Education Commons^™

Comprehension And Retention: The Effect Of Concrete Details And Causal Structure In Scientific Narrative, Wendi Michelle Wilcken

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine two of the salient elements of instructional narratives as a guide to instructional practice. The literature summarized in this report discusses the theoretical basis for narrative impact on comprehension and retention, enumerates and defines possible salient narrative elements from the literature, and examines the instructional impact of two of these elements: concrete details and causal structure. This is intended to help provide guidance to instructional designers and teachers who desire to use narrative in science instruction. Participants included 94 high school physics students. An experimental research design of 2 (Gender) x 2 …

Emotional Intelligence As A Non-Traditional Predictor Of College Student Retention And Graduation, Larry Austin Sparkman

Dissertations

Universities are looking for new predictors of student retention and graduation. Based on the findings of this study, emotional intelligence is a predictor of student retention and performance over time. A survey of 783 traditional college students was conducted using the Bar-On EQ-i:125 prior to initial enrollment for the fall semester 2002 at a particular university in the southeastern United States. At the conclusion of spring semester 2007, data were collected which included enrollment status, graduation status, and cumulative college grade point average. Relationships between the 15 subscales of emotional intelligence as defined by the Bar-On EQ-i:125 (self-regard, emotional self-awareness, …

Does Quality Matter? An Hedonic Analysis Of College Tuition Price, Joshua Delano

Business and Economics Honors Papers

The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that ultimately make up the concept of quality in college institutions. Using several proxies to measure this concept of quality, this paper will seek to determine what effect the qualities of institutions have on tuition prices. By assessing this relationship, conclusions will be drawn about colleges' tuition prices as they pertain to the calculated value of the education being received. Before exploring these factors the paper will first set out to discuss the current trends involved with college tuition, specifically those trends involved in four-year private institutions.

The Impact Of Instructional Delivery Methods On Retention Of Bsn-C Students, Cynthia Susan Billman

Dissertations

Education and nursing are changing. Registered Nurses (RNs) who have the greatest impact on the health of consumers are those who have attained a Baccalaureate degree or higher (Aiken, Clark, Cheung, Sloan, & Silber, 2002). Yet nurses remain the least educated of all health care professionals. RNs who return to school to pursue a bachelor's degree face many challenges including scheduling full-time work and family responsibilities (Jeffreys, 2004). Instructional delivery alternatives may increase the likelihood of graduation with a baccalaureate degree for RNs whose initial nursing education was either the associate or diploma degree (Shelton, 2004). Retention is integral in …

The Effect Of Career Goals And Socioeconomic Mobility On Nontraditional Students' Intrinsic Motivation For College Attendance, Janice C. George

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

The growth of the community college has created an access point for many students that traditionally would not pursue higher education. Although community colleges have soared in enrollment in the last forty years, the rate at which students persist and graduate has remained low compared to four-year institutions. Studies on college persistence and academic achievement indicate that there is a consistency of characteristics among community college, low-income, and first-generation students. Behaviors traditionally associated with persistence, such as integration within the institution, are not characteristic nontraditional students because they tend to have closer connections with the environment external to the college …

Perspectives Of Teachers Who Choose To Leave The Field, Kirsten L. Dunstan

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is a qualitative research project focusing on seven experienced teachers perspectives of why they chose to leave the classroom. For this project, an experienced teacher is defined as a person who has taught for at least four years. Seven participants were interviewed on a variety of issues related to their perspectives on teaching based on their background as related to education and teaching experience, their perceptions of the teaching profession, whether they participated in a mentor program, their views on the support they received as teachers and finally, what their own reasons were for leaving. Identifying why experienced teacher …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Retention As An Intervention Strategy For Struggling Students As Measured By Student Success On, Maria Katz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retention of students having academic difficulties continues to be a very popular intervention, even though many studies suggest that retention of students does not improve their academic success or their social and emotional attitude towards school. This study was based on an analysis of 10,875 Seminole County students that had been retained at least one time in their educational career. The study used 2006-2007 FCAT Reading and Math scores to determine the success of their retentions. Students were grouped by the categories of gender, age, race, grade retained, ESE status, ELL status and SES and their success evaluated. The study …

The Effect Of A New Teacher Induction Program On New Teachers Reported Teacher Goals For Excellence, Mobility, And Retention Rates, Bonnie J. Perry

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher participation in the Building an Excellent Start to Teaching teacher induction program and to add to the current research that exists regarding the induction experiences of beginning 1st-year compared to ending 2nd-year experiences.

