Digital Commons Network^™

Principal Leadership, Teacher Morale, And Student Achievement In Seven Schools In Mitchell County, North Carolina., Morgen A. Houchard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand and measure principal leadership practices and teacher morale as it relates to student achievement in Mitchell County at two elementary schools, four middle schools, and one high school. First, a review of the related literature attempted to define teacher morale as much as possible given that it is an ever-changing individual characteristic. Second, the researcher tried to understand teacher morale and distinguish between high and low elements and characteristics of teacher morale. Third, the researcher examined the difficult task of measuring the morale of teachers in public education today. Fourth, an attempt …

The Association Between Type Of Preschool Experience And Student Achievement Of Economically Disadvantaged Students In Four Northeast Tennessee Schools., Robin Wade Mcclellan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if an association exists between preschool experience and student achievement in third grade as reported by criterion referenced Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) scores in four schools in northeast Tennessee with at least 80% of its students receiving free or reduced lunch. The variable under study was the presence and type of preschool experience.

Descriptive statistics were employed to present school demographic data. A causal comparative approach utilizing convenience sampling was the foundation for this study. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to investigate differences in achievement as categorized by varying preschool …

Stop The Presses: Representations Of Women's Progress In Corporate America Reported Through Popular News Media., Suzanne Marie Cloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the following key areas: women in the public sphere, women in the private sphere, and how media portrayals in these areas portray women's progress in obtaining executive positions in corporate America.

Topics of interest include wage differences between genders, executive placement, and attainment in board positions throughout Corporate America.

A Study Of The Impact Of The Associate Of Applied Science Degree On The Region Served By Walters State Community College., Michael Stephen Helmick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact a community college associate of applied science degree from a rural college in east Tennessee has on the area served by the college. Variables explored in this study included residence location, employment status, employment location, salary range, and advanced degree persistence.

The population for this study included all Summer 1999, Fall 1999, Spring 2000, and Summer 2000 Associate of Applied Science graduates from Walters State Community College. Data for this study were collected via a student survey and information gathered from the student information system database at the college. All hypotheses were analyzed using descriptive …

From Condemnation To Conformity: Carter And Reagan's Foreign Policy Towards The Argentine Junta, 1977-1982., William Houston Gilbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the administrations of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan responded to the widespread human rights abuses committed by the Argentine military during the country's Dirty War between 1977 and 1982. The objective is to gain a broader understanding of the policies pursued by both administrations. Under Carter, who brought human rights to the forefront of American foreign policy, Argentina was heavily targeted and sanctioned with the anticipation that such measures would enhance the human rights status in Argentina. Ultimately, such policies resulted in open hostility in bilateral relations, culminating in Argentina's refusal to support Carter's proposed grain …

Comparison Of The Stress Levels And Gpa Of African American College Students At Historically Black And Predominantly White Institutions., Yashica Dearcie Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress levels of African American college students attending Historically Black and Predominantly White Institutions were compared. The GPAs of the students were correlated with their stress levels. Racism and social support were explored as factors contributing to stress. Results indicated that African American students attending the Predominantly White institution had higher stress than African American students attending the Historically Black institution and White students attending the Predominantly White institution. The results also indicated that GPA and stress were negatively correlated; as stress levels decreased, GPA increased. A negative correlation was found to be significant with social support and stress; as …

Parenting Style And Its Relationship To Interpretation Of The Bible And Worship Style In College Students., Geoffrey R. Mabe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To extend research on Baumrind’s parenting styles, a scenario study was conducted to determine if the gender of a stimulus child and the parenting style employed by stimulus parents would relate significantly to biblical interpretation style and preferred worship style. A 2x3 independent groups factorial design was employed for analysis in two different procedures. Respondents (152 undergraduate students) were provided with one of six scenarios, each of which varied by gender of stimulus child and by one of three parenting styles employed by the stimulus parent. Respondents were then directed to complete the Scriptural Literalism Scale (Hogge & Friedman, 1967) …

"Inspired Industry.", Amanda M. Dock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis supports the Master of Fine Arts exhibition entitled "Inspired Industry" at Johnson City Area Arts Council, Johnson City, Tennessee, from November 14 - December 22, 2005. It is the culmination of studies and research affected by the artist's own industry vis-à-vis personal inspirations, including: discussion of aesthetics and personal utilization of the techniques learned in relation to both functional and non-functional ceramic forms. This is a self-evaluation of personal preferences and how this body of ceramic work evolved.

