Education Commons^™

Factors Influencing Teachers' Decisions To Refer Students For Special Education Evaluation, Amanda R. Perry

Masters Theses

This study examined the factors that influence teachers to refer students for psycho-educational evaluation. Fifty seven teachers from Midwest and Southwest suburban and rural school districts completed a questionnaire designed to gather information about the factors teachers consider when referring students for evaluation, as well as their opinion of the etiology of Learning Disability and their preferences for services. Results indicated that the most influential factors in participants' referral decisions were low achievement and behavioral problems. The majority of teachers agreed that eligibility decisions should be based on the child's needs. However, there was no agreement that an ability-achievement discrepancy …

Meeting Ncate Standards Through Service-Learning: Professional Knowledge & Skills, National Service-Learning In Teacher Education Partnership

Service Learning, General

Community service has a long-standing tradition in the mission and purpose of California Lutheran University. Believing that the adoption of academic service-learning as an innovative and effective instructional strategy can enhance and enrich the teaching and learning experiences of both Faculty and students, in 1994, the School of Education included service-learning as a required assignment in several courses in the Teacher Preparation Program.

Student Performance And Behavior: A Comparative Analysis Of Fourth- And Fifth -Grade Students Who Did Or Did Not Participate In A Looping Program., Ann N. Curry

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Legislating Literacy: An Analysis Of State Statutes Affecting Reading Instruction In United States Public Schools., Louanne Clayton Jacobs

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Examining Aspects Of Alabama Reading Initiative Implementation In Upper Elementary Grades., Jean Gober Lollar

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Negligent Actions Arising From Violent Acts In The Public And Private Schools., Joseph Winfield Redcross

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of The Alabama Reading Initiative On The Culture Of Three Inner -City Elementary Schools In The State Of Alabama., Martha Smith Barber

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

A Case Analysis Of Three Middle-School Boys Who Have Down Syndrome And Have Been In Regular Education Classes Since Preschool, Eileen Frances Luddy

Dissertations

This study investigated the experiences of three middle-school boys who have Down syndrome and have always attended regular education classes.

Despite the existence of policies and initiatives in support of inclusive education, research on the implementation of inclusive practices in middle schools is sparse.

This study is organized in nine chapters. A review of literature revealed that significant research conducted during the past decade supports the practice of including students with disabilities in regular education and the benefits of inclusion outweigh the benefits of separate instruction.

A case study approach investigated the phenomenon covering contextual conditions surrounding the experiences of …

Predominant Nursing Students' Learning Profile And Nursing Faculty Teaching Styles As Related To Final Course Grade In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program In Puerto Rico, Lourdes Méndez Cruz

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose o f this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ predominant learning profile, faculty teaching preferences, and the final course grade in a 4-year nursing program at a private Christian university in Puerto Rico.

Method. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used for this study. The Learning Profile Indicator was administered to all nursing students («=138) while the Teaching Style Inventory was given to all faculty («=9). Demographic sheets were also given to both students and faculty Students’ final course grades were obtained from the faculty. Descriptive (frequency, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics …

A Study Of Select Decisions That Fostered The Growth And Development Of Solusi University In Zimbabwe, Israel Sampson Mfune

Dissertations

Problem. Decision making is a practical day-to-day phenomenon. It manifests itself in various ways, such as choosing w/hat to do or not to do. in evaluating and fulfilling what is now and what is expected. Decision making is a cycle covering the time from when a decision is conceived to the time its outcome is visible. Because decision making appears so ordinary, it is often considered an ordinary activity. A good, well-thought-through decision can go a long way in the life of an organization. This study focuses on how Solusi went about the decision-making process, the implementation of those decisions, …

The Relationship Between Perspectives Ofspiritual Care And Organizational Climate In Seventh-Day Adventist Baccalaureate Nursing Programs In North America, Edelweiss Ramal

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between perspectives of spiritual care held by students and faculty in Seventh-day Adventist baccalaureate nursing programs and their perception of the school climate and compare these between faculty and students, Seventh-day Adventists and non-Seventh-day Adventists, and males and females.

