Many studies of academic women have concentrated on women who have been deflected from their academic careers either by personal considerations or institutional procedures, such as becoming a mother or being denied promotion and tenure. Little research has been done with present-day professional women who have chosen a nontraditional sector of higher education. A fundamental problem, supported by the literature, are the perceptions and attitudes toward women's roles in the workplace. The literature describes today's society as one that has a set of assumptions that still supports traditional roles for men and women. The traditional value system in the United States views women who achieve in nontraditional ways as extraordinary performers; as exceptions to the rule. The current system supports structures and systems that prevent society from discovering and implementing changes that could solidify new roles for women and men. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in attitudes of administrators and faculty toward faculty women teaching in the field of Industrial Technology (IT). More specifically, this study investigated attitudes toward the employment and advancement of Industrial Technology faculty women in higher education. The substantive findings after administering an opinionnaire were: (a) women in administrative and faculty positions in Industrial Technology programs recognized that employment opportunities were not the same for men and women in the institutions, and the opportunities favored men; (b) male administrators and male faculty felt that IT faculty women contributed as equals in the department and were not viewed as being subordinate, on the other hand, the female administrators and female faculty recognized the importance that the personality of the women affects the work environment; and (c) female administrators and female faculty and male administrators and male faculty varied when looking at the teaching effectiveness and related classroom climate. The women were more in consensus with the literature that described how women and men are perceived in the classroom by students and the differences between the genders when interacting with students. Lastly, recommendations were made to modify the study and suggestions were made for further research.

I hear and I forget I see and I remember I do and I understand --Confucius (551 - 479 BC) Fundamentally about "doing," Dance is a strong element of Jamaican social and cultural expression. This dissertation is based on the premise that in order to fully educate Jamaica's children and to accomplish "National Outcome 2: World Class Education and Training" of the Jamaican National Development Plan for 2030 (Planning Institute of Jamaica [PIOJ], 2009, p. xvi), Dance should be an integral part of Jamaica's educational curriculum. This study draws on multiple perspectives and sources (autobiographical, critical, historical, socio-cultural, and political) to construct an advocacy platform for the establishment of Dance in Jamaican schools. For the past three decades, Dance educators in Jamaica have developed Dance curricula for public educational institutions, but there is still a need to justify the validity of Dance as part of the general school curriculum and the advantage of its institutionalization to the wider society. Assuming that the objective of our schools is to provide holistic education, then it seems a common sense proposition that every child should be given the opportunity to participate in a dance program. Dance allows children to appreciate rich and diverse cultures, beliefs, and societies. It involves the "whole child" while developing dexterity, intuition, sensitivity, reasoning, memory, and imagination. Assuming that Dance is afforded the opportunity to educate, then research should be conducted to inform curriculum development and decision makers. Five research questions guided the inquiry: (a) What are the historical underpinnings of Dance in Jamaican society that inform the role of Dance in the educational system; in what ways did Dance individuals, groups, institutions and or companies shape the Dance culture in post-colonial Jamaica (1962 - 2009)? (b) In what ways can children in early childhood, primary and secondary educational institutions in Jamaica benefit from the inclusion of Dance Education in the formal school curriculum? (c) How do education stakeholders in Jamaica view the need for a national policy for Dance Education in Jamaica? (d) What factors have prevented the development of a national policy for Dance Education in Jamaica? (e) In reviewing post-Independence Government legislature and policies for education and culture (1962 - 2009), what is needed to support the development of a national policy for Dance Education? The evolution of Jamaican dance education history since Independence in 1962 is both a point of departure and an anchor to broach other themes for discussion: shifting educational philosophies and Dance as a phenomenon of cultural and aesthetic dimensions. Findings of the study strengthen the premise that for every child to be afforded the benefits of Dance Education, Dance should be included in the formal curriculum of public schools as a matter of policy. Such a policy should address major issues like curriculum revision and teacher education, making Dance an essential part of the early childhood through secondary education core curriculum. Jamaica's children need opportunities to communicate in their own unique voice--they need to `own' the Dance. This research has generated a framework towards development of an initial concept paper for policy development in Jamaica. The study is limited to Jamaica, but findings may have implications for the Caribbean region. / Dance

