Education Commons^™

Character Education Program : An Evaluation Description, Hou Chun Kuong

Graduate Research Papers

In today 's world, all children face great uncertainties in a complex and sometimes troubled society. These traits are not always readily apparent and easy to grasp or learn. Today, schools face the challenge of providing youth with the self-esteem, stamina, and support they need to survive, be successful, and develop into strong, competent, caring, and responsible citizens. To meet the challenge schools have either developed or adopted character education programs.

This paper focused on three elements common to most character education programs: (]) the school program must include parent and community outreach, planning and structure, school climate, curriculum, and …

Issl Standards : Tools For An Effective Educational Leader, Kimberly R. Latusick

Graduate Research Papers

The Iowa Standards for School Leadership (ISSL) provide an educational leader with the essential tools to construct a strong educational structure. These tools are used to actively engage everyone in the building process. The six ISSL Standards: Visionary, Instructional, Organizational, Collaborative, Ethical, and Political Leadership, serve as a blueprint to gain knowledge and develop attributes appropriate to the role of a building principal.

This essay reflects on how I have incorporated the ISSL Standards into my role as educator and future administrator. The practicum experiences, course-related work, and visionary expectations have allowed me to understand the importance of being an …

Teachers' And Students' Perceptions Of Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Science Education In A Selected Seventh-Day Adventist Union Conference, Marcel Andre Sargeant

Dissertations

Problem. Science education has long been a great concern in the United States, where less than one-third of the students perform at or above the proficient level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of the science program in a selected Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist school system. Specifically, this study investigated the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the extent to which the science program meets the criteria of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st century and to what extent these criteria are related to academic performance as indicated by …

Job Satisfaction And Its Relationship To Organizational Commitment And Religious Commitment For Andrews University Employees, Ralph Schroder

Dissertations

Problem. Relatively few studies have examined job satisfaction and its intrinsic and extrinsic facets for religious private universities. Andrews University seems to benefit from an identification of factors contributing to job satisfaction, and a measurement of its employees’ organizational and religious commitment. This study can clarify whether religious commitment has a potentially mediating effect on the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Method. As part of this quantitative research study a survey questionnaire was mailed out to all 976 Andrews University employees’ which measured levels of overall, intrinsic, and extrinsic job satisfaction as well as organizational and religious commitment. …

A Study Of The Influence Of Birth Order And Other Variables On Student Perceptions Of School Effectiveness In A Southwestern Michigan County, Hamil Tobias

Dissertations

Problem. There is an increasing demand for quality education. In his initiative for education reform, U.S. President George W. Bush promoted the concept of no child left behind, in which he calls for more accountability. It is useful to examine student perceptions of how well the education system functions. Instead of a monolithic view, their perceptions were analyzed by birth order, gender, and ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student perceptions differed by their birth order, gender, and ethnicity.

Method. This study utilized a 4 x 2 x 2 (birth order by …

The Impact Of Early-Intervention/Prevention Services On The Northville Public Schools, Robert O. Sornson

Dissertations

Problem

Whereas some school districts have continued to observe high rates of reading failure and increasing rates of special education identification, others have looked at program or system changes to reduce early learning failure. This study is an analysis of the impact of early intervention practices in the elementary schools of an upper-middle-class community.

Method

Cost analyses of district programs were compared to a hypothetical district with state average levels of special education identification. Special Education eligibility rates were tracked over a 10-year period. Data were collected from surveys given to Instructional-Support Team personnel, general education teachers, elementary administrators, and …

Perceptions Of Nursing Academic Administrators And Faculty Related To The Pursuit Of Upper-Level Administrative Careers, Lavonne M. Adams

Dissertations

Problem. To address the shortage of qualified candidates interested in academic administration, this study explored factors related to recruitment of nursing academic administrators, including leadership practices of current administrators, career aspirations of potential administrators, and perceptions of both groups toward a career in academic administration.

