Education Commons^™

First-First Year Academically Underprepared Students' Judgments Of Their Perceived Academic Advising Needs And Preferences And Their Level Of Satisfaction And Intention To Persist At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Jennifer Lorean Ducksworth

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine which of the two dominant advising approaches, prescriptive (advisor focused) or developmental (relational focused), academically underprepared students preferred and to determine if this student population's advising relationships, experiences, and activities contribute to their level of satisfaction and their intent to persist at the participating university the following semester.

To read the full abstract of this dissertation, please click on "download" in the upper right-hand corner of this page.

Effectiveness Of Before And After-School Tutoring Programs As Measured By The Mississippi Curriculum Test, Patricia Marie Goyette

Dissertations

In the era of high-stakes testing and increased accountability, the state of Mississippi has implemented the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT) in alignment with No Child Left Behind. Students scoring basic or minimal on the MCT are considered to be working below grade level. In response, many districts have begun tutoring students before or after school in an attempt to increase student learning. The purpose of this study was to determine if students who participated in out-of-school tutoring programs during one school year exhibited significantly more growth, as defined in the Mississippi Student Achievement Act and the No Child Left Behind …

Knowledge Of Pain Management In Older Adults As A Content Area For Continuing Professional Education For Licensed Nurses, Wanda Cleveland Dubuisson

Dissertations

The research of the last 30 years has revealed the inadequacy of pain management in the older adult. Although evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines exist to direct the management of pain in the older adult, health care providers are either unaware or lack the proper understanding of the guidelines. This study investigated the differences in knowledge of pain management in older adults when examining licensed acute care nurses and extended care nurses. It sampled 118 acute care nurses working in two hospitals in Mississippi and 78 extended care nurses working in six extended care facilities (ECF) in Mississippi.

Based upon the …

Factors Related To Nonacademic Adjustment Of Freshmen Students, Nykela Horne Jackson

Dissertations

Student retention remains a major concern of higher education institutions. With decreasing state funding, higher education institutions have implemented creative strategies and methods to recruit students. Once students are recruited it is critical that they be retained. Research has confirmed that student withdrawals can be attributed to the lack of successful transition and adjustment to the college environment. Numerous studies have focused on how demographic factors (socioeconomic status, race, employment, and parental education level) affect retention with the major focus on academic adjustment. Current research has shown that nonacademic adjustment (social adjustment, personal/emotional adjustment, and institutional attachment) plays a significant …

Are The Math Scores Of Students Who Are Taught Mathematics Utilizing The Methods Endorsed By The Alabama Math, Science, And Technology Initiative Affected?, Brenda Elise Jolly

Dissertations

Eighth-grade mathematics scores from 21 schools were compared pre-inception and post-inception of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). Only the scores from schools which had 80% of their mathematics and science teachers trained at one Summer Institute were used, as these were considered to be true AMSTI schools. Results found the effects of AMSTI to be not statistically significant.

The second part of this research was conducted based upon 256 surveys from teachers attending their second Summer Institute of ASMTI training. Results found many school systems may hamper teachers' ability to plan and execute AMSTI lessons due to …

The Influence Of Verbal Aggressiveness And Verbal Argumentativeness On College Student Leadership Styles, Jane Anne Mattina

Dissertations

The behaviors and styles of leaders have been studied for many years yet, the study of college study leaders has not been as prevalent. This study examined the possible relationships between the levels of verbal aggressiveness and verbal argumentativeness and college student leadership styles as described by the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (Kouzes & Posner 1995).

