Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of Inclusion And Pullout Programs On Student Achievement For Students With Disabilities, James Matthew Hurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities have traditionally achieved to a lesser degree than have their nondisabled peers. Since the 1950s the federal government has enacted laws to provide free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities. In the first decade of the 21st Century the government has produced legislation requiring schools to be responsible for improving instruction for students with disabilities. One of the major trends in accomplishing this task is a move toward inclusive education. This study determined the relationships of assessment type (Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments versus Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA) assessments) and models of service delivery (general …

Ready Child, Ready School : Educator Perceptions Of Child And School Success Indicators And Ready School Practices., Annette W. Bridges 1953-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher considered educator perceptions of child readiness for school and school readiness for children conceptualized within the central constructs of the ready child and the ready school. The skills and abilities that children bring to the school are equally as important as the services and supports that the school brings to the child. The researcher’s intention in conducting this study was to investigate whether the differences existed in perceptions about ready child and ready school indicators and the implementation of ready school practices between educators working in successful schools and educators working in less successful schools. …

Digital Media's Transformative Role In Education: Beyond Potential To Essential, Ming-Tso Chien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Achieving effective learning via digital media continues to be a major concern in contemporary education. The daily use of all forms of digital media is part of our lives and therefore becomes a key component of education. Educators must consider the process of digital media curriculum as a learning model and form of experience adapted to education. This means the significance is on how to learn as well as what to learn. This study demonstrated how the implementation of digital media curriculum via the Scratch game-making project contributed to middle school students' interaction with the entire educational process. The goal …

Attending High School Algebra I: In Search Of Well-Managed, Engaging, Culturally Relevant, And Caring Classrooms, Cassandra Dunn Gannett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inequities in learning between the rich and the poor have become pervasive in United States. This is evidenced by the high school graduation rates, college attendance percentages, and employment statistics. Upon another wave of reform, the Common Core State Standards in mathematics are currently being adopted in hopes of increasing learning for all students, with a focus on college and career readiness. This study is intent on finding ways to remedy the inequities in mathematics between the high income and low income schools by focusing on one of the great glass ceilings to high school graduation and beyond, high …

Korean American Adolescents' And Their Parents' Attitudes And Expectations Toward Group Counseling, Myoung Ah Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the relationships between three important cultural factors—acculturation, self-disclosure, and gender— and Korean American adolescents’ attitudes and expectations about group counseling. In addition, the relationships between two of these factors−acculturation and self-disclosure, and Korean parents’ expectations and attitudes about group counseling as a potential treatment modality for their adolescents were examined. Ninety-three Korean high school students who attended 9 private afterschool programs provided by the Korean Institute of Southern California (KISC) in the Los Angeles area and their 93 corresponding Korean parents participated in the present study. For the student sample, the …

Leaving In The Past: The Role History Plays In Video Games, Joseph Fordham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How can something considered by many within academia as childish or a waste of time be potentially useful in presenting or even studying history? Not only has the video game industry grown into one of the largest forms of media in the world, but these games are also finding use as a training aid for the military and major companies, as an advertising medium, and, most importantly, as a tool for teaching. As developmental capabilities improve with new generations of graphics hardware, video games are turning towards the recreation of real-world and historical events. This drive towards realism and accuracy …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Bronfenbrenner's Ecology Of Human Development, Carol Medders Denis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the norms associated with this condition in the United States have evolved over time. Culturally established beliefs control how the disorder is defined and treated. This study will explore the idea that ADHD is a socially constructed disorder that impacts multiple levels of society. These levels include the child, the family, the school, the medical community, and the advertising agencies. Social construction theory will be used to establish a framework for this study. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) system theory describing the ecology of human development will also be used to investigate the impact that different …

Do The Opportunities Offered During The School Day Provide The Recommended Physical Activity Levels For Children?: An Assessment Of The Upson County Pre-Kindergarten And Elementary School Physical Activity Occurrences, Cheryl Lynn Robinson Gaddis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem Statement: Almost 90% of students do not meet the national recommendations for physical activity in school. The purpose of this study was to determine the need for school policy changes to incorporate classroom-based physical activity programs in an effort to increase school physical activity levels for children in grades pre-kindergarten through five by assessing the levels of and the barriers/facilitators to physical activity engagement.

