Education Commons^™

A Descriptive Analysis Of Quality Online Practices As Perceived By West Virginia Higher Education Faculty, Michael H. Murphy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent West Virginia higher education faculty agree their online courses reflect high quality practices, as identified by the literature, for teaching in an online educational environment. The identified high quality practices are: (a) support, (b) collaboration and teamwork, (c) flexibility, (d) feedback, (e) assessment, and (f) adult learning techniques. This was a non-parametric study that incorporated measures of central tendency and the Kruskal Wallace test for significance to analyze the data. The instrument used in this research was a cross-sectional, self-reporting survey, titled the Survey of Online Educational Practices. The participants …

Results Of The Accreditation Process To Guide Postsecondary Certificate-Granting Institution Improvement, Sherri E. Nash

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research gaps exist in knowledge about postsecondary certificate-granting institutions, as well as results of accreditation processes. This qualitative study focuses on national accreditation results that can: 1) define strengths and improvement areas in these institutions; 2) determine why action is taken or not taken on accreditation recommendations; and 3) identify results, strengths, and challenges of accreditation. This research base can guide improvements in these institutions and the North Central Association – Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) process. The population was 125 accredited schools in ten states, representing 96% of all NCA CASI accredited public, postsecondary institutions. Methods …

A Study Of Persistence Factors Of Nontraditional Students Enrolled In Noncredit Information Technology Programs In The Advantage Valley Community College Consortium, Steven L. Brown

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As continuing education divisions of college’s noncredit programs assume a greater role to help develop workforce job skills, it is important to understand what factors affect student persistence. There have been no studies on nontraditional student persistence in noncredit information technology training programs. This study examined non-traditional students enrolled in noncredit information technology (IT) programs in the Advantage Valley Consortium in the state of West Virginia. The study was conducted to determine if the demographic factors that were identified in the literature as adversely affecting non-traditional students pursuing credit programs of study also affected students enrolled in noncredit IT programs …

A Study Of West Virginia Teachers: Using 21st Century Tools To Teach In A 21st Century Context, Deborah D. Clark

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Technology integration is reinforced not only by the National Educational Technology Standards but also the West Virginia Technology Standards, making teachers more accountable to use technology in their daily teaching practice. Because West Virginia has established a partnership with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, West Virginia teachers are being encouraged to change instruction to meet the needs of 21st century learners. This includes being more student-centered by integrating instructional technologies to more actively engage students. By determining the frequency of integration of 21st century technology tools to create a 21st century context for learning and the factors that influence …

A Descriptive Analysis Of The Perceived Importance And Use Of Scientific Research-Based Instructional Strategies Among West Virginia Teachers, Cheryl D. Belcher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study was designed to examine the perceived importance and extent of use of scientific research-based instructional strategies among West Virginia teachers. Specifically, the study investigated the extent to which perceived importance and frequency of use of scientific research-based instructional strategies differ between highly qualified teachers and non-highly qualified teachers. The core of the research was focused on ten scientific research-based instructional strategies identified by the MidContinental Regional Educational Laboratory. Participants were asked to complete a researcher-designed survey, the Instructional Strategies Inventory, to rate perceived importance and frequency of use for each of the ten strategies. The population for this …

Reading Matters : A Case Study Of A Community Volunteer Tutoring Program, Leslie Clayberger Haynes

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The objective of this qualitative research was to study through a phenomenological approach Reading Matters, a community volunteer reading program to determine if students are demonstrating improvement, to uncover the characteristics of the program and the tutoring techniques used by volunteers, and to create a potential model by which administrators can design volunteer tutoring programs for other schools. One coordinator, one principal, eight classroom teachers, three volunteers, and five students participated in the study. Conclusions drawn indicate that the volunteer tutoring program was successful for the students not only for academic results but also for the mentoring relationship that the …

Students’ Assessment Of Biology Education At Marshall University, Chris A. Barker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis research was to evaluate the quality of scientific education offered in the College of Science’s Department of Biology at Marshall University. The objectives of this study were to emphasize the important aspects of higher education assessment, point out that a scientifically literate citizenry is imperative for society to function effectively, and to determine what factors contribute to differences among students with regard to their perception of the quality of scientific education they are receiving at Marshall. A survey questionnaire was administered to students in eleven biological science courses during the Fall semester of 2003 and …

Faculty Perceptions Of The Effects Of Student Evaluations Of Teaching On Higher Education Instructional Practices And Instructor Morale, Annette Rashid Gall

