Education Commons^™

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Student Life Skills Courses In The Social And Academic Integration Of Community College Students, Lourdes M. Perez

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine if Student Life Skills (SLS) courses impact the social and academic integration of community college students. Additionally, due to the unique demographics of the student population of the research setting, this study also examined if factors such as native language, income and employment workload impact the social and/or academic integration of students enrolled in a community college.

The writer developed an instrument using the Institution Integration Scale (IIS) consisting of 30 items constructed to assess the dimensions of academic and social integration. The instrument requires respondents to indicate their involvement with faculty, staff, …

Alignment Of Academic Preparation And Job Skills: A Health Promotion Case Study, Michael P. Mcneil

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to describe the alignment or misalignment between the essential and preferred competencies at the Director-level outlined in the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) Guidelines for Hiring Health Promotion Professionals in Higher Education and the graduate-level course learning objectives in a single site case study. The study used a document review methodology with an evaluative matrix to demonstrate the connections between the ACHA Hiring Guidelines and learning objectives from the study site graduate courses. Additionally, the researcher utilized experts to describe the potential need for a concentrated program of study addressing health promotion in higher education. …

Reading Acquisition And Learning Gains In Special-Education Students Using The Adventure Island Intervention Reading Program, Wilhelmina Tanner-Early

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed (a) to address the target school’s failure to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2007–2008 academic year due to its declining performance on the New York State English Language Arts Assessment (NYSELA) and (b) to investigate the impact of the Adventure Island Intervention Reading Program (AIIRP) on the reading performance of students with disabilities in Grades 3–8. Results on the NYSELA showed that special-education students had failed to meet standards for 3 consecutive years.

Participants were 70 students with disabilities, 6 special-education teachers, and 6 content-specialist teachers. Quantitative and qualitative measures consisted of (a) …

Assessing Collaborative Conversations Between Mentor Coaches And School Administrators: A Qualitative Study, Bonnie L. Tryon

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The proposed dissertation is designed to assess the contributions of collaborative conversations between school administrator mentor coaches and mentees. There is no statewide program available for school administrators to receive professional learning in a blended mentor-coaching model, and, as such, the qualitative research study aims to assess the nature of collaborative conversations that grow leadership practices.

Members of the mentoring committee of a statewide professional association spent over 2 years reviewing and visiting many mentor and coaching programs. Committee members discovered that current and aspiring school administrators had little access to the vital support literature indicating that a mentor-coaching relationship …

Teaching Independent Living Skills To Moderately And Severely Disabled Students, Jennifer Jordan

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study examined the use of picture reading to teach independent living skills to students with moderate to severe disabilities. The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that picture reading would increase independence in employability and daily living skills. The primary investigator decided to use pictures as visual supports to determine if students could follow directions in sequential order to make a sandwich and wash dishes. Six students from an inner-city school receiving special education services in a self-contained setting participated in this research. Research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach consisting of qualitative and quantitative research. …

The Impact Of Involvement Of African American Parents On Students’ Achievement In A Middle School, Raquel Lopez

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better understanding of issues related to parental involvement to school officials and scholars. The parental involvement at the school was very low and academic achievement was also low. The school leaders were requested to increase parental involvement and the School Improvement Plan specified that such increase would occur. The parents of the students were interviewed and surveyed in order to access current information as to why the participation was low. In addition, parents of high-achieving students and parents of low-achieving students were interviewed and surveyed separately in order to establish the possibility of …

An Intervention Designed To Increase Student Perseverance In An Undergraduate Teacher Education Environment, Heather Hansen

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide additional support services to online undergraduate teacher education students. The students who were enrolled in EDUC 2500 Pre-Enrollment Seminar did not have a supportive learning environment previously. This study was conducted to determine whether adding a mentoring and supportive learning environment leads to student persistence in the course. This research shows that mentoring and supportive learning environments lead to increased graduation rates for the university in the teacher education program and qualified teachers in the school districts if students persist in the first semester online course.

The course assessment survey was sent to …

An Analysis Of Kindergarten Through Grade 5 Teacher Efficacy And Character Education, Timothy J. Tierney

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This quantitative study examined teacher efficacy in implementing character education in the classroom. The construct of efficacy is paramount to successful performance. The research demonstrated that the construct of efficacy as it related to teaching character education could be the major contributing factor in the success of the district character education.

