Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Parents Of A Child Or Children Diagnosed With Deafness, David Patrick Leach

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of twelve parents who have a child or children diagnosed with deafness, and the meaning these parents have made of their experiences. The researcher conducted individual, semi-structured interviews and analyzed the data in accordance with the practices of phenomenological research. Thirty-seven themes were identified in the interview data, which were discussed in terms of their implications for efficacious clinical services to this population, as well as for the field of counselor education.

Understanding Generosity At Military Colleges And Universities: Characteristics And Motivations Of Major Donors At The Federal Service Academies And Senior Military Colleges, John Paul Dowd Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics and motivations of major donors at three federal service academies and the six senior military colleges. Although much literature has been published on donor motivation, as well as studies determining what donor characteristics are linked to the decision of alumni to financially contribute back to their alma maters, research specific to the federal service academies and the senior military colleges could not be found. Therefore, this study addressed the void in the literature. The methods used to gather this data were survey instrument and personal interviews. The researcher sent letters …

Empirical Connections Between The Construct Of Value, The Quality Of Stability, And The Construct Of Regret, William Samuel Morris Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The term value is a psychological construct frequently used in the social sciences. This research addresses the issue of stability of ratings of perceived value of participants for monetary, tangible, and intangible items that cross contexts. Also elucidated is the relationship of value to regret. Hypothesis one stated that value would be stable across time and different rating conditions. Forty-four participants rated the value of 72 stimulus items at two time points and in different contexts. Paired samples t-tests indicated 28 participants had no statistical difference in scores. Twenty-eight scores out of 44, when applied to a binomial test, indicates …

Services Received And Parental Perception Of Quality Of Life For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Judith Marie Cholewicki

Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid increase in the rate of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there has been a surge in treatment interventions and outcome measures. Treatment interventions consist of evidence-based practices and programs that lack scientific validation. Parents’ selection of a treatment or multiple treatments is often based on the desire to maximize their child’s personal well-being (Pituch et al., 2011; Rodger, Braithwaite, & Keen, 2004). Current outcome measures provide valuable information and may demonstrate a change in a standard score. For example, a change in intelligence quotient, is not evidence that this change contributes to the child’s personal …

Investigating The Decision-Making Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Teams Within The School Setting, Scott M. Thur

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure decision-making influences within RtI teams. The study examined the factors that influence school personnel involved in three areas of RtI: determining which RtI measures and tools teams select and implement (i.e. Measures and Tools), evaluating the data-driven decisions that are made based on the assessment and intervention data (i.e. Data-Driven Decisions), and analyzing the process and procedures of the decision-making itself (i.e. Process and Procedures). Core RtI team members were asked to indicate which factors they found to be the most influential to both their team and personal decision-making processes, whether the …

Exploring Listwise Deletion And Multilevel Multiple Imputation In Linear Two-Level Organizational Models, Whitney Flemming Smiley

Theses and Dissertations

Problems of missing data are pervasive in social science research. Because of this, researchers have begun to use techniques after data collection to deal with missing data, including traditional methods (i.e. listwise deletion, pairwise deletion, and single imputation procedures) and modern procedures (i.e. multiple imputation and full information maximum likelihood). In the past, several organizations and researchers have warned that traditional missing data techniques (MDTs) can introduce bias into parameter estimates, and can result in a loss of statistical power (e.g., Becker & Powers, 2001; Wilkinson & the APA Task Force on Statistical Inference, 1999). However, previous research has shown …

Integration Of Impulse-Variability Theory And The Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off In Children's Multijoint Ballistic Skill Performance, Sergio Lupe Molina

Theses and Dissertations

A major purpose of the motor learning and motor control literature is to provide principles and theories (e.g., speed-accuracy trade-off) that can inform the instruction of young learners in motor skill competence. To be optimally effective, these principles and theories must be understood and applied in relation to authentic instructional contexts, complex motor patterns, and specific developmental levels of young learners. It is insufficient, for instance, to generalize research results with adults learning simple movements in controlled laboratory settings to an understanding of how children learn from fundamental movement skills in physical education classes. Based on this premise, the work …

Statistical Power In Meta-Analysis, Jin Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Statistical power is important in a meta-analysis study, although few studies have examined the performance of simulated power in meta-analysis. The purpose of this study is to inform researchers about statistical power estimation on two sample mean difference test under different situations: (1) the discrepancy between the analytical power and the actual power and (2) the influence of unequal sample size and unbalanced design on the power. Results indicated that there are noticeable discrepancies between the estimated power and actual power under certain conditions. In general, unbalanced design decreases the statistical power in the meta-analysis. Recommendations are provided for researchers …

