Education Commons^™

Prospective Teachers' Development Of Whole Number Concepts And Operations During A Classroom Teaching Experiment, George Roy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A classroom teaching experiment was conducted to document prospective teachers' development of whole number concepts and operations. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the collective understanding of prospective teachers in an elementary mathematics content course. Design research methodology, specifically a classroom teaching experiment was the methodology selected for this study since it allows learning to be documented in a classroom environment and is iterative in nature. A revised hypothetical learning trajectory and instructional tasks from a previous classroom teaching experiment were used in this study (Andreasen, 2006). Research about children's development of whole number concepts and operations …

An Analysis Of Accreditation Processes, Quality Control Criteria, Historical Events, And Student Performance, Robert Burris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student performance has been influenced by historical events, legislative mandates, and accreditation processes. This study consists of comparing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation processes with those of the Association of Christian Schools International. In completing this qualitative study, the following procedures were implemented: Related research was used to provide a background of the role that historical events, legislation, and accreditation processes have on student performance; data were collected to establish time line shifts in an historical perspective. The data collected included assessment, accountability, high school drop …

An Investigation Into Unitary Status And The Overrepresentation Of Black Students In School Discipline As Measured By Out-Of-Sch, Robin Dehlinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While many school districts in the state of Florida have achieved unitary status and are no longer under court jurisdiction, evidence that school districts continue to practice discipline policies that result in the disproportionate suspension of Black students can be found. Despite decades of desegregation, Black students continue to experience the devastating consequences of suspension and expulsion from school. The overrepresentation of Black students in the administration of school discipline is a serious concern for school districts. This study investigated if the attainment of unitary status resulted in equity in school discipline for Black students. Additionally, the study investigated the …

Service Quality In Academic Libraries: An Analysis Of Libqual+„¢ Scores And Institutional Characteristics, Kathleen Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study considered the problem of assessing quality in academic libraries. The research question that framed the investigation asked whether service quality scores from the LibQUAL+ instrument were related to the following college or university characteristics: institutional type, enrollment level, or the level of investment made in libraries. Data regarding Carnegie classification, FTE enrollment, and library expenditures were collected for 159 college and university libraries that participated in LibQUAL+ during 2006. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and regression analyses were calculated and the Bonferroni adjustment was applied to significance levels to compensate for errors caused by repeated calculations using the …

Music Standards Implementation And The Relationship To Fourth Grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test Scores From 2004 To 20, Neal Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the possible relationships among the perceived implementation levels of elementary music standards and Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores for fourth graders in reading, mathematics, and writing for the years 2004, 2005, and 2006. Survey data for the study were obtained from 32 school district music supervisors from large, medium, and small districts who returned fully or partially completed questionnaires. The study was focused on the relationships, if any, between a school district's mean scale scores in reading, mathematics, and writing from 2004 to 2006 in grade 4 and (a) elementary music standards implementation, (b) the average …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Retention As An Intervention Strategy For Struggling Students As Measured By Student Success On, Maria Katz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retention of students having academic difficulties continues to be a very popular intervention, even though many studies suggest that retention of students does not improve their academic success or their social and emotional attitude towards school. This study was based on an analysis of 10,875 Seminole County students that had been retained at least one time in their educational career. The study used 2006-2007 FCAT Reading and Math scores to determine the success of their retentions. Students were grouped by the categories of gender, age, race, grade retained, ESE status, ELL status and SES and their success evaluated. The study …

An Investigation To Determine The Perceptions Of Resilience In Educational And Business Leadership Personnel In Central Florida, Craig Domeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is a challenging task. Vibrant enduring leadership over time is a greater challenge. Cultivating "leaders that lasts" is the desire of this study. The purpose of this research was to determine the resiliency of leaders in Central Florida. Additionally, this study examined the resilience of educational leaders in Central Florida along with leaders from the business community. The analysis and comparison of the results revealed beneficial information regarding the factors that are substantial in resilient leaders and how these factors might be further cultivated. Educational leaders were randomly selected from school administrators in the Central Florida region, as well …

Strengths And Talents Of Potential Administrators In Orange County Public Schools, Florida, Arthur Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the increased demands on principals and a shortage of qualified, acceptable candidates, school districts that have to replace principals are in a difficult position. These factors, combined with the importance that the principal role has in relation to student achievement, make the identification of potential administrators and the hiring process for new administrators a top priority for all school districts. This study answered the following two major questions; a) what characteristics or talents, as identified by the StrengthsFinder profile, did Orange County Public School principals in 2007 look for in identifying potential school administrators and b) what differences, if …

