The purpose of this study was to investigate how photograph-based life science multiple-choice items influenced Louisiana science students' performance on statewide standardized tests, in comparison with text-based items about the same content. This mixed methodology research study focused primarily on types of multiple-choice items, specifically five matched pairs of multiple-choice items, text-only and same-text with a photograph. For the 2007 LEAP field test, statistics from 11 multiple-choice items were utilized to characterize student performance on photograph-based multiple-choice items. Data from all Louisiana 8th grade students taking Form 3 (n=1130) and Form 4 (n=1182) were analyzed to compare student performance on each item type. Additional case study research was conducted in two schools. Within each school, one 8th grade class was exposed to the 20-Question Model (Wandersee, 2000) (treatment group); the remaining 8th grade classes were not (control group). Questionnaires were given to all 8th grade students at each school which focused on the student's experience when answering the field test questions with a photograph. In addition four eighth-grade students, who were contrasted on gender and on high or low academic performance, were interviewed and asked to co-construct six concept maps related to six different test items used in the study (four with photographs, two without photographs). The analysis of the quantitative data showed a significant difference on the heron item. There was a moderate positive correlation between achievement level and mean number correct on the photograph-based items (r_s=.1536). The data show that students performing at low achievement levels benefited from the photograph-based item. The qualitative data analysis revealed positive student perception when working with photographs during classroom instruction and taking assessments. The student interviews and concept maps with the four students revealed students' conceptions and misconceptions about life science concepts.

Electronic assessment systems (EASs) have proliferated teacher education programs in postsecondary education. Mostly, these systems facilitate candidate and program assessment through technology-mediated procedures, allowing for greater efficiency and accuracy in data collection and analysis. If implemented successfully, the work of individuals associated with teacher education programs from faculty members to assessment coordinators and beyond has the potential to benefit from utilizing the system for course-based and programmatic assessment, both of which are criteria for the accreditation of teacher education programs by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). This qualitative study explores the perceptions of faculty and assessment coordinators at three institutions of higher education as they relate to three different EASs. Such research is absent from current literature. However, limited research on EASs does exist, and this study contributes to that research within the context of teacher education programs and the innovation diffusion theoretical framework. To accomplish that, the research questions are addressed through the use of informal conversational and interview guide protocols, both suggested by Patton (2002), with the participants. Data analysis reflects the constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), and the results of that analysis are presented in question-and-answer case study and cross-case analysis formats. These reporting methods present comprehensive results through thick descriptions (Patton, 2002) and discussions of cross-case themes, respectively. Results of this study lead the researcher to conclude that EASs are significant in teacher education programs, and the results reveal that the critical issues regarding EAS adoption relate to (1) technology mandates by NCATE, (2) the issues of change and innovation diffusion as they relate to individuals and organizations, and (3) the standardization effect of EASs on assessment.

Researchers in the field of gifted education have pointed to the need for deeper understanding of the complex expectations and experiences of beginning teachers of the gifted (Pollak, 1996; Hanninen, 1988), that is, teachers of the gifted who have less than three yearsâ experience teaching gifted learners. Further, several important questions remain unanswered regarding the structure/content of preparation for pre-service teachers of the gifted (Joffe, 2001; Chan, 2001; Mills, 2003; Hansen and Feldhusen, 1994; Johnsen, 2004). Finally, the field of gifted education would benefit from insight into the experiences of beginning teachers of the gifted, particularly insight from a first-hand perspective. The purpose of this qualitative research effort was to shed light on the expectations and experiences of beginning teachers of the gifted. This was done through the utilization of the case study approach, whereby seven beginning teachers of the gifted were invited to participate. The research aimed to provide school districts, both locally and nationally, with insight into what can be done to assist in the preparation, support and retention of beginning teachers of the gifted. The final purpose of this study was to give voice to the experiences of this population of educators. The findings of the study center on the notion that the needs of beginning teachers of the gifted are different from the needs of other beginning teachers. Namely, all seven participants felt that their undergraduate courses in education, and to some extent their graduate courses, did not adequately cover the needs of the gifted. Participant insight revealed a calling for curriculum training on differentiating instruction and acceleration. Beginning teachers of the gifted reported a desire to receive training on the social and emotional needs of the gifted, and the IEP. More specifically they felt unable to address the social and emotional needs of this population, particularly underachievement and depression. Finally, these beginning teachers of the gifted expressed a need for other kinds of supports such as mentors and opportunities to network with other teachers of the gifted.

