Education Commons^™

We Are Family: Exploring Sense Of Community For College Students With And Without Hidden Disabilities, Pamina A. Abkowitz

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to explore the four factors of sense of community and to establish if there is a difference in the sense of community for students with and without hidden disabilities. A quantitative survey was conducted in a cross-sectional format, measuring responses during the spring semester of the academic year at a small, private, liberal arts college in Western New York State with approximately 2,600 undergraduate students. The data revealed that, overall, students experienced all four factors of sense of community: needs, membership, influence, and connection. The results indicate that in the areas of reinforcement of …

Measuring The Impact Of Three Different Co-Teaching Models On Student Test Results In Ninth-Grade Algebra I, Amy Marie Cermele

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this retrospective case analysis was to see if post-exam Algebra I mathematics scores were impacted in any way by the utilization of three different models of co-teaching: “interventionist,” “specialist,” and “departmentalized.” Two years of archival pretest and posttest exam scores from classified and nonclassified student exams were used to determine the overall mean growth for students who were educated in these instructional models. The data revealed that all co-teaching models produced statistically significant results for all students. However, the model that consistently produced statistically significant outcomes was the interventionist model. Recommendations for the selected district are to …

An Analysis Of Factors That Affect African American Women With Mental Illness, Marguerite Brown

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze data related to factors that affect African American women with significant mental health issues. The 323 participants identified for this research study were formerly homeless, single adults (21 – 61 years of age) who resided in a non-profit operated housing facility in an urban setting of New York that provides mental health supportive housing and services. The archival data was gathered from an electronic data warehouse. The main focus of the data analysis for this research was based upon descriptive statistics used to summarize the reports and provide a clear picture …

The Relationship Between Expressed Creative Problem-Solving Preference And Divergent Thinking Attitudes, Jona A. Wright

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between an individual’s expressed creative problem style and divergent thinking attitudes. The problem-solving preferences were measured by the FourSight Breakthrough Thinking Profile and identified four preferences, Clarifier, Ideator, Developer, and Implementer. Divergent thinking attitudes, preference for ideation, and premature evaluation were measured by the 14 Item Ideation-Evaluation Preference Scale. The multidisciplinary sample was drawn from non-profit, business, education and higher education, specifically a Masters of Business Administration program. Significant relationships were found between the participants (N = 374) who identified with high Ideator and Implementer scores and preference for ideation. …

Environmental Education In The Public Sphere: Comparing Practice With Psychosocial Determinants Of Behavior And Societal Change, Chris A. Bolt

Education Doctoral

Environmental education of the general public is widely practiced by a variety of types of organizations. Dedicated environmental groups, nature centers, zoos, parks, and other entities work on issues ranging from local threats to air, water, and habitat to global problems such as climate change and deforestation. A great deal of those efforts focus largely on providing information and raising awareness. Behavioral research and change models, however, suggest other factors are important in order to effect change on an individual, regional, or societal level. An analysis of environmental education in practice, examining methods and materials in use, showed the degree …

Is Complementary And Alternative Medicine Effective In Reducing Self-Reported Anxiety Symptoms In College Students?, Hollie M. Hall

Education Doctoral

Anxiety is the number one health issue college students seek help for on campus (Grasgreen, 2011). An estimated 62% of college students did not continue their studies due to suffering from anxiety (Lindsey, 2014). Psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychotropic medications have been used for many years to treat anxiety. CBT and medication have been found to be effective treatment strategies when individuals are compliant with treatment; however, both strategies require access to a trained professional and can become a financial burden. Therefore, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a potential effective treatment strategy for anxiety, which …

Impact Of The New York State Tax Levy Cap On School Districts’ Financing: A Retrospective And Prospective Analysis, Ann Vaccaro-Teich Cpa

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this quantitative archival case study, utilizing a retrospective analysis and prospective model, was to highlight the consequences of the enactment of the New York State Tax Cap Legislation, Chapter 97 of the Laws of 2011, on the children in New York State. The data were gained from the New York State Education Department for 669 public school districts (excluding the “Big Five” school districts), from the period of 2012-13 through 2016-17, to create a financial forecast model to project the gap in revenues from 2017-18 through 2021-22, based on districts Need/Resource Capacity index. The forecast showed a …

Breast Cancer Disparities In African American Women: Does Race Or Place Matter?, Candice A. Lucas

