Education Doctoral Theses

Starting the race right: a case study of a first-year program aimed at increasing persistence among urban college students

Brian Murphy Clinton — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:53:58 PDT

Since the early part of the 1990s, the City of Boston has made substantial progress in increasing the number of graduates from its school system who go on to college. However, while the Boston Public School system's postsecondary enrollment rate exceeds national averages, the system faces a serious issue in that the vast majority of its college-bound graduates do not end up earning a college degree. Low college student retention rates plague graduates of the BPS system, a problem that is significant for many reasons given the importance of a college degree in Boston's metropolitan job market. In response to...

An examination of motivating factors on faculty participation in online higher education

Michael Stephen Hoffman — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:25:28 PDT

Online education has become a vital component of the American higher education system. Demand for online education is expected to grow, as online education offers a number of tangible benefits to potential students. Faculty member participation in online education has been found to be crucial to the success of new or expanded online education initiatives. This research was conducted to determine the extent to which a number of extrinsic and intrinsic factors influence a faculty member's decision to participate in online education. Ten subscale factors across four motivational dimensions were identified in the literature as potentially important to faculty participation...

Using professional learning communities to increase student achievement

Nicholas Laurence Bretz — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:13:29 PDT

This qualitative study investigated teachers' and administrators' perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of using common planning time and teacher collaboration in professional learning communities with the intent of increasing student achievement at B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts. Focus groups with teachers (n=29) and interviews with administrators (n=10) were used to gather detailed explanations of perceptions relative to common planning and teacher collaboration. Organizational change and socio-cultural learning theories informed the analysis of the data which was guided by three research questions as follows:

What impact on instruction and student learning do teachers and administrators believe...

Exploring teachers' experiences with change related to the whole language movement: a narrative inquiry

Stacey A. Sweeney — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:16:50 PDT

This qualitative study contributes to understanding about teachers' experiences with change. As teachers attempt to navigate the curricular initiatives that continually come and go, their work is affected and their attitudes are shaped. Employing the methodology of narrative inquiry, teachers' personal stories about their experiences during the rise and fall of the whole language movement in reading instruction during the 1990s were explored. Experience-centered narrative analysis illuminated the impact that this tumultuous period in educational history had on four Massachusetts teachers who lived through it. Recognizing that people create their own realities based on their interpretations of their experiences, in-depth...

Narrowing the distance: bridging the gap between teaching online and faculty development

Amy Beth Rochefort — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:44:40 PDT

Online education is a steadily growing industry, and financial pressure at institutions, combined with the rising demand for online education, have caused many universities and colleges to rely on adjunct faculty to staff their online courses For instructors, the transition to teaching online can pose a variety of barriers not the least of which is the rapid advance of technology. Therefore, transitioning to online teaching requires, even for experienced online instructors, ongoing professional development Issues of quality of online instruction and faculty preparedness are frequently raised when examining online education, so as the market grows and technology evolves, expectations rise,...

An investigation of curriculum integration in a vocational school setting: a qualitative study

Tammy Tower Quinn — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:49:36 PDT

Employers are requiring that high schools give students the skills necessary for a changing 21^st century global society. Entry-level employees are required to learn new skills quickly and to be able to communicate, solve problems, and work with technology. Twenty-first century skills need to be taught but schools also need to prepare students to pass state and national standardized tests at levels of proficiency and above. This current narrow focus on academic skills and student performance—primarily in reading and mathematics—as measured by standardized tests is affecting the curriculum in vocational schools. An important characteristic of vocational education is students' vocational...

The perceptions of Liberian public school principals about their leadership development needs in post-conflict Liberia

Zobong Boima Norman — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:26:33 PDT

In 2003, Liberia emerged from a violent 14-year civil war which caused widespread destruction of the nation's socio-economic and educational infrastructure. Even before the war, Liberia lacked the necessary programs and policies to effectively train public school principals and provide them with sustainable ongoing leadership development opportunities and support throughout their careers. This remains true today. This descriptive qualitative study explores the perceptions of Liberian public school principals regarding their needs for leadership development opportunities and for support that would help them to become more effective school leaders.

