Education Commons^™

Health Literacy: A Community-Based Mixed Methods Study Of Prescription Medication Self-Management Among Community Dwelling Older Adults, Joy P. Deupree

All ETDs from UAB

During the next decade, it is estimated that 7,918 Americans will turn 60 years old every day. This increase is expected to impact future health care costs. The aging population must be knowledgeable about health care needs to self-manage chronic conditions requiring multiple medications. Nearly half of all American adults have limited literacy skills. Adults at the lowest literacy levels may misunderstand instructions from a health care professional. Confusion about health care instructions can put patients at risk for adverse drug events. The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study was to explore how community dwelling adults ages 60 …

Ethnic Differences In The Consistency Of Accuracy Of Perceived Exertion, Sarah Katherine Sweatt

All ETDs from UAB

Objective It has been previously found previously overweight women who over-perceived their exertion during a submaximal task gained more weight during the following year and reported lower vitality, poorer mental health, and poorer dietary control when compared to those who under-perceived exertion. Therefore, we investigated the effect of diet-induced weight loss on accuracy of perceived exertion (APE), and examined whether any changes persist one year following a weight loss intervention in premenopausal, previously overweight, African American (AA) and European American (EA) women. Design formerly overweight women (n=102, age 20-44 yrs) completed a weight loss program to achieve a normal body …

Academic Advising And Retention Of First-Generation College Students At A Research University In The Southeast, Hadyn K. Swecker

All ETDs from UAB

Student retention is an area of concern both academically and financially for higher education institutions. With the state of the current economy, finances are a critical component to higher education institutions. Retention rates, in addition to graduation rates, are used for assessing the overall success of an institution and in some instances future funding. According to Schneider (2010), only 60% of undergraduate students matriculate from four-year institutions within six years of initial enrollment. One population, first-generation college students, are 1.3 times more likely than their non-first-generation peers to leave an institution during their first year of college (Ishitani, 2006). The …

Fostering Reflection In Teachers Pursuing National Board Certification: A Multiple Case Study, Pamela Renee' Gray Williams

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Candidate Support Providers and candidates in regards to exploring how the reflective practices of the candidates were fostered by the Candidate Support Providers. A multiple case study methodology was used for this qualitative research (Creswell, 2007; Merriam, 2008; Stake, 1995). Five Candidate Support Providers and five candidates from an urban school district in Alabama participated in this study. Multiple data sources collected for this qualitative case study included: a) semi-structured interviews, b) direct observations, c) journal entries, d) participant artifacts and e) an online questionnaire. The findings of this …

Demands Of Dualism: Literacy And Content Area Instructional Beliefs In Alabama High Schools, Cindy Sager Adams

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine differences in content area teachers' general educational beliefs and their attitudes toward teaching reading in their social studies, science, and English language arts classrooms in Alabama high schools when both content area and teacher certificate levels were considered. Such a study is important because teachers work with students ill-prepared for the demands of required high school reading, upcoming college reading, or workplace literacy, in a state in which nearly 39% of its youth fail to graduate from high school. Nearly 80% of all Alabama grade 11 students read below the 50th …

The Effects Of Weight Loss And Exercise On Relative Bmd In Premenopausal Women, Kara Cook Hamilton

All ETDs from UAB

Heavier individuals have higher bone mineral density (BMD) than individuals of lower body weight, but it is unclear whether BMD changes in proportion to body weight during weight loss. This study compared BMD relative to body weight following a six month weight loss program and a one-year weight maintenance phase in premenopausal women and determined whether African American (AA) and European-American (EA) women's BMD respond similarly during weight loss. Premenopausal women (n=115, 34±5 yrs.) were evaluated in an overweight state (BMI between 27 and 30 kg/m2), following an 800 kcal/day diet/exercise program designed to reduce BMI <25 kg/m2, and one-year following weight loss. Results indicated that BMD relative to body weight increased after weight loss, but decreased during the one-year weight maintenance phase. However, all one-year follow up BMD measurements were increased (all significant except Ward's triangle and L1) when compared to baseline measurements. These sites included the hip neck (mean Z-score difference of 0 .088, P=0.014), the greater trochanter (mean difference of 0.089, P=0.003), total hip (mean Z-score difference of 0.099, P=0.001), L2 (mean Z-score difference of 0 .126, P<0.013), L3 (mean Z-score difference of 0.136, P=0.014), and L4 (mean Z-score difference of 0.186, P=0.005). AAs had significantly higher BMD at all sites compared to EAs, but no time by race interactions were evident during weight loss (except in L3). These results indicate that it is safe and beneficial for overweight premenopausal women to lose weight since it improves BMD relative to body weight, while also combating obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes.

