Education Commons^™

A Pilot Study Of The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma Among Prisoners And The Types Of Crimes Committed By Those Prisoners, Kathleen M. Schaefer

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to examine the stories of childhood trauma of prisoners, the relationship between childhood traumas among prisoners, and the types of crimes committed by those prisoners as adults. Semi-structured interview data and field notes were collected from 24 post-conviction adult felony offenders between the ages of 18 and 65 who experienced at least one type of childhood trauma. The data were analyzed using Rosenthal and Fischer-Rosenthal’s (2004) analysis of narrative data.

The analysis revealed that the severity of childhood trauma may be linked with aggressive behavior, which may result in criminal activity such as crimes …

International Students' Identities And Thier Educational And Learning Trajectories, Suha Hamdan

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study explores international students’ identities and identity formation within social, educational, and imagined futures, and their study abroad journeys. I look into past, present and future contexts of international students. Qualitative analytic autoethnography and semi-structured interviews are the methodologies utilized. I explore my own experiences around identity and education as an international graduate student, as well as other participants’ experiences. Date were collected from six participants from six countries: China, India, Iran, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Thematic analysis was utilized. The findings revealed that these international students go through an identity journey, where they reflect on their past …

Stereotype Threat And Its Effect On Christian Women In Secular Higher Education Administration, Kimberly Morgan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Stereotype threat is a highly supported phenomenon in social psychology. It is the fear, whether consciously or subconsciously, that one will confirm within oneself a negative stereotype about one’s social or identity group, through poor performance or self-evaluation. This study attempts to determine if stereotype threat could be a contributor to the underrepresentation of women, and therefore Christian women, in higher education leadership. To investigate possible causes of this a set of surveys was completed. The first included questions regarding employment, race, religion, education, and politics. It was used to determine stratified samples for the second survey. The second survey’s …

Understanding Relationships Between Cultural Competency And Teacher Efficacy, Azra Ali

Wayne State University Dissertations

Advisor: Dr. Carolyn Shields

Major: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The teachers in the US classrooms are facing an unprecedented challenge of serving significantly large population of students who come from culturally and linguistically different backgrounds. These challenges are further exasperated because many teachers are not prepared to work with English Language Learners (ELLs) who have specific needs and require pedagogy that goes beyond content teaching. Therefore, many ELL students are not receiving the appropriate principles, practices and strategies necessary for them to succeed in the American classrooms. As the population of ELL students is steadily …

Understanding The Experiences Of Saudi Arabian Mothers Of Children With Autism In The United States, Basmah M. Alotaibi

Wayne State University Dissertations

This narrative research examines the experiences of five Saudi Arabian mothers of children with ASD who are living in the United States. Multiple interviews were used in qualitative research to learn more about the different experiences of these mothers. The purpose of the study was to learn about the participants’ experiences, including their stressors, beliefs, and thoughts about raising their children with ASD in a culture that is different from the one where they were raised.

Culture can shape mothers' attitudes and beliefs about raising children with disabilities. Saudi Arabian mothers living abroad are likely to observe different ways of …

A Comparative Study Of Kendall-Theil Sen, Siegel Vs Quantile Regression With Outliers, Ahmad Farooqi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Researchers in social and behavioral sciences usually interested in study the relationship between a response variable Y_i and one or more independent predictors〖 X〗_i either for the purpose of explanation or prediction. Ordinary Least Square Regression is a parametric approach used to study this kind of relationship. One of the disadvantages of Ordinary Least Square is it does not fit well in the presence of outliers in the response variable Y_i or both in the response variable Y_i and the predictor variable〖 X〗_i, also if the data were sampled from a non-normal distribution. Quantile Regression, Theil-Sen regression, and the modified …

Predicting Adolescent Academic Achievement: The Role Of Intrapersonal And Risk Behavior Factors, Stefanie Gill Scalcucci

Wayne State University Dissertations

There is a large body of research that shows moderate to strong correlations between academic achievement and various inter- and intra-personal variables. The aim of this study was to develop a model that explains the most variance and best predicts academic achievement in adolescence. Specifically, executive functioning, achievement goal orientation, academic self-efficacy, future orientation, and hope, from the cognitive domain, as well as school risk behaviors, social risk behaviors, loneliness, and mattering from the social domain were examined. Participants included 210 high school students (93 females, 117 males) from an agricultural school district in southeastern Michigan. In an aggregate model, …

Inferencing Reading Strategy Used To Improve Reading Comprehension Of Adult Esl Students, Nawal Abbas