This study was conducted in an urban southern school district with a diverse population. The study examined both general teacher efficacy and personal teacher efficacy as measured by the Character Education Efficacy Belief Instrument (CEEBI). The CEEBI was distributed to 30 elementary schools and approximately 1,400 district teachers of …

Impact Of A Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation Program On Middle School Students, Robert W. Carrillo

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide current information and research regarding a yearlong conflict resolution peer mediation program offered as a separate course in a middle school. Discipline and safety are major concerns due to the recent incidents of violence, aggression, bullying and even suicides infiltrating our schools. The need for peaceful methods of resolving conflict has become a necessity in order to keep our children safe. This study looked at the coercive nature that schools use to maintain discipline and how students can empower themselves by learning how to resolve conflicts peacefully and without the need of adult …

Students’ Perceptions Of Bullying And The Impact Of Lessons On Pro-Social Behaviors And Bullying Prevention, Jia Borror

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to increase fifth-grade students’ perceptions and knowledge of bullying, adult assistance, and bystander behaviors. The researcher developed a survey to assess students’ perceptions and knowledge of bullying prior to 3 months of interventions, which included lessons and activities on pro-social behaviors and bullying prevention. The goals of the intervention were to increase knowledge of bullying, enhance students’ interpersonal skills through character education, and increase the seeking of adult assistance and bystander responses. The research site was an urban, public elementary school in southeast Florida. The study focused on the following research questions:

1. What …

The Analysis Of How Single-Gender Eighth Grade Science Classrooms In A Magnet School Will Impact Student Achievement And Behavior, Susan Ellen Weiss

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a choice for parents to understand how their child may learn better, plus to show whether a student in a single-gender classroom was more successful with regards to grades, test scores and behavior. The teachers involved in the analysis received a chance to view the results of how the single-gender students did compared to other students in mixed classrooms. The entire teaching staff had the chance to train and use the single-gender strategies with their classes to see if it assisted them, as well.

There was training sessions developed for the teachers who …

A Technology Acceptance Model Of Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment Use By Kindergarten-Grade 12 Teachers, John N. Just

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study surveyed 51 traditional, classroom kindergarten-Grade 12 (K-12) teachers to explore a possible relationship between responses on the extended technology acceptance model (TAM2) adapted for use with the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle) system and classroom use of the system. Moodle is an online learning environment used increasingly by K-12 teachers as a tool for integrating web-based resources and online activities in traditional classrooms. The TAM2 contains questions to measure teachers’ perceptions relative to Moodle about perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, image, social, voluntariness, training, and technology support.

A path analysis was performed between usage data mined …

A Program To Improve The Reading Skills Of Eighth-Grade Students, Timothy Thurman

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The applied dissertation examined the effectiveness of Reader’s Workshop (Orehovec & Alley, 2003) on students’ reading skills on the SAT-10 state assessment and the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR, Renaissance Learning, 2002).

The site of the applied dissertation was a school located in rural Alabama. Based on STAR tests administered in August 2008, 19 out of 48 (40%) of the 8th-grade students taking the STAR at the school that was the site of the applied dissertation scored below grade level in reading. The 8th-grade class for the 2009-2010 school year followed the same trend and produced scores …

Effects Of Participative Leadership On Teacher Job Satisfaction, Rachaniphorn Ngotngamwong

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

With the astronomical rates of teacher turnover caused mainly by teacher dissatisfaction, school administrators are currently faced with the big challenge of retaining teachers. This problem is faced worldwide, and one of the main factors of teacher dissatisfaction is the lack of their participation in school decisions. The purpose of this study was to examine if a relationship existed between participative decision-making processes and teacher job satisfaction. A quantitative cross-sectional survey research design was used to examine two research questions: 1. To what degree is the practice of participative leadership perceived by schoolteachers in private schools in Bangkok, Thailand? 2. …

An Evaluation Of A 21st Century After-School Tutoring Program At A Rural County Middle School, Jimmy H. Ramey

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this research was to evaluate a 21st century after-school tutoring program at a rural middle school. The program was designed to improve achievement, attendance, and behavior.

