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Liberty University

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2021

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Art As Contextualization: Using Visual Communication As Christian Missions In Native American And Alaskan Cultures, Hali Gehring Dec 2021

Art As Contextualization: Using Visual Communication As Christian Missions In Native American And Alaskan Cultures, Hali Gehring

Senior Honors Theses

Contextualization is an important aspect of Christian ministries and cross-cultural missions to create sustaining churches around the world. There are many forms of communication that use contextualization for religious purposes, such as theatre, story, art, and dance. These important forms of communication can be used with cultural practices to contextualize the Gospel to different people groups. For Native Americans and Alaskans, artistic works that promote cultural heritage are highly regarded. A beadwork piece that explains the Gospel could be a creative way to contextualize to Native American and Alaskans.


Students' Evaluations Of Black Faculty At Historically White Institutions: A Causal- Comparative Study, Kathleen Carter Gentry Dec 2021

Students' Evaluations Of Black Faculty At Historically White Institutions: A Causal- Comparative Study, Kathleen Carter Gentry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With a call for greater accountability, institutions of higher education have focused upon student evaluations to measure teacher effectiveness to ensure that students are learning. Education researchers have revealed that Black faculty reported negative experiences within academe such as microaggressions, insults, and not being regarded as credible scholars by students and other faculty. Very little research examines the role that race plays in students’ evaluations of Black faculty from the viewpoints of students. This quantitative, nonexperimental, causal-comparative dissertation investigates 210 students’ evaluation scores of actual university faculty as measured by academic competence, sensitivity to students, instructional effectiveness, and their viewpoints …


Breaking The Cycle: Incorporating A Pedagogy Of Expression In Secondary Ensembles, Autumn Mortenson Dec 2021

Breaking The Cycle: Incorporating A Pedagogy Of Expression In Secondary Ensembles, Autumn Mortenson

Senior Honors Theses

Western music education is caught in a cycle of constant concert preparation. Even though teaching expression is an important standard of music education, it is not often the focus of secondary ensembles. This thesis explores the rationale for teaching secondary instrumental students to think expressively, the benefits of teaching expressive performance, and the methods to successfully incorporate this pedagogy. This project aims to show that the creation of expressive opportunity and responsibility during regular rehearsals would allow the students to further develop these skills without detracting from the quality of public performances. The conclusion of this project will provide ensemble …


A Deeper Look At The Literacy Achievement Gap And The History Of Interventions, Anna Alden Dec 2021

A Deeper Look At The Literacy Achievement Gap And The History Of Interventions, Anna Alden

Senior Honors Theses

The literacy achievement gap is a prevalent topic of discussion in the field of education, specifically as it relates to socioeconomic status. This paper reviews programs from the federal, state, and local level that have been implemented to close the gap and analyzes what has been successful in doing so. The findings indicate that an authentic program that includes extensive hands-on activities that promote different type of literacy growth and development that starts early, preferably before kindergarten, and works closely with families to intervene in the lives of at-risk children is most recommended by research. This is consistent with social …


Exploring The Relationship Between Trauma, Motivation, Current Stress, And Immigrant Elementary Students, Jayme Branagh Landon Dec 2021

Exploring The Relationship Between Trauma, Motivation, Current Stress, And Immigrant Elementary Students, Jayme Branagh Landon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study explored the relationship between past trauma of immigrant students and motivation in a group of public-school elementary students in Washington state. Additionally, this study explored how stress affects academic motivation. It was hypothesized that past trauma would significantly affect immigrant student motivation and that current stress would moderate motivation in school. Only students with past trauma experience and who qualify as an immigrant, were included in this study. Participants completed The Cameron Complex Trauma Interview (CCTI), Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), and The Perceived Stress Scale for Children (PSS-C). While motivation has been studied, the factors …


The Lived Experiences Of Public School Educators Bullied By School Administrators: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Kristyn Renea Baker Dec 2021

The Lived Experiences Of Public School Educators Bullied By School Administrators: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Kristyn Renea Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study discovered and explored the lived experiences of public school educators bullied by school administrators. Student bullying has been a problem, however, there has been much less attention given to educators who are bullied by their superiors. The research question guiding this study asked what are the lived experiences of public school educators who have experienced administrator bullying? The theory guiding this study was social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura. The study was conducted with 10 educators (former and current) in public school districts across the United States obtained by professional referrals and/or selected from identified cases …


