Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Effectiveness Of Dropout Prevention Practices And Their Implications For Intervention With Public School Students, Louisa Pollack

Dissertations

Schools face the dilemma of transforming both the trend of students dropping out of school and the associated negative socioeconomic outcomes into a positive path of persistence and school completion. Despite ongoing efforts of the federal and state government, as well as those of the local school districts, this problem continues to burden the educational system and society as a whole. The opinions of those with the experience of dropping out and returning to school are pertinent sources of information on educative practices that can help stem the dropout rate.

A survey was conducted to gather the opinions of students …

Emotional Maturity Of Adolescents And Adults In Ged Programs, Billy Joe Riffle

Dissertations

When discussing issues relating to students in General Educational Development (GED) Option and pre-GED programs with educators, the contention exists that it is possible to make reasonably accurate predictions on the success or failure of a student by observing a number of items. Looking at their cumulative records shows their academic and attendance history. Insight is gained by looking at their family dynamics and how they relate to adults. Much can be learned about them from their discipline reports and the nature of any infractions. One of the most intriguing aspects gained through experience and observation is the perception of …

The Relationship Between Leader Decision Making And Student Achievement At K-3 Title I And Reading First Elementary Schools, Emily Kathleen Richmond

Dissertations

This mixed methodology study investigated the relationship between administrator and teacher perceptions of leader decision making regarding five variables (reading training, reading curriculum, program evaluation, financial support, and student assessment) and student achievement (in the single content area, reading, at the 3rd grade level) in Title I K-3 schools receiving Reading First Grants (RFGs) and Title I K-3 schools not receiving RFGs, in four states (Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, and Oklahoma). Respondent data and district data regarding percentages of students achieving proficient and above on state third grade reading assessments were analyzed via Pearson Correlations, Multiple Regression Analysis, and a MANOVA. …

Older Adults And A Writing Workshop: A Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Lynn Alex

Dissertations

This study examines how older adults experience the phenomenon of participating in a writing workshop and how older adults interpret their experiences, understandings, and realities of writing. Ten older adults, ranging in age from 62 to 83 with varying degrees of experiences in writing, participated in this study. Through a semi-structured interview, each participant related his or her experience first as a writer and then as a member of a writing workshop offered through a Community Literacy Center in a mid-sized Appalachian city.

A phenomenological analysis method was used to identify and analyze themes of meaning that emerged in the …

The Effect Of A Math Emporium Course Redesign In Developmental And Introductory Mathematics Courses On Student Achievement And Students' Attitudes Toward Mathematics At A Two-Year College, Amy Renée Bishop

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of computer-based instruction on student mathematics achievement and students' attitudes toward mathematics in developmental and introductory mathematics courses, namely Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra, at a community college. The researcher also examined the relationship between attitudes and achievement. The sample consisted of 112 students, and the study was conducted during the Spring 2010 semester at a community college in south Mississippi. The participants were enrolled in one of six classes taught by the researcher. The control group consisted of three classes (one Intermediate and two College Algebra sections) …

Student Persistence In Associate Degree Nursing Programs At Mississippi Community Colleges, Kathryn Lee Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors of student persistence and attrition in addition to strategies that may help students persist in associate degree nursing programs at community colleges. Data were collected from nursing students enrolled in first-year associate degree nursing programs at participating Mississippi community colleges and analyzed using multiple regression and repeated measures ANOVAs. Tinto’s Classic Model and Bean & Metzner’s Nontraditional Model of Student Attrition were utilized in this study. This mixed methods convenience sample yielded 564 participants, and the results were as follows: environmental factors and demographic factors of student persistence were found to …

Teacher Attitude Toward Differentiated Instruction In Third Grade Language Arts, Vivian Marina Mclean

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction in third grade language arts in classrooms across a southern region of the United States. The researcher sought to answer four research questions “Does National Board Certification affect teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction,” “Does teacher education affect teacher attitude towards differentiated instruction?”, “Does teacher experience affect teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction?”, and “Does professional development affect teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction?”

