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Negotiating cultural humility| First-year engineering students' development in a life-long journeyGroll, Lorie 18 October 2013 (has links)
<p> One of the most sought after abilities in matriculating engineering students is the ability to negotiate cultural differences and build sustainable partnerships with others. This core attribute of the National Academy of Engineers' Engineer of 2020 is one of the least researched areas in engineering education literature. The ABET Engineering Accreditation Committee requires engineering programs to addresses this need in student outcomes "(g) an ability to communicate effectively, (h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context, and (i) a recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning". The essential learning outcomes of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) requires that graduating students be able to use practical and intellectual skills to address contemporary and enduring issues with a core component of this being the ability to communicate with diverse others to negotiate shared meanings. These qualities are foundational requirements for engineers' sustained participation in the diverse, multinational workforce where teaming, design, and innovation are imperative. </p><p> Current research efforts in this area use a cacophony of terms to describe these qualities within the engineering education literature. This creates silos of research and inhibits collaborative conversations. This research seeks to negotiate shared meaning through the following two goals to aid in quieting the din. 1) To offer a term with generative promise for the inclusive practice of engineering. 2) To provide a multi-dimensional portrait of the ways first-year engineering students communicate and make meaning around cultural differences. The first goal is considered through the lens of Politically Attentive Relational Constructionism. This research explores terms and associated theories by considering their histories and the opportunities they offer for the inclusive practice of engineering. Generative promise of the terms was considered based upon how they accounted for the communicative nature of understanding of otherness, the relational nature of the negotiation of meaning, the political nature of encounters with cultural others, the historical and socio-cultural context of encounters, and whether these attributes are considered in the context of a bio-psycho-socio-cultural developmental continuum. The term cultural humility defined as "the lifelong, geopolitically situated, developmental process of negotiating cultural difference in the creation of sustainable, mutually beneficial as defined by all participants, partnerships" has the most opportunity for educational practices. The second goal is reached by taking a mixed-methods approach to locate first-year engineering students within the developmental continuum. The quantitative portrait of first-year students used both the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale - Short (M-GUDS-s) and the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). IDI results revealed that first-year students as a cohort are in polarization. The qualitative montage provides an understanding of how first-year students communicate their experiences with cultural others using polarizing and minimizing language. Collectively these studies establish a starting point from which engineering educators can begin a collaborative effort in creating evidence based practices to engage first-year students in this lifelong process.</p>
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Young Children in WorshipRezek, Robin R|Rezek, Robin R. 21 November 2013 (has links)
<p>Westerhoff (2000) reminds Christian congregations that children become members of the Christian Church from the moment they are baptized. Therefore, infants and young children should be present during congregational corporate worship services. It is through mentoring and modeling of the Christian faith that young children have optimal opportunity to grow in their relationship with God. </p><p> The goal of this qualitative case study was to look at what happens during corporate worship from the perspective of young children. Data were gathered from thirteen worship participants (ages five-nine) from two Lutheran congregations in order to determine the elements of corporate worship that help them encounter God. </p><p> The findings reveal that intergenerational corporate worship provides an opportunity for the mentoring/modeling dynamic that is central to Westerhoff's (2000) theory. The participants in this study report having meaningful encounters with God during church through various elements. Future research should replicate this inquiry in Christian congregations of other denominations. </p>
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Response to intervention| An investigation of training, perceptions, and fidelity of implementationLatacha, Kathryn N. 15 January 2014 (has links)
<p>The authors investigated the extent to which the amount of training in Response to Intervention (RtI) impacts staff members' perceptions of RtI, how staff members' perceptions of RtI relate to their fidelity of implementation, and to what degree staff members' involvement in training influences their fidelity of implementation. A convenience sampling of thirty-eight staff members in Middle Tennessee was surveyed using a questionnaire and interview. Participants in the study worked in elementary and middle schools within a large urban district lacking a well-defined RtI program and a smaller district with a well-defined program. The quantitative analysis revealed that there is no statistically significant relationship between training and teachers' perceptions of RtI. There is a statistically significant relationship between teachers' perceptions and fidelity of implementation as well as the amount of training they receive and fidelity of implementation. The strongest relationship found was between teachers' perceptions of RtI and their fidelity of implementation of RtI. The qualitative analysis revealed that staff member perceptions concerning RtI effectiveness and individual comfort in implementation abilities are motivated by accountability, time, procedures, and training. The chief recommendations the researchers made to the Tennessee Department of Education are to focus on improving perceptions of RtI and provide adequate training through adding evidence-based intervention suggestions to the state manual, determine how to unite pre-service training for RtI across the state, and create a hierarchy map of new personnel including a state-level RtI coordinator, regional coordinators, state auditors, district-level coaches, and site coaches.
