Educational Sociology Commons^™

Mentor Principals’ Perceptions About A Mentoring Program For Aspiring Principals, Steven Nicholas Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of principals who serve as mentors for an internship program for aspiring principals at East Tennessee State University. Each mentor was interviewed to gather information about the internship program, the benefits of mentoring in the program, and what the mentors may have learned about their tacit knowledge as a result of the experience. Mentors and the professors in the Educational Leadership Policy Analysis department at ETSU may benefit from the findings as the design of the school leadership program continues to advance.

Mentoring is an important component of training for …

Teacher Morale In Rural Northeast Tennessee, Brenda Dishman Eggers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the factors that influence the morale levels of teachers in the public school systems of 3 contiguous counties in rural northeast Tennessee. The level of teacher morale was measured using the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire. Data associated with the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) teacher effect score, grade level taught, years of service, gender, and level of education were gathered. The morale score and the teacher effect score were then examined to ascertain if there was a relationship with the other factors. Data from this study were examined using the Statistical Process …

A Qualitative Assessment Of The Perceptions Of Teachers Concerning How Economically Disadvantaged Students At White Pine School Are Being Served, Samuel Mckinley Hollingshead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess teacher perception of how economically disadvantaged students at White Pine School were being served. The results of this study may help educators at White Pine School determine how to support and improve learning conditions for economically disadvantaged students.

Data collection techniques included individual interviews, focus group interviews, and document review. The following conditions were discovered in relation to economically disadvantaged students: positive home-school relationships; desire to become a full-service school; limited parent-training opportunities with limited participation; limited professional development opportunities; limited poverty discussion in professional learning communities; underuse of college partnerships; …

Leadership Traits Of School Health Coordinators In Tennessee, Katherine Andrea Strickland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the leadership traits of the school health coordinators (SHCs) for the state of Tennessee and to determine if self-perceptions of the SHC leadership traits coincide with supervisor and colleague perceptions of SHC leadership traits. The health challenges facing young Americans today are different from those of past decades and child health is a major federal and state policy platform. SHCs work at the nexus of 2 highly regulated and political entities: healthcare and education. Thus, it is critical for SHCs to possess strong leadership traits to navigate through the issues and …

Novice Teachers Perceptions Of Prior Mentoring Experiences, Gloria Freels Mcelroy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than 50% of novice educators leave the profession in the first 5 years of service. Novice educators were defined as educators with 5 or fewer years of teaching experience. The State of Tennessee has estimated the cost for that decision to around $28,000.00 per teacher for each local educational authority. Many researchers believe mentoring increases novice satisfaction in the classroom. Even though many enter the field of education, Freedman and Appleman (2009) found that teachers leave the profession in rates higher than other professions. Ingersoll and Merrill (2010) showed the annual turnover rate for teachers was higher than for …

Support For Higher Education: Perceptions Of Selected University Administrators And Legislators In Tennessee, Deidre Lee Yowell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the perceptions of selected university administrators and legislators concerning levels of support for Tennessee public higher education. The purpose of the study was to gain a greater understanding among the various constituents as to the needs and restraints facing higher education funding. The population targeted for this study was comprised of 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), the Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the President of the University of Tennessee System, and 36 Chief Administrators at 9 state-supported universities. The principal investigator …

Instructional Coaching: Teachers‘ Perceptions Of Practice And Effectiveness, Jason Brock Horne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate K-12 teachers' perceptions of instructional coaching. Specifically, this researcher assessed the perception of instructional coaching as a whole, support for hiring practices for instructional coaches, the value of instructional coaching for improving teaching practices, the value of instructional coaching for improving student achievement, and the perception of instructional coaches being in supervisory role. Participants in this study were located in three different school systems in Northeast Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to 848 teachers resulting in a 62% return rate with 536 participant responses. Research reinforced …

Study Abroad In A Developing And A Developed Country: A Comparison Of American Undergraduate Students’ Experiences In Ghana And England, Maria Costa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the differences among the experiences of 7 American undergraduate students; 4 who studied for a semester in Ghana, a developing country, and 3 who studied for a semester in England, a developed country. Using phenomenology as its guiding framework, transcribed interviews were analyzed and the focal phenomenon of the experience was sought. In addition, examination of the literature suggested that study abroad in less developed countries had the potential to impact the experience of students at a deeper level because of the potential for what Jean Piaget termed constructive disequilibrium (Blake & Pope, 2008, p. 61). …