Using quantitative and qualitative approaches with multiple college student leadership groups at three different universities and community colleges, this study found that college student leaders are less verbally aggressive than student non-leaders, and are more verbally argumentative than student non-leaders. Furthermore, positive and negative …

The Influence Of Career-Technical Student Organizations On Non-Traditional And Traditional Community College Students, Suzanne Lee Johnson

Dissertations

Student organizations have been contributing to adult education for years. The need to recruit non-traditional students and retain them is very important to the financial support of the career and technical program. If a career-technical student organization (CTSO) can encourage retention and completion of traditional and non-traditional students in a field of study, the state might realize the need to increase the funding provided to the advisers/instructors of the CTSO and the financial support of the CTSO. This study investigated what motivates a student to become an active member in a CTSO and to what extent the CTSO contributed to …

Online Delivery At Traditional Institutions: Faculty Concerns And Knowledge About Intellectual Property Rights, La Toya Monique Hart

Dissertations

This study was designed to provide information to administrators about concerns faculty might have with online delivery and to assess their overall knowledge about intellectual property rights at traditional institutions. Faculty from the eight institutions under the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning were invited to participate in the study regardless of whether they participate in online delivery or not. The results of this study will allow administrators and faculty an opportunity to address concerns and explore putting written policies.

Faculty reported low levels of concerns about legal issues and rewards. Of greatest concern were those issues regarding workload/effort where there …

The Relationship Between The Teacher's Perception Of The Principal's Leadership Style And Personal Motivation, Aletta Marie Price

Dissertations

Educators world wide are shaping the future by the quality of education that they provide to the youth of today. Today's future relies on the impact teachers make on their students. Society, social security, and economic development are all dependent on future generations. Teachers are molding those future generations. It is no secret that if a teacher is motivated to do his/her best at enhancing education, that students have a better chance at being successful. Furthermore, if principals are exhibiting behaviors that improve teacher motivation, the result is not only an increase in student achievement, but a more successful school …

The Perceptions Of Superintendents Regarding The Need For Graduate Business Classes In Educational Leadership, Howard Leland Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the comprehensiveness of educational leadership programs regarding the extent of appropriate business knowledge attained by public school administrators. Portions of the study included a discussion of current licensing practices, academic governance, basic business requirements for leadership and management, and basic financial literacy. A further purpose was to measure the perception of how the inclusion of specific business-oriented graduate education in the certification process might increase the initial success of administrators.

The literature review supported the concept that superintendents understand change management and fiscal responsibility. Survey respondents supported these concepts by indicating the …

The Creation Of Real Magazine, Fallon Wilburn

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Fallon Wilburn in December of 2008.

After-School Programs And Reading Achievement, Jamie M. Mack

All Graduate Projects

The relationship between participating in an after-school program and accelerating reading levels was studied. Seventy-three fifth-grade students were pre- and posttested using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test to determine reading levels. Thirty-six of the 73 students participated in an on-going 21" Century Academic After-School Program. The other 37 did not. The results showed that there was no statistical difference between participating in an after-school program and accelerating reading levels. The study also broke down the data by gender. These results showed that there was no statistical difference between males who participated and males who did not; however, there was a significant …

Advancing Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematical Sophistication Via Mathematical Tasks, Kien Lim

Selected Works Temporary Series

This article is based on the seminar that the author presented for the Hong Kong Association for Mathematics Education at the Hong Kong Baptist University on May 22, 2008. In this article, the author differentiates (a) between institutionalized mathematics and school mathematics, (b) between ways of understanding and ways of thinking as two complementary subsets of mathematics that students should develop, (c) between sophisticated learners and passive learners, and (d) between knowledge dissemination and knowledge engagement as two modes of instructions. Harel’s (2007) pedagogical principles are discussed in relation to the design of mathematical tasks and their use in classrooms. …

Timss 2007: Taking A Closer Look At Mathematics And Science In Australia, Sue Thomson, Nicole Wernert, Catherine Underwood, Marina Nicholas

TIMSS 2007

The Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2007) is the latest in a series of international studies of mathematics and science, conducted under the aegis of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries to improve teaching and learning in mathematics and science. TIMSS measures trends in mathematics and science achievement at Year 4 and Year 8, as well as monitoring curricular implementation. Conducted on a regular four-year cycle, TIMSS has assessed mathematics and science in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. In addition …

Highlights From Timss 2007 From Australia’S Perspective: Highlights From The Full Report, Taking A Closer Look At Mathematics And Science In Australia, Sue Thomson, Nicole Wernert, Catherine Underwood, Marina Nicholas

