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**If your abstract is missing, please send the abstract to Lorraine Allen, lallen@memphis.edu.
Session 1.1
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. EARLY CHILDHOOD (Displays)........................................................... Avon
Positive Approaches in
the Prevention of Childhood Overweightness
and Obesity in a Preschool Population
Debra K. Goodwin and Paul K.
Napoli, Jacksonville State University
This project was designed to
address the issues of childhood overweightness and obesity in an
age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate manner for children ages three
and four. Currently, there are few
projects of this nature dealing with overweightness and obesity in the preschool
setting. The project was comprised of
learning modules that addressed all areas of development and curriculum in the
framework of healthy lifestyles.
The objective of the learning
modules was to present positive principles involving body image, healthy
lifestyle choices, and family education that will impact the issues of
overweightness and obesity in a preschool population. In view of the fact that obesity is a major
national problem and early childhood is a crucial time for awareness,
education, and adoption of lifestyle habits (including food and activity habits), this project was designed to have significant
impact on the issues of overweightness and obesity in this population by
promoting healthy lifestyle choices. The
learning modules were designed to inform, elicit participation, and foster
knowledge acquisition of healthy lifestyles in the preschool classroom.
Parental surveys relating to
healthy lifestyles were completed to collect pre-intervention data. Intervention methods used included healthy
lifestyle principles taught through music, movement, multi-cultural food
exploration and preparation, science, and literature. Post-intervention
parental surveys were completed to collect data to measure any changes in
lifestyle habits as a result of the application of learning modules.
How Do Kindergarteners
Express Their Mathematics Understanding?
Kyoko M. Johns, University of
Alabama
A limited number of
investigations have been conducted in the past decade on how young children
express their mathematical understanding in order to guide classroom teachers
to teach more effectively. Previous studies have shown that children can successfully
represent their mathematical ideas and knowledge while constructing their own
understanding of mathematical concepts when provided with opportunities to
explore, investigate, discuss with others, and problem solve creatively in
open-ended situations. In order to become mathematically literate and to be
able to function in today’s society as a productive citizen, children must be
able to represent and interpret mathematical ideas and concepts. Studies have
indicated the importance of focusing on children’s thought processes rather
than end products, but a very few studies have focused on young children and
their use of representations. A great need exists to investigate the use of
representation in the primary grade settings.
This study was conducted to
advance understanding of the ways kindergarten students express and represent
their understanding of mathematical ideas and knowledge and how a classroom
teacher could assess students’ mathematical understanding. Data were collected
from 18 kindergarten students during a four-week period using observation,
interviews, students’ journal entries, and field notes. The following research
questions guided the inquiry: (1) How do kindergarten students express their
mathematical understanding? and (2) How does a kindergarten teacher assess
children’s mathematical knowledge and ability?
The findings of the study
revealed how young children communicate and represent mathematically and their
positive attitude toward doing mathematics. The study has curriculum implications
for early childhood teachers about how to incorporate more mathematics
activities in a daily classroom routine and how to utilize various assessment
methods to help children become mathematically literate.
First-Grade Readers’
GORT-4 Miscues: Effects of Reading Skill and Instructional Methods
Deborah L. Edwards, Brenda L.
Beverly, Keri L. Buck, and Rebecca M. Giles,
University of South Alabama
Beverly, Giles, and Buck
(2006) compared reading performance for an experimental group who read decodable
texts to one control group that received phonics instruction but no decodable
texts and a second control group that heard literature read aloud. Although
participants showed significant gains compared to non-participants on a
school-based measure (DIBELS), a differential effect of decodable texts was not
established. Comprehension findings varied for reading level: below-average
readers demonstrated greater increases given decodable texts, but average
readers benefited from literature read aloud.
The current study was a
miscue analysis using GORT-4 stories from Beverly et al.’s 32 first graders.
Audiofiles were transcribed and miscues coded (>85% reliability). Real word
substitutions were classified as grapho-phonemically similar or dissimilar with
preserved or removed meaning, function word substitutions, and additions and
omissions that preserved or removed meaning. Children also produced nonwords
and morphological changes.
Mean percentage of miscues
decreased significantly (p < .000) from pretesting to posttesting, 22% to
14%. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between
miscues and enrichment group (p < .05). Post hoc analysis revealed that the
Phonics control group had a nonsignificant decrease in miscues; however, both
the Literature and Decodable Texts groups showed significant decreases. A
second ANOVA revealed significant differences in miscues based on reading
level. Significant decreases were observed for “average” readers, but their
increase in total words read was nonsignificant. Participants who were “below
average” (i.e., 1-1.5 S.D.s below the GORT-4 mean) had nonsignificant decreases
in miscues from pre- to posttesting. Children considered “significantly below
average” (i.e., >1.5 S.Ds below) showed a significant decrease in miscues
and a significant increase in total words read. Differences in percentages of
specific miscue categories from pre- to posttesting were described, but
statistical significance was not achieved. Findings were discussed in light of instructional
methods and first-graders’ reading abilities.
Session 1.2
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. EVALUATION.............................................................................. Berkshire
Presider: Jarrett M. Landor-Ngemi,
University of Southern Mississippi
Examining Relationships
Between DIBELS and SAT 10
Susan A. Seay, University of
Alabama
As schools have come under
increasing pressure to conform to the public’s expectations of higher student
achievement, the role of assessment and the use of high-stakes tests have
increased proportionally. In an effort to document early reading growth, the
Alabama Department of Education mandated that Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early
Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessments be administered to students in grades K-2;
the Stanford Achievement Test, 10th Edition (SAT 10) was mandated to be administered
to students for the first time in the third grade. State education officials report that this
test sequence enables educators to identify students experiencing reading
difficulties as early as kindergarten level. Key questions answered by this study
included how and whether the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) assessment
results individually or sequentially were correlated with student scores in
reading comprehension as measured by the SAT 10 and whether reading scores of
at-risk students improved to grade-level proficiency after these students were
identified by DIBELS testing.
Research hypotheses examined
relationships, including the effect of variables of gender, ethnicity, and
socioeconomic status, among DIBELS ORF measures and the SAT 10 Reading
Comprehension subtest by using student scores from a population of third-grade
students from a large Alabama school district. Two longitudinal samples of
student scores were made up of all 2004-2005 third-grade students with scores
on the third-grade SAT 10, as well as DIBELS ORF scores for the first through
third grade.
Data were examined with
descriptive statistics and stagewise multiple linear regression analyses.
Findings revealed that DIBELS ORF measures in first grade predicted 36% of
variance in SAT 10 scores for students in this study. An examination of scores
for the entire study period (2002-2005) revealed that up to 36.79% of students
whose ORF scores identified them as needing reading intervention never reached
benchmark.
“Professors in the
Schools”: A Multicultural Evaluation
Beverly M. Klecker, Morehead State
University
This paper described the
evaluation for the fourth year of a continuing "Professors in the
Schools" program at a regional state university in the South. A common concern
in teacher education programs has been the cultural disconnect between higher
education and P-12 schools. Professors selected to participate in the
“Professors in the Schools Fellowship” (N=22) partnered with public school
personnel and classrooms of their choice. Each professor spent a minimum of 45
hours during the 2005-2006 school year in her/his selected public school.
Many studies have centered on
the participation of university professors in the public schools (e.g., Carino,
1990; Faetz & Warner, 2001; Hudson-Ross & McWhorter, 1997; Smith,
1969). Some researchers have specifically investigated the difference between
the cultures of higher education and public schools (e.g., Barnett, Aagaard,
& Stanley, 2003; Brookhart & Loadman, 1989, 1992a, 1992b).
The evaluators designed a
10-question survey. Each question was followed by a five-point Likert-type item
rating scale. Following each quantitative item, an open-ended question asked
respondents to illuminate their quantitative ratings. The quantitative and
qualitative data were collected through electronic Blackboard in October and
May. Triangulation (Patton, 1990) was used to verify and validate findings.
Results indicated a very high
degree of cultural learning by the professors. The professors’ ratings of
satisfaction increased from data point one at the beginning of the year to data
point two at the year’s end. Although only one of the quantitative questions
asked about school culture, the qualitative data yielded multi-dimensional,
rich descriptions of the university professors’ perceptions. This study adds to
the body of university/public school multicultural research. The “Professors in
the Schools Fellowship Program” continues to be valued by both the university
professors and the regional public schools in which they participate.
Early Childhood Supports
and Services: A Model Early Childhood Mental Health Program
Beverly A. Mulvihill, Tonia
Crossley-Lewis, and Carl Brezausek, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Mental health concerns in
young children often go undetected until school age. This one-to-five year delay exacerbates
untreated social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Timely identification of
high-risk children and families permits more effective interventions. Early
intervention may prevent or ameliorate later developmental and related
issues. The quality of parent-child
interactions is related to early childhood development, and parenting stress
has been shown to be related to poor parent-child relationships. Since 2002, the Early Childhood Supports and
Services (ECSS) program has demonstrated the effectiveness of a mental health
intervention in six Louisiana regions. This program promotes collaboration
among agencies to provide family and child interventions to improve the child’s
learning capabilities and school readiness.
Families receiving TANF are
eligible for ECSS. Demographics, family
and child risk factors, employment barriers, and parenting stress were assessed
at baseline and six-month follow up. Frequencies, T-tests, and Pearson
correlations were used to describe the study population, compare mean scores at
baseline and six months, and explore the relationship between parenting stress
scores and services received. This paper reported evaluation results for 261
families.
Families reported a
significant reduction in three of the five employment barriers: personal/
financial, emotional/physical and training and education barriers
(p<.05). Parenting stress was
significantly reduced for two of three subscales and the total score
(p<.05). The services families
received and total parenting stress scores were positively correlated
(p<.01). These results indicated that families perceived fewer employment
barriers and less stress in their parent-child relationship after six months in
ECSS. Families experiencing more stress
received more services. Services
provided to these families appeared to assist in the critical areas of
employment and parenting, consequently promoting a healthier and more stable
environment for early childhood mental health development.
Session 1.3
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION................................................. Cornwall
Presider: Barbara N. Young, Middle Tennessee
State University
Young Children’s Use of
Environmental Print in Journal Writing
Karyn W. Tunks and Rebecca Giles,
University of South Alabama
Spontaneous forms of writing
appear when children make their first attempts to communicate through writing.
Sulzby (1992) identified six different forms of spontaneous writing, also
called kid writing, used by young children:
scribbles, letter-like forms, letter strings, conventional spelling, and
invented spelling (Sulzby, 1992; Sulzby, Barnhart & Heishima, 1989; Sulzby,
1985). The spontaneous forms of writing are not stages and do not occur in a
sequence. Children use different forms under varying circumstances (Sulzby,
1986) and may combine forms by incorporating conventionally spelled words among
inventive spellings (Morrow, 1996). Their choice of writing may be based on the
message to be conveyed, knowledge of letter sounds, ability to form specific
letters, knowledge of memorized standard spellings, and the availability of
print in the environment.
The study examined
approximately 750 journal entries collected from August 22, 2005 – January 30,
2006 of 17 children enrolled in a full-day, parochial kindergarten classroom.
Entries were reviewed and independently coded by the two researchers. Results
revealed a seventh form of spontaneous writing used by children making early
attempts to communicate through print. This form was labeled “environmental
spelling” (Tunks & Giles, 2006) and included conventional forms of print
copied from the environment, such as a classroom display or the cover of a
book.
Children used environmental
print to write in three different ways. First, they copied print from their
immediate environment with no regard for word selection or meaning. Second,
they used environmental print to help them spell correctly an actual word they
wanted to use in their message. Third, environmental print influenced or
inspired new writing topics. In all three cases, children relied on the print
from their immediate environment to write their messages.
School Readiness: Is Age
an Appropriate Indicator?
Tracie Sempier, Mississippi State
University
School readiness has been a
highly debated topic for over a century (Kagan, 1990). Most recently, the issue
gained considerable attention with the adoption of the National Education Goals
2000: Educate America Act of 1994, which stated that “by the year 2000 all
children will start school ready to learn (Section 102).” In simple terms,
school readiness refers to a child’s capabilities at the time of school entry
that are important for later success in school or in life. School readiness has
been defined in numerous ways, including physical, social, and cognitive
preparedness for entering the school environment. Multiple definitions of
school readiness make it hard to define the problem in a universal way.
Traditionally, compulsory education has been mandated for children age five and
above. However, the idea of age as an indicator for school readiness is highly
debated because the developmental level of children generally varies at each
age.
This paper reviewed the
current literature and centered on: (1) the various conceptual definitions of
school readiness, (2) the challenges children face as they enter formal
schooling, (3) the inconsistencies of defining kindergarten eligibility by age
and entry skills, and (4) the questions that need to be addressed if readiness
is to be made achievable for more children.
Early Reading First
Project – Teacher Implementation
Marcia R. O'Neal, Kathleen Martin,
Kay Emfinger, and Scott W. Snyder,
University of Alabama at
Birmingham
The Early Reading First
project was implemented during the 2003-2004 school year in Bessemer,
Alabama. Project goals included
improving outcomes for children through professional development, curriculum,
and high quality literacy environments so that children in the community will
enter kindergarten with skills and abilities that ensure that they will become
successful readers and learners. In its
first year, the project served over 200 three- and four-year-old children and
16 classrooms at eight independent, school-affiliated, or Head Start centers,
each of which was designated as either a treatment or comparison site. During the second year, the project served
over 300 children in 19 classrooms at seven centers. In its third year, the project provided
services to nearly 300 children in 19 classrooms at five centers.
Project activities included
screening, coaching sessions, parent education workshops, professional
development in literacy education, transition planning, parent lending
libraries, and curriculum materials.
