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LD2668 .T4 1947 N4 / Master of Science

<p> A common goal among nurse educators is to adequately prepare graduates to be competent, caring professionals who deliver the highest standard of care. For the nursing school graduate, the first step to attaining this goal is success on the NCLEX-RN. Nurse educators are constantly seeking new strategies to help better prepare graduates for first time NCLEX-RN success. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student access to computer-adaptive quizzing software program during the final semester of a baccalaureate nursing program and first time NCLEX-RN success. </p><p> Employing the principles of retrieval practice theory, computer-adaptive quizzing is a strategy used in nursing education to allow students to study, evaluate, remediate, and reevaluate mastery of nursing concepts. Computer-adaptive quizzing was developed using the foundational principles of computer-adaptive testing and item response theory, which have been utilized in education, psychology, and computer science for many years. </p><p> A retrospective, descriptive correlational design was used to compare NCLEX-RN outcomes of one cohort of students who did not have access to the computer-adaptive quizzing software (<i>n</i>=99) and one cohort who did have access (<i>n</i>=96). The computer-adaptive quizzing software program that was used in this study was PassPoint^&reg;, a product of Wolters Kluwer Health. There were no statistically significant differences between the two cohorts related to age, gender, race, pre-nursing science GPA, nursing GPA, nursing course failures, and if other degrees were held. There were no major course changes or revisions over the four semesters of the study other than the implementation of the PassPoint adaptive quizzing software. Chi-square analysis suggested that there was an association between having access to and using the software and NCLEX-RN success (<i>p</i>&lt; .001; <i>df</i>=1) with 16.16% of those not having access being unsuccessful on the NCLEX-RN compared to 1.05% of those with access being unsuccessful. Logistic regression showed the predictive model significantly predicted that 18% of the variability of NCLEX-RN success could be linked with usage of the adaptive quizzing software.</p>

<p> Research has shown that the working environment of physical education influences teacher motivation. Identifying the characteristics of teachers&rsquo; working environment may contribute to developing a productive and motivating working environment for physical education teachers. </p><p> The first part of this dissertation study was focused on developing and validating an instrument that measures physical education teachers&rsquo; job demands/resources perception on five theorized dimensions: organizational resources, physical resources, cognitive demands, physical demands, and emotional demands. The content validity was achieved through expert evaluation of the consistency between the items and the dimensions they represent. The evaluation rendered an average consistency rating of 3.6 on a 5 point scale. The construct validity and reliability were determined with a physical education teacher sample (n=193). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) established a five-dimension construct structure matching the theoretical construct with factor loadings ranging from .57 to .85. The intraclass correlational coefficients ranged from .75 to .80 for job resources and from .80 to .83 for job demands, respectively. The inter-scale correlational coefficients ranged from .14 to .25, showing both convergent and divergent validity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the construct structure found in the EFA with high dimensional factor loadings ranging from .47 to .81 for job resources scale and from .51 to .86 for job demands scale. The model fit tests produced acceptable indices including the RMSEA &lt; .05. It is concluded that the instrument met the required psychometric standards to be useful to measure physical education teachers&rsquo; perception of their working environment. </p><p> The second part of the study was to determine the extent to which the perceived job demands and resources influence physical education teachers&rsquo; motivation regulatory processes and motivation. An <i>a priori</i> model was proposed for testing based on the integration of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Job Demands-Resources Model. Certified physical education teachers in two southeastern states (n=193) provided self-reported data on perceived job demands and resources in the working environment, motivation regulatory processes, and motivation to teach. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that increasing job demands in working environment enabled the teachers to adopt more autonomous regulatory processes, such as integrated regulation (&gamma; = .20) but not more controlling regulatory processes, such as external regulation (&gamma; = -.16) and introjected regulation (&gamma; = -.22). The findings of the study provide empirical evidence that relate perceptions of working environment to physical education teachers&rsquo; motivation to teach.</p>