Improving Students' Scores On The Georgia End Of Course Assessment For Biology, Natasha Takia Simpson Dec 2021

Improving Students' Scores On The Georgia End Of Course Assessment For Biology, Natasha Takia Simpson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study is to solve the problem of underperforming student test scores on the End of Course Biology assessment for high school students at an alternative school in Georgia, and to formulate a solution to address the problem. A multi-method design will be used consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach will be structured interviews with the administration. The second approach will be focus groups with teachers. The third approach will analyze quantitative data from student surveys. The results may provide insight into an underlying problem in underperforming scores on the End of …


How Can Education Support Prepare Students For A Workforce Focused On Innovation? A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Scott Allen Myers Dec 2021

How Can Education Support Prepare Students For A Workforce Focused On Innovation? A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Scott Allen Myers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand how faculty members and administrators describe their experiences in preparing their students for an innovation-focused 21st century workforce. The guiding theories associated with this study were Kolb’s experiential learning theory (ELT) as a gauge for modeling the learning process and Bloom’s taxonomy to assess learning levels. The relationship between Kolbs ELT, Bloom's taxonomy, and this study was conceptualized as a gauge to assess learning skill effectiveness. The central research question associated with this study was: How do faculty members and administrators describe their experiences preparing their students for an innovation-focused …


All God's Children: An Exploratory Study Of Factors To Promote Inclusion Of Autistic Children Within Local Church Congregations, David John Scott Quel Dec 2021

All God's Children: An Exploratory Study Of Factors To Promote Inclusion Of Autistic Children Within Local Church Congregations, David John Scott Quel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the gap that exists within the literature concerning the parent’s perspective for incorporating Autistic individuals into the life of the church. The theory guiding this study is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In Maslow’s hierarchy, there are five level of needs. These areas are physical needs, security needs, love and belonging, esteem needs and self-actualization. These are the most basic needs whether someone is disabled, has special needs, or has no problems at all. The problem remains, far too often, those individuals who are on the Autistic spectrum are looked at as …


The Attitude Of Staff Members With Regards To Trauma-Informed Care In A High School In Arizona, Deanna Aljean Iverson Dec 2021

The Attitude Of Staff Members With Regards To Trauma-Informed Care In A High School In Arizona, Deanna Aljean Iverson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzes the attitudes and beliefs with regards to trauma-informed care, of certified staff members at one public high school, in a public school district, in the southeast valley of Phoenix, Arizona. Previous studies have demonstrated that the attitudes of certified staff members have had a large impact on the implication and effectiveness of trauma-informed care within schools. The certified staff members went through several trainings to increase their trauma-informed readiness, help them identify struggling students, and build trauma-informed strategies when working with students. The relationship between these trainings and the overall attitude of certified staff requires further research …


What Motivates Them To Graduate? A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Earn A High School Diploma In Title I Schools, Heather Steelman Dec 2021

What Motivates Them To Graduate? A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Earn A High School Diploma In Title I Schools, Heather Steelman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of students with disabilities in Title I schools that kept them motivated to earn a high school diploma. The central and sub questions explored factors associated with the attainment or fulfillment of basic psychological needs of competence, relatedness, and autonomy, as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. Title One high school graduates with disabilities, or students who had an individualized education plan (IEP) when they entered high school and continued to have an IEP through graduation, were identified through snowball sampling and participated in this study …


First-Year Student Leadership Readiness Among Cccu Member Institutions Citing Leadership In Their Mission Statement, Dawn B. Meadows Dec 2021

First-Year Student Leadership Readiness Among Cccu Member Institutions Citing Leadership In Their Mission Statement, Dawn B. Meadows

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities has 121 members, 45 of which cite leadership as an institutional value within their mission statement; programs and curriculum are designed to help graduates attain this value as they earn a degree. Traditional-age, first-year students who enroll in these institutions may or may not hold the same view of leadership, based on past experience or training. As a new generation of students rises to enroll in these institutions, a consideration of the view of leadership held by both the institution, who have a specifically Christian worldview, and the students who enroll in them …


Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird Dec 2021

Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird

Masters Theses

The Jamaican music education landscape has had a positive shift in the demand for music teachers who are educated to become classroom music teachers. Despite the growing need for trained music teachers to be placed in many high schools in Jamaica and the implementation of two curricula, there has been minimal study that assess how music teachers use the music syllabus from the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) in teaching and learning. The study joins a set of vibrant discussions on the development of music education in Jamaica and examines the use of the NSC at the lower secondary level (grades …


