Digital Commons Network^™

Mathematics Content Knowledge, Anxiety, And Efficacy Among Traditional And Alternative Certification Elementary School Teachers, Brian R. Evans

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

The purpose of this study was to understand mathematical content knowledge, anxiety, and efficacy for mathematics elementary school traditional and alternative certification preservice and in-service teachers. The teachers in this study were given mathematics content examinations and mathematics anxiety and efficacy questionnaires in reform-based mathematics methods. Additionally, teachers were required to keep reflective teaching and learning journals throughout the semester. It was found that there were increases in content knowledge and efficacy, but not anxiety levels, over the course of the semester. There were no differences between traditional and alternative certification teachers in content knowledge, anxiety, and efficacy.

Inquiry-Based Instruction: Cultivating Analytical Habits Of Mind, Kimberly A. Laliberte

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

Global competitiveness challenges regarding 21^st century workforce skills in STEM-based careers have increased. Strategic interventions for the K-12 educational system are imperative for post-secondary opportunities. This mixed method sequential explanatory, quantitatively dominant study will survey N=300 teachers from urban, suburban and rural RI schools to assess frequency and level of inquiry related to Webb’s depth of knowledge and teacher inquiry self-efficacy. Descriptive and inferential statistics t-test and ANOVA) will be used to analyze the survey responses and teacher demographic data. Three follow-up focus groups will illuminate teacher self-efficacy regarding inquiry. Findings will be of interest to varied …

Parental Education Level Predicts Differences Between High And Low Performing States, Stuart E. Smith, Carla M. Narrett

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

This study examined the correlation between the percentage of college graduate parents of eight-grade students and NAEP reading and math scores for fifty states for 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011. For reading, the five correlations were .74, .74, .74, .72, and .77. For math, the five correlations were .74, .70, .70, .74, and .72. Similar analyses were conducted with large city (TUDA) districts. The evidence of the past eight years supports the conclusion that the state NAEP Reading and Math scores change very little year to year. Thus, state rankings have changed very little over the past eight years. …

Validation Of The Secondary School Admission Test (Ssat) Using Gpa, Psat, And Sat Scores, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

Independent schools use Secondary School Admission Test scores in grade 9 admissions decisions. Six validity research questions examined the relationship of SSAT scores to end of grade 9 GPA, grade 11 PSAT scores, and grade 12 SAT scores. Correlations and multiple regression were used. Strong support was found for the validity of SSAT scores (p

Closing The Gender Gap: Increasing Confidence For Teaching Mathematics, Gavrielle Levine

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

National emphasis on STEM education highlights the need to reduce mathematics anxiety and increase confidence for teaching mathematics among elementary level teachers. Most elementary school teachers are female, and are responsible for introducing foundational mathematics concepts and attitudes to developing minds. Female teachers’ higher levels of mathematics anxiety (when compared with male teachers) have detrimental effects on student learning. In this study, pre-service elementary teachers enrolled in mathematics education courses increased their confidence for teaching mathematics and reduced their mathematics anxiety. At the beginning of the course, males were more confident than were females. At the conclusion of the course, …

The Effects Of English Language Arts Instruction Using Multimedia Applications On Grade Three Students’ Reading Comprehension, Attitude Toward Computers, And Attitude Toward School, Mathew Swerdloff, Karen Burke

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of targeted English Language Arts instruction using multimedia applications. Reading comprehension, attitude toward computers, and attitude toward school were measured. The study examined the perceptions, of selected students, of the use of these multimedia applications. A MANOVA revealed that students who participated in the treatment group and received English Language Arts instruction using multimedia applications scored significantly higher than students in the control group. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed three themes that recurred throughout the five interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated, and implications for researchers were discussed.

