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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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Addressing The Lack Of Male Elementary School Teachers: Factors That Influence Grade-Level Preference, Michael David Patrick Nov 2009

Addressing The Lack Of Male Elementary School Teachers: Factors That Influence Grade-Level Preference, Michael David Patrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine which, if any, specific factors are deterring male teachers from pursuing elementary education. The number of male elementary teachers in America's public school systems had continued to decline, and this survey sought to discover what specific factors had contributed to this. This study surveyed 231 male public school teachers from six different school districts in Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri. Male participants recorded their viewpoints regarding male elementary teachers while at the same time they provided personal information concerning factors which contributed to their own personal grade level selection. Participants were surveyed to …


Computer/Video Games As A Play Therapy Tool In Reducing Emotional Disturbances In Children, Kevin Boyd Hull Nov 2009

Computer/Video Games As A Play Therapy Tool In Reducing Emotional Disturbances In Children, Kevin Boyd Hull

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of computer/video games as a play therapy tool for children suffering from an emotional disturbance of sadness (pervasive feelings of irritability, loss of enjoyment in activities previously enjoyed, withdrawal from friends or family, decline in school performance, and hopelessness). Children who suffer from emotional disturbances have problems functioning in school, in social and family settings, as well as transitioning into adulthood. Play therapy is an effective and creative way to work with children with emotional disturbances. Play becomes a way for the child to communicate and heal. Computer/video games are …


Impact Of Self-Esteem And Identification With Academics On The Academic Achievement Of African American Students, Edward Earl Bell Nov 2009

Impact Of Self-Esteem And Identification With Academics On The Academic Achievement Of African American Students, Edward Earl Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of self-esteem and identification with academics on the academic achievement of African American students in a charter school setting. Ninety-three students participated in this study. Using a pretest/posttest control group design, both the experimental group and the control group were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory and the School Perception Questionnaire (SPQ) as pretest measures of self-esteem and identification with academics at the beginning of the experiment. The control and experimental groups were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory and the School Perceptions Questionnaire (SPQ) at the end of the experiment. The control group received no intervention …


The Effectiveness Of A Proactive School-Wide Discipline Plan On Office Discipline Referrals At The Elementary School Level, Elizabeth Anne Anderson Nov 2009

The Effectiveness Of A Proactive School-Wide Discipline Plan On Office Discipline Referrals At The Elementary School Level, Elizabeth Anne Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a proactive school-wide discipline plan on office discipline referrals, and as a predictor of incidents of chronic disciplinary referrals. The study examined two consecutive school years, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, with 2007-2008 being the control group without a school-wide discipline plan, and 2008-2009 the treatment group with a school-wide discipline plan in place for a full academic year. The purpose was to determine if there would be a statistically significant decrease in the number of office discipline referrals and the number of office discipline referrals which resulted in In-School or …


Perceived Factors Influencing The Pursuit Of Higher Education Among First-Generation College Students, Lynne Coy-Ogan Oct 2009

Perceived Factors Influencing The Pursuit Of Higher Education Among First-Generation College Students, Lynne Coy-Ogan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students who are first in their families to pursue higher education are often less likely to receive the academic, social, and financial support needed to experience success when compared to students from college-educated families. This study examined the perceived differences among salient factors influencing the pursuit of higher education between first-year, first-generation college students and students from college-educated families. These factors include family influence, secondary school support, peer influence, preparation for college, awareness and access to financial aid, and relative functionalism. An independent samples t-test was used to analyze data derived from The Factors Influencing the Pursuit of Higher Education …


Analyzing The Effects Of Two Response To Intervention Tools, Oral Reading Fluency And Maze Assessments, In The Language Arts Classrooms Of Middle School Students, Donna Lyerly Jones Oct 2009

Analyzing The Effects Of Two Response To Intervention Tools, Oral Reading Fluency And Maze Assessments, In The Language Arts Classrooms Of Middle School Students, Donna Lyerly Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study analyzed data to find a valid and reliable assessment for progress monitoring also having predictive power of a student's future reading performance on a state-mandated standardized reading achievement evaluation. The Response to Intervention (RTI) model was implemented in the language arts classrooms of a rural middle school in northeast Georgia to study the effectiveness of instruction for all students, the at-risk, general, and advanced population. This study used Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Maze fluency assessments to monitor student progress and to analyze data to drive instruction. The data were gathered weekly over a 23 week period, …