<p>Psychological trauma can literally disrupt life&rsquo;s flow by damaging brain and bodily systems. When a flashback to a traumatic event is triggered in a person suffering from traumatic stress, or PTSD, key functions in the brain malfunction and are deactivated, potentially causing massive disassociation. In addition, trauma can cause chronic hyperarousal, resulting from the body&rsquo;s malfunctioning autonomic nervous system&rsquo;s defensive response of fight, flight, or freeze. To cope with these damaged bodily and brain systems and processes detrimental acts of hyperfocus and numbing are often employed by sufferers of trauma. However these obstructions can be cleared though movement practices: top-down and bottom-up regulation methods, innately embedded in certain movement and dance disciplines such as yoga and creative dance, have shown to aide in trauma recovery. This opens the possibility that a dance/movement instructor, using trauma-conscious curriculum and facilitation techniques, can use their highly structured movement practices to engage with top-down and bottom up regulation practices to not only instruct students suffering from trauma, but offer opportunities to engage in treatment. </p>

<p>The subject of dance and injury has become an increasingly important area of study for sports medicine, education, and dance studies. However, the majority of current research focuses on professional dancers or pre-professional dancers in a conservatory training context. The research typically overlooks dancers in a university setting who pursue baccalaureate-level dance programs. This small-scale research study therefore focuses on collegiate dancers in their first year of study in a liberal arts dance program. As this population often sustains injuries, the thesis project seeks to examine the management of injury strategies and to create injury prevention guidelines for the liberal arts dance department, its dance classes, and a hypothetical syllabus for a first-year injury prevention course. The research methodology adopts three approaches: a survey of the incoming freshman dance class at Temple University; a detailed study of six previously or currently injured dance students through interview; and a critical assessment of the research on dance injury. The injury prevention guidelines developed from the student injury surveys, interviews, and assessments will focus on basic, yet essential, information regarding injury management and misconceptions, and the guidelines will prepare collegiate-level dancers for future injury challenges they may face. </p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore the union of technical and imagery-based instruction (hereinafter, T-I instruction) in two phases. Phase one: The researcher (1) explored T-I instruction&rsquo;s influences on aspiring performing artists&rsquo; acquisition of learning and performing newly composed pieces and improvisation, and; (2) observed aspiring performing artists&rsquo; feelings of learning with T-I instruction versus technical instruction. Phase two: The researcher investigated (1) listeners&rsquo; perceived expressivity of aspiring performing artists&rsquo; performances that were either influenced by T-I instruction or technical instruction; (2) listeners&rsquo; perceived expressivity of aspiring performing artists&rsquo; performances of newly composed pieces versus improvisations; (3) whether there was a statistical significant difference of T-I instructions&rsquo; influence on the progressive differences in the means of listeners&rsquo; perceived expressivity between the aspiring performing artists across the time frame of the study; (4) the explanations for their ratings, and; (5) information that helps listeners perceive music as expressive using the <i> Perceived Expressivity Questionnaire</i> (PEQ). </p><p> Results for Phase one: 60 sub-themes and 13 themes emerged from the data relating to two meta-themes: <i>Learning</i> and <i>Quality of Life</i>. Results for Phase two: Cronbach&rsquo;s alpha statistical procedure revealed an unacceptably low internal consistency for listeners&rsquo; perceived expressivity of aspiring performing artists&rsquo; performances (&alpha; = .02). Hence, no further statistical analysis was implemented to answer research questions one through three. Explanations for their ratings dealt primarily with aspiring performing artists&rsquo; use of 11 musical components. The Brief Essay Responses from the <i>Perceived Expressivity Questionnaire</i> (PEQ) provided possible explanations for the low internal consistency and insight on what kind of information help listeners&rsquo; perceive music as expressive. Further discussion on the finding and implications for performing artists and educators&rsquo; use of T-I instruction are offered in this document. </p>

This MFA thesis document investigates the experience of teachers participating in a trainer of trainers (TOT) professional development model in drama-based instruction in K-12 schools. This document explores a two-phase research study in which teachers attended an Advanced Summer Institute and then took on the role of teacher trainer in their school context. The mixed-methods study uses narrative thematic analysis of interview data as well as quantitative scales to describe the experiences of the drama-based instruction teacher trainers. Throughout, this document argues for more effective, sustainable professional development practices that draw on the instructional knowledge of teachers. The findings suggest organizational support largely determines the amount of participation of teacher trainers in their school context. The document concludes with a discussion of how to better support teachers as teacher trainers on their campuses as part of a larger effort to build capacity and sustain ongoing drama-based instructional practice in K-12th grade schools. / text

