Digital Commons Network^™

Is It Hot(Ter) Out There Or Is It Just (The) Me(Dia)? A Comparative Framing Analysis Of Climate Change In The New York Times And The Guardian, Kylah Jae Hedding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a framing analysis that compares the coverage of climate change in the New York Times and the Guardian from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009. This research supports the theory that the coverage in media outlets is affected by the media systems in which they exists, with both similarities and differences in the coverage of the two media outlets. It also supports the argument that climate change coverage in the United States is cyclical and event-driven, while the British media reflects both the cyclical, event-driven liberal media model and the more issues-focused European model. This thesis departs …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Decision-Making: Development Of A Survey Tool, Janeann M. Lineman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been projected that by 2020 one out of three children will originate from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) population (Rogers & Lopez, 2002). Thus, school psychologists are called to reexamine and modify their service-delivery methods to better meet the needs of CLD populations (Guerrero & Leung, 2008). The purposes of this study were: (1) to identify what a CLD problem-solving process looks like in the daily practices of school psychologists; (2) identify the impact of perceived value and skill level on the frequency of implementation practices of a CLD problem-solving model; and (3) identify if personal characteristics …

The Correlation Between Professional Learning Communities & Collective Efficacy & The Resulting Impact On Student Growth Data, Joleta Gallozzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study in 2007 conducted by the National Center of Education Statistics revealed that the students in United States are scoring lower than several other countries in the areas of science and mathematics. Students in other countries are able to compete globally for employment in professional occupations that were previously occupied by graduates from the United States. Therefore, there is a sense of urgency to increase student achievement throughout the United States. No Child Left Behind (2001) mandates that public schools develop accountability systems to ensure that all students achieve at the proficient or …

Determination Of Selected Heavy Metals In Some Creeks In A Tennessee City., Ann Ejimole Item

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd, and Pb were determined in six different creeks within a city in Tennessee using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Mean concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Fe in the sites examined reveal that they exceed the USEPA recommended limits. High concentrations of Cu (0.130 mg/L), Zn (13.7 mg/L), Ni (0.267 mg/L), and Cd (0.010 mg/L) were observed in site B and Fe (3.01 mg/L) in site E relative to other sites. The concentration of Pb (0.795 mg/l) was higher in site A. Higher concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Fe were detected in samples …

The Lived Experience Of Mothers Bereaved By The Suicide Death Of A Child., Cynthia Walker Lynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide has existed throughout recorded history. It is a phenomenon that has been both culturally and morally defined across time and civilizations. It is estimated that over 34,000 Americans deliberately take their own lives annually. Moreover, according to some experts, between 6 and 28 individuals are directly affected by each completed suicide. These individuals are referred to as suicide survivors. The consequences for suicide survivors are multidimensional in part because relationships to the deceased play a vital role in bereavement. Previous research studies in the areas of suicidology and bereavement have failed to explore the experience of mothers bereaved …

Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Achievement As Measured By North Carolina Reading And Math End-Of-Grade Tests., Wayne M. Eberle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers continue to experience an increased sense of responsibility as it relates to job performance while still being required to produce at the same level with relation to student performance. This can cause an increase in personal stress and result in lowered feelings of self- worth, having a negative impact on service delivery to children and overall job performance.

Bandura (1997) defined self-efficacy as a judgment of one's ability to organize and execute given types of performances. Furthermore, he suggests that the outcomes people anticipate depend largely upon their judgments of how well they will be able to perform in …

The Graduation Rates Of Career And Technical Education (Cte) Concentrators In Tennessee., Richard Ernest Shadden Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare high school graduation rates between Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentrators and non-CTE concentrators. School systems in the state of Tennessee that offered CTE courses for the 2007-2008 (120 systems) or 2008-2009 (118 systems) school years were used in this study. Fifteen northeast Tennessee systems were also examined to compare the graduation rates of CTE concentrators and non-CTE concentrators. The graduation rates of male and female CTE concentrators was also compared.

Research supported the notion that CTE concentrators could improve overall graduation rates for school systems, and female CTE concentrators on …

Four Generations Working Together In The Workforce And In Higher Education., Lisa Anne Speer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to help the reader hear and begin to understand each of the 4 generations, resulting in an awareness of how each generation perceived the world in general, and specifically its perception of work in an academic setting.

The researcher studied 4 participants currently or formerly involved in the higher education environment; each represented one of the 4 generations examined and was studied through stories, autobiography, notes, conversations, interviews, family stories, and life experiences. Today's American workforce is unique in that never before has there been such a diverse group of individuals working together. Research …

An Examination Of Third And Fourth Grade Tcap Scores And The Universal Breakfast Program In Unicoi County Tennessee., Harold Lamar Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of standardized test scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) of students enrolled in Unicoi County Schools, that offers a universal breakfast program, compared with mean scores of students in both public and private schools in the state of Tennessee during the 2007-2008 school year. Test results of 404 Unicoi County third and fourth graders were examined with only the mathematics and reading and language arts sections of the TCAP used in this research. The State means were calculated using data collected from TCAP mathematics and reading and language …

An Analysis Of The Handwriting Of Elderly Chinese Subjects., Dongfang Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays, one of the issues of concern that brought on by the aging population is legal disputes that have been increasing in number every year. One core problem in these legal disputes involves handwriting identification. There are however not many previous studies in China that have been concentrated on this field. Hence, the study on elderly Chinese subjects' handwriting has an extremely broad potential value for its application for academic usage and practical meaning. This study uses an empirical technique, gathering first hand data and analysing them by employing proper methods. There are 7 handwriting features and characteristics that have …

Parental Involvement: Parent Perceptions And Teacher Perceptions., Penelope Odum Herrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding effective parental involvement with elementary students based on Epstein et al.'s (2009) 6 typologies of parental involvement. The population consisted of 77 teachers in a particular east Tennessee school district and the parents of 889 students enrolled in kindergarten through 6^th grade. Parents and teachers were asked to indicate the effectiveness of 4 activities within each of the 6 parental involvement categories: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Parents and teachers were asked to rank each activity …

Comparative Achievement Of Students In A Freshman Academy With Those Not In A Freshman Academy By Race And Gender In One East Tennessee High School., April Campbell Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of students who participated in a freshman academy program to the achievement of those who participated in the traditional high school curriculum. The researcher used grade point average and composite ACT score as determinants of achievement. The population consisted of the graduating classes of 2009 and 2010 at one East Tennessee high school. Independent sample t tests evaluated the relationship between achievement and type of freshman experience. The independent variables were participation in the freshman academy, being male, being female, and race. The dependent variables were grade point average and …

Critical Thinking Skills As Related To University Students Gender And Academic Discipline., Brent Tyler Leach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For a number of years the educational community has recognized the importance of teaching critical thinking skills to all students; however, a shift in educational pedagogy and philosophy has occurred. Through recent legislation the funding of educational institutions that demonstrate competencies and gains from standardized test scores has been mandated. Although performance measurement regarding the effectiveness of learning environments is useful, students must learn critical thinking skills to compete globally, problem solve effectively, self-actualize, preserve democracy, and promote human rights. The relationship between content and critical thinking presents a unique challenge in American education. This study examined the shift in …

Teachers' And Principals' Perspectives Of Literacy Coaching In An Elementary School., Barbara Jane Anderson Hull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the literacy coach's tasks and qualities teachers valued the most and which qualities they valued the least. Knowing those precepts might help one to become a more efficient and valuable resource for both classroom teachers and principals. School visits, focus group interviews, individual interviews, interviews with each principal, and documents from the 3 southwest Virginia schools in 2 districts provided the data for analysis. Teachers' and principals' perspectives of literacy coaching explained both the desirable and undesirable practices and techniques.

The 3 schools had been swept into a change process when …

U.S. Newspapers Coverage Of The 2009/10 Healthcare Reform Debate: A Content Analysis., Dinah A. Tetteh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which U.S. newspapers covered the chatter surrounding the 2009/10 healthcare reform debate at the expense of the substance. Also of importance was how the political leanings of newspapers influenced the coverage they gave the issue in terms of tone and page or story prominence. Newspaper endorsement data from Editor & Publisher magazine were used to determine the political leanings of U.S. newspapers based on the candidate they endorsed in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Newspaper articles related to the topic were retrieved from the Lexis-Nexis database and analyzed. The …

The Effects Of Domestic Violence: The Male Victims Perspective., Ramon B. Younger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Domestic violence from a male victim's perspective is something that is not discussed in society very much because information is very limited and incidents are often unreported. Research was done on this aspect of domestic violence to see how the types of abuse have had an impact on the victim from a physical and emotional perspective. The secondary data used for this study were from the Violence and Threats of Violence Against Women and Men in the United States, 1994-1996. Eight thousand men were selected to participate in the survey. The question of whether domestic violence is a problem was …

Relationships Between Teacher Attendance And Student Scores On The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Achievement Test In East Tennessee., Melissa Miniard Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study examined relationships between third, fourth, and fifth grade teacher attendance as well as teacher and administrator perceptions of teacher attendance during the 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 school years. Third, fourth, and fifth grade student test scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement test given in the spring of 2006, 2007, and 2008 were also examined. TCAP score data for this study were gathered electronically, with published data from the Tennessee Department of Education. Teacher attendance records were collected using Siesta, a teacher attendance tracking program. Teacher and administrator perceptions were gathered through surveys, interviews, …

The Crucible Of Texas Politics: An Analysis Of The United States Senatorial Primaries Of 1941 And 1948., Ginger Mcgoldrick Spradlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lyndon Johnson's opponents used the outcome of his 1948 senatorial bid to demonstrate his dishonesty. This win by eighty-seven disputed votes gave him the derogatory title, "Landslide Lyndon." Johnson's initial senate campaigns in 1941 and 1948 are examined for Texas Politics as usual.

Upon Senator Sheppard's death in 1937, a special election precipitated with Martin Dies, Gerald Mann, Lyndon Johnson, and W. Lee O'Daniel as the candidates. Although this election has not received the notoriety of 1948, it exemplifies Texas Politics as usual where thousands of manipulated votes resulted in O'Daniel's late victory.

Johnson's next race for the senate came …

Perceptions Of Teachers: Effects Of Principals Uses Of Humor On Teacher Job Satisfaction., Jonathon P. Fields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers' job satisfaction was greater when working for principals with higher perceived use of humor. The study also examined the effects of principals' use of humor on perceived leadership effectiveness and level of personal relationship.

The researcher used a 36-question survey instrument to collect data. A population of 796 educators in a public school system in Northeast Tennessee was given an opportunity to participate in this research. There were 450 completed surveys (56%) returned.

There were 4 major findings from this study. Teachers reported that it was appropriate for principals to …

Religious Commitment As A Predictor Of Lower Blood Pressure In High-Risk Pregnancies Of Southern Appalachia., Anna Vadimovna Ermakova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extensive literature review inspired a mediational model of the relationship between Religiosity/Spirituality (R/S) and Blood Pressure (BP) tested through secondary analyses of data from the TIPS program. Participants included 205 (92.1% Caucasian; age M=23.72, SD=5.33) pregnant Southern Appalachian women drawn from the region's at-risk pregnancy population. The only variables correlated with BP were women's weight (r=.430, r=.467, p<.01, for diastolic and systolic BP, respectively) and prenatal care use (r=.138, p<.05, with diastolic BP), but not R/S. Multiple regression analyses confirmed participant weight as the only significant independent predictor of BP. Previous findings of health benefits of R/S cannot be assumed to generalize to pregnant women without further study. Limitations of this study and possible explanations for the findings are discussed.

Perceptions And Actions Regarding Parent Involvement In A Small Northeast Tennessee School District., Randy Adam Watts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the perception scores and action scores of teachers in a northeast Tennessee school system in terms of parent involvement. Also, this study examined the relationship between perception scores and action scores of administrators and teachers across the district. Lastly, this study determined if significant differences existed in the perception scores and action scores between elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

Data were collected by questionnaires containing sections for demographic information, perceptions of parent involvement, and actions involving parent involvement. The population consisted of 437 certified teachers and 24 building level administrators. From …

Perceptions Of High School Counselors Involvement In The Provision Of Postsecondary Transition Services To Students With Specific Learning Disabilities., Diana Joy Hudson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined high school counselors' perceptions of postsecondary transition services to students with specific learning disabilities. Seven high school counselors in the Unnamed County Schools were interviewed to examine their perceptions of postsecondary transition services to students with specific learning disabilities. Categories that involved school counselor's perceptions of the provision of postsecondary transition services for students with learning disabilities emerged from the data. These themes were as follows: 1) plan of study for postsecondary goals based on vocational assessments, 2) assistance provided to prepare for college or work, 3) duties of counselors and involvement in the transition process, …

A Study Of Persistence In The Northeast State Community College Health-Related Programs Of Study., Allana R. Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify factors that were positively associated with persistence to graduation by students who were admitted to Health-Related Programs leading to the degree associate of applied science at Northeast State Community College. The criterion variable in this study was persistence, which was categorized into two groups the persister group (program completers) and the nonpersister (program noncompleters) group. The predictor variables included gender, ethnic origin, first- (or nonfirst-) generation-student status, age, specific major program of study, number of remedial and/or developmental courses taken, grades in selected courses (human anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, …

Special Education Transition Programs For Three Southwest Virginia School Systems: A Comparative Study., James R. Myers Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transition services at the high school level can make a positive difference in the postsecondary outcomes of students with disabilities by providing them a program of study or training at the secondary level. Transition services can also assist them in aquiring an education, vocational training, rehabilitative services, and work opportunities as they enter the postsecondary world of young adulthood.

The purpose of this study is to compare the transition programs of 3 Southwest Virginia school systems in an effort to determine the difference a full-time transition coordinator could make in the postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities.

Findings revealed significant …

Teachers Perception Of Elementary School Principals Leadership Characteristics In Elementary Schools In Rural Southwest Virginia., Lynn B. Metcalfe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The characteristics of servant leaders as perceived by teachers who evaluated the leadership excellence of principals were the focus of this study. The essential ingredient of a leader was examined in all participating schools; the role of the principal was crucial to a school's effectiveness and was widely acknowledged.

Ten characteristics were discussed in the literature review. This dissertation was a quantitative study of teachers' perceptions, as well as principals' self-perceptions, of principals in rural Title I Schools located in southwest Virginia.

The exploratory question that originated from this study was: Was there a significant difference between the mean score …

Evaluating Special Education Teachers: Do We Get The Job Done? A Regional Perspective., Robert Edward Widener Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legislation enacted by federal and state governments has created a transition in the service delivery model of instruction provided to many students identified as having an educational disability. As a result of this transition, more emphasis is being placed on educating these students in the least restrictive environment, which moves these students from a self-contained model into a collaborative or inclusive setting. This transition has also created a situation where building level administrators are now evaluating and observing special education teachers in a variety of instructional settings.

This qualitative study was conducted in order to examine perceptions of a group …

Community Perceptions Of Prescription Drug Abuse In Eastern Kentucky., Ashley Marie Browning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personal interviews exploring attitudes toward prescription drug abuse were completed by 17 residents over 18 years of age from Kentucky's Pike and Letcher counties. In respect to prescription drug abuse research nationwide, much research has been conducted in eastern Kentucky; however, there are seemingly few studies measuring the thoughts and feelings of community members toward the issue. Data gathered during these interviews were coded and themed for emergent content that revealed the prevalence of drug abuse in communities, the role of medical professionals in prescription drug abuse, and a lack of preventative measures to control the cyclic pattern of prescription …

Teacher Research And Leadership The Write Way: The Appalachian Writing Projects Impact In Rural Virginia., Renia H. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research one specific approach to developing and sustaining rural teacher leaders in a high-poverty area with limited resources for teachers. The study investigates The Appalachian Writing Project, a nonprofit organization serving far southwest Virginia and how the AWP has affected rural teachers in educational leadership positions and the resulting impact on educational experiences for students.

The participants in this study represent a unique population, composed of certified teachers in extreme southwest Virginia who have completed the Appalachian Writing Project's Invitational Summer Institute (2001-2010) and serve as Teacher Consultants for that organization.

Qualitative …

A Multidisciplinary Approach To Student International Experience., Kevin Varney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project provides research and insight towards expanding the ETSU at Rome Program into a larger multidisciplinary study abroad program. The program's goal is to evolve from its presummer session with a one-course offering curriculum into a multidisciplinary, multicourse study abroad program for both the presummer session and entire summer session. Research and analysis have been conducted to discover best practices for study abroad programs in surrounding institutions. Additionally, in expansion upon existing efforts, this research helps seek out partnerships and collaborations within the institution and outside the institution. Professors from numerous departments throughout ETSU have been interviewed regarding their …

Power Analysis For Alternative Tests For The Equality Of Means., Haiyin Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The two sample t-test is the test usually taught in introductory statistics courses to test for the equality of means of two populations. However, the t-test is not the only test available to compare the means of two populations. The randomization test is being incorporated into some introductory courses. There is also the bootstrap test. It is also not uncommon to decide the equality of the means based on confidence intervals for the means of these two populations. Are all those methods equally powerful? Can the idea of non-overlapping t confidence intervals be extended to bootstrap confidence intervals? The powers …