Education Commons^™

Students’ Meaning-Making Journeys Towards Self-Authorship Through Self-Designed Gap Year Experiences, Erin Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological, qualitative study addressed student perceptions of their meaning-making process towards self-authorship in a self-designed gap year experience and was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the Southeast. Data was gathered through interviews from a purposeful sample of gap year program participants and program administrators. Emerging themes and categories were identified by coding and analyzing the interview data, such as continual reflection reinforces the value of individual meaning-making, self-expectations versus self-worth, the influence of societal expectations are minimized, and self-designed learning helps to solidify changes in self-authorship. The data showed a strong connection between multiple meaning-making contexts …

Teacher Retention In Secure Residential Settings, Daniel Froemel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A phenomenological study was conducted to identify the factors associated with job retention among teachers in secure residential treatment centers in Tennessee. Central to this investigation was the exploration of how residential teachers perceive they are supported in their position, how teachers in residential settings perceive the culture of the facility, and what factors are associated with teacher retention in secure residential settings. Through a series of fifteen interviews, common themes emerged from the coding that provided insight into these questions.

Teachers who had worked in residential settings for more than five years seemed to have very strong internal belief …

University Budget Models, Institutional Size, And Student Outcomes, James P. Batchelder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the non-experimental quantitative research study was to identify if there is a significant difference between the types of budget model an institution utilizes, institutional size, and student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. This study was to identify if there is significant difference between institutional size and the type budget model utilized.

Member institutions of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) were selected to participate in this study due to their similarities of mission and admissions policy. AASCU institutions share a common mission that focuses on access, innovation, regional support, and inclusion. AASCU institutions are …

Beating The Odds: Perseverance And Its Influence On Male Students’ Perceptions In Overcoming Generational Poverty, Grady C. Bailey Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the perceived influences that male graduates from Title I high schools attribute to their success. During the last 30 years the poverty gap has not narrowed and in some cases it has increased. This study hoped to provide evidence of supports needed by looking at males who overcame generational poverty. This study included qualitative data collection from interviews of 15 male participants. Nine themes emerged in the findings of perceived influences by these participants. The nine themes identified where 1) Success has two components; internal and external, 2) School personnel and programs guided success, 3) Change …

A Survey Of Pre-Service And In-Service Teachers On Training And Knowledge Of State Anti-Bullying Laws And Policies Related To Students With Disabilities, Molly Henry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a serious problem on its own but emerging research suggests that bullying may present differently in students with disabilities and affect them more severely than previously thought. The purpose of this study was to explore the multi-layered issue of bullying involving students with disabilities, examine the programs and legislation developed around this issue, and determine the training and knowledge teachers and teacher candidates have regarding the problem. An exploratory survey was completed by 105 teachers and teacher candidates in northeast Tennessee. Descriptive statistics and T-tests revealed that in-service teachers were more knowledgeable in identification of bullying and the …

Teacher Perceptions Of Social Emotional Learning Supports In Freshman Academy, Nadia Saint-Louis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ninth grade year is the most important challenging year of high school. Many students struggle adjusting to the transition to high school. If supports are not in place, many ninth-grade students are at-risk of dropping out of school. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the social emotional learning supports in Freshman Academy that assist in the transition to High School. A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore these social emotional supports. This study used a phenomenological methodology, enabling the researcher to gather information from a purposeful selection of educators directly identified by their Academy Principals.

This …

Studying Abroad And Intercultural Outcomes: Differences Experienced Between International Exchange Students And U.S. Study Abroad Students, Patricia V. Lin-Steadman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A major focus of many U.S. higher-education institutions is to increase internationalization of their campus through, in part, the promotion of study abroad experiences among domestic students and to recruit and retain international students to their institution. This study explored the effects of certain factors on various domains of the Global Engagement Measurement Scale (GEMS) – Cultural Engagement, Ambiguity Tolerance, Knowledge of Host Site, and Diversity Openness – among U.S. students who have studied abroad and international exchange students who have studied in the U.S. There was a particular focus, on determining whether U.S. study abroad students, compared to international …

