Education Commons^™

Lifelong Effects Of Poverty, Jill Mccaslin-Timmons, Marilyn Grady

Contemporary Issues in Educational Leadership

Poverty in the United States affects children in public schools. In reviewing the poverty literature, the following themes emerged the struggle to define poverty in the United States, characteristics of families in poverty, the impact of poverty on school performance, and the lifelong effects of poverty on children.

A personal story of a public school administrator who grew up in poverty is part of the report. The impact of the experiences of poverty continue to affect the way the individual thinks about poverty and interacts with families who experience poverty.

A Correlation Study Of Parental Involvement And Student Outcomes In A Georgia School District, Courtney T. Flournoy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a statistically significant association existed between the responses of parents of middle school students in a Georgia public school district on a parental involvement survey and three variables: eligibility of students to receive free or reduced-price lunch parental marital status, and parental education level.

This study was initiated because of a persistent problem of low academic achievement of the middle school students. There is extensive research related to the importance of parental involvement and the effect of this involvement on student achievement. However, prior to the implementation of this study little …

Examining The Role Of Spatial Skills And Mathematics Motivation On Middle School Mathematics Achievement, Kinnari Atit, Jason R. Power, Norma Veurink, David H. Uttal, Sheryl Sorby, Grace Panther, Camille Msall, Logan Fiorella, Martha Carr

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Spatial skills and mathematical ability have been repeatedly identified as critical for achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Previous studies have identified correlations between spatial skills and mathematical achievement; however, questions remain regarding improvements in non-spatial areas associated with STEM achievement. The current study examined whether competency in spatial skills could be related to individuals’ motivation for mathematics. Measures of spatial skills and mathematics motivation were completed by 1056 seventh grade students.

Results: Using hierarchical linear modeling, spatial skills and math motivation were examined relative to students’ performance on a state standardized mathematics subtest. Results indicate that …

Global Technology Economic Analysis Paradigm, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Is true that it is not only the consumers that make the economy prospers? Business and government also play a role in the economy of a country and corporation. “The GLOBAL technology economy is driven perhaps by the example of a consumer-based society and capital driven citizenry," according to the article in the investor guide of 2013. The role of the government is very important in businesses, organizations and consumers alike depending on the decisions made by the government officials spending of the government. Research have indicated that dependencies of government, organizations, businesses and consumers are intertwine or intermediary. …

Teacher Perspectives Of Fidelity With Universal Design For Learning In The Classroom, Sharon Rehenea Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study is designed to explore teachers’ perspectives on the implementation and sustainability of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the classroom at a local rural Title I elementary school. The rural elementary Title I school classroom presents a unique dynamic in comparison to its surrounding rural elementary school counterparts. The most significant difference is the students residing in poverty and the circumstances associated with poverty. Despite this school’s rural Title I circumstance UDL is used to encourage and stimulate students.

Teachers are the primary source of UDL implementation. It is vital for teachers to …

Alternate Route - An Examination Of Alternatively Certified Teachers' Job Satisfaction And Self-Efficacy, Adrienne W. Mcelroy

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the job satisfaction and self-efficacy of alternatively certified teachers in a rural, midsize, public school district in Florida. The examination will include the relationship between job satisfaction and self-efficacy. The results of this study aim to provide school officials with a better understanding of the role alternatively certified teachers fill during the teacher shortage facing our nation.

The researcher utilized two existing surveys. The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) was developed by Paul Spector. The JSS further delineates job satisfaction into two subscales: intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale …

Factors That Influence The Perception Of Higher Education Leaders In The Adoption Process Of Instructional Technology And Distance Education, Diego Tibaquirá

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed by this study was that many administrators at institutions of higher learning are faced with the task of finding ways to provide the latest technologies while being extremely constricted by budgets and the rising cost of education. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence the perceptions of higher education leaders in the adoption process of Instructional Technology and Distance Education. This included an examination of the decision-making process and what determined if Instructional Technology and Distance Education were either implemented or upgraded at various higher learning institutions.

The researcher implemented a mixed-methods …

Employers’ Attitudes Towards Individuals With A Physical Disability During The Hiring Process, Alix Jean-Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research in the field of disability and employment have recorded various negative and positive employer attitudes towards the disabled. In comparison to other disability categories, the physically disabled tend to evoke more negative stereotypes, attitudes, and misconceptions in employers. Physical appearance and physical deformities continue to be a barrier to full participation in employment. Thus, additional research is needed to understand and explore how these attitudes are impacting employment experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine employers’ attitudes towards individuals with a physical disability during the hiring process.

