Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of School Culture In Remediating Unsatisfactory Teachers, Michele Lindenmeyer

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to report the evaluator's perceived influence of culture on teacher remediation. Qualitative insight is provided through reports of what teacher remediation looks like in schools, what cultural influences are revealed, and what outcomes might be attributed to school culture. Quantitative data is provided in the form of a school culture survey that provides information about values, beliefs, and behaviors related to relationships in schools. Administrators need more training and support in providing formative feedback to teachers to lead improvement in instruction (Bridges, 1984). Remediation appears to be a last attempt in bringing extreme situations …

Teaching Abroad: Culture Impact On Nests' Teaching, Hui-Chun Kung

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was built on Neilsen's (2009) investigation of how cultural factors influenced native English speaking teachers' (NESTs) teaching strategies as these decisions are influenced by cultural viewpoints, perception of the role of Education, teaching materials decisions and selection, and how NESTs perceive the main motives of students' for acquiring English. The research utilized semi-structured, in-depth and open-ended interviews to elicit qualitative data. Ten NESTs participants were purposefully selected and interviewed. They shared their teaching overseas experiences, contributing important insights to this study. The findings of the study highlighted that NESTs experienced cultural differences between host countries and their home …

The Effects Of A New Method Of Instruction On The Perceptions Of Appalachian English, Michelle L. Compton

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

This paper evaluates whether students’ perceptions of Appalachian English improve through a method of instruction that uses dialect literature in the classroom. Most existing methods of instruction tend to portray dialects as wrong, incorrect, or in some way less rule-governed than Standardized English, despite the numerous studies that have demonstrated otherwise (e.g., Labov 1969, Wolfram 1986). The data from this study derives from two groups of students enrolled in introductory composition and communication at the University of Kentucky. Each group is given a pre-test to determine attitudes toward Appalachian English and Standardized English. An experimental group is then exposed to …

Mississippi Asl Project, James Corey Blount

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American Sign Language (ASL) is a manual language used by many deaf people in the United States and Canada. For much of its existence, ASL was believed to be a system of rudimentary gestures and signs based on the English language. However, studies that analyzed the linguistic properties of this signed ‘mode’ (Stokoe, 1960) legitimized that it was a language independent of spoken language, with its own system of principles and elements to construct meaningful utterances. Like any language, ASL is influenced by the social demographics of its users. Social demographics such as ethnicity, geographic location, age, gender, and socioeconomic …

Opening Doors: A Collective Case Study Of Integrating Technology In The Preschool Through 3rd Grade Classroom In A Developmentally Appropriate Way, Amy Louise Cox Cameron

Theses and Dissertations

Children today are growing up in a technology-saturated world and yet early childhood teachers do not typically include technology in their classrooms, or if they do, they include it inappropriately. The literature states that integrating technology in early education can yield many benefits, but many teachers of young children avoid using technology because they do not know how to incorporate it appropriately. This dissertation is an exploratory observational study of early childhood teachers (preschool through third grade) who integrate technology in their programs in developmentally appropriate ways. This study involved three classroom teachers who were identified as model teachers at …

The Effect Of Peer-Feedback On Efl Medical Students’ Writing Performance, Maedeh Afrasiabi, Laleh Khojasteh

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current article investigates the effect of peer-feedback on writing performance of the Medical Students of Shiraz University. This research is experimental and fifty nine students both male and female participated in this study. The population included the medical students of Shiraz University.The researcher utilized convenient sampling to choose the participants. They were also divided to two groups. The treatment group which consist of 30 students and the control group which were 29 students. The researcher used writing composition in order to gather the data required for the writing performance and questionnaire based on the Likerd scale for the writing …

Comparison Of Language Learning Strategies Of Iranian College Level Students In Efl And Esl Settings / Jalal Kamalizad, Kamalizad Jalal

Student Works (2010-2019)

The main purpose of this study was to investigate and compare language learning strategy (LLS) use pattern of Iranian college level English learners in EFL (English as a foreign language) and ESL (English as a second language) environments and through different groups of proficiency. Exploring the participants’ views on some language learning related issues such as language use and language learning obstacles within both EFL and ESL environments was another purpose of this study. A total of 157 Iranian students participated in the survey. Twelve Iranian students, six from each setting group, participated in the semi-structured interviews. The data were …