An Analysis Of Florida Public Community College Foundations' Performance Measures From 2002-2004, Karen Sanders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to examine the performance of Florida public community college foundations from 2002-2004 using performance ratios. The findings from this study may assist community college foundation leaders to better understand the performance of their own organizations, compare this performance to other similar organizations, establish relative performance standards, and influence the strategic initiatives to improve an existing foundation. This study was designed to research the financial performance measurement ratios for the 28 public community college foundations in Florida. Ex post facto data that were publicly available were utilized to acquire the information needed for the statistical …

Integrating Key Elements In An E-Learning Curriculum For An Optimum Educational And Interactive User Experience, Heather Stearns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study determines the particular components that are considered the best practices to use when implementing an e-Learning curriculum. Technical communicators and instructional designers have numerous development options to choose from. However, practices that work in academe do not always integrate well in a corporate setting, and what works for one corporation may not work for another. There is no singular methodology for developers to apply that enables e-Learning to fit every organization's needs. Research shows that to ensure a successful online learning implementation, a sound project management team must be in place at the beginning of the project planning. …

The Effect Of Mathematical Manipulative Materials On Third Grade Students' Participation, Engagement, And Academic Performan, Caryn Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is the summary of research conducted in a third grade classroom during a unit on multi-digit addition and subtraction. The classroom teacher utilized mathematical manipulative materials throughout the course of this unit as a supplement to aid in the conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction. This study showed the effects of those manipulatives on third grade students' participation, engagement, and academic performance. Data collected from teacher observations and video recordings indicated a positive relationship between manipulatives and student participation and engagement. A pre-test/post-test and student work samples were used to determine effects on academic performance. Data showed students' …

The Effects Of Problem Solving Strategy Instruction, Journal Writing And Discourse On 6th Grade Advanced Mathematics Student Per, Melissa Wittcop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are two purposes to this study. The first was for me, as a teacher, to try something new in my instruction and grow from it. The second purpose of this study focused on the students. I wanted to see what level of performance in problem solving my students are at currently, and how the use of journaling and discourse affected the students' problem solving abilities. A problem-solving unit was taught heuristically in order to introduce students to the various strategies that could be used in problem solving. Math journals were also used for problem solving and reflection. Classroom discourse …

Effects On Student Performance Of Using Hands-On Activities To Teach Seventh Grade Students' Measurement Concepts, Darlene Hoke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student performance on measurement concepts in mathematics was the basis for this action research study. This study summarizes research conducted in a seventh grade classroom at an urban middle school during fall of 2005. The study investigated the practice of using hands-on activities in addition to the standard mathematics curriculum to improve student performance in measurement tasks. Students were asked to respond to questions posed by both teacher and other students in the classroom. Data were collected using measurement survey, focus group discussions, math journals, and teacher observations. Results of this study showed that student performance on measurement tasks increased …

Helping At-Risk Students Solve Mathematical Word Problems Through The Use Of Direct Instruction And Problem Solving Strategies, Lurdes Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the influence mathematical strategies had on middle school students' mathematical ability. The purpose of this action research study was to observe students mathematical abilities and to investigate whether teaching students problem-solving strategies in mathematics will enhance student's mathematical thinking and their ability to comprehend and solve word problems. The study took place in an urban school in Orlando, Florida in the fall of 2004. The subjects will be 12 eighth grade students assigned to my intensive math class. Quantitative data was collected. Students' took a pre and post test designed to measure and give students …

Education In The Empty Quarter: How Have We Fared?, Nancy K. Glomb, D. Forbush, M. S. Fishbaugh, A. Lefevre, R. Woodward, M. Taylor

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Garreau (1981) used the Arabic term Rub ‘al Khali, or Empty Quarter, to label the Intermountain West portion of the United States. In Saudi Arabia, the Empty Quarter is a large, dry, and relatively unpopulated area with a wealth of energy resources not unlike the Intermountain West. Garreau described changes in the area that were associated with changes in commerce and industry during the 20th century, particularly with respect to mining ventures and the discovery of oil and natural gas in the region. Although Garreau discussed many ways that these changes impacted the people and environment, he did not discuss …

Bully Prevention In Positive Behavior Support, Scott W. Ross, R. H. Horner, B. Stiller

