Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Victoria Marsick. Dissertation Committee: Stephen Brookfield. Bibliography: leaves 181-187.

In a suburban high school, an average of 50% of limited English proficient (LEP) students did not meet the required standard on the 9th grade literature and composition end of course test (EOCT), and an average of 46% of LEP students did not meet the required standard on the American literature and composition EOCT in the years 2008-2011. LEP students were expected to meet the same standards as their native-born peers in order to pass courses and ultimately graduate. Using the professional learning community (PLC) model and the concept of differentiated instruction, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how 7 regular education English teachers from 2 different schools described the ways they differentiated instruction for LEP students in their regular education classrooms. Data were collected by using open-ended questions, member checking, and reviewing documentary data they related to professional development on differentiation and then analyzed by transcribing and coding for emerging themes. Findings revealed that the participants wanted to have meaningful professional development where differentiated instruction is modeled for them in their content area with the time to implement and collaborate on the effectiveness of the lessons. Results of the project study will be shared at the local schools to encourage teachers to see the benefits of differentiated instruction with LEP students. This study has the potential for social change for English teachers, by revealing how to integrate differentiation, help students increase scores on required standardized tests, and thereby maximize their students' learning potential.

Peer-to-peer bullying negatively impacts over 20% of school-aged children annually. While much literature exists on bullying on school premises, peer-to-peer bullying outside of the classroom is still relatively understudied. Despite states' implementation of antibullying legislation, peer-to-peer bullying has continued in schools and other areas such as afterschool centers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate staff perceptions of peer-to-peer bullying in afterschool centers. It specifically investigated bullying and the hierarchical imbalance of power using Sidanius and Pratto's social dominance theory. The research questions were designed to investigate the staff members' knowledge of bullying at the Boys and Girls Club. A phenomenological approach was used and data were collected through one-on-one interviews of 11 Boys and Girls Club staff members. Data from the interviews were deductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis. Findings indicate that staff members do not have a uniform understanding of bullying behaviors, nor did they have a clear guidance on practices to minimize bullying which leads to continued peer-to-peer bullying at the Boys and Girls Club. Staff also reported that they have been offered little training on dealing with bullying behavior, nor are there clear policies in place to combat bullying behavior from participants in the afterschool program. Positive social change may be achieved by the implementation of recommendations to the Boys and Girls Club including mandatory antibullying training for staff and the creation and implementation of a comprehensive antibullying policy.

Past studies have indicated that teachers in the United States have limited opportunities to collaborate with peers; this limitation has been found to be particularly problematic for social studies teachers. An increasing number of educators are using the social media application Twitter to collaborate. Little research exists concerning social studies teachers' use of #edchats, a weekly recurring Twitter session. The focus of this qualitative case study was the collaboration that exists among social studies teachers participating in Twitter edchats. The theoretical framework was communities of practice. Transcripts of 10 edchat sessions in 2013 were coded with an a priori strategy, and emergent themes were triangulated with interviews from 7 of the most consistent contributors from the edchats. Emergent themes included close personal connections among participants consistent with communities of practice and a narrow focus on social studies-specific content. Findings were consistent with existing research describing a general lack of formal training on the methodology of incorporating Twitter and a general consensus among active participants that adopting new technologies was relatively easy. Results indicate the potential of #edchats as an asynchronous and synchronous form of collaboration but also illustrate the need for formal training to help educators who feel less comfortable with adopting new technologies. The project resulting from this study, a free professional development program designed to teach educators how to use Twitter, will contribute to social change by sharing the benefits of creating a collaborative environment through Twitter, thus freeing participants from the constraints of physical location and time at no significant cost.

Racial/ethnic minority groups experience a higher mortality rate, a lower life expectancy, and worse mental health outcomes than non-Hispanic in the United States. There is a scarcity of qualitative studies on racial/ethnic health disparities. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the personal experiences, attitudes, and perspectives of 6 African American adults with chronic health issues related to diabetes through a face-to-face interview. Social cognitive theory and health belief model guided the study. The participants were recruited through purposeful sampling. The data were coded using axial and thematic coding and subsequently analyzed through phenomenological interpretive inquiry. The participants' perceived experiences were summarized in 7 themes (Beliefs and perceptions, denial, attitudes, treatment cost, neighborhood effect, juggling work and family related stress, and need for positive motivation and support). The participants' experiences with their health outcomes were influenced by internal and some external factors that were beyond their control. Social change implications include public policy makers integrating health policies that are designed for socioeconomic inequality in the neighborhood and improving health insurance company policies on treatment copays. Public health and other human services professionals can develop health intervention to assist minorities with chronic health issues to manage their disease and overcome barriers related to the disease.

