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Articles 481 - 510 of 759

Full-Text Articles in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Exploring The Relationship Between Student Survey Results And Evaluator Observation Results In The Teacher Evaluation Process, Sandra Eileen Ford Sep 2014

Exploring The Relationship Between Student Survey Results And Evaluator Observation Results In The Teacher Evaluation Process, Sandra Eileen Ford

Dissertations

Researchers and practitioners have indicated that current teacher evaluation systems do not distinguish differences between teachers. In an attempt to redesign the current system and create a more effective system, legislative mandates required the use of multiple measures in the teacher evaluation systems of states receiving federal money. As a result student perception surveys became one of the multiple measures being considered for use in the teacher evaluation process. In this study, student perception survey results and certified evaluator observation results were analyzed to determine if there was a significant linear relationship between students’ and evaluators’ perceptions of effective teaching. …

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Deciding On Science: An Analysis Of Higher Education Science Student Major Choice Criteria, Stephen Wilson White Sep 2014

Deciding On Science: An Analysis Of Higher Education Science Student Major Choice Criteria, Stephen Wilson White

Dissertations

The number of college students choosing to major in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the United States affects the size and quality of the American workforce (Winters, 2009). The number of graduates in these academic fields has been on the decline in the United States since the 1960s, which, according to Lips and McNeil (2009), has resulted in a diminished ability of the United States to compete in science and engineering on the world stage. The purpose of this research was to learn why students chose a STEM major and determine what decision criteria influenced this decision. According …

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The Role Of Empathy And Sympathy In Character Education, Radhi Al-Mabuk Sep 2014

The Role Of Empathy And Sympathy In Character Education, Radhi Al-Mabuk

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The purpose of this paper is to describe and highlight the role of empathy and sympathy in character education. More specifically, the bridging function of empathy and sympathy to civility and their role in promoting development in the context of forgiveness will be emphasized. The paper is organized in five major parts. The first one consists of an introduction and a brief historical overview of character education followed by a discussion of the aims of character education and the school’s role in nurturing it. In the second part, an argument is made for forgiveness as a means of promoting development …

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Our Grades Were Broken: Overcoming Barriers And Challenges To Implementing Standards-Based Grading, Randal Peters, Tom Buckmiller Sep 2014

Our Grades Were Broken: Overcoming Barriers And Challenges To Implementing Standards-Based Grading, Randal Peters, Tom Buckmiller

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The purpose of this study was to describe the barriers and challenges school leaders face as they implement a standards-based grading (SBG) system. The researchers used a multiple case study methodology to investigate how key school leaders described their implementation journey at three schools that differed in size, demographics, and location. Purposeful sampling was used to identify key administrators at three different schools who were in the process of implementing a SBG system. Data were collected primarily via semi-structured interviews. In the analysis, researchers used three phases: horizontalization, thematizing, and textural-structural synthesis. Each of the three schools had very different …

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Examining Effective Characteristics Of Professional Development In K-12 Education Since The Inception Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2002: A Meta-Analytic Investigation, Eugene M. Thomas, Karen H. Larwin Sep 2014

Examining Effective Characteristics Of Professional Development In K-12 Education Since The Inception Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2002: A Meta-Analytic Investigation, Eugene M. Thomas, Karen H. Larwin

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

With the dire financial crisis facing our national and state economy, schools are forced to reduce budgets while simultaneously improve program delivery. Professional development is the mechanism that is generally used to facilitate improving educational delivery and subsequently student achievement results. This investigation examines the influence of professional development on student achievement since No Child Left Behind. Results indicate that professional development can have a moderate impact on student achievement. A number of moderators were found to have a positive significant impact on this effect including the level of students, the duration of the professional development, the discipline area focus …

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The Power Of Care: An Exploration Of Emotion And Ethics In Male School Leadership Practice, Edward L. Myers Sep 2014

The Power Of Care: An Exploration Of Emotion And Ethics In Male School Leadership Practice, Edward L. Myers

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Research findings from the past two decades have illuminated emotion’s role in organizational performance. Furthermore, studies associated with the ethic of care have revealed the significance of affect in leader/subordinate relationships. In order to augment the literature, this paper will reveal the intentions, decisions, and behaviors of a particular male high school principal who subscribed to a philosophy of care-based leadership. The intent is to further the understanding of how ethics, emotion, and power manifest in male school leadership behavior and to offer insights on the potentialities and structure of care-based educational leadership practice. The study’s findings offer a design …

