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2015

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The Rise And Fall Of Self-Esteem: A Critical Review, Reconceptualization, And Recommendations, Tamara Shawn Levy Eromo Jan 2015

The Rise And Fall Of Self-Esteem: A Critical Review, Reconceptualization, And Recommendations, Tamara Shawn Levy Eromo

Theses and Dissertations

Self-esteem, viewed for decades as psychology’s Holy Grail, has proved to be an elusive and surprisingly barren destination. One of the oldest concepts in psychology, self-esteem likely ranks among the top three covariates occurring in personality and social psychology research. Propelled by the self-esteem movement of the 1970s, it was popularly believed that self-esteem played a significant causal role in determining a wide range of both positive and negative social behaviors. However, the results of a 2003 large-scale literature review showed that it is actually not a major predictor of almost anything, with the exception of positive feelings (happiness) and …

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Processes And Mechanisms Of Change In Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Case Study Of One Couple With Distress Over Child Rearing, Jessica S. Schachter Jan 2015

Processes And Mechanisms Of Change In Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Case Study Of One Couple With Distress Over Child Rearing, Jessica S. Schachter

Theses and Dissertations

Marital distress is common and can have a tremendous influence on an entire family. Spousal conflict related to children is known to have a particularly negative impact on both the parenting and marital relationship. A number of evidence-based therapies exist to support couples in need including integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT; Jacobson & Christensen, 1998), which focuses on emotional acceptance and behavior change as mechanisms that improve marital satisfaction. While IBCT is well documented as an effective treatment with lasting outcomes (Christensen, et al., 2004), how and why IBCT works remains less clear. The current study used qualitative methodology to …

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Resiliency Of Secondary Principals In Southern California: A Phenomenological Study, Suzanne M. Webb Jan 2015

Resiliency Of Secondary Principals In Southern California: A Phenomenological Study, Suzanne M. Webb

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was two-fold: (a) investigate the lived experiences of secondary principals with more than 5 years’ tenure in high performing public schools in Southern California as they relate to resiliency, and (b) explore their lived experiences as they relate to stress and coping. Studies show that secondary principals rarely stay at the same school site for longer than 3-5 years. Since known research on principal resiliency concerns primarily high poverty or low performing schools, a need was found to examine why secondary principals in high performing public schools stay longer than 5 years. …

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Using Music-Based Interventions With Adolescents Coping With Family Conflict Or Parental Divorce: A Resource Manual, Lori Meono Jan 2015

Using Music-Based Interventions With Adolescents Coping With Family Conflict Or Parental Divorce: A Resource Manual, Lori Meono

Theses and Dissertations

Listening to music is an activity that provides a range of physical and psychological benefits (e.g., tension relief, decreased depression) for people across cultures and age groups. Adolescents, specifically, are among the most active consumers of music, and music appears to be a natural coping strategy for this age group. Research suggests that both music and the family context play important roles during the developmental phase of adolescence. Family transitions such as divorce have become increasingly common experiences for adolescents and may have long-lasting negative effects on an adolescent's emotional well-being. However, research regarding music-based interventions for use with adolescents …

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Cultural Transparency In A Virtual Work Environment, Jason Kujanen Jan 2015

Cultural Transparency In A Virtual Work Environment, Jason Kujanen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine cultural transparency and engagement in workplaces where a majority of employees work virtually. The study was conducted with Cisco Systems, a high-technology company based in Silicon Valley, California, using an online survey and phone interviews to assess the organization’s level of cultural transparency and the factors that create an open and engaging environment. Trust was found to be a key denominator in fostering transparency and employee engagement. Virtual tools, such as instant messaging, WebEx, and telepresence, foster cultural transparency and can be powerful supports for the creation and maintenance of trust, …

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Does Professional Development In A Los Angeles Charter School Produce Teacher Leaders?, Nykia Smith Jan 2015

Does Professional Development In A Los Angeles Charter School Produce Teacher Leaders?, Nykia Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Do professional development sessions in charter schools produce teacher leaders? This is the main question examined in this study. Professional development was established to help with the leadership process and increase teachers’ capacities overall. Teacher leaders have been deemed as incredibly important to student success and school reformation. Knowing these facts, the researcher sought to probe the utility of professional development in terms of teacher leadership at a charter school whose main intent was reformation. Through a review of the literature, the defining factors for complicated matter such as professional development and teacher leadership were outlined. The literature review helped …

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Exploring The Impact Of Team Building On Group Cohesion Of A Multicultural Team, Daphne S. L. Wong Jan 2015