Education Doctoral

African American women are 42% more likely to die from breast cancer than their White counterparts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of African American, female, survivors of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) to determine if any of the key tenets of the social determinants of health, particularly race and place/social conditions, influenced their screening through treatment decisions or care. Through the interpretive description approach, six interviews were conducted with survivors of TNBC who either worked or resided in one of eight Monroe County zip codes: 14605, 14606, 14608, 14609, 14611, 14613, 14619, and …

Best Practices For Differentiated Learning Among Third Through Fifth Grade Ell Students, Tara J. Macias

Masters Theses

With the increase of second language English learners in U.S. kindergarten through twelfth grade schools and the continued achievement gap between these students and English speaking students, educators and administrators need to develop, implement and support best practices for differentiation among English Language Learners. ELL students are often categorized as special education students while their only barrier to learning is language acquisition. On the other hand, ELL students may have additional learning difficulties that are not identified because there is an assumption that language acquisition is the single challenge to their learning. Educators often engage in whole group instruction with …

Black Lives Matter: A Call To Action For Counseling Psychology Leaders, Candice Hargons, Della Mosley, Jameca Falconer, Reuben Faloughi, Anneliese Singh, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Kevin Cokley

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Police brutality and widespread systemic racism represent historical and current sources of trauma in Black communities. Both the Black Lives Matter movement and counseling psychology propose to confront these realities at multiple levels. Black Lives Matter seeks to increase awareness about systemic racism and promote resilience among Black people. Counseling psychology states values of multiculturalism, social justice, and advocacy. Executive leadership in counseling psychology may seek to promote racial justice, yet struggle with how to participate in Black Lives Matter movements and address racial discrimination within larger systems spontaneously and consistently. However, counseling psychology trainees and professionals are actively involved …

A Testimonio Reclaiming Acceptance Of My Esl Experience: Trauma, Tex-Mex And Third Space, Cinthia E. Bernal

Theses and Dissertations

Language is a tool that brings all of us together, yet at the same time it also sets us apart. For many of us, it is important to be bilingual and biliterate, but for others, bilingualism is something that is pulling this country apart. Many people, after all, view Spanish as a powerful language that can harm this country, a language that has motivated people to attempt to make English the only language. Ana Celia Zentella tell us “Latina/os, who also have a long history in the United States and became the largest minority in the nation in 2003, are …

"When Do We Play?": Administrator, Teacher, And Parent Perceptions Of Play In A Catholic Kindergarten Classroom, Aimée Eva Ramirez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Educational reforms have created a climate of accountability and high academic pressure that has resulted in a pushing down of the curriculum into early childhood education. Once a prominent pedagogical feature, play is disappearing from kindergarten. The following is a doctoral dissertation that studied administrator, teacher, and parent perceptions of play and its role within the kindergarten curriculum at a Catholic elementary school in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Using a qualitative case study method, the study noted how play was utilized in transitional kindergarten and traditional kindergarten classrooms at the school site. Interviews, classroom observations, and document review of school …

Developing Communities Of Practice In Tertiary Education: Improving Teaching And Learning, Aileen Cotter, Rose Leahy, Michele Mcmanus, Mary Oldham, Nollaig O'Sullivan

Dept. of Marketing & International Business Conference Material

There is considerable evidence that the development of Communities of Practice (CoP) in education results in improvements in teaching and learning. The reality far too often, however, is that academics remain isolated in their practice with a culture of individualism rather than collaboration the norm. Adopting a case study approach, this research explores the perspectives of academic staff in one department in Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) on CoP. Specifically, the research explores how communities of practice might develop in a third level teaching environment; the type and nature of communities of practice that might develop and if those communities …

The Good Behavior Game: Effects On And Maintenance Of Behavior In Middle-School Classrooms Using Class Dojo, Komila Dadakhodjaeva

Dissertations

Classroom management is one of the key components for successful instruction and affects both instructors and learners. Although most frequent discipline strategies in schools involve punitive actions, research suggests that using positive statements to teach and reinforce desirable behaviors is more appropriate and effective. A form of a group-oriented contingency that focuses on desirable behaviors is a positive variation of the Good Behavior Game (GBG). The GBG has been used widely in its original form, focusing on undesirable behaviors, and more research is needed on its positive version. Another strategy that can be used within classrooms is Class Dojo, a …

Testing Our Assumptions: The Role Of First Course Grade And Course Level In Mathematics And English, Janet Callahan, Marcia Belcheir

