Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2017

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 25621 - 25650 of 28630

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Reader Identity Development : A Multiple Case Study Of Adolescent Reluctant Readers Participating In A Ninth-Grade, Free-Choice Reading Intervention Class, Michael P. Henry Jan 2017

Reader Identity Development : A Multiple Case Study Of Adolescent Reluctant Readers Participating In A Ninth-Grade, Free-Choice Reading Intervention Class, Michael P. Henry

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, American high schools have begun to provide more reading interventions for their students. Relying heavily on skills-based instruction and whole-class, teacher-selected reading, few high school reading programs address the negative reader identities held by many students. The purpose of this study was to examine how the reader identities of adolescent reluctant readers develop when participating in a ninth-grade, free-choice reading intervention class. Multiple case study was the methodology chosen for this study because it allowed for the examination of multiple perspectives and provided the multiple forms of data necessary to investigate the complex problem of reading disengagement …

Go to article

Examining Community College Faculty Attitudes Toward Open Educational Resources : A Mixed Methods Study, Denise Cote Jan 2017

Examining Community College Faculty Attitudes Toward Open Educational Resources : A Mixed Methods Study, Denise Cote

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study situated at a large community college in the midwestern United States was to examine faculty attitudes, knowledge, and use of open educational resources (OER) and to identify institutional initiatives that would support OER adoption. The goal of the first, quantitative phase of this study was to replicate a national survey of higher education faculty on the subject of OER. Local faculty responses to the survey were compared to those of their national peers. The second, qualitative phase of the study was the development and analysis of a single case study that …

Go to article

Examining Gender Differences Toward The Adoption Of Online Learning And Predicting The Readiness Of Faculty Members In A Middle-Eastern Recently Established Public University, Mohammed Mansour Abahussain Jan 2017

Examining Gender Differences Toward The Adoption Of Online Learning And Predicting The Readiness Of Faculty Members In A Middle-Eastern Recently Established Public University, Mohammed Mansour Abahussain

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the gender-based difference toward the adoption of online learning based on constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). It is also aimed to predict the Behavioral Intention of the adoption of online learning based on the predicting variables of the TPB, Attitude, Subjective Norm, and Perceived Behavioral Control toward the adoption of online learning. The gender was used to examine the moderating effect on the relationship between the three predictors (Attitude, Subjective Norm, and Perceived Behavioral Control) and outcome (Behavioral Intention). The study included 162 participants, including both males and females. All participants were faculty …

Go to article

Examining The Association Of Hypermasculinity And Bullying : What Is The Role Of Homophobia?, Caicina Jones Jan 2017

Examining The Association Of Hypermasculinity And Bullying : What Is The Role Of Homophobia?, Caicina Jones

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As the research on homophobia and bullying continues to grow it is important to ensure that homophobic bullying as a construct is fully explored. In particular, the presence of homophobia in adolescents who in engage in gay-themed or related aggressive behavior has not been investigated. The current study examined the associations of homophobia, exaggerated traditional male role norms (i.e., hypermasculinity), and three bullying behaviors (homophobic epithets use, bullying of homosexuals, and bullying of peers). The overall goal was to identify factors that contribute to bullying behavior. The sample consisted of 199 undergraduate males. Results revealed significant associations among homophobia, hypermasculinity, …

Go to article

Race, Gender, And The Stigma Of Homelessness, Jeff Syverson Jan 2017

Race, Gender, And The Stigma Of Homelessness, Jeff Syverson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how Americans view the homeless, and how their perceptions are influenced by the race and gender of homeless individuals. It seeks to replicate and extend the research of Phelan, Link, Moore, and Stueve, and uses their findings as a point of departure. Phelan et al. established twenty years ago that the homeless label imposes a stigma, which induces the public to distance themselves from those to whom it is applied. However, Phelan and colleagues did not examine the effects of the race or gender of homeless persons on social distance. Drawing upon attribution theory and using data …

Go to article

Rapport-Development Practices Of Outstanding College Faculty, Robert A. Remedi Jan 2017

Rapport-Development Practices Of Outstanding College Faculty, Robert A. Remedi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In an environment in which performance funding for higher education is increasingly common, mechanisms for improving student success will be important for ensuring a consistent revenue stream for higher education institutions. One important factor found to improve student success is when students perceive rapport with faculty. However, there is a significant gap in the qualitative literature demonstrating how faculty develop and improve rapport with students. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to interview award-winning faculty to investigate how they develop rapport with their students. As a result, a qualitative study of 15 award-winning faculty from throughout the eastern and …