Methods: This was a sequential explanatory mixed methods study utilizing school board members, principals, and teachers in the Upson County School System as participants. The online survey was adapted from the School Health …

Through Smoke And Mirrors: Constructing Identity Between The Myths Of Black Inferiority And A Post-Racial America, Gwyneira Yvette Dixon Ledford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an inquiry into my life. It is an exploration of my lived experience as an African American female negotiating through traditions in Southern culture and societal pressures to create a positive identity. Using autobiographical narrative (Connelly, He, & Phillion, 2008, Pinar, 2008) as a methodology and Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2000), double consciousness (DuBois, 1903), and the Nigrescence Theory of black identity development (Cross, 1991) as the theoretical framework, I examine my experiences from childhood to adulthood. Through these narrations, I note paradigm shifts in my thinking that identify the psychological struggles between feeling racially inferior and …

Computer-Based Modeling Of K-12 Faculty Activities: A Case Study, Amanda Rose Kyker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sought to lay the foundation for an application for tracking K-12 teacher activities. Its primary contribution is a descriptive model of K-12 activities. The work's starting point, the Faculty Activities System project, is an ETSU initiative that seeks to produce a tool for university-level academic accountabilities management. It was possible to adapt the FAS project's data model for K-12 activities. The resulting model was validated by experts in the field of education and teachers and administrators across Tennessee.

A second strategy for model validation, using national and state legislation and expert recommendations, determined that the model did well …

Satisfying Stem Education Using The Arduino Microprocessor In C Programming, Brandyn Moore Hoffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There exists a need to promote better Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education at the high school level. To satisfy this need a series of hands-on laboratory assignments were created to be accompanied by 2 educational trainers that contain various electronic components. This project provides an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to teaching C programming that meets several standards defined by the Tennessee Board of Education. Together the trainers and lab assignments also introduce key concepts in math and science while allowing students hands-on experience with various electronic components. This will allow students to mimic real world applications of using the …

Adventures In The Classroom Creating Role-Playing Games Based On Traditional Stories For The High School Curriculum, Csenge Virág Zalka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to develop a template for turning traditional stories into role-playing games for the high school curriculum. By developing 3 sample games based on Greek mythology, Arthurian legends, and a widespread folktale type, I explored the process of creating games that fit the limits of secondary classrooms and can be used to address specific educational standards. The sample games were tested with groups of high school and college students, and the results of the testing sessions evaluated in a narrative case study format. Feedback from the testing sessions was incorporated in the template, the final …

The R Factor: Centering Race In The Mentoring Of African American College Students, Bridgette Coble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring provides personal support, academic assistance and career guidance to college students of color whose experiences have been documented to be very different from those of their White counterparts. Achievement inequity, problems of persistence, experiences of racism and student reports of feeling marginalized and misunderstood threaten the ability of students of color to succeed in college. While it may be assumed that race plays a central role in the mentoring relationships of students of color, this assumption may be misguided. The existence of formal mentoring programs and informal mentoring relationships that support students of color does not necessarily ensure that …

A Meta-Analytic Review Of Cooperative Learning Practices In Higher Education: A Human Communication Perspective, William Patrick Huddy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The phrase cooperative learning refers to a pedagogical learning and teaching technique in use in schools from kindergarten through higher education. The technique involves the structuring of an active classroom environment with students working in groups to discover, solve, and at its basic, provide a framework for dialogue and conversation. Cooperative learning is grounded in the development of a theory of social interdependence (Morton Deutsch) which states that individuals, working in groups, can in most cases provide for greater productivity and ideas than individuals working alone. The development of cooperative learning was greatly expanded in the late 1960’s and early …

Student School Engagement As A Potential Predictor Of High School Completion, Jennifer Albanes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a dropout epidemic in the United States. In the US, 25% of high school students do not graduate on time. For Latinos, the number is worse, with only 64% graduating from high school. Current research is clear that 9th grade is a critical year for keeping students in school. Students that earn all their credits for their core classes in 9th grade are more likely to graduate than students who fail one or more class during their freshman year. Prior to this study, engagement has been connected to dropout in the literature, but with differing ideas of how …

Gender Depiction In Preschool Books: A Comparison Between Early Care And Education Classrooms In The United States And Norway, Cathrine Aasen Floyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Preschool children's perceptions around gender identity and development can be influenced by their experiences. With many children spending a portion of their day in child care, the environmental factors of these programs are important. One aspect of the environment can impact preschool children is the books that are available to them. For over 40 years, children's literature in the United States has been studied and found to be biased in their portrayal of males and females. Males were more often found as main characters and depicted as capable leaders and thinkers. Female characters were shown as weaker, often appearing in …

Nonprofit Marketing Education In The United States: An Examination And Interpretation Of The Prevalance And Nature Of Curriculum, Theresa Meier Conley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nonprofit sector is a large, growing, and essential part of the United States economy. There is a history of inspired ideas and complex change in the nonprofit sector that marketing educators and business school administrators must understand if they are to be leaders in the continuing evolution of nonprofit marketing education.

