Education Commons^™

Graduate School Alumni Giving: An Identity Salience Model Of Nonprofit Relationship Marketing Success Approach, Joseph Patrick Neary

Theses and Dissertations

Development officers and those who research philanthropic giving frequently explore the factors that motivate donors to give or the demographic variables that enable donating behavior to occur, less often is the concept of identity used as a mediating variable in the study of philanthropic giving. Using the Identity Salience Model of Nonprofit Relationship Marketing Success proposed by Arnett, German, and Hunt (2003) as a theoretical framework, this dissertation explores the understudied giving behaviors of alumni of graduate degree programs at a large, southeastern, Carnegie classified highest research activity, doctoral institution. Using the survey responses from and institutional data for 707 …

Short Term International Study For Teachers As A Form Of Experiential Learning: A Case Study Of American Educators In Turkey, Zulfikar Berk

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of the experiences and perspectives of nine US teachers who participated in a short-term international study tour to Turkey, from the theoretical perspectives of global education and experiential learning. It examines how that experience shaped the teachers’ understandings of global dynamics, cultural differences and experiential learning. It also sought to understand how teachers incorporated what they learned from their international experience into their subsequent educational activities. This study has implications for teachers and professionals who are considering short-term international study in order to enhance their global perspectives and their approaches to providing global education …

A Regression Analysis Of South Carolina Algebra I End-Of-Course Exam Scores By Schedule Type, Dawn M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between scheduling and first-year-high-school students’ exam scores on the South Carolina Algebra I End-of-Course (EOC) assessment. The study compared existing empirical data from two southeastern high schools from the same school district using 4 X 4 block schedules from 2011-2014 and modified block (A/B) schedules from the years 2014-2016. The study results included Algebra I EOC exam scores from the 3 years each school was on a 4 X 4 block schedule and for the 2 years each school employed a modified (A/B) block schedule. South Carolina Algebra I EOC …

The Effects Of Sex And Professional Experience On Superintendent Selection Decisions By School Board Chairpersons, Patrick Jarrett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects that a superintendent candidate’s sex and professional background and school board chairpersons’ sex have on resume screening decisions. School board chairpersons were selected randomly from across the United States to receive one of six types of hypothetical superintendent candidates’ resumes and respond to a survey which requires subjects to rate the likelihood they would recommend the candidate depicted in the resume for an interview. Variables examined were candidates’ sex (male vs. female), professional experience (business vs. education vs. military) and sex-similarity with school board chairperson. An ordinal regression was used …

Implementation Of Common Core State Standards And South Carolina College And Career Ready Standards: Successes And Struggles, Matthew D. Scandrol

Theses and Dissertations

In 2009 the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative was introduced to the nation’s education systems. The CCSS initiative compelled schools and districts to re-evaluate instructional programs to better meet the instructional needs of students as well as the professional development needs of teachers and administrators.

On May 30, 2014, South Carolina became the second state to withdraw from the CCSS initiative. South Carolina developed its own statewide set of standards to replace the Common Core for the 2015-2016 school year. Titled the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards (SCCCRS), these standards are heavily influenced by the Common Core. …

Examining The Evolution Of A Teacher Induction Program In A Diverse, Urban, Southeastern School District, Karen Pack

Theses and Dissertations

Educational institutions struggle to increase student achievement. While the educational needs of students remain at the forefront, teachers’ needs must also be met—before and after entering the classroom. My experience in public education has shown most beginning teachers depend on the support a teacher induction program provides to manage the multitude of new responsibilities faced during the first year in the classroom. Induction programs are constructed and implemented within school districts in a variety of ways. This study is an in-depth analysis that identifies factors that impacted an effective teacher induction program, examines how the program changed as a result, …

The Private University Faculty Perspective Of Community College Transfer Students: An Ethnographic Interview Study, Sally E. Hyatt

Theses and Dissertations

Faculty/student relationships have a significant impact on student retention and success (Tinto, 1975, 1993). However, little is known about how faculty perceive community college transfer students and how they make meaning of their interactions with these students. This qualitative, descriptive, ethnographic interview study describes faculty/student interaction and the ways in which community college transfer students are perceived by the faculty at one small, private, nonprofit, masters-level university. The research questions used for this study were designed to investigate the faculty’s perception of community college students, the students’ academic experiences and the faculty/student relationship.

