Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Teachers' Perception Of Evaluation And It Relationship To Teacher Leadership, School Decision-Making, And Professional Intentions, Calvin Lacy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers perceive the quality of their evaluations and the relationship of these perceptions to others involving their sense of themselves as "teachers leaders," their self-assessed level involvement in various types of school decisions, and their future intentions as pedagogical "stayers" or "leavers". The perceptions of these teachers will be compared gto individual outcomes, i.e. teacher leadership, school-decision making and professional intentions. The importance of their perceptions and the impact it can have on teachers' intentions to leave or remain in the profession are tantamount to stabilizing the profession in the 21st …

An Investigation Of The Perceptions Of Elementary And Middle School Teachers Regarding Their Participation In Distributed Leadership And Decision Making, Virginia Meadows Mcneil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which elementary and middle school teachers perceived they were being treated as leaders at their schools and were being provided with a substantial role in making school decisions. With respect to their perceived leadership status, elementary and middle school teachers differed only in their assessment of the effectiveness of teacher leadership at their institutions, with elementary teachers offering statistically significant but only slightly more positive ratings than their middle-level counterparts (x²(1) = 6.30, p = .012, ø = -0.04). In examining the perceptions of subgroups of elementary and middle …

Teacher Perceptions Of Strategies And Practices That Motivate African American Adolescent Males With Individual Education Program To Read, Shawneice Tashae Malone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of African American males with an Individual Education Program (IEP), literacy motivations to assist teachers in augmenting students' self efficacy and literacy competence. The theoretical framework was derived from the expectancy theory of motivation which places emphasis on individual perceptions and the interactions that follow as a consequence of personal expectations. The researcher used a survey to determine which strategies teachers believe to be most motivational for high school African American males receiving a special education to read. The survey included 27 motivational strategies and practices acquired from previous studies …

Lion Tales: The Impact Of Educational Policy Discourse On The Perpetuation Of The Perception Of African American Academic Underachievement, Marshetta Shavon Brazley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic achievement for African American students has remained consistently low over time. Some researchers cite the disintegration of the black family as the cause. Others have argued that IQ is largely influenced by genetics, and that African Americans are genetically predisposed to be less intelligent than other races. One researcher traces the socio-historical connection between the institution of slavery and the current inequality inherent in the American education system. He also contends that the differences between African American culture and mainstream culture are so great that they adversely impact African American academic achievement. The purpose of the critical comparative discourse …

The New Female Inmate: What Is Influencing The Trend Toward The Incarceration Of College-Educated Females And What Does This Mean For The Stability Of American Families?, Marquetta Rena Nebo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, the female prison population growth has far outpaced the male growth in the past quarter century. In 2010, over 200,000 females were behind bars, most of them being mothers and uneducated (Owen, 2010). Consequently, more than half of the states have been sued to provide women with services equal to those provided to male inmates such as vocational and postsecondary programs (Morash, Bynum, & Koons, 1998). In Ohio, research indicated that postsecondary education had a more positive effect on female offenders than their male counterparts (Shuler, 2002). Today, there is a new trend of college-educated female …

An Ethnographic Study About The Aspects Of Igbo Culture That Influence Educational Practices Of Female And Male 12th Grade Students In Their Career Choices In Enugu State Schools, Nigeria., Herbert Nnadozie Ene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study seeks to obtain an in-depth understanding of aspects of Igbo culture that influence educational practices of female and male 12th grade students in their career choices as they approach their graduation from high schools in Enugu State. The study was based upon previous researches that held that Igbo culture limits choice of careers among female 12th grade students in Nigeria. It would answer the overarching question that inquires to explore those aspects of Igbo culture that influence educational practices of female and male 12th grade students in their choice of careers in Enugu State Schools. The research …

The Relationship Between The Growth Score And The Overall Team Observation Rating For Teachers In Tennessee, Joshua B. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the TVAAS growth score given by the Tennessee Department of Education and the overall Tennessee Educator Assessment Model (TEAM) observation rating for teachers in grades 3 through 8. The participating county public school system for this study is located in Northeast Tennessee. Participants were teachers in the school system teaching Math, English/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies in grades 3 through 8 in 10 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 2 K-8 schools. Specifically, this research examined the relationship between the TEAM observation scores and overall TVAAS growth score …

