Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1959. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliography: leaves 208-212.

Erhard Seminars Training, (est), is an experience which occurs during two weekend training periods.The purpose of the est training is to transform your ability to experience living so that the situations you have been trying to change or have been putting up with, clear up just in the process of life itself. of this study is to describe the contextual approach to education. The purpose est experience as a East is identified in terms of an experience of Being and as the basis for a mode of being-in-the-world. This mode of being is presented as the context in which the contents of life, including education, occur.

<p> This study examined the attitudes of general education teachers and nondisabled peers towards their peers with disabilities who participated in general education classes with and without the use of assistive technology. A convenience sample of three general education classrooms was the focus of this study. One classroom had a student with significant disabilities who used assistive technology participating in the classroom activities. A second classroom had a student with significant disabilities who did not use assistive technology participating in the classroom activities and a third classroom had no student with significant disabilities participating in classroom activities. Attitudes were measured through use of survey and interview instruments. All together, there were positive attitudes expressed by teachers and students without disabilities about students with disabilities participating in the general education classroom, but those students were not seen by both students and teachers as being as capable as their typical peers.</p>

<p> The purpose of this mixed methodology study was to explore the perceptions of ability grouping and its possible contribution to the achievement gap within the high school. The researcher asserted that course placement criterion, associated with the College Prep, Honors and Advanced placement ability groups, serve as contributing factors towards maintaining an achievement gap between White, Asian, Black and Hispanic students. The study revealed stakeholder perceptions and concerns regarding the methods involved to place students in College Prep, Honors and Advanced Placement courses as a contributing factor towards maintaining the achievement gap that exists within the district. This study focused on the following research questions: (1) What are the specific beliefs, roles, and influences of teachers, administrators, counselors, students, and parents when determining ability level placement in school? (2) What key factors shape teacher's perceptions of students relative to academic achievement and placement? (3) Does a course placement criterion contribute to the achievement gap? The findings were based upon four data sources: focus groups conducted with parents, teachers/counselors, and students; interviews conducted with three district administrators; an on-line survey completed by parents, students, teachers/counselors and administrators; and a review of archival data regarding course enrollment and High School Proficiency Assessment scores over a period of three academic years. </p><p> This action research dissertation revealed fifteen findings of which four themes emerged. The themes are: (1) Beliefs, values, and influences of teachers, parents, and students affect ability grouping decisions; (2) A student's perceived work ethic and grades earned in previous classes influence teacher's decisions regarding ability placement; (3) The parent's right to overrule teacher course recommendations and course placement criterion contribute towards the achievement gap; and (4) Course enrollment and standardized test scores demonstrate the existence of an achievement gap in Central Jersey High School. </p>

<p>This study examined students&rsquo; use of self-regulation strategies in fully online and blended courses in a rural high school in northeast Georgia. An examination of self-regulation strategies between and within ethnic groups, gender, students&rsquo; grade level, and students enrolled or not enrolled in online or blended courses was conducted. Students (n = 507) and teachers (n = 57) from the high school were provided online learning tasks aimed to advance strategies on self-regulated learning. A modified version of the MSLQ (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, and McKeachie (1991) was used for the students&rsquo; survey. The 19-items modified MSLQ survey was associated with eight factors of self-regulation. The eight factors were goal setting, motivation, task strategies, environment structuring, time management, help-seeking, self-efficacy for computer usage, and self-evaluation. However, based on factor analyses, only three factors emerged from the principal component analysis (PCA). The three factors were task strategies, goal setting, and self-efficacy for computer usage. In the qualitative investigation, teacher questionnaires and teacher interviews were used to generate a rich account of students&rsquo; self-regulated strategies, offering insight that helped to identify what self-regulated strategies students need to succeed in online and blended courses. </p>

