Education Commons^™

Descriptions Of Clinical Teaching Excellence In The First Two Years Of Medical School: The Views Of Academic And Community-Based Preceptors, Patricia Anne Stubenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The changing dynamics in patient care, along with the increasing role of early clinical experiences and community-based teaching models, can be a catalyst in furthering important research and training for clinical teaching excellence. Curricular challenges as well as limited scholarly work generate educational possibilities for study. Embracing a strong educational doctrine of teaching excellence in undergraduate medical education will help shape the future of health care and ultimately enhance patient care.

This grounded theory study (a) described and explained descriptions of teaching excellence among first and second year academic and community-based preceptors in the Longitudinal Clinical Experience (LCE) program at …

The Effectiveness Of A Structured Functiona Behavior Assessment Procedure: Teacher Training As A Moderator, Bonnie Woods

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) is a collaborative, standardized process that was developed as a way to address identified barriers to completing effective functional behavior assessments (FBAs) in public schools. Current research literature documents the effectiveness of the PTR process in decreasing problematic behaviors and increasing social skills and academic engaged time for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. In addition, PTR demonstrates high acceptability by school personnel implementing the process. While PTR has demonstrated success in schools, questions still exist regarding variables that impact the effectiveness of this process. Therefore, the current study investigated the moderating effect of prior teacher training in …

A Case Study Of Peer Review Practices Of Four Adolescent English Language Learners In Face-To-Face And Online Contexts, Oksana Vorobel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Peer review is a complex collaborative activity, which may engage English language learners in reading, writing, listening, and speaking and carry many potential benefits for their language learning (Hu, 2005). While many research studies focused on peer review practices of adult language learners in academic settings in the USA or abroad in language classes (Grami, 2010; Zhao, 2010), little attention was paid to adolescent L2 writers participating in peer review in face-to-face K-12 and online contexts. This multiple case study aimed at describing and explaining peer review practices of four adolescent ELLs in face-to-face and online contexts from the ecological …

Preparing Teachers To Apply Research To Mathematics Teaching: Using Design-Based Research To Define And Assess The Process Of Evidence-Based Practice, Sarah Van Ingen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Persistent lack of mathematics achievement and disparity in achievement has led to the publication of research findings related to equitable teaching practices. Although the publication of such research provides insights about approaches for potentially increasing equity in mathematics education, teachers must be able to apply what has been learned from these studies to their classroom teaching practices. Despite the widespread expectation that teachers use research-supported teaching strategies to meet the needs of their diverse classrooms, the research to practice gap persists. Little research is currently available to guide mathematics teacher educators in how to prepare future teachers to apply research …

Science Informational Trade Books: An Exploration Of Text-Based Practices And Interactions In A First-Grade Classroom, Virginia Anne Schreier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although scholars have long advocated the use of informational texts in the primary grades, gaps and inconsistencies in research have produced conflicting reports on how teachers used these texts in the primary curriculum, and how primary students dealt with them during instruction and on their own (e.g., Saul & Dieckman, 2005). Thus, to add to research on informational texts in the primary grades, the purpose of this study was to examine: (a) a first-grade teacher's use of science informational trade books (SITBs) in her classroom, (b) the ways students responded to her instruction, and (c) how students interacted with these …

Use Of Stable Isotope And Trace Metal Signatures To Track The Emigration Of Female Blue Crabs, Callinectes Sapidus, From Tampa Bay, Sky Barrington Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, supports a successful fishery in the Atlantic Ocean and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, with a total landing of 8,158,788 lb. and a total value of $10,562,128 for the state of Florida during 2012 (FWC 2012 Annual Landings Summary). An accurate and comprehensive understanding of the blue crab's life history and seasonal migration behavior is essential in defining effective management strategies for the fishery. Tag recapture studies and ultrasonic tracking methods for studying blue crab migrations are costly in terms of time and resources. In this study an alternative approach, microchemical natural tagging, was …

Reading Assessment Practices Of Elementary General Education Teachers: A Descriptive Study, Sarah Mirlenbrink Bombly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this descriptive study, I researched five elementary general education teachers' reading assessment practices as they worked within the context of IDEA (2004), NCLB (2002) and Response to Intervention (RTI). My own connection to the classroom and reading assessment practices brought me to this research. I presented my personal and professional connection through vignettes about my own classroom assessment practices. Relevant literature on both the context and culture of assessment were pertinent to this research.