Method. Nursing academic administrators and full-time faculty from randomly selected National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC)-accredited nursing programs in private colleges or universities in the United States participated in the study. Administrators completed the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self (LPI-Self) and an investigator-designed Recruitment Questionnaire. Faculty completed the Leadership Practices Inventory-Observer (LPI-Observer) and an investigator-designed Career …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Followership Modalities And Leadership Styles Among Educators At Selected High Schools In Jackson, Mississippi, Joyce Elaine Johnson

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of the relationship between followership modalities and leadership styles. High-school teachers and principals in the Jackson Public School District in Jackson, Mississippi, participated in the study.

Method. Methodological triangulation that combined quantitative and qualitative methods served as the study's research design. A 45-item Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5x-Short), developed by Bass and Avolio (1995), and a well-established measure of leadership style, was administered to the principals.

A 20-item, self-diagnostic questionnaire, developed by Robert Kelley, designed to measure followership modalities, was administered to the high school teachers who …

Differential Perceptions Of Teachers And Students About The Teaching And Learning Of History In Secondary Schools Of Trinidad And Tobago, Stephen Joseph

Dissertations

Problem. Students at the upper secondary-school level sometimes experience difficulties understanding basic historical concepts as well as appreciating the relevance of history as a subject in the school's curriculum. While these students are capable of formulating perspectives of their own, teachers often find it necessary to guide students' thinking toward an accepted paradigm (scholarly concept) of history. The problem is that there are mismatched paradigms that teachers need to bring together in order to establish a foundation for a scholarly approach to history.

This study seeks to identify different conceptual frameworks that exist in students' thinking about history. It …

A Comprehensive Guidance Counseling Program For Jamaican Schools: A Needs Assessment, Grace Altia Kelly

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. This study sought: (a) to identify stakeholders' perceptions of the existing guidance program in Jamaican schools and (b) to identify aspects of the Comprehensive Guidance Counseling Program (CGCP) that are desired by stakeholders in order to observe if there were any significant gaps between the perceived current and desired status of guidance in Jamaican schools.

Method. This was a self-report, descriptive survey study that involved 420 subjects (151 students, 130 teachers, 44 counselors, 37 principals, and 58 parents) from 54 schools (18 primary, 18 All-Age/Junior High, and 18 Secondary) across the three counties of …

The Role Of School Psychologists As Perceived By Administrators, Teachers, And School Psychologists In Berrien, Cass, And Van Buren Counties, Rosemary E. Mcdaniel

Dissertations

Problem. As our society changes, new demands are made on families and their children. This creates problems, concerns, and needs which should be addressed by the schools. Consequently, school psychologists will be expected to broaden their present roles and functions to meet these demands. The dilemma is to know what adjustments within the role of school psychology must be made in order to keep up with the changes in society, particularly those which affect school-age children and their families.

Method. This study was an attempt to examine actual and desired functions and training needs of school psychologists within Southwestern …

The Contribution Of Education, Experience, And Personal Characteristics On The Reflective Judgment Of Students Preparing For School Administration, Margaret Rae Macdonald

Dissertations

Problem. School administrators must use high levels of reasoning to deal with the complexities of today's educational system. Reflective thinking has proven to be an effective administrative tool in problem solving, staff supervision, and school improvement, yet preparation programs for school administrators have limited knowledge about what contributes to reflective judgment in their students, thus making it difficult to develop curriculum and pedagogy to enhance reflection.

