Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Foreign Language Anxiety In Traditional And Distance Learning Foreign Language Classrooms, Anastasia Bollinger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research sought to examine the differences between students’ foreign language anxiety levels (high, moderate, low) and student achievement in different learning environments (traditional or distance learning) in a college setting. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered to students of Spanish and French at a community college in central Georgia. Foreign language achievement was measured using students’ course final grades. This study was conducted using a causal-comparative design, and data were analyzed and interpreted using t tests and a one-way ANOVA. The results for the study showed that there were no significant differences in student achievement between …

The Effect Of Game-Based Learning On Vocabulary Acquisition For Middle School English Language Learners, Jeanette Benoit

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

English language learners (ELLs) in America face huge challenges in middle school. Although many ELLs quickly assimilate into the American culture and develop their social language rapidly, they continue to struggle academically. One reason ELLs find themselves behind their native English-speaking peers is their lack of academic vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary can be learned both implicitly with extensive reading and explicitly with direct and focused instruction. Research has shown that implicit vocabulary learning is not as effective with ELLs and the need for effective explicit learning strategies is apparent. This study revealed no statistically significant difference in academic vocabulary scores when …

The Effects Of Desmos And Ti-83 Plus Graphing Calculators On The Problem-Solving Confidence Of Middle And High School Mathematics Students, Edwin Montijo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As technology in education continues to improve, research is necessary to assess the impact it is having on students’ confidence in the way students solve mathematics problems. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control-group comparison study is to examine the impact the Desmos graphing calculator has on the problem-solving confidence of middle school and high school students as compared to students who use a TI-83 Plus graphing calculator while controlling for students’ math achievement scores. The students (N = 146) participating in this study were learning their respective mathematics material for an equivalent period of 12 weeks in order to …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Nurse Educators With Prior Military Careers, Susan Ball

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of nurse educators with prior military careers at various public and private colleges in the South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Indiana. The theory guiding this study was the concept of servant leadership explored first by Robert Greenleaf in 1977, and later expanded upon by numerous other researchers. The study was designed to answer four research questions: (a) What does it mean to be a nurse educator with a prior military career? (b) What drives individuals to choose nursing, military service, and nursing education as …

Effectiveness Of Blended Learning In A Rural Alternative Education School Setting, Robin Skelton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental, causal-comparative study was to examine the impact of a blended learning format on the academic achievement of at-risk 9 - 12 grade students in a rural Northeast Georgia school system. After obtaining IRB approval and district curriculum director and superintendent approval, data was obtained for evaluation. Student Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) eighth-grade scores from the content areas of math, language arts, science, and social studies were obtained and served to control for previous achievement. Students in the control group received instruction in the traditional face-to-face classroom with content instruction designed and provided by …

The International Christian School Impact On The Spiritual Formation Of Its Graduates: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Dawn Monzon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine how, if at all, attendance at an accredited international Christian school in South America impacted the spiritual formation of nine graduates. Fowler’s Faith Theory guided this study, which posits that one’s developmental processes and construction of human understanding determine one’s faith. Thus, shared experiences were evaluated to determine whether they shared commonalities that might have had an impact on the phenomenon of spiritual formation. This study incorporated the use of journals and individual interviews that were analyzed through a constant comparison method of data in an analysis spiral and through …

The Impact Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Attendance Rates And Office Discipline Referrals At The Middle School Level, Amy Gill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and more recently the College and Career Ready Performance Index, was put into effect, schools felt pressure to increase student achievement and bring up attendance rates in order to make adequate yearly progress or now high index scores. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive approach that many schools have implemented in an attempt to decrease disruptive student behavior and possibly increase student attendance. The purpose of this quasi-experimental causal comparative study was to examine the impact of the treatment of PBIS, with its basis in behavioral theory, on …

A Grounded Theory Study On Middle School Students' Perceptions Of Teacher Approachability And The Influence Of Those Perceptions On Student-Teacher Interactions, Kathryn Teston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to investigate how middle school student perceptions of teacher approachability influenced their interactions with teachers. The fourteen participants were sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade general education middle school students from three school models (public, private, and Christian) in the metro area of a city in the southeastern United States. The Approach-Avoidance Theory, first proposed by Kurt Lewin, (1935) provided the theoretical framework for this study. The central research question that shaped this grounded theory study was: How do general education middle school students’ perceptions of teacher approachability influence the students’ interactions with their …

