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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Blueprint For Planning And Designing Staged-Authentic Heritage Attractions In Small Island Nations, Earney F. Lasten Jan 2010

A Blueprint For Planning And Designing Staged-Authentic Heritage Attractions In Small Island Nations, Earney F. Lasten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this largely qualitative study was to develop a blueprint for planning and designing a staged-authentic heritage tourist attraction for small island nations. Data were gathered and analyzed in three phases. In Phase I, existing and potential supply, demand, and external variables associated with staged-authentic heritage attractions were identified, and a preliminary planning model and conceptual framework was developed. In Phase II, the model was refined. A blueprint containing seven major questions and 26 sequential steps was developed. In Phase III, the blueprint was tested using focus groups and an online tourist survey in the Caribbean region (Aruba) …


An Investigation Of Students' Problem Solving Skills In An Introductory Physics Class, Frank Mcdonald Jr Jan 2010

An Investigation Of Students' Problem Solving Skills In An Introductory Physics Class, Frank Mcdonald Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to document the specific errors that introductory physics students make in each phase of the solution of Force and Motion problems. A mixed methods design was used to identify those errors, and it was determined that the errors which students made the most frequently were the omission of mgcosθ , mgsinθ, and the lack of a clearly defined coordinate system as part of the free-body diagram. Additionally, there was a negative statistically significant relationship between the quality of the free-body diagram and the quality of equations that were produced to describe the object’s motion. …


Changes To Operational, Financial, And Organizational Structures Of School Districts During Mayoral Takeovers, Mark E. Shanoff Jan 2010

Changes To Operational, Financial, And Organizational Structures Of School Districts During Mayoral Takeovers, Mark E. Shanoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to examine the effects of mayoral control on operational and financial structures within school systems. Furthermore, this study focused on the public perception and political implications of the mayor’s position on local education. The four systems chosen for this study were: Boston, Chicago, District of Columbia, and New York City. All four systems were total control districts, which allowed for each mayor to appoint a majority to the school board and appoint a superintendent or chancellor to oversee the day to day operations of the school district. This study focused on operational and financial …


Examining The Beliefs And Practices Of Effective School Leaders As They Relate To Serving Students With Disabilities, Kimberly Steinke Jan 2010

Examining The Beliefs And Practices Of Effective School Leaders As They Relate To Serving Students With Disabilities, Kimberly Steinke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As academic reform movements push schools to provide more rigorous learning environments for students, it is essential that the "person in charge" at the school level be prepared and capable of meeting the demands of high stakes measures that affect critical dimensions of school life. Educational leaders today face a significant amount of pressure to improve the quality of education at all levels and across all disciplines. While school leaders face the pressures of No Child Left Behind in terms of increased student performance, they must also be concerned about serving students with disabilities appropriately. The purpose of this study …


Inclusionary Practices: Impact Of Administrators' Beliefs On Placement Decisions, Maria Vazquez Jan 2010

Inclusionary Practices: Impact Of Administrators' Beliefs On Placement Decisions, Maria Vazquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School leaders are charged with responding to the challenges presented by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the education of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. The idea of least restrictive environment moves schools from educating students with disabilities in special education to regular education classrooms, from special education schools to neighborhood schools. Providing inclusive settings poses many obstacles and challenges to school based administrators and in their capacity school leaders can either alleviate or generate barriers for the process; they can inhibit or inspire school personnel to accept the inclusion of students with disabilities in the …


The Effect Of Brief Training In Motivational Interviewing On Client Outcomes And Trainee Skill Development, Tabitha Young Jan 2010

The Effect Of Brief Training In Motivational Interviewing On Client Outcomes And Trainee Skill Development, Tabitha Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice that focuses on working through client ambivalence and increasing clients' motivation to change. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effect that a unique student-based training in MI had on counselor trainees' ability to perform MI, and on client outcomes. This training program consisted of one initial four-hour training session, two hours of follow-up supervision, and formal feedback via MITI 3.0 scores. Counselor-trainee skill was assessed via the MI Knowledge Questionnaire, the Helping Responses questionnaire, and the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity code 3.0. In addition, the following instruments were used to …


An Evaluation Of Integrated Curriculum As It Exists In Mathematics And Science Sss As Well As The Subsequent Supportive Presenta, Clara Gill Jan 2010