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Professional Development: The Use Of Nonverbal Communication During Class Lecture, Dustin York Sep 2014

Professional Development: The Use Of Nonverbal Communication During Class Lecture, Dustin York

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Teachers’ nonverbal communication has a vital role within the classroom environment. This literary review examined (1) a historical perspective of teachers’ nonverbal communication, (2) the relationship between students’ perceptions of their learning and teachers’ nonverbal communication, (3) the relationship between standardized measurements of student learning and teachers’ nonverbal communication, and (4) the relationship between students’ perceptions of teacher credibility based on the teachers’ nonverbal communication. Findings in the literary study suggest that teachers’ nonverbal communication is beneficial to students’ academic success. This review has outlined elements of nonverbal communication a teacher could use to benefit student learning. Using the findings …

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Using Psychosocial Development Theory And Personality Typology In Identifying At-Risk Characteristics Of College Honors Students, Dennis Lark Lancaster Sep 2014

Using Psychosocial Development Theory And Personality Typology In Identifying At-Risk Characteristics Of College Honors Students, Dennis Lark Lancaster

Dissertations

While substantiating the effectiveness of honors programs to increase learning among the academically gifted, assessment and any associated outcomes should also be effectively used to understand the psychosocial development challenges of these students and, at the same time, increase their learning in and out of the honors environment. Robinson’s (1997) research showed that, saddled with the typical college student’s at-risk characteristics, e.g., first-generation status, low-income, financial limitations, etc., gifted students also face unique adjustment challenges in terms of their social development. These challenges include habits and attitudes associated with and/or resulting from not having to work at their studies in …

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Project-Based Learning As A Means For Meeting The Needs Of 21st Century Students In Common Core States, Scott Ragsdale Sep 2014

Project-Based Learning As A Means For Meeting The Needs Of 21st Century Students In Common Core States, Scott Ragsdale

Dissertations

The call for the reform of public education in the United States of America has come from stakeholders of all kinds. This study compares two seemingly opposing approaches to the reform of public education. The bureaucratic approach is represented by the mass adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The grassroots approach is represented by the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Students (ISTE Standards-S). It was important to identify and analyze an instructional practice with enough potential rigor to meet the demands of both the CCSS and the ISTE Standards-S. The study analyzed the potential ability …

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The Investigation Of Self-Determination In Students Participating In Higher Education With An Invisible Disability, Joseph Daniel Bryant Ii Aug 2014

The Investigation Of Self-Determination In Students Participating In Higher Education With An Invisible Disability, Joseph Daniel Bryant Ii

Dissertations

The enrollment of students with invisible disabilities has continued to increase unabated in postsecondary environments. As a result of the applicable laws governing the provision of accommodations and/or modifications in higher education, the impetus and responsibility to succeed rests almost entirely with the individual student. Research showed for many students with invisible disabilities, the transition from a more passive role in the acquisition of education at the primary and secondary levels to a more active role in the acquisition of higher education at the post-secondary level was difficult, as evidenced by a large percentage of such students failing to complete …

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Case Study Of Online Mentoring’S Effectiveness For Beginning Teachers, Sarah A. Moran Aug 2014

Case Study Of Online Mentoring’S Effectiveness For Beginning Teachers, Sarah A. Moran

Dissertations

Because of the increase of online education options and the continuously increasing demands on teacher time, this case study analyzed online mentoring’s effectiveness for beginning teachers in one Midwestern school. Specifically, the case study analyzed what, if any, the effects were of including an online learning forum to modify the traditional teacher mentoring program as well as the experiences of the mentees. A further analysis was conducted considering the administrator’s role in the creation and facilitation of an online learning forum for teacher mentoring. To guide the creation and maintenance of the online learning forum, the participating teachers completed the …

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The Long-Term Impact Of Preschool Education On Student Achievement, Amy L. Britt Aug 2014

The Long-Term Impact Of Preschool Education On Student Achievement, Amy L. Britt

Dissertations

While many studies have been published about the short-term effects of preschool on student achievement, few long-term studies have been completed. The focus of this study was to determine whether students who attended schools that offered preschool demonstrated improved student achievement in communication arts and math in fourth and eighth grades. Quantitative data, including MAP scores for 2010, 2011 and 2012 in communication arts and math, were reviewed. The participants included rural schools with similar demographics as evidenced by membership in Missouri Association of Rural Education. A survey was administered to superintendents of the same schools. The data revealed that …

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The Effects Of Writing Centers Upon The Engagement And Retention Of Developmental Composition Students In One Missouri Community College, David Elton Ball Aug 2014

