Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Margaret G. Shroyer / Complex social, racial, economic, and political issues involved in the practice of teaching today require beginning teachers to be informed, skilled, and culturally responsive when entering the classroom. Teacher educators must educate future teachers in ways that will help them teach all children regardless of language, cultural background, or prior knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) novice teachers described and demonstrated culturally responsive teaching strategies using their students’ cultural and academic profiles to inform practice in science and mathematics instruction. This qualitative exploratory case study considered the culturally responsive teaching practices of 12, non-traditional, Latina/o students as they progressed through a distance-based collaborative teacher education program. Qualitative techniques used throughout this exploratory case study investigated cultural responsiveness of these student teachers as they demonstrated their abilities to: a) integrate content and construct knowledge; b) illustrate social justice and prejudice reduction; and c) develop students academically during science and mathematics instruction. In conclusion, student teachers participating in this study demonstrated their ability to integrate content by: (1) including content from other cultures, (2) building positive teacher-student relationships, and (3) holding high expectations for all students. They also demonstrated their ability to facilitate knowledge construction by building on what students knew. Since there is not sufficient data to support the student teachers’ abilities to assist students in learning to be critical, independent thinkers who are open to other ways of knowing, no conclusions regarding this subtheme could be drawn. Student teachers in this study illustrated prejudice reduction by: (1) using native language support to assist students in learning and understanding science and math content, (2) fostering positive student-student interactions, and (3) creating a safe learning environment. Results also indicated that these student teachers demonstrated their ability to develop students academically by creating opportunities for learning in the classroom through their knowledge of students and by the use of research-based instructional strategies. However, based on the data collected as part of this study, the student teachers’ abilities to illustrate or model social justice during science and math instruction were not demonstrated.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / Trudy A. Salsberry / The purpose of this study was to research and create a comprehensive handbook for planning and developing advisory programs for the personalization of education. This is known as personalized learning. Personalized learning refers to the structures, policies, and practices that promote relationships based on mutual respect, trust, collaboration, and support (Breunlin, Mann, Kelly, Cimmarusti, Dunne, & Lieber, 2005). Planning and Developing Advisory Programs for the Personalization of Education: A Handbook to Guide School Leaders of Large High Schools in Kansas was developed using the research and development methodology (R & D) developed by Gall and Borg (Gall, Borg, & Gall, 2007). A prototype of the handbook was developed and then evaluated by experts in the area of the personalization of education. A Preliminary Field Test was electronically sent to all building principals of high schools in Kansas with student populations of 1000 students or more. Revisions were made to the handbook based on feedback received. The revised handbook was then distributed to three professionals, nominated by their peers, for the main field test. Feedback from the main field test was used to create the final product. The conclusions from the research project indicated: (1) there is a strong need for administrators and educators to personalize the learning environment through advisory programs; (2) large high schools were in need of a resource that was relevant in their respective schools; (3) the need for a handbook such as this to address key components such as transition, support interventions, and academic counseling; and (4) that a comprehensive handbook that included a step-by-step process, discussing critical components for administrators on how to personalize education utilizing advisory programs could address numerous concerns in large high school.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Kay Ann Taylor / This qualitative case study examined how the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and college experiences affected five Latina undergraduate students' academic persistence in a predominately White, Research Extensive Midwestern State University. Latinas' gender, race, ethnicity, and college experiences influence their educational achievements directly. Because most research concentrates on understanding Latinas' educational experiences from a cultural deficit perspective, this research addressed the need to investigate Latinas' personal understanding of the challenges they face in college and their responses and coping strategies utilized to navigate their experiences and persist academically. Cultural Congruity was the theoretical framework for analysis and interpretation in this study because it contextualized the understanding of Latinas' culture of origin and its values in relation to the cultural values upheld by the university Latinas attend. The research utilized life narratives to understand the meaning the participants gave to their college experiences. Life narratives invent, reform, and refashion personal and collective identity for underrepresented people. Life narratives provided direct access to accounts of participants' lived experiences while identifying the ideologies and beliefs shaped by those experiences. The findings in this study identified the stereotypes, racism, obstacles, and support encountered by Latinas in college and at home. Further findings include: Impact and relevance that caring relationships and high expectations had on their academic persistence, Latinas' determination to be involved in college and give back to their parents and communities, and how academic effectiveness acted as a form of resistance for Latinas' college persistence. Four additional themes emerged: How self-efficacy was used by Latinas to redefine themselves in college, the changing effect that intellectually stimulating courses had on Latinas in college, their tenacity to succeed, and Latinas' identification of their fathers as feminist role models. Recommendations for practice and future research are addressed. The results contribute to the limited research on Latinas' persistence in higher education and the personal meaning that they give to the obstacles and support they encounter in college. Further, the findings defy the stereotypes attributed frequently to Latinas.

