Education Commons^™

Social And Emotional Effects Of A School Lottery On Gifted Adolescents: A Retrospective, Adrianne Michelle Go-Miller

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Gifted adolescents who experienced a randomized lottery process to continue attending their school are the focus of this study. For more than 10 years, sixth-grade students at a Northern California school for gifted students have participated in a lottery process to continue attending their school for seventh and eighth grades. This study describes the reflections of nine lottery participants, and the social and emotional effects that a school lottery has on adolescents. The student perspectives were gained through in-person interviews and participants’ written impressions. Stress and anxiety were commonly endured by all participants. The study explores other effects such as …

Roles Of Parents’ Capitals In Children’S Educational Opportunities, Liping Pan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Bourdieu, the French sociologist, proposed some significant concepts (e.g., habitus, capital and field) to help to explain how social agents play roles in social occurrences. Among his theories, Bourdieu’s trilogy of economic capital, social capital and cultural capital has now been used as a powerful theoretical framework to explain class reproduction and education equity. Over the past decades, his theories have begun to be introduced and recognized in Chinese academic world. And this research attempts to see whether this western theory works in the Chinese educational context.

Shanghai, one of the biggest cities in China, has a huge migrant population. …

Family Child Care Providers' Perceptions Of Quality Of Training In The Early Head Start Program, Carmen Zuleyma Hercules

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In order to give children quality child care, child care providers need appropriate training and coaching to develop effective teaching practices. Compared to center-based educators, family child care providers tend to have less education and training and offer fewer educational experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate how family child care providers perceived the quality of Early Head Start training to support professional development, and to identify what professional areas and experiences or activities providers deemed crucial to their professional-development training. Bandura’s (1997) social-cognitive theory described the way people learn from each other, and identified four factors—mastery experiences, …

Yuli's Story: Using Educational Policy To Achieve Cultural Genocide, Katrina Johnson Leon

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

All children residing in the United States have the right to a quality education. At least that is our collective expectation. Through the lived experience of Yuli, a Native American woman from the Southwest, you will discover, due to her birth on a remote reservation, she was not given the same access to education you or I would expect. On Yuli’s reservation, the school system is managed by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Rather than provide K-12 schooling, the BIE operates K-8 on her reservation and then Native youth who want to go to high school must move off-reservation. …

Students And Faculty Indivisible: Crafting A Higher Education Culture Of Flourishing, Eileen K. Camfield

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three separate articles addressing related issues central to the culture and future of higher education. The questions that animate the investigations are: In what ways is writing self-efficacy forged in the learning relationships between student and instructor? In what ways, if any, do traditional assessment practices impact student development? In what ways, if any, does institutional culture shape faculty identity, and what is gained or lost in the process? These queries stem from concerns about possible disconnects between visions of higher education's potential and actual practices in the classroom. The dissertation uses grounded theory to …

Peer Mentorship And Cultural Capital Among High School Students, Crescentia Fatima Thomas

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Peer mentorship and school connectedness was reviewed here through social capital and cultural capital lenses. The relationship has been interwoven to create an idea of how to shape an environment which can foster cohesiveness among students. Peer mentorship has been indicated as a significant contribution to cross-aged grade levels with the improvement in attendance, behavior, social activities, and school awareness—which are encompassed in the term, school connectedness. In regards to college access and college knowledge, peer mentorship here, assists with the transfer of social capital and cultural capital. Students were able to develop relationships and gain knowledge passed on from …

Suicide Postvention Plans: Are Schools Prepared To Adjust To The New Normal, Wendi Aghily

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This project involves the review of suicide postvention plans across school districts in California. The goal is to identify which elements are meet the recommendation, address the recommendations or do not include the recommendations for best practices in suicide postvention. This has been done by analyzing the plans across five components: preparation, identification and support for immediate needs, triage, identification and support for long term needs and a return to a new normal. Consideration was given to the format in which the plans were developed: websites, school safety plans, emergency operations plans, crisis response plans and suicide response plans. Through …

Assessment Of Case-Based Integrated Learning As A Part Of Dental Curriculum Reform, Nader A. Nadershahi

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

There has been a growing call for change in the management of dental education programs, and, in response to this call, the faculty and staff at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry developed the Pacific Dental Helix Curriculum management model. The first major component of this curriculum was the development of the Integrated Clinical Science Strand of the Helix focused on multidisciplinary and case-based andragogies. The mixed method research design was used to identify common aspects of Case-Based Learning and multi-disciplinary teaching through a qualitative analysis of curricular materials and to analyze their impact on …