<p> Students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) are educated in restrictive placements at higher rates than students in other disability categories due to their challenging behavior and inability to function in the general educational environment (Bullock &amp; Gable, 2006). The increasing utilization of alternative programming to educate students with EBD has prompted scholars to more closely examine and identify critical intervention components of these programs (Simpson et al., 2011). Although outcomes associated with restrictive placements have been investigated, there has not been any systematic investigation of whether the recommended elements of comprehensive programming are in place in these settings, whether they are being implemented with integrity and whether they, in turn, lead to improved outcomes. Therefore, a review of the literature aimed at examining studies of restrictive settings for the existence of the eight critical elements for effective EBD programs (Simpson et al., 2011) and the associated academic, behavioral, and social outcomes was conducted. The review revealed that none of the studies described the existence of supports in all eight areas. Examination of the outcomes across the studies indicated that students with EBD made some progress academically, behaviorally, and socially, but the extent and practical significance of that progress varied. A descriptive study was also conducted. Administrators and teachers from Board of Cooperative Educations Services (BOCES) specialized programs and approved day treatment programs in New York State were surveyed about the intensity and fidelity of implementation of evidence-based academic practices, effective behavior management and treatment plans, and social skills instruction. Means and standard deviations were used to summarize the levels of intensity and implementation fidelity across the sample. Two-way multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were conducted to determine the effect of type of program and the respondents' professional position on the three elements. Overall, the results suggest that the three critical elements are present in some capacity and implemented with at least medium fidelity across the two restrictive settings. Significant differences were found between programs and positions in regards to the perceived levels of intensity and fidelity of implementation of the practices. Implications for future research, practice, and limitations are discussed.</p>

<p> This qualitative study explores the external protective factors of family, school, and community as perceived by rural students who live in poverty and demonstrate academic resilience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that were reported by the students and teachers which supported the academic success of these students in a rural school district. By identifying the common variables among academically resilient students, educators identify practices that support or even cultivate resilience in students who are at risk for failure. </p><p> Resilience research has revealed both external and internal protective factors that serve to buffer against the effects of risk factors. Specific to academic resilience, individual attributes have been determined to provide significant internal support to students. External protective factors for students related to the family, school, and community have also been identified. By understanding these external protective factors as they are perceived by students, educators may develop policy and practice to support academic resilience. </p><p> The study employed multicase methodology using phenomenological interviews. Participants included six students who demonstrated academic resilience. Triangulation of data sources included in-depth, semistructured interviews with six students and a former teacher of each student, verbatim transcription of all interviews, a document review, and personal observations. </p><p> Findings revealed protective factors of connections, expectations, experiences, and instruction supported school success in rural students living in poverty. </p>

<p> Review of literature revealed a shortage of research describing the development of K-12 virtual communities and the absence of a tool to measure sense of virtual community in K-12 virtual education students. The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative study was to examine the perception of a sense of virtual community from the perspective of virtual students. The sample for this research consisted of 205 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade virtual education students. The researcher combined existing research on community in the brick-and-mortar school context, and scales used to measure the sense of virtual community in virtual education and other online settings. From this analysis of existing scales, the researcher created a scale to measure the degree of virtual community perceived by the fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-grade virtual education student. </p><p> The measurement instrument consisted of two sections. The first section was a 25-question Likert scale used to measure the degree of virtual community perceived by the students. The second section of the instrument required students to rank virtual classroom and face-to-face activities according to what they felt was the most important for fostering a sense of virtual community. Data analysis revealed the majority of students revealed that they perceived a superior to significant sense of virtual community. ANOVA tests revealed that there was no significant difference between gender or grade level. Rankings of the virtual classroom and face-to-face activities were developed from the data. The rankings revealed that activities such as in-person field trips and gatherings, as well as virtual options such as emails and online live chats, foster a sense of virtual community for virtual students.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Counseling and Educational Psychology, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: A, page: 2810. Adviser: Joyce M. Alexander. Title from dissertation home page (viewed April 8, 2008).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Counseling and the Educational Psychology, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: A, page: 2816. Advisers: Daniel T. Hickey; Sasha A. Barab. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 14, 2008).