A Study Of Vowels /Ɛ/ And /Ɪ/ In African American English And Standard American English, Lindsay Stefanski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the vowels /ɪ/ as in tin and /ɛ/ as in ten in African American English (AAE) and Standard American English (SAE) spoken in the Detroit, Michigan area. I first analyzed the acoustic properties of a number of speech samples to determine vowel quality and duration measurements. I then performed speech perception tests using the same speech samples. My analyses support and contradict claims about AAE and SAE, particularly with respect to speaker participation in vowel shifts such as the Northern Cities Shift (NCS), Southern Shift (SS), and pin-pen merger. My investigation of AAE and SAE vowels also …

Mandarin Chinese As A Second Language: A Review Of Literature, Wesley A. Spencer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Mandarin Chinese has become increasing prevalent in the modern world. Accordingly, research of Chinese as a second language has developed greatly over the past few decades. This paper reviews research on the difficulties of acquiring a second language in general and research that specifically details the difficulty of acquiring Chinese as a second language. Based on this research, the author also reveals some areas that should be researched further in order to advance the field.

Self-Management Education In Hispanic Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Gdm), Laura B. Hieronymus

DNP Projects

The purpose of this Practice Inquiry Project was to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a diabetes self-management education intervention in a population of Hispanic women at risk for gestational diabetes mellitus within a CenteringPregnancy(R) model of care.

An Examination Of The Perception Of School Administrators On The Effectiveness Of Freshman Academies On The Academic Achievement Of African American Males, Willie Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

The significant impact of transitioning to ninth grade has necessitated the need to examine the effects of the secondary school structure on African American males. These students were often assumed to be capable of functioning and maintaining personal accountability within their new, less structured environment, as opposed to the structured setting they encountered in middle school (Ellerbrock & Kiefer, 2013). As a result, these adolescents encountered increased challenges often resulting in greater challenges and lack of motivation that does not cater to their learning and developmental needs (Ellerbrock & Kiefer).

Bethel (2012) indicated that environmental characteristics of the school setting …

Examining The Role Of Active Student Engagement In High School Arts Courses, Athena Irene Nichols

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A primary challenge to educators is the design and implementation of effective student engagement processes. High school students cannot be successful if they are frequently absent from school, as active engagement opportunities reinforce knowledge and help to keep students enthused in their learning. To address the challenges of frequent school absences, this study examined a gap in the literature--namely, the relationship between active engagement and arts courses as a motivator for students to remain in high school. For this study, active engagement was defined as a process in which the student's interests, efforts, and knowledge culminated in an application of …

A Multiyear Investigation Of Combating Bullying In Middle School: Stakeholder Perspectives, David L. Shriberg, Mallory Burns, Poonam Desai, Stephanie Grunewald, Rachel Pitt

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Working collaboratively to address bullying among middle school students is an ongoing challenge. This study used participatory action research to collaborate with key stakeholders within a middle school to identify needs and implement more effective practices. Extensive qualitative and quantitative data are presented, along with process recommendations for bringing different stakeholders together for a sustained change effort.

Iranian Efl Teachers’ Challenges With The New Elt Program After The Reform: From Dream To Reality, Parvin Safari, Rahman Sahragard

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

There is no doubt concerning the interdependence of educational progress with human development, socio-economic growth, greater opportunities, welfare, and political stability. Hence,for further development and growth of education,transformations and refor ms in curriculum are required to reflect the latest changes in theories and praxis of the modern world (Fterniati, 2006). In Iran, due to the inadequacy of the preceding ELT education policies in developing students’ communicative skills and capabilities, a reform occurred in the ELT program as new communicative based textbooks entitled as “English for School Series” and CLT pedagogywere introduced into the context of public schools. However, implementation of …

In Defence Of The Lecture, R. Scott Webster

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In response to the lecture format coming under ‘attack’ and being replaced by online materials and smaller tutorials, this paper attempts to offer not only a defence but also to assert that the potential value of the lecture is difficult to replicate through other learning formats. In this paper some of the criticisms against lectures will be challenged, in particular that they are monological and promote a banking concept to learning. To make this argument I shall be drawing upon Freire’s ‘banking concept’ and Vygotsky’s notion of ‘inner speech’ and shall claim that listening is a virtue to be encouraged …

Visualizing Social Influences On Filipino American And Southeast Asian American College Choice, Kristen L. Surla, Oiyan Poon