The evaluation sought to determine if the components were implemented as designed. It also sought to determine what components should be sustained and any unanticipated effects. The evaluation was guided by Stufflebeam’s (2003) CIPP evaluation model. Only the process and product evaluation types were used. Empirical, interview, and survey data were gathered to answer the research questions. In addition, there was a review of various archival documents. Results from the evaluation …

Perceptions Of Secondary Teachers And Administrators About Coteaching, Brenda Brie Cederna

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Educating students with disabilities in the general education classroom continues to increase as districts are mandated to meet federal requirements. The use of coteaching to support students in the general education classroom is on the rise. By having a content area teacher and a special education teacher share classroom responsibilities, students gain access to the general education curriculum while continuing to receive services and supports to meet their individual needs. This qualitative study allowed the researcher to gather information directly from the teachers and administrators who were responsible for the implementation of the coteaching model at one high school in …

Evaluation Of A 21st-Century After-School Program At A Southeastern Elementary School, Timothy B. Hunter

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of the research was to evaluate a 21st-century after-school program at an elementary school in the southeastern United States. The program focused on the improvement of academic skills for students in Grades 3 through 5 in the academic areas of English and math. Implementation was in response to the high rate of students scoring below average on standardized tests. The Stufflebeam model was used to guide the program evaluation. Interview data were gathered from the after-school coordinator. Survey data were gathered from the after-school teachers and regular-school teachers. Data were also gathered from archival and empirical sources.

Test …

An Elementary-To-Middle School Transitional Program And Its Effect On Student Behavior, Kyle Sheer

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The transition from elementary to middle school has proven to be difficult for all stakeholders. Reports of increased discipline infractions and truancy, combined with a noticeable drop in overall student achievement, have resulted in numerous attempts to ease the anxieties and frustrations that are characteristic of this transition. Schools often establish transitional programs to prepare incoming middle school students with the skills needed to be successful in a new educational environment. Transitional programs are often very expensive to operate and require an extensive amount of planning. This program evaluation considered 1 specific transitional program that took place during the summer …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A School-Wide Discipline Program For African American Male Students, Sterling A. White Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-wide discipline program in lowering referrals and suspensions of African American male students in Grades 3-5 in an urban elementary school in southeastern United States. The student body was 99% African American (48% African American male), and 82% of the student body received free or reduced-priced breakfast and lunch through the district’s nutrition program. At the time of this study, the school served 560 students in prekindergarten through Grade 5. The school-wide discipline program, Consistency Management and Cooperative Discipline (CMCD) focused on five themes: (a) prevention, (b) caring, …

The Effects Of A Mentoring Program On Minority Student Science Achievement, William J. Belle

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to test the theory that a comprehensive science mentoring program would help low income, minority, and other at-risk students improve their attitudes toward science and their test performance in science in Grade 5. The study research questions focused on (a) How did mentoring improve achievement in science? (b) What evidence illustrated whether those students mentored in science showed improvement in perceptions or experiences? (c) How did the students’ attitudes and appreciation change by the end of the mentoring program?

The researcher used an experimental research design for a single group. The design included pretest-posttest. Participants …

Critical Resiliency: A Case Study Of Latino Students’ Experiences In Advanced-Level High School Courses, Eric J. Chagala

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The achievement gap has been at the center of much educational discourse for the past 20 years, and it has become even more prevalent since the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. References in the literature regarding the achievement gap often center on raising ethnic minority and low-socioeconomic students to the same average academic performance as White, middle-class students (Gandara, 2005). This case study went beyond that and examined the achievement gap in terms of the experiences of 1stgeneration, college-bound, and low-income Latino students in advanced-level high school courses, such as advanced placement (AP) and international …

Effect Of Two-Way Communication On Parental Involvement And Third-Grade Achievement In Mathematics, Diana Elysee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which implementing a collaborative effort using 2-way communication increased parent involvement, impacted parental roles, and helped students improve their performance in mathematics. This parental-involvement intervention was implemented in response to low parental involvement at the school site and low mathematics achievement of students.

