Digital Commons Network^™

Success Despite Socio-Economics: A Case Study Of A High Achieving, High Poverty School, Thomas Brent Tilley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective school leadership is becoming more difficult than ever with the challenges of increased accountability and high stakes testing that are components of federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. These challenges are more pronounced in schools with high rates of poverty. This was a case study of a high performing, high poverty school that has consistently been one of the highest performing elementary schools in the state. The purpose of the study was to describe the leadership that exists at the school, the culture of the school, and programs that contribute to the school's success. The researcher conducted observations …

The Relationship Of Religous And Existential Variables To Scores On The Animal-Human Continuity Scale And Perception Of Beliefs About Animals And Equality Of Mankind, Frank Lyle King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the present study is to determine the relationship between religious and existential variables and the Animal-Human Continuity Scale (Templer et al., 2006). The AHCS measures the extent that the respondent views animals and humans in a dichotomous versus a continuous perspective. Ninety nine (99) students at an evangelical southern university scored in the dichotomous direction as compared to the ninety six (96) students at a southern secular university. Likewise the more religious students, both those at the evangelical southern university and at a secular southern university, scored more in the dichotomous direction than the less religious students. …

A Proposal For Construction And Implementation Of A Focused Approach To A New Member Discipleship Program, Joshua Walters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to reveal the benefits of new member discipleship, for without this process there are many who do not follow through with their commitment to be an active part of that body of believers. This project shall: examine the purpose and history of discipleship, analyze surveyed responses from local pastors and new members, explore the results of new member discipleship in local churches, and conclude with a discipleship plan ready for implementation. This project seeks to show that through new member discipleship, the church can increase the understanding and dedication of their new members.

Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers Regarding Kindergarten Giftedness, Patricia S. Thirey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined perceptions of administrators and kindergarten teachers
regarding kindergarten giftedness. The study looked at whether administrators and
teachers believe kindergarten students can be gifted; whether their schools and districts
have policies in place to identify those students; and whether they are required to vary the
curriculum for these students. All elementary-school administrators and kindergarten
teachers in North Carolina were invited to participate in the study. The survey
respondents consisted of 127 administrators and 260 kindergarten teachers. The data
concluded that although 98% of respondents believe kindergarten students can be gifted,
almost 70% of their schools and districts do …

A Strategy For A Successful Christian Sexual Education Ministry In The African American Church, Darryl Lee Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available to assist churches on how to effectively communicate on the subject of sexuality in the African American church context. The purpose of this project is to illuminate the African American Church regarding the nature of this project on sexuality in the African American Church, its common elements, and an effective strategy for preparing a project. By applying a strong understanding of current and past literature reviews, surveys and questionnaires sent to homes and churches, in addition to interviews and workshops, the project reviews historical African American Church perspectives …

A Study Of Principals' Instructional Leadership Behaviors And Beliefs Of Good Pedagogical Practice Among Effective California High Schools Serving Socioeconomically Disadvantaged And English Language Learners, Jamon Frederick Peariso

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This mixed methods descriptive and causal-comparative study investigates what instructional leadership behaviors effective California high school principals have and what their beliefs are in regards to pedagogy, related issues, and professional issues, either constructivist or instructivist in nature, in the environment of the current NCLB accountability era. Differences found in eight specific demographic variables were analyzed in combination with data obtained from principals' responses on the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) and the Principal Beliefs Survey (PBS, a variation of the Teacher Beliefs Survey).

The population comprised of principals whose schools have met their API growth targets for two …

Perceptions Of High School Minority Students And High School Teachers Regarding Racism: A Phenomenological Study, Paige Shiver Boomer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research shows that racism is still prevalent in schools today. This qualitative study using a phenomenological design identified different forms of racism in schools and the impact racism has on students and teachers. The study identifies the perceptions 9th-12th grade minority students and high school teachers have regarding racism, and compares and contrast those perceptions in a rural Georgia high school. Participants were selected from a pool of approximately 103 ethnic minority high school students and 68 high school teachers. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling due to ones minority status or employment status. Surveys, individual interviews, and journaling …

A Revitalization And Growth Strategy For The African Methodist Episcopal Churches In The Virginia Conference, Orin Eckman Gill Sr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze the current environments prevailing in the sixty-three A. M. E. Churches in the Virginia Conference and develop strategies to revitalize them, improve their health and increase their spiritual and numerical growth. Data collection and analysis utilized quantitative research methods. This study presented: (1) a historic profile of the A. M. E. church in the U. S., so readers could understand the roots of the church; (2 Biblical support for the church, its ministry, missions, evangelism and growth; (4) Biblical evidence to support the need for a coordinated strategy to train, develop and …