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Methods that provide an early indicator of factors that affect student persistence are important to colleges and universities. This quantitative research focused on the role of level of entry mathematics and English and also on grades earned in those classes as they relate to persistence after one year. The research showed that by far, the variable most predictive of first-time, full-time students enrolling one year later was earning a grade of “A” in English. Compared to those who did not pass their first English course, students who earned an “A” were three times more likely to persist. The variables which …

Addressing Behavioral Deficits In Early Childhood Education: Promoting Positive Socio-Emotional Development Through Dramatic Play, Abbi Strobbe

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This paper investigates the detrimental effects behavior can have on a child’s social-emotional development and the vital role dramatic play opportunities have in overcoming these developmental deficits. A child’s trajectory for success in school begins in early childhood. Children experience meaningful connections to learning, as well as higher teacher and peer approval, when they are capable of maintaining positive interactions in the classroom. For this to occur, children must have a solid foundation in socio-emotional skills such as expression, understanding, and regulation. Behavioral deficits impede development and reduce the likelihood of academic achievement. However, application of early behavioral and social …

Blended Learning In The Spanish Classroom, Stacy Hauschildt

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Since the inclusion of 21st century skills in education standards, technology inclusion in the classroom has moved to the forefront as numerous districts across the country have gone 1:1 in order to better prepare students for the future. While blended learning, a mix of face to face and instructional technology use, has been primarily used at the university setting for distance classes, there has been a growing call from administration to included more blended practices into the secondary classroom. This action research project, given in a Spanish II high school classroom, looked at including student choice in pace, path and …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Of Student Engagement To Alumni Giving At An Independent Technological University, Ali Faisal

Theses and Dissertations

Due to periodic decreases in government funding for higher education, higher education institutions have relied increasingly on philanthropic gifts. As a result, private funding, including alumni giving, has increased over the past halfcentury, climbing from $2.1 billion in 1965 to $57.48 billion in 2016 (Giving USA 2016). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of student engagement to alumni giving at a private technological university. The study examined this relationship using two data sets: National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) from this university’s Office of Institutional Research, and alumni giving data from this university’s Development Office. These …

The Lived Experiences Of Counseling Graduate Students And The Impact Of Their Studies In Their Marital Satisfaction, Vania S. Palacios

Theses and Dissertations

Due to high levels of stress that students find throughout graduate programs, professional and personal lives are at times not prioritized. The heuristic study focused on analyzing common themes among counseling graduate students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the coping mechanisms students have used to improve their marital/relational satisfaction, and common stressors in their marriage as a reflection of the counseling graduate program. The researcher provided a personal narrative for the study and analyzed transcriptions of the interviews of four counseling graduate students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Connecting Advanced And Secondary Mathematics, Eileen Murray, Erin Baldinger, Nicholas Wasserman, Shawn Broderick, Diana White

Department of Mathematics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

There is an ongoing debate among scholars in understanding what mathematical knowledge secondary teachers should have in order to provide effective instruction. We explore connections between advanced and secondary mathematics as an entry point into this debate. In many cases, advanced mathematics is considered relevant for secondary teachers simply because the content is inherently related. In this paper, we instead argue that there are connections between advanced mathematics and secondary mathematics that directly influence teaching. These are not discussions of the mathematical connections, per se, but rather discussions of specific ways in which knowing mathematical connections might influence secondary teachers’ …

Language Learning And Metacognition: An Intervention To Improve Language Classrooms, Rebecca Elise Knoph

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In the USA, the trend of increase in foreign language enrollments at the college level has suddenly begun to decline since 2009, despite the notion that learning multiple languages is becoming essential for effectively communicating with others from diverse native language backgrounds. This new decline may be due in part to inefficient and outdated foreign language courses. The current study examined the effect of how we assess our current knowledge and learning techniques (metacognition) on educational outcomes in hopes to improve the effectiveness of the university classrooms. College students were exposed to new metacognitive strategies that could benefit their language …

A Phenomenological Study On The Motivating Factors Influencing Participation In Tennessee’S Governor’S Academy For School Leadership, Amy B. Horton Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educational administration is such a demanding field, so it is important to understand why an aspiring principal would self-select to commit to an optional yearlong, intensive professional development activity with very little compensation and no promotion. Motivation may prove to be a key component of the recruitment and sustainability of professional development activities. By discovering the factors affecting both personal and professional motivation of beginning administrators to participate in a professional development led by the collaboration among the Tennessee Department of Education, Vanderbilt University, and Governor Bill Haslam, the researcher hopes to gain an understanding that may apply to future …

