Education Commons^™

Reconceptualizing Cultural Competence: White Placeling De-/Reterritorialization Within Teacher Education, Melissa Winchell

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This ethnography reconceptualizes the paradigm of cultural competence used within the literature on teacher education to describe the multicultural learning of White teacher candidates. Within the cultural competence framework, White learning is problematic, dichotomously defined, and fixed. The binary of competence/incompetence established by this paradigm has recently been questioned within the literature as deficit-based and in conflict with postmodern, critical theories of learning and teaching espoused by multicultural education espouses. This study of the researcher's multicultural education class at a private, religious, four-year undergraduate college on the East Coast of the United States used co-constructed pedagogical practices--including a co-constructed community …

The Association Between Elementary Teacher Licensure Test Scores And Student Growth In Mathematics: An Analysis Of Massachusetts Mtel And Mcas Tests, Life Legeros

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This quasi-experimental value-added study provided evidence for the predictive validity of the Massachusetts MTEL General Curriculum Mathematics Subtest by finding an association between the licensure test results of 130 teachers and the growth of their 2640 grade 4 and 5 students. The study took advantage of a natural experiment that arose due to a policy change made by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MADESE) in response to the initial administration of a new highly rigorous math-specific licensure subtest for elementary and special education teachers in March, 2008. The emergency amendment allowed test takers to conditionally pass the …

Interactive Virtual Suturing Simulations: Enhancement Of Student Learning In Veterinary Medicine, Charles B. Boyd, Amy J. Staton

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Christine B. Boyd and Amy J. Staton on December 29, 2013.

Hip-Hop, Medellín And Social Change, Veronica Henao Posada

Master's Theses

This study explores the ways in which the Hip-hop movement is producing social change in Medellín, Colombia. Looking specifically at a Hip-hop school called Cuatro Elementos Skuela, which exists autonomously and with very little state support in the Medellín neighborhood of Aranjuez, I argue that young people are contributing to the reconstruction of the city’s social, cultural and economic fabric. I start by explaining the historical context of Medellín, describing the different sets of conflicts that unleashed high levels of violence and caused the fragmentation of the social, cultural and economic fabric. Moreover, I review the role of the …

Clients' Perceptions Of Their Counseling Experiences For Trauma Related To Anesthesia Awareness (Aa), N. Arlene Magee

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Each year in the United States, approximately 81 million individuals receive surgeries in which .1% to .2% (20,000 to 40,000/20 million) experience Anesthesia Awareness (AA). More than 50% of the AA cases result in mental distress or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Because the percentage of AA cases among surgeries makes it appear to be a rare occurrence, and because it has received rather limited research attention, I decided to undertake an interpretative phenomenological analysis to discover AA clients’ perceptions of their counseling experience, and encourage development of therapeutic interventions to meet their needs.

The broad research question for my study …

Special Education Co-Teachers' Perceptions: Collaboration, Involvement In Instruction, And Satisfaction, Eden Hagelman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is an approach that is frequently used by schools when students both with and without disabilities are taught in an inclusive classroom. With co-teaching, a general education teacher and a special education teacher share the responsibility of planning and teaching students. This study examined the perceptions of elementary special education co-teachers (n=81) regarding their collaboration with the general educator and their involvement in instruction in the inclusive classroom. In addition, the special education teachers' satisfaction with the co-teaching assignment was investigated. Findings showed that special education co-teachers shared an average of 30 minutes of co-planning a week, teachers who …

An Examination Of The Perceptions Of Educational Leaders On The Ensuring Literacy For All Initiative’S Impact On Student Reading Achievement In Louisiana, Khanh Kim Nguyen-Dufour

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of Louisiana’s Ensuring Literacy For All (ELFA) initiative from the perspective of

educational administrators in order to identify: (a) the factors within ELFA that contributed to student reading performance; (b) the effects of the perceptions of ELFA administrators on student achievement; and (c) the components of effective leadership that attributed to the success of ELFA implementation. Bandura‘s (1993) socio-psychological theory of self efficacy was used to frame this study, which included six ELFA administrators from the state, district, and school level. The five findings of this study revealed …

