Education Commons^™

Listening To The Voices Of African American Female Principals Leading "Turnaround" Schools, Vickie Pease Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative study focuses on African American female principals' perceptions of the influence of gender and race on their roles as principals of turnaround schools. The work lives of the participants were situated in turnaround schools, schools receiving federal money to provide intensive interventions and leadership development support to break the cycle of chronic academic failure. Data included one-on-one interviews with the participants and a reflective journal. The basis for the data analysis was a three-dimensional space approach (that included the components of interaction, continuity, and situation or place). Black feminist standpoint theory (BFST), a revision of the earlier Black …

A Case Study Exploring Organizational Development And Performance Management In The Operational Infrastructure Of A Professional Working Organization, Using Academic Constructs, Wm. Casey Crear

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum, as a concept, has been historically associated with traditional schooling, but the reality is that its application extends to many arenas beyond academia. Through the case study lens, this dissertation utilized the ideologies of curricular theorists John Dewey, John Franklin Bobbitt, and Ralph Tyler to explore how intended, enacted, and assessed curricula phases can integrate into a professional working organization’s comprehensive functionality and materialize into the planning and implementation of its operational infrastructure. Following content analysis of a selected institution’s operational system, using closed codes, a descriptive comprehensive curriculum was designed to address the research purpose of understanding …

Cultivating Creativity: The Practice Of Teaching For Creativity In The Elementary Classroom, Karin M. Colley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Limited resources in public education and a focus on the “basics” have resulted in a narrowing of the curriculum, which, in turn, has led to a dramatically minimized role for the arts and creativity (Mishook & Kornhaber, 2006). Our world and the ways in which we access and share knowledge continue to evolve at an alarming rate. With this, complex issues arise- issues that will need fresh, innovative eyes that can cultivate creative solutions. The success of our society is fueled by creative and flexible minds that can generate innovative and authentic solutions to some of our most complex problems …

The Abc's Of Art Teacher Professional Identity: An A/R/Tographic Investigation Into The Interstitial Spaces, Sarabeth G. Berk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are more than teachers, however, they do not often discuss, define or identify their multiple professional identities they possess. Likewise, society narrowly perceives and categorizes the conception of teacher, and disregards practices teachers perform that do not fit neatly into established constructs within the profession. This research study explores the multiple professional identities of teachers, specifically art teachers, to understand how they perceive themselves as professionals, and furthermore, to investigate what happens when professional identities intersect, overlap, and create hybrid spaces. Teacher professional identity, multiple identity, intersectionality, and developmental evolution of self are key constructs within this research.

To …

Investigating And Understanding Student Learning Outcomes In An Online And Face-To-Face Graduate Level Legal Administration Course: An Embedded Mixed Methods Design, Hope E. Kentnor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online education is a new teaching and learning medium with few current guidelines for faculty, administrators or students. Its rapid growth over the last decade has challenged academic institutions to keep up with the demand, while also providing a quality education. Our understanding of the factors that determine quality and effective online learning experiences that lead to student learning outcomes is still evolving. There is a lack of consensus on the effectiveness of online versus face-to-face education in the current research. The U.S. Department of Education conducted a meta-analysis in 2009 and concluded that student-learning outcomes in online courses were …

Innovative Educational Design: The Development Of Autonomous Schools, Jennifer E. Arzberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Innovative Educational Design: The Development of Autonomous Schools captures an educator’s journey in developing an economically integrated, urban Expeditionary Learning charter school, an autoethnography of an educator embracing an entrepreneurial spirit and traversing the years prior to opening a school and obtaining unanimous approval from the authorizing board of education. Autoethnography provides the researcher with an opportunity to turn scholarly interests inward, bringing personal experiences to center stage revealing the culture of founding school leaders. Similar to an ethnographer describing the culture of a group of people and learning what it is like to be a part of the group …

The Experiences Of Undocumented College Students Through Critical Evocative Portraiture, Erica García

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the college experiences of five undocumented students. Using data from three in-depth interviews, the study sought to offer insights to educational leaders on the in- and out-of-class validating experiences that influenced a group of undocumented students to persist in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Rendón’s (1994) theory of student validation provided the framework for the study. The qualitative method of critical evocative portraiture (Lyman, Lazaridou, & Strachan, 2013) was used to collect, analyze and present the data. Congruent with the methodology, the researcher constructed a critical evocative portrait of each of the participants. The portraits …

