Education Commons^™

Comparison Effects Of Tape And The Mcdavid Ultra Brace In Limiting The Amount And Rate Of Ankle Inversion, Leah M. Pataki

Masters Theses

The ankle joint is among one of the most common sites for injury, accounting for 86% of all injuries. Commonly, athletic tape or an ankle brace is used to prevent or protect ankle injuries from occurring and/or re-occurring. The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of athletic tape and the McDavid Ultra brace in limiting the amount and rate of ankle inversion when using dynamic ankle inversion. Subjects (6=Males, 12=Females) completed ten trials on an inversion platform under the following conditions: no-tape (control) and two bracing conditions (athletic tape and McDavid Ultra Brace). A 2 x 3 …

The Relationship Between Student Characteristics And Success In An Online Business Course At West Shore Community College, Amy J. Wojciechowski

Dissertations

This ex-post facto study was conducted to identify characteristics of successful online students with respect to: (a) gender; (b) age; (c) previous courses completed online; (d) ACT English, Reading, and Composite test score; (e) ASSET Reading and Writing test score; (f) grade point average of student upon completion of the course; (g) withdrawal from previous courses; (h) semester format (16-week vs. 8-week); (i) student status (full-time vs. part-time); and (j) attendance at orientation that will predict success. A small, rural community college in western Michigan participated in the study. The subjects included 179students in an online Introduction to Business course …

Underrepresented Doctoral Students: The Cultural And Institutional Barriers That Hinder Their Ability To Graduate, Nancy Greer-Williams

Dissertations

African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian doctoral students continue to have attrition rates substantially higher than their White counterparts (Lovitts, 2001). Attrition was defined as the act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack (Merriam-Webster, 2004). Research todate on this topic has focused on causes and barriers that can be attributed to mainstream groups, not on particular cultural barriers that may adversely affectdoctoral persistence among underrepresented groups. This study collected the lived experiences of these students at three separate university settings and turned them into conceptualized statements in an effort to understand the meaning of their experiences …

The Study Of Nontraditional Student Satisfaction With Academic Support Services Offered At Western Michigan University, Natalie Morton

Dissertations

This study examines the impact from the adaptation of lean manufacturing strategies on key external financial performance measures as reported by a number of management accounting methods. The research is not concerned with creating a justification for lean manufacturing strategies but rather it evaluates the inadequacies of standard financial reporting methods to accurately reflect operational improvements possible in the key performance measures through the early stages of a lean program.

ProModel simulation software is used in conjunction with Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic to create a simulated repetitive manufacturing environment and production planning and control system. The study examines the …

A Survey Of Lightning Safety Policy In Selected High Schools, Katie Groszek

Masters Theses

Our research will entail a survey of high school certified athletic trainers in the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association (District 4) of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) on lightning safety policy. The NATA has written a position statement (Walsh, 2000) on lightning safety to educate athletic trainers and other individuals on the dangers of lightning and safety guidelines to follow. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) also has lightning safety guidelines for the schools it governs. Despite the recommendations of the NAT A and NCAA, there has been a demonstrated lack of lightning safety policy. The purpose of this …

White Rules, Black Stars: Race, Sport, Community, And The Emergence Of Integrated Boys' High School Basketball In Benton Harbor, Michigan, 1945-1965, Christopher Michael Jannings

Masters Theses

Located in the southwestern corner of the state in Berrien County, the city of Benton Harbor, Michigan rests along the shores of Lake Michigan, in the heart of the Fruit Belt, and near the St. Joseph River. Not until the early 1940s did a significant number of black migrants arrive from the South and larger metropolitan areas in the North to take advantage of a booming a wartime economy, higher paying jobs, and better living conditions. The growing black presence greatly altered the social, political, cultural, and economic structure of Benton Harbor. By the late 1950s and early 1960s the …

A Superintendent's Guide To A Successful Bond Proposal, Scott D. Mollenberndt

Masters Theses

For most school districts it has become increasingly difficult to gain voter support for bond referendums. In addition, there is little information available for the superintendent and board of education to reference when considering a bond campaign in their community.

In response to these concerns, "A Superintendent's Guide to a Successful Bond Proposal" was developed to provide campaign strategies, timelines and a sequential list of events for the superintendent to consider. Examples of campaign strategies employed by the Edwardsburg Public Schools, Edwardsburg, Michigan during their successful bond referendum are included as appendices throughout the guidebook.

