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 6841 - 6870 of 7025

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

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 Nov 2008

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 Nov 2008

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 Nov 2008

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 Nov 2008

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 Oct 2008

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 Oct 2008

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 …


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 Oct 2008

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 Sep 2008

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 …


Forced Terminations Among Clergy: Causes And Recovery, Thomas A. Powell Sr. Sep 2008

Forced Terminations Among Clergy: Causes And Recovery, Thomas A. Powell Sr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to bring attention to the issues that surround forced terminations among clergy. We will look at the available statistics, investigate the causes, read testimonies of those who have been forced out and look at plans for recovery. The author will incorporate his own testimony relating to his voluntary forced termination and describe how it affected his whole family and the recovery that followed.


Leadership And School Success: The Behaviors And Practices Of A Principal In An Effective Urban High School, Andrew T. Alexson Aug 2008

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 Aug 2008

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 Aug 2008

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 Effects Of Participation In Athletics On Academic Performance Among High School Sophomores And Juniors, Lee Sitkowski Jul 2008

The Effects Of Participation In Athletics On Academic Performance Among High School Sophomores And Juniors, Lee Sitkowski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Athletics and academic performance has been studied at length over the years in the literature. Despite the mostly university level research conducted, no consensus has been reached regarding the impact of athletic participation on academic performance at the high school level. As a result, the relationship between the in season and out of season school academic performance of high school sophomores and juniors in one high school was investigated in this study. It was determined that there was a significant relationship that existed between academic performance, measured by GPA, and athletic participation. Through an analysis of 249 high school sophomore …


Strategies Of Pastoral Leadership For Resolving Conflicts In Two Korean American Churches Around Los Angeles, Kiyoung Chang Jul 2008

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 Jun 2008

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 Jun 2008

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 Jun 2008

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 Jun 2008

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 May 2008

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 …


Making Prayer The Core Feature Of The Evangelical Church, John H. Arnold May 2008

Making Prayer The Core Feature Of The Evangelical Church, John H. Arnold

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the research is to bring to light the scriptural history of prayer and discipleship in the early church. Based on surveys sent to pastors, ministerial students, and church workers, facts and assumptions are derived about the priority of prayer in the individual and corporate life of the church. A practical plan is set forth to correct the deficiency of prayer in the local church.


A Strategy On Small Group Leadership Development For Transitioning Of Gaeumjung Church Into A Cell-Based Church, In Ho Jei May 2008

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 May 2008

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 …


Teacher Training Manual For The Christian Education Program Of Bethesda Church, Rick Allen Wolgamott May 2008

Teacher Training Manual For The Christian Education Program Of Bethesda Church, Rick Allen Wolgamott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current teacher training in local churches often consists of asking a teacher to read pre-developed curriculum and follow the publishers’ instructions. Teachers are not being taught to critically evaluate the materials, and as a result they simply follow the directions provided. The purpose of this project is to train teachers in the local church in basic theology, hermeneutics, and preparing a Bible lesson. As a result, teachers will be trained to study Scripture and evaluate lessons based on Scriptural truth, and to prepare their own lesson plans. Recruiting and retaining teachers will become more effective as a result of providing …


A Strategy To Equip Youth Leaders Into Developing Strategic, Balanced, And Strong Local Church Student Ministries, Richard Stanley Brown May 2008

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 …


Using Career Education To Enhance School Success And Reduce The Dropout Rate, Cindy Lue Martin May 2008

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 …


The Role Of Preaching In Church Growth, In Hwan Kim May 2008

The Role Of Preaching In Church Growth, In Hwan Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to illuminate the role of biblical preaching in church growth and change, and to understand how to better facilitate growth and change in Korean Protestant Churches. The association between preaching and church growth was investigated and delineated based on literature reviews, on the studies and sermon collections of Dong-won Lee, senior pastor of Global Mission Church, and on the questionnaire survey from members of GMC. I would like this study to contribute to the restoration of biblical preaching, church growth, and church transition in cell church ministry within Korean Protestant Churches.


The Enemy In The Screen: A Collective Case Study On Perpetrators Of Internet Crimes Against Children, Janet M. Brown Apr 2008

The Enemy In The Screen: A Collective Case Study On Perpetrators Of Internet Crimes Against Children, Janet M. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This collective case study explored the phenomenon of Internet crimes against children from the perspectives of select Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigators. The research focused on three questions: (1) How do select investigators describe perpetrators of Internet crimes against children? (2) What, if any, common characteristics do participants identify among the perpetrators and (3) How do participants' descriptions compare and/or contrast? Data was obtained utilizing semistructured, conversational interviews with eight ICAC investigators. Three main themes emerged from these interviews: general demographic descriptions, motivations and behaviors. Perpetrators of Internet crimes against children were found to be predominantly non-Hispanic males. Other …


Separate Threads Or A Single Woven Piece? A Phenomenology Of The Integration Of Faith And Learning, Elizabeth Canby Sites Apr 2008

Separate Threads Or A Single Woven Piece? A Phenomenology Of The Integration Of Faith And Learning, Elizabeth Canby Sites

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenology investigated integration of faith and learning among eight Liberty University faculty members. Criterion sampling was used by asking 150 randomly selected graduate students to nominate the professor from whom they had learned integration the most. All participants described their holistic, existential, faith-praxis integration. Themes pertinent to their understanding of integration included the inseparability of faith from their being and a sense of calling. The outworking of their faith was seen in two main themes: teaching practices that included Biblical truth, and the humility and deliberate actions that develop relationships with students, colleagues and staff. Counseling and generalist participants …


Principal Leadership Practices: A Correlation Study Of Specific Instructional Leadership Practices And Student Achievement In The Tennessee Gateway Tests, John C. Bartlett Apr 2008

Principal Leadership Practices: A Correlation Study Of Specific Instructional Leadership Practices And Student Achievement In The Tennessee Gateway Tests, John C. Bartlett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of instructional leadership practices performed by the principal and the academic achievement on the Tennessee Gateway Tests by his/her students. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship between specific leadership practices performed by the principal and overall student achievement on the three gateway tests, English, Math, and Biology, exists. High school principals whose school fell within one standard deviation of the mean school size and one standard deviation of the mean in socio-economic status were surveyed. Data for this quantitative study were collected using the Instructional Leadership Practices Survey, …


Personal Traits And Experiential Characteristics Of Developmental Mathematics Faculty: Impact On Student Success, Michael David Preuss Apr 2008

Personal Traits And Experiential Characteristics Of Developmental Mathematics Faculty: Impact On Student Success, Michael David Preuss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This ex post facto study of the relationship of selected personal traits and experiential characteristics of developmental mathematics faculty with student success rates was conducted a rural, North Carolina community college. The data gathered was from all classroom based sections of three levels of developmental mathematics taught between fall of 2003 and spring of 2007 and from faculty personnel records. Chi-square and p-value calculations were completed for 15 hypotheses regarding the impact of the traits and characteristics of the 24 developmental mathematics faculty on student success rates. Many of the comparisons made in the study are the first of their …