Education Commons^™

Critical Black Feminist Mentorship: A Review Of A Middle School And University-Sponsored Program For Adolescent Black Girls, Dyann C. Logwood

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation study aims to illuminate the creation of safe spaces for marginalized youth through mentorship initiatives. Likewise, the study examines the roles of mentorship programs in transforming the lives of Black adolescent girls by providing them with tools to change the narratives depicted by society. A qualitative design was employed that used phenomenological interviewing techniques and ethnographic observations to explore the experiences of the Black adolescent girls in one university-sponsored mentorship program. The findings illustrate what is coined through this research—a critical Black feminist mentorship model that emphasizes an intersectional identity development, the actualization of voice, the creation and …

“But How Could We Sing A Song Of The Lord In A Foreign Land?” An Esl/Esp Class For Catholic Immigrants, Mary C. Tillotson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The U.S. Catholic population has a larger proportion of immigrants than the U.S. population at large. The majority of Catholic immigrants come from Latin America and are not native speakers of English. In this qualitative study, I interviewed nine Catholic immigrants from Latin America to better understand their experiences of navigating their Catholic faith in the United States and the role an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) class could play in helping them successfully adjust to United States Catholicism. Findings suggest that, beyond a general ESL class, an English-for-specific-purposes class, capitalizing on the universality of Catholicism and specialized for Catholic prayer, liturgy, sacraments, …

Examining The Interaction Of Academic Optimism, Enabling School Structures, Middle Level Practices, And Academic Achievement, Vikki Wandmacher

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study focused on young adolescent development, middle grades education, and the underlying supporting structures that assist students in achieving academically. Results were examined through the lens of Bandura’s social cognitive theory, and a big picture view of the interplay of beliefs, behavior, and environmental influences emerged. The study examined three ideas: (a) the level of academic optimism (AO), enabled school structure (ESS), middle level strategy implementation, and academic achievement; (b) how the implementation of middle level strategies and School to Watch (STW) status affected the level of AO, and ESS; and (c) how the factors of AO, ESS, STW …

Teaching Efl Writing In Montenegro: Perceptions And Approaches Of Elementary And High School Teachers, Silvija Marnikovic

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This project examines perceptions and practices of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) K-12 teachers in Montenegro regarding their teaching of writing. To collect data the researcher utilized a researcher-created online questionnaire. Participants’ responses were analyzed and compared in order to examine their perceptions of importance of EFL writing instruction for their students, the extent and quality of professional training on teaching EFL writing they receive, the approaches to teaching EFL writing they practice, and perception of their competence in teaching EFL writing. Findings showed that the 27 participants would feel more confident teaching EFL writing if they had more …

"You Are Coming With Me": A Phenomenological Exploration Of Urban Speech-Language Pathologists, Audrey Michelle Farrugia-Bernard

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Using phenomenology and symbolic action theory as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study explored the experiences and practices of urban, school-based speechlanguage pathologists (SLPs). The study focused on the assessment, certification, and service of students in urban schools, a majority of whom are members of minority groups in light of the disproportionality of students of color in special education. This study aimed to capture the urban SLP’s point of view and illuminate the power that they may use or abuse in a school system. The understanding of the lived experiences and practices of 11 White, female SLPs practicing in urban …

Insights Into The Processes And Practices Novice Professors Use To Continually Develop Their Pedagogical Skills, Kerri Pilling Burchill

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the processes and practices three novice professors used to develop their pedagogical skills after attending formal professional development activities or programs. Data for the study included transcriptions of two interviews, pedagogical artifacts, and field notes of classroom observations. The data set was analyzed using a combination of systematic coding, thematic analysis, and the development of grounded theory. The study found that participants instinctively developed their pedagogical skills by engaging in a learning cycle that involved preparing to teach, teaching, reflecting on their teaching experiences, developing new pedagogical strategies that enhanced their instructional practice, and implementing …