A Phenomenological Study Of Collaborative Learning: Understanding The Perceptions, Values, And Experiences Of Freshmen Language Arts Students, Teachers, And One Administrator, Sheryl Ackers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of collaborative learning through the perceptions of freshmen Language Arts students, teachers, and one administrator. Nine freshmen Language Arts students, four freshman Language Arts teachers, and one administrator participated in the study at Falcons Rise Up (pseudonym) (FRU). FRU is located approximately 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Theories from both Vygotsky (1978) and Bandura (1986) framed the study. Data methods included student, teacher, and administrator semi-structured interviews. Interview questions focused on participants’ perceptions of and experiences with collaborative learning models. Moustakas’s (1994) phenomenological reduction method of data …

Teacher Perceptions Regarding Traditional Instruction And The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences: A Phenomenological Study, Darcel Harper Hogans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of 10 elementary teachers in Georgia classrooms who have implemented traditional instruction as well as the theory of multiple intelligences created by Gardner. The basic research question lies in teacher perspectives of teaching traditional instruction and then switching over to teach the theory of multiple intelligences. A qualitative approach was used with a transcendental phenomenological design to obtain data for this research study. This phenomenological study used interviews, focus groups, and journals to understand the thoughts and ideas from purposefully sampled, 10 full-time certified teachers from Myrtle …

How Cinema Excerpts Enhance A Culturally Relevant Responsive-Value Driven Pedagogy, Sunni Ali

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

Most certainly “good styles of teaching” match the needs of students. As technology distractions within society grow more and more tearing students away from a classroom’s pedagogy, it becomes even more important today for teachers to find effective ways to engage students. Cinema clips is one-way educators can apply a cultural value driven pedagogy to connect students to lessons. For one, the use of cinema clips allows teachers to use multi-media resources to translate or deconstruct a lesson through video and auditory mechanism. Furthermore, it offers a differentiated style of teaching for students. What makes the use of …

A Global Perspective Of Transformational Leadership And Organizational Development, Emetrude Lewis, Deborah Boston, Saundra Peterson

Journal of Research Initiatives

Grounded in transformational leadership theory (Northouse 2010) this paper presents an analytical perspective of global transformational leadership and its role based upon ideological issues in cultural relevance, ethics and social responsibility. Interests in global transformational leadership is increasing due to interdependence of cultural, global, economic, and political issues that require the collaboration and networking efforts of leaders. The researchers examine these issues and ideologies using a metacognitive lens for the purpose of furthering the research on global transformational leadership in leadership development and organizational leadership programs of study in higher education.

Student Perceptions Of Type Ii Alternative School Experiences: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Motivational Factors That Influence Persistence Toward Graduation, Michael Barrett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate how high school students described their experiences attending a Type II alternative school (geared toward students with behavioral problems and poor student attendance) in Central Georgia and the factors that motivated them to persist to graduation. The overarching research question was: How do high school graduates describe their experiences attending an alternative school in Central Georgia that motivated them to persist toward graduation? Schein’s organizational culture model, Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs served as the conceptual framework. Participants included eight students who had previously attended …

A Comparison Of Work Ethic Among High School Athletes And Non Athletes, Edward Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Organizations have become increasingly interested in hiring employees who are committed to the inherent value of work. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to compare the work ethic of high school athletes to non-athletes in a high school setting in South Carolina and analyzed the role of gender within that dynamic. A total of 345 responses were analyzed, with 139 reporting no participation in athletics, 87 reporting participation in sub-varsity athletics only, and 119 reporting participation in varsity athletics. The Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) was developed as a method of measuring work ethic and was composed of …

A Causal Comparative Study Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of School Climate Within Elementary Schools In A School District, Clyde Alston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A school’s climate either positively or negatively affects teaching and learning within the school. School administrators have the responsibility to ensure the school climate supports both. This responsibility can only be met when school leaders have an accurate understanding of climate in the schools they serve. This causal-comparative study examines administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions of school climate among the academic, social, affective, and physical domains of school climate, as measured by the revised School Level Environment Questionnaire (r-SLEQ). Data were examined using an independent samples t-test to determine whether statistically significant differences in school climate perceptions exist between administrators and …