Data was collected from two main sources: 1) in-depth, semi-structured interviews with...

Shifting teacher paradigms: a study of andragogical professional learning structures

Judith Marie Moore — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:34:50 PDT

As public education seeks to address the needs of a globalized, 21^st Century workplace, curriculum and instructional methodologies increasingly require classroom technology integration, infusion of critical thinking skills and information and media skills over rote memorization of facts. In order to retrain teachers in the new instructional archetype, this study designed and implemented a professional learning program, grounded in adult learning theory, which sought to shift teacher's instructional paradigm from that of didactic information provider to student-driven learning facilitator. Specifically, the research questions addressed the current level of technology integration at a moderate size middle school in the Southeast United...

At-risk students and the dropout rate: what influences students decisions to remain in school or drop-out in a suburban high school?

Kevin Ryan McIntyre — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:07:54 PDT

The drop out phenomenon is a persistent problem in public schools across the United States. The consequence of a student dropping out of school negatively impacts both the individual who chooses to drop out and the society that ultimately is responsible for supporting that individual. The purpose of this study is to analyze the decision making processes of at-risk students who either dropout or choose to persevere and complete their high school education and to understand what factors influence that decision in a semi-wealthy suburban community. A number of factors influence students during their decision making process. Students who receive...

Technology's impact on student engagement in urban schools: administrators', teachers', and students' perspectives in urban schools

Fredrick H. McDowell Jr. — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:23:15 PDT

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how the use of technology may increase student engagement and learning in urban schools, as perceived by administrators, teachers, and students. Engagement Theory informed the design of the study and interpretation of findings and the literature review provides a context for pursuing this investigation. A qualitative study approach was used to discern stakeholders perceptions of the use of technology to increase student engagement and learning across three urban high schools in the Metro Boston Area. The degree to which the use of technology has contributed to student engagement in learning and...

A mixed methods study on leadership, communication, cooperation and collaboration in children enrolled in the Learning Leadership Academy

Maribeth Manley — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:30:21 PDT

This study examined leadership, communication, cooperation, and collaboration (3C’s) when students in grades 1^st-8^th are instructed on these behaviors in a summer program utilizing cooperative learning teams. Social learning theory and leadership theory comprise the theoretical framework used to examine leadership, and the 3C’s when students work in cooperative learning teams. A literature review on cooperative learning and transformational leadership informed the study. A mixed method evaluation consisted of the empirical analysis of students’ differing behaviors related to leadership, and the 3C’s on a cooperative team activity prior to and after participation in the Learning Leadership Academy (LLA). The mixed...

Evaluating an alternative pathway: a program evaluation

Paula Manchester — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:15:46 PDT

This qualitative study evaluated the current dropout prevention strategy designed and implemented by the Clear Water Public School District, a program that is currently attempting to meet the specific needs of its students. An in-depth evaluation study was conducted at Urban High School—an alternative school created in 2008, which services students who are not being successful in the mainstream high school or who have been excluded from their neighborhood schools within the district for unsafe behaviors. A formative assessment identified, documented, and consolidated the program's strengths and perceived areas of weakness that require improvement. Furthermore, this study detailed the strategies...

An exploration of community college students' experiences with a leadership program

Charles Robert Lloyd — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:58:27 PDT

Through the analysis of qualitative data, this interpretative phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of community college students to gain an understanding of how they perceived their participation in leadership training. The research draws on the data gathered from in-depth interviews with three community college students attending a public institution in the northeastern United States. Utilizing student development theory as a theoretical framework, this study provided rich descriptions of the participants' experiences following leadership training and the sense they constructed from their experiences. The emergent themes produced by this study included (1) sense of belonging and positive relationships, (2) increased...

