Researchers have long been concerned in documenting the nature of associations between parenting styles and academic achievement in adolescents. Social learning theory has shown how domains such as individualism, collectivism, and ethnicity are associated with parent behavior. Research suggests compatibility between individualism and authoritative parenting and collectivism with authoritarian parenting styles, which could have critical implications in the relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement. Despite the robust research on parenting styles, no research has investigated the moderating roles of individualism and collectivism. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the associations between parenting style and academic achievement and whether some of the associations were moderated by ethnicity, individualism, and collectivism. The sample consisted of 225 parents who were recruited via an online newsletter sent by school personnel. Parenting styles were measured by the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire while individualism and collectivism variables were measured by the Self-Construal Scale. Correlation coefficients calculated the associations between parenting styles and academic achievement, while the regression analyses addressed the moderator hypotheses. Authoritative parenting had a significant positive correlation with GPA, while both authoritarian and permissive parenting styles had a significant negative correlation with GPA. Within the moderator hypotheses, neither ethnicity nor individualism and collectivism served as a significant moderator between parenting styles and GPA. These findings may inform parents and educators of the importance of parenting styles on education, beyond the explanatory power of ethnicity or value system.

While the number of students using web-based social networks has increased, the effects of such networks on education have been unclear. Therefore, this research used a case study approach to study the relationship between social connectivity and the use of Facebook in a higher education classroom as well as the relationship between age and the use of Facebook. The intent was to understand the perceived impact of the use of a social media tool on bonding, bridging, and linking. The conceptual framework was built around the theories of social capital of Lin, Portes, Putnam, and Woolcock. The research questions addressed how the use of Facebook impacted social connectivity as part of the required interactions in a traditional undergraduate classroom and how different generations used Facebook in that setting. A self-selected sample of 13 out of 13 potential participants was used to acquire demographic data and to capture learner perceptions of their Facebook experience by way of a questionnaire and a focus group. NVivo10 content analysis software used thematic coding derived from multiple close readings of the collected data to surface relationships supporting the presence of social capital. The results indicated that learners' use of Facebook influenced bridging, bonding, and linking within the classroom; however, learners wanted to keep their academic social networking separate from their personal use. The study also noted how students from different generations use Facebook in different ways. Understanding the role of social media tools may assist in innovative curriculum development that employs social networking tools, as well as help faculty determine how to use such tools to create a deeper learning experience for students.

As with traditional healthcare providers, emotional-social intelligence (ESI) plays a role in the holistic practitioner-client relationship. It is important to determine if students in holistic healthcare programs increase their ESI, and subsequently better serve their clients. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to determine if online education can develop students' ESI at levels similar to that of traditional programs. This study is based on the theory of ESI and transformative learning theory. The sample consisted of 95 students in an online program and 61 in a traditional program. Multiple linear regression, ANCOVA, and Pearson Correlation's were used to explore the relationships between the independent variables professional standing, program delivery method, program progress, and number of classes with elements consistent with transformative learning theory, and the dependent variable emotional-social intelligence, as measured by the EQ-i 2.0 survey. The results of the study revealed no significant differences in the development of ESI between online and traditional methodologies, except within the self-expression category, for which online was higher. The number of transformative classes taken had no effect on the dependent variable. The positive social change implications of this study include a better understanding of the development of ESI for holistic healthcare, which could lead to a greater potential for success, as well as being better able to contribute to the stability of their communities through meeting the needs of those seeking their services. In addition, determining the relationship between transformative theories of learning and ESI development may assist in creating courses better suited to increasing students' ESI.

