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Full-Text Articles in Education
A Hidden Culture Of Carelessness: A Comparative Qualitative Study Of Gender Inequality And Its Implications For African American And South African Black Women Higher Education Administrators, Dawn S. Singleton
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and compare the lived and career experiences of Black women higher education administrators in the United States and South Africa. This comparative study elucidated the women’s experiences while giving voice to Black women, whose experiences and status are often further marginalized under new managerial practices. This research used the theoretical lenses of intersectionality and carelessness, a new managerial practice within higher education, to uncover the challenges, opportunities, and contexts experienced by these women within gendered, racialized organizational structures and practices. A major finding of the research is that Black women shared …
Self-Authorship: A Teaching Approach During The After-School Community Program, Fatjona Lubonja
Self-Authorship: A Teaching Approach During The After-School Community Program, Fatjona Lubonja
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of integrating self-authorship pedagogy applied to a younger population. Integration of a self-authorship program during an after-school community program examined the self-authorship pedagogy approach following the developmental theory designed by Baxter Magolda (1999, 2001). Much of previous research in self-authorship was influenced by college student population. There was a literature gap on self- authorship theory applied to younger age population. This research investigated students' responses to the self-authorship program, the impact self-authorship had on students' learning, the impact self-authorship had on after-school programs, and my leadership throughout the research. The …
Math Anxiety And Attitudes In Pre-Service Elementary Teachers, Kelly Jackson
Math Anxiety And Attitudes In Pre-Service Elementary Teachers, Kelly Jackson
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was twofold. First, I identified the attitudes held by pre-service elementary teachers, investigated whether the attitudes could be improved and anxieties reduced, and determined if there was evidence that long-lasting changes in attitudes were achieved. Second, I evaluated my own leadership to see what styles I practiced both inside of, and outside of the classroom. Data was collected through an attitudes questionnaire, student journal data, student interviews, student surveys, and my own journal. Students did show negative attitudes and high anxiety that seemed mitigated by classroom activities. My leadership style in the classroom was primarily …
Student Voice: A Qualitative Case Study Of Teachers' Conceptions In A New Jersey Urban High School, Matin Adegboyega
Student Voice: A Qualitative Case Study Of Teachers' Conceptions In A New Jersey Urban High School, Matin Adegboyega
Theses and Dissertations
"Student voice" is a metaphor for active student engagement and participation in issues that matter to their learning and schooling experiences (Student Achievement Division, 2013). The exclusion of student voice in urban education raises the question about what opportunity exists for students to express their opinions on matters that affect them in schools. Urban education has a culture that is ripped apart by chronic absenteeism, low graduation rates, high dropout rates, school violence, and poor academic performance (Steinberg & McCray, 2012; Rodriguez, 2008). If reforms are truly to address these challenges, in what facets of schooling and learning do teachers …
Gender Advantage? A Case Study Of Male Nursing Students At A New Jersey Community College, Kathleen Michell
Gender Advantage? A Case Study Of Male Nursing Students At A New Jersey Community College, Kathleen Michell
Theses and Dissertations
Nurses face many challenges in the health care arena. However, male nursing students face a unique set of challenges in a female dominated profession. Limited research looks to understand the male student perspective and success. This qualitative, case study explored the success of male nursing students at a Community College in Northern New Jersey. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews took place with the male nursing students in their second year of the program. Three main themes were identified including gender advantage, male students find that their gender provides an advantage in the classroom and clinical settings; encouragement and support, the …
Community College Transfer Student Identity, Development And Engagement: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach, Sheri Rodriguez
Community College Transfer Student Identity, Development And Engagement: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach, Sheri Rodriguez
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to explore community college transfer student identity, development, and engagement at four-year institutions due to the lack of literature in these areas. Relational maps and interview questions were crafted as part of the research design to explore meaning making, painting a holistic picture of the population's experiences at four-year institutions and taking into account the intersections between identity, development, and engagement. Twenty five (n=25) participants were interviewed from two four-year institutions located on the eastern seaboard until data saturation was reached. Findings revealed three theories, suggesting that community college transfer students …