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation examined the effects of the inferencing reading strategy using a emotionally charged instruction for students from countries who do not speak English as their first language. A quasi-experimental study applying quantitative research methods to collect data from the two sections of Level four Reading classes during a ten week period in the fall of 2017. There was one session of instructor coaching which lasted for four hours, a shared google document and several hours of telephone conversations. Lastly, the research observed four class sessions for the experimental group only. Students completed a pretest and a demographic survey in …

Individualized Learning Plans And Performance Measurement, Management, And Improvement In Premedical Post Baccalaureate Education, Leah Michelle Robinson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Medical performance, what a physician can do accurately, repeatedly, and consistently is more significant than what they know. “Regardless of training, experience, or education, roughly 7% to 28% of medical trainees will require remediation in the form of an individualized learning plan to achieve competence” (Guerrasio, Garrity, & Aagaard, 2014, p. 352). Very little research on remediation for medical students, trainees, fellows, or practicing physicians exists in the literature. The available research focuses on specific skill attainment but lacks a standard methodology for identifying 1) those who are not competent and, 2) remediation strategies necessary to close deficiencies (Hauer, Ciccone, …

Acclimating To The Mayhem: Field Training Officer's Perspectives Of New Police Recruits From A Problem Based Learning Academy, Steven Amey

Wayne State University Dissertations

Field Training Officers (FTO) are the first line of observation when a new police recruit enters the work force from a training academy setting. Interviews into this area of research with FTO’s is minimal at best, specifically if any differences are noticed by FTO’s between problem-based learning trained academy recruits and those that are from a non-problem based learning training academy environment. This research study focuses on the perceptions that FTO’s observed with training new police officers and specifically what was exemplar and what was non-exemplar when it came to observations from FTO’s of new police officers. A qualitative approach …

Sibling Victimization Predicted By Parent And Sibling Related Factors And Resilience As A Moderator Of Predicted School Engagement, Seth Roseman

Wayne State University Dissertations

The topic of bullying has been a focus of research for many decades. Largely conceptualized as a social phenomenon, research has been predominantly executed in the school or large group environments. More recent research has shifted the focus to the home environment. However, few studies have included both parent and sibling factors as predictors of victimization. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine correlations between victimization and perpetration at home and victimization and perpetration at school, (2) identify significant parent and sibling characteristics as predictors of sibling victimization, and (3) understand if resilience moderates the relationship between being …

Trailer Park Kids: An Ethnographic Study Of Identity Formation In An Affluent Suburban Middle School, Jeanne Marie Vanlaan

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was determining influences behind identity formation, social reproduction, and resistance of students residing in a local manufactured home community and attending a suburban majority White, middle-and upper-middle class middle school. Narratives from participants were included to assist in disseminating intersecting lives of students (the trailer park kids) with their parents and teachers. The lives of the trailer park kids at home and at school were portrayed. Research before this study focused on similar themes, but unique was examination of effects on students attending school as a minority by social class standing and their place of …

The Relationship Between Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Regarding Eco-Justice Issues Among Middle And High School Students In Eco-Schools In Puerto Rico, Elsie Aquino

Wayne State University Dissertations

The conservation, preservation, and protection of the environment are responsibilities that must be globally shared by human beings to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, 1987, p. 43). When citizens acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become agents of change, the lack of interconnectedness – a relationship to nature as one of dominion and control – that presently exists between humans and nature might subside (Winograd, 2016). Through the re-orientation of the present educational system and the development of curricula …

Comparison Of Readability Indices With Grades 1-5 Narrative And Expository Texts, Susan Beth Harden

Wayne State University Dissertations

The problem that exists when using one or more readability indexes to ascertain a text grade level is the varied outcomes received on any given text from readability indexes that purport to measure the same construct. This study aims to provide practitioners with data to make informed decisions regarding interchangeability of readability indexes. A total of n = 244 narrative (n = 116) and expository texts (n = 128) passages from grades 1-5 were evaluated using the following readability indexes: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Fry Graph, Spache, Dale-Chall, Gunning Fog, and Smog. Fifteen (15) comparison sets were analyzed using Bland-Altman method …

Parental Communication Style And Adolescent Intrapersonal Variables: Associations With Academic Achievement, Wafa Fatima Ali

Wayne State University Dissertations

The current study was an exploration of the role of the microsystem predictor of parental communication style as well as various intrapersonal factors on academic achievement. Previous research has not extensively explored the variable of parental communication style nor has it extensively studied the influence of this combination of variables on high school student’s academic achievement. Participants in this study were 226 high school students. The students were from schools in the mid-west. Goal orientation, parental communication style, and autonomy support emerged as factors, which significantly explained variance in student academic achievement. The demographic variables of school, ethnicity, and grade …

Me And My Homeboys: An Autoethnography On A Sense Of Belonging As A Detroit Latino Student, Juan Jose Martinez