Exploring The Impact Of Team Building On Group Cohesion Of A Multicultural Team, Daphne S. L. Wong

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored the topic of team building for a multicultural team and investigated the impact on group cohesion. The participants were members of a work group, each of a different nationality. Review of existing literature revealed a list of team building elements most suited for the multicultural context. A team building program incorporating those elements and customized for the participant group was designed and implemented. Pre and post survey data showed no significant difference in group cohesion, although there was a slight increase in the score for task cohesion. Qualitative interview data, however, suggested a positive impact on group …

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Exploring Themes Of Moral Injury And Resilience Among Women In A Transitional Living Center, Kristen A. Otte Jan 2015

Exploring Themes Of Moral Injury And Resilience Among Women In A Transitional Living Center, Kristen A. Otte

Theses and Dissertations

Moral injury is a construct that has primarily been studied in war veterans, police officers, and military nurses. It involves a change in an individual's expectations about their own or another's behavior in the face of events involving a violation of their beliefs about themselves, observation of unethical behavior by others, and/or witnessing human suffering that violates beliefs in the goodness of humanity. Research indicates that moral injury involves at least five major themes: betrayal and trust issues; social problems; spiritual/existential issues; psychological symptoms; and self-deprecation. Moral injury represents an important, emerging area of study that may facilitate a better …

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The Implications Of Moral Injury Among African American Females With A History Of Substance Abuse: A Preliminary Study, Jaimee Silvera Hartman Jan 2015

The Implications Of Moral Injury Among African American Females With A History Of Substance Abuse: A Preliminary Study, Jaimee Silvera Hartman

Theses and Dissertations

Moral injury is a concept that has been applied to the challenges facing veterans returning from combat due to the discrepancy between their moral values and the behaviors they engaged in due to war. In recovery women have expressed similar challenges due to the illicit behavior they engaged in while in their addiction as well as the prevalence of trauma that has impacted their transition into substance use. Thirteen female participants in treatment for substance abuse participated in this qualitative study. The majority of the women experienced a history of childhood and/or adult trauma that perpetuated their use of substances …

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Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Case Study Focusing On Change Processes, Change Mechanisms, And Cultural Considerations, Hengameh Mahgerefteh Jan 2015

Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Case Study Focusing On Change Processes, Change Mechanisms, And Cultural Considerations, Hengameh Mahgerefteh

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative discovery-oriented case study sought to examine and describe change processes and change mechanisms related to successful treatment with Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy. The model of psychotherapy change by Brian Doss (2004) was utilized as a framework for this study, which included one couple who experienced marital distress at the outset of therapy and was categorized as “recovered” at the end of treatment. Cultural considerations were also emphasized in this study. Processes of change included, but were not limited to, vulnerability, unified detachment, and empathic joining. Some notable change mechanisms included increases in acceptance and decreases in negative behaviors. …

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The Relationship Between Second-Generation Antipsychotic Medication Adherence And Negative Symptoms In First-Episode Schizophrenia, Elisha R. Agee Jan 2015

The Relationship Between Second-Generation Antipsychotic Medication Adherence And Negative Symptoms In First-Episode Schizophrenia, Elisha R. Agee

Theses and Dissertations

Adherence to psychotropic medication is a critical aspect of treatment for the management of psychotic disorders. While the literature on the need for medication adherence is extensive, little research has explored the relationship between the negative symptoms of psychosis and medication adherence. Since negative symptoms are enduring, stable, and strongly correlated with poor outcome, it is vitally important for research to explore the role of negative symptoms in regards to adherence to psychotropic medication. Given its potentially significant consequences for treatment interventions, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the exceedingly limited body of research exploring the relationship …

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Conduct Disorder: A Critical Analysis Of The Literature And Implications For Adult Manifestation, Alyssa Saiz Jan 2015

Conduct Disorder: A Critical Analysis Of The Literature And Implications For Adult Manifestation, Alyssa Saiz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to identify the most central risk factors associated with conduct disorder (CD), to delineate three possible developmental pathways of CD that may have predictive validity for adult manifestation of conduct problems, to identify prevention and intervention strategies, to make recommendations for future research directions, and discuss clinical implications of the developmental trajectories of CD. Extant literature was collected and thoroughly analyzed in order to identify risk factors and developmental trajectories of CD, as well as treatment recommendations. The three developmental pathways of CD include: adolescent-onset, childhood-onset with emotional and behavioral regulation problems, and …

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Autism Spectrum Disorder And Using Yoga As An Intervention: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Jessica Garcia Jan 2015