Female Superintendents: Perceived Barriers And Successful Strategies Used To Attain The Superintendency In California, Denise M. Wickham

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

There exists a discrepancy with the number of females in the California superintendency being twenty-three percent, whereas seventy five percent of all educators are female. This study examined the demographics of the typical female superintendent in California as well as the perceived perceptions of these females in attaining the position. This study examined barriers to the superintendency and successful strategies utilized by females in attaining the public school superintendency. Data for this study were collected through a survey of the perception of barriers and perceptions of successful strategies. All two hundred forty nine California female superintendents were mailed surveys, one …

A Grounded Theory Analysis Of Novice And Veteran Principals Through The Dreyfus And Greenfield Models, Shobhana Rishi

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop categories of work meaningful to elementary school principals that are significant at the beginning of one's career and after ten or more years on the job. A total of 15 public elementary school principals were interviewed. Using grounded theory, the interview data were analyzed and coded for topics that represented work concerns in beginning and later career. The results were interpreted within the Dreyfus model of learning to identify the principals' levels of performance and through the Greenfield model to identify the areas of principal work that presented continuing challenges for …

The Long-Term Effects Of Study Abroad Experiences On Career, Educational, And Travel Choices, Catherine A. Fagan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Thousands of U.S. students travel to other countries each year to participate in study programs offered either by their home or the target country institutions. This study explores the effects that these study abroad experiences have on decisions that returning students make with regard to their future educational goals, career choices, and further foreign travel.

Using the alumni database of Cultural Experiences Abroad, a student travel organization, data were gathered from 185 primarily undergraduate students who spent from two weeks to one year as participants in a study abroad program. The students were from various geographic locations in the United …

A Study Of Time Orientation, Temporal Integration And Reading Comprehension: Back To The Future, Tacey L. Ruffner

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Problem. Lower-track high school students' combination of poor reading comprehension, present time orientation and shortened temporal integration is an area that has been identified in a range of divergent literature, but little studied in terms of educational practice. Previous research into time orientation and temporal integration has failed to investigate a connection with reading comprehension. Purpose. The purpose was to determine if there is a relationship between time orientation, temporal integration, reading achievement/high school track level and reading comprehension. Procedures. Two measures, a Time Orientation Questionnaire and a Cloze Test of Reading Comprehension, previously identified and pilot tested, were employed. …

A Survey Of Multicultural Counselor Training Courses In Selected California State University System Programs, Mary Wood Reibson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the perceptions of counselor trainees and faculty for multicultural training courses. It developed curriculum information, compared program emphases in the training categories of awareness, skills and knowledge, and explored training importance and opportunity. Professional guidelines were reviewed to identify the training expected from courses which prepared counselors to work with clients from diverse populations. Survey forms were developed and administered to trainees and faculty. The resulting data were analyzed by descriptive methods, primarily of mean scores and ranked preferences. The Kruskal-Wallace and Mann-Whitney interpretations of group differences were used to identify statistically significant variations in group responses. …

The Mobility Strategies Of Successful Hispanic High School Students, Maria J. Chairez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify and analyze strategies used by successful, goal-oriented Hispanic high school students. This study sought to suggest ways that school personnel can be more deliberate and effective in promoting these strategies to increase the number of Hispanic students attending college. It sought to explore the impact of social class, income, and teacher expectations on mobility for Hispanic high school students. A survey was conducted on one hundred twenty-one Hispanic high school students who attended the 1988 Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Conference. Interviews used a retrospective format. The overall approach for the study was …

The Impact Of The "C" Average Policy On The Academic Achievement And Attendance Of Student-Athletes At Stagg High School Between 1981 And 1983, Jean Katherine Fitzgibbons

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the "C" average rule on student achievement at Stagg High School, Stockton, California. This study particularly addressed the issue of whether there were significant differences between athletes' grade point averages (GPA) before implementation of the policy and after. In addition, the study included assessing differences in attendance patterns of the athletes. The 1981-82 school year was identified as the year prior to implementation of the "C" average-rule. The 1982-83 school year was considered the implementation year and, finally, the 1983-84 school year was identified as the year after the …

A Comparative Analysis Of Comprehension Questions In Three California State-Adopted Spanish And English Basal Readers, Ana Maria Bonilla