Methodology

The University Version of the Kettering School Climate scale and the Role of Spiritual Care in Nursing Subscale answered by 49 faculty and 159 students of nine Seventh-day Adventist baccalaureate nursing programs provided the data. Pearson correlation, one-way analysis of variance, and t tests at a .05 level of …

Variables Related To The Successful Completion Of The First Course In Business Calculus At Three Jamaican Universities, Martin Nkhrama Richards

Dissertations

Problem. Many students at all levels of the education system in Jamaica perform poorly at mathematics. In particular, the results of both the Caribbean Examinations Council and Business Calculus 1 at the university level have reflected a declining trend in mathematics performance in recent years. Consequently, this study sought to investigate the variables related to the successful completion of the first course in business calculus at Jamaican universities. To this end, the study looked at perceptions of students and their professors regarding students' cognitive, affective, and professor effectiveness variables impacting success.

Method. The sample for this study consisted of 389 …

Exploratory Study Of The Relationships Between Community Building And The Social, Academic, And Spiritual Engagement At Antillean Adventist University, Zilma Enid Santiago

Dissertations

Problem. This research examined the students’ sense of community building in a college and how such perceptions influenced academic, social, and spiritual engagement in a 4- year Christian university.

Method. The study was an exploratory study that used survey methodology. Data collection was done using a 150-question research instrument that consists of several sections designed to gather information about the demographic characteristics of the population, and to measure the following variables: sense of community, and the academic, social, and spiritual engagement. Both descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistical techniques (one-way analysis of variance and canonical correlations) were used …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Identification Of The "Tongues" Of 1 Corinthians 14 Utilizing A Socio-Exegetical Approach To Interpretation, Angel Hernandez

Dissertations

Problem. The Corinthian tongues is a subject that has been extensively covered in the literature, especially in exegetical Bible commentaries, but no empirically developed curriculum for college-level instruction has been found. The purpose o f this study was to develop such a curriculum. The approach to the interpretation o f the tongues of 1 Corinthians 14 was interdisciplinary: both theological and sociological.

Method. The instructional product development method formulated by Baker and Schutz and revised by Naden was used in this study. The process consisted of ten steps including; assessment of the need for a new curriculum, identification and …

A Study Of Perceptions Held Toward Teacher Evaluation Policies And Practices By Teachers And Their Supervisors In Adventist Schools In Canada, Dave Densil Higgins

Dissertations

Problem. Most school administrators and teachers deem teacher evaluation systems to be extremely stressful, of little or no value, and a barrier to high staff morale. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current teacher evaluation policies and practices and the perceptions held toward these policies and practices by selected elementary and secondary' teachers and their supervisors in the Adventist schools in Canada.

Method. The population of this study consisted of selected elementary and secondary teachers and their supervisors in the Adventist schools in Canada. Two hundred and twenty-five teachers and 48 supervisors were surveyed. The survey …

Academic Persistence And Attrition Among Freshman Traditional And Non-Traditional Students At A Public Midwestern Commuter University, Arnold W. Illanz

Dissertations

Problem. This research examined student background characteristics, student social and institutional integrations, and their relation to attrition rates of freshman students at a public Midwestern commuter university.

Method. A quantitative research methodology based on empirical data collection was used utilizing a 101-question research instrument consisting of two sections: student demographic, and five factorially derived scales developed by Pascarella and Terenzini (1980) which operationalized Tinto's (1975) conceptual model of college student withdrawal. Chi-square, analysis of variance, and Pearson product-moment correlation were used to identify factors related to student academic persistence and attrition.

Results. The study found that, in general, factors external …

Exemplary Bilingual Teachers In Puerto Rico: A Multiple-Case Study, Aurea Laracuente Araújo

Dissertations

Problem. Within a context of inadequate pre-service training, insufficient administrative support, and an ambivalent social environment regarding the teaching of ESL in Puerto Rico, a number of conscientious bilingual teachers try to overcome the odds of the system and have an impact on students' ability to speak English. Some even become exemplary teachers. How do they learn to meet so many expectations successfully in spite of real short comings found in their job, and how do they acquire the skills and competencies necessary to be exemplary bilingual teachers in Puerto Rico?

