Education Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Of Teacher Empowerment And Technical Education In Kentucky, Lee Ann Wall

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of empowerment and principal use of power within career and technical education in Kentucky. The researcher posits that, with the continual process of educational reform, principals need to understand what empowers teachers to perform as additional expectations and responsibilities are being mandated.

The researcher used a mixed methods design to examine power bases that career and technical education teachers perceived were used by their principals to identify teachers’ perceived empowerment, as well as influencers and barriers. Data were collected with a survey and two open-ended questions from …

University College Connection Fall 2012, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Challenging The Spirit Action Plan 2012-2013 To 2017-2018, President Gary Ransdell

Presidential Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Support On Student Discipline Referrals And Attendance, Gregory E. Ross

Dissertations

As school districts work to utilize instructional time, student behavior is often a huge hindrance to maximizing instruction. In 2001 while at the University of Oregon, Horner and Sugai created Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), now utilized in over 7,000 schools throughout the country (Sugai & Horner, 2002). This program is provided to schools throughout Kentucky through a federal grant extended to the Kentucky Center for Instructional Discipline (KYCID).

This study analyzed PBIS in an elementary school in southwest Kentucky, McNabb Elementary, to measure the effect of PBIS on student discipline referrals and attendance. Referrals were evaluated from 2006-2012, …

The Development Of Culturally Responsive Literacy Practices In The Classrooms Of Three Teachers, Alicia N. Stephens

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The responsibility of educators continues to increase as they serve an increasingly diverse population, while attempting to narrow achievement disparities between students with mainstream backgrounds and those who are culturally diverse. Educator cultural perceptions remain unique to their own background and experiences, yet when presented with the challenge of educating the culturally diverse, teachers are often less than enthusiastic toward their instructional obligations. This study targeted how professional development can enhance teacher capability in a culturally diverse school, with the intent to add to existing literature regarding this topic.

This twelve-week qualitative study examined teacher beliefs pertaining to their own …

University College Connection Summer 2012, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Cebs Magazine : The College Of Education And Behavioral Sciences At Wku, Summer 2012, Charles S. Evans, Michelle Kahler, College Of Education And Behavioral Sciences At Wku

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 29, Summer 2012), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Drastic Education Reforms Would Devalue Mission And Learning Process, Aaron W. Hughey

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Potential Relationship Between Technology And Persistence Among At-Risk College Students, Aaron W. Hughey, Charlene Manco

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

Academically underprepared college students, i.e., those identified as needing developmental (remedial) English, mathematics and reading courses in order to maximize their potential for academic success at college-level studies, were provided with the opportunity to rent, for a minimal, subsidized fee, mini-computers bundled with digital course materials (e-books). The academic aptitude of the students who participated in the study was assessed when they entered the program, and their academic performance was assessed at the end of the semester in which they were provided with these resources. The aptitude, performance and retention of program participants were then compared with those of similarly …

A Virtual Tour Of Wku’S Main Campus, Zachary Ryle

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In my WKU Honors College Capstone Experience entitled “A Virtual Tour of WKU’s Main Campus,” my task was to create a virtual tour students across the state, country and even around the world could use to view WKU’s campus without ever setting foot in Bowling Green. Throughout this experience, I filmed myself giving individual tour of over 60 different locations on WKU’s campus, with a total of 72 buildings and locations earning markers on the campus map. This virtual tour was created during the summer of 2011 and was completed by November of that same year. Once completed, Admissions Counselors …

The Relationship Between Teacher Perceptions Of Elementary School Principal Leadership Style And Teacher Job Satisfaction, Joseph Kirk Biggerstaff

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction. The study also investigated differences in teachers’ perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction based on teachers’ demographics (i.e., age, grade level taught, education level, teaching experience). Additionally, an examination of the significant factors that contribute to teacher job satisfaction as identified by the elementary teachers was explored.

This correlational study with a quantitative, non-experimental design utilized two surveys to measure elementary teacher perceptions of principal leadership style (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire [MLQ]) and …

An Analysis Of Factors Impacting K-12 Technology-Infused Design, Wesley A. Waddle

Dissertations

Public education in the 21st Century can be characterized as being in a period of unparalleled change, including the adoption of Common Core State Standards, increased public accountability, and renewed emphasis on the educational needs of every student. Simultaneously, as public education seeks to address these demands, the digital divide between traditional classroom instruction and learning needs of 21st Century students continues to grow, despite considerable fiscal investments in educational technology.

