Education Commons^™

With Green In Mind: Formative Influences On Ecological Mindedness, Shannon Burgert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the formative experiences that nurture ecological habits of mind in youth. The study builds on the ecological habits of mind defined by Moroye and Ingman: caring, a sense of interconnectedness, and ecological integrity. A combination of methods was used in this study: in-depth phenomenologically based interviewing, and educational criticism and connoisseurship. Data collection included two interviews each with five teenagers, one interview each with the teens' mothers, photographing of artifacts, and a focus group with six additional teenagers. Observations and interpretations were filtered through ecological and aesthetic lenses.

Several key findings emerged. First, it is proposed that …

Concurrent Enrollment Programs And Acquired Social Capital For Students From Impoverished Backgrounds: An Examination Of High School And College Outcomes, Dan D. Jorgensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poverty has been linked to reduced workforce opportunities, reduced collegegoing rates, increased social-emotional challenges, and even negative health consequences. Postsecondary educational opportunities, offered during high school, that contribute to the acquisition of social capital may improve academic outcomes for students from impoverished backgrounds. The Colorado concurrent enrollment legislation, provides one opportunity for students to enroll in college level coursework and receive college credits with tuition being paid through state funding while in high school. Concurrent enrollment (CE) programs support the college application, financial aid and enrollment processes. Most importantly, they also support the development of social networks that may foster …

Teachers' Perception Of The English Language Curriculum In Libyan Public Schools: An Investigation And Assessment Of Implementation Process Of English Curriculum In Libyan Public High Schools, Salem Altaieb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of globalization and technological development, English has become a necessary tool of international communication in many areas such as education, business, politics, commerce, science, and technology throughout the world. Also, English has become the most widely taught foreign language in the world (Kachru &Nelson, 1996). Moreover, the issue of successful implementation of the English language curriculum has been the focus of a number of studies. In the case of Libya, however, little research has been conducted on teachers' perceptions of the new English language curriculum in Libyan high schools. Thus, teachers' voices have not been examined or …

The Journey To Teaching Online: A Case Study Of Faculty Preparation And Experiences In Online Teaching, Angel Chi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When Bill Gates published his book "The Road Ahead" (1995), he summarized the transformative implications of the personal computing revolution and described a future profoundly changed by the arrival of a global information super highway. Almost twenty years later, the tsunami of online programs and the MOOCs (massive online open courses) is impacting the structural integrity of postsecondary institutions and changing the competitive landscape of higher learning at an unprecedented pace. When Allen and Seaman (2013) asked the question of whether faculty acceptance of online education increased in their Sloan Consortium annual report, only 30.2% of chief academic …

Finding Their Way: Teacher Journeys Toward Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Krista Keogh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hawley & Nieto (2010) indicate that students’ race and ethnicity influence teaching and learning in two important ways: how students respond to instruction and curriculum, and teachers' assumptions about how students learn and how much students are capable of learning. Research has indicated that the most significant factor in student success is the classroom teacher (Goldhaber & Brewer, 1997; Gordon, Kane, & Staiger, 2006; Jordan, Mendro, & Weerasinghe, 1997; Marzano, 2007; Nye, Konstantopolous, & Hedges, 2004; Rivkin, Hanushek, &Kain, 2002; Rockoff, 2004; Rowan, Correnti, & Miller, 2002). Teacher professional development regarding culturally responsive pedagogy has been promoted to help teachers …

An Assessment Of Character And Leadership Development Latent Factor Structures Through Confirmatory Factor, Item Response Theory, And Latent Class Analyses, David L. Higginbotham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study leveraged the complementary nature of confirmatory factor (CFA), item response theory (IRT), and latent class (LCA) analyses to strengthen the rigor and sophistication of evaluation of two new measures of the Air Force Academy’s “leader of character” definition—the Character Mosaic Virtues (CMV) and the Leadership Mosaic Inventory (LMI). Special CFA methods involving robust weighted least squares estimation were implemented to analyze the rated responses through linear structural equation modeling. Most informative at the subscale level, the CFA techniques provided evidence of factorial validity and other desirable psychometric properties in support of previous exploratory results for a nine-factor CMV …

Evolving Minds: Helping Students With Cognitive Dissonance, Terry L. Bramschreiber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Even 150 years after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, public school teachers still find themselves dealing with student resistance to learning about biological evolution. Some teachers deal with this pressure by undermining, deemphasizing, or even omitting the topic in their science curriculum. Others face the challenge and deliver solid scientific instruction of evolutionary theory despite the conflicts that may arise. The latter were the topic of this study.