Method. A qualitative multiple-case study design was …

The Effectiveness Of The Writing Workshop Model To Teach An English-As-A-Second-Language College Writing Course In Puerto Rico: A Look At Students' Outcomes, Marie Jacqueline Agésilas

Dissertations

Problem. Questions have been raised regarding the number of limited-English-proficient students who enter undergraduate schools every year. This study was designed to look at the effectiveness of the Writing Workshop model in improving English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) college students' writing skills in a small liberal arts university in Puerto Rico.

Method. Students registered in two Intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language writing classes were asked to take a pretest-posttest related to writing skills and a pretest-posttest related to composition skills to indicate their level of agreement for each of the 22 statements on a Likert-type (survey) instrument--strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (4)--related to their attitudes …

A Study Of The Reported Long-Term Attitudinal And Behavioral Effects Of An Eighth-Grade Environmental Education Project And The Development Of An Innovation Configuration To Promote Environmental Education, Jean Lomino

Dissertations

Problem. Increasing scientific evidence reveals that this planet is in serious environmental jeopardy. Since 1977, when an international group of K-12 educators met in the USSR and established goals for teaching environmental education worldwide, many schools have endeavored to fulfill these goals through the use of various curricula and teaching strategies. Although some progress has been made, most K-12 public schools have not done enough to meet the demands of environmental problems. In 1996, my co-teacher and I designed and implemented an environmental project, called Mission Environment, that we hoped would help our students develop long-term positive environmental attitudes …

Study Of The Efficacy Of A Christian-Based Inpatient Hospital For Treating Eating Disorders, Depression, And Spiritual Distress, Robert Alan Darden

Dissertations

Problem . Outcome studies continue to indicate that a substantial proportion of individuals with eating disorders have a dangerously limited response to treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a Christian cognitive-behavioral-based inpatient hospital that specializes in eating disorders was an effective program for treating eating disorders. Next, this study sought to determine if this inpatient hospital was effective in treating both depression and spiritual distress. Finally, this study examined the relationship between depression and spiritual distress with treatment outcome.

Method . Five hundred and eighty-two patients were admitted to an inpatient hospital between July 1, …

Barriers And Challenges To Serving To Serving Non-Traditional Students In E-Learning Environments, Michael T. Miller, Mei-Yan Lu

Faculty Publications

Online teaching in higher education has become increasingly common, particularly as colleges and universities attempt to serve surging enrollments in some areas and as they look to expand their offerings in other markets. A primary consumer of these courses is the nontraditional student. Because these nontraditional students have unique learning needs that must be addressed in the online classroom, this study sought to identify the barriers to success nontraditional students face in the online learning environment and the strategies teachers can use to assist these students. Assessment strategies for nontraditional students are also studied.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Brad Bridgewater

Graduate Research Papers

Caring is the first trait exhibited by almost every great leader. It may sound like a very soft touchy-feely thing, but it works.The second trait of great leaders, or those who get others to excel, is Integrity. In other words, they can be trusted to tell the truth. They tell the truth in good times and bad, and they tell the truth whether or not it makes them look good or bad.

Finally, great leaders who get others to excel have high expectations. They don't let people get by with mediocrity. No one can really feel good about themselves when …

An Analysis Of Consistent Inclusion Programming District Wide, Laura N. Vos

Masters Theses

Inclusive education is the newest and largest change that the district being examined has had to face in recent years. However, within the six elementary buildings, inclusion is delivered in different ways. The inconsistency amongst the buildings in regards to inclusion was examined to determine if the effects have a positive or negative impact on the district as a whole. An interview/questionnaire was administered to twenty-five samples throughout the district. The interviews determined overwhelmingly that the practices are inconsistent, but whether the effect was positive or negative was debateable. The study also found common successful practices, shared commonalities and concerns …