Cultivating Educational Resilience: An Examination Of Teacher-Student Interactions In The Elementary Classroom, Hazel S. Parker

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Women's Teams Coaches Regarding Gender Equity And Title Ix Compliance In Community Colleges, Cynthia A. Kenney

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Title IX was enacted over 40 years ago, and although there have been marked increases in the number of girls and women participating in athletics at every level, gender equity in athletics continues to be a concern. This is especially evident at the community college level. Title IX requires equity in the areas of opportunities for participation, opportunities for financial aid, and equity in benefits and services. This study sought to ascertain perceptions of equity held by community college coaches of women’s teams. A cross-sectional design was used to survey coaches from all regions of the NJCAA who were listed …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Novice Associate Degree Nursing Faculty Assuming A Classroom Instructors Role, Mary N. Fontenelle

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the classroom experiences and perceptions of novice faculty in the classroom setting of an Associate Degree of Nursing programs, located in community colleges. The transition from expert practitioner to novice teacher can be a difficult experience for new classroom nursing instructors. Novice nursing faculty often has very limited educational preparation or background in classroom instruction skills. Nursing research, typically conducted at university level, has minimal applicability for the community college nursing programs. Community colleges educate sixty percent of the graduate Registered Nurses in the United States and have scant research into their …

Online Facilitators And Sense Of Community In K-12 Online Learning, Jeffery S. Drysdale

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the continued growth of K-12 online learning, there remains a need for additional research addressing roles of online facilitators and how they can improve the sense of community at K-12 online schools. The first article of this dissertation presents a case study illustrating how online facilitators can provide the same level of support for their students that on-site facilitators provide students in blended environments. Data was gathered from teachers at Mountain Heights Academy (MHA), a fully online high school. MHA implemented a "Shepherding Program" to provide student with online facilitators. Each teacher, or shepherd, was responsible for 20 to …

The Voices Of African American Women's Transition Experiences From A Community College To A Four-Year College Sharing A Campus, Lola Ames

Theses and Dissertations

African American women make up a substantial percentage of the higher education student population. Research on their participation is disproportionately underrepresented and in many cases embedded within the experiences of Euro-American women and African American men. This method of grouping has potentially led to their invisibility in research on higher education experiences. To overcome this mishap, African American women's experience should be disaggregated from those of Euro-American women and African American males. In order to separate African American women's experiences, a phenomenological research design and theoretical framework, such as Black feminist thought are prudent. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological …

Effects Of A Cross-Age Peer Tutoring Program On Reading Performance Of Hispanic Title I Second And Third Grade Students, Ana Isabel Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic students are falling behind their peers in reading fluency and are struggling to close the gap. This study examined the reading fluency influence on 73 Hispanic second and third grade students while receiving reading fluency support from middle school Hispanic tutors. These students were compared to Hispanic second and third grade students not receiving tutoring reading support. All students were assessed before the tutors gave reading support, mid-year and after the reading support finished using a school district fluency measurement. Findings found that students made rapid growth in reading fluency from the beginning of the tutoring support to mid-year. …

Early Childhood Educators' Experiences Of The Ontario Full-Day Early Learning: Promises To Keep, Rose M. Walton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

School-based kindergarten is a place where Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and schooling practices meet and overlap. This initiative has resulted in many changes including a legislated partnership between Early Childhood Educators and kindergarten teachers under the umbrella of the Ontario Ministry of education. In classrooms, these two diversely positioned partners shared professional space within the context of the newly minted program.The purpose of my narrative case study was to learn about participants’ experiences of a legislated partnership with a kindergarten teacher. Three early childhood educators employed by three different district school boards, I posed semi-structured interview questions and …

A Study Of The Articulated Leadership Practices Of Principals In Relation To The Literature On The Characteristics Of High Performing Principals, Janet Grooms

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

2013

In the modern world of education and 21st century school systems, improvements in student achievements are recognized as the foremost objective of school reforms and restructuring efforts. The criticism continues to spread across the country for public schools that fail to meet students’ needs, especially in the urban areas where the achievement gap is widening. School communities and educational leaders continue to demand more accountability from principals as instructional leaders because of the decline in student achievement, as measured by states’ standardized achievement tests. The trend in most school systems is that the school principal is required by the …

The Impact Of The K-8 Reconfiguration Of Three Schools On Parent Trust In A Small Urban School District In New Jersey, Frank Ayirebi Asante

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the reconfiguration of three schools, on parent trust, as measured by parent perceptions in a small urban school district in New Jersey.