Bullying has become a widespread social issue. Previous research has focused on both genders and various grade levels; it has shown that programs reduce bullying and improve social climates and attitudes toward academics. The effect of these programs, specifically on female youth, has not been studied. This study addressed the effect of bullying prevention programs on perceptions of bullying among female youth in Grades 5-7 in 2 schools in rural eastern Pennsylvania. One school utilized a prevention program while the other did not. Teachers and administrators were also interviewed to gain insight regarding their perceived effectiveness of the program. The main research question examined if prevention programs resulted in reductions in the perceptions of peer bullying among female youth in Grades 5-7. Telephone interviews with 30 students were conducted to assess if bullying programs alter perceptions of bullying. The theoretical bases of social learning theory and general aggression model were used to determine if programs altered perceptions of bullying. Bullying perceptions of participants from both schools were compared. An ethnographic design was employed, using partial grounded theory as the primary methods of research. Data were reviewed and codes were determined based upon the frequency of responses to interview questions. Results showed that bullying was prevalent in both schools; however, the prevention program did not alter perceptions of bullying, indicating problems with program implementation. The current research provides insights for school administrators regarding changes needed in program implementation to improve students' perceptions and possibly reduce bullying among this population.

This study examined adult students' perceptions of satisifaction levels within specific areas of the ETSU campus. The population surveyed included 106 undergraduate adult learners aged 25 years and older. The Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, 4-year College and University Version was the survey instrument used to share feedback about the adult learners' collegiate experiences thus far. Responses received would give campus leadership feedback about the satisfaction levels of adult learners at ETSU. The purpose of this study was to determine if the adult learner at ETSU is satisfied with his/her overall learning experience. Adult students were asked to rank programs and services offered at ETSU and how they felt they may or may not have contributed to their overall learning experiences. Age was the determinant for the sample. Survey data from adult learners, 25 years and above, was included in this study. This study employed descriptive statistics using frequency distributions to analyze the data. Because this was a cluster sample, frequency distributions were used to report the number of times the value occurs and the percentage of respondents in each category. In order to analyze data received, questions were broken down and placed into one of seven categories used to answer the research questions. The seven categories were overall learning experience, bookstore services, food service, academic programs and services, administrative programs, caring campus, and campus commitment to student learning. Results of the data revealed that the majority of adult learners at East Tennessee State University were satisfied with all aspects surveyed on the campus and the institutions's commitment to adult learner programs and services. Although all aspects surveyed on campus received high satisfaction levels, areas such as food service, counseling staff, financial aid, and creating a sense of belonging indicated lower satisfaction levels. These areas could be researched further in order to increase adult learner satisfaction levels at East Tennessee State University.

The primary focus of this study was to determine how "moral entrepreneurs" were able to convince the American public to support their anti-drug crusades. The methodology section consisted of information gathered from primary and secondary sources, and described why these sources were used. Harry Anslinger and Richard Nixon were used as models to demonstrate how a cycle of moral entrepreneurship existed throughout the twentieth century. By testing for a cycle of moral entrepreneurship through content analysis of various sources, including descriptive statistics, the same pattern was identified as dominating Reagan's and Bush's anti-drug rhetoric. Lastly, possible limitations of the study and any implications that the study may have for the reader were discussed.

The focus of this research is a detailed analysis of Liam O'Flaherty's first published novel, Thy Neighbour's Wife, as an underlying autobiographical portrait depicted in the main character, Fr. Hugh McMahon. Although never touted as an autobiography, this study shows O'Flaherty drew upon his early cultural, historical, religious, and political influences in creating his main character. Primary and secondary sources, an ethnographic trip to Ireland, and a content analysis of the novel determined the findings. The fictional McMahon faced difficult personal choices, subsequently coming to terms with past decisions. McMahon's foibles reflect O'Flaherty's early years. O'Flaherty wrote two acclaimed autobiographies, Shame the Devil and Two Years, during his later literary career. This analysis establishes that O'Flaherty used his main character in his first novel, Thy Neighbour's Wife, as a means of conveying in fictional form his own personal struggles, thus establishing this novel as a de facto autobiography.

With the assistance of information collected by residents of Bumpass Cove, Tennessee Department of Public Health records, and interviews with residents and local health officials, this study provides a historical overview of the inception of Bumpass Cove Landfill, the resulting problems stemming from its misuse, and the reaction of a persistent community during the 1970s and early 1980s. In its early days, Bumpass Cove was an active and productive mining site; however, the area would become a threat to the local residents’ safety with the opening of Bumpass Cove Sanitary Landfill. Years of illegal hazardous waste land filling wreaked havoc on the environment and endangered area residents’ health. In the end, citizen protest and the intervention of the Superfund Program would result in the closing of the landfill and the restoration of the area. Taken together, these occurrences paint a vivid picture of the controversy surrounding Bumpass Cove Landfill.