A qualitative analysis of distributed leadership and teacher perspective of principal leadership effectiveness

Jane O'Connor Lizotte — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:29:53 PDT

In recent years, expectations for schools have increased to the point where they are now expected to ensure that all students are learning at high levels. This is a daunting, complex, and ambitious aspiration that requires leadership beyond that provided by the principal. The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze teachers' perception of principal practices that positively or negatively influence distributed leadership in a school, as well as teachers' perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of such efforts. In doing so, this researcher will improve ways in which a principal can best support a distributed leadership model.

The...

Exploring gender differences across elementary, middle, and high school students' science and math attitudes and interest

Julie Christine LeGrand — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:41:26 PDT

The issue of female underrespresentation in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology careers and courses has been well researched over the last several decades. However, as gender gaps in achievement close and representation becomes more equitable in certain academic domains, research has turned to social and cultural factors to explain why fewer women persist in STEM studies and careers than men. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in science and math attitudes and interests from elementary school, to middle school, to high school. To examine possible gender-specific shifts in students' interest and attitudes in science and math,...

Understanding deaf readers: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Aaron Weir Kelstone — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:57:01 PDT

The development of reading skills, beyond a functional level, is difficult for most deaf readers. Standardized testing demonstrates a median 4th grade reading level that remains consistent even after national norming of the Stanford Achievement test on the population of deaf school children. Deaf education continues to generate various educational interventions, yet few interventions lead to classroom implementation of effective-based practices. Research associated with successful deaf readers who read at levels equal to or better than the average 12th grade hearing reader is less prevalent. Subsequently, effective identification of how these deaf readers successfully comprehend text is not well understood....

Bereavement in the classroom: how teachers respond to grief at school

Gina S. Kahn — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:14:33 PDT

Whether stemming from a tragic event in the life of a child such as the loss of a parent, or a community-devastating occurrence such as a natural disaster, it is likely that in every school year teachers will encounter some facet of bereavement in their classrooms. Despite the frequency of such events and the seemingly wide availability of training resources, there are questions about the degree to which teachers feel trained or prepared to respond (National Commission for Children and Disasters Interim Report, 2009). Several possible causes explain the gap, such as a lack of understanding of the needs of...

Teaching for historical understanding: perspectives from a high school social studies department

Christopher Scott Jones — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:47:59 PDT

This qualitative study examined the issue of history education and its failure to understand and implement the most effective teaching and learning strategies for the discipline. It did this by conducting interviews, observations, and a focus group with a group of history teachers in a suburban high school in New England. While aiming to explain how history teachers' beliefs about teaching history affect their instructional practice and how much those beliefs have been shaped by their knowledge of current instructional theory, it also defined what constitutes teaching for historical understanding, elicited instructors' knowledge and beliefs, and compared the two as...

Middle school students' perceptions of bullying and the effects of an anti-bullying policy

Ann M. Jones — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:56:07 PDT

The problem of bullying in schools is an issue of national importance. Research points to an abundance of negative impacts on students involved in bullying and require the attention of adults to address and resolve bullying incidents between students. This study, giving credence to the voices of eighth graders in one central Massachusetts middle school, sought to uncover not only student perspectives about bullying but also to determine what these perceptions revealed about the effectiveness of the school district's anti-bullying policy. Using a mixed methods design, employing a survey instrument and focus group discussions, this study found that about 33...

Formal training in collective bargaining: superintendents' perspective

Celine Johnson — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:37:00 PDT

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate superintendents' perspectives of the value of formal training in collective bargaining negotiations. Dependent on their responses, one could propose negotiation skills training as a crucial area of need for superintendents. Social interdependence theory provides the theoretical framework for the literature review and helps to inform an analysis of following research question: What is the impact of formal training in negotiation, or lack thereof, as perceived by LEA administrators on the outcomes of contract negotiations? Seven superintendents of medium size school districts across three states were interviewed about their perspectives of the...