The Institution Of Green: The Interaction Of Green Strategies And Key Stakeholders, Jennifer Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

By empirically connecting the legitimization process with individual stakeholder groups, this research enhances our understanding of the impact of the institutional environment on organizational efforts toward sustainability, and suggests a new approach to examining the influence of stakeholders on green strategies.This dissertation consists of two papers. In the first paper, the role of consumers and the process of legitimization of the green organization is examined. Hypotheses are tested experimentally, wherein subjects consider a range of green organizational behaviors. Analysis reveals that all green behaviors result in the organization earning some legitimacy. Further, there is no significant difference in consumers' attitudes …

A Quantitative Assessment Of Livability Principles For Neighborhood-Level Analysis, Kelsey Elizabeth Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which includes the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), Housing Urban Development (HUD), an the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has established six principles of livability. The principles are defined in a qualitative way, and limited research exits to establish a quantitative measurement of livability goals. This research develops a quantitative metric to assess the six livability principles and applies the metric to measure the livability of Memphis, Tennessee neighborhoods. The results are compared to existing residential survey data for the Memphis area to determine how well the defined livability principles align with residential stakeholder perceptions …

Faculty Integration Of Technology In Undergraduate Courses At Private Colleges And Universities, Evelyn G. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the integration of technology in undergraduate courses by faculty at private colleges and universities. Integration of technology is using technology as an instructional tool to improve teaching and learning (Clayton-Pedersen & O’Neill, 2005; Wilson & Hayes, 2000; Woodbridge, 2004). Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) 7 principles for good practice in undergraduate education provided the theoretical framework for this research. The researcher conducted a survey of full-time faculty at 21 private colleges and universities in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The results of the study indicated that faculty use …

The Purpose And Practice Of Academic Probation, Charlotte Hoover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic policies in higher education address institutional academic standards and student requirements including academic underachievement. Academic probation is one academic policy designed to alert students they are not meeting the minimum academic standards of the institution. Institutions offer a variety of student services to support institutional retention efforts and student persistence to graduation; however, there is little research that addresses academic policies and their role in the success of the college student (Brawner, Frillman, & Ohland, 2010). This qualitative case study was an exploration of the perceptions of undergraduate students and the administration by examining the policy of academic probation …

The Phenomenon Of Abstract Cognition Among Scholastic Chess Participants: A Case Study, Brent C. Laws

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of abstract cognition among a purposive sample of 5 secondary scholastic chess club participants. The case study enabled the researcher to explore the faculties of abstract cognition among students of contrasting skills and abilities in playing chess. The study also allowed for the consideration of potential visual-spatial, logical, academic, social competency and life benefits of chess play. Through analysis of interviews, chess simulations, blindfold chess play, and narration of chess lines and sequences, the investigator was able to extract meaning and code schemata into a holistic understanding of the phenomenon of …

Nicu Culture Of Care For Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Focused Ethnography, Monica M. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic study was to describe the culture of care and nonpharmacological nursing interventions performed by NICU nurses for infants with NAS. Background: Infants with NAS are increasingly being cared for in the inpatient hospital setting by NICU nurses. Interventions used for the care of premature and sick infants in the NICU may or may not be the exact interventions that should be used for the care of the fragile infant with NAS. Research studies on the nonpharmacological nursing care of infants with NAS encompass 5 main areas of practice: environment, adequate rest and sleep, feeding, …

Factors Impacting Success In Ninth Grade Algebra I For High School Students, James M. Lamie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2013), No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Race to the Top initiative of 2009 has placed a greater emphasis on high stakes testing. A renewed emphasis on math education for all students and their ability to succeed in high school mathematics place new challenges on today’s classroom teachers. Although the belief is that with new standards and best teaching strategies students will improve their test scores, there are multiple factors that can serve as deterrents to the success in mathematics for at-risk high school students (Balfanz, 2009). The …

Brain Based Learning: K-12 Teachers’ Preferred Methods Of Science Instruction, Donna L. Mansy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate Brain Based Learning (BBL) techniques in teaching science. Participants included 216 K-12, full-time, regular education teachers from 8 Northeast Tennessee school systems who taught at least 1 science class. Specifically this research was guided by 7 research questions on teachers’ perceptions and practices in teaching science.