Wayne State University Dissertations

ME AND MY HOMEBOYS: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY ON A SENSE OF BELONGING AS A DETROIT LATINO STUDENT

by

JUAN JOSE MARTINEZ

MARCH 2018

Advisor: Dr. Sandra Gonzales

Major: Curriculum and Instruction, Bilingual Bicultural Education

Degree: Doctor of Education

Using autoethnographic research for this study, I intimately explore my experiences in school as a Detroit Latino male and the relationship with my family, community, and school and how they intersected and helped me achieve academic success. I excavate the indigenous roots that characterizes my family’s way of knowing and explore how that foundation laid the ground work for the values that have …

Examining World Language Teachers' Maximized Target Language Use In The Teaching Of Novice Learners, Viviana Mirian Monica Muriel De Bonafede

Wayne State University Dissertations

Current research in second language acquisition and best practice recommendations for world language teaching emphasize to importance of maximized Target Language (TL) use in the classroom. The purpose of this mixed method sequential explanatory design was to examine maximized TL use in the classroom with novice learners via implementing effective strategies. Chapter 1 provides an understanding on current world languages perspectives in the United States and the increasing and ongoing shift from the traditional ways to teaching languages to more communicative, meaningful language education. Chapter 2 unpacks the main constructs of Vygostky’s SCT (1978), which is the theoretical perspective that …

Moving Toward Blended Learning: A Multiple Case Design Based Research Study In Higher Education, Ahmet B. Ustun

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this multiple case design-based research study was to determine what elements were needed to assist two higher education instructors inexperienced in designing and teaching a blended learning course to successfully create and implement it, to document the instructors’ perceptions about their first experience of teaching a blended learning course, and to reveal how this blended learning course influenced student satisfaction. The goal of the study was to iteratively design, develop, implement, evaluate and redesign a desired blended learning course based on constructivist design theory, cognitive learning theory, and ARCS motivational design theory over the three iterative phases. …

A Systematic Review: Incorporating Social Media Tools Into Language Learning, Dareen Alsulami

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study highlights a segment of a study that explores the incorporating the social media tools into language learning. These social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram...etc. have become such an intriguing social media that there is a growing need among educationalists, learners, and administrators to explore their impact and effectiveness in the field of language learning.

Objective: An updated systematic review was carried out of research studies looking at the incorporating of social media into language learning.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review on empirical research regarding the incorporating and effectiveness of social media into language …

Common Core State Standards’ Influences On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Instructional Practices For Students With Learning Disabilities, Tina O'Neal

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study uses survey data to assess the influences of Common Core State Standards on teacher self-efficacy. Participants in this study included African-American teachers (who taught at least one special education student) from an online network that hosts approximately 153,000 members from across the United States. A convenience sample of 156 teachers participated in the survey, and 124 participants met criteria.

The survey included the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale Survey. The survey was comprised of three subscales, which included Efficacy in Student Engagement, Efficacy in Instructional Strategy Practices, and Efficacy in Classroom Management. Demographic information was also collected.

A One-Way ANOVA …

The Effects Of Teaching Exponential Functions Using Authentic Problem Solving On Students’ Achievement And Attitude, Yamamah Sawalha

Wayne State University Dissertations

Most of the current mathematics education focuses on procedures and pays very little attention to conceptual understanding in many classrooms. NCTM (2000) called for improving students’ understanding to help improve their achievement. To help prepare students for the future, they need to be taught to value mathematics and realize that it is relevant to their lives. Students need to use their mathematical knowledge to solve real life problems. This can’t be achieved by focusing only on the procedures and expecting students to understand how to apply it to real life. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect …

Effects Of Work Physical Activity Culture And Basic Needs On Physical Activity Outcomes, Erica Marie Thomas

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Physical activity (PA) levels of adults are low, and workplaces have been identified as an ideal place to promote PA. Participation in workplace programs continues to be low. Self Determination Theory (SDT) has been used to guide both PA and workplace research, but not both together. Culture has been linked to workplace behaviors, but not PA behavior. The purpose of this study was to test SDT and examine if employee perceptions of the workplace PA culture have statistically significant effects on PA behavior and PA attitudes, as mediated by the three basic psychological needs. Methods: Both salaried (N= 237) …

Designers, Emotions, And Ideas: How Graphic Designers Understand Their Emotional Experiences Around Ideation, Alisa Hutchinson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research on the role of designers’ own emotions as an influence on design processes, outcomes, and professional identity is limited but indicates that these experiences may play a meaningful role in design, particularly around ideation processes. This phenomenographic study sought to investigate and identify critical variations in the ways that graphic designers understand their emotional experiences around ideation. Based on interviews with 15 graphic designers, seven distinct categories of understanding emerged. These included (1) goodness-of-fit between designer and project sets an emotional tone for ideation; (2) high arousal emotions are present during ideation but incidental; (3) high arousal emotions are …