The need for preparing our youth to live in an interdependent world on this finite planet has become urgent since the beginning of the nuclear age at the end of World War II. There is a need to extend the loyalty of the citizen tor the nation-state to human needs seen from a global view. The involvement of the United States in the international community already is extensive because of its predominant power. This involvement is not reflected in our education, either from the amount of time devoted to social studies in our schools or in the emphasis on international relations in that curriculum. To achieve the global view which our changing society demands it is suggested that some unifying concepts be chosen which cross the various social science disciplines namely, the concepts of change (both violent and non-violent), conflict, authority or power, order, freedom and responsibility. These concepts enable the teacher, using a problem-solving approach, to raise questions which make values explicit, and provide flexibility in subject matter and range of student ability. In a global context, the following specific goals would be encouraged: overcome ethnocentrism, recognize the diversity of faces that the U.S. presents to the world, seek a transnational view based on human rights, emphasize the problem rather than the institution, and seek foreign points of view in source materials. During the 1960s there have been 80me innovations in both subject matter and method in teaching social studies, ranging from entire school systems to single schools and classes, and there are a number of new curricula materials coming out of projects funded by both government and private sources. This thesis has l.dent1tied a number of these with the idea that the teacher who is interested in presenting a global orientation now has a growing number of tools to choose from. He need not wait to construct a new curriculum but can supplement and reorient his approach in his own classroom. However, this implies that the teacher baa a global view already. Opportunities for foreign studies are becoming widespread and, hopefully, more and more teachers will feel they are an essential part of their preparation. Unfortunately, there is very little course preparation for the global view at the college level, where the largest proportion of teachers will develop.-or not develop--an international awareness. The community at the state or local level can often be of considerable help in encouraging this kind of experience for its teachers. It is probable that the more activist role of today’s student has been a factor in the trend toward using the inquiry, or discovery, method in the classroom. Certainly, this method has the advantage, for a global view, of using concepts which' can present controversial subject matter in an open-ended way. It uses the techniques of a scientific approach and enables the social studies to introduce more social science findings of current global concern. Discussion of values becomes an essential element. Such discussion begins with the student's experience, and by exposing him to a clash of personal beliefs there is evidence that motivation is increased and a possible shift in attitudes occurs. The teacher who aims to teach from a global viewpoint will need help, both in keeping abreast of the current curricula and in having available the most recent findings of social science and educational research which could affect the attitudes of his students. In particular, the area of conflict studies has potential for resolving international problems. The teacher, thus, has a key role in preparing future citizens to meet the changes of a global society.

The use of hybrid learning (a blend of face-to-face and distance learning) is rapidly increasing in higher education. However, educational leaders have raised concerns about the proliferation of hybrid programming as an efficiency measure without appropriate attention to learning. This study examined the relationship between social, teaching and cognitive presence, pedagogical design, and students' perspectives on hybrid learning effectiveness. Data from thirty-nine undergraduate courses representing 1,886 students were analyzed to identify indicators of best hybrid practice. Aspects of social and teaching presence significantly influenced students' perceptions of learning, including facilitation of student interactions, assignment feedback and guidance, effective use of class time, and organizational integration of course concepts. Recommendations for hybrid institutional initiatives and programming include attention to framing "presence" in hybrid settings, using integrated inquiry to encourage integrated course design, and encouraging communities of inquiry to promote cross-institutional investigation of hybrid effectiveness.

In this study the trends of social work were examined and the importance of the family in social work practice was identified. The changing role of the school and its relevance to the total welfare of the child was historically documented. The components of the family life education movement were analyzed as were the social forces which contributed to its growth and development. The incorporation of family life education into the schools was reviewed. The active involvement of several disciplines and numerous national organizations, as well as the federal government, was identified in this process. The opposition to family life education being taught in the schools was identified as the problem to be examined in this study. The writer postulated that parents would be in favor of the school's teaching family life education if their knowledge concerning what was being taught was correct. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that if parents did not have correct information they would be more likely to disagree with the school's teaching family life education. A randomly selected parent sample was drawn from an elementary school to test the hypothetical relationship between variables. A pre-test contributed to the development of a questionnaire that was better suited for use in this study. Nine representative family life education topics were included in a matrix format and five questions were asked to measure their knowledge and attitudes. Personal data concerning the age, occupation, ages of children, education, and church affiliation was supplied by the parents. A second instrument was designed to assess what was actually being taught by the teachers of the school. The same topics were used as on the parents' questionnaire. The final response rate for the parents was 87. 5% and for the teachers the return was 65. 3%. Limitations in the data collected prevented the verification of the hypothesized relationship between the variables. However, the parents of this study reflected higher levels of education than anticipated as 60% had completed various levels of college. Their occupations indicated a higher amount of professional and white collar workers than blue collar workers. These parents supported the school's teaching of the family life topics by a definite majority. However, opposition was expressed by 17% of the sample to "human sexuality" being taught. Another 14% opposed teaching "about one's family." A significant finding of this study was the widespread uncertainty by the parents concerning what was being taught. For seven of the nine topics 40% to 60% of the sample was uncertain if it was being taught. Concern for the training and beliefs of those teaching the topics was expressed by 20% of the sample. Further study in the area of the causes of the parental ambivalence concerning the teaching of family life education and the need to compare this study' s findings and the personal profile of these parents to other schools was indicated. The paradox between the parents' support of the school teaching family life education and the uncertainty as to what was actually being taught suggests a need for further study into the causes of this phenomena.

