Digital Commons Network^™

A Case Study Of Governance Of Higher Education In Belize: Implications For Finance And Curricula In Higher Education, Olda R. Hoare

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to understand governance of higher education in the developing country of Belize by examining how governance affects financial and curricular decision-making in higher education in Belize. The study also examined the role of the market in higher education and its effects on curricular and financial decision-making in higher education. Data were collected from higher education administrators and Ministry of Education officials through semi-structured interviews, and from review of institutional and public documents related to higher education. A major finding of this study is that although the Ministry of Education through the Tertiary and …

High-Stakes Testing In Florida: Media Portrayals And Parental Realities, Jennifer Gilroy Hunsecker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1998, Florida implemented a system of standardized testing known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). While initially designed as one among many tools to assess student and school progress, the FCAT has become a high-stakes test. Schools whose students fail to meet certain benchmarks are in danger of losing their students to "school choice plans" (which enable parents of children attending failing schools to choose another, more highly rated school) while parents must contend with ever broadening educational policies. The implications of this policy have been far reaching. Textbook makers now market individualized textbooks that teach FCAT content, …

Virtue And Inquiry, Knowledge And Ignorance: Lessons From The Theaetetus, Jennifer F. Ingle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plato's dialogues are set in fifth century Athens but they are performed for a fourth century audience. The context of his dialogues, then is wider perhaps than other philosophers and because of the difference in periods, it is clear that it is necessary for an audience member to possess knowledge of the events of the previous generation, viz., the fifth century BCE. When its cultural context is taken into account, the Theaetetus can not be read as an attempt by Plato to establish an epistemology in the modern sense of the term. While the characters of the dialogue are searching …

Computer-Mediated Peer Response In A Level-Iv Esl Academic Writing Class: A Cultural Historical Activity Theoretical Perspective, Li Jin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Very few studies focus on how English as a second language (ESL) students' agency and their unique histories as an integral part of the social cultural environment influence his or her participation in computer-mediated peer response tasks, particularly in a multimedia-based synchronous communication environment. Considering each ESL student as an active agency with unique historical bearings, the dissertation investigated ESL students' participation in computer-mediated peer response (CMPR) tasks that used instant messenger (IM) as the communication technology between students from the cultural historical activity theoretical (CHAT) perspective, which views all human interaction as a dynamic developmental process. A case study …

The Turn Of The Screw’S Debated Phantasms: The Role Of The Fantastic In The Creation Of Peter Quint And Miss Jessel, Susan Savage Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When Henry James sat down to write his "amusette" as he called The Turn of the Screw (1898), he created various ambiguities in the text as a means of confusing and surprising his readers or, in other words, catching them off guard. Over a century later, the mysterious ambiance surrounding the novella has not become any clearer. While critics from Edmund Wilson to Edna Kenton have analyzed the work from a somewhat psychoanalytical perspective, stating that the ghosts of Miss Jessel and Peter Quint are merely figments of the governess's imagination, Tzvetan Todorov and Rosemary Jackson examine James's work through …

Faust In Lolita: Composing Sins, Souls, And Rhetorical Redemption, Aurora Mackey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Goethe's Faust and Nabokov's Humbert both are erudite, middle-aged European scholars who, experiencing a convergence of academic and existential ennui, set eyes upon a young girl and instantly are consumed with lust. In both works the girls' widowed mothers die as a result of the protagonists' lustful intentions; a cross-country flight ensues; the once-respected scholars are wanted for murder; and Gretchen and Lolita each suffer from their sexual and emotional objectification. But the connections between Goethe's play and Nabokov's novel extend far beyond plot points, or even their decidedly different receptions in early 19th century Germany versus mid-20th century America. …

Cogito Ergo Doceo: A Cross-Case Study Of Latin Teacher Cognition In Technology-Rich Communities Of Practice, Ramã³N Anthony Madrigal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This empirical research study investigated the phenomenon of ancient language teacher cognition in the technology-rich contexts of two secondary teachers of Latin. Although one teacher was an inexperienced teacher working in a traditional, face-to-face classroom in an independent school, the other teacher was an experienced teacher working at a public virtual school. Features of teacher cognition, such as pre-active planning and inter-active decision-making were examined from a communities-of-practice theoretical perspective (Wenger, 1998). An exploratory, sequential mixed-methods research design was implemented in this cross-case study. Among the research findings that emerged from this investigation was the notion of the expedient integration …

Moving Thumos: Emotion, Image, And The Enthymeme, Eric D. Mason

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation connects classical theories regarding the enthymeme and thumos (a Greek word commonly translated as "heart," "mind," or one's "capacity for emotion") to modern theories of images and emotion in order to reconsider the central role of visual discourse in persuasion, ideology, and subject formation. Since "enthymeme" comes from en and thymos, meaning "in heart," etymologically the enthymeme is an argument that is realized in an individual's thumos.