An Evaluation Of Integrated Curriculum As It Exists In Mathematics And Science Sss As Well As The Subsequent Supportive Presenta, Clara Gill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to verify points of intersection (POIs) between mathematics and science in the eighth grade Sunshine State Standards (SSS), and to develop a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate these POIs as they were presented in the respective mathematics and science textbooks approved for use in Florida public schools. Shannon and Weaver (1998) delineated a process for content analysis that informed the design of this analysis. The process began with an analysis of the SSS to uncover POIs between mathematics and science; considered effective strategies for presenting these points of intersection in the classroom; and examined the textbooks …


An Investigation Of Prosocial Rule Breaking Within The Casual Restaurant Industry, Catherine Curtis Jan 2010

An Investigation Of Prosocial Rule Breaking Within The Casual Restaurant Industry, Catherine Curtis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the hospitality industry, the role of the frontline employee is integral. These employees are the face of the organization and have a strong role in shaping and forming the opinions of consumers by way of their product and service delivery. Therefore, the decisions an employee makes during the product or service delivery is critical in maintaining the relationship with the customer. Employees may be faced with opportunities to better service a customer at the cost of breaking an organizational rule or procedure. When an employee is faced with this dilemma and decides to break the rule on the behalf …


Emerging And Disruptive Technologies For Education: An Analysis Of Planning, Implementation, And Diffusion In Florida's Eleven State University System Institutions, Deborah Bradford Jan 2010

Emerging And Disruptive Technologies For Education: An Analysis Of Planning, Implementation, And Diffusion In Florida's Eleven State University System Institutions, Deborah Bradford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to understand and appreciate the methodologies and procedures used in determining the extent to which an information technology (IT) organization within the eleven member State University Systems (SUS) of Florida planned, implemented, and diffused emerging educational technologies. Key findings found how critical it was that flexibility be given during the planning stages and not rely on standardized models which may or may not be of use any longer. Research also found that the SUS institutions have to be prepared to organize and preserve the deluge of digital data if they intended to remain relevant …


Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Change Implementation Practices In 2007 And 2008 Small Learning Communities Grant Recipient, Benjamin Bristo Jan 2010

Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Change Implementation Practices In 2007 And 2008 Small Learning Communities Grant Recipient, Benjamin Bristo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leading through change is a difficult process. School leaders who hope to create meaningful, long-term change must be cognizant of numerous factors. This study was undertaken with the hope of increasing educational leaders' awareness of how their decisions are viewed by those who follow them. Case studies revealed pertinent data within two schools that have undertaken a significant change initiative. All 2007 and 2008 Small Learning Communities (SLC) grant-recipient schools in Florida were invited to participate in a series of case studies. Participating principals were questioned about their perceptions of how they fulfill their change leadership role related to the …


The Impacts Of Co-Teaching On The General Education Student, Alicia Parker Jan 2010

The Impacts Of Co-Teaching On The General Education Student, Alicia Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate four research questions concerning the impact of co-teaching on general education students educated within a classroom inclusion model. General education students who received instruction during their 10th-grade year in a co-taught language arts or mathematics class were compared with other 10th-grade students receiving instruction from the same teacher but without the additional co-teacher. Achievement data from the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) were gathered on these students. The state of Florida calculates and reports developmental scale scores (DSS) for students taking the FCAT. These scores are calculated to track student progress over …


The Effect Of Video Modeling And Social Skill Instructionon On The Social Skills Of Adolescents With High Functioning Autism And, Bruce Blake Jan 2010

The Effect Of Video Modeling And Social Skill Instructionon On The Social Skills Of Adolescents With High Functioning Autism And, Bruce Blake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted on video modeling has shown that these strategies are most effective when they include specific strategies to address conversation skills. Social skills research has also shown that teaching social skills to adolescents in group settings may be more effective than presenting them on an individual basis. Adolescents with Aspergers Syndrome (AS) and High functioning Autism (HFA) participated in a12-week Social Skills Training (SST) program. In addition to pre-and post-study measures, conversation skills data were collected before and after the application of the independent variable (video modeling). Follow-up interviews were also conducted with participants, secondary participants, and parents of …


Increasing Novice Teacher Support In 21st Century Classrooms: Induction And Mentoring For Beginning Teachers Through Bug-In-Ear, Wanda Wade Jan 2010