Autism Spectrum Disorder And Using Yoga As An Intervention: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Jessica Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The present study is a critical analysis of literature regarding the utilization of yoga with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This dissertation will provide an overview and critically analyze the existing relevant literature on the utilization of yoga as an intervention for treating mental health conditions. Special attention will also be paid to the implementation of yoga in schools and classroom settings. Based on the existing literature, strengths as well as limitations will be discussed, and suggestions will be made for future research in this area. This dissertation will conclude with recommendations based on the existing literature, as well …

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Teaching Style Preferences Of Educators: A Meta-Analysis, Lawrence E. Oslund Jan 2015

Teaching Style Preferences Of Educators: A Meta-Analysis, Lawrence E. Oslund

Theses and Dissertations

This study was initially planned to be a single study using the Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) by Conti (1978), surveying students and alumni of a four-year university. These plans were redirected to conducting a meta-analysis, utilizing 30 years of dissertations that utilized the PALS instrument. The motivation for this study was to determine if educators might be a collaborative resource to aid corporate trainers in developing a learner-centered training program. College instructors could become corporate consultants if they reinforced the learner-center approach. A learner-centered instructor would inquire and recognize the inconsistencies in the trainer's teacher-centered training materials. This …

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Development Of The Athlete: A Resource Manual For Clinicians Working With Elite Adolescent Male Athletes, Kenneth D. Hartline Jan 2015

Development Of The Athlete: A Resource Manual For Clinicians Working With Elite Adolescent Male Athletes, Kenneth D. Hartline

Theses and Dissertations

Over recent decades, adolescent athletic participation has grown in the United States. The rise in participation means that mental health clinicians who work with adolescents are likely increasingly coming in contact with young athletes facing issues directly related to sports. The issues facing adolescent athletes create additional challenges that should be addressed in treatment to improve overall psychological well-being and to promote healthy development. In order to best meet the general mental health needs of these clients, clinicians need to be aware of the unique stressors and issues they frequently face. A resource manual was created to guide clinicians working …

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Authentic Leadership: Demonstration Of Authentic Leader Behavior From The Perspective Of High School Wrestling Coaches In Successful Wrestling Programs, Angel Rubio Jan 2015

Authentic Leadership: Demonstration Of Authentic Leader Behavior From The Perspective Of High School Wrestling Coaches In Successful Wrestling Programs, Angel Rubio

Theses and Dissertations

Authentic leadership emphasizes the role of ethics and trust a leader displays and which can be a natural and inherent part of a leader’s behavior (Robbins & Judge, 2010). Leaders who are authentic know who they are, know what they believe in and value, and behave in a way that reinforces those values and beliefs openly and candidly (2010). Authenticity is inward-focused and reflects on the behaviors that a leader believes are virtuous and true, from which they project a self-perception that is consistent with their self-concept (Sosik & Cameron, 2010). Studies within the spectrum of sports have identified that …

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Women Leaders In Healthcare: Going Beyond The Glass Ceiling, Cortney Baker Jan 2015

Women Leaders In Healthcare: Going Beyond The Glass Ceiling, Cortney Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Between 2004 and 2014, healthcare jobs were among the fastest growing occupations in the U.S., adding 4.3 million positions and expected job growth of 30.3%. The majority of the healthcare workforce is overwhelmingly dominated by women. However, when it comes to leadership positions, especially executive and board levels, females are considerably underrepresented. Interestingly, though, women, more than men, are reported to demonstrate traits such as transparency, compassion, and support for teamwork, which would benefit organizations as they venture into the future of healthcare delivery. In recent years, women have made minimal entry into the highest ranks of managerial positions of …

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Survey Says: An Analysis Of The Degree Of Impact Of The Beginning Teacher Support And Assessment Program On Classroom Practices, Kenney Shresia Deon Fontenot Jan 2015

Survey Says: An Analysis Of The Degree Of Impact Of The Beginning Teacher Support And Assessment Program On Classroom Practices, Kenney Shresia Deon Fontenot

Theses and Dissertations

Every year, thousands of teachers participate in California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program in order to complete the requirements needed to obtain a clear teaching credential. Within this program lie various facets of support that serve the needs of beginning teachers and aid them in transitioning from university theory to classroom practice. Despite the long-standing existence of the BTSA program and the changes that have taken place since its development in 1992, the need exists for closer analysis of the programs effect on teaching practices and student achievement. This quantitative study analyzes (a) the degree of impact on classroom …

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Southern California Small Business Leaders And Emotional Intelligence: Exploring Perceptions Of Effect And Value In The Workplace, Steven P. Smith Jan 2015