I used a qualitative design, specifically, Colaizzi's (1978) method of phenomenological analysis. Data were three in-depth phenomenological interviews, relevant documents and artifacts, and use of …

Predictors Of Student Enrollment Patterns In High School Career Academies, E. Daniel Cox

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe participation patterns at the district level of students enrolled in career academies and determine whether participation in career academies is a function of demographic and/or prior learning experience and prior performance variables. Ex-post facto data was used to determine six-year enrollment trends. In addition, both binary logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression methods were employed to determine the extent demographic along with prior learning experience and prior performance variables could be used to predict participation within career academies. Trend data results indicated slight increases in the proportions of students of color (including …

Insights Into Reflection And Pre-Service Teacher Education: An Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Andrea M. Gelfuso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With recent calls for teacher education programs to increase both the quantity and quality of field experiences (NCATE, 2010), it is important for teacher educators to understand how pre-service teachers create meaning from those experiences. Reflection is a mode of thought historically associated with creating "warranted assertabilities" (Dewey, 1938, p.15) from experience. Therefore, reflection is a common component of many teacher education programs (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Despite the abundance of research that has been conducted about reflection and teacher education, little is understood about the process of supported reflection as it is experienced by pre-service teachers. In this hermeneutic phenomenology, I …

A Case Study Of Jamaican Children's Lived Play Experiences, Carol Ann Long

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although research on children's play is abundant and considerable advances have been made in young children's play, the majority of these studies have been based in western developed countries and written from adults' perspectives rather than with children. Additionally, very little research has been done on children's play with active participants from smaller developing countries. The voices of society's youngest members have been lost or are only marginally represented.

The purpose of this qualitative research is to explore, understand, and describe young Jamaican children's lived play experiences as related through their eyes. The theoretical frameworks used to guide this study …

Translation, Adaptation And Invariance Testing Of The Teaching Perspectives Inventory: Comparing Faculty Of Malaysia And The United States, Jecky Misieng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As a result of growing attention in cross-cultural research, existing measurement instruments developed in one language are being translated and adapted for use in other languages and cultural contexts. The benefits of having the same instrument across cultures can only be realized if the process of translation and adaptation of the measurement instruments produces measurement operations that function similarly across national and cultural boundaries. Producing invariant measurement instruments that assess educational and psychological constructs provide a way of testing the cross-cultural generality of theories that include these constructs.

The major purposes of the study were to translate and adapt the …

The Relationship Of Undergraduate First-Time-In-College Students' Expectations Of Interactions With Faculty And Four-Year College Degree Completion, Craig N. Story

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Faculty are the academic heart of colleges and universities. They guide learning and facilitate student academic and social integration in the campus community. As described by Tinto, student integration is an important component to success in college. Out-of-class and in-class faculty-student interaction supports student integration and may lead to improved college completion. Students enter college with expectations for what they are about to experience, including expectations for faculty interaction. Smart adapted Holland's vocational choice theory to study college disciplines and found that faculty in six broad categories of disciplines displayed specific environmental and personality traits and interacted differently with students. …

Adolescent Literacy Practices And Positive Youth Development Through Fink's Taxonomy Of Significant Learning, Paula Taylor-Greathouse

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was not to disprove the effects of the current, common remedial literacy course design and the literacy practices within that help adolescent RLLs pass statewide assessment tests, but to describe the potential long-term impact of an innovative comprehensive approach to literacy (CAL) framed through an integrated course design model. In this study I sought to determine if the 2012 CAL design with a particular demographic of student produced "significant" or lasting learning as defined by Fink (2003). In other words, did the 2012 CAL design promote sustained or increased practices of literacy and PYD over …

A Comparative Perspective Of Black College Males On The Achievement Gap: Implications For School Counselors, Detra Bethell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dominant discourse regarding Black males in America is that they are less academically successful than European American males and Black females. Similarly, Black males in the Bahamas are described as less successful than Black Bahamian females. School Counselors are in a unique position to alter the trajectory of success for Black males if they are knowledgeable of factors contributing to Black male academic success; have an awareness of the potential impact their unique roles can have; and develop and execute comprehensive, culturally responsive school counseling programs. While there is little research on the Achievement Gap in the Bahamas, much …

Factors Prospective Students Consider When Selecting An Mba Program, Lorie Plyler Briggs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper adds to existing literature regarding MBA selection processes and helps identify and better understand the needs that motivate consumers to pursue an MBA degree. Through a series of qualitative, one-on-one interviews with 17 brand-new MBA students or prospective students, this research found that while many people have "always wanted" to earn the advanced degree, most have toyed with the idea of a graduate business degree for many years. The most frequent reasons that people cite regarding their decision to seriously consider an MBA at a large southern university centers around four desires. These are, not surprisingly, the desire …