Go to article

True Crime Does Pay : Narratives Of Wrongdoing In Film And Literature, Andrew T. Burt Jan 2017

True Crime Does Pay : Narratives Of Wrongdoing In Film And Literature, Andrew T. Burt

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines true crime's ubiquitous influence on literature, film, and culture. It dissects how true-crime narratives affect crime fiction and film, questioning how America's continual obsession with crime underscores the interplay between true crime narratives and their fictional equivalents. Throughout the 20th century, these stories represent key political and social undercurrents such as movements in religious conservatism, issues of ethnic and racial identity, and developing discourses of psychology. While generally underexplored in discussions of true crime and crime fiction, these currents show consistent shifts from liberal rehabilitative to a conservative punitive form of crime prevention and provide a new …

Go to article

The Impact Of The Microsoft Office Powerpoint Program On Students With Medical Conditions In A Home And Hospital Program, Vicky Mcclure Jan 2017

The Impact Of The Microsoft Office Powerpoint Program On Students With Medical Conditions In A Home And Hospital Program, Vicky Mcclure

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

While medical progress has brought great change in the epidemiology of child health in the United States, chronic illness and traumatic injuries now account for a growing number of pediatric hospitalizations, posing a major challenge to educators in regards to the availability and provision of academic services. Home-hospital instructional services have been in place for many decades. However, school districts across the nation have home-hospital policies that vary from district to district. Children diagnosed with a chronic illness or injury are absent from school more frequently for extended periods of time, and therefore may require educational adaptations. Home-hospital instructional goals …

Go to article

The Relationship Between Advanced Placement Course Completion And College Readiness, John Novak Jan 2017

The Relationship Between Advanced Placement Course Completion And College Readiness, John Novak

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between completion of Advanced Placement courses and college readiness, defined by enrolling in a postsecondary remedial course. Further, the study investigated whether or not the student characteristics of gender, race, socioeconomic status, motivation, and high school grade point average had any moderating effect on any relationship discovered. Finally, the type of postsecondary institution attended, four-year or two-year or less, was examined to determine if the findings differed for these two groups of students. The conceptual framework for this study is based upon Conley's College Readiness Theory, which outlines cognitive …

Go to article

The Relationship Between Teacher Induction And Teacher Satisfaction, Charles A. Kyle Jan 2017

The Relationship Between Teacher Induction And Teacher Satisfaction, Charles A. Kyle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between participation in a formalized teacher induction program and teacher satisfaction. Teacher turnover, attrition, and the forecasted teaching shortage have made teacher induction programs a tool to train and retain new teachers to the teaching profession and new to school districts throughout the State of Illinois. This study used the Abbreviated Job Descriptive Index (AJDI) to assess levels of satisfaction among teachers. An electronic survey was sent to all 148 "middle school, junior high schools" in the 54 Large Unit District Association in the State of Illinois. A total of 297 teachers …

Go to article

Gay Men's Literature In The United States (1903 - 1968) : Uncovering The Buried Roots Of A Queer Tradition, Adam Wayne Burgess Jan 2017

Gay Men's Literature In The United States (1903 - 1968) : Uncovering The Buried Roots Of A Queer Tradition, Adam Wayne Burgess

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation draws on queer-postmodernism and feminist standpoint theory to investigate and describe aspects of the gay American literary tradition before the historic Stonewall Riots. Specifically, the dissertation offers four points of enquiry: the significance of a text's displacement in time and location; the successful pulp fiction genre; the importance of intertextuality in establishing discourse; and the complexities of gender and sexuality in fictional texts that incorporate and describe same-sex relationships. There are many works that examine gay American writing in the twentieth-century but much of this scholarship pertains to literature of the 1950s and later; criticism of gay texts …

Go to article

Gender Differences In Verbal And Non-Verbal Communication In Mixed-Gender Groups, Jasmin Martinez Jan 2017

