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2017

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University of Central Florida

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Using A Senior Seminar During Internship Ii As A Means To Increase Self-Efficacy, Perceptions Of Preparedness, And Internship Experiences For Elementary Education Teachers, Shane Trenta Jan 2017

Using A Senior Seminar During Internship Ii As A Means To Increase Self-Efficacy, Perceptions Of Preparedness, And Internship Experiences For Elementary Education Teachers, Shane Trenta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, mixed methods study was to examine how a Senior Seminar pilot conducted during elementary preservice teachers' Internship II semester could potentially increase their teacher self-efficacy and perceptions of preparedness to teach. The study was conducted at a large public university located in the southeast United States and included 29 participants. The collection of data included the 24 item Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy Survey (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) used to measure pre- and post- teacher self-efficacy for classroom instruction, classroom management, and student engagement. To measure pre- and post- perceptions of preparedness, the 8 item …


An Examination Of Inclusive Practices For Junior Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities In Gaborone, Botswana, Samantha Mrstik Jan 2017

An Examination Of Inclusive Practices For Junior Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities In Gaborone, Botswana, Samantha Mrstik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The country of Botswana has passed laws to support the human rights of their citizens. In accordance with the UN's guidelines, Botswana's human rights initiatives, and the international movement towards inclusive education, inclusive educational reform is taking place. In this ethnographic study, the researcher has examined the inclusive practices currently in place to support junior secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) in Gaborone, Botswana over a four-month period. Participants included administrators, general and special education teachers, and students with LD. The themes of routine, academic activities, classroom life, and accommodations for students with LD emerged upon analysis and are discussed …


Effects Of Collaboration Between Speech-Language Pathologists And Third-Grade Teachers On Student Vocabulary Outcomes, Mary Mitchell Jan 2017

Effects Of Collaboration Between Speech-Language Pathologists And Third-Grade Teachers On Student Vocabulary Outcomes, Mary Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A persistent literacy crisis continues to be reflected in international (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2013), national (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2015), and local literacy outcome data. Educators, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), are called upon to collaborate to support students who struggle with academic language/literacy. However, few studies have operationally defined collaboration and investigated the effects of collaboration on student achievement. As a result, there is insufficient guidance for educators about ways to design, implement, and assess the effectiveness of collaboration models, defined in terms of their effects on student outcomes. There were two main objectives …


Faculty Professional Development For Improving Hybrid Course Success, Jennifer Lawhon Jan 2017

Faculty Professional Development For Improving Hybrid Course Success, Jennifer Lawhon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this Dissertation in Practice was to investigate the inconsistent success rates in hybrid courses at a Florida college. Results from a pilot study and faculty survey revealed a need for a training program specific to hybrid instructors. The researchers created a training program composed of a framework and a professional development course, designed to promote consistency in how instructors create and implement their hybrid courses. The framework consists of six research-based standards which aided in the creation of six learning modules for the professional development course. These modules were: course alignment, face-to-face active learning, online resources, formative …


An Analysis Of Robot-Assisted Social-Communication Instruction For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Claire Donehower Jan 2017

An Analysis Of Robot-Assisted Social-Communication Instruction For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Claire Donehower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social and communication deficits are a core feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and impact an individual's ability to be a full participant in their school environment and community. The increase in number of students with ASD in schools combined with the use of ineffective interventions have created a critical need for quality social-communication instruction in schools for this population. Technology-based interventions, like robots, have the potential to greatly impact students with disabilities, including students with ASD who tend to show increased interest and engagement in technology-based tasks and materials. While research on the use of robots with these learners …


Role Ambiguity: Defining The Elusive Role Of The Special Education Teacher Who Works In Inclusive Settings, Dena Slanda Jan 2017

Role Ambiguity: Defining The Elusive Role Of The Special Education Teacher Who Works In Inclusive Settings, Dena Slanda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of special education teachers who worked in inclusive settings. Given the increasing number of students with disabilities receiving special education services in the general education classroom (U.S. Department of Education, 2016), there is a critical need to understand the dynamic role of a special education teacher who works in inclusive settings. Federal mandates have required special education teachers working in inclusive settings to rethink their roles (McLeskey, Landers, Hoppey, & Williamson, 2011) and restructure their approach to providing specially-designed services. Further, these roles are dependent on those who interpret and implement policy and …


The Impact Of Ongoing Science Professional Development On Standardized Assessments Of Student Achievement, Leah Torres Jan 2017

