Education Commons^™

What Is The Transformational Learning Experience Of Secondary Teachers Who Have Dealt With Burnout?, Julius Sims

Dissertations

Abstract Burnout is a syndrome consisting of emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DPZ) (Yong & Yue, 2007). Teachers who fall victim to burnout are likely to be less sympathetic toward students, have a lower tolerance for classroom disruption, be less apt to prepare adequately for class, and feel less committed and dedicated to their work (Betoret, 2006; Byrne, 1991; Fisher, 2011). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the burnout experiences among secondary teachers and the ways they cope with the adverse conditions. The participants were eight school high teachers from a large metropolitan area school district. Using …

Cultural Competence Integration In The Nursing Curriculum, Boniface C. Stegman

Dissertations

With an increasingly diverse population, it is important to ensure that graduates of nursing programs are able to deliver culturally competent care (Krainovich-Miller et al., 2008; Allen, 2010). This study was undertaken to address this call to include cultural competence integration into nursing curriculum. The purpose of this study was to discover evidence of cultural competence integration in the nursing curriculum as perceived by faculty and students in a baccalaureate nursing program. This study addressed the following research questions: a) Does the undergraduate nursing curriculum integrate cultural competence?, b) Do the undergraduate nursing faculty perceive cultural competence content in the …

Counseling Preferences And Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Young Adult Cancer Survivors, Jessica Zabell Taylor

Dissertations

This study examined counseling preferences and health-related quality of life of young adult cancer survivors. Three hundred and twenty young adult cancer survivors completed an online survey that assessed their ratings of counseling topic preferences for individual, group and family counseling; counseling modality preferences; perceived social support; meaning in life; and physical, social, emotional, functional, and spiritual domains of health-related quality of life. Results indicated that young adult cancer survivors rated individual counseling as their primary choice of counseling modality, followed by group counseling, and lastly family counseling. Participants rated individual and group counseling as having an equal number of …

Investigating The Relation Between Moral Self-Enhancement And Self-Deception: A Cross-Cultural Study Of U.S. And Chinese College Students, Ying Liu

Dissertations

Testing an evolutionary framework, this study examined moral self-enhancement in relation to self-deception and self-construal in a cross-cultural context. The participants included 127 U.S. and 107 Chinese college students. The results demonstrated that moral self-enhancement is not a characteristic unique to individualistic ideology but rather a universal motivation. Regardless of their cultural groups and self-construal, participants tended to morally self-enhance, rating their own character and sense of responsibility significantly higher than those of other people. In addition, U.S. participants were more likely to morally self-enhance compared to their Chinese counterparts. At the individual level, strong independents demonstrated greater moral self-enhancement …

The Influence Of Classroom Management, Administrative Support, Parental Involvement, And Economic Factors On The Retention Of Novice Teachers, Katrina Moody Dwyer

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of selected factors upon the intent of novice teachers to remain in the classroom. Teachers are leaving the profession in numbers that have prompted significant concern among policymakers and administrators. Many qualified college students are not considering the field of education as a potential career (Petty, 2007). Given that attrition rates among teachers are higher in their earliest years within the profession, it is essential to identify factors that contribute to the satisfaction and retention of novice teachers (Stockard & Lehman, 2004).

The primary data for this study were obtained …

Adult Learning In A K-12 Setting; Job-Embedded Professional Development: Teacher Identity And Self-Efficacy, Deidra Maclellan Gammill

Dissertations

This two-phase sequential mixed methods study examined the relationship between professional development, whether in the form of traditional professional development, a professional learning community and/or lesson study, and teacher self-efficacy and self-directed learning in order to gain a greater understanding of the role professional development plays in teacher identity and efficacy as they relate to adult learning theory.

The qualitative case study method was used to interview 22 teachers, half of whom participated in a professional learning community known as lesson study. The interview data indicated that collaboration was simply one of the variables that influenced teacher efficacy and identity. …

A Study Of Federal Academic Earmarks And Research Funding In Relation To The Institutional Research Culture Of Research University/High (Ru/H) Institutions In Mississippi, James Hubert Young Iii

Dissertations

Nationally, reductions in public funding for higher education, a stagnate economy, looming sequestration, and a divisive political culture present a complex and challenging dynamic for research universities in pursuit of external funding for their research programs and infrastructure needs. These universities and their research initiatives have relied on significant federal investment in research and development as a source of competitive research funding for more than half a century.