Perceptions Of Graduate Deans And Graduate Students About Career Knowledge And Opportunities, Cathy Wendler

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

Little is known about what graduate students know about career options or how they gain this knowledge. In this study we examined responses of graduate deans and graduate students regarding the level of knowledge students have about career options before, during, and following graduate school.Results indicate that, in general, graduate deans believe students have limited knowledge of career options. Students report that they receive insufficient, unhelpful, and inaccurate information about possible careers. In addition, the source of career information and types of careers encouraged by faculty are somewhat different depending upon students’ gender, race/ethnicity, and field of study.

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Persistence In Adult Remedial Education, Carol Holmquist, Robert K. Gable, Felice D. Billups

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

Persistence in remediation as preparation for higher education continues at less than 50%. Self-efficacy may be a barrier to successful academic preparation. This study at a non-profit adult education site examined a relationship between general self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy and persistence. The survey data (N=75) indicated there was no significant correlation between the demographic characteristics and general self-efficacy, academic confidence, motivation, or persistence, but there was a significant correlation between general self-efficacy and academic confidence (r=.56, r2=.32, p

Universal Design For Learning In Postsecondary Settings: One Faculty Member’S Journey Toward Making Learning Accessible For All Students, Diana J. Larocco, Deanne Anderson, Maryjo Archambault

NERA Conference Proceedings 2013

This paper presents a description of a project designed to field test a research-developed faculty development series on embedding Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2011) into curriculum, instruction, and assessment. A description of Goodwin College, where the project was enacted, is presented. Goodwin is a four-year private not-for-profit postsecondary institution with an open admissions process and is similar in many ways to Connecticut’s community colleges. Highlights from and reflections on the journey of translating knowledge and skills gained are offered as examples of how professional development in universal design can affect faculty practice.

The Possibility Of Computer Modeling Language Change, Jonathan Mccollum, Dr. David Bowie

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Language is an ever changing method of communication. Linguists, in their systematic studies of languages, attempt to explain the changes that modify and sometimes eliminate languages altogether. Much research has been employed to discover the methods that keep language continually evolving.

Arguments Concerning Photon Concepts, John Byron Manchak, Dr. David Grandy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

G. N. Lewis coined the word ‘photon’ in 1926 to describe what he thought was a particle that transmitted radiation from one atom to another.1 The word ‘photon’ caught on and eventually became the name for the smallest measurable bit of light. Developments in physics since that time, however, have suggested that it is “no longer straightforward to explain what is meant by a photon.”2 Select physicists now disregard the traditional view that photons are “bullets”3 of light. Others have argued against another conception of light that is based on the ideas of waves not unlike those found on a …

Gsrs Event Program Booklet 2013, Office Of Research

Graduate Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Gsrs 2013 Award Winners, Office Of Research

Graduate Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Character Education And Parental Involvement: Impact On Academic Achievement, Katie Hood

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine (a) if a positive correlation exists between character education and academic achievement in three New Jersey public elementary schools and (b) if a positive correlation exists between parental involvement and academic achievement in the same three schools. NJ ASK data supported the notions that character education and parental involvement related to academic achievement. A content analysis of two documents about each school provided the researcher with the level to which each school promoted character education and parental involvement. Interviews with public school administrators and staff discussed the relationships that exist among these three factors …

The Impact Of The Positive Action Program On Fourth-Grade Student Achievement And Behavior, Jennifer Mccoy

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Jennifer McCoy on October 25, 2013.

Agenda And Minutes, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg General Education Committee Meeting, October 25, 2013, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg. Faculty Senate. General Education Committee

USF St. Petersburg General Education Committee Meetings

Agenda and minutes from the October 25, 2013, meeting of the General Education Committee of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's Faculty Senate.