Gender Differences In Verbal And Non-Verbal Communication In Mixed-Gender Groups, Jasmin Martinez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Gender differences in communication patterns have a long-explored history in social psychology, resulting in evidence for a number of different theories building from research in individual differences in personality, social role, and self-categorization theory, as well as intergroup interactions and group status research. This project integrates the theoretical perspectives and examines the extent to which gender differences in communication behaviors vary by situational factors implied by those theories. The following two-part study relies on observational coding of existing social interaction data and a laboratory experiment to examine whether and how men and women alter their behavioral communication patterns as a …

Go to article

Getting Out The Vote : Studying The Influence Of Social Pressure On Registered Non-Voters, Michael Sweeney Jan 2017

Getting Out The Vote : Studying The Influence Of Social Pressure On Registered Non-Voters, Michael Sweeney

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

No study to date has conducted a field experiment to test the mobilization effect of social pressure on registered inactive voters. This study advances the growing body of scholarly research that examines the influence of appeals on registrants with varying propensities to vote by empirically testing the effect of social pressure on non-voters. Since, arguably, no other incentives have encouraged these non-voters to cast a ballot, we can estimate the value that social pressure has on encouraging voting behavior. In addition, we can gain a better understanding of which social pressure strategy is successful for encouraging registered non-voters to become …

Go to article

Grit, Goal Importance, And Construals, Robert Pulvermacher Jan 2017

Grit, Goal Importance, And Construals, Robert Pulvermacher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

It has not been conclusively found that grit is a unique construct, with different antecedents and consequences in comparison to traits such as conscientiousness and self-control. The proposed studies measured a possible relationship between grit, goal importance, and level of construal in the face of obstacles, and tested if this relationship replicates when using conscientiousness or self-control in place of grit. In Study 1, 170 participants (97 women) were asked to list the first ten goals that came to mind, to separate them into goal domains (e.g. "Academic/Career") and to rank these domains in importance. I hypothesized that grit would …

Go to article

Implementing Social And Emotional Learning Standards In A High School Setting : A Case Study, Kimberly Melton Lechner Jan 2017

Implementing Social And Emotional Learning Standards In A High School Setting : A Case Study, Kimberly Melton Lechner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A decade ago, Devaney, O'Brian, Resnik, Keister, and Weissberg defined social and emotional learning (SEL) as the process of acquiring skills to identify and manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, develop caring, respectful relationships, make responsible decisions, and effectively solve challenging problems. The purpose of this study was to: (a) explore how one high school district utilized existing educational frameworks and practices to implement SEL, (b) understand participants' perspectives regarding the process of SEL implementation as well as its impact, and (c) understand the perceived role of school counselors in SEL implementation. Findings are organized around four key areas: (a) curriculum, …

Go to article

Individual Differences In The Relevancy Effect, James Woehrle Jan 2017

Individual Differences In The Relevancy Effect, James Woehrle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

When readers have a specific goal while reading a text, they are engaged in task-orientated reading, and this leads to certain information within the text being more relevant than other information. Under these conditions, readers may experience a relevancy effect, wherein they read sentences that contain relevant information more slowly and have better memory for this information compared to other information in the discourse (McCrudden, Magliano, & Schraw, 2010). However, there is evidence that not all readers manifest the relevancy effect in the same manner. McCrudden et al. (2010) examined individual differences in response to relevancy instructions and found that …

Go to article

Karen Refugees Resettled In Aurora, Il : Their Identity, Their Resettlement, Their Oral Histories, Karla Findley Jan 2017

Karen Refugees Resettled In Aurora, Il : Their Identity, Their Resettlement, Their Oral Histories, Karla Findley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Refugees provide unique subject matter for identity studies as they are not able to continue living in their homeland. Refugees, instead, have been forced to abandon their homes, flee to a different country for safety, and often settle in a third country that is usually an ocean away, both physically and culturally. While concepts of identity are often easy to identify and maintain when a person can be continually surrounded by reaffirming objects, ideas, and people, what about when the refugee is not? This project endeavors to examine the resettlement process of Karen refugees in Aurora, Illinois, and how they …

Go to article

Levels Of Exit Slip Feedback In Secondary Mathematics, Mitch Berenson Jan 2017

Levels Of Exit Slip Feedback In Secondary Mathematics, Mitch Berenson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine different levels of feedback provided on exit slips and how both a high school mathematics teacher and her students utilized them to advance the learning process. The study focused on three different Pre-Calculus classes, made up of 42 participants, over a period of two units of study that included two pretests and posttests. Each class received verbal feedback on their exit slips while one class also received process feedback and one class also received task feedback. In addition, the mathematics teacher participated in three 30 minute interviews with the researcher that …

