Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Providing Interventions For Students Diagnosed With Adhd, Timoth Garner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences in the public school setting of teachers involved in providing interventions for students diagnosed with ADHD. The theories guiding this study were Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), Human Ecology or Bioecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005), and theory of self-efficacy (Zimmerman & Bandura, 1994; Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1990; 1992). The study followed the theory, concepts, and methods of the phenomenological research model that allowed participants to provide a personal perspective and reflection on their experiences. The following four research questions guided the study: How do teachers …

Put Me In Coach: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Examining School Wide Positive Behavior Support Coaches' Experience With Program Implementation, Kimberlie Rieffannacht

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe lived experience during School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) implementation for School Wide Positive Behavior coaches in Pennsylvania public schools. Participants, identified as co-researchers throughout this study, included 11 SWPBS coaches selected from seven elementary schools who are implementing the program with fidelity, as defined by Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support Network (PAPBS, n.d.). The literature surrounding the SWPBS program is largely quantitative and does not include the coaches' experiences. Thus, this research filled an important gap in the literature on the crucial issue of providing positive behavior support that is …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Perception Of Second Language Acquisition And Personality Type By Adult Second Language Learners In A Formal Learning Environment, Rebecca Shisler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the perceived experience of second language acquisition for adult second language learners in a formal learning environment at the Community College of Virginia (a pseudonym) and to describe how these learners perceived that their personality type either enhanced or inhibited their experience of second language acquisition. All students who were enrolled in an introductory-level Spanish course at the Community College of Virginia were invited to complete a preliminary questionnaire to determine their initial eligibility for the study. Prospective participants who met the initial eligibility requirements of the study took the …

A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Teachers’ Implementation Of Formative Assessment Practices In A Semi-Rural Northwest Georgia District, David Thacker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to understand middle school teachers’ implementation of formative assessment (FA) practices. The study used a transcendental phenomenological design to understand these practices, centering on the teachers’ lived experiences with the phenomenon of FA practices. Four essential questions guided the research and concentrated on middle school teachers’ implementation of FA practices, perceptions about FA theory and its practices, the obstacles hindering implementation, and beneficial resources and professional learning experiences. The study focused on the lone concept of FA practices and the shared lived experiences that shaped meaning for the participants, 17 middle school teachers as …

The Correlation Between Student/Instructor Rapports, Student Perceptions Of Instructor Effectiveness, And Course Grade Expectations, Erin Yezbick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher attempted to determine if a correlation exists between student/instructor rapport, student perceptions of instructor effectiveness, and course grade expectations for freshman general education courses at a career college in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Previous studies have determined that rapport affects motivation (Bergström, 2010; Frisby, Berger, Burchett, Herovic, & Strawser, 2014; Legg & Wilson, 2009), perceptions of teacher effectiveness (Giles, 2011; Kozub, 2010), and evaluation scores (Barth, 2008; Kowai-Bell, Guadango, Little, & Ballew, 2012). The researcher asked the following research questions: Is there a relationship between student/instructor rapport, as measured by the Professor-Student Rapport Scale …

Parental Involvement In Elementary Children’S Religious Education: A Phenomenological Approach, Peter Bunnell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The issue of parental involvement in religious education is an important one for the family, the church, the Christian school, and society. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe parents’ concepts and practices of involvement in their children’s religious education as evangelical Christian parents in Midwestern communities. This research addressed four research questions: (a) What are evangelical parents’ concepts and practices of involvement in their children’s religious education? (b) What informs evangelical parents’ concepts and practices of involvement in their children’s religious education? (c) What content do evangelical parents consider important to their children’s religious education? (d) Why …

Exploring Academic Persistence For Nontraditional Business Students At For-Profit Universities, Leroy Purdie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored academic persistence for 10 nontraditional students pursuing business degrees at for-profit universities in southern Georgia and northern Virginia. The literature review provides a theoretical framework based on Tinto’s (1975) theory of persistence and Bandura’s (1993) self-efficacy theory. Data was collected through a demographic survey, timeline of significant events, in- depth survey, and a letter of advice. Data analysis included identifying significant statements, utilizing participant feedback to create structural and textural descriptions and ultimately describing the participant essences of their experiences. The decision to pursue a degree themes that emerged were career progression, family security, transferability, and …