The research findings supported the work of Tomlinson, McTighe, Webb, Wiggins, Vygotsky, and Gardner. Their literature served as a foundation in the identification of the variables …

The Effects Of Early Intervention On The Cognitive And Social Development Of Kindergarteners, Jennifer Foster Pope

Dissertations

Research has, for years, linked early intervention with student achievement. Students coming from an appropriate developmental preschool program are at an advantage and are readily able to face the rigor of elementary school (Campbell & Ramey, 1994). This study investigated whether there were statistically significant relationships among preschool attendance, gender, free/reduced status, and ethnicity and the cognitive development of kindergarten students as measured by AIMSweb Progress Monitoring and Response to Intervention System. This study also investigated the relationship between social skills competence and the cognitive development of kindergarten students as measured by the School-age Social and Emotional Adaptive Skills Inventory. …

Community College Department Chairs' Leadership Styles And Faculty Utilization Of Instructional Technology, Anastasia (Stacey) L. Boggs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explores the relationship between faculty utilization of instructional technology and the leadership style of mathematics and English academic department chairpersons in associate degree-granting community colleges in the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The degree to which instructional technology was utilized in teaching courses was determined through self reporting surveys answered via mail by the selected faculty and chairs in the study. The academic department chairpersons in mathematics and English departments at the selected community colleges were rated by their faculty to determine their leadership style, using the Bolman and Deal Leadership Orientations survey. The leadership styles consisted …

A Study And Performance Analysis Of Selected Art Songs By Un-Yeong Na, Min Sue Kim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Korea's history spans over 5,000 years. A rich culture of Korean arts developed through the foresight and vision of Korean nobility and the artistic "underground" during periods of occupation. Korea was exposed to Western cultural influences beginning with the arrival of American Christian missionaries in the mid-19th century and the Japanese invasion and occupation (1910-1945). During the Japanese colonial period, the Korean people were forced to accept new cultural ideas including new forms and styles of music. After the emancipation from Japan, music in Korea was already becoming settled in the Western music system. Some composers who were active during …

An Annotated Bibliography Of Music Composed By Heinz Holliger For The Oboe, Oboe D'Amore, Or English Horn, Matthew Allen Ward

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This annotated bibliography is intended to serve as a resource for those musicians seeking any compositions composed by Heinz Holliger for the oboe, oboe d'amore, or English horn for performance, pedagogical, or research-related purposes. This bibliography is a current listing of all published and unpublished compositions written for these instruments by Holliger as of March 2010. Twenty-four annotations provide information on performance-related criteria such as the year of completion, publisher, instrumentation, movements and titles, text and translation, available historical information, timing, difficulty, range, and extended techniques. Also included is a description and discussion of all the extended techniques that appear …

Measured And Estimated Ground Reaction Forces For Multi-Segment Foot Models, Dustin A. Bruening, Kevin M. Cooney, Frank L. Buczek

Faculty Publications

Accurate measurement of ground reaction forces under discrete areas of the foot is important in the development of more advanced foot models, which can improve our understanding of foot and ankle function. To overcome current equipment limitations, a few investigators have proposed combining a pressure mat with a single force platform and using a proportionality assumption to estimate subarea shear forces and free moments. In this study, two adjacent force platforms were used to evaluate the accuracy of the proportionality assumption on a three segment foot model during normal gait. Seventeen right feet were tested using a targeted walking approach, …

Bridging The Gap: Self-Directed Staff Technology Training, Quinn Galbraith, Kayla L. Quinney, Sara D. Smith

Faculty Publications

Undergraduates, as members of the Millennial Generation, are proficient in Web 2.0 technology and expect to apply these technologies to their coursework—including scholarly research. To remain relevant, academic libraries need to provide the technology that student patrons expect, and academic librarians need to learn and use these technologies themselves. Because leaders at the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University (HBLL) perceived a gap in technology use between students and their staff and faculty, they developed and implemented the Technology Challenge, a self-directed technology training program that rewarded employees for exploring technology daily. The purpose of this paper is …

Spectator 2010-12-01, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

A New Life For The Care Plan?, Laura K. Heermann Langford, Ann Tinker, Marc-Aurel Martial

