Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Is It Better To Be Tough, Or Is Consistency Key? A Multilevel Analysis Examining The Effects Of School Disciplinary Procedures On Perceptions Of Climate And Safety Among Students And Teachers, Erica Nicole Bower

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Though delinquency and violence have been steadily decreasing in American schools, research suggests that discipline use has not followed that same downward trend. This raises questions to why schools are reliant on certain disciplinary practices if rates of student misbehavior are not increasing. Due to zero tolerance mandates, schools often take a harsh approach to punishment, yet are also inconsistent in the punishment of similar misbehavior among students, which often leaves students feeling frustrated and sometimes, unsafe. How do school disciplinary decisions affect the ways in which school actors, such as students and teachers, perceive their schools’ environments? This broad …

Cultural Capital, Habitus And Academic Achievement, Tevin Vaughan

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Education in the United States is directly tied to social mobility for students with low socioeconomic status. The fact that these same students are less likely to succeed academically and that the interaction between cultural capital (knowledge, skills, mannerisms, etc.) and habitus (dispositions and attitudes) are understudied has led to the formulation of this study. This study looks to identify a mechanism that can be leveraged by low SES students for educational attainment. This research will follow an exploratory, cross-sectional design, that will use quantitative methods to examine the influence that cultural capital and habitus on low income student academic …

School Connectedness And Academic Success, Keyondra Michelle Wilson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using data collected from the Portsmouth Needs Assessment (2017) in Portsmouth, Virginia, this study focused on examining the relationship between school connectedness and academic success. The purpose of the study was to examine how aspects of school connectedness affects academic success. School connectedness was measured by examining self-report data regarding students’ sense of belonging, sense of culture and ethnic acceptance, classroom participation, and extracurricular activities. Academic success was measured by students’ self-reported grades and how often did they think that they would use the materials that they learned in the future. The results indicated that a student’s sense of belonging …

Virginia Standards Of Learning: An Analysis Of Sociodemographic Effects On Exam Passing Rates, Anne E. Foster

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study proposed to analyze the effects that sociodemographic variables have on Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) exam passing rates. By analyzing Census data along with passing rates from the Virginia Department of Education, the researcher determined if the independent variables white, non-white, poverty, female-headed household and foreign born explained variance in the SOL passing rates. By using linear regressions for each independent variable as well as a regression for a combination of the independent variables, the researcher was able to show the amount of variance that was explained. The results confirm that variance was present in each test subject …

Using Peer Mediation As A New Alternative For Conflict Resolution: The Effects On Students' Behaviors And Attitudes, Shanika Anicia Testamark

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

During the recent years, countless incidents regarding school violence have captured the attention of many, and have disrupted the lives of numerous young students in the United States. In an effort to rebuild a healthier and safer school climate in America schools, many studies have been conducted on peer mediation programs. Peer mediation programs were developed to educate students on how to resolve conflicts constructively.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the implementation of a peer mediation program called Project S.T.O.P (Students Teaching Options for Peace) could reduce school violence and students' aggressive behaviors and attitudes. To …

The Determinants Of Academic Performance Of African American Males, Marvin K. Hall

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

In this research on the academic performance of African American males I used data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study: Base Year 1988 to examine the factors that effect academic performance of one small group, the African American male. Independent variables that were used were SES, self-efficacy, self-esteem, two cultural variables, marital status of parents, and discipline. After controlling for SES two variables were related to GPA. The higher the self-efficacy of African American males the higher their GPA and the more discipline problems they had the lower their GPA. Results of this research identify the need to address cultural …

A Study Of Faculty Attitudes At Old Dominion University Toward The Use Of Technology In Higher Education, Charles R. Gray

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to uncover and analyze the attitudes, perceptions, and possible concerns of the faculty at Old Dominion University toward the use of new computer technologies in education. Level of experience with the use of new technologies is also examined. This project utilizes a sample of 207 full-time faculty members employed at Old Dominion University during the Spring 2000 semester.

Faculty members between the ages of 24 and 34 had significantly more experience with the use of new computer technologies than did those faculty members who were 50 or more years of age. Faculty members who …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Considering The Impact Of Educational Institutions And Teacher Perceptions, Cynthia S. Glass

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This research examines teacher perceptions about the nature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ("ADHD") and the teaching strategies used to work with students who display ADHD behaviors. It also examines the relationship between classroom size and perception of incidence of ADHD within the classroom.

Results indicate that older and more experienced teachers are more flexible than younger, less experienced teachers in their teaching strategies when working with students who display ADHD behaviors. Teachers who received information about ADHD from their school administration utilized flexible methods more often than those who did not receive information. The proportion of students identified as …

Virginia's Eastern Shore High School Students: Factors That May Impact Their Educational Aspirations, Valdimir Demont Handy

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using 1995 Survey data collected from high school students on Virginia's Eastern Shore, this thesis investigated whether or not self-esteem and perceived parental expectations play a role in the educational aspirations of rural high school students. Results demonstrated that self-esteem and perceived parental expectations are both positively related to students' educational aspirations. Caucasians and females were found to have higher educational aspirations than their counterparts. Results also indicated that the relationship between self-esteem, perceived parental expectations, and students' educational aspirations does not vary significantly across ethnicity or gender in this rural population. The information from this study, coupled with previous …

Grading Teaching: An Evaluation Of Teaching Techniques Used By California Community College Introduction To Sociology Instructors, Lynette Ann Osborne-Estes

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Research on teaching techniques used in higher education report that instructors who use a mixed repertoire of styles promote optimal student learning. However, previous research also indicates that many college professors continue to use the less effective traditional lecture instead of implementing more student-centered methods of instruction. This thesis investigates two general research questions. (1) To what extent do community college instructors utilize teaching techniques that have been shown to promote optimal student learning? (2) What factors, if any, increase the probability of an instructor using the teaching techniques that promote optimal student learning? In order to address these questions …

A Comparison Of Graduation Rates For Community College Transfer Students And Non-Transfer Students At An Urban, Regional University, Rory Jay Deshano

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.