Experiences Of Lgbtq Students At A Primarily White Institution In The South, Leia Kristin Cain

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, often Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and/or Questioning (LGBTQ) students are targets of verbal harassment and violence due to their sexual orientation or gender identity and gender expression. Further, 31 states do not offer protection against sexuality- or gender identity-based discrimination (ACLU, 2015). Schools are particularly vexing places, where L, G, B, T, and/or Q-identified students face difficulties due to the privileging of heterosexual students and heternormativity. In universities across the nation, suicide rates continue to climb for LGBTQ populations due to heterosexist policies, procedures, and practices, which lead to negative campus climates (Gortmaker & Brown, …

The Relationship Between The Faculty's Perception Of The Principal's Instructional Leadership Behavior And Principal Personality Characteristic, W. Burke Royster Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Significant research has been conducted into the relationship of the school principal to the success of the school program. This success is often measured by metrics that assess the academic accomplishments of the school’s students. The value of quality leadership is effectively summarized by an observation made more than 30 years ago from High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America. The author of that report, Ernest Boyer, concluded that in schools where achievement is high and there exists a feeling of community, it is found without exception that the principal made the difference (Boyer, 1983).

There is a …

A Comparison Of Three Levels Of Verbal Redundancy In Multimedia Learning And Its Effects On Memory Retention And Transfer In Legal Professionals, Angela Mizell Dooley

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine verbal redundancy in multimedia learning and its effects on memory retention and transfer in legal professionals who were randomly assigned to watch one of three multimedia videos. Tests of ANOVA showed no significant differences in performance, mental load, or combined efficiency scores among the three instructional groups, but participants in the complementary text group rated the video with complementary slides as significantly more helpful than the videos with redundant, overloaded text slides and spoken words only. Factorial ANOVA also revealed that the redundant text group with fewer than five years of experience scored significantly lower …

Rethinking The Achievement Gap: A Wholistic Humanistic View Of Student Academic Performance And Lack Of Performance, Immaculata Anayo Chukwunyere

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an ethnographic case study that explored minority and low SES inner city high school students’ perception and sense-making of school, learning, academic behaviors, and academic achievement through an integrated theory of human development, learning, and achievement. I sought an understanding of the reason behind the persistent academic failure of inner city minority and low SES high school students, as well as the academic achievement gap within and between this subgroup of students. The aim of this study was threefold. First, I explored the factors operating in high school students’ thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions to school and …

Principals’ Preparedness For, And Experiences Of, Crisis Events At School, Patricia Daughtry

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, principals in the low country region of South Carolina were surveyed to assess their perceived preparedness for, and experiences of, crisis events in their schools. This study replicated a study, conducted by Adamson and Peacock (2007), which was presented in an article entitled Crisis Response in the Public Schools: A Survey of School Psychologists’ Experiences and Perceptions. Although their research was important, the population was limited to school psychologists. A literature review revealed no research on lessons learned from school principals. Since principals are responsible for managing the school from the moments following a crisis through the …

The Influence Of Academic And Social Self-Concept On College Student Withdrawal, Elizabeth Orehovec

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study explored students’ self-reported, pre-college academic self-concept and students’ self-reported, pre-college social self-concept and the likelihood of student withdrawal prior to their second year. Additionally, the interaction between academic self-concept and social self-concept and first-year academic performance were examined. Using data from the University of South Carolina, three binary logistic regression models were run to determine whether academic self-concept and social self-concept were significant predictors of student withdrawal and/or whether or not the self-concept variables moderated the relationship between students’ first-year academic performance and student withdrawal. Additional academic, financial, and demographic pre-college attributes were selected as control variables …

Caring, Advocacy, And Collaboration: A Study Of Teacher Empowerment, Effectiveness, And Career Satisfaction, Sylvia Satterfield Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how caring and advocating for marginalized students, along with collaboration among colleagues, contributes to teacher retention, empowerment, and job satisfaction. Goals of this research included unraveling ways in which caring teachers contribute to the self-esteem and academic success of students of poverty, particularly students of color; along with investigating how collaboration among teachers affects teacher attitudes toward the profession. This research was conducted through a case study which involved interviews of individuals, a focus group discussion, as well as detailed study of literature on the topics of teacher advocacy, job satisfaction, and …

The Subjective Warrant For Teaching Physical Education In South Carolina, Matthew Blake Lineberger