Faculty Publications

The current hot topic within clinical informatics is meaningful use and incentive payments defined under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act's electronic health record (EHR) incentive program. This recent legislation calls for healthcare providers to meet a set of minimum requirements using a certified EHR. The point of this government program is to support the widespread adoption of the EHR. The program lays out an overall plan that incentivizes hospitals and providers to implement, adopt, and "meaningfully" use an EHR. The incentive program starts with basic data entry and exchange in a standardized manner, with …

How To Develop A Model For Writing A Biblical Conclusion To Improve The Effectiveness Of Preaching For Korean Pastors, Minseog Roh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to help Korean preachers to make biblical and effective conclusions to improve the effectiveness of their sermons. This dissertation was performed on the basis of literature reviews, studies on the principles of the sermon conclusion, studies of various types of sermon conclusions, and analyses of types of conclusions of four representative Korean preachers: Dongwon Lee, Sunhee Gwahk, Hanhum Ohk, and Byeonguhk Jeon. This dissertation also provides practical guides to Korean pastors who want to improve their sermon conclusions in order to write various types of sermon conclusions.

Review: Hokkeji And The Reemergence Of Female Monastic Orders In Premodern Japan, James C. Dobbins

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Medieval Feminist Forum, V.46 No.2 2010

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Queen’S Gold And Intercession: The Case Of Eleanor Of Aquitaine, Kristen Geaman

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Malory's Morgan Le Fay: The Danger Of Unrestrained Feminine Power, Marylynn Saul

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

The medieval fear of witches (who were perceived as primarily women) contradicts the idea of female powerlessness. Since medieval society believed powerful women were unnatural, and if they did have power would use it to the detriment of men, medieval witchcraft theories, such as presented in the Malleus Maleficarum, employed various rationales to deny the possibility that witches could alter God’s creation. That it was possible for women to have power could not be denied since a few medieval women did acquire power, including political power. The intensity of the denials of female power and the often convoluted rationales employed …

Texts And Traditions Of Medieval Pastoral Care: Essays In Honour Of Bella Millett. Edited By Cate Gunn And Catherine Innes-Parker. York: York Medieval Press, 2009., Cynthia Ho

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Nurse-Patient Language Barrier On Patients' Satisfaction, Ali M. Al-Khathami, Sulieman W. Kojan, Mohammed A. Aljumah, Hussein Alqahtani, Hind Alrwaili

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To study Saudi patients9 perception of nursing care delivered by non-Arabic speaking nurses (NASNs). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected patients admitted to King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the summer of 2009. We conducted structured face-to-face interviews, and the Institutional Review Board approved the study. RESULTS: We interviewed 116 patients with a 100% response rate. The mean age was 48 years and 47% were men. Half was illiterate or had a low level of education. Eighty percent was served by NASNs. Most believed that the Arabic language is important to provide high quality of care. …

Regulatory Focus, Regulatory Fit, And The Search And Consideration Of Choice Alternatives, Michel Tuan Pham, Hannah H. Chang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This research investigates the effects of regulatory focus on alternative search and consideration set formation in consumer decision making. Results from three experiments yield two primary findings. First, promotion-focused consumers tend to search for alternatives at a more global level, whereas prevention-focused consumers tend to search for alternatives at a more local level. Second, promotionfocused consumers tend to have larger consideration sets than do preventionfocused consumers. Building on these two primary findings, it is additionally shown that whereas promotion-focused consumers attach relatively greater value to options chosen from hierarchically structured sets, prevention-focused consumers attach relatively greater value to options chosen …

The Effects Of Action, Normality, And Decision Carefulness On Anticipated Regret: Evidence For A Broad Mediating Role Of Decision Justifiability., Jochen Reb, Terry Connolly

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Two distinct theoretical views explain the effects of action/inaction and social normality on anticipated regret. Norm theory (Kahneman & Miller, 1986) emphasises the role of decision mutability, the ease with which one can imagine having made a different choice. Decision justification theory (Connolly & Zeelenberg, 2002) highlights the role of decision justifiability, the perception that the choice was made on a defensible basis, supported by convincing arguments or using a thoughtful, comprehensive decision process. The present paper tests several contrasting predictions from the two theoretical approaches in a series of four studies. Study 1 replicated earlier findings showing greater anticipated …

