Doctor of Philosophy / Secondary Education / Diane McGrath / As students are required to learn more and more and the world of technology evolves with access to information, how can schools use this knowledge to help students learn? This project focuses on the development of a prototype tool to assist students in building a vocabulary over time. The tool will allow students to capture definitions using research based graphic organizers. It also has a variety of ways students can represent the new words non-linguistically – graphically, audio, adding a variety of files. A prototype of this tool was developed and expert teachers reviewed the tool for functionality. Students were also asked to review the tool. After revisions were made students were asked to use the tool in class in a preliminary field test. Students were then asked their opinion on how they felt this tool would help them learn. This study involved four students and their experiences using the Knowledge Banks. The students overwhelmingly felt the tool would help them to organize their information, give them easier access to finding the information at a later date, and allow them ways to represent the new information non-linguistically. They enjoyed the ability to search for terms and find all the information that was connected to this term in any way. Having all of this information allowed them to make connections with their information they hadn’t done before. The implications of this study on education include; the need to provide ways for students to collect and build their knowledge, giving them access to tools for storage, allowing them to search their knowledge therefore making connections to new learning. This study showed that a tool can be developed that will help students learn new vocabulary and allow students to continue to learn this vocabulary by revisiting the terms over and over again year after year.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to address the problem of the silencing of adolescent girls and young women by exploring their spiritual experiences and knowledge of their inner selves. Five participants between the ages of 18 and 25 were interviewed 3 times over several weeks about their spiritual experiences, artefacts of spiritual significance, and beliefs about their inner selves. The findings of this study reveal that young women are deeply interested in nurturing their spirituality, which they are not finding in religion, and they are looking elsewhere for a spirituality that embraces a feminine ethic of care and responsibility.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to address the problem of the silencing of adolescent girls and young women by exploring their spiritual experiences and knowledge of their inner selves. Five participants between the ages of 18 and 25 were interviewed 3 times over several weeks about their spiritual experiences, artefacts of spiritual significance, and beliefs about their inner selves. The findings of this study reveal that young women are deeply interested in nurturing their spirituality, which they are not finding in religion, and they are looking elsewhere for a spirituality that embraces a feminine ethic of care and responsibility.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / F. Todd Goodson / The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent teacher candidates perceive value in the process of constructing an electronic academic portfolio. This study will also attempt to answer what process teacher candidates used in developing their electronic academic portfolios and what value teacher candidates assign to each of the steps in the process as well as how the teacher candidate intends to use the academic portfolio during the final semester prior to the professional semester. A qualitative multi-case study was used to conduct the research. Data collected included a pre and post survey as well as three one-on-one interviews with eleven teacher candidates. Teacher candidates were also asked to keep an electronic journal to answer the following questions. 1. Describe the process you used to create your electronic academic portfolio. 2. Describe your personal frustrations with creating your electronic academic portfolio. 3. Describe your personal triumphs with creating your electronic academic portfolio. The analysis of the data took place throughout the final semester prior to the professional semester, during which time teacher candidates are taking his or her last five restricted methods courses. The researcher recruited one additional reader in the field of education. The reader was trained prior to the actual coding day by the researcher to identify themes from the pilot study. • Theme A: Pride • Theme B: Organization • Theme C: Technology Skills • Theme D: Value • Other The commonalities were coded by the reader and the researcher. The goal of this was to examine teacher candidate perceptions in creating and electronic academic portfolio. Teacher preparation programs must determine if the process of creating an electronic academic portfolio has positive effectiveness.

