Education Commons^™

Biotechnology Education In The State Of Iowa: A Survey Of Teachers And Factors Affecting Inclusion, Jason Allen Lang

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research studied biology, agricultural education, and family and consumer science teachers in Iowa regarding the topic of biotechnology in their classrooms. The survey study involved collecting demographic information about respondents, which could then be used to characterize those who teach biotechnology and those who do not. The survey also asked about perceived barriers to teaching biotechnology. As the first large scale sampling of Iowa teachers (1477), the survey attempted to provide a picture of biotechnology education in the state. Demographic data showed an aging teaching population, a teaching load of some teachers, especially those in FCS and Ag Ed, …

Teacher Perceptions On Professional Study Groups As An Effective Means To Successful Guided Reading Implementation, Melissa Kay Reimer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined teachers' perceptions about the efficacy of study groups as a means to better prepare them for guided reading and incorporated comprehension strategy instruction. The questions this study addressed related to teacher perceptions about the effects of study group participation on teacher practice and student learning, as well as characteristics of effective study groups and obstacles hindering their effectiveness. The participants were eight elementary teachers who were voluntary members of a study group in their respective buildings, with the focus of guided reading and comprehension strategy instruction. Participant data was collected through individual and group interviews, self-assessments, study …

Relationship Of Perceived Physical Competence, Exercise Intensity, And Body Mass Index To Enjoyment Of Elementary Students In Physical Education, Wei Mei Sin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The sedentary lifestyles of some children have led to negative consequences for present and long-term health. Schools have the potential to improve the health of youth by providing positive enjoyable learning environments that promote physical activity outside school. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of perceived physical competence, exercise intensity, and body mass index to enjoyment in physical education among elementary students. The sample consisted of 56 fourth and fifth grade students enrolled at Grundy Center Elementary School in Iowa. A self-report questionnaire was used to ascertain information regarding children's enjoyment during participation in physical education …

When Is It Time For Science?, Raymond J. Dagenais

Publications & Research

The title of this article begs the question, "When should we be teaching science to our children?"

Even before birth human beings may recognize natural phenomena such as pressure and temperature differences, and spontaneously react to changes in such things. These are learning experiences. It can be argued that as the brain continues to grow and develop, connections are beginning to be formed and subconscious memories created. Information gathered through the senses may be stored in unarticulated patterns in the brain. Here is the foundation for a scientific understanding of nature.

Revista Digital Amigos - Vol 16, Número 5, Aspectos Culturales, Semos Unlimited

Amigos Revista Digital

Cover 1
Contenido 2
Las Escuelas Bilingües de Las Cruces 3
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi 4,5,6
Aspectos Culturales Programa de Radio 7
Frosty de Nieve/Frosty the Snowman 8
Asuntos de la Medicina Tradicional y la Salud Mental 9
¡Nuevo México Feliz 94 Años! 10
Así es Nuevo México 11
North America 12
Unos Pensamientos para el Año Nuevo 13
Una Actividad: Manipular los Dichos 14
Trovo: El Café y el Atole 15
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 16
Traditional Recipes 17
Federal Writers’ Project* 1
The Golden Image 18,19,20
Respuesta al Crucigrama 20
La Serie Matt the Rat 21 …

The Power Of Journaling: A Dynamic Tool For Evaluating Student Teacher Adjustment In Cross-Cultural Contexts, Brenda B. Mackay

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Journaling is an acceptable pedagogical and assessment tool used to help leverage a university student teacher’s emotional and spiritual growth in a 10 week cross-cultural student teaching experience. The process requires students to document their life and learning experiences.

Questions are designed for student response. Student teachers are encouraged to draw personal connections between their lives and new experiences. This article will show how journaling helped four student teachers process what Kelly and Meyers (1995) identify as the four components of cross-cultural adaptability: (1) emotional resilience, (2) flexibility/openness, (3) perceptual acuity and (4) personal autonomy. Excerpts from the personal journals …

Disciplea Lamp, The Cross, And A Waiting World: A Personal Theological Journey Into Whole Person Learning, David J. Gyertson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Whole person learning is a popular, often discussed, and well explored challenge of contemporary western pedagogy. The theme of the 2006 Coalition of Christian Teacher Educators International Conference called its members to a faith-based reflection on whole person learning with the theme of “Equipping for Alignment of Heart, Head, and Hands.” This article addresses the need for a theological context of whole person learning anchored to the concepts of tough minds, tender hearts, and hands outstretched for competent, compassionate service. The foundation of this paper is a personal theological pilgrimage that began as a college student. The Spring Arbor University …