The Effects Of Writing Centers Upon The Engagement And Retention Of Developmental Composition Students In One Missouri Community College, David Elton Ball

Dissertations

Student retention poses a major challenge to higher education in America. Research has demonstrated colleges that foster student engagement have higher retention rates than colleges that fail to do so. Writing centers are student services that improve student engagement and retention. This study focused upon the Fall 2013 cohort of developmental composition students in one Missouri community college, to determine if students’ use of the writing center made a positive difference upon student engagement or successful completion of their course. The study was designed with a two-pronged approach to answer four questions. The first question was posed to determine a …

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The Learning Pathways Of Ironman Triathletes: Case Studies Of Age-Group Ironman Triathletes, Ari Zelmanow Aug 2014

The Learning Pathways Of Ironman Triathletes: Case Studies Of Age-Group Ironman Triathletes, Ari Zelmanow

Dissertations

The Ironman Triathlon is an epic endurance event consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. There is paucity in the literature relating to how athletes learn how to negotiate this event. This qualitative study was conducted over a 9 month period, to align with the 2013 Ironman training and racing season. Seven athletes were selected for participation in the study. Utilizing a case study approach, the Ironman athletes’ learning pathways were examined through in-depth interviews and audio and video content personally captured by the participants. The learning pathways revealed the athletes initially learned through …

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Summer School Correlation To Reading Lexile Levels Of African American Students In A Low Socio-Economic Area In Grades One Through Four, Channie Bell Aug 2014

Summer School Correlation To Reading Lexile Levels Of African American Students In A Low Socio-Economic Area In Grades One Through Four, Channie Bell

Dissertations

The achievement gap between African American students and other races was continuously widening. School districts across the country were examining several programs to address the issue. This study attempted to examine the overall benefit of summer school attendance on reading achievement. It evaluated the relationship between summer school attendance and lexile levels of African American students from a low socio-economical area, in grades one through four. Participants for the study were not recruited as secondary data was used for the research. The study site school district’s secondary data from the summer school session of 2012 was analyzed. The data included …

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The Relationship Between School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation And Office Discipline Referrals At The Secondary Level, Isaac William Sooter Jul 2014

The Relationship Between School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation And Office Discipline Referrals At The Secondary Level, Isaac William Sooter

Dissertations

School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) is a current framework for schools to model their discipline strategies. SW-PBS has a framework built on identifying behaviors and predictors of their occurrence, routines to correct and prevent these problems, and implementation of these routines school wide to collect information to evaluate these strategies. Office discipline referrals were reviewed in the secondary school of Rural District 10 in Missouri from 2004-2013 to determine the significance between implementation of SW-PBS and the number of office discipline referrals. School climate was also studied in Rural District 10 as well as other secondary schools around the …

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Case Study: The Impact Of Preschool On Kindergarten Developmental Reading Assessments, Sheila Moore Jul 2014

Case Study: The Impact Of Preschool On Kindergarten Developmental Reading Assessments, Sheila Moore

Dissertations

The focus of this comparative study was to examine the connection between attendance in preschool and kindergarten students’ literacy success as measured by the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA2+). Historical data were obtained from the DRA2+ scores of 1,080 kindergarten students in one Missouri school district for the 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013 school years. The study was also used to determine the perceptions of kindergarten educators of the impact of preschool on their students. The following overarching question was: What difference exists when comparing the DRA2+ scores of kindergarten students who had a preschool experience and those who did not? Additionally, the …

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A Comparison Of How Three Four-Year University Teacher Education Programs Prepare Pre-Service Teachers To Use Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Yvette Lawary Jul 2014

A Comparison Of How Three Four-Year University Teacher Education Programs Prepare Pre-Service Teachers To Use Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Yvette Lawary

Dissertations

While many pre-service teachers successfully passed the state licensure test, a large percentage of students from diverse school districts continue to score below average on their ending standardized state test. Instruction in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) might diminish the discrepancy between student performance and teacher performance. The research question was: How do the three university teacher education programs prepare pre-service teachers to teach CRP? The purpose of this qualitative study was to compare three distinctive TEPs regarding how they prepare pre-service teachers to respond to the learning needs of culturally diverse student populations using CRP. Three distinct Midwest TEPs participated …

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A Correlational Analysis Of Teacher Observation Scores And Student Achievement, Michael David Evans Jul 2014

A Correlational Analysis Of Teacher Observation Scores And Student Achievement, Michael David Evans