A Case Study Examining Students' Experience In Student-Centered Learning Practices Implemented At An Air Force Training Course, Mindy Fisher Dec 2021

A Case Study Examining Students' Experience In Student-Centered Learning Practices Implemented At An Air Force Training Course, Mindy Fisher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine students’ experience of student-centered learning practices implemented at an Air Force training course. At this stage in the research, student-centered learning is generally defined as a learning approach during which students generate learning opportunities and reconstruct knowledge dynamically in an open-ended learning environment (Lee & Hannafin, 2014). The theory guiding this study is constructivism based on Lev Vygotsky’s learning theory which represents an epistemological perspective as to the nature and evolution of individual understanding where learners create their own learning. Student-centered learning environments are rooted in constructivist approaches (Creswell & Poth, …


The Experiences Of Higher Education Online Instructors With The Implementation Of Digital Learning Materials: A Phenomenological Study, Monica C. Schreiber Dec 2021

The Experiences Of Higher Education Online Instructors With The Implementation Of Digital Learning Materials: A Phenomenological Study, Monica C. Schreiber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of online instructors at Christian colleges with the implementation of digital learning materials within online learning environments. At this stage of the research, digital learning materials can be generally defined as e-texts, learning materials accessible through tablet technology, interactive textbooks, or any other course materials in digital format. The theory guiding this study is the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), which explains the factors involved in accepting or rejecting technology use and applies to higher education online instructors’ implementation of digital learning materials. The …


Autocratic Leadership Within West African Pentecostal Denomination, Ezekiel Olaleye Dec 2021

Autocratic Leadership Within West African Pentecostal Denomination, Ezekiel Olaleye

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to determine whether autocratic leadership theory best explains the nature of leadership in the West African Pentecostal/Charismatic Denomination (PCD) across West Africa and to compare the current leadership practices within the PCD to a biblical and theological framework. Since Africa is the fastest growing Christian continent in the world, it is important to give careful attention to matters arising within the church leadership. The researcher believes that this study helped shed light on leadership challenges within African Christianity, Christian education, and most importantly within the Pentecostal/Charismatic denomination. It also provides information that …


Commercial Violin: Creating A Hybrid Twenty-First Century Collegiate Violin Curriculum, Ryan Joseph Ogrodny Dec 2021

Commercial Violin: Creating A Hybrid Twenty-First Century Collegiate Violin Curriculum, Ryan Joseph Ogrodny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the stylistically diverse professional music opportunities available to twenty-first century violinists, modern collegiate violin students are most often exclusively trained through traditional classical pedagogy. Conversely, violinists who perform commercial music often do not experience formal classical training, which provides functional foundational skills required of the professional violinist. There has yet to be a collegiate violin curriculum developed that incorporates elements of both classical and commercial music, allowing for diverse musical opportunities through structured and sequential pedagogy. This qualitative research study identifies, examines, and compares current classical and commercial collegiate violin methodologies simultaneously as a framework for the development of …


The Perceptions Of High School Choral Students Regarding Sight-Singing Using Solfege Syllables And Hand Signs, Kimberly Moak Costanza Dec 2021

The Perceptions Of High School Choral Students Regarding Sight-Singing Using Solfege Syllables And Hand Signs, Kimberly Moak Costanza

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the theorized benefits of sight-singing in the choral classroom, little research has focused on the changing perceptions of high school choral students regarding sight-singing. The goal of this qualitative study with a historical approach and a grounded theory design is to assess the changing perceptions of high school choral students concerning the task of sight-singing using solfege syllables and Curwen hand signs. The study used a qualitative research approach with a pre-study and post-study questionnaire on sight-singing skills. The students received 1 twenty-minute lesson for four consecutive weeks. The goal of the questionnaire was to assess high school choral …


An Exploratory Case Study Of Resegregation In Wake County Public Schools System: Perceptions Of Community Stakeholders, Margaret Mary Crowe Dec 2021