TIMSS 2007

In 2007, Australia participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2007). TIMSS 2007 is the fourth in a cycle of internationally comparative assessments conducted under the aegis of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) dedicated to improving teaching and learning in mathematics and science for students around the world. Carried out every four years at Year 4 and Year 8, TIMSS provides data about trends in mathematics and science achievement over time. In Australia, TIMSS is part of MCEETYA’s National Assessment Program. To inform educational policy in the participating countries, this world-wide …

Vocabulary Size, Background Characteristics, And Reading Skill Of Korean Intensive English Students, Nolan Weil

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between breadth of vocabulary, background experiences in learning English and student skill in the reading of an academic text. The author used the Swansea Levels Tests to estimate vocabulary sizes and collected information on background characteristics via questionnaire from eleven Korean students enrolled in an Intensive English program and five Korean undergraduate students at Utah State University. Eight of the Intensive English students were subsequently trained in a think-aloud procedure and then completed a research task in which they read a 960-word essay. The task required the students to think aloud as they attempted to …

Indigenous Languages Programmes In Australian Schools - A Way Forward, Nola Purdie, Tracey Frigo, Clare Ozolins, Geoff Noblett, Nick Thieberger, Janet Sharp

Indigenous Education Research

In 2008, over 16,000 Indigenous students and 13,000 non-Indigenous students located in 260 Australian schools were involved in an Indigenous language program. More than 80 different Indigenous languages were taught. This project sought to present practice which would strengthen the quality of Indigenous language programs in schools. The report consists of a literature review, a mapping exercise to document current practices relating to Indigenous languages in Australian schools, an analysis of existing models of teacher preparation, and six case studies of good practice examples.

Visioning The Future: Schoolbased Wellness Centers In Delaware: The Next 25 Years, Center For Health And Health Care In Schools

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

In 2008, the Delaware Division of Public Health and Delaware Department of Education joined Nemours Prevention and Health Promotion in sponsoring a project to review 23 years of Wellness Center operations with the goal of identifying future directions for the program. The project was undertaken with a view towards determining what is the best health system and most effective wellness center strategies to support Delaware’s children. To assist with this work, the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools at George Washington University was asked to examine wellness center history, interview key participants in program and policy development, and …

Advancing Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematical Sophistication Via Mathematical Tasks, Kien Lim

Departmental Papers (Math)

This article is based on the seminar that the author presented for the Hong Kong Association for Mathematics Education at the Hong Kong Baptist University on May 22, 2008. In this article, the author differentiates (a) between institutionalized mathematics and school mathematics, (b) between ways of understanding and ways of thinking as two complementary subsets of mathematics that students should develop, (c) between sophisticated learners and passive learners, and (d) between knowledge dissemination and knowledge engagement as two modes of instructions. Harel’s (2007) pedagogical principles are discussed in relation to the design of mathematical tasks and their use in classrooms. …

Editor's Notes And Front Matter, Suzanne Majhanovich

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Globalization And Post-Secondary Education Policy In Canada:A Review Of Trends, Dale Kirby

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

In 2005, provincial governments in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador each commissioned comprehensive public post-secondary education and training system reviews. While there are considerable differences between the systems and policy approaches in these jurisdictions, the final reports of each of these reviews provide an interesting repository of current post-secondary policy tendencies in Canada. The principal arguments and recommendations put forward in the review reports demonstrate the pervasive influence of economic globalization and the continuing shift to a more utilitarian and market-oriented ideological outlook on post-secondary education’s raison d'être. The policies advocated by both reviews illustrate, to varying extents, the impact …

Appropriations De La DéCentralisation Et RéGulation Des SystèMes ÉDucatifs En Afrique Subsaharienne : Une Analyse ComparéE Des Cas Du BéNin Et Du SéNéGal, Madeleine D. Tchimou