Over the last thirty years, congressionally directed funding for research, referred to in the study presented here and throughout the literature as academic earmarks, emerged as an alternative means to achieve research …

Principal Leadership Styles, Faculty Morale, And Faculty Job Satisfaction At Selected Elementary Schools, Dawn Vyola Ramsey Hearn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant relationship existed between principal leadership styles, faculty morale, and faculty job satisfaction at selected elementary schools. Specifically, the study examined if the perception teachers had of their principals‟ leadership styles had an impact on faculty morale and faculty job satisfaction of teachers in Kindergarten through sixth grade at selected elementary schools in one school district located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) provided data that identified the perceived leadership styles of the school principals. The Purdue Teacher Opinionnaire (PTO) provided data that identified faculty morale …

Effects Of Direct Instruction Versus Reading First On Reading Comprehension Of Students In Southwest Arkansas, Judith A. Jenkins

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to add to the limited available research concerning the effectiveness of supplemental reading programs such as Reading First and Direct Instruction on reading achievement for students in elementary and middle grades. Particularly, in the first and third hypotheses, the independent variables were reading program (Direct Instruction versus Reading First) and ethnicity (Hispanic versus Non- Hispanic) on reading comprehension for third and eighth grade students. In the second and fourth hypotheses, the independent variables were reading program (Direct Instruction versus Reading First) and gender (male versus female) on reading comprehension for third and eighth students. …

The Journey To Becoming-Authentic From The Voices Of Nursing Students Living With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sheryl Lynn Allen

Dissertations

Research and literature on nursing students living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in higher education is deficient in supporting the needs of a growing population. The aim of this study sought to uncover the essence of nursing students’ experiences through a hermeneutic phenomenological approach and promote deeper understanding of the meaning of lifeworld experiences through the lens of critical social theory (CST). CST sustains freedom from ideological restraints to allow exploration into individual experiences. The voices of student participants provide the medium for articulating meaning. An integrative approach using van Manen’s (1990) and Munhall’s (2012) methods guided this study. …

The Relationship Between Shared Leadership, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Student Achievement, Anjanette Fuller Zinke

Dissertations

Decisions about ways to improve student achievement have been of concern over the years (Reeves, 2011). Multiple reforms have been attempted (Evers, 2000; Marzano, 2000), but researchers have differed in viewpoints on their effectiveness (Jennings & Rentner, 2006; Rose, 2010). State test scores in Mississippi have not risen to levels mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and waivers have brought new challenges to districts (Ravitch, 2012). Administrators have to focus their attention in areas other than new programs and new personnel to correct the path of education (Coburn, 2001; Hargreaves & Macmillan, 1995; Sledge & Moorehead, …

A Comparison Of Behavioral And Academically-Focused Goals Within The Mystery Motivator: Effects On Disruptive Behavior And Academic Performance, Christina Michelle Hardy

Dissertations

Class-wide group contingencies are effective for decreasing inappropriate behavior and increasing academic performance. An interdependent group contingency, a subtype of group contingencies, sets a specific goal for performance across the class, and a reward is delivered only if the group meets the specified criterion. One interdependent group contingency, the Mystery Motivator, has been designed to target behavioral or academically-based goals; however these goals have guided the type of data collected. There are no published studies, to date, that compare behavioral and academic goals and the effects of each type of goal on both decreasing disruptive behavior as well as improving …

Teachers' Perceptions About The Types, Quality, And Impact Of Their Job-Embedded Professional Development Experiences, Delilah Mitchell

Dissertations

This study was designed to determine eighth grade teachers’ perceptions of the impact, quality, and types of job-embedded professional development activities they have participated in and the relationship to student achievement in language arts, math, or science. The researcher identified school districts with 50% or more of their eighth grade students scoring proficient or advanced on all three areas of Mississippi’s Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2). Sixty-four eighth grade language arts, math, or science teachers who had been at their current school at least two years completed a questionnaire created by the researcher. Multiple Linear Regression and Pearson’s Correlation were …

Early Interventions And Student Achievement, Alana S. Hillman

Dissertations

Educating children is a costly endeavor; however, when children with special needs enter kindergarten unprepared emotionally, socially, or academically, the increased costs and support systems have to be absorbed by the schools and communities. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference between the academic achievement of students participating in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) compared to students without ECSE services with DIAL-3 scores ranked in the 20th percentile or below. Achievement scores for second and third graders in one urban school district were utilized to compare the scores of ECSE and non-ECSE students. …

Multi-Group Invariance Of The Conceptions Of Assessment Scale Among University Faculty And Students, Melanie Anne Diloreto

Dissertations

Conceptions are contextual. In the realm of education, conceptions of various constituent groups are often shaped over a period of a number of years during which time these groups have participated in educational endeavors. Specifically, conceptions of assessment are influenced by beliefs, actions, attitudes, understandings, and past experiences. These conceptions can impact both teaching and learning, and ultimately student achievement. Based on the past work of Gavin T. L. Brown (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, & 2011) and Fletcher, Meyer, Anderson, Johnston, and Rees (2011) concerning conceptions of assessment held by educators and students in environments with a low-stakes assessment culture, …