Assessing The Generalizability Of Study Results: An Outdoor Recreation Application, Stephen C. Taylor

Natural Resources

Onsite surveys of visitors have become a common method of providing information regarding recreation area visitors' norms, attitudes, motivations, management preferences, etc. Study results are often implied to be representative of a future time period for management planning purposes. One enduring method is segmenting visitors based on motivations and examining preferences for management actions/settings by group. When such a study is directly intended to guide management actions, the 'groups' must offer some degree of insight into future visitors, i.e., generalize across time. Data gathered during 2004 at the Kennecott National Historic Landmark within Wrangell- St. Elias National Park and Preserve …

Changing Strategies In Seward Peninsula Reindeer (Rangifer Tarandus Tarandus) Management, Heather J. Oleson

Natural Resources

Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) management techniques have changed since the founding of the reindeer industry on the Seward Peninsula in 1891. From 1891-1915, herds were small and management was intensive. Between 1915 and 1944, community herds and joint stock companies were formed. Herd management was extensive and herds were large and relatively free roaming. A period of re-privatization followed from 1944 to 1960, during which a limited number of moderately stocked ranges were established. The era after 1960 saw the introduction of several new forms of technology, some of which became catalysts for broad changes in reindeer management. Snow machines …

Characteristic Behavior Of The Dayside Aurora In The Minutes Leading Up To Substorm Onset: Evidence For External Triggering Of Substorms By The Interplanetary Magnetic Field, Carl Stephen Andersen

Physics

Two meridian scanning photometers, one located in Alaska and one in Svalbard, are used to examine the behavior of the dayside aurora just before the onset of the expansion phase of 61 substorms. In a strong majority of cases (80%), a poleward movement of the dayside aurora is seen in the minutes preceding sub storm onset. For the cases examined where a poleward movement of the dayside aurora is seen, a northward turning of the (generally southward) IMF is usually, but not always, seen. This suggests that for a majority of substorms, the 'trigger' is, or is related to, a …

The Formation Of Pore Ice In Coarse Grained Soils, Walter Fourie

Engineering

Understanding the formation of pore ice in coarse grained soils is important to geotechnical and geo-environmental projects such as the construction of roads, airstrips and gravel foundations as well as the treatment of contaminated soils in the arctic, sub-arctic, alpine and northern regions. The amount of pore ice present controls the strength characteristics of the soils as well as the flow of fluid through the soil. Tests have been conducted to qualify the impact of gradation, temperature, compaction and initial moisture content on the formation of pore ice in coarse grained soils. The purpose of this study was to prepare …

Petrology, Depositional Setting, And Reservoir Quality Of The Torok-Nanushuk Transition, Central North Slope, Alaska, Russell Kirkham

Geosciences

Cretaceous sandstones of the upper Torok and lower Nanushuk formations were deposited in a storm-dominated, deltaic depositional system during filling of the Colville basin, North Slope, Alaska. This study focuses on distal shelf and slope sandstones of the Torok Formation and shoreface sandstones of the Nanushuk Formation from Arc Mountain, Slope Mountain, Gunsight Mountain, and the Grandstand Test Well. Ten lithofacies were identified at these locations. Facies associations define depositional environments ranging from deep marine debris flows and tubidites deposited in distal shelf and slope settings of the Torok Formation to deposition of hummocky cross-stratified sandstones deposited above storm wave …

2005 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Commencement on December 17.

Commencement Speaker: Frank Mills

Negotiating The Languages Of Landscape: Place Naming And Language Shift In An Inupiaq Community, Elizabeth K. Marino

Anthropology

This thesis examines the correlations between language shift, language death, and cultural change through the use of place names in White Mountain, Alaska. Traditionally Inupiaq place names have served as descriptive tools for navigating the landscape and as memory markers for oral histories, taboos, and places of harvest. Local Inupiaq place names have been inscribed in social memory for generations and, according to Inupiaq elders in White Mountain, none are without significance. As English replaces the Inupiaq language, these traditional place names fall out of use, as well as the local histories and other information associated with them. English place …

Regulation Of Ecdysteroid And Vitellogenin Levels During The Molt And Reproductive Cycles Of Female Dungeness Crab, Cancer Magister, Jamie David Thomton

