Education Commons^™

Articulation Trends In Allied Health Programs, Felicia M. Toreno

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

The educational environment emphasizes student access to instructional opportunities. Many health programs are located in community colleges or hospitals, and in order to advance educational status, students must be able to transfer credits between multiple educational institutions. Unfortunately, programs are not uniform and many fields of study are guided by strict accreditation regulations. These conflicting requirements often make transfer for students cumbersome. Transfer pathways are often considered by institutions on a program by program basis. This research was designed to analyze the existing pathways present in urban Virginian allied health programs in order to establish trends in articulation. These instructional …

Motivation And Performance In Computer Science: Test Of An Integrative Theory, Katherine A. Selgrade

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design and empirically test a parsimonious integrative motivation theory. The theory integrates aspects of expectancy theory, social cognitive theory, goal-setting theory, and commitment theory. The theory was tested with 170 undergraduate, students in an introductory computer science (CS) course.

The study tested relationships among the following variables: CS self-efficacy, mathematics ability, affective commitment to the CS class, goal orientation, effort, and performance. The study also tested the interactive effects of effort and ability on performance. Structural equation modeling was used to test the measurement model and a series of nested structural models. Findings …

The Influence Of Color On The Teaching Of Juggling To Elementary School Children, Anne C. Mccoy

Human Movement Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Learning to juggle is difficult for elementary school students; it involves eye-hand coordination and complex movement patterns. Recognizing and using color for figure- and-ground visual perception is a necessary skill for tracking moving objects to catch them effectively. Can juggling instruction be influenced by the color of the juggling object used? Is one color more effective than another or does a combination of three different colors provide the most effective equipment choice?

Children in third, fourth, and fifth grade physical education classes were randomly assigned to color choices for juggling objects in a month-long unit of juggling instruction. The choices, …

The Influences Of Interaction On The Satisfaction, Achievement, And Retention Of Developmental Community College Students, Elizabeth Copeland Wilmer

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social and academic interaction, demographic characteristics, social and academic adjustment, and learning communities on the satisfaction, achievement, and retention of developmental English community college students.

The literature presented discusses the retention theories of Tinto, Astin, and Bean and their overlapping ideas on persistence. A common thread among these theories is the role of academic and social interaction on the personal development, satisfaction, achievement, and retention of students. Learning communities represent one academic structure that has proven effective in increasing the level of academic and social interaction. Unfortunately, the existing …

Teachers' Education And Training Factors And Their Influence On Formative Assessment Processes, William Clark Reed

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study sought to identify factors in teachers' education and training that may be associated with their capacity to use formative testing to inform instruction and, ultimately, improve their students' achievement. This research involved the identification of teachers' educational and training variables that might influence their abilities to analyze formative testing results, interpret the analyses, and modify instruction so as to improve students' achievement in third grade mathematics. The goal was to identify those factors in (1) teachers' educational histories and (2) teachers' professional development and training histories that contribute to their capacity to use formative testing results to inform …

The Impact Of Intercultural Training On The Satisfaction And Achievement Of Undergraduates Taught By International Teaching Assistants, Kirsten Jensen

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Much has been done to prepare international teaching assistants to teach American undergraduates, but very little has been done to help the undergraduates learn effectively from instructors of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This research used a quasi-experimental, quantitative approach combined with a small ethnographic study to examine the impact of a short intercultural training activity on the satisfaction and achievement of freshman students in the fall Freshman Biology laboratory course at a large public university in Virginia. Satisfaction was measured by the responses of students on an end-of-course questionnaire, and achievement by their grades in the course. Audio interviews …

Diagnosing Reading Strategies: Paraphrase Recognition, Chutima Boonthum

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Paraphrase recognition is a form of natural language processing used in tutoring, question answering, and information retrieval systems. The context of the present work is an automated reading strategy trainer called iSTART (Interactive Strategy Trainer for Active Reading and Thinking). The ability to recognize the use of paraphrase—a complete, partial, or inaccurate paraphrase; with or without extra information—in the student's input is essential if the trainer is to give appropriate feedback. I analyzed the most common patterns of paraphrase and developed a means of representing the semantic structure of sentences. Paraphrases are recognized by transforming sentences into this representation and …