An Exploratory Case Study Of Resegregation In Wake County Public Schools System: Perceptions Of Community Stakeholders, Margaret Mary Crowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to examine community stakeholders’ perceptions of resegregation in Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in North Carolina. Stakeholder perceptions of resegregation were defined as the stakeholder’s awareness of the change in the racial student demographics in WCPSS since the removal of court-ordered mandates to desegregate. The theory guiding this study was critical race theory, as it is focused on societal and legal constraints placed on individuals based on race or ethnicity, which aligned with this study because stakeholder decisions regarding student school assignment policies can influence student resegregation. The central research question …


The Impact Of Instructional Coaching On Efficacy In General Education Teachers In Inclusion Classrooms, Kelli Sheriff Jenkins Dec 2021

The Impact Of Instructional Coaching On Efficacy In General Education Teachers In Inclusion Classrooms, Kelli Sheriff Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if there was a difference in teacher efficacy between general education teachers who are coached by a special education instructional coach and general education teachers who have not been coached by a special education instructional coach. Federal mandates, such as the Every Student Succeeds Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, guarantee that students with disabilities are included in the general education classroom. General education teachers need to be qualified to teach in an inclusive classroom, yet research overwhelmingly demonstrates that they do not feel prepared or effective. Currently, very …


Texas Administrators' Perspective Of Music Educators In Classroom Evaluations In Regards To T-Tess, Thomas C. Kennedy Dec 2021

Texas Administrators' Perspective Of Music Educators In Classroom Evaluations In Regards To T-Tess, Thomas C. Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the perspectives of music educators in classroom evaluation processes, the perspectives of Texas administrators using the newest teacher evaluation process, the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS), have yet to be examined. The administrators’ perspectives matter because the complexity of the T-TESS process coupled with the uncertainty of music educational knowledge may lead to inconsistency in evaluation. This qualitative study aims to examine the perspectives of Texas administrators concerning their preparation in music teacher evaluation. Current research fails to identify the perspectives of Texas administrators in the evaluation of music educators in classroom instruction. Views on evaluation training, …


Visual Catechesis: Utilizing Pictorial Illustrations To Facilitate Learning And Retention Of Protestant Doctrine In The United States, Robert Christian Hemme Dec 2021

Visual Catechesis: Utilizing Pictorial Illustrations To Facilitate Learning And Retention Of Protestant Doctrine In The United States, Robert Christian Hemme

Masters Theses

A lack of catechetical instruction within contemporary Protestantism in the United States has resulted in a large number of self-identifying Christians not knowing important tenets of their faith. The modern era also presents a unique dilemma in that North American culture is steeped in visual stimuli due to technology, so that even were catechistic instruction revived, many individuals might balk at a traditional, text-centric process. This thesis explores improving comprehension and retention of orthodox Protestant doctrine in the United States through integrating pictorial illustrations into the classic Christian pedagogical methodology of catechesis. Because of unceasing debates surrounding numerous, nuanced theological …


Improvisation And Interpretation For High School Instrumental Students, Jeffrey J. Bianchine Jr. Dec 2021

Improvisation And Interpretation For High School Instrumental Students, Jeffrey J. Bianchine Jr.

Masters Theses

Improvisation is associated with jazz or rap in modern western culture, but classical music has a long tradition of improvisation featuring famous improvises such as Mozart and Liszt. Improvisation develops critical thinking and problem solving, essential skills in the American job market. The typical instrumental student does not often get the opportunity to use this. Bloom’s Taxonomy explains that students who do critical thinking activities in class have a better understanding of the course material. This course will equip students to improvise with others, make executive decisions about artistic elements in the repertoire, self-cretic playing, and compose a short cadenza.


The Pedagogical Value Of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music In A New Jersey Elementary Music Setting, Eric James Mclaughlin Dec 2021

The Pedagogical Value Of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music In A New Jersey Elementary Music Setting, Eric James Mclaughlin

Masters Theses

Elementary music educators’ analyze and select song repertoire based upon a variety of factors and influences. These can include an educator’s level of training, the preexisting standard song literature collection, resources obtained in undergraduate study, the context of the song material, and a song’s pedagogical application. Educators must be selective when choosing literature for pedagogical purposes, such as teaching specific melodic and rhythmic elements. The vast body of musical literature by renowned theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is not often used for that purpose in the elementary general music classroom. In addition, a recent national effort calling for the reexamination …


Reflip Type: Developing Visual Strategies For Teaching Typography To Collegiate Students With Dyslexia, Brittany D. Strozzo Dec 2021

Reflip Type: Developing Visual Strategies For Teaching Typography To Collegiate Students With Dyslexia, Brittany D. Strozzo