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The correlation and the effect economic factors have on Mississippi community college enrollmentCarroll, Joshua Gerald 12 May 2015 (has links)
<p> The purpose of this study is to determine how economic factors correlate with and have an effect on enrollment at community colleges and provide benchmark enrollment strategies for use by community colleges in the future. A cluster sampling of 22 branch campus locations at 9 community colleges in Mississippi and their respective counties was selected. The independent variables used were median household income, percentage of persons below the poverty level, and unemployment rates. </p><p> A statistical correlation and regression was conducted to determine if economic factors (median household income, percentage of persons below the poverty level, and unemployment by county) had any correlation or an effect on the decrease or increase in enrollment at the respective community college campus. The correlation and statistical effect based on the regression model used demonstrated that median household income and poverty levels had the strongest correlation and the most statistically significant effect on community college enrollment in Mississippi. Unemployment had a very weak correlation and no statistically significant effect on the sample for community college enrollment for Mississippi during this period. There were some exceptions in which certain community college campuses and their respective county unemployment rates had a very high effect on enrollment for that specific campus and that specific period. </p><p> There were 6 phone interviews conducted following the analysis of the datasets to determine any internal or external causes to enrollment decreases and increases during this period. 4 of the 6 colleges responded. Of the colleges that responded, 2 saw increases and 2 saw decreases. The predominant enrollment factor denoted by the interviewee was retention and cohesive interdepartmental focus toward recruitment, which resulted in increased enrollment. Of the colleges that saw decreases and were interviewed, it was noted that enrollment personnel were not prepared for the enrollment decrease and could have been. </p><p> Target markets with higher income and lower poverty levels perform better during harsh periods of challenge for enrollment at community colleges. Increased retention and interdepartmental cohesion produces better preparation for challenging periods of declining enrollment.</p>
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An analytical case study| Curriculum development and girls' education in YemenAL-Arashi, Lamis Yahya 20 May 2015 (has links)
<p>ABSTRACT
Yemeni women have a subordinate position in the conservative, male-dominated society, and girls? education remains a challenge. The school curriculum perpetuates the traditional values of social injustice, and Yemen is in the last place among 142 countries for gender equality. The purpose of this case study was to explore the role of the education curriculum in Yemen, to describe how that curriculum represents women, and to explore how that representation impacts the place of Yemeni women. The conceptual framework drew on theories of gender equity and equality in education, and their application to Yemeni curricula and girls? education. Data were gathered from eight Yemeni women aged 25 to 35, using both face-to-face and electronic questionnaires. Data analysis began with coding and categorizing until themes emerged to identify the absence of female voices in curriculum and the role of literature in promoting gender equality. The Yemeni curriculum does not effectively address social justice and girls? education. Research findings suggested that a relevant literature curriculum that included Yemeni women authors and subjects could motivate Yemeni women to think critically about their status in society and encourage the voices of women to narrow the gender disparity. Findings showed that the inclusion of women in the Yemeni curriculum could have the following three critical impacts: inspiring the minds of both boys and girls, developing girls? self-esteem, and empowering young women leaders. Recommendations included a revision and development of the current Yemeni curriculum so that it features both males and females as equal citizens and encouraging greater public awareness of the value of women?s experience in the development of the country. This may help to build a sense of equality and social justice.