This manuscript includes a summarized historical perspective, a selective review of literature from existing nonprofit management and marketing education, a discussion of relevant contemporary issues for consideration, and mixed-method research results regarding the prevalence and nature of nonprofit marketing education. The mixed-method research strategy includes three phases; the …

An Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution Looks Toward The Future: A Case Study On A Collaborative, Community-Based Systemic Change Effort At An Urban Land-Grant College, Eric Dunker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many higher education organizations face the issue of structural isolation (Ruben, 2004) based on a lack of integration and functional coordination between faculty, staff, and students. Community-based research (CBR) offers higher education a more collaborative, wider reaching avenue of organizing a variety of stakeholders around social change. The CBR model is an atypical change model due to its interdisciplinary, participatory, and collaborative structure that values multiple sources of knowledge and focuses on social justice action. As opposed to serving as the 'experts' who were performing research on a community of people, academics and community members who utilize CBR focus on …

Invisible Ink: An Analysis Of Meaning Contained In Gender, Race, Performance, And Power Discourses, Susan A. Griggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of females in senior level leadership positions in higher education is substantially fewer than males. Yet female students in these same institutions represent over half the population (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2010). The leadership gender gap is a phenomenon that has undergone numerous studies in search of reasons and solutions. Yet the gap remains. One cause of the underrepresentation of women in higher education leadership is ideological views regarding gender and leadership that result in stereotypes regarding who qualifies for leadership, what leadership behaviors are deemed best, who exhibits those behaviors, and what happens when those stereotypes …

Fostering And Foreclosing Student Learning Potential: Portraits Of Performativity, Emotion, And Relationality In The Classroom, Jeanne Marie Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation endeavors to build a much-needed bridge between the fields of communication and education. Using critical pedagogy and critical communication pedagogy as theoretical frameworks, this project advances an understanding of classroom communication as constitutive of power relations, and teachers and students as agents who can work together to foster learning potential and social justice. I look to interdisciplinary scholarship on affect to craft a nuanced conceptual framework of the connection between communication and emotion, and how they create learning opportunities for some students and construct barriers to learning for others. Through ethnographic fieldwork at an urban magnet school, I …

Leveling The Field Is Not Enough: Promoting Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Teach For America Through The Evaluation Of Intercultural Competence, Colorblindness, White Racial Identity Attitudes, And The Belief That Culture Matters In Education, Amber K. Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined constructs and beliefs essential to culturally responsive teachers for the purpose of understanding corps members’ needs and promoting culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in the Colorado region of Teach for America (TFA). This study employed a transformative, sequential mixed methods design with a theoretical lens of CRP and a corresponding framework for preparing culturally responsive educators described by Villegas and Lucas (2002). First, a quantitative phase assessed participants’ levels of intercultural competence, colorblind racial attitudes, and White racial identity attitudes at two times—upon entering TFA (n = 139) and after one year of teaching and training (n …

Leading Schools Through A Generational Lens: Perceptions Of Principals' Change Leadership Disaggregated By Principal Generation, Matthew Scott Kuhn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to investigate possible differences in school leadership within a change process, as perceived by teachers. Grouped by generation, this study investigated principals’ perceptions of change order and that of their teachers, as well as how their teachers perceived their principal’s leadership capacity when leading 1^st and 2^nd order change. This was done by analyzing data from Mid-continent for Education and Learning’s Balanced Leadership Profile®. McREL surveyed principals about the order of school change initiatives and their capacity to lead change. McREL also surveyed teachers about the 1_^st and 2 …