The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if there is a best model available for public research universities to use when they are implementing or revising a mechanism to commercialize early-stage academic biotechnology inventions and discoveries. Unintended consequences, including conflicts of interest, faculty roles, and the mission of the public research university were also studied in order to determine if these issues could be managed or removed when academic biotechnology commercialization occurred. This study compared the best practices biotechnology commercialization model at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) with biotechnology commercialization mechanisms in place in three different public university settings: Georgia Research Alliance (University of Georgia), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (MBA Entrepreneurial program and Carolina Challenge), and Pennington Biomedical Research Center - Louisiana State University System. The UCSD model included five key components declared essential for commercialization success including: 1) small size of the institution, 2) higher than normal research dollars for faculty, 3) extremely entrepreneurial community, 4) integrated life sciences curriculum, and 5) integrated commercialization track (funding, R&D expertise, springboard for new companies). The study found that not all five components which were deemed essential for success at UCSD were necessary in designing a successful model in the other three organizations. Five new components also emerged as important to consider when creating a commercialization model, including: 1) highly-focused program, 2) critical mass of faculty who commercialize, 3) workforce development, 4) research cross-collaborations, and 5) faculty incentives for commercialization. The study also found several options for managing or removing unintended consequences associated with commercializing early-stage technologies, including: 1) channeling of commercialization revenues to support academic programs, 2) developing university foundation programs for arms-length activities including equity in new companies, and 3) developing specific allowances for faculty engaged in start-up company activities. The researcher recommended that further study be conducted for two of the original five components (higher than normal research dollars for faculty and integrated life sciences curriculum) because they were under-represented or did not exist in the models analyzed.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the Sharpening Math Skills Lab technology-mediated mathematics instructional practices for math-delayed middle school students have positive effects on their mathematics achievement and spatial visualization ability and to gauge student engagement in learning, implementation of the principles of instructional design, and attitudes toward mathematics instruction. The results of a recent meta-analysis report a range of significantly positive to significantly negative effect sizes which establish a need for further evaluation of academic achievement utilizing technology-mediated mathematics programs at the middle school level (Slavin, Lake, & Groff, 2007). The literature (Moreno & Mayer, 2000) also suggests examining the principles of multimedia instructional design as they relate to programs such as those utilized in the Sharpening Math Skills Lab. The need for testing for relationships between student spatial visualization and problem solving ability (Wheatley, 1991), student attitudes and motivation toward mathematics (Tapia & Marsh, 2004), and students behavior while engaged in multimedia learning activities has also been established in the literature. This quasi-experimental study compares academic achievement of 109 southwest Louisiana 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in one school who participated in a treatment program of technology-mediated remedial math instruction with 162 - 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students from two other schools in the same district who received traditional classroom mathematics instruction. The experimental group attended the Sharpening Math Skills Lab 45 minutes per day utilizing FASTTMath software and iSucceed software with individual assistance provided by the lab facilitator and math teacher. Measurement instruments include Scantron Performance and Achievement Series tests, Wheatley Spatial Ability Test (WSAT) (1996), and Attitudes Toward Math Survey (ATMI) (Tapia, 1996). Qualitative data about the experimental group including levels of engagement and the effectiveness of instructional design of the software utilized were also gathered. Positive outcomes of the study include making best practices recommendations for remedial mathematics instruction of math-delayed middle school students. Data accumulated in the study contributes to the body of evidence on the usefulness of technology-based remediation practices and provides important information to school officials in the development of curricular and budgetary decisions.

With public criticism of American higher education on the rise, it is prudent for those in the academy to reflect upon their responsibilities to their students. Of particular salience is an examination of what constitutes misconduct within the faculty role. This dissertation reports the results of a study designed to identify what nursing educators believe to be the violation of normative teaching behaviors. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was utilized to develop an understanding of the actions that constitute academic impropriety. The College Teaching Behaviors Inventory, a survey instrument designed by Braxton and Bayer (1999), was distributed to deans and faculty members of all associate degree nursing programs accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission in the United States. Results reveal that nursing educators (n=604) identified nine patterns of normative behavior categorized as either inviolable or admonitory based upon the degree of sanction required if the norm should be violated. A discussion of each of the identified norms with fictional vignettes is provided. This study validates the need for critically reflective teaching that is conscious of the special nature of the teacher-student relationship. The results of this research have implications for higher education relative to issues of student retention, institutional policy regarding ethical faculty conduct, and preparation of graduate students for teaching in the college classroom.

