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The Economic Feasibility of Utilizing Computer-Assisted Instruction as a Primary Teaching Strategy in Schools of Vocational Nursing in Texas
Each vocational nursing program in Texas was surveyed to determine the faculty and media costs per student classroom instructional hour. Data were obtained from 131 schools, or 99 per cent of the population. These schools taught a total of 4,718 students. The average faculty cost was $1.72 per hour. Faculty cost ranged from $0.17 to $7.75. The average media cost was $0.12 per student hour with a range from no media expenditure to $7.55. The reliability of these costs was not demonstrated. Each program director was asked to identify a principal textbook representing the content taught for each content area in their program. A total of 75 textbooks were identified by two or more programs. A cross tabulation analysis procedure yielded 1,582 combinations of 2 or more textbooks from 2 or more schools. Twenty-five per cent of the schools used the most frequently identified combination of two textbooks. Computer hardware and operating expenses were subtracted from the combined faculty and media cost per student classroom instructional hour. The amount remaining for software purchase was identified as $1.61 with a range of from $0.03 to $7.85 per hour for teaching the required 600 hours. The twenty textbook combinations with the greatest remainder for software utilization were identified. The combination with the largest arithmetic mean remainder was used by 624 students. It was $1.61 per hour. This combination consisted of Ingalls and Salerno's Maternal and Child Health, used to teach maternal and child health, and Hood and Dincher's Total Patient Care, used to teach Medical-Surgical Nursing.
The Economic Impact of Expenditures by Local Governments and Nonprofits on Property Values: Evidence from 41 Large Texas Cities
This dissertation uses property values to investigate the economic effect of public expenditures for operations and capital improvements on place value. Given the increasing role of nonprofit services in augmenting those of cities and school districts, the dissertation research investigates whether nonprofit expenditures join those of cities and school districts as Tiebout commodities, thereby contributing to place value. Furthermore, the research examines whether those expenditures contribute to reducing the inequities in the distribution of property wealth. The conceptual framework for the dissertation is the Tiebout model and its various extensions. The model proposes that individuals have different preferences for public goods and services, and there are many jurisdictions that vary in the services provided. Consequently, individuals shop around for the community that best matches their preferences and locate in the one that maximizes their utility. If the model correctly predicts households' behavior, then the quality of public goods and services provided by a community will affect its desirability. The more attractive a community, the higher the demand for its properties, which results in higher property values. The dissertation research finds that city public capital spending positively impacts property values in two ways. Property values respond positively to (1) the announcement of capital investments (i.e., ongoing capital expenditures), and (2) the amenity created when capital projects become operational (i.e., when operating expenditures are combined with capital stock). The results also show that nonprofit capital stock and spending on operations affect property values differently depending on the nonprofit category. The findings further reveal that local public and nonprofit spending benefit owners of lower and medium valued properties more than owners of higher valued properties. This finding suggests that local government and nonprofit spending contribute to reducing inequities in the distribution of property wealth.
Economic Mobility into the Planter Class in Texas, 1846-1860
This study examines upward economic mobility into the planter class in Texas during the antebellum statehood period, 1846-1860. Using quantitative methods to analyze data from census and tax records, this study addresses several questions regarding the property owning experience of Texas planters. Did any of the 1860 planters, men or women, rise to that status from another class? If so, how many rose from small slaveholder or small planter origins, and how many advanced from plain folk origins? In what ways did the amount and nature of wealth of these individuals change in the period studied? In what ways do these findings provide insights into the debate over planter dominance versus ‘plain folk’ inclusive herrenvolk democracy and the relationship between the planters and the other classes? Did the experiences of female planters differ from that of male planters? Did female planter experiences in Texas differ from female planters in other parts of the Old South? The results of these questions demonstrate that economic class mobility into the richest class was significant but limited and that women’s experiences were closely tied to those of male kin.
Economic Motivation of the Ex-Dividend Day Anomaly: Evidence from an Alternative Tax Environment
Several studies have observed that stocks tend to drop by an amount that is less than the dividend on the ex-dividend day, the so-called ex-dividend day anomaly. However, there still remains a lack of consensus for a single explanation of this anomaly. Different from other studies, this dissertation attempts to answer the primary research question: How can investors make trading profits from the ex-dividend day anomaly and how much can they earn? With this goal, I examine the economic motivations of equity investors through four main hypotheses identified in the anomaly’s literature: the tax differential hypothesis, the short-term trading hypothesis, the tick size hypothesis, and the leverage hypothesis. While the U.S. ex-dividend anomaly is well studied, I examine a long data window (1975 to 2010) of Thailand data. The unique structure of the Thai stock market allows me to assess all four main hypotheses proposed in the literature simultaneously. Although I extract the sample data from two data sources, I demonstrate that the combined data are consistently sampled. I further construct three trading strategies: “daily return,” “lag one daily return,” and “weekly return” to alleviate the potential effect of irregular data observation. I find that the ex-dividend day anomaly exists in Thailand, is governed by the tax differential and is driven by short-term trading activities. That is, investors trade heavily around the ex-dividend day to reap the benefits of the tax differential. I find mixed results for the predictions of the tick size hypothesis and results that are inconsistent with the predictions of the leverage hypothesis. I conclude that, on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, juristic and foreign investors can profitably buy stocks cum-dividend and sell them ex-dividend while local investors should engage in short sale transactions. On average, investors who employ the daily return strategy have earned significant abnormal …
Economic Resilience, Disasters, and Green Jobs: An Institutional Collective Action Framework
This dissertation is about economic resilience of local governments to natural disasters. Specifically, the dissertation investigates resilience on regional level. Moreover, the dissertation also investigates growth in the green job sector in local governments. The findings indicate that local governments working with each other helps green job creation. In addition, the dissertation finds that green jobs, following disasters, experience three percent growth. This dissertation is important because it investigates the relationship between climate- related disasters and green jobs, which is an area that is under-investigated.