Quantitative Template For Subtyping Primary Progressive Aphasia, Marsel Mesulam, Christina Wieneke, Emily Rogalski, Derin J. Cobia, Cynthia Thompson, Sandra Weintraub

Faculty Publications

Objective—To provide a quantitative algorithm for classifying primary progressive aphasia (PPA) into agrammatic (PPA-G), semantic (PPA-S) and logopenic (PPA-L) variants, each of which is known to have a different probability of association with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) versus frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).

Design—Prospectively and consecutively enrolled 16 PPA patients tested with neuropsychological instruments and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Setting—University medical center. Participants—PPA patients recruited nationally in the USA as part of a longitudinal study.

Results—A two-dimensional template, reflecting performance on tests of syntax (Northwestern Anagram Test) and lexical semantics (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test), classified all 16 patients in concordance with a …

Religion In The Abortion Discourse In Singapore: A Case Study Of The Relevance Of Religious Arguments In Law-Making In Multi-Religious Democracies, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The article discusses the social issue on religion in the abortion discourse in Singapore. It mentions the relevance of religious arguments in law-making in multi-religious democracies. It notes that laws on abortion vary across different jurisdictions, like prohibiting abortion under all circumstances to freely allowing it without restriction as to reason.

Two Contrasting Approaches In The Interpretation Of Outdated Statutory Provisions, Yihan Goh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Some statutes in operation today were passed a long time ago. Inevitably, through the passage of time, social norms at the time of enactment may now be unrecognizable. Two recent cases show contrasting approaches towards the interpretation of outdated statutory provisions. The first approach is seen in the Singapore High Court case of WX v.WW. That case concerned the interpretation of section 114 of the Evidence Act, a decidedly ancient statutory provision. The second approach was adopted by the Singapore Court of Appeal in AAG v. Estate of AAH, deceased. In that case, the Court of Appeal had to interpret …

Reading Your Counterpart: The Benefit Of Emotion Recognition Accuracy For Effectiveness In Negotiation, Hillary Anger Elferbein, Maw Der Foo, Judith White, Hwee Hoon Tan, Voon Chuan Aik

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Using meta-analysis, we find a consistent positive correlation between emotion recognition accuracy (ERA) and goal-oriented performance. However, this existing research relies primarily on subjective perceptions of performance. The current study tested the impact of ERA on objective performance in a mixed-motive buyer-seller negotiation exercise. Greater recognition of posed facial expressions predicted better objective outcomes for participants from Singapore playing the role of seller, both in terms of creating value and claiming a greater share for themselves. The present study is distinct from past research on the effects of individual differences on negotiation outcomes in that it uses a performance-based test …

African American/Black Undergraduate Students: Perceptions Of Their Experiences Attending An Upper Midwest University, Deola Y. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the perceptions held by African American/"black" undergraduate students of their experiences attending a predominately white institution (PWI) of higher education in the Upper Midwest. Participants consisted of a sample of six African American/black juniors during the 2009–2010 academic school year. Social Identity Development Theory and Critical Race Theory were used as a guide in designing interview questions. Participants were interviewed and the audio recorded interviews were transcribed and then analyzed for codes, categories, and themes.

Four themes emerged from analysis of the data. Theme One: When students were …

Job Satisfaction Among Minnesota High School Principals, Steven Duwayne Heyd

Theses and Dissertations

It has been reported the demands of the high school principalship in the United States has deterred qualified candidates from accepting the position. The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of job satisfaction among Minnesota high school principals within a potentially dwindling supply of qualified candidates as reported in other studies.

Data were gathered fall 2010 using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) short-form to answer the following research questions: 1. What is the level of intrinsic job satisfaction, extrinsic job satisfaction, and general job satisfaction among current Minnesota high school principals; 2. What is the relationship, as perceived …