Education Commons^™

A Closer Look At One Elementary School's Use Of Informational Text In Classroom Instruction, Marjean Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to explore the use of informational text in kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms in one elementary school. The research was based on analyzing responses given by teachers on a self-report survey; which addressed various aspects of their use of informational texts. The survey included questions about the sources teachers used to find informational texts, the criteria used in selection of such texts, and the frequency and purposes for informational text use. These data were then compared according to teachers' years of teaching experience and grade level taught to see the influence of …

Facilitating The Generalization Of Social Skills With Bibliotherapy And Positive Peer Reporting, Angelina C. Krieger

Theses and Dissertations

Social competence is needed for interaction among peers, teachers, and families in order for children to be successful in school. Children enter school with various levels of social competence. Social skills training is an effective method for building social skills; however, many programs fail to generalize these skills across settings and time. This study investigated the effects of a social skills training intervention for first and second grade students with emotional and behavioral problems. The intervention blended direct instruction, role-plays, and children's literature, with peers supporting both the acquisition and generalization of the social skills through positive peer reporting (PPR) …

A Multidimensional Measure Of Professional Learning Communities: The Development And Validation Of The Learning Community Culture Indicator (Lcci), Courtney D. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Because of disunity among prominent professional learning community (PLC) authors, experts, and researchers, the literature was studied to develop a ten-element model that represents a unified and reconceptualized list of characteristics of a PLC. From this model, the Learning Community Culture Indicator (LCCI) was developed to measure professional learning community (PLC) implementation levels based on the ten-element model. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to determine the structural validity of the LCCI. Factor analyses provided successful levels of fit for the models tested in representing the constructs of the LCCI. Reliability measures also indicated high levels of internal consistency …

Research Experiences For Undergraduates: An Evaluation Of Affective Impact, Brian N. Chantry

Theses and Dissertations

Each year the National Science Foundation (NFS) grants funding for universities in the United States to provide a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer program. The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Brigham Young University (BYU) has been a recipient of NSF REU grants for several years. This year the administrators of the REU program at BYU requested an evaluation be conducted to determine if their program was effective at helping participants have a significant research experience, as well as determine the impact the program is having on student's attitudes towards the field of physics, graduate school, and research. This …

The Impact Of Opencourseware On Paid Enrollment In Distance Learning Courses, Justin K. Johansen

Theses and Dissertations

Since MIT launched the first OpenCourseWare (OCW) initiative in 2002, responses from the academic community have ranged from exuberance to angst. Some institutions have been reluctant to adopt a program of open publishing because of concerns about long-term funding and possible adverse effects on paid enrollment. Money is an issue, forcing some organizations that initially created OCW programs to furlough them due to funding challenges. This study examined the cost of converting online distance learning courses to OCW, the impact of opening these courses on paid enrollments, and the long-term sustainability of OCW through the generation of new paid enrollments. …

Targeted Funding Of Research And Education And Faculty Perception Of Academic Freedom In Medical Education, Shelly Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between targeted funding of research and education and faculty perception of academic freedom at their medical schools. A total of 130 physician and basic sciences faculty from three medical schools assessed academic freedom at their institutions on an academic freedom inventory developed specifically for this study. The lack of a representative sample and the weak explanatory power of the findings limit conclusions that could be drawn. Using multiple regression analysis, the researcher was not able to reject the null for a relationship between targeted funding and academic freedom, using …

College Students And Stress Management: Utilizing Biofeedback And Relaxation Skills Training, Shannon Jones Anstead

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of biofeedback and relaxation skills training to help alleviate college students' stress symptoms. Data was collected from 659 full-time college students who attended a total of 1,170 biofeedback sessions over the course of two years. Results of the study indicated that the top three stress-related symptoms students experienced were (a) feeling overwhelmed, (b) feeling anxious, and (c) difficulty concentrating. Furthermore, the top three stressors rated by students were (a) too much to do, (b) homework, and (c) classes and school. In addition, the top three coping strategies utilized by students to manage …

Examining Job Satisfaction Online Adjunct Instructors': A Phenomenological Study, Shalyn Lapke

Theses and Dissertations

The study of job satisfaction for professors in the work place has been prevalent in the research for decades (COACHE, 2007). As online education grows exponentially each year (Allen & Seaman, 2006), this aspect of professorial teaching is emerging as an increasingly critical factor. Many professors that teach in the online sector have taught or are currently teaching in a face-to-face setting as well (Preziosi & Gooden, 2003). Also, many of the professors teaching online courses in the higher education arena are being hired as adjunct instructors. There is a lack of literature dealing with the satisfaction of the educator …