The Relationship Between The Amount Of Time Spent In The Block Center And Gender Differences In Preschool Children’S Spatial Performance, Narges Sareh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated whether there is a relationship between the amount of time children spend in the block center and their spatial skills, as well as the gender differences in the amount of time children spend in the block center and in their spatial skills. In addition, other factors influencing spatial skills were examined (e.g. child’s age, parents’ level of education). Using a correlational quantitative design, 75 preschoolers in eight Head Start classrooms were observed three times during their free play time. An existing instrument was used (TOSA: Verdine & Golinkoff, 2018) to measure children’s spatial skills. In addition, …

Safety In The Educational Environment: Rural District Administrator Perceptions Of School Safety In Northeast Tennessee Public Schools, Richard A. True

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative research study was conducted to identify, describe, and understand the perceptions of administrators of public school districts in northeast Tennessee regarding school safety. Using a semi-structured interview process, the researcher identified emerging themes regarding the factors most associated with safe school districts, the factors most associated with unsafe school districts, the items identified as needed to improve safety, and the topics identified as future safety issues at the school and district level. Through such study, the researcher was able to develop an understanding regarding the overall safety of school districts in northeast Tennessee and the specific components that …

Awareness And Utilization Of Smart Mobile Devices And Mobile Apps As Teaching Tools For Community College Faculty, Denise Sherry Malloy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 90% of faculty members in higher education have access to smart mobile devices. However, data are lacking about community college faculty members’ use of smart mobile devices and applications for instruction and content delivery. The purpose of this study was to examine Tennessee community college full-time faculty’s use of smart mobile devices, to determine if there were any significant differences in the mean scores measuring attitudes and use of smart mobile devices by generational age grouping, teaching discipline, rank, years of teaching and to determine if Tennessee community college faculty members who under-utilize mobile technologies for teaching also hold …

Mapping A Course To Success: The Relationship Of A College To Career Navigation Exploratory Course To Academic Success, Patrick D U Davis Sr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, comparative study was to determine the relationship between retention and academic success of students who participated in a College to Career Navigation exploration course and students who did not participate in the course at a rural, community college serving a 14-county area in the Southeast U. S.

Archival data were collected from the participating community college’s student information system. Other data examined for this study included the student’s gender, at-risk status, and age. Retention data of the first-year, full-time students were collected and measured in accordance with the enrollment requirements of the community college’s governing …

Collectivism, Individualism, And Interprofessional Education: A Comparison Of Faculty Across Five Academic Health Sciences Colleges, S. Alicia Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collaborative practice among interprofessional groups of health care providers is essential to the provision of safe and effective medical care. However, health professions training programs have not traditionally prepared students for interprofessional practice. One challenge in transforming health professions education programs has been a limited number of faculty prepared to teach students in an interprofessional learning environment. Thus, faculty development programs aimed at preparing faculty to provide interprofessional learning experiences across disciplines are increasingly important. Unfortunately, best practice in training faculty for interprofessional education programs is not well-defined.

Interprofessional education faculty development programs should aim to train faculty to model …

Positive Behavior Supports And Teacher Stress, Robin Street

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference between the implementation of positive behavior supports and teacher stress? Previous research conducted by Ross, Romer, and Horner (2011) reported that teachers who work in schools that effectively implement Positive Behavior Supports (PBIS) had lower levels of stress and higher levels of efficacy. The current study investigated the difference between the PBIS and teacher stress. Additionally, this study sought to determine if teachers age, years of teaching experience, and gender had an impact on teacher stress. Data collection strategies included two surveys, Effective Behavior Support and the …

Pre-Entrance Factors And Student Success In An A.A.S. Nursing Program, Connie Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of pre-entrance factors and the success of students in an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree nursing program at a community college in East Tennessee. The criterion variable was success in the nursing program. Success was defined as academic success in all nursing courses and completion of the nursing program to graduation. The predictor variables of pre-entrance factors were gender, age, Health Education Systems, Incorporated (HESI) A2 scores, Pell Grant eligibility, pre-nursing GPA, and prior licensure. The data for this non-experimental secondary analysis were derived from the electronic database in …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

The Lived Experiences Of Adolescent Ell Students In East Tennessee, Sarah Mould

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent immigrant students face many challenges upon entering public schools for the first time, especially in rural areas where schools may not have the resources and cultural competence to meet their needs. Background factors like culture, previous schooling, and socioeconomic status combine with contextual factors in the learning environment, which further affect their academic outcome. The qualitative tradition of phenomenology was used to explore and describe the experiences and challenges of thirteen Spanish-speaking immigrant or newcomer youth who entered East Tennessee public middle or high schools within the last fifteen school years.