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of A Yearlong One-To-One Laptop Computer Classroom Program On The 4th-Grade Achievement And Technology Outcomes Of Digital Divide Learners, Daniel H. Bird

Student Work

A yearlong one-to-one computer laptop classroom instruction intervention program used to prepare 4th-grade students for participation in computer learning activities was evaluated. Students used computers to complete daily reading, writing, and Internet search assignments. Students were divided into two groups according to past computer access; Digital Divide Learners ( n = 10) who did not have computers and Internet access at home, and Digital Native Learners (n = 15) who did have computers and Internet access at home. Reading, writing, total technology skills domain scores, and keyboarding speed and accuracy outcomes were evaluated. Results indicate reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, …

The Impact Of Two Middle School Grade Level Start Points, 5th-Grade And 7th-Grade, On Adolescents' 8th-Grade Achievement, Behavior, And High School Preparedness, Elizabeth W. Standish

Student Work

The grade level at which an adolescent started middle school, 5th-grade (n = 40) or 7th-grade (n = 40) did not statistically significantly impact 8th-grade students' achievement, behavior or high school preparedness in this study. Regardless of middle school start points all 8th-grade students performed within the fourth to sixth stanines on a national norm-referenced test, solidly within the average range with mean core grade point averages ranging from a C+ (2.53) to a B (3.11). However, consistent with national findings all middle school start point groups demonstrated statistically significant declines in normal curve equivalences between pretest 5th-grade to posttest …

Issues, Challenges, And Needs Of High School Esl And Content-Area Teachers In The Richmond Metropolitan Area, Seonhee Cho, Hana Kim

MERC Publications

n recent years, public schools in Central Virginia have experienced a fast growing ESL population. School districts throughout the state have reported increases in their ESL population that range from 300% to 700% in the past ten years. Unlike states with big cities that traditionally have a high immigrant population, the Virginia schools where the number of English language learners (ELLs) has increased recently, are less likely prepared to meet the needs of this particular group of students (Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2004). With the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act (2002), academic success is increasingly …

Evaluating The Achievement Outcomes Of 5th-Grade Students Following Their Enrollment In Federally-Funded, Inquiry-Based Classrooms To Determine Program Sustainability, Daniel L. Frazier

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the achievement outcomes of 5th-grade students following their enrollment in federally funded inquiry-based classrooms compared to same school traditional education program students to determine the feasibility of inquiry-based program sustainability. The study analyzed achievement data of students in the inquiry-based Charter Education Program compared to achievement data of students in the Traditional Education Program to determine pretest-posttest achievement gain for students in both research arms and posttest-posttest intervention effectiveness. The inquiry-based Charter Education Program required students to utilize laptop computers rather than textbooks to research, analyze, write, and complete reports. The Traditional …

The Effect Of A New Teacher Induction Program On New Teachers Reported Teacher Goals For Excellence, Mobility, And Retention Rates, Bonnie J. Perry

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher participation in the Building an Excellent Start to Teaching teacher induction program and to add to the current research that exists regarding the induction experiences of beginning 1st-year compared to ending 2nd-year experiences.

Schoolyard Improvements And Standardized Test Scores: An Ecological Analysis, Russ Lopez, Richard Campbell, James Jennings

Gastón Institute Publications

Boston MA’s schoolyards had seriously deteriorated since the middle of the 20th century resulting in dangerous and unusable outdoor spaces. Beginning in the mid 1990s, a program to renovate these schoolyards has resulted in approximately half of the schools now having outdoor recreational, learning and garden spaces. This study compared the 4th grade test score results in renovated vs. unrenovated schools. Controlling for school demographics, schools that had a renovated schoolyard had more of their students passed the state mandated math test (1.06, 95% confidence interval = .00012, .12). Effects on the state mandated English language arts test were not …

Psychosocial Adjustment Of International Students At A Midwestern Illinois University, Shilpa Maheshwari

Masters Theses

The study assessed the psychosocial adjustment of international students in higher education in the United States (U.S.) and examined their overall experiences since their arrival in the country. Pa1iicipants completed the 54-item Inventory for Student Adjustment Strain. The adjustment variables which were examined in the inventory were culture shock, language fluency, academic difficulties, social support, loneliness, and assertiveness. The hypothesis of the study was that the variables of age, gender, and length of time in the U.S. would predict the psychosocial adjustment of the sample of international students after their arrival to an unfamiliar country. A total of 167 international …

The Career Services Department: Assessing Preparedness, Confidence, And Knowledge Among Lake Land College Students, Teri Lynn Atkinson

Masters Theses

This thesis addressed the issue of assessment in Career Services Departments (CSDs) and specifically how prepared, confident, and knowledgeable users of the CSD perceived themselves to be in comparison to students who had not utilized services provided by the CSD. Ultimately, the intent of this project was to generate research about assessment methods and provide an assessment tool specifically for use in the assessment of CSDs.

