Education Commons^™

September 5, 2013 Retreat Agenda, Faculty Senate

Senate Retreats

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate - Executive Council September 3, 2013 Meeting Minutes, Faculty Senate

Minutes, Executive Council/Committee Meetings

No abstract provided.

Circle Park News September 2013, College Of Communication And Information

Circle Park News

No abstract provided.

From The Inside Looking Out: Andragogically Buidling A Doctor Of Andragogy Program, John A. Henschke Edd, Susan K. Isenberg Phd, Kathy Petroff

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

Developing and Implementing a Doctor of Andragogy Program andragogically provides an opportunity to 'think outside the box.' It requires congruency between talking and action, and active involvement of the learners. With many successes in the first two years, a concern emerged over the lack of interest and attendance in the initiative. Using andragogy to investigate the concern, opportunities emerged for improvement.

Building Blocks For The Adult Learning Experience, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The author is seeking to improve the process of building and conducting active adult learning experiences by considering and implementing the various elements that need to be included. After reflecting on his 22 years of experience in the adult education field and immersing himself in the literature of adult education, he concluded that there were five major elements (which he called building blocks) for conducting and engaging participants in an Adult Learning Experience, which are: beliefs and notions about adult learners; perceptions concerning qualities of effective teachers; phases and sequences of the learning process; teaching tips and learning techniques; and, …

From History To Practice: How Trust, Empathy, Reciprocity And Sensitivity In Relationships Create The Foundation Of Learning, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

Focus of this study is on the extent of trust, empathy, and reciprocity in relationships combine to create a solid foundation of adult learning. Sensitivity may enhance learning, but insensitivity may destroy it.

The Four Forces Behind Knowles' Andragogy, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The career of "the father of adult education" in the U.S., Malcolm S. Knowles, was a phenomenon in itself. Although Knowles is the most referenced adult educator of his time (Sopher, 2003a), he has, at times, also been the most misunderstood adult educator in the U.S. Knowles' (1989b) autobiography provided some in sights into his writing styles, his highly successful career, and his theory of adult education -- the introduction of "andragogy" in the U.S. -- nor did it provide context for a deeper understanding of the times, what influenced his thinking and his contribution major forces that influenced Knowles, …

Predictive Validation Of The Monitoring Instructional Responsiveness: Reading (Mir:R): Investigation Of A Group-Administered, Comprehension-Based Tool For Rti Implementation, Kelli Caldwell Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

Monitoring Instructional Responsiveness: Reading (MIR:R), a group-administered measure designed to determine at-risk status for reading fluency and comprehension, was administered to 494 third-grade students to determine the relationship between MIR:R static and slope scores and student performance and non-proficiency status on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test, reading composite. Correlation coefficients defining the relationship between the total MIR:R static score (the Comprehension Rate score) and student performance and non-proficiency status on the TCAP are .60 (p < .01) and .52 (p < .01), respectively. When the relationships between MIR:R slope and TCAP performance and non-proficiency status were investigated, weaker correlations were obtained-- .22 (p < .01) and .20 (p < .01), respectively. Results from a step-wise multiple regression equation revealed that the MIR:R Comprehension Percentage component score provided moderate predictive validity for TCAP reading composite performance (9.4% age variance accounted for, p < .01); the Total Words Read component score was less predictive (1.1 % age additional variance accounted for, p < .05). When MIR:R component scores were entered into a logistic regression analysis, these scores predicted TCAP proficiency and non-proficiency status reasonably well; values ranged from 60% to 88% (p < .01). Apparently, both the Comprehension Rate total static score and the Comprehension Percentage component score provide solid predictive accuracy (p < .01); the slope and Total Words Read component scores are less predictive. Data support the utility of the MIR:R as a promising, progress-monitoring reading screener within a Response to Intervention/problem-solving model.

