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An Exploratory Study Of Principals' And Teachers' Perceptions Of School Work Conditions In Sinclair County, Georgia, Veronica Lawrence

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated principals’ (n = 16) and teachers’ (n = 362) perceptions of five work conditions domains: Professional Development, Facilities and Resources, Leadership, Empowerment, and Use of Time. This quantitative study used two instruments: principal work conditions survey and teacher work conditions survey to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a factorial analysis of variance. Findings revealed observed differences in principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of school work conditions. The factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed statistically significant differences for domain scores of Facilities and Resources, Leadership, and Empowerment by type of school. No significant differences …

Social Emotional Competence And Teacher Stress, Leslie Carole Forcina

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Teacher stress and continuing high attrition rates for the teaching profession have significant multiple impacts, although arguably the most important is student achievement. Research indicates that as teacher stress increases to high levels, teacher effectiveness decreases. Attempts to reduce stress have historically focused on organizational or systemic change with minimal success. There remains a clear and distinct call to pursue individual factors that may influence teachers’ abilities to moderate stress. Social emotional competence (SEC) is a set of skills that allows individuals to understand themselves, their emotions, the social context as well as relationships and decision making. Existing research has …

Curriculum Circus: Juggling Curriculum, Science, And The Arts, Domenica Devine

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Education should open the door to better lives and better jobs. The fact is that it does not. In part, there are many causes including rigidity, political interference, and the separation between disciplines that we teach without context and without dialogue with our students. Specifically, I think that we should use education as a way to help students make better choices and have a better life. One way we can do it is by reconciling science with the other disciplines. And that is what is at the heart of curriculum studies.

There is a pervasive belief that the Western ideology …

Factors Associated With Adult Literacy Student Outcomes In Campus-Based Versus Community-Based Programs, Charles Hall

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) formally trains over 100,000 adult literacy students each year free of charge at a variety of campus-based and community-based programs located at community centers, churches, libraries, or businesses. A common, yet unproven, assumption among senior administrators and adult literacy faculty members at TCSG colleges is that adults who attend literacy classes embedded in the traditional college campus environment have better academic outcomes than those who attend only community-based programs. However, a gap currently exists in the literature with respect to a clear understanding of which student outcome variables are impacted when …

Relationship Of Select Admissions Criteria To Pre-Licensure Requirements In A Graduate Degree Program In Occupational Therapy, Sharon Delaney Swift

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the profession of occupational therapy continues to become widely recognized as a top career choice, the number of applications to occupational therapy educational programs continues to rise. To date there has been little research regarding the admission process and the admission variables used to select candidates for admission. Healthcare professions such as occupational therapy must reliably select those applicants who can succeed in the academic classroom and in the clinical setting by providing competent compassionate patient care.

This study sought to examine whether select cognitive and non-cognitive admission variables could be used to predict graduate performance on pre-licensure requirements …

Evaluating Relationships Between Mercury Concentrations In Air And In Spanish Moss (Tillandsia Usneoides L.), Kathryn T. Sutton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that is transported globally in vapor form. A major source of mercury contamination to soil, water, and biota is atmospheric deposition. Therefore, comprehensive monitoring of atmospheric concentrations is important. Limitations of conventional atmospheric measurement techniques include high cost and lack of temporal or spatial integration. Bioindicators, however, may serve as an integrative tool to add to conventional mercury measurement techniques. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides L.) is a potential bioindicator of atmospheric mercury concentration in the southeastern United States because it is an abundant epiphyte that absorbs and accumulates atmospheric pollutants. A study was conducted in …

The Influence Of Federally Qualified Health Centers On Selected Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions In Georgia, Mary W. King Mathis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's Abstract: Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) resulting in hospitalizations make up a substantial proportion of health care costs, but should not because these conditions are manageable in quality primary care settings that promote prevention in an effort to avoid exacerbations that can lead to hospitalization. The use of emergency departments (EDs) as a safety net for ACSCs has increased the burden on hospitals because patients who do not regularly utilize primary care often resort to the use of EDs for treatment of ACSCs. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are designed to provide consistent, high-quality primary care to all people, …

"...Bless Her Little Heart!": The Culture Of Honor And Emotion Recognition, Forrest J. Rackham

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: Some researchers assert that cultural display rules may explain differences in perceiving emotions (Matsumoto, Yoo, & Chung, 2010). The current study examined the display rule of masking within the Southern culture of honor. It was hypothesized that masking within the culture of honor negatively affects emotion perception sensitivity, particularly in the speed and accuracy of recognizing anger. Southern undergraduate students were primed with the culture of honor and then presented with the Emotional Expression Multimorph Task. Participants chose one of the six emotions (i.e., sad, happy, surprise, fear, disgust, or anger). It was hypothesized participants in the masking …

Empowering Students With Autism: An Investigation Of School Practices Through The Lens Of The Special Education Administrator, Jenny Rebecca Mcclintic

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: This qualitative study explored the perspectives of special education administrators employed in three school districts in Georgia regarding the empowerment of students with autism spectrum disorders. Participants were first given a screening survey and later interviewed via telephone in reference to empowering practices present in their individual districts. Participants were given the options to be included in the telephone survey. This study draws on the research from the National Research Council's findings published in as Educating Children with Autism (2001) and other leaders in the field of educational interventions. This study provides an analysis of their responses and …

Effect Of Honey On Anaerobic Performance In Male Collegiate Soccer Players, Katelyn G. Woolfolk

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: Carbohydrate supplementation has been associated with increased performance in aerobic and anaerobic activity. Honey, specifically, has shown to increase performance in aerobic exercise as well as provide other health benefits. The purpose of this study was to see if honey, a natural substance, has a positive effect on anaerobic performance, rates of perceived exertion, and gastrointestinal distress. Subjects consisted of 18 healthy, Division 1 collegiate male soccer players (19.39 ± 0.85 yr, 75.39 ± 7.97 kg). All had no allergies and were cleared for participation by a certified athletic trainer. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three …

Parent Perceptions Of The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship, Charity C. Roberts

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: The purpose of this study was to understand both contributors and barriers to use of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10). Although SB10 was designed to offer parental choice of schools for students with disabilities, it has diminished the capacity of parents to access due process granted through IDEA. Perspectives in this study were provided by parents who chose to rescind their child's participation in the voucher program and parents who continued to access the voucher. Analysis of the lived experiences of parents of students with disabilities in Georgia revealed both similar and diverse experiences, perceptions and concerns …