A Comparative Analysis Of Differences In Resident Satisfaction, Retention, And Cumulative Grade Point Average Between University, Jeffrey Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study compared students' perceptions and satisfaction as they related to their place of residence. In addition, this study sought to determine if a difference existed between student retention rates from their first year in college to their second year and one's grade point average with respect to one's place of residence within the collegiate setting. As such, the problem this study examined was the overall impact of where a first-time-in-college student lived within the University of Central Florida housing system and how that living environment impacted students' levels of satisfaction, overall retention rates, and cumulative grade point averages. The …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions And Experiences Of Seven Urban Middle School Science Teachers Related To Retention, Lu Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Job satisfaction is essential to retain teachers in classrooms. Increased challenges in today s classrooms discourage many teachers from reaching veteran status. Teachers with a perception that they are making a difference appear to have more resilience in the difficult times in their classrooms. Purpose: To investigate the experiences of middle school science teachers. This study explored the influence of perceptions, beliefs, and experiences on job attrition and teacher satisfaction; and helps explain the cumulative effects that contributed to teachers' dissatisfaction. This study analyzed the intensification of the teaching profession and the increased emotional stress this causes for teachers. …

A Matter Of Retention: The Essential Pieces Of Comprehensive Induction As Seen Through The Eyes Of Novice Urban Elementary School Teachers, Kelly Hixenbaugh-Dwenger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A substantial amount of research exists and was reviewed on why teachers leave the teaching profession and/or why they leave one school to teach at another school. Significantly less research exists on why teachers remain in an urban school and what they view as being the essential pieces of teacher induction. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of knowledge by identifying the key pieces of induction that influence teachers, with three or less years of experience in an urban school, to remain teachers in their school. A case study design was utilized in this research …

African American Educators: Why They Teach In Rural Georgia School Districts And Why They Remain There, Sarah Louise Alonzo-Osborne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The student population in the public school systems throughout the United States has become more racially and ethnically diverse, yet the minority teacher population has declined sharply. Currently, Caucasians comprise an overwhelming majority of the teacher population while African American teachers represent approximately only 8% of the field. This study explores the African American educators' experiences of teaching in rural Georgia school districts. This study is being conducted to identify what factors influence African American educators' decisions to teach in rural Georgia school districts and why they remain there. In order to explore the experiences from the participants' perspective, a …

Effects Of Illustrations On Retention And Visual Attention Using Authentic Textbooks, Loris P. Fagioli

Master's Theses

Problem

The purpose of this exploratory study was to validate a model of multimedia learning, incorporating learner-specific characteristics such as intelligence, memory, and measures of visual attention.

Method

The sample consisted of 62 Andrews University students (26 males, 36 females, and mean age 21.7). Data were gathered by means of standardized testing (RPM, WAIS- III) and eye-tracking. MLR was used to determine significant visual attention predictors for retention and SEM was used to test a hypothesized model of multimedia learning.

Results

Multiple Linear Regression was significant (p.05; GFI = .923; CFI = .986; RMSEA = .043; PGFI = .451) proving …

The Non-Cognitive Attributes Of First-Year At-Risk Students Who Are Academically Successful And Retained At Old Dominion University, Tisha M. Paredes

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

With a decrease in state and federal funding, higher educational institutions need to focus on retaining students. However, student retention is a multifaceted problem that requires varied solutions. Traditional measures, or cognitive measures, of student success, such as pre-college knowledge (SAT and high school grade point average) have not explained how higher education institutions retained students, especially students who are considered at-risk. Since the nature of student retention is idiosyncratic, research needs to focus on other measures, such as students' non-cognitive factors. Tinto has outlined non-cognitive factors, such as pre-college characteristics, goals and commitments, and institutional experiences, which influence students' …

The Influence Of Demographic Characteristics, Cognitive And Non-Cognitive Attributes On The Effectiveness Of The Ladders Probation Intervention Program, Terri M. Mathews

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Retention is an important measure for institutions of higher education thereby making improved academic success and increased retention of paramount concern to university administrators. This concern has resulted in a body of literature addressing retention and the development of retention programs. Few of these programs however, have been empirically evaluated for their effectiveness and repeatedly, the literature has cited the need for evaluation of retention and probation programs across demographic, cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the LADDERS (Let Academic Difficulty Disappear to Energize and Retain Students) program developed by Old Dominion University …

The Impact Of Participation In A Virginia Community College Orientation Program Course On Student Engagement, Satisfaction, Academic Achievement, And Retention, Wendy L. Tighe

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Participation in an orientation program course and several student engagement and satisfaction factors have been identified as positively related to desirable student outcomes. This study explored student engagement, satisfaction, academic achievement, and retention for students based on their enrollment in an orientation course at Tidewater Community College (TCC) in Virginia. This study used a cross-sectional, static group comparison secondary data analysis approach to explore four research questions. The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) data used for this study came from the TCC spring 2005 Community College Student Report (CCSR) this study determined whether or not participation in an …