Student Ministry: Youth ‘Step Up’ To Lead And Serve, Chris Hackett, Shane D. Lavery

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This article is about student leadership and service in Catholic secondary schools. Initially the concept of leadership through service is explored with particular reference to the educational setting. The concept of “student ministry” is then considered in the light of this leadership and service. The article subsequently reports on an exploratory research study that focused on the experiences and reflections of principals and selected staff from three Catholic secondary schools involved in student ministry. Their experiences and reflections indicate that student ministry has the capacity to offer all students the chance to develop their leadership potential through acts of service, …

Promoting L2 Reading In Less Commonly Taught Languages With Hypertexts, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study explores the use of hypermedia reading texts for the language classroom and more particularly for less commonly taught languages (LCTLs). In the article, I review relevant research on the use of hypertexts in the foreign language classroom and how they can be used to facilitate the teaching of reading. A qualitative study of the use of these hypertexts with Italian university students was conducted, along with an explanation of what hypertexts are available for LCTL teachers currently, and how teachers can create their own hypertexts and implement them in the classroom. The study suggests that although hypertexts have …

Common Ground With A Common Faith: Dewey’S Idea Of The “Religious”, Bradley Baurain

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

In A Common Faith, Dewey rejects organized religion and belief in the supernatural, instead arguing for an authentically “religious” attitude which this interpretive essay analyzes in terms of four propositions: 1) Knowledge is unifi ed. 2) Knowledge is democratic. 3) Th e pursuit of moral ideals requires moral faith. 4) Th e authority for moral ideals is experience as explored via inquiry. Th e author responds from the perspective of his own religious faith and outlines conceptual relationships with modern spirituality in education writers. Th e common ground is that the “religious” must be seen as a signifi cant way …

Evolution And Personal Religious Belief: Christian University Biology-Related Majors’ Search For Reconciliation, Mark Winslow, John Staver, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to explore Christian biology-related majors’ perceptions of conflicts between evolution and their religious beliefs. This naturalistic study utilized a case study design of 15 undergraduate biology-related majors at or recent biology-related graduates from a mid-western Christian university. The broad sources of data were interviews, course documents, and observations. Outcomes indicate that most participants were raised to believe in creationism, but came to accept evolution through evaluating evidence for evolution, negotiating the literalness of Genesis, recognizing evolution as a non-salvation issue, and observing professors as Christian role models who accept evolution. This study lends heuristic …

Developing Pck For Teaching Teachers Through A Mentored Internship In Teacher Professional Development, Deborah L. Hanuscin, Deepika Menon, Eun Ju Lee, Suleyman Cite

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), according to Shulman (1987), is what makes possible the transformation of disciplinary content into forms that are accessible and attainable by students. This includes knowledge of how particular subject matter topics, problems, and issues can be organized, represented, and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners and presented for instruction (Magnusson, Krajcik, & Borko, 1999). Recently, researchers have argued that a parallel form of PCK exists for science teacher educators (Abell et al., 2009). Nonetheless, little is known about the process through which teacher educators develop their PCK, and more specifically, how doctoral programs …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Students' Anxiety And Test Performance On State-Mandated Assessments, Rosalinda Hernandez, Velma D. Menchaca, Jeffery J. Huerta

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

This study examined whether relationships exist between Hispanic fourth-grade students' anxiety and test performance on a state-mandated writing assessment. Quantitative methodologies were employed by using test performance and survey data from 291 participants. While no significantly direct relationship exists between students' levels of anxiety and their performance on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) writing assessment, other findings indicate that greater time spent on the writing assessment, result in higher scores as well as greater levels of anxiety. (Contains 3 tables.)

Towards Productive Reflective Practice In Microteaching, Roisin Donnelly, Marian Fitzmaurice

Journal Articles

This paper details a small-scale, research study into lecturers‟ perceived impact of microteaching within a postgraduate certificate in teaching in higher education in Ireland. Participants engage on the programme for a range of reasons: to broaden expertise and knowledge beyond the disciplinary boundaries within which they primarily operate; to build on and develop their scholarly profiles; and to reflect on their teaching experience to date. Participation in microteaching has provided a sense of validation for much of what these lecturers do and how they do it, which has resulted in ongoing critical reflection and peer discussion. Although initially giving rise …

Narratives Of Longevity From The Perspective Of Seventh-Day Adventist School Administrators In North America: A Multiple Case Study, Janet Ledesma