Teacher assessments included the Early Language and Literacy Classroom
Observation (ELLCO), as well as the Assessment Profile, a locally developed
checklist, and three locally developed surveys of knowledge and
perceptions. ELLCO subscales measure
literacy environment, as well as literacy activities, and involve an extended
observation by a trained examiner.
Results have consistently
revealed evidence that treatment classrooms provided more literacy-rich
environments and activities than did comparison classrooms. The differences were evident during the first
year and have been sustained over the three-year period of the project. Items from the ELLCO were also combined by
project staff to reflect structure (classroom materials and their arrangement)
and process. Results again revealed
consistent differences between treatment and comparison classrooms.
Session 1.4
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. MATHEMATICS EDUCATION............................................................ Devon
Presider: Jay Feng, Mercer University
Math Anxiety in Teachers
and Students: Research Theories and Perspectives
Mary Kay Bacallao and Rena Faye
Norby, Mercer University
This paper sought to address
the root causes of math anxiety in elementary teachers and students. Some possible solutions, based on research,
were also provided. One might assume that
teachers with math anxiety could pass their tendencies on to the students that
they teach. Does research confirm
this? If so, what can be done to reduce
math anxiety in both teachers and students?
According to the National
Council of the Teachers of Mathematics Content and Process Standards, it is
important to allow students to freely explore and communicate mathematically in
a supportive group environment. Students
should be permitted to explore and relearn basic math concepts. They should also be given an opportunity to
apply these relearned concepts to real life and authentic situations. To alleviate math anxiety in preservice
teachers, the students need to be a part of a mathematics community wherein
they perceive that they are supported.
Research discussed included
the effects of a mathematics intervention program on the computational skills
and attitudes of preservice elementary and secondary teachers. Mathematical competence increased for the
group as a whole, but the anxiety levels did not change. In this case, it was possible to increase
competence without decreasing anxiety.
Another interesting finding was that there was no significant
correlation between math performance and anxiety level. This means that math
anxiety can happen to any student, regardless of the math skill level.
This paper discussed the
importance of addressing math anxiety in preservice teachers before they began
teaching. In this way, they were able to
identify the causes of their own anxiety, overcome math anxiety, and meet the
needs of their students so that both student and teacher were competent and
confident in their ability to teach and learn math in meaningful and creative
ways.
The Relations Among
Self-regulated Learning, Motivation, Anxiety, Attributions, Student Factors,
and Mathematics
Performance Among Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Learners
Melanie L. Shores, University of
Alabama at Birmingham
The purpose of this study was
to investigate: (1) whether relations
existed among the factors of self-regulated learning, motivation, anxiety in
mathematics, attribution and mathematics performance among fifth- and
sixth-grade learners; (2) whether relations existed between individual
variables (i.e., gender ethnicity, SES), self-regulated learning, motivation,
anxiety in mathematics and attributions; (3) whether developmental differences
existed between individual learner variables and mathematics performance; and (4)
whether differences existed in the degree to which individual learner variables
affect mathematics achievement for fifth- and sixth-grade learners.
Of the 761 students taking a
mathematics course, group 1 was made up of 301 fifth graders, and group 2 was
made up of 460 sixth graders. Of the participants, 58.1% were female, 42.6%
were African American, 49.7% were white, 1.3% were Hispanic American, 2.1% were
Native American, 1.7% were biracial/multiethnic; 1.6% indicated something other
than listed; 60.0% reported receiving free or reduced lunch, and 95% indicated
that English was the primary language spoken at home.
The researcher used analysis
of the data through multiple regression analyses, a factorial MANOVA procedure,
a two-group path analysis, and responses to each of the six learning contexts
(coded as SU and SF) that led to rejecting each of the null hypotheses.
Demographic data relating to gender, age, grade, ethnicity, SES, and language
were also considered for the possible perplexing effects of those factors. Upon
completion of the MSLQ, TAI-R-M, and the SRLIS, results indicated: (1) that relations exist among gender,
ethnicity, and SES with motivation, anxiety, and attributions; (2) relations
were noted between SES and test score and between gender, SES, and mathematics
grade; and (3) results suggested differences for the two grade levels in
regards to strategy use and frequency and among those strategies used across
different learning contexts as measured by the SRLIS.
Teaching Mathematics to
Elementary School Students
Jennifer R. Bradley, C. A. Donehoo
Elementary School,
and Charles E. Notar, Jacksonville
State University
The researcher was looking
for the most effective way(s) to teach mathematics that would effectively
convey the objectives stated in the Alabama Course of Study, resulting in 80%
accuracy on chapter tests. Mathematics is a challenge to teach. Unlike reading
and writing, mathematics lacks a common form of communication. Symbols
represent operations; operations are performed in different ways for different
formulas. Symbols can be interchangeable and mean different things in different
situations. This can all be quite confusing for a young student who is trying
to form an understanding of new and abstract concepts having to do with numbers
and operations. A literature search,
surveys, and practical application was used to gain insight into the best
way(s) to teach mathematics.
The data does support the
hypothesis that successful mathematical instruction must include a variety of
tools, methods, manipulatives, and parental involvement. These findings show
that implementing the simplest things such as music, oral reading and small
group work can significantly change the interest level of every student in a
class. This, in turn, results in a significant increase in success in
mathematical instruction. Parental involvement also proved to be a factor.
Several students returned to class and reported that they practiced the
objective at home with the parent and used the entertaining techniques used in
class. Carefully planned units that include all the tools cited in the literature
such as group work, intervention groups, parental involvement, entertainment
elements, and explicit instruction increases students’ enjoyment and curiosity
in learning about mathematics. This enjoyment and curiosity ultimately seems to
have translated into student understanding and learning.
Project PRISM = HQT
Producing Results in Science and Mathematics for Middle School Teachers
Gwen H. Autin, Southeastern
Louisiana University
This study examined middle
school teachers of mathematics and physical science through professional
development on the campus of a working laboratory and observatory. The project
served as a stem of the National Science Foundation and was designed to prepare
more highly qualified middle school teachers for the NCLB Act. An extension of
the project was to develop local school teams to improve science and
mathematics education in grades 5-8 in a rural, low socioeconomic school
district. The project was developed specifically to identify misconceptions,
strengths and weaknesses of physical science and mathematics teachers.
The content rich curriculum
incorporated integrated mathematics and physical science content using methods
of discovery and inquiry for six-and-one-half hours daily during a 15-day
period of a summer. The goals of this project were threefold: (1) to increase
the subject matter knowledge and teaching skills of middle school science and
mathematics teachers, (2) to affect improvements in student outcomes in the
areas of science and mathematics, and (3) to increase the number of highly
qualified middle school science and mathematics teachers.
The institute was composed of
30 teachers in the initial sample. Participants showed significant content
knowledge gain (63 % average pre/posttest gain and a normalized gain of 0.8476)
with a significant gain in abilities and confidence to implement integrated
physical science and mathematics inquiry teaching practices in their
classrooms.
The teacher opinions of the
institute showed that: (1) 97% of
participants felt that they had improved their content knowledge; (2) 85% felt
they had gained skills in complex thinking and reasoning, and (3) 85% increased
their ability to see connections between science and mathematics.
Session 1.5
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. TECHNOLOGY.................................................................................. Dorset
Presider: Cynthia Harper, Jacksonville State
University
An Examination of
Inservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Science, Technology, and Society Issues
Sumita Bhattacharyya, Nicholls
State University
This qualitative study
attempted to examine the development of awareness in inservice teachers'
perceptions about the potential impacts of human-made changes in coastal areas
through a technology enhanced Project Based Approach (PBA). The 67 participants in this study were
inservice teachers enrolled in a three-consecutive-semester Master of Education
program.
The researcher posed a broad
research question based on local ecology issues, namely, intrusion of salt
water in Bayou, pollution affecting animal and plant populations in the local
area, transmission of diseases owing to water and other environmental factors,
and changes in land use. The research design integrated questions from both
science and social sciences. Participants were also required to write
reflective essays on Bayou’s connection to local economies and culture before
and after their experiences with PBA.
Methodologically, multiple
sources of data were identified to be relevant for this study. Accounts of
participants’ reflective essays, observations of their experience, their
reactions to the subject matter, and their interactions with peers were
recorded along with informal conversations. Journal and activity logs were
maintained to ensure trustworthiness and academic rigor of the study.
Preliminary findings were communicated to the participants, as well to gather
some “response” data. The data analysis tool like Inspiration highlighted the
iterative process of research and how early analysis of data can identify key
themes that can reshape the design of the study. The critical emergent themes
evolved during the implementation of PBA were identified.
Findings based on inservice
teachers’ field experiences, banters, an analysis of their pre- and
post-reflective essays and researcher’s observations indicated that inservice
teachers’ perception, after participating in a technology enhanced project
based learning environment, changed their:
(1) perceptions of future instructional practices, (2) awareness of
previously unidentified issues in the environment, and (3) interaction patterns
with a technology-enhanced learning environment.
Perceived Barriers to the
Implementation of Web Enhancement of Courses
by Full-Time Tennessee
Board of Regents Faculty
Tom B. Wallace, Northeast State
Technical Community College
This study examined faculty
reluctance to provide students with access to course resources via the
Internet. The study explored known barriers to the use of technology and the
Internet within educational settings and provided opportunity for new barriers
to be presented. Personal and professional demographic factors were collected
to determine if certain characteristics were identifiable as predictors to web
enhancement.
An online survey was designed
to collect data to address research questions in the study. The survey
consisted of 48 questions, including areas for comments and remarks from
faculty members. One thousand two faculty out of a possible 4,990 responded to
the survey. Based on the results,
conclusions were drawn.
Female faculty and faculty
ranked as assistant, associate, or full professors were most likely to web
enhance. Faculty who had taught for between 1 and 15 years at a four-year
university were also more likely to web enhance than other faculty. Faculty in
the fields of biology, business administration, communications, computer
science, education, English, nursing, and psychology appeared most likely to
web enhance their courses. Major barriers to enhancement included increased
time commitment, concerns regarding faculty work load, lack of person-to-person
contact, and difficulty keeping current with technological changes.
Recommendations for removing
some barriers included the need to recognize and reward innovation, provide
incentives to enhance, and establish cultural change within institutions. Meaningful professional development training
on enhancement techniques was also recommended, as well as providing released
time for enhancement development. Contact standards on campus websites,
providing a contact at each institution for research inquiries, and becoming
more accessible to the public at large were also needed. Recommendations for
further research included completing this study on an institutional basis and
studying the need for “revamping” the concept of “office hours” when used in
connection with online courses.
College Students'
Perceptions of the Use of Web-Based Quizzes on Course Achievement
Linda W. Morse, Mississippi State
University
While there is considerable
research on using computers in adaptive testing, there is relatively little
information on how web-based testing facilitates instructional outcomes within
a web-based or web-enhanced course. The
purpose of this study was to investigate students’ perceptions of the impact of
web-based formative assessments on preparation of and success on major course
outcomes (i.e., unit tests).
Participants included 46 college students enrolled in a senior-level,
required course in learning theories.
For each of the six units within the course, the instructor posted a
brief, 10-item, true-false quiz that was available prior to taking the main
unit test, and with graded results and feedback made available to the student.
The purpose of the quizzes was to facilitate earlier study and to correct
misconceptions the student may have had prior to taking the main unit test. To
evaluate students’ perceptions of the influence of the quizzes on the course
outcomes, a 10-item, Likert-scale evaluation form was used at the completion of
the course.
Results indicated that the
students were positive in their assessment of the quizzes and would encourage
the use of the quizzes. However, they
were less enthusiastic about whether the quizzes made them prepare more for the
tests, or if they performed better on the main unit tests as a result of the
quizzes. An exploratory factor analysis
yielded three factors that accounted for 70% of the variance: (1) positive impressions of the quizzes, (2)
impact on course preparation, and (3) WebCT quiz conditions.
This study’s findings
illustrated the conflicting viewpoints of the use of the quizzes by the
students and the instructor.
Additionally, the lack of perceived benefit on facilitating learning of
the course outcomes was surprising.
Additional study is needed to investigate how to facilitate the use of
web-based technology on student learning strategies and achievement.
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. EXHIBITS/Internet Café.................................................................... Essex
Session 1.6
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. MAKING PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS: TIPS,
TRICKS, AND WORDS... TO THE WISE (Training Session) Yorkshire...................................................................................................
Jane Nell Luster, LSUHSC - Human
Development Center,
and Scott Bauer, George Mason
University
MSERA has traditionally been
a wellspring of knowledge for novice researchers, graduate students, and new
faculty alike. Each year, MSERA proudly sponsors sessions on publishing, job
seeking, and a bewildering assortment of research methods. Yet, in recent years
at least, an important skill area has been neglected: making presentations at
research meetings. This training session was designed to remedy this situation
by offering guidance on how to make presentations at meetings like MSERA and
AERA.
Specifically, two (much too
seasoned) veterans of educational research meetings first demonstrated in
graphic detail how NOT to present ones’ brilliant research findings in 14
minutes or less, highlighting many of the all-too-often distracting misuses of
handouts, overhead projectors, and video-display technologies. No expense was
spared in simulating the kinds of presentations that leave audiences shaking
their heads in dismay and pondering how such seemingly skilled scholars could
imagine that they are communicating with members of their species. Second, the
authors provided guidelines on preparing, practicing, and presenting research
findings, including the Top Ten checklist for designing effective
presentations. The authors also discussed the variety of formats available at
meetings, including what to expect at national meetings like AERA.