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Cette recherche analyse la régulation des systèmes éducatifs du Bénin et du Sénégal dans le cadre de la décentralisation de l’éducation qui leur a été prescrite à travers les politiques d’ajustement structurel. Quatre aspects clés du système éducatif ont été analysés: l’offre d’éducation, les programmes d’enseignement, l’inspection et/ou le contrôle des enseignants et la condition enseignante. L’étude de cas à partir de données invoquées a été utilisée. Il ressort de l’analyse comparée des portraits nationaux que les appropriations nationales de la mise en application de la décentralisation demeurent assez distinctes dans ces deux pays et que la régulation actuelle de …

Negotiating Tensions And Roles In International Development: A Workshop For Graduate Students, Jennifer Hales

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This paper presents the findings from a qualitative research study involving graduate students who are studying or working in international development. The students participated in an activity-based workshop during which they reflected on and discussed their tensions and concerns about the nature of international development and their roles and positions in this work. Tensions ranged from those on a personal level, where students questioned their individual privilege and power in international development, to those on a structural level, where students questioned the overall nature of development practices.

The workshop activities, designed by the author and based on a global education …

Operating Under Erasure: Race/Language/Identity, Awad Ibrahim

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Based on a critical ethnographic research project, this paper is about the impact of becoming Black on ESL learning; that is, the interrelation between identity formation, identification, race, culture and second language learning. It contends that a group of French-speaking immigrant and refugee continental francophone African youths who are attending an urban Franco-Ontarian high school in south- western Ontario, Canada, enters, so to speak, a social imaginary, a discursive space in which they are already imagined, constructed, and thus treated as Blacks by hegemonic discourses and groups. This imaginary is directly implicated in whom they identify with (Black America), which …

Learning To Teach, Learning To Play The Game: A Case Study Of A Minority Teacher Candidate Teaching For Equity, Diversity And Social Justice, Andrew M. A. Allen

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

In this article, the author explores the premise that possibilities for social change in an antiracist teacher education program might be revealed by closely examining the struggles and real life experiences of a beginning teacher from a minority background working from the margins of the educational setting. Focusing on the quality of the teaching-learning activities being negotiated and forged, this article is grounded in a study of the tensions, dilemmas and conflicts experienced by teacher candidates learning to teach for social justice. The study revealed that the inherent tensions caused by discontinuities between the intent and critical antiracist philosophy of …

Book Reviews

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Cie Journal/Revue Eci 2008 Referees/Critiques

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Peer Effects And The Indigenous/ Non‐Indigenous Early Test‐Score Gap In Peru, Chris Sakellariou

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This paper assesses the magnitude of the non-indigenous/indigenous test-score gap for third-year and fourth-year primary school pupils in Peru, in relation to the main family, school and peer inputs contributing to the test-score gap using the estimation method of feasible generalized least squares. The article then decomposes the gap into its constituent components using the traditional Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method, as well as a modified decomposition method based on the estimation of a cognitive achievement production function. The decomposition results from both decomposition methods suggest that almost all of the test-score gap is explained by various peer, student, family and school …

An Alternative Calendar In Select Middle Schools In An Urban City School District, Mattie Lee Solomon

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to understand parental perspectives on mandatory academies (intersessions) in three alternative (year-round) calendar middle schools. The alternative calendar was implemented by the study school district to improve student performance and parent attitudes toward the education their children receive. Academics (intersessions) are the source of time added to improve student performance. The three middle schools are located in an urban school district in the Midwestern state of Indiana. The students who attend are from lower socio-economic homes; the majority of the students live in homes where the guardian is a single mother or a member of the …

A Jewel In Our Midst: A Photo Essay Of The Connecticut River, Nancy C. Balcom, Juliana Barrett

Wrack Lines

Its unique tidal marshes, ecology, geology, scenic areas, and fascinating history make the Connecticut River a treasure to residents and visitors alike. It is one of the 1,713 “Wetlands of International Importance” designated throughout the world by the International Ramsar Convention. This photo essay also describes the education efforts underway by Connecticut Sea Grant and its partners to assist educators with resource materials.