Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparison Of Inclusion And Pullout Programs On Student Achievement For Students With Disabilities, James Matthew Hurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities have traditionally achieved to a lesser degree than have their nondisabled peers. Since the 1950s the federal government has enacted laws to provide free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities. In the first decade of the 21st Century the government has produced legislation requiring schools to be responsible for improving instruction for students with disabilities. One of the major trends in accomplishing this task is a move toward inclusive education. This study determined the relationships of assessment type (Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments versus Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA) assessments) and models of service delivery (general …

Experiences Of Success By Minority Students Attending A Predominantly Caucasian Nursing Program, Staci M. Boruff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nursing educators have struggled for many years with the problem of student attrition in the minority population. Because there are so few minority students who choose nursing as a profession, educators strive to retain these students to graduation. Unfortunately, attrition rates of minority students continue to rise despite years of research into the problem. The majority of this research approaches the issue from the viewpoint of the failing student. What might happen if nursing research took a positive approach to the issue? The purpose of this study was to describe the influencing factors that led minority nursing students to be …

A Qualitative Assessment Of The Perceptions Of Teachers Concerning How Economically Disadvantaged Students At White Pine School Are Being Served, Samuel Mckinley Hollingshead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess teacher perception of how economically disadvantaged students at White Pine School were being served. The results of this study may help educators at White Pine School determine how to support and improve learning conditions for economically disadvantaged students.

Data collection techniques included individual interviews, focus group interviews, and document review. The following conditions were discovered in relation to economically disadvantaged students: positive home-school relationships; desire to become a full-service school; limited parent-training opportunities with limited participation; limited professional development opportunities; limited poverty discussion in professional learning communities; underuse of college partnerships; …

The Council On Appalachian Women: Short Lived But Long Lasting, Julie Marie Blevins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In October 1976, approximately 200 women from seven states met in Boone, North Carolina, at the National Advisory Council on Women's Education. In December 1976, thirty-five of these women met again at Mars Hill College and created a non-profit organization, the Council on Appalachian Women, advocating the advancement of women's education, services, and research to benefit women in the Appalachian region. During its four-year existence, the Council held a total of 71 public forums on Appalachian women's issues. Members worked to promote child development, maternal and infant health care, employment training, and education for women. The Council on Appalachian Women …

Teacher Morale In Rural Northeast Tennessee, Brenda Dishman Eggers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the factors that influence the morale levels of teachers in the public school systems of 3 contiguous counties in rural northeast Tennessee. The level of teacher morale was measured using the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire. Data associated with the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) teacher effect score, grade level taught, years of service, gender, and level of education were gathered. The morale score and the teacher effect score were then examined to ascertain if there was a relationship with the other factors. Data from this study were examined using the Statistical Process …

Leadership Traits Of School Health Coordinators In Tennessee, Katherine Andrea Strickland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the leadership traits of the school health coordinators (SHCs) for the state of Tennessee and to determine if self-perceptions of the SHC leadership traits coincide with supervisor and colleague perceptions of SHC leadership traits. The health challenges facing young Americans today are different from those of past decades and child health is a major federal and state policy platform. SHCs work at the nexus of 2 highly regulated and political entities: healthcare and education. Thus, it is critical for SHCs to possess strong leadership traits to navigate through the issues and …

Strategies Used By Hospitals In A Southeastern State To Reduce Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Comparing The Outcomes By Hospital Structure And Processes, Furnell Rife

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections are considered a clinical indicator of quality of care. A descriptive research study was conducted to identify the strategies used by hospitals to reduce or eliminate CAUTIs. Infection Control Preventionists were surveyed. In a predominately rural southeastern state, this study demonstrated that about 40% of hospitals surveyed are implementing CAUTI prevention processes.

Storytelling In Appreciative Inquiry, Joel Jeppson Richards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the role of story and storytelling within Appreciative Inquiry, a method of organizational change that orients around a consensus model building on individual and collective strengths instead of focusing on overcoming problems. Interviews with 12 Appreciative Inquiry practitioners were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using a process of iterative coding consistent with a General Inductive method of qualitative research. Once consensus with a secondary coder was achieved, 6 themes emerged. The 6 emergent themes outlined general roles that story and storytelling plays in the Appreciative Inquiry process: relationship building, coauthoring a future, reframing narrative, narrative …