An online survey was completed with the collaboration …

The Experiences Of Minority Female Leaders In Educational Leadership: A Generic Qualitative Study, Gale Denise Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the underrepresentation of female minority leaders in the field of educational leadership, the scientific literature lacked evidence in understanding the experiences of those who, despite adversity, successfully secured administrative roles. The experiences of minority women who pursued and secured principal and/or assistant principalship appointments were examined using a generic qualitative approach.

The analysis of the data presented the challenges, barriers, and constraints that minority women were confronted with during the development and establishment of their careers as educational leaders. As a result of the complex intersectionality of race and gender, these leaders found themselves as the subjects of …

Measuring The Social And Emotional Skills Of Hispanic American Students In An Afterschool Karate Program, Noel Adrian Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

The social and emotional learning skills of children play an important role in their development. These skills include persistence, self-control, and social competence. The lack of these skills can often be a predictor of future criminality and antisocial behavior. Aggressiveness in youth plays a key role in violence among juveniles. Violent crime committed by juvenile offenders has been a longstanding issue facing the United States criminal justice system. It lacks an effective prevention method, disproportionately affects minority youth, and is often cited as a future predictor of criminality.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, one-group, pretest–posttest design study, was twofold. First, …

Improving Educational Experiences Of Students With Disabilities At A Private Postsecondary University, Levenle Jean-Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this research study was that students with disabilities were experiencing challenges at a private postsecondary university in the United States that were impacting their educational experience. The purpose of this research study was to discover the challenges individuals with disabilities experience at a private postsecondary university and to find possible resolutions to those challenges. It was anticipated that this research study may improve the education experiences of students with disabilities at a private postsecondary university in the United States. It was equally important to discover (a) challenges experienced by students with a disability in a private …

Understanding Effective Orientation Practices From Orientation Professionals At Public Hbcus, Ronnie Mack Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation focused on understanding the perceptions of orientation professionals of the impact of orientation programming at public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This study illustrates the effective practices of orientation programming and their impact on the retention of first – year African American students.

The theoretical framework that supported this study focused on challenge & support, retention, involvement, transition, belonging, and Black identity theory. The research study looked to understand orientation professionals’ perceptions of the impact of orientation programming at a public HBCU on the successful transition and retention of first-year students.

The qualitative multiple case study …

Perspectives On Postsecondary Correctional Education From The Previously Incarcerated Student: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design Study, Ana C. Maria

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is currently housing 2,220,300 inmates. At least 90% of these inmates will eventually be released and expected to successfully reintegrate into society. While it is in the nation’s best interest that these individuals are prepared to become contributing members of society, the academic experiences of those in prison, regardless of their sentence, is important. The success of educational correction has been traditionally measured by the reduction in recidivism and by the increased likelihood of successful reintegration. However, we know little about what makes these programs successful to participants, as there is a gap in the literature regarding …

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy, Teacher Mentoring And Administrative Support On Teacher Retention In Title 1 Schools, Holly Cwiklinski

Theses and Dissertations

Information Security Policy (ISP) compliance is crucial to the success of healthcare organizations due to security threats and the potential for security breaches. UNIX Administrators (UXAs) in healthcare Information Technology (IT) maintain critical servers that house Protected Health Information (PHI). Their compliance with ISP is crucial to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI data housed or accessed by their servers. The use of cognitive heuristics and biases may negatively influence threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and ultimately ISP compliance behavior. These failures may result in insufficiently protected servers and put organizations at greater risk of data breaches and financial loss. …

A Mixed Method Study: West African Women And Intimate Partner Violence, Fleur Amanda Daphnet Anna Williams

Theses and Dissertations

There has been a great amount of research conducted on women around the world, but limited focus has been placed on the countries of West Africa. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to gain insight into first-generation women of West African descent living in the United States and identify the key risk factors for victimization. The focus of this study was first-generation American women of West African descent. The study was conducted to identify the cultural/social norms and differences (e.g., lack of language skills, dependence on their spouse, etc.) that shape their experience with Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). The …

The Link Between Animal Cruelty And Violent Crime Victimization: An Assessment Of The Lifetime Impact Of Animal Cruelty On Secondary Victims, Amber Ahern