Though the authors strived to
practice what they preached in conducting this training session (hence it was
both entertaining and at least slightly humorous), the material presented was
of a very serious nature. However elegant and technically proficient the
research, authors are judged at meetings by their ability to communicate effectively
and efficiently. Job seekers, novice scholars, and veterans benefited from this
presentation.
Session 1.7
9:00 – 9:50 A.M. CULTURE (Displays)........................................................................... Avon
Bridging the ESL Gap Between
Families and Schools
Barbara N. Young and Wendi Cook,
Middle Tennessee State University
Over the past few years, the
country has had an increase in ESL/ELL families and school-age children.
Educators need to make a "plan" to include these different cultures
within the classrooms and school systems. The core of this project consisted of
three innovative parent meetings, held at John Colemon Elementary School, that
opened communication between the school and faculty and its Hispanic parents in
fall 2005. In fact, the meetings also
served to open communication between the entire community and the Hispanic
parents. John Colemon has a high
percentage of its population that is Hispanic, and many of the ESL Hispanic
families live in the Wherry Housing Project that is located adjacent to the
school.
The display session highlighted
and explained the public service grant project and its outcome in detail. The final evaluation paper and original grant
proposal, as well as powerpoint slide handouts, were provided for participants.
In addition, detailed instructions about how to replicate this project in other
communities, as well specific results from implementation of this particular
public service grant project, were also available in hard copy.
Planning and implementing
these three meetings at John Coleman provided a public service to the school,
its staff, the ESL/ELL children within the school, and the parents of the
ESL/ELL children attending this elementary county school. This project
increased community awareness, school awareness, and presented information
regarding school practices and practical community information in a welcoming
and nonthreatening manner to parents of ESL/ELL learners. It is hoped that the
"Bridging the Gap" Project will be the beginning of initiatives that
address helping ESL Hispanic parents to gain greater proficiency in speaking
English and be more comfortable participating in both school and community
activities.
Using Photoessays to
Explore Culturally Relevant Teaching
in an African American
Middle School and Community
Sherry E. Nichols and Dee
Goldston, University of Alabama
This display session presented
research describing the use of photoessays to support teachers’ exploration of
culturally relevant science and language arts teaching. This qualitative study
involved four African American teachers (two science and two language arts) and
two white science teacher educators having a shared interest to develop
“culturally relevant teaching” at a recently resegregated all-black middle
school. The research group has been involved in collaborative research since
2004.
Two questions guided this
specific study: (1) How might photoessays help educators begin envisioning
culturally relevant teaching? and (2) What social, religious, historical, or
political referents do African American teachers perceive as important toward
enacting culturally relevant science teaching and learning in their classrooms?
The study methodology drew across feminist theory, visual ethnography, and
narrative inquiry to examine multiple layers of identity within this work
(Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Pink, 2001; Rose, 2001).
Primary sources of
qualitative data used to inform the study included: researchers’ field notes of
classroom observations, transcripts of group meetings and conversational
interviews with individual teachers, school documents, and teacher-created
photoessays of the school and community. Study results were presented as
layered narratives that pointed to a central theme of “fracturing” that
challenged bringing community funds of knowledge into classroom teaching. For
example, a narrative about “Easter Speech” presented insights about
community-based literacy practices that teachers could draw upon in teaching.
This narrative intersected with another storied account about a literacy
approach teachers were trained to use by the local school board. The study will
be of interest to those interested in teaching and researching “culturally
relevant pedagogy,” specifically in contexts concerning “Deep South” African
American communities.
Exploring Cultures Forum:
A Project-Based Experience for Authentic Learning
Dawn Basinger, Louisiana Tech
University
There is widespread
recognition that diversity and multiculturalism are critical components of
initial and advanced teacher preparation programs. To help candidates achieve
diversity-related program outcomes, K-12 education undergraduate and graduate
candidates are typically required to complete one or more courses in the area
of multicultural education. These courses are designed to provide candidates
with educational foundations for the effective implementation of culturally
diverse education in a democratic society. Multicultural and intercultural
awareness courses often include field-based components that immerse candidates
in authentic learning environments and compel them to (re)examine their
worldviews.
This paper described one such
multimedia, project-based field experience, the “Exploring Cultures Forum,”
wherein candidates independently and collaboratively examine their cultural
identities and the influence of these life experiences and personal backgrounds
on teaching practices. Additionally, the
project required candidates to engage in shared decision making in the
preparation and presentation of a diversity quilt poster session open to
College of Education faculty and students. The cultural forum served as a
real-world opportunity for showcasing and discussing similarities, differences,
and multilevel aspects of culture within a democratic society. Through the
forum, candidates made connections between culture and teaching and gained an
understanding and appreciation of their own students’ cultures, cultural
pluralism, education for democracy, and responsible citizenship.
Session 2.1
10:00 – 10:50 A.M. COMMUNITY COLLEGE............................................................... Berkshire
Presider: Jane L. Newman, University of
Alabama
Community College
Academic Advisors’ Perceptions of Non-Traditional
Students: A Grounded
Theory Study
Tamara L. Payne and Natailya
Ivankova, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Students’ success in college
was found to be significantly affected by problems with academics,
indecisiveness about college major, adjustment issues, disconnection or feeling
of isolation from peers, a disconnect between students’ and college
expectations, and languid commitments (Ness, 2003; Tinto, 1993). Within this
framework, academic advisors would be the vital point of contact for students
providing help so that students succeed academically. However, it is not fully
clear what role academic advisors’ perceptions play in advising services provided
to students, particularly non-traditional learners.
This paper presented a
qualitatively-based, pilot-grounded theory study to explore the role of
academic advisors’ perceptions in advising non-traditional students at an urban
southeastern community college. The study participants were three academic
advisors and two administrators from an urban southeastern community
college. Participants were purposefully
chosen because of their work as academic advisors and because of their range of
experience: entry and mid- and advanced-level. The participants’ age range was
23 to the late 40’s. There were two African American males, one African
American female, and two Caucasian females.
Data analysis was conducted
at open, axial, and selective coding levels. Analysis involved a constant
comparison between the data and asking questions about the data until
saturation was achieved. Three themes emerged: role variations, student
distinctions, and relevance of perceptions. Academic advisors had clear
perceptions on the advisor role: perceptions of non-traditional students based
on experiences and communications with students.
An Historical Analysis of
Teaching Methods Within the Journalism
and Communication
Departments at Selected Alabama
Community Colleges from
1995-2005
Merrill B. South, University of
Alabama
The purpose of the study was
to review the offerings of three Alabama community colleges in an historical,
qualitative manner and determine what methods were used in teaching the
journalism and communication classes based upon the categories established by a
review of the literature. This study analyzed the community college curriculum
at three Alabama community colleges over the past decade. The general categories of journalism and
communication instruction appear to be literature orientation, communication
studies orientation, and hands-on/real-world orientation based on the relevant
literature.
According to some scholars,
journalism education has entered a period of change. Having observed this change in the profession
and thus the education of the skill set needed to function in the profession,
this study traced journalism and communication curricula at the community
college level through the past decade and analyzed what types of methodologies
were used at each respective institution in hopes of bettering the
curricula. Utilizing an historical lens,
current and future educators have the potential to learn from the past and grow
in future endeavors of educating effective communication professionals.
This qualitative study was
conducted using inductive document analysis of 10 years of class offerings at
three different Alabama community colleges and sought to determine which
teaching methods were utilized at each school, thus providing insight on the
evolution of the discipline at the community college. Data were collected in
three separate cities from back editions of college catalogs.
Over the past 10 years, mass
communication and journalism teaching methodologies have changed only slightly at
the three institutions analyzed in this study.
Journalism and mass communication classes are taught primarily in the
practical/hands-on orientation and/or the literature orientation, the only
exception being one class offered at Jefferson State Community College
beginning in 2001.
Motivational and Learning
Strategies
Sandra M. Harris and Rebecca R. Jacobson,
Troy University, Montgomery,
and Larry B. Edmundson, San
Bernardino Valley College
Success in college is a
function of the learning strategies adopted by an individual. The purpose of
this study was to investigate the motivational and learning strategies of
community college students as measured by the MSLQ. An 81-item, self-report
inventory, the MSLQ consists of a motivation and learning section, that are
subdivided among 15 scales.
Participants consisted of 114
students from four community college campuses located in the western United
States. A reliability analysis produced coefficient alphas that ranged from .54
to .93 for the scale scores. Consistency
existed in the coefficient alphas for eight of the 15 scales, and
inconsistencies existed on seven scales. Of the areas of inconsistencies, the
differences in values for coefficient alpha ranged from .07 to .24.
An item analysis was conducted
to determine the nature and source of the inconsistencies. The results revealed
poorly performing items on three of the seven scales. Further comparison of
item means for current participants against the normative sample revealed
statistically significant differences between the group means on 15 of 35
items.
Results from the current
study revealed that while data gathered using the MSLQ may produce consistent
results across samples, researchers must exercise caution when interpreting
scores generated from the instrument. Scales on a given instrument are designed
to summarize in a succinct manner large quantities of information gathered by
the instrument. However, as the current research revealed, responses from
participants were statistically and significantly different from responses of
the normative sample on 20% of the items contained on the MSLQ. Consequently,
interpreting only results from the scale scores may mask important
characteristics of individual groups. Interpreting results from individual items
may provide more insightful information that could be used to structure
intervention and remediation programs designed to enhance student motivation
and performance. Implications for further research were discussed.
Session 2.2
10:00 – 10:50 A.M. ATTITUDES.................................................................................. Cornwall
Presider: Leslie L. Griffin, Delta State
University
Evaluation of Abstinence
Education: Outcomes and Lessons Learned
Gerald Halpin and Glennelle
Halpin, Auburn University
That early sexual involvement
may have negative consequences has long been claimed. In response to concerns,
government funding for abstinence-only sex education has been provided with a
most noteworthy instance being Section 510(2) of Title V of the Social Security
Act. However, few rigorous evaluations of these Title V programs have been
conducted. Reported here are results from one evaluation with an aim being to
determine program impact centering on eight legislative priorities federally
mandated for Title V abstinence education interventions.
Participants were 1425
students from five schools representing four school systems. At each school,
classes within grade (seventh/eighth) were randomly assigned to intervention
(posttest) or comparison (pretest) condition with assessment being via the
Youth Survey, a measure designed to assess knowledge and attitudes related to
the legislative priorities, as well as intentions to abstain. Choosing the Best
Life was the abstinence-only curriculum implemented.
Multivariate analyses showed
that means of an optimally weighted combination of scores on the legislative
priority scales for the comparison group and the intervention group were
significantly and meaningfully different [Eta = .20; F(8, 1407) = 7.25, p =
.000]. Follow-up univariate tests and Eta values indicated that means for seven
of the eight legislative priority scales were significantly and meaningfully
lower following interventions, with lower means indicating increased agreement
with the abstinence message. Of the intervention group, significantly more
reported that they would certainly or probably abstain from sex for the next
year, as well as until marriage, as contrasted with those in the comparison
group [C = .15;  2 (4) = 335.65; p = .000]. These results provided
support for the conclusion that the abstinence-only intervention in this study
effected a change in participant knowledge and attitudes related to abstinence,
as well as a change in their intentions to abstain from sex.
Perspectives of Others:
Initial Teacher Candidates Views of Diversity
Michelle G. Haj-Broussard and Rose
Henry, McNeese State University
In McNeese teacher
preparation program accountability surveys, it was found that diversity and
human relations issues were mentioned as weak areas for its recent graduates
and its alumni and by the employers of its graduates. Haberman and Post (1992) found that
preservice teachers, despite intensive coursework in multicultural education
and over 100 hours of field experience with low-income minority children,
reinforced their initial preconceptions rather than reconstructing their views
of children of color.
Given the importance of
learning to work with diverse students and addressing this weakness in the
program, this study sought to determine McNeese’s beginning teacher education
majors views on cultural diversity before and after they took either SPED 204 (undergraduate)
or EDUC 647 (graduate) foundation courses that address multicultural education
and the education of students with exceptionalities. Participants enrolled in
either SPED 204 or EDUC 647 in fall 2005 were asked to answer the Cultural
Diversity Awareness Inventory (Henry, 1991) at the beginning and end of the
semester. Data from this inventory were analyzed using t-tests and an ANOVA to
determine if there are pre/post test differences between and within various
subgroups. The subgroups that this study
examined included the students’ academic levels, ages, socioeconomic levels,
genders, ethnicities, and travel experiences.
The researchers found that
the post-course inventories demonstrated significantly more positive attitudes
but that this growth was only significant in certain subgroups. Limitations to this study, including
attrition because of Hurricane Rita, were also discussed.
What Does Generation Y
Know and Think About Perimenopause/Menopause?
Implications
for Teaching
Developmental Psychology at the College Level
Kirsten M. Larsen-Vansant, Amber
Lumpkin, Irene Staik, Kristen Gilbert,
and John Burling, University of
Montevallo
Any American born between the
years 1977 and 1994 (ages 12-29) is identified as a member of Generation
Y. A large number of women in Generation
Y will experience perimenopause within the next 10 to 15 years or have
experienced the effects of perimenopause/menopause with members of their
families. There has been no research conducted on the women in this age group
on either the attitudes toward perimenopause/menopause or the knowledge about
the possible symptoms that this time of life may bring. A survey of several
college-level developmental psychology textbooks showed only 1-15 pages of
information dedicated to menopausal changes.
No mention of the physical and emotional changes that are experienced in
perimenopause, the years before the cessation of the menses, is included in the
texts. In fact, no collegiate text even mentioned the word perimenopause.