National Board Certification: The Impact On Teaching Practices Of Three Elementary Teachers, Amy W. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the past century the educational reform movements focused on the need for highly qualified teachers based on research surrounding the effects on student achievement related to the quality of the teacher (Busatto, 2004). The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was created in 1987 in response to the increasing focus placed on having quality teachers (Berg, 2003; Humphrey, Koppich, & Hough, 2005; NBPTS, 2011). The NBPTS is an organization governed by teachers that emphasizes sound instructional practices and improving teaching. The standards for National Board Certification are based on solid research that recognizes education practices that result in …

Understanding Philanthropic Motivations Of Northeast State Community College Donors, Heather J. Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At Northeast State Community College (NeSCC) nearly 70% of students need some form of financial aid to attend. State support is flattening or decreasing and the gap is filled by private donors' support (Northeast State Community College, 2011). Hundreds of donors have made significant contributions to aid in the education of those in the Northeast Tennessee region. The purpose of this study was to investigate the philanthropic motivations of a select group of 4 donors who have given a significant amount to a community college and to garner their specific reasons for doing so.

This qualitative study included 4 interviews …

Information, Organization, And Target Perceptions Of Student Services For Community College Students, Benjamin Andrew Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses several research questions. First, it explores methods for organizing information regarding health services so as to keep information accessibility at an optimal level. Second, this project identifies student perceptions concerning accessibility and organization of information about student services. This study also assesses students' awareness of the available services. The study combined qualitative and quantitative methodology, involving two distinct stages of data collection. Results suggest age is largely unrelated to a belief schools should provide student services but positively correlated with the knowledge of the location of student services. Nearly all student services were positively correlated with the …

The Role Of Noncredit Continuing Education As A Workforce Revitalization Partner, Joseph Lincoln Combs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the partnership role of noncredit continuing education in revitalizing the workforce during the economic crisis that started in 2008 in selected communities in East Tennessee. This research synthesized meaningful information regarding how the leaders of business and industry perceived the role of noncredit service providers as economic development partners.

This qualitative study was conducted using interviews of chamber of commerce officials in 9 of the 10 counties served by Walters State Community College. The participants indicated that they were interested in partnering with the noncredit department to accomplish the goal of …

Ethical Climate, Organizational Commitment, And Job Satisfaction Of Full-Time Faculty Members, Heather Louise Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to better understand the relationship of perceived ethical climate on the organizational commitment and job satisfaction of full-time faculty members in institutions of higher education. Full-time faculty members are the forefront employees of any educational institution, and they have a direct impact on the successful implementation of the vision, mission, and goals of the institution. It is imperative to understand potential factors influencing organizational commitment and job satisfaction because decreased levels of commitment and satisfaction have been linked to lower productivity, stagnated creativity, higher levels of turnover, and deviant workplace behaviors. The nationally …

A Portraiture Of Evelyn Thompson Lawrence, Donna Reneé Clifton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the obstacles and motivators Evelyn Thompson Lawrence addressed in her thirst for lifelong learning and desire to share that learning through her life stories. The researcher also sought to understand how everyday events played a role in the outcome of Lawrence's life. More than just observing major events, the researcher considered ways the smallest moments made an impact on Lawrence's continued desire for learning. This study evolved through Lawrence's accounts. By allowing this African American woman, who was a lifelong Appalachian, to explore her past and present, a wide array of experiences …

Expectations And Experiences Of Black Students At Two Predominantlywhite High Schools In Southern Appalachia., Lori J. Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the academic, cultural, and social expectations and experiences of 20 Black students at 2 predominantly White high schools in the Southern Appalachian region of the United States. The participants' experiences revealed how institutional practices promoted or obstructed their successful experiences at high school.