The researcher gathered data during 12 in-depth …

Role Of The Principal In Implementing Blended Learning In Algebra I Courses In South Carolina Public Schools, Corey J. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

In the state of South Carolina, the primary indicator of student achievement in high schools is the End of Course Test. In order to increase passing rates on this test, many schools are turning to online tutorials or more advanced online intelligent tutoring systems. Any combination of online delivery of educational content with classroom interaction and live instruction is known as blended learning. This study examined the role of the principal in implementing blended learning in Algebra 1 courses in South Carolina public schools.

This study was guided by three primary research questions: What is the self-perceived role of the …

Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Principal Leadership Behaviors As It Relates To Teacher Evaluative Feedback And Recognition, Tammy Joy Burnham

Theses and Dissertations

Attention to instructional leadership practices and their impact on teacher effectiveness continues to dominate professional educational literature. Although much quantitative research has been conducted on instructional leadership styles and behaviors, few published studies have explicitly studied the principal and teacher perceptions of evaluative feedback and recognition. This study addresses the motivational needs of competent teachers and how evaluative feedback and recognition influence these motivations. Qualitative data were drawn from three elementary schools in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Teachers and principals completed surveys, the researcher performed observations in various settings, and principal and teacher interviews were conducted to further …

Teaching Distance Education In Library Science: A Comparative Study Of Faculty Satisfaction, Teaching Effectiveness, And Support Services, David S. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether distance education technologies, institutional support services and/or faculty demographics have a relationship to the job satisfaction of faculty teaching in American Library Association (ALA) accredited master of library and information science programs (MLS) delivered through online distance education. A better understanding of faculty satisfaction in these areas will allow universities to more effectively select technologies and design/maintain support services that can contribute to faculty morale, teaching effectiveness, and program quality in distance education.

The researcher studied faculty in MLS programs because the discipline of library science interconnects academe, information collection and …

Examining Organizational Change Through A Socio-Cultural Lens: A Case Study Of Persistent Educational Inequity In A Rural, Mid-Sized School District In South Carolina, Deborah Hooks-Ward

Theses and Dissertations

This researcher in this study examined the dynamics of organizational change in a rural, mid-sized school district in South Carolina, with a focus on socio-cultural factors that hindered effective implementation of reforms aimed at reducing educational inequity. The research was conducted through a series of 15 interviews with board members and current and former superintendents from the school district and surrounding school districts. An analysis of the various responses led to the following findings: 1) a deep level of distrust seems to exist between board members and superintendents, 2) there is an ignorance of how income disparities may block educational …

Thorn In The Side Of Segregation: The Short Life, Long Odds, And Legacy Of The Law School At South Carolina State College, Alfred D. Moore Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The Law School at South Carolina State College, or more commonly known as “State College,” opened on September 17, 1947 with nine African American students. It closed on May 15, 1966 when the Law School graduated its final class. The Law School was conceived when John Wrighten, an African American veteran of World War II and graduate of State College, applied for admission to the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Law on June 30, 1946. Wrighten, who was denied admission due to his race, sued the University on grounds that the rejection violated his constitutional rights under the …

Organizational Perspective On Implementing The Residential Curriculum Approach: An Ethnographic Case Study, Hilary L. Lichterman

Theses and Dissertations

How does a college or university housing department adopt and adapt to a new curricular approach? This qualitative descriptive case study describes how one, mid-size, co-educational residence life department in the Midwestern region of the United States adopted the residential curriculum approach based on “The 10 Essential Elements of a Residential Curriculum” (The 10EERC) that are a foundational aspect of the content discussed at the ACPA – College Student Educators International’s annual Residential Curriculum Institute (RCI). This study is the first empirical research published on the residential curriculum approach. Additionally, there is a deficit in existing literature on Bolman and …

The Evolution Will Not Be Televised: A Comparative Study Of Women Of Color And Their Pursuit Of The Community College Presidency, Simone Annika Francis Gause

Theses and Dissertations

Although the career paths of presidents have been documented, the personal considerations an individual makes for choosing these pathways are not articulated. This study sought to uncover the decision-making of sitting presidents and presidential aspirants in their proposition of advanced leadership roles and their personal career choices. Conceptually framed by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Career Construction Theory, this dissertation examined the attitudes, motivations and considerations of select minority female community college presidents and presidential aspirants to understand their pursuit of the community college presidency. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were used to collect narrative data from both groups …