The researchers assessed the
knowledge about perimenopause/menopause and the attitudes toward this time of
life in a sample of 55 female college students. To accomplish this assessment,
they administered the Knowledge about Menopause Checklist (KAM) and the
Attitudes toward Menopause Checklist (ATM).
Both checklists required responses on a 1-5 Likert scale. An analysis of
the frequencies of the students’ responses indicated that the women in the
sample did not have adequate knowledge of the psychological and physiological
changes that they will experience in perimenopause/menopause nor did they view
this time of their lives as positive.
These findings suggested that
more information and discussion of what may happen during the time leading up
to and during menopause needs to be included in college-level developmental
psychology texts. Furthermore, a more
open and lengthy discussion of this “change of life” could elicit a more positive
attitude toward perimenopause/menopause in the female members of Generation Y.
Session 2.3
10:00 – 10:50 A.M. LEADERSHIP................................................................................... Devon
Presider: James E. Witte, Auburn University
Who's Aspiring to the
Principalship?
Edward P. Cox, University of South
Carolina
An assessment team from the
Department of Educational Leadership at the University of South Carolina
recently contracted with two of the state's largest school districts to develop
and implement a customized assessment center program for their assistant
principals. One district was urban with
a largely minority population, and one was rural with a primarily white
population. Discussion regarding a
higher education K-12 partnership led to a contract with each district that
specified that six separate assessment instruments be administered and
interpreted for participants during the course of five one-day workshops. A combination of personality and leadership
inventories was selected and administered by two university faculty
members. A total of 107 assistant
principals from the two districts participated.
The resulting data were used
to write a leader’s profile on each participant that was shared with the
district administration. Demographic,
geographic, and grade-level information on the participants was also
gathered. The assessment results provided
a comprehensive profile of assistant principals aspiring to the principalship
in two South Carolina districts. They
depicted the preferred personality types and leadership styles of those most
likely to move to the principalship in two South Carolina school districts
representing very different parts of the state.
The paper discussed the
importance of understanding interpersonal aspects of leadership, shared the
profile results from these assessments, and discussed the implications for
educational leadership preparation and professional development programs.
Alignment of ELCC
Standards with Degree Comprehensive Examinations
Ronald A. Styron, Kyna Shelley,
and Gary Peters, University of Southern Mississippi
The Educational Leadership
Constituent Council (ELCC) has established standards for the accreditation of
Educational Leadership Programs that must be addressed at the program
level. Mastery of the ELCC standards is expected
of all Department of Educational Leadership (DEL) graduates. As such, reliable
assessment of student mastery levels has become an important aspect of program
development, and implementation as the assessment data generated must serve as
the foundation for yearly program improvement plans.
Comprehensive examinations,
suggested by ELCC as one form of their mandatory 6-8 program assessments, were
selected by DEL as a program assessment.
To assess the mastery of ELCC standards addressed in degree comprehensive
examinations, a 57–item questionnaire was distributed to each student taking
the comprehensive exam during the spring semester. These students were pursuing
a doctoral or specialist’s degree found within the Educational Leadership Program. The questionnaire was comprised of two sets
of questions. Forty-three items, representing six dimensions or sub-scales,
addressed the students’ attitudes regarding the exam content, as well as the
exam process. Second, students were asked
to indicate their notion of the actual comprehensiveness of the test. Further,
there were 15 final items that were not specific to the comprehensive exam
process. These items attempted to
measure not only awareness of, but also how well, the students believed their
coursework and program addressed ELCC standards.
Relationships Among
Personality Type, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance
in the Mississippi State
University Extension Service
John L. Long, Mississippi State
University
The purpose of this study was
to determine the relationships among personality type, job satisfaction, and
job performance in the Mississippi State University Extension Service
(MSU-ES). The study followed a
descriptive correlational design. A
version of the Job Satisfaction Index developed by Brayfield and Rothe (1951)
was sent to 180 Mississippi State University Extension agents. Agents who participated in the job
satisfaction survey consented to the use of their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
profile and 2005 performance evaluation score from the MSU-ES Performance
Evaluation Instrument (PEI) in the study.
Both of these records are on file in the personnel office of the
MSU-ES. The data were analyzed by
descriptive statistics, Cramer’s V, point-biserial correlations, rank-order
correlations, and linear regressions.
The study suggested that
personality profiles of MSU-ES county directors, area agents, and 4-H agents
mirrored Reeves 1995 profile of MSU-ES county professionals and Graham’s 1983
profile of Arkansas Extension agents.
Based on 143 usable responses to the job satisfaction survey, agents
were found to be very satisfied with jobs regardless of position, gender, age,
race, length of service, and area in which they worked. Only a small percentage was dissatisfied with
their jobs. Performance evaluation
scores indicated an overall high level of job performance for all agents in the
study. Relationships were found to exist
among the demographic characteristics of age, position, years in that position,
and job performance. This study also
found the best predictor for job satisfaction to be the age of the agent, and
the best predictor of job performance to be the position of the agent.
Session 2.4
10:00 – 10:50 A.M. HIGHER EDUCATION........................................................................ Dorset
Presider: Susan K. Spezzini, University of
Alabama at Birmingham
Christian Faith on the
Christian College Campus
Gerald I. Akata and James H.
Lampley, East Tennessee State University
The site for this pilot
research project was a private, church-related, four-year college located in
northeast Tennessee. Undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed to gain
an understanding of the decision-making process when deciding to attend a
Christian college. Social, religious, and academic areas were addressed in the
survey questions.
Prayer in the classroom, chapel
and convocation requirements, and faith-based opportunities beyond the required
on-campus religious services were addressed. The level of commitment to
Christian values displayed by the student body, as well as faculty and staff at
the college, was also of interest.
The findings of this research
were surprising in some areas and predictable in other areas. This study will
serve as a pilot study for a comprehensive study of Christian colleges in the
southeastern United States.
Using Mixed Methods to
Develop Instruments to Assess Dental Faculty and Students’
Perspectives About the
Implementation of Evidence-Based Dentistry
Brian F. Geiger, Kent Paicanis,
Marcia R. O’Neal, Karen Werner, and Retta Evans,
University of Alabama at
Birmingham
Mixed methods research
combines qualitative and quantitative approaches within a single study that
enables educational researchers to maximize the strengths while reducing the
weaknesses of both methods. The sequential mixed design guided new instrument
development to evaluate the level of curriculum implementation in university.
Qualitative data collected and analyzed in phase one informed a second
quantitative phase.
In 2005, the UAB School of
Dentistry (SOD) received extramural support from NIDCR to enhance
evidence-based dentistry (EBD) in its curriculum. The PI and grant steering
committee retained the services of the UAB Center for Educational
Accountability to plan and implement the curriculum evaluation.
The purpose of this
exploratory, mixed-methods project was to develop a survey instrument grounded
in the views of students, core faculty, and alumni. The first phase included
exploring predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors related to EBD as
reported in professional literature, and then conducting structured interviews
of small groups of SOD students, core faculty, and alumni. Themes extracted
from qualitative data were developed into survey items and related scales.
Feedback from dental faculty members guided revision of draft surveys. During the
second phase, confidential surveys were administered to all SOD students and
faculty for voluntary completion. Results from the survey will be used by the
steering committee to integrate EBD into the four-year dental curriculum at
UAB.
Engagement of Students of
Color in the Campus Discourse of a Predominantly White Institution
Brian D. Bourke, University of
Alabama
In higher education, the
assumption is often made that students learn more, and in a deeper, more
meaningful manner, in settings that are composed of students from a vast array
of backgrounds. But in examining campus diversity at a deeper level, structural
diversity becomes a means to an end rather than merely an end in and of itself,
as it is currently utilized. The structural diversity, i.e. the numbers of
students of color, at a predominantly white institution says little about the
institutional environment, climate, and culture of that institution.
The purpose of this study was
to examine the engagement of students of color in the campus discourse of a
predominantly white institution. Structural diversity of the student population
has been receiving increased attention and focus in recent years, with policies
and initiatives providing greater access to higher education for groups who have
been historically underrepresented in the academy. However, little attention
has been given to how those students gain access to the campus discourse, and
what that access may look like, and what factors may facilitate or impede
engagement in the campus discourse.
Through this study, data
emerged that provided insight into how students interact with difference, and
how power is negotiated within the discourse space. As institutions of higher
learning, particularly publics, seek to advance their educational missions,
greater focus has to be placed on serving every student. Such service has to be
extended to both members of dominant and subjugated groups, both in curricular
reform and in the campus environment. Efforts in the campus environment have to
involve more than attempts to welcome the other, and should reflect an
environment that all students feel they can call their own and can welcome
newcomers.
Doctoral Students’ Reported Level of
Support/Encouragement
Stansberry Reese and James H.
Lampley, East Tennessee State University
Doctoral students usually
represent a unique population at colleges and universities. This is especially
true at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Doctoral students at ETSU have
a mean age of 49 years. Almost all (95%) of the doctoral students in the
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis maintain full-time
employment in addition to their graduate course load. Many doctoral students
have 20+ years of experience in their current positions. Moreover, the students
in this age bracket have professional, family, and academic demands that most
undergraduate students do not have.
The intent of this study was
to determine the level of support/encouragement that doctoral students
experienced from the various areas of their private and professional lives
(family, supervisors, peers, faculty, etc.). It also addressed, to a lesser
extent, the level and source of financial support that doctoral students at
ETSU reported. The findings of this study identified a number of the demands,
other than academic, that doctoral-level graduate students encounter in their
pursuit of terminal degrees.
10:00 – 10:50 A.M. EXHIBITS/Internet Café.................................................................... Essex
Session 3.1
11:00 – 11:50 A.M. ACHIEVEMENT (Displays)................................................................... Avon
Residential Summer
Science Exploration Camps: Improving Middle School Students’
Achievement and
Preparation for Postsecondary Education
Randy Parker and Julie A. Holmes, Louisiana
Tech University
In an era of increasing
accountability, universities must collaborate with P-12 schools to develop
programs that increase student achievement, as well as preparation for
postsecondary educational opportunities. One way to collaborate is to provide
on-campus experiences for at-risk students. Such opportunities have been shown
to increase student attitudes and achievement, influence future career choices
in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology, and provide for students
a bridge to how science, technology, and engineering are used in society at
large.
The purpose of this display
session was to describe the La GEAR UP Summer Residential Science Exploration
Camps and to report the effect of program participation on the science
achievement and attitudes of at-risk middle school students from 38 low
performing school districts. Students attended one of seven week-long camps on
a college campus where they participated in leadership workshops, tutoring
sessions, science fieldtrips and explorations in: (1) nature and biology, (2) engineering and
chemistry, (3) physical science and physics, and (4) technology. During the
four years of the program, over 1200 rising seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade
students have attended these camps.
Pre- and posttest data were
gathered on science attitudes using the 28-item Science Attitude Survey (SAS)
and on achievement using the abbreviated EPAS (Explore: Pre ACT). Data were
analyzed with dependent t-tests and ANOVA with alpha set at .05. Results of
this analysis showed significant increases in: (1) attitudes toward science, (2) math achievement,
and (3) overall achievement for each year, for subgroups of race and gender,
and for the total group. Effect sizes using Cohen’s d were in the moderate to
large ranges. The results of this program indicated the positive attributes of
residential exploratory camps in raising student awareness, achievement, and
attitudes toward science and in guiding student preparation for secondary and
postsecondary education.
The Effectiveness of the
Balanced Calendar In Maury County, Tennessee
Melinda W. Marks, Tennessee State
University
This study examined the
effectiveness of the balanced calendar in Maury County, Tennessee, in regard to
improved standardized achievement test scores, improved student attendance, and
the opinions and perceptions of the balanced calendar by elementary school
teachers. The Balanced Calendar is a form of year-round education and was
adopted by the Maury County School Board for students in grades K-12 beginning
with the school year 2003-2004.
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment
Program scores (N = 7488) were obtained from the State of Tennessee website and
consisted of sixth-grade students (N = 695) with a three-year record of scores.
Attendance records for the nine elementary schools were obtained from the Maury
County Attendance Office for the same three-year period as test scores. A
survey was conducted with full-time elementary school teachers (N = 333) in
nine elementary schools. Two hundred forty-nine teachers responded to 18 items
on a Likert scale that were associated with benefits of the balanced calendar.
A repeated measure ANOVA was
used to quantify the improvement of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment
Program scores and to analyze the three-year attendance record for elementary
school students. The frequency procedure was used to categorize the summary
statistics such as mean and standard deviation upon collection of the survey
data. Questions in the survey were analyzed using the T-test. The results of
the study were used to determine if the balanced calendar had been effective.
The findings were as follows:
(1) there were statistically significant differences found in reading/language
arts, math, science, and social studies areas on the Tennessee Comprehensive
Assessment Program standardized test; (2) there were no significant differences
in attendance records over the three-year period; and (3) respondents (N =
95.2%) to the survey supported the balanced calendar implementation.
The Associations of
Student Achievement and Classroom Practices Among
Third-Grade Teachers in
Upper East Tennessee
Tausha L. Clay, Milligan College
In light of today’s NCLB
demands upon teachers and the accountability they must face, a study of teacher
practices used in the classroom and their relationship to student achievement was
relevant. The purpose of this study was to investigate and determine if an
association existed between student achievement scores and classroom practices
used among third-grade teachers in upper east Tennessee.
The variables included
classroom environment, instructional context, and social context in regard to
the use of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). The instrument,
Assessment of Practices in Early Elementary Classrooms (APEEC), was used to
gather information; the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP/CRT)
Reading/Language and Mathematics scores were used to determine students’
achievement level. A demographic survey
was used to collect teacher characteristic information.