Data were collected by a survey that consisted of 82 statements where teachers rated their level of agreement and was distributed online via Survey Monkey. The first portion of my survey included demographic identifiers, teachers’ knowledge of the term BBL, and inquiries regarding science background …

The Wolf Attacks: A History Of The Russo-Chechen Conflict, Christina E. Baxter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Chechens fought against the Russians for independence. The focus in the literature available has been on the wars and the atrocities caused by the wars. The literature then hypothesizes that the insurgency of today is just a continuation of the past. They do not focus on a major event in Chechen history: the Soviet liquidation of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1944. It is this author’s assertion that the liquidation of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR forever changed the mindset of the people because it fractured a society that was once unified. This …

Weightlifting, Performing Arts Electives, And Academic Achievement: A Comparison In An East Tennessee High School, Lana Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic achievement as measured by ACT English, math, and composite scores of students who took 6 or more credits of weightlifting, 6 or more credits of performing arts, or no elective focus in an East Tennessee high school serving grades 9-12 from the graduating classes of 2010 through 2014. The independent variables were the elective focus groups students took during high school and race and ethnicity. The dependent variables were ACT English, math, and composite scores. A series of one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) …

Against The Grain : The Challenges Of Black Discourse Within Intercollegiate Policy Debate., Tiffany Yvonne Dillard-Knox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research uses the speech community model of analysis to illustrate how language is used to determine inclusion into and exclusion from Debate. This has been done by examining the use of four Black discourse types in Intercollegiate Policy Debate: signifying, call and response, tonal semantics, and narrative sequencing to show the ways in which current debate practices (un)intentionally exclude Blacks. Upon examination, one can see that there is educational value to the methods used by majority of the Black student population within Debate. In addition to being a tool of empowerment for this student population, these students can also …

Secondary Student Outcomes And Perspectives On A Multiple Pathways Approach To Education : Engagement, Achievement, And Transitions., Lisa-Anne Ferris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Career and Technical Education, earlier known as Vocational Education, has been formally part of public education since 1917. Federal policies have been used to support linking academic and vocationally-based curricula to give secondary and postsecondary students practical work experience within schools to prepare them for the workforce (Gordon, 2008). The current policy, The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, or Perkins IV, is the most recent policy to integrate academic and vocationally-based curricula’s using a career pathway model under Programs of Study (POS) (USDE, 2013). POS are career pathways that students choose in the beginning of their high …

Graduate Students Who Are Part-Time Workers : How Does Occupational Stress And Gender Role Affect Job Satisfaction?, Megan Church-Nally

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Job satisfaction and occupational stress have consistently been examined in professionals for decades due to its link to turnover and reduced productivity. Similar concepts have been investigated in undergraduate students, but there is paucity of research of attrition in graduate students. This gap persists despite estimates that 50% of graduate students fail to graduate (Cassuto, 2013). Such attrition is not due to deficiency in academic skills, as Carroll, Ng, and Birch (2009) reported that personal reasons were cited more than academic concerns for attrition. The purpose of this dissertation was to address this job satisfaction and occupational stress gap with …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Sense Of Coherence, Engagement In Health Behaviors, And Individual Coping Style., Dean Todd Misener 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a pervasive issue among traditional college students; affecting their choice in health behaviors, and overall academic performance. What is not clear is why some students, despite the pervasiveness of stressors are able to do well in school and maintain/improve their health, while other students struggle to maintain their health and do poorly in school. Aaron Antonovsky theorized that when confronted with a stressor a person with a high sense of coherence (SOC) will be motivated to cope, believe the challenge is understood and that the necessary resources to cope with the stressor are available. Overall, Antonovsky theorized that …

A Discourse On Entrepreneurial Identity : Three Essays., Krishna P. Poudel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation provides theoretical insights on individual level entrepreneurial identity in three inter-related essays, drawing on multiple theories and disciplines. In the first essay, I advance a dual-process model of identity development, contributing to the debates in the broad identity literature. I articulate that the intrinsic prospection of identity is another fundamental process of identity formation, besides the social construction of identity, the prevalent notion in the literature. I propose a comprehensive conceptual framework of entrepreneurial identity. On the basis of this conceptual framework, I explain that there are within-group and between-group variations in the entrepreneurial identity of different types …