Marine Biology

The reproductive cycle of Dungeness crabs is complicated by the requirement for molting prior to mating. The temporal requirements for molting and ovarian maturation may prohibit an annual reproductive cycle in a proportion of crabs. The goal of this study was to quantify temporal concentrations of circulating ecdysteroids and vitellogenins in female crabs during an annual cycle. Hemolymph in laboratory maintained crabs was sampled to assess physiological state (molting or reproduction). In laboratory crabs, ecdysteroid concentrations were low during intermolt (20.3 ng/ml), increased to maximal levels 15 days before ecdysis (1,886.5 ng/ml), and declined to low concentrations (<90 ng/ml) 5 days before ecdysis. Premolt duration was 150 days, with peak molting in November. Vitellogenin concentrations increased 6-fold during induced (via eyestalk ablation) ovarian maturation over a 90 ± 7.4 day vitellogenic period, and 4-fold for natural ovarian maturation over a 75 to 100 day period. The capability to predict ecdysis 150 days before molt and spawning 100 days before egg extrusion through hemolymph analysis is useful in molt and reproductive assessment of Dungeness crab populations. Additionally, in a preliminary study, reproductive failure and shell-disease were induced by physiological stress due to captive environmental conditions

Multiple Stable Isotopic Analyses ([Delta]¹³C, [Delta]¹⁵N, [Delta]¹⁸O, And [Delta]D) Of The Boulder Patch, A High Arctic Kelp Community: Trophic And Temporal Perspectives, Casey William Debenham

Marine Biology

The Boulder Patch, a high Arctic kelp community, is a rarity in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Considered a biodiversity oasis, this area provides habitat for many organisms. Trophic relationships, spatial patterns, and isotopic changes over time were examined within the Boulder Patch using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. 394 samples, representing over 55 species were analyzed. Isotope values showed considerable variability in the food web base, particularly for the kelp Laminaria solidungula. Isotopic values for most animals fit their known feeding strategies. Little spatial variation was observed in isotope values, however temporal differences were found in L. solidungula isotope values …

A Psychological Literary Critique From A Jungian Perspective Of E. M. Forster's A Passage To India., David W. Elliott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper is a psychological reading of E. M. Forster's A Pasage to India. It uses the psychological theories of C. G. Jung and the methodological postulates of Jungian literary critic, Terence Dawson, to examine the psychological implications of the text, especially in relation to the novel's characters. Attention is given to biographical material related to Forster, particularly his homosexuality, that is important for understanding the psychological implications of the text as well as Forster's art. The paper concludes that the Marabar Caves is the the central psychological symbol of the narrative, representing what Jung calls the collective unconscious. Both …

Evaluating Alternative Methodologies To Teaching Reading To Sixth-Grade Students And The Association With Student Achievement., Susan Carol Salyer Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if an association exists between reading methodologies and reading achievement as measured by the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) for sixth-grade students. The four reading methodology groups were: developmental reading, literature-based reading, Accelerated Reader program, and Accelerated Reader program with vocabulary study. The sample included 236 students in one middle school located in Northeast Tennessee during the 2004-2005 school year. Comparisons were made using TCAP criterion-referenced test reading/language arts scores, TCAP proficiency levels for content, meaning, and vocabulary categories for 2005, and pretest and posttest scores on the student assessment of reading. …

Leadership Styles Of Entrepreneurs In Small Land Surveying Businesses., Jerry Wayne Nave

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to analyze the leadership styles of owners of small land surveying businesses in the states of Tennessee and Virginia to determine what leadership style was currently being employed by the majority of those owners. The participants in this study were chosen from members of the Virginia Association of Surveyors and the Tennessee Association of Professional Surveyors. The respondents to the questionnaire were licensed land surveyors who owned small firms of fewer than 101 employees. In addition, a corollary purpose was to flesh out the skeletal literature available on small business leadership styles and …

Telling The Stars: A Quantitative Approach To Assessing The Use Of Folk Tales In Science Education., Margaret B. Meyers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the impact of paired folk tales and science explanations on students in third through sixth grades who viewed program modules from the SkyTeller Project of Lynn Moroney and the Lunar and Planetary Institute of Houston, Texas. The audience consisted of over 3500 students in eight locations in the United States. Because few quantitative studies have been conducted to examine the use of stories in science education, the development of an instrument to assess students' attitudes toward science and stories forms a major part of this research. During the final stage of testing, the revised instrument and methods …

A Profile Of Strength And Conditioning Coaches At National Collegiate Athletic Association Division Ii And Iii Member Institutions., Leonard Haggerty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to compile demographic characteristics, educational backgrounds, coaching experiences, and duties of strength and conditioning (STC) coaches at NCAA Division II and III institutions, and compare the profile of Division II and III STC coaches to the Martinez (2004) study of Division I-A STC coaches. NCAA Division II and Division III athletic personnel (N=578) received an electronic survey for this study. The return rate from Division II and Division III STC coaches were as follows: Division II, 23 responses (n=175), Division III, 34 responses (n=403). Descriptive statistics were used …