An initial analysis of data
incorporated simple descriptive statistics in the form of frequency
tables. Independent samples t-tests,
analyses of variance (ANOVAs), and Pearson product moment correlation
coefficients were used to determine if there were any associations in DAP
levels among teacher characteristics.
One-way analysis of variance assessed the associations between the
dependent variables (TCAP/CRT scores) and independent variables (environment,
instruction, and social context).
ANOVAs indicated significant
differences in APEEC physical environment and social environment scores among
teachers having a great deal of DAP knowledge, but not in classroom
instruction. ANOVAs indicated
significant differences in classroom instruction and student achievement scores
in Reading/Language, but not in Math. No
significant differences were found in APEEC social and physical context
scores.
The conclusion of the study
included themes that emerged during observation of teachers at the advanced
proficiency level in Reading/Language.
Additional implications included a discussion of a teaching matrix
identifying highly skilled teaching practices from the classrooms performing at
the advanced proficiency level.
Session 3.2
11:00 – 11:50 A.M. READING.................................................................................... Berkshire
Presider: Debra K. Goodwin, Jacksonville State
University
Efficacy Beliefs and the
Student Reader
Jordan M. Barkley, Jacksonville
State University
Four hundred middle school
students and 40 middle school teachers were surveyed concerning their efficacy
beliefs related to reading comprehension strategies and instructional
practices. Student and teacher belief
scores were compared to identify any statistically significant
relationships. Further, student belief
scores were used to identify statistically significant relationships between
beliefs about using reading comprehension strategies and scores on standardized
tests. Both descriptive and inferential
statistical methods were used to analyze data.
Reading Performance of
Elementary Students: Results of a Five-Year Longitudinal
Study of Direct Reading
Instruction
Dana G. Thames, Richard Kazelskis,
and Carolyn Reeves Kazelskis, University of Southern Mississippi
In response to “No Child Left
Behind” federal legislation, some school districts have implemented Direct
Instruction (DI) for teaching reading, even though inconsistent findings have
been reported in the literature based on short-term studies of DI. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to
explore the impact of DI on literacy performance of students over a five-year
period. Initially, 640 students in
grades K-3 were randomly selected to participate in the study; an additional
100 randomly-selected kindergarten students were added to the sample for each
subsequent year of the study.
Literacy performance was
assessed using oral and silent reading performance measures from the
Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI), reading scale scores from the Mississippi
Curriculum Test (MCT), and cloze scores from the Hunter & Grundin Literacy
Profiles. For QRI analyses, students
reading at the instructional or higher level were compared with students
reading at the frustration level, based on both their oral and silent reading
assessments. Because all students in the
school system were receiving DI, no comparison group was available to aid interpretation
of the findings.
In an attempt to overcome
this difficulty, data were analyzed in three parts. First, only data for
students who began DI in kindergarten were examined descriptively. Second,
statistical comparisons by grade level were made between students who began DI
in kindergarten and those who began DI in a later grade. Third, statistical
comparisons of total group performance overtime were made between students who
began DI in kindergarten and students who began DI in later grades. Although a few statistically significant
differences were found between students who entered DI in kindergarten and
those who entered DI in a later grade, the preponderance of data provided
little evidence to support the viability of DI for reading. Tables and graphs of data results were
presented for discussion.
Differences Between High
and Low Level Preservice Teachers' Instructional Conversations
with Elementary School
Students: A Grounded Theory Study
Shannon C. Henderson, Auburn
University
This grounded theory study
attempted to explain differences observed in preservice teachers’ instructional
conversations with elementary school students using an instructional framework
and explicit conversational scaffold. Specifically, the study centered on how
23 preservice reading teachers engaged in weekly interactive read alouds with
second- and fourth-grade students over a 10-week period. Three transcripts of
each preservice teachers’ instructional conversations, audio recordings, lesson
plans, reflections, and a final paper were coded and analyzed using the
constant comparative method of analysis.
Data from this study revealed
that preservice teachers varied little in their initial instructional
conversations before introduction of the instructional framework and explicit
conversational scaffold. Findings also suggested that the use of an explicit
conversational scaffold raised the level of preservice teachers’ instructional
conversation during an interactive read aloud with elementary school students.
Further, three indicators were identified as distinguishing between higher and
lower levels of instructional conversation. These indicators comprised of a
preservice teacher’s ability to: (1) engage in effective uptake and
responsivity, (2) maintain a “themal coherence” throughout the instructional
conversation, and (3) model, teach, and reveal use of situation appropriate
research-based comprehension strategies. Finally, this study provided
preliminary support for the use of transcript analysis to facilitate preservice
teachers’ instructional conversations when engaged in interactive read alouds
with elementary school students.
Session 3.3
11:00 – 11:50 A.M. AT-RISK STUDENTS.................................................................... Cornwall
Presider: Beverly M. Klecker, Morehead State
University
Brief Experimental
Analysis (BEA) and Reading Interventions with Consultation
LaQuanta Mashell Watson, Masanori
Ota, Laura Kuhn, Mary Cole, Marylyn Miller,
and Kristin Johnson-Gros, Mississippi
State University
The current study examined
the effects of BEA to identify an effective oral reading fluency intervention
and examine whether the interventions influenced generalization and
comprehension. Specifically, a second-grade student who had been referred to a
university clinic for reading difficulties participated in fall 2005. The
student’s reading level was first-grade frustrational, which was based on
curriculum-based measurement (CBM). The student’s baseline, BEA, and
intervention data were collected in the areas of reading fluency,
generalization (high word overlap probes), comprehension questions, and mazes
in fall 2005; however, comprehension questions were omitted in spring 2006.
In fall 2005, after
collecting baseline data using first-grade reading probes, four reading
interventions were implemented with the student: (1) repeated reading (RR), (2)
listening passage previewing (LPP), (3) phrase drill (PD), and (4) contingency
reinforcement (CR). RR, identified as most effective in the BEA, enhanced the
student’s performance to first-grade instructional and mastery levels in
fluency and comprehension. Additionally, the student’s performance in reading
fluency, generalization, and comprehension maintained on first-grade probes.
Thus, second-grade probes
were introduced in spring 2006. In spring 2006, baseline, BEA, and intervention
data were collected using second-grade reading probes. After baseline, a BEA
was conducted, in which the same four interventions were implemented. RR was
selected as most effective in the BEA. Additionally, the student’s parent and
teachers implemented RR with the student with consultation provided by graduate
students. The student’s skills enhanced to second-grade instructional and
mastery levels in fluency and comprehension. Also, the student, parent, and
teachers showed high social validity.
This case study provided the
audience with the effects of BEA to determine reading interventions and the
effects of consultation, including collaborative relationships among clinic,
home, and school settings.
An Assessment of Selected
Developmental Education Programs
John D. Osborn, University of
Alabama at Birmingham
The study examined the
effectiveness of selected instructional and curricular interventions for a
group of developmental education students.
A grounded theory qualitative approach was used to conduct the study
within the context of William Perry’s stages of Intellectual and Ethical
Development. This proposal reported the
results of the preliminary pilot analysis that was conducted as a part of a
larger study.
The general research
questions that guided the larger study were: (1) What teaching methods or style challenge
students to think about and approach the college experience in a more complex
fashion? (2) What factors are associated with students’ adopting a more complex
mode of thinking? (3) What are students expectations related to college, their
performance and the developmental education program course? (4) What are
faculty expectations for these students related to their performance in the
developmental education program course? and (5) What are the barriers
associated with learning for this group of students.
The pilot data analysis of
the student questionnaires involved a content analysis that sought to identify
themes in the responses of students through the use of the open-ended
questions. The capturing of emergent themes provided the essence of participant
perceptions related to the developmental education program. Eight general themes emerged and appeared to
be common to all the students completing the questionnaire: (1) positive
attitude toward the learning process, (2) appreciation for reading, (3)
appreciation for writing, (4) appreciation for critical thinking skills, (5)
quality of the instruction, (6) quality and usefulness of the materials, (7)
openness to new/different points of view, and (8) benefit of working in
groups. These findings have implications
for university teaching pedagogy and they validate prior research related to
the affective characteristics of students at academic risk.
Session 3.4
11:00 – 11:50 A.M. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................ Devon
Presider: Mary Kay Bacallao, Mercer
University
Generalization Practices
in Qualitative Research: A Mixed-Methods Case Study
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie, University
of South Florida,
and Nancy L. Leech, University of
Colorado, Denver
The purpose of this mixed-methods
case study was to examine the generalization practices in qualitative research
published in a reputable qualitative journal. In order to accomplish this, all
qualitative research articles published in Qualitative Report since its
inception in 1990 (n = 273) were examined. A quantitative analysis of all 125
empirical qualitative research articles revealed that a significant proportion
(i.e., 29.6%) of studies involved generalizations beyond the underlying sample
that were made inappropriately by the author(s). A qualitative analysis
identified the types of over-generalizations that occurred, including making
general recommendations for future practice and providing general policy
implications based only on a few cases. Thus, a significant proportion of
articles published in Qualitative Report lack what the researchers call “interpretive
consistency.”
Using Likert-Type Scales
in Quantitative Research
James H. Lampley, East Tennessee
State University
Likert-type scales have been
around since the 1930s. A Likert scale is a type of psychometric scale often
used in questionnaires and is the most widely used scale in survey research. A
typical item is a declarative statement followed by a scale for respondents to
indicate their level of agreement or disagreement. A Likert scale is most often
used to measure attitudes, preferences, opinions, or other subjective
reactions.
Likert scales are very
popular because of the power and simplicity of the format. The principal
advantages of this type of scale include flexibility, cost, and ease of
administration. When coupled with demographic items (grouping variables), this
format provides the needed components for parametric and non-parametric
statistical analyses.
However, there are some
technical difficulties with Likert scales. Most of the issues with Likert
scales center around two points: (1) level
of measurement and (2) whether the scales produce continuous or discrete data.
This presentation addressed these two issues, as well as others, that
Session 3.5
11:00 – 11:50 A.M. TEACHER EDUCATION..................................................................... Dorset
Presider: Tom B. Wallace, Northeast State
Technical Community College
The Student Teacher
Journey: Voices from the Field
James D. Kirylo, Southeastern Louisiana
University,
and Edward L. Shaw, Jr.,
University of South Alabama
Through their reflective
daily journal entries, student teachers have a lot to say about their student
teaching experience. Their meaningful
insights and suggestions can be extremely beneficial for both the supervisory
professor and cooperating teacher in order to better serve the teacher
candidate during the student teaching experience. Moreover, their journal reflections can be an
integral, informative asset for teacher candidates preparing to enter the
student teaching experience. To that
end, this research presentation explored what student teachers were thinking
through their daily student teaching journal entries.
The data were collected from 20
student teachers working in lower and upper elementary-level classes spanning
across urban, rural, and suburban areas in the southern region of the United
States during an entire spring semester of student teaching. Four main sources were utilized: student
teacher journals, field notes, post-observation tape-recording interviews, and
an end-of-student-teacher experience survey.
To identify the critical
information from the mass of collected data, the researchers read and reread
the data, intensely discussed, reflected, and debated what was noticed, and
what seemed to be the emerging themes and patterns. Among other things, it was found that the
teacher candidates had much to say about their initial anxieties of the student
teaching experience to the important role of preparation and the complexity of
behavior management to the sometimes complicated relationships with the
cooperating teacher to best pedagogical practices.
In short, primarily through
their journal entries, this presentation was driven by the “real” voices and
reflections of former student teachers, offering their unique insights,
suggestions, and experiences. The
invaluable contribution of what they expressed may better assist the
cooperating teacher/supervisory professor in facilitating a positive student
teaching experiencing, as well as offer empathetic understanding and
suggestions to future student teachers.
Levels of Wholetheme
Instruction and Student Outcomes: A Mixed-Methods Study
Yuejin Xu and Asghar Iran-Nejad, University
of Alabama
Wholetheme instruction,
grounded in biofunctional theory, has become an increasingly popular approach
in teacher education. This study examined how teachers appropriate wholetheme
instruction in their teaching and how differentiated levels of wholetheme
appropriation influence student outcomes. It distinguished three different
levels of teaching varying in the degree of integrated wholethemeness: direct,
eclectic, and integrative.
This study employed a
mixed-methods design. The sample was composed of three instructors and 96
students. Students took a survey package twice over the semester, once in the
beginning, the other near the end of the semester. The survey package included
the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) and Defining
Issues Test 2 (DIT2). Students also took an essay test as part of their final
course examination. Of the dependent variables, critical thinking was measured
by CCTDI scores. Ethical decisionmaking was assessed by DIT2. Students’
academic achievement was measured by essay ratings and GPA. Qualitative data
were collected from the interview with each instructor and their videotaped
lessons.
Qualitative results from the
interviews and the videotaped lessons revealed three distinguishable
approaches, varying overall in the direct, eclectic, and integrative levels of
wholetheme instruction. Quantitative results from the analysis of ratings on an
essay test suggested that students in the integrative level wrote significantly
better than those in direct level. Moreover, students in the integrative level
also demonstrated significant gains from pretest to posttest in an ethical decision-making
measure (DIT2).
This study has special
significance for the fields of education and psychology. It focused on a
relatively under-explored area, used a framework that considered both learners
and their teachers, and, through a mixed-methods design, it also expanded the
understanding of critical thinking and ethical decision making.
The Effectiveness of
National Board Pre-Candidacy Training at Harding University
Linda H. Thornton, Clara Carroll,
and Jamee Berningfield, Harding University
The importance of the teacher-to-student
learning cannot be minimized. A belief
underlying the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is that “the quality of a teacher
is one of the most critical components of how well students achieve” (http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/education/teachers/ quality_teachers.html).