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An evaluation of the efficacy of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) on improving freshman college students' writing abilitiesChenard, Monica R. 14 April 2015 (has links)
<p> The purpose of this dissertation is to describe a doctoral research study designed to implement Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) writing revision strategies, delivered in a completely online format, for college students. There is an insignificant amount of empirical research that has been conducted supporting writing interventions for college students. Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) is a writing intervention for which a significant amount of empirical research has been conducted in regards to its efficacy in elementary, middle, and high schools, with results showing positive effects for students of all ages. SRSD has features that lend itself to web-based interventions as well. Research on web-based interventions for students of all ages is on the rise, and is significant in regard to the methods of communication in which students today function. This study investigated the efficacy of a web-based version of SRSD provided to college students in freshman writing classes. The three SRSD revision strategies chosen to investigate were REVISE, SCAN, and Compare, Diagnose, Operate. The results indicated those SRSD participants who reported using at least one of the revision strategies at some point during the semester received higher course grades in their writing classes, in comparison to those participants who did not use the strategies; secondary analysis indicated that although the SRSD students' grades were higher, when group size was controlled, the difference in grades was not statistically significant. Qualitative analyses indicate that students felt as though the REVISE and SCAN strategies were most effective, and may be the most socially valid. The findings are discussed in the context of the procedures necessary for creating effective evidence-based writing interventions in the college setting.</p>
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Teacher self-study| Stories of "success and survival"Weir, Regina 12 September 2014 (has links)
<p> This qualitative study investigates two teachers who attempt to guide self-improvement initiatives in their school setting during and after completing a University based practicum course in special education. Fullan's (1993) framework for change agency was used to help facilitate the participants' self-improvement process. Participants were called to consider and enact self-identified changes they would like to make as teachers and to consider how these changes interact with their teaching selves and schools at large. To better understand how the self-initiated projects were carried out in the school context, two cases were followed for eighteen months after the sixteen-week self-study practicum was completed. </p><p> A case study of each participant was constructed based on observations, interviews, and document analysis. Using a recursive process, data was explored to analyze each participant's sense of identity and how this process related to efforts to foster improvements in their school setting. The critical importance of the participant's life experiences (past and present) emerged as important to the self-study process and as important to their actions beyond the self-study process. The participants in these case studies were engaged in a balancing act between efforts to improve themselves as teachers and efforts to respond to the internal and external expectations they had in their personal lives as mothers and wives. Although this study was initially interested in how a teacher's identity process might lead toward greater critical consciousness about social justice issues in the classroom, these cases do not suggest a strong connection between the enacted self-study process and an emerging critical consciousness in teachers. However an examination of a teacher's life circumstances and prior experience is believed to provide insights that may inform future research on identity development, teacher development and change agency.</p>
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Early Care and Education Leadership| Toward a Theory of Essential Experiences, Skills and Knowledge for Effective Early Care and Education Change AgentsAustin, Lea J.E. 17 September 2014 (has links)
<p> This dissertation examines the ways in which mid-career intermediary early care and educations leaders, "change agents among change agents," have prepared themselves for leadership roles given the lack of articulated competencies and pathways to ECE leadership. Thousands of ECE leadership roles in which persons are responsible for informing, developing and implementing policy and practice standards for the ECE field, and working in politically charged settings, are being filled across the country. Yet little is known about those filling these roles and scant attention has been paid the educational and professional development needs of these leaders. This study used a constructivist grounded theory methodological approach to learn about the lived experiences of nine mid-career intermediary leaders, and from this derive a contribution to a theory of essential skills, knowledge, and experiences for effective ECE leadership. Findings indicate that participants in this study, regardless of whether they had prior experience in the ECE field, identified a