The Effectiveness Of Computer-Assisted Instruction In Developmental Mathematics, Kathy Dye Spradlin Sep 2009

The Effectiveness Of Computer-Assisted Instruction In Developmental Mathematics, Kathy Dye Spradlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Colleges and universities are trying alternative instructional approaches to improve the teaching of developmental mathematics with the goal of increasing the number of students who have the skills and knowledge required for college-level math courses and for the twenty-first century workforce. Computers and the internet make possible new methods of delivering instruction so students will have choices of when, where, and how they learn math. The purpose of this study was to compare academic performance of students enrolled in a developmental mathematics course using traditional instruction, traditional instruction supplemented with computer-assisted instruction, and online distance learning. In addition, gender differences …


Predictors Of Student Achievement In Grade 7: The Correlations Between The Stanford Achievement Test, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, And Performance On The Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills (Taks) Math And Reading Tests, Kristen Karrh Aug 2009

Predictors Of Student Achievement In Grade 7: The Correlations Between The Stanford Achievement Test, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, And Performance On The Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills (Taks) Math And Reading Tests, Kristen Karrh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

State-mandated testing programs are more prevalent and have greater implications for public school systems since the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the implementation of standards-based reform practices. The 331 grade 7 students involved in this correlation research endeavor all attended a public middle school in Texas. One evaluated and analyzed fall 2007 Stanford 10 Achievement Test and Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (8th edition) results, and spring 2008 Math and Reading Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scale scores to determine the statistical significance and strength of the relationship and whether or not …


No Child Left Behind Act: The Impact On The Performance Levels Of Gifted Students Relative To Those Of Non-Gifted Students, Rochelle Lenea Hopson-Lamar Aug 2009

No Child Left Behind Act: The Impact On The Performance Levels Of Gifted Students Relative To Those Of Non-Gifted Students, Rochelle Lenea Hopson-Lamar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to determine the impact of the implementation of NCLB on the performance levels of gifted students relative to those of non-gifted students. The study involved the 2001, 2002, 2008, and 2009 Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) results of 1,978 middle grades students from a school in rural Northwest Georgia. The analysis included comparing the Mann-Whitney statistics, two-sample independent z-test statistics, and the percentage of improvement in performance levels of the gifted and non-gifted students, as measured by the CRCT in reading, language arts, and mathematics. The findings revealed that, since the implementation …


Teachers’ Perceptions Of How Leadership Styles And Practices Of Principals Influence Their Job Satisfaction And Retention, Eric Matthew Denton Jul 2009

Teachers’ Perceptions Of How Leadership Styles And Practices Of Principals Influence Their Job Satisfaction And Retention, Eric Matthew Denton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses the challenge principals face in retaining highly qualified and effective teachers in their schools. Although efforts to recruit new teachers have proven successful, teachers are leaving education at alarming rates, especially in the first four years of their careers. The purpose of this study was to identify what school principals can do to increase teachers' job satisfaction and retention. To do so, 12 veteran teachers from four schools were interviewed from February to April 2009. The participants answered questions concerning their levels of job satisfaction, their perceptions of their principals' leadership styles, and their reasons for continuing …


An Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Criterion-Referenced Competency Test Reading Comprehension And Lexile Scores And Fountas And Pinnell's Guided Reading Levels In A Georgia Public School District, Lynnda G. Higgins Jun 2009

An Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Criterion-Referenced Competency Test Reading Comprehension And Lexile Scores And Fountas And Pinnell's Guided Reading Levels In A Georgia Public School District, Lynnda G. Higgins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the current study was to compare Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell's guided reading levels to the reading comprehension and Lexile scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The researcher designed a correlational study to answer the following question: How do the Fountas and Pinnell guided reading levels among third grade students who were instructed in guided reading correlate with the reading comprehension and Lexile scores which were generated by the CRCT? The purpose was also to determine whether guided reading levels, gender, and ethnicity had a correlation to reading comprehension and Lexile scores on the …


Low Academic Performance And Specific Learning Disabilities: Determining The Better Predictor Of Aggressive Behavior At School, Cherry Lurae Flake Johnson May 2009

Low Academic Performance And Specific Learning Disabilities: Determining The Better Predictor Of Aggressive Behavior At School, Cherry Lurae Flake Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher sought to determine whether an overall low average or a specific learning disability is a better predictor of a student displaying aggression at school. Further, she investigated for any interaction between an overall low average and a specific learning disability. The subjects were students in grades six through eight who attended a traditional middle school in a somewhat rural school district. The subjects had been punished by an out-of-school suspension at least once for an act of aggression during the 2006-2007 school year. Using a multiple regression analysis, the researcher found a negative correlation between overall average and …