A total of three surveys were constructed by the primary researcher. The initial surveys, similar in construct, were composed of 28 questions and distributed on the basis of the students' use of services provided …

A Look At The Relationship Between Underage Student Drinking Rates And Student Involvement Rates, Kathryn A. Tomlinson

Masters Theses

Underage drinking, that is, anyone consuming alcohol under der the t age of 21, is one of the most important issues facing college campuses today. In thee United States, two out of every three full-time college students report having drunk alcohol in one capacity or another in the last 30 days (Wechsler et al., 1998). An estimated 307 college student were involved in non-traffic alcohol related deaths in 2002 (Hingson, Heeren, Zakocs, Kopstein & Wechsler, 2002). According to a 2002 NIAAA study, more sexual assaults, robberies, vandalism, and other crimes occur when students have been drinking previo to the crime …

A Qualitatively Grounded Curriculum For Western International Student Orientation To Chinese Higher Education, Lin Yi

Masters Theses

More and more U.S. students are seeking university study abroad in China. Information about how to prepare for overseas study in China, and what challenges need to be overcome, is limited. To develop the proposed orientation curriculum, Chinese professors teaching international students, international student affairs professionals serving international students, English-speaking international students studying in Chinese universities, and U.S. citizens visiting and working in China contributed their insights and experiences of culture shock, culture surprises, and cultural differences. The themes emerging from the interviews were organized into the content of the proposed orientation curriculum. When U.S. international students experience this Chinese …

Graduate Recruitment At A Midsized Midwestern University, Sharese N. Shannon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to dialogue with several graduate programs at Eastern Illinois University to better examine their admissions requirements and philosophy on recruitment. Graduate recruitment at a midsized public institution, such as Eastern lllinois University, has strengths and weakness in regards to attracting students. Location, class size, reputation and preparing students for doctoral programs were reported as factors associated with attracting perspective graduate students. Many graduate programs did not actively recruit students because of heavy reliance on representatives from the graduate school.

The researcher discovered how departments defined their responsibility towards recruitment, how they defined a recruitment …

A Study Of An Online Adaptation Of An Off Campus Adult Student Survey, Benjamin J. Stenson

Masters Theses

The School of Continuing Education (SCE) at Eastern Illinois University offers evening and weekend courses for returning adult students at a variety of off campus locations. Program assessment conducted in 1988, 1993, 1997, and 2002 used an off campus adult student survey administered by traditional means. Since these program assessment administrations, the proportion of classes offered through traditional off campus classroom instruction has lowered in relation to classes that are technology delivered.

It has become important to assess technology delivered instructional programs as well. The original adult student survey (Schrock, 1988) was adapted into an on-line version in order to …

Career Vs. Marriage: Perceptions Of Professional Black Women Employed In Higher Education, Temetria D. Hargett

Masters Theses

Age of first marriage for American women has been on the rise and Black women possessing higher education seem to top the charts of this growing trend. The review of recent literature articulates an increase in marriage ages for Black women that seem to correspond to educational attainment. Through interviewing, the researcher found that the issue of career/marriage balance for professional Black women employed in higher education was relevant; findings from the present study specified obstacles to balancing career and fostering relationships that may end in marriage. An analysis of barriers to marriage for six professional Black women employed in …

The Narrowing Of Knowing: What It Means To Be Literate And Learned In Today's Society, Thomas Smith

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

Currently, the idea and definition of learning and literacy is being pushed and pulled in competing directions. Current governmental policies, most notably embodied in the No Child Left Behind law, are pushing the definitions to mechanical enterprises aimed at the lowest common denominator. At the same time, the technology race is working to open access to being learned and literate to populations that are traditionally underrepresented in these arenas; however, at the same time, this technology is setting up new barriers that act to limit access. Finally, the student population of schools in the United States is quickly becoming the …