<p> This quantitative, ex post facto study examined the impact a districtwide high school one-to-one mobile technology initiative had on the number of 10^th grade students in the Forney Independent School District (ISD) (Texas) who passed their standardized TAKS tests during the 2010 academic year. The research study used annual public Forney ISD (Texas) data obtained from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website. The study compared the 2009 academic year when 10^th grade students (n=520) did not have one-to-one mobile technology and the 2010 academic year when 10^th grade students (n=530) were able to use one-to-one mobile technology as their personal school and home device. Findings from the study determined if there was a statistically significant relationship between one-to-one mobile technology and the number of 10^th grade students who passed their standardized TAKS tests during the 2010 academic year. With a chi-square critical value of 3.84 the results of the study showed a statistically significant relationship between the number of 10^th grade students who passed their TAKS tests in 2010 with one-to-one mobile technology. In 2010, the number of 10^th grade students who passed the English Language Arts test increased by 5% (92% to 97%) with a chi-square statistic of 12.86. The number of students who passed the Math test increased by 18% (65% to 83%) with a chi-square statistic of 44.39. The number of students who passed the Science test increased by 12% (70% to 82%) with a chi-square statistic of 21.04. The number of students who passed the Social Studies test increased by 6% (90% to 96%) with a chi-square statistic of 14.79. The number of 10^th grade students who passed all of their TAKS tests increased by 18% (57% to 75%) with a chi-square statistic of 38.67. The theoretical framework was constructed by the dual coding theory of Alan Pavio and the multiple intelligence theory of Howard Gardner.</p>

published_or_final_version / English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Several alternatives to the Kuder and Richardson formula number 20 (KR20) were compared for accuracy using simulated and actual data sets. Coefficients by Loevinger (1948), Horst (1954), Raju (1982), and Cliff (1984) as well as the Kuder and Richardson formulae numbers 8 and 14 were examined. These alternative reliability coefficients were compared by (1) simulation of tests with varying degrees of item difficulty dispersion, subject proficiency, reliability, and length, and (2) use of the norming samples of the Curriculum Referenced Tests of Mastery (Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., publisher) for grades four, six, and eight. Most of the coefficients examined proved no more accurate than the KR20 and several were decidedly worse. All coefficients, with the exception of Loevinger's, were affected by item difficulty dispersion. Two coefficients, the KR8 and Horst, were found to have potential as KR20 substitutes. These two coefficients are discussed with recommendations made as to the appropriate use of each one.

Researchers have suggested that knowledge of how to take a test decreases the validity of achievement test scores as measures of content knowledge. Further, teaching students test taking skills generally improves student achievement test scores. However, little research exists regarding the efficacy of commercially prepared materials for formal test-wiseness instruction. Fourth and fifth grade students in 15 elementary schools participated in this study. Students in the Volunteer Selected group received instruction in test taking skills using the Riverside Improving Test Taking Skills materials. Students in the Volunteer Not-Selected group received whatever test taking skill instruction their teachers provided as a result of wanting, but not being selected, to participate in the study. Students in the Control group received what was considered "normal" instruction in test taking skills. A gain score ANOVA of NCE scores from standardized testing was used to determine statistical significance on the Composite Battery and the Reading and Mathematics subtests. When reliable differences were indicated effect sizes were calculated. Formal instruction in test taking skills resulted in significant effects for fourth grade students on the Composite battery and the Mathematics subtest. However, average gains for students in the Volunteer Not-Selected group were as great as for students who received instruction using the Riverside materials. Significant effects for the Reading subtest were indicated only for achievement level. Positive effects were indicated for fifth grade students in the Volunteer Not-Selected group on the Composite and Mathematics subtest. At the fourth grade differential effects were indicated for achievement level, sex, and SES, but not for ethnicity. At the fifth grade achievement level, sex, SES, and ethnicity resulted in differential effects for students in all three groups. In summary, test taking skill instruction appeared beneficial to fourth grade students regardless of whether the instruction was delivered using the Riverside materials or using teacher made or teacher collected materials. At the fifth grade data the results were less clear cut. Further research must be conducted before policies can be established and educators can use with confidence, or not use at all, commercially prepared test taking skill instructional materials.