Analysis Of The Role Of Homework In Predicting And Improving Exam Performance, Charles E. Galyon

Doctoral Dissertations

Homework is one of many factors thought to improve students’ academic performance, given that homework provides a means for students not only to master course content, but also to develop valuable study habits, improve their time management, and learn to work independently. Unfortunately, college students commit considerably less time to homework than is conventionally thought necessary, and their answers to homework questions frequently indicate an erroneous and/or incomplete understanding of the course material. The current study examined relationships between potential predictors of and trends in exam performance in a large undergraduate educational psychology course. The relationship between homework completion, homework …

Using Mobile Technology To Improve Autonomy In Students With Intellectual Disabilities In Postsecondary Education Programs, Catherine Caudle Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

Nationwide there are approximately 200 postsecondary education programs that provide inclusive college experiences for young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) (Grigal & Hart, 2010). To navigate college campuses, the greater surrounding community, and ultimately competitive employment, young adults with ID need literacy, communication, and navigation skills. The purpose of these two studies was to investigate the effects of mobile technology to improve the autonomy of students with ID enrolled in a postsecondary education program. The purpose of experiment I was to examine the effectiveness of three different communication applications (i.e., text, audio, and video) to send and receive text messages …

Work, Life, And Community College Faculty: Understanding Community College Work/Life Balance Issues Through Socialization Theory And Academic Discipline, David S. Key

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has established that college faculty at research institutions often struggle to maintain a balance between their personal and professional lives (Drago & Williams, 2000; Mason & Goulden, 2002, 2004; Quinn, 2010; Sorcinelli & Near, 1989; Ward & Wolf-Wendel, 2004). While some work/life research has focused on two-year faculty, the research on community college faculty and work/life balance issues has often proved contradictory (Lester & Bers, 2010; Perna, 2001; Sallee, 2008; Townsend & LaPaglia, 2000; Wolf-Wendel, Ward, & Twombly, 2007). Furthermore, little is known about how community college culture and discipline affect the ability of two-year faculty to balance their …

Understanding The Career Development Of Underprepared College Students, Amber Nicole Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the career development of underprepared college students through a framework of Relational Career Theory. Demographic information was reported for the population to help better understand these students. Specifically, the constructs of family influence, locus of control, and career decision-making self-efficacy were explored as they relate to perceived success in college. Finally, gender differences for each construct were also examined. The demographic information collected supports reported statistical information about this group in that students of a minority status and first-generation college students were overrepresented in the population. No significant relationship between the RCT …

Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model: Teacher Perceptions Of One Policy Implementation, Renee Melinda Moran

Doctoral Dissertations

Teacher effectiveness has become a national conversation and an issue that is debated in both public and educational arenas. Recently, the notion has arisen to quantify teacher effectiveness through the measurement of both teacher and student performance. This study focuses on one state’s initial attempt to implement a policy reform that measures a teacher’s performance both qualitatively, through scored classroom observations, and quantitatively, through student achievement scores. Ultimately, the idea is that these scores could then be used to make important decisions about salary, retention, and tenure. Using qualitative ethnographic research procedures within a framework of critical theory, I studied …

Exploring The Phenomenon Of Severing Goverance Ties With The State Baptist Convention At Mississippi College And Georgetown College, Alan Glen Medders

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the factors that influenced the board of trustees at Mississippi College and Georgetown College, KY to sever governance ties with their respective state Baptist Conventions and to describe the impact of the decision on the college administration, academic operations, lay governance structure and denominational relationship on the two institutions. The research questions guiding this study were:

1. What were the factors that influenced the decision-making process to make a change in governance relationship between the institution and the state Baptist convention?

2. What has been the impact of the decision to sever …

The Impact Of Beliefs And Curricular Knowledge On Planning For Science: A Multisite Case Study Of Four Teachers, Jessica L. Horton

Doctoral Dissertations

This descriptive multisite case study details how the beliefs and curricular knowledge of four science teachers in a southeastern school district affected their planning for science instruction.

Through the analysis of interviews, think-aloud planning records for one unit of instruction, and related documentation, categories were identified and connections drawn to how their beliefs and knowledge influenced planning for instruction.