The Strategies Of Korean American Churches That Are Ministering To Korean Students Studying In America, Heon Ju John Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In America, there are a lot of Korean Churches for Korean people. Among them, the churches of Korean students are different from the churches of Korean immigrants because they have different purposes coming to America. In Korean student churches most members are students and they are preparing to be a leader for the future and for the glory of God. Therefore, the churches of Korean students have to focus on ministry of sowing. Then, they have to do strategy of a small group meeting changing a seeker from an unbeliever, strategy of a worship changing a believer from a seeker, …

Effective Discipleship In Central Virginia: Contextualizing The Great Commission In A Changing Southern Culture, Andrew Gregory Moroz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The overall mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations. Gospel Community Church is a church plant that is striving to make disciples in central VA and around the world. The purpose of this thesis is to develop an effective discipleship strategy for GCC. In order to develop this strategy, this thesis first considers the history and culture of central VA, the Biblical mandate and examples of discipleship in the Bible, snapshots of discipleship throughout church history, and current forms of discipleship in central VA churches.

Analyzing The Applicability Of Preaching The Minor Prophets In The 21st Century, Bruce Mires Moulton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this writer's estimation too many preachers have deemed the prophetic and eschatological Scriptures irrelevant, controversial and hard for preachers to understand as well as confusing for the average church member to grasp. Furthermore, many preachers seem to favor preaching and teaching the New Testament in contrast to the Old Testament. Seemingly, the emphasis today is on evangelism and contemporary issues of life. Consequently, these concerns have caused many to completely avoid or sparingly discuss the book of Revelation, many of the major Old Testament prophetic books and equally as important the Minor Prophets.

Understandably, it is the aim of …

Effective Personal Evangelism For Today's Church, Thomas M. Roatch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project is designed to demonstrate that any church or group of Christians can be effective in personal evangelism. Christians gathered together in any location and number, and in any life situation form the taskforce to share the good news of salvation.
The rationale for the selection of this thesis topic rests on the recent heart felt need of many churches to share the Gospel and become active in personal evangelism. Secondly, another important part of the rationale for thesis is to encourage, and challenge small churches, missions, Bible studies and other smaller Christian ministries to be bold in new …

Identifying At Risk Mobile Students For Academic Failure, Katie Adrianne Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student mobility can be described as movement from one school to another for any reason beyond grade promotion. Student mobility affects many areas of student learning. The causes of student mobility include disadvantages within the family unit, student behavior issues, and complicated school district initiatives. Research shows that student mobility issues affect all demographical areas; however, low-socioeconomic, urban areas have the highest percentage rate of movement. Student mobility negatively impacts student achievement in the areas of academics, social adjustment, and psychological well being. Although there is no overall solution to the mobility crisis, there are many strategies that can be …

The Effects Of The Nxt Robotics Curriculum On High School Students' Attitudes In Science Based On Grade, Gender, And Ethnicity, Sandra Lyn Jewell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of the NXT Robotics curriculum on high school students' attitudes about science. A quasi-experimental research design was employed in the evaluation of the NXT Robotics class. The program was evaluated by comparing the attitudes and interests of 57 students who participated in the elective NXT Robotics class and not a science class, and 57 students who participated in a science class and not the elective NXT Robotics class. While a treatment group and a control group were compared, the groups were intact groups chosen out of convenience rather than through random assignment into the treatment …

Pornography Addiction: A Cognitive Approach In Combating The Lies Christian Males Believe, Farid Awad

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pornography addiction has grown in epidemic numbers. Its bondage is evident within and outside the church walls. While sex and sexually explicit images saturate our daily lives, God continues to call His people to be holy as He is holy. Freedom from pornography addiction can be achieved only through intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and by accepting the atoning work of His cross for all believers. This thesis will redefine pornography through the lens of the Scripture and primarily focus on cognitive lies regarding oneself and others, which are crippling and ensnaring men into the trap of pornography. This study …