For this study an interview protocol was developed to elicit parent responses about the reconfigured schools’ ability to meet the middle school needs of their children and it’s impact on one component of the parent school relationship; trust.

The reader is provided with direct quotations from the interview participants which consisted of parents with mixed socio-economic and racial backgrounds from the reconfigured schools whose children attend or …

Defining, Operationalizing, Developing, And Assessing Candidate Dispositions In Teacher Education, Alan John Zenkert Jr.

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This inquiry seeks to identify the beliefs of college students prior to their entry into a teacher education program (pre-program students), teacher educators, practicing P-12 teachers, and practicing P-12 administrators (teacher education professionals) related to the construct “dispositions” in teacher education. Grounded in a social constructivist understanding of teaching and learning, this primarily phenomenological study utilizes the analysis of survey data to uncover and explore multiple perspectives on beliefs about dispositions in teacher education in an effort to identify implications for teacher education research and practice.

Findings suggest that pre-program students and teacher education professionals believe that dispositions are an …

Why Are Secondary School Girls Not Embracing Science?, Felicia F. Ibrahim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis examines some of the factors that impact upon secondary school girls and the subsequent decisions that they make, whether to continue their study of science, once it becomes an elective area of study. Specifically, the girls were asked about their previous experiences in science classes, their perceptions and beliefs about science teachers, and the girls’ attainment or lack of success in science and perceptions about self-efficacy.

For the first component all female students in their grade twelve year were asked to fill out a questionnaire, to determine general perceptions about science learning, based on opinions and personal experiences …

Elementary Students' Beliefs About The Causes Of Learning Difficulties: A Comparison Between Canada And Saudi Arabia, Huda Saleh Felimban

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this cross-cultural comparison, students from inclusive schools in Canada and Saudi Arabia shared their beliefs about the causes of and factors associated with learning difficulties. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 36 Canadian and 62 Saudi elementary students in Grades 5 and 6. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Six categories emerged: Lack of Knowledge, Achievement, Academic Skills; Cognitive and Social-Emotional Barriers; Lack of Attention and/or Motivation and Behavioural Issues; Home and Parental Concerns; Teacher-Related Issues; and Physical/Sensory Disabilities and Innate Conditions. Results showed that participants from both countries had a general understanding of the factors …

Speech And Language Interventions, Holly Hajnal

Honors Theses

In this review of literature, authors examined the effects of speech and language impairments and how to correct them. 15 studies were review that compared when interventions should be implemented, what the best types of interventions are and how speech and language impairments affected children's development. The overall question is, How do interventions assist in correcting speech and language impairments? In order to answer this question, the questions, What are speech and language impairments? Do speech and language impairments affect children's psychological attitude? Do speech and language impairments affect children's behavior? Do speech and language impairments affect children's ability to …

School Culture: A Survey Of Two Eastern Kentucky Middle Schools, John D. Goble

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by John D. Goble on December 13, 2013.

Analysis Of The Industrial Skill Set; Lewis County Case Study, Jonathan Shane Wallingford

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the College of Science and Technology Morehead State University in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Jonathan Shane Wallingford on December 13, 2013.