The subject of this thesis is Hermann Lietz and the Landerziehungsheime. Its purpose is to discover the sources of the Heime in Lietz's life and thought. It seeks to answer the basic question, "Why did Lietz become an educator and what were his motives in establishing the Landerziehungsheime?" The thesis is divided, generally, into three sections. The first attempts to isolate and reconstruct those events in Lietz's biography which were decisive in the shaping of the educator. The second part investigates certain aspects of the thought of J. G. Fichte, P. de Lagarde end R. Eucken, the three major intellectual influences upon the development of Lietz's idealistic Weltanschauung. The third section considers the Landerziehungsheim itself as a result of the interaction between Lietz' s concrete life experience and his philosophical-religious world-view.

The purpose of this study of the epistemology of John Amos Comenius was to discover and make clear the philosophical basis for his pedagogical ideas. It was encouraged by Dr. Dagmar Capkova of the Comenius Institute in Prague who pointed to a limitation of Comenian studies in United States schools, i.e., the study of his ideas apart from their philosophical basis.

For a number of years the educational community has recognized the importance of teaching critical thinking skills to all students; however, a shift in educational pedagogy and philosophy has occurred. Through recent legislation the funding of educational institutions that demonstrate competencies and gains from standardized test scores has been mandated. Although performance measurement regarding the effectiveness of learning environments is useful, students must learn critical thinking skills to compete globally, problem solve effectively, self-actualize, preserve democracy, and promote human rights. The relationship between content and critical thinking presents a unique challenge in American education. This study examined the shift in focus from critical thinking to standards-based assessment in American education and focused on data garnered and analyzed from The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in the 5 dimensions of critical thinking based on colleges and gender based upon 1,455 graduating seniors for the 2009-2010 academic year on the (CCTST). This study used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze data. In this quantitative study, data from the (CCTST) were gathered and distributed to the researcher for compilation and statistical analysis. Findings from this study indicate that gender and major college of study significantly influence the means on the dimensions of the CCTST. This study provides information regarding critical thinking skills in a higher education setting and is useful for higher education practitioners in facilitating the development of critical thinking skills. The results of this study add to the body of knowledge regarding critical thinking.

This qualitative study featured two research endeavors. The first was a narrative inquiry of six teachers at Weedpatch Charter School as they understood curricular and pedagogical decisionmaking. These teachers, along with the Weedpatch Charter School founder, participated in this study soon after the curriculum and instruction decision-making had undergone a democratization effort whereby a top-down administrative approach was replaced by a teacher-led effort. Ironically, WCS school leadership welcomed the latter effort, despite the antiteacher legacy of the charter movement, which has long featured “at will” employment and no collective bargaining. The second component of this study was critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the curricular and pedagogical manuals used at WCS before and after the democratization effort. The findings in this study point to a dialectical set of developments at WCS that made it possible for teachers to move from a period of disillusionment into a period of active teacher agency. Similarly, the document analysis findings point to the need for more nuanced understandings of the ideological underpinnings of charter schools. Discourse analysis determined that WCS did not necessarily present a classic example of neoliberalism. Given the latter nuance, the manual that the teachers created was counterhegemonic, liberatory, and ultimately contextual and contingent upon that very unique WCS dynamic. As such, the conclusion of this study was that charter leaders could learn from teacher understandings not by being prescriptive but by abiding by what the author has coined contingent collectivism.