Education Commons^™

Presidential Profiles: Race, Leadership Orientation, And Effectiveness, Jerry M. Whitmore Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation study examined racial differences in leadership orientation and effectiveness at United States four year, public colleges and universities as self-perceived and as perceived by presidents, as a means to contribute to the literature on race leadership orientation and effectiveness. The quantitative study design is to determine significant relationships among University or College Presidents or Chancellors (UCPC) pertaining to their leadership frames and effectiveness using (Bolman and Deal 1991a, 1991b, 2003) four-frame leadership theory and Quinn (1988) competing values model. The study attempts to understand any distinct observations that may be present. This study will not be an attempt …

Impact Of Family And School Capital On The Academic Development Of African American And Hispanic Students, Jinmei Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of family/school capital on the academic development of African American and Hispanic students by examining four educational outcomes (math/reading achievement at the tenth grade, high school graduation, post-secondary enrollment and post-secondary degree attainment) from the tenth grade through their post-secondary education. The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics provided the data source. Hierarchical linear regression, multilevel binary logistic regression, and logistic regression were utilized to quantify the impact of family/school capital on the educational outcomes of African American and Hispanic students. Family and school capital variables significantly impact …

An Examination Of Secondary English Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Field Experiences: Shaping The Understanding Of Teaching And Its Challenges Before Student Teaching, Leylja A. Emiraliyeva-Pitre

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In response to the growing demands and pressures on teacher preparation and quality, as well as the call for further research distinguishing the role and impact of early field experiences (FEs), this qualitative study explored the perceptions of the secondary English pre-service teachers at a large southern State University. The study was guided by four research questions that aimed to: (1) examine the pre-service teachers’ perceptions about the value of their early FEs; (2) explore how early FEs shaped the pre-service teachers’ understanding of teaching; (3) identify concerns about teaching that the pre-service teachers have as they undergo FEs; and …

Educational Aspirations Of Middle And High School Students : A Focus On Turkish - American Youth, Dilek Atmaca Suslu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed -methods study was to investigate the educational aspirations of Turkish-American middle and high school students. For comparison purposes students from other ethnic groups were also included in the study. Factors related to family, school and the individual student were examined through survey data and interviews. In addition, possible barriers to educational goals, preferred area of study, and perceived parent support were explored. Interview with Turkish-American parents revealed types of parental supports and insights about their understanding of children’s experiences and performance. The results of the ordinal regression analyses revealed that parents’ expectations and school achievement …

Robotics And Inquiry: Addressing The Impact On Student Understanding Of Physics Concepts (Force And Motion) From Select Rural Louisiana Elementary Students Through Robotics Instruction Immersed Within The 5e Learning Cycle Model, Bianca Rodrigue Deliberto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This embedded mixed methods study investigates the development of rural elementary students’ conceptual understanding of force and motion as a result of the implementation of robotics instruction immersed within a 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons. Three treatment groups and one controlled comparison group (n=96) participated in pretests and posttests (Science Series Assessment 1, Russell and McGuigan, 2001) the day the activities were completed as well as one week after the completion of the treatment, 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons and draw and tell interviews. Prior to the intervention, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills stanine scores were grouped into three …

An Intersectional Exploration Of Race And Gender: Perceptions Of Women Faculty In Higher Education, Amy Hill Bourgeois

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

My own past experiences and my doctoral work form the origin from which I have chosen to examine the relationship that exists between race-based experiences and gender identity experiences within women faculty members in higher education. Multiple studies that examine faculty members’ experiences related to race and gender-related issues were identified; however, these studies were specific to non-white women. I was unable to locate studies that are inclusive of race and gender experiences of white women, and I am interested in gaining a parallel sense of understanding of the relationship that exists between race and gender in order to draw …

Giftedness And Overexcitability : Investigating The Evidence, Daniel Lawrence Winkler

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Many scholars of gifted education have often argued and believed that gifted individuals are neurologically overexcitable while non-gifted persons are not (Chang & Kuo, 2013; Harrison & Haneghan, 2011; Piechowski, 1979, 2006; Silverman, 2000a; Siu, 2010; Tieso, 2007a). This means that gifted persons are more sensitive, intuitive, empathic, and physically and emotionally aware. Some scholars have suggested that this significant degree of overexcitability may even mean that gifted persons are morally superior to non-gifted persons (Silverman, 1994). Over the past thirty years, this relationship between overexcitability (OE) and giftedness has become increasingly popular, as many websites, textbooks, and researchers have …