Exploring Attitude Transformation: A Grounded Theory Study Of Romanian Teachers Of Roma Students, Laura Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to explore the process of change in teacher attitudes toward including Roma (“Gypsy”) students in non-segregated schools in Romania. The theories guiding this study included Mezirow’s (1991, 2000) theory of transformation, Gay’s (2002, 2013) theory of culturally responsive teaching, and Bandura’s (1977, 1997) theory of self-efficacy. These three theories guided this research inquiry into how attitudes change, how teacher attitudes affect beliefs and actions, and how self-efficacy affects teacher attitudes. This study sought to answer the following questions: What is the process of transforming Romanian teacher attitudes toward including Roma students? …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Grade Retention As Experienced By Middle School Students Who Were Twice Retained, Dimetri Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of grade level retention for twice retained, middle school students in Eastern Virginia. During data collection, 10 twice retained, middle school students in grades 6-8 residing in Eastern Virginia were surveyed, interviewed, and provided personal journals. The theory guiding this study was constructivism, due to its consideration of individuals’ unique experiences and multiple realities (Piaget, 1954). This study’s qualitative data was coded using horizonalization, and clusters of meaning were developed, which allowed textural and structural descriptions of the participants’ unique experiences. The study’s findings reveal twice retained, middle school …

Investigating Relational Aggression And Bullying For Girls’ Of Color In Oklahoma: A Phenomenological Study, Gayle Flynn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study, applying aspects of van Manen’s framework for hermeneutic phenomenological research, was conducted to investigate the narratives of relationally aggressive girls of color. The study focused on nine adolescent girls of color who were ages 14-17 years old and exhibited aggressive/bullying behaviors representing the ethnic groups of Black/African American, Latina/Hispanic American, Native American, and other, which included two or more racial identities combined. The participants completed online protocol writing prompts, participated in open-ended interviews and an observation to gain insight regarding relationally aggressive issues that took place in the participants’ settings. An interpretational approach to the data …

Exploring The Relationship Between The Freshman Academy Environment And Academic Achievement And Resilience, Taneesha George

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student success or failure during the transition to high school is an accurate predictor of student success beyond the ninth grade. In an attempt to support students during this transition, many schools across the nation have implemented small learning communities called freshman academies to bridge the apparent gap in achievement between middle and high school. Research has linked freshman academies and ninth grade success in terms of test scores (Styron & Peasant, 2010). There is, however, little empirical research that examines the success of freshman academy students in terms of promoting resilience and other factors during this time of risk. …

Academic Intervention: Acceleration And Remediation, Barbara Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Eighth grade math students must pass a standards based test to be promoted to the next grade. Students who were at risk of failing the state’s annual test faced impending retention. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to see if an intensive nine-week (55 min per day) remedial Math Connection (MC) class for 67 suburban, eighth grade students identified as at risk of failing, could significantly increase the scores; concurrently, at this Title I school, they were compared with 122 eighth grade students who were not identified as at risk of failing. The dependent variable was measured using the …

An Analysis Of Social And Demographic Variables And Student Graduation Success, Lisa Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

he dropout population does not reflect an equal representation of all student subgroups (Kena et al., 2015). There are many negative outcomes that often coincide with the decision to drop out, such as lower overall lifetime income as well as emotional and physical fitness (Chapman, Laird, Ifill, & KewalRamani, 2011). This dissertation examines how graduation success varies by the social variables of school engagement, students’ closeness to parents, and self-esteem and the demographic variable of race through the lenses of the social development model (Hawkins & Weis, 1985), the school membership theory (Wehlage, 1989), and the self-determination theory (Deci, Vallerand, …

A Phenomenological Study: Exploring The Needs, Wants, And Desires From The Voices Of African-American Males Desiring To Graduate From Community College, Yvette Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore factors that could lead to academic success for African-American males enrolled in community college. By conducting a phenomenological study, those factors leading to graduation will be derived from the particular lens of perception of the participants’ lived experiences. The guiding theories are those of Derrick Bell’s Critical Race Theory (CRT, 1977), Vincent Tinto’s (1975) Theory of Departure, and John Bean’s (1979) Theory of Student Attrition. A convenience participant sample totaling 10 African-American males was comprised of students who were currently enrolled in a community college. The data collected for this …