Adult Learning And Development Theories And Principles Represented In Theater, Jeffrey Miele

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how adult learning and development theories and principles are represented in theater. The study also investigated if there was significant evidence to support the idea of using dramatic works as an example to illustrate adult learning and development theories and principles as an educational tool. Ten plays were analyzed along with an accompanying rubric that the evaluator completed while reading the plays. The rubric searched for information if adults and/or educators were present in the text, how andragogy and barriers were presented, along with other theories and principles. The findings suggested that …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Supplemental Educational Services In Large Texas School Districts, Carlos Lee

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

With the need for greater education reform, President George W. Bush and Congress enacted No Child Left Behind (U. S. Department of Education, 2001). The enactment of NCLB was accompanied by additional requirements concerning accountability for student achievement. The search for methods that provide educational enhancements continues through the work of schools and local community members (Hock, Pulvers, Deshler, & Schumaker, 2001). Supplemental Educational Services (SES) are defined as supplementary academic instructional services intended to raise the level of academic achievement of Title I students in schools that have failed to meet federal mandated AYP standards for three consecutive …

An Investigation Into Instructional Support For Data Analysis In High School Science Inquiry, Anika Rae Baker-Lawrence

Dissertations and Theses

The implementation of scientific inquiry in the high school classroom has proven to be not only relevant and exploratory, but challenging and engaging as well. This style of curriculum design has been recognized as a primary means of achieving the goals and objectives set by the National Resource Council (NRC, 1996). While much research has shown that science inquiry helps students to gain understanding of content knowledge, little research has been conducted to assess gains in higher order thinking skills, specifically those related to data analysis (Anderson, 2002; Germann and Aram, 1996; Hofstein, Navon, Kipnis, and Mamlok-Naaman, 2005; Miner, Levy, …

Motivation And The Sat: What Factors Help Determine College Success Past Standardized Testing, Alexandra Vartanian

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects motivation plays in determining the success of a student in post secondary education. The relationship between high school GPA (HSGPA), SAT Scores, college GPA (CGPA), and motivation factors were examined. Motivation was measured on the Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) developed by Paul Pintrich and Elizabeth de Groot. Ninety-two participants responded to the survey. Results corroborated findings from previous research. SAT scores correlate with CGPA; relationships were also observed across several other factors, including HSGPA and CGPA, SAT and Motivation, and HSGPA and SAT scores.

The Creation And Implementation Of Interprofessional Simulation Leadership Scenarios, Angeline C. Delucas

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Healthcare is in a historical state of change creating an era that requires superior leadership skills. Leaders face burgeoning challenges in a competitive environment ensconced in reform. Today’s dynamic healthcare environment demands that nurse and interprofessional leaders be astute in a variety of areas including: fiscal responsibility and accountability, organizational politics, interpersonal skills, human resources, communication, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. Some areas such as fiscal management are considered hard skills, or skills which can be taught, while others such as conflict resolution are referred to as soft skills, or skills that are learned through experience. Though soft …

The Mediating Role Of Classroom Social Environment Between Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Adjustment, Keri Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether students' perceptions of the classroom social environment mediate the relations between teacher self-efficacy and student adjustment.

Research suggests that early adolescents often experience decreases in engagement and motivation during the middle school years, which can put individuals at risk for academic failure and school dropout (Eccles, Lord, & Midgley, 1991). This occurs due to a mismatch between the individuals' developmental needs and the environment (Eccles et al., 1993). Whether early adolescents remain engaged in school is largely dependent on how they perceive the classroom environment promoted by their teacher (Erikson, 1950; …

The Influence Of Montessori-Based Literacy Instruction And Methods On Reading Achievement Of Students In Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, And 7, Frances Bowman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

This study examines the influence of Montessori-based literacy curriculum and instruction on student achievement in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. I studied 71 matched pairs of urban charter school students (n=142) to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in reading achievement, as measured by the Maryland School Assessment (MSA), between students who were instructed by their teachers in Montessori literacy methods and curriculum and students from a nearby charter school who were instructed by their teachers using a basal reading method. T-tests were used to compare the mean scores of the combined grade levels …

What Is The Transformational Learning Experience Of Secondary Teachers Who Have Dealt With Burnout?, Julius Sims

Dissertations

Abstract Burnout is a syndrome consisting of emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DPZ) (Yong & Yue, 2007). Teachers who fall victim to burnout are likely to be less sympathetic toward students, have a lower tolerance for classroom disruption, be less apt to prepare adequately for class, and feel less committed and dedicated to their work (Betoret, 2006; Byrne, 1991; Fisher, 2011). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the burnout experiences among secondary teachers and the ways they cope with the adverse conditions. The participants were eight school high teachers from a large metropolitan area school district. Using …