Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Dietitian Weight And Self-Disclosure About Weight On Women's Evaluations Of Registered Dietitians, Wendy Elizabeth Bounds

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of dietitian weight status, dietitian self-disclosure about personal weight issues, and participant weight status on participants' initial perceptions and evaluations of registered dietitians. The research design was a randomized 2x2x2 factorial design consisting of 2 dietitian weight status conditions (normal weight and obese), 2 dietitian self-disclosure conditions (absence or presence of self-disclosure about personal weight issues), and 2 participant weight status conditions (normal weight and obese). A simulated nutrition counseling situation was developed in which participants were shown a photograph of a dietitian and then listened to an audio recording of an overview of nutrition …

Butterflies, Boundaries, And Breadfruit: The Shared Story Of A Service Learning Experience In Jamaica, Adam Renner

Doctoral Dissertations

This study documents the problematization of service learning, the activation of a practice for cultural studies, and the use of a particular framework and theory called critical service learning. The framework centers around praxis and is comprised of four-stages—pre-action reflection, theory, action, and reflection—which articulates Freirean, critical, and engaged pedagogies with cultural studies theory in the reflective and theory stages and targets social difference and resultant injustices in the action stage. The theory articulates the feminist ethic of care and social justice theory within a frame of the generalized and concrete other, and promotes caring solidarity as the ultimate ameliorative …

Theory To Practice: A Study Of Science Teachers' Pedagogical Practices As Measured By The Science Teacher Analysis Matrix (Stam) And Teacher Pedagogical Philosophy Interview (Tppi), Sherri Lynne Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

This study continued research previously conducted by a nine-university collaborative, the Salish I Research Project, by exploring science teachers’ beliefs and actions with regard to inquiry instruction. Science education reform efforts require that students learn science via inquiry. The purpose of this study was to determine and classify espoused teaching beliefs and observable teaching style. Reported are linkages between the teachers’ beliefs and styles, influential coursework from College of Education and College of Liberal Arts, and outcomes of increased classroom teaching experience. Eight participants were chosen from three separate preservice science education cohorts.

An implied assumption is that teachers are …

Effect Of Directed Online Pre-Instruction Module On Teacher Preparedness For Face-To-Face Instruction, Donna Lynne Henson-Boyers

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a supplemental online discussion module prior to face-to-face training. Specifically, it investigated the impact on teacher preparedness, discussion and collaboration in the face-to-face training, and the amount of knowledge gained from the subsequent training.

Two groups of special education teachers received twenty hours of face-to-face training in the use of assistive technology. For four weeks prior to then training, both groups had access to online simulations, resources and materials.

The Treatment Group participated in a four-week supplemental online module. Weekly topics focused on a specific disability, and included online simulations, resources and assistive technology …

Student Use Of Rankings In National Magazines In The College Decision-Making Process, Michele Mcmanus Howard

Doctoral Dissertations

College rankings are widely depicted as vital tools for making informed decisions about the college selection process. Based on sales volume and the diversity of ratings currently in existence, there is little doubt that rankings are big business and are undeniably here to stay. On the other hand, very little factual information is available about students’ actual use of rankings in the college decision-making process.

It is clear that rankings such as those published by US News & World Report are now part of the landscape in our system of higher education. However, the problem is to establish the extent …

Teacher Motivation And The Use Of Computer-Based Interactive Multimedia, Katrina T. Toth

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were (a) to describe the use of multimedia within a participating population of teachers, and (b) to identify factors that motivate teachers to use multimedia for instructional purposes. Teachers from the Oneida Special School District located in Oneida, Tennessee, were invited to participate in this study.

This study was conducted in two phases. Phase I used a questionnaire to collect data on the use and development of multimedia. Forty-six teachers participated in this portion of the study. Phase II used an interview process to identify the factors that motivated teachers to use multimedia in the …

Predictor Variables Of Performance On The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program For The 21st Century, June Adeline Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations

Using the Student Characteristics: Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) composite national percentile scores, repeating fourth grade, spring third grade Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) scores, socioeconomic status, race, gender, and preschool attendance and the School Characteristics: teacher degree level, teacher experience, teacher professional development, and school Title I status, this study employed a stepwise multiple regression analysis to determine the best predictors of fourth grade scores on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21). Students must pass the English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics portions of this test to be promoted to fifth grade. Having previously …

Increasing Students' Awareness And Perception Of Peer Prosocial Behavior: An Investigation Of Tootling, Heather Lee Shelton

Doctoral Dissertations

In educational settings, elementary students often monitor and report peer antisocial behaviors. However, few systems have been designed to encourage students to focus on peers' day-to-day prosocial behaviors. The current study attempted to determine if a proactive prosocial behavior program (i.e., tootling) could increase students' awareness of peer prosocial behaviors while also leading to a more positive perception of classmates.