Analisis Kesilapan Ayat-Ayat Bersyarat Bahasa Jepun Di Kalangan Pelajar-Pelajar Melayu, Roswati Abdul Rashid

Student Works (2000-2009)

The Error Analysis study of Conditional Sentences reflected in Japanese Language use among the Malay students, is a huge task considering the history and complexity of the language involved. However, such a study is relevant in an attempt to find out the effectiveness of Japanese Language teaching. This study will also try to find out differences, type and frequency of errors that occurs in Japanese Language. The hypothesis of this study is interference of first language will influence to Japanese Language learners ability in differentiating the functions of Conditional Sentences Seventy-six Malay students of PPKTJ, UTM were used as subjects …

Gifted Underachievers : A Review Of The Past And Present With Implications For The Future, Angela R. Fry

Graduate Research Papers

The academic underachievement of gifted students has perplexed educators, parents, and researchers for over half a century. With such a controversial background, gifted underachievers have become a topic of increased interest in the last few decades. A large body of quantitative research has attempted to fill this void. Numerous personality and environmental factors such as lack of effort, learning styles, family dynamics, and peer relationships have been linked to underachievement.

A plethora of inadequate and unsuccessful interventions have been implemented, researched, and scrutinized. With such an increased awareness, why do potentially gifted students continue to fail and what can we …

Best Teaching Practices In Reading Methods Courses, Stacey Ruff

Graduate Research Papers

Recently, I made an occupational change to instructing at the college level while still completing work on my Masters in Reading Education. My journey has led me to this research project, a search for the best practices in teaching reading methods courses.

The questions guiding my research were: 1) What do the Higher Education professors of reading methods courses in a mid-sized Midwestern city's three colleges think are the most effective teaching practices being utilized in their reading methods courses to prepare pre-service teachers to be successful teachers? 2) How do these methods compare to research on the most effective …

Effective Bilingual Practices For Early Childhood Reading And Language Arts :/ A Professional Development Seminar And Model Thematic Unit For English-Spanish Bilingual Educators, Priscila Palomino De Piper

Graduate Research Papers

This project provides a workshop framework for the implementation of effective bilingual practices in early childhood reading and language arts. It is designed as a series of workshops for English-Spanish bilingual educators, with the purpose of providing ideas and strategies to support the development of reading and language arts programs in both languages. It is important to point out that the success of a language program relies not only on excellent research, but also on the support of parents, teachers, administrators and the whole community. It is important to believe that no language is superior to any other, that the …

School Climate : A Review Of Literature, Sarah Galloway

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature and research on school climate to determine how school climate affects achievement, social, emotional and behavioral development, school safety, and school attendance and completion. Reviewing these outcomes for students leads the author to address principles for school climate measurement and improvement, as presented in the school climate literature. The measurement and improvement programs are reviewed in the context of school psychologists contributing to climate interventions.

Adult Distance Learners In Distance Education : A Literature Review, Yu Cao

Graduate Research Papers

Distance education is a current reality creating new opportunities and challenges for educational institutions, offering students expanded choices in where, when, how and from whom they learn, and making education accessible to a large population, especially for adult learners. This paper intends to present and discuss some of the most current research on the issues which influence adult distance learners' learning process. And help the school administrators, distance course designers and distance instructors to truly understand adult distance learners and their learning needs; design an effective and efficient learning environment and experience; facilitate adult learners' learning, provide learners' support to …

Vocabulary : A Building Block In Reading, Lisa L. Capper

Graduate Research Papers

From all of my reading and research, I learned that vocabulary is an essential part of teaching. In all of the curriculum areas, knowledge of vocabulary is important. With word understanding, comprehension grows and so does the student's knowledge.

Vocabulary development activities not only include many opportunities for students to be actively involved with reading a variety of books, but, through vocabulary instruction, the teacher directly teaches important words and strategies to help students understand what they are reading. Through the use of a variety of strategies I observed how different strategies can help students learn and grow in their …