Faculty Perceptions Of The Importance Of Internationalizing The General Education Curriculum In The Florida College System, Bonnie M. Clark

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of community college general education faculty members regarding their perceptions of the importance of internationalizing the general education curriculum and to what extent those perceptions are related to their attitudes toward globalization. The study further examined the degree to which faculty members perceive that they are incorporating the teaching of global competencies into their courses. Finally, the study looked at faculty members' perceptions of administrative support - both from the perspective of what they felt their college should be doing to support internationalization and what their college was actually doing …

The Relationship Among Career Thoughts, Optimism, And Spirituality In Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Levette Subraina Dames

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship of dysfunctional career thoughts, optimism, and spirituality on Bahamian women (n=212) diagnosed with breast cancer. Also, it examined how optimism mediates the relationship between spirituality and dysfunctional career thoughts. The diagnosis of breast cancer impacts women physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually, financially, and in their career development. Career developmental plans and decisions are continuously being made. However, plans may become altered and decisions more difficult to make when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer as she considers returning to work. The high survival rate of breast cancer patients indicates women may continue to work after …

A Warranted Domain Theory And Developmental Framework For A Web-Based Treatment In Support Of Physician Wellness, David Scott Donnelly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study employed a design-based research methodology to develop a theoretically sound approach for designing instructional treatments. The instruction of interest addressed the broad issue of physician wellness among medical school faculty, with particular emphasis on physician self-diagnosis and self-care. The theoretically sound approach comprised a domain theory and design framework. The domain theory was posited subsequent to an examination of the literature, and subjected to expert examination through three cycles of instructional treatment development. The design framework for crafting the treatment was created from components of existing frameworks, and evolved with the cycles of development. The instructional treatment was …

The Underrepresentation Of African American Women Faculty: A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Experiences Of Mcknight Doctoral Fellow Alumna Serving In The Professoriate, Dionne Jones Ferguson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While African American women have been participating in higher education for more than a century, they remain significantly underrepresented among college and university professors in America. This study was pursued in an attempt to address the underrepresentation of African American women faculty at public and private universities within the State of Florida. More importantly, the study aimed to examine the role of the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship program (MDFP) in assisting McKnight Doctoral Fellow alumna in doctoral degree attainment, preparing them for the professoriate and contributing toward their professional success. A phenomenological methodological approach was used for this study, which was …

Making A Difference In The Lives Of Students: Successful Teachers Of Students Of Color With Disabilities Or Who Are At-Risk Of Identification Of Disabilities At A High-Performing High-Poverty School, Tristan L. Glenn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban settings are described in scholarly literature as areas beset with high concentrations of poverty, high incidences of crime and violence, and are typically occupied by high percentages of people of color (McKinney, Flenner, Frazier, & Abrams, 2006; Mitcham, Portman, & Dean, 2009; Vera, 2011). For many children who live in low-income urban school districts, our educational system is failing them (McKinney, Flenner, Frazier, & Abrams, 2006). Swanson-Gehrke (2005) reported that at least two-thirds of these children fail to reach basic levels of achievement in reading. Such dismal achievement results may be attributed to a myriad of issues faced by …

Bayesian Estimation Of Panel Data Fractional Response Models With Endogeneity: An Application To Standardized Test Rates, Lawrence Kessler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I propose Bayesian estimation of a nonlinear panel data model with a fractional dependent variable (bounded between 0 and 1). Specifically, I estimate a panel data fractional probit model which takes into account the bounded nature of the fractional response variable. I outline estimation under the assumption of strict exogeneity as well as when allowing for potential endogeneity. Furthermore, I illustrate how transitioning from the strictly exogenous case to the case of endogeneity only requires slight adjustments. For comparative purposes I also estimate linear specifications of these models and show how quantities of interest such as marginal …

An Analysis Of Self-Directed Learning Of First-Year, First-Generation College Students, Patricia Lynne Linder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the reflective essays of first-year, first-generation college students for evidence of self-directed learning at the conclusion of their first semester at the university. A phenomenological qualitative method was employed and a content analysis rating rubric used to identify and code evidence related to four themes: Self Awareness, Decoding and Pattern Fit, Autonomy/Responsibility, and Academic Success.

The study findings indicated that first-year, first-generation college students have the capacity to take ownership of their learning in ways exemplified by self-directed learners. Participants demonstrated deep reflection and metacognition and their essays revealed unexpected student vulnerability …

Do Personality Tests Have A Place In Academic Preparation Of Undergradute Hospitality Students, Gunce Malan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a descriptive study that poses the questions and discussion regarding use of personality tests in prediction of future job performance of the current undergraduate hospitality students. A gap exists between the perception of the skills and competencies of high performers and the perception of hospitality students (Berezina et al., 2011; Malan, Berezina & Cobanoglu, 2012). The purpose of this study is to investigate if personality tests will help in predicting the success of students in their preferred job setting as compared to current high performers (managers).