A Multiple Case Study Of Challenges And Successes Experienced By Founders And Directors Of Nature-Based Preschools In The United States, Alexandra Barnett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nature-based preschools are defined as educational settings in which children spend three or more hours per school day in natural environments such as woods, meadows, and beaches (Knight, 2013). The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to obtain a deep understanding of the challenges and successes of nature-based preschool (NBP) founders and directors in the United States and to develop recommendations for those interested in establishing and operating NBPs in the United States. A rich description of the phenomenon of founding and directing NBPs was developed by first answering the primary research question: “What can be learned from …

Exploring The Experiences Of Female Student Veterans With Disabilities Entering Higher Education During Reintegration: A Phenomenological Study, Beverly Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of female student veterans with disabilities entering higher education during reintegration in order to improve programs, services, and support available to female student veterans with disabilities. A screening questionnaire, interviews, a focus group, and journals were used to collect data. Participants consisted of 11 female student veterans with disabilities who were purposively selected using criterion, snowball, and maximum variation sampling. The central research question was: What are the transition experiences of female student veterans with disabilities entering college during reintegration into society? Four sub-questions …

Grant Writing In Higher Education, Amos Bean

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The primary aim of this capstone was to elicit feedback from public health and grant writing practitioners and funders in order to gather data that can be used to supplement teachings and readings for a course in the Muskie School of Public Service Masters in Public Health (MPH) graduate program. Two overarching questions served as the basis for this endeavor. The primary question for public health and grant writing practitioners was, “What are the most important lessons you have learned that you think graduate students who are writing their first proposals should know?” The primary question for funders was, “What …

Reflective Assessment, Feedback And Academic Achievement In High School Mathematics, Nalline S. Baliram

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of metacognitive strategies and content-specific feedback on student achievement in high school mathematics. Participants in the study consisted of a convenience sample of honors geometry students in grades 9 and 10 in a private high school located in Daytona Beach, Florida. Beyond answering the specific research questions raised in the study, an additional aim was to contribute to the growing body of knowledge pertaining to effective ways to use metacognitive instruction and provide effective content-specific feedback to improve student achievement and learning.

A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control-group design with repeated-measures was …

Why Do They Stay? A Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Teachers Who Persist In Urban K-12 Christian Education, Marie Teodori

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of teachers who persist in urban K-12 Christian education at five Association of Christian Schools International schools located in the United States. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of teachers who persist in urban K-12 Christian education? Sub-questions explored the source of motivation, role of intrinsic goals, and contextual/environmental supports for teachers who persist in this setting. Methodology utilized a transcendental phenomenological design, purposeful participant sampling, data collection primarily through in-depth interviews and focus groups, and data analysis using Moustakas’ (1994) recommended procedures. …

A Comparative Analysis Of Cultural Diversity Satisfaction Scores Of Undergraduate Students In Online Learning Environment, Orlando Lobaina

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to analyze the differences of perceived overall satisfaction scores (organizational structure, technology usage, and curriculum design) between Caucasian, Latino-American, and African-American undergraduate students enrolled in an online program, as measured by the Cultural Diversity Satisfaction Survey (CDSS) instrument. This study compared the differences between three distinct diverse groups for overall satisfaction in an undergraduate online general elective course. The study participants were undergraduate students enrolled in an online general elective course in Virginia, n = 433. The study utilized a one-way ANOVA to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in …

Phenomenological Study Of The Significance Of Recess And Brain Breaks During The Instructional Day From The Perspective Of Elementary Teachers, Laura Knight

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to collect the perceptions of elementary teachers on the influence of recess and brain breaks on students within the instructional day capturing the essence of their voice through analysis. Participants included 10 teachers at Smith School District (pseudonym used) in the southeastern United States of America. One of the theories guiding this study was Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1954) as it was in question whether elementary teachers perceive that students must have their need for physical movement met in order for optimal learning to occur. Another theory guiding this study was …

The Creation And Assessment Of A Social Integration Predictive Model For A Large Suburban Community College, Bob Bade

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this predictive correlation study was to create and assess a model of programs and activities to predict student social integration at a large suburban community college. This study’s model was based upon Tinto’s student integration theory (1975, 1987, 1993) and employed hierarchical multiple regression to analyze the data. The data for this study was archival Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) self-report data from students at a large suburban community college in Florida. Predictor variables included participation in extended orientation programs and student success courses, participation with classmates inside and out of class on academic related …