Engaging Young Children In The Art Museum: An Educational Criticism Of An Art Museum Summer Class, Kristina N. Mahoney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project serves to identify a set of conditions leading to engagement for four- and five-year-old students in an art museum summer class. Utilizing Eisner’s theory on qualitative research, educational criticism and connoisseurship (1998), the researcher interviewed, observed, and received responses to a questionnaire in order to describe, interpret, and analyze the educational event of the summer class. By identifying the intentions of the class, the report describes a set of three objectives acting as a foundation for the classes’ implementation - comfort, empowerment, and connection to collection. Based on analysis of the implementation of these aims, as seen …

Exploring Trends In Disproportionality Of Emotional Disturbance Classification After The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (Ideia), Ghirmay Alazar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the trends of disproportionate representation of African American students in special education when compared to Caucasian special education students in emotional disturbance category as well as the trends in disproportionality of emotional disturbance classification after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). African American students in special education are disproportionately represented when compared to Caucasian special education students but uncertainty persists regarding the nature and the extent of the problem (Aud et al., 2010; Countinho & Oswald, 2002; Skiba et al., 2006, 2008). This study employed a mixed methods multiple …

Measuring Teachers' Knowledge And Use Of Data And Assessments: Creating A Measure As A First Step Toward Effective Professional Development, Courtney Vidacovich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current teaching standards and practices are dictated, at least in part, by state- and district-mandated standardized tests. Yet, despite being surrounded by data, teachers receive only basic trainings on how to use assessments. In reality, teachers use data and assessments daily--even minute by minute--through the assessment process, which uses multiple data sources to make informed decisions on student learning and teaching practices. A measure was needed to understand how the policies and expectations from schools, districts, and states compare with actual classroom practices. The teachers Knowledge and Use of Data and Assessment (tKUDA) measure was designed to do just that. …

Engagement Management: A Case Study Of The Criteria And Processes Used To Identify, Evaluate, And Communicate Program Expectations For University Partnerships, Frederick E. Powers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, American public university outreach and engagement programs and activities have been defined and managed in many different ways and at varying levels within the institutions. Some universities clearly define complex outreach and engagement objectives and visions in their mission and throughout the fabric of the institution; while other university's outreach and engagement objectives and visions are less refined and not as evident to the casual observer (Bonnen, 1998). While much has been studied and developed in terms of establishing and managing a university's outreach activities, very little research has been conducted with respect to the social, procedural, …

Empowering Students To Care: An Edible Garden And Farm Education Approach, Shannon C. Mcqueen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through this qualitative study, I want to add to the theoretical conversation about garden and farm education in schools and offer a starting point for a conversation surrounding care and gardening/farming in schools. The purpose of this study is to understand how teachers and students demonstrate care while implementing a garden and farm curriculum. Data collection included 15 participant interviews from students, staff, administrators, and school officials from a large public school district implementing garden and farm education lessons and observations of educators, farmers, and farm interns interacting with and instructing students in a weeklong Farm Camp environment. I utilized …

Development Of The Dori-Tbi: An Investigation To Develop A New Screening Measure To Determine Consultation With A School-Based Brain Injury Resource Team, Doriann Marie Adragna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brain injury is the leading cause of disability and death in children in the United States. Student re-entry into the school setting following a traumatic brain injury is crucial to student success. Multidisciplinary teams within the school district comprised of individuals with expertise in brain injury are ideal in implementing student specific treatment plans given their specialized training and wide range of expertise addressing student needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and initially validate a quantitative instrument that school personnel can use to determine if a student, identified as having a traumatic brain injury, will benefit …

Don’T Let Me Down: An Autoethnography Of An Urban Teacher, Jacqueline R. Arriaga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students in urban schools who are negatively impacted need stability and continuity the most. However, at least half of new teachers leave their profession within five years. In order for this situation to change, support is needed for new teachers and encouragement is needed for experienced teachers.

The purpose of the study is to offer a first-hand description of factors that affect the profession of teaching and especially teachers who may be wondering how to stay in teaching for more than five years. Veteran teachers gain the opportunity to reflect, validate, and (probably) celebrate their own journey through this profession. …

Shift Work And The United States Female Workforce: The Relationship Between Shift Work And Ill-Health Effects, Allison Marie Bondanza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to determine the magnitude of the relationship between amount, frequency, and length of shift work completed by female transportation employees and the number, degree, and extent of problems related to physical, menstrual and psychological health including depression. It was hypothesized that workers that are employed in areas such as transportation who are working shift work on a regular basis place themselves at higher risk for developing health or psychosocial related effects. These health related outcomes can have a profound impact on an employee’s job performance, daily functioning, and personal life. The present study sought to …