A Qualitative Study Utilizing Non-Fiction African-American Folktales: Process And Product With Struggling Second, Third, And Fifth Graders In North Louisiana, Gail Guidry Griffin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents a qualitative of a study utilizing non-fiction African-American Folktales with struggling readers in second, third, and fifth grades. The study was conducted to explore how teachers, reading/library media specialists, and students utilize a variety of non-fiction folktales in their classrooms and the library media center. From this topic the following research questions were devised. The researcher discovered the challenges that teachers are faced with the implementation of folktales, how is folktales aligned with the (CCSS) Common Core State Standards, what role do heroes play in folktales, and what traits and/or characteristics would students prefer their hero to …

With Xavier, However, There Will Be This Distinction: Mapping The Educational Philosophy Of Saint Katharine Drexel In The Intellectual Tradition Of Black Higher Education In New Orleans, Louisiana, Berlisha Roketa Morton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Historical studies on higher education often utilize traditional historical methods. This practice has produced a body of literature, both historical and contemporary, which has a particular focus on (a) the histories and mythologies of institutions, (b) the individuals who function within the system at the administrative or student levels, and (c) the individuals who have been excluded from the system. In this research, I connected the foundational histories of Southern University and Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana by telling institutional narratives through people instead of telling the narratives of people through institutions. Therefore, using Southern Womanism as a theoretical …

Never Forget Where You Came From: An Oral History Of The Integration Of A Rural Community, Heather N. Stone

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Historians have written much, particularly about large urban cities, on the desegregation of the American school system (Anderson 1988; Fairclough 2008; Watkins 2001; Irons 2004). However, little research has been conducted on the role that small communities played in supporting and influencing the development of desegregated school systems, and how African Americans in these communities experienced education. The focus of this research will be on the oral history of a rural community in Louisiana that desegregated schools in the early 1970s. What is unique is that, instead of avoiding desegregation, this community chose to create a unified school district in …

An Examination Of Louisiana's State Governance Structure In Higher Education And Its Impact On Public State-Funded College And University System Board Members' Voting Behavior: A Case Study, Melanie Smith Johnson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation identifies and analyzes factors of influence shaping the voting behavior of public state-funded university system board members in the State of Louisiana. The study focuses on university board members voting decisions in budget & finance, academic & student affairs and personnel agenda item issues at their respective board meetings. Eleven (11) factors of influence were from drawn from previous literature on legislative voting behavior. In this study, the factors are referred to as Board member colleagues, Board chairperson, Committee member chairpersons, University constituents (i.e. administrators, faculty, staff, students and parents), Fiscal impact to the University, Governor, Legislature, Media …

Interpreting Blackness: A Phenomenological Case Study Of African American Young Adult Literature, Deleon Miriam Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black students formulate representation of African American in African American young adult literature. It also explores the effects of race in reference to how characters are portrayed, publishing industry practices, and how African American literature is taught in the secondary classroom. In this study, I utilized qualitative research methods, specifically, phenomenology to place meaning on any occurrences cited by the participants. Data was collected using an initial interview, and a follow up interview to help clarify data collected from participants. This dissertation argues that race and gender constructs how characters are portrayed in African American young …

The Influence Of Colorism And Hair Texture Bias On The Professional And Social Lives Of Black Women Student Affairs Professionals, Rhea Monet Perkins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Influence of Colorism and Hair Texture Bias on the Professional and Social Lives of Black Women Student Affairs Professionals “If it was so honorable and glorious to be black, why was it the yellow-skinned people among us had so much prestige?” Zora Neal Hurston (1942) understood the privilege and oppression associated with colorism. “Colorism is the allocation of privilege and disadvantage according to the lightness or darkness of one’s skin” (Burke, 2008, p. 17). Colorism is the systematic preference for lighter skin tones over darker tones and stems from larger racial systems impacting education, income, marriageability, job placement, housing …

The Ebony Seven: A Presidential Blueprint For Private Black College Achievement Of Global Competitiveness, Walter T. Tillman Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT This qualitative study was born out of the researcher’s interest in better understanding the leadership of private Black colleges and strong desire to identify culturally relevant strategies for reimagining the utility and viability of this cohort of specialized universities. While the literature revealed an exploration of the history, mission and students of HBCUs, there was a dearth of scholarship on the presidents of these institutions. Additionally, the extant literature about HBCUs - treated the public and private HBCUs the same, failing to sufficiently address the uniqueness of both. Finally, the contemporary literature near unanimously suggested that HBCUs must identify …

Vocabulary Matching : Potential For A Diagnostic Performance Indicator, Jodie Schraven

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Predictive validity was explored between vocabulary matching (VM) probe scores and the integrated Louisiana Education Assessment Program (iLEAP) social studies standardized subtest score for 224 sixth-grade students across demographic categories from one rural southeastern Louisiana school district. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) conducted in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, 2007) produced Pearson correlations between .51 and .70 for five benchmark probes for the entire sample. Predictive cutscores created using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses and a diagnostic accuracy application software program illustrated that VM cutscores did not correctly predict which students would pass or fail with enough …