Theses and Dissertations

Animal cruelty and the secondary victimization of humans caused by animal cruelty are significant social problems. The dissertation presented a comparative research study on the developmental, psychological, and emotional symptomatology experienced by crime victims who had prior experiences with animal cruelty as a secondary victimization versus those who had not. Secondary victimization, as well as animal cruelty experiences, were operationally defined. This dissertation presented a broad literature review focusing on animal cruelty, its overall impact, and the link to other forms of criminality. This dissertation reviewed the importance of this line of research and possible implications for policy, future research, …

An Efficiency Tactic For Behavioral Skills Training, Brian Liu-Constant

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to enhance the use of behavioral skills training to teach staff members a discrete trial training (DTT) procedure in a setting with a low trainer-to-staff ratio. Although effective, the rehearsal and feedback components of behavioral skills training can be time consuming and require more time with an expert trainer than the trainer has available.

For the behavioral skills training protocol, the researcher recorded and presented instructions and modeling on video and developed scripts that participants followed during rehearsal and feedback. Each participant was assigned to a group of three. Participants took turns in one of …

Perceptions Of Barriers In Prosecuting Human Trafficking Cases, Jennifer Nelms

Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a world-wide problem with many barriers. Human trafficking cases are criminal but are also a violation of human rights. Human trafficking victims are lured from their homes based on the allusion from the trafficker of a better life. The victims are then beaten, forces to use drugs, and essentially broken. Once the victim is broken they are forced to perform sexual acts. Due to the initial promises and threats the victims endure, they also suffered from fear of trusting others especially law enforcement as well as other psychological issues similar to that of a domestic violence victim. …

Self-Service Technology In A Library System: An Examination Of Potential Library Member Adoption Of Self-Service Checkout At A Southeastern County Library System, Grace Keisha Phillips-Daley

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined potential library member adoption of self-service technology (SST) in a southeastern county library system. The research framework of this study was based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). More distinctively, this study explored the significance of motivation factors, to include both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, for choosing to use SST in a library environment as the reasonable effect of familiarity in influencing the possibility of its adoption.

The researcher used a non-probability sampling method to identify participants for the study. Edmonds and Kennedy (2013) suggested that surveys were primarily utilized to observe trends, personal attitudes, or …

Doctor-Patient Communication: The Experiences Of Black Caribbean Women Patients With Diabetes, Rosanne Paul-Bruno

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the verbal and non-verbal communication experiences of Black Caribbean diabetic women patients with their doctors, in order to provide a better understanding of the essential aspects of doctor- patient communication and their experiences as they managed their condition. Black Caribbean women have been disproportionately impacted by medical conditions such as diabetes. It has been a documented fact that minorities experience disparities in the health care system at different levels and doctor-patient communication is no exception. Poor doctor-patient communication has been known to hinder patients’ health outcomes, and therefore warrants such studies to increase …

Investigating Student Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A First-Year Experience Online Program On Student Retention, Jennifer P. Bowman-Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation is a mixed-methods study designed to collect student perspectives of an online First-Year Experience (FE) course and to determine the overall value of the FE course. The researcher sought to identify what is the value of the FE course to the students enrolled in this online course. In the study’s survey, students will be asked a series of questions designed to determine the overall value of the FE course. For this study, the online FE course survey addressed the following theme areas: Course Content, Overall Satisfaction, Transfer Perceptions, and the participants are the new incoming students (first-year …

Establishing Teaching Presence In Higher Education Online Mathematics Courses: A Phenomenological Study, Deltrye Eagle Holt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe, based on the teaching presence component of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) theoretical framework, the lived experiences of mathematics instructors while establishing teaching presence in online higher education mathematics courses. Teaching presence, which is one of the three core elements of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, is necessary for achieving learning outcomes and student satisfaction. The three main research questions were: 1. How do mathematics instructors establish teaching presence in online higher education mathematics courses? 2. How do mathematics instructors establish teaching presence in face-to-face higher education mathematics courses? 3. …

Diversity In School Leadership: Re-Conceptualizing The Narrative Of Black Male School Principals And Assistant Principals For Recruitment And Retention, James Avery

Theses and Dissertations

Educational leadership is one of the most vastly explored topics in education. School principals and assistant principals make up a substantial portion of those in leadership positions. Experiences in educational leadership have been chronicled for a number of years; however, the diversity in the recorded lived experiences is lacking. To that end, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature by developing an understanding of and recording the essence of Black males’ experiences working in K-12 school leadership positions.