Journaling For Critical Thinking, Paul E. Terrell Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a pretest - posttest study to increase the effectiveness of art journals at the high school level. The targeted population consisted of students in the ninth through twelfth grades in a middle class community, located in central Virginia. The visual art students were involved in the journaling (art workbook, sketchbook) process as a part of their curriculum. Following a pretest students were surveyed and adjustments were made from their input to make the art journals more effective. Often students were not picking up instructional cues introduced through demonstrations and art history integrated into the class structure. The …

Art - A Tool For Teaching English To Esl Level I Students, Allison G. Duvall

Theses and Dissertations

Today's classrooms are filled with an ethnically and linguistically diverse population of students. In order for Limited English Proficient (LEP) high school students to be academically successful and meet the goals of No Child Left Behind 2001, they must learn academic English. As an art teacher, I understand the importance of art in a student's general education. However, could a high school art class, also, act as a tool for teaching LEP students the English language? My goal, through the use of action research, is to find an effective way to set up an English as a Second Language (ESL) …

Improving Student Art Vocabulary Retention, Michelle Bena Mckenna

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to research vocabulary strategies that could help improve student art vocabulary retention. The subjects were five intact 3rd grade classes at a culturally diverse elementary school outside of Washington, DC. The vocabulary strategies, concept wheel and semantic mapping, were modified and incorporated into a string printmaking unit for two of the five classes. The remaining three classes were taught the same printmaking unit, with the exclusion of the modified vocabulary activities. The results of a labeling assessment given to each class on three separate occasions indicate that the incorporation of vocabulary activities does help …

Community College Instructors' Perceptions Of Online Teaching And Learning: A Study Of A Rural Community College, Joy F. Hurt

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined online teaching and learning in a rural community college setting from the instructors' points-of-view. The research questions focused upon what the instructors viewed as the benefits and detriments of online teaching and learning, both for them and their students, their views of the effects of online learning on their students, the nature of teaching online in a rural community college, and the interaction between instructors and students, and among students, in online classes. Constructivist learning theory served as the theoretical framework of this study. The findings are based on an analysis of the data collected from …

Construct Validity Evidence Based On Internal Structure: Exploring And Comparing The Use Of Rasch Measurement Modeling And Factor Analysis With A Measure Of Student Motivation, Mary Angela Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined and compared the use of Rasch measurement, common factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in establishing construct validity evidence based on internal structure with multi-item scales measuring middle and secondary students' achievement goal orientation and academic self-efficacy. 1054 complete responses were received to 18 items measuring mastery, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, and self-efficacy. Items in each subscale were first analyzed by each method as a unidimensional unit. Items were then analyzed by each method as a multidimensional unit. Results showed that when scales were analyzed individually, all three methods corroborated unidimensionality; however, when all items were …

Structured Faculty Mentoring In Higher Education: A Descriptive Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Junior And Senior Faculty, Jennifer J. Smith-Slabaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that mentoring is a viable form of professional development.Faced with large numbers of retirements and a projected increase in student enrollment, the issues of recruitment, retention and revitalization of current faculty are at the core of this study. There is little empirical research on the phenomenon of structured or formal mentoring in higher education from the perspective of both the mentee and the mentor.The purpose of this study was to identify, describe, and analyze the perceived benefits that both senior or more experienced faculty mentors and junior or new-to-the institution faculty mentees at a large urban research …

Career Path Influences And Identification Of College And University Presidents: A Study Of The Presidents Of The Member Institutions Of The Virginia Foundations For Independent Colleges, Carolyn Elizabeth Whittier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to learn how men and women who do not have an initial career goal of becoming a college or university president end up in such a position.The study was to gather information on the internal and external influences on that career path, and how each participant fits within presidential career patterns presented by Wessel (1991).A qualitative case study method was used for this study. The participants were chosen based on their institutions' membership in the Virginia Foundation forIndependent Colleges (VFIC), thus all participants were from private institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Twelve of …

Teacher Empathy And Its Relationship To The Standardized Test Scores Of Diverse Secondary Students, Timothy Bruce Bostic

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to ascertain whether there is a relationship between teachers' cognitive role taking aspect of empathy and the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL); English, Reading scores of their students. A correlational research design using hierarchical multiple regression was used to look for this relationship. In order to control for what previous research has shown to contribute to student achievement, a teacher's years of experience, degree level, self-efficacy beliefs about managing classroom behavior and a teacher's expectations for her students were measured and placed into the regression equation. The empathy measure was taken from the …

