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2011

Theses and Dissertations

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Childhood Family Factors That Influenced The Enrollment Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Abigail Kirk Dec 2011

Childhood Family Factors That Influenced The Enrollment Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Abigail Kirk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use qualitative measures to investigate the childhood family factors that influenced the enrollment of college students with learning disabilities. Six participants were interviewed, all of whom were registered through the University Accessibility Center at a four-year university and were served at some point during their school years for a learning disability. Interviews were held in a confidential location and lasted approximately thirty minutes. The interview protocol was constructed in a way that allowed participants to reflect on their experiences and tell their story in their own manner. Planned prompts were included to solicit …

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A Qualitative Analysis Of A Junior High School Eating Disorder Prevention Program, Janine Ruth Stickney Dec 2011

A Qualitative Analysis Of A Junior High School Eating Disorder Prevention Program, Janine Ruth Stickney

Theses and Dissertations

Past research conducted in the areas of diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders have provided information in regards to understanding the epidemiology, base rates, damages and longitudinal course of eating disorders. Few studies, however, have focused on prevention, especially in adolescents. In this particular study, students in a Utah junior high school health class received preventative curriculum called, Eating Disorders: Physical, Social, and Emotional Consequences. Ten, female participants were then interviewed to explore their thoughts and feelings about their experiences and to qualitatively ascertain the success of the prevention program.

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Impact Of Indigenous Language On Achievement And Emotional Conditions: A Case Study Of East European Students In Utah, Natalya Georgiyeva Dec 2011

Impact Of Indigenous Language On Achievement And Emotional Conditions: A Case Study Of East European Students In Utah, Natalya Georgiyeva

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of using an indigenous language as a medium of school instruction has been discussed in world education for a long time. This study focuses on the influence of the presence of a native language in the learning process of the students and the impact on their academic achievement, emotional conditions, and post-school lives. A qualitative method of research was used in the study, comprising 12 interviews among Ukrainian/Russian adopted and nonadopted students who attended Utah schools. Information obtained through interviews presented language levels of students (both native and English), academic achievement, and emotional conditions of students during the …

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The Relationship Between Elementary Principals' Conceptualizations Of Instructional Leadership And Their Perceived Use Of Time, Mardel S. Higginson Dec 2011

The Relationship Between Elementary Principals' Conceptualizations Of Instructional Leadership And Their Perceived Use Of Time, Mardel S. Higginson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to learn about how elementary principals conceptualized instructional leadership and whether the way they thought about leadership influenced their allotted use of time for instructional leadership. In order to answer this question, two sub-questions needed to be answered about how elementary principals conceptualized instructional leadership and how elementary principals perceived they used their time. This mixed-method study interviewed 30 principals in an urban-suburban school district in Utah to produce data. Each principal participated in a newly constructed survey of 84 questions. The survey consisted of four parts including demographics, open-ended questions about instructional leadership, …

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Examining Implementation Processes Of Positive Behavior Support, Julia Helzer Rollins Dec 2011

Examining Implementation Processes Of Positive Behavior Support, Julia Helzer Rollins

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a summary of themes found in the meeting notes of school teams implementing school-wide Positive Behavior Support. Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a systems change process of reorganizing a school's discipline structure to put in place a positive, teaching and reinforcing focus for the improvement of student behavior (Sugai & Horner, 2006). In recent years, education researchers have established that school-wide PBS is an effective way to deliver research- based interventions to improve student behavior (Colvin & Kameenui, 1993, Gottfredson, Gottfredson, & Hybl 1993; Taylor-Green & Kartub, 2000). This study focused on the implementation process in order …

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A Conceptual Framework For Student Understanding Of Logarithms, Heather Rebecca Ambler Williams Dec 2011

A Conceptual Framework For Student Understanding Of Logarithms, Heather Rebecca Ambler Williams

Theses and Dissertations

In the past, frameworks for what it means for students to understand elementary mathematical concepts like addition have been well-researched. These frameworks are useful for identifying what students must understand to have a good grasp of the concept. Few such research-based frameworks exist for secondary mathematical topics. The intent of this study was to create such a framework for what it means for students to understand logarithms, a topic that has been under-researched up to this point. Four task-based interviews were conducted with each of four different preservice secondary mathematics teachers in order to test a preliminary framework I had …