Economic Statistical Design of Inverse Gaussian Distribution Control Charts
Statistical quality control (SQC) is one technique companies are using in the development of a Total Quality Management (TQM) culture. Shewhart control charts, a widely used SQC tool, rely on an underlying normal distribution of the data. Often data are skewed. The inverse Gaussian distribution is a probability distribution that is wellsuited to handling skewed data. This analysis develops models and a set of tools usable by practitioners for the constrained economic statistical design of control charts for inverse Gaussian distribution process centrality and process dispersion. The use of this methodology is illustrated by the design of an x-bar chart and a V chart for an inverse Gaussian distributed process.
Ecosystem Services and Sustainability: A Framework for Improving Decision-Making in Urban Areas
Ecosystem services are the varied goods and benefits provided by ecosystems that make human life possible. This concept has fostered scientific explorations of the services that nature provides to people with the goal of sustaining those services for future generations. As the world becomes increasingly urban, ecosystems are reshaped, and services are degraded. Provisioning and regulating ecosystem services, landscape planning, decision making, and agricultural systems and technologies play a distinctive role in feeding and sustaining the expanding urban population. Hence, the integrated assessment of these coupled components is necessary to understand food security and sustainable development. Nevertheless, frameworks that incorporate ecosystem services, urbanization, and human wellbeing are still scarce due to several conceptual and methodological gaps that challenge this assessment. As a consequence, these frameworks are not operationalized, and ecosystem services rarely receive proper attention in decision making. This dissertation seeks to improve our understanding of the role of ecosystem services at the landscape level and provides an approach for operationalizing decisions that affect sustainable practices and human wellbeing.
Ecotoxicological Investigations in Effluent-Dominated Stream Mesocosms
The University of North Texas Stream Research Facility (UNTSRF) was designed to examine contaminant impacts on effluent-dominated stream ecosystems. Stream mesocosms, fed municipal effluent from the City of Denton, TX, Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant (PCWRP), were treated with 0, 15 or 140 µg/L cadmium for a 10-day study in August 2000. Laboratory toxicity test and stream macroinvertebrate responses indicated that cadmium bioavailability was reduced by constituents of effluent-dominated streams. The Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) for Cd was used to predict a 48 hour Cd EC50 for Ceriodaphnia dubia of 280 µg/L in these effluent-dominated streams. This value is higher that an EC50 of 38.3 µg/L Cd and a 7-day reproduction effect level of 3.3 µg/L Cd generated for C. dubia in reconstituted laboratory hard water. These results support use of a cadmium BLM for establishing site-specific acute water quality criteria in effluent-dominated streams. Although not affected by 15 µg/L treatments, organisms accumulated Cd in 15 µg/L treated streams. Hence, over longer exposure periods, Cd accumulation may increase and a no effect level may be lower than the observed 10-day no effect level of 15 µg/L. A toxicity identification evaluation procedure was utilized with in vitro and in vivo bioassays to identify estrogenic compounds in PCWRP effluent, previously identified to seasonally induce vitellogenin (VTG) in male fathead minnows. Steroids, nonylphenol ethoxylate metabolites, and other unidentified compounds were identified as causative effluent estrogens. These findings suggest that in vivo VTG bioassays should be used to confirm in vitro Yeast Estrogen Screening assay activity when effluents are fractionated or screened for estrogenicity. A subsequent 90-day cadmium study was initiated to assess long-term effluent and cadmium effects on fish endocrine function. Juvenile fathead minnows were placed in UNTSRF pool sections of replicate streams treated with 0, 5, 20 or 80 µg/L Cd. Male …
Edmund Spenser as Protestant Thinker and Poet : A Study of Protestantism and Culture in The Faerie Queene
The study inquires into the dynamic relationship between Protestantism and culture in The Faerie Oueene. The American Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr makes penetrating analyses of the relationship between man's cultural potentials and the insights of Protestant Christianity which greatly illuminate how Spenser searches for a comprehensive religious, ethical, political, and social vision for the Christian community of Protestant England. But Spenser maintains the tension between culture and Christianity to the end, refusing to offer a merely coherent system of principles based on the doctrine of Christianity.
Educating Young Children with Autism in Inclusive Classrooms in Thailand
This study investigated what constitutes a teaching curriculum for students with autism in inclusive classrooms in Thailand. The researcher employed 3 qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews, document analysis of curricula and lesson plans, and nonparticipant observations. Six schools were selected as the sites. Participants for interview included 6 principals and 24 teachers. The researcher observed one inclusive classroom for each of the 6 selected schools. The study concentrated on 3 questions: (a) What contributes to appropriate instructional curricula to promote teaching of students with autism in inclusive classrooms in Thailand? (b) What teaching strategies improve the achievement and learning skills of students with autism in inclusive classrooms in Thailand? (c) What are the problems of curricula for teaching students with autism in inclusive classroom in Thailand? Key findings for the research questions were as follows: Common features of effective curricula for teaching students with autism in inclusive classrooms include opportunities, health care, specialized curriculum, students' individual needs and abilities, guidelines of teaching, teacher training and supervision, transition plan, parent involvement, tools/classroom environment, and students' class assignments. The teaching strategies include varying the teaching format (large group, small group, and one-on-one), teaching functional communication (giving direction, close-ended questions or open-ended questions), reinforce communication, using demonstration, modeling, and shaping to teach skills, expecting to gather the child's attention, demonstrating nonverbal communication (use gestures with speech), using appropriate language for the child (short sentence structure), providing visual materials (books, computers, or real objects), starting with small intervals of time and reinforcing, using other children as peer models for helping, working to maintain eye contact, asking the child to say the word, pointing to objects with hands and with gestures, including regular exercise (active movement activity), providing time to be alone, and using math activity (to include counting one-to-one, odd and even, and patterns). Moreover, …
Education Through Alienation: Elements of Gestaltist Learning Theory in Selected Plays of Bertolt Brecht
This study explored the relationship between the dramatic and the educational theories developed by Bertolt Brecht and selected twentieth-century theories of pedagogy. A survey of Brecht's life and works revealed that although the stimulus-response theories of the associationist psychologists were inappropriate to Brecht's concepts, the three principal aspects of Gestaltism—perception, insight, and life space, as formulated by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Lewin—seemed profoundly related to Brecht's concern with man's ability to perceive and to learn about his environment. Brecht strove to create perceptual images of historical environments. The characters, who represented various ideologies and philosophies in situations which stimulated insightful learning, struggled with life spaces that accurately resembled life outside the theatre. Thus, Brecht utilized elements of the theories of perception, insight, and life space in his dramas as he strove to force his audiences to perceive the characters' environments, to grasp the significance and relationships between the characters' environments and their own social milieu, and to recognize those influences in one's life space which attract or repel the individual. The study also suggested that Brecht's works might be amenable to empirical study.