Reliability And Validity Of An Arabic Translation Of Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (Ase) On Students At King Faisal University, Mohammed Fahad Almohazie

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF AN ARABIC TRANSLATION OF ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY SCALE (ASE) ON STUDENTS AT KING FAISAL UNIVERSITY

by

MOHAMMED F. AL MOHAZIE

May 2018

Advisor: Dr. Shlomo Sawilowsky

Major: Evaluation and Research

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Academic self-efficacy refers to a student’s confidence in successfully performing academic tasks at a designated level. Empirical research in US students suggests academic self-efficacy is a positive predictor of university student academic performance and retention, two outcomes that need to be increased in Saudi students. Given the potential predictive ability of academic self-efficacy on student academic performance and retention, a reliable and …

Using Social Media In Flipped Classrooms In Saudi Universities: Faculty Members' Experiences, Majed Abdallah Alharthi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Traditional education is no longer viable at the present time. In light of technological development and the adoption of a number of diverse technologies in the field of education, the student has become a vital element in learning through student-centered learning environments. Saudi universities are striving diligently to keep up with the technological development and the employment of modern trends in the educational process through the gradual merging of interactive learning methods or strategies, such as the flipped classroom, active learning, cooperative learning, etc. The flipped classroom plays an important role in enhancing the positive role of the learner during …

Competencies And Strategies Utilized By Higher Education Leaders During Planned Change, Dawn Aziz

Wayne State University Dissertations

In a mixed methods study designed to explore the competencies and strategies utilized by self-described successful leaders of public, four-year U. S. institutions, this study confirmed that there was little difference among academic and non-academic leaders in their approach to successful change beyond that found in terms of non-academic preference for resilience and an academic preference for personal learning. Both leaders (N=47) showed high agreement for the nine proposed competencies, five of which were statistically higher in perceived importance (personal learning, resilience, emotional engagement/creating a safe space, networking/coalition building, and project management). Adapting Bolman and Deal’s four frames (2013) as …

Speaking Through My Tears: A Critical Exploration Of Black Students’ And Parents’ Perceptions Of School Discipline, Charles Bell

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research shows African American students are disproportionately suspended and expelled in K-12 institutions throughout the United States due to zero tolerance policies. Additionally, several scholars argue the most restrictive school discipline policies were implemented in the state of Michigan. The purpose of this study is to investigate African American students' and parents' perceptions of school discipline in primarily black high schools to determine the following: a) How do black students and parents perceive school discipline, b) How do black students and parents perceive school safety measures, and c) How do black student and parent perceptions of school discipline differ by …

The Perceived Barriers And Facilitators Of Therapeutic Work With Arab Clients: Examining Therapists’ Attitudes Towards Stigma And Recovery From Mental Illness, Nadia Habhab

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the barriers and facilitators of working with Arab Americans in a treatment capacity from the perspective of the Arab American therapist. Participants were asked about the practice strategies as well as resources available to them when working with this unique population during a semi-structed face to face interview. The impact of stigma and recovery was also assessed. This research study employed a qualitative design approach to address the research questions. Participants were sampled from a community mental health center located within Metro- Detroit; one of the largest concentrations of Middle Eastern/Arab and Chaldean in the United States. …

Influential Factors In Consumer's Adoption Of Innovative Products, Mahdokht Kalantari

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the challenges involved with the process of diffusion of innovations in the contexts of innovative educational materials and technological innovations.

Chapters 2 and 3 discuss building and using Online Brand Communities (OBCs) to disseminate innovative math educational materials. OBCs are known to be important platforms where consumers can communicate with the brand as well as other consumers. Through the effective use of these platforms, brands could accelerate the process of diffusion of their innovations. However, OBCs will not survive if consumers do not get engaged and participate in these communities. The purpose of this section of the …

Computer Assisted Language Learning For Spanish Oral Proficiency, May Ritta Bluestein

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING FOR SPANISH ORAL PROFICIENCY

by

MAY RITTA BLUESTEIN

December 2017

Advisor: Dr. Jazlin Ebenezer

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

This three-article five-chapter dissertation is focused on improving high school students’ Spanish oral proficiency through computer assisted language learning (CALL) voice-recordings, and examining the effect of the intervention on foreign language anxiety and integrative motivation. The main goals of the study as a whole were to (1) investigate students’ CALL voice-recordings to determine students’ Spanish oral proficiency development, (2) identify significant differences between the experimental and control group in terms of Spanish oral …