Education Commons^™

Investigating Trust In The Mentoring Relationship: The Beginning Teacher's Perspective, Nancy Ann Edick

Student Work

The focus of this dissertation was to investigate the beginning teacher's perspective on trust in the mentor-beginning teacher relationship. This was a qualitative study rooted in grounded theory modified to accommodate the use of received theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The investigative framework was based on two received theories, and each theory formed the foundation for the following research questions: (1) Gabarro's (1978) theory predicts that work place trust in an associate will be affected by her perceptions of the associate's character, competence, and judgment. Is this true in the case of the beginning teachers as they do or do …

Performance -Based Assessment: Teacher Perceptions Of Implementation And Related Potential Outcomes, Gary Martin Shudak

Student Work

The purposes of this study were to determine: (a) whether and to what extent teachers' perceptions of a district-wide performance-based student assessment program (PBA) correlated with teacher demographics (sex, age, years in the district, years teaching, regular or special education, grade level/subject area taught, elementary or secondary assignment, year of undergraduate degree, and highest level of education attained); (b) whether and to what extent teachers' perceptions of the implementation of PBA correlated with their perceptions of PBA's effects on teaching behaviors, professional identity, relationships with others in the profession, and student achievement; (c) the extent to which teachers felt the …

The Current Training Practices And Perceived Training Needs Of Paraprofessionals In Special Education Programs In Nebraska, Enid Ann Schonewise

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the current training practices for paraprofessionals as perceived by building administrators, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals in special education programs in the state of Nebraska, (b) the perceived training needs of paraprofessionals, as viewed by building administrators, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals, (c) the differences that exist between current training practices and perceived training needs of paraprofessionals and the differences that exist in perceptions of building administrators, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals, and (d) the changes that have occurred in training practices since 1982.

Surprise And Sense-Making: The Organizational Socialization Of First -Year Teachers In Intermediate Grades Four Through Six, Kathleen Joanne Daley Peterson

Student Work

This qualitative dissertation study used grounded theory methodology modified to accept received theory to examine organizational and professional socialization as experienced by a group of ten first-year teachers in grades four through six. Stage model theory and surprise and sense-making theory supplied the study's conceptual framework. The first-year teachers were interviewed three times during the 2000–2001 school year to identify elements of their organizational socialization experience.

The Effects Of Multi-Sensory Teaching Practices On The Reading Fluency And Comprehension Of Bilingual 2Nd Grade Students, Gloria Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Language, the heart of the educational process, is the vehicle through which students are primarily being educated and prepared throughout their schooling (Lam, 1996). Language acquisition is described as having four processes: socio-cultural, linguistic, and academic and cognitive. Teaching, learning, and curriculum content must; therefore, be culturally meaningful, interactive, and collaborative. Since a student's learning style is a major contributing factor in teaching and not all students learn in the same manner, educators must know and understand the bilingual and bicultural child's identities and emphasize interdisciplinary, cooperative, and multi-sensory lessons in their classrooms (Chamot,1994). Educators must incorporate the wealth of …

Reducing Aberrant Behavior Utilizing Functional Communication Training In Whole-Group, Small-Group And One-To-One Settings, Twila Dawn Sprowl Figueroa

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Functional communication training (FCT) with extinction, as well as multiple manding choices were utilized to reduce aberrant behavior with three individuals with mild to moderate mental retardation or learning disability. The setting was a self-contained special education classroom for students ages six to 11 years old in an elementary school in South Texas. FCT with extinction was utilized within whole group, small group and one-to-one instruction. The findings indicated that FCT did reduce aberrant behavior and did increase communication for all three subjects. FCT is a differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior (DRA) method which has viable uses within the …

The Factors Associated With The Use Of Computers In The K-4 Classrooms Of The Maryville City School System., Jesse A. Robinette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of computers for instruction in the K-4 elementary schools of the Maryville City School System. A survey was distributed to every regular education classroom teacher in each of the four elementary schools of the system. Respondents were asked to provide: (a) demographic data in regard to age, gender, years of teaching experience, grade level taught, level of education, home computer ownership, and technology committee membership; (b) an implementation score based on teacher response to grade-level student performance indicators provided by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE); and (c) …

Principal Selection And The Stories Superintendents Tell., Linda L. Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In addition to licensure and certification, there are particular qualities and personal characteristics superintendents look for when hiring a principal. With fewer principal applicants and increased projected needs for principals, it was important to explore the superintendent's reasoning when hiring a principal.