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: (1) identify the warrant for teaching physical education held by future professionals, (2) identify the influencing attractors and facilitators for future professionals, and (3) explore for any possible influence the South Carolina Physical Education Assessment Program (SCPEAP) may have had on students’ decision to enter physical education teacher education (PETE) programs. Data were collected by questionnaire (Appendix A) which was piloted on master’s level students at the University of South Carolina. Participants were 103 undergraduate PETE students from 14 institutions in South Carolina. Simple descriptive statistics and independent ttests were used to analyze …

Closing The Revolving Door: A Preliminary Investigation Of The Efficacy Of A Community Of Practice Including A Same Subject Mentor Using Social Media In Increasing The Retention Rates Of Induction Year Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Beth Rexroad Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Only recently, the well-documented shortage of secondary mathematics teachers is being attributed to retention. Wenger’s Communities of Practice (CoPs) and the provision of same subject mentors have been shown to provide teachers with support, opportunities to collaborate, and a reduction in their feelings of isolation – all factors known to impact retention positively. The rapid advancement and prevalence of online social media provide easily accessible, cost effective means to connect teachers with each other and with same subject mentors.

This study investigated the primary question: What, if any, is the relationship between the retention of first-year secondary school mathematics teachers …

Exploring Culturally Relevant Teaching: Lessons From A Middle School Classroom, Kristen H. Gillaspy

Theses and Dissertations

In the public school setting and beyond, African American males are often positioned as a problem. Educators have implemented and studied the use of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in an effort to shift this deficit perspective of African American male students, as well as other students of color. CRP positions all students as knowledgeable and capable of learning while valuing their cultural backgrounds and experiences. CRP also provides an opportunity to explore issues around race and culture. Though some research has been done in the area of CRP, very little focuses on the students’ experiences in culturally relevant classrooms, and …

Student Conduct Codes At Religious Affiliated Institutions: Fostering Growth, Emily Longshore

Theses and Dissertations

The following study focuses on student conduct codes at two religiously affiliated universities in the southeastern portion of the United States (El Shaddai University and Cornerstone University) and the extent to which these codes foster whole student development. In order to develop a well-formed understanding of this topic, the background information contains a brief summary of the historical beginnings of the colonial college in America and an explanation of the role codes of conduct have played in higher education over the years, including relevant disciplinary theories and findings from previous studies. Finally, my own findings gleaned from school histories, mission …

The Essence Of Alternative Education: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of At-Risk Secondary Alternative School Students, Latunya Glenn Means

Theses and Dissertations

What do the lived experiences of at-risk high school students reveal about the essence of alternative education? This phenomenological study sought to reflectively examine the experiences of at-risk students who are being educated in a large, Type II, alternative school in South Carolina. The research participants are high school students-- grades 9-12--who have spent at least one year in a traditional high school setting and at least one year in the County Alternative Program (CAP). The literature review highlighted the historical role of high schools in the United States, the role of high schools, high school redesign and the evolving …

Preservice Physical Education Teacher’S Value Orientations Across The Student Teaching Semester, Heesu Lee

Theses and Dissertations

It is of interest to physical education teacher educators to prepare pre-service teachers (PTs) to promote learning based on the five National Standards for K-12 Physical Education (NASPE, 2013). These National Standards reflect value orientations. However, limited empirical evidence exists that examines what value orientations PTs endorse and how physical education teacher education (PETE) programs influence their value orientations. The purpose of this study was to 1) examine the initial value orientations of PTs at entry into the course of student teaching, 2) describe how their value orientations change/develop and/or are maintained across the course, and 3) explore factors that …

Exploring Racial Literacy In Middle Level Teacher Preparation: A Case Study, Deborah H. Mcmurtrie

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, approximately 82% of teachers are white and middle-class, yet their students are strikingly diverse and becoming more so. The mismatch between teachers’ and students’ racial backgrounds is important because teachers who have limited experience with students of color may misinterpret their students’ unfamiliar behaviors and make stereotyped assumptions from a deficit perspective. It is well documented that U.S. schools systematically marginalize and fail many children of color. Disparities in funding, access, and achievement in education are intimately tied to race. Everyday practices in schools perpetuate inequities, but the actual processes can be hard to see. If …

Middle School Students' Perceptions Of Fairness And Trust In Assessment Scenarios, Corinne Elaine Jimenez

Theses and Dissertations

Fairness in assessment practices is an elusive concept which has been explored in some detail at the university level, but rarely with students in middle school. This study examines students’ perceptions of fairness on nine classroom assessment practices. It also studies if students’ perceptions of fairness, as well as student gender, could predict their levels of trust. Students were able to discern fair practices, as defined by alignment to best assessment practice literature, from unfair practices for most scenarios. They were more inclined to recognize interactional fairness deviations or promotions. The student’s ability to identify a fair or unfair situation …