need for leadership development focused on developing subject matter expertise about the ECE system, political strategies, and communication skills. Findings also indicate that participants experienced a range of challenges as leaders based on age, and that participants of color also experienced leadership challenges because of their race. Findings further indicate that participation in in-depth ECE-based leadership programs and relationships with mentors helped to fill in some knowledge gaps and mitigate some of the challenges experienced because of age or race. The results suggest that a lack of attention to the development of a diverse cadre of field leaders has led to a knowledge gap in the acquisition of leadership competencies, and has undergirded generational and racial tensions among field leaders, amplifying the need for further research to inform policies, programs, and practices to support the development and promotion of a diverse, well-prepared leaders.</p>
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Knowledge Retention for Computer Simulations| A study comparing virtual and hands-on laboratoriesCroom, John R., III 07 October 2014 (has links)
<p> The use of virtual laboratories has the potential to change physics education. These low-cost, interactive computer activities interest students, allow for easy setup, and give educators a way to teach laboratory based online classes. This study investigated whether virtual laboratories could replace traditional hands-on laboratories and whether students could retain the same long-term knowledge in virtual laboratories as compared to hands-on laboratories. This study is a quantitative quasi-experiment that used a multiple posttest design to determine if students using virtual laboratories would retain the same knowledge as students who performed hands-on laboratories after 9 weeks. The study was composed of 336 students from 14 school districts. Students had their performances on the laboratories and their retention of the laboratories compared to a series of factors that might have affected their retention using a pretest and two posttests, which were compared using a <i>t</i> test. The results showed no significant difference in short-term learning between the hands-on laboratory groups and virtual laboratory groups. There was, however, a significant difference (p = .005) between the groups in long-term retention; students in the hands-on laboratory groups retained more information than those in the virtual laboratory groups. These results suggest that long-term learning is enhanced when a laboratory contains a hands-on component. Finally, the results showed that both groups of students felt their particular laboratory style was superior to the alternative method. The findings of this study can be used to improve the integration of virtual laboratories into science curriculum.</p>
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A Transcendental Phenomenological Study of Reflection through ExerciseMilligan, Russell W. 11 November 2014 (has links)
<p> This study explored middle managers' lived experience of exercise-induced reflection to understand if the meaning they ascribed to the lived experience could address their practical problem of not being able to reflect in time-constrained work environments. The study also explored if the lived experience could be linked to another model of reflective learning that does not appear to exist within the study's theoretical framework at the intersections of leadership and reflection, reflection and aerobic exercise, and aerobic exercise and leadership. </p><p> To understand the meaning participants associated with their lived experience of exercise-induced reflection, ten employed middle managers were recruited to participate in a series of thirty face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Analyzing the data through the phenomenological processes of grouping, reducing, clustering, thematizing, and textural-structural synthesis led to the discovery of six core themes. The core themes were the following: the age at which participants first experienced the phenomenon, the aerobic activity that evoked exercise-induced reflection, reflective states, reflection topics, reflection during exercise is productive, and applied learning. These themes revealed how the lived experience of reflection through exercise manifested into three major meanings: a productive haven for reflective thinking, a mind-body connection that stimulates reflective learning, and a therapeutic sanctuary for well-being. </p><p> Understanding the meanings participants ascribed to exercise-induced reflection expanded upon the literature within the theoretical framework of the leadership, reflection, and aerobic exercise disciplines. Additionally, the meanings addressed middle managers practical problem of reflection in the time-constrained workplace. </p><p> Findings from this transcendental phenomenological study provide a baseline understanding of exercise-induced reflection for future research. Augmenting the baseline findings through mixed methods and medical research studies could provide a deeper understanding of exercise-induced reflection. A mixed methods study could help explore and explain the relationship of exercise-induced reflection to workplace performance and leadership styles. A medical study could expand upon knowledge about the relationship of exercise-induced reflection to human neuro-physiological changes.</p>
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