Principals' Outlooks On Suspension Based On Socioeconomic Status, Gender, Years Of Experience, And School Type, Jennifer Ohara
Principals' Outlooks On Suspension Based On Socioeconomic Status, Gender, Years Of Experience, And School Type, Jennifer Ohara
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to explore socioeconomic status within a school district, the years of experience, school type, and gender of a principal, supervisor, or disciplinarian and the effect that these variables would have on their attitude toward suspension. According to previous research done by Dr. Russell Skiba of Indiana University, high rates of suspension have been due to racial identity. Even after controlling for poverty status, racial disparities do not disappear (Skiba, Michael, & Nardo, 2000). After wanting to understand more on suspension and its future in schools, this study explored the attitudes that principals, supervisors, and …
What Motivates Middle School Students To Become Better Writers?, Julie Mahoney
What Motivates Middle School Students To Become Better Writers?, Julie Mahoney
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research study is to examine and evaluate adolescents' perspectives on academic writing and investigate ways in which a teacher can motivate these students to become better writers. Common Core curriculum was used along with collaborative, technology-based and independent writing tasks in which students learned how to identify their writing motivations in a variety of writing tasks. Qualitative inquiry strategies such as student surveys, student written work and observations were used to collect data. The data revealed that the students were motivated by writing assignments in which they knew they would present to the class and receive …
My Sisters Myself: Exploring The Health And Wellness Practices Of African American Women, Carmen Alexis
My Sisters Myself: Exploring The Health And Wellness Practices Of African American Women, Carmen Alexis
Theses and Dissertations
African American women contribute disproportionately to disease in the United States. Researchers have repeatedly turned to issues related to poverty, access to medical care, and stress to explain this syndrome, however studies have shown that the disparities persist even in the absence of poverty and impaired access. Stress remains a constant in every discussion of disease in African American women, but what is it that fuels their particular brand of stress and how does it impact the health of African American women? The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the perceptions held by African American women in …
Culture Of Collaboration: Professional Learning Communities And Collaborative Coaching, Ashley Power
Culture Of Collaboration: Professional Learning Communities And Collaborative Coaching, Ashley Power
Theses and Dissertations
What effect does cognitive coaching have on the work of a professional learning community? Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in my district can be unfocused and unproductive. This may be due to the lack of collaboration and a culture of isolation among staff within the district. Self-reflection in the form of Cognitive Coaching may be one way to encourage colleagues to become more collaborative. If a culture of collaboration and support develops, this may have an effect on PLC meetings. The research portion of this study was conducted over a span of approximately six weeks. Methods for conducting this study included …
Teachers' Reflections On Their Professional Development School Clinical Internship Experience: A Case Study Of Novice Teachers, Lindsay Mccarron
Teachers' Reflections On Their Professional Development School Clinical Internship Experience: A Case Study Of Novice Teachers, Lindsay Mccarron
Theses and Dissertations
The following dissertation is a case study delving into the experiences of former interns who completed their clinical practice in a Professional Development School (PDS) and how their teacher preparation impacted their beliefs and practices during their initial in-service years as full-time teachers. The emphasis of this project were the perceptions of two Chelsea PDS former interns whom have successfully completed their internships and are engaged in full-time teaching as second and fourth year educators. Also central to the research agenda was an examination of the impact of the experience within a Professional Development School, based upon the Professional Development …
Stimulating Diversity Outcomes? A Multicase Study Exploring Entrepreneurial Architecture And Storytelling In Higher Education Institutions, Noel Criscione-Naylor
Stimulating Diversity Outcomes? A Multicase Study Exploring Entrepreneurial Architecture And Storytelling In Higher Education Institutions, Noel Criscione-Naylor
Theses and Dissertations
There is limited research that explores the relationship between entrepreneurial architecture and diversity and its significance to the university and in higher education (Morris, 2010; Nelles & Worley, 2011; Nelles & Worley, 2010). This qualitative, multicase study explored how entrepreneurial architecture and storytelling by administrators contributes to university diversity agendas by investigating the linkages between entrepreneurial structure, process, and strategies and institutional diversity outcomes at two, New Jersey, public, four-year institutions. Semi-structured interviews took place with 12 administrators in which the characteristics of entrepreneurial architecture and storytelling at the universities was evident. Three main themes were identified including diverse voices, …