The Effects Of Cooperative Learning Techniques On Perceived Classroom Environment And Critical Thinking Skills Of Preservice Teachers, Antone Michael Goyak May 2009

The Effects Of Cooperative Learning Techniques On Perceived Classroom Environment And Critical Thinking Skills Of Preservice Teachers, Antone Michael Goyak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed the effects of cooperative learning techniques versus lecture techniques on the following aspects of a higher education classroom: (a) the perception of a student's learning environment and (b) a student's critical thinking skills. Preservice teachers at a small Midwest college completed the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI) and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, Form-S (WGCTA-FS). Results revealed significantly higher means in the cooperative learning group in four of the eight constructs within the CUCEI. Results within the WGCTA-FS disclosed no significant differences between the means of the two groups. The outcomes of this study suggest …


Parent And Teacher Perceptions Of Effective Parental Involvement, Tim Wright May 2009

Parent And Teacher Perceptions Of Effective Parental Involvement, Tim Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parental involvement is a key factor in the success of students, but research shows differing perceptions on the definition of parent involvement. The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional survey study was to compare and contrast the perceptions of parents and teachers about the parent involvement strategies they find most effective. This study also sought to find differences within each population based on demographic factors. Using a researcher generated survey based on Dr. Joyce Epstein's Six Types of Parental Involvement (2002), elementary school parents and teachers of a rural Georgia school district were asked to use a rating scale to indicate …


The Effect Of The Use Of Christian-Published Science Textbooks On The Act Science Reasoning Subtest Scores Of Midwest Christian High Schools, Janice Marie Guthrie Apr 2009

The Effect Of The Use Of Christian-Published Science Textbooks On The Act Science Reasoning Subtest Scores Of Midwest Christian High Schools, Janice Marie Guthrie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Statistics indicate that students in conservative Christian schools earn higher standardized test scores in mathematics, reading, science, and writing compared to their public school counterparts, while many are criticized for using curricular materials deemed inferior in quality and for employing uncertified and ill-trained teachers. This study investigates the effectiveness of Christian-published science textbooks in preparing students for college-level science courses as measured by the Science Reasoning subtest of the ACT college entrance examination. A questionnaire was sent to conservative Christian high schools in five Midwest states which are affiliated with the American Association of Christian Schools, Association of Christian Schools …


School Nursing And Asthma: The Relationship Between Evidence-Based Practice, Best Practice And Individualized Healthcare Plans, Anne Akins Wood Apr 2009

School Nursing And Asthma: The Relationship Between Evidence-Based Practice, Best Practice And Individualized Healthcare Plans, Anne Akins Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate current research on evidence-based practice (EBP) and best practices for school nurses addressing student asthma, as well as how school nurses integrate those practices with the IHP, the IEP, and other factors in daily practice. The objective of this study was is to explicate the framework for a qualitative meta-analysis of the existing research and literature addressing EBP and best practices. The method divided a general inquiry of research material, (in this case, best practices for school nurses treating asthma), into three categories: an analysis of theory, and analysis of methodology, and …


Bullying Prevention Program: Possible Impact On Academic Performance, William Daryl Stone Apr 2009

Bullying Prevention Program: Possible Impact On Academic Performance, William Daryl Stone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research conducted sought to find the effect of the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program on the academic performance of students in the third through eighth grade. The study examined the relationship between the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and the change in academic performance, as measured by the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The post-test scores of third through fifth grade students from one elementary school which had implemented the prevention program were compared with the post-test scores for the same grade levels at an elementary school that had not implemented a bullying prevention …


Comparison Of Fifth-Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement As Evidenced By Georgia’S Criterion-Referenced Competency Test: Traditional And Departmentalized Settings, Marcia Wright Williams Mar 2009

Comparison Of Fifth-Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement As Evidenced By Georgia’S Criterion-Referenced Competency Test: Traditional And Departmentalized Settings, Marcia Wright Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effect of traditional (self-contained, one teacher for all academic subjects) and departmentalized (math taught by a different teacher) instruction upon the mathematics CRCT achievement of fifth-grade general education students. A secondary purpose addressed teachers' experiences, perceptions, and opinions concerning the classroom structure at this level. The 2007 and 2008 CRCT math data was used with a total of 9,386 students. The researcher's Data Collection and Opinions (DCO) for Teachers surveyed 180 fifth-grade teachers. A z score population proportion and a two-sample t test determined significant differences between the two structures. Results of the passing percentages showed …