Simulation Of Electromagnetic Waves In The Magnetized Cold Plasma By A Dgfetd Method, Ping Li, Li (Lijun) Jun Jiang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The properties of electromagnetic waves propagating in magnetized plasma slabs and scattering from plasma coated spheres are investigated using the discontinuous Galerkin finite-element time-domain (DGFETD) method. The magnetized plasma is a kind of gyroelectric anisotropic dispersive medium. This anisotropy must be described by an electric permittivity tensor with both nonzero diagonal and off-diagonal elements. Instead of doing the convolution directly in the time domain, an auxiliary differential equations (ADE) method is employed to represent the constitutive relation. The algorithm is validated by studying the transmission characteristics via electron-composed plasma slabs and radar cross section (RCS) of plasma-coated spheres. All numerical …

Engaging Stakeholders In Ecosystem Service Assessment Under Climate Change And Urban Development Scenarios, Heejun Chang, David E. Ervin, Wes Hoyer, Mike Psaris, Ken Lyons, Emily D. Dietrich, Samantha Hamlin, John Lambrinos, Tammy Winfield, Bobby Cochran

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on how scientists can engage stakeholders in ecosystem service assessment.

Getting Salmon Back In Salmon Creek: Systematizing Comparative Water Quality Analysis For Targeted Restoration, Zbigniew J. Grabowski, Sarah Janjua, Michael Swamer, Heejun Chang, Eric Watson

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on water quality restoration efforts in Salmon Creek

Emerging Contaminants In Oregon Coastal Waters: Hotspots, Landscape Drivers And Synergistic Effects On Bivalves, Elise F. Granek, William Fish, Angela L. Strecker

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the following research questions:

• Types and levels of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in Oregon’s coastal ocean?
• Levels of CECs in native and commercial oysters?
• Ecological effects (growth, reproductive output, etc.) of these contaminants in marine bivalves?

The Eugene Water And Electric Board’S Mckenzie River Payment For Watershed Services Program: Research Findings On Ratepayers, Landowners, And Local Stakeholders, Max Nielsen-Pincus

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the following research objectives:

• How much are ratepayers willing to pay and what effects that willingness?
• How much do landowners need to receive and what affects their interest?

Effects Of Water Development On Arid Land Freshwater Ecosystems, Angela L. Strecker

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the Columbia Basin Project

Partial Trapeziectomy With Local Capsular Interposition Vs. Total Trapeziectomy: A Cadaveric Biomechanical Study, Deana Mercer, Christina Salas, Moheb Moneim

Hand and Wrist

No abstract provided.

The Emerging Role Of Women In The New Executive Workforce, Emma Morris

Journal of Executive Education

No abstract is currently available.

Executive Education: Mired In A Leadership Theory Jungle, William R. Mcnay

Journal of Executive Education

The purpose of this paper is to briefly scan the intent and content of executive education in the twentieth century, identify the major changes that took place in the business world in the 1970s, and describe their impact on the work of executives in the highly competitive, turbulent environment of the new century. The thesis of this paper is that executive education is being impacted by a “leadership theory jungle”, resulting in confusion as to the right content and context of leadership and how to teach it.

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 4 Issue 8, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Chanticleer | October 24, 2013, Jacksonville State University

Chanticleer

No abstract provided.

The Santa Clara, 2013-10-24, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

2013 Open Access Week Free Resource List, Rebel Cummings-Sauls

Digital Commons @ USF Publications

Provided here is a free list of open access resources. Feel free to use and distribute.

If you do not find the resource you are looking for or have a suggestion for one that we should add, please contact the administrator with your suggestion.

Localization And Dynamics Of Myosin Vb In Mammalian Cells, Eun-Ji Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

The myosin superfamily is a large and diverse family of proteins that are capable of binding to actin filaments and generating mechanical forces by hydrolyzing ATP. Myosins perform a diverse set of functions in cell, including endocytosis, exocytosis, movement of pigment granules or mRNA, and cell motility. More specifically, Class-V myosins are a group of barbed-end directed motors that have been implicated in organelle transport. For example, in vitro motility assays suggest that myosin Va is a processive motor with a step size of 36 nm and moves at the speed of 0.6 µm/sec, which is consistent with a functional …