The aim of this qualitative case study was to investigate the process of the enactment of a project-based learning method in an Advanced Placement American Government and Politics course and the effects of contextual factors, the beliefs of the teacher, and environmental factors had on the planning and implementation of PBL-aligned tasks. This study also investigates the experiences and perceptions of students in an Advanced Placement American Government and Politics course that enacted project-based learning. The study was conducted to add to the literature on project-based learning. Research on the steps a teacher takes to enact project-based learning can enhance understanding of the method and provide an increased understanding of implementation. This was a qualitative case study. The research was gathered using narrative inquiry, examination of documents, and observations to investigate teacher enactment of a project-based learning task. Semi-structured video-elicitation interviews, document analysis, and observations were conducted to investigate the experiences and perceptions of students who used project-based learning tasks in an Advanced Placement American Government and Politics class. The research of a teacher enacting project-based learning resulted in the identification of teacher’s beliefs as the foundational element for constructing pedagogy. Through the enactment of project-based learning, three themes emerged: the need for communication, alignment of tasks to key concepts, and flexibility. The perceptions of students in an Advanced Placement American Government and Politics course confirmed the importance of student choice, the value of collaborative and social learning experiences, and the desire to discuss controversial issues.

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The proposed study examines the effect of CEO-board social connections on corporate policies. Motivated by the independent board view and collaborative board view, I propose two opposing hypotheses explaining the effect of CEO-board connections on corporate policies: monitoring hypothesis and advising hypothesis. In my first essay, I validate the two competing hypotheses of CEO-board connections by investigating the effect of CEO-board connections on monitoring and advising role of the board, and firm valuation. I find that CEO-board connections have a negative effect on board monitoring and positive effect on board advising and firm valuation. The results are robust to endogeneity concerns and different model specifications. Disentangling the Channels, I also show that the predicted effect of CEO-board connections on board monitoring and advising have opposite effects on firm valuation. Lastly, I provide evidence that the effect of CEO-board connections on firm performance is stronger in firms with high growth opportunities. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Bibliography: leaves 92-102. / The premise throughout this thesis is that religious education at state schools has hopelessly failed. Teachers are generally apathetic and pupils disinterested and bored by a repetitive content which, for the most part, is a duplication of what happens in Sunday school. Christian National education, the dominant ethos and philosophy underlying educational methodology, denies the plurality of the South African society and the plurality within Christianity itself. Calvinism is blithely promoted as normative Christianity while the existence of religions such as African Traditional Religion is denied. The challenge of pluralism in religion education is underlined, in this work, by a feminist analysis which derives from a personal experience. Any black woman of faith experiences a triple oppression it is held. To this end, the effects of racism, sexism and patriarchy is addressed with the view to contribute towards the transformation of the state of both education and religion in the South African context. The argument throughout is that a religion education in schools, which is going to reflect the diversity of our society, has to include in its definition of pluralism, the category of gender. An overview of the state of religion in education serves as an introduction while plurality and the role of the state is defined in chapter one. The point that gender, as a category of plurality, must be consciously included in its definition, if it aims to restore the full humanity of those who have been dispossessed, is promoted. Chapter two focuses on the position of women within religion which has hitherto been a negative one and chapter three shortly attempts to clarify the inherent definitional problem of Religion Education and argues for a recognition and position of African Traditional Religion in the school syllabus. Chapter four focuses on the very important question of language since it is language that constructs our heritage. The symbolic appeals language evokes is further considered and critiqued. The point that masculine language and imagery has to be revised in any pursuit of a just and acceptable religion education is further argued and the implications thereof, set out. Religious texts are appropriated from a feminist perspective in chapter five and traditional theology challenged. Examples as to how to read into the text and to read behind the text, in order to rediscover women's lost history, are given. Texts which are common to the Abrahamic religions are chosen for its accessibility and immediate relevance.