Factors Leading To Successful Attainment Of Doctoral Degrees In Education By African American Women, Antoinette Michelle Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study determined what factors influenced or hindered the successes of eight African American women who earned doctorates in the field of Education within the past 10 years. The researcher gathered and shared the stories of African American women doctoral degree completers in their own words. Interviews were conducted using the Polycom H.323 videoconferencing system in the School ofEducation at Virginia Commonwealth University.The participants in this study collectively attributed more than 15 factors to helping them complete a doctoral program. Some of the success factors cited include self-determination, knowledge of self and purpose for earning a doctorate, spirituality, …

The Motives And Experiences Of College Students Who Choose To Abstain From Drinking Alcohol, Lisa Proakis-Stone

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Numerous studies trying to find the causes and implications of binge drinking on college campuses have focused their attention on the heavy drinkers. The purpose of this study was to understand why and how college students choose to abstain from drinking. The study also examined the experiences of the abstaining college students on a campus where 83% of the student body drinks. Methods: Twelve undergraduate students from the University of Richmond participated in this qualitative study. Individual interviews using open-ended questions were conducted to ascertain the reasons for their abstinence and their experiences as college students. After the interviews, …

A Study Of The Relationship Between School Climate And Student Performance On The Virginia Standards Of Learning Tests In Elementary Schools, Victoria Lee Thomasson

Theses and Dissertations

Educators are examining many aspects of schools as they find ways to help students improve their performance on standardized tests in order to meet both federal and state standards. This study examined the relationship between organizational climate and student achievement on the Virginia Standards of Learning tests. A total of 1,061 teachers in 47 schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia responded to the climate survey. The survey instrument was the Organizational Health Inventory for Elementary Schools (OHI-E). This brief survey instrument examined five aspects of school climate. They were Teacher Affiliation, Collegial Leadership, Resource Influence, Institutional Integrity, and Academic Emphasis. …

Making The Forest Together: Young Children Represent A Shared Experience In Clay, Anna Mary Golden

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the strategies young children use to develop a common set of goals when collaborating on a group art work. Teachers at Sabot School spend a great deal of time in discussion of children's group work. By concentrating on one project in my preschool classroom, I reached a greater understanding of the way children work together on a group project. This understanding enriched my practice of teaching so that I could become a better facilitator of similar projects in the future. The information is valuable to me and the other Sabot School teachers when planning future group projects, …

Institutional Transformation: A Case Study Of An Urban Midwestern University, Jane M. Grassadonia

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a case study of an institutional transformational change effort in an urban research university. The study's focus is on the impact of The Milwaukee Idea on faculty and students as the soul of the university. Literature on transformational change in higher education focuses on the processes for launching this type of change and the role of formal change leaders. Less is known about the impact of transformational change on faculty and students. Relevant literature on change and institutional culture informed this study, including Kotter (1996), Wilber (1998), Cutright (2001), Peterson and Spencer (2000), Kezar and Eckel(2000), and …

Exploring Intersectionality In Education: The Intersection Of Gender, Race, Disability, And Class, Amy J. Petersen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection of gender, race, disability, and class within education. Specifically, I examined the educational experiences of African American women labeled with a disability and from a disadvantaged socio-economic class. Employing qualitative methodology and methods, I interviewed four adult African American women from disadvantaged socio-economic groups to gain a deeper understanding of their lived educational experiences.

The story that emerged from this research was each participant's strength. Their stories revealed that each woman persistently and continually engaged in the world around them in order to negotiate, evade, and resist the dominant ideology …

Addressing Diversity: A Case Study Of Teacher Educators' Views And Instructional Practices At A Midwestern University, Alina Slapac

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is well documented that while the student population is becoming more and more diverse, the teacher population remains mostly white, female, monolingual, and monocultural (Banks, 2001a; Darling-Hammond, 2002; Nieto, 2000a). Consequently, teacher education programs have the important role of addressing diversity throughout curriculum, field experiences and faculty recruitment.

The purpose of this qualitative research was to gain more understanding, from the teacher educators' perspectives, about the way diversity is being addressed at a Midwestern university by examining teacher educators' various methods of instruction, and their course materials, which focus on diversity issues and the needs of diverse learners. The …

Iep Meetings: What Are The Strategies That Make An Iep Meeting Successful?, Maria T. Cashman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

All students who receive special education services have one thing in common. They each have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) designed specifically for him/her. The IEP is a valuable document that guides the special education services for a student. It is imperative that parents have a significant role in the development, implementation, and review of the IEP.