Increasing Novice Teacher Support In 21st Century Classrooms: Induction And Mentoring For Beginning Teachers Through Bug-In-Ear, Wanda Wade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Novice teachers in today's classroom are in need of support during the initial years of teaching. Providing beginning teachers in special education classroom settings with coaching and immediate feedback through Bug-In-Ear, Bluetooth technology has been identified as a effective strategy for supporting beginning teachers while simultaneously improving generalization and maintenance of instructional strategies in diverse classrooms (Anagnostopoulous, Smith & Basmadjian, 2007; Darling-Hammond and Baratz-Snowden, 2007; Brownell, Ross, Colon & McCallum, 2005). The present study was designed to examine the effects of using BIE, Bluetooth technology with novice teachers in inclusionary settings at a PK-5 charter school. As it has been …


Teaching And Assessing Critical Thinking In Radiologic Technology Students, Susan Gosnell Jan 2010

Teaching And Assessing Critical Thinking In Radiologic Technology Students, Susan Gosnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was primarily to explore the conceptualization of critical thinking development in radiologic science students by radiography program directors. Seven research questions framed three overriding themes including 1) perceived definition of and skills associated with critical thinking; 2) effectiveness and utilization of teaching strategies for the development of critical thinking; and 3) appropriateness and utilization of specific assessment measures for documenting critical thinking development. The population for this study included program directors for all JRCERT accredited radiography programs in the United States. Questionnaires were distributed via Survey Monkey©, a commercial on-line survey tool to 620 programs. …


A Case Study Of The Relationship Between Professional Learning Community Implementation And Adequate Yearly Progress Of Central, Amanda Ellis Jan 2010

A Case Study Of The Relationship Between Professional Learning Community Implementation And Adequate Yearly Progress Of Central, Amanda Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to examine the professional learning of school instructional and administrative staff as they focused on the elements of becoming a professional learning community. Existing research examined the components and behaviors collectively or independently. This research describes the relational data between the critical elements of focus, the leader, teams, and individual teacher as related to student achievement. It was determined through the literature review and results of this study that there were constructs of professional learning communities that were related to student achievement. In particular, a statistically significant relationship between proficiency in reading and teacher …


Florida Teacher Perceptions Concerning Internet Dangers For Students, Kathleen Baker Jan 2010

Florida Teacher Perceptions Concerning Internet Dangers For Students, Kathleen Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study was conducted to determine if there were significant differences or relationships between teachers' perceptions of knowledge of Internet dangers to students and factors such as demographics, self-reported comfort levels with Internet use, and with knowledge of policies and laws regarding Internet safety. Three hundred seventy-two teachers from three central Florida school districts were surveyed using an adapted survey developed by authors Patchin and Hinduja (2006) and Willard (2006, 2009). The world of the Internet is constantly changing, and students will encounter harassment and dangers while pursuing their interests on line. Recent research on the types of Internet …


The Impact Of Motivation On Pre-College Level Students Enrolled In A Learning Community At An Historically Black College/Univers, Jontoinette White Jan 2010

The Impact Of Motivation On Pre-College Level Students Enrolled In A Learning Community At An Historically Black College/Univers, Jontoinette White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is believed that purposefully constructed learning communities can have academic, social, and motivational advantages for its participants. In an effort to improve graduation and retention of students, some HBCUs have sought new ways to construct learning environments that are conducive to the learning styles of students of color. This study sought to investigate the impact of a learning community on pre-college level students standardized test scores and final grades. The Repeated Measures One-Way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant difference in COMPASS score change between groups with the comparison group demonstrating a greater change than did the learning community group. …


Achievement For Advancement Via Individual Determination (Avid) Students And Non-Avid Students In Select Central Florida High Schools In 2007-2009: A Comparative Study, Linda Connors Jan 2010

Achievement For Advancement Via Individual Determination (Avid) Students And Non-Avid Students In Select Central Florida High Schools In 2007-2009: A Comparative Study, Linda Connors

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study was to examine the relationship of student participation in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program and student academic performance. More specifically, this study was conducted to determine if there was a mean difference in student performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in mathematics, reading, and writing between students who participated in the AVID program during their first two years of high school and students who had similar demographics (e.g., ethnicity, gender, and economic status) but did not participate in the AVID program for 2007-2009. The population for this study consisted of students …


Understanding Parent's Perspectives Of Their Kindergarten Children's Transition To School, Pamela Anderson Jan 2010