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Investigating How Equating Guidelines For Screening And Selecting Common Items Apply When Creating Vertically Scaled Elementary Mathematics Tests, Maria Assunta Hardy Dec 2011

Investigating How Equating Guidelines For Screening And Selecting Common Items Apply When Creating Vertically Scaled Elementary Mathematics Tests, Maria Assunta Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

Guidelines to screen and select common items for vertical scaling have been adopted from equating. Differences between vertical scaling and equating suggest that these guidelines may not apply to vertical scaling in the same way that they apply to equating. For example, in equating the examinee groups are assumed to be randomly equivalent, but in vertical scaling the examinee groups are assumed to possess different levels of proficiency. Equating studies that examined the characteristics of the common-item set stress the importance of careful item selection, particularly when groups differ in ability level. Since in vertical scaling cross-level ability differences are …

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The Impact Of Race And Interactions Between Student-Faculty On Undergraduate Student Learning And Multicultural Perceptions, Yun Zhu Dec 2011

The Impact Of Race And Interactions Between Student-Faculty On Undergraduate Student Learning And Multicultural Perceptions, Yun Zhu

Theses and Dissertations

As enrollment of minority students and recruitment of minority faculty in higher education increase, opportunities for students to interact with racially and ethnically different faculty will become more frequent and pronounced. Also, there may be expectations that these interactions will produce greater educational gains and sensitivity to racial issues. A quantitative research methodology was employed to measure the nature of the student-faculty interactions across race and to explore factors that influence undergraduate students’ GPA and multicultural perceptions in order to identify ways in which student-faculty interactions might better serve the students. Mainly, this study focused on the quantity, quality, and …

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An Assessment Of Principals' Technology Leadership: A Statewide Survey, Jeffrey Duncan Dec 2011

An Assessment Of Principals' Technology Leadership: A Statewide Survey, Jeffrey Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to collect data about engagement and involvement around technology issues by principals in Virginia. Virginia public school administrators were surveyed using the Principals Technology Leadership Assessment (PTLA) instrument and results compared to the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A) (ISTE, 2002). This study, though limited in scope, provided meaningful data for research. The study reflects that despite 10 years of having NETS-A in place, Virginia public school administrators are barely meeting minimum standards in five out of the six dimensions. The study correctly looked at the old NETS-A standards but resulted in a …

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Teachers' Perception Of Computer Use And Technical Support In A Rural Virginia School Division: A Case Study, Rodney Berry Dec 2011

Teachers' Perception Of Computer Use And Technical Support In A Rural Virginia School Division: A Case Study, Rodney Berry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher perceptions of computer-based technology and technology support provided by a rural school division; the extent of teachers’ self reported computer skills, comfort levels, perception of obstacles; and the amount of support, time, and training available to them to accomplish the integration during the course of instruction. This research was conducted during the 2010-2011 school term as a case study of a small rural K-12 school division in southern Virginia, consisting of teachers from each core curriculum from each of the three schools, selected deliberately. The study was divided into three phases: …

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A Content Analysis Of Evaluation Instruments Used By Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs, Megan Sue Langford Dec 2011

A Content Analysis Of Evaluation Instruments Used By Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs, Megan Sue Langford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a content and component analysis of evaluation instruments used to evaluate preservice teacher performance by special education teacher preparation programs. Direct observation (DO) and summative evaluation (SE) forms were collected from a random sample of Special Education teacher preparation programs that are recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The forms were then coded for content and components based on predetermined categories to identify similarities and differences. Variances among the DO and SE forms indicated possible methods for evaluating preservice teacher knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

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A Model For Peer Mentor Learning: Designing For Skill-Acquisition Among Undergraduate Peer Mentors, Bryce D. Bunting Dec 2011

A Model For Peer Mentor Learning: Designing For Skill-Acquisition Among Undergraduate Peer Mentors, Bryce D. Bunting

Theses and Dissertations

This design report details the development of a summer training experience for peer mentors in the Freshman Mentoring program at Brigham Young University. The purpose of the project was to develop an extended training program which would assist peer mentors in developing core mentoring skills necessary for their work with first-year students. The design of the training was informed by a number of theoretical frameworks including experiential learning, reflective practice, and narrative design. The training was evaluated using a post-then survey instrument as well as analysis of qualitative data collected from learners throughout the training. Analyses of these data suggested …

