ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Integrating Hands-On Undergraduate Research in an Applied Spatial Science Senior Level Capstone Course
Author: Kulhavy, David L.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Seniors,College Curriculum,Research Projects,Experiential Learning,Forestry,Natural Resources,Environmental Research,Building Design,Geographic Information Systems,Geography,Computer Oriented Programs,Statistical Analysis,Photography

A senior within a spatial science Ecological Planning capstone course designed an undergraduate research project to increase his spatial science expertise and to assess the hands-on instruction methodology employed within the Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science program at Stephen F Austin State University. The height of 30 building features estimated remotely with LiDAR data, within the Pictometry remotely sensed web-based interface, and in situ with a laser rangefinder were compared to actual building feature height measurements. A comparison of estimated height with actual height indicated that all three estimation techniques tested were unbiased estimators of height. An ANOVA, conducted on the absolute height errors resulting in a p-value of 0.035, concluded the three height estimating techniques were statistically different at the 95% confidence interval. A Tukey pair-wise test found the remotely sensed Pictometry web-based interface was statistically more accurate than LiDAR data, while the laser range finder was not different from the others. The results indicate that height estimates within the Pictometry web-based interface could be used in lieu of time consuming and costly in situ height measurements. The findings also validate the interactive hands-on instruction methodology employed by Geographic Information Systems faculty within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture in producing spatial science graduates capable of utilizing spatial science technology to accurately quantify, qualify, map, and monitor natural resources.
Journalism Educators, Their Students, and Local Media Practitioners: A Case Study Exploration
Author: Kuban, Adam J.
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Journalism,Journalism Education,College Faculty,Case Studies,News Reporting,Student Surveys,Interviews,Observation,Entry Workers,Undergraduate Students,Undergraduate Study,Qualitative Research,Job Skills,Knowledge Level,Course Selection (Students)

Journalism educators must make critical decisions about their undergraduate curricula, determining how to best prepare their students for professional careers. Present scholarship indicates that a disconnect exists in what journalism students think they ought to know and/or be able to do upon graduation, what educators think they must teach their students, and what current practitioners identify and value in entry-level journalists. This case study addresses a void in scholarship, as it explores what constitutes adequate preparation in a local context: via perceptions of journalism students and educators at a public university in the Mountain West as well as journalism practitioners who work in the nearby media market. Multiple methods--focused interviews, descriptive surveys, and direct observations--illuminated students', educators', and practitioners' perceptions of preparation and revealed, contrary to other researchers' findings, overall agreement among these three communities. Entry-level journalists, according to the data, must have stellar reporting and writing skills, exercise critical-thinking skills, remain curious about the world around them, understand basic governmental processes and protocols, and practice their craft--on their own and in professional opportunities as they emerge. Specific suggestions resulted from the data that may improve the existing undergraduate journalism curriculum at the university studied. Additionally, this study offers a methodological template that other scholars can emulate to explore the triangulation (or lack thereof) among educators, students, and practitioners in their own communities.
Building Confident Teachers: Preservice Physical Education Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs
Author: Hand, Karen E.
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Education,National Standards,Self Efficacy,Likert Scales,Preservice Teachers,Teacher Education,Teacher Education Programs,Research Universities,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Competencies,Student Teachers,Student Teaching,Cooperating Teachers

Understanding teachers' perceptions of their abilities across a variety of teaching strategies can provide insight for understanding teaching effectiveness and program review. Teaching efficacy reflects the degrees of confidence individuals have in their ability to successfully perform specific teaching proficiencies (Bandura, 1986). Additional insight can also be gleaned by examining the factors that influence a person's rating of his/her efficacy beliefs across a variety of pedagogical skills and core competencies. Objectives: This investigation examined the strength (1-5 likert-scale) and source of teaching efficacy across six national standards for physical education. Methods: Self-efficacy measures served to examine efficacy beliefs across the following NASPE (2008) competency areas of (Scientific knowledge, skill and fitness based competence, planning and implementation, instructional delivery and management, impact on student learning, and professionalism). Additionally, sources of influence on the teachers' efficacy ratings were also examined. Participants: Participants consisted of 120 pre-service physical educators who were enrolled in an accredited physical education teacher preparation program at a suburban research-intensive university. Participants were participating in either a clinical experience or student teaching. Results: Student teachers reported the highest level of overall teaching efficacy with their highest ratings being for professional dispositions and content knowledge. The student teachers lowest scores were ability to enhance student engagement and utilize assessment to foster student learning. Clinical students had a lower overall teaching efficacy rating with the lowest rating being for planning and implementation followed by assessment. Recommendations for potential program improvement and meeting accreditation standards can be drawn from the results.
When Leadership and Policy Making Collide: The Valley View Middle School Experience
Author: Hodge, Warren A.
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Uniforms,Instructional Leadership,Transformational Leadership,Social Justice,Middle Schools,Middle School Students,Administrators,Parents,Middle School Teachers,Stakeholders,School Policy,Case Method (Teaching Technique)