Against The Odds With A Red Solo Cup, T-Shirt, And A Bible: Motivations And Expectations Of Non-Drinking Fraternity Men, Anna C. Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research has consistently linked high-risk alcohol use and fraternity membership. However, not all men who join fraternities are high-risk drinkers. This qualitative descriptive case study describes the experiences and motivations of six nondrinking fraternity men to better understand who they were before they arrived on campus, why they joined the organization they did, and how they navigate the fraternity environment. The research conducted for this study indicates that their experiences and motivations for joining and staying in fraternities are identified in three primary ways: (1) their upbringing and the role that parental expectations play, (2) the influence of faith …

Leadership Preparation Programs And Social Justice, Lessons Learned From A Graduate School Of Education, Jason Robert Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the influence of a graduate school of education on adult learning to determine if transformative learning has taken place. This qualitative study analyzed the stories and experiences of six graduate students to determine if there had been transformative learning and if transformative learning had influenced leadership behaviors that promote social justice in schools. A steady demographic shift over the years has resulted in schools with a higher percentage of minority and poor students. Many of these students are in marginalized in schools. In these marginalized schools, social justice reforms are necessary to address the needs of all …

The Preferred Leadership Style Of South Carolina, Title I, Middle School Principals: Is There A Relationship To Student Achievement ?, Valarie Green

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the self-perceived leadership style preferred by Title I middle school principals and its association to student achievement as measured by the South Carolina, Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) tests. Research studying effective schools strongly supports the concept that school principals are the key to a school's success or failure. This study was conducted in South Carolina school district middle schools with grade configuration of sixth to eight grade. Twelve schools were selected based on Title I status, or the school's poverty rate, and included only schools in which the principal had served in the same school …

Rallying Education Activism From The Grassroots Up: A Case Study Of The South Carolina Education Improvement Act Of 1984, Sally Saunders Huguley

Theses and Dissertations

With the 1983 publication of A Nation At Risk that warned of the “rising tide of mediocrity” in American public education, southern governors took the lead in proposing reforms to their states’ lagging education systems. Among those was South Carolina Governor Richard W. Riley, who proposed public school reform legislation funded by a statewide one cent sales tax increase within the difficult context of a legislative election year. Facing stiff opposition to the tax increase from the South Carolina General Assembly, Riley launched a statewide grassroots effort to pressure the Legislature to enact the 1984 Education Improvement Act (EIA) and …

Principals’ Preparedness For, And Experiences Of, Crisis Events At School, Patricia Daughtry

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, principals in the low country region of South Carolina were surveyed to assess their perceived preparedness for, and experiences of, crisis events in their schools. This study replicated a study, conducted by Adamson and Peacock (2007), which was presented in an article entitled Crisis Response in the Public Schools: A Survey of School Psychologists’ Experiences and Perceptions. Although their research was important, the population was limited to school psychologists. A literature review revealed no research on lessons learned from school principals. Since principals are responsible for managing the school from the moments following a crisis through the …

Reflective Judgment: Can Problem-Based Learning Approach Make A Difference?, Nicole Marie Cavanagh

Theses and Dissertations

For counselors to be successful in current and future practice, they must be proficient reflective thinkers and be able to use reflective judgment skills to manage the daily complex problems presented by complex clients. Reflective thinking and reflective judgment are not elements of counseling curricula unless faculty explicitly design learning activities to develop these skills.

This study examined the relationship between reflective judgment and problembased learning (PBL) by comparing pretest and posttest scores on the Reasoning about Current Issues test. Data was collected from a convenience sample of graduate level Counselor Education Ed.S students at the University of South Carolina …

Building Resiliency: Supporting Elementary School Students Through Parental Bereavement, Sandra Kerr Ray

Theses and Dissertations

This study employed qualitative methods to learn what understandings, practices, and interventions were used by educators from one elementary school to support bereaved children in the classroom and as members of a school community. Educators reported uncertainty about how children grieve, how to talk with children about a deceased parent, how to talk with the bereaved child’s peers about parental death, and how to balance the bereaved child’s emotional and academic needs. Educators were also uncertain about how to recognize and intervene when a parental death was remote in time and the child’s grief response was attenuated (e.g., anxiety, disengagement, …