An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Community College Entrepreneurial Orientation, Enrollment Management Orientation, And Performance, Bhavesh Bambhrolia
An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Community College Entrepreneurial Orientation, Enrollment Management Orientation, And Performance, Bhavesh Bambhrolia
Theses and Dissertations
Community colleges are facing new economic realities in the midst of growing demand for accountability. To meet these challenges, college leaders take a strategic posture rooted in an entrepreneurial behavior. However, the relationship between entrepreneurialism and overall performance in a community college setting remained a gap in the existing body of literature. The purpose of this survey research was to explore the relationship between community college entrepreneurial orientation, enrollment management orientation, and performance. The study measured entrepreneurial orientation using a modified instrument, and enrollment management orientation was measured from a newly developed item set. Lastly, an objective measure of performance …
The Student-Teacher Relationship In A One-To-One Technology Classroom: A Case Study, Kevin Higgins
The Student-Teacher Relationship In A One-To-One Technology Classroom: A Case Study, Kevin Higgins
Theses and Dissertations
This embedded case study explores the student-teacher relationship in a one-to-one technology environment. The actual change in relationship from the traditional classroom to a one-to-one classroom was examined. The author considered the perspective of four classroom teachers and 207 high school students at a suburban public high school in New Jersey. The case study research utilized teacher interviews, classroom observations, student surveys and a student focus group. The author uses the self-system theory of motivation, and the three characteristics of autonomy, relatedness and competency, as a theoretical framework. The research determined that there was a notable change in the relationship …
Preparing For Change: An Examination Of An Urban School's Extra-Curricular Activities And Professional Learning Communities In Creating A Culture Ready For Change, Linda Brown-Bartlett
Preparing For Change: An Examination Of An Urban School's Extra-Curricular Activities And Professional Learning Communities In Creating A Culture Ready For Change, Linda Brown-Bartlett
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this action research study is to examine the use of extra-curricular activities and professional learning communities to create a school culture ready for academic change. This unique approach to implementing change, in a historically failing urban middle school, utilizes a two pronged approach focusing on personalizing strategies specific to the school based on student and staff expressed needs. The study takes place at Sonia Middle School located in the United States' fifth most dangerous and impoverished city, Bartlett, New Jersey. Numerous academic reform models have failed to improve teaching and learning. The researcher hypothesizes these programs failed …
Secondary School Counselors' Identification Of Strategies For Meeting The Needs Of High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Students Placed In The General Education Program, Sandra Griffin
Theses and Dissertations
The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder has resulted in more children being educated in the general education setting resulting in concern about their educational experience. School counselors as advocates, leaders, and collaborators in schools have special training and skills to educate and assist teachers design more effective and useful strategies. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine what secondary school counselors identified as the issues and challenges they experienced when working with students diagnosed with HFASD, the strategies they employed to assist these students, the strategies counselors utilized to collaborate with parents and teachers, and the …
The Effects Of External Controls On Teachers' Development Of Technology Competencies In An Economically Disadvantaged District, Oscar Rodriguez
The Effects Of External Controls On Teachers' Development Of Technology Competencies In An Economically Disadvantaged District, Oscar Rodriguez
Theses and Dissertations
Exponential growth in technological innovations has changed the dynamics of global economic competition. These changes have redefined the relationships between economy and education, which has redirected national and state interest toward the development of human capital within public schools to meet the demands of a new knowledge-based economy (Martens, Rusconi, & Leuze, 2007; Sahlberg, 2006). This study will explore the effects of external controls on education as they affect reform policies, the technical core of teaching and learning, and teachers' development of technology competencies at an elementary school level within a socioeconomically disadvantaged setting. The study will attempt to determine …
Faith Capital: A Persistence Study Of Two Student Learning Communities At A Northeastern Community College, David Edwards
Faith Capital: A Persistence Study Of Two Student Learning Communities At A Northeastern Community College, David Edwards