The Relationship Between The Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills (Dibels) Oral Reading Fluency (Orf) And The Alaska Standards Based Assessment (Sba) For Proficiency In Reading, Polly Shuman Rowell Feb 2009

The Relationship Between The Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills (Dibels) Oral Reading Fluency (Orf) And The Alaska Standards Based Assessment (Sba) For Proficiency In Reading, Polly Shuman Rowell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The impact of No Child Left Behind and making Adequate Yearly Progress is influencing classroom instruction with Curriculum Based Measures such as the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). The primary population of this study was from a small school in rural Alaska. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the first grade scores of the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and the subsequent third grade scores of the Alaska Standards Based Assessments (SBAs) in reading. A Pearson's r statistical test was performed on the data from both scores. The results indicated that there …


Inclusive Learning Environments: An Analysis Of Early Intervention Service Options For Preschoolers With Special Needs, Mimi L. Heath Jan 2009

Inclusive Learning Environments: An Analysis Of Early Intervention Service Options For Preschoolers With Special Needs, Mimi L. Heath

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the quest to restructure educational programming toward higher student outcomes for preschoolers with special needs, professional educators are continuously challenged to provide with integrity a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restricted environment (LRE) as mandated by law. This study analyzed the effectiveness of an inclusive programming model for preschoolers with special needs by examining achievement gains in the developmental domains of adaptive, motor, and cognitive skills as assessed by the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition. Analysis of an inclusive learning environment for six preschoolers with special needs as guided by IEP committee recommendations occurred. In order …


Bullying In Public Schools In Missouri, David A. Copeland Jan 2009

Bullying In Public Schools In Missouri, David A. Copeland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research conducted sought to find evidence and data to support or lack of support to the following questions: Do school administrators perceive a problem with bullying in their schools in Missouri? Is there a relationship between the victim of bullying and the learning process? Do female adolescents engage in cyber bullying more than male adolescents? Do public schools in Missouri have policies in place that address bullying? The researcher used the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program survey on bullying. The study examined the perceptions and beliefs of the superintendents in the State of Missouri concerning bullying and student responses from …


Block Scheduling In High School Mathematics: Effect On Algebra Ii End-Of-Course Grades And Act Assessment Mathematics Scores, Gayle Hawkins Hughes Dec 2008

Block Scheduling In High School Mathematics: Effect On Algebra Ii End-Of-Course Grades And Act Assessment Mathematics Scores, Gayle Hawkins Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistical difference between end-of-course grades in Algebra II at three high schools in northeast Tennessee and mathematics content scores on the ACT Assessment at the same three high schools, by comparing a one-semester accelerated (4x4) block schedule, a two-semester accelerated (4x4) block schedule, and a traditional year-long schedule. The purpose was also to determine if a relationship exists between Algebra II grades and ACT Assessment mathematics content scores for all students and for each school, and to determine if a statistically significant difference occurred in the number of …


Effect Of The 6+1 Trait Writing Model On Student Writing Achievement, Nancy Kay Dejarnette Nov 2008

Effect Of The 6+1 Trait Writing Model On Student Writing Achievement, Nancy Kay Dejarnette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this study was to determine the difference between teaching the 6+1 Trait Writing Model to fifth graders and the traditional writing workshop method of teaching writing on overall student writing achievement according to the data supplied by a writing rubric. The study involved 8 classes of fifth graders in 2 different schools. One school provided instruction according to the 6+1 Trait Writing Model, and the other school provided instruction using the traditional writing workshop method of teaching writing. It was hypothesized that students receiving instruction using the 6+1 Trait Writing Model would exhibit greater gains in writing …


The Effect Of Graphic Organizers On The Academic Achievement Of High School Students In United States History Who Receive Instruction In A Blended, Computer-Based Learning Environment, George Kim Conley Nov 2008

The Effect Of Graphic Organizers On The Academic Achievement Of High School Students In United States History Who Receive Instruction In A Blended, Computer-Based Learning Environment, George Kim Conley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of graphic organizers on the academic achievement of high school students receiving instruction in United States History via an online blended learning environment. With 60 participants in the study, the students were equally divided into two groups of 30 participants each. Group I was designated as the treatment group, while Group II formed the control group. A two-tailed t-test was used to determine that the means of the two posttests were not significantly different at a probability level of .05. Therefore, the results of this research study indicated that high …