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Using Design Layers Model To Develop Computer-Based Training For The Center For Teaching And Learning's Usability Center, Matthew B. Guinn Dec 2011

Using Design Layers Model To Develop Computer-Based Training For The Center For Teaching And Learning's Usability Center, Matthew B. Guinn

Theses and Dissertations

The Usability Center training course is an instructional resource for BYU faculty, employees, and students to prepare them to effectively use the BYU Usability Center. This document describes the process and results of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the Usability Center training course. By taking this course, participants learn the basics of planning, piloting, executing, and reporting their usability activities and the skills prerequisite to using BYU's Usability Center.

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Cognitive Origins Of The “Bimby” Effect: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Survey Ratings Regarding The Quality Of Public Schools, James Ellis Jr. Dec 2011

Cognitive Origins Of The “Bimby” Effect: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Survey Ratings Regarding The Quality Of Public Schools, James Ellis Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract COGNITIVE ORIGINS OF THE “BIMBY” EFFECT: A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATION OF SURVEY RATINGS REGARDING THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS By James M. Ellis, Jr., Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011. Director: James H. McMillan, Ph.D. Professor of Education, School of Education Public education and public opinion are pillars of democracy. In surveys about education, respondents in aggregate almost always rate schools attended by their children highest, schools in their communities moderately, and schools in the nation poorly. …

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Spirituality And Transformational Learning: How Urban Residents Abandoned A Life Of Violence, Sylvia N. Wilson Dec 2011

Spirituality And Transformational Learning: How Urban Residents Abandoned A Life Of Violence, Sylvia N. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Community violence has been a perpetual issue among disenfranchised, African American, urban youth around the world. Many authors argue that high rates of violence among these youth are due to macro-structural characteristics such as inequality, segregation, racial discrimination, and poverty. These macro-structural issues place stressors (social disorganization, joblessness, alienation, mistrust of police, etc.) upon inner-city neighborhoods. Previous research also infers that African American men lack the ability to non-violently cope with these stressors and strains. Thus, this qualitative narrative study investigated the role of spirituality in the transformational process of nine urban, African American men, who had abandoned a life …

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The Redesign Of Mechanical Engineering 574: An Exploration In Deductive And Inductive Methods, Alyssa Janae Walker Dec 2011

The Redesign Of Mechanical Engineering 574: An Exploration In Deductive And Inductive Methods, Alyssa Janae Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in the engineering industry have motivated the redesign of engineering curriculum in recent years. This report documents the redesign of Mechanical Engineering 574, a graduate course in engineering offered at Brigham Young University. The redesign was divided into four phases and used a design narrative to report the design process. Research conducted by the instructor and designer informed the main content of the course. Although the course originally used mainly deductive methods of instruction, by the final phase of the project, the instruction evolved to be primarily inductive in strategy.

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The Decision-Making Process Of Finding Students With Significant Intellectual Disabilities Eligible For Participation In The Virginia Alternate Assessment Program, Karren Streagle Nov 2011

The Decision-Making Process Of Finding Students With Significant Intellectual Disabilities Eligible For Participation In The Virginia Alternate Assessment Program, Karren Streagle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the decision-making process used by IEP teams and case managers for students with significant intellectual disabilities who participate in alternate assessments based on aligned academic achievement standards (AA-AAS). Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with case managers for students participating in the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) from school divisions in central Virginia. Traditional inductive data analysis techniques were used to analyze data collected from the in-depth interviews, the researcher’s reflexive field notes and observations, and a review of VAAP training and guidance documents provided by study participants. Findings illuminated the decision-making process …

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Grading Practices: Teachers' Considerations Of Academic And Non-Academic Factors, Diana Yesbeck Nov 2011

Grading Practices: Teachers' Considerations Of Academic And Non-Academic Factors, Diana Yesbeck

