structure data reported …


Validation Of The Assessment Of Basic Language And Learning Skills-Revised For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using An Expert Review Panel, Jennifer Usry Sep 2015

Validation Of The Assessment Of Basic Language And Learning Skills-Revised For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using An Expert Review Panel, Jennifer Usry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the content validity and inter-rater reliability of the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R). Lawshe’s method was used to examine content validity of the assessment based on item analysis of responses from a panel of six experts. The six reviewers were experts in the fields of behavior analysis and autism. Inter-rater reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) based on scoring information from a panel of five experts after watching a video model of the assessment being administered to a student. The five reviewers were experts in …


Should Southern Baptists Baptize Their Children?: A Biblical, Historical, Theological Defense Of The Consistency Of The Baptism Of Young Children With Credobaptistic Practices, Robert Matz Sep 2015

Should Southern Baptists Baptize Their Children?: A Biblical, Historical, Theological Defense Of The Consistency Of The Baptism Of Young Children With Credobaptistic Practices, Robert Matz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Southern Baptists have expressed increasing degrees of alarm over allegedly rising rates of child baptisms. As a result, an increasing number of Southern Baptists have argued that the baptism of young children is inconsistent with Southern Baptists’ understandings of credobaptism and a regenerate church membership. Against these allegations, this dissertation asserts that children can be converted and when converted they should be baptized. The first chapter of this dissertation argues that water baptism is prescriptively contemporaneous with Spirit baptism. It establishes such based on the relationship between water and Spirit baptism as seen in the seven direct references to Spirit …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of Transactional Reading Experiences Of 12th Grade Digital Natives In Rural Northeast Georgia: Print And Digital Texts, Katherine Kesterson Sep 2015

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Transactional Reading Experiences Of 12th Grade Digital Natives In Rural Northeast Georgia: Print And Digital Texts, Katherine Kesterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the print and digital transactional reading experiences of 12th grade digital natives at Mountain High School in rural, northeast Georgia. The research questions include: What are the reading experiences of 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia? How do 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia describe their transactional experiences with print texts? How do 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia describe their transactional experiences with digital texts? Participants included a purposeful sample of …


The Perception Of The Effectiveness Of Classdojo In Middle School Classrooms: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Michael Burger Sep 2015

The Perception Of The Effectiveness Of Classdojo In Middle School Classrooms: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Michael Burger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study modeled after Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological reduction investigated the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the effectiveness of ClassDojo as a classroom management tool for three middle school classrooms at Cardinal Unified School District (pseudonym). The research questions for the study were aimed at understanding teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of ClassDojo as a classroom management tool as well as the necessary resources and experiences to implement it well. Furthermore, this research aimed at explaining teachers’ perceptions of how the use of this tool affected their administrators’ view of them as teachers. The participants consisted …


A Grounded Theory Study Exploring The Technology Decisions Mothers Make For Their Preschool Age Children In The Home Environment, Carolyn Wicks Sep 2015

A Grounded Theory Study Exploring The Technology Decisions Mothers Make For Their Preschool Age Children In The Home Environment, Carolyn Wicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to explore the technology decision process mothers use when making technology decisions for their preschool age (3-5 years) children in the home environment. I used snowball and maximum variation sampling procedures to purposefully select 18 mothers of preschool age children living in urban, suburban, and rural areas located in and around a college town in central Virginia. Data gathered from questionnaires, participant interviews, and focus groups were analyzed and findings revealed mothers’ technology decisions are a multi-dimensional process whereby they situationally reflect to form technology preferences which promote intentionality and individuality …


Elementary Students’ Perceptions Of Gender Equity In Mathematics Classes, Debra Jacobson Sep 2015

Elementary Students’ Perceptions Of Gender Equity In Mathematics Classes, Debra Jacobson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There have been various research studies stating that in elementary school, gender bias in all subjects is nonexistent. However, other researchers interested in gender equity in the mathematics classroom have recognized that gender bias does not occur in early elementary school grades but exists by middle school. Thus, research in this area is greatly needed. This study examined children in the third, fourth, and fifth grades to determine whether students’ perceptions of their own mathematical abilities relate to their perceptions of their teacher’s beliefs about gender bias in mathematics. Pearson Product-Moment correlation and Point-Biserial correlations were used to analyze data. …


A Quantitative Study Of Dropout And Suspension Rates Of Native American High School Students Enrolled In Title Vii And Non-Title Vii School Districts, Annette Skinner-Coleman Sep 2015

A Quantitative Study Of Dropout And Suspension Rates Of Native American High School Students Enrolled In Title Vii And Non-Title Vii School Districts, Annette Skinner-Coleman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs (NCCIA) works collaboratively with The North Carolina State Advisory Council on Indian Education (SACIE) to support educational agencies with large populations of American Indian and Alaska Native students. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the North Carolina SACIE identified the American Indian students as having one of the highest dropout rates in North Carolina. This quantitative study employed a design combining causal comparative and correlational methods to examine the relationship between high school dropout and suspension rates among American Indian high school students enrolled in school districts that provide Title …


The Predictive Relationship Between Cultural Identity, Value Orientation, Acculturation And The Cross-Cultural Student's Academic Motivation In The International School Setting, Dennis Steve Smith Aug 2015