The four teachers in this study jointly expressed certain beliefs about how students best learn science. They expressed beliefs that students best learn science through hands-on activities, through discourse, and by building the student’s knowledge base. The teachers also expressed beliefs …

Microwave-Enhanced Chemistry Of Organotrifluoroborates, Vitali Ilia Coltuclu

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation contains a summary of the research efforts focused on the utiliza- tion of microwave technology in organoborate chemistry. More specifically, the cen- tral topic is focused on the chemistry of potassium organotrifluoroborate compounds that have recently attracted a lot of attention as useful reagents for diverse transfor- mations in organic synthesis such as, cross-coupling, homocoupling, as well as 1,2- and 1,4-addition reactions. The use of microwave radiation in these and other reac- tions is particularly appealing for improving and facilitating synthetic procedures by reducing reaction times, minimizing by-product formation, and increasing reaction yields. In this dissertation, we combine …

Early Identification And Improvement Of Variables Related To Course Success, Carolyn Anne Blondin

Doctoral Dissertations

The process of identifying and improving factors related to early exam success or failure in an undergraduate setting (Ed Psych 210) was divided into 2 separate studies. The first study was a retrospective analysis of 2 years’ of data that compared high and low performers on the first course exam with respect to their subsequent success in the course. Mean comparison between initially high (N = 158) and low (N = 163) performers revealed significantly higher means for those in the former group across several academic variables (i.e., critical thinking, grade point average, subsequent exams, practice exams, quiz …

Three Studies Evaluating A Computer-Based Sight-Word Reading Intervention System Across Special-Needs Students, Jared Scott Yaw

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation includes three studies extending research on a computer-based sight word reading intervention across special needs students. In Study I, a multiple-baseline across behaviors design was used to evaluate automatic sight-word reading in a fourth-grade student with intellectual disabilities. Immediately after the intervention was applied to each of three lists of sight words, the student made rapid gains in her ability to read those words within 2 s.

In Study II, an adapted alternating treatment design was used to evaluate the effects of two computer-based flashcard interventions among four elementary students with disabilities. The two interventions were similar; with …

Academic Work Ethic: Predicating Student Assignment Choice And Evaluating The Academic Work Ethic-Student Measure, John Thomas Parkhurst

Doctoral Dissertations

There were several objectives associated with the following three-study dissertation. The initial study was designed to replicate and extend previous research on the partial assignment completion effect (PAC), effort, and students’ assignment choice behavior. Our focus was to determine if individual differences, specifically work ethic, may explain why some students chose to continue to work on a partially-completed assignment as opposed to completing a different, lower-effort assignment. Our experimental and correlational results extended research on PAC and effort by suggesting that individual differences in work ethic may influence students to choose to finish what they started, even when it requires …

Constructing Meanings By Designing Worlds Digital Games As Participatory Platforms For Interest-Driven Learning And Creativity, Vittorio Marone

Doctoral Dissertations

This study emerges from the observation of an increasing divide between generations: a lack of a shared ground that carries profound social, cultural, and educational implications. In particular, the broadening differences between academic and “grassroots” approaches to learning and creativity are transforming formal and informal enterprises into seemingly incommunicable realms. This clash between different (and distant) practices, inside and outside of school, is inhibiting the construction of a common language between teachers and students, and, more broadly, between generations, thus hindering the development of any educational discourse.

In this study I inquired into an online participatory space in order to …

Circle Park News August 2013, College Of Communication And Information

Circle Park News

No abstract provided.

Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions And Experiences Of Family Engagement: A Phenomenological Investigation, Tiffany Janise Dellard

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand pre-service teacher’s perceptions and experiences with family engagement in the education of students. The phenomenological method developed at the University of Tennessee was utilized to explore the following research questions: (1) How do pre-service teachers view the roles of parents in their interactions with teachers, administrators and other school staff to facilitate family engagement; and (2) What influences do pre-service teachers cite as helping to form their views of the role of families in the education of students the pre-service teacher’s experiences in the teacher education program as well as personal experiences …

Narratives Of Former Foster Youth In Higher Education, Kathleen Brien Douthat

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative inquiry is to learn about the experiences of former foster youth in higher education. Nationwide, 26,547 youth emancipate from foster care each year. Former foster youth who continue with education beyond high school may elect to receive supportive services through the state’s independent living program. Although these services are intended to provide the necessary support while the youth completes a post-secondary degree program, research has shown that fewer former foster youth enter college and complete a degree than their non-former foster youth peers. Further, there has been very little research that explores firsthand experiences of …

Revitalizing A 19th Century Industrial Complex Into A 21st Century Research And Learning Technology Center, James Lawrence Wines

Masters Theses

The revitalization and repurposing of the Domino’s Sugar Plant will foster a vibrant and engaged community for the neighborhood in a distinct way differing from the recent history of growth. Williamsburg is located in a north Brooklyn, New York, community that has been struggling for its identity since the 1970’s. The reprogramming of this abandoned industrial site will include the addition of a new technological research center that will contribute to economic growth and stability for the neighborhood. The new jobs will help bring more people into the neighborhood who will be committed to both live and work there. At …

Implications For Ability Grouping In Mathematics For Fifth Grade Students, Anne M. Stinnett

Masters Theses

This study examines the effects of ability grouping on fifth grade students at 47 elementary schools in a large urban school district. Using disaggregated standardized test data that statistically measures achievement growth, this study analyzes gains among students assigned to prior achievement quintiles as compared to three grouping strategies: homogeneous, heterogeneous with special classes for advanced and special education, and heterogeneous ability groups.

The findings suggest that the grouping strategies used in these schools are effective for the students at these schools. Most significant is that, on average, low achieving schools are grouping students in ways that are exhibiting positive …

Contributors

International Education

List of Contributors; Guidelines for Contributors; Index.

Editorial Comments, Xiaodan Huang

International Education

Editorial Comments from guest editor Xiaodan Huang of Shawnee State University.

Teacher's Discoursal Strategies In Providing Positive Feedback To Student Responses: A Study Of Four English Immersion Teachers In People's Republic Of China, Miao Pei

International Education

This paper investigates the discoursal strategies of four teachers in providing feedback to student responses in English classrooms in Xi’an, People’s Republic of China. The findings indicate that the teachers provide positive feedback for students English learning in various ways, including using the most common strategies such as accepting, encouraging, and repeating, as well as the strategies of extending and prompting. This study indicates that these strategies are beneficial to the students’ linguistic and cognitive development because they provide comprehensible input and require English-speaking on the part of students. Although some of the strategies appear to be common among teachers …

The Development Of Academic Language Proficiency: Challenges For Middle School Immersion In Hong Kong And Xi'an, Stella Kong, Philip Hoare

International Education

This paper investigates the development of academic language proficiency through immersion in middle school programmes in Hong Kong and Xi’an. The study reveals that in both contexts students have exposure to complex academic language through teacher talk and textbooks; however, there is not sufficient support for students’ academic language use in writing. The paper discusses the possible causes and suggests how students can be helped to develop better academic language proficiency in these immersion contexts.

The Roles Of Motivation, Affective Attitudes, And Willingness To Communicate Among Chinese Students In Early English Immersion Programs, Ellen Knell, Yanping Chi

International Education

Early English immersion in China has been studied from many angles, but no research to date has investigated affective variables, which may have a profound relevance to successful English acquisition. The present study examines the roles of motivation, attitudes towards learning English, willingness to communicate, perceived competence, language anxiety, and parental support among upper primary immersion and nonimmersion students. Results indicate that immersion students used in this study had significantly higher levels of willingness to communicate and perceived competence and exhibited less language anxiety than their nonimmersion peers. In addition, willingness to communicate and perceived competence were the strongest predictors …