Preservice And K–12 Inservice Teachers' Perceptions Of Appropriateness Of Teacher Self-Disclosure And Its Teaching Effectiveness, Shaoan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Situating teacher self-disclosure within a curriculum and instruction context, this research explored preservice and K-12 inservice teachers' perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure and its teaching effectiveness as a component of the informal curriculum as well as an instructional tool. The following research questions were explored: (1) Is there any difference among preservice teachers and K-12 inservice teachers in their perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure? (2) Is there any difference between preservice teachers and K-12 inservice teachers in their perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure? (3) Is there any difference among K-12 inservice teachers in their application of teacher …

Foundation Year Field Instruction In A Master Of Social Work Program: A Comparison Study Of Learning Outcomes For On-Campus And Off-Campus Students, Martha T. Early

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

One of the major concerns in delivering a Master of Social Work program away from the main campus is comparability with the program as it is delivered on campus. Field education constitutes a substantial portion of the hours in a graduate program and is valued as the place where theory meets practice. Persons are involved in the delivery of field education include the students, the clients, the field instructors, and the field liaisons who teach the accompanying field seminars, and the Field Office personnel. This paper reports on a study that focused on learning outcomes of a foundation year field …

Using Peer Mediation As A New Alternative For Conflict Resolution: The Effects On Students' Behaviors And Attitudes, Shanika Anicia Testamark

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

During the recent years, countless incidents regarding school violence have captured the attention of many, and have disrupted the lives of numerous young students in the United States. In an effort to rebuild a healthier and safer school climate in America schools, many studies have been conducted on peer mediation programs. Peer mediation programs were developed to educate students on how to resolve conflicts constructively.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the implementation of a peer mediation program called Project S.T.O.P (Students Teaching Options for Peace) could reduce school violence and students' aggressive behaviors and attitudes. To …

Effects Of Technology Based Interactive Multimedia On Training Of Laminators At General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products Manufacturing, Jeffrey D. Brough

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

To guide this study, the following hypothesis was established: For skin laminators working in the clean room at General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products, traditional methods of training, in conjunction with technology based interactive multimedia, will result in an increase in retention over a longer period of time with less direct human training needed.

Articulation Trends In Allied Health Programs, Felicia M. Toreno

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The educational environment emphasizes student access to instructional opportunities. Many health programs are located in community colleges or hospitals, and in order to advance educational status, students must be able to transfer credits between multiple educational institutions. Unfortunately, programs are not uniform and many fields of study are guided by strict accreditation regulations. These conflicting requirements often make transfer for students cumbersome. Transfer pathways are often considered by institutions on a program by program basis. This research was designed to analyze the existing pathways present in urban Virginian allied health programs in order to establish trends in articulation. These instructional …

The Relationship Of College Gpa And Job Performance For Teaching Faculty At Blue Ridge Community College, Tim Nicely

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

To guide a solution to this problem, the following hypothesis was developed: 1. there is no correlation between full-time faculty member college GPA and their overall performance as a faculty member at Blue Ridge Community College.

The Relationship Between Grade Point Averages And Enrollment In A Marketing Work Program, Mikki M. Russel

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

To solve this problem the following hypothesis was tested: 1. There is no significant difference in the grade point average of students at Western Branch High School who participate in the marketing work program and juniors and seniors who work but do not participate in the marketing work program.

Testing Methods And Pass/Fail Rates In Developmental Mathematics Classes At Southwest Virginia Community College, Charlotte Tiller

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

To solve this problem the following hypothesis was developed: There is no correlation between examination method and pass/fail rate of students in developmental mathematics at Southwest Virginia Community College.

A Comparison Between The Success Of Technological Literacy Programs At Landstown High School And Academy And Chantilly Academy, Vanessa Barger

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

This research project sought to determine answers for each of the following research objectives: Discover the difference in curriculum offering between the two schools; Find the total enrollment numbers for both schools for courses offered; Find the program completion totals for each school per year; and Summarize the factors necessary for the creation of superior technological literacy programs for high school students.

Liberty Call And Navy Military Training, Yvette Isabel Bartholomew

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The hypothesis of this research study was as follows: 1. Navy military training using Liberty Call is effective when it comes to teaching new sailors about sexual harassment, fraternization, suicide awareness, drug and alcohol abuse, hazing, discrimination and sexual assault.