This case demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the school uniform debate. It shows how conflicts and tensions between stakeholder groups develop and persist when policymakers and school leaders allow hidden agendas and communication barriers to subvert the decision- and policymaking processes. In particular, the case demonstrates what happens when a school improvement initiative is not adequately vetted and instead cultivates conflicts that distract teachers and students from their core tasks--teaching and learning. The case can be used to explore and understand school leadership, policymaking, and the change process, particularly when they are addressed in graduate college courses such as educational leadership, organizational theory, and educational policy.
Developing a Shared Leadership Vision in a College Setting
Author: Fierke, Kerry K.
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Leadership Styles,College Environment,Strategic Planning,Participative Decision Making,Pharmacy,College Faculty,Graduate Students,Employees,Definitions,Qualitative Research,Enrichment Activities,Educational Philosophy,Focus Groups,Organizational Change,Needs Assessment,Transformational Leadership

The University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy is nationally recognized for its leadership curriculum. Despite the College's success in developing student leaders, an overall guiding leadership philosophy within the College has not been specifically articulated. To begin the process of developing a shared leadership vision, a democratic, &quot;ground-up&quot; approach to discussing leadership was applied. Over a three-month period, 94 faculty, staff, and graduate students attended eight sessions across two campuses, working together to develop a consensus definition of leadership. The qualitative data from these sessions was forwarded to a College committee, who will lead the next step of incorporating the data into a philosophy statement used in curriculum changes and student development activities.
Lean in and Lift up: Female Superintendents Share Their Career Path Choices
Author: Kelsey, Cheryl
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Females,Women Administrators,Career Choice,Career Development,Superintendents,Qualitative Research,Administrator Attitudes,Barriers,Gender Bias,Equal Opportunities (Jobs),Semi Structured Interviews,Grounded Theory,Leadership Styles,Administrator Characteristics

The purpose of the research was to inform professional practice pertaining to the preparation of female administrators as future school superintendents. Twenty female superintendents in Texas were interviewed using a qualitative research approach. Strategies, career experiences and perception of barriers were identified using open-ended questions. Qualitative analysis provided insight into how current female superintendents navigated their career paths, as well as recommendations for how to advance career opportunities for future female administrators and assist more women into the superintendency.
Universal Evaluation: An Invitation to the Creation of Innovative Models for Teacher Training
Author: Fitch, Rosa Isela Gluyas
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Evaluation,Elementary School Teachers,Educational Quality,Teacher Education

In 2007, Mexico's Federal Government, through the Public Education Secretariat, started a project with the participation of the states' education authorities in order to optimize teaching and the management of the quality of schools. This project was carried out as a mean to solve the decades of falling behind that the quality of education in Mexico has endured in terms of school performance and teacher training and evaluation. In 2011, the SEP and the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), signed the National Agreement for the Universal Evaluation of Teachers and Principals of Basic Education, with the purpose of generating assessments and focus continuous education on developing teaching competences and the improvement of the quality of education. In the final year of President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa's presidential term (2012), the Program of Universal Evaluation of Teachers and Principals of Basic Education was launched. Its the objective was of assessing the teachers' performance, in order to shape the decision making in the construction of innovative programs for the selection, preparation, development, evaluation and recognition of teachers of elementary schools. Within this program it was possible to conduct, for the first time in Mexico's history, the Universal Evaluation for Teachers to 52% of the elementary schools' teachers. The results of the first phase of the Universal Evaluation laid out, among many other challenges, the creation of innovative models of education for teachers that could allow the construction of training and formative projects which could, in turn, encourage voluntary participation from a higher number of teachers in order to ensure the continuity and implementation of this initiative in its subsequent phases.
Elementary Teachers' Experiences and Perceptions of Departmentalized Instruction: A Case Study
Author: Strohl, Alecia
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,Elementary School Teachers,Teaching Experience,Teacher Attitudes,Departments,Rural Schools,Focus Groups,Interviews,Questionnaires,Self Efficacy,Teaching Models,Faculty Workload,Primary Education