Putnam County, Tennessee’S Prekindergarten Program As Measured By Test Scores, Gpa, Attendance, And Discipline Reports In 3rd, 7th, And 9th Grade, Christopher J. Winningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a significant difference in the academic and behavioral performance of students who had attended Putnam County’s prekindergarten program and students who qualified for, but had not attended Putnam County’s prekindergarten program. The researcher examined individual student data of specific students in three grade bands (elementary, middle, and high school). The grade levels included 3rd grade, 7th grade, and 9th grade. The data analyzed were students’ individual GPA, ACT Explore scores, MAP Universal Screener scores, number of days absent, and number of discipline referrals of students who had attended …

Homework Practices: Teacher And Parent Perceptions Of Efficacy And Purpose, Christy E. Hoeke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teacher and parent perceptions of homework effectiveness and homework purpose. Specifically, the researcher examined teacher and parent perceptions, perceptions of teachers in different grade level bands, and perceptions of teachers with different levels of experience. In this nonexperimental quantitative study, the researcher examined and analyzed the answers provided on an anonymous survey (Appendix A) provided electronically to educators and parents of students in five school systems in northeast Tennessee.

Parents had a higher perception of both homework effectiveness and homework purpose. Homework effectiveness was perceived as higher by the “other” group (not …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Response To Intervention Framework With English Learners, Donna Stapleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework with students who are acquiring English as a second language.

Students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have been disproportionately represented in special education programs for decades (Artiles & Trent, 1994; Donovan & Cross, 2002; Heller, Holtzman, & Messick, 1982). Legislators responsible for the authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act in 2004 (IDEIA 2004) allowed state education leaders the option to use RtI as an alternative identification method. RtI was believed to be a framework through …

The Effects Of Employment On Recidivism Among Delinquent Juveniles, Leigh Kassem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research indicates an association between intense adolescent work (twenty hours or more per week) and delinquent behavior. It has been widely speculated that this relationship is spurious, occurring only as a result of other factors which are common to both offending and intense employment. The current study attempts to fill a gap in the literature by utilizing the Pathways to Desistance dataset to examine the evolution of the relationship between work and self-reported offending in a longitudinal sample of juvenile offenders. Work intensity and consistency, social capital, and expectations for success were analyzed as potential predictors of recidivism or …

A Qualitative, Exploratory Case Study Of Self-Reported Influences Affecting The Decision Of Homeless Sexual-Minority Students To Leave Home, Michael P. Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to identify commonalities regarding influences within the decision-making process that attributed to sexual-minority students voluntarily or involuntarily becoming homeless in lieu of remaining in their respective familial home. An exploratory case-study research design was utilized to determine common themes present in the self-described events that led up to the respective decisions of three volunteer participants, who identified themselves as sexual-minority youths at the time of transition, to leave home. Results of this study discerned five commonalities among the participants’ experiences, which influenced their experiencing homelessness. The detection of these commonalities may provide school administrators and other …

Ball Is Life: Black Male Student-Athletes Narrate Their Division I Experiences, Eno Attah Meekins

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the experiences of Black male student-athletes in Division I sports and used critical race methodology to present counter narratives. These narratives highlighted successes and heightened awareness about the needs and concerns of an extremely important, but often silenced, population. The purpose of this research was to examine the experiences of Black male student-athletes in the Division I revenue-generating sports of basketball and football. This study examined how Black males perceived the effectiveness of the NCAA supports in place for their academic success, degree attainment, and postcollegiate leadership and career opportunities. This dissertation also sought to understand …

Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition In Middle School: An Examination Of Three Instructional Conditions, David B. Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The importance of vocabulary knowledge gained through incidental learning is well documented. The growth of incidental vocabulary knowledge is especially crucial for middle school students due to the complex words encountered in their studies. However, research on incidental vocabulary acquisition for middle school students is lacking. The purpose of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of three instructional conditions (reading, writing, and reading and writing) on incidental vocabulary acquisition and retention with middle school students in an English as a first language (L1) environment.

In this within subjects repeated measure study, 263 eighth-grade participants received treatment in three …

Siblings Of Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Their Perspectives On Guardianship And Its Alternatives, Anna M. Brady

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adult siblings of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are often on the front lines of supporting their brothers and sisters with IDD through caregiving and guardianship roles after their parents pass away. However, these siblings are often uninformed or under informed about ways that they can support their brothers and sisters. This study had the following three purposes: to determine what adult siblings of adults with IDD know about guardianship and its alternatives; to explore how adult siblings view guardianship and its alternatives; and to explore what adult siblings think about their role of being a guardian or …