I interviewed five teachers that had experience dealing with resistance to learning evolution in their school community. Through these in-depth interviews, I examined strategies these teachers use when …

Rethinking The Adventure Education Experience: An Inquiry Of Meanings, Culture And Educational Virtue, Benjamin Charles Ingman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an investigation of the adventure education (AE) experience with particular attention to what happens during the AE experience, the meanings participants ascribe to the experience, how personal backgrounds and institutional cultures coalesce in AE, and the significance of the AE experience for schooling. These topics are explored through observing and interviewing participants of adventure education programs under the qualitative framework of educational connoisseurship and criticism. The experiences at the three sites of study—an outdoor challenge course, a wilderness backpacking expedition and a summer adventure program—are described in detail and illustrated through the qualities of the experience (celebratory …

Authenticity In Education: Theory Into Practice, Caitlin Stuard Lindquist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the role of authenticity in education. By applying Fred Newmann’s theoretical framework of authentic achievement to a specific, K-12 setting operating in the real world, I examined Newmann’s five facets of authentic education and looked for their practical manifestations. Those facets are higher-order thinking, depth of knowledge, connectedness to the world beyond the classroom, substantive conversation, and social support for student achievement. Parker Palmer inspired the addition of the criteria of the spiritual/ineffable to the framework, which is also examined in relation to authentic pedagogy. Combined, these qualities are referred to as the authentic education framework (AEF). …

Effectiveness Of The Mind Research Institute's Algebra Readiness Curriculum On Student Achievement Implemented In A Tiered Response To Intervention Model, Nancy Quick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Algebra is typically the gatekeeper for higher-level math coursework. Low math performance on standardized assessments impedes access to these higher-level math classes. Limited math progress in high school affects future career opportunities and quality of life. High school students who have historically struggled with math need interventions that work. Research indicates that the research on reading interventions far outnumbers the research on math interventions. With the passage of new federal legislation requiring schools to document progress for all groups of students and allowing schools to use Response to Intervention models, the need for evidence based math interventions becomes even more …

Hope's Voice: Listening To Urban Youth, Michael Stephen Roth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For several decades, there has been a large gap between the achievement scores of urban youth of color and their white counterparts. This achievement gap persists despite the efforts of educators and policymakers to close it. This descriptive study examined the perceptions of urban youth of color regarding their role in school and the support and barriers they encountered related to academic achievement in school.

Duncan-Andrade (2009) compares schooling in underserved communities to growing roses in concrete. He argues that the conditions of life for urban youth of color are in themselves oppositional forces. He writes that hope is required …

Beyond Survival To Thrival: A Narrative Study Of An Urban Teacher's Career Journey, Kristina Marie Valtierra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Teacher burn out contributes to the epidemic of early career exit. At least half of all new K-12 teachers leave the profession by the time they reach their fifth year of teaching. Conversely, there are urban teachers who survive burn out and thrive as career- long educators.

This qualitative study is an in-depth look into one 40-year veteran teacher's career narrative, answering the question: How did this teacher not only survive but also thrive as a career-long urban teacher? Additionally, the following sub-questions are explored: a) How is her spirit sustained throughout her teacher lifecycle? b) How can her …

Development Of An Integrative-Comprehension Imagery Scale For Children With And Without Autism, Marcy Willard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a debilitating disorder (Yurov et al., 2007) that is diagnosed in 1 in 88 children in America (CDC, 2012). The autism population overwhelmingly performs weakest in reading comprehension as compared to other academic areas (Chiang & Lin, 2007; Minshew, 1994). This identified weaknesses is concerning because comprehension is understood in the literature as the most critical curricular area (Chiang & Lin, 2007). One potential reason for these comprehension problems could be impaired imagery.

Neuropsychology research has found that children with autism cognitively process imagery differently than typical children, due to their unique brain structures (Just, Cherkassky, Keller, & …

A Pilot Study Exploring The Educational And Social/Emotional Benefits Of Web-Based Groups For Parents Of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Eric Todd Zimmerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has indicated that parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) experience more feelings of isolation, depression and stress than those of children with other disorders including ADHD and Down Syndrome. While these feelings are especially elevated in parents living in rural communities who may have limited access to services, they are also present in those living in urban areas but are restricted due to challenges with childcare, transportation, finances and time. Furthermore, research posits that services for parents of the newly diagnosed or of younger children are abundant while services and education for parents of adolescents are hard …

Student Perceptions Of School Climate: A Validity And Data Use Study Of A District-Developed Survey, Mya L. Martin-Glenn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 25 years, researchers have consistently reported that students' perceptions of their school's climate can have a measurable impact on their level of engagement in school, motivation to learn, social development, and, ultimately, their academic achievement. In light of the continued emphasis on education reform and school accountability, the ability to accurately measure the learning environment, interpret the results from that measure, and then determine the appropriate course of action in addressing areas of concern has become increasingly important for school leaders. This dissertation used an embedded mixed methods design to examine one district's self-developed measure of their …

Resilience Through Adversity: A Narrative Case Study Of Students' Experiences Of Expulsion From School, Nadia Coleman Krivenkov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Expulsion from school is life changing. This single event can alter the trajectory of a student's life--for better or for worse. How life changes is unique for each individual student. Risk and protective factors that impact an individual student's resilience determine the level of positive or negative outcomes experienced as a result of expulsion. Educators have the opportunity to take advantage of this disruption in students' education to improve the trajectory of students' lives. However, without thoughtful intervention from caring educators, this interruption in students' education may have an irreparable destructive impact on students' future.