Master of Science / Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / This study investigates the domains and boundaries of sexuality education between two educational fields: sexuality education and family life education. The goal was to understand how scholars and practitioners in these fields conceptualize sexuality education. The journalistic questions of Who, What, When, For whom, and Why were identified within each field by using the constant comparative method to complete a content analysis of publications by scholars and by interviewing certified professionals in each field. Through the lens of Social Constructionism Theory and a Phenomenological Approach, this study helped clarify the similarities and differences of two professional fields, in turn, advancing each field. Results indicated that sexuality education and family life education are similar in many ways; it is the approach that each takes that makes them different. Sexuality education takes a holistic approach while family life education takes a contextual approach when teaching sexuality education. This approach, in turn, affects the rest of the education, including the domains that were identified.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Janice Wissman / This study sought to provide insight regarding how novice teachers perceive the influence of receiving an award for excellence early in their careers. The questions guiding this study focus on the perceptions of the respondents regarding whether or not they perceived that the award was motivating; whether the award influenced them personally, professionally, and organizationally; and whether they perceived an increase in commitment to the profession. This quantitative study gathered data from an on-line questionnaire sent to teachers who received the Kansas Horizon Award from 2003 through 2011. The study used exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and analysis of variance procedures to ascertain whether or not there was any significance regarding the way awardees responded to 15 Likert items. The data were compared to six demographic variables: year of award; age of winner at the time of the award; level taught – elementary or secondary; location of school – urban, suburban, or rural; gender; and teaching status. Each of the 15 Likert items were aligned with one of the four factors identified by the factor analysis – internal influence, expectations, external influence, and commitment to the profession. The significant statistics from the factor analysis ranged from .506 through .900. The analysis of variance showed significance for three factors and variables.(1) The most recent awardees (2009-2011) perceived a greater influence from the award regarding expectations (p = .03) than did those teachers who won the award in previous years. (2) Teachers from urban schools perceived a greater significance from the award regarding external influence (p = .05) than those from suburban schools. (3) Females perceived a greater influence from the award than did males regarding commitment to the profession (p = .03). Recommendations for practice include the need for increased awareness of administrators regarding the importance of awards and recognition for teachers, increased support for teacher attendance at the state conference, and increased leadership opportunities for awardees. Recommendations for further research include studies of how administrators choose nominees for awards and why some never nominate anyone, the relationship between leadership opportunities and awards, and retention of award-winning teachers.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston Gibson / The research conducted in this thesis explores the relationship between high school campus planning and the potential for high school sites to be used as outdoor classrooms. A review of the design of school buildings and the educational pedagogy that has influenced campus planning and design is presented before exploring current design practices. Precedent studies are offered as examples of exemplary design strategies for multi-use campuses. This leads to the question, “What variables allow future outdoor based education opportunities to be anticipated by site designers of high school campuses?” Four units of analysis and their relationship with site planning will be addressed in this research: environmental factors, space requirements, building proximity, and activity type. A case study based on these units of analysis is used in a multiple case study investigation of three school campuses in the Wichita, Kansas area: Goddard High School, Eisenhower High School, and Maize High School. The methodologies of organization, implementation and analysis of the variables are presented. The patterns found from the multiple case study and the variables developed in response to these findings are offered and discussed. Finally design alternatives for the three case study sites and future research opportunities are provided.

Master of Arts / Department of Modern Languages / Douglas Benson / The principal objective of this paper is to provide a thematic teaching unit that explores the Aztec, Incan and Mayan cultures of Latin America, designed for a level II Spanish course. It contains theoretical underpinnings for teaching language, culture and literature while incorporating concepts related to the development of communicative competence; processing instruction; the use of scaffolding in the zone of proximal development; target language instruction; and the inclusion of authentic materials and language in the classroom. The classroom management strategies explained and used throughout the unit include pre, during and post-reading activities; small group activities that help to develop communicative competence through negotiation of meaning and interactional feedback; focused tasks and collaborative output tasks; the use of structured input, structured output and information exchange; the PACE approach to grammar teaching; and the incorporation of authentic aural and written texts. Lesson plans for an eighteen day unit consisting of 40 minute classes are outlined; the lesson objective, necessary materials, time needed for each activity, and expected results of each lesson are included. Each lesson activity is made clear through a description of the activity and instructions for the teacher. The daily lesson plans contain authentic and teacher-created materials that can be found in the appendices section. At the end of the thematic unit, students complete cumulative activities that relate indigenous cultures to present-day life in Latin America through investigating the influence of Aztec words on the Spanish and English languages, analyzing a poem about Peru, and reading an article about discrimination against Mayan descendants in Central America, Mexico and the U.S.