Doctor of Philosophy / Secondary Education / Jacqueline D. Spears / The purpose of this study was to examine secondary-level social science teachers’ reported implicit beliefs about intelligence as measured by Dweck’s Theories of Intelligence Survey, and teachers’ levels of efficacy as measured by Gibson and Dembo’s Teacher Efficacy Survey, in relation to their students’ perception of goal orientation in the classroom as measured by Midgley’s PALS Survey in the classroom. In addition, this study examined the relationship of students’ gender and self-perceptions of ability to self reported classroom goal orientation. Participants in this study were high school social science teachers teaching in 17 schools in northeast Kansas (N = 63), and their students enrolled in social science classes (N = 1,214). The survey instruments were administered during the Spring 2006 semester during regularly scheduled courses. Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations, multiple regression, and other statistical techniques. A statistical level of p < .05 was used for all tests conducted. Five statistical tests were conducted. Three of the statistical tests utilized the Pearson product moment correlation: (1) correlation between teachers’ implicit theories of intelligence and self-efficacy, (2) correlation between teachers’ implicit theories of intelligence and students’ perception of goal orientation in the classroom, (3) correlation between teachers’ self-efficacy and students’ perception of the classroom goal orientation. Two statistical tests utilized multiple regression analysis: (1) regression analysis examining teachers’ implicit theories of intelligence and teachers’ self-efficacy as a predictor of students’ perception of the classroom goal orientation, and (5) regression analysis examining students’ gender and rating of ability as predictors of students’ perceptions of goal orientation in the classroom. A positive correlation was found between teachers’ theories of intelligence and self-efficacy. A statistical significance was also found for the relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and their students’ perceptions of the classroom goal orientation based on teachers’ theories of intelligence or self-efficacy. Statistical significance was not found for students’ ability rating, as a predictor of their perception of the classroom goal orientation. Statistical significance was found for gender as a predictor of students’ perception of the classroom goal orientation, however, practical significance is questionable. Several suggestions for additional research and improvement in practice with regard to teachers’ belief systems and student goal structures were offered. This research provides additional data for teachers and school leaders in helping them understand the role of teachers’ belief systems in fostering student achievement.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / F. Todd Goodson / With changes in technology over the past decades, literacy now requires receiving and transmitting information using various, multiple media. Recognizing the need for students to be literate in more the traditional areas of reading and writing, professional organizations and states have set standards for English/language arts related to non-print literacy, including visual literacy. Yet, it has been unclear how secondary English/language arts teachers feel about the mandate to teach non-print literacy, if they understand what is expected of them in teaching non-print literacy, and if they indeed are teaching concepts related to comprehension and production of information in non-text format. This study attempts to discover teachers’ attitudes toward, understanding of, and use of visual literacy concepts through a survey of secondary English/language arts teachers in three counties in central Kansas. Based on the information from the responses to the survey, secondary English/language arts teachers in central Kansas have received little formal training in teaching visual literacy and that their informal training consists mainly of discussions with colleagues and independent study. Because they have received little training, most respondents see teaching visual literacy as secondary to teaching traditional literacy rather than as an integral part of such instruction. The state of Kansas has several standards relating to teaching non-print text. Yet, the emphasis on state and national tests is on print text. As a result, secondary English/language teachers surveyed know little about what it means to teach visual literacy. Training in how to incorporate visual literacy instruction with traditional literacy instruction, how to set outcomes for visual literacy and how to assess those outcomes are necessary if standards related to non-print text are to be addressed in secondary English/language arts classes across the state. While English/language arts pursue training in visual literacy on their own, teachers-preparatory institutions and public school systems also have a responsibility to see that English/language arts teachers know how to help their students become literate, not only in traditional literacies but also in non-traditional literacies such as visual literacy.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Margaret G. Shroyer / The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore the middle school science classroom of a constructivist teacher and examine how constructivist-based teaching influences ELL students and their learning of science. The researcher’s purpose was to discover patterns which emerged after close observations, careful documentation, and thoughtful analysis of the research topic. What was discovered by this exploratory case study was not sweeping generalizations but contextual findings. This case study was conducted in the spring of 2006. The researcher sought to answer the question, “How does constructivist teaching help middle school English Language Learners understand science?” Two variable clusters were examined: 1) the independent variable cluster of the constructivist teaching practices of the one selected teacher; and 2) the dependent variable cluster of the middle school English Language Learners understanding of the science concepts being taught. Four broad categories of data were collected: 1) observations of teaching and learning (including teaching plans and other teaching materials); 2) interviews related to teaching and learning; 3) inventories of teaching and learning; and 4) artifacts of learning. Steve Loos an eighth grade middle school science teacher is an expert constructivist-based teacher. His teaching influences English Language Learners understanding of the science concepts being taught. Steve’s teaching influenced the English Language Learners through a variety of pedagogical strategies. The researcher concluded in this study that, “Constructivist teaching helps middle school English Language Learners understand science.”

