Education Commons^™

Efl Teachers’ Preparation And Beliefs In Niger, Peter Wiens, Bong Gee Jang, Katrina Liu, Billa Anassour, April Smith

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

Niger is a French-speaking country with a history of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in its middle and high schools. The teachers providing instruction in these programs have been trained in different ways including university-based programs, out of country programs, or no training at all. This study sought to examine the beliefs of Nigerien EFL teachers and analyze the relationship between their beliefs and their training. All EFL teachers in Niger were surveyed to understand their beliefs related to teaching. We found that training was related to teacher beliefs. As Niger determines how best to allocate its limited …

Personality Patterns Of Students Who Make A Threat Of Targeted School Violence, Tawnya Michelle Ayim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although school shootings date back to the 1760’s (Dixon, 2005), recent attacks at schools in our country have raised awareness of school violence. This study investigates how students from one large school district responded to the personality pattern items on the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory, Second Edition after having made a threat to harm another student or staff member. Personality patterns were investigated in the overall sample, as well as within groups designated to be at a Low/Moderate risk level and High/Imminent risk level following a threat assessment. The minimal Differences between the sample for the current study and the …

Examining The Training Transfer Practice Of A Financial Institution: An Action Research Study, Maria Lourdes Lourdes Gutierrez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many organizations rely on training to improve the skills and knowledge of its human resources. The underlying assumption is that employees will use what they learned when they return to the workplace. Although there is evidence that learning occurred it does not always result in transfer (Mosel, 1957). Transfer is an issue of concern for training practitioners. If despite the significant investment no return is realized, then the training is not effective and the investment is wasted. This action research study was conducted in a financial institution in the Southwestern United States. The purpose of this study was to (1) …

The Roles Of Biophilic Attitudes And Auditory Stimuli Within Attention Restoration Theory, Jason B. Boggs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Attention Restoration Theory indicates that interacting with nature allows one’s fatigued, directed attention to be restored. This effect has been documented and produced through directed interaction with nature, such as a walk in the park, as well as through indirect interactions (e.g., photographs). The current dissertation was designed to: 1) investigate whether and how biophilic attitudes affect the attention-restoring effects incurred from interactions with nature, and 2) extend the research on ART by assessing the impact of nature-related audio stimuli. A total of 184 participants completed an assessment of biophilic attitudes, engaged in attention fatiguing exercises, and participated in one …

A Phenomenological Study On The Professional Development Of African American Male Administrators At Predominately White Post-~Secondary Institutions, Arnold Shmorn Bell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As of today, African Americans continue to face a daunting endeavor when seeking to become executive administrative leaders at predominately White post-secondary institutions, even though, according to Tillman (2001), “Mentoring was identified as a technique to assist the professional advancement of African American faculty. In doing so, their numbers will increase at predominantly White institutions” (p. 295). Literature steadily indicates that mentorship contributes to one’s career development in the post-secondary environment. The influential aspects of mentorship on one’s professional development is supported by numerous studies that examines mentoring relationships across various academic disciplines and businesses in corporate America (Brown, 2005). …

Exploring Relations Between Motivation, Metacognition, And Academic Achievement Through Variable-Centered, Person-Centered And Learning Analytic Methodologies, Wonjoon Hong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The three studies that comprise this dissertation examine relations between student characteristics, motivations, metacognitive learning processes, and academic achievement. Methodologically, the dissertation demonstrated the potential of multiple types of approaches

and data resource types. By employing multiple approaches including variable-centered, person-centered, and learning analytics, researchers can understand learning processes from various angles. In addition, through this triangulation by multiple types of methodological approaches, educational theories could be more thoroughly verified and supported by various empirical findings. Multiple types of data resources are related to analytical methods.

