Education Commons^™

“A Study Of The Perceptions Of Occupational Therapy Students After Completing Fieldwork Level Ii Clinical Training In The United States On Supervision Characteristics, Victoria L. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze occupational therapy student perceptions of supervision characteristics during fieldwork level II experiences in the United States. The fieldwork education system for occupational therapy has experienced a great deal of stress due to economic and educational delivery system changes.

The target population for this study was professional level occupational therapy students from accredited bachelors level and master’s level entry programs within the United States that have completed their fieldwork level II clinical education experiences in 1999. The instrument used included 2 sections of the Student Evaluation of Fieldwork Experience (SEFWE).

The research questions …

“Compelled To Connect: A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of Writing, Shannon D. Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

Writing is frequently referred to as a process. Writing, in fact, is a series of complicated acts involving many processes, most of which take place in the writer’s mind and, thus, remain hidden from the lens of the researcher. The purpose of this research was to describe the first-person experience of writing through use of a phenomenological method involving dialogic interviews and hermeneutic interpretation. In the course of this investigation, 10 practicing writers (6 men and 4 women) were engaged in open-ended dialogue in which they described various personal experiences of writing. The participants were a business owner, a physician, …

Evaluating The Quality, Usability, And Potential Effectiveness Of Online Learning Modules: A Case Study Of Teaching With Technology Grant Recipients At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, Christina Marie Goode

Doctoral Dissertations

Online learning has become an ever-increasing means of acquiring knowledge. As educational institutions worldwide are trying to keep pace with the demand, faculty is being urged or mandated to move their curriculum online.

This research addressed selected factors involved in developing quality and effective instruction and how these factors can be applied to the development of quality learning modules that are usable and effective in online teaching and learning. Specific emphasis was given to the pedagogical, instructional design, and developmental support issues involved in developing online learning modules.

Online learning modules (11) submitted in fulfillment of the Innovative Technology Center's …

The Singing Schools Of New Salem, Georgia, Kathy Forester Adkins

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to document the singing schools held in the community of New Salem, Georgia, and their use of the shape-note teaching method. This method was compared to those of earlier singing school teachers to see if these methods have a place in the modern day choral classroom. Thirteen singing school students and teachers were interviewed and historical documents and artifacts were collected.

This study was conducted primarily as a historical research project; an effort to preserve the rural music education process as it has been passed down from one generation to another through the oral …

Role Of Dietary Carbohydrate Source In The Development Of Obesity In Rodent Models Of Diet-Induced Obesity, Kristin Lynnet Morris

Doctoral Dissertations

Dietary macronutrient composition plays a critical role in health and disease. The contribution of dietary carbohydrate source in the development of obesity and related diseases is often given minimal attention. The present studies demonstrate that both quantitative and qualitative changes in dietary carbohydrate influence body composition and adiposity in a rodent model of diet-induced obesity. In heterozygous (fa/+) Zuker rats, consumption of a high-fat, carbohydrate free ad libitum, attenuated weight gain and adiposity by increasing energy efficiency and blunting expression of fatty acid synthase, a key enzyme in de novo lipogenesis. These effects were independent of significant …

Evaluation Criteria For Language Teaching Software: A Delphi Study Of Professional Perspectives, Victoria B. Savchenkova

Doctoral Dissertations

Rapid development of computer technology in recent years has presented broad opportunities for its use in various fields, including the field of language teaching. Various materials have been designed to assist language teachers and learners with their goals. At present, a number of tools, including a vast variety of language teaching software, is readily available on the market. However, limited research has been conducted on identifying evaluation criteria for language teaching software from multiple perspectives. This study has undertaken to identify and reach consensus on the evaluation criteria for language teaching software essential for the software design and selection. Specifically, …

Effectiveness Of An Anger Management Training Program Based On Rational Emotive Behavior Theory (Rebt) For Middle School Students With Behavior Problems, Shannon Rae Sharp

Doctoral Dissertations

Sixteen seventh and eighth graders from a rural East Tennessee middle school participated in an anger management group training program based on Rational Emotive Behavior Theory (REBT). The participants were identified as having behavior problems in the school setting, characterized by the number of office referrals acquired in the previous school year.