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / Trudy Salsberry / The purpose of this study was to gain better insight into the perceptions of mothers, caregivers, and school-age children in regard to educational experiences (defined as social, academic, and behavioral by Kansas Department of Education, 2012) during maternal Army Reserve component deployments. Since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, reserve component deployments have become an integral part of the total military strategy. Because the reserve component could be trained and equipped for a fraction of the active forces, fiscal realities dictated moving routine operational responsibilities to the reserve component (National Guard and Reserve Equipment Report for 2013, 2012). As more citizen soldiers were called to active duty deployments, the effects on children who did not typically identify with being in a military family were particularly important to their well-being. This qualitative case study looked at perceptions regarding maternal reserve component deployments through the theoretical perspective lens of ambiguous loss and boundary ambiguity. “Ambiguous Loss Theory” was a type of family stress termed by Boss (1999) that identified the loss or absence of a family member or loved one that evoked emotional uncertainty and ambiguity in the family (p. 7). “Boundary Ambiguity” was how the family interpreted or perceived the situation of ambiguous loss (Boss, 2002). Research applying Boss’ Ambiguous Loss Theory showed that deployment of a family member in a military family was a major stress factor for military children and caused emotional uncertainty and ambiguity in the family (Faber, Willerton, Clymber, Macdermid, & Weiss, 2008; Huebner, Mancini, Wilcox, Grass & Grass, 2007). As mothers were still recognized as the primary caregivers of children in the United States (Galinsky, Aumann, & Bond, 2011), the absence of a mother due to deployment significantly shifted responsibilities not only to the new primary caregiver, but children also took on new responsibilities as well. Role ambiguity began prior to the deployment, continued during the deployment, and could have the most overwhelming effects post-deployment as family members reintegrated the deployed parent back into the family (Huebner et. al, 2007). Utilizing a qualitative multiple case study, the research was conducted from a social constructivist worldview. Criterion sampling was used to garner four total cases for the study Data from both interviews and documents were collected. The purpose of this study was to gain better insight into the perceptions of mothers/soldiers, caregivers, and school-age children regarding their roles in the educational experiences (defined as social, academic, and behavioral by Kansas Department of Education, 2012) during maternal Army Reserve component deployments. Based on the data, six themes emerged that addressed the overarching research questions of this study: • When deployed mothers/soldiers did not maintain a role in the child’s educational experiences, families perceived role definitions as difficult to establish. • Communication during deployment was a key factor in establishing roles of mother/soldier, child, and caregiver. • Clearly defined roles in educational experiences of the child were a key factor in reintegration. • Schools were perceived as a resource to families experiencing deployment. • Children perceived their roles as maintaining or improving their educational experiences as ways to support mother/soldier during deployment. • When roles in children’s educational experiences were not clearly defined, children perceived stress.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / Sarah Jane Fishback / This study examined faculty self-efficacy beliefs at the United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Faculty members at this military graduate degree-producing institution engaged in collaborative, student- centric, discussion teaching. The study considered how the independent variables of gender, age, ethnicity, academic title, leadership position, education level, and years of teaching experience affected faculty self-efficacy beliefs. Social cognitive theory provided the primary theoretical lens for the study. Discussion teaching and a framework for culturally responsive teaching formed part of the theoretical foundation. The goal included extending teacher self-efficacy concepts to higher education, further developing operational definitions, and providing an instrument suitable for measuring self-efficacy in higher education contexts. The study used mixed methods sequential explanatory research design with two data collection and analysis components: quantitative and qualitative. Faculty members (N = 417) received a 30-question Likert-type survey in December 2010. After quantitative data analysis concluded, in-depth interviews took place with 12 faculty members. A semi-structured interview of nine open-ended questions supported the qualitative portion of the study. Parametric analysis procedures examined the dependent variable, faculty self-efficacy beliefs, with respect to the independent variables. The results showed no significant differences in self-efficacy beliefs. Qualitative analysis using a computer-assisted program identified five themes: establishing a positive classroom environment, facilitating discussion, faculty and student preparation for discussion, questioning, and classroom sharing of combat and deployment experiences. Results of the study provided insights about faculty self-efficacy beliefs regarding facilitation of discussion that informed CGSC leadership decisions for future faculty development initiatives as well as insight for faculty to reflect on classroom best practices. The study contributed to the field of adult education by providing greater understanding of the faculty self-efficacy construct. Further research could examine faculty self-efficacy beliefs in non-military higher education contexts, among various faculty demographics and groups, and across higher education academic disciplines. Future studies could address how interventions such as faculty development or observation and feedback affect faculty self-efficacy beliefs in the classroom.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Jacqueline D. Spears / This study explored the impact of requiring a video term-paper project and media literacy instruction to address the desired educational goals of increasing student ownership of learning, learning course-related concepts, providing evidence of communication skills, and increasing knowledge of key media literacy concepts. Study participants came from convenience samples drawn from a technology course taught by the researcher and from a writing course taught by a colleague. The sixty participants were male (41) and female (19) college students in different years of their courses of study. Participants comprised traditional-age (18-24) and non-traditional-age (25+) students possessing varying levels of familiarity with the skills examined. A quasi-experimental, two-group control/intervention design was used, augmented by additional data collected from the intervention group. The quasi-experiment consisted of pre-and post-test measurements of media literacy, with both groups receiving media literacy instruction an intervention in the form of a video term-paper research project completed by the intervention group. Additional data were gathered from student surveys and interviews conducted with the intervention group. The quasi-experiment did not provide evidence that either the media literacy instruction or the video term-paper project increased knowledge of media-literacy concepts. However, the data collected indicated that the video project was a relevant challenge that engaged students in active participation in their learning. Despite the inherent difficulties in the use of writing and communications skills in technology classes, science and technology educators should investigate the benefits of using media projects in their courses.