Educational Activities at the University of Jordan in Two Decades (1962-1982)
This study examined the educational activities at the University of Jordan, established in 1962, which is the oldest university in the country. The study traced the historical development of the university, which emphasizes highly-qualified graduates, and analyzed some of its educational practices. Research on this subject is limited. Jordanians have written little about their educational system, and there is little evidence of foreign scholars' interest in the subject. Some researchers argued that national pride was the main reason for establishing the university, since financial resources were not available to initiate and sustain serious research. The university started in the fall semester of 1962 with 167 students and one faculty, the Faculty of Arts. Two decades later, the university had ten faculties: Commerce and Administrative Sciences, Sciences, Medical Sciences (Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy), Agriculture, Education, Law, Engineering, Sharia, and Physical Education. The total number of staff continued to increase from 7 in 1962 to 627 by 1982. The size of the physical structure increased from one building to 40 buildings with approximately 18,000 square meters in 1982. As of 1982, more than 15,253 students had graduated from the university with bachelor's, master's, and diplomas-in-education degrees. In 1972, the University of Jordan changed from the yearly system to the credit-hour system, making it the first university in the region to adapt the credit-hour system. This study also provided information on students studying in Jordanian schools, students in host countries, students and faculty distribution in seven faculties, faculty demographics, research projects, degree programs, university budgets, as well as the multipurpose general secondary education examination which has no clear directive philosophy.
Educational Attainment among High-Risk Teenage Mothers
Decreased educational attainment has been associated with numerous factors such as teenage pregnancy, repeat pregnancy, risky sexual behavior, substance use, depression, and parental distress. Educational attainment was examined among a group of predominantly Mexican American teenage mothers who were considered at high risk to have a repeat pregnancy, contract sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and use substances. Project Success Longitudinal Study is part of a national study funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Participants were recruited from eight traditional high schools in a large South Texas school district, an area with a high rate of teenage pregnancy and substance use. The treatment intervention included a multidimensional curriculum that was implemented in the participants' high schools in addition to home- and school-based case management services. It was hypothesized that participants who received the intervention would be more likely to attain their high school degree or equivalent and that amount of treatment received would be associated with educational attainment. Additionally, it was hypothesized that profiles of participants who attained their high school degree or equivalent would differ in the areas of parental distress, social support, symptoms of depression, and substance use when compared to participants who did not attain their high school degree or equivalent. Results indicated that participants who received the intervention reported increased educational attainment during the first two years of the study. Additionally, all participants experienced positive changes on various psychosocial measures.
The Educational Contributions of Dr. W.A. Criswell, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, 1944-1987
Dr. W. A. Criswell is the well known pastor of the twenty-seven thousand member historic First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas, Texas. He has held the position for the past forty-three years. Until now no one has attempted an in-depth study of Criswell's educational contributions to the First Baptist Church (which have also been adopted into the Southern Baptist denomination, America's largest Protestant religious organization). Although Criswell has been the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas for many years, this was by no means his introduction to the pastorate. In 1928 he was ordained as a seventeen year old minister of the gospel in Amarillo, Texas. He has been a pastor for over sixty years. Criswell has made a lasting impact on the church staff, school staff (Criswell College and First Baptist Academy), students in those schools, the Southern Baptist denomination and also the city of Dallas. He has been one of the key figures in evangelical national movements. Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Senators, and Governors are no strangers to a Sunday morning service held in the large sanctuary in downtown Dallas. Much of the research for this project originated from the Oral Memoirs of W. A. Criswell. a program for oral history done by two professors (Charlton and Spain) from Baylor University. The study begins with a historical review of the setting of the First Baptist Church in 1944 when Criswell came to be pastor. Next there is a review of Criswell's early life that reveal influences which molded his educational philosophies. The body of knowledge is then presented which points out significant events, contributions, institutions and associations provided by Criswell. Finally, seventeen conclusions are drawn from the data presented. The study provides helpful information to pastors, church administrators, seminary students, theological professors and other individuals involved in …
An Educational Design for Consciousness-Raising in Social Justice Education for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word: Paulo Freire's Philosophy and Methodology Applied to the Congregational Ministry for/with the Economically Poor
The purpose of the investigation was two-fold: (1) to develop an educational design for consciousness-raising in social justice education using Paulo Freire's literacy method, and (2) to investigate its effect on the Incarnate Word sisters' attitude toward the economically poor, Workshop sessions examined social justice concepts of the economically poor as stated in the Acts of the Congregation's General Chapter and applied Freire's method of consciousness-raising outlined in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed and his Education for Critical Consciousness.
Educational Experiences of Youth with And/or At-risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Residing in Foster Care Settings
Research examining the academic experiences of youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) residing in foster care (FC) is scarce. Research is warranted to understand the academic strengths, weaknesses, and school disciplinary experiences of youth with EBD residing in FC. Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being II (NSCAW II) included data on eight participants classified as EBD. Having a limited number of participants classified as EBD in the data set, I used participants’ scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to classify participants who may be at-risk for EBD. Analyses were conducted to determine if significant relationships existed between participants’ internalizing and externalizing scores on the CBCL and their (a) scores on assessments of academic achievement and (b) behavior problems leading to suspension or expulsion. Results indicated that participants’ scores on the CBCL were not predictive of their academic achievement or of their numbers of behavior problems leading to suspension or expulsion.
An Educational Intervention to Promote Self-management and Professional Socialization in Graduate Nurse Anesthesia Students
Traditionally, nurse anesthesia educators have utilized prior academic achievement to predict student success. However, research has indicated that prior academic achievement offers an inadequate assessment of student success in graduate healthcare programs with extensive clinical residencies. The educational literature has identified many non-cognitive factors, such as self-efficacy and locus of control, that may provide a more holistic prediction model of student success. An experimental study with pretest-posttest design and stratified random assignment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention to promote self-management, professional socialization, and academic achievement among first semester graduate nurse anesthesia students. Participants (N = 66) were demographically similar to the national graduate nurse anesthesia student body, though Hispanics and younger students were a little over-represented in the sample (56% female, 75.8% White, 15.2% Hispanic, 6% Other, 59% ≤ 30-years-old, 67% ≤ 3 years of ICU). The results showed that most graduate anesthesia students had strong self-management and professional socialization characteristics on admission. The results did not support the effectiveness of this educational intervention. Thus, ceiling effect may have accounted in part for statistically non-significant results regarding self-efficacy (p = .190, ω2 = .03), locus of control (p = .137, ω2 = .04), professional socialization (p = .819, ω2 = .001), and academic achievement (p = .689, ω2 = .003). Future researchers may need to expand the scope of the intervention, use a more powerful and sensitive instrument, and utilize a larger sample.
Educational Involvement of Nonresident Parents in the Decision-Making Process for Students with Disabilities Receiving Special Education and Related Services
Although the population of children attending schools that came from single parent or remarried households is significant, school leaders have failed to institute policies regarding the involvement of nonresident parents. School districts should have procedures to educate personnel on the legal rights of nonresident parents. To avoid confusion concerning legal terms, the term "nonresident" had been utilized to describe a biological parent with whom the child did not reside. This differs from the term "noncustodial." The purpose of this study was to investigate whether school districts in the North Texas area had specific written policies or administrative requirements that addressed the involvement of nonresident parents in the educational decision-making process for their child at IEP meetings. The conceptual framework for this study was founded on the premise that aside from instruction, three factors contributed to the achievement of students who received special education and related services: parental involvement, special education law, and school policy. School districts were polled via paper surveys distributed in person to special education leaders during director meetings and where they were reported to exist, a review of documents was performed. A summary of findings is presented with implications for practice and recommendations for school leaders, including a suggested sample for inclusion in a parental participation section of a district's special education operating guidelines.
The Educational Needs of Wives of Seminary Students During the First Five Years of Their Ministries
A survey instrument was mailed to a random sampling of wives of graduates of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, from 1982 to 1986. The purpose of the survey was to determine if wives of seminary graduates have ministry-related educational needs during the first five years of professional ministry that can be met by an educational program. Furthermore, demographic and attitudinal variables were investigated as potential contributing factors. Finally, suggestions were sought from the wives themselves for the implementation of an education program. For each wife, a total educational need score was calculated from her responses. Of the 240 respondents who completed the entire survey document, almost 42% of the respondents indicated a high educational need score with 5% producing a very high need score. Of the top twenty educational needs, only one was from the Theological/Christian Education category; the top three were all from Self Needs regarding stress management, dealing with criticism, and conflict resolution. The Chi Square Test for Independence was used to identify contributing factors, both demographic and attitudinal. The following were validated at the .05 level (unless indicated otherwise) as having a relationship to the wives' scores: Year of Husband's Graduation, Husband's Degree, Size of Community (.06), Wife's Age, Wife's Field of Highest Degree, Age of Youngest Child, Type of Wife's Most Recent Position, Number of Educational Opportunities Participated in while at the Seminary, Satisfaction with Current Roles, and Perceived Education Gap. Variables for which there was not sufficient evidence of the existence of a relationship were: Number of Years of Husband's Full-time Ministry, Husband's Most Recent Position in Ministry, Size of Largest Congregation, Highest Level of the Wife's Education, Date of Marriage: Before or After Seminary, Number of Children, Age of Oldest Child, Employment during Seminary, Current Employment, Primary Reason for Current Employment, Number …
The Educational Opportunity Act of 1984: A Study of Legislative Politics
The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of identifying and assessing degrees of influence of environmental conditions and actors which influenced the passage of House Bill 72 by the Texas legislature. The two methods used to collect this data were personal interviews of key actors in the legislative process and a questionnaire administered to all members of the 68th Texas legislature.
Educational Performance: Texas Open Enrollment Charter High Schools Compared to Traditional Public High Schools
The study examined mathematics and English student achievement, attendance rates, dropout rates, and expenditures per pupil for Texas high school students in both open-enrollment charter schools and traditional public high schools for the 2009–2010 school year. All data were assembled using archived information found at the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This information included the TEA report entitled Texas Open Enrollment Charter Schools Evaluation; TEA Snapshot Yearly Report; and Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) data files. Microsoft Excel (Version 2010) was used to randomly select traditional public high schools categorized as Title 1 and non-Title 1 for comparison with Title 1 and non-Title 1 open-enrollment charter high schools. The IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (IBM Statistics Version 20) was used for a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted between one independent variable (charter or traditional school) and five dependent variables (mathematics exit-level TAKS scores, English exit-level TAKS scores, attendance rates, dropout rates, and expenditures per pupil). Traditional public high school students had higher or better average mean values than charter schools for mathematics exit-level TAKS scores, English exit-level TAKS scores, attendance rates, dropout rates, and expenditures per pupil. The ANOVA found that four of the five dependent variables were statistically significant at the 0.05 confidence level for the independent variable of school type, whether charter or traditional school. There was no significant difference found between the schools for attendance rates. Effect size calculations, using the eta-squared method, confirmed the comparisons with significant differences.
The Educational Policy-Making Process in the Republic of Korea: A Systems Analysis
This study was concerned with examining the process of educational policy-making at the central government level in the Republic of Korea through an application of systems analysis. The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the relationship existing between politics and education; (2) to construct a systems analysis for examining the process of educational policy-making; and (3) to identify problems and limitations in the educational policy-making process in the Republic of Korea. To accomplish these purposes analytic and descriptive methods were used as a research technique.