Attitudinal Factors Of Teachers Regarding Arts Integration, Sara Elston Williams

Dissertations

The integration of the arts provides an enriched learning and teaching environment where teachers become facilitators of meaningful and engaging activities and lessons that increase student achievement. This study examined the attitudinal factors possessed by educators in schools who participate in the Whole Schools Initiative and those who do not. This study also reported the perceptions of arts integration by classroom teachers who participate in the Whole Schools Initiative and those who do not participate in the Whole Schools Initiative. The Teaching With the Arts Survey (TWAS) was used to determine if statistically significant differences exist on teacher attitudes, self-efficacy, …

Advisor Knowledge Of Disability-Related Needs, Laws, And Accomodation Requirements In Postsecondary Academic Advisement Practices, Rebekah Elizabeth Young

Dissertations

Since the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education has risen. In 2007-2008, approximately 11% of undergraduate students reported having some type of disability (U.S. NCES, 2012). Since disability disclosure is optional for students in higher education, it is possible that reported enrollment figures are underestimates.

Despite increasingly equitable access to postsecondary education and demonstration of the academic capability necessary for gaining collegiate admission, students with disabilities are less likely to remain enrolled and successfully earn a degree than students without disabilities. Efforts to …

The Challenges Of Inclusion: Perceptions Of Superintendents, Principals, And Teachers In Mississippi Alternative Schools, Gary Lynn Tune

Dissertations

Alternative schools serve a population of students who have come in conflict with the codes of conduct of their home school district. Students with disabilities are subject to the same codes of conduct and occasionally are referred to alternative schools. These referrals constitute a change in placement mandating alternative schools to provide academic and educational services and supports commensurate to the home school. This includes educating students with disabilities in regular classes. This research sought to ascertain perceptions of superintendents, alternative school principals, and regular and special education teachers regarding how well alternative schools in Mississippi meet the challenges of …

An Examination Of Referral And Eventual Placement Of African American Students And English Language Learners In Special Education, Eneas Ruel Deveaux

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that educators in a large, suburban, public school district in the southeastern United States believe contribute to African American and English Language Learners (ELL) being referred to special education at a higher rate than traditional students by exploring the attitudes and perceptions of teachers, administrators, and psychologists using surveys. Data were analyzed to test for difference in perceptions by educator demographics (i.e., age, race, gender, experience, and educational level). The second purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of educator’s perception of referral to Response to Intervention (RTI) …

Cultural Adaptations Of American Teachers In International Schools, David J. Alban

Dissertations

Global competition of academic aptitude between countries has sparked policymakers’ concerns with the performance of the United States educational system leading to many educational reforms that direct educators to diversify their instruction to meet the needs of all students. Advances in technology and travel allow people to interact with other cultures creating more globalized societies. These two converging issues place a greater significance on educators to understand the interplay between culture and their teaching practices.

Literature reveals that the influence of home and community cultures affects the learning behaviors of students (Davis-Kean, 2005: Wang, Beras, & Eberhard, 2005; Sigel, Stinson, …

Student Conceptions Of Learning And The Approaches To Learning Adopted In An Introductory Science Course: A Q Methodology Study, Kelly Marie Sparks

Dissertations

The conceptions of learning, guiding students’ primary beliefs about their experiences of learning as well as their interpretations of learning itself, have been found to be related to their approaches to learning and learning outcomes. This study examined the subjective beliefs of students about learning science in an undergraduate college setting. Q methodology was used examine student perceptions about learning and the approaches to learning they employed. Thirty six students completed Q-sorts of their perspectives on learning and the approaches they took to achieve that learning in an introductory physical geography course. Centroid factor analysis and varimax rotation of these …

The Impact Of Institutional Culture On Student Activism: A Multi-Case Study In Christian Higher Education, Brian E. Cole

Dissertations

This study contributes to the description and meaning of student activism within the context of Christian college environments and cultures, and is interpreted through the sociological concept of symbolic interactionism. The purpose of this study is to help fill the void in the literature on student activism at Christian colleges and universities, positioning it within literature of broader Christian culture and activism, Christian higher education, generational history of college student activism, and student development theories and leadership models. The goal of the study is to help create an understanding of how students at Christian institutions understand and engage in activism …

Special Education Leadership And The Implementation Of Response To Intervention, Derek Ryan Cooley

Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a process by which schools identify students with disabilities using research-based interventions. As schools across the United States struggle to redefine district structures and processes required for RTI, special education administrators have become primarily responsible for implementation. Research describing special education administrators’ perceptions about the implementation of RTI is limited, however.