Qualitative ethnographic methodology guided the study. The data collected included the stories of the Black students based on individual interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. The data showed the positive and negative experiences of the Black students in predominantly White high schools and the negative impacts of racism and racist behaviors on Black students' …

Entry Age And Reading Level By The End Of Third Grade., Tony Lynn Dalton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to see if a difference exists in the mean Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills: Oral Reading Fluency scores of students who entered kindergarten as 4 year olds, 5 year olds, and 6 year olds inclusively. Specifically, this dissertation considered the possibility that holding children out of kindergarten an extra year increased their reading level, while sending children to school too young delayed their ability to read and comprehend.

A quantitative study was used to find differences between the mean reading levels at the end of 3rd grade for students who entered kindergarten on or …

Professional Development For Teachers: Perceptions Of Northeast Tennessee Principals., Scott A. Starnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed for the purpose of quantitatively examining the perceptions of northeast Tennessee principals as they compared their system's professional development plans to Learning Forward's, formerly the National Staff Development Council, recently revised definition of professional development. The theoretical frameworks for this study lay in the recent works of Schlechty (2009) on transforming schools into learning organizations, and Senge (2006), who provided the essential principles of learning organizations.

Data were collected from 124 principals in 19 school systems in northeast Tennessee, using a 4-point Internet based survey created by Learning Forward to evaluate perceptions of how well professional …

Four Generations Working Together In The Workforce And In Higher Education., Lisa Anne Speer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to help the reader hear and begin to understand each of the 4 generations, resulting in an awareness of how each generation perceived the world in general, and specifically its perception of work in an academic setting.

The researcher studied 4 participants currently or formerly involved in the higher education environment; each represented one of the 4 generations examined and was studied through stories, autobiography, notes, conversations, interviews, family stories, and life experiences. Today's American workforce is unique in that never before has there been such a diverse group of individuals working together. Research …

An Examination Of Third And Fourth Grade Tcap Scores And The Universal Breakfast Program In Unicoi County Tennessee., Harold Lamar Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of standardized test scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) of students enrolled in Unicoi County Schools, that offers a universal breakfast program, compared with mean scores of students in both public and private schools in the state of Tennessee during the 2007-2008 school year. Test results of 404 Unicoi County third and fourth graders were examined with only the mathematics and reading and language arts sections of the TCAP used in this research. The State means were calculated using data collected from TCAP mathematics and reading and language …

An Analysis Of Monitoring The Future: A Look At The Relationship Between Juvenile Delinquency And Involvement In School., Thomas Theodore Zawisza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between juvenile delinquency and involvement with various school activities. In order to do so data from the Monitoring the Future survey of high school seniors in 2008 were used. Univariate measures included descriptive statistics of the variables, while bivariate analysis determined if a relationship exists between the dependent and independent variables. Results of the analysis suggested mixed support for the relationship between adolescent delinquency and involvement in school activities.

A Study Of The Effects Of The Length Of Student-Teaching Experiences On New Teacher Efficacy., Alan Wayne Addison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between the length of student-teaching experiences and new teacher efficacy. Each year thousands of prospective new teachers endure the interview processes to be hired, complete induction programs, and begin their careers only to determine that the teaching profession is not what they assumed it would be. Local school districts spend thousands of dollars each year on orientation for these new teachers only to find them resigning within the first 5 years of service. Increasing new teacher efficacy is imperative to reducing new teacher attrition rates. The more student-teaching experiences an individual collects before entering the …

Vital Collaboratives, Alliances, And Partnerships: A Search For Key Elements Of An Effective Public-Private Partnership., Charles Keith Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Owing to the significant structural changes that have occurred in the global marketplace over the past 2 decades, a corresponding increase of public-private partnerships have been established among the business sector, local governments, and public community colleges. This qualitative project sought to identify and substantiate key elements that may be common to the formation, implementation, and maintenance stages of public-private partnerships. Who or what minimum conditions are necessary to the successful navigation of each stage? What obstacles typically arise during each stage, and how are they managed or circumvented? What sorts of benefits are generated through these partnerships and what …

Educational Interventions For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Perceptions Of Parents And Teachers In A Northeast Tennessee School System., Paula Anderson Nickels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated the perceptions of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), special education teachers, and general education teachers in a Northeast Tennessee public school system regarding educational interventions for children with ASD including what interventions they have found effective, the barriers and challenges they have faced, and how they view their relationships with one another.