This study was made to determine the advantages of the use of epoxy resins in the industrial arts laboratory. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using epoxy resins as a wood adhesive. Data was gathered from texts, periodicals, and unpublished data. Tests were conducted using epoxy samples acquired from three epoxy manufacturers on three different woods and joints. The study discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using epoxy resins as a wood adhesive and the material and equipment necessary for the use of epoxy resins. Strength tests were performed on the joints adhered with epoxy and on joints adhered with white glue. A hand operated high tensile strength machine was used to conduct the tests. Epoxy Resins were found, in most cases, to give a more durable bond than white glue. Further studies should be made using epoxy resins as adhesives for metal, glass, plastic, and other materials used in the industrial arts laboratory.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / Liberal arts education is an emerging phenomenon in China. However, under the pressure of exam-oriented education, memorization, and lecture pedagogy, faculty, university administrators and policy makers have not embraced it whole-heartedly. Through qualitative methodology, this study explores the current thinking of Chinese policy makers, university administrators, and faculty members on liberal arts education and its challenges. A study of the perceptions of 96 Chinese government and university administrators and faculty members regarding liberal arts education through document analysis and interviews at three universities helps in comprehending the process of an initiative in educational policy in contemporary Chinese universities. This research analyzes Chinese policy making at the institutional and national levels on curriculum reform with particular emphasis on the role of education in shaping well-rounded global citizens, and it examines how the revival of liberal arts education in China would produce college graduates with the creativity, critical thinking, moral reasoning, innovation and cognitive complexity needed for social advancement and personal integration in a global context. This research also found that the revival of interest in liberal arts education in China demonstrated that government and universities have begun to realize that the current curricula, professional training, and narrowly specialized education fail to help students to be competent in a globalized economy, and liberal arts is valued in China, and will be more effective as politics, economy and society more developed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

<p> Arizona police officers are required by the Arizona Police Officer Standards and Training board to complete continuing training on an annual basis. Police continuing training has traditionally been offered as lecture-based classroom training. Online training offers an alternative method of providing training. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an online version of a police training class to a classroom-based version of the same course. Participants consisted of sworn police officers employed by the Phoenix Police Department and taking the department&rsquo;s Domestic Violence Investigation (DVI) course. The study compared student learning outcomes between the two course versions, as well as student attitudes and perceptions of training. </p><p> The study utilized a descriptive research design with a mixed methods approach. Research questions investigated the attitudes and perceptions of participants, compared student learning outcomes between the two course versions, and asked whether educational level and previous experience with online learning was linked to positive learning outcomes in the DVI course. Quantitative data consisted of demographic questionnaires, a 45-question assessment of the likelihood of success in online learning, a 10-question pre-test, and a 10-question post-test. Qualitative data was obtained through interviews with six participants who had taken the DVI course. </p><p> The results of the study indicated participants in the online version of the DVI course performed as well or better on the post-test than their counterparts in the classroom. Participants interviewed for the study enjoyed the online presentation of the course, and supported the development of additional online training options within their department. Positive student learning outcomes for the online DVI course provide support for the development of online police training programs.</p><p>

The role of arts in both formal and non-formal education has been scientifically demonstrated to create positive outcomes in people to deal with all kinds of social problems in daily life. At present, there are international public and private institutions that support this view, such as the International Arts Education Week, celebrated for the first time by UNESCO on 21-27 May 2012 when not only artists participated, but also educators, researchers, NGO actors, and international associations. This provides us with a wider perspective on how arts and education can play an interdisciplinary role in society. The aim of this research is to study how arts (e.g., performative arts, literature, film) interact with and affect Nordic society; the kind of practices, contributions and challenges that exist within the cultural and educational sectors (based on three case studies) and their relationship between the government in the form of cultural policies in Denmark, Sweden and Finland in support of the well-being of the Nordic lifestyle whenever applying a wider perspective to the role of the arts in society.  This qualitative study is composed of three case studies, which explore the role of arts in three Nordic institutions (two public ones and a private one): 1) The Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki, Finland; 2) Skissernas Museum - Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art in Lund, Sweden; and 3) Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humbaelek, Denmark. The empirical material collected has been done through the usage of the hermeneutics—texts, semi-structured interviews of professionals (two art educators with multidisciplinary backgrounds, two art historians, and a museum guide), publications, catalogues, and active participation in cultural/educational activities in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. The data collected is analyzed within the framework of the reflexive methodology. “The Theory of Communicative Action” by Jürgen Habermas aims to understand the multidisciplinary relationship among the artistic/educational institutions, society, and government as support for the well-being and sustainability of Nordic society.  The results will reveal a multidisciplinary application of the arts as support to Nordic welfare, healthand lifestyle. The results will also show how arts can be included in people’s lifestyles in an organic manner, being a benefit for the well-being of the society and supporting the sustainability of Nordic welfare when people have a wider understanding of the application of the arts in their lives, for instance, through literature, concerts, performances, but also, attending to festivals, arts and crafts activities, gardens, parks, and even experiencing architecture.