Comparing The Self-Efficacy Of Dual Enrollment Students Taking Classes At The High School, At The College, And Online, Tyler Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal comparative study investigated how the modality of course content delivery impacts the self-efficacy of dual enrollment students. The problem was that it is unclear how the benefits of dual enrollment impact different student groups based on the location of the course. The purpose was to verify existing research linking higher college self-efficacy with participation in dual enrollment programs and to provide an initial understanding of how the benefit of higher levels of self-efficacy regarding college performance is distributed between students who take their dual enrollment courses in various modalities. Using the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES), data …

Teacher Working Conditions: Perceptions Of Novice And Experienced K-12 Virtual School Teachers, Tiffany Francis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine if there is a difference between novice and experienced teachers’ perceptions of the working conditions at the K-12 virtual school. This study examined the teachers’ total years employed at the school to determine if a difference exists in the groups’ perceptions of the teacher working conditions. Teacher working conditions were measured by the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NC TWC) survey that was administered to North Carolina teachers. A causal-comparative research design was used to conduct the study. A convenience sample of (N = 318) licensed K-12 virtual school instructors participated in …

Writing Focused Professional Development For Content-Area Teachers: The Effects Of Writing Instruction On Content-Area Student Achievement, Amanda Edwards Whatley

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of writing on the content areas when coupled with ongoing professional development and support for content-area teachers. Research shows that writing is an essential skill for success in and beyond the school setting. Research further indicates that writing plays an important role in student learning through its development of cognitive processes; however, in general, writing as a mode of learning is not a focus of either pre or in-service teacher training. As such, writing beyond note-taking and fill-in-the-blank activities is not necessarily a strategy utilized in content-area teacher classrooms. This …

Assessing Stem Literacy In An Informal Learning Environment, Maureen Ann Lafemina Cavalcanti

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This mixed methods study investigated methods for assessing STEM literacy amongst middle grades students participating in an informal learning environment, specifically, a summer STEM camp. Adopting a situated perspective on STEM literacy, this dissertation employed psychometric techniques and discourse analysis to answer the overarching research question: How can STEM literacy amongst middle school students be assessed in the context of a summer STEM camp? An integrated review of literacy within and across STEM disciplines first offered a new direction for conceptualizing STEM literacy. With this understanding, subsequent research methods applied novel approaches for investigating STEM literacy in the context of …

The Exploration Of Teacher Efficacy And Influences Of Context At Two Rural Appalachian High Schools, Justin Aaron Blevins

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study examines teachers’ sense of personal and collective efficacy in two similar schools in Appalachian communities that achieved different results regarding students’ accountability test scores. Prior work in teacher efficacy, which is predominantly quantitative, is extended by the addition of teacher interviews that explore how teachers define the problems they face regarding student performance and how they work individually and collectively on strategies to support students’ success. The findings support that teachers with higher levels of efficacy in their work are associated with higher levels of student success. Further, the study offers insights into how teachers perceive problems and …

Academic Engagement, Motivation, Self-Regulation, And Achievement Of Georgia Southern University Sophomore Students, John O. Lemay Iv

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Research has shown that engagement, motivation, self-regulation, and their individual effects on student achievement are established factors that influence college students’ success. However, what is less clear are these variables’ relationships and their collective influence on achievement. Since students face unique trials as they persist through college, consideration of these relationships and their effect on the achievement of all students is necessary. There is a widening achievement gap between sexes; females have now passed males in enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Previous research in this area has been largely centered on undergraduate female students in their freshman year, but the …

Evaluating The Attitudes Of Preservice Teachers Toward Multicultural Competence, Angela D. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in the ethnicity of the student population across the nation necessitated a change in teacher education curricula. This explanatory, sequential, mixed-method study examined how a group of preservice teachers viewed the importance of multicultural competence before and after student teaching. Specifically, an evaluation of preservice teachers’ attitudes about their own multicultural preparedness was made prior to and after being given full responsibility for an ethnically diverse classroom.

The study employed quantitative and qualitative measures to assess preservice teachers’ levels of multicultural competence as well as their awareness of self-perceptions of multicultural competence that contribute to attitudes toward teaching an …

The Role Of The Short-Term Mission Trip Process In The Development Of Cultural Intelligence In University Students: A Collective Case Study, Ashley Haygood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to determine how, if at all, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) develops in undergraduate students through a three-stage mission trip process for students at a large Christian university in the southeast participating in three separate short-term mission trips (Africa, Asia, and Europe). This study found that across the entire short-term mission (STM) trip process, religious faith was a consistent theme impacting CQ development. Three spring break short-term mission trip teams were used as three separate cases, from which several participants, or embedded units, provided their individual experiences within the case. Data collection methods occurred …