A Study Of The Biblical Worldview Of K-12 Christian School Educators, Mark Kelly Wood Oct 2008

A Study Of The Biblical Worldview Of K-12 Christian School Educators, Mark Kelly Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abstract Mark K. Wood. A STUDY OF THE BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW OF K-12 CHRISTIAN SCHOOL EDUCATORS. (Under the direction of Dr. Ellen Lowrie Black) School of Education, November, 2008. This study was designed to investigate the influence of six factors on the biblical Christian worldview of Christian school educators as measured by The Nehemiah Institute’s PEERS (2003) worldview assessment. The study sample consisted of 141 Christian school educators from six different Christian schools; three Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) located in Idaho, and three Association of Classical & Christian Schools (ACCS) located in Idaho, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. A causal-comparative design …


Improving Student Engagement: Use Of The Interactive Whiteboard As An Instructional Tool To Improve Engagement And Behavior In The Junior High School Classroom, Georgia Lyn Morgan Oct 2008

Improving Student Engagement: Use Of The Interactive Whiteboard As An Instructional Tool To Improve Engagement And Behavior In The Junior High School Classroom, Georgia Lyn Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of interactive whiteboard use on student engagement and appropriate at-task behaviors of junior high school students. Two hundred twenty-six students at two public schools in northeast Florida were observed during the second quarter of the school year. Data were collected using an at-task checklist, and students completed an attitude survey regarding their perception of their own engagement and enjoyment with interactive whiteboard use. Significant differences were noted in student behavior between instruction without interactive whiteboard use and instruction with interactive whiteboard use. No significant correlations were found between the variables gender and ethnicity and improved …


Academic Effects Of Writer's Workshop, Marla S. Smithson Sep 2008

Academic Effects Of Writer's Workshop, Marla S. Smithson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation was to study the effects of a process writing curriculum, Writer’s Workshop, on the writing achievement of fifth grade students as measured by the Georgia Fifth Grade Writing Assessment. The study used three years of data and a total of 321 subjects in determining improved writing scores. The investigation equated and compared the performance levels using a Chi-square contingency table, finding that the group prior to implementation surpassed the performance of the cohorts in the following two years. An independent samples t-test evaluated scale scores from the latter two years, resulting in no significant difference …


The Effects Of Participation In Athletics On Academic Performance Among High School Sophomores And Juniors, Lee Sitkowski Jul 2008

The Effects Of Participation In Athletics On Academic Performance Among High School Sophomores And Juniors, Lee Sitkowski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Athletics and academic performance has been studied at length over the years in the literature. Despite the mostly university level research conducted, no consensus has been reached regarding the impact of athletic participation on academic performance at the high school level. As a result, the relationship between the in season and out of season school academic performance of high school sophomores and juniors in one high school was investigated in this study. It was determined that there was a significant relationship that existed between academic performance, measured by GPA, and athletic participation. Through an analysis of 249 high school sophomore …


Parent And Community Involvement: A Case Study, Cynthia Crites Jun 2008

Parent And Community Involvement: A Case Study, Cynthia Crites

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is a description of a case study of parent and community involvement and the impact of that involvement on education. The study is based upon the observations, interviews, and reflections of the writer in one elementary school as a plan was implemented to increase parent and community involvement in that school. The primary methods of data collection were structured, open-ended interviews, transcribed minutes from various school-based committees, attendance logs, and event participant logs. The writer interviewed the school’s principal, four parents whose children attend the study school, five individual teachers, a focus group of five teachers, the school’s …


The Application Of Transformational Leadership Among Christian School Leaders In The Southeast And The Mid-Atlantic North Regions, Dan L. Bragg Jun 2008

The Application Of Transformational Leadership Among Christian School Leaders In The Southeast And The Mid-Atlantic North Regions, Dan L. Bragg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Transformational Leadership is part of a growing body of research that is having impact in leadership development in every industry and service organization. The Christian schools leader can also take advantage of the ideas that integrate so well into Biblical principles. This causal comparative study utilizing correlation and parametric statistics (ANOVA) along with descriptive cross-sectional observation investigated the differences of Transformational leadership in two distinct regions to understand how transformational leadership responded to differing cultures. This research has taken a deeper look into the elements of transformational leadership that must be enacted for a Christian school to succeed and thrive …