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between a teacher’s observation score and the academic achievement of his or her students. Little research has been conducted in this area and no studies have been conducted that looked specifically at the Network for Educator Evaluation (NEE) observation instrument. Included in the study were 25 teachers of communication arts and 29 teachers of mathematics. These teachers were selected from schools that utilized both the NEE observation instrument during the 2012-2013 school year and were members of the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence (SWCEE). A Pearson Product Moment Correlation was …

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The Impact Of Professional Development On Early Implementation Of A 1:1 Laptop Initiative, Bradley A. Hanson Jun 2014

The Impact Of Professional Development On Early Implementation Of A 1:1 Laptop Initiative, Bradley A. Hanson

Dissertations

As school leaders continue to attempt to integrate technology into today’s classrooms, 1:1 laptop initiatives are becoming increasingly more prevalent and certainly more affordable than ever before. School leaders must be able to justify the expenditure by the direct impact the integration of the laptops make on classroom instruction and learning. Preparing and supporting teachers to teach and facilitate learning with these new technological tools is a necessity that cannot be overlooked in ensuring the success of 1:1 laptop initiatives. This study examined the impact of various professional development preparatory factors on the instructional change that occurred immediately after implementation …

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The Connection To Improved Student Performance For Teacher Experience And Advanced Degree Completion Above Bachelor’S Level, Jared Flay Terry Jun 2014

The Connection To Improved Student Performance For Teacher Experience And Advanced Degree Completion Above Bachelor’S Level, Jared Flay Terry

Dissertations

Educational leaders and experts claim that teachers are the number one classroom factor in the educational success of students (Marzano, 2007; Wong, 2009). This study determined there was not a significant correlation between the two teacher characteristics of advanced degree completion and years of experience. These are two of the more quantifiable and highly regarded teacher characteristics in the profession. The typical teacher salary is a major component of education that places high value on these two characteristics. There are many other policies and legislation, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, teacher tenure, hiring practices, and staff reduction …

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The Impact Of Professional Development On Early Implementation Of A 1:1 Laptop Initiative, Bradley A. Hanson Jun 2014

The Impact Of Professional Development On Early Implementation Of A 1:1 Laptop Initiative, Bradley A. Hanson

Dissertations

As school leaders continue to attempt to integrate technology into today’s classrooms, 1:1 laptop initiatives are becoming increasingly more prevalent and certainly more affordable than ever before. School leaders must be able to justify the expenditure by the direct impact the integration of the laptops make on classroom instruction and learning. Preparing and supporting teachers to teach and facilitate learning with these new technological tools is a necessity that cannot be overlooked in ensuring the success of 1:1 laptop initiatives. This study examined the impact of various professional development preparatory factors on the instructional change that occurred immediately after implementation …

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The Connection To Improved Student Performance For Teacher Experience And Advanced Degree Completion Above Bachelor’S Level, Jared Flay Terry May 2014

The Connection To Improved Student Performance For Teacher Experience And Advanced Degree Completion Above Bachelor’S Level, Jared Flay Terry

Dissertations

Educational leaders and experts claim that teachers are the number one classroom factor in the educational success of students (Marzano, 2007; Wong, 2009). This study determined there was not a significant correlation between the two teacher characteristics of advanced degree completion and years of experience. These are two of the more quantifiable and highly regarded teacher characteristics in the profession. The typical teacher salary is a major component of education that places high value on these two characteristics. There are many other policies and legislation, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, teacher tenure, hiring practices, and staff reduction …

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Effectiveness Of Reading And Writing Across The Curriculum On Middle School Reading Comprehension And Preparation For Common Core State Standards, Paula J. Wuebbels May 2014

Effectiveness Of Reading And Writing Across The Curriculum On Middle School Reading Comprehension And Preparation For Common Core State Standards, Paula J. Wuebbels

Dissertations

This research study was conducted to determine the impact of determine the perception of classroom teachers and building principals as to the effectiveness of required Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum in both core and non-core subject areas. Both core and non-core classes are presently required within the study school district to incorporate reading and writing strategies in their content areas. The researcher wanted to study the process to prepare administrators and teachers to work successfully with the advent of required common core standards for curriculum development. Strategies used in the study will help gather information to inform the preparation …

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The Challenges Of Persisting First Generation College Students: A Comparison Between Students With Trio Support And Those Without, Claudean Kizart Apr 2014

The Challenges Of Persisting First Generation College Students: A Comparison Between Students With Trio Support And Those Without, Claudean Kizart

