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Full-Text Articles in Education

(Re)Inventing Research: Exploring Academic Discourse Through Collage, Ariela Mccaffrey, Eileen Medeiros Nov 2013

(Re)Inventing Research: Exploring Academic Discourse Through Collage, Ariela Mccaffrey, Eileen Medeiros

Library Staff Publications

College students are part of many communities-most significantly, academic discourse communities. In this session you will learn how to help your students better understand community by creating and connecting collages to information literacy strategies to develop a deeper understanding of the academic discourse communities to which they now belong.


Assistive Technology: Identifying Professional Development Needs Of Independent School Teachers, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable May 2013

Assistive Technology: Identifying Professional Development Needs Of Independent School Teachers, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.


Admissions Counselors’ Perceptions Of Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Correlates Of Student Success At An Independent High School: A Mixed Methods Study, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable May 2013

Admissions Counselors’ Perceptions Of Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Correlates Of Student Success At An Independent High School: A Mixed Methods Study, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

“Through the recruitment, selection, and enrollment of students, admission and enrollment management professionals play a critical role in their schools’ vitality and educational culture” (NAIS, 2012, para. 2). According to the Principles of Good Practice, stated by NAIS (2012), through the admission process schools seek to ensure an appropriate match between prospective students/families and the school. For admission professionals to make the most effective decisions for both the school and applicant, they gather materials to get to know the student on a deeper level. These materials include, but are not limited to, a formal application, transcripts (often from the past …


Transforming Equity-Oriented Leaders: Principal Residency Network Program Evaluation, Donna Braun, Felice D. Billups, Robert K. Gable Apr 2013

Transforming Equity-Oriented Leaders: Principal Residency Network Program Evaluation, Donna Braun, Felice D. Billups, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

After 12 years focused on developing school leaders who act as change agents for educational equity, the Principal Residency Network (PRN) partnered with Johnson and Wales University’s Center for Research and Evaluation to conduct a utilization-focused (Patton, 2002) program evaluation funded by a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation. The PRN is a principal preparation program of the non-profit organization, the Center for Leadership and Educational Equity. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study explored PRN graduates’ outcomes and perceptions of the program, with an overarching purpose of creating a coherent data collection and inquiry process to be used by program …


The Privilege And The Challenge: Storytelling And The Doctoral Experience, Felice D. Billups Apr 2013

The Privilege And The Challenge: Storytelling And The Doctoral Experience, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

Paper presented at the 45th annual meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO), April 17-19, 2013, Portsmouth, NH.


College-Ready Urban Black, Hispanic, And Biracial Students: Why Are They Not Applying To College?, Delois C. Lindsey, Robert K. Gable Apr 2013

College-Ready Urban Black, Hispanic, And Biracial Students: Why Are They Not Applying To College?, Delois C. Lindsey, Robert K. Gable

Higher Education

The study explored reasons why Black, Hispanic, and Biracial, first generation high school seniors who wish to attend college, do not apply. The literature indicated that these populations have consistently lower rates of college enrollment and educational attainment than Whites and Asians (Ashburn, 2008). Enrollment challenges included deficiencies in the areas of academic readiness (Forster, 2006), college knowledge (Tierney & Venegas, 2009), parental engagement (Auerbach, 2007), access to guidance counselors (Farmer-Hinton & Holland, 2008), and social capital (Burleson, Hallett, & Park, 2008). Future growth rates in American higher education will be spurred by those who are least educated and most …


Characteristics Of At-Risk Students, Michael Sollitto, Robert K. Gable Oct 2012

Characteristics Of At-Risk Students, Michael Sollitto, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study focused on a major problem facing today’s educators: high school dropouts. Research questions addressed differences in teacher perspectives of the characteristics of struggling students. Differences in teachers’ perspectives based on teaching level (elementary & secondary) were examined. The researcher conducted focus groups with a total of 12 teachers. The research was conducted in two suburban districts. Focus group questions were designed following a survey administered to 108 suburban public school teachers. The survey responses reported previously identified four dimensions of characteristics of at-risk students: behavior, achievement, family involvement, and family background. The data from the focus groups can …