Dissertations

Problem. The average length of stay for school principals in the Seventh-day Adventist system of education in North America is 2.5-4.0 years. Elementary principals remain in leadership for 2.5 years, day academy principals stay for 3.6 years, and boarding academy principals stay for 4.0 years. Many studies have identified reasons why school principals leave their jobs. However, few studies have been conducted to understand why principals in the organization stay.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of principals who have remained in leadership in the Adventist system of education in North America longer than 10 …

The Relationship Between Community Service Involvement And Student Outcomes In Mexican Higher Learning Institutions, Raul Lozano

Dissertations

Problem. Although Mexican Seventh-day Adventist higher learning institutions involve their students in diverse forms of community service, it is not clear whether involvement in service-related projects in these institutions is producing the desired prosocial, spiritual, and personal development in the students.

Method. A mixed methods design combining qualitative and quantitative research approaches was carried out to understand the way community service is implemented in Mexican Adventist higher education and its impact on students. In the qualitative stage, three cases were studied in which 18 people from three Seventh-day Adventist universities in Mexico participated in interviews and focus groups. Data were …

Exploring Teacher Attitudes, Experiences, And Beliefs Of The Development And Implementation Of Faculty Data Teams (Tm) In A Midwestern School District, Bradley William Sheppard

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the development and implementation of Data Teams™ in a Midwestern school district and to explore what influenced teachers to become effective team members. It analyzed the product and process of creating Data Teams™ who competently used data to make academic standards work by identifying power standards, analyzing data, setting goals, implementing research-based effective teaching strategies, and assessing student performance and adult behaviors that had a direct impact on student achievement.

Method. A qualitative case study design was used for this investigation as it explored the narratives of 10 elementary teachers on …

A Descriptive Case Study Of The Perceptions And Use Of Adventist Edge : An Initiative Developed In Response To The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists' Document, "Journey To Excellence", Pamela C. Forbes

Dissertations

Problem. The Southern Union started the Adventist EDGE initiative as an action plan in response to the North American Division's document, Journey to Excellence . The Adventist EDGE became a comprehensive educational reform initiative. However, there were different ideas on how the innovation should look when inaction in the schools, and these differences became obvious during the initial EDGE school validation visit, resulting in hurt feelings and confusion. Thus, the need for my study to clarify EDGE became critical for the survival of the initiative.

Purpose. The purpose of my study was to develop two operational definitions or …

The Effect Of Repeated Reading With Pairs Of Students In A Large-Group Setting On Fluency And Comprehension For Students At Risk For Reading Failure, John N. Frame

Dissertations

Problem. Some students are failing to develop acceptable reading skills; however, instructional time allocated to reading fluency can increase reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to compare students who received repeated reading with pairs of students in a large-group setting with those who did not in terms of reading fluency, rates of reading fluency growth, and reading comprehension for students at risk for reading failure in a school in a Midwestern mid-sized city.

Method. An experimental pretest-posttest with control group design was used with grade level stratified (2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade) intervention (N = 27) and …

The Influence Of Schwartz's Values On Teachers' Internet Usage: A Quantitative Study Of Cross Cultural Differences Between European Nations, Meghana Aleti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the Impact of human values on teacher Internet usage at individual levels across various nations. Schwartz's higher order values: Openness to Change, Conservation, Self-Enhancement, and Self-Transcendence are used as value variables. Teachers' are categorized as primary education, secondary education or college level. College teachers showed heavy Internet use when compared to secondary and primary teachers. Conservation higher order value was most significant among college teachers. Openness to Change and Self-Enhancement values are positively correlated with heavy Internet use among various nations. This study should be of interest to education and policy makers interested in comparison of Internet …

The Shift In Coaching Dynamics During Long-Term Business Coaching Relationships, Axel Meierhoefer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The focus of this dissertation was on the changes in long-term external business coaching relationships (defined as more than 4 months). The current study intended to answer two questions: (a) how does the relationship between a coach and a coachee change in long-term coaching engagements? and (b) how do these changes impact the coaching process dynamics and results? The phenomenon that was discovered through this research is called the shift moment. It exemplifies the transition from skill or problem oriented issues, which often represent the original cause of the coaching relationship, to the holistic transformation of the coachee. A qualitative …

Metaphors, Metonymies, Modes And Linear Algebra, Persis Samanta Beaven

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The analysis focused on the presence of different thinking modes, metonymies, and metaphors found on the interview responses to questions related to linear independence, span, and spanning sets of four students taking their first linear algebra course at the college level. The findings provide insight of how first year linear algebra students move from one thinking mode to another and what kind of metonymies and metaphors are used to construct new knowledge. The main purpose of this research was to document and determine the main characteristics that categorize the four students' reasoning.