Method. The Reflective Judgment Model provides the theoretical framework for this mixed methods research design that explores contributory variables that contribute to the reflective judgment of educational leadership students. The Reasoning about Current …

The Effects Of Cooperative Learning Versus Traditional Classroom Instruction On Cognitive Achievement, Critical Thinking, And Attitudes Toward Learning In Teams In A Physician Assistant Program, Scott L. Massey

Dissertations

Problem. Physician assistants are required to possess critical thinking skills and excellent intellectual skills to achieve the level of autonomy expected by supervising physicians. No scientific research has been identified to determine the most effective means of educating the physician assistant students. The purpose of the research study was to determine whether a statistical difference exists between students educated in a cooperative learning environment versus a traditional lecture environment. The dependent variable utilized in this study included critical thinking skills, cognitive achievement, and attitudes towards learning in teams. Using an experimental research design, students were educated in a cooperative learning …

Intention To Pursue Post-Secondary Education, And Related Factors, Among Jamaican Senior High School Students, Teran T. Milford

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. The proportion of female students in post-secondary schools in Jamaica is approximately twice that of their male counterpart. This is in contrast to the observation that the proportion of male and female students in elementary and secondary schools is about the same. Little or no studies have been conducted to examine factors related to the disproportion of male and female students in tertiary institutions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perception of senior high school students regarding their intention to pursue post-secondary education, and to determine the extent to which the value …

Fixing The Hole In The Pipe : Moving Beyond Prereferral Toward Changing The System, Jean T. Papandrea

Dissertations

Problem

Too many students in school districts across the nation fail and are inappropriately referred for special education classification and services, when, in reality, they are not disabled, but are casualties of systems that do not have appropriate instructional intervention and support systems in place. This study explores the outcomes of an Instructional Support system called the 7 SHARE Initiative. Essential system components are: (a) Instructional Support Teachers (ISTs) in each school, (b) Curriculum-Based Assessment as developed by Edward E. Gickling, (c) direct instruction of strategies to students, and (d) modeling strategies for teachers to implement in class-wide applications.

Method …

Developing Life Skills : Perceptions Of Graduates Of The Adult, Non-Traditional Business And Management Programs At Indiana Wesleyan University, Joseph Robert Flowers

Dissertations

Problem. Indiana Wesleyan University teaches all of its adult courses using 10 skills as a foundation. This study determined the perceived attitudes of its graduates regarding the importance of and their relative progress in these 10 areas.

Method. A survey questionnaire was developed and a stratified random sample of graduates was surveyed. A two-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences and interactions among the graduates based on two variables: major and gender.

Results. Graduates perceived the following four skills as "very important": Problem Solving, Oral Communication, Writing Effectively, and Ethics. Six skills were perceived …

Using Cooperative Games For Faculty Development, Barbara J. Millis

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Learning through games has been going on for centuries. Faculty developers, however, are only now realizing the impact of well-structured and well-planned games. They not only “educate” engaged faculty members, but they can also motivate them. This chapter discusses the educational value of games, reveals their key underlying principles, and offers two examples of successfal faculty development games (scavenger hunt and Bingo) that can be replicated on any campus.

Bibliography, Volume 21 (2003)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Bibliography for volume 21 (2003) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Teacher Perceptions Of The Danielson/Mcgreal Model Of Differentiated Evaluation And Its Impact On Professional Growth, Linda M. King

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Effect Of Tenure Status On The Work Activities And Satisfaction Of Part-Time Faculty: A Secondary Analysis Of The National Study Of Post-Secondary Faculty: Nsopf:99., Margorie Michele

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Effect Of Staff Development In The Use Of Scoring Rubrics And Reflective Questioning Strategies On Fourth-Grade Students' Narrative Writing Performance, Christopher H. Tienken

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Establishing A Teaching Academy: Cultivation Of Teaching At A Research University Campus, Patricia Kalivoda, Jodef Broder, William K. Jackson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The University of Georgia (UGA) has worked hard over the last 22 years to increase the respect and reward for teaching through the faculty development programs of the office of instructional support and development and through the establishment of two campus-wide teaching awards. Looking for a means to extend a celebration of teaching beyond one-time recognition or one-time participation, the university established a campus-wide teaching academy. The purpose of this chapter is to chronicle the evolution of the teaching academy that was founded at the University of Georgia in 1999. The mission, goals, membership, funding, and programs and activities of …

Something More: Moments Of Meeting And The Teacher–Learner Relationship, Richard G. Tiberius, John Techima, Alan R. Kindler

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The Boston Group, drawing upon developmental and clinical research, has identified special moments in human interaction that they call “moments of meeting.” These moments occur spontaneously within the context of ongoing relational interaction and can effectively restructure relationships. We think of these moments of meeting as pivotal moments because of their potentially pivotal effect on relationships. In this chapter we briefly describe the theory underlying these moments of relational change, using examples from education. Then we suggest strategies that may help teachers participate creatively in such moments. Finally, we explore the implications of this theory for the concept of authenticity.