An Examination Of Student-Support Team Practices In One Urban Elementary Public-School Academy: A Model Of Intervention, Sherall Elaine Wade

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Under the federal laws, No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001) and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA, 2004), school districts throughout the United States must provide struggling students with intervention strategies prior to diagnosis and placement into special-education programs (National Center on Educational Outcomes 2006). In 2004 Congress made many changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and from it Response to Intervention (RTI) became one of the most notable terms (Hale 2008). RTI is conceptualized as a multi-tiered service delivery model, which includes primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of support. The focus of the first tier is intervention at …

Understanding The International Student Experience, Ayse Begum Aydinol

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Although there are many international students in U.S. higher education institutions, they still experience problems related to social and academic life, as the international student experience is not adequately understood. This may be because of a general lack of awareness relating to the international experience, which can often increase the magnitude of the international students’ problems. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study is to provide an overview of the experiences of international students from their own perspectives. Six international graduate students were interviewed for approximately one hour in order to understand their stories in the U.S. Each participant’s story …

The Relationship Between The Boehm And Aimsweb On Kindergarten Student Achievement In One Northern Michigan Intermediate School District, Emily O'Hearn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Kindergarten students are asked to perform at a level formerly expected of first grade students and are expected to be well on their way to reading (Bassard & Boehm, 2007). With tight school budgets, site leaders must choose wisely about allocation of resources and determine the most effective means of helping students, especially those struggling in the area of reading. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine what relationship, if any, exists between the Boehm test and AIMSweb Test of Early Literacy (TEL) administered to kindergarten students during the 2010-2011 school year.

Data in this research were collected …

Emancipatory Education And Democratic Politics: An Analysis Of The Sociological Imagination In A First Grade Classroom, Ellen Lin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This autoethnographic research follows my personal and professional experiences as an elementary teacher reflecting upon the travails and joys that come with journeying toward a more liberating pedagogy and democratic experience along with first grade students. Braced with Freire’s 1970 summoning to resist dehumanization in society and education, I have pursued with disappointment existing democratic and humanizing trails in schools. Excited to exit one district and move to another known as “exceptional” in the region, I found myself even more limited by a tightly controlled system. Unwilling to give up hope, I began in my second year to infuse more …

Ninth-Grade Interventions And The Impact On High School Graduation Rates, Shannon Mcbrady

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is a need to become economically sensible when deciding on new school initiatives and reforms. This is partly due to increasing accountability and tightening school budgets. Hertzog & Morgan (1999) found the freshman year sets the tone for a student‟s entire high school career. Yet, frequently, ninth-graders struggle to feel connected to school and therefore experience failure. Often times this period of failure is related to the developmental process the ninth-grader experiences. Many ninth-graders struggle in various areas including behavioral growth, social pressures, and adjusting to the rigidity of high school (Mizelle & Irvin, 2000). Researchers have found that …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Creative Potential And Personality Types Among American And Taiwanese College Students Of Teacher Education, Yiling Cheng

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research has studied the effects of personality on creativity. The present study examined the relationship between personality types and creativity. Creativity was measured by using the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)-Figural, whereas personality type was measured by using Keirsey Temperament Sorter II (KTS II). 57 Americans and 72 Taiwanese college students who specialize in teacher education participated in this study. Consistent with previous research, significant correlation coefficients between the Creativity Index of the TTCT and both the Intuitive (p < .0001) and Perceiving (p = .029) personality types of the KTS II were found. In addition, significant cultural differences in creativity …

Senior Women Leaders In Higher Education Overcoming Barriers To Success, Nan-Chi Tiao

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of what it takes for women to succeed as cabinet-level higher education administrators. The findings not only offer a wealth of strategies for career success and for overcoming professional and personal challenges, but also shed new light on critical factors that affect women’ experiences at work.

This qualitative, phenomenological study was based primarily on confidential interviews with nine senior women leaders. Two informants are presidents, six are vice presidents, and one serves as a senior executive officer of their universities. Before assuming their current posts, they worked in a …