Education Commons^™

A Case Study Of One Iowa Public School Superintendent's Evaluation Process, Gail Vanous Moon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to identify and describe one Iowa public school district's superintendent performance evaluation process. This study explored the perceptions of one superintendent and one school board of directors in regard to the purposes, criteria, sources of information, and general effectiveness of their superintendent performance evaluation process.

The study was conducted in an urban K-12 public school district in northeastern Iowa. Factors considered in the selection of the school district included: size, location, demographics, as well as the willingness of the participants ta have their voices heard through the researcher. Also, the district was …

Multicultural, Gender-Fair Infusion Index And Survey, William P. Austin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated teachers' and students' perceptions of the degree of infusion of multicultural gender-fair educational components at the high school level. Two instruments were used: Multicultural Gender-Fair Educational Infusion Index and Multicultural Gender-Fair Educational Infusion Survey. The Multicultural GenderFair Educational Infusion Index was administered to 50 teachers in the subject areas of reading language arts, social studies, and physical science. The Multicultural GenderFair Educational Infusion Survey was administered to 82 high school-age students from the same mid-size Midwestern town. The results of the study showed a discrepancy in what teachers value in terms of multicultural education and how regularly …

The Effects Of Systematically Fading Reinforcement While Maintaining Skills, Jodi Suzanne Bronson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A review of the literature describing treatment programs for young children with autism revealed two distinctly different strategies. One, the Lovaas approach (Lovaas, 1987), focused on an intense, one-on-one discrete trial training format implemented for approximately 40 hours per week. A prescribed curriculum targeted at social and communication skills is incorporated. The second program, TEACCH, emphasized an individualized curriculum selected after a careful assessment process to determine a person's strengths and limitations. Goals and objectives were subsequently implemented in highly structured special education classrooms where the focus was on antecedent control and the use of visually mediated strategies. Interviews with …

Analysis Of Violence Prevention Perceptions Among Teachers And Principals In Iowa Public Secondary Schools, Elizabeth Fischer-Jurgensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' and principals' perceptions of violence prevention training in Iowa's public secondary schools. The perceived level of danger, the actual amount of violence prevention training, the desired amount of violence prevention training, and the discrepancy between actual and desired amounts of violence prevention training were identified for 11 types of school violence. Additionally, the relationship between the size of community and each discrepancy was examined.

Five research questions were utilized with a quantitative research approach. A survey instrument was mailed to 480 public secondary school teachers and 120 public secondary school principals …

Factors Affecting The Self-Perceived Continuing Education Needs Of Certified Athletic Trainers, Marchell Cupett Austin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This purpose of this study was to determine the self-perceived continuing education needs of Certified Athletic Trainers, the factors that affect those needs, and continuing education participation as well as preference for program format. A survey was developed using the domains and tasks depicted by the NATABOC's Role Delineation Study. Respondents rated the importance of their need for continuing education for each task within five domains: prevention of athletic injuries; recognition, evaluation and immediate care of athletic injuries; rehabilitation of athletic injuries; health care administration; and professional development and responsibility. The survey was sent to 2,000 randomly selected Certified Athletic …

Student Self-Assessment, Portfolios, And The Context Of The Classroom, Colleen Goodenbour

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that seemed to influence student self-assessment in a language arts classroom where portfolios are used as a vehicle to align teaching, learning, and assessment. This was a qualitative study using naturalistic inquiry as a means to identify and explicate those factors. Data were gathered on individual students and the classroom by observation, which took the form of anecdotal records, surveys, portfolio work samples, conferences, and a personal reflective journal. This data provided information for three student portrayals and a composite language arts morning portrayal. The analysis of the portrayals and …

Perceptions Of Writing In A Community College Composition Course, Rebecca Ann Kamm

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate community college students' and their teacher's perceptions about writing in a beginning composition course. This study explored student and teacher views about composition, possible tensions about ways writing is defined, and ways to resolve tension. Specifically, this study addressed the following questions:

1. How do my perceptions as a writing instructor in a beginning community college composition course compare with my students' perceptions?
2. How do my students and I understand real and perceived consequences that arise from various views about writing?
3. How could my students and I mediate or resolve various views about …

Making Meaning From International Educational Experiences: Transforming Inner Landscapes, Sami Lyn Story

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative study sought to gain a more complete understanding of the transformative potential of international educational experiences for US college students. The stories of seven traditionally aged students were evaluated to discern possible commonalties across the diverse experiences. These themes were framed as a cyclical process of departures, passages, and arrivals with special attention given to how students constructed meaning from their intercultural encounters. Factors such as the need to understand, affiliate, and create experiences appeared to be influential along with expectations of host cultures, definitions of family, and time spent in dialectical thought. Students who spent more time …