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Charles Heerman / Educators have realized that low-income students have a higher probability of lower achievement than students from a higher SES background and that these low-income students may very well continue into the cycle of poverty. The purpose of this study was to refine our understanding of the relationships between low-income student status and low income academic achievement in Kansas high schools. This study explored high school low income, low reading, low mathematics, low science achievement correlations among three metropolitan locations and four sizes of high schools. The dependent variables were the school building rates of low income and the school building rates of low achievement. The independent variables were school location and school size. The data was retrieved from the Kansas State Board of Education website. The three metropolitan areas studied were the Wichita, the Topeka-Lawrence and the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Areas. The four sizes of high schools studied were the 6A-, 5A-, 4A-, and 3A-sized high schools. There were seven research questions in this study. All the research questions were non-directional except for research question #2. Correlation coefficients, standard deviation scores, range scores, frequency scores, intercorrelations, coefficient of determinations, partial correlations and ANCOVA scores were used to analyze the data. The major conclusions for each research questions were: (1) the unsatisfactory + basic scores of all three low achievement areas (reading, mathematics and science) were the most consistent representation of low achievement. (2) in the three metropolitan areas, where income differences were greater, low income and low achievement correlations were greater. Where income differences were smaller, low income and low achievement correlations were smaller. (3) smaller schools did not have the better school results. (4) the low reading, mathematics and science correlations had different magnitudes depending on the group. Either low mathematics or low science achievement produced the largest correlations with low income in all seven groups. (5) the smaller standard deviation and range scores may have contributed to the smaller correlations in metropolitan area 2 and the 4A-sized high schools. Findings in the frequency distributions have reinforced the standard deviation and range results. (6) low mathematics and low science achievement were as important as low reading achievement. (7) the lowachievement rates (adjusted for low-income rates) did not differ much across the subject areas when the seven subgroups were considered. The idea of building smaller schools was not supported by the findings.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Socorro G. Herrera / This qualitative, ethnographic study explored home literacy environments. The following question guided the research: In what ways do literacy activities manifest themselves in homes of low-income, urban, Mexican American kindergarten students? Sub questions helped the researcher further understand the home literacy environment: • As acts of literacy take place in the home, what types of parent-child interactions are occurring? • How does the role of siblings impact the literacy activities that occur in the home? • How does the level of education of the parent effect literacy activities of the home? The research employed qualitative methods of data collection: interviews, participant observation and field notes. Surveys were also used to help understand the home literacy activities. A total of eleven families participated in the research. After completing the survey, the families were contacted and home visits were held. During these home visits, the participant observer asked semi-structured interview questions and also observed a parent-child book reading session. The visits were completed for each family between September, 2006 and March, 2007. Translators were used as needed. The following themes emerged: 1) Reading with My Mom; 2) My Mom Reads and Writes Other Things, Too; 3) We Talk A Lot at My House; 4) We Go to the Library; 5) My Sisters and Brothers Read to Me; 6) I use English and Spanish with My Brothers and Sisters; 7) My Mama Studied to be a Pre-School Teacher. Regardless of education level mothers read to their children, used literacy in other ways, and made sure their children went to the library. Parents also took time to talk with their children and storytelling was evident in the homes. Siblings were important to the literacy development of their kindergarten brothers and sisters by reading to them and building English oral proficiency. The education level of the mother mattered only because of the subject studied after high school. The themes found in the research are described in detail. Discussion, conclusions, implications, and recommendations for further research were provided.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Lawrence C. Scharmann / John R. Staver / The goal of this study was to explore how Christian biology-related majors at a Christian university perceive the apparent conflicts between their understanding of evolution and their religious beliefs, and how their faith, as a structural-developmental system for ordering and making meaning of the world, plays a role in the mediating process. This naturalistic study utilized a case study design of 15 participants specified as undergraduate biology-related majors or recent biology-related graduates from a midwestern Christian university who had completed an upper-level course on evolution. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews that investigated participants' faith and their views on creationism and evolution. Fowler's theory of faith development and Parks' model of college students' faith was extensively used. Additional data were collected through an Evolution Attitudes Survey and a position paper on evolution as an assignment in the evolution course. Data analysis revealed patterns that were organized into themes and sub-themes that were the major outcomes of the study. Most participants were raised to believe in creationism, but came to accept evolution through an extended process of evaluating the scientific evidence in support of evolution, negotiating the literalness of Genesis, recognizing evolution as a non-salvation issue, and observing professors as role models of Christians who accept evolution. Participants remained committed to their personal religious beliefs despite apprehension that accompanied the reconciliation process in accepting evolution. Most participants operated from the perspective that science and religion are separate and interacting domains. Faith played an important role in how participants reconciled their understanding of evolution and their personal religious beliefs. Participants who operated in conventional faith dismissed contentious issues or collapsed dichotomies in an effort to avoid ambiguity and perceived tensions. Participants who operated in young adult and adult faith tended to confront their perceived tensions and worked towards reconciling their understanding of evolution and their personal religious beliefs. The rich description of this naturalistic study lends heuristic insight to researchers and educators seeking an understanding of the complex processes by which Christian biology-related majors approach learning about evolution and seek reconciliation between their understanding of evolution and their personal religious beliefs.