Vandervoort, Amrein-Beardsley, and Berliner (2004) found that students of
teachers who were certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS) scored higher in reading, mathematics, and language arts than
students of other teachers, and the effect size was equivalent to one
additional month of instruction.
As teachers seek to improve
the quality of their practice through seeking NBPTS certification, it has
fallen to universities to assist them in developing the skills they need. The purpose of this study was to determine
the effectiveness of the pre-candidacy course offered at Harding University for
graduate students seeking certification by National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS). There is
evidence (Auton, Browne, & Futrell, 1998) that detailed knowledge about the
NBPTS process is one of the key factors in teacher success. Therefore, the dependent variable was
knowledge of: (1) the five core propositions, (2) the writing styles required
for the certification process, and (3) portfolio and assessment center
requirements.
Pretests and posttests were
administered to the participants (n=36).
A paired-sample t-test revealed that the posttest scores (M > 14)
were higher than the pretest scores (M < 5) and the difference was
statistically significant (p < .01).
These scores were also compared with the scores of a control group of
graduate students not seeking NBPTS certification.
11:00 – 11:50 A.M. EXHIBITS/Internet Café.................................................................... Essex
Session 4.2
1:40 – 2:30 P.M. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT................................................... Berkshire
Presider: Sherry E. Nichols, University of
Alabama
Assessing Service-Learning
: A Delphi Study
Shu-Ching Wang, Margaret Ross, and
You-Jen Guo, Auburn University
Service-learning activities
have a long history of being integrated into educational curriculum and course
design. The goals of service-learning
have progressed from merely focusing on better learning outcomes of students to
transforming social structures that cause injustice in society. However, as its popularity increased a
comprehensive definition of service-learning and essential components of a service-learning
program were still missing.
The purpose of this study was
to develop a representative definition of service-leaning and an instrument that
operationalized the newly developed definition of service-learning. Delphi techniques were designed for achieving
these objectives. The Delphi study
featured anonymous iterative discussion among its panel members. This approach overcame geographic limitations
and allowed its panel members to participate in a research as long as they had
access to discussion.
To form the expert panel for
this study, reviewers from the Michigan Journal of Community Service-Learning were
purposefully sampled. The Michigan
Journal of Community Service-Learning was funded for the devotion to the
development of service-learning and its involved individuals. One issue of the journal was used for this
study. Invitations were sent to all 68
reviewers listed on the chosen issue. As
a result, eight reviewers among the 68 invited agreed to participate in this
Delphi study. They were all scholars at
higher education institutions around the United States. Three rounds of iterations were designed for
this study. Feedback was made available
to panel members after each round of discussion. Every panel member was able to adjust her/his
responses for the next round after referencing the provided feedback. After three rounds of iterations, a
definition of service-learning and an instrument were developed.
Influence of Demographic
Factors on Accountability Indexes in Kentucky:
Variation by Grade Level
and Type of Test
Stephen K. Miller and Beverly
Derington Moore, University of Louisville
Despite extensive research on
the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA), there has been no examination
of the influence of demographic factors on the accountability formulas that
represent composite results across subjects. Kentucky utilizes two such
indexes: (1) the Norm-Referenced Test
(NRT) Index, composed of the Total Battery Score of the CTBS/5 Survey Edition,
converted into a 140-point scale by weighting the proportion of students in
each quartile of performance according to Normal Curve Equivalents, and (2) the
Academic Index, a weighted composite of the criterion-referenced Kentucky Core
Content Tests in reading, mathematics, science, social studies, writing,
arts/humanities, and practical living, converted to a 140-point scale. For this
study, those two indexes were regressed on seven socio-demographic variables
computed at the school level: %High SES, %Black, %Two Parents, Mobility Rate,
%Female, %Gifted, and %Special Education.
Jefferson County Public
Schools, the largest urban district (Louisville), comprised the population.
Separate analyses were performed for 87 elementary, 24 middle, and 21 high
schools. After calculating population parameters, forward stepwise multiple
regression was utilized to eliminate superfluous variables. A criterion of 2%
increment in the R2 change for each predictor was established as representing
“substantial” impact (the optimum equation).
Results indicated exceptional
influence of demographic factors on the two cognitive indexes. For elementary
schools, Total R2 values were .60 and .74 for the NRT and Academic Index,
respectively. The corresponding figures for middle schools were .89 and .89; for
high schools, this variance explained was .88 and .89. Specific independent
variables that met the 2% increment were all related to the primary dimensions
of stratification in America: elementary--%High SES and Mobility Rate;
middle--same two variables plus %Black; and high--%Two Parents and %Black. Such
effect sizes are almost unheard of for schools. These and other equity issues were discussed
with respect to accountability.
Fueled by Theory: Does
Research Move on the Wheels of Measurement?
Abraham A. Andero, Mississippi
State University
It has been stated that
research is fueled by theory but moves on the wheels of measurement. If this is
correct, then it is appropriate to carefully examine the role that measurement
plays in the conduct of research. In quantitative inquiry, the identification
of variables must be followed by careful definition and precise measurement.
Two measurement concepts that require elaboration are validity and reliability.
The quality of the
instruments used in research is very important, for the conclusions researchers
draw are based on the information they obtain using these instruments. Validity
refers to the appropriateness, meaningfulness, and usefulness of the inferences
a researcher makes. Reliability refers to the consistency of scores or answers
from one administration of an instrument to another, and from one set of items
to another.
A major task of the
researcher is to locate tests that provide consistent scores and measure the
variables that are to be explored in the research. The degree to which a test
actually measures the variables it claims to measure is called validity.
Reliability represents a relatively straightforward concept and does not stray
far from its everyday meaning. A reliable measure is one that can be trusted to
yield similar results when used a second time in similar circumstances. A
reliable weight scale is one that gives consistent results as we step on, step
off, and step on again. A reliable measure of math achievement should yield
results that do not vary widely when administered at reasonable time intervals.
Reliability coefficients are expressed in values from 0 to 1.0 with 1.0
representing a measure that is perfectly reliable.
Each of the approaches to
validity and reliability provides an estimate of the degree to which one can
have confidence in one’s measures. Regardless
of the care and concern with which one designs studies, no matter how carefully
one selects and describes the samples, in spite of how appropriately one selects
and implements appropriate statistical procedures, one’s efforts will be for
naught if the concepts are measured with faulty instruments. Therefore, research
truly does move on the wheels of measurement.
Session 4.3
1:40 – 2:30 P.M. CURRICULUM.............................................................................. Cornwall
Presider: Tamara Payne, University of
Alabama, Birmingham
A Case Study of Textbook
Use in a High School Mathematics Classroom
John A. Sargent, East Texas
Baptist University
The purpose of this study was
to investigate the impact of student achievement in a high school mathematics
class that did not use textbooks. The research question guiding this
qualitative intrinsic case study was: How
does learning Algebra I without a textbook impact student achievement in a
single mathematics classroom in northeast Texas?
The participants in this case
study were 23 high school math students in a suburban high school located in
northeast Texas, a teacher who was in her 11th year of teaching high school
mathematics, and the researcher. The
case study took place over a 14-week period. Action research methodology
facilitated insights on a daily basis because of interaction between the
participants and researcher. Data
collection procedures included observations/field notes, reflective journal,
student interviews, and teacher interviews. Categories were generated through
the constant comparison method with continual refining and analysis. Three
themes emerged from the data analysis. First, students were more easily
frustrated in class. Second, students became bored and disengaged more quickly
during class. Third, the students’
learning process was stalled. Implications from this case study are in several
areas and are important for teachers who teach high school mathematics.
Teaching mathematics without
a textbook has a negative effect on student achievement. Textbooks serve as a
base to anchor instruction and provide new teachers in particular with a
blueprint for instruction. Additionally,
textbooks, when correlated with state standards, provide a coherent and logical
sequence to present instruction to students.
Because of time constraints, teachers who were forced to create lessons
generated an atmosphere of stress that resulted in lessons presented the same
way every day. When instruction is presented in the same way every day,
students become bored and disengaged with the process. A textbook serves as a
way by which to differentiate instruction.
The Effects of the
Talents Unlimited Model on Student Creative Productivity
Jane L. Newman, University of
Alabama
This study investigated the
effects of the Talents Unlimited instructional manual, Talents and
Investigative Research: What Works! to
determine the effects of these lessons on the quality of students’ creative
products and on the number of students who completed their products. Through investigative research and the
development of creative products, students learned to assume the roles of
first-hand investigators, writers, artists, or other types of practicing
professionals who deliver products and services. The teacher’s role was changed from a
didactic presenter of information to a mentor who guided the students through
the research process.
Of the 198 gifted students in
grades three through six composing the initial sample, 147 completed the full
program. Students in the treatment group received training in applying the
Talents Unlimited model to steps of investigating a real problem. Students in
the comparison group continued to follow guidelines described in the Schoolwide
Enrichment Model (Renzulli & Reis, 1985) as they pursued their
investigations. Data collection included tallies of the number of research
investigations initiated, the number actually completed, and the number of
students who did not complete their research studies. In addition, logs and
conferences were used to provide an internal check on the consistency of
procedures, as well as to determine student and teacher perceptions, attitudes,
and reactions to the treatment lessons.
Treatment group students
showed a statistically significant difference in finishing their projects, as
opposed to control group students (X2=(1, N=160)=20.198; p<7.05). In addition, treatment group students were of
significantly higher quality, as measured by the Student Product Assessment
Form (Reis, 1981) than products completed by students in the control group.
Finally, qualitative analysis supported the statistical analyses and indicated
favorable reactions from students and teachers toward the treatment. The
findings suggested implications for teacher educators and classroom
practices.
A Study of Teacher
Efficacy in the Application of Bloom's Taxonomy in the Classroom
Leslie L. Griffin and Ronald J.
Garrison, Delta State University
For half a century, the
pioneer work of Benjamin Bloom and his associates has dominated textbook theory
regarding how learning should be structured in the classroom to maximize the
thinking potential of each student.
The Taxonomy of Educational
Objectives: Cognitive Domain (Bloom, 1956a) undergirds the planning structures
throughout many P-12 schools. The premise of Bloom’s work is that the
educational objectives of the school can be classified according to behaviors
and content areas. This study examined elementary teachers’ application of
Bloom’s Taxonomy within their classrooms.
The sample for the study was
comprised of 20 elementary school teachers enrolled in specified classes in the
Master of Elementary Education degree program at a regional university. All of
the teachers had completed traditional undergraduate teacher preparation
programs at accredited universities prior to enrolling in the master’s degree
program, during which they received training in the application of Bloom’s
Taxonomy. Procedures were implemented during regular class meetings, and all
data/responses were collected during designated class periods.
The researchers devoted one
class meeting to a review of the levels of the taxonomy. At the conclusion of
the review, teachers were asked to provide examples of their teaching that
represented each level. Prior to the class session, the subjects were
instructed to bring their lesson planning books from the previous year for use
in the in-class assignment. They were allowed to refer to their plan books as
they identified examples. Each participant’s lesson plan examples were analyzed
according to a rubric designed by the researchers to determine their congruence
with the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Tentative conclusions were drawn in order
to suggest implications for classroom practice and teacher educators.
Session 4.4
1:40 – 2:30 P.M. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT..................................................... Devon
Presider: Gerald Halpin, Auburn University
Relationships Among
Classroom Literacy, Balanced Assessment Practice
and Student Achievement
Beverly Ruthvan, Pulaski County (AR)
Special School District, and Gail D. Hughes,
University of Arkansas, Little
Rock
With the emphasis on
accountability, student achievement has and continues to be a major focus in
education. Balanced assessment, a
classroom tool that supports learning, a vehicle for reporting individual
achievement, and a means for public accountability, is increasingly viewed as
essential to learning. However, research
suggests that teachers do not fully understand or implement the formative and
summative components of balanced assessment that result in greater student
achievement on high stakes tests.
The mixed-methods study was
designed to investigate: (1) the
teacher's amount and extent of balanced assessment professional development, (2)
confidence of balanced assessment practice, (3) implementation of balanced
assessment practice, and (4) what effects these have on high stakes
testing. Using a sequential explanatory
strategy, quantitative data were collected (assessment instrument) and
analyzed, followed by qualitative data collection (observations) that served to
confirm the findings. Finally, class
summary results for the Benchmark Literacy Exam for participating fourth-,
fifth-, and sixth- grade literacy teachers were compared.
Results indicated that
teacher confidence was impacted by the extent of balanced assessment
professional development (r = .59).
However, correlations between training and classroom knowledge and
confidence and balanced assessment knowledge revealed no statistical
significance. Classroom observations of balanced assessment practice supported
the relationship between the extent of professional development and the
implementation of classroom practice. The impact of balanced assessment
practice on high stakes testing also resulted in no statistical significance.
Red Zone Training: A
Post-Pilot Report
James E. Witte, Auburn University;
Bille Crannell, East Alabama Medical Center;
and Julie McClanahan, Southern
Union State Community College
This study examined the
effectiveness of an additional basic adult education skills program in relation
to furthering employee workforce development within the East Alabama Medical
Center. The additional skill development program centered on increasing reading
skills in order for lower-level hospital employees to enter further training to
support job change and advancement. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
was used to determine entrance cut-off scores for entry into the hospital’s
established program for employee advancement training, referred to as the
School at Work (SAW) program.