Southern California Small Business Leaders And Emotional Intelligence: Exploring Perceptions Of Effect And Value In The Workplace, Steven P. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Although they represent 99.7% of all employers in the American domestic workforce, the annual failure rate of small businesses is alarming. Given this high failure rate, research is needed to better understand the characteristics of leaders who create and sustain success in small businesses. The two-part purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to (a) measure the emotional intelligence of small business leaders in Southern California and (b) explore the leaders’ perceptions of the effect and value of EI in the workplace. Following the collection of quantitative data using an online version of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence …

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The Use Of Reflective Practices By Psychology Interns, Rachel Fried Jan 2015

The Use Of Reflective Practices By Psychology Interns, Rachel Fried

Theses and Dissertations

Despite its importance, little is known about how psychologists are trained to reflect on their conduct of psychotherapy. These abilities are collectively known as reflective practice, which is considered a core competence within the field of psychology. This study examined the use of reflective practice by clinical, counseling, and school psychology interns and looked at how reflective practice is being facilitated by supervisors. The study examined the use of reflective practice in different clinical situations and obtained opinions about which reflective practices are believed to most impact clinical effectiveness. The study also examined barriers that may impede engagement in reflective …

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Produce & Achieve: A Case Study Of Inner-City Education, Daryl A. Tate Jan 2015

Produce & Achieve: A Case Study Of Inner-City Education, Daryl A. Tate

Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts at narrowing the achievement gap, ethnicity-based disparities in achievement are an enduring and pervasive issue in American education. Holy Angels, a high achieving, African American, urban, elementary school in Chicago, Illinois offers a model for successful education of ethnic minority children. Despite coming from predominantly welfare supported, single-mother homes, located in crime ridden inner-city Chicago, during the period bounded by this study, Holy Angels’ students produced test scores among the highest in the nation. Previous research indicates that characteristics of schools that support academic achievement particularly among ethnic minority students are high teacher expectations, academic emphasis, and culturally …

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Women Deans And Department Chairs In Medical Education: A Study Of Enabling And Inhibiting Factors Impacting Their Leadership Success, Katherine M. Ruger Jan 2015

Women Deans And Department Chairs In Medical Education: A Study Of Enabling And Inhibiting Factors Impacting Their Leadership Success, Katherine M. Ruger

Theses and Dissertations

Women are occupying leadership roles in medical education, yet are underrepresented in senior leadership positions. This qualitative study explored the enabling and inhibiting factors that select women deans and department chairs experienced throughout their career ascent. The qualitative research included eight women, both deans and department chairs, in medical education. The deans and department chairs participated in an interview where the primary data were obtained. Qualitative research methods were used to analyze the data, and the findings were presented in narrative format. The findings were consistent with the literature review and reviewed similarities in enabling and inhibiting factors experienced. The …

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The Motivational Factors Of Higher Educated Iranian Immigrant Women: A Phenomenological Study Of Iranian Women And Influences On Academic Achievement And Work-Life Integration In The United States, Maryam Rostami Jan 2015

The Motivational Factors Of Higher Educated Iranian Immigrant Women: A Phenomenological Study Of Iranian Women And Influences On Academic Achievement And Work-Life Integration In The United States, Maryam Rostami

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study provides information on the experiences and perceptions of women who immigrated to the U.S. after the 1979 Iran Islamic Revolution to pursue higher education and professional careers. The study offers new understanding of strategies used to overcome obstacles in completing academic goals in the U.S., pursuing professional careers, and negotiating balance between home-life and career. The study focused on 3 research questions: 1. How did family expectations and Iranian culture influence Iranian women’s academic goals and family-life balance decisions? 2. What experiences (motivations and drives) shaped the life course of high-achieving Iranian women, and how did these …

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Detection Of Traumatic Brain Injury With The Picture Memory Interference Test In College Students, Bryce Erich Jan 2015

Detection Of Traumatic Brain Injury With The Picture Memory Interference Test In College Students, Bryce Erich

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine potential effects of head-injury on individuals’ performance on the Picture Memory Interference Test (PMIT). This study examined differences in the performance of college-aged students with and without a history of head-injury on the PMIT. Data was drawn from an archival dataset of PMIT completions held at UCLA and analyzed with permission. From the total dataset of 12,227 completions, experimental groups were derived and separated based upon assumed severity of head-injury, based upon self-report data. Following exclusions, the final data sub-set for analysis consisted of 6,897 unique completions of the PMIT. Of these, …

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Relationship Between Negative Social Reactions To Sexual Assault Disclosure And Mental Health Outcomes Of Ethnically Diverse Female Survivors, Dehnad Hakimi Jan 2015

