Education Commons^™

The Creation And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure School Stem Culture, Christopher White

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Although current research exists on school culture, there is a gap in the literature on specialized aspects of culture such as STEM Culture defined as the beliefs, values, practices, resources, and challenges in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) within a school. The objective of this study was to create a valid and reliable instrument, the STEM Culture Assessment Tool (STEM-CAT), that measures this cultural aspect based on a survey of stakeholder groups within the school community and use empirical data to support the use of this instrument to measure STEM Culture. Items were created and face validity was …

Secondary English Teachers Dispositions Toward Technology Integration In One-To-One Environments, Reed Chewning

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This study examined how high school English teachers define technology integration and how teacher beliefs regarding technology integration impacts teacher and student use of digital technologies for instructional purposes. Thirty-nine teachers from three high school English departments in their initial year of a one-to-one device implementation participated in this study. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed to examine how high school English teachers define technology integration and to examine if teacher beliefs informs technology integration practices. Quantitative data included the use of the TPACK formative assessment tool and an instructional technology use survey. Qualitative data included open-ended survey …

Creating Arguments Using A Multiliteracies Approach: A Formative Experiment, Emily Howell

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This dissertation study addresses the New London Group’s (1996) concern that technology and globalization require an expanded concept of literacy that focuses upon the multimodal nature of communication. This study combined a formative experiment with multiple-case-study methods to understand the pedagogical implications of implementing an intervention based upon the multiliteracies perspective (New London Group, 1996), a perspective that remains theoretical in application. This study sought to implement this perspective in a ninth- and a tenth-grade English class in a rural school district and develop assertions that further the localized, pedagogical understanding and application of the present study’s intervention (Gravemeijer & …

Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Conceptions Of Global Citizenship Through Cross-Cultural Interaction, Sheliah Durham

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The challenge we face as educators is how to best prepare our students for an increasingly complex and interconnected world. A growing interest in global citizenship education is evidenced by its inclusion in academia related to curriculum development and teacher preparation (Banks, 2008; Merryfield, 2000; 2001; 2003; 2009; Myers, 2006; Nussbaum, 2002). I, following other scholars, argue that global citizenship education provides an opportunity to develop tolerances, appreciation for differences, and global awareness, as well as providing a format to address current and future global issues (Ikeda, D. 2005; Noddings, 2005a; Merryfield 2000; 2007; 2009). Yet, a review of the …

A Case Study Of Complex Systems In Leadership In Higher Education Fundraising, J. Michael Bonnette

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Institutions of higher education are more focused on raising private funds today than ever before. This need to increase funding has provided opportunity for emergent behavior among all levels of the institution and has provided an opportunity for the study of leadership among those responsible for managing the fundraising operation. This study will endeavor to understand the emergent enabling and adapting leadership in an institution of higher education during a change to a centralized fundraising model. A case study approach will build a narrative of interaction among those involved in the change and develop insight through the lens of Complexity …

Early College High School Principals As Democratic, Socially Just, Culturally Responsive Leaders, Hattie L. Hammonds

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The purpose of this qualitative, multi-site, multi-case study was to examine how early college high school principals promote the success of the first generation, students of color and low-income students they serve. The study examined three early college high school principals in North Carolina through two lenses: the traditional role of principals and a conceptual framework of democratic, socially just, culturally responsive leaders. The study used semi-structured interview and focus groups as the primary data sources. Additional data sources included documents, state databases and observations. The research questions guiding the study were:

1. How do early college high school principals promote …

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Exploring The Associations Preservice Social Studies Teachers Make Between Discussion As A Pedagogical Approach And Democratic Education: A Multi-Case Study, Rory Tannebaum

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Educational scholars and political theorists credit the use of discussion in the K-12 classroom as a way to provide students with a democratic education through its ability to incorporate various perspectives, inform students of current events and issues, and teach students to think critically about a range of topics. Despite this, however, an extensive body of research details the lack of discussion occurring in K-12 classrooms in the United States. This study seeks to examine this issue by exploring the associations preservice social studies teachers make between the underlying principles of democratic education and the use of discussion in the …

Perceptions Of Career And Technology Education Among African American Students, Laura Smith

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Recent studies have found that Career and Technology Education can lower dropout rates among high school students (Stone and Lewis, 2012). Students that are enrolled in Career and Technical Education are exposed to a plethora of career opportunities that they may not be cognizant of without the learning environment found at Career and Technology Centers. African American students participate in Career and Technology Education more than any other racial or ethnic group (Silverberg, 2004). Because Career and Technology Education has been found to be an important aspect of increasing graduation rates and African American students participate more than any other …

An Embedded Case Study Of The Proposed Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Statute & The Proposed Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Statute, James Vines

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The purpose of this explanatory, embedded case study was to understand why the proposed Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention statute and the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment statute did not passed. The data for the study was conducted through direct observations of congressional committee hearings, document analysis and open-ended interviews. The proposed Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention statute addresses cyberbullying by imposing criminal sanctions. The proposed Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Statute seeks to provide federal grants to institutions of higher education to implement anti-harassment programs. The findings revealed that vague terminology, language dealing with LGBT people and sexual orientation as well …

Kaleidoscopic View Of Voices Shaping Female And Male Adolescents' Dynamic Mathematics Identity Within Single-Sex And Coeducational Environments, Amber Simpson

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With amendments made to the Title IX legislation in 2006, public schools in the United States were permitted to establish single-sex classes as an option for students to enroll voluntarily. Yet, our understanding of how single-sex mathematics classes affect female and male adolescent students in the United States is sparse. The purpose of this study is to contribute to this limited body of scholarship by gaining insights into the similarities and differences in how middle grade female and male students' narrate their mathematics identity within a single-sex and coeducational mathematics classrooms, as well as how class type may be shaping …

Understanding The Experiences Of Underrepresented Women In Student Affairs At A Predominately White Institution Through A Dynamic Network Analysis Framework, Lani San Antonio

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As institutions become more diverse among the student body, minority faculty and staff are recruited to better support underrepresented students. However, while much thought is often placed in recruitment efforts, institutions often fail to execute appropriate retention efforts of their minority faculty and staff (Turner, Gonzalez & Wood, 2008). Due to this, underrepresented women often find themselves faced with many barriers and lack of resources needed to successfully transition into new roles and environments (Harris, Wright & Msengi, 2011; Jackson & Harrison, 2007; Maramba, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of underrepresented women in student …