Former Juvenile Offenders Re-Enrolling Into Mainstream Public Schools, Thomas Richardson, Thomas Dipaola, Robert K. Gable Oct 2012

Former Juvenile Offenders Re-Enrolling Into Mainstream Public Schools, Thomas Richardson, Thomas Dipaola, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study examined school re-enrollment procedures employed by two school systems for N=578 former juvenile offenders re-enrolling from secured supervised settings to urban mainstream secondary public schools and alternative schools and programs in New England. Quantitative data regarding student demographics and qualitative data from interviews with 19 support personnel and selected documents were used to evaluate which program elements enhanced or disengaged former offenders from secondary urban schools. The characteristics of former juvenile offenders’ lack of school involvement with respect to truancy, school suspension and expulsion, learning, behavior, and emotional disabilities, as well as family, economic, and social disadvantages were …


Perceived Efficacy Of Beginning Teachers To Differentiate Instruction, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable May 2012

Perceived Efficacy Of Beginning Teachers To Differentiate Instruction, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of teacher efficacy (10 item survey, alpha = .90) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Research questions addressed levels of self-efficacy, perceptions of preparedness, teaching tenure, and number of certifications held. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. No significant relationships were found for tenure and …


Backwards Planning, Forward Thinking, Valerie Balkun, Donna Thomsen Nov 2011

Backwards Planning, Forward Thinking, Valerie Balkun, Donna Thomsen

English Department Faculty Publications & Research

No abstract provided.


Crisis Preparedness: Do School Administrators And First Responders Feel Ready To Act?, David J. Alba, Robert K. Gable Oct 2011

Crisis Preparedness: Do School Administrators And First Responders Feel Ready To Act?, David J. Alba, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

A majority of public school districts have developed crisis preparedness plans; however, policy and procedural implementation is inconsistent across schools, districts, and states. Furthermore, while the literature regarding best practice in school safety recommends conducting a variety of drills in conjunction with first responders, there is little research literature that examines the perceptions of the personnel responsible for the planning and implementation of these types of collaborative efforts (Graham, Shirm, Liggin, Aitken, & Dick, 2006; Kano & Bourque, 2007; United States Government Accounting Office, 2007). This study explored the perceptions of 60 Rhode Island school principals, three district-level administrators, and …


Beginning Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Differentiate Instruction For Diverse Learners, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable Oct 2011

Beginning Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Differentiate Instruction For Diverse Learners, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of Preparedness (28 items, alpha = .96) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. The following areas presented challenges to teachers when attempting differentiation: pre-existing ideas of how to teach which contradict differentiation, misinformation regarding differentiation, and classroom management skills. …


Perspectives Of Suburban Public School Teachers On The Characteristics Of Students At-Risk For Dropping Out Of School, Michael J. Sollitto, Robert K. Gable Oct 2011

Perspectives Of Suburban Public School Teachers On The Characteristics Of Students At-Risk For Dropping Out Of School, Michael J. Sollitto, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study focuses on a major problem facing today’s educators: high school dropouts. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the reasons that students drop out of school and programs that may address the needs of students at-risk for dropping out of school. Literature in this area was reviewed to identify what can be learned from these studies. Research questions addressed differences in teacher perspectives of the characteristics of elementary, middle, and high school struggling students. Differences in teachers’ perspectives based on tenure and type of teaching assignment were examined. A sequential, mixed methods approach was taken. The researchers began …


Collegiate Administrator Perceptions Of Organizational Culture: An Analysis Of Metaphors, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D. Oct 2011

Collegiate Administrator Perceptions Of Organizational Culture: An Analysis Of Metaphors, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D.