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The perceived consequences of student evaluations of teaching (SET) on higher education instructional practices and instructor morale were investigated. Participants were randomly selected from the 2002-2003 faculty of West Virginia’s eight public colleges, n= 274. The researcher developed self-report survey, the Gall Faculty Response to Evaluations of Teaching (FRET), was inspired by research literature. Research questions investigating the relationship between four independent variables and perception of changes in instructional practices were significant indicating that faculty consider information from student evaluations when changing teaching strategies. Research questions investigating the relationship between four independent variables and perception of changes in instructor morale …

The Effect Of Student Satisfaction On Freshman Retention In Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Programs, Valerie W. Herzog

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Student retention is an issue facing higher education administrators that cannot be ignored. Program directors of athletic training education programs (ATEP) must become aware of the factors which influence retention and develop strategies to reduce attrition. Because the majority of attrition occurs during the freshman year, the focus of retention programs should be on the first year of the students’ college experience. To better understand why they persist in undergraduate ATEPs, freshman students (n = 603) were surveyed to determine their level of satisfaction with various aspects of the program as well as whether or not they chose to apply …

Students' Perception Index Of The Mugc School Psychology Practicum : A Correlation Of Course Work With Practicum Experiences, C. Lee Chandler Iii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The perceived consistency between the course work and practicum of the Marshall University Graduate College school psychology program was investigated. The magnitude of consistency was determined by a Spearman correlation coefficient comparing students’ subjective rankings of the relative importance of various school psychologist activities as emphasized in the program’s course work with the relative importance of those same activities as relevant to the practicum setting. The findings suggest a significant degree of correlation at the (.05) significance level between what is emphasized in the program’s coursework and what is relevant to practicum experience.

Profile Of A Distributed Learning Curriculum For Adult Education As Perceived By Students, Taella M. Hill

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine distributed learning in higher education. It was also the intention of this study to describe the profiles of graduate students opting to utilize the delivery modes associated with distributed learning and to assess their overall satisfaction with their experiences. Findings indicated that given options, students are more likely to select methods of instruction best suited to their particular needs. The qualitative data obtained through the study revealed a need for institutions to consider student feedback when making decisions on the direction their distributed learning programs will take in the future.

Evaluation Of The School Psychology Program At Marshall University Graduate College, Mary L. Winters

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research evaluates the structure, purpose, and efficiency of the School Psychology Program at Marshall University Graduate College and will be utilized as baseline research for further measures of program efficiency and accountability. This study investigates the satisfaction levels and opinions of the student population, including all current and recent students who have graduated from the program. The methods of data collection were a survey, developed primarily from the goals and objectives of the program, and telephone interviews. The information requested in these methods was structured to provide both qualitative and quantitative data. Frequency analysis of the data resulted in …

Holistic Approaches In A Secondary Discipline-Based Art Education Curriculum, Jennifer Hicks Limle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The primary objective of this study is to examine the possible advantages of incorporating the principles and strategies of whole language to a secondary art education curriculum. Reading, or the process of decoding symbols, is an integral part of the learning process. It is particularly pertinent to the three academically oriented components of Discipline-Based Art Education: art criticism, art history, and the study of aesthetics. The holistic strategies promoted by the whole language movement, may be characterized by an emphasis on written responses and experience-oriented, student-centered curriculum. This approach is expected to enhance the DBAE curriculum.

The possibility that primary …

An Advocacy Coalition Approach To A Study Of The Politics Of Education In Tennessee, Patricia Ehle Ceperley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This was an instrumental case study that examined the extent to which the politics of education in Tennessee that resulted in the passage of the Education Improvement Act of 1992 and related tax increases conformed to the assumptions of the Advocacy Coalition Framework as articulated by Sabatier. The framework viewed education policy change as the result of the interaction of (a) competing advocacy coalitions within a policy subsystem over a decade or more, (b) changes that are external to the policy subsystem, and the (c) effects of stable system parameters.

The researcher used a snowballing technique to identify 12 key …

Predicting Student Success In College Using Stepwise Multiple Regression, Richard Edward Cerullo

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The problem was to determine the feasibility of predicting a student's success specific college, on the basis of data available at the time of the student's admission to the college. In addition to considering the development of a regression equation which could be applied to the data of any undergraduate entering the college, the feasibility of developing a statistically significant prediction equation at the school and major level was also examined.

The study was carried out in the following manner. Stepwise multiple regression was used on the admissions data of the graduating class of the 1978-1979 academic year. The cumulative …

Enrichment And Reorganization Of The Kellogg School Library, Kenneth Adkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

For several decades it had been recognized that the American school had been changing from a classical school with a select student body and a narrow curriculum, into a large public school with varying abilities, interests and offerings. It had been recognized that the need for children's literature had become more acute than ever before. Kellogg School is structuring and carrying out a long-range plan for a better education for boys and girls, had established a philosophy of teaching and learning and had set out general and specific goals. In order that the teaching and learning be congenial with the …