Educational Technology: A Comparison of Ten Academic Journals and the New Media Consortium Horizon Reports for the Period of 2000-2017
This exploratory and descriptive study provides an increased understanding of the topics being explored in both published research and industry reporting in the field of educational technology. Although literature in the field is plentiful, the task of synthesizing the information for practical use is a massive undertaking. Latent semantic analysis was used to review journal abstracts from ten highly respected journals and the New Media Consortium Horizon Reports to identify trends within the publications. As part of the analysis, 25 topics and technologies were identified in the combined corpus of academic journals and Horizon Reports. The journals tended to focus on pedagogical issues whereas the Horizon Reports tended to focus on technological aspects in education. In addition to differences between publication types, trends over time are also described. Findings may assist researchers, practitioners, administrators, and policy makers with decision-making in their respective educational areas.
Educational Uplift along the U.S.-Mexico Border: How Students, Families, and Educators Cultivate a College-Going Culture in Contested Terrain
Using critical race theory and LatCrit as conceptual frameworks, I conducted a qualitative instrumental case study of a cadre of self-identified Mexican-American and Hispanic college students who bring college knowledge, goodwill, and aid to their border town communities. The purpose of this study was to explore how college knowledge and other forms of academic capital are transmitted and co-constructed in the contested terrain of the borderlands. Primary data sources included semi-structured interviews, participant and non-participant observation, and personal artifacts (e.g. newspaper articles, college admissions essays, social media, etc.) collected from 17 full-time undergraduate student participants, 11 males and 6 females, ranging from 19 to 22 years old, who were active members of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. Supplemental data sources included semi-structured interviews with 23 family members and 9 educators identified by student participants, as well as a review of public records regarding student participant's border town communities (e.g. newspaper articles, census data, educational statistics, etc.). Findings detail how this group of college students manages the 'scholar' distinction in their hometown and utilizes distinct methods to promote academic capital formation. Specifically, this study delineates the following four types of scholars: (1) pioneers, (2) guardians, (3) ambassadors, and (4) advocates. Ultimately, this research highlights the importance of college students' ingenuity in response to enduring system inequality in higher education, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border, with implications for research theory, policy, and practice.
Educationally At-risk College Students From Single-parent and Two-parent Households: an Analysis of Differences Employing Cooperative Institutional Research Program Data.
Using factors of low income, parents' levels of education, and family composition as determinants of educationally at-risk status, study investigated differences between first generation, undergraduate college students from families in lowest quintile of income in the U.S, One group consisted of students from single-parent households and the other of students from two-parent households. Data were from CIRP 2003 College Student Survey (CSS) and its matched data from the Freshman Survey (Student Information Form - SIF). Differences examined included student inputs, involvements, outcomes, and collegiate environments. Included is portrait of low income, first generation college students who successfully navigated U.S. higher education. The number of cases dropped from 15,601 matched SIF/CSS cases to 308 cases of low income, first generation college students (175 from single-parent households and 133 from two-parent households). Most of the 308 attended private, 4-year colleges. Data yielded more similarities than differences between groups. Statistically significant differences (p < .05) existed in 9 of 100 variables including race/ ethnicity, whether or not English was first language, and concern for ability to finance education as freshman. Data were not generalizable to all low income, first generation college students because of lack of public, 4-year and 2-year colleges and universities in dataset. Graduating seniors' average expected debt in June 2003 was $23,824 for students from single-parent households and $19,867 for those from two-parent households. 32% from single-parent households and 22% from two-parent households expected more than $25,000 of debt. Variables used on SIF proved effective tools to develop derived variables to identify low income, first generation college students from single-parent and two-parent households within CIRP database. Methodology to develop derived variables is explained.
Educator Perceptions of Forces Influencing Implementation of a Statewide Writing Portfolio Assessment
Leaders of the 84th Texas Legislature drafted and ratified HB 1164 (2015), prompting the Texas Education Agency to pilot a portfolio assessment option for assessing student writing growth and proficiency. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions, characterize the experiences, and identify the forces that influenced initial implementation of the statewide writing pilot. Through interviews with district leaders and the collection of open-ended questionnaires from participating educators, a collective case study method was conducted and allowed for analysis of cross-case themes. The identification of restraining and driving forces affecting implementation of the statewide pilot program provided insight into considerations for next steps in the evaluation of student writing achievement and growth. Three primary perceptions emerged as restraining forces influencing implementation: influences of inadequate funding, inconsistencies of implementation, and navigation of multiple assessment systems. Six primary themes related to driving forces influencing implementation were identified: using sociocultural and authentic methods, engaging in reflective practices, increasing volume and variety of writing opportunities, assessing student growth, aligning methods of instruction and assessment, and reducing stress for students. Effective professional development, dependent upon funding and staffing allocations; two-way channels of communication for participant reflection and feedback; and effective assessment structures must be aligned with the purpose and goals of a student-centered assessment system, which requires collaborative conversations between policy makers, state-level decision makers, and educators.
Educator's Beliefs on the Professional Support Needed for Paraprofessional Librarians in Technology-Rich Elementary Campuses: A Qualitative Narrative Inquiry
Libraries can have a significant impact on today's students and the schools of today and tomorrow. The way students learn is changing as technology changes: rapidly. The knowledge and skills that today's librarians carry can influence the students immensely, including their use of technology. However, with many districts suffering budget cuts, one of the first positions to cut is the certified librarian, replaced by a library paraprofessional. These budget cuts will impact what the libraries can offer students. It is vital that districts support their library program and the person in charge, whether a paraprofessional or certified librarian, to positively impact the students for their future. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of library programs within a technology-rich school district that utilizes paraprofessionals supported by a certified librarian.
Educators' Perceptions of the Importance of Selected Competencies for Teachers of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and their Perceptions of Personal Proficiency
This study investigated educators' perceptions of the importance of competencies for teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders and their own proficiency in the competencies. Participants included educators who had completed university-based coursework on emotional and behavioral disorders. Competencies from the Qualification and Preparation of Teachers of Exceptional Children study were correlated with CEC's content standards and knowledge skill sets for special education teachers of individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders. Participants ranked 88 competencies on importance and proficiency. Results revealed that educators' proficiency in competencies, their years of experience, and level of education contribute a significant percentage of variance in their ratings of the importance of competencies. Implications for further research are provided.
Educators' Technology Level of Use and Methods for Learning Technology Integrations.
The purpose of this study was to describe technology learning methods that teachers attend and perceive as effective. The goal was to provide district personnel data that may be utilized when planning for more effective technology staff development. This study examined (1) the methods of learning instructional technology that are being utilized by teachers and administrators and (2) why these methods are being utilized in two Texas school districts. Data was collected from educators via an online survey consisting of demographics, technology training methods, level of technology use (CBAM 1 item), stages of adoption and technology level of use (LoTi, 50-item). Educators with different technology levels of use (high, low) differed on their perceptions and utilization of technology training methods. Specifically, educators with different technology levels of use differed in their perceptions of independent online help, and learning through trial and error technology training methods. Results from the study showed that educators tended to use the technology training method that they perceived as most effective. Educators tended to utilize learning by trial and error, peer support, and technology personnel support the most frequently for learning technology integration Educators' in the study had varying technology levels of use based on their educator categories. Administrators tended to score much higher than both elementary and secondary teachers on their technology levels of use. Participants gave a variety of reasons for utilizing certain technology training methods most frequently. The most popular reason was that the method fit into their time schedule followed by the location of the training. The least given reason was that it was the best method for learning the technology skill.
EEG, Alpha Waves and Coherence
This thesis addresses some theoretical issues generated by the results of recent analysis of EEG time series proving the brain dynamics are driven by abrupt changes making them depart from the ordinary Poisson condition. These changes are renewal, unpredictable and non-ergodic. We refer to them as crucial events. How is it possible that this form of randomness be compatible with the generation of waves, for instance alpha waves, whose observation seems to suggest the opposite view the brain is characterized by surprisingly extended coherence? To shed light into this apparently irretrievable contradiction we propose a model based on a generalized form of Langevin equation under the influence of a periodic stimulus. We assume that there exist two different forms of time, a subjective form compatible with Poisson statistical physical and an objective form that is accessible to experimental observation. The transition from the former to the latter form is determined by the brain dynamics interpreted as emerging from the cooperative interaction among many units that, in the absence of cooperation would generate Poisson fluctuations. We call natural time the brain internal time and we make the assumption that in the natural time representation the time evolution of the EEG variable y(t) is determined by a Langevin equation perturbed by a periodic process that in this time representation is hardly distinguishable from an erratic process. We show that the representation of this random process in the experimental time scale is characterized by a surprisingly extended coherence. We show that this model generates a sequence of damped oscillations with a time behavior that is remarkably similar to that derived from the analysis of real EEG's. The main result of this research work is that the existence of crucial events is not incompatible with the alpha wave coherence. In addition to this important …
Effect of 2,450 MHz Microwave Radiation on Microorganisms
The effect of microwave radiation on soil bacteria in situ has been studied in both lab and field conditions. Radiation and thermal profiles show that heterotrophic bacteria, spores, fungi, and actinomycetes were not affected by total microwave radiations over the range 0 to 80 seconds of exposure at a net input of 1 KW of intensity. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria and nitrifying bacteria were also resistant to these doses. The soil microorganisms were inactivated as a function of microwave radiation in the range of 80 to 480 seconds of exposure to 1 KW of continuous radiation. By studying the relationship between temperature generated in dry and wet organisms and the pattern of destruction of inoculated bacteria by microwave radiation, it was found that inactivation was a function of cell hydration. It also revealed that bacterial cells do not absorb microwave energy and that the lethal effect of microwaves is due to direct energy transfer to cell water and the temperature increase of the suspending medium.
The Effect of a Brief Acceptance-Based Protocol on Health Related Relational Framing
Behavior analysts who study verbal behavior theorize that people derive relationships between stimuli - forming stimulus classes such that psychological functions transfer among stimuli and therefore affect behavior. Verbal processes are thought to play a role in cancer patients' behavioral flexibility. The current study examined if an analogue intervention produced changes in relations between health-relevant stimuli from pre- to post-test in patient and student samples. A matching-to-sample (MTS) task required participants to form three 4-member classes that included health, treatment, or neutral terms. Participants next listened to either an acceptance-based or a control-based rationale and therapy exercise, or a distracter task. Then, they were re-exposed to the MTS task. Latencies and accuracies for learning each class as well as between condition differences were examined. Finally, changes in ratings of stimuli from pre to post analogues were measured. Differences in stimuli ratings were seen in the student sample, reflecting transfer of function and some reduction in responsiveness to stimuli following intervention, but overall no learning performances are found. Discussion explores the consistency of the findings with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) theory in light of the seemingly lack of findings.
The Effect of a Change Facilitator on Project-Based Learning Curriculum Design
This study sought to understand concerns and levels of use of a group of teachers in the process of developing a project-based learning (PBL) program, and the effect of a change facilitator on these processes. The research was guided by the following research questions: One, what are the concerns of teachers regarding the planning of a PBL curriculum? Two, what are the levels of use of teachers in the process of planning the PBL curriculum? Three, how does a change facilitator affect the process of change in the planning of a PBL curriculum? The population of this study consisted of seven subject area high school teachers and one district level administrative staff member. This study used the concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) to study the PBL innovation. CBAM is a conceptual framework that describes, explains, and predicts teachers' concerns and behaviors throughout the change process in education. In this study, the teachers progressed through the levels of use on a timeline at a rate that was much more rapid that what is typical for implementation of an innovation in an educational setting. This rapid progression was the function of the teacher population studied and the change facilitator that led the PBL curriculum design process. With the leadership of the change facilitator, the goals of the PBL curriculum innovation were realized, and the team created a PBL curriculum with multidisciplinary PBL products that could be implemented after the development phase.
The Effect of a Laboratory-based, In-context, Constructivist Teaching Approach on Preservice Teachers' Science Knowledge and Teaching Efficacy.