Participants included two control groups (one 3rd-grade and one 4th-grade) and two experimental groups (one 3rd-grade and one 4th-grade). All participating students were assessed pre and post with the Prosocial/Antisocial Attention and Recognition Measure (PAARM) and the Peer Perception Scale …

Secondary Teachers’ Attitudes And Perceptions Of The Inclusion Of Esl Students In Mainstream Classes, Jenelle Reeves

Doctoral Dissertations

The enrollment of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. public schools has increased dramatically in the past three decades. With the predominance of pull-out ESL programs, ELLs spend much of their day in the classrooms of mainstream teachers who may have received little or no training to work with language minority students. The purpose of this study was to examine high school teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of ESL inclusion in mainstream classes. The research design included both quantitative and qualitative inquiries. First, a survey was administered to 279 subject area teachers in four high schools to measure teachers’ attitudes and …

The Relationship Between Creativity And Self-Directed Learning Among Adult Community College Students, Barry F. Cox

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between creativity and self-directed learning readiness in a sample of adult community college students in Tennessee. A cluster sample of 114 students enrolled in Walters State Community College evening school were participants. Participants were administered the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), the Khatena Torrance Creative Perception Inventory (KTCPI), and a demographic questionnaire.

Demographic information substantiated a preponderance of female students with an average age of 25.5. Students were typically Caucasian and generally held a high school diploma.

A significant moderate positive correlation was found between creativity and self-directed learning readiness. …

Computer And Networking Technology Usage For World Language Education In Post-Secondary Education In Tennessee, Satoshi Hashimoto

Doctoral Dissertations

Technology has been rapidly and continually introduced into the world language classroom to teach both the target language and its culture. This study investigated what kind of computer/networking technology was available and actually used by the post-secondary world language teachers in Tennessee and how often this technology was used. The specific target language skills, which teachers using technology wanted to enhance, were also explored. The survey participants consisted of 102 post-secondary teachers of world languages (excluding English) who taught at 24 universities and colleges in Tennessee during the spring semester, 2002. According to the survey, 73% of the participants reported …

Seeking Community: Narrative Inquiries Into The Transition Experiences Of Intern Teachers Through Face-To-Face And Electronic Communication, Denise Michele Ousley

Doctoral Dissertations

Secondary education interns in fifth-year licensure programs assume a complex variety of identities: preservice teachers, graduate students, and licensed first-year teachers. Inspired by a dual interest in the complexities of the transition experiences of novice teachers and in the effectiveness of community building through communication, the purpose for this study was to examine four novice teachers’ transitions—from student to student-teacher to licensed teacher—throughout the internship year. The impact of participation in a peer learning community, through electronic and face-to-face communication, was also explored.

The study employed a qualitative research design, which provided the intern-participants with extended opportunities for anecdotal dialogue …

Comparison Of The Transformational Leadership Practices Of Principals Of Charter Schools And Principals Of Traditional Public Schools In Louisiana, Charles W. Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the transformational leadership practices of principals of charter schools and traditional public schools in Louisiana. A causal-comparative research design was utilized. All charter schools were asked to participate in the study, and a matched sample of public schools was selected for the comparison group.

Key findings suggest that charter school and traditional public school principals possess transformational leadership skills. However, there was no difference between the groups in the extent to which they practiced these behaviors. Teachers' perceptions did not differ from principals' self-reported practices. Personal and professional characteristics did not …

A Study Of The Implementation Of The National Geography Standards And Their Alignment With Classroom Instruction In United States Pk–12 Schools, S. Kay Gandy

Doctoral Dissertations

In the 1980s, media reports of the state of geography in United States schools and national assessments documenting the failing grades of American students resulted in a campaign to eradicate geographic illiteracy. As a result, there have been many reforms made in geography education, including the development of national geography standards. The National Geographic Society developed a Geography Education Foundation to introduce a grassroots movement for curricula change through teacher inservice institutes. Furthermore, geography was recognized as a core subject in the curriculum designated by President George Bush and the governors of the United States of America as part of …

Carnitine, Choline And Caffeine Promote Fat Loss And Metabolism In Rats And Humans, Nobuko Hongu

Doctoral Dissertations

Interaction of two nutrients, carnitine and choline, has been reported. Choline supplementation causes a significant conservation of carnitine in normal healthy humans and guinea pigs. The choline supplementation promoted tissue carnitine accretion, particularly in skeletal muscle of guinea pigs, and livers of rats. Also, choline supplemented guinea pigs had lower percentage of carcass fat and higher percentage of protein but the body weights or the respiratory quotient (RQ) were not affected.