Understanding Parent's Perspectives Of Their Kindergarten Children's Transition To School, Pamela Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates possible reasons why parent's perceive that their kindergarten child complains about school. Using data in the parent questionnaires from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study ' Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, this research looks at a nationally representative sample of boys and girls and specifically targets those children whose parents indicated that they complained more than one time per week during the first two months of school. Looking at factors both from home, including socioeconomic status, maternal education levels and family structure, and from school, including length of the kindergarten day, transition practices received by the child and prior …


Fathers' Language Influence On Their Six-Month-Old Infants' Vocalization During Free-Play, Lu Xia Jan 2010

Fathers' Language Influence On Their Six-Month-Old Infants' Vocalization During Free-Play, Lu Xia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Data for this study were derived from videotapes of 26 father-infant dyads, specifically from a five minute period of free-play. The first step was the creation of a literal transcription of the father-infant dyads interaction. Subsequently, nine variables of fathers' language characteristics and one infant characteristic were coded employing the literal transcriptions and observing the videotapes. The fathers' language variables were number of : (1) father utterances, (2) father words, (3) father contingent responses, (4) father teaching utterances, (5) father descriptive teaching utterances, (6) father directive teaching utterances - making commands, (7) father directive teaching utterance - asking questions, (8) …


Examining Engineering & Technology Students Acceptance Of Network Virtualization Technology Using The Technology Acceptance Mode, Wael K. Yousif Jan 2010

Examining Engineering & Technology Students Acceptance Of Network Virtualization Technology Using The Technology Acceptance Mode, Wael K. Yousif

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This causal and correlational study was designed to extend the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and to test its applicability to Valencia Community College (VCC) Engineering and Technology students as the target user group when investigating the factors influencing their decision to adopt and to utilize VMware as the target technology. In addition to the primary three indigenous factors: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention toward utilization, the model was also extended with enjoyment, external control, and computer self-efficacy as antecedents to perceived ease of use. In an attempt to further increase the explanatory power of the model, the …


Comparison Of Learning Experiences And Outcomes Between A Serious Game-Based And Non-Game-Based Online American History Course, Taryn Hess Jan 2010

Comparison Of Learning Experiences And Outcomes Between A Serious Game-Based And Non-Game-Based Online American History Course, Taryn Hess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of online courses continues to increase despite the small amount of research that exists on the effectiveness of online educational environments. The little research that has been conducted has focused on evaluating factors taken into consideration during the adoption of online learning environments. One notable benefit often cited is the ability to incorporate multimedia such as video games. Although game researchers and developers are pushing for the use of video games for educational purposes, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of serious video games. When paring the increasing use of online educational environments, the push …


The Efficacy Of Effort: Differences In Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy Based On Type Of Teacher Training And Number Of Years Of Experience, Julie Shane Jan 2010

The Efficacy Of Effort: Differences In Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy Based On Type Of Teacher Training And Number Of Years Of Experience, Julie Shane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current federal reforms require a highly-qualified teacher in every classroom to promote higher levels of student performance. In an attempt to provide a sufficient and sustainable number of highly qualified teachers in the workforce, alternative certification training programs have come alongside traditional college of education training programs. Proponents of alternative certification programs contend the process of on-the-job training will potentially address the problem of teacher shortages. However, opponents see these programs as an inadequate training process with future ramification for both teachers and students. As more and more classroom teachers are choosing alternative certification routes, there is growing uncertainty as …


Freedom And Comfort In Academically-Related Political Discussions Among Economics And Political Science Faculty In A State Unive, John Hilston Jan 2010

Freedom And Comfort In Academically-Related Political Discussions Among Economics And Political Science Faculty In A State Unive, John Hilston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation explored whether there was a relationship between comfort in discussing political views and faculty members' political party preferences. The questions of whether political comfort differed based on gender, religious affiliation, academic discipline, and/or institutional affiliation were also explored. Both economics and political science faculty did not report comfort in discussing political views in the context of departmental committee service. Economics faculty either did not report on their colleagues' political views or they disagreed with their colleagues' political views. Political science faculty either did not report on their colleagues' political views or they agreed with their colleagues' political views. …


Elementary Teachers' Perceived Mathematics Anxiety And Teaching Efficacy In Relationship To Students' Mathematics Achievement, Jennifer Sasser Jan 2010