Physical Controls Of Nitrogen Supply In Early Successional Riparian Ecosystems Along The Tanana River, Alaska, Nicholas J. Lisuzzo

Biological Sciences

Accumulation of nitrogen in the early successional vegetation on the Tanana River floodplain cannot be explained by conventional measurements of soil nitrogen dynamics. This study examined these riparian areas and the effect on nitrogen cycling created by interactions among the aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Two hypotheses were tested; one centered on hydrologic, and one on atmospheric, mechanisms of nitrogen supply. We experimentally tested contributions of nitrogen from the hyporheic zone by measuring nitrogen-flux in the presence and absence of moving water. We then characterized hydrologic properties and ground-water chemistry along three ground-water well transects. In addition, we conducted a …

A Comparison Of The Perceptions Between Novice And Veteran Teachers About The Teaching Profession In Elementary And Middle Schools In Sevier County, Tennessee., Julie Oliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers all over the country are leaving the profession at an alarming rate and by understanding the attitudes and perceptions of both first- and second-career teachers as well as novice and veteran teachers on various areas of teaching, we can begin to identify better and more specific ways to mentor and support all teachers regardless of their age, stage, and life experiences when they enter the profession.

The population of the study was limited to 677 kindergarten- through eighth-grade teachers in Sevier County, Tennessee.

The study revealed that whether a teacher is novice, veteran, first-career, or second-career, there is no …

Sullivan County K-12 Administrators' Perceptions And Attitudes Regarding Harassment And The Associated Legal Liability., Janie Weaver Stapleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

All students should be guaranteed a learning environment that is free from all forms of harassment that negatively affect the school climate as well as the learning environment.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceptions and attitudes of Sullivan County, Tennessee, K-12 administrators regarding harassment and the associated legal liability. The study also ascertained the attitudes of the administrators pertaining to various forms of student-to-student harassment in their schools, collected data regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of mandated anti-harassment measures, and examined administrators' attitudes toward the need for more harassment-avoidance training.

The research design was …

The Perceived Effects Of The Rapid Rise Of Hispanic English Limited Language Learners On The School Systems Of Northeast Tennessee., Dwayne Phillip Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the rapid rise of the number of ELL/ Hispanic learners who are enrolling in the public school systems of Northeast Tennessee. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect that the rapid rise of ELL/Hispanic learners was having on these school systems.

The approach to the study was a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected from respondents using a survey instrument that included both Likert-type responses and short answer questions. The population of this study were the 132 building-level principals of the 17 public school districts located in the First Congressional District of Northeast Tennessee. There …

Indefinite Ethnicity In Fact And Fiction: "Invisible Color" Or "Honkified Meanderings"?, Anita Louise Hughes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Passing, both standard and reverse, is the process of changing ethnicity. The methodology of reverse passing varies, but claiming "no color" is ineffective in fact and fiction as can be seen in James McBride's The Color of Water, Shirlee Taylor Haizlip's The Sweeter the Juice, Danzy Senna's Caucasia, and Rosellen Brown's Half a Heart. The characters in these texts attempt indefinite ethnicity by denying color and are prone to restlessness and failure until they accept racial duality.

The Impact Of Participation In The Johnson City, Tn Citizen's Police Academy., Angela Elkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Citizen's Police Academy allows citizens to attend the police academy to learn more about police departments and police work. While increasing in popularity, very little research has focused on participant impact. This study examines the impact of the Johnson City CPA on participants' attitudes and beliefs about police work. Surveys were analyzed to discover differences in age, education levels, gender and prior interest in police work concerning satisfaction, importance of training, and behavior change. Older respondents reported the most benefit from participation, while younger respondents were more likely to change their behaviors. Those with mid level educations gained the …

Thermokarst Evolution And Sediment Transport Study In The Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed, Alaska, Prathap Kodial

Engineering

The role of sediment transport processes in the development and evolution of cryogenic features like thermo karsts have been overlooked by researchers. The current study is an attempt to better understand sediment transport and associated processes underlying the rapid growth of a thermokarst located in the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed. Within a short span of two warm summers, the study area has progressed from a hummocky terrain to a well incised channel configuration. Suspended sediment concentration and discharge analyses indicate high sediment flow following precipitation events, which play a major part in the sediment transport process. Mass sediment flows due …

Education And Integration: Partnering The Community With Adults With Developmental Disabilities For St. Madeline Sophia's Center, Patty Cowan, Kelly Mitchell, Wendy Morris, Ileana Ovalle

Program Design and Evaluation

Student research project for St. Madeline Sophia's Center which includes a needs assessment, program design & methodology, social marketing plan, cultural competency plan, evaluation plan and budget.