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study identifies and explores social influences on the college choice process of Filipino American and Southeast Asian American high school seniors in an urban Midwestern setting. In an effort to contribute more depth to the knowledge regarding college choice among Filipino Americans and Southeast Asian Americans, this study engaged seven high school seniors in a photo elicitation study, allowing the students to tell their own stories of their pathways to college. Photos and follow-up interviews indicated that the students explicitly acknowledged kinship and peer networks as playing the most influential roles in the college choice process. Gender differences were …

Rising To The Challenge: Exploring The Transition From Primary To Secondary Education In A Western Australian School, Elizabeth Joan Wenden

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The ‘Rising to the Challenge: Exploring the transition from Primary to Secondary education in a Western Australian School’ study explored the positive predictors of primary to secondary school transition of a cohort of Year 7 students (n=182) at a school in Western Australia. The transition from primary to secondary school is an important process in the lives of adolescents aged around 11-13 years old. It is a challenging and exciting time that coincides with social, emotional, physical and cognitive changes of the adolescent stage of development. Enabling a positive transition to secondary school can give adolescents the support they need …

Who Let The Elephant In The Room? Analyzing Race And Racism Through A Critical Family Literacy Book Club, Lamar L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to interpret, investigate, and analyze how race, racism, and power are embedded and intertwined not only in society but also in the education system and in homes and communities. Specifically, through parent and student engagement during a series of book club meetings, I investigated how parents’ racial identities impacted how they created critical dialogue pertaining to issues of race, racism, and power with their children. Guided by critical race pedagogy, critical race theory (CRT) and CRT methodology, this study used race as a critical analytic lens to examine the lives and work of people …

Language Skill Development In Japanese Kokugo Education: Analysis Of The Television Program Wakaru Kokugo Yomikaki No Tsubo, Ruri Yoshii

Dissertations and Theses

Any type of education implemented by a modern nation-state is, at least in part, a tool for socializing its people. In this regard, Japanese language and literature education, kokugo, has played an important role in Japan by emphasizing nationalism and the integrity of a Japanese identity. According to Ishihara (2007) and Lee (1996 [English translation 2010]), kokugo, since its inception in 1900, has promoted moral awareness and assimilation of Japanese ideals across the country. However, responding to unsatisfactory test results in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2003 and 2006, Japan's Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and …

Teaching Health Literacy In Conjunction With Esl, Dora Lee

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the United States, many English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers who have limited English proficiency also have low levels of health literacy. The purpose of this project is to create a curriculum that ESL teachers can implement to improve the English language proficiency and the health literacy skills of adult ESL speakers with limited English proficiency residing in the United States. The curriculum is designed for teachers who work with ESL speakers who may be having trouble obtaining, processing, communicating, or managing health information due to language barriers.

Wku International Student Teaching Program: Professional, Cultural, And Character Impacts On In-Service And Pre-Service Teachers, Meghan F. Althauser

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This project focuses on researching the effects of participation in WKU’s International Student Teaching Program on in-service and pre-service teachers. The program’s effect on teachers’ professional decisions made in the classroom and attitudes toward diversity in the classroom were the focus of this research. A mixed method approach of in-service teacher questionnaires and interviews, pre-service teachers interviews, and analysis of blogs/journals from in-service and pre-service teachers while they were abroad was used in this project. The results of the project have illustrated the benefits, as well as the professional, cultural, and character developments of participating in the WKU International Student …

Reach To Teach, April R. Cowles

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Multiple intelligences theory of Howard Gardner are used as a foundation of research in order to explain how educating students of all learning styles should include interdisciplinary methods and creative applications. Primary and secondary research of Howard Gardner’s theory and interdisciplinary methods, specifically the Integration Model and Broad Model approaches were completed. Two different lesson plans demonstrating how to teach students integrating two disciplines while including creativity were generated as examples of thesis. Qualitative research on creativity and motivation identified connection between the two and why interdisciplinary methods enable more possibilities of adding creativity to lessons taught. Advantages include reaching …

Finding The "T" In Lgbtq: Esl Educator Perceptions Of Transgender And Non-Binary Gender Topics In The Language Classroom, Teresa Lynn Witcher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