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Post-Secondary Students' Long Bone Anatomy Knowledge Retention Through Constructivism And The Works Of Vesalius, Jennifer F. Tynes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding human long bone anatomy is an important concept to master for post-secondary students that major in medical fields since skeletal structures assist in locating a pulse, conducting clinical procedures, and identifying injection sites. Skeletal anatomy is also used to name structures associated with other organ systems like veins, arteries, and nerves. This explanatory mixed methods study explores post-secondary students’ knowledge retention and perception of various constructivist activities that utilize historical approaches based on the works of Vesalius, the Father of Modern Anatomy to teach long bone anatomy. Three treatment groups and one controlled comparison group (n= 92) were provided …

Exploring The Implementation Of Reading Common Core State Standards In An Elementary School Setting, Lacy Alane Davis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the implementation process of five teachers and two administrators of the Common Core State Standards in Reading. This ethnographic case study investigates one groups’ attitudes and instructional practices. The researcher focused on three questions in order to provide an in-depth analysis of the data collected. These questions include: How do educators implement and develop reading curriculum from the Common Core State Standards? How does the mandated requirements of the CCSS impact the attitudes of reading teachers? How do primary grade teachers approach the CCSS in comparison to upper elementary teachers? The study followed an ethnographic analysis method …

Servant Leadershp Style Of Michigan Public School Superintendents And Meap Reading And Math Proficiency, Antoinette Pearson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between servant leadership style and Michigan public school superintendents as measured by student proficiency on the MEAP Math and Reading tests for grades 3rd – 8th.

The methodology for this qualitative study consisted of the Wong and Page’s (2003) Servant Leadership Profile Revised Instrument (SLPR). The survey consisted of a 62 item survey, using a 7- point Likert type scale, comprised of 10 subscales used to represent the presence of servant leadership characteristics. There were 7 additional items created by the researcher to gather demographic information. The participants were convenience …

Study Of Self-Injurious Behaviors And The Intervention With Visual Supports, Karoline Kenville

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The intent of this research was to investigate the use of visual supports for individuals who suffer from Self-Injurious Behaviors (SIB) stemming from developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It has been determined that there are many causes of SIB in individuals with ASD, and while some theories are no more than untested assumptions, there is validated research on behavioral patterns that suggests that evidence-based practice of visuals supports may effectively be used as part of an intervention to modify behaviors. Visual supports refers to the range of procedures through social stories, checklists, and video modeling that assist …

An Analysis Of Parent, Student, And Staff Satisfaction With Supplemental Educational Services (Ses) To Improve Student Achievement Among At-Risk High School Students In Failing Schools, Cynthia A. Williams-Lanier

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine parent, student, administrator, and staff satisfaction with supplemental education services (SES) provided at a small, nonprofit, community-based, African-centered program (Alkebu-lan Village) that focused on improving English language arts and mathematics achievement among at-risk high school students. Alkebu-lan Village, an SES provider, offered an integrated comprehensive program that combined academic tutoring with breakfast and lunch, as well as social and physical activities. A mixed methods study was conducted to determine if participation in a SES (Alkebu-lan Village) improved high school students’ reading and mathematics achievement. Student records were used to obtain the pre …

An Evidence-Based Practice Educational Intervention For Athletic Trainers: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Cailee E. Welch, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, Dorice A. Hankemeier

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: As evidence-based practice (EBP) becomes a necessity in athletic training, Web-based modules have been developed and made available to the National Athletic Trainers' Association membership as a mechanism to educate athletic trainers (ATs) on concepts of EBP.

Objective: To assess the effect of an educational intervention on enhancing knowledge of EBP among ATs.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Web-based modules and knowledge assessment.

Patients or Other Participants: A total of 164 of 473 ATs (34.7% response rate), including professional athletic training students, graduate students, clinical preceptors, educators, and clinicians, were randomized into a control group (40 men, 42 women) …

Perceived Outcomes Of Web-Based Modules Designed To Enhance Athletic Trainers' Knowledge Of Evidence-Based Practice, Cailee E. Welch, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, Dorice A. Hankemeier, Aimee L. Wyant, Jessica M. Mutchler, William A. Pitney, Danica G. Hays

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: The release of evidence-based practice (EBP) Web-based learning modules to the membership of the National Athletic Trainers' Association has provided athletic trainers (ATs) the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the various EBP concepts. Whereas increasing the knowledge of EBP among ATs is important, assessing whether this newfound knowledge is being translated into clinical practice and didactic education is crucial.

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of an educational intervention regarding EBP on the didactic instruction patterns of athletic training educators and the clinical practice behaviors of clinicians.

Design: Qualitative study.

Setting: Individual telephone interviews.