The Influences Of Caregiver-Child Interactions And Temperament On Cortisol Concentrations Of Toddlers In Full-Day Childcare, Helen Morris Lane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of caregiver-child interaction and temperament on cortisol concentrations of toddlers in full-day childcare. Sensitive and responsive caregiving is critical to the quality of children's early experiences. Caregivers who are attuned to unique needs of young children can support and guide child growth and development. In the context of relationships the child grows, develops, and learns to biologically respond to events in his or her world that he or she may perceive as threatening, with the production of cortisol. Studies show that regulation of cortisol release later in life may be …

Uneasy Waters: The Night Riders At Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, 1908, Jama Mcmurtery Grove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On October 19, 1908, night riders at Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee kidnapped and murdered Captain Quentin Rankin, an attorney and shareholder in the West Tennessee Land Company. The murder made national news, with coverage emphasizing the night riders' demand for fishing rights. In response, Governor Malcolm Patterson called out the militia to suppress the uprising and advocated for state acquisition of the lake as a means to prevent further violence. In the accepted historical narrative, the uprising at Reelfoot Lake represents an example of rural resistance to the threat that modernization posed to traditional access rights but ignores much of the …

Novice Teachers Perceptions Of Prior Mentoring Experiences, Gloria Freels Mcelroy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than 50% of novice educators leave the profession in the first 5 years of service. Novice educators were defined as educators with 5 or fewer years of teaching experience. The State of Tennessee has estimated the cost for that decision to around $28,000.00 per teacher for each local educational authority. Many researchers believe mentoring increases novice satisfaction in the classroom. Even though many enter the field of education, Freedman and Appleman (2009) found that teachers leave the profession in rates higher than other professions. Ingersoll and Merrill (2010) showed the annual turnover rate for teachers was higher than for …

Support For Higher Education: Perceptions Of Selected University Administrators And Legislators In Tennessee, Deidre Lee Yowell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the perceptions of selected university administrators and legislators concerning levels of support for Tennessee public higher education. The purpose of the study was to gain a greater understanding among the various constituents as to the needs and restraints facing higher education funding. The population targeted for this study was comprised of 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), the Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the President of the University of Tennessee System, and 36 Chief Administrators at 9 state-supported universities. The principal investigator …

Blogging In The Fatosphere: A Qualitative Study Of Perceptions Of Personal Risks And Benefits For Women Who Blog About Weight, Weight Loss, And Dieting Issues, Melissa Marie Sneed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of the personal risks and benefits of women who blog about weight, weight loss, and dieting issues. Many overweight women use blogs as a tool during their weight loss journeys to garner support. The experiences of 5 women who blog about weight and dieting issues were collected through 45 minute in-depth interviews. The author's own experiences with blogging is analyzed as well. A qualitative approach was taken when analyzing the data. Eight emergent themes came from the research data. The benefits of this study are significant for current and future research regarding the influence of …

Forgotten Heroes: Lessons From School Integration In A Small Southern Community, Whitney Elizabeth Cate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the fall of 1956 Clinton High School in Clinton, Tennessee became the first public school in the south to desegregate. This paper examines how the quiet southern town handled the difficult task of forced integration while maintaining a commitment to the preservation of law and order. As the strength of a community was being tested, ordinary citizens in extraordinary circumstances met the challenges of integration with exceptional courage.

Organizationally Mandated Diversity Training: Participants’ Perceptions At A Southeastern State University, Michelle Lynn Hurley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An amplified emphasis on global competency and a projected demographic shift toward an increasingly diverse population necessitates that businesses and organizations prepare adequately to remain competitive and effective. Training to enhance employees' multicultural competence is often used by organizations to address these impending changes; however, there is little research documenting the degree to which these trainings are effective. Using archival training evaluation data, the purpose of this study was to examine participant estimations of the effectiveness of one such training and also to determine if participant demographic variables including gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and employee classification (faculty or staff) …

Ready Child, Ready School : Educator Perceptions Of Child And School Success Indicators And Ready School Practices., Annette W. Bridges 1953-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher considered educator perceptions of child readiness for school and school readiness for children conceptualized within the central constructs of the ready child and the ready school. The skills and abilities that children bring to the school are equally as important as the services and supports that the school brings to the child. The researcher’s intention in conducting this study was to investigate whether the differences existed in perceptions about ready child and ready school indicators and the implementation of ready school practices between educators working in successful schools and educators working in less successful schools. …