Preservice Teachers: Investigations In Early Fieldwork And Mathematics Efficacy Beliefs, Heidi Lynn Hunt-Ruiz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this quasi-experimental study, 127 preservice teachers from two community colleges enrolled in a mathematics for teachers two-course sequence. Control and experimental groups were used to investigate the effect that fieldwork had on efficacy beliefs. The Mathematics for Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MATHEMATICS TEACHING EFFICACY BELIEFS INSTRUMENT) was used to gather data. Fieldwork was determined not to be a significant factor of personal mathematics efficacy or outcome expectancy. Personal mathematics teaching efficacy did significantly increase for both experimental and control groups; however, mathematics teaching outcome expectancy significantly increased only for the experimental group. Results also showed that length of term …

Ministers Of Education 50 Years Of Age Or Older: Changing Titles, Positions And Responsibilities?, Benjamin Farley Haygood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The traditional role of the Minister of Education in many Southern Baptist Churches appears to be changing. For those Ministers of Education who are 50 years of age or older, there is a need to understand what is taking place so that they can continue to use the skills, gifts, and experiences obtained in years of service. The purpose of this thesis is to study what is taking place across the Southern Baptist Convention and provide help for Ministers of Education who may be exploring vocational shifts in ministry. Also, this thesis hopes to provide help for churches in how …

Christian Students' Worldviewsand Propensity For Missionteaching, Richard Patrick Dolan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research conducted sought to find evidence to answer the following questions: Do students in teacher preparation programs who feel called to enter the Christian mission field as general education teachers have a worldview that is more closely aligned with biblical principles than other teacher groups? Is there a correlation between the worldview of mission general education teachers and propensity to volunteer for the field? What do students consider as influence in their decisions to commit to the Christian mission service profession? The data gathered indicated that participants who intended to volunteer at mission schools had significantly higher scores in …

Does Setting Affect Achievement Of Students With Disabilities: Comparing Co-Teaching To Resource, Sarah Yvonne Mote

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal comparative study compared reading achievement of middle school students with disabilities (SWD) who were served in the resource class with the reading achievement of middle school SWD who were served in the co-teaching class. Reading achievement of SWD in grades six through eight was statistically analyzed to measure gains made by both groups of students. The learning outcomes were compared using reading assessment scores from the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) and student Lexile levels. The participants were 157 sixth through eighth grade SWD. The findings suggest that SWD may benefit equally from either instructional setting. Students from …

How To Develop A Model For Writing A Biblical Conclusion To Improve The Effectiveness Of Preaching For Korean Pastors, Minseog Roh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to help Korean preachers to make biblical and effective conclusions to improve the effectiveness of their sermons. This dissertation was performed on the basis of literature reviews, studies on the principles of the sermon conclusion, studies of various types of sermon conclusions, and analyses of types of conclusions of four representative Korean preachers: Dongwon Lee, Sunhee Gwahk, Hanhum Ohk, and Byeonguhk Jeon. This dissertation also provides practical guides to Korean pastors who want to improve their sermon conclusions in order to write various types of sermon conclusions.

The Experiences Of Teen Text Messaging In The Context Of Family Communication, Relatedness, And Connection: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Jackie Thayer Craft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is a phenomenological inquiry of teenagers' text messaging in the context of family communication, relatedness, and connection. Interviews with teenagers and parent are conducted to investigate the experience of text messaging within the family context. Journal entries are also used as sources of data for this study. Transcripts of the audio recordings for the interviews are analyzed for thematic data. Additionally, the participants and two reviewers evaluated the transcripts and interpretations for accuracy. The data for the teenage interviewees is examined next to the data of the parent interviewees for comparative purposes.

The Changing Role Of The Pastor's Wife In Today's Evangelical Church, Debra D. Benoit

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore the changes that have occurred in the lives of pastors' wives over the years in regards to her position in the church, her role within the family and her life outside of the church. Research will be conducted through interviews of pastors' wives in various stages of ministry and church experience, as well as a research/literature review of materials showing the historical role of the pastor's wife and how her role has continually developed and changed over the years. The underlying goal of this thesis is to provide a framework for teaching …

Identifying Middle School Students At Risk For Dropping Out Of High School, Lisa Ellis Logan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined eighth grade predictor variables for predictive power in identifying students at-risk for dropping out of high school in a northwest Georgia school district. This study involved 340 participants from the 2005/2006 ninth grade class in the selected school district. This quantitative study employed correlation analyses to determine the linear relationship between dropping out of high school and the predictor variables. Logistic regression analysis determined which set of predictor variables best predicted the student outcome. The analysis indicated that years retained, discipline referrals, socioeconomic status, final math grade, CRCT math score, and absences were the most significant predictors …