Patients or Other Participants: A …

A Case Study Of Tracie Morris's Project Princess, Tammie Jenkins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I explore the intertextuality in spoken word poetry using Tracie Morris’s spoken word poem Project Princess (1998) as a case study. My hypothesis is that the intertextuality in spoken word poetry is derived from its genealogical contributions. Using narrative inquiry, I investigate Project Princess as page poetry and oral performance text anchored in the genealogy of spoken word poetry. The following research questions guided this study: How does intertextuality function in Tracie Morris’s spoken word poem Project Princess? What role does the genealogy of spoken word poetry play in understanding the intertextuality in Tracie Morris’s spoken word …

Formal Change Processes And Informal Teacher-Initiated Change Processes: A Longitudinal Case Study Of Technology Integration At An Elementary School, Candace Michelle Griffin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although teachers and students in nearly every classroom have access to technology, for various reasons many teachers are unable to integrate technology successfully into their classroom instruction. The primary purpose of this longitudinal, qualitative case study was to investigate how formal change processes and informal teacher-initiated change processes facilitated technology integration at a small, private school in the southeastern United States. The change processes investigated were (a) formal professional development (b) informal job-embedded professional development, (b) informal communities of practice, and (c) informal teacher leadership. The secondary purpose was to investigate changes in teaching that resulted from technology integration at …

Black And Gifted: Hiding In Plain View, Deanna Lynn Hayes-Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract This dissertation examines representation of African Americans in gifted programs in an urban school district where the creation of gifted programs was enacted as a tool for desegregation. The research is conducted from the perspectives of gifted African American students in an effort to shed some light on whether an achievement gap exists or is the makeup of the program itself a deterrent to the enrollment of African American students. A qualitative study was conducted using personal narratives from students who were enrolled in a self-contained gifted program in the urban school districts. The participants gave personal interviews where …

Exploring The Impact Of The Common Core State Standards Implementation Through The Eyes Of Teachers', Parents', And Administrators' Beliefs And Attitudes Related To Reading Instruction, Sheryl Coglaiti

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Belief(s) and attitude(s) about education, moreover reading, can shape the way in which we respond to pressures to initiate instructional changes in schools and society. Recently, an enormous reform effort, known as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is underway in the nation. The implementation plays a critical role in how the CCSS will be received. In light of being received, how will they impact teachers’, parents’, and administrators’ belief(s) and/or attitude(s) related to reading? According to research, there is a need to consider teachers’, parents’, and administrators’ belief(s) and/or attitude(s) about reading, which may play a role in the …

Examining The Persistence Of Students In Academic And Leadership Development Programs, Jared Christian Avery

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study examined whether institution-driven programs improve persistence among Black male student participants. Using modified versions of Tinto’s Student Integration Model (SIM) as the theoretical framework, the researcher hypothesized that participants involved in institution-driven programs would be more connected to the academic and social spaces of the university. In turn, this would lead to improved persistence at the postsecondary level and ultimately degree completion. Using a questionnaire to assess measures of student persistence, an electronic survey was administered to 475 students at a predominantly White institution in the southeast region of the U.S. For the quasi-experimental research design, Analysis of …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Postsecondary Transition Program Models On College Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of First-Generation College Students, Shaneá Morrison Nelson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact of postsecondary transition programs on the college self-efficacy beliefs of first-generation college students. Postsecondary transition programs were developed to address the challenges that all first-time freshmen face, including all first-generation students. While there are a number of postsecondary transition program models, the three models examined in this study were Developmental Academic, Residential Colleges, and First Year Intervention programs. Although there is a great deal of evaluative research regarding how postsecondary transition programs impact students’ academic performance, there is a lack of research on how these programs impact students internal …

Supporting Diverse Online Learners, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Learner support is the critical link in online education. A learner support system is comprised of human and non-human resources that contribute to the learning process of an online course and should be designed as an integral part of the course. For example, if the online course requires students to access library resources to complete a research paper, then, easy access to library resources must be provided as part of the learner support system for that course. Learner support for online learners will differ based on the context, learner characteristics such as needs, expectations, prior learning experiences, etc., and the …

Additional Support Or Extravagant Cost? : Student-Athletes' Perceptions On Athletic Academic Centers., Matthew R. Huml, Meg G. Hancock, Matthew J. Bergman

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to investigate student-athlete perceptions of the academic resources and support staff within stand-alone athletic academic centers. An online survey was completed by 196 NCAA Division-I student-athletes at two private institutions in the Northeast and one public institution in the Midwest. Results showed both public and private institution student-athletes preferred receiving advising related to their academics from either an academic or faculty advisor instead of their athletic advisor. Additional results show senior student-athletes questioning the career planning resources available to them, private student-athletes perceiving a lack of resources, and public student-athletes perceiving greater hindrances by …