"Lessons And Exercises In Polite Literature" : The Pedagogy And Literature Curriculum Of Mother Columba Carroll, A Sister Of Charity Of Nazareth., Anna M. Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study will examine Nazareth Academy, a prestigious private female academy, and Mother Columba Carroll's, SCN pedagogy and literature curriculum. The first half of the study will create a snapshot of the Academy from 1855 to 1870, examining the significance of the school, and providing a general understanding of its students. It will then examine Mother Columba Carroll, her life and the external influences that could have shaped her curriculum. The second half will analyze her literature curriculum, examining the wide range of literary genres included, and especially exploring the influence of fiction within the curriculum. Fiction was long debated …

Combating The Sophomore Slump Through Peer-Mentoring Among African American Students At Predominantly White Institutions., Tiffany Christina Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a plethora of research regarding the first year undergraduate student experience; however, 2nd year students are facing adversity and consequently high rates of attrition. This phenomenon is known as the sophomore slump. There is limited research of how the sophomore slump impacts African Americans and research supports involvement, particularly as a peer mentor, increases student persistence beyond the 2nd year. This study uses Tinto's theory of student departure and Collin's theory of other-mothering to explore how the academic and social skills of CONECT peer mentors contribute to their experiences as peer mentors and their overall persistence.

Self-Efficacy In The Context Of Psychological Abuse: A Model Of Efficacy Erosion., Kristen E. Hosey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current research proposed that psychological abuse within an intimate relationship erodes one's self-efficacy and aimed to demonstrate a negative relationship between past psychological abuse and how one reacts to a challenge. It was hypothesized that when faced with a challenging task past psychological abuse would be related to decreased task persistence, increased negative affect, and choosing low-difficulty future tasks. Each of these relationships would then be simultaneously mediated by general and specific self-efficacy. The study was conducted in two phases with undergraduate women. During the first phase participants self-reported demographic and relationship history information, level of general self-efficacy, and …

The Role Of Community College-Based Transfer Programming In Transfer Student Success., Kathren Teresa Partin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More students now begin their postsecondary education at the two-year college level with the intention of transferring to earn a bachelor's degree, making the transfer function more important. Recent government mandates in Kentucky brought about new programming efforts to aid student transitions between public institutions. This study was designed to determine whether the University of Louisville (ULtra) Transfer Program, designed as a bridge between Jefferson Community and Technical College and the University of Louisville (UofL), played a significant role in community college students' successful academic transition to the four-year institution. Participants of this study were 227 community college students who …

The Ilkhanid Mongols, The Christian Armenians, And The Islamic Mamluks : A Study Of Their Relations, 1220-1335., Lauren Prezbindowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work seeks to fill a gap in the academic literature concerning the study of the Ilkhanid Mongols of the Middle East during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries CE using Armenian, Persian, Arabic, and Syriac primary sources in English translation. This study will analyze the triangular relationship among the Ilkhanid Mongols, the Kingdom of Cilician Armenia and Greater Armenia, and the Egyptian Mamluks to discern the Ilkhanate's impact in the Middle East. Although the Armenians became subjects of the Mongols, they did not gain many benefits from this partnership. In fact, their relationship proved to be overwhelmingly negative. Although the …

From The "War On Poverty" To Reagan's "New Right," What's In A Name? : The Symbolic Significance Of The "Welfare Queen" In Politics And Public Discourse., Kem Roper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a rhetorical analysis of the political discourse surrounding the role of poor African American women within the American social and political economy beginning in 1965 with Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty initiatives and extending to the early 1980s with Ronald Reagan and the "religious right." I argue that an ideology of whiteness permeates both the Johnson and Reagan administrations even though each worked towards different ends. In Chapter 1, I begin by discussing how America's establishment as a capitalist society made it a nation ill-fitted for government-funded social programs. In particular, I discuss the impact of distinctions …

Albert Taylor Bledsoe : Whig Intellectual And Proslavery Theorist., Lori Jean Wilson 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the life and career of Albert Taylor Bledsoe, a conservative Whig intellectual and proslavery theorist. It seeks to understand an apparent contradiction in Bledsoe's public comments regarding slavery and secession. Bledsoe lived in a socially and politically dynamic world. His comments on slavery must be understood in the different political contexts in which they were made. This thesis explores those contexts and illuminates Bledsoe's desire to preserve social hierarchies and maintain public order, which Bledsoe believed necessary to secure liberty and equality among white men. The same concerns informed Bledsoe's shift toward secession. Bledsoe remained a Unionist …