The findings indicated that parents’ perspectives and understanding …

Examining The Relationship Among Middle School Students’ Performance On The Tnready Assessment, District Checkpoints, And Teacher-Assigned Grades, Kristina Dempsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to determine if there is a significant correlation among teacher-assigned grades (TAG), district checkpoint scores (CP), and student scale-scores on TNReady tests. The focus was on 1,445 seventh and eighth grade students who were enrolled at a middle school in northeast Tennessee during the academic years of 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, specifically for the content areas of English Language Arts and mathematics. The second purpose of this study was to examine any moderating effects of the categorical variable, students with disabilities (SWD) status, on the correlations among the district and state assessments and …

Head Start Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions Of Reggio Emilia Principles Practiced Within Their Own Setting: A Case Study, Tara Terry Voit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Reggio Emilia Approach (REA) and Head Start (HS) value high-quality early education, support for families, and community partnerships according to the literature. Exploring principles of REA in relation to the HS program model may reveal alignment that will inform high-quality developmentally appropriate practices that are meaningful and enhance learning outcomes. This multiple case study explores the REA in alignment within three Head Start programs in New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Participant groups include one education director, one education leader, and four teachers in each of the three locations. In New Mexico, the HS program was located on a Native …

Advanced Placement And Dual Enrollment Courses For Economically Disadvantaged Students And 2-Year Completion Rates At Tennessee Public Higher Education Institutions, Mia Hyde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the possible relationship between Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses for economically disadvantaged students on 2-year completion rates at public Tennessee higher education institutions. A quantitative, quasi experimental, comparative design was used to analyze secondary data to determine if there is a relationship between Advanced Placement, dual enrollment courses, and 2-year completion rates for students in Tennessee community colleges and public universities. The sample for this study consisted of students who entered a Tennessee community college or Tennessee public university in the Fall of 2015. These students had taken at least one …

Act Scores And High School Cumulative Grade Point Average As Indicators Of College Graduation At One High School In East Tennessee, Ariane Day

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to see if there was a significant difference in the mean American College Test (ACT) scores and high school grade point average (HSGPA) between students who attained a bachelor’s degree within 6 years of starting college and those who did not attain a bachelor’s degree within 6 years of starting college. Data from 2005-2013 high school graduates from one high school with only academic course choices were used. A series of independent t-tests were used to compare the mean ACT scores and HSGPA of students from both groups.

The goal was to find …

Determining If Classroom Pets As Part Of An Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary School Students’ Empathy, Randa Dunlap

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if consistent exposure to classroom pets in public elementary school classrooms affected children’s empathy. The sample included 44 students (females = 22; males = 22; mean age = 8.3 years) from four third-grade classrooms. A pre-test, post-test design was used to measure students’ empathy levels, and percentage changes in empathy scores were recorded for all groups. The sample was a convenience sample, and random assignment to treatment groups was not possible. Treatment included using classroom pet fish along with empathy-based lessons. Of the four participating classrooms, one classroom was the …

Women In Leadership: A Narrative Study On The Elements That Manifest Barriers And Opportunities, Misty Sweat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study is to explore the barriers and opportunities women in K-12 leadership face, particularly with how they navigate conflicts in their work-life balance and in what ways they have been afforded opportunities. Work-life balance will be generally defined as the reconciliation of the conflicting demands and obligations between a women’s professional requirements and her personal life. Opportunities will be defined as events that lead to a woman’s career advancements and accomplishments. The study was designed to identify perceived barriers and opportunities during both the ascension to and experience of holding a public K-12 educational …

Udl And Motivation: Student Perceptions Of The Impact Of Universal Design For Learning On Motivation Of First-Year Community College Students In Rural East Tennessee, Jennifer Mayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the perceptions of how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) impacts motivation in first-year community college students in rural East Tennessee. This study investigated the effects of UDL on motivation of first-year community college students in East Tennessee. This involved multiple sections of courses participating in a UDL pilot training program with the college’s Instructional Design department. Two of the courses were part of the UDL pilot, and two of the courses were teaching the Standard approved Master Curriculum. The study had a total of 109 participants, and 9 research questions were …

Teacher Expectations, Self-Efficacy, And Collective Efficacy In Three Tennessee Literacy Networks, Amanda Tinker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the dependent variables- teacher expectations, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy among the three levels of the independent variable- membership in one three literacy networks in Tennessee- Leading Innovation for Tennessee (LIFT), Read to Be Ready Coaching Network (RTBR), and Tennessee Early Literacy Network (TELN)- and if significant correlations existed between the dependent variables for each network. The population consisted of 161 K-3 Tennessee teachers who had been involved in the work of one of the three networks. Participants responded to an online survey via Google …

A Study Of Empathy And Teacher Self-Efficacy Among Preservice Early Childhood Educators, Amy Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study sought to examine empathy and teacher self-efficacy among preservice early childhood teachers. Participants were selected from two courses in East Tennessee State University’s early childhood education program. A total of 18 students from their second year of study and 33 students from their fourth year of study participated. This totaled to 51 participants (92.2 % white, 2% African American and 2% Native American; 96.1% female, 3.9% male). An online survey that contained three sections, background information, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale was sent to the participants. After online surveys were completed, …

Teacher And Administrator Beliefs About Grade Retention In Northeast Tennessee School Districts, Christopher A. Feathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers and administrators hold differing beliefs about grade retention. School districts in Northeast Tennessee participated in this study. Participants in eight school districts took an online survey designed to collect data on beliefs about grade retention. The survey consisted of two sections. Section A inquired about beliefs about grade retention. Section B collected demographic information and also included an openended response question. Respondents were also asked to choose a factor that has the strongest influence on their belief. Responses from 205 surveys were analyzed and informed the results of this study. …

Health And Academic Achievement In College And University Students, Amber Beane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative correlational study was to investigate the relationship between academic achievement and health in a national sample of college students using quantitative data analysis. Specifically, the researcher analyzed the relationship between three health-promoting behaviors (physical activity, strength training, and fruit and vegetable consumption), three negative health behaviors (cigarette, e-cigarette, and opioid use) and obesity with GPA.

Cross-sectional data on student health collected from the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA-II) and completed by 426,650 college students from 650 U.S. colleges during the semesters between 2015 and 2019 formed the foundation for …

Supplemental Instruction In First-Year Chemistry Courses: Efficacy And Gender Balance, Deidre R. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing student success and retention rates are top goals for many higher education institutions. Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a widely used academic support program designed to increase students’ academic performance and provide students the learning skills they need to persist to graduation. Unfortunately, a lack of time, personnel, and resources often prevent in-depth, meaningful analysis on the effectiveness of SI programs. This study examined the relationship of attending SI sessions for first-year chemistry courses to student grade outcomes and retention rates for attendees. The gender of SI leaders and SI participants was also assessed to determine if leader and participant …

Leadership Styles Of Head Nascar Executives: A Historical Perspective, Joseph A. Hurd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to explore the leadership styles and theories employed throughout the existence of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The research examines the decision process and subsequent outcomes, exploring how they ultimately affected the business and trajectory of the sport. NASCAR is the product of unique and specific characteristics of racing enthusiasts who turned their passion into an international empire. This illustrates how leadership styles, specifically dictatorial leadership, successfully managed decisions of the business. Through the use of qualitative research to review historical accounts of events, this study strives to explain how leadership guided the …

Blended Learning Integration: Student Motivation And Autonomy In A Blended Learning Environment, Cheryl Mchone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher perceptions on the relationship of technology and student academic behaviors and performance in the blended learning environment across 9^th through 12^th grade within east Tennessee and to identify the components of blended learning and pedagogical practices that enhance students’ academic behaviors. Specifically, this study is an analysis of how student motivation and student autonomy relate to technology implementation and face-to-face instruction within blended learning environments.

The participants of this study were teachers within 2 school districts in East Tennessee. All high school teachers within the participating school districts received …