“Tal Vez Sueña De Estas Cosas/ Maybe He Dreams Of These Things:” Envisioning Possibilities For Multilingual Learners In The Culturally Responsive Rural Classroom, Evelyn Spradley Stockdale

Theses and Dissertations

Meeting the needs of multilingual learners is a growing concern for many classroom teachers across the nation as school-age populations in the United States continue to become more ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse. Teachers often have little understanding of diverse learners and frequently express misconceptions about these students and their cultures. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the social, cultural, and linguistic resources multilingual learners draw upon and the literacy practices they enact during reading and writing workshop when culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) is implemented. This study also examined how culturally relevant (CR) texts and …

Two Studies To Inform Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming: A Systematic Review Of Program Effectiveness And The Development Of An Observational Measure For Classroom-Based Physical Activity Promotion, Laura B. Russ

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two studies pertaining to comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAP) that function in tandem to advance the knowledge base. The lack of an empirical basis for moving forward with CSPAP efforts and the lack of objective measures of CSPAP implementation are intertwined limitations currently stemming the potential for wide scale program adoption.

The purpose of Study 1 was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of multi-component PA interventions through schools that could be mapped onto at least two components of the CSPAP model. Electronic databases were searched to identify published studies that (1) occurred in …

Building Capacity For Advocacy For Local Food Systems Change: An Ethnographic Study Documenting The Process Of Change In South Carolina Communities, Casey Denise Childers

Theses and Dissertations

The Guide to Community Preventive Services currently does not have sufficient evidence to recommend any nutrition strategies for obesity prevention. Nonetheless, food systems changes are recommended for childhood obesity prevention by the C.D.C., U.S.D.A., and many thought-leading organizations. Creating healthy food communities will require physical and social environmental changes. Community-based groups need to build their capacity to frame community health issues as physical and social environmental issues. This research partnered with community-based groups to build their capacity for advocacy by using media framing research and strategic communications training. Specifically we: 1) conducted a media content about food systems, childhood obesity …

Teacher Perception Of Promoting Student Engagement Among Culturally Diverse Students Through The Use Of Culturally Relevant Strategies, Ivey Pearl Addison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher perceptions of the impact culturally relevant pedagogy has on student engagement. The study explored the beliefs, attitudes and perspectives of four elementary school teachers. Observations and interviews were utilized to gather qualitative data for this study. Teacher lessons were used to achieve triangulation. The findings will provide teachers with a conceptual framework that can be adapted to improve academic achievement.

Telling A Different Narrative: Exploring The Values And Challenges Of Performing Enslaved Community Members’ Stories At U.S. Southern Plantation Museums, Stefanie Kate Benjamin

Theses and Dissertations

Informed by both performance studies and collective memory theory, this study centers around Let Them Be Heard, a theatrical production that breathes life into the narratives of former slaves, performed at three plantation sites in the U.S. South. I seek to understand the lived experience of the performance through the eyes of three key stakeholder groups (plantation museum curators and docents, the director of the Let Them Be Heard production, and the show’s performers), and the impact of the performance on those individuals and on the plantation sites where the performances took place. Ultimately, I am attempting to discern the …

Hypertension Health Behavior Change And Older Adults: The Effect Of An Appreciative Education Approach, Mary Katherine Benya

Theses and Dissertations

Making lifestyle changes has been found to be effective in controlling hypertension. Positive psychology may provide alternatives to existing health behavior change approaches. Appreciative Education (AE), a positive psychology approach, was applied to an existing hypertension control intervention, Lifestyle University (LU), and compared to the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) approach, in a segment of the existing intervention. This study used quasi-experimental, mixed methods pre/post-test, repeated measures design. Two-groups of community-dwelling adults, aged 50+, control SCT (n= 60), and experimental AE (n=33), were compared using the LU intervention. Seven dependent variables were measured at pre-test, post-test 1 and post-test 2. Repeated …

Addressing Disparity: One Unique School’S Efforts To Provide Holistic Education In A Low-Income, Black Community, Allison Anne Parsons

Theses and Dissertations

Schools are meant to provide an equal opportunity for achievement to all students. The reality is that school policies and practices, which govern not only child education but also child health, parenting practices, and other social issues, are based on ideologies of the dominant culture creating an environment the perpetuates current social hierarchies. By doing so, this not only limits minority populations’ access to the opportunities associated with education but also access to health, as education and health are strongly and positively linked.

This study used qualitative methods including ethnography to explore how racism was perpetuated through the dominant discourses …