When tested on knowledge of REBT concepts directly following treatment (post-test), the participants earned significantly higher scores compared to baseline (pre-test). This knowledge gain remained significant after an 8-week follow-up period. Effect sizes for these comparisons were large. Additionally, the 7^th graders’ post-test scores were significantly higher …

Protocol And Training Of Educators For The Use Of Technology To Enhance Learning In Tennessee Certified Schools, Joe M. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine the Tennessee protocol and standards for the initial certification of teachers and re-certification of experienced teachers, (b) to determine the technology skills necessary and competency level of these skills needed to meet and/or exceed the levels that are mandated by the individual curriculum frameworks and standards of Tennessee, and (c) how this technology use is evaluated in the classroom.

This was based on published information on the State of Tennessee Department of Education website. Additionally, information was secured from other reliable sources with pertinent data required to fully examine and answer …

Students’ Experiences Of The Social Environment And Social Presence In Campus-Based And Web-Based Education, Jennifer Lynn Gramling

Doctoral Dissertations

Learning is a social process involving conversation, dialogue, and interactivity. Student-student, student-instructor, student-content, and student-interface interaction are considered integral to meaningful learning in both campus-based and web-based education (Moore, 1989; Hillman, Willis and Gunawardena, 1994). A review of the literature suggests that social factors are of increasing concern to distance learning researchers and practitioners. In particular, the concept of social presence has emerged as essential to comprehending the social context of web-based teaching and learning and to students’ overall satisfaction with a course.

The purpose of the study was to observe and describe the social environment of two sections of …

Patterns Among Computer-Mediated Instruction, Student Learning Styles And Student Achievement, John Peter Laprise

Doctoral Dissertations

This research focused on instruction limited to text and graphics communication, offered through a combination of hypertext media and textbook, to community college students. This study served two purposes: assess the overall effectiveness of instruction that is limited to text and graphics communication; and determine the patterns, if any, between the strength of individual learning modality preferences and achievement. One hundred and twelve students enrolled in an introductory course in probability and statistics volunteered to participate. Instruction on the statistical concept of counting was conveyed by Web-pages and textbook. Communication between students and instructors was conducted by electronic mail. Subjects …

Comparison Analysis Of Grade Level Implementation Of Published Keyboarding Skills Based On International Society For Technology In Education (Itse) Standards And States In The Southern Association Of Colleges And Schools (Sacs), Nancy Sue Phillips Knox

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of grade level implementation of published keyboarding skills based on International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) national standards and individual states governed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Internet served as the medium for collecting the published data.

Accessing the official state websites and comparing standards, curriculum guidelines, competency profiles, benchmarks, and/or frameworks from each state governed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accomplished this correlation. The states governed by SACS and were included in this study are: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, …

Development Of An Instrument To Measure Self-Directedness, Susan L. Stockdale

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument to measure self-directedness in learning within the framework of the teaching-learning (TL) and learner characteristics (LC) components of the Personal Responsibility Orientation (PRO) Model of Self-Direction (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991) among college students. Accomplishing this purpose involved two states: (a) the identification and operationization of reliable scale items that validly reflected the two components of the PRO model, and (b) the validation of the developed scale items with other related measures of self-direction.

The resultant 35-item Personal Responsibility Orientation to Self-Direction in Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS) was a …

An Evaluation Of Influences On Preadolescent Boys' Body Mass Index And Body Composition, Lynn Samson Brann

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the differences in the diets, activity levels, body concerns, body esteem, and body perceptions of fifty preadolescent boys in relation to their body mass index (BMI; kg/m²) and their percent body fat (PBF), measured using air-displacement plethysmography. Additionally, it was designed to examine general parenting and child feeding practices of parents in relation to their sons' BMI and PBF. Boys were recruited based on their BMI and were placed into either an average BMI group or a high BMI group. Additionally, boys were placed into either a lower PBF group or an …

A Study Of The Perceptions And Attitudes Regarding Library Services Available To Students Enrolled In Online Degree Programs, Robin Felecia Blackman

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a diverse population of students who will benefit greatly from a convenient, time and place-independent learning environment. Distance education provides this type of environment and addresses the many needs of adult learners and the new generation of online learners. The problem is that this environment differs from a traditional institution of higher learning and continues to bring about questions from educators related to the issue of equivalency between online and traditional degree programs, especially in terms of student support services, such as the library.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and attitudes of students …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Experiences Of Engineering Upperclassmen In A Team Facilitator Training Program, Daniel W. Knight Jr

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of engineering upperclassmen in an engineering design team facilitator training program. Sixteen male and five female engineering students from a large southern university participated in 25 to 45 minute phenomenological interviews in which they were asked to talk about their experiences in a facilitator training program. The students ranged in age from 19 to 22. Each student was asked to respond to the following statement, “What has been your experience of participating in the facilitator training program?” Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed individually and in a …