Examining The Impact Of Pre-K And Kindergarten Classroom Alignment On School Readiness Outcomes, Margaret Deane Franko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored children’s experiences of instructional alignment from prekindergarten to kindergarten and analyzed the impact of those alignment experiences on children’s school readiness outcomes. The study answered the following overarching research question: Does the alignment of children’s learning experiences between prekindergarten and kindergarten impact school readiness outcomes? Three sub-questions drove the research design: (1) How do children’s prekindergarten and kindergarten learning experiences align; (2) To what extent does the alignment of early learning experiences predict children’s school readiness outcomes; and (3) Does the quality of prekindergarten classroom teacher interactions moderate the impact of any PK-K alignment effects? Using cluster …

Early Career Teachers' Efficacy In Working With Families, Kirsten Denisemarie Hermanutz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Partnering effectively with families is an important skill for teachers to have to support student achievement, and one that is especially important for early career teachers in order to protect them from burnout and attrition. However, research has demonstrated that teachers do not feel prepared to work with families, and further research is needed to see what difficulties are specific to early career teachers. The following research questions were addressed in the study: 1) What current situation and prior training factors affect early career teachers’ perceptions of efficacy in working with families? 2) Which family-school partnering topics do teachers report …

The Role Of Passage Topic Knowledge In Typical And Poor Comprehenders' Recall, Chelsea E. Meenan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of topic knowledge (TK) in comprehension among typical readers and those with Specifically Poor Comprehension (SPC), i.e., those who demonstrate deficits in understanding what they read despite adequate decoding. Previous studies of poor comprehension have focused on weaknesses in specific skills, such as word decoding and inferencing ability, but this dissertation examined a different factor: whether deficits in availability and use of TK underlie poor comprehension. It is well known that TK tends to facilitate comprehension among typical readers, but its interaction with working memory and word decoding is unclear, particularly among participants with deficits …

Psychometric Investigation Of The Check-In, Check-Out Fidelity Of Implementation Measure, Erin Ann Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suspension and expulsion are utilized frequently and disproportionality in schools in the United States. Many schools utilize Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a tiered framework to prevent problem behavior and reduce the use of discipline practices (Sugai et al., 2000). Check-In, Check-Out (CICO) is a targeted group behavioral intervention that is utilized within this framework in schools to prevent severe problem behavior in students that are beginning to exhibit externalizing and/or internalizing behavioral needs; thus, preventing the use of exclusionary discipline practices (Crone et al., 2010; Hawken & Horner, 2003). As the use of CICO in schools continues to …

Quality Of Life And Mental Health Outcomes In Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator Treatment: Potential Effects Of Informational Media History And Treatment Knowledge, Christopher E. Knoepke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social workers in all care venues are increasingly responsible for clinical and case management services for people being treated with sophisticated medical interventions. Unfortunately, opportunities to aid in the promotion of quality of life (QOL), mental health, and informed consent are often not understood by social workers, other care providers, or patients. These missed opportunities may lead to attenuated effectiveness of medical interventions and negative impact on patients' QOL. One such technological treatment is the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a lifesaving therapy which carries risk to patients' QOL. Moreover, patients frequently do not accurately understand the benefits, limitations, and possible …

How Global Education Is Understood And To What Extent It Is Implemented In One Educator Preparation Program, Lydia Valentina Amewu-Sirleaf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed method study investigated the overarching question "how global education is understood and implemented in an educator preparation program in a Colorado university". The sub-questions used to answer the research question are:

* How is global education/perspective understood and implemented by the faculty?

* How do students perceive global education/perspective to be implemented in the program?

* How are the faculty and student's perspective similar and how are they different?

* How do the documents and artifacts support this?

The faculty members and pre-service teachers in this program were the research participants in the study. This area of research …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students' Standardized English Literacy Achievement And Language Redesignation Status: A Multiple Regression Analysis, Matthew R. Weyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The initial No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation stated that by 2014 all students would reach proficiency in all subjects. However, this has not been the case as NCLB has had mixed effects for culturally and linguistically diverse students (CLDs) (Hopkins, Thompson, Linquanti, Hakuta, & August, 2013). Language redesignation policies, often termed reclassification, can be considered a significant contributor as the variation in policies and practices alone has led to significantly different achievement for CLDs across the country (Hill, Weston, & Hayes, 2014; Mahoney & MacSwan, 2005) and has created an expansive achievement gap with their non-CLD White counterparts (Reardon, …

