Digital Commons Network^™

In Pursuit Of The Ed.D.: A Study Of East Tennessee State University's Doctors Of Education: Who They Are And Why They Persisted., Mata J. Banks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to Kerlin (1995a), first-generation students are not expected to survive to doctorate degree attainment because of vulnerability to negative affects associated with their status; yet persist they do at East Tennessee State University. The desire to study the first-generation East Tennessee State University's Doctors of Education and the limited number of first-generation graduate studies available, especially in the academic field of education, promoted developing this study. It was the intent of this study to offer additional empirical research toward understanding variables associated with first-generation persistence as encountered by East Tennessee State University's Doctors of education.

Quantitative analysis derived through …

A Study Of Instructional Technology Resource Teachers In Virginia's Public School Divisions: Who Are They And What Do They Do?, Kimberly M. Hooker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of instructional technology resource teachers (ITRTs) within Virginia's public school divisions focusing on how ITRTs used their time throughout the school year to integrate technology into the curriculum. Based on data from surveys of current ITRTs, the researcher investigated further to find relationships, if any, among the professional and educational backgrounds and work calendar of these teachers and their responses to their actual role. The study also addressed training that the ITRTs have received to assist them in their job duties and explored the participants' perceptions of their roles as …

Characteristics And Workload Of Full-Time Faculty In Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Programs, Marie Antoinette Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics and workload of full-time faculty in baccalaureate dental hygiene programs. A mail questionnaire was sent to program administrators for distribution to faculty. Program response rate was 89.7% (26/29) and full-time faculty response rate was 68.3% (114/167). The number of faculty who hold the Associate or Assistant Professor ranks was similar (35.1% and 34.2%, respectively). Forty percent of faculty are not on tenure track and 38.6% are tenured. Faculty were most likely to be White (94%) and female (96%) with an average age of 50.2 years. Faculty reported levels of dissatisfaction …

Analysis Of Retention Factors That Influence Georgia's Secondary Career And Technical Education Teachers To Remain In The Teaching Profession, Hope Jackson Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research study on the retention influences of Georgia's secondary career and technical education teachers was conducted to determine why the teachers chose to remain in the teaching profession. Participants included all program areas of career and technical education in the state of Georgia. Data were gathered to analyze the demographics, personal retention influences, and professional retention influences of the career and technical education teachers. The quantitative study was conducted by an on-line survey. Approximately 700 e-mails were sent, and 154 participants responded. Demographic results suggested that the typical career and technical education teacher respondents had 21 plus years of …

Educational Talent Search: Assessing Student Outcomes For First-Generation, Low-Income Students In Rural Georgia, Sandra Jean Jenkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Educational Talent Search (ETS) program is a pre-college information dissemination program that works with potential first-generation, low-income sixth through twelfth graders. The goal of the ETS program is to increase the number of first-generation, lowincome students graduating from high school and enrolling in programs of postsecondary study. The purpose of this current study is to determine if there are specific ETS program services that facilitate high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment, specifically at the four-year college/university level. The primary data source of this study is the Blumen database system for an ETS program hosted by a small two-year college …

School Renewal In South Georgia, Sean Michael Mulvanity

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the implementation of the Accelerated Schools Project at one school in South Georgia. The Accelerated Schools Project is a comprehensive school renewal effort developed by Henry Levin which attempts to change both the school decision making process and the instructional techniques used in the classroom. The unique governance structure, which attempts to involve all stakeholders in decisions that impact the institution, and the student-centered instructional technique are combined in an effort to instigate school renewal. The phenomenological nature of this study examines the implementation of the Accelerated School Project from a historical and cultural perspective. The author …

Auto/Biographical Inquiry Into The Lives Of Three Female High School Dropouts In The Rural South, Barbara A. Spurlock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The economic value of an education is thoroughly documented in the United States Census Bureau report, The big payoff: Educational attainment and synthetic estimates of work-life earnings (2002). The report clearly shows that earnings increase with educational level. Yet, students continue to leave school before graduating. In October of 1996, 11.1% of persons aged 16 to 24 years were dropouts. They wree not enrolled in a high school program and had not completed high school. Nearly a half million of them left high school between October 1995 and 1996 (U.S. Census Bureau, 1997). This inquiry examined the lives of three …