Impact Of Science And Engineering Graduates On Key Economic Indicators, Nathaniel V. Robinson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There are clear trends in the USA with regard to a stagnant growth in science and engineering, particularly engineering, and in greater contrast when considered per capita. Meanwhile certain Asian counties, such as China and Taiwan, have experienced growth in science and engineering graduates beyond mere population growth. This has caught the eye of alarmists and so discussions have ensued over offshoring, national security, economic loss and future impact in the United States. Alarmists and proponents of policies promoting more science, engineering and math have pointed out the trends in overseas growth and US offshoring with a flurry of statistics …

Beyond Accomodations: Perceptions Of Students With Disabilities In A Hispanic Serving Institution, Neelam Agarwal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore perceptions of students with disabilities in a predominantly Hispanic serving institution. Factors of transition from high school to college, campus involvement, engagement in student organizations and their perceptions of campus climate were investigated through both a survey with 104 participants and in-depth interviews with 11 participants. This study also explored how undergraduate students with disabilities perceive their academic success and what are influential factors that impact their college experiences. Data were analyzed and interpreted through Tinto Interactionalist Theory of Student Departure, a Social constructivist perspective, Attribution theory, Rendon's model of …

Multilingual Theatre: Community Value And Future Education Necessity, Diana Milree Garles

Honors Program Theses

This project is the culmination of my two passions: theatre and language. For me, these two things are priceless pieces of human identity, whether used consciously or not. I imagine there are very few people who have never played a role, or portrayed a certain character to embody a facet of their personality. I believe this research presents a natural, practical option for community and educational development through the use of theatre techniques. Language is a supporting element in theatre, and theatre can use language as an educational tool for exposure and for further understanding of many different cultures and …

Developing A Sustainability Plan At A Large U.S. College Of Education, Grinell Smith

Faculty Publications

Despite growing awareness of its importance, most sustainability education efforts in tertiary institutions do not significantly impact curricula. This paper details some of the activities and processes used to draft a sustainability strategic plan designed to address sustainability at the curricular level rather than merely the operational level within a large college of education at a large U.S. public university. The plan is also presented. Our goal was not to articulate a fixed policy but rather to produce a coherent plan that (1) fosters awareness and encourage people to join the effort and (2) readily accommodates input as more people …

A Critical Look At The Role Of Technology As A Transformative Agent, Grinell Smith

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact, Spring 2011, San Jose State University, Connie L. Lurie College Of Education

Impact (College of Education)

No abstract provided.

Benchmarks For Transition: Do St. Louis High Schools Promote Graduates That Can Make The Transition To Higher Education?, Kevin Harrman

Master's Theses

Are St. Louis area high schools designed to create graduates that are prepared to enter schools of higher education, or are their graduation requirements structured such that graduates even qualify for entrance to higher education institutions? This study is geared towards answering this question and will do so by comparing two lines of inquiry. First this study will analyze four sets of three randomly picked area high schools (three sets designated by per capita income and one set of private catholic schools). Information will be gathered concerning graduation requirements and how many Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate courses are available. …

Education Language Policy Process In Multilingual Societies: Global Visions And Local Agendas In India, Nigeria And Unesco, Desmond I. Odugu

Dissertations

In linguistically heterogeneous societies, language planning constitutes core institutional practice for maintaining social cohesion as well as unique cultural identities. This critical sociolinguistic and comparative analysis examines education language policy process in India, Nigeria and UNESCO to understand the entrenchment of marginalizational language policies in spite of recent paradigm shifts in relevant scholarship. These include the shift from monolingualism to multilingualism as ideal for individuals and societies, perception of multilingualism no longer as a problem but a resource, heightened interrogation of ideological and political dimensionalities of language decisions in society, and an intensification of commitment to language policy and planning …

Collecting Culture In The 'Imaginary Musical Museum': General Music Textbooks 1971 - 2005, Corinne Ness

Dissertations

This study utilizes a museum lens to examine general music textbooks as a "musical museum." Through an analysis of twelve general music textbooks published between 1971 and 2005, this study examines general music textbooks as purposeful collections that reflect embedded values and assumptions that privilege Western ways of musicing. Utilizing a museum studies lens, this study examines the collection practices, collection poetics, and collection politics of the general music textbook in both a longitudinal study across historical epochs as well as a latitudinal study across grade levels and publishers. Despite a growing abundance of multicultural content in general music textbooks, …