For this study, interviews were used to understand the strategies that assist parents in achieving active participation during their child's IEP conference. Six parents of sophomore, junior, and senior high students were interviewed. Three parents were identified as "involved", which means they were …

Speech Recognition: The Interpretation Of Training And Using Speech Recognition Software From The Perspectives Of Postsecondary Students With Learning Challenges, Delann Soenksen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the utilization of speech recognition programs by five college students with learning difficulties. A qualitative approach was implemented over the course of two semesters, Fall 2003 and Spring 2004, to: (a) ascertain students' perspectives on speech recognition, and (b) understand how students used speech recognition programs as a tool to meet the academic demands of postsecondary education. Data collection for this study included interviews, participant observations, field notes, videotape, and course assignments. This study provided qualitative data regarding an assistive technology tool that has traditionally been studied within a quantitative paradigm. Environment, individual characteristics, and life demands …

Iep Team Decision-Making Process In The Reintegration Of Special Education Students: A Qualitative Analysis Of Exiting Decisions, Kenneth G. Hayes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to take an in-depth look at the decision-making process that an IEP team goes through regarding the reintegration of special education students. In particular, this study looked at the exiting criteria used by an IEP team in determining whether or not a student should be exited back into the general education classroom prior to graduation. Furthermore, using Raven's (1992) Power/Interaction Model as the theoretical framework, this study also looked at the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of an IEP team that were adopted through the processes involved in exiting students from special education programs.

The …

United States American Students' Experience With And Orientation Toward International Diversity In A Midwestern Comprehensive University Setting, Olga V. Kostareva

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The growing phenomenon of globalization has directly affected all levels of postsecondary institutions as evidenced by the strong emphasis colleges and universities place on internationalizing their campuses. Among the forthstanding efforts toward campus internationalization is attracting international students to American colleges and universities. Numbers of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities have indeed been very high, placing this country in the leading position for hosting students from abroad. Hhowever, the role international students play in the overall process of internationalization has rarely been addressed. While the presence of international students is believed to contribute significantly to the intellectual …

Students At A Chinese Radio And Television University: Reasons For Participation, And Perceptions Of Their Status As Students And The Quality Of Their Learning, Huiping Ding

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this case study was to investigate students' participation in distance education and perceptions of their status as students and the learning achieved within the context of a radio and television university in the North of China. This study focused on the students who had completed a two-year college program and been promoted to a four-year bachelor's degree program. Data was collected and analyzed from observations, interviews and document reviews.

Results of the study identified many reasons for students' participation at the radio and television university to pursue their higher education. The primary reason for most was their …

The Relationship Of Undergraduate Cognitive Development And Academic Advising Preference At Two Small, Private, Liberal Arts Colleges, Vicki Van Vark Edelnant

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Though developmental advising has been widely accepted for some time, some recent studies have questioned whether this approach to advising is universally appropriate. The primary purposes of this study were to determine what, if any, relationship exists between students' preference for academic advising approach and either their level of cognitive development or their gender.

One hundred seventy-three students at two small, private, liberal arts colleges completed the Academic Advising Inventory (AAI) to assess their advising preferences and the Measure of Epistemological Reflection (MER) to measure cognitive development levels. A correlation coefficient of scores on the AAI and the MER indicated …

National Board For Professional Teaching Standards Certification: Does It Impact Student Learning?, Patricia E. Falaney

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study measured student gains in learning using the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test pre and post-test mean scale scores in reading comprehension and math problem solving. The project involved classes of students in fourth and fifth grade in six north Florida counties. Thirty class sets of students were taught by a National Board Certified teacher, and a comparable set of thirty class sets of students of the same grade level and at the same school were taught by a teacher who was not National Board Certified. The analysis indicated if National Board Certified teachers produced a higher mean gain …

Perceptions Of School Performance Measures: A Study Of Principals In The United States And Head Teachers In The United Kingdom Using Q Methodology, Rene Velez

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Performance measures have been used throughout the business sector as a means to assess productivity, allocate resources, and increase profitability. More recently, they have been utilized to answer increasing calls for accountability in public education. Legislation has been passed in both the United Kingdom and the United States that implements performance measures as a means to measure student achievement and assess school performance. This study, conducted both in the United States and the United Kingdom, examined the perceptions of 15 primary and 15 elementary school leaders with regard to the transnational issue of school performance measures.

Q methodology was used …