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this embedded single-case study is to explore and better understand what social and institutional factors account for the success or lack of success in developing, delivering, and sustaining learning communities in support of at-risk, underprepared students enrolled at the community college where the research was conducted. Towards that end, theories of social capital, social justice education, and emergent organizational strategies are aligned with practitioner perspectives in an examination of two student learning community initiatives at the college. Faith capital (Hanson, 2001) is a secular notion aligned with the principles of social capital as an integrative locus for …
Community College Presidents: Perceptions Of Leadership Demands And Competencies, Paula Adelhoch
Community College Presidents: Perceptions Of Leadership Demands And Competencies, Paula Adelhoch
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to explore community college presidents' perceptions of the demands and competencies of leadership at the community college presidential level. The study focused on the experiences of four sitting community college presidents to understand their perceptions of leadership at the presidential level. The study employed qualitative research and case study methodology. Interviews were conducted at the participants' respective college campus, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. A demographic questionnaire was also provided to the participants. Once the interviews were completed and other supportive data collected, a thematic analysis of the responses was conducted to generate potential …
Middle School Plunge: A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring 6th Grade Students' Perceptions Of Their Transition To Middle School Experiences And Its Influences On School Achievement And Performance For Urban Youth, Lakecia Hyman
Theses and Dissertations
Minority students from inner cities care greatly about their education and want to be successful in school (Corbett & Wilson, 2002). This mixed-methods study sought to explore the correlation between urban students' perceptions of their middle school transitional experiences and The Middle School Plunge academic decline phenomenon that impacts minority youth once they move into 6th grade (West & Schwerdt, 2012). Some researchers on the topic assert that middle school grade configurations influence student achievement outcomes and that students who remain in K-8 settings outperform their peers who attend stand-alone 6th-8th grade middle schools (Carrell & Hoekstra, 2009; Jacobs, 2012; …
The Impact Of A Standardized Participant Simulation Learning Experience On The Critical Thinking Disposition Of Undergraduate Health Administration Students., Fred Dicostanzo
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this action research study was (a) to observe the impact of simulation on the critical thinking disposition of undergraduate students in a health administration program, and (b) to observe faculty perceptions of the efficacy of simulation as a training and evaluative tool for undergraduate students in a health administration program. The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) was used to measure critical thinking disposition in an experimental group of subjects before and after a simulation, and in a control group of subjects who did not undergo simulation. The experimental group scored higher on the post-test CCTDI than …
A Qualitative Study: Student Mothers' Perceptions Of Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Advisory Groupings In Secondary Settings, Vanessa Pellington
A Qualitative Study: Student Mothers' Perceptions Of Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Advisory Groupings In Secondary Settings, Vanessa Pellington
Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative research study explored the perceptions of young student mothers in high school regarding their experiences in homogeneous advisory groupings as compared to heterogeneous advisory groupings. An extensive review of the literature revealed a gap in research regarding the grouping methods for non-academic classes, such as advisory program groupings (Benson & Poliner, 2013; Galassi, et al., 1998; Hallam, et al., 2004; Song, et al., 2009; Weilbacher & Lanier, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative research study was to add to the body of knowledge that addresses the types of advisory grouping students perceive best meet their needs. In this …
Examining The Underlying Currents Of High School Girls' Perceived Stem Self-Efficacy And Science Course Options: A Mixed Methods Study, Jill Patterson
Examining The Underlying Currents Of High School Girls' Perceived Stem Self-Efficacy And Science Course Options: A Mixed Methods Study, Jill Patterson
Theses and Dissertations
Increased demands for a STEM-literate workforce have emerged in response to sustainability issues that threaten human welfare. A workforce capable of addressing such issues would need to be competent, have an understanding of Earth as a system and related physical science principles, and available, be willing to pursue such fields. Workforce concerns about contributors' competency and availability are further fueled by students' persisting underachievement in science and women's underrepresentation in STEM degrees and careers. While New Jersey students, in comparison to other states, are achieving in science, girls remain underrepresented in physical sciences. From a feminist lens of social cognitive …
Exploring The Impact Of Group Work On Communication Apprehension For Business Students, Cynthia Vieth