Integrated Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of A Professional Learning Community Utilizing Senge's Five Disciplines Of A Learning Organization, Margaret Zena Stockard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine a high school's attempt at reform through implementing a component of a professional learning community to determine if Senge's five disciplines of a learning organization were present. The school was in the second year of implementing common planning time, one of the practices related to organizational learning. This study used qualitative methodology and employed an integrated phenomenological design to investigate the perceptions and lived experiences of the core-subject teachers and department heads involved in common planning time at one high school. Participant observation, document and artifact collection, semi structured interviews, photographs and …

Closing The Minority Achievement Gap In Georgia Middle Schools: Principals' Perspectives, Stacy Eugene Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide best practices and strategies for middle school principals that have been struggling to close the minority achievement gap in schools. Three Georgia middle school principals considered to be successful in closing the achievement gap were interviewed to determine the strategies and practices that they use to close the minority achievement gap. These practices and strategies were further examined to determine their effectiveness in the areas of reading and mathematics. The researcher used in-depth interviewing procedures through a structured interview format to encourage research participants to speak openly and candidly about the strategies …

Comparison In Academic Performance Between Distance Learning And Traditional On-Campus Students In Allied Healthcare Education At The Medical College Of Georgia, Barbara Landis Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the differences in academic performance between distance learning students and traditional on-campus students in allied healthcare education. The research was conducted at an academic medical university and three programs were included in the study, clinical laboratory science, health information administration, and nuclear medicine technology. A total of 252 sets of student data were used in the statistical analyses, and of these 252, 174 (69%) were oncampus students and 78 (31%) were distance students. The researcher sought to determine to what extent differences existed between the two groups by the background characteristics …

Employment Criteria Used By Georgia Public Shcool Superintendents In High School Principal Selection, Jeffrey Lynn Carney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The high school principal plays an important and highly visible role in the community. High school principals are expected to provide challenging curriculum, comprehensive athletic and fine arts programs, a disciplined learning environment, increased test scores, and community involvement. With such an array of demanding expectations, the selection of the high school principal is an extremely important decision made by Georgia school superintendents. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the employment criteria used to hire Georgia high school principals, the researcher used a previously validated formal survey constructed by Dr. Linda Gresham in 2003. The survey was …

How Georgia Suburban Middle School Principals Work With Teachers To Enhance Student Achievement In This Era Of Standardized Testing, Robert Charles Minter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how Georgia middle school principals work with teachers to enhance student achievement in this era of standardized testing. This study became the focus of the researcher's attention because of the increased level of accountability for school systems, schools, and administrators in regard to student achievement. Each school is held accountable for the academic success of students, and the No Child Left Behind Act, which is federal law, requires that each state set high academic standards and implement student testing. However, while conducting a review of literature in the area of standardized testing …

Georgia Elementary Principals' Perceptions Of Their Ethical Philosophy, Formal Leadership Preparation In Ethics, And Actions Related To The Development And Maintenance Of An Ethical School, Laura Martinez Hughes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine elementary principals' perceptions of their ethical philosophy, formal leadership preparation in graduate school in the area of ethics, and actions needed for the development and maintenance of an ethical school. The persons most appropriate to provide the answers to the research questions included the population of elementary principals. A random sample of 915 elementary principals in Georgia was identified by listings on the Georgia Department of Education Website or by each county's web page. A descriptive, quantitative methodology was used, with a qualitative component of open-ended questions in order to bring …

Body Dissatisfaction And Other Sociocultural Factors As Predictors Of Body Image Perceptions In Sorority And Non-Sorority Women, Kiley Elizabeth Winston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore body dissatisfaction and other sociocultural factors as predictors of body image perceptions in college-aged sorority and non-sorority women. The Social Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3) (Thompson et al, 2004), the Body Dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory 3 (EDI-3) (Garner, 2004), the Body Image Assessment (BIA) (Williamson et. al., 1985), the Mother Influence Scale, Parent Involvement Scale and the Peer Influence Scale (Thompson, Heinberg, Altabe, & Tantleff-Dunn, 1998) were used. The sample for this study included a total of 502 college age women N sorority = 322 and Nnon-sorority= 180. Data …

Prediction Of Student Achievement In Georgia High Schools Based On Principal Competency As Defined By The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards, Amy Teague Loskoski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher conducted a study of the prediction of student achievement in Georgia high schools based on principal competencies as defined by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards for School Leaders to determine to what extent principal competency, as determined by the ISLLC standards, predict student achievement. The poverty level of the school and the principal's years of experience in a school were additional variables in the analyses. Quantitative and qualitative research was conducted using a survey based on the ISLLC Standards for School Leaders and an interview questionnaire to answer the research questions. A Principal Competency rating …