The intersection of race and gender has been proven to create dynamics which impact the enactment of leadership …

Haitian Centenarians: An Undocumented Phenomenon, Erna Dasilma

Theses and Dissertations

A ceaselessly neglected phenomenon until recent years, especially in developing countries, centenarians bring unique wisdom, perspective, history and science to our society based on their lived experiences. Although there is a strong interest in the experiences of individuals who are over 100 years old, few formal research studies have been conducted concerning centenarians, principally in developing countries. One of the central goals of conducting this study was to bridge the gap in the literature when it comes to centenarians in less developed countries, given the lack of reported statistics, with emphasis given to those living on the battered, but resilient …

An Exploration Of Task Independence For High School Students In A Self-Contained Classroom Using Structured Work Systems, Lorinda Rene Otto

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of a method to support higher levels of independent performance and generalization of skills using a structured work system with a visual schedule when teaching online task completion skills to high school students with ASD and intellectual disabilities. Students with ASD and intellectual disabilities are typically deficient in independent skills. They often struggle to initiate and complete tasks on their own. By learning to complete tasks independently, high school students with ASD and intellectual disabilities gain essential life skills needed for employment. Structured work systems, along with visual schedules, have shown to be useful in …

The Teacher’S Role In Increasing Student Engagement In High School Social Studies Courses, Quarnitra L. Price

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored (a) how teaching practices of high school teachers influence student engagement levels and performance in social studies classes, (b) how teachers might deliver more student relatable social studies content, (c) how teachers might help students relate to and become more engaged with important social studies concepts, and (d) how teachers can motivate students to become well-informed and fully engaged citizens. This study also examined existing barriers that prevent students from learning or engaging in social studies coursework.

Research findings suggest teachers play essential roles in how students perceive social studies content and respond to lessons …

Unsolvable? Assessing The Accuracy Of Missing Person Case Data, Scott Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

Annually, about 100,000 individuals are reported missing to authorities in the US. Fortunately, the majority of these investigations are resolved quickly with the persons being accounted for and reunited with loved ones. Conversely, the number of cases that remain open represent dilemmas for police as the incidents could be connected to unsolved homicides, other violent crimes, or endangered persons. Despite the commonality of missing persons, research on the topic is scant. Predominantly, published studies on missing persons focus on investigations from European countries. In 2008, the US Department of Justice launched the National Missing and Unidentified Person System (NamUs), a …

Portrayal Of Diverse Family Structures In Children's Literature, Beth Grafft

Graduate Research Papers

Throughout their daily lives, students continuously make connections between themselves and their world, which aids in constructing meaning, strengthening understanding, and facilitating empathy toward others. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis is to ascertain the extent to which diverse family dynamics are represented within books nominated by students for consideration of the 2019-2020 Iowa Children’s Choice Award. The research questions addressed in this study include: What is the extent of representation regarding diverse family dynamics within books nominated by students for consideration of the 2019-2020 Iowa Children’s Choice Award book award, and how human families are portrayed. All fifteen …

Identification Of Trends In Scientific Communication By Minority Students In An Integrated And Advanced Ninth Grade Science Curriculum, Loren Thalacker

Graduate Research Papers

In the United States, the population of minorities is rapidly increasing. Our nation is facing a shortage in students pursuing STEM careers and it is vital to improve all students’ scientific communication abilities. As our population of minority students is also growing, it is especially important to tap into our potential STEM resources. While the Midwest is less diverse than the rest of the nation, the Waterloo Community School District in Waterloo, Iowa has a large population of minority students. When the district implemented the Next Generation Science Standards it created a problem for students wanting to take advanced science …

Positionality And Power: The Individual’S Role In Directing Community College Men Of Color Initiatives, Kaleb L. Briscoe, Veronica A. Jones, Deryl K. Hatch-Tocaimaza, Eligio Martinez Jr.

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Community College Men of Color Initiatives (CCMCIs) are increasingly popular strategies utilized to promote retention and completion among Men of Color (MOC). CCMCI directors offer a unique positionality in understanding how their identities, institutional contexts, and power dynamics affect their design of programs and participating students. Using a critical phenomenological approach, the authors of this study explore the lived experiences of CCMCI directors in conceptualizing, implementing, and assessing these initiatives.