The Impact Of Ongoing Science Professional Development On Standardized Assessments Of Student Achievement, Leah Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify how ongoing science professional development impact students' achievement on standardized assessments. The students' end-of-year assessment and State Science Assessment data were collected from a Central Florida school district. The student data were divided into categories based on teachers' participation in on-going professional development opportunities. The teachers were categorized by the number of types of professional development opportunities they attended. The mean assessment scores of students whose all teachers did or did not participate were calculated, and t-tests were run to find the significance between the means. There was no significance in the …


Effects Of Metacognitive Monitoring On Academic Achievement In An Ill-Structured Problem-Solving Environment, Naomi Malone Jan 2017

Effects Of Metacognitive Monitoring On Academic Achievement In An Ill-Structured Problem-Solving Environment, Naomi Malone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education courses are increasingly moving online while educational approaches are concurrently shifting their focus toward student-centered approaches to learning. These approaches promote critical thinking by asking students to solve a range of ill-structured problems that exist in the real world. Researchers have found that student-centered online learning environments require students to have self-regulated learning skills, including metacognitive skills to regulate their own learning processes. Much of the research suggests that externally supporting students while they are learning online, either directly or indirectly, helps them to succeed academically. However, few empirical studies have investigated what levels of support are most …


The Relationship Between Participation In Tutoring And Accountability Outcomes In Three Urban Middle Schools, Pamela Rajadhyax Jan 2017

The Relationship Between Participation In Tutoring And Accountability Outcomes In Three Urban Middle Schools, Pamela Rajadhyax

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study was conducted to determine the relationship between participation in a school based tutoring and change in accountability measures on the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) in Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. The research was designed to determine the impact of participation in tutoring for urban middle school students. All students who attended one of the three urban middle schools and participated in the administration of FSA for mathematics or ELA in both the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years were divided into two groups: students who participated in school based tutoring …


A Study Of Internet Spending And Graduation Rates: A Correlational Study, Diana Violette Jan 2017

A Study Of Internet Spending And Graduation Rates: A Correlational Study, Diana Violette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school district spending on Internet access and student achievement, defined by graduation rates, in the state of Florida. Internet funding received for Internet access from E-rate funding administered by the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) and graduation rates of the 67 school districts in the state of Florida were compared. Further, the data were adjusted for socio-economic status (SES) to determine the relationship between school districts' SES and spending on Internet access. Lastly, school district connectivity and bandwidth were examined to determine whether the ConnectED initiative requirements were related …


A Qualitative Inquiry Investigating The Inclusive Practices Of Teachers Within Catholic Schools, Alicia Abbey-Bell Jan 2017

A Qualitative Inquiry Investigating The Inclusive Practices Of Teachers Within Catholic Schools, Alicia Abbey-Bell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological investigation examined the inclusive practices used to instruct students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms by educators within a large Catholic diocese in the southeast US. This study used phenomenological research methods to examine the perspectives, practices, and policies of Catholic school educators in inclusive settings through interviews, observations, and artifact reviews of school data to triangulate findings within this research. Surveys completed by administrators and faculty members provided initial knowledge and perspectives of inclusive practices for instruction of students with disabilities (SWDs) within inclusive settings. Structured interviews and classroom observation were then completed with participants at the school …


Examination Of The Challenges Faced By Foreign-Born Students In A State College That May Prolong/Prevent Graduation., Modupe Soremi Jan 2017

Examination Of The Challenges Faced By Foreign-Born Students In A State College That May Prolong/Prevent Graduation., Modupe Soremi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study stems from several reports indicating the increasing competitiveness of the world economy, the requirement of at least an associate degree in the fastest growing jobs in the U.S. labor market, and the unprecedented increase in the foreign-born population in the United States since the 1970s (U.S. Census Bureau Web, 2016; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projection, 2009; President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), 2009). Understanding the challenges faced by foreign-born students at state colleges will create an avenue for recommending solutions to many these challenges, thereby increasing their educational attainment and economic productivity, hence preparing more Americans …


A Comparative Study Of Student Performance, Attendance, And Discipline In A Community School In A Large Urban School District In The Southern United States, Juanita Morrow Jan 2017

A Comparative Study Of Student Performance, Attendance, And Discipline In A Community School In A Large Urban School District In The Southern United States, Juanita Morrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to investigate the impact of the community school practices such as extended/supplemental enrichment time, character development, anger management, counseling, tutoring, and mental and physical healthcare on student performance, attendance and discipline at a community school in a large urban school district in the southern U.S. The select population and sample for this study was the school's 2011-2012 senior cohort, before the school's implementation of community school practices and the school's 2015-2016 senior cohort, after implementation of community school practices at the select community school. In an effort to more accurately determine the effectiveness of …