The purpose of this study …

Perceptions Surrounding The Implementation Of Colorado Senate Bill 10-191'S New Teacher Evaluations, Sarah Melvoin Bridich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2013, many public education reform efforts in the United States of America center on testing and accountability. Recent data revealed that teachers have the single greatest in-school impact on student learning; however, the methods to assess teacher effectiveness are widely criticized for not holding teachers accountable and, consequently, are experiencing significant legislative attention. In 2010, Colorado passed Senate Bill 10-191: The Great Teachers and Leaders Act to improve student learning by revising teacher and principal evaluations, including linking them to student learning data, and eradicating tenure.

Teachers, administrators, and policymakers hold critical roles in the implementation of this bill, …

Everything In Di Dark Muss Come To Light: A Postcolonial Investigation Of The Practice Of Extra Lessons At The Secondary Level In Jamaica's Education System, Saran Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast research examining the evolution of Caribbean education systems, little is chronologically tied to the postcolonial theoretical perspectives of specific island-state systems, such as the Jamaican education system and its relationship with the underground shadow education system. This dissertation study sought to address the gaps in the literature by critically positioning postcolonial theories in education to examine the macro- and micro-level impacts of extra lessons on secondary education in Jamaica. The following postcolonial theoretical (PCT) tenets in education were contextualized from a review of the literature: (a) PCT in education uses colonial discourse analysis to critically deconstruct and …

Towards The Consideration Of The U.S. Community College Model To Address The Need For Higher Education Reforms In Ghana, John Kwame Asubonteng Rivers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The higher education systems throughout the continent of Africa are undergoing unprecedented challenges and are considered in crisis. African countries, including Ghana, all have in common ties to their colonial legacy whereby they are confronted with weak policies put in place by their colonizers. Having gained their independence, Africans should now take responsibility for the task of reforming their higher education system. To date, nothing substantial has been accomplished, with serious implications for weakening and damaging the structures of the foundation of their educational systems. This qualitative, single case study utilized a postcolonial theory-critical pedagogy framework, providing guidance for coming …

Restrictive And Expansive Views Of Equality: A Grounded Theory Study That Explores The Influence Of Racial Consciousness On The Behaviors Of White Faculty In The Classroom, Chayla M. Haynes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attempts to address the ever increasing achievement gap among students have failed to explain how and why educational traditions and teaching practices perpetuate the devaluing of some and the overvaluing of others. This predicament, which plagues our educational system, has been of increased concern, given the growing racial diversity among college students and the saturation of White faculty in the academy. White faculty make up the majority, 79%, of all faculty in the academy. White faculty, whether consciously or unconsciously, are less likely to interrogate how race and racism both privilege them within the academy and influence their faculty behaviors. …

Investing In A Better World: A Study Of Country-Level Factors On Investment Outcomes, Richard Matthew Ostberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a design to examine the effects of environmental factors in a country such as education systems levels, corruption, and social freedoms on investment outcomes. The literature review suggests that countries with poor education at the secondary level tend to have lower standards of living, lower levels of freedom, as well as high levels of corruption which appear to have negative effects on their market economies. This study was designed to examine existing data from multiple sources along multiple dimensions, and use a hierarchical linear model, as well as a portfolio optimization model, to assess the impact of …

Mentoring School Leaders: Perspectives And Practices Of Mentors And Their Protégés, Dana Sue Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has the potential to be a powerful tool to help prepare future school leaders in the context of leading a school. The purpose of this study was to identify perspectives and practices employed in mentoring relationships within a principal preparation program. Through interviews, observations, and the analysis of artifacts, this study identified how these mentors supported their protégés in the development of theoretical understanding, technical skills, and reflective practice.

This study took a multiple case study approach to analyze data about leadership mentoring obtained within three-cases of a mentor and the mentoring relationship with his or her protégé. Each …

Faculty Engagement With Learning Outcomes Assessment: A Study Of Public Two-Year Colleges In Colorado, Jennifer Lynn Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was the assumption that faculty at the postsecondary level in the U. S. are not sufficiently or effectively engaged with student learning outcomes assessment (LOA) activities and/or practices. This issue emerged in two primary ways within the Scholarship of Assessment (SoA) body of literature: (1) as a misalignment of learning outcomes assessment practices between faculty and their institutions, and (2) as a lack of transparency concerning what faculty are, in fact, doing with respect to LOA activities. Two-year colleges reportedly have particular difficulty in discerning whether or not these issues impact institutional efforts to …