This dissertation thus attempts to establish the notion of thumos in rhetorical studies by developing a theory of visual enthymemes.The understanding of the enthymeme used within this dissertation works less from …

Minimally Innate Ideas, Michele Merritt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project provides a detailed examination and critique of current philosophical, linguistic, and cognitive accounts of first language acquisition. In particular, I focus on the concept of "innate" and how it is embraced, marginally utilized, or abandoned altogether in efforts to describe the way that a child comes to be a competent user of a language. A central question that naturally falls out of this general inquiry is therefore what exactly is supposed to be "innate," according to various theories? Philosophically, the theory of innate ideas put forth to explain human learning has existed for centuries and hence, this thesis …

High School Social Studies Teachers' Attitudes Towards The Inclusion Of Ell Students In Mainstream Classes, Jason L. O'Brien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of high school social studies teachers who had English Language Learners (ELL) mainstreamed in their social studies classes. In the school district in which the study took place, approximately 70% (n=240) of the high school social studies teachers had ELL students in their classrooms. For the quantitative portion of the survey, 344 surveys were given to each social studies department chairperson in the county to be completed by all the teachers who currently had ELL students in their social studies classroom. For the qualitative portion of the study, eight high …

Documenting Dylan: How The Documentary Film Functions For Bob Dylan Fans, Theodore G. Petersen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the documentary film in the relationship between the artist and the fan; specifically how Bob Dylan fans use the documentary films Dont Look Back, directed by D.A. Pennebaker, and No Direction Home, directed by Martin Scorsese. Dylan, Pennebaker, and Scorsese are three important figures in American popular culture, and these are the two most prominent films about Dylan. These films discuss relatively the same time period, yet delineate two different versions of Dylan's identity. Dont Look Back, released in 1967, documents Dylan's 1965 tour of England. Because of Pennebaker's …

Perception Of Educational Experiences By At-Risk African-American Students In An Undergraduate Teacher Education Program, Sharman Pride-Mcrae

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore individual perceptions of African-American at-risk students in an undergraduate teacher education program, specifically continuing students or community college transfer students in a four-year urban university College of Education (COE) program. Specific areas of interest included: (a) demographic characteristics profiling the study participants; (b) emotional and motivational factors as they affected the students; and (c) the personal thoughts and effect of institutional and environmental variables and administrative factors. Ten females volunteered to participate in a semi-structured interview. The 22 semi-structured interview questions were developed by the researcher. The questions captured the individual personal …

Review Of The Book : Bibliographies Of Mongolian, Manchu-Tungus, And Tibetan Dictionaries, Thomas W. Larsen

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

A review of the book Bibliographies of Mongolian, Manchu-Tungus, and Tibetan Dictionaries, compiled by Larry V. Clark, John R. Krueger, Manfred Taube, Hartmut Walravens, Michael Walter. (Orientalistik Bibliographien und Dokumentationen 20) Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. 2006. 238pp. ISBN 978-3-447-05240-5

Book Review Of A Dictionary Of Syrian Arabic : English-Arabic Edited By Karl Stowasser And Ani Moukhtar, Kristen Kern

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Review of the book, A Dictionary of Syrian Arabic: English-Arabic: English-Arabic edited by Karl Stowasser and Ani Moukhtar.

Focal Point, Volume 21 Number 01, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This Focal Point issue focuses on child traumatic stress, particularly as experienced by children involved in the child welfare system. The causes and effects of traumatic stress are discussed, as are evidence-based treatments, and prevention strategies.