A Study Of Central Florida College Students' Acceptance Of The Theory Of Evolution, Microevolution, Macroevolution, And Human Evolution, David Schleith Jan 2017

A Study Of Central Florida College Students' Acceptance Of The Theory Of Evolution, Microevolution, Macroevolution, And Human Evolution, David Schleith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to study the teaching and learning of the theory of evolution and determine levels of acceptance of the theory of evolution among college students studying biology in Central Florida, the Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance, I-SEA, was administered to over 500 university students enrolled in a biology course during the Fall 2016 term. An analysis of 489 completed surveys demonstrated strong overall acceptance of the theory of evolution (average score = 103 out of 120 total possible). Of all students, 78% fell into the category of very high acceptance of the theory of evolution. Students who reported attending …


A Comparison Of Sixth-, Seventh-, And Eighth-Grade Student Outcomes In Schools Configured K-8 Elementary Versus 6-8 Middle Schools As Measured By State Standardized Tests, Student Discipline Referrals, And Student Attendance, Jessica Kelce Jan 2017

A Comparison Of Sixth-, Seventh-, And Eighth-Grade Student Outcomes In Schools Configured K-8 Elementary Versus 6-8 Middle Schools As Measured By State Standardized Tests, Student Discipline Referrals, And Student Attendance, Jessica Kelce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students' outcomes in relation to school configuration, specifically K-8 elementary schools as compared to 6-8 middle schools. Student outcomes focused on in this study were standardized test scores, number of out-of-school suspensions, and number of days absent. Race and gender served as moderator variables for all research questions. Quantitative data were obtained from a large central Florida school district and included 2016 Florida Standards Assessment scale scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Algebra 1 End-of-Course Examinations, 2015 Florida Standards Assessment scale scores in English …


Exploring Relationship Quality As A Dyadic Mediator Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health For Economically Disadvantaged Couples, Naomi Wheeler Jan 2017

Exploring Relationship Quality As A Dyadic Mediator Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health For Economically Disadvantaged Couples, Naomi Wheeler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the directional relationships between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE; Felitti et al., 1998), relationship quality (as measured by the Relationship Assessment Scale [Hendrick, 1988] and the Behavioral Self-Regulation for Effective Relationships Scale [Wilson, Charker, Lizzio, Halford, & Kimlin, 2005]), and health (as measured by the OQ 45.2 [Lambert et al., 2004] and a Brief Medical History Questionnaire [Daire, Wheeler, & Liekweg, 2014]) among economically disadvantaged couples. The theorized model included a dyadic structure and mediation of ACE and health by relationship quality using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM). The researcher employed …


Predicting Undergraduate Retention In Stem Majors Based On Demographics, Math Ability, And Career Development Factors, Christopher Belser Jan 2017

Predicting Undergraduate Retention In Stem Majors Based On Demographics, Math Ability, And Career Development Factors, Christopher Belser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are currently facing a crisis with respect to filling jobs with qualified workers (NSF, 2013; NAS, 2011). While advancements in these industries have translated into job growth, post-secondary declaration and retention rates within STEM majors lag behind industry needs (Carnevale et al., 2011; Chen, 2013; Koenig et al., 2012). Although researchers previously investigated demographic variables and math-related variables in the context of STEM retention (Beasley & Fischer, 2012; CollegeBoard, 2012; Cundiff et al., 2013; Gayles & Ampaw, 2014; Le et al., 2014; Nosek & Smyth, 2011; Riegle-Crumb & King, 2010), the need exists …


Balancing Multiple Roles: A Re-Examination Of How Work Impacts Academic Performance For Community College Students, Celena Ziems Jan 2017

Balancing Multiple Roles: A Re-Examination Of How Work Impacts Academic Performance For Community College Students, Celena Ziems

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how work impacts academic performance for community college students, from a multiple role balance perspective. Perna (2010) called for a re-examination of the role of work in college students' lives, especially regarding the exploration of benefits, rather than just the detriments of working while studying. According to Karp and Bork (2014), more research was also needed on community college students and how they balance multiple roles. Exploring the relationship between balancing multiple roles and academic performance may provide new insight into how community college students contend with demanding roles, while striving to achieve academic success. This study …


Hispanic Teacher's Experiences With Stressors While Working In Title I Schools: A Phenomenological Investigation Using A Self-Compassion Framework, Coralis Solomon Jan 2017