This study began with a concern about elementary teachers, as a whole, avoiding the teaching of science in the elementary classroom. The three main factors noted as reasons for this avoidance were: (1) minimum science requirements to reach certification, leading to a lack of preparedness; (2) lack of exposure to science in elementary school; and (3) general dislike for and understanding of science leading to a low self-efficacy in science teaching. The goal of the Environmental Science Lab for Elementary Educators (ESLEE) was to conduct an intervention. The intervention was lab-based and utilized in-context, constructivist approaches to positively influence participants' abilities to retain science content knowledge and to affect their belief in themselves as teachers. This intervention was created to respond to all three of the main avoidance factors noted above. The research utilized a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design. Two pretests and two posttests (science teaching efficacy and content knowledge) were given to all 1,100 environmental science lab students at the participating institution over two long semesters. Three experimental/control groups were formed from this population. The Experimental Group was comprised of 46 students who participated in the ESLEE Intervention. Control Group 1 was comprised of 232 self-described preservice educators (SDPEEs) in "regular" labs. Control Group 2 was comprised of 62 nonSDPEEs taught by ESLEE instructors in "regular" lab settings. A DM MANOVA was used to analyze the data. The results demonstrated that the ESLEE Intervention was statistically significant at the p> .05 level for science teaching efficacy between the Experimental Group and Control Group 1, and was statistically significant for both content knowledge and efficacy between the Experimental Group and Control Group 2. More notably, the effect size (delta) results ranged from .19 to .71 and .06 to .55 (partial eta squared) and demonstrated the practical significance of implementing …
Effect of a Liquid Meal upon Performance in Selected Track and Field Events
The problem of this study was to search for possible effects of the pre-competition meal. This problem had two primary facets: 1) to determine performance scores secured by college varsity track and field men under two different pre-competition meal conditions and to study the relationship of the meal last ingested before competition to the scores; 2) to determine the concern for certain psychological and psycho-physiological factors under each of the two pre-competition meal conditions.
The Effect of a Physical Conditioning Program on Physical Fitness and Health Locus of Control Among Adolescent Substance Abusers
The purpose of this investigation focused on determining the effects of a physical conditioning program on physical fitness and health attitudes on inpatient adolescent male substance abusers during and following participation in a six week fitness program. The fitness measures chosen for this study were the 1 1/2 mile run, skinfold, sit-and-reach, and grip strength. The first four of these measures make up the AAHPERD test battery (AAHPERD, 1980). The Health Attribution Test (Lawlis and Lawlis, 1980) was administered to determine health locus of control.
The Effect of a Special Orientation Program for Entering Freshmen on Attrition, Satisfaction, and Grade Point Average
This study was initiated to assess the effectiveness of a special orientation program with the purpose of reducing the anxiety of entering freshmen and easing their adjustment to the campus environment. The criteria of evaluation were retention, satisfaction, and academic achievement. The 468 subjects were first-time freshmen from outside Tarrant County entering Texas Christian University in the fall of 1980. Half of the subjects participated in the experimental program, Operation Welcome, and the other half served as a control group. Those in Operation Welcome were grouped in teams with eight other freshmen, two upperclassmen serving as a big brother and big sister, and a local alumni family. Each of the freshmen in the program received letters of welcome prior to leaving home and participated in special events upon arrival on campus.
The Effect of A Summer Group Counseling Institute on Selected Attitudes and Personality Characteristics of Junior College Counselors
The problem of this study was to measure attitudinal and personality changes that took place in junior college counselors as a result of a short-term group counseling institute.
The Effect of a Telementoring Program on Beginning Teacher Self-efficacy.
This study examined whether the telementoring program had a positive impact on beginning teacher self-efficacy. Telementoring is an adaptation of mentoring, using telecommunications technology as the means to establish and maintain mentoring relationships between the participants. The program was intended to create an atmosphere of community; to provide expert training in the profession; to retain good teachers; and to offer support for the new teacher in times of self-doubt. A quasi-experimental design and mixed methods measures were used to determine the effect of a telementoring program on beginning teacher self-efficacy. Participants were members of a district induction/mentoring program. An experimental group of 20 first-year teachers that participated in a supplemental telementoring program were compared to 20 first-year teachers who did not. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale was used to collect data on beginning teacher self-efficacy. A pretest was administered prior to the treatment and members completed a post-test at the conclusion of the study. Results were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. The experimental and control group results from both assessments were measured and compared. No statistically significant differences were found between the experimental group that participated in the telementoring program and those in the control group who did not. Messages posted to a discussion board were analyzed by comparing concerns of beginning teachers in this study to concerns of beginning teachers found in current literature. A compilation of concerns served as a comparison framework. Participants in this study discussed many of the same issues and concerns found in current literature. Although statistically significant results were not found, discussion board postings suggest that telementoring is an effective form of mentoring and provides beginning teachers a forum for collegiality and support, which contributes to self-efficacy.
The Effect of Accelerated Instruction on Summer Regression
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefit accrued to fifth-grade students who participated in a summer school accelerated instruction program utilizing accelerated instructional practices in a Texas school district. The secondary intent was to determine the program's effect on student regression or retention as measured by Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) scores and State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests in reading and mathematics. The district provided summer accelerated instruction to fifth-grade students who did not pass reading and/or mathematics portions of STAAR for the May administration. For this study, I focused on the 2018 summer accelerated instruction offered by the district, using a mixed methods design to analyze the effectiveness of accelerated instruction for the students who participated in the summer program. A paired samples t-test was conducted to evaluate if students who failed the May STAAR in either reading or mathematics increased their scores on the June STAAR. Also, a paired samples t-test was conducted to determine if these same students increased their fall MAP test when compared to the spring MAP test. Teachers were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the most beneficial parts of summer school for students who attended. The results showed that attending the 2018 summer accelerated instruction program had a statistically significant effect on STAAR reading and mathematics scores and a statistically significant effects on the MAP reading and mathematics scores. Three themes emerged from the teacher interviews as being benefits of accelerated instruction: administrative support, a growth focus, and social and emotional health.