The purpose of the first paper was to examine relations between achievement goals and …

The Impacts Of Acculturation Patterns And Processes On Immigrants' Success In Higher Education: A Multiple Case Study Of 1.25-Generation Third-Wave Iranian Immigrants To The United States, Fereshteh Rezaeian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States of America is inherently a pluralistic society composed of various groups of immigrants. As scholars (Camarota & Zeigler, 2016; Gibson, 1998) state, the number of immigrant children accounts for 20% of the total number of school-age children. Despite all attempts to provide the best education to such a great number of immigrant students, the achievement gap between immigrant and non-immigrant students still exists (Baum & Flores, 2011; Rong & Preissle, 2008). Some scholars (e.g., Ramos & Sanchez, 1995) have proposed that the key factor for immigrants to be successful in the United States is to adapt to …

The Effect Of Instructors Training On Technology Adoption, Course Design, And Student Experiences: A Multiple Case Study Of Training Based On Tpack Or Quality Matters, Yvette Aqui

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The use of a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Blackboard Learn (Blackboard Learn, 2009) is a ubiquitous feature of the undergraduate experience. Despite its rapid increase in popularity and student demand for anytime, anywhere access to course materials, adoption of the LMS is slow and uneven. Some instructors also do not take advantage of some of the interactive tools in the LMS because it is complex in nature or they are unaware of the pedagogical affordances of the technology.

The purpose of this study was to explore the best ways to train faculty on how to use the LMS. …

A Case Study: Number Apps In Preschool, Amy Beth Adkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

iPads are increasingly present in education. This research explores their role developing fundamental mathematics concepts. It investigates preschoolers’ interactions with mathematics apps, and affordances and constraints accessed. It was conducted over fourteen weeks; students played mathematics apps for thirty minutes a week. The qualitative case study design included participants who varied in mathematics and technological skill. Data was collected through assessments, interviews, questionnaires, videotapes, and artifacts. Results determined that students access constraints or affordances based on ability level. Findings indicate iPads are beneficial tools for preschool classrooms. Preschoolers showed an increase in math ability when using iPads.

Conversational Movement Dynamics And Nonverbal Indicators Of Second Language Development: A Microgenetic Approach, Kristine Marie Bragg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation study extends on current understandings of gesture and embodied interaction with the eco-social environment in second language development (SLD) while introducing new aspects of movement analysis through dynamical modeling. To understand the role of embodiment during learning activities, a second language learning task has been selected. Dyads consisting of a non-native English-speaking student and a native English-speaking tutor were video recorded during writing consultations centered on class assignments provided by the student. Cross-recurrence quantification analysis was used to measure interactional movement synchrony between the members of each dyad. Results indicate that students with varied English proficiency levels synchronize …

College Access And African American Males: An Instrumental Case Study On The Impact Of Postsecondary Educators And Educational Leaders On Secondary Students With Postsecondary Educational Aspirations, Kimberly L. Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the college access experiences of successful African American males. Postsecondary education is critical for economic and social stability; however, African American males from families with low socioeconomic status have been operating in educational systems that keeps them on the margins. Many African American males report strong postsecondary educational aspirations early in their educational careers, but they encounter microaggressions that leave them feeling like outsiders-within. This study examined African American males’ college access experiences as they successfully transitioned through the K-16 educational pipeline. Further, their experiences in their role (s) as postsecondary educators or postsecondary educational leaders working …

A Qualitative Study Of School Psychologists' Perception And Interpretation Of Their Professional Identity, Elizabeth A. Sanders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The primary focus or aim of this qualitative multiple-case study was to increase understanding of how experienced school psychologists define themselves as professionals within the field, taking into consideration the profession’s collective or organizational identity, the parameters established by the organization, and the actual performance of the job within the educational setting. Specifically, this study examined how the individuals’ definitions had changed over time and what lived experiences led to development and change in professional identity. Six school psychologists with 10 or more years of experience from a large urban Southwestern school district’s school psychology department were invited to participate. …

Literature In The World: A Critical Discourse Study Of World Literature Pedagogy, Elisa Cogbill-Seiders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

“Literature in the World” is a critical discourse analysis of world literature pedagogy in U.S. higher education. It investigates the ways discourse communities in higher education produce and shape the field of world literature. The dissertation begins by establishing and analyzing the generic conventions of university mission statements, finding they are primarily dominated by discourse on global learning. It follows with an analysis of world literature course descriptions from the same schools. World literature course descriptions alternatively replicate, resist, or subvert global learning discourses. The last chapter uses findings from the first two chapters to trace how university and instructor …

Community College Students’ Perceptions Of Their Academic Workload, William Neff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One major barrier to success, for first-time, full-time college students, is course workload (Bowyer, 2012). How students respond to their situation and the barriers they face may influence decisions they make about classes in which they should enroll or those they should avoid, completing or dropping a class during the semester, and persisting from term-to-term and year-to-year. In an effort to help students succeed, colleges often give them a specified set of core courses and a specific or even prescribed pathway to complete the “general education” requirements. These core courses such as mathematics, communication, and English, among others, taken separately …