The Predictive Relationship Between Cultural Identity, Value Orientation, Acculturation And The Cross-Cultural Student's Academic Motivation In The International School Setting, Dennis Steve Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This predictive correlational study examined the relationships between academic motivation and cultural identity, value orientation, and acculturation for a cross-cultural student population in an international school setting. This study was conducted at an international school in Thailand and all high school students (grade 10-12) enrolled during the 2014-2015 school year comprised the sample population. Participants completed an online survey comprised of the Portraits Value Questionnaire (PVQ), Socio-Cultural Adaptive Scale (SCAS), and a subscale of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Styles (PALS 2000) instruments as well as a short demographic questionnaire. The results of the survey were analyzed using hierarchical multiple …


Developing An Embedded Process Of Spiritual Healing/Growth For South Korean Presbyterian Churches, Sung In Chang Aug 2015

Developing An Embedded Process Of Spiritual Healing/Growth For South Korean Presbyterian Churches, Sung In Chang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide a biblical discipleship manual that restores believers to an intimate and obedient relationship with God through an embedded process of spiritual healing. Many disciples within South Korean Presbyterian churches are hindered from leading biblical lives of obedience by unresolved pain and scars that stem from their sins and misunderstandings about God. This is a direct result of dysfunctional discipleship processes within churches that do not empower the disciples to fully trust and obey Jesus Christ. The research will be conducted by surveying 100 Korean Presbyterian Church members. This thesis project will attempt …


The Correlation Between Nutrition And Academic Achievement In Georgia Middle Schools, Lesia Griffin Jul 2015

The Correlation Between Nutrition And Academic Achievement In Georgia Middle Schools, Lesia Griffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it is an important part of the academic achievement of students. Several hours after breakfast, the body requires more fuel. The fuel is used to energize the body and help feel refreshed. The wrong fuel may have the opposite effect. The primary objective of this correlation study was to determine if there was a relationship between the academic achievement, as measured by reading and math scores on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) of 8th grade students and their nutritional intake. The qualifications of the selected participants were that …


The Effect Of Two Foreign Language Teaching Approaches, Communicative Language Teaching And Teaching Proficiency Through Reading And Storytelling, On Motivation And Proficiency For Spanish Iii Students In High School, Maite Blanton Jun 2015

The Effect Of Two Foreign Language Teaching Approaches, Communicative Language Teaching And Teaching Proficiency Through Reading And Storytelling, On Motivation And Proficiency For Spanish Iii Students In High School, Maite Blanton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this comparative study was to examine the effects of two foreign language teaching approaches--communicative language teaching and teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling--on motivation and proficiency for Spanish III students in high school. These two teaching approaches have gained prominence over the last couple of decades and no consensus exists between second language (L2) researchers and practitioners on which approach might be best to increase students' motivation to learn and to become proficient. One hundred and seventeen Spanish III students in high school studying with the TPRS or the CLT teaching approach, completed the LLOS-IEA Motivation Scale …


The Relationship Between Religiousness And Bullying Among Parochial High School Students In The Southeast, Matthew Adam Willis Jun 2015

The Relationship Between Religiousness And Bullying Among Parochial High School Students In The Southeast, Matthew Adam Willis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Bullying and peer abuses are persistent problems in the educational community. Many studies have been undertaken that focus on the aftermath of bullying or prevention of abuse, but few have focused on social variables and their relationship to bullying and peer abuses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is any relationship between an individual's self-reported levels of religiousness and their perspectives on bullying. The study used a correlational design. This design analyzed students who have taken the Olweus bullying scale and a religious commitment survey. The surveys were analyzed using the Stepwise regression model. Understanding the …


Black Student Self-Efficacy And The Achievement Gap: A Heterogeneous Grouping Case Study, John Anthony Thompson Jun 2015

Black Student Self-Efficacy And The Achievement Gap: A Heterogeneous Grouping Case Study, John Anthony Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This explanatory case study explored the ways in which a heterogeneous grouping modulates academic performance for a group of Black students in an Honors Biology class at Bay City High School (BCHS), a large racially and socioeconomically diverse public high school in suburban Maryland. Data was collected through individual interviews, self-efficacy surveys, multiple observations of student on-task behaviors, student-to-student interactions, student-to-teacher interactions, and other task-related conditions. Seven students and their parents, current teachers, and former teachers provided the data. Thematic-coding of the data as outlined by Creswell (2014) was employed in conjunction with Yin's (2003) methods of analysis. In order …


Teenage Mothers Who Go On To Earn A College Degree: A Phenomenological Study, Jena Kerry Salazar Jun 2015

Teenage Mothers Who Go On To Earn A College Degree: A Phenomenological Study, Jena Kerry Salazar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to discover the shared experiences of the two percent of women who have obtained a college degree by age 30 after having been a teen mother. Most studies dealing with the issue of teen pregnancy focus on the adverse consequences of becoming a teen mother; however, this study focuses on the success stories. The central research question addressed by this study was: "What were the unique experiences shared by the teen moms who graduated college by age 30 that accounts for their educational success?" This phenomenological study used a questionnaire, surveys, and …