Higher Education

This study sought to characterize college and university administrator perceptions of organizational culture, their perceptions of themselves versus other campus subcultures, and their perceptions of themselves as members of their campus communities, through an analysis of their use of metaphors. Primary research objectives included the identification of administrator perceptions of the dominant campus culture, their perceptions of related subcultures, their perceptions of group self-consciousness, and the characterization of administrators as a legitimate collegiate subculture. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing metaphor analysis as the framework for individual interviews. The very nature of the problem (i.e. asking administrators to …


Online Versus Face To Face College Courses, Ningning Shi, Chen Du, Xiaonan Jiang, Hala M. Bin Saab May 2011

Online Versus Face To Face College Courses, Ningning Shi, Chen Du, Xiaonan Jiang, Hala M. Bin Saab

MBA Student Scholarship

Students have perceptions of the on-line course environment whether they have taken an on-line course or not. A random sample (N = 100) of undergraduate (n = 34) and graduate (n = 66) students were administered a student perception questionnaire on students' attitudes towards studying online versus traditional classroom instruction in a large, private, southern New England University. Thirty-nine percent of the participants have a part-time job, 29% have a full-time job, and the remaining 32% are not currently employed. Thirty-three percent of the sample was male and 67% were female. Results of the survey questionnaire indicate that 29% of …


Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In A Mathematics Methods Course Affect Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics?,, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris Apr 2011

Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In A Mathematics Methods Course Affect Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics?,, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris

Teacher Education

This study is related to a previous study (Ribeiro, 2009) that examined teachers’ perceptions of teaching self-efficacy. In the first study the sample consisted of two groups of teachers that took the same professional development course in mathematics. The comparison group took the course in their school district with other teachers and the experimental group took the course with pre-service teachers in a university classroom. After completing the course, both groups were measured in three dimensions of teaching self-efficacy: student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom climate. Findings indicated that although both groups had significant gains in self-efficacy toward teaching mathematics …


Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups Jan 2011

Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

How would you describe your campus culture or your school environment? Would you carefully outline the details of the working conditions, the way people interact in meetings, or the unique communication style of your organization? Or would you rather use a descriptive phrase, or even a metaphor, to summarily reveal your organization’s culture? Metaphor analysis, as a means to uncover organizational culture, is an increasingly popular strategy for qualitative researchers. In interpretative qualitative studies, metaphors comprise a form of linguistic analysis which assists researchers who are interested in an intensive but short-term evaluation of organizational culture (Patton, 2002; Schmitt, 2005). …


The Relationship Of Personality Traits To Satisfaction With The Team: A Study Of Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams In Rhode Island Middle Schools, Michele D. Humbyrd, Robert K. Gable Oct 2010

The Relationship Of Personality Traits To Satisfaction With The Team: A Study Of Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams In Rhode Island Middle Schools, Michele D. Humbyrd, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

Shared practice in schools has emerged; teachers are moving from isolation to team collaboration where personality traits could be related to quality interactions. Team personality traits and team satisfaction were examined. A survey and interview approach was used for N = 244 full-time teachers from N = 49 interdisciplinary teams at N = 7 middle schools. Descriptive, correlational, multiple regression analyses and coded themes about team members’ personalities and interactions were employed. No significant relationships were found between the BFI traits and Satisfaction with the Team. Team-level analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between Satisfaction with theTeam and Extraversion and …


Perceptions Of Doctoral Students Regarding Factors Contributing To Student Success, Felice D. Billups, Stacey L. Kite Oct 2010

Perceptions Of Doctoral Students Regarding Factors Contributing To Student Success, Felice D. Billups, Stacey L. Kite

Higher Education

Doctoral students comprise a unique population with special needs and concerns, both academically and personally. However, minimal research has been conducted regarding the programs and services that appropriately meet their needs, ensuring their academic success. The purpose of this study is to describe doctoral student satisfaction with Ed.D. program support services, offered at a small university in southern New England. Qualitative data from the first phase of this study identified factors that impede or assist in the completion of the degree program. These findings were used to develop a quantitative instrument to determine the satisfaction and magnitude of importance from …


Teenagers’ Reasons For Listening To Music And The Students’ Perception Of The Effects Of Listening When Completing School Assignments, Jennifer Adriano, Thomas Dipaola Apr 2010