Elementary Teachers' Perceived Mathematics Anxiety And Teaching Efficacy In Relationship To Students' Mathematics Achievement, Jennifer Sasser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to determine to what extent, if any, there were relationships among elementary teacher anxiety about learning mathematics, their anxiety about the mathematics they teach, their mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs, and their students‘ mathematics achievement. The researcher also investigated potential intervening variables such as gender, grade level taught, level of college degree, and years of teaching experience, that may influence these relationships. Teachers (N = 119) from 11 elementary schools in a west central Florida school district participated in this study and completed the Mathematics Anxiety and Teaching Efficacy Survey. Survey data on mathematics anxiety …


Foreign Language Oral Assessment Practices In Florida Middle And High Schools, Grace Kerr Kellermeier Jan 2010

Foreign Language Oral Assessment Practices In Florida Middle And High Schools, Grace Kerr Kellermeier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current foreign language pedagogy encourages a communicative approach to language learning. Instead of the reading and writing focus of the past, this communicative approach requires instruction in all skills, which include reading, writing, listening, speaking and having knowledge of associated cultures. A random sample of Florida foreign language teachers was surveyed to establish whether or not the goals and actual instructional practices were aligned. Respondents were asked to identify how much of a typical class period is dedicated to each of the five skills and how much of a typical unit test is dedicated to the same five skills. The …


The Relationship Between Average Daily Attendance, School Policies And Procedures And Principals' Emphasis On Attendance Issues In Selected Florida Secondary Schools, Michael C. Arnett Jan 2010

The Relationship Between Average Daily Attendance, School Policies And Procedures And Principals' Emphasis On Attendance Issues In Selected Florida Secondary Schools, Michael C. Arnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of the historical research that has taken place over the past 50 years regarding student absenteeism has focused on influences on students over which the principal had very little control such as student demographics, family characteristics and the student personal or psychological factors. Researchers have begun analyzing school climate and its effect on student attendance from the perspectives of students and teachers. School climate is the one aspect that influences a student attendance patterns and can be modified by the principal. This study sought to identify if there was a relationship between the high school principals‟ perspective on student …


Ell And Non-Ell Students' Misconceptions About Heat And Temperature In Middle School, Leah Weiss Jan 2010

Ell And Non-Ell Students' Misconceptions About Heat And Temperature In Middle School, Leah Weiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

All students come to the classroom with their own ideas about a number of science phenomena. In the classroom setting, English language learners may have ideas about heat and temperature that present additional challenges for teachers. In fact, their ideas can stem from many different influences and English language learners (ELL), in particular, may have misconceptions about topics and language barriers, or misconceptions, that are culturally or language-based (Lee, 2001). This action research thesis was performed to explore the research questions: How did my use of formative assessment affect ELL students' misconceptions about heat?, How did my use of formative …


The Effects Of Two Group Approaches On Counseling Students' Empathy Development, Group Leader Self-Efficacy Development, And Experience Of Hte Therapeutic Factors, Jonathan Ohrt Jan 2010

The Effects Of Two Group Approaches On Counseling Students' Empathy Development, Group Leader Self-Efficacy Development, And Experience Of Hte Therapeutic Factors, Jonathan Ohrt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) require their students to participate in a group experience as a member for 10 clock hours over the course of an academic term (CACREP, 2009). In addition, the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) recommends that students participate in a group experience as a member or a leader for at least 10 hours and states that 20 hours of participation is preferable (ASGW, 2000). Counselor education programs satisfy the requirement in a variety of ways (Anderson & Price, 2001; Armstrong, 2002; Merta et …


An Investigation Of Counselor Educators' Attitudes Towards Evidence-Based Practices And Perceived Barriers To The Incorporat, Samir Patel Jan 2010

An Investigation Of Counselor Educators' Attitudes Towards Evidence-Based Practices And Perceived Barriers To The Incorporat, Samir Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate counselor educators' attitudes towards evidence-based practices (EBPs) and perceived barriers to the inclusion of EBPs in counselor education curricula. Additionally, this study aimed to assess whether counselor educators' level of agreement towards the presence of motivational interviewing (MI) principles in the counseling relationship impacted attitudes towards EBPs. As such, this researcher analyzed four research questions using two instruments and a demographic questionnaire. Two hundred sixty nine counselor educators (39.8% response rate) from the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision responded to an electronic survey, which consisted of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude …