Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1973. / Bibliography: leaves 206-213.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1976. / Bibliography: leaves 60-65.

The purpose of this action research project was to develop and implement in a sixth grade class, a unit focusing on animals. It was the present researcher’s belief that by exposing children to the problems concerning animals this exposure would in turn develop more sympathetic attitudes toward animals. With this change of attitude and awareness, as well as the thoughtful production of possible solutions, there is hope for the animal, his kingdom, and our own survival and preservation.

Although humane education, promoting children's kindness toward animals, has been evaluated as a factor influencing children's kindness toward humans later in their life, the effect of a classroom pet hasn't been well studied. The current study investigated the influence of intensified daily interactions with living animals in the classroom on the development of empathy among Japanese children. Specifically, the study examined (a) the effect of introducing animals into the classroom on children's empathic behaviors and attitudes, and (b) the generalization of this animal-directed empathy to humans.

Division 8 is a prototype single player adventure game that challenges players to solve a story in a sci-fi fantasy world. Based on an Afrofuturist framework, Division 8 is designed to educate, engage and inform players on the affordable housing crisis. The concept of Division 8 is to parallel the section 8 housing vouchers system. In the United States, housing choice vouchers (popularly known as “Section 8”), subsidizes families’ rental payments so they can lease housing that they would otherwise not be able to afford.[1] Unlike games like the Redistricting game and the Westchester game that attempt to capture the housing crisis and housing history of the United States, Division 8 utilizes an interactive narrative to integrate players traveling through the reality of the public housing system. The objective of the game is to explore the convoluted paths and unravel the incentives of characters in the affordable housing crisis. Players will click through different character interactions and dialogue boxes to investigate, analyze and garner information. In making moves, players must consider not only the stories that will assist in solving the puzzle of surviving the housing system, but also the inherent knowledge and subtle clues that are embedded within the game’s framework. The end-state is reached once the player discovers the incentives of characters and ultimately, what decisions lead to the unsuccessful policies of the public housing system.

The history of the human-canine relationship and the human-canine bond is longstanding and has grown and developed throughout the years. Today, dogs are considered part of the family and are beneficial in impacting people across the United States. Introducing the community to dog safety education may strengthen the awareness and confidence of dog lovers across the state of Florida and hopefully reduce the number of preventable dog emergencies. This research suggested the reasons for dog ownership and the importance of protecting our beloved canines by presenting a literature review covering the evolution of the human-canine relationship, human-canine bond, positive effects of canines on humans, history of humane education to demonstrate the importance of dogs in the lives of American citizens and an overview of community education and the importance dog safety community education. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand the current state of dog safety community education in Florida and to introduce the need for policies and procedures for dog safety training for adults, if needed based on the research. This topic was analyzed through a needs assessment administered through a Parks & Recreation department in south Florida and online through social media. Ten key informants were selected to interview for an in-depth understanding of their perspective on this topic. Document analysis was conducted to see if results of the needs assessment were addressed in brochures and other media locally. The participants were community members of Florida who were also dog owners. Participants were adults over the age of 18. The participants’ anonymity was protected, as no names were collected from the survey. After carefully examining data collected from 10 interviews, document analysis, and surveys of 150 participants who are dog owners in Florida, the researcher of this study revealed factors that show substantial value that dog owners place on their dogs and interest in educational opportunities to protect their safety. The significance of this study presented additional research dispelling a misconception that dog safety education as easily accessible and available in Florida based communities. This study was also significant because it contributes to the literature by identifying the value dog owners place on their dogs, as demonstrated in both survey and document analysis. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Employee engagement in the mission of the organization is a critical component of success. In fact, it strongly contributes to the workers’ satisfaction levels and motivation. Moreover, it forms the atmosphere in the organizations. Therefore, employee engagement is a critical concept met not only in management but also in sociology and psychology. Focusing on the human factor, the current research is aimed at examining the factors affecting historically black colleges and universities’ (HBCU) staff engagement. The research question for the study is, are employees who have favorable views of their career development opportunities more likely to be engaged than other employees? Three research hypotheses were defined accordingly to answer the research question. The quantitative approach was helpful in determining the areas that were interrelated. The interviews with 20 members of an HBCU staff were conducted online. With the chosen methods and statistical analysis, the evidence proved that career development opportunities increased the level of employee engagement at HBCUs. The results did not show any significant correlation between the employees’ engagement and communications. The perception of the organizational change was not an essential contribution to employees’ devotion. Thus, it is evident that the improvements in career management and planning could become effective to increase the satisfaction of employees with their work organization. The study was limited, as it relied on the results from only one university. It did not reveal the meaningful correlation between engagement and communications. However, the answers of the participants showed that the process of information distribution, planning, explaining, and executing organizational changes at HBCU are important. Therefore, it is highly recommended to investigate the same variables in different contexts and expand the research to be able to generalize the data. Paying attention to different positions and experience of the workers can also influence the results relying on the interviews conducted with more people.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of acceptable use of social media among teachers, students, and parents. In doing so the researcher touched on generational factors, communication, instructional practice with social networking and the perceptions of what was acceptable among these 3 groups within a middle school setting. This qualitative study examined how students, parents, and teachers perceived the use of social networking. 30 subjects were randomly chosen and interviewed: 10 students, 10 parents and 10 teachers. There were 4 emerging themes: (a) types of social networking preferred and the reason, (b) relationships and acceptable usage, (c) uncertainty of safety of social networking, and (d) the positives in being able to communicate. Research suggests that the generations that were interviewed lean toward different types of communication. The Baby Boomers prefer to communicate via email, telephones, and face-to-face. Generation Xers use email but also include Instant Messaging and mobile phones. Generation Y prefers to text prefers to text or use cell phones as does Generation Z which has yet to be identified and uses these forms as well as all forms of social networking (Entrepreneur Magazine, 2009) Through interviewing and coding the researcher found that each subgroup identified that communication was essential to survival. What differed was the type of communication and the safety involved in that type. It was also found that the research on this subject is limited but is growing with advances. The research has changed to include more positives on this subject. With this, the implication for further study in this area is definite. Recommendations for further study include but are not limited to: looking at a study like this in a larger area, opening the subject group to different demographics, looking into how this will affect school systems in the future.

This study examines the role of Afrocentric curricula in higher education. Using four HBCU institutions (Dillard University, Hampton University, Howard University, and Spelman College) as a case study, the researcher selected the institutions on the basis of program quality and geographical spread. Program quality means the institutions must be accredited; geographical spread implies that the institutions must represent different parts of the country where HBCUs are concentrated. A mixed methods approach was used to analyze the data gathered from each institution’s course catalog during the 2011-2012 school year. The purpose was to determine if curricula dedicated to the black experience existed. The study found that all of the four institutions offered Afrocentric curricula. However, the courses vary in terms of their breadth, scope, and function. The conclusion drawn from the findings suggests that although the offering of Afrocentric curricula supports the goal of African-centeredness at each HBCU, the offerings are not widespread enough to bolster the HBCUs’ goal of dedication to leadership in the black community as mentioned in the institutions’ mission statements. In an attempt to address the gap between the HBCUs’ mission statements and what the collected data demonstrated, the researcher offered curriculum recommendations designed to enhance the effectiveness of the HBCUs as they promote black leadership in the community.

This case study addresses gaps in the global learning, transformational learning, and professional development literature. Research is lacking on the questions of if and how university faculty members view global learning curricula as transformational learning as a result of professional development and how this transformational learning applies to their teaching of global learning curricula. This study’s purpose is to explore whether university faculty members who have attended global learning professional development workshops perceive global learning as transformational learning and if they do, how they see global learning as transformational, and how this transformational learning informs their teaching. Research questions were answered by using a survey and interview guide developed by the researcher. All faculty members at FIU who have attended a global learning professional development workshop were invited to take the survey to identify faculty members who have had a transformational learning experience related to global learning. Thematic analysis of the survey and interview questions helped describe how faculty members perceived global learning as transformational learning and how faculty members applied this transformational learning to their teaching of global learning curricula. The study found that many university faculty members who have attended a global learning professional development workshop report a resulting transformational learning experience. These university faculty members perceive global learning as individual and collective opportunities and challenges. They apply this transformation to their teaching of global learning curricula through conceptual and individual instructional changes that facilitate and inform systematic awareness and systematic change. This study is significant because how a global learning curricula is viewed by a faculty member affects how it manifests in the curricula, how it is taught, and what students glean from it. How FIU explores this topic could be adopted by other institutions. This study also builds on the work of Dr. Jack Mezirow in transformational learning.