Teenagers’ Reasons For Listening To Music And The Students’ Perception Of The Effects Of Listening When Completing School Assignments, Jennifer Adriano, Thomas Dipaola

K-12 Education

Music is a significant part of our lives. People listen to music on the radio at home and in their car; they watch music videos on television or hand held technology; they buy CDs or download music; and they attend concerts. People also hear music in stores, restaurants, sporting events, and doctors’ offices (Schellenberg, Peretz, & Vieillard, 2008). Music is very important to many adolescents and they spend a considerable amount of their time listening to music. One study with N = 2,465 adolescents ages 13 and 14 found that participants listened to music for an average of 2.45 hours …


Knowledge And Understanding Of The 21st Century Skills Through Educator Externships: Programs In Southern New England, Lizann R. Gibson, Gary G. Gray Jan 2010

Knowledge And Understanding Of The 21st Century Skills Through Educator Externships: Programs In Southern New England, Lizann R. Gibson, Gary G. Gray

K-12 Education

This study utilized the body of knowledge that exists on emergent workforce development issues, the characteristics of the Millennial generation as they relate to the increasingly high drop-outs rates and the globalization of the workplace, the need for 21st Century Skills to be incorporated into the K-12 curriculum, and an authentic professional development experience for teachers, the educator externship.

The Educator Externship experience is a statistically viable method of authentic professional development to help teachers provide the educational experience that their students, the Millennial generation, are demanding.

The data from this study statistically showed that the Educator Externship Experience as …


Academic Integration Of Doctoral Students: Applying Tinto’S Model, Felice D. Billups Jan 2010

Academic Integration Of Doctoral Students: Applying Tinto’S Model, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

Doctoral students comprise a unique population with special needs and concerns. While considerable research has investigated graduate student satisfaction and retention (Brandes, 2006; Golde, 1998; Tinto, 1987), much of the research views graduate students as extensions of undergraduates in terms of their motivations and needs.


Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In Professional Development Affect Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris May 2009

Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In Professional Development Affect Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris

Teacher Education

A mixed method study is reported examining teacher efficacy regarding professional development in mathematics instruction for two groups of teachers: in building with peers (N=17) and MAT student co-learners in the classroom (N=14). An end-of-course survey, focus group interviews and pre-post data for the Teacher Self Efficacy Scale were used to investigate:1. What is the difference in teachers’ efficacy regarding mathematics instruction based on the professional development delivery system they experienced? 2. What are teachers’ perceptions of their professional development with peers conducted onsite in district compared with professional development with peers and preservice teachers at a university setting? Descriptive …


Expectations For Career And Social Support By Mentors And Mentees Participating In Formal Elementary And Secondary School Mentoring Programs, Monique Jacob, Robert K. Gable May 2009

Expectations For Career And Social Support By Mentors And Mentees Participating In Formal Elementary And Secondary School Mentoring Programs, Monique Jacob, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

Teacher shortages are a nationwide concern, attributable primarily to high attrition rates among new teachers (Ingersoll, 2003; Ingersoll & Kralik, 2004; Ingersol & Smith, 2004). Ingersoll and Kralik (2004) claimed that an estimated 50% of new teachers left the profession within their first 5 years. Reasons for leaving include: isolating and non-supportive teaching environments, poor working conditions and overwhelming teaching assignments (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2005). To support beginning teachers, Rhode Island passed legislation requiring districts to develop a mentoring process (Law 16-7.1-2 Accountability for Student Performance). One variable measuring mentoring success is how closely participants’ expectations for the relationship …


Surviving A Doctoral Program: Student Perspectives Of Support Services, Felice D. Billups, Stacey L. Kite Jan 2009

Surviving A Doctoral Program: Student Perspectives Of Support Services, Felice D. Billups, Stacey L. Kite

Higher Education

The purpose of this study is to investigate student perspectives on factors that impede and assist in the completion of an Ed.D. program. Students at a small university in the northeast currently enrolled in their courses, as well as those enrolled in their dissertation phase, were included in this study.