Predictive Relationships Of Teacher Efficacy, Geometry Knowledge For Teaching, And The Cognitive Levels Of Teacher Practice On Student Achievement., Paul Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the predictive relationships of teacher efficacy, teacher knowledge, and teacher practices with student achievement. More specifically, secondary mathematics teachers' efficacy beliefs, geometry knowledge for teaching, and the cognitive complexity of the teachers' classroom practices were examined for 72 teachers in both urban and rural districts across Kentucky, along with the student achievement data of their students. Teacher and student data were obtained from the NSF-funded Geometry Assessment for Secondary Teachers (GAST) project, which administered geometry teacher knowledge assessments at the beginning and end of the school year, and collected cognitive complexity data from lessons through three classroom …

Role Of Human Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase In Carcinogen Metabolism And Human Breast Cancer Progression., Carmine Simone Leggett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) is a phase II cytosolic enzyme that occurs as two isozymes, NAT1 and NAT2. This family of polymorphic enzymes catalyzes the detoxification and/or activation of many aromatic and heterocyclic amine drugs and carcinogens. These metabolism reactions can lead to detoxification of xenobiotics by N-acetylation, or bioactivation by O-acetylation which is preceded by cytochrome P450 (CYP) hydroxylation. This study evaluates the role of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase in carcinogen metabolism as it pertains to substrate selectivity, kinetic activity towards arylamine and alkylaniline substrates, and toxicological risk. Here we introduce the use of immortalized human fibroblasts (GM4429) to investigate …

Integrin Inhibitor Cyclorgdfv Blunts Enhanced Lps-Induced Liver Injury Caused By Ethanol In Mice., Veronica L. Massey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is associated with an increase in fibrin extracellular matrix (ECM) and inflammation. Previous studies have shown that this accumulation of fibrin in ALD is mediated by impaired fibrinolysis. Additionally, it is known that fibrin(ogen) interacts with the av~3 integrin of endothelial cells. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that hepatic inflammation caused by alcohol is mediated, at least in part, by activation of integrin av~3 by fibrin(ogen). To test this hypothesis, a study was designed to determine the effect of cycloRGDN, a peptide inhibitor of integrin av~3, in a …

An Examination Of The Principals And Teachers Relative To Elements Of Shared Decision Making In Selected Urban, Suburban, And Rural Schools, Andrea M. Foxx

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools nationwide are experimenting with methods that promise to better educate students and improve schools performance. The educational structure in the United States has been moving from primarily centralized systems to more decentralized ones. Shared decision making is designed to improve education by increasing the autonomy of the school staff to make school site decisions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual and desired levels of shared decision making as perceived by teachers in public elementary schools in West Tennessee. In this study two research questions were posed: (1) How do teachers and principals rank the educational …

Teacher Perceptions Of Middle School Concept Implementation And Effect Upon Science Achievement, Shelly Lindsey Bruce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current educational reform intends to enhance our nation's competitiveness through specific focus upon curricular and instructional improvement of math and science education for all students in America. The implementation of nationwide common internationally-benchmarked standards is purposed to advance student academic performance through enriched curriculum and better prepared teachers. This research investigates the relationship between school demographics and implementation of the middle school concept to improved science achievement. A teacher questionnaire and state testing data will be utilized to determine: (1) which middle school concept characteristics, within each of the three domains of curriculum, instruction and advising, and school governance, …

Encouraged By A Little Progress: Voting Rights And The Contests Over Social Place And Civil Society In Tennessee's Fayette And Haywood Counties, 1958-1964, Richard Lavell Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Between 1958 and 1964 the citizens of black-majority populations in adjoining West Tennessee counties struggled to claim and exercise citizens' rights to participate in civil society. Voting rights activism amon the black community was answered with an economic embargo conducted by county officials and the busines community. Voting rights were the fracture point in civic society as both counties made the change from tenant to mechanized agriculture and wrestled over the civil and economic position of a no-longer-necessary laboring population. This study examines voter registration as a catalyst of socioeconomic change and social discourse in rural America. During the 1960s …

Pidgin In The Classroom: Hawai`I'S English Standard Schools, Americanization, And Hawaiian Identity, 1920-1960, Katherine J E Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From 1924 to 1960 some of Hawai`i's public schools were segregated institutions. Unlike the segregated schools of the mainland, the main goal of the English Standard schools, as they were known, was to ensure that English-speaking children be taught in environments free from Pidgin and other native languages spoken by the majority of Hawai`i's school children. Because this segregation was linguistically-based, it was possible for children of all races and ethnicities to attend English Standard schools, but there can be no doubt that they were heavily dominated by white students in the early years of the program, much to the …