Investigation Of Transmission Loss Through Double Wall Structures With Varying Small Air Gaps Using Modal Analysis., Richard Michael Phillips 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Noise reduction testing is completed for two single steel plate constructions with different thicknesses and for two double wall constructions with different air gap thicknesses that include the same two plates used in the single plate constructions. Results compare favorably with known theory and experimental results from previous literature. These favorable comparisons include the direct relationship between mass per unit area and transmission loss for single plate constructions, the presence of a noise reduction valley near the mass-air-mass frequency, the dependency of the mass-air-mass frequency on the air gap thickness, and the existence of a bridge frequency. Despite the similarities …

Teachers’ Perception Of Empowerment In Christian Schools Accredited By Tennessee Association Of Christian Schools, Melody T. Archer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the perception of teacher empowerment in Christian schools in order to ascertain if teachers were encouraged to take on more leadership responsibilities. One hundred forty-four teachers from 9 Christian schools (K-12) that are accredited by the Tennessee of Association of Christian Schools (TACS) participated in the study.

The statistical analysis reported in the study was based on 5 research questions. Two instruments were used to collect data. A survey using a 5-point Likert Scale was used to collect data on teacher responsibilities, training, experiences, affiliation, and professional practices. Student achievement test scores …

Points Of Contention: Oddities, Delicacies, & Monstrosities, Arthur T. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Points of Contention, an MFA exhibit, features fifteen works of relief-printed images from carved linoleum and layers of type printed with antique letterpress wood type. The work constitutes a visual exploration of dissatisfaction and disenchantment presented through the context of odd stories in the news and major current events, such as election politics and the closing of Hostess bakeries, as well as, NSA data collection and gun violence.

This supporting thesis explores the conceptual and physical processes of creating the pieces, including researching other artists who have wrestled with similar topics and produced their own unique reaction and resolution …

An Examination Of Successful Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Males In A Northeast Tennessee Middle School, Stephen E. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that contribute to positive educational outcomes as measured by the EXPLORE test for eighth grade males who qualify for free or reduced price lunch. In addition, this study was conducted for the purpose of improving the educational program at a Northeast Tennessee middle school. Archival EXPLORE data, as well as free and reduced price lunch data, were used to identify high school graduates, 6 males and 6 females, who had performed at or above expectation on the eighth grade EXPLORE test. Females were included …

Learning-Disabled Students: A Comparison Of Achievement Scores Of Students Receiving Services In Pull-Out Classrooms And Inclusion Classrooms, Gerilyn T. Scalf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement scores in reading/language arts and math of fourth and fifth grade special education learning-disabled students who received academic instruction in an inclusion classroom or a pull-out classroom. Student achievement scores from the 2012-2013 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) and the Discovery Education Assessment (DEA) improvement scores were compared with regard to service location and analyzed for significant differences between the locations: inclusion and pull-out classrooms. A quantitative study was used to find the differences in reading/language arts and math achievement scores for fourth and fifth grade special education learning-disabled students …

Middle Grade Academic Achievement And Socioeconomic Status On North Carolina State Report Cards, 2012 - 2013, Lauren Dotson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the era of accountability in our nation‘s public schools, high-stakes standardized testing is the primary methodology for determining academic achievement; results from end-of-grade standardized testing are published annually in state and national report cards that are used as an instrument for determining school and teacher quality. What standardized tests do not take into consideration, however, are external environmental factors that have an impact on academic achievement; this research project focuses upon the effects of socioeconomic status on academic achievement on the middle grade student in North Carolina in 2012 and 2013. These years were chosen to comparatively analyze student …

Gender Similarities And Differences In Experiences Of Public School Administrators, Marcia D. Fawver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of study was to examine similarities and differences in experiences between male and female high school principals and district administrators in addition to similarities and differences in leadership style and skills. This was an in-depth study with participants working in the same district and matched with descriptors such as age, similar position, and time served. Therefore the statement of the problem for the present study is what similarities and differences in experiences exist between male and female high school principals and district administrators in addition to similarities and differences in leadership style and skills.

Two male high school …

Ability Grouping In Elementary Education, Anna Kathryn Mccarter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ability grouping in education is a common practice used to differentiate instruction in order to meet the academic needs of students. The primary purpose for grouping students by ability is to increase their academic growth and achievement by providing instruction at the students’ current instructional level. However, there is much conflicting research regarding the impact of grouping students by ability and its link to student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between school-wide student achievement in grades 3, 4, and 5 based on the type of grouping: ability grouped or …