This case study investigated elementary teachers' experiences and perceptions during a trial year of departmentalized instruction in a rural south Georgia elementary school. To inform their decision about whole-school departmentalization for the future, school administrators appointed twelve first through third grade teachers to pilot the instructional model for one school year. This case study utilized data collected from focus group interviews, individual interviews with departmentalized teachers, teacher journals, and questionnaires. The experiences and perceptions of the departmentalized teachers informed the study about perceived positive and negative attributes of departmentalized instruction, self-efficacy beliefs, and experiences of a shift in instructional models. Aligning with related literature, findings revealed teacher preference for the departmentalized instructional model over the self-contained model due to lighter workload, more focused and higher quality instruction, and increased self-efficacy.
The Full-Time School Program in Mexico
Author: Zermeño, Marcela Georgina Gómez
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Extended School Day,Holistic Approach,Educational Improvement,Academic Achievement,Educational Attainment,Achievement Gains,Equal Education,Public Schools,Educational Opportunities,International Organizations,Developing Nations,Program Effectiveness,Educational Quality,Student Improvement,Educational Practices,Sex Fairness,At Risk Students,Risk Management,Behavior Problems,Prevention,Agency Cooperation,Case Studies

The Full-time Schools Program in Mexico (&quot;Programa Escuelas de Tiempo Completo,&quot; PETC), began in the 2007-2008 school year with the aim of improving the learning opportunities of basic education students by extending the school day to eight hours a day, in order to offer an innovative and flexible pedagogical proposal that includes six work lines to achieve a holistic education and to develop lifelong competences. When the Program began, 500 schools located in 15 Mexican States were enrolled in it; by the 2012-2013 school year there were already 6,715 FTS in all the 32 Mexican federal entities. As the number of schools has increased, PETC has also improved the schools infrastructure and the results on the National Assessment of Academic Achievement have shown progress in educational attainment. The National PETC Office, in collaboration with the States' Offices, has carried out updating and training actions about the Methodological Guides in the Program's Tool Box, as well as courses on School Management for teachers, principals, and supervisors. In 2012, the Congress promoted the initiative to reform the National Educational Act, so the full-time mode could be implemented in elementary schools nationwide. The Program's development sets out new challenges besides strengthening the pedagogical proposal: a holistic education requires addressing other issues such as gender equity, domestic economy, and prevention of risky behavior. Contributing to improve the quality and equity of education involves linking the PETC to other institutions, so that from their areas of expertise they can strengthen this program.
Presentation Anxiety Analysis: Comparing Face-to-Face Presentations and Webinars
Author: Campbell, Scott
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Public Speaking,Comparative Analysis,Anxiety,Synchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Student Experience,Expectation,Student Surveys,Pretests Posttests,College Students

This study is an exploration in the changing landscape of how people deliver presentations in an attempt to determine the advantages and disadvantages of both forms. The study focused on key differences of student expectations and experiences delivering a presentation to an audience in the same location (face-to-face) compared to a presentation delivered online to an audience they could not see or hear. The subjects were students that volunteered to be part of the study. There were a total of 50 students used in 3 different classes. Each student delivered two presentations. The students were given 4 surveys to complete during the study. Both presentations had a pre and post assessment. The end result of the surveys provided compelling information about student expectations and experiences, particularly in regards to anxiety levels. A literature review regarding anxiety associated with public address and the pros and cons of integrating technology into education was conducted. The literature review and student responses to the surveys provided evidence in order make recommendations to educators and to help educators make a more informed decision about the advantages and disadvantages of using either method of delivery.
Rates of Representation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in South Texas
Author: Guzmán, Norma A.
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Diversity,Disproportionate Representation,Elementary School Students,Special Education,Educational Practices,Language Minorities,Ethnicity,Race,Eligibility,Social History,Profiles,Statistical Data,Statistical Analysis,Racial Bias