Dissertations

This qualitative study examined first generation college students who persisted towards completing baccalaureate degrees with and without the assistance of TRIO, a federally funded program that assisted first-generation college students with obtaining baccalaureate degree. The researcher gathered empirical data through conducting semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with 20 first-generation students from two universities who were beyond their first year of college and possessed a 2.0 or higher grade point average (GPA). Interviews were retrospective, as all students were upper-class college students who completed at least one year of college at one of two four-year universities. It was important to the study design …

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Investigation Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Of 2009: The Role Of Stimulus Funding On Development Of A Three-Tiered Intervention, Laura Grayson Apr 2014

Investigation Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Of 2009: The Role Of Stimulus Funding On Development Of A Three-Tiered Intervention, Laura Grayson

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate how school districts, in the state of Missouri, dispersed funds from the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to help drive educational reform, with respect to reading achievement and Response to Intervention strategies. The difference between the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other pieces of legislation aimed at educational accountability was that states were only given two years to spend the monies associated with this legislation. This quantitative research study examined 60 school districts in the state of Missouri to determine if there was a relationship between the stimulus …

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The Development And Validation Of A Rubric To Enhance Performer Feedback For Undergraduate Vocal Solo Performance, Katherine Herrell Apr 2014

The Development And Validation Of A Rubric To Enhance Performer Feedback For Undergraduate Vocal Solo Performance, Katherine Herrell

Dissertations

This is a study of the development and validation of a rubric to enhance performer feedback for undergraduate vocal solo performance. In the literature, assessment of vocal performance is under-represented, and the value of feedback from the assessment of musical performances, from the point of view of the performer, is nonexistent. The research questions guiding this study were 1) What are the appropriate performance criteria, learning outcomes, and meaningful descriptors for various levels of proficiency for undergraduate solo vocal performance? and 2) How do students perceive their use of the feedback from the solo vocal performance rubric to improve future …

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Investigation Of The Influence Of The Socratic Method On Leadership Skills Among Jrotc Cadet Leaders At A Military Boarding School, Francesco G. Giuseffi Apr 2014

Investigation Of The Influence Of The Socratic Method On Leadership Skills Among Jrotc Cadet Leaders At A Military Boarding School, Francesco G. Giuseffi

Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was twofold: 1) to investigate the role the Socratic Method of teaching had (if any) on the leadership skills of Junior Reserve Officer Training Cadet (JROTC) leaders at a military boarding school in the Midwest, United States, and 2) to determine if there was any change in the researcher’s teaching while implementing the Socratic Method to his JROTC Cadet leaders in his Western Intellectual History class. The researcher defined leadership based on the Five Leadership Practices derived from the Student Leadership Practices Inventory. These practices consisted of Model the Way, Inspire a Shared …

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Trust In Leadership: Investigation Of Andragogical Learning And Implications For Student Placement Outcomes, Laverne Gillespie Apr 2014

Trust In Leadership: Investigation Of Andragogical Learning And Implications For Student Placement Outcomes, Laverne Gillespie

Dissertations

Purpose. The investigation sought to determine the significance and or the effects of an ex post facto staffing intervention involving the addition of a Regional (mid-tier) team of instructional leaders as a viable and sustainable solution for increased operational effectiveness year over year, and, if there could be implications on employment outcomes. Furthermore, to determine whether this staffing intervention of adding a Regional (mid-tier) team of instructional leaders affected the primary Andragogical factors used for instructional effectiveness and did the change create a conducive condition for learning for Career Services Leaders from the perspective of Andragogy. Design/Methodology/Approach. Mixed-method research utilizing …

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Determining How Tertiary Education And Human Capital Formation Influenced Economic Expansion In Israel, Japan, And Norway From 2000-2010, Erin Lee Kalkbrenner Apr 2014

Determining How Tertiary Education And Human Capital Formation Influenced Economic Expansion In Israel, Japan, And Norway From 2000-2010, Erin Lee Kalkbrenner

Dissertations

Researchers have calculated the relationship between human capital development and economic output by various means of econometric modeling and by use of numerous indicators under the context of an assortment of human capital theory. This study was conducted to identify new interpretations of the expansion of human capital in the form of tertiary education enrollment in the countries of Israel, Japan, and Norway from 2000 to 2010. The researcher applied an OLS non-linear regression to establish four hypotheses, including modeling with regional dummy variables to generate point estimates for each country in order to analyze each country’s educational policy implementation. …

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