Higher Education Reform: A Time For Action, The Lincy Institute

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

The Lincy Institute has been at the forefront of research and analysis on higher education governance reform in Nevada. Following numerous statewide studies, The Lincy Institute has produced reports and policy briefs recommending significant structural changes to the State’s higher education landscape. To provide future generations of students with quality education and training in our 21st-century economy, researchers summarized findings and presented model legislation to improve the quality of education offered by Nevada’s eight institutions of higher learning. All Nevadans should demand an honest and transparent discussion of higher education reform. The 2019 legislative session will be a time for …

Project Focus, Anankan Thangaratnam

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

FOCUS addresses the social issue of trying to Mimic the same college and life experience for Autistic students as for non-Autistic students. Currently the issue is improving, but needs more Marketing to ensure every eligible student is Aware of it. The ideal state is for every Autistic Student achieve confidence and independence, And the world around them to be more Inclusive. I agree with FOCUS that this is A great way to do it, and with more funding and Marketing it can be achieved.

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2018, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Three Square, Cyrenz Garcia

First-Year Seminar Posters (COE 102/103)

I think that Three Square is an organization that truly aims to help the people of Southern Nevada. I believe that the work and the change that the people in this organization is just tremendous. They reach out to various organizations all over the county to be able to distribute the to as many people as they can.

Three Square, Emily Teliska

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

The social issue that Three Square addresses is food insecurity. Food insecurity occurs when people aren't able to secure enough food for a healthy diet and active lifestyle, at some point during the year.

Service Learning, Ken Wu

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

We are facing many kinds of pollution as human progress with technology. For example, after the world is industrialized, we are facing the risk of global warming and air pollution. Also, The invention of the irrigation system cause desertification. While we are trying to find a replacement for fossil fuels, we created contamination along the way, we started affecting the wild lives around us and it is beginning to affect us.

Three Square, Betelehame Tegaye

First-Year Seminar Posters (COE 102/103)

Three square addresses the social issue of hunger due to poverty.

Unlv/Csun Preschool, Emily Thompson

First-Year Seminar Posters (COE 102/103)

At this community engagement site, the UNLV/CSUN Preschool, they address the absence of child care facilities and schools effort to adapt to every child’s individual needs in terms of health, development, and academics.

Arbor View High School Marching Band, Mateo Rodriguez-Maldonado

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

The social issue that the AVHS Band and the Band Boosters face is the lack of funding for the program. The Clark County School District has been reducing the budget of many schools in the past decade. This year, over $17.6 million has been cut from all high schools in the county and Arbor View has loss $579 thousand dollars in budget cuts (Forest 2018).

Community Service Trifecta, Vitoria Queiroz

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

The first Rebel Homecoming Festival was started to celebrate homecoming week. It was on Thursday right before the big game. The purposeof the festival was to bring all colleges together to celebrate UNLV as a whole. Girls on the Run is an non-profit program that strives to teach young women self-love and how to live a healthy life. They do this by running an afterschool program that focus on education and self-esteem building. At the end of the year the girls run a celebratory 5K run. The Boys and Girls Clubs is organization that offers a variety of afterschool programs …

Spread The Word, Janet Wu

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

The goal for the organization is to make the children have their own library at home, especially for the elementary school kids. They can read and share their book to their friend and family. The organization hopes that third grade children can read because it is hard for them to catch out with other kid if they do not know how to read.

The Breakdown, Jada Campbell

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

The Breakdown team strives to be positive role models for our youth by educating them to overcome tobacco usage, peer pressure, societal norms, and environmental.

Project 150, Kyla Borja

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

Project 150 addresses the issue of youth homelessness in the Clark County School District. Project 150 currently serves more than 6,000 disadvantaged high school students at 58 schools in Southern Nevada.

Delivering And Serving Hope, Haley Haring

First-Year Seminar Posters (COE 102/103)

DASH focuses on 2 social issues mainly that overlap each other, they provide for those who have food insecurities and the homeless population. Overall it is more about providing food for the homeless population.

Tcmi Church, Rosa Gonzalez

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

TCMI has been working to stop hunger here in the Las Vegas community.

Spread The Word Nevada, Leonardo Gonzalez

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

Spread the Word addresses the issue of literacy among children, in particular those who come from low income households.