This study adds to the research on the problem of disproportionality of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students in special education (SE) in four districts and 13 elementary campuses in south Texas. Data was disaggregated and analyzed at the state, district and campus level when possible utilizing the composition index (Donovan &amp; Cross, 2002). Over-representation of CLD students is measured for the following subjective disability categories: Learning Disabled (LD), Emotionally Disturbed (ED), Mental Retardation (MR) and Speech Impaired (SI). The findings show that the problem of over-representation of CLD students in SE has not improved since the 1970s (Artiles &amp; Ortiz, 2002; Artiles &amp; Trent, 1994; Donovan &amp; Cross, 2002; Heller, Holtzman, &amp; Messick, 1982). Disaggregation of data reveals patterns of disproportionality that need to be addressed by our educational practices that perpetuate this problem.
Comparing State Mandated Test Scores for Students in Programs with and without Fine Arts in the Curriculum
Author: Garcia, Cynthia
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Fine Arts,Art Education,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Achievement Tests,Standardized Tests,Rural Schools,School District Size,Scores,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Ethnicity,Socioeconomic Status,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Elementary Secondary Education,Pretests Posttests

As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, many school districts have reduced instructional time for the arts in order to focus on reading and mathematics. Accordingly, fine arts programs across the nation have become subject to budget cuts or elimination in order to meet federal accountability measures. Hit especially hard are small, rural school districts. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a fine arts program on the reading and math achievement, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test, of third- through eighth-grade students in a small, rural school district. The theories of constructivism, multiple intelligences, and brain-based learning served as the bases for the alternate treatment posttest-only nonequivalent group design quantitative study. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to determine if significant differences existed among the reading and math TAKS scores of all students across the levels of fine arts implementation in 2007 (Level 1), 2008 (Level 2), 2009 (Level 3), and 2010 (Level 4). The levels of fine arts implementation corresponded to 0, 1, 2, or 3 years of fine arts added to the curriculum. Additional analyses were repeated to examine the difference by students' ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Results from the study indicated participation in the arts increased reading achievement for all students and increased reading and math achievement for both the Hispanic and the economically disadvantaged populations. It is recommended that these results be shared in an effort to expand the knowledge base of rural educators and to assist in closing the achievement gap for at-risk students enrolled in small, rural school districts.
Citizenship, Community and National Identity: Young People Perceptions in a Bahraini Context
Author: Eid, Fatima H.
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nationalism,Foreign Countries,Citizenship Education,High School Graduates,Citizen Participation,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research,Self Concept,Mixed Methods Research,Questionnaires,High School Students,Student Attitudes,Course Content,Teaching Methods,Learning Activities,Semi Structured Interviews

Preparing young people to be active citizens has to be a core value of schools and higher education institutions. Thus, education for citizenship is important because every society needs people who can contribute effectively to the future health of their communities locally, nationally and globally. The field of citizenship education is one that encompasses an abundance of topics and issues (Cohen, 2010). In an attempt to bring some much needed clarity to this field, this paper presents the theoretical and conceptual background for a field study that intends to examine whether young people graduating from high school in Bahrain are equipped with the civic knowledge and understanding necessary to participate effectively as citizens. It also provides young people's conception of citizenship, their perception of their identity, and their concern about their community issues. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, this paper analyses the ways in which young Bahrainis perceive their identity and citizenship status. In this mixed methods approach, a questionnaire was administered to 460 final year secondary school students, followed by in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of 22 young people who had participated in the questionnaire survey. The findings provide valuable insights into the problems encountered by young Bahrainis as they engage in the process of learning about citizenship. This helps the educators, curriculum designers and policy makers to build upon what Bahraini young people already know and understand, and revise the content and types of activities that should be introduced if effective learning is to take place. [A bibliography is included.]
Researcher-Portraitists: An Exploration of Aesthetics and Research Quality
Author: Muccio, Leah Schoenberg
Date: 2015-01-25
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Research Methodology,Beginning Teachers,Culturally Relevant Education,Educational Practices,Grounded Theory,Poetry,Aesthetics

In this article, we critique the use of portraiture as a qualitative research method, emphasizing the relationship between the fundamental aspects of portraiture and the recurring themes of research quality associated with alternative qualitative inquiry. To accomplish this goal, we conducted a study of culturally responsive practices of three first-year teachers and analyzed the data using both constant comparison and portraiture techniques. In addition to constructing poetic portraits of the teachers, we examined the intersection of aesthetics and quality research, especially in relation to researcher identity. The study--and subsequent critique of portraiture-- challenges critics who question the value and goodness of the method, the same constructs emphasized by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot in her 2005 exposition of portraiture as a social science method. Further, we critique our own methodological comfort zones, thus rejecting the either/or mentality of methodological fundamentalism exhibited both outside and within the field of qualitative research.