Richmond Public Schools: Post-Court Mandated School Desegregation (1986-2006), Joshua Cole

Theses and Dissertations

In 1970, cross-town busing was court mandated to enforce school desegregation in Richmond, Virginia. Unitary status was declared in Richmond when cross-town busing ended in 1986. Richmond Public Schools (RPS) no longer operated as a dual school system for blacks and whites after 1986. Class and racial segregation continued to exist in the City of Richmond. RPS remained predominately black and poor. Socio-economic conditions of the city continued to impact the school district. Controversies, mismanagement and low academic achievement stigmatized RPS until state and federal performance measures forced the district to improve. By 2006, RPS was still segregated; however, as …

The Bridge To Postsecondary Education For Students With Disabilities: Perceptions Of Emerging Best Practice In Preparation To Access Accommodations And Communication Across Systems, Sandra Fritton

Theses and Dissertations

Perceptions of college Disability Support Services (DSS) and school system personnel regarding emerging best practices, adequacy of preparation of students with disabilities to access accommodations in college, and communication across systems were examined in this study. Once in college, students with disabilities have a lower rate of completion/success than their peers. Accommodations promote success in college, yet students with disabilities are not accessing them, thereby reducing their success. Adequacy of student preparation to access accommodations and communication across systems affects the access of accommodations by college students with disabilities. This study is qualitative, with 43 participants. It includes DSS personnel …

Understanding How Evaluators Deal With Multiple Stakeholders, Michelle Elyce Baron

Theses and Dissertations

Although many leaders in evaluation advise evaluators to balance the needs of the client and other stakeholders, very little is known about how or if practicing evaluators address this injunction. Understanding how practicing evaluators address the needs of multiple stakeholders could inform evaluator training. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe what practicing evaluators do when faced with conflicting stakeholder values. This study invited five evaluators to share their experiences working with multiple stakeholders while reflecting on how they deal with multiple and often conflicting values as they seek to serve the stakeholders. One implication from this study …

Views Of Student Nurses On Caring And Technology In Nursing, Elizabeth Gail Brodell

Theses and Dissertations

Nurses entering the workforce are faced with many challenges, but today the multiple demands of patient care are complicated by a nurse's need to keep abreast of fast-changing technology. This research is universally relevant to nursing practice in educational settings and practice areas because nursing education needs to develop strategies to teach students the skills to manage technology, while keeping the elements of caring in learning and clinical practices.

This quantitative study examined the perceptions of nursing students on caring, technology as caring, the technological influences on caring practice, and their confidence level of PDA use. Participants were students accepted …

Perceptions Of The Virginia Elementary Principal's Role In Supporting New Teacher Induction, William Hall Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the perceptions surrounding the role Virginia elementary school principals play in supporting the induction of new teachers. Attention is given to the type of the principal’s support, the frequency of support, and the perceived importance assigned that support. Because the Virginia Department of Education has encouraged the use of one of three specific models of induction (the ETS Pathwise model, Fairfax Virginia’s Great Beginnings model, or the New Teacher Center “Santa Cruz” model) or a locally, research-based model, additional attention is placed on the impact training and experience in one of these models has and the degree …

Mothers' Perceptions Of Website Information In Solving Behavioral Problems In Children With Disabilities, Heather Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the needs of mothers in regard to designing an educational website for parents/caregivers of children with disabilities. This research was designed to provide information to inform outreach efforts of Brigham Young University's Family HOPE (Happiness, Optimism, Promise, and Excellence) Project. This project assists families struggling with child behavior problems. Results from this study provided an initial understanding of the potential for a website to offer support to families not directly served through the Family HOPE project. Participants included 26 adult females, 25 mothers and one female caregiver. Each participant was the primary caregiver of a child with …

Blogging Out Of Debt: An Observational Netnography, Wendy Garland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe weblogs in their natural setting and to investigate the nature of collective learning within the debt blogging community. How individuals who blog their experiences with getting out of debt use their weblogs as well as the role of the commenter in the debt blogging process were also researched. Four distinct literature pools were used to frame this study including the theory of social constructivism, the context of communities of practice, the problem of consumer debt, and the medium of blogging. Utilizing observational netnography, six weblogs were researched which were comprised of individuals …