Through this research, seven essential …

An Investigation Of Secondary Teachers’ Knowledge Of Rate Of Change In The Context Of Teaching A Standards-Based Curriculum, Jihwa Noh

Dissertations

This study investigated teachers' mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge with respect to rate of change in the context of teaching a Standards-based high school mathematics curriculum that emphasizes rate of change as a central theme, the Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) materials. A framework was designed to provide a comprehensive guide for analyzing different aspects of rate of change knowledge incorporating existing frameworks relative to rate of change, NCTM recommendations described in Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics andPrinciples and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), and research related to pedagogical understanding of rate of change.

Data …

A Model For Using The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Results As A Method Of Outcomes Assessment, Debra Scott Schultz

Dissertations

This research study examined the use of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) results for the Dental Hygiene Program at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dental hygiene programs must develop outcomes assessment plans through a 7-year accreditation cycle under the auspices of the American Dental Association's (ADA) Council on Dental Accreditation using pass/fail rates for program graduates.

T -tests and ANOVA statistical tests were used in this study to examine NBDHE results from the Dental Hygiene Program within Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) during the years 1998 to 2000 to answer four questions: (1) How …

Effectiveness Of Teaching Modalities For Pre-College Level Mathematics Courses, Dorothy Latuszek

Dissertations

College educators are challenged with providing students with choices of teaching modalities that facilitate student achievement and success at a time when students are also seeking flexible scheduling and accommodation of their differing learning styles. This is certainly the case for college students who need to demonstrate proficiency for the content in pre-college level mathematics courses prior to enrolling in college-level mathematics courses. The term "pre-college level" is defined as courses in reading, writing, and mathematics for college students lacking those skills necessary to perform college-levelcoursework at two- or four-year college institutions (Parsad & Lewis, 2003).

Do certain teaching modalities …

Factors Affecting School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists’ Use Of Language Assessment Practices With Bilingual Children, Lena Gloria Caesar

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the assessment procedures and practices of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) employed in the state of Michigan. A survey method was used to gather information from 409 SLPs regarding the assessment procedures used for assessing both their bilingual students, as well as their monolingual English-speaking students. The survey also gathered information regarding perceptions about language proficiency, professional training, and bilingual assessment products. In order to analyze factors related to their use of recommended practices, the study investigated the relationship between selected demographic, caseload, and work-setting variables, and the type of bilingual assessment methods …

Effects Of Emu Oil In Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Of The Quadriceps, Michaelyn Sebold

Masters Theses

Limited research on emu oil has shown evidence of anti-inflammatory activity. Currently, emu oil has been used anecdotally to reduce soreness after physical activity. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of emu oil on delayed onset muscle soreness in the quadriceps. The objectives were to examine whether emu oil decreased soreness perceptually and physiologically after eccentric exercises on a leg extension machine.

The research design was a double blind format. Subjects were randomly assigned to three groups. Those three groups were randomly assigned to a given treatment order (control, placebo, or treatment). This was a counter-balanced …

The Effects Of Water Versus Land Plyometric Drills On Balance, Jaclyn Kelly

Masters Theses

Plyometrics are used by athletes of all to increase strength, power, and speed and often used during rehabilitation programs both on land and in water. Previous research suggested that aquatic plyometrics may have an affect on balance, however there is no data to support this claim. The purpose of this study was to compare aquatic to land plyometrics and the effects on balance. Thirty-six healthy subjects (17 males, 19 females) were randomly assigned to one of three groups, control, land, or aquatic. Plyometric training took place twice a week for seven weeks. Each subject performed three trials of static (single …

Electronic Literacy: Teaching Literary Reading Through The Digital Medium, Robert Adams Rozema

Dissertations

Over the last decade, digital technology has become an increasingly important part of education. In the discipline of English language arts, digital technology has been enlisted to teach writing, as the word processor and more recently, the World Wide Web, have provided new tools and new publishing opportunities for student writers. The presence of digital technology is less pronounced, however, in literature instruction in secondary schools. In both theoretical and practical discussions of digital technology and literature, the two mediums have been conceived as radically different. This dissertation argues that the digital medium, and more specifically the World Wide Web, …

Teachers’ Career Decisions In A Cognitive Framework: Logistical Regression Analysis Of A National Data Set, Tamara H. Rosier

Dissertations

Research was conducted in order to determine if extrinsic, cognitive or situative sets of variables could predict teachers' career decisions using the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Questions from the survey were divided into three cognitive perspectives: extrinsic, cognitive, and situative. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to predict group membership among those who chose to stay in their current position and those who left the profession.