This study examined two questions: What teacher-related factors positively impact the level of technology-infused lesson design? and To what degree does the use of an instructional framework to guide …

Perceptions Of Kentucky Educators Concerning The Kentucky State Assessment System As An Accurate Reflection Of Student Learning, Benny C. Lile

Dissertations

While educational testing has been in place since the one room school house, it was not until the 1990s that accountability began to accompany assessment programs. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, virtually every public school district in the United States of America that desired to continue to receive Title 1 funding found themselves tied to rigorous assessment and accountability systems. This focus on accountability has impacted every school, district, and state as they have sought to implement and deal with the consequences it has wrought. As the 50 states have sought to …

Comparison Of Academic Achievement, College Readiness, And Perception Between Students From Traditional High Schools And The Gatton Academy, Tim Gott

Dissertations

Secondary education in the United States has been evolving from the early days of Latin grammar schools to the present broad spectrum of high school structures. This study focuses on one of the latest types of high school models – specialized secondary schools. In particular, the intent of this study was to assess whether high ability students in one such program, the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, demonstrate between-group differences from their high ability peers in traditional high schools in the areas of academic achievement, college readiness, and perceptions on the high school experience.

To determine whether these differences …

School Reform Initiatives: Their Impact On Teacher Burnout And Perceptions Of Efficacy, W. Wesley Cottongim

Dissertations

This study involving 2,478 teachers from south central Kentucky sought to determine the impact school improvement initiatives have on a teacher. More specifically, it explored how experiencing school improvement initiatives affect the measured levels of burnout and self-efficacy of a teacher.

Participants (n = 2,478) of this study came from school districts within the south central region of Kentucky. The participating districts were selected due to varying sizes of enrollments and the number of employed teachers. Participants were invited to participate in this study via an email invitation. Two previously published instruments were used. Participants were first asked to provide …

Advising Style Perceptions And Preferences Of Students And Advisors, Gladys Patricia Brown Jordan

Dissertations

The best style of advising to offer students has been questioned over and over. The literature review revealed uncertainty related to national surveys of advisors and students and encouraged smaller institutional reviews.

The Academic Advising Inventory (Winston and Sandor, 1984b), was administered to a proportionate to size random sample of advisors (faculty and professional) and then to the advisees of the advisors who responded to the survey. Variables of interest for advisors included age, gender, type (faculty or professional), and college. Variables of interest for students included gender, ethnicity, age, classification, generational status, and GPA.

A standard multiple regression, one-way …

University College Connection Spring 2012, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Electronic Assessment Systems And Their Ability To Meet Ncate Standard 2, Anthony Kirchner

Dissertations

The pressures relating to accountability and data collection, not only from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) but also from other national organizations, continue to increase the demand for educator preparation programs to systematically collect, analyze, and report on the success of their students and their programs. Many educator preparation programs have turned to electronic assessment systems (EASs) to help ease the data collection burden, to allow for the collection, aggregation, disaggregation, and reporting of data for programmatic improvement, as well as to meet the needs of the accreditation process.

The purpose of this study was to …

Information Literacy And Critical Thinking: Applying Elements To Academic Research Practices In The First Year, Sara Mccaslin

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

University College Connection Winter 2012, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Sense Of Community In Graduate Online Education: Contribution Of Learner To Learner Interaction, Jo Lita Shackelford, Margaret G. Maxwell

Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty Publications

Distance learning technologies offer a multitude of ways to build interaction into online courses to support learning. Based on social constructivism theory, this study explored which types of interaction are most predictive of students’ sense of community in online graduate courses at a regional comprehensive university. Surveys were used to measure sense of community and the frequency and importance of nine learner–learner interactions.

Interactions that were most predictive of sense of community were introductions, collaborative group projects, sharing personal experiences, entire class discussions, and exchanging resources. The interaction that offered the highest payoff to instructors was exchanging resources. The article …

The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 28, Winter 2012), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.