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there was a variation in the number of questions within a given taxonomy level between parallel Spanish and English basal readers at primary grade levels. A secondary purpose was to determine if questions in parallel Spanish and English series, that extended to fourth grade, facilitated the transition from the Spanish to the English reader. Specifically, the tasks to be accomplished in the study were: (1) to classify reading questions contained in California state-adopted parallel Spanish and English basal readers utilizing Barrett's Taxonomy, (2) to determine the number of questions each …

A Study Of The Chinese Language Immersion Program In San Francisco: The First Two Years, Winifred Sin Ling Tang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors important to the establishment of a Chinese language immersion program in San Francisco, parent motivations and attitudes toward the program, and the impact of the program on student achievement. Descriptive data collected on the 1st and 2nd year of program implementation included summaries of interviews with school personnel, information from documents of the San Francisco Unified School District, tabulations of parent questionnaire responses, and scores from a kindergarten skills inventory and Cantonese Language Skills Test. The comparative portion of the study included an analysis of CTBS-S scores of the program …

An Investigation Of The Effectiveness Of A Saturday School Program In Reducing The Rate Of Truancy Among Ninth And Tenth Grade Habitually Truant Students, Robert Howard Bell

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken as an empirical investigation to determine whether the rate of truancy, grade point averages and attitudes toward school of habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students were affected after the student's participation in a mandatory Saturday School Program. Subjects were habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students chosen from two selected schools within the Whittier Union High School District in Whittier, California. Of the total sample of 130 students, a total of 55 students participated in a traditional (control) Saturday School Program and 75 students participated in an experimental Saturday School Program. Comparisons were drawn between …

Comprehension Of Extended Narrative Text: The Role Of Spontaneous Mental Imagery While Reading Or Listening, Marilyn Anne Winzenz

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the cognitive processes involved in language comprehension, this research examined the role of naturally occurring mental imagery in facilitating college students' understanding of lengthy narrative prose. During hour-long individual interviews, 40 undergraduates read silently or listened to a 1700 word short story. Subjects were asked to free recall as much as they could of the story and to answer higher level comprehension questions which involved verbal reasoning strategies such as inference and drawing conclusions regarding character development and motivation, theme, plot, and personal relevance. Subjects were also asked to describe the mental images they experienced, if any, and …

The Effects Of Word Processing And Two Common Instructional Methods On The Essay Revisions Of Twelfth Grade Students, Jon Louis Walther

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Statement of the problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction between two common instructional methods--the use of editing questions and the use of models--and word processing in the revisions of twelfth-grade students. This study addressed the following questions: Will students' revisions of analytical essays be significantly affected by the used of word processing? Will students' revisions be significantly affected by the use of editing questions or writing models? And will there be a significant interaction between instructional method and computer use? Methods. A sample of 33 twelfth-grade students wrote four essays under four different conditions: word …

First Language Instruction And Second Language Acquisition Among Spanish Speaking High School Students: A Case Study, Dolores Villarreal Del Barco

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This case-study had as its principal focus the applicability of James Cummins' theory of developmental interdependence in language acquisition to secondary age students. This theory postulates that, for younger children, the development and strengthening of the first language can ultimately lead to a more rapid and efficient acquisition of the second. The study set out to test the hypothesis that secondary age Limited English Proficient (LEP) students who receive Primary Language Arts instruction demonstrate higher levels of English acquisition than do comparable students who do not receive this instruction. The primary language of the students was Spanish. A quasi-experimental research …

Influences Of Censorship Challenges On State Textbook Adoption Criteria Which Affect School Curriculum, Karen Marie Moore

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study explored censorship in the public schools through the analysis of the changing textbook adoption criteria of the twenty-two adoption states to determine if new, subtle challenges of censorship suggest previously undiscovered effects on the established school curriculum. Adoption criteria (1975-76 and 1985-86) from the twenty-two adoption states were requested. State statutes were also reviewed. A content analysis focusing on the specified criteria needed for text adoption and the amount of public participation in the adoption process was conducted. It was found that few requirements have been added to the textbook adoption criteria since 1975 although some changes have …

San Joaquin County Teachers' Perceptions Of Collective Bargaining, Richard Kent Rogers

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions teachers in California's San Joaquin County have regarding collective bargaining. The problem. To determine to what extent teachers perceive that collective bargaining has had an affect upon wages, working conditions, communications, and morale. Furthermore, to determine to what extent teachers support statewide collective bargaining. In addition, to determine if teachers' perceptions of collective bargaining vary based on the number of years taught, gender, grade level taught, and current level of association involvement. Methodology. The research was descriptive in nature and employed a survey questionnaire which consisted …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Parents In Sacramento County Who Choose Home Schooling For Their Children, Elizabeth Louise Knopf