Emotional Intelligence As A Predictor Of Career Longevity Among Special Education Teachers In The Houston County, Georgia, School System, Jesse Whitaker Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to provide for a better understanding of the factors that exert influence on the career decisions of special educators, the present study sought to examine the influence of emotional intelligence and various demographic factors on the career longevity of special educators. One hundred twenty nine special education teachers in the Houston Count, Georgia School System completed a two-part survey consisting of the General Emotional Intelligence Scale and a researcher-created demographic questionnaire. The following overarching research question was answered through this study- What is the role of emotional intelligence in the career decisions of special education teachers? In …

Factors Of Effectiveness In Kentucky Nonprofit Social Welfare Organizations., Peggy Proudfoot-Mcguire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory, mixed methods study using grounded perspective to examine how stakeholders (including consumers, administrators, and practitioners) in social welfare organizations perceive effectiveness in the nonprofit social welfare sector. Focus groups were held in eight regions constituting the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in Kentucky. A total of 25 people participated in the study. A theoretical framework of nonprofit social welfare organizational effectiveness emerged from the data indicating that the five most significant factors identified by stakeholders as constituting effectiveness in the nonprofit social welfare sector in Kentucky were (a) client services, (b) organizational structure © workplace …

Rhetorics Of Globalism., Steven Nathaniel Wexler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the rhetorics that enable nations to tap into and deploy capital transnationally. Its primary focus is on China. China's globalism promotes a version of Western neoliberalism, including tropes such as efficiency, individuality, and freedom, to underwrite inequality, consumerism, and masking of surplus labor/value. While an ostensible boon for China's marginalized, China's globalism continues to increase the gap between wealthy and poor. Chapter One introduces the project with an overview of theoretical and disciplinary responses to globalization. This chapter demonstrates how the discourse of transnational capital supports consumerism, competition, and simultaneous "universality/difference" worldwide. Chapter Two offers a rhetorical …

Lived Experiences Of Middle School Principals In Richmond County, Georgia, Janina Collins Dallas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the behavior of middle school principals as well as the various leadership behaviors and procedures that middle school principals utilize on a daily basis. A review of literature was completed concerning the areas of middle schools, middle school principals, and the history of leadership. The research question for the study was, What are the lived experiences of middle school principals in Richmond County, Georgia? The research design for the study was quantitative. Semi-structured interviews were completed. The data were disaggregated according to themes and patterns. The population for the study consisted of nine middle school principals …

Analysis Of Implementing Inclusion In A Local School District, Faith Deborah Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher's purpose was to conduct an analysis of the implementation of an inclusion program in three schools in a southeastern Georgia school district. The sample consisted of two elementary schools and one middle school. One elementary school was implementing inclusion for the first time and consisted of 586 students with 50 staff members serving a mixed population, racially, economically, and socially. The second elementary school consisted of 504 students with 50 staff members serving a mixed population, but with a slightly higher economic and social status than the previously mentioned elementary school. This school was attempting to implement inclusion …

Exploration Of Common Leadership Behaviors Exhibited By Georgia Elementary Principals From High Performing, High Poverty Schools, Donna Regina Bishop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Principals of elementary schools continue to be required to perform many duties which include administrative and instructional tasks. The increased accountability for all students to achieve, including the lower achieving students, has made principals focus on their leadership behaviors and practices. Researchers of various studies on principal leadership behaviors and student achievement have found that leadership behaviors make a difference in the academic achievement for all students. Researchers also found that the principal's most important role is that of an instructional leader. Principals leading elementary schools with at risk learners may assist them academically when effective strategies, programs, and organizational …

Derrida, Deconstruction And A Dialogue On The Contemporary Nursing Curriculum, Catherine Louise Gilbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This theoretical inquiry utilizes the philosophy of Jacques Derrida and deconstruction to begin a discourse on the disconnect between student learning and nursing education within the academy. By entering into a thoughtful, reasoned and responsible critique of the nursing curriculum, this journey of discovery examines those constructs integral to nursing education: students, teachers, identity, the art and science of nursing, the curriculum, power and control, and the university, their (dis)connectedness and begins a dialogue that positions nursing education as the legitimate professional nursing curricula for the next millennium. This journey of discovery recognizes an underlying thesis; meaningful learning that facilitates …

Autoethnographical Inquiry Into Joyful Teaching: Explorations With National Teachers Of The Year, Camille Lowe Shirah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Presently, schools in the United States are held within the tight grip of No Child Left Behind, signed into law in 2001. Since accountability is high, some teachers experience burnout and succumb to disenchantment with the profession (Palmer, 1998). Others find their commitments to education so diminished that they abuse their position and fail terribly in their charge to educate our youth. There are some, however, who find ways to continually affirm and sustain their commitments to education. Within the following autoethnographical inquiry, the lives of three National Teachers of the Year are examined with the hope of finding out …