A Case Study Of A Three-Year Pilot Program On One District’S Attempt To Increase The Gifted Identification Of Diverse Elementary School Students By Having A Talent Development Program, Robin Franklin

Theses and Dissertations

This case study examined ways elementary school students from diverse populations (minorities and children from low socioeconomic status environments) were included in a talent development program, and determined if that inclusion proved to be beneficial for gifted identification. With intentional regard for the idea of talent development, this study sought to uncover the nuts and bolts of one district’s effort to create a program for young elementary school students (K-3). This investigation used interviews, a focus group, document reviews, and standardized achievement measures to study how the talent development program for underrepresented students was created and implemented. A synthesis of …

An Analysis Of Reading Instruction For Fifth Grade Students With Disabilities Served In Inclusive Elementary Classrooms, Elizabeth Dragone

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study was designed to identify and analyze instructional strategies used by fifth grade teachers to meet the needs of students with disabilities receiving reading instruction in inclusive settings. Seven participants in a large suburban school system were chosen through purposeful, criterion-based sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to gain information about how teachers use data related to student readiness, interests, and learning profiles to design differentiated instruction. Observations were used to gain information about how the teachers implemented differentiated content, process, and products in the classroom. As more students with disabilities are served in inclusive settings, teachers are …

A Systematic Examination Of Data-Driven Decision-Making Within A School Division: The Relationships Among Principal Beliefs, School Characteristics, And Accreditation Status, Beth Teigen

Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental, census survey included the elementary, middle, and high school principals at the comprehensive schools within a large, suburban school division in Virginia. The focus of this study was the factors that influence building administrators in using data to make instructional decisions. The purpose was to discover if there is a difference in the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school principals of data use to make instructional decisions within their buildings. McLeod’s (2006) Statewide Data-Driven Readiness Study: Principal Survey was used to assess the principals’ beliefs about the data-driven readiness of their individual schools. Each principal indicated the …

A Descriptive Study Of Teachers' Instructional Use Of Student Assessmetn Data, Nancy Hoover

Theses and Dissertations

The overarching question for this study is: to what extent are teachers using summative assessment data in a formative way? A survey research design study was implemented to address this question. A web-based survey was administered to elementary, middle, and high school teachers in a large, suburban school division in central Virginia. The survey data were used to determine the frequency with which teachers administered specific types of summative assessments, analyzed student summative assessment data, made changes in their instructional practice as a result of their analysis, and the level of teachers’ assessment literacy. The results of this study suggest …

Perceptions Of School Civility: A Survey Of School Of Education Alumni, Keely Marie Swanson

Theses and Dissertations

Very little empirical data exists on the topic of civility in schools, although much theory and philosophy are proffered in the literature. Literature on moral education and character education also informs the study of civility. Many of the philosophical theories mention education as a way of increasing civility in society. Some schools have attempted to implement various civility interventions and research supports the use of similar interventions to teach social skills; however, none have systematically collected data for these interventions to evaluate their effectiveness for teaching civility. The present research systematically gathered data on perceptions of civility and incivility in …

A Study Of The Impact Of The Alternative Intervention Program On Improving Student Achievement, Attendance, And Discipline, Beverly Allen-Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study sought to examine student perceptions of the impact of an alternative intervention program (AIP), and provide a framework meant to inspire programs in other locations. Focusing on attendance, discipline, and academic achievement data, this study examined what factors motivate successful alternative education students to succeed upon their return to the comprehensive setting, and identify support factors that foster resiliency. Qualitative data were collected through three focus groups of students who were either new to the program, enrolled in the program for at least a nine-week period, and students who successfully completed a nine-week placement. Six adult …

Portrayal Of Characters With Disabilities In Newbery Books, Melissa Leininger

Theses and Dissertations

Newbery books represent quality literature that is likely to be used for bibliotherapy, yet these books have not been systematically evaluated for their portrayal of characters with disabilities. Thirty Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975–2008 were identified that contained 40 characters with disabilities. These books were evaluated using a rating scale that combines literary standards and standards relating to individuals with disabilities. The types of disabilities and personal characteristics such as gender, age, and race were documented and the personal portrayal of characters with disabilities and exemplary practices in these books were evaluated. This information was compared to the …