The Predictive Relationship Between Specific Teacher Characteristics And The Perceived Sense Of Teacher Self-Efficacy Of Non-Native English Speaking Teachers Of English As A Foreign Language In Rural Thailand, Cheri Crook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The goal of this quantitative, predictive correlational study is to investigate an often overlooked area of research, teacher self-efficacy among nonnative English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) who teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This study examines the relationship between specific teacher characteristics and perceived teacher self-efficacy among NNESTs of EFL in rural Thailand. The convenience sample in this study includes first through twelfth grade public sector NNESTs of EFL in Nan, Thailand, and represents the larger population of Northern Thai NNESTs of EFL. Data were collected from the sample via a combined Thai-language version of the paper-based Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy …

Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Mathematics Education Experiences: A Phenomenological Study, Christine Mcelhaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions about mathematics of pre-service elementary school teachers at a small private university in the Midwestern United States. The theoretical framework used for this research study came from Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, including the component of teacher efficacy. Because mathematics is a fundamental subject for students to develop skills necessary for various 21st century careers, this qualitative phenomenological study sought to examine how pre-service teachers perceived their ability and confidence to teach mathematics. I limited the choice of participants to elementary pre-service teachers who had not yet completed any mathematics …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Students’ Lived Experiences In A Type Ii Alternative School, Joseph Garner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe lived experiences in a type II alternative school, from the perspective of former students who are now in a correctional facility. Three research questions guided the study: How do former students who are now incarcerated describe their experiences in a type II alternative school? How do former students of a type II alternative school describe their experiences in a correctional facility? How do participants’ lived experiences in the alternative school compare and contrast with their lived experiences in a correctional facility? Data was collected through individual interviews, journaling, and focus group …

Linguistics As The Basis For Phonological Instruction, Christen Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research study is to determine if teachers of emergent literate students have been trained in linguistics—the anatomy, air flow, and voice of phonology—as part of their literacy instruction and to what extent those strategies are employed while teaching. The basis for this inquiry lies in the understanding that phonology is a science conceived from linguistics which illustrates and explains how sounds are created and produced within the oral structure. This body of information lends itself to an extremely developmental and authentic scope and sequence for teaching phonetics to students. These teachers must be aware of and …

The Nature Of Teacher Learning In Collaborative Data Teams, Robert Michaud

The Qualitative Report

As data teams have grown in popularity in recent years, they have been increasingly looked to by educational researchers because of the tantalizing prospect of combining teachers’ on the job professional development with increased and effective data use to drive instruction. Data teams have been increasingly implemented within schools by educational leaders attempting to take advantage of what teachers learn from each other in the context of a data team. Many conceptual models of data team function have been proposed, but few empirical studies have examined how teachers learn from collaborating with each other in a data team. This paper …

Nontraditional Student Risk Factors And Gender As Predictors For Enrollment In College Distance Education, Tammy Crews Pao

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine whether nontraditional student age, female gender, and the possession of nontraditional student risk factors predict enrollment in distance education college courses. This dissertation used data from the most recent National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12), which consisted of approximately 95,000 undergraduate students who were enrolled in higher education in 2011-2012. The results of a logistic regression analysis indicated that both nontraditional student age and female gender were strong predictors of enrollment in distance education, whereas the number of nontraditional student risk indicators was a partial predictor. As leaders in higher education are …

The Effects Of Simulations On Global Empathy, Chad Raymond, Stephanie Jacques, Alisia Medeiros

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

The learning outcomes for college curricula typically emphasize the development of a greater understanding of and empathy for people who come from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this research project the Alexandrian Inventory, a pretest/posttest survey instrument, was administered to undergraduate students to examine which simulations used in two courses were associated with the greatest changes in students’ global empathy. An analysis of the data did not reveal a clear, statistically significant association between the simulations and empathy indicators.

Promoting Global Empathy And Engagement Through Real-Time Problem-Based Simulations: Outcomes From A Policymaking Simulation Set In Post-Earthquake Haiti, Chad Raymond, Tina Zappile, Daniel J. Beers

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

We introduce a real-time problem-based simulation in which students are tasked with drafting policy to address the challenge of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in post-earthquake Haiti from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. Students who participated in the simulation completed a quantitative survey as a pretest/posttest on global empathy, political awareness, and civic engagement, and provided qualitative data through post-simulation focus groups. The simulation was run in four courses across three campuses in a variety of instructional settings from 2013 to 2015. An analysis of the data reveals that scores on several survey items measuring global empathy and political/civic engagement increased …