Go to article

Matching Effects Of Personality Traits In Individual Assessment : An Investigation Of The Similar-To-Me Hypothesis, Camille Heneghan Lee Jan 2017

Matching Effects Of Personality Traits In Individual Assessment : An Investigation Of The Similar-To-Me Hypothesis, Camille Heneghan Lee

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Similar-to-Me effect has a substantial and healthy empirical history and has been demonstrated across a variety of social contexts, including in education settings, in the formation of friendships and romantic relationships, and in the workplace. For instance, perceived and relational similarity has been found to play a factor in supervisor-employee relationships via leader member exchange and may impact job performance ratings. Not only is the effect robust, it also appears to have real implications upon workplace outcomes (i.e., performance). Despite this body of research, the similar-to-me effect has not been investigated within the context of individual psychological assessments. Moreover, …

Go to article

More Than We Imagined : Toward A Map Of Beliefs And Attitudes About Creative Writing, Kelle Sills Mullineaux Jan 2017

More Than We Imagined : Toward A Map Of Beliefs And Attitudes About Creative Writing, Kelle Sills Mullineaux

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As creative writing studies moves toward becoming a discipline, scholars have called for inquiry into the diverse philosophies that drive creative writing as a field of study. To determine the extent to which writers' beliefs could be mapped or categorized along recognizable lines, I surveyed 117 creative writers about their opinions regarding the nature of creativity. The results were studied quantitatively and qualitatively using correlations, Exploratory Factor Analysis, and rhetorical analysis. The data demonstrated that creative writing philosophy is even more complex than literature on the subject might suggest. Respondents' beliefs about creativity were inextricably influenced by a wide variety …

Go to article

Octopus Moms : The Lived Experiences Of College Students Who Are Mothers, Jill Zambito Jan 2017

Octopus Moms : The Lived Experiences Of College Students Who Are Mothers, Jill Zambito

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of college students who are mothers at a large, public Midwestern research university. Using a feminist theoretical perspective, the focus of the research was to better understand how students who are mothers experience college. I sought to understand how the gendered nature of higher education and family roles impacted the experience of college mothers. A set of three semi-structured interviews was conducted with eight participants who identified as college students who are mothers. This interview process was followed by an analysis of the data using epoche bracketing, phenomenological …

Go to article

Parental Self-Efficacy And Parenting Practices In Parents Of Young Children With And Without Disabilities In Physical Development, Myung Ha Sur Jan 2017

Parental Self-Efficacy And Parenting Practices In Parents Of Young Children With And Without Disabilities In Physical Development, Myung Ha Sur

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to a) measure parental self-efficacy and parenting practices of parents of young children between 2 to 7 years of age related to their physical development, b) examine the relationship between parental self-efficacy and/or parenting practices, and c) investigate sociodemographic factors related to parental self-efficacy and parenting practices. A total of 237 parents/caregivers were recruited throughout 27 states in the United States using both offline and online dissemination. The Preschool Parent Confidence Questionnaire (PPCQ) (Coleman, 2010) was used to measure parental self-efficacy. The modified version Parenting SOS (Vaughn et al., 2013) was utilized to measure …

Go to article

Parents' Perspectives About Inclusive Education For Their Children With Autism, Rahma Abbasi Jan 2017

Parents' Perspectives About Inclusive Education For Their Children With Autism, Rahma Abbasi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored parents' perspectives about inclusive education for their children with autism in the state of Illinois, USA. A qualitative ethnographic research design was used to analyze data from Skype interviews with five parents of children with autism (Pre-K through fifth grade). Parents were recruited using a convenience sampling technique, and subjective data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Participants' responses were analyzed through developing descriptive and interpretative emerging themes and their given codes. Seven emerging themes arose from the parent interviews. These themes revealed that although parents believe that inclusive education is an effective and beneficial program for their …

Go to article

Participating In Disciplinary Discourse : How Writing Centers Support Graduate Student Writers As Emerging Experts, Jeff Gard Jan 2017