Visual Arts Assessment In The Age Of Educational Accountability, Donna Jackson Goodwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Art teachers have, in some manner, always assessed student learning and progress. However, many art teachers do not have the training in assessment to be able to describe and defend their process, nor has there been research to support the effectiveness of how art teachers assess student learning. This study examines the ways six visual art teachers from five districts teaching in traditional public schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels assess visual art. It demonstrates how they are using information gathered from assessments and whether their philosophies of art education influence their actions. Parents and administrators were …

Navigating The Gap Between The Ideal And The Real: A Heuristic Inquiry With Teacher Educators Influenced By The Work Of Parker Palmer, Eron L. Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

New teacher attrition shows no signs of abating as about half of new teachers in urban high-poverty schools quit in their first three years of the work. Some of the push factors that contribute to attrition in these settings are the increasing pressure of standards and accountability measures. Some research has turned to teacher education programs to look at the preparation of pre-service teachers.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the beliefs and intentions of four teacher educators who are also facilitators of Parker Palmer's Courage to Teach workshops and retreats, and the ways in which their …

Perceptions Of School Reform In A Post-Nclb World: A Cathartic Recovery Of The Purpose And A ‘Shining-Through’ Of The Spirit Of Education, Timothy Arkell Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used a Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology to understand the varying perceptions held by different stakeholding groups (state legislators, superintendents, building administrators, teachers, and parents) about No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and other related reform efforts such as the Common Core. 12 participants from these five stakeholding groups were purposefully chosen, all from the state of Idaho, and in-depth interviews were performed, parsed out into three phases to inductively invite themes and categories for inquiry. Following each interview, a socio-semiotic analysis was performed using participant language in an integrated effort to identify deeply held beliefs and perceptions of school …

The Interaction Effects Of Subjective And Structural Factors On Crime Among Formerly Incarcerated Males, Christopher Alvin Veeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The high rate of recidivism in the over 600,000 individuals who return from incarceration each year is an important social problem facing U.S. society and the criminal justice system. Efforts undertaken so far early in the 21st century to address the problem of recidivism in the formerly incarcerated, particularly prison reentry programs, have produced disappointing results at reducing the rate of recidivism. Therefore, there is a need to identify new ways for prison reentry programs to reduce recidivism among individuals recently returned from prison, and social work with its person-in-environment perspective can make an important contribution through conducting research to …

Development Of The Readiness To Teach Online Scale, Angel Chi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the growing importance of online education, faculty acceptance has remained unchanged. Training programs developed for faculty to teach online have often focused on assessing their cognitive rather than affective and behavioral outcomes. The Readiness To Teach Online scale was developed as part of a multiphase mixed method research project to measure faculty perceptions and motivations toward teaching online. Items in the subcategory Teaching and Learning measured perceptions of technology and online teaching, and motivations regarding resources and other external factors. Items in the subcategories Social and Student Engagement, Faculty and Technology Support, Course Development and Instructional Design, and Evaluation …

Student-Athlete Learning: How Learning Spaces Influence Athletic And Academic Success, Kelli A. Logan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study will utilize case study inquiry to examine student-athlete learning opportunities in the athletic learning space and academic learning space in a higher education NCAA Division I collegiate institution. This study will assess what learning opportunities exist within the athletic and academic learning space to better understand effective learning practices. This study will utilize the sociocultural Learning Sciences literature, supported with critical pedagogy and inclusive excellence literature, to understand how different learning spaces contribute to student-athlete learning opportunities and educational success in college.

The Relationship Between Social Support And Self-Advocacy In College Students With Disabilities, Julia I. Marcus Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the connection between social support and self-advocacy in college students with disabilities. The College Students with Disabilities Campus Climate Survey (Lombardi, Gerdes, & Murray, 2011) was used to gather data from undergraduate students at a midsize western private university. Social support was found to be a significant predictor of self-advocacy in college students with disabilities. Peer support, family support, and faculty teaching practices made up the construct of social support. Peer support and faculty teaching practices were found to be significant predictors of student self-advocacy. Family support was not found to be significant. The data was examined …

Foundations Of Inequity: A Social Ecological Exploration Of Colorado Rural School Leaders Lived Experiences, Bryan E. Deshasier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this mixed methods research study was to explore the lived experiences of Colorado's rural school leaders with the objective of explicating factors embedded within their lived experiences towards, where appropriate, an evolution of principal preparation programs; to lay the foundation for later research study inquiries; to determine if the phenomenon being observed may be expounded upon by a current theory; and to conclude if lived experiences contain answers towards a resolution of the two problems which informed this study. This exploratory approach yielded two primary themes with supporting points that are presented and discussed within this and …