Hispanic Teacher's Experiences With Stressors While Working In Title I Schools: A Phenomenological Investigation Using A Self-Compassion Framework, Coralis Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory phenomenology investigation was to understand what were Hispanic teachers' experiences with their occupational stressors while working in Title I elementary schools. Specifically, this investigation used a self-compassion theoretical framework to explore the emotional stressors of the participants (N = 19) and how they cope to mitigate their feelings of burnout. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit Hispanic teachers from three Title I elementary schools within the same school district in Central Florida. The data were collected through individual interviews with the Hispanic teachers who volunteered to participate in the study. All data were recorded, transcribed, …


The Influence Of Economics Knowledge On Students' Attitudes Toward Financial Literacy, Lloyd Beckles Jan 2017

The Influence Of Economics Knowledge On Students' Attitudes Toward Financial Literacy, Lloyd Beckles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Financial literacy has developed in importance resulting from the growing intricacy of financial markets and the increased responsibility placed on consumers for their own financial security. During last decade, the necessity of financial literacy has been heightened due to increasingly complex products and services. Managing personal finances is important and people must learn to engage in prudent financial decisions required when planning for retirement, education, and home purchases. The ability to understand and manage personal finances is a skill critical to long-term financial security, additionally, there are significant consequences to financial illiteracy that can last for a life-time and many …


Barriers To Adoption Of Wellness Programs: A Worked Example Of An Augmented Best-Fit Framework Synthesis, Dalton Oliver Jan 2017

Barriers To Adoption Of Wellness Programs: A Worked Example Of An Augmented Best-Fit Framework Synthesis, Dalton Oliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Qualitative syntheses have the potential to offer a great deal of insight into complex problems of practice. However, their methods often appear unclear and warrant ongoing scrutiny by the research community. Aim: This study introduces a novel combination of methods for synthesizing qualitative literature and explores the utility of these methods through a worked example of a real-world problem of practice. Methods: Qualitative studies that investigated barriers to adoption of wellness programs through the perspectives of key informants were systematically collected for synthesis. Key informants were identified as decision makers at small- to medium-sized businesses. The primary method used …


An Investigation Of State College To University Transfer Students' Sense Of Belonging, Claire Brady Jan 2017

An Investigation Of State College To University Transfer Students' Sense Of Belonging, Claire Brady

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the sense of belonging of state college transfer students who enroll at a large research-intensive university through structured and unstructured transfer pathways using the Sense of Belonging Instrument (SBI; Hoffman, Richmond, Morrow, & Solomon, 2002). The SBI includes five subscales (Peer Support, Faculty Support, Classroom Comfort, Isolation, and Empathetic Faculty Understanding). To date, no systematic investigation has considered the construct of belonging with this population or transfer pathway. The findings from this study (n = 54) found a positive statistically significant correlation between Peer Support and Isolation (r(52) =.801, p …


An Investigation Of The Help-Seeking Behaviors Of Women Student Veterans, Tanya Armstrong Jan 2017

An Investigation Of The Help-Seeking Behaviors Of Women Student Veterans, Tanya Armstrong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women with military experience are attending colleges and universities across the United States. It is important to understand how they describe their experiences as students and how their help-seeking behaviors impact their success (DiRamio & Jarvis, 2011; Baechtold & Da Sawal, 2009). Using Schlossberg's Adult Transition Theory (1981, 1984) as a framework, this qualitative phenomenological study explored the help-seeking behaviors of women student veterans. In addition, the events that caused them to seek help and the resources they utilized are described. The research questions were: (1) Does the prior military experience of women student veterans influence their willingness to seek …


A Comprehensive Study Of The Learning Styles Of Student Athletes And Academic Advisors At Three Institutions In The American Athletic Conferences And The Tools And Resources Used To Ensure Academic Success., Dianna Lampitt Jan 2017

A Comprehensive Study Of The Learning Styles Of Student Athletes And Academic Advisors At Three Institutions In The American Athletic Conferences And The Tools And Resources Used To Ensure Academic Success., Dianna Lampitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collegiate athletics plays an important role in higher education. As a result of this importance student athletes also play a significant role in higher education. However, due to their athletic responsibilities they face a number of challenges while enrolled in a college or university. An academic advisor for student athletes is responsible for not only helping the student athletes with their academics, they also play an important role in ensuring the eligibility of college student athletes so they are able to compete. As a result, academic advisors for student athletes use a number of tools and resources that help ensure …