Incarcerated Male Adolescent Suicide In Utah: A Case Study, Kristy Straubhaar

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent suicide has been described as a major public health problem calling for the aid of researchers willing to better identify factors related to suicide risk. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds. Despite the fact incarcerated adolescents act in self-destructive ways, minimal research has focused on suicide behavior among incarcerated adolescents. Existing data indicates that suicide among adolescent males is especially prevalent in the juvenile justice system. Several variables have been identified as risk factors for suicidal behavior, including interpersonal relationship dysfunction, substance abuse, and psychological variables such as depression and dichotomous thinking. …

Impact Of A Selected Remedial Mathematics Course On Accuplacer Re-Test Results, Denise Chalow Case

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a selected remedial mathematics course offered at a selected community college. Initial placement test scores were compared with scores resulting from a placement retest after completion of the remedial course. While the majority of students placed higher on the retest, the most significant increases were achieved by students who earned an A for the remedial course. This study also analyzed the level of education and degree major of the instructors of the remedial courses. The results indicate that instructors holding master's degrees may be slightly more effective than those …

An Investigation Of The Lasting Impact The C.H.A.M.P/Gear-Up Program At Rowan University Has On Selected Alumni, Jamar Morton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to determine the lasting impact of the C.H.A.M.P./GEAR-Up program alumni before the fall of 2004. The study involved 78 subjects, divided into two groups. Group one consisted of 70 subjects who participated in a survey. Group two consisted of eight subjects who participated in an interview.

The data collection instruments included a 30-item survey using the Likert scale format. The questions were arranged in a five factor grouping consisting of postsecondary exposure, identity development, social development, academic enrichment, motivational aspect, and program impact. The interview consisted of 12 questions ranging from general demographics, …

What's In A Choice? A Study In How Choice In Assignment Affects Student Completion Of Assignments, Christopher J. Croge

Theses and Dissertations

In this action research project, the effects of giving students a choice in their assignments on students' intrinsic motivation were measured. This was done by giving the students an increasing amount of choices for their summative assessment following the end of each of five units studied in World History. Analysis of the data showed that there was some positive correlation between the amount of choices and the likelihood that students completed the assignments. While this correlation was present, it may be possible that other factors influenced this increase in student completion of assignments. These factors include when during the grading …

An Observational Study Of The Fast Forword Program And Attention Skills Of Students With Learning And Behavioral Difficulties, Eileen A. Mosby

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Fast ForWord program (FFW) on attention for students with learning and behavior problems, compared to two other reading programs (Achieve 3000 computerized reading program and a traditional reading program). Improvements in attention skills were observed and compared following a 30-minute, 5 day-a-week schedule. The three programs were implemented within the curriculum in a middle school setting for a 40 day period. The design was a single group study conducted within a single school in the Gloucester County Special Services District. The study participants were 12 seventh through ninth-grade students attending Bankbridge Regional School …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of The Effects Of Mid-Course Evaluations On Learning And Teaching, Whitney Ransom

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of mid-course evaluations on teaching and student learning. A mixed methods approach was used, combining faculty and student surveys, faculty interviews, debriefing sessions, and a comparison of mid-course evaluations scores with end-of-semester scores. Out of 510 section mean scores (128 sections) from faculty members who participated in the study, 352 section mean scores (88 sections, 69%) showed students' perceptions of their own learning improved between the time they completed the mid-course evaluation and the time they completed the end-of-course student rating survey. Results showed when faculty administered a mid-course evaluation, …

Character Development In A Distance Education Literature Course: Perspectives On Independent Study English 395r-Christian Fantasy Literature, Michael C. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The goals of higher education often entail the development of students' character. Rarely, however, are these character development goals connected to the unique design and delivery of distance education programs. Additionally, the research literature that explores the character development aspects of distance education is sparse. Thus the purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of how character development may occur in a distance context. Taking a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, I examined instructor and student perceptions of character development in a fantasy literature independent study course. Findings indicate that students perceived development of traits and strengths in the …

Development Of The Test Item Pool For A Screening Instrument Of Emotional And Behavioral Disorder Of Elementary School Students., Laura Eileen Conley

Theses and Dissertations

The functioning of children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is a concern for parents and educators. Screening focuses efforts to identify and prevent/remediate EBD for students most at risk. Current screening instruments fail to meet three factors that may be related to successful early identification. The three factors are universality (rates all students), brevity, and identification of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. This thesis began the construction of a screener with all three factors. The thesis determined a conceptual basis for the instrument and created an item pool. The conceptualization was based on a literature review. The item pool was …