Results for the extrinsic set of variables indicated that while the model was a good fit, the ability of the model to predict was low. Teachers agreeing that student behavior interferes with ability …

A Comparative Study Of Interrater Reliability Coefficients Obtained From Different Statistical Procedures Using Monte Carlo Simulation Techniques, Ebrima Nying

Dissertations

Reliability estimation is a key research component within the global area of educational assessment. The literature reports numerous studies using different statistical techniques for estimating reliability of educational measures. However, few have focused on the estimation of interrater reliability of performance assessment (Abedi, Baker, & Herl, 1995). Specifically, this study compared three different methods for estimating interrater reliability to determine if there are differences among these estimates as a function of: sample size, measurement scale, number of raters and the theoretical population reliability (rho). The three methods of estimation were the Intraclass Correlation (ICC(2, k )) (Shrout & Fleiss, 1979), …

Structural Equation Modeling As A Tool For Multisite Evaluation, Carl Edward Hanssen

Dissertations

Two fundamental purposes exist for program evaluation: to document program results and to improve programs. These purposes are commonly called summative and formative evaluation. The fundamental questions related to these purposes are (1) what occurred in the program? and (2) how can the program be improved? The answer to the second question implies the need to explain why program results occurred.

This dissertation developed an approach to support formative evaluation and answering the question of why program results occur. This approach integratedmultisite evaluation, theory-based evaluation and structural equation modeling. The context for this dissertation was the National Science Foundation's Advanced …

Girls And Science: A Qualitative Study On Factors Related To Success And Failure In Science, Paula Denise Johnson

Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to determine how girls perceived factors that contribute to their success in science programs designed to maximize their achievement. The sample consisted of 20 students in 9th and 12th grades attending a school of choice. Respondents were interviewed using a structured interview protocol.

The National Council for Research on Women study (Thom, 2001) found that girls are more successful in math and science programs that incorporate acooperative, hands-on approach than in programs that stress competition and individual learning. This finding was supported by this study among 20 high school girls in a school whose mission is …

The Effects Of Two Different Body Weight Support Harnesses On Oxygen Consumption And Heart Rate In Healthy Individuals, Sara Alison Koski

Masters Theses

The use of a body weight support hydraulic system can be beneficial for athletes with lower extremity injuries to help maintain cardiovascular fitness and provide athletes with the ability to advance lower extremity injuries to full weight bearing earlier than without a body weight support harness. However, body weight support harnesses can be a limiting factor due to rubbing or riding up when an injured athlete is attempting to maintain their current level of cardiovascular fitness. Discomfort is experienced with the use of many harnesses in the form of rubbing, tightness, and sliding up the torso. Two different body weight …

Sustaining Innovation In Career And Technical Education, Brenda S. Clark

Dissertations

There has been little research done in education to determine what makes programs sustainable once the person who started the program has left or funding has decreased or disappeared. Innovative and successful programs are frequently started only to close or to reach a dead end. This study will seek to determine what components are necessary to sustain and grow a Career and Technical Education program. The primary audiences for the research study will be community college and university teacher preparation departments and career and technical education departments.

A survey was sent to Occupational Education Studies (OES) students and to OES …

What Kinds Of Adolescent Leaders Are Hiding In Newbery Books?, Carol Jasperse Lautenbach

Dissertations

Though adolescent leadership is worth developing, often it is not addressed effectively in the general middle school curriculum. This study addresses adolescent leadership by describing and discussing eight major leadership categories and 38 subcategories found in seventeen representative Newbery Award-winning books. The sample was chosen using a multiple-step process and contained fictional stories with adolescent protagonists in realistic situations. Content analysis was used to quantify and analyze the leadership themes; a code book was used to organize data. Occurrence of each sub-category was ranked for prevalence within each book. These rankings form the basis for the analysis of findings which …

Counselors’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Career Education Programs In Assisting High School Students When Making Career Decisions, Sandra L. Roberts Standish

Dissertations

In 1997, the Michigan Department of Career Development unveiled the Michigan Career Preparation System, which provided guidelines and funds for school districts to offer career education opportunities for students. Since high school counselors are oftentimes viewed as the primary provider of careerinformation to students, this study examined their perceptions of Michigan's Career Preparation System and the impact this initiative has had on studentsand educators. To gather this information, a 13-question survey was designed and distributed to a randomly selected group of high school counselors. Theresearch also provided a framework for understanding all of the components of both the Michigan Comprehensive …

The Interactions Between An Orthodox Christian Worldview And Environmental Attitudes And Beliefs; For The Purpose Of Developing Better Instructional Practice In Support Of Environmental/Ecological Attitudes And Knowledge, Robert S. Keys