Based on these observations, we hypothesized that a combination of choline and carnitine may further increase carnitine accretion by tissues, and if energy needs were increased by exercise and …

Cross-Cultural Competencies In International Management Curricula: A Delphi Study Of Faculty Perspectives, Roxanna M. Senyshyn

Doctoral Dissertations

Colleges and universities have taken steps to add international dimensions to their business curricula and programs with which they expect to positively impact students’ cross-cultural knowledge, skills, and abilities, and prepare them to function effectively in the global arena. Since limited research had been done on identifying cross-cultural competencies that graduate business courses would produce as intended outcomes, this study was a first step to identify and reach consensus on the cross-cultural competencies considered essential for inclusion into international management curricula at the university graduate level. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following two research questions:

(1) What cross-cultural …

The Relationship Of Market Conditions, Management Practices, And Medical Staff Attributes To Operating Profit Of Small Rural Hospitals In The Carolinas, Larry Lee Isley

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of the profitability of market conditions, management practices, and medical staff attributes of small, rural hospitals operating in North Carolina and South Carolina. The study included six research questions to measure the three independent variables.

Correlation coefficient using Spearman's Rho and Pearson Correlations were utilized to evaluate the relationship between profit and medical staff attributes and market conditions. A student's t-test evaluated management's decision to merge the rural hospital with a multi-hospital health system.

Results showed a statistically significant correlation (p < .05) between small, rural hospitals' profit and market conditions and medical staff attributes. The study concluded that rural hospitals in the Carolinas are in financial trouble, and senior leadership must broaden their understanding and involvement in the infrastructure of their local communities to form partnerships linking the success of each together.

The Development And Validation Of An Adult Students' Career Needs Questionaire, Connie Sylve Briscoe

Doctoral Dissertations

The number of adult students who are returning to universities and colleges continues to increase. Many of these adult students are attending colleges and universities for career-related reasons (e.g, to change careers, to enhance skills to receive a promotion). Researchers have found that adult students have different career-related needs than do traditional age students (Gianakos, 1996; Luzzo, 1999, 1993; Slotnick et al., 1993). An instrument that reliably measures career development needs of adult students would be helpful to career counselors as they strive to assist adult students with career development. Some instruments have been developed to measure adult students' career …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between Accelerated Reader® And Other Factors And Value-Added Achievement In Tennessee Public Schools, Carl William Chaney

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships between value-added achievement in Tennessee public schools that include grades one through five and selected independent variables. The schools’ use of the reading practice and monitoring software known as Accelerated Reader® (AR) was of particular interest, as considerable research has suggested its effectiveness in raising achievement in reading and other subjects.

Data were (1) the dependent variables, cumulative three-year average (1999, 2000, and 2001) Tennessee Value-Added Assessment scores in reading, language, math, science, and social studies; (2) independent variables school enrollment, per pupil annual expenditure for the system, percentage of students in the school eligible …

The Effects Of A Constructivist Intervention On Pre-Service Teachers’ Confidence And Perceptions Of The Experience, Kathryn Ann Dipietro

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was, first, to determine the effect of a constructivist intervention supported by technology on pre-service teachers’ confidence in their own ability to plan and create six constructivist learning activities supported by technology and, second, to understand their perceptions of the experience.

Participants were 23 pre-service teachers accepted into the College of Education’s Masters program at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and enrolled in an introduction to instructional computing course during the summer of 2001.

A survey was used to assess pre-intervention confidence levels and experience with six constructivist learning activities supported by technology. Students were …

Identifying Gifted African-American Students: A Case Study Of A Louisiana School System, Donna Lynn Sutton

Doctoral Dissertations

In 1995, the Office for Civil Rights conducted a compliance review of the Bayou Parish School System (a pseudonym) in Louisiana. The review revealed a statistically significant underrepresentation of African-American students in the Bayou Parish gifted program. This case study examined how African-American representation in a gifted program may be increased through the use of research-based interventions implemented by the Office for Civil Rights.

The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect and analyze data. Documents from the Office for Civil Rights and the Louisiana Department of Education were examined to: (a) show patterns of African-American and nonminority …

Factor Analysis Of Online Instruction Self-Efficacy Using The Tennessee Online Instruction Survey, Frederick Augustus Randall

Doctoral Dissertations

As the use of online instruction continues to rise in post-secondary education and corporate training, a better understanding of one's beliefs, attitudes, and confidence regarding online instruction is necessary to increase the quality and effectiveness of online instruction. This study investigated self-efficacy beliefs related to online instruction. Self-efficacy, a psychological construct, is defined as self-appraisal of one's capabilities to plan and undertake a course of actions required for a specified task.