A mixed methods design was utilized that was divided into three phases to verify and explore high stakes testings effects on teachers perceptions regarding classroom practices, pressure, and commitment to the educational profession. Phase I utilized previous surveys and a peer review to create a knowledge base to generate a survey instrument that measured the three areas assumed to be affected by high stakes testing (commitment, pressure, and classroom practice). The survey instrument that was created was piloted. Throughout Phase II there was a series of three-step analysis: First, the means and standard deviations from the results of the surveys were divided into the four cells and presented. Second, one-way ANOVAs were reported (with poor or high SPS scores as the independent variables) that test each of the three hypotheses. Third, two-way ANOVAs were reported (with poor or high SPS scores and lower or higher socioeconomic status (SES) as independent variables) to assess the effect that these variables jointly have on the dependent variables. The results of the quantitative portion of this study were that how well students performed on the high stakes testing and the SES of students at the schools had little effect on their teachers perceptions and responses to the testing program. All three hypotheses were not confirmed. The teachers overall scores were all above average indicating that the three areas of study were present in all situations. During Phase III, two teachers were interviewed from each school for a total of sixteen teachers. All of the teachers interviewed stated that LEAP 21 testing did affect their instructional planning, learning strategies, and curriculum content. Such practices as teaching to the test, neglecting subjects, sequencing, and time allotment were greatly affected. All of the teachers interviewed stated that LEAP 21 testing forced them to devote some time to test preparation. Teachers provided a range of 1/3 of class time to a 100 %. There were many factors that were contributing to a lessening of commitment to the educational profession from some educators, especially the younger ones who have a less of a vested interest in the profession.

Learning with educational technology in higher education is rapidly increasing and shows promise of providing cost effective instructional delivery to a wide audience. Information technology scholars have begun to explore multiple antecedent variables leading to successful learning with technology. Yet, the ideal conditions or barriers have not been fully explored. The current study attempted to link certain personality characteristics and technology acceptance constructs within a nomological network that could predict factors that might influence student integration and commitment to educational technology. Data were gathered using a survey collection approach at a large southern Research I university. Students are required to actively engage in a computer-mediated learning environment that consists of an interactive software program, MyMathLab, and a math lab that provides faculty and peer support. Students responded to two surveys designed to capture their initial perceptions of the value of educational technology and measures of stable personality constructs. A second survey collected attitudinal responses directly related to their learning experiences with MyMathLab. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modeling approach. The researcher specifies a predictive model of variables and, subsequently, examines the measurement and structural components of the model. The overall strength and statistical significance of the path relationships within the constructs are given by R2 and t-test statistics. The results suggest that affective measures of computer self-efficacy impact a students willingness to experiment with technology. In addition, students who feel comfortable with the level of complexity within MyMathLab, and who see the advantages to using the program, are more likely to integrate the system into their normal school routine. Another finding relates to the connection between integration and commitment. At the level of commitment, students moved beyond basic acceptance to a willingness to explore the technology further. Overall, the variables of the model explained 43.5% of the total variance in Commitment. An exploratory study of this nature can help educators gain a better understanding of potential curricular and instructional interventions that could be incorporated into computer-mediated learning environments.

College student retention rates are often used as a measure of institutional accountability, institutional success, and are used more frequently as a means of determining resource allocation. Understanding what factors impact the retention of college students has become critical to institutions of higher education. The study of the factors that impact student retention has been plagued with methodological concerns, especially the longitudinal and hierarchical nature of retention data. The purpose of this study was to investigate college student retention using a multilevel discrete-time hazard model. A multilevel discrete-time hazard model deals with many of the concerns associated with analyzing college student retention data, such as censored observations, the multilevel nature of the data, and variables that change over time. Gender, ethnicity and school-type were used to model the timing of students leaving a university from a cohort of first-time freshmen over five year period.

Louisiana concentrates its postsecondary financial aid funding in merit-based aid programs, as opposed to need-based aid programs. This study illuminates the distribution of Louisianas merit-based financial aid program, Louisianas Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), to students from difference socioeconomic backgrounds by describing the basic characteristics of TOPS recipients at Louisiana State University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and selected Louisiana two-year postsecondary institutions. This study gives evidence to indicate that Louisianas TOPS program disproportionably benefits students from middle and upper income families, most of whom could afford college expenses without receiving a TOPS awards. In addition, this study found that the TOPS award methodology is systemically bias against African Americans, because TOPS award methodology includes biased standardized testing as a requirement that all recipients must meet in order to qualify for a TOPS award.