This study researched the effect of a basic computer course on the comfort level with computers and Internet on 17 Spanish-speaking, non-computer literate adults. It also identified any increase of the participants’ integration of computers and Internet into employment related activities. Five male and twelve female Hispanic adults completed a four-day basic computer literacy training course. Data collected through pre and post content exams; pre, post, and follow-up comfort and use surveys, and attendance records at the training center showed positive results. The short-term training course was effective in reducing participants’ fears about using a computer. The training course also proved effective in stimulating the participants to utilize computers and Internet for personal and/or professional benefit. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--Wichita State University, College of Education, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction. / "May 2006." / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 40-43).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2009. / Submitted to the Dept. of Professional and Community Leadership. Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 212 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation traces the history of Edwards High School in Gonzales, Texas, from its origins in the late 1800s through its closure in 1965 and situates Edwards within the larger framework of secondary schooling for African-Americans in Texas. Although more than two hundred high schools for African-Americans existed in Texas for some period by 1947, little is known about these institutions, especially those located in small towns. Schooling for African-Americans following the Civil War was irregular and normally consisted only of elementary grades. As more schools became available, black students received an inequitable share of resources for their education and they did not share in the groundswell of high schools available to white students. Many of the high schools that became available to African-Americans during the first part of the twentieth century were located in urban areas. Little is known of the secondary institutions for African-Americans in the small towns of Texas. This study serves to recount the story of one such school. The study pays particular attention to the students, teachers, and curriculum of Edwards High School, focusing on the years between 1935 and 1965, the year the school closed due to desegregation. Archival materials provided information on student demographics, enrollment and attendance patterns, as well as student participation in activities. Oral history interviews offered a glimpse into the lived experience of those who attended Edwards High. Teachers’ certification records and salary data informed an understanding of Edwards High School’s faculty. The study sheds light on the relationship between teachers and students and between faculty and the larger African-American community in Gonzales. The curriculum of Edwards High changed over time. Changing state classification and accreditation standards provided the impetus for these changes. This examination of Edwards High School informs a greater understanding of secondary education for African-Americans in Texas. / text

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This creative project attempted to help six indigent black kindergarten mothers from an inner city school community to develop better self-concepts through a systematically planned sequence of workshop sessions conducted by the author.The sessions were on good grooming and charm, physical fitness and diet, home planning and budget, social activities and political awareness.The Tennessee Self Concept Scale and the Sentence Completion Test were administered to the six mothers pre and post. A comparative evaluation of test data indicated a decrease in conflict of emotions by the Sentence Completion Test and an increase in the total positive score by the Tennessee Self Concept Scale.The writer concluded that progress was made toward the development of better self-concepts by the mothers as a consequence of these experiences.

The purpose of this naturalistic qualitative inquiry was to determine perceptions of experiences of nontraditional African American nursing students regarding their persistence in or departure from a baccalaureate degree nursing program. The literature reflects that although more people of color are enrolling in higher education, graduation rates remain dismal. Many studies have examined the problem from an institutional viewpoint with a focus on retention and attrition. The present study laid out a blueprint for qualitative research and focused on the individual student so that the problem was approached from the angles of persistence and departure. A bi-polar model of this educational issue was proposed to demonstrate this concept.Convenience sampling was used to identify participants who were assigned to separate focus groups. One group was composed of participants who were departers due to academic dismissal. The second group was composed of participants who persisted and were either currently enrolled or had graduated. Interview guides were developed and participants were interviewed in a focus group setting, followed by individual interviews. Data analysis identified emergent themes from the transcribed interviews that fell into the categories of educational climate, myth of homogeneity, and desire for a level playing field.The findings suggest that African Americans attending predominantly White institutions continue to face racism and oppression, supporting the conclusion of previous researchers on these issues. Implications from this study concluded that to reflect the changing demographics in society, higher education and specifically nursing education must become more inclusive.The conceptual framework for this study was based on the theories of McClusky (1963) from the field of adult education; and Tinto (1975, 1993) prominent in the field of higher education. McClusky's Power/Load/Margin Theory was found to be minimally supportive in describing the experiences of nontraditional African American BSN students. Participants identified barriers that related solely to their status as African Americans and thus eroded the level of Margin. Tinto's longitudinal model of institutional departure was found to be applicable to students who leave due to academic dismissal, an area not previously addressed in the model. Recommendations for further research were given. / Department of Educational Leadership