Framing RTI as an educational change initiative, this study uses survey methods to determine special education administrators’ 1) perceptions of leadership and change, 2) the extent to which they determine a structured plan to implement RTI as important, and 3) how frequently they encountered …

Collaboration Between Grant-Making Organizations, Evaluators, And Program Staff Related To Standardized Evaluation Requirements, Kristin M. Everett

Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations have received funding from grant-making organizations and foundations for many years. These funds have been used to support programs developed by the nonprofit organization. Over the years, two critical developments have occurred between grant-making organizations and nonprofit organizations related to evaluation and collaboration. First, grant-making organizations and nonprofit organizations are combining funds and resources to collaborate on projects. Second, program evaluation has become an essential piece of many grant-funded projects.

Historically, nonprofit organizations receiving funding from multiple sources were required to implement multiple monitoring and evaluation plans and write a report for each funder. These reports use staff …

From Script To Screen To Syllabus: The Path To Curriculum Design For Undergraduate Film Production Programs, Peter J. Muir

Dissertations

Nothing has impacted western society more than media. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dali Lama, wrote that “film and television, newspapers, books and radio together have an influence over individuals that was unimagined a hundred years ago.” The responsibility of creating these cultural artifacts, particularly within motion picture production, is a delicate balance between artistic vision and craft-oriented vocation; the contemplative mind skills of a wise citizen with the functional hand skills of a tradesperson. Undergraduate film production education provides the best avenue for development of this duality. However, within these programs, little is known regarding how curriculum is fashioned and …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Superintendents’ And Principals’ Experiences In A Shared Professional Development Process, John R. Severson

Dissertations

For this qualitative study, I explored and described how superintendents and principals interpreted and experienced a sustained professional development process focusing on instruction and student learning, a form of Elmore’s Superintendents in the Classroom (SITC) Network. Specifically, I examined how the addition of principals in the SITC learning model experience changed the superintendents’ and principals’ knowledge and beliefs as well as their behavior in three areas: their individual experiences, the working relationship between superintendent and principal, and the way they now think about and encourage student learning.

For this phenomenological study, superintendents and principals were selected and individually interviewed from …

Pathways To Cyber Bullying From Bystander To Participant: Secondary School Students’ Perspectives, Michele L. Siderman

Dissertations

The author conducted a qualitative analysis of student artifacts to explore the pathway and experiences of students who had never bullied in the traditional sense but had cyber bullied through the use of social networking sites. In addition, the author explored students’ understanding of the difference between traditional and cyber bullying and their perceptions of the victim receiving the online bullying messages. A transcendental phenomenological approach was employed. The student artifacts analyzed were assignments from a required ninth grade character education class, which included a self-reflective survey, journals, a six-paragraph paper, and an online photo story project.

Results indicated that …

Psychosocial Development Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Higher Education, Kathleen M. Vanderveen

Dissertations

Students, in general, are not graduating from college in percentages above 60% after five years (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2012). According to the National Council on Disability (NCOD, 2007), more students with disabilities are enrolling in higher education every year; but their graduation rates are declining (Getzel, 2008; NCOD, 2007; Orr & Goodman, 2010; Troiano, Liefeld, & Trachtenberg, 2010). Exploring ways to improve the retention and success of students with disabilities in college, leads to the review of psychosocial student development theory, which has guided student support for many years, but has not been widely applied to students with disabilities. …

The Voices Of Higher Education Service-Learning Directors: A Qualitative Inductive Analysis, Kelsey Woodard

Dissertations

This research explored issues surrounding service-learning directors (SLDs) within higher education institutions, including who they are, how they became SLDs, and what they experience in the role. Qualitative data were drawn from in-depth interviews of 11 SLDs, as well as review of their vitaes. A qualitative inductive analysis was conducted in which important patterns, themes, and interrelationships that emerged from the data were coded into a category system of major themes and subthemes.

Data analysis revealed the following major themes: (1.0): all the SLDs came from various helping profession backgrounds, with interesting journeys to become a SLD; (2.0) many SLD’s …

Measuring Performance Excellence: Key Performance Indicators For Institutions Accepted Into The Academic Quality Improvement Program (Aqip), Paul J. Ballard

Dissertations

Given growing interest in accountability and outcomes, the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission developed a new path for accreditation, the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). The goal is to infuse continuous improvement and quality in the culture of higher education, and to blend traditional accreditation with the philosophy and techniques of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. Yet, little is known about the key performance indicators (KPI) that colleges and universities are using to improve their quality and continuous improvement processes.

To this end, my research involved a content analysis of the Systems Portfolios submitted for accreditation by 34 purposefully …