The Frequency Of The Twelve Verb Tenses In History Papers Written By University Native Writers, Bushra Qahtani Jan 2017

The Frequency Of The Twelve Verb Tenses In History Papers Written By University Native Writers, Bushra Qahtani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the variety and complexity of verb tenses in English, English as a Second Language (ESL) / English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners often experience difficulty in mastering English verb tense system. This corpus-based study was conducted to ascertain the most frequently used verb tenses by English native speakers (NSs), specifically in their academic writing in a history course. As this study aimed to examine the naturally-occurring language produced by NSs, specifically in their academic writing, an original corpus of 101,713 words was assembled. The corpus consisted of 130 research papers written by 65 students. The corpus was …


Career Preparation For Interdisciplinary Science Phd Students: A Case Study, Sabrina Gordon Jan 2017

Career Preparation For Interdisciplinary Science Phd Students: A Case Study, Sabrina Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study intended to collect and analyze responses from stakeholders of the UCF Modeling and Simulation graduate program regarding the ways in which interdisciplinary (IDS) science PhD students could be prepared for diverse career paths. A mixed methodology study was executed and quantitative survey (N=96) and qualitative interview (N=10) data were collected to address three research questions. Overall, stakeholders for this case study were found to represent the three main career paths of academia, government, and industry. Survey data were utilized to gauge the level of importance that survey participants perceived for various survey scales and items. The scales …


Consequences Of Skipping First Year Composition: Mapping Student Writing From High School To The Academic Disciplines, Craig Bell Jan 2017

Consequences Of Skipping First Year Composition: Mapping Student Writing From High School To The Academic Disciplines, Craig Bell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research in writing studies has focused on students who make the traditional transition from high school to first year composition, to the entry level discipline specific courses in their chosen majors (Wardle, 2007, 2009; Sommers and Saltz, 2004; Beaufort, 2007; Carroll, 2002). Very little scholarship addresses those students who "skip" first year composition and find themselves in entry level discipline specific courses classrooms. With three former students, I conduct a case study over the course of eight months via a series of face to face, facetime, skype and email interviews. Each of these students, through earning high test scores in …


Socialization Of Engineering Doctoral Students In The U.S: A Phenomenological Study, Sona Gholizadeh Jan 2017

Socialization Of Engineering Doctoral Students In The U.S: A Phenomenological Study, Sona Gholizadeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of doctoral engineering students' socialization with their advisors and colleagues. Using snowballing sampling methods, eleven students with research or teaching assistantship from three engineering programs from a large University in the Southeastern US agreed to participate. Face-to-face interviews were audio-recorded, descriptively transcribed, and analyzed using a variation of Colaizzi's method. Participants experienced difficulty adjusting to the workplace norms of the PhD program, which some did not start with clear expectations. Some participants lacked work experience before starting, but were thankful for support from more experienced doctoral students. Most participants …


An Investigation Of Low Performing Central Florida Teacher Evaluation Feedback And Improvement Plans As Related To Value-Added Model Scores And Instructional Practice Scores, Tara Butler Jan 2017

An Investigation Of Low Performing Central Florida Teacher Evaluation Feedback And Improvement Plans As Related To Value-Added Model Scores And Instructional Practice Scores, Tara Butler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if low performing Central Florida teachers, according to Florida VAM scores, had related instructional practice evaluations that were being used to determine placement on improvement plans in the 2013-14 school year. Additionally, the feedback held within the instructional practice evaluations was analyzed to discover the levels of feedback most frequently rendered by administrative evaluators to the lowest performing teachers. Deidentified data from a population of 528 Central Florida teacher evaluations and improvement plans within the lowest 10% of VAM scores for the 2013-14 school year were gathered from a Florida Department of …


University Students' Citizenship Shaped By Service-Learning, Community Service, And Peer-To-Peer Civic Discussions, Haley Winston Jan 2017

University Students' Citizenship Shaped By Service-Learning, Community Service, And Peer-To-Peer Civic Discussions, Haley Winston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Citizenship is often referred to as the forgotten outcome of colleges and universities. The present study examined the relationship between undergraduate students' perceived citizenship level and different types of civic experiences (service-learning, community service, and peer-to-peer civic discussions) and also different demographic factors (gender, race/ethnicity, and parental level of education) at a public institution using the Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory. This study used structural equation modeling and multiple regression analysis. This marks the first time these variables have been researched together. This study found a significant correlation between both community service and peer-to-peer civic discussions in relation to citizenship …