Words And Worlds: Irony Makes Literary Creations, Alastair Goff

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

In this paper I take up anew the suggestion recurrent in the work of Kierkegaard and Lukács, among others, that literature is fundamentally ironic. Literary creations, I argue, are ironic because they convey the real world, even though the worldhood of this world is ineffable. In creating a world from words in a novel or poem, the author confronts his or her own skepticism about the possibilities of written expression. Literary creations are only completed when the reader is able to engage with the world of words that is constituted in the work, and to realize that what is said …

Poetics And Maieutics: Literature And Tacit Knowledge Of Emotions, Stefán Snaevarr

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

The theme of this paper is the idea that imaginative literature can disclose our tacit knowledge of emotions. It this does with the aid of such devices as metaphors and similes. The kind of insight we get thanks to the disclosive power of literature is akin to that which Kjell S. Johannessen has called 'knowledge by familiarity,' Frank Palmer 'knowing what' and Charles Taylor implicitly 'the result of articulation.' I defend the theory that at least some important emotions cannot be understood (or even exist) outside of behavioral contexts and that this understanding is mainly tacit. I try to show …

Individual Rights And Group Rights In The European Union's Approach To Minority Languages, Robert Weber

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

The Spirit Of 1968: Toward Abolishing Terry Doctrine, Frank Rudy Cooper

Scholarly Works

In this essay, Professor Frank Rudy Cooper summarizes how the Terry opinion's refusal to apply the probable cause standard made Fourth Amendment doctrine more conservative. He then suggests that the result has gone largely unchallenged because whites have been willing to trade decreases in the civil liberties of blacks for perceived increases in crime control. Prof Cooper concludes by calling on us to consider returning to the spirit of the beginning of 1968 by abolishing Terry doctrine.

Towards Nakba: The Failure Of The British Mandate Of Palestine, 1922-1939, Nicholas Ensley Mitchell

LSU Master's Theses

In 1922, with the issuance of the Churchill White Paper, the British government committed itself to assuming the responsibilities of the Balfour Declaration and create a bi-national state in the Mandated territory of Palestine. By 1939, the British, represented by the Mandatory Authority, found themselves trapped between a Palestinian-based Zionist movement, itself torn between two competing factions, and a Palestinian Arab nationalist movement whose leadership had collapsed. The internal split between Revisionist Zionism under Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Mainstream Zionism under Chaim Weizmann and, later, David Ben-Gurion prevented the British government from negotiating with a cohesive Zionist organization. The collapse of …

A Material/Conceptual Landscape Analysis Of The Virgin Of Guadalupe Pilgrimage Site In Mexico City, Mexico, Ramin David Zamanian

LSU Master's Theses

As geographers continue to research the interactions between physical landscapes and conceived or represented landscapes, the Virgin of Guadalupe pilgrimage site, a prominent site for Latin American Catholicism, provided an opportunity for further study in this area. Mexico City’s rapid expansion drastically changed the material landscape from rural to densely urban, especially since the early 1900s. With indigenous spirituality closely tied to the physical aspects of the landscape, especially those more related to the natural and rural elements, the onset of urbanity can potentially lead to alienation and consequently a decrease in pilgrimages and participation in worship at the site. …

Pagbukadkad Ng Bulaklak = Blooming Of The Flower : An Ethnographic Study Of A Friendship Group Of Same-Sex Attracted Middle-Class Young Men From Metro Manila In The Philippines, Ronald Macdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this dissertation I examine “gay” life in the Philippines by focusing on a longstanding friendship group of same-sex attracted middle-class young men living in Metro Manila who identify as bakla/gay/homosexual. I explain how dynamics of gender and sexuality including identity expression are conceptualised, articulated and negotiated through the interphase of Philippine culture, social class, economic status and the cultural appropriation and adaptation of elements of Western gay discourse and lifestyle. Ethnography was selected as the most appropriate qualitative research method because of its theoretical and philosophical “fit” with the methodological assumptions that underpin this study. A key feature in …

Cultural Acclimatisation: Foreign Students Studying In A Private Educational Institution In Singapore, Chor Khoon Chey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This Portfolio aims to examine the problems of acclimatisation and coping strategies of such foreign students. A sample of tweleve students was chosen from Chinese students studying at one private educational institution in Singapore. Drawing on the findings of Furnham (1997) and Murphy-Lejenne (2002), among others, the present study looks at the reasons why the participants decided to travel overseas, why they chose Singapore as their destination, what problems they encountered while here, and how they coped with the problems. They were also asked what specific problems they encountered with the schools they enrolled in. It is the contention of …

Academic - Practice Bridges: Implications For Lecturers When The Complexities Of Change Meets The Higher Education And Nurse Education Systems, Adrianne Jones