Technology Education Effects On High School Student's Test Scores, Ross B. Creecy

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The researcher will attempt to answer four specific questions with this study: Do technology education classes have a positive impact on students' SOL scores? On which academic subject's SOL test scores do technology education classes have the greatest impact? On which academic subject's SOL test scores do technology education have the least impact? What can technology education teachers do to increase their positive impact on academic test scores?

The Effectiveness Of 360-Degree Feedback Upon Supervision In Shenandoah Valley Social Services, Brian Dotson

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The goals of this research were to provide answers to the following questions: Will participation in 360-degree feedback within the organizational structure enhance supervisor and subordinate relationships? Does the absence of 360-degree feedback or peer evaluations prove to be a negative or a positive indicator of employee performance? When employees complete evaluations of their supervisors will it open future discussions between supervisor and subordinate?

The Effectiveness Of Employing Content Area Writing Strategies On Student Knowledge And Concept Retention As Measured By Performance On An Examination Based On The Comptia A+ Certification Objectives, Timothy A. Mcleod

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

To guide this study, the following hypotheses were established: 1. The employment of content area writing exercises in the Information Technologies Pathways course will result in increased retention of basic computer knowledge and concepts; 2. The employment of content area writing exercises in the Information Technologies Pathways course will result in an increased percentage of students achieving passing scores on the CompTIA A+ Certification practice examination.

Assessment Of Carilion Health System Call Center, Donna Miller

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem will be addressed with the following hypotheses: 1. There will be a significant difference in the length of time taken to answer a call comparing the operators and the call representatives of the Carilion Health System Call Center; 2. There will be a significant difference in performance of hospital operators compared to the performance of call center representatives in the amount of calls each group receives in a month's time.

Influence Of Questionnaire Format On The Response Rate Of Training Session Evaluations, Yumiao Zhu

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

To answer this problem, the following research questions were established: What were respondents' concerns when they completed questionnaires after training? What were the participants' preferences regarding format when responding to a training evaluation questionnaire?

Generational Differences Among Community College Students In Their Evaluation Of Academic Cheating, Kathleen E. Wotring

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Values development is an important part of the mission of community colleges, and upholding academic integrity is one way in which colleges advance this mission. Community colleges serve a multigenerational student body, more diverse than most four-year institutions of higher education, and different generational cohort groups hold different values and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether community college students varied by generation in their evaluation of academic activities as cheating, and to further determine whether such variation interacted with demographic variables and the extent to which personal morality is grounded in a religious belief system. Based …

Wealth And Achievement Gaps: An Examination Of Virginia Middle Schools, Paulette Natasha Richmond

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

Achievement gaps, the focus of this research, result from unequal achievement and the variance in achievement existing between different segments of the student population, for example, the difference in achievement between minority students and non-minority students. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) focus on achievement gaps despite contradictory expressions about the efficacy of the act. The No Child Left Behind Act has created discussion and awareness of race, SES (economically advantaged and disadvantaged) and academic achievement.

There are conflicting beliefs about the impact of resources, funding and wealth on student achievement. This study …

Dislocated Worker Training And Education Perceptions: The Effect Of Tailored Information, Self-Concept, And Role Salience On Self-Reported Deterrents To Education Participation, Lisa A. Row

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated whether selected information would change dislocated workers' deterrents to education participation. The study also explored whether information presentation method altered the participants' perceived deterrents. Finally, the study explored whether self-concept or role salience as a student moderated information reception.

The population included North Carolina workers pending job dislocation from three manufacturing plants. The final analysis included results from 194 workers. Participants were randomly assigned to groups using a roster having random group assignments and case numbers.

A three-group, quasi-experimental design explored changes in education deterrents. Three instruments provided data: the Adult Learning Questionnaire, Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, Second …

The Impact Of An Employer Sponsored Walking Program On Employees' Cardiovascular Risks, Joan Breslin Sechrist

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The problem of this study was to determine if participation in an employer sponsored walking program reduced employees' cardiovascular health risks. The independent variable was the "WalkAbout with Healthy Edge" program and the dependent variables included: body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol, amount of exercise, and tobacco use. The study population was an employer group of 1300, and 284 employees registered for the program. Due to attrition, 79 submitted the first month of step logs and participation decreased over the months respectively to 58, 40, 38, 32, and 29. Twenty-three participants submitted six months of walking logs, and pre-test …