Dissertations

Students bring with them to the classroom a wide variety of beliefs and attitudes about the environment and its associated issues. One worldview belief structure prominently discussed in ecological discussions is the worldview of orthodox Christianity. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative measures to analyze the degree to which the orthodox Christian worldview of students influences their environmental attitudes and beliefs. Surveys were conducted with 281 undergraduate pre-service elementary teaching students enrolled in a science methods course to determine the degree to which orthodox Christian worldviews and ecological worldviews interact with one another. From this pool of students, 16 …

Career Commitment And Retention Strategies For New Teachers: A National Study, A. Celeste Shelton-Harris

Dissertations

In spite of the logical link between new teacher support and retention, the attrition rate for beginning teachers continues to be greater than their more experienced colleagues. To this end, this study examined the relationship between new teacher career commitment and retention strategies across gender, race/ethnicity, and instructional level. Comprehensive national data, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) 1999-2000, were analyzed primarily utilizing chi-square and logistical regression tests. Key findings were found for new teachers with 3 years or less classroom experience. First, more beginners are "very committed" (62.3%) than "not so or not committed" (37.7%) to their chosen teaching career. …

Aiding At-Risk Students, Jeremy Baldwin

Honors Theses

Kalamazoo's Loy Norrix High School was the location of a study in conjunction with the institution's school-wide achievement process to aid at-risk students. Characterized by poor attendance, behavioral problems and/or failing two or more subjects, at-risk students are monitored more closely through school-wide efforts. According to the Michigan Department of Education, the effort to hep struggling students implicates the use of supplemental services before or after school to help students in the core subjects: math, science, social studies, and English. Norrix has successfully begun its own efforts to improve the overall academic success of the student body by employing the …

The Honors Portfolio Project: Communicating Value In Honors, Aimee J. Jachym

Honors Theses

The Honors portfolio is presented as a tool that honors students can use to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. An honors portfolio conceptualizes and communicates the value in obtaining a well-founded honors education. It contains documents and evidence that support the student's holistic development through a diverse range of honors experience. The paper begins by discussing the background for the project by describing what the unique qualities of an honors education are, then explores the Haworth College of Business portfolio project and the problem of conceptualizing an honors education in this fashion. Next, the paper details a project completed for …

Increasing Organization Capacity: A Systems Approach Utilizing Transformational And Distributed Leadership Practices, Patricia L. Reeves

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test a transformational, systemic change framework designed by the researcher to assist school leaders who are attempting to incorporate the major elements of transformational leadership theory, systems theory, and organizational development theory into their school or school district operations. The study involved both the distillation and organization of the major theoretical elements from the literature into an operational framework for planning, conducting, and monitoring the systemic change process in K-12 school systems. This framework was, then, tested by the researcher for its descriptive power in a case study analysis of an actual school …

Measuring Spelling Growth Over Time In Elementary Writing Samples, Pamela M. Ansell

Masters Theses

Developmental spelling stage theories have been proposed and disputed for 30 years. The current study used Gentry's (1982) model to assign category ratings to narrative writing samples produced by 32 students over two years to observe developmental growth over time. In addition, quantitative measures were obtained from the samples, including an index of control (Laminack & Wood, 1996) and a percentage correct. Analyses were also used to test the effectiveness of using a writing lab approach (Nelson, Bahr & Van Meter, 2004) on spelling development. During the last half of second grade, all 32 students received intervention guided by the …

Using The History Of Research On Sickle-Cell Anemia To Affect Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions Of The Nature Of Science, Eric M. Howe

Dissertations

Preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an elective biology course participated in an eight-class unit of instruction based on the history of research in understanding the disease sickle-cell anemia. Students were introduced to the disease as a “mystery” for them to solve, and subsequently developed an understanding of the disease from several disciplines in biology (e.g., genetics, ecology, evolution, molecular biology). The unit involved open-ended problems in which students examined evidence and developed explanations in a manner analogous to the reasoning used by Anthony C. Allison and his colleagues during the early to middle part of the twentieth century.

Throughout the …

Academic Performance, Persistence, And Cultural Congruence Of African American Males Attending Predominantly White Colleges And Universities, Darrell Johnson

Dissertations

The continued lack of success for African American males attending predominantly White colleges and universities is alarming and unsettling. Other racial minority groups are making positive gains relative to their post-secondary educational experiences. However, the African American male lags behind in virtually every index of success in higher education. This trend could produce serious social, economic and cultural implications for the African American community and the entire country.

For African Americans, a strong sense of culture is important to their ability to achieve high levels of mental and psychological functioning, particularly in environments they perceive to be hostile or unwelcoming. …