Perceptions Of Georgia School Counselors On The Implementation Of A Comprehensive Guidance And Counseling Program And Accountability, Victoria Nauful Sanders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the era of accountability, school counselors are under pressure to accurately determine their role. No Child Left Behind has created standards that are tied to and driven by accountability and academic standards. School counselors' roles and responsibilities vary from district to district and from school to school. School counselors are often asked to perform duties that are not congruent with the curriculum they are asked to implement. The Georgia Curriculum for counselors has outlined tasks, duties, and responsibilities for school counselors. The task dimensions are aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) model and defines roles and tasks …

Transformational Educational Leader As Organizer And Administrator Of A Movement Disorders Program, Alice P. Gerber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One person in every thousand develops Parkinson's Disease. There is no known cause, no known cure and no existing definitive test for Parkinson's Disease. Qualified neurologists and movement disorders specialists make a diagnosis on the basis of their knowledgeable observations. If a cause is found, a cure will follow. The Savannah Parkinson Support Group has existed for fifteen years. It has a membership of 250 people with Parkinson's Disease, their relatives and caregivers. The North Dakota Parkinson Support Group has a smaller population but there are many commonalities between the two groups. This descriptive study attempts to discover the commonalities …

Men, Cohesion, And Battle : The Inniskilling Regiment At Waterloo., Mark Richard Bois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a social and military history of the First Battalion of the 27th Foot, the Inniskilling Regiment, at the Battle of Waterloo. Crucial to success in battle is the cohesion of units and their ability to withstand punishment and keep fighting. This paper offers an examination of the constituent elements of unit cohesion as manifested in the demonstrable staying power of the Inniskillings. The Inniskillings' battlefield experience is a case study in cohesion: by understanding the devastating battlefield experience of the 1/27th, the only all-Irish infantry unit at Waterloo, it is then possible to examine the many elements …

Service-Learning Outcomes At A Faith-Based Institution Of Higher Education., Amy L. Doolittle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative dissertation examines outcomes of a required service-learning program at a faith-based institution. Two hundred and ten students completed a pre/post survey administered to a sophomore level class about background, educational processes, and twelve attitude and knowledge subscales related to service-learning. All subscales met standard reliability standards. Two dependent variables were used to measure critical thinking and students' perceptions of learning. While students entered the class with strong positive attitudes and knowledge on most subscales, four subscales Civic Attitudes, Civic Behavior, Civic Action, and Social Justice showed significant positive changes, and two subscales Motivation for Service and Personal Enrichment …

International Social Work Best Practices Curriculum For Schools Of Social Work., Stephen Ulrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1979, the U.S. President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies stated that to function successfully in the next century, all adults would need more knowledge about our interdependent world, awareness of other peoples, and greater sensitivity to global attitudes and customs. Social work is deeply rooted in the tradition of promoting social justice and in the profession's commitment to concern for culturally diverse groups. It is increasingly felt that social workers must acquire skills and attitudes that will enable them to effectively intervene with clients from diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. The inclusion of international content into social …

The Introduction Of Christianity Into Scandinavia, Iceland, And Finland., Tracy Marie Legel 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The conversion of Scandinavia, Iceland and Finland occurred over many years and resulted in the formation of Scandinavian monarchies, a strong Icelandic parliament, and an loosely organized Finnish nation. The conversion of Northern Europe was completed Viking style with aggressive tactics, involvement of few as outside leaders as possible, and reward seeking converts. Viking explorations introduced the Northern European communities to Christianity and Northern Europeans acknowledged the religion in their own societies even though they did not completely embrace it. When their status quo was upset, Northern Europeans looked to Christianity as a solution to their woes. Promoted by the …

Perceived Job Satisfaction Factors Impacting The Retention Of Middle School Teachers In Northwest North Carolina., Karen Ward Farthing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The body of research related to teacher retention continues to grow but is limited concerning middle school teachers. The focus of this study was to examine the factors of job satisfaction for middle school teachers. A portion of the study compares teacher responses with Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman's 1959 study of motivation. Additional components of the study provide middle school teachers' feedback on their dispositions and recommendations to administrators and others for attracting and retaining quality middle school teachers.

This qualitative study includes a review of related literature and includes a historical perspective of job satisfaction and a discussion of …