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Full-Text Articles in Education

Gifted Dropouts: A Phenomenological Study, James Zabloski Apr 2010

Gifted Dropouts: A Phenomenological Study, James Zabloski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study of the life experiences of seven rural gifted individuals who dropped out of school investigated whether they shared commonalities that might have led to the phenomenon of dropping out. The problem was that no one had asked them to share their stories prior to this study. By searching for meaning in their individual and combined stories, the overarching theme of relationships weaved through all of them. Three themes emerged which contributed to their drop out decision: relational traumas, relational losses, and relationships with teachers. All of these gifted dropouts experienced a significant relational trauma in middle …


Teacher Perceptions Of Student Support Team And Response To Intervention, Lynn Russell Bailey Mar 2010

Teacher Perceptions Of Student Support Team And Response To Intervention, Lynn Russell Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher perceptions of Student Support Team (SST) and Response to Intervention (RTI) effectiveness. While an effective, researchbased framework is certainly paramount to the success of either endeavor, the teachers involved in the process and their perceptions directly impact the effectiveness. Teacher perceptions of their familiarity with SST and RTI, adequacy of training, qualifications to implement, the effectiveness of SST and RTI, eligibility requirements for special education, weaknesses of the frameworks, and reasons for non-referral are examined in the study. The sample population for the survey consisted of teachers (n=342) from around the …


Non-Traditional Entrants To The Teaching Profession: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Motivations, Experiences, And Reflections Of Second-Career Teachers, William Darrell Lee Feb 2010

Non-Traditional Entrants To The Teaching Profession: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Motivations, Experiences, And Reflections Of Second-Career Teachers, William Darrell Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals entering the teaching profession from other fields have much to offer in terms of practical experience in fields such as business, private industry, law enforcement, and the military. This study examined the phenomenon of second-career teachers with specific emphasis on the motivating factors, common experiences, and reflections of the participants in this study concerning the decision to leave already established professions in order to pursue a career in teaching. The study also inquired into the process involved in professional preparation as well as in assimilating to the culture of schools. Twelve diverse second-career teachers were purposefully chosen for this …


The Effect Of Athletic Participation On Academic Achievement For High School Seniors In Eastern Tennessee, David Andrew Gorman Jan 2010

The Effect Of Athletic Participation On Academic Achievement For High School Seniors In Eastern Tennessee, David Andrew Gorman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative study with a narrative component investigated the effect athletic participation on the academic achievement of senior student-athletes and non-athletes who attended three public high schools in Eastern Tennessee. The impetus for the study was the conflicting research as it relates to the impact athletics participation had on academic success at the college and high school levels. Through student athlete and non-athlete comparisons of ACT scores and GPAs, the researcher found athletic participation did not affect academic achievement for high school seniors who graduated in 2009 from the three target high schools when compared to non-athletes. However, statistically significant …


Impact Of Self-Esteem And Identification With Academics On The Academic Achievement Of African American Students, Edward Earl Bell Nov 2009

Impact Of Self-Esteem And Identification With Academics On The Academic Achievement Of African American Students, Edward Earl Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of self-esteem and identification with academics on the academic achievement of African American students in a charter school setting. Ninety-three students participated in this study. Using a pretest/posttest control group design, both the experimental group and the control group were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory and the School Perception Questionnaire (SPQ) as pretest measures of self-esteem and identification with academics at the beginning of the experiment. The control and experimental groups were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory and the School Perceptions Questionnaire (SPQ) at the end of the experiment. The control group received no intervention …


Predictors Of Student Achievement In Grade 7: The Correlations Between The Stanford Achievement Test, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, And Performance On The Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills (Taks) Math And Reading Tests, Kristen Karrh Aug 2009

Predictors Of Student Achievement In Grade 7: The Correlations Between The Stanford Achievement Test, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, And Performance On The Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills (Taks) Math And Reading Tests, Kristen Karrh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

State-mandated testing programs are more prevalent and have greater implications for public school systems since the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the implementation of standards-based reform practices. The 331 grade 7 students involved in this correlation research endeavor all attended a public middle school in Texas. One evaluated and analyzed fall 2007 Stanford 10 Achievement Test and Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (8th edition) results, and spring 2008 Math and Reading Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scale scores to determine the statistical significance and strength of the relationship and whether or not …


Parent And Teacher Perceptions Of Effective Parental Involvement, Tim Wright May 2009

Parent And Teacher Perceptions Of Effective Parental Involvement, Tim Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parental involvement is a key factor in the success of students, but research shows differing perceptions on the definition of parent involvement. The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional survey study was to compare and contrast the perceptions of parents and teachers about the parent involvement strategies they find most effective. This study also sought to find differences within each population based on demographic factors. Using a researcher generated survey based on Dr. Joyce Epstein's Six Types of Parental Involvement (2002), elementary school parents and teachers of a rural Georgia school district were asked to use a rating scale to indicate …


Low Academic Performance And Specific Learning Disabilities: Determining The Better Predictor Of Aggressive Behavior At School, Cherry Lurae Flake Johnson May 2009

Low Academic Performance And Specific Learning Disabilities: Determining The Better Predictor Of Aggressive Behavior At School, Cherry Lurae Flake Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher sought to determine whether an overall low average or a specific learning disability is a better predictor of a student displaying aggression at school. Further, she investigated for any interaction between an overall low average and a specific learning disability. The subjects were students in grades six through eight who attended a traditional middle school in a somewhat rural school district. The subjects had been punished by an out-of-school suspension at least once for an act of aggression during the 2006-2007 school year. Using a multiple regression analysis, the researcher found a negative correlation between overall average and …


Bullying Prevention Program: Possible Impact On Academic Performance, William Daryl Stone Apr 2009

Bullying Prevention Program: Possible Impact On Academic Performance, William Daryl Stone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research conducted sought to find the effect of the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program on the academic performance of students in the third through eighth grade. The study examined the relationship between the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and the change in academic performance, as measured by the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The post-test scores of third through fifth grade students from one elementary school which had implemented the prevention program were compared with the post-test scores for the same grade levels at an elementary school that had not implemented a bullying prevention …


Comparison Of Fifth-Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement As Evidenced By Georgia’S Criterion-Referenced Competency Test: Traditional And Departmentalized Settings, Marcia Wright Williams Mar 2009

Comparison Of Fifth-Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement As Evidenced By Georgia’S Criterion-Referenced Competency Test: Traditional And Departmentalized Settings, Marcia Wright Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effect of traditional (self-contained, one teacher for all academic subjects) and departmentalized (math taught by a different teacher) instruction upon the mathematics CRCT achievement of fifth-grade general education students. A secondary purpose addressed teachers' experiences, perceptions, and opinions concerning the classroom structure at this level. The 2007 and 2008 CRCT math data was used with a total of 9,386 students. The researcher's Data Collection and Opinions (DCO) for Teachers surveyed 180 fifth-grade teachers. A z score population proportion and a two-sample t test determined significant differences between the two structures. Results of the passing percentages showed …


The Relationship Of Principal Leadership And Teacher Morale, Keith A. Rowland Mar 2008

The Relationship Of Principal Leadership And Teacher Morale, Keith A. Rowland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Study examined the relationship of the leadership practices of middle school principals and the morale of the teachers in these schools. Seven middle schools in a Metropolitan Atlanta school system participated in the study. The Leadership Practices Inventory was used to collect information on the principal practices and the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was used to collect information on teacher morale. Results indicated that principal leadership and teacher morale were significantly correlated and that the leadership practice of Enable Others to Act had the strongest positive correlation to teacher morale. These results imply that a principal’s daily behavior plays a …