Eighteen parents of 3rd-grade students were invited to participate in the study, and only 5 participated. Data were collected from individual interviews with parents to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Focus groups were conducted with parents using a protocol to collect data about the parents’ …

Teaching Presence And Communication Timeliness In Asynchronous Online Courses, Erik Skramstad

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of teaching presence and communication timeliness in asynchronous online courses using a survey research methodology. The community of inquiry model developed by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000) provided the framework of the study while asking the following research questions:

1. What are student perceptions of teaching presence in asynchronous online courses?

2. What is the communication timeliness of instructors for direct feedback on students’ assignments?

3. What is the relationship between instructor communication timeliness for direct feedback on students’ assignments and student perceptions of teaching presence?

Participants were 59 anonymous …

A Study Of The Processes Involved In Sexual Battery Investigations, Kelly S. Boone

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to identify the common and unique processes employed during investigations of sexual battery. While departmental policies and state statutes provide guidance on the processes to be used in sexual battery investigations, there is a great deal of variability in the combination of processes that can be employed to investigate these cases. There is also some degree of variability in the outcomes associated with these investigations. This study examined the processes employed during sexual battery investigations in an effort to identify common themes. Importantly, the study identified the variation in cases that are genuine versus unfounded, …

The Impact Of Selected Behavior Intervention Strategies On Achievement Of Students In Adult Basic Education, Doris J. Granberry

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the strategies that were available to practitioners in adult education programs that were designed to improve student retention. The adult center where this dissertation was implemented experienced a large number of Adult Basic Education Program students who discontinued their studies before earning either the General Equivalency Diploma or the traditional High School Diploma. Many students exhibited aggressive behavior toward the teachers and other students. Consequently, the teachers felt helpless to alter the trend.

The writer developed lesson plans and strategies to train the students and to teach them how …

The Sustainability Of Middle And Elementary School Professional Learning Communities In A Mobile School District, Phillys Hill

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This purpose of this applied dissertation was to provide school leaders with information to guide decisions about professional learning communities (PLCs) in elementary and middle schools. A sample group of secondary and elementary teachers and principals provided their perceptions of the implementation and subsequent sustainability of PLCs in an urban school district challenged with teacher and principal mobility. Sixteen of 45 schools in the large, southern school district gained new principals within 3 years of learning community implementation. In addition, the teacher mobility rate of 13.7% exceeded the state average of 11.8% (Texas Education Agency, 2010). Although it had been …

Efecto Del Enfoque Del Aprendizaje Basado En Problemas Diferenciando Estilos De Aprendizaje En Un Curso De Estadística, Manuel Pio Rosales Almendra

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la estrategia de Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas (ABP) mediada por los estilos de aprendizaje sobre las variables dependientes desempeño académico, actitud, motivación y satisfacción de los estudiantes en el curso a distancia de estadística II.

Los participantes fueron estudiantes del curso de Estadísticas II en una universidad Mexicana. Se utilizaron cuatro cuestionarios. El primero identificó los estilos de aprendizaje predominantes de los estudiantes (PEPS). El cuestionario de actitud (CUAC) y Motivación (CUMO) hacia el ambiente de aprendizaje propuesto se aplicaron al inicio y al final del curso. El cuestionario de …

A Case Study Of A Servant Leadership Program At A Private, Faith-Based Academy, Lisa Coscia

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The private, faith-based academy under study did not have an intentional strategy or program for developing and preparing students to be Christian leaders in their school, community, and world. Although biblical instruction is integrated as a vital component of the curriculum; an intentional leadership program through which students could practice their faith had never been effectively established or implemented at the academy. The students need practical application to have a better understanding of their faith and to grow spiritually as servant leaders.

The purpose of this single-case study was to describe and explain a servant leadership program for juniors and …

Effects Of Simulations On The Learning Of Pharmacokinetic Concepts, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Although the use of computer simulations in pharmacokinetics courses is not new, the data on the effects of simulation on student learning are scarce. The objective of this study was to design and evaluate the use of Web-based simulations on the learning of pharmacokinetic concepts by doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students.

Method: Six online modules were designed to allow the instructor and students to use “what-if” scenarios for understanding the effects of various dosage regimens and/or pharmacokinetic parameters on the plasma concentration-time courses of drugs. The designed modules were intravenous and oral pharmacokinetic concepts, bioavailability, intravenous infusion, …

What Evidence Is Available On Apixaban For The Primary Prevention Of Stroke In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation?, Justin Dang, Laura Tsu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This drug information question and answer sheet discusses the use of apixaban (Eliquis) for the primary prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.