A qualitative research method employing elite interviews was used to explore the criteria that superintendents employ in their process of selecting a principal. When talking about the hiring of principals, superintendents invariably began with the selection process. Teachers, community members, parents, former employers, and college professors gave input in formal or informal ways. Superintendents looked for experience both …

Relationship Between Cognitive Performance And Sociocultural And Linguistic Variables In Bilingual Mexican American Children, Lorraine Geralyn Boudville

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study investigated the relationship between cognitive ability (dependent variable) and 5 independent variables: acculturation, socioeconomic status (SES), oral acquisition of syntactic structures, family size, and family structure. Instruments used were the WISC-III, Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM), Sociocultural Scales in the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA). The sample consisted of 96 bilingual Mexican American children aged six and seven years, randomly selected from five school districts in south Texas; 47 were female, and 49, male. The method of analysis was multiple linear regression. The null hypothesis was tested at the .05 level of significance, using a F distribution. Results …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The High School Department Head Role In Teacher Evaluation, Instructional Improvement, Curriculum Development, And Student Performance Standards, John Thomas James

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to ascertain what relationships exist between a variety of departmental variables and the role of the department head. Data was collected from department heads in the 56 largest secondary schools in Nebraska during the 1994–95 school year using a 66-item survey containing yes/no, open response, and scaled response questions.

A Comparative Study Of Leadership Behaviors Of Principals From High And Low Socio-Economic Elementary Public Schools In Nebraska, Marilou Niemeyer

Student Work

This study examined the differences, if any, between leadership behaviors of elementary principals from low and high socio-economic schools as defined by the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch schedule. A total of 80 principals with at least one year of experience were asked to participate in this study, a sampling of 40 principals from high socio-economic schools in Nebraska and a sampling of 40 principals from low socio-economic schools in Nebraska as measured by the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

An Ethnographic Study Of Participants' Perceptions Of Character Education Including Students, Parents, Teachers, Club Sponsors, Administrators, And Community Support People, Lily Odessa Hogan Stoppleworth

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study examined character education within one educational setting. The researcher created a holistic, narrative description of the extent, quality, and impact of character education at one North Louisiana high school. An emergent design was utilized to examine inductively participants' perceptions of character education initiatives within this single, educational site.

The research questions in this study were: (a) How do participants (students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members) define character education, and what do they perceive its value to be? (b) How do participants perceive character education in relation to values? (c) How is character education viewed by the …

Visual Iconic Object-Oriented Programming To Advance Computer Science Education And Novice Programming, Nancy Silva Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Learning how to program a computer is difficult for most people. Computer programming is a cognitively challenging, time consuming, labor intensive, and frustrating endeavor. Years of formal study and training are required to learn a programming language's world of algorithms and data structures. Instructions are coded in advance before the computer demonstrates the desired behavior. Seeing all the programming steps and instruction code is complicated. There exists a tremendous gap between the representations the human brain uses when thinking about a problem and the representations used in programming a computer. Often people are much better at dealing with specific, concrete …

Crisis Management Plan Characteristics In Elementary Schools As Perceived By Nebraska Public School Principals, Linda K. Christensen

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of crisis management plans and their elements as perceived by Nebraska elementary school principals. Data were collected by using a survey instrument sent to a stratified random sample of 300 Nebraska elementary school principals. The sample was delineated by school district size, small, medium, and large. The survey, which included 21 questions, was designed to analyze the extent to which crisis management plans were in place. A total of 188 surveys were returned for a return rate of 63%.

Factors In Adults' Decisions To Enter Educational Fields, Pamela Anne Schiffbauer

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons that persons in non-educational careers enter educational fields. Fifteen education majors at the University of Nebraska at Omaha participated in this study. Ten of the participants were from the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Program for Special Undergraduates and five of the participants were from the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Teacher Academy Project.

A Study Of Parental Involvement At A Blue Ribbon Elementary School On The Texas-Mexico Border, Jay Scott Hollinger

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The involvement of parents in their children's education influences student achievement. In 1995, researchers identified mechanisms necessary for effective parent involvement. Although substantial research has been done on parent and family involvement, few studies have described the phenomenon among low socioeconomic Mexican-American families. In 1996, one case study was conducted at a high school and another was conducted at a middle school on the Texas-Mexico border. These studies described strategies and tactics used by the principal, teachers, and support staff to influence parents to become more involved in their children's education. The present study expands on these works by investigating …

Ensuring Educational Opportunity For Students With Disabilities: A Legal Analysis Of Section 504 Of The Rehabilitation Act Of 1973, Jacques Evan Trevino

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The study was a legal analysis of the reasonable accommodation standard as defined and applied by the judiciary in carrying out the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The purpose of the study was to identify problem areas in interpreting Section 504 as it applies to the responsibilities of public schools in light of differing standards applied by the Department of Education and the judiciary. An analysis of case law, federal statutes, and federal regulations helped to determine the current practices regarding the accommodation of disabled students in our public schools.