The Impact Of Smart Board Technology On Growth In Mathematics Achievement Of Gifted Learners, Patricia Ann Riska

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined whether SMART Board technology increased growth in mathematics performance of fourth grade gifted students. Gifted students in North Carolina were studied to determine if the use of SMART Board technology during mathematics instruction impacted their growth on standardized state tests. The sample consisted of 175 students from six elementary schools with similar populations. Three of the schools used SMART Boards during mathematics instruction, and three schools did not use SMART Board technology. All students were taught the mathematics curriculum according to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The instrument for evaluating growth was the state End-of-Grade …

A Proposal To Develop Christian Leaders For South Africa's Kingdom-Focused Church, Roney Lucas Ndala

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

My proposal centers around developing Christian leaders to believe in themselves and aspire to building kingdom- focused churches in line with the Great Commission. With the alarming growth of churches in South Africa it is imperative to focus attention to the development of leaders who will align and focus the growth to the kingdom. The purpose of this project is to introduce leaders to the concept of kingdom- focused churches that will move people within the ministry of the growing church. The project reviews some principles of a healthy growing church and the need for alignment during this growth stage. …

A Descriptive Study Of The Additional Factors Needed To Transition A Troubled Church To Health, George Ray Cannon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a level of frustration among pastors as they try to apply philosophical models of health to troubled churches. These churches have been labeled "troubled" because of the traumatic events they have experienced in the past. These experiences have resulted in barriers to any effort by pastor to transition the church to health. The purpose of this study is to identify the common factors/issues that a troubled church must address in order to progress in the revitalization process. This study seeks to provide a description of the factors/issues that ten troubled churches addressed as they moved toward health.

Comparison Of Effects Of Cognitive Level And Quality Writing Assessment (Claqwa) Rubric On Freshman College Student Writing, Irene Suzanne Penner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study investigated the effects of the Cognitive Level and Quality Writing Assessment (CLAQWA) rubric on the cognitive skill and writing skill growth of college freshmen. The participants (n = 107) were enrolled in a composition course at a Midwestern state university. The nonequivalent control group design used quantitative analysis with selected criteria from the CLAQWA rubric as measurements. Two independent raters graded the essays, and results confirmed a statistically significant correlation of grades on both sets of essays. Results from both raters confirmed no statistically significant differences on either type of skill score between the experimental or control group …

Teacher Perceptions Of Disproportionality Of Minorities In Special Education, Kristy Henry Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The intent of this study was to determine if special education teachers had certain perceptions regarding the disproportionate amount of minorities in special education classes. I examined special education teachers' awareness of the disproportionality, their causal theories, and the effectiveness of Response to Intervention (RTI) to regulate disproportionality. I implemented three different data collection methods to measure the teachers' perceptions: an initial face-to-face interview session, a written survey, and additional interview questioning. Participants in the study included 11 special education teachers from three middle schools in Northern Georgia. Ten of the 11 teachers admitted awareness of the problem of disproportionality, …

Mathematics Self-Efficacy Of Community College Students In Developmental Mathematics Courses, David Walker Clutts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mathematics self-efficacy was defined as an individual's beliefs about how he or she would perform a specific math task or in a specific mathematics or related course. Mathematics self-efficacy was differentiated from self-esteem. Previous literature found self-efficacy in general and mathematics self-efficacy in particular to be significantly related to enrollment, retention, and completion. This study used the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Survey to investigate whether age, gender, developmental mathematics course, or developmental mathematics grade were significantly predictive of mathematics self-efficacy among developmental mathematics students course at a Kentucky community college. Multiple linear regression found that none of these variables were statistically significant …

Cooperative Learning And The Gifted Student In Elementary Mathematics, Christine C. Hecox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research was a quantitative research project dealing with Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Mathematics scores of fourth grade students, including gifted and high-achieving students, in 2008-2009 under the exposure of daily cooperative learning in mathematics. The problem statement was as follows: In Polk County, Florida, how does cooperative learning affect the FCAT Mathematics scores among fourth grade students, including gifted and high-achieving students? The purpose of the quasi-experimental study was to explore the relationship of cooperative learning versus traditional learning on their student achievement. The null hypothesis was that cooperative learning would have no effect on fourth grade gifted …