While there is a “T” in the acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ), the focus in both academia and the real world often shifts solely to sexuality. Even though the real world discussion of sexuality (and perhaps academia’s as well) is also much lacking in both attention to all sexualities (not simply heterosexual and homosexual), there is also a distinct lack of awareness about subtleties all along both the sexuality and gender spectrums. Although sexuality can depend on gender to some extent, particularly where limiting prefixes related to the preference for a specific binary gender (such as …

Propaedeutic To Philosophy: Dialogue And Truth In Philosophical Practice, Lauren Nelson Hesse

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This dissertation advocates a model of dialogue as an approach to education and to philosophical discourse itself that is capable of acknowledging and accommodating the manifold possibilities for human thought. Contemporary philosophy is permeated by a loss of certainty and the increasingly problematic nature of the concept of truth, and the complication of these concepts exposes significant limitations in the ways we conceptualize thought itself. Working in this vein, Gilles Deleuze identifies what he calls an " image of thought," which characterizes the forms we have traditionally allowed thinking to take. His critique of this image, along with its subsequent …

Variable Education Exposure And Cognitive Task Performance Among The Tsimane, Forager-Horticulturalists, Helen Elizabeth Davis

Anthropology ETDs

At present, we know very little about the transition from traditional learning skills to models of standardized learning, and how it can influence the way one understands and solves problems. This research will examine cognitive performance and the factors affecting variation across communities and between individuals as it changes with age. The objective of this dissertation is to measure cognitive performance among children between 8 and 18 years of age exposed to variable levels of formal schooling in order to investigate three main research questions: (1) Whether exposure to schooling and increased performance in school-based abilities, such as math and …

The Phenomenon Of Abstract Cognition Among Scholastic Chess Participants: A Case Study, Brent C. Laws

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of abstract cognition among a purposive sample of 5 secondary scholastic chess club participants. The case study enabled the researcher to explore the faculties of abstract cognition among students of contrasting skills and abilities in playing chess. The study also allowed for the consideration of potential visual-spatial, logical, academic, social competency and life benefits of chess play. Through analysis of interviews, chess simulations, blindfold chess play, and narration of chess lines and sequences, the investigator was able to extract meaning and code schemata into a holistic understanding of the phenomenon of …

Hiv Pilot Program For Chinese College Students: Differences By Gender, Teresa D. Serratt

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Session presented on Saturday, July 26, 2014:

Purpose: Nearly 10 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease annually. [1]. Young people are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and account for 40% of all new adult HIV infections in the world (UNAIDS, 2012b). Condom use has been identified as an effective means of preventing sexually transmitted diseases, however male and female Chinese college students may respond differently to educational interventions aimed at increasing condom use. [2] Chinese students account for 30% of all international students attending U.S. colleges and universities, but there …

Moral Issues In The Recent History Of The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Ivelina Nikolova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Over the past centuries Bulgarian people experienced severe religious and ethnic threats due to which they have developed defense mechanisms and a strong sense of sympathy for persecuted ethnic and social groups. In recent history, this reflex was manifested most clearly in the behavior of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in defense of the Bulgarian Jews. At the same time two other events, however, reveal its controversial image that caused it a severe damage. In recent years, many Bulgarians are seeking the moral dimensions of these phenomena that influence the spirituality and morality of the younger generations.

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Parental Involvement And Home-School Connections In A South Texas Border Town, Cynthia A. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Latinos have a high amount of individuals residing in poverty, and, yet, are still the fastest growing minority group in the nation (Gandara & Contreras, 2009; National Council of La Raza, 2014). For some families, living in poverty and the need to earn a living prevents parents from being actively involved in their children’s education (Moreno & Gaytan, 2013). Therefore, the need to form alliances with parents is critical. Partnerships with parents must be formed to better understand the necessities of these children. Consequently, educators should convey to parents the significance of forming links between the home and school. Moreover, …

The Multidimensional Prospects For L2 English Legal Writing, Jongkyung Park

Open Access Theses

Due to a rapidly rising population of international law students in the United States, considering the guiding role of language specialists in L2 legal writing has become more critical than ever regarding academic curricula and research as well as prospective professional practice. Given the lack of rich body of research on L2 legal writing, this thesis contemplates how legal writing curricula and research could be practically beneficial to L2 English learners (especially to those with legal backgrounds), through the researcher's own point of view as a L2 English-speaking lawyer. For this purpose, the researcher investigates diverse approaches to L2 legal …