Despite various instructional efforts, the second grade students in a mid-sized Southwestern school district failed to progress in reading. Although differentiated instruction has been shown to improve literacy skills for young readers, many teachers at the study site did not differentiate instruction for all students. Grounded in theories of social constructivism and differentiated instruction, the purpose of this study was to investigate second grade teachers' perspectives about using differentiated literacy instruction and the effect of their teaching experience and participation in professional development on those perspectives. Data for this nonexperimental, causal-comparative study were collected from 93 second grade teachers via an anonymous, online survey and were analyzed using ANOVA and t tests. No significant differences in perspectives were found among teachers based on years of experience nor participation in professional development tailored to instructing English language learners or gifted and talented students. However, teachers who took part in Response to Intervention professional development were more positive about using differentiated literacy instruction. Based on these findings, a professional development series was designed to provide second grade teachers with specific differentiated instruction strategies to raise all students' reading achievement. Teachers' effective application of differentiated literacy instruction strategies in the classroom at this study site will contribute to positive social change by providing educational opportunities for all students to learn to read. As students succeed in reading, they will succeed in the upper grades, in secondary school, and beyond.

Technology is now the norm in our educational setting. The literature shows a vast increase in technology implementation and use both inside and outside the classroom over the past few decades. Overall, the studies show a balanced mix of positive and negative perspectives of using technology for educational purposes from students, teachers, administrators, as well as from outsiders. The literature also shows a mix of academic and social effects. Unfortunately, there is little known about how adolescents perceive their use of technology for enhancing their personal academic and social performance, two areas of developmental importance. Using mixed methods design, set in an urban junior high school in Northeast Texas,research questions addressed how much and how often technology is being used in the classroom, as well as specific ways it is being used, through educator surveys. This study also explored adolescent learners’ attitudes toward and opinions about using technology in the classroom, specific ways adolescent learners use technology for academic purposes both inside and outside the classroom, as well as how adolescent learners are engaging with peers through technology versus face-to-face, through independent interviews. Findings indicated that overall, the teacher reports align with the literature: technology is used in the classroom at a high frequency and duration, and there is a wide range of specific ways it is being used. Additionally, the majority of adolescent learners reported perceived benefits when using technology as an aid to one’s academic development. Adolescent learners expounded on the specific ways technology is being used both inside and outside the classroom. Adolescent learners also expounded on how they are engaging with peers through technology versus face-to-face, with the majority of adolescent learners claiming technology is not a perceived aid to one's social development nor is it commonly present when engaging with peers face-to-face. It is recommended that future studies look at any relevant differences between both males’ and females' specific technology use for both academic and social purposes. It is also recommended that future research be conducted on adolescents possibly multi-tasking with both academic and social technology use and any perceived effects of such behavior

<p> Churches have often struggled to nurture mature and lasting faith among their young people. This is generally due to a lack of understanding about how beliefs form in adolescents and therefore the ability to shape ministry accordingly. This thesis proposes that adolescents form and mature their beliefs by interpreting significant life experiences. This thesis also offers suggestions for the practice for ministry based upon this understanding of belief formation. These suggestions are intended for church-based youth ministries and draw in part upon practices observed in summer camp ministries.</p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

<p> Environmental quality has become an important political and social issue in recent years. This paper focuses on community attitudes toward the natural environment and their role in engendering conflict over such issues. It is argued that environmental conflict originates from variations in environmental attitudes and philosophies. A conceptual model of environmental conflict is developed. The model includes five fundamental elements. These are: (i) community evaluations of environmentally disruptive actions, (ii) individual and group strategies adopted in light of these evaluations, (iii) reactions of official agencies (public or private) to community involvement, (iv) resultant outcomes and (v) the effect of these outcomes on subsequent issues. As an empirical example of environmental conflict, the proposal to build an expressway through the Red Hill Creek Valley is used to assess the validity of the model. The findings indicate that attitudinal and conflict perspectives have much to offer concerning the analysis of environmental issues.</p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

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