The Frequency Of Texting On Middle School Students' Writing Achievement, Jennifer French

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to discover the impact of texting on writing achievement for middle school students. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky’s Social Cognitive Theory (Newman & Holzman, 2013) as it explains that learning is influenced by one’s social environment. The data that will be collected consists of the scores of the writing portion of the 2014-2015 state standardized test (ISTEP), a student survey answering questions about texting practices, and student status information on Free and Reduced Meals. The multiple regression analysis will be used to analyze this data because as inferential statistics it can …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Factors That Contribute To Academic Persistence For Nontraditional Undergraduate African American Male Degree-Completers From Bible Colleges In The Southeast, Rodney Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand factors that contribute to college persistence for nontraditional undergraduate African American male four-year degree completers from select evangelical Bible colleges in the southeastern United States. An ecological and adult resiliency theoretical framework guided the research. Three research questions framed this study: (a) How do nontraditional undergraduate African American male four-year degree completers from select evangelical Bible colleges describe persistence? (b) What type of experiences do participants understand as having contributed to their persistence at Bible colleges? (c) What specific factors do participants identify as having contributed to their persistence at …

Blended Learning: Perspectives From First Time High School Instructors, Tammy Parlier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the transitional experiences of first time instructors, teaching a blended learning course at three separate high school sites. Blended learning is defined as inquiry that combines both face-to-face and online modalities (Halverson, Graham, Spring, & Drysdale, 2012). This unique merger between both traditional face-to-face instruction and innovative online learning creates transition and change experiences for instructors as they adapt their practice to satisfy the requirements of the blended learning environment (Guskey, 1986). Data collected through individual interviews, reflective journals, observations, and a culminating focus group interview examined these experiences in …

To College They Go: A Multiple Case Study Of Seven Homeschooled Graduates' Transition From Home To College, Shellie Fink-Glass

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore and capture how Pennsylvania homeschooled graduates transitioned from their homeschooled academic environment to a collegiate one. This research was founded on the need for further research addressing homeschoolers and their transition into college. Existing literature falls short which not only documents the first-hand, personal experiences taken directly from homeschooled graduates, but from their mothers, as well. Five research questions were developed to guide this study. Questionnaires and oral interviews were used to capture the unique personal experiences from both the students and their mothers. During the analysis phase, five recurring …

Differences In Students' Satisfaction Of The Economics And Personal Finance Virtual High School Course Between Students Attending Economically Disadvantaged And Non-Economically Disadvantaged Schools In Virginia, Lhe Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Virtual learning is a mandated high school graduation requirement for students entering high school during the 2013 school year in the state of Virginia. The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to analyze the differences of perceived overall satisfaction of high school students enrolled in a virtual course in different socioeconomic status schools, as measured by the e-Learning Student Satisfaction (ELS) instrument. The study participants were high school students enrolled in an Economics and Personal Finance virtual/online high school course in Virginia, n = 249. The study utilized a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine if there …

Gifted With Asperger's Syndrome (Twice-Exceptional): The Difference Post-Graduate Certifications Held Make On Early Childhood Teachers' Knowledge, Terry Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Twice-exceptional students (Gifted with Asperger’s Syndrome) can be difficult for even the experienced teacher. Robust knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome and Giftedness prepares teachers to meet the needs of these often-unidentified students. The purpose of this cross sectional survey design research was to study how post-graduate certifications held (dependent variable) affected early childhood teacher knowledge (independent variable) of Asperger’s Syndrome and Gifted/talented learner characteristics. From two large suburban school districts and small, private schools in Central Texas, 242 early childhood teachers (pre-k-second grade) participated in three online researcher created instruments entitled Teacher Knowledge of Asperger Characteristics, Teacher Knowledge of Gifted and …

Physical Education, Art, And Music Teachers' Lived Experiences With Students Who Have Adhd Or Adhd Symptoms, Kellie Henry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to discover the lived experiences of teaching students with ADHD for art, music, and physical education teachers at elementary schools. The theories guiding this study are Zentall’s (1975) Optimal Stimulation Theory and Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior as they explain how teachers’ attitudes and use of stimulation in the classroom affects the central phenomenon. This transcendental phenomenological study was based on actual descriptions of elementary special area teachers’ lived experiences with students who have ADHD. The design included a review of the literature, epoche, phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and synthesis of …