The study focused on the …

An Analysis Of Key Leadership Behaviors Of The Principal In A High -Performing Elementary School Serving Mexican American Children In South Texas, Alda T. Benavides

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study is based on the theoretical framework that defines leadership as an influence process, one that depends on the extent to which people eventually perceive leadership as a quality someone possesses and as a result of that perception, consent to be led (Greenfield, 1998). Leadership is the process of being perceived as a leader (Lord and Maher, 1993). Doing good work at one's school and being seen to do such work is likely to be the most powerful strategy for positively influencing teachers' perceptions of one's leadership. This study expands on the theory that it is what you do …

Assimilation Concerns Of Immigrant High School Students To The United States, Michelle Jeannette Garcia

Student Work

This dissertation examined the difficulties in assimilation faced by immigrant students in our nation's public schools. One paradigm through which these difficulties might be viewed is the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance was defined as the psychological discomfort aroused by dissonant cognitions experienced by an individual. A review of the literature substantiated the fact that immigrant students are bombarded by dissonant cognitions every day in American schools as they adapt to their new lives here. Some resolve the psychological stress caused by these dissonant cognitions better than others.

A Delphi Expert Assessment Of Professional Certification Programs For Contracting Personnel, Ronald L. Tougaw Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the strategic goals that were the basis for the DoDs implementation of mandatory certification for individuals serving in the contracting career field of the acquisition workforce. The study then went on to enlist panels of contracting experts to assess the extent to which two of the available certification programs meet, or fail to meet, those goals. The research method employed to gather input from experts was a Delphi discussion technique. Two separate panels, one consisting of Air Force civilian employees, the other of Air Force active duty officers, participated in eight Delphi iterations facilitated by the researcher. …

A Rationale For Interscholastic Athletics In Jesuit High Schools In The United States, Ryan Jude Maher

Master's Theses

Digitized thesis

The Relationship Between Immediate Communication, Flow, And Motivation To Continue Learning And To Integrate Technology, Warren Linger

Master's Theses

Digitized thesis

The Effects Of Physical Activity On The Behavior Of Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Amanda J. Love

Senior Honors Projects, 2000-2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of physical education class on the behavior of children diagnosed with Attention- Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Fourteen male and six female students in grades three through five were observed by their classroom teacher. Of the twenty students, then were diagnosed with ADHD and ten were not. Classroom teachers rated their students' behavior using the Iowa Connors Teacher's Rating Scale at two different time during the day for nineteen days (Pelham, W.E., Milch R., & Murphy, D.A., 1989). A higher score indicated greater inattention, hyperactivity, and impassivity while a score of …

Improved Leadership Through A Myers-Briggs Analysis: Personality Styles Of Principals And Teachers At The Secondary Level, Mark William Loos

Master's Theses

Digitized thesis

The Effect Of Staff Development Of Teachers In The Use Of Higher Order Questioning Strategies On Third Grade Students' Rubric Science Assessment Performance, Maryrose Caulfield-Sloan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Professional English Communication Training For English For Specific Purposes, Galon Anthony Melendy

Theses Digitization Project

This project addresses the need for effective English training for speakers of other languages who are engaged in professional careers.

An Analysis Of Interactive Dialogue Journals Of English Language Learners In First Grade, Norma Castro Zavala

Theses Digitization Project

This project analyzes interactive dialogue journals of first grade students who have been identified at different levels of English language proficiency.

Addressing Students' Competencies Thru Portfolio Evaluation, Victor Raymond Schiro

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to develop a classroom handbook explaining the process and standards, necessary in developing an employability portfolio.

Strategies For Monolingual Instructions To Use When Teaching Reading Comprehension To Bilingual Students, Toni Marie Bastian

Theses Digitization Project

The major finding of this project is that through the use of multiple sign systems, monolingual teachers can support their bilingual students. These strategies employ the use of comprehensible input from the teacher, peer interaction, extended lanuage and activities for the students whose primary focus is to help the students make connections from the text to their own lives.

The Role Of The Principal Under Mandated Decentralized Governance In Four Models Of Whole School Reform In New Jersey, Gail F. Dubin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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