Theses : Honours

Government, industry, enterprises and the community expect the Vocational and Educational Training (VET) system to provide up-to-date educational programs that provide pathways from school-based learning to the higher education facilities such as universities and to employment opportunities. Reforms in the VET sector over the past ten years have had a significant impact on the work of staff employed in the area. Educators now operate in more competitive markets and face increased demands for higher quality and more relevant training programs from clients. Understanding and keeping up with the changes and working in new and more flexible ways have been major …

From Gps To Psychologists: The Patients' Perspective On Help-Seeking And Referral, Zdenka Bartova

Theses : Honours

The experience of living with psychological problems has a profound effect on an individual's life. For those actively seeking help, General Practitioners usually present the first point of contact. General Practitioners thus serve as gatekeepers who either decide to manage the individuals themselves and/or refer them to a mental health professional. The referral decision is part of a complex help-seeking process in which patients have to mediate their own understanding of their problems with that of the practitioner, all within the structural constraints of the current health care system. This literature review discusses constructs of mental illness and the impact …

In-Flight Service Recovery - What's Been Tried, What Actually Works? : An Exploratory Study, Nicole Bennett

Theses : Honours

This study explored airline service failures that occurred in-flight (during the flight) and service recovery techniques attempted within the industry. A mixed methodology was adopted so that the key issues could be identified and the respondents' feelings and motivations could be examined. A questionnaire was developed to investigate in-flight service failures and, if any, the degree of success of the service recovery attempts, as judged by the respondent. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to explore selected respondents' feelings and the motivations behind their answers. The rich data obtained is important because it gives the study more relevance and depth. This …

Teachers Experiences With Teaching Children With Learning Difficulties: A Qualitative Study, Aleesha Morton

Theses : Honours

It is estimated that 16% of Australian primary school students suffer from a learning difficulty (LD) (Rivalland, 2000). Teachers are expected to provide these students with the specialised education they need. However, teachers have reported that they face numerous challenges to provide LD students with the support needed, which may result in them experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety. These challenges include problems with identification of the specific difficulty and the most appropriate intervention programs to implement, a lack of pre service education and training, insufficient resources and funding specific to students with LD. Awareness and understanding of these …

Ethnocentrism And Attitudes To Cultural Diversity And Immigration: A Review ; Ethnocentrism And Attitudes To Cultural Diversity And Immigration In Western Australia, Sophie Mounsey

Theses : Honours

Increasing trends in immigration in the contemporary world have reaffirmed the importance of understanding intercultural relations within multifarious, plural societies. A research-based understanding of these societies is essential for their successful management. This review focuses upon how the construct of ethnocentrism and its composites are related to attitudes to immigration and diversity. Theoretical explanations of ethnocentrism and intergroup processes are provided, and ethnocentrism is discussed in relation to several precipitators and moderators of ethnocentric attitudes to immigration and diversity, including authoritarianism, social dominance, security, ethnic hierarchies, cultural distance, and social conditions. It is recommended that future research focuses on the …

Changes In A Chinese Interior Design Firm Due To The Development And Use Of A Blog-Based Reflective Practitioner Knowledge Management System Inspired By Chinese Philosophy: An Autoethnographic Case Study, Chun Kwan Law

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Dao (Way)

The Way that can be experienced is not true;

The world that can be constructed is not true.

The Way manifests all that happens and may happen;

The world represents all that exists and may exist.

To experience without intention is to sense the world:

To experience with intention is to anticipate the world.

These two experiences are indistinguishable;

Their construction differs but their effect is the same.

Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way'.

Which is ever greater and more subtle than/he world.

Lao-Tzu, TaoDeChing, tr. Peter A. Merel

This thesis is a reflective practitioner autoethnographic …

The Development Of Hybrid Intelligent Systems For Technical Analysis Based Equivolume Charting, Thira Chavarnakul

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation proposes the development of a hybrid intelligent system applied to technical analysis based equivolume charting for stock trading. A Neuro-Fuzzy based Genetic Algorithms (NF-GA) system of the Volume Adjusted Moving Average (VAMA) membership functions is introduced to evaluate the effectiveness of using a hybrid intelligent system that integrates neural networks, fuzzy logic, and genetic algorithms techniques for increasing the efficiency of technical analysis based equivolume charting for trading stocks"--Introduction, page 1.