The use of personality tests increased substantially after 1988, when the government …

Perceptual Responses To High-Intensity Interval Training In Overweight And Sedentary Individuals, Nicholas Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary aerobic exercise guidelines comprised of continuous durations and higher intensities have been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of risk factors associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has recently been examined as an advantageous protocol for producing more favorable physiological and psychological benefits in comparison to traditional continuous exercise guidelines. The dual-mode model, which examines the dose response relationship between exercise intensity and affective valence, would suggest that exercise performed well above the ventilatory threshold (VT) in the severe domain should result in negative affective valence.

Numerous investigations have confirmed …

Parent Pathways: Recognition And Responses To Developmental Delays In Young Children, Jennifer Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The importance of early recognition and intervention for developmental delays is increasingly acknowledged, yet high rates of under-enrollment and 1-3 year delays in entry to the public early intervention system continue. Much research has examined developmental screening in health and child care settings, but less well understood is what prompts parents to identify problems and seek help for their children. This mixed methods study rooted in the Health Belief Model and Social Support Theory examined child, parent, family, and community level factors related to parent recognition (awareness and concern) and response (help-seeking and enrollment in services), including formal and informal …

Development Of Novel Nano-Composite Membranes As Introduction Systems For Mass Spectrometers: Contrasting Nano-Composite Membranes And Conventional Inlet Systems, Luis Miranda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development of novel nano-composite membranes as introduction systems for mass spectrometers. These nano-composite membranes incorporate anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes as templates that can be used by themselves or modified by a variety of chemical deposition processes. Two types of nano-composite membranes are presented. The first nano-composite membrane has carbon deposited within the pores of an AAO membrane. The second nano-composite membrane is made by coating an AAO membrane with a thin polymer film. The following chapters describe the transmission properties these nano-composite membranes and compare them to conventional mass spectrometry introduction systems. The nano- composite …

Mapping Dissertation Genre Ecology, Kate Lisbeth Pantelides

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Though the pervasive rumor that the “traditional” dissertation persists because of the “I suffered, so they too should suffer” mentality — the professor revenge theory — students are often the ones eager to pin down writing genres so that they can master them. However, hopes to stabilize and thus capture the secret or equation of the dissertation genre are futile, since genres, like language, are alive: rhetorical, evolving, and flexible. Thus, to demonstrate the contemporary context of the dissertation genre, the conflicting perspectives of university stakeholders, the forces working on the genre to enact change, and the process by which …

Medication Monitoring In The Schools: An Investigation Of Current Practices Of Florida School Psychologists, Jason Hangauer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prevalence rates of youth prescribed psychotropic medications have risen dramatically over the past decade. Many of these medications are prescribed to treat symptoms of a disorder that occur in the school setting. Some medications have negative side effects that can inhibit academic and social performance. School psychologists have been identified as professionals who are equipped to assist in monitoring both the beneficial and negative effects of medications for youth attending school. This study investigated the practices, training, types of disorders for which medication monitoring occurs, facilitators, and barriers to school psychologists engaging in medication monitoring in the schools. Survey data …

Investigating The Status Of Early Numeracy Skills In Bilingual Dual Language Learner Latino Children Attending Head Start And The Association With Parent Demographic Characteristics, Chavely Lissette Iglesias

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on mathematics achievement has become increasingly important with today's technological advances and demand for specialized knowledge. Though there is much literature regarding mathematics achievement in monolingual speakers, little is known regarding the mathematical abilities of Dual Language Learner (DLL) Latino children. This study examined the early numeracy skills in English and Spanish of 132 DLL Latino children attending Head Start programs in five counties across Florida. Relationships and differences among their performance in both languages were examined, along with the contribution of specific parent demographic variables to math achievement. Findings indicated that DLL Latino Head Start children's performance on …

The Impact Of Arranging Music For The Large Ensemble On The Teacher: A Phenomenological Exploration, James Teodor Lindroth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of what arranging music in the large instrumental ensemble music setting came to mean to the teachers doing the arranging. Four secondary music teachers (N=4) were asked to create a musical arrangement for one of their school ensembles. Over a period of seven weeks, participants rehearsed their arrangement with their students. This study was guided by research on creative identity, the self, and various identity theories from the field of the social sciences. Data were collected by way of in depth semi-constructed interviews, field observations, and journals; and were …