Of the initial 42 employees
tested, only 16 met the cut-off necessary for SAW program entry. Changing the
entry-level cut-off score was not an option. Upon review of the employee test
scores, reading ability was identified as the primary shortfall. By careful review of the TABE scores over
time of those who were GED candidates, the team of researchers identified a cut-off
score below the SAW entrance requirements that was determined to be a most
likely return on the investment of time and effort to raise the existing scores
to and acceptable level. Time was essential for the success of an additional
skill development course inasmuch as the first SAW class was underway and
further courses were forthcoming. Borrowing from the football analogy, the
additional skills program was called “Red Zone” Training.
Of the original 10 Red Zone
participants, four withdrew for personal reasons. The remaining participants
successfully completed the TABE test scoring sufficiently high scores to
qualify for entry into the SAW program. The program was closely monitored in
content, delivery, in-progress testing, and feedback. The end result was that
the pilot program is now incorporated as part of the hospital’s Human Resource
Training Program.
Transforming Teachers
into ESL Mentors Through a School/University Partnership
Susan K. Spezzini and Julia S.
Austin, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Through a school/university
partnership, an ESL certification program was delivered on-site to mainstream
and ESL teachers in a large county school system. Although initially challenged
by the need to embrace a new instructional paradigm, these teachers soon became
empowered through self-accountability in site-based learning groups. Informed
by their own action research, they began sharing their personal experiences
and, in the process, became advocates for English language learners (ELLs) and
their families. As documented by research literature, ongoing system-wide
support provided by the school/university partnership facilitated the teachers’
transformation into mentors, a transformation that evolved as a constructivist
practice through awareness, engagement, monitoring, reflection, personal
strengths, and reciprocal learning.
The quantitative data source
was a questionnaire administered during the fifth of seven ESL certification
courses (spring 2004, 2005, 2006) to 93 graduate students, of which 63 were
teachers in the school/university partnership. This questionnaire elicited
self-reported changes in mentoring activities since program onset. It was
developed from research literature on mentoring, site-based professional
development, and ESL best practices. Content validity was established by basing
items directly on research literature and having items reviewed by a panel of
experts. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Findings indicated that
although both groups of teachers increased their mentoring activities, teachers
in the school/university partnership experienced greater growth than other
teachers in the certification program. The differences in percentage increase
were 10% in giving ESL presentations at faculty meetings, 14% in giving
presentations at ELL parent meetings and in daily/weekly sharing of ESL best
practices with colleagues, and 23% in interactions lasting 15+ minutes. These
differences suggested that the intervention, site-based delivery via a
school-university partnership was a catalyst in transforming teachers into ESL
mentors. Based on these findings, implications were described for educational
policy and procedure related to professional development in ESL.
Session 4.5
1:40 – 2:30 P.M. TECHNOLOGY.................................................................................. Dorset
Presider: John Long, Mississippi State
University
You’ve Got Mail! An
In-basket Simulation Gets an Extreme Makeover
Shelly Albritton, University of
Central Arkansas
Principal preparatory
programs have employed in-basket simulations for many years in efforts to
provide training experiences that reflect the realities of a school
administrator’s work day. In-basket exercises afford graduate students
opportunities to explore such leadership skills as organizing and prioritizing
tasks, managing time, making decisions, taking initiative, practicing
interpersonal skills, delegating responsibilities, and monitoring and following
up on actions (Nowack, K. M., 1993). In today’s schools, communication through
e-mail has become the norm. More and more school leaders report spending one to
two hours a day handling incoming and outgoing e-mail communications (Sharp, W.
L., Malone, B. G., Walter, J. K., & Harmon, L. A., 2005). With electronic communications in mind, the
valuable lessons learned with in-basket simulations should replicate the real world
as closely as possible while providing students the experience of practicing
leadership skills.
This presentation shared how
the traditional in-basket received an extreme makeover to become the
Principal’s Inbox Simulation. The basic premise of the traditional in-basket
remains intact, but the delivery of the in-basket was updated to reflect the
way communication is practiced in today’s schools; that is, to mirror as
closely as possible a principal at her/his desk responding to messages in the e-mail
in-box. The presenter provided participants a description of the online technology
used to deliver the simulation to graduate students, the methods used to
evaluate students’ responses to the inbox items, and students’ feedback about
the effectiveness of the Principal’s Inbox Simulation. Handouts were provided.
A Grounded Theory of
Interactive Video Conferencing: Making a Difference
in Preservice Teacher Education
Andrea M. Kent and Jennifer
Simpson, University of South Alabama
This study examined the
impact of implementing interactive video conferencing with preservice education
candidates. Teacher education programs
are accused of graduating candidates that fall into the category of failing
teachers or teachers who flee the profession when their career is beginning.
Teacher education programs have increased clinical experiences, offered
guarantees and warranties that their new teachers are prepared to meet the
needs of diverse students, and established more rigorous admissions processes
to help meet this challenge. In addition
to these initiatives, one university in the southeast United States is using
new and emerging interactive video technology as a tool to face this challenge.
The researchers met with
preservice candidates twice a week for 16 weeks teaching theoretical
foundations of methods of teaching reading.
In addition to a three-day-per-week field experience, interactive video
conferencing (IVC) was implemented four times throughout the semester in order
to provide a guaranteed common experience for all preservice candidates,
ensuring model teaching met standards that educators want new teachers to
internalize and emulate. Preservice candidates engaged in pre-conferences with
researchers prior to each IVC session, were given IVC listening guides to
complete during each session, and engaged in post-conferences with the
classroom teacher and researchers.
At the completion of the
semester, an electronic survey including six closed items and two open-response
items regarding the implementation of interactive video conferencing was sent
to the 58 participating preservice teachers.
Thirty-seven participants responded.
Data were analyzed using simple percentages and coding of the
open-response items and listening guides.
Results indicated that the implementation
of IVC in preparing preservice candidates allowed participants to become more
thoughtful and reflective practioners of their craft. They were able to observe
an exemplary teacher in action, synthesize the information, and consider how
they can apply new learning in their practice.
Technology Skills,
Availability, and Attitude of Graduate Students Enrolled in Online Programs
Thomas A. DeVaney and Robert J.
Hancock, Southeastern Louisiana University
As the availability of Internet-based
courses and degree programs increases, the need for understanding the technological
characteristics of the students completing these courses and programs
increases. While past literature has addressed issues related to the
development of effective Internet or distance education courses, there appears
to be limited research focusing on understanding the population that is
enrolling in these courses.
The purpose of this study was
to examine the characteristics of graduate students completing online courses.
A survey was sent to all graduate students (n > 1000) enrolled in online
courses at a southeastern regional university during the summer 2006 semester.
Students were sent a cover letter via e-mail explaining the nature of the study
and a link to the survey. The survey included information regarding internet
access and availability, competency related to technology, and attitude toward
the use of technology.
The results of this study
should assist faculty in developing courses that make the most effective use of
technology. The results may also provide information regarding possible
prerequisite technology skills needed for admission to online degree programs.
1:40 – 2:30 P.M. EXHIBITS/Internet Café.................................................................... Essex
Session 5.2
2:40 – 3:30 P.M. MUSEUMS, K-12 SCHOOLS, AND
UNIVERSITIES: COLLABORATIVE
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
(Symposium).............................................................................. Berkshire
Organizer: Susan P. Santoli, University of
South Alabama
Paige V. Baggett, Edward L. Shaw,
Jr., University of South Alabama;
Jennifer Fondren, Museum of
Mobile; Melissa Morgan: Mobile Museum of Art,
and Ilka Porter, Gulf Coast
Explorum
This panel discussion presented
three different partnerships involving public schools, college of education
faculty, and museums in Mobile, AL. The
first partnership involved the Museum of Mobile and fourth-grade students from
an inner city-elementary school. The second partnership involved the Mobile
Museum of Art, an art education instructor at the University of South Alabama,
and preservice teachers. The third partnership involved the Exploreum of
Mobile, a professor of elementary science education at the University of South
Alabama, and preservice teachers.
The goal of the Museum of
Mobile’s after school program, developing the BIG Picture, is to help selected fourth-grade
students strengthen their knowledge of historical events, develop oral and
written communication skills, and increase their levels of literacy. The projects and activities complemented what
the students had been learning in social studies and emphasized
cross-curricular learning.
The Mobile Museum of Art provided
university students actual resources and experiences related to art education.
Elementary art majors engaged in on-site experiences in the education wing of
the Museum. In turn, the Museum had the
opportunity to make preservice teachers aware of its resources. The Gulf Coast
Exploreum is a regional science center that provides hands-on/minds-on
experiences for students of all ages. Preservice teachers go to the Exploreum
for an orientation and tour and to teach a lesson to a group of elementary students
at a later date. These students become the contacts for their elementary
schools when they are hired as teachers upon graduation. This was an open forum
with panel presentations, then audience discussion and questions. Handouts were
provided.
Session 5.3
2:40 – 3:30 P.M. ACHIEVEMENT............................................................................. Cornwall
Presider: Melinda W. Marks, Tennessee State
University
The Relationship Between
Character Traits and Academic Performance
of AFJROTC High School
Students
Linda M. Williams and Patrick
Kariuki, Milligan College
The purpose of this study was
to examine the relationship between character traits and academic performance,
as measured by grade point average of AFJROTC cadets. Demmon, Rice, and Warble (1996) surveyed
educators and people in the community, and the results indicated strong support
for character education programs in the schools. In 1985, Tennessee mandated through state
legislation that schools implement character education programs (Tennessee
Code, 2005). Morris (2003) surveyed high
school principals in North Carolina about the JROTC program, and the opinion
data indicated that the principals agree that cadets benefited from the JROTC
programs, especially in the areas of leadership, citizenship, and
teamwork. Flowers (1999) evaluated
survey and demographic information for significant differences between JROTC
and non-JROTC cadets with regard to leadership, self-esteem, daily attendance,
and school suspension. Flower's results
indicated significant differences with regard to leadership and attendance, but
no significant differences with regard to self-esteem and school
suspension. The self-esteem results were
contradictory to other research findings.
The sample in this study
consisted of 20 randomly selected male cadets and 20 female cadets enrolled in
AFJROTC classes at Sullivan South High School.
Data were collected using a questionnaire modified from the "What
Do You Really Believe" survey. Data
were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation, t-test for independent
samples, ANOVA, and multiple regression.
The results indicated a
significant relationship between character traits and academic
performance. No significant difference
was found in gender on character traits and academic performance. Also, no significant difference was found on
character traits and number of semesters completed. A significant multiple correlation was found
on all four subcategories of the composite character traits with moral behavior
indicating the greatest influence. This
study suggested that cadets' behavior and academic performance were positively
influenced by strong character education programs.
The Use of Quantile
Regression In Educational Research
Edward B. Reeves, Morehead State
University
Educational researchers often
estimate the mean effects of school, student, and family characteristics on
student achievement. It is of
considerable concern if these estimates are not uniform throughout the
distribution of the achievement response measure, since the methods that are
typically used (multiple regression, ANOVA, and ANCOVA) assume that the mean
adequately captures a predictor’s effect.
This assumption may not be warranted.
When a predictor’s effect changes significantly with location on the
achievement response distribution, focusing on the mean effect is misleading
and can have negative consequences. For
instance, policymakers and practitioners may use such findings to devise
one-size-fits-all interventions that turn out not to have their intended
benefits for some segments of the student population.
Quantile regression is an econometric
technique that was developed several decades ago to deal with this very sort of
problem. The present paper provided an
introduction to the use of quantile regression in educational research. Data for the Base Year sample (N = 20,763
eighth graders) of the National Education Longitudinal Research Study (NELS)
were used to compare ordinary least squares regression with quantile regression
results. Standardized math and science
achievement test scores were regressed on school characteristics (private vs.
public, urban or rural vs. suburban), student characteristics (gender,
race/ethnicity, education plans), and family characteristics (family structure,
income, parents’ highest education level).
For eight of the 12
predictors, statistically significant differences in the effects were found in
the OLS and quantile regression results for math achievement. Similar, though less striking, findings were
obtained for science achievement. The
implication of this study is that educational research must not confine itself
to the estimation of mean effects alone.
Doing so may contribute to flawed understandings of student achievement.
Narrowing the Literacy
Gap: Results of a State Reading Recovery
Study
Kathleen A. Martin, University of
Alabama at Birmingham
Reading Recovery® (RR)
provides individualized instruction in first grade with the goal of raising
lowest performing children to average achievement in a limited period (12-20
weeks), thus reducing financial costs of literacy failure to school districts
and emotional costs of failure for children.
The study was comprised of
the 265 students who successfully completed RR during the fall of the 2004-2005
academic year and the 124 randomly selected students serving as a comparison
group. For statistical hypothesis testing, numbers of students in the two
groups were equalized by random selection from the RR group. In this study,
sub-test scores for two assessment tools, DIBELS and Observation Survey, were
compared for students who successfully completed Reading Recovery® and those of
a randomly selected comparison group receiving only regular classroom
instruction in a southeastern state.
Findings from use of MANOVA
indicated that RR children scored significantly lower than comparison group
students before the RR intervention on all subtests, and effect sizes were
moderate. In the spring, mean
differences between RR and comparison group were small with some differences
higher for RR students. Findings suggested
that Reading Recovery was an effective intervention enhancing achievement of
low performing students so that their reading achievement was equivalent to
that of the random sample. Implications for practice and policy were discussed.
Session 5.4
2:40 – 3:30 P.M. ADMINISTRATION............................................................................ Devon
Presider: Deborah L. Edwards, University of
South Alabama
School Administrators and
Technology Leadership
Lawrence J. Leonard, Louisiana
Tech University
School districts nationwide
continue to spend billions of dollars annually on various forms of technology
equipment and services. Despite the widespread expectation that teachers
routinely integrate technology into the curriculum to facilitate student
achievement, there is substantial evidence that it is not occurring in the
manner or degree desirable. This combined quantitative and qualitative study
examined the extent that computer-related technology is used in 12 school
districts in north Louisiana from the perspectives of 214 site-based
administrators in 149 schools.