Data were collected through interviews with a purposeful sample of 7 parents of 6 children with autism spectrum disorders, 8 special education teachers, and 6 general education teachers and a review of documents. Parent and teacher participants represented children at …

On The Outside Looking In: A Qualitative Study Of Southern Appalachian First-Generation Students' Perceptions Of Higher Education., Michael Steven Briggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate Southern Appalachian, first-generation students' expectations of higher education. Research indicates that many first-generation students drop out of college after only 1 semester; however, little research exists concerning the expectations and experiences of first-generation college students from Southern Appalachia.

The study employs a qualitative methodology based in the tradition of grounded theory to highlight students' experiences while encouraging the emergence of data-driven theory based on what the researcher heard. Thus, the entire study is couched in the interpretivist philosophy of research.

Eleven full-time university students were interviewed for the study. They were asked to identify …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Implementing Response To Intervention In Meeting Academic Needs Of At-Risk Students In Kindergarten Through Second Grade., Tammy Conchita Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) increased educators' awareness of Response to Intervention (RTI) as a means of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student needs. The challenges that came with RTI were meeting every student's need, implementing scientific research-based interventions, and expecting mastery of grade-level standards.

The purpose of this study was to create a foundation of knowledge through exploratory case study interviews in 4 rural school districts in East Tennessee. All participants were certified teachers of kindergarten, 1st grade, or 2nd grade students. The guided interview approach was used to identify teachers' …

Residential Broadband Access For Students At Walters State Community College., Mark A. Hurst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the availability of internet access for students attending Walters State Community College during the spring semester 2010. In particular, it is unknown to what degree broadband internet access is available in the counties that Walters State considers the service area of the college.

The research was conducted during the spring semester 2010 including the months February, March, and April of 2010. Data were gathered by surveying currently enrolled students of the college. Twelve percent of the population responded to the study. The survey instrument covered the areas of demographics, Internet connection type …

A Comparison Prior To And After Implementation Of A Ninth Grade Academy In East Tennessee High Schools., Judy Alisa Teffeteller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify student progress during the 9th grade year by evaluating student data prior to and after the implementation of a 9th grade academy in 2 east Tennessee high schools. The testing variables included the number of core credits earned, the number of elective credits earned, number of absences, and grade point average. Grouping variables included all 9th grade students and 9th grade students by gender prior to and after implementation of the 9th grade academy. Data were collected over 5 years (2005-2010). Paired-samples t-tests were used to make comparisons prior to and after …

Freshman Academies: A Study Of Student Outcomes., Karen Kelley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transition to high school has been identified by researchers as a pivotal point in students' lives. The addition of a Freshman Academy in some schools has targeted the 9th grade year to ease students' transition to high school and increase the likelihood of academic success.

One purpose of this study is to compare student outcomes of schools that have implemented a Freshman Academy with schools that have not. Student outcomes are defined for this study to include graduation rates, attendance rates, instances of out-of-school suspensions, and instances of expulsions. The second purpose of this study is to compare student …

East Tennessee State University Faculty Attitudes And Student Perceptions In Providing Accommodations To Students With Disabilities., Terre D.M. Byrd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine ETSU faculty attitudes and student perceptions in providing academic accommodations to students with disabilities.

Participants of the study were ETSU students with disabilities who are registered with the Disabilities Services office and faculty members of ETSU. Students with disabilities were interviewed. An online survey was sent to faculty members via the ETSU email system. Disability law and disability compliance year books served as the primary documents that were reviewed for pertinent information.

Grounded theory using a constant-comparison methodology served as the conceptual framework for the study. The grounded-theory approach allowed for the …

How Four Reform Initiatives Helped Develop Attitudes Regarding Change In Two Middle Schools In East Tennessee., Vicki Ann Clevinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools and districts are implementing more change initiatives because of an increase in accountability through national, state, and city requirements. Teachers and administrators are responsible for adhering to change initiatives and producing the results to bring the reform initiative to a successful fruition. This study explores the attitudes that are prevalent in the schools regarding reform initiatives and the change process.

A qualitative research method was used to explore the prevailing attitudes about change among teachers and administrators. Teachers were not opposed to changing if their students would benefit from the change; however, changing just for change sake was not …