Theses and Dissertations

In the current era of student accountability, coupled with high-stakes testing, schools have focused on the alignment of standardized curriculums and assessments. However, developing standardized grading practices are still under examination. Grading serves as an important responsibility, yet many teachers still find the process a challenge of determining which academic and non-academic factors correctly represent student achievement. This qualitative study was designed to examine the grading factors teachers consider when determining student final grades. Middle school language arts teachers from one mid-sized suburban school district in Virginia participated in qualitative interviews. The interviews addressed the following topics: (1) the purposes …

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Assisting Student Cancer Survivors To Re-Enter The School Setting, Rebecca Rothschild Nov 2011

Assisting Student Cancer Survivors To Re-Enter The School Setting, Rebecca Rothschild

Theses and Dissertations

The tremendous increase in the survival rates of children diagnosed with childhood cancer has created an ever-growing number of children who are re-entering school during or after treatment for childhood cancer. Furthermore, there are many long-term side effects following the treatment for childhood cancer. A study was conducted to assess the knowledge base and awareness of school staff members regarding assisting children re-entering school after cancer. Based on preliminary data, a professional development study was conducted and a professional development intervention was designed and presented to make all school personnel aware of potential educational problems that may be related to …

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Mathematics Anxiety And The College Student, Amanda Mccloy Nov 2011

Mathematics Anxiety And The College Student, Amanda Mccloy

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate whether mathematics anxiety is correlated to choice of major in college, the need to be enrolled in a remedial math course and average mathematics grades. Types of mathematical problems, statements and situations were also viewed to determine which of the latter caused the greatest anxiety among volunteers. Volunteers were given an experimenter designed mathematics anxiety survey in which they rated problems, statements and situations pertaining to math on a five-point Likert scale. Upon performance of correlations, results proved non-significant for all conditions. Thus, mathematics anxiety in this particular sample was not correlated to choice …

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Measuring The Impact Of A Mentoring Program: Preparing African American Males For Success Beyond High School, Cornell Gray Nov 2011

Measuring The Impact Of A Mentoring Program: Preparing African American Males For Success Beyond High School, Cornell Gray

Theses and Dissertations

The academic struggles befalling countless African American male youth have been the source of consternation in many homes, schools, and communities across America. When compared to males from other ethnic groups, as well as females, Black males often lag behind in many academic categories from elementary school through college. As a result of their educational failures, parents, educators, and even government officials have been exploring ways to resolve this dilemma. While a number of solutions have been proposed and even implemented by a variety of stakeholders, too few seem to offer reasonable rates of success to address what appears to …

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Mentoring Relationships Of Alternative Route First-Year Urban Teachers And Their Mentors, Gwendolyn Perkins Nov 2011

Mentoring Relationships Of Alternative Route First-Year Urban Teachers And Their Mentors, Gwendolyn Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined, described and analyzed mentoring experiences and perceptions of five first-year alternate route teachers and their five mentors within an urban southeastern school division. The researcher employed a constructivist theoretical model to analyze interview data and frame the adult learning and mentoring experiences to answer the research questions. This investigation explored the benefits, challenges and implications concerning first-year alternate route teachers and their roles in the mentoring relationships.

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An Evaluation Of The Christa Mcauliffe Space Education Center Programs, Shelley Diane Ellington Nov 2011

An Evaluation Of The Christa Mcauliffe Space Education Center Programs, Shelley Diane Ellington

Theses and Dissertations

Recent calls for better education have many teachers trying out new ways to engage their students and teach them required content. In the current educational atmosphere of accountability, many people are beginning to question the effectiveness and utility of their educational programs. The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center (CMSEC) is one such program. Key aspects addressed in this study included better understanding the essence of the CMSEC experience, whether it provides any beneficial impact to visitors, and how the CMSEC programs fit into the educational spectrum. An exploratory mixed-method design (utilizing focus groups, interviews, and surveys) was used to explore …

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Service-Learning: A Study Of Faculty Attitudes At Rowan University, Rhiannon Napoli Oct 2011

Service-Learning: A Study Of Faculty Attitudes At Rowan University, Rhiannon Napoli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine faculty members' service-learning attitudes and experiences at Rowan University, specifically attitudes towards the benefits of service-learning, faculty motivation for service-learning, and institutional support for service-learning. This study also examined reasons for the incorporation of service into a faculty members' curriculum, faculty members' attitudes toward possible outcomes associated with students and service-learning, as well as relationships between faculty demographics and attitudes toward service-learning. The researcher surveyed 172 faculty members at Rowan University during spring 2011. Data were collected using a 40-item survey instrument that utilized Likert scales. The collected data were statistically analyzed …