Effect of Acute Alcohol Ingestion on Resistance Exercise Induced mTORC1 Signaling in Human Muscle
The purpose of this project was to further elucidate the effects post-exercise alcohol ingestion. This project had many novel aspects including using a resistance exercise (RE) only exercise design and the inclusion of women. To our knowledge, we are the first to investigate the effect of post-RE alcohol ingestion in women. In the first chapter of this project, information on the prevalence of alcohol use and the importance of skeletal muscle as a dynamic and metabolic tissue was provided. In chapter two, the effects of post-RE alcohol ingestion in men and women are detailed. The major findings of this study was that although RE elicited similar mTORC1 signaling both in men and in women, alcohol ingestion appeared to only attenuate RE-induced phosphorylation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway in men. The third chapter focused on examining the effects of post-RE alcohol ingestion on acute testosterone bioavailability. The primary findings of this study was that alcohol substantially elevated serum total and free testosterone concentrations during recovery from a bout of resistance exercise. The fourth chapter detailed factors that contribute to bone density in men. The major findings of this study was that young adult male long-distance runners who participated in resistance training at least once per week had greater bone mineral density than their non-resistance trained and non-exercise trained peers.
Effect of Age on Likelihood to Test for Hiv
HIV/AIDS can affect individuals of any age. Efforts to educate those considered to be most at-risk, based on the age at which the most individuals are infected, are ongoing and public. Less work and mainstream education outreach, however, is being directed at an older population, who can be more likely to contract HIV, is more susceptible to the effects of HIV, and more likely to develop AIDS, than younger persons. Guided by the Health Belief Model theory, research was conducted to determine what, if any, relationship existed between age of an individual and the possibility that an HIV test will be sought. Factors of gender, education, ethnicity and marital status were included in analyses. the research indicated that as age increased, likelihood for getting an HIV test decreased. Overall, most individuals had not been tested for HIV. the implications of an aged and aging population with HIV include a need for coordinated service delivery, increased education and outreach.
The Effect of Age or Previous Post-Secondary Experience on Student Evaluation of Instruction
The increase in the number of nontraditional aged undergraduate students (25 yrs. and older) and students transferring between post-secondary institutions has raised the question of whether effective instruction is viewed the same by these different groups of students. This study addressed this question by analyzing the responses of these different groups to 23 instructional questions on a standard faculty evaluation form.
The effect of algebra of sets instruction as an introductory technique on basic concepts comprehension and mathematics attitude of algebra students
The problem with which this study was concerned was to seek mathematics attitude changes, mathematics self-concept changes, and compare comprehension of concepts in college students enrolled in freshman algebra, when introduced to basic algebraic properties by way of algebra of sets as opposed to an axiomatic introduction.
The Effect of Alternative Stress Response Training on Bulimic Behaviors
The incidence of bulimia has been increasingly documented in recent years. Treatments have focused on one behavior in the Binge-Purge chain or have combined several treatment components. This study was designed to assess the effect of teaching bulimics alternative responses for dealing with stressful events.
The Effect of Ambiguity on Peak Weightlifting Performance : A Study of Experienced Weightlifters
Recent studies in the area of sport and exercise science have suggested that weightlifting performance may be significantly improved under ambiguous conditions—namely, when the amount to be lifted is unknown. In the present study, procedural concerns from previous studies examining the effect of ambiguity were noted and a methodological variation was introduced.
The Effect of an Adaptation of the Lozanov Method on Vocabulary Definition Retention
The purpose of the study was to determine if there is an effect on retention of vocabulary when music and imagery are used, to accelerate learning. As background for the study four brain functioning theories as developed from recent neuroscientific research were explored. These were the theory of right/left cerebral dominance (Sperry & others), triune brain theory (MacLean), taxon and locale long term memory (O'Keefe & Nadel), and holographic memory (Pribram). These four theories all suggest multiple channels of input will increase information retention. The research utilized three conditions: an experimental condition of music plus imagery, an experimental condition of music only, and a no treatment condition.
The Effect of an Electronic Evaluation Questionnaire Format on the Return Rate From Field Supervisors.
The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of electronic-based questionnaires as a tool to gather data from field supervisors in the medical profession at various military bases. The study compared the response effects of an electronic evaluation questionnaire with the traditional method of paper-based questionnaires in gathering Level 3 data. The number of returns affects the amount of information available to the course personnel in creating a viable program that ensures the success of service members entering the occupational field and, ultimately, affecting the number of service members who remain beyond their first enlistment. The return rate and amount of missing data were tracked. Supervisors of graduates of a medical program who had observed service members for a minimum of 4-months were participants in the study. The z-test for comparing two proportions was used to determine significance of the study at the .05 level. Findings indicate that there was a significant difference in return rates and the amount of missing data when using the electronic format. Based on this study, the electronic-based questionnaire as a data-gathering tool provided a higher number of returns in a quicker time frame with fewer missing data in the technical training environment. Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise note
The Effect of an In-Service Program Utilizing Bloom's Taxonomy on Teachers' Self-Concepts, Cognitive Level of Test Construction, and Attitudes of Students
The problem of this study was to investigate the effect of an in-service program utilizing Benjamin S. Bloom (Ed.) and others' Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: Cognitive Domain (Bloom's Taxonomy) on (1) the self-concept of experienced secondary English teachers and social studies teachers, (2) the cognitive level of test items on teacher-made examinations, and (3) the attitude changes toward school subjects as rated b students.
The Effect of an Instructional Program on the Creative Thinking Skills, Self-Concept, and Leadership of Intellectually and Academically Gifted Elementary Students
This study sought to determine the effectiveness of an instructional program for developing creative thinking, a positive self-concept, and leadership among intellectually and academically gifted elementary students in grades four, five, and six. The purposes of the study were to determine the effect of experimental treatment on test scores measuring creativity, self-concept, and leadership; to compare the performance of the moderately intellectually gifted with that of the highly intellectually gifted; to determine whether boys or girls benefited more from instruction; and to determine whether fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-grade students achieved greater test gains after experimental treatment.
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