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to (1) investigate the reasons parents in Sacramento County choose home schooling for their child(ren); (2) describe selected characteristics of the parents; (3) describe selected characteristics of their child(ren); (4) describe the educational programs used in the home schools; (5) describe the perceptions home schooling parents have of local public school administrators; and (6) describe the commitment these parents have to home schooling. Method. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data. The population used in this study was 117 families who either filed a private school affidavit with the Sacramento County Office …

The Effect Of Conversational Skills And Self-Monitoring Training On The Acquisition, Generalization And Maintenance Of Conversational Behaviors Of Elementary Students With Learning-Disabilities, Gail Peterson Craig

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of a conversational skills training package (i.e., instruction, modeling, behavior rehearsal and feedback) with elementary students with learning disabilities. Self-monitoring techniques were incorporated into the training program in an attempt to actively program for generalization and maintenance. It was hypothesized that training in self-monitoring techniques would enhance the transfer of the behaviors to the natural environment and increase their durability. Question-asking, information-adding, and use of minimal encouragers were chosen as the conversational skills to be trained as they had been shown to be important for performing successfully within a conversation. A multiple …

A Content Analysis Of The Developmental Bibliotherapeutic Implications Of The Books Nominated For The California Young Reader Medal (1975--1986), Armin Richard Schulz

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the developmental bibliotherapeutic implications of the California Young Reader Medal nominated books from 1975-1986 in six different selected categories of thematic content. Emotional Health, Self-Awareness, and Identity Needs; Cultural Differences; Family Relationships and Dynamics; Peer Relationships and Dynamics; Physical Limitations and Handicaps; and Economic Situations and Factors. Findings. Primary Category books, largely modern fanciful fiction, demonstrated limited developmental bibliotherapeutic potential. However, story illustrations affected the over-all impact of the story. Intermediate Category books had greater levels of potential, especially stories dealing with family, peers, and emotional health. The greatest levels of …

Factors Contributing To Self-Esteem Structure In Males And Females, Jerry Steve Harris

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study was to test certain gender-related hypotheses regarding the relationships among personality traits as identified on the Personality Research Form (PRF) and self-esteem as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS). The subjects who voluntarily participated in this research were 29 male and 96 female college students. The subjects were students in an Introductory Psychology course at a local community college and state university. A packet containing a short biographical questionnaire, the TSCS, the PRF, and an introductory letter was administered to and completed by each subject. A stastistical analysis of the data was accomplished with …

The Effects Of Peer Administered Methods For Increasing Social Interaction Between Young Handicapped And Nonhandicapped Children, Marilyn Kathleen Errett

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to compare the use of peer administered contingent reinforcement for social interaction with the use of play materials that facilitate interaction. The subsequent effects on the social interaction of mainstreamed preschool handicapped children with their nonhandicapped peers was examined. Three nonhandicapped kindergarten children were paired with three moderately mentally handicapped preschool children and trained to initiate play. A single-subject, alternating treatment design with a withdrawal phase was used to compare the effects of the two treatments. Generalization immediately following each treatment was also examined as was maintenance over time. Observers used an interval recording …

Twelve Mexican-Americans In Higher Education: Their Mobility Process, Karen Carlquist-Hernandez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the career paths of upwardly mobile Hispanic educators to isolate those factors which were important in the mobility process. The goal of this study was to discover what factors account for mobility and what kinds of experiences hinder upward movement of minority individuals. Twelve Hispanic educators from central and northern California were interviewed using an open-ended, retrospective interview format. The data were analyzed to determine the common patterns in social mobility among the 12 participants from impoverished, minority backgrounds. The study identified ways in which social class impacted negotiating strategies, including situational …

Mentor Teachers In Selected Districts In Northern California: Profile, Selection, And Responsibilities, Sarah Elizabeth Taylor

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of California SB 813 mentor teachers in selected districts in northern California, to investigate selection procedures and responsibilities, to assess perceptions of mentor teachers regarding their helpfulness in improving instructional quality, and their satisfaction with the role. An analysis of the helpfulness of the mentor teacher role in improving instructional quality as perceived by teachers assisted by the mentor teachers and their principals was included in this study. Procedures. Ninety-three mentor teachers from twelve school districts and county offices of education in northern California, one hundred fifty-three assisted teachers, …