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The Effects Of Daycare On Children's Socialization In The First Three Years Of School, Alison Pomykacz Oct 2011

The Effects Of Daycare On Children's Socialization In The First Three Years Of School, Alison Pomykacz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role that daycare may play in a child's socialization during his/her first three years of school (K-2). In particular, this study focused on the time spent in daycare per week compared with various social and academic realms. Information was obtained through parent and teacher questionnaires. While there appeared to be a wide variation among the children's hours per week spent in class, when these numbers were compared to the teacher observations, there was no apparent significance.

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Drinking Motives And Influences Among College Students, Angela Ostapowycz Oct 2011

Drinking Motives And Influences Among College Students, Angela Ostapowycz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine to identify what influences college students to consume alcohol. Specifically, the research was susceptibility to social pressure and social expectations play the central role and are a major influence in college students drinking behaviors. Twenty-eight undergraduate students from various universities completed the Psycho-social Drinking Inventory. This is a scale from the College Drinking Influences Survey. Descriptive statistics were run on the scores reported on the survey to find the greatest mean score. Results yieled that social influence had the greatest impact on college students drinking behaviors. Results from the study, limitations, and …

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The Seminarts Experience: Restructuring A Ninth Grade Transitional Program In A Whole School Arts Academy, Mari Celi Sanchez Oct 2011

The Seminarts Experience: Restructuring A Ninth Grade Transitional Program In A Whole School Arts Academy, Mari Celi Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

The potential problem with a student's high school experience may begin as soon as he/she enters the high school. Freshmen students experience increased changes in school environment, as well as new friends, teachers, rules and regulations, and challenging courses. They need to maneuver all of these experiences with complex social-emotional and physiological upheavals associated with adolescence. For some students, this transition to high school has negative consequences that lead to achievement loss and dropping out of school. Because of this, effective transitional programs that assist new ninth grade students into high school are needed. Freshmen require procedural, social, and academic …

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Educating Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients Who Are Undergoing Radiation Therapy, Michael Mimms Oct 2011

Educating Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients Who Are Undergoing Radiation Therapy, Michael Mimms

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the various levels of understanding that patients had about cancer when they had been diagnosed with the illness, and to improve their understanding of the radiation treatment process through the presentation of an educational video (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). Patients often remained confused and thereby missed vital information, regardless of how many explanations or how much information they had been given to explain cancer and the options they had for treatment (Eiser, Davies, Jenny, & Glaser, 2005; Kodish et al., 2004). The goal of this study was to satisfy the need …

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A Second Chance To Graduate On Time: High School Students’ Perceptions On Participating In An Online Credit Recovery Program, Eric Jones Oct 2011

A Second Chance To Graduate On Time: High School Students’ Perceptions On Participating In An Online Credit Recovery Program, Eric Jones

Theses and Dissertations

High schools in the United States are facing increased scrutiny to increase the number of students graduating with a diploma in four years. This pressure comes from many sources. First, the No Child Left Behind Act instituted graduation as a measure of a high school’s success at the federal level. States soon followed by increasing accountability in this area. Differences in how graduation rates were measured and advancements in data tracking technology led to many states measuring cohort groups of students who enter high school in the ninth grade and tracking them to see how many graduate in four years. …

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Secondary History/Social Studies Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Regarding Geography Teaching, Yan Gao Oct 2011

Secondary History/Social Studies Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Regarding Geography Teaching, Yan Gao

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher education remains a significant issue affecting the quality of geography instruction in the United States. Teachers’ self-efficacy has been identified as a crucial factor for improving teacher education and promoting educational reform. This study intended to develop a better understanding of the relationships between teacher education programs and secondary history/social studies teachers’ self-efficacy regarding teaching geography, and other demographic factors that could be a possible influence on geography teachers’ self-efficacy. A quantitative research methodology was employed to measure geography teacher efficacy and to explore factors that influence geography teachers’ efficacy in order to identify ways in which preservice and …

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