The objectives of this study were to (a) develop a survey instrument to measure the psychological construct of self-efficacy related to online instruction; (b) identify the salient factors of …

Use Of Case Studies In Abet Accredited Engineering Technology Associate Degree Programs In The United States, James L. Barrott

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the years, the case method of instruction has been successfully integrated into professional educational programs like business, law, medicine, and psychology. In the 1960’s, Stanford University began a movement to include case studies in engineering programs. In the 1970’s a number of engineering professors developed and taught with cases and then published their experiences. Then in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the engineering case study movement died down. Engineering and engineering technology educational programs are closely related. In the literature, any national movement in engineering technology education to use case studies was virtually non-existent with the exception of the work …

The Relationship Between Self-Directed Learning And Learning Styles, James Boyd Canipe

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and learning styles. A cluster sample of 260 graduate students enrolled in classes in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University at Morehead, Kentucky was utilized in this research.

The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), developed by L. M. Guglielmino (1977), and the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) developed by D. A. Kolb (1984), were administered to the sample as a means of exploring the relationship between the two variables. In addition, a demographic questionnaire was used to describe the characteristics of the …

Teachers' Perceptions Of And Interventions In Episodes Of Bullying In Schools, Carynn Townsend Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations

Bullying, defined as the repeated exposure of a less powerful person to negative actions by a more powerful person or group of people, is a serious problem in schools. There are often severe negative consequences, both short-term and long-term, for both the victim and the bully. The attitudes of teachers play a major role in determining the extent and the acceptance of bullying in schools.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of selected teachers in reference to bullying. Six teachers were chosen from regional and state teacher of the year competition during 1998–2000. In addition, six …

An Ethnographic Study Of Participants' Perceptions Of Character Education Including Students, Parents, Teachers, Club Sponsors, Administrators, And Community Support People, Lily Odessa Hogan Stoppleworth

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study examined character education within one educational setting. The researcher created a holistic, narrative description of the extent, quality, and impact of character education at one North Louisiana high school. An emergent design was utilized to examine inductively participants' perceptions of character education initiatives within this single, educational site.

The research questions in this study were: (a) How do participants (students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members) define character education, and what do they perceive its value to be? (b) How do participants perceive character education in relation to values? (c) How is character education viewed by the …

Neuropsychological And Electrophysiological Assessment Of Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, John Noland White Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study evaluated the neuropsychological performance of adults with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: Computerized Version 3 (WCST), and the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA). The quantitative electroencephalograph (QEEG) was also collected during task performance to examine possible difference in cortical activity between groups and tasks. Results suggest that adults with ADHD demonstrate lower levels of performance on neuropsychological tasks that involve working memory, processing speed, and sustained attention, namely the PASAT and IVA. Furthermore, adult ADHD appears to be characterized by …

Perceptions Of Principals As To The Degree Of Implementation And Effect Of The Middle School Concept In Louisiana, Susan Nelson Shofner

Doctoral Dissertations

Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century (Carnegie, 1989) contained recommendations for improving middle level education. These recommendations included: (a) creating small communities for learning, (b) teaching a common knowledge core, (c) ensuring success for all students, (d) empowering teachers and administrators, (e) preparing teachers in middle grades, (f) improving academic performance through health and fitness, (g) re-engaging families in the education of adolescents, and (h) connecting schools with communities.

The objectives of this study were to determine, according to middle school principals, the extent to which the Carnegie recommendations have been implemented in the public schools of …

Effects Of Dietary Fatty Acids On Intestinal Tumorigenesis In ApcMin/+ Mice, Melissa Hansen Petrik

Doctoral Dissertations

Dietary fat is thought to be an important environmental factor influencing colorectal cancer risk. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer and it has been presumed that this effect is due to their ability to interfere with synthesis of 2-series prostaglandins from arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4 n-6). However, the specific mechanism has not been clearly established. Therefore, we hypothesized that select dietary fatty acids would modulate intestinal tumorigenesis through interference with AA metabolism in the Apc^Min/+ mouse, a unique model system bearing many similarities to human intestinal cancer. α-linolenic acid (ALA, …

I Never Thought About Thinking: Experiences Of Participants In A Reflective Learning Group, Donal Martin Crosse

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the underlying dynamics of a reflective practice class taught as a graduate level course at a large southeastern state university. Specifically this research explored: (i) how participants in the class made meaning of their experiences; and (ii) what were the underlying processes of the class. The data collection methods employed in this study included a biographical interview with each participant in order to get a sense for what they brought to the class, a phenomenological interview with each participant on his or her experience in the class, participant observation in class meetings, …