Participating In Disciplinary Discourse : How Writing Centers Support Graduate Student Writers As Emerging Experts, Jeff Gard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As graduate school enrollments increase across the United States, professors from most disciplines lament these students lack writing skills. Previous studies on graduate student writing have stated that students are underprepared to write in their programs and have offered several suggestions for remediating these skills: writing seminars, introductory writing classes, increased faculty feedback, and writing checklists. Most of these studies are based on the perspectives of professors, who act as gatekeepers to determine who is considered an expert in a field. Few studies have addressed how writing centers can help graduate students as emerging experts. Using surveys, document analysis, and …

Go to article

Perceptions Of Acceptability And Level Of Aggressiveness Of Female-Perpetrated, Versus Male Perpetrated, Intimate Partner Violence, Sarah Ramsey Jan 2017

Perceptions Of Acceptability And Level Of Aggressiveness Of Female-Perpetrated, Versus Male Perpetrated, Intimate Partner Violence, Sarah Ramsey

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Research suggests that female-perpetrated intimate partner violence against a male partner (i.e., FTM IPV) may be viewed differently than male-perpetrated IPV against a female partner (i.e., MTF IPV) with regard to how acceptable and aggressive these acts are perceived. The current study utilized a unique methodological approach to examine 240 participants' (117 men and 123 women) perceptions of acceptability and aggressiveness while viewing audio-visual depictions of MTF IPV and FTM IPV scenarios. Contrary to predictions, results indicated that female participants rated the FTM, but not the MTF, IPV scenario as significantly more acceptable than male participants. No significant differences were …

Go to article

Piercy, Pop Music, And The Patriarchy : Feminist Activism In The Sung And Written Word, Andrea Lohf Jan 2017

Piercy, Pop Music, And The Patriarchy : Feminist Activism In The Sung And Written Word, Andrea Lohf

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

What is missing in feminist studies, literary studies, and studies of popular music is a comparison of lyrics with the verses of a feminist poet like Marge Piercy. Piercy is a feminist voice from the beginning of the Second Wave of the Movement, and in her continued dedication to its cause, she remains in touch with the same values that are alive and well in the lyrics of Meghan Trainor, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift. Reading these musicians' lyrics alongside Piercy's verse, I provide greater context to enjoy and understand the gravity of both Piercy's ideas and the ideas …

Go to article

Book Review Of Law And The Modern Mind: Consciousness And Responsibility In American Legal Culture, Edward A. Purcell Jr Jan 2017

Book Review Of Law And The Modern Mind: Consciousness And Responsibility In American Legal Culture, Edward A. Purcell Jr

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Engl 254: Writing And Communities—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Rachael Wendler Shah Jan 2017

Engl 254: Writing And Communities—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Rachael Wendler Shah

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio analyzes a section of English 254: Writing and Communities, exploring how well the course met individual teaching goals and the departmental course goals for English 254, with a particular focus on how the new English Department mission statement priorities are actualized in the class and how well the class supported learning to communicate across difference. The portfolio includes an outline of institutional context, course outcomes, and student background, as well as a backwards planning chart that demonstrates alignment between outcomes, activities, and assessment strategy. Then, the portfolio examines student data from each of the three major assignments, …

Go to article

Cive 463: Traffic Engineering—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, John Sangster Jan 2017

Cive 463: Traffic Engineering—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, John Sangster

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio documents the backward design of a senior-level design elective course in traffic engineering within the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska. An extensive discussion of stakeholder needs for the course is followed by an analysis of formative and summative feedback assessments that are designed to meet the needs of a heterogeneous group of students in the course. As a senior-level design elective, there is a wide variety of interest levels among participants in the course, varying from those who have experience with internships in the topic and offer letters to conduct work in this …

Go to article

Edad 925: Law And Higher Education—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Stephanie Bondi Jan 2017

Edad 925: Law And Higher Education—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Stephanie Bondi

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio documents three learning outcomes of the EDAD925 Law and Higher Education course taught Spring 2017 in the Department of Educational Leadership. The learning outcomes include (a) understanding the role of the higher education administrator within the legal context, (b) using professional standards to inform decision-making, and (c) examining social justice concepts within professional practice in the legal context of higher education. The portfolio shows what was done and how students demonstrated learning on the outcomes. The portfolio includes suggestions of how to better address the three learning outcomes.

Go to article

First Prev Next Last