Exploring The Impact Of Group Work On Communication Apprehension For Business Students, Cynthia Vieth
Theses and Dissertations
Group work can have an impact on the experiences that students have in college. Specifically, working in groups can help students lower their level of public speaking anxiety. The purpose of this study was to determine how a group public speaking assignment can impact the overall level of public speaking anxiety experienced by business students in a required oral communication course. Two established and widely-used instruments, the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24), were used to establish students' level of communication apprehension. In addition, two supplemental surveys were developed to collect …
Faculty Expectations And Perceptions Of Writing At A Community College, Lynn Kraemer-Siracusa
Faculty Expectations And Perceptions Of Writing At A Community College, Lynn Kraemer-Siracusa
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this multi-method qualitative study was to determine the nature and extent of any gaps that exist between the writing skills faculty members across disciplines at a community college expect their students to utilize in intermediate-level writing intensive courses, their perceptions of the students' general ability to demonstrate those skills, and the importance of the learning outcomes of the two semesters of FYC courses. The faculty members identified a majority of the FYC learning outcomes as having some level of importance to their courses across disciplines. In addition, the directions for the writing assignments used by these faculty …
Undocumented Hispanic Students And The Postsecondary Transition: A Narrative Perspective, Alfred Trafford
Undocumented Hispanic Students And The Postsecondary Transition: A Narrative Perspective, Alfred Trafford
Theses and Dissertations
Undocumented students transition to college in extremely low numbers due to a high degree of marginalization, inequity in access to higher education, and constitutional confusion regarding federal and state issues of supremacy and inferiority in immigration, tuition, and financial aid policies. Such students must contend not only with traditional challenges of teenagers in high school "including identity and development concerns and academic and social pressures" but also with the issue of not being in the United States legally. A narrative strategy of inquiry was used to collect, analyze, and interpret data from extensive participant interviews and a research journal; the …
Socially Promoted Students' Lived Experience Of Transition Into High School, Anthony Hadzimichalis
Socially Promoted Students' Lived Experience Of Transition Into High School, Anthony Hadzimichalis
Theses and Dissertations
Educational leaders nationwide cannot decisively agree on a preference for either social promotion or grade retention. Throughout history varied opinions have stimulated divergent public policy and practice. The longstanding divergence becomes understandable in light of consistently inconclusive achievement results. Nevertheless, social promotion and grade retention are commonly practiced in a number of New Jersey Public Schools. This study will undertake qualitative research into student experiences of social promotion. It will strive to understand the factors that contribute to some low achieving students passing later grades on merit while others continue to fail. Given this inconsistency of outcome, it is fitting …
Nurturing Young Learners In Practice: A Case Study Of Key Teacher Dispositions That Support Child Centered Practice In An Urban Preschool Environment, Lorraine Ricchezza
Nurturing Young Learners In Practice: A Case Study Of Key Teacher Dispositions That Support Child Centered Practice In An Urban Preschool Environment, Lorraine Ricchezza
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation examines an educator's disposition to positively impact children's cognitive and social emotional development in the preschool setting as evidenced in child centered practices that arouse curiosity, foster social interaction, and promote children's learning as expressed in interpersonal interactions that affirm differences among young children in an urban preschool setting. Through examination and interpretation, this study delineates educator perspectives on child differences and reciprocal relationships as integral to developmentally appropriate practice. Seven female educators at the ABC Elementary School in Urban City, New Jersey participated in this study. This study involved key data sources. During 8 months of data …
How A Secondary School As An Organization Defines And Embeds The Term College Readiness, Michele Critelli
How A Secondary School As An Organization Defines And Embeds The Term College Readiness, Michele Critelli
Theses and Dissertations
With the many reforms and initiatives regarding college readiness, understanding how organizations use rhetoric to determine and define what college readiness is and what it looks like can either reinforce dominant institutional structures and practices, or create new definitions and understanding leading to institutional change. Through a rhetorical framework (Alvesson, 1993), members of an organization are not only conformists but also strategic agents who through the use of rhetoric construct and shape knowledge and institutional life. A case study was conducted of one secondary high school that included administrators and teachers who work within the context of college readiness. Through …