Assessment Of General Education Of Doctoral Students Matriculating In An Educational Leadership Program In A Southern New England University, Martin Sivula Ph.D., Thomas D. Sepe, Ph.D. Jan 2009

Assessment Of General Education Of Doctoral Students Matriculating In An Educational Leadership Program In A Southern New England University, Martin Sivula Ph.D., Thomas D. Sepe, Ph.D.

Higher Education

Higher education usually reserves talk of “general education” to the undergraduate experience. When entering graduate schools, graduate students have dissimilar and diverse undergraduate experiences in general education. Some graduate students have benefit of a solidly constructed undergraduate curriculum, while others have experienced broad distribution or no requirements whatsoever. Demography, language, and their disciplinary curriculum serve to divide them. Interdisciplinary programs have students usually study within the confines of two or more disciplines, and still they would be studying and researching within their disciplinary structures. Even bi-lingual and multi-lingual students still act within their linguistic structures. Stimpson (2002) created a term …


Anxiety And Depression As Comorbid Factors In Drinking Behaviors Of Undergraduate College Students Attending An Urban Private University In The Northeastern United States, Charles J. Vohs, Robert K. Gable, Cynthia V.L. Ward, Ronald L. Martel, Joseph Barresi, Dameian Slocumb Oct 2008

Anxiety And Depression As Comorbid Factors In Drinking Behaviors Of Undergraduate College Students Attending An Urban Private University In The Northeastern United States, Charles J. Vohs, Robert K. Gable, Cynthia V.L. Ward, Ronald L. Martel, Joseph Barresi, Dameian Slocumb

Higher Education

High-risk drinking is the number one public health concern on college campuses (Berkowitz, 2003; Kapner, 2003; Wechsler, 2002). To date, high-risk drinking prevention programs have met with limited success (Kapner, 2003).

This study examined differences among four drinking behavior groups: non-drinkers [(ND), (n = 128)], low-risk drinkers [(LRD), (n = 252)], high-risk drinkers [(HRD), (n = 272)], and frequent high-risk drinkers [(FHRD), (n = 290)] with respect to anxiety and depression for male (n = 457) and female (n = 485) undergraduates (N = 942) attending an urban private university in the northeastern United States; and, the perceptions of two …


Measuring College Student Satisfaction: A Multi-Year Study Of The Factors Leading To Persistence, Felice D. Billups Oct 2008

Measuring College Student Satisfaction: A Multi-Year Study Of The Factors Leading To Persistence, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

How satisfied are students with their college experience? Do they receive the academic and social benefits they expect when they enroll? At what point do they decide that their institutional choice is a “fit” or not? Numerous researchers have investigated these questions for decades (Astin, 1977; Noel, 1978; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Peters, 1988; Tinto, 1987). In the end, most researchers agree that highly satisfied students are more likely to remain in, and ultimately, graduate from college. One of the ways that colleges measure student satisfaction is through the administration of student satisfaction surveys. Satisfaction survey programs emerged in the …


Strategic Planning: Is It Worth The Effort? The Superintendent’S Perspective, Ralph Jasparro Feb 2006

Strategic Planning: Is It Worth The Effort? The Superintendent’S Perspective, Ralph Jasparro

Higher Education

No abstract provided.


Obesity, Educational Attainment, And State Economic Welfare, Martin W. Sivula Ph.D. May 2004

Obesity, Educational Attainment, And State Economic Welfare, Martin W. Sivula Ph.D.

Higher Education

For the first time in history, estimates of the overweight people in the world rival estimates of those malnourished. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2002) ranked obesity among the top 10 risks to human health worldwide. In the early 1960s, nearly half of the Americans were overweight and 13% were obese. Today some 64% of U.S. adults are overweight and 30.5% are obese. Even more alarming, twice as many U.S. children are overweight than were twenty years ago, a 66% increase. Non-communicable diseases impose a heavy economic burden on already strained health systems. Health is a key determinant of development …