The Impact On Student Learning Outcomes Of Video When Used As A Primary Teaching Tool In The Internet Hybrid Classroom, Richard Sykes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With increasing concern over the state of the education system in the United States, more and more emphasis is being placed on teaching methods. Internet related infrastructure has become cheaper and more powerful, and online learning environments are taking a stronger presence in most higher education institutions with more video content being sought for these environments. However, the effectiveness of using video as a teaching tool is still uncertain. Without additional research, video remains an expensive gamble for an already struggling system. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact on student learning outcomes of video content as …

Relationships Between Reading Ability In Third Grade And Phonological Awareness In Kindergarten, Melissa Lynn Pannell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify relationships that exist between reading ability in 3rd grade and phonological awareness in kindergarten. A second purpose was to identify specific prereading skills that best predict later reading success. This study used a quantitative research design to answer the research questions posed. The population for this research was 244 fourth grade students enrolled in 3 primary schools in a school system in Southwest Virginia. The data used for this research study were obtained from each student's score on the kindergarten Phonological Awareness and Literacy Screening and the 3rd grade Virginia Standards of …

Student Success In Face-To-Face And Online Sections Of Biology Courses At A Community College In East Tennessee, Deanna Essington Garman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences in student success in face-to-face and online biology courses as categorized by gender, major, and age; and as measured by lecture grades, lab grades, and final course grades. The data used for analyses included data from 170 face-to-face sections and 127 online sections from a biology course during the fall and spring semesters beginning fall 2008 through spring 2011.

Researchers have reported mixed findings in previous studies juxtaposing online and face-to-face course delivery formats, from no significant differences to differences in grades, learning styles, and satisfaction …

Family Satisfaction With Early Intervention Services As It Relates To Family Functioning, Donna Elizabeth Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceived impact and satisfaction levels of early intervention services of families living in the Appalachian region of northeast Tennessee. Families living in Hawkins and Johnson counties in the northeast region of Tennessee whose children with disabilities had recently exited an early intervention program participated in the study. The primary sources of data collection were personal interviews based on the Beach Center Family Quality of Life (FQOL) Scale (Beach Center on Disability, 2003), the Family Functioning Style Scale (FFSS) (Deal, Trivette, & Dunst, 1998), and member checks.

The FQOL contains 5 subscales: Family Interaction, Parenting, Physical or …

Educator Responses To Technology Influences In A 1:1 Laptop Middle School, David C. Boardman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Across the globe, students learn with digital texts, classrooms connect through the world-wide web, and elementary students apprentice in highly technical skills such as moviemaking or animation. As education embarks on the second decade of the 21st century, technology is becoming more sought after than ever before as countries prepare their youth for the future. But educational technology initiatives could easily leave learning stagnant and waste millions of public dollars if not designed and implemented in ways to create transformative learning experiences to prepare youth for today's highly collaborative digital world. This study investigates how teachers view various influences encouraging …

An Analysis Of The Variables Associated With Alumni Giving And Employee Giving To A Mid-Sized Southeastern University, Christine Hawk Loveday

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship among selected demographic variables and donor or nondonor status of alumni and employees at the participating university. The variables involving alumni were gender, highest degree earned, and college of major study. The variables regarding employees were gender and position. The study was conducted using archived alumni data from the Alumni Association’s database program and the archived employee data from the Office of Human Resources’ database program. The population for this study consisted of the 76,728 alumni and the 2,279 full-time employees of a mid-sized southeastern university during …

Development Of A Measure Assessing Knowledge And Use Of Internal Punctuation To Signal Syntactic Relationships, Pamela S. Van Horn Howard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A literary debate has been ongoing from the early 1900s regarding not only the place of grammar instruction in the classroom but even of the veracity of a grammatical standard, such as Standard American English, by which grammar skills may be measured. Very little empirical research has been attempted to compare the effectiveness of teaching methods because grammar assessment has been given even less attention. Therefore, to address this gap in the literature and to explore whether objective testing is suitable for assessing grammar skills, a 51-item measure was constructed to test the use of internal punctuation (commas, semicolons, and …

Arabic Women And English Language Learning: A Case Study, Ream Alkarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this study was to interview Arabic women students at Spring International Language Center to record their perceptions, rationale, goals, stories, and opinions about learning English in a U.S. language school. This research was conducted to understand the purposes and goals of Arabic women who come to the United Stated to study the English language, and the importance of English language proficiency, both within and outside the United States.

The findings of this study are not only relevant to English language centers in the United States, but also those in other countries. The information and methods used …