Masters Theses

In educational facilities today, the approaches to teaching typography to college students with dyslexia are limited. This thesis provides a research-based pedagogy for teaching typography to students in a way that accommodates the visual, processing, and auditory differences present in students with dyslexia. Through the analysis of the learning disability itself, existing material for graphic designers with dyslexia, and current accessibility standards for those with dyslexia, this thesis offers a practical solution to provide a more balanced learning experience for all students, especially those with dyslexia. The aim of this study was to examine the current graphic design standards and …


Serving Special Education Students In The Music Classroom: Accommodating And Advocating For Learners With Exceptionalities, Kathryn Lambert Dec 2021

Serving Special Education Students In The Music Classroom: Accommodating And Advocating For Learners With Exceptionalities, Kathryn Lambert

Masters Theses

Music education programs positively impact the lives of students both socially and emotionally. As the following research suggests, music may have an even greater impact on students with disabilities or exceptionalities. Due to the lack of accessibility, funding, time, training, and other issues, opportunities in music education programs may be limited to groups of students who may not fit the standard music education student profile. As teachers of common core classes may struggle to accommodate students with exceptionalities and may feel as if they are lacking in resources or other needed preparation to adequately serve these students, these struggles are …


"Read It Again!": Storytelling To Imitate The Great Teacher, Kate Whatley Nov 2021

"Read It Again!": Storytelling To Imitate The Great Teacher, Kate Whatley

Senior Honors Theses

The student’s mind is bent on stories, asking mothers around the world to ‘read it again’. These stories preserve information and emotions for centuries. In the classroom, stories enliven motivation and empathy in ways that result in higher academic achievement and social awareness. Learning to use stories as a key instructional strategy will allow for more equitable opportunities in classrooms, encourage mental health and truth telling for the teacher and the student collectively, and allow the academic community to imitate Christ by contributing to the bigger story taking place across time. In application of using stories as teachers, this thesis …


Difference In Reading Fluency Among Fifth Grade Students Attending Traditional, Stem-Related, Or Dli Programs During Soft School Closures, Patricia Daun Blanton Nov 2021

Difference In Reading Fluency Among Fifth Grade Students Attending Traditional, Stem-Related, Or Dli Programs During Soft School Closures, Patricia Daun Blanton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to raise awareness of the effects of soft school closures on student reading fluency in traditional, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-related, or Dual Language Immersion (DLI) schools. There is little research on which type of school, whether traditional, (STEM)-related, or (DLI) program is the most effective at helping students retain or improve upon their reading fluency once those students have been in an extended soft school closure. The study used Acadience reading fluency scores from the students' fourth grade mid-year scores as the covariate and their fifth grade mid-year scores as …


Teacher-Efficacy With Standards-Based Education For Eighth-Grade Mathematics In A 21st -Century-Skill Framework: A Case Study, Jemmeta Demay Nesbeth Nov 2021

Teacher-Efficacy With Standards-Based Education For Eighth-Grade Mathematics In A 21st -Century-Skill Framework: A Case Study, Jemmeta Demay Nesbeth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to describe eighth-grade mathematics teachers' perception of teacher-efficacy and standards-based education within a 21st-century framework at a large suburban school district in North Carolina. Rotter's locus of control theory and Bandura's self-efficacy theory provide the guiding theoretical frameworks for this study. Both theories explain the personal characteristics of teacher qualities related to learning outcomes. This study addressed the following central research question: What is the perceived self-efficacy of eighth-grade mathematics teachers and standards-based education? I applied the extreme case sampling method to select the 12 unique participants and provide different perspectives. I collected …


Overcoming Trauma: A Phenomenological Study Of Adults Who Overcame Childhood Trauma, Mary Ann P. Crowder Nov 2021

Overcoming Trauma: A Phenomenological Study Of Adults Who Overcame Childhood Trauma, Mary Ann P. Crowder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of individuals who overcame childhood trauma to become resilient adults. For this study, a resilient adult was defined by successful academic and career outcomes. Successful academic outcomes were operationalized as post-secondary educational attainment and successful career outcomes were demonstrated by steady employment of a professional career pathway. Terr’s (1991) theory of childhood trauma and Garmezy and Rutter’s (1983) resilience theory guided the study designed to answer the following central research question: What are the lived experiences of individuals who have overcome adverse childhood experiences to become resilient adults? The study involved thirteen …