The Essential Role Of Faculty Development In New Higher Education Models, Devorah A. Lieberman, Alan E. Guskin

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

There is a growing interest in and active discussion about new educational environments, which shift the emphasis of education from faculty and their teaching to students and their learning. This shift enables us to view the education of students in multiple educational environments beyond the traditional model of faculty teaching students in a classroom. Combining both different instructional roles and educational settings into new higher education models of undergraduate education will demand that faculty learn new roles. It also holds out the hope that reducing the demands on faculty time and increasing the availability of other institutional resources will enhance …

Preface, Volume 21 (2002), Catherine M. Wehlburg

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Preface to volume 21 (2003) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, by Devorah Lieberman of Portland State University.

September 11, 2001, As A Teachable Moment, Edward Zlotkowski

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The Opening Plenary at the 2001 POD Conference was given by Edward Zlotkowski. Using the reactions to the events of September 11, 2001, as an example, he urged those in higher education to search out opportunities for academically based civic engagement and to focus on Boyer’s concept of the scholarship of engagement.

Internationalizing American Higher Education: A Call To Thought And Action, Deborah Dezure

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In the wake of the World Trade Center disaster, many faculty developers are asking themselves what they do to promote international peace and understanding. But even before these events, there has been an indication that there was a pressing need to focus on global competencies as an important part of higher education for the 21st century. The purpose of this essay is threefold: 1) to summarize the research on the status of internationalization on American campuses, 2) to make the case for the active involvement of faculty developers in internationalizing higher education, and 3) to offer strategies with which we …

Assessing And Reinvigorating A Teaching Assistant Support Program: The Intersections Of Institutional, Regional, And National Needs For Preparing Future Faculty, Kathleen S. Smith

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article discusses an assessment of an 11-year old teaching assistant (TA) support program at a Research I institution. The TA support program was developed on the premise that professional preparation of teachers includes fundamental teaching competencies or skills that call be identified, developed, and evaluated (Simpson & Smith, 1993; Smith & Simpson, 1995). The purpose of this longitudinal study was to identify and enhance the institutional enabling factors that help graduate teaching and laboratory assistants in performing their duties and in using their graduate experience to prepare for careers at a variety of academic institutions.

Transforming Instructional Development: Online Workshops For Faculty, Laurie Bellows, Joseph R. Danos

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Two vastly different institutions, the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and Delgado Community College, cooperated in the delivery of online faculty development workshops in syllabus construction. This chapter describes the experiences of a flagship university and an urban community college in employing electronic delivery of the same workshop content to their respective faculty members. It shares successful and unsuccessful strategies, nuts and bolts, and the discovery of an unexpected, pleasant irony: The technology that can separate and isolate us has the potential to bring us together, as though we were on electronic legs in a virtual Athenian agora.

Integrity In Learner–Centered Teaching, Douglas Reimondo Robertson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Learner-centered teaching challenges teachers with inherent conflicts and can be viewed as a conflicted educational helping relationship. This chapter explores fundamental conflicts in learner-centered teaching as well as ways to handle them constructively. Learner-centered teacher integrity is seen as the degree to which contradictory demands on the teacher (e.g., facilitating learning as well as evaluating it) are brought into synergistic relationship. A process for enhancing these synergies is suggested. This discussion emerges from a line of work that attempts to further develop the learner-centered teaching role in higher education (Robertson, 1996, 1997, 1999a, 1999b, 2000a, 2000b, 2000c, 2001).