Relationship Between Negative Social Reactions To Sexual Assault Disclosure And Mental Health Outcomes Of Ethnically Diverse Female Survivors, Dehnad Hakimi

Theses and Dissertations

Negative social reactions that sexual assault survivors receive upon disclosure have been correlated with psychological distress such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and problem drinking. However, the impact of ethnicity in the relationship between unsupportive reactions to assault disclosure and the psychological sequelae remains unclear. Using hierarchical linear regressions and a sample of 665 African-American, Latina, and Caucasian female adult sexual assault survivors, the present study examined the role of ethnicity in that relationship. The results suggest that ethnicity moderates the influence of negative disclosure reactions on psychological symptoms, however, the moderation impact was not similar across races and psychological …

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Imagining A Constructionist Game-Based Pedagogical Model: Using Tabletop Role-Playing Game Creation To Enhance Literature Education In High School English Classes, Kip Glazer Jan 2015

Imagining A Constructionist Game-Based Pedagogical Model: Using Tabletop Role-Playing Game Creation To Enhance Literature Education In High School English Classes, Kip Glazer

Theses and Dissertations

In today's K-12 educational environment with the newly adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS), improving student literacy as a foundational skill to obtain success in all other subject areas is one of the most important goals. Unfortunately, many literature curricula suffer from a lack of innovative pedagogy despite the introduction of various educational technologies meant to aid student learning. This study focused on developing a new game-based constructionist pedagogical model for literature education using tabletop role-playing game creation. Using Shulman’s (1987) Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) that eventually evolved into Mishra and Kohler’s (2006) Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) as the …

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Leveraging Growth Synergies In A Multi-Unit Business Through The Application Of A Multidimensional Organizational Design Augmented By Lateral Intergrative Mechanisms: A Phenomenological Case Study, Joel Bigley Jan 2015

Leveraging Growth Synergies In A Multi-Unit Business Through The Application Of A Multidimensional Organizational Design Augmented By Lateral Intergrative Mechanisms: A Phenomenological Case Study, Joel Bigley

Theses and Dissertations

The realization of growth synergies across products and services in a global multi-unit firm is a topic of discovery that has substantial implications for the profitability of multi-national corporations. A driver for the realization of this incompletely tapped potential is the influence of organizational design. The scholar comprehensively examines a singular case study in which a multidimensional organizational design is used to exploit growth synergies in a global multi-unit firm. For many firms, collaboration is connected to synergy realization, which is critical to growth in saturated and emerging markets. Cross-business unit strategy research has been largely focused on diversification rather …

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Long Term Effects Of Foster Care On Social Relationships, Angela Hackworth-Wilson Jan 2015

Long Term Effects Of Foster Care On Social Relationships, Angela Hackworth-Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Ainsworth and Bowlby's Attachment Theory suggest that young children experience lasting effects of disconnection if separated from their primary caretaker. Foster children are legally removed from their primary caretakers, yet the effects of foster care on later social relationships of foster children is unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the perceptions of adult foster children, ages 18 years and over, who were placed into foster care under 5 years of age. The major challenge was to obtain qualifying participants, first, because this is an invisible population in the American culture and, secondly, these individuals are hesitant …

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An Evaluation Of An Independent Study Program In Six Charter Alternative Schools, Carolyn Jun Jan 2015

An Evaluation Of An Independent Study Program In Six Charter Alternative Schools, Carolyn Jun

Theses and Dissertations

Alternative education programs were designed to meet the needs of at-risk students who were not succeeding in a traditional classroom environment. This mixed-methods study examined a particular type of alternative education program—a secondary independent study program—in six charter alternative schools in Los Angeles County, California. The data included student records, field notes, and semi-structured interviews from 24 current students, their parents, and 12 teachers—selected by a stratified random sample of the population at the six sites. This study examined the participants’ perceptions of the purpose of the program, their motivations to be at an alternative school, change in GPA from …

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A Study Of High-Performing At-Risk High School Students And Their Perceptions On Academic Success And Achievement, Charles H. Pak Jan 2015

A Study Of High-Performing At-Risk High School Students And Their Perceptions On Academic Success And Achievement, Charles H. Pak

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe the school factors experienced by students at an alternative high school with an independent study program and a 90% CASHEE passage rate and to identify those factors, if any, that students perceived as contributing to their improved academic performance. The school factors included: the nature and quality of the school learning environment, learning experiences, program interventions, and the independent study program. This study was guided by the following 5 research questions: 1. How do students who have been enrolled at SMHS for at least 1 year and who …

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