The study’s findings suggested
that technology integration remains a serious concern in that many teachers
seem unwilling or unable to incorporate computer-related technology into the
teaching and learning process. Even with appropriate teacher technology-use
preparation and dispositions, the principals and assistant principals were
concerned about inadequate technology resources. Respondents reported that there
were recurring problems with computer and software currency, equipment
maintenance, and teacher training. Problems were considered to be more serious
in smaller, rural schools and school districts, primarily as a consequence of
inadequate district support and persisting problems with sufficient Internet
connectivity. Furthermore, and perhaps the most disturbing revelation from this
research, the data revealed that many school administrators considered
themselves to be ill-prepared to assume the role of technology leader. The
implications of these and other findings for school improvement were discussed.
Recent Research
Concerning Substitute Teacher Training
Tina T. Smith, Maury County (TN) Schools
The average student in the
United States (grades K-12) will spend approximately 180 days, or one full
school year, with a substitute teacher. Currently, only a few substitute
teachers have had college training in education or hold a valid teaching
license. There is a growing shortage of substitute teachers nationwide. In
recent years, educational researchers have examined various topics pertaining
to substitute teachers.
Research in the area of
substitute teacher training has consistently shown that training improves
substitute teacher quality and helps reduce the shortage of substitutes;
however, fewer than 8% of school districts currently offer training for
substitute teachers. Training helps substitutes develop skills in classroom
management. School districts offering training programs have reported that
complaints against subs were minimized, and the shortage of substitute teachers
was also reduced.
Study on Support and
Resources for Effective SBDM Councils: Developing the Questionnaire
Sharon Spall and William R. Schlinker,
Western Kentucky University
Researchers in this study
selected the topic of Site Based Decision-making (SBDM) councils. The
researchers asked: What could help the work of councils more than
training and support? and What training
do council members receive and need? These questions led to the development of
an instrument to ask former members about their work on Kentucky councils.
The focus for this project
was to determine the stability of the questionnaire that was designed to
investigate the support and resources provided to Kentucky SBDM councils from
the perspective of former council members. Additionally, issues of content
validity were addressed. Researchers
designed a study to investigate SBDM councils. Councils in Kentucky actively
participate in school decision making as mandated by state statute, so as part
of state reform agendas councils address budget, personnel, curriculum, and
school management issues. Training and
support for all members of the SBDM council contributes to this promise for
effective teams and eventually school improvement. After the initial design
discussions the researchers began developing the instrument to send to former
members of SBDM councils.
This presentation detailed
the steps to determine the stability of this instrument, as well as described
the process for developing the items and for obtaining insurance for content validity.
The researchers developed items for the questionnaire together and
independently. Information from the literature review and experts in school
districts who had worked with councils provided additional input for the most
relevant items. After many revisions, a group of former council members (33)
that would not be part of the identified sample for the study completed a
reliability study to determine the stability of the instrument. The
presentation included the information on the development of the items and the
results of the test-retest reliability study, and a very brief summary of the
final study.
Session 5.5
2:40 – 3:30 P.M. HIGHER EDUCATION........................................................................ Dorset
Presider: James H. Lampley, East Tennessee
State University
From in Loco Parentis To
Educational Malpractice: The Evolution of the Legal
Relationship Between
Students and Universities
Rebecca L. Brower, Susan Noble
Herren, and Robert Kulick, Auburn University
The paper traced the legal
relationship between students and universities from the nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries when universities acted in loco parentis (in place of the
parent), to the 1960s and 1970s when the university’s legal role was that of a
bystander, to the present era in which the legal relationship is largely undefined.
Significant cases in higher education law such as Gott v. Berea College, 1913,
Healy et al., James et al, 1972, and Rhaney v. University of Maryland Eastern
Shore, 2005, were examined in light of the evolving relationship between
students and universities. The authors used keywords such as “in loco parentis”
and the “duty question” to locate relevant legal briefs on Lexis Nexis
Academic. They also utilized the texts Campus Rules and Moral Community: In Place
of In Loco Parentis by David A. Hoekema and the Concept of In Loco Parentis in
Higher Education by Herman Edward Harm to locate landmark cases in higher
education law.
The evolution of case law
suggests that as students became more empowered to act as adults in the 1960s
and 1970s, the courts granted them both the legal rights and responsibilities
of adult members of the community. Consequently, the legal status of the
university administration evolved from that of the parent to that of the
bystander. As a result of the social upheaval of this period, in loco parentis
was effectively abolished by the courts. Today, the in loco parentis doctrine
has been replaced by legal concepts such as the duty question, the bystander
doctrine, activity risk creation, and the landlord-tenant or business-invitee
relationship. The history of case law involving universities and students
suggests that it is now incumbent on academe to play an active role in defining
the legal relationship between students and universities.
Improving Student
Learning Outcomes Through the Implementation
of Teacher Work Sample
Folios
Cheryl J. Cummins and Leslie
Griffin, Delta State University
Teacher work sample (TWS)
methodology has been implemented in the elementary education program at Delta
State University to prepare teacher candidates to determine student learning
and use reflective practice. The
Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality provides a model in which
teacher candidates are required to develop documentation related to seven
teaching processes believed to be critical to improving learning for all
students.
During fall 2005, a teacher
work sample folio was designed and implemented in CEL 497 Measurement and
Evaluation to improve candidates’ understanding of: (1) contextual factors in relationship to
designing instruction, (2) the development of learning goals as aligned with
state content standards, (3) assessment plans in terms of measuring student
growth relative to learning goals and to inform instruction, (4) instructional
strategies for the purpose of enabling all students to achieve the learning
goals, (5) the use of formative data to make instructional decisions, (6) the
analysis and reporting of student learning results, and (7) the reflection and
evaluation of teaching and learning.
The instructor for the course
met with the students twice a week for instruction for eight weeks. Each meeting followed a similar format: (1) each of the seven processes was discussed
with the whole group, (2) examples of acceptable documentation were generated, (3)
individuals had the opportunity to share ideas and ask questions, and (4)
candidates developed individual teacher work sample folios. At the end of the
eight weeks, each work sample was analyzed according to scoring rubrics. Candidates again developed a teacher work
sample folio for implementation while student teaching in spring 2006. Scores were compared to those received
previously during the methods class.
Results were used to suggest program improvements.
Perspectives of
Undergraduate Exchange Students in the United States from an Asian Country
Li-Ching Hung and Dwight Hare, Mississippi
State University
This study examined the
perspectives of exchange students from an Asian country to determine in depth:
(1) how the exchange students expected the exchange program to facilitate their
learning in the United States, (2) how academic content differed in two
countries, (3) how the exchange program benefited the exchange students, as
well as the American high education community, and (4) what the struggles and
barriers were for the exchange students to study in a foreign country.
The study was conducted
during the second semester the undergraduate exchange students studied at
Mississippi State University. A survey
was completed by 18 of 20 exchange students from Korea. Of the 18 students
returning the survey, three were females, and 14 were males. Four students were
selected for an in-depth study.
The survey consisted of 40
questions asking for demographic information and students’ expectations and
struggles, as well as their frustrations. The researchers interviewed four
students (one female, three males) from different departments to determine
their overall impression of the exchange program and their personal experiences
studying in the U.S. Each structured
interview lasted approximately one hour.
The survey and interview
responses were analyzed, and conclusions were drawn from the data. The results
indicated that no matter what the exchange students majored in, each had the
same goal to accomplish while in the U.S.: improve their English. They all believed that with the experiences
studying in America they could be competitive in getting a good job in their
native country. What bothered them most
were transportation and a lack of opportunities to really get to know American
culture. The findings of the study will
help university professors and administrators who work with exchange students
understand their needs better and meet those needs in a more effective way.
2:40 – 3:30 P.M. EXHIBITS/Internet Café.................................................................... Essex
Session 7.1
3:40 – 4:30 P.M. TECHNOLOGY (Displays).................................................................... Avon
Conducting Classroom
Observations in Preservice Teacher Education
Using Videoconferencing
Technology
Eamonn J. Walsh, Jr., Joseph
Walsh, and Lloyd Pickering, University of Montevallo
Preservice educators are
typically required to visit schools for the purpose of observing, documenting,
and studying the dynamics of the real-world classroom. While there are clear
benefits to this practice, there are also limitations that impair its
effectiveness. Aside from the inconveniences associated with travel and
scheduling, onsite observations can be intrusive to the classroom and present
numerous impediments to learning opportunities for the observer. As an
alternative, the current study investigated the use of videoconferencing
technology as a means to offset the limitation associated with onsite visits
and to enhance the pedagogical benefits and effectiveness of classroom
observation.
In this study, 20 early
childhood preservice educators enrolled in an early childhood class conducted
remote, instructor-supervised, live classroom observations using
videoconferencing technology while 20 preservice educators enrolled in a
different section of the same class conducted on-site observations. Data for
this project included assignment materials turned in by each subject (e.g., a one-page
summary of their observations, answers to 10 questions regarding specific
aspects of the observed classroom events, and their handwritten scientific observation
notes). Quantitative comparisons of the written materials of both groups were
made based on length, detail, and relevancy to course content. Additionally, a
survey of student perceptions of perceived strengths and weakness of the
observation method in which they participated was implemented.
Results indicated that, in
spite of some of its own limitations, live video observations were
instructionally more beneficial to the students than the onsite observations.
Findings suggested that subjects who participated in live, instructor-led
observations observed more and turned in assignments that were richer, more
detailed, and more accurate than those who participated in onsite visits.
Survey results further indicated that live video observations were perceived as
more convenient and better learning experiences than onsite observations.
Digital
Storytelling: One Method, but Multiple
Uses for Teacher Educators
Vivian H. Wright, University of
Alabama
The Center for Digital
Storytelling in California urges people to listen and to tell stories through
all means of storytelling. Photo albums and the telling of stories through
pictures and/or photographs have been around for ages (Lambert, 2003). Storytelling is nothing new and has indeed
become a tradition in many families and cultures. However, in an evolving
technological age, the trend of storytelling is becoming digital. As the
Institute for New Media Studies (2004) notes, “The digital frontier is a
dynamic new space for storytelling but its potential has yet to be realized” (¶
1).
Taking a series of still
images and combining them with a narrated soundtrack in order to tell a story
is a crucial component of a well-told digital photo story (Institute for New
Media Studies, 2004; Kajder & Bull 2005). Digital storytelling has emerged
as a simple and inexpensive method that allows a story to be told (Bull &
Kajder, 2004-2005). In teacher
education, digital storytelling can be used in many ways including as a tool to
promote self-reflection and as a method of technology integration and ongoing
instruction. At this presenter’s
institution, digital storytelling through multimedia production is being used
by several content fields, disciplines, and across grade levels.
At this presentation, the
presenter demonstrated how to use one tool, Microsoft Photo Story 3, to build a
digital story in a very “user-friendly” format.
Examples of digital stories and instructional pieces, designed by
faculty, preservice teachers, and inservice teachers were also shared.
Session 7.2
3:40 – 4:30 P.M. COLLEGE STUDENTS................................................................. Berkshire
Presider: Stephen K. Miller, University of
Louisville
The Relationship Between
Citation Errors and Library Anxiety: An Empirical
Study of Doctoral
Students in Education
Qun G. Jiao, Baruch College, City
University of New York; Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie,
University of South Florida; and
Vicki L. Waytowich, University of North Florida
This study investigated
whether levels of library anxiety predict simultaneously the citation error
rate and quality of reference lists in doctoral dissertation proposals among 93
doctoral students in education. This study was unique for at least two reasons.
First, it was one of the first studies to examine bibliographic citation
inaccuracies in doctoral research proposals. Second, the current investigation
was one of the first to investigate the psychological characteristics of
doctoral students who commit such errors. A canonical correlation analysis
revealed a multivariate relationship between levels of library anxiety and both
the citation error rate and quality of reference lists. This finding suggested
that the level of library anxiety played an important role in students’ ability
to construct accurate reference lists. The implications of these findings were discussed.
College Students'
Behavior on Multiple Choice Self -Tailored Exams
Jasna Vuk, Mississippi State
University
Before grading, 80 college
students optionally excluded questions of their choice on two multiple choice
exams out of five total exams. Participants in this study came from the two
sections of the Human Growth and Development course of a southern state
university. After completing the exam, students were asked to mark questions on
the back of a scantron sheet for which they thought their answers were
incorrect. They were allowed to exclude up to five questions from 50 on the
third and fourth multiple choice exams. Depending on how many questions
students omitted, the weight of questions on a scale of 1-100 changed.
Calculations of the final score on both exams were performed manually by the
instructor.
The study attempted to answer
three research questions: (1) Will students increase their score after omitting
questions of their choice on multiple choice tests? (2) Will students make higher
increases of their scores on the fourth exam than on the third exam? and (3) Will
the frequency of particular questions that students omitted from the test be
correlated with item difficulty?
Students increased their score by
self-tailoring multiple choice tests, and this increase was statistically
significant on both exams. Score increase was lower on exam 4 than on exam 3
but not significantly lower. Students excluded more questions from exam 4 than
from exam 3. The number of correct answers excluded from exam 4 was
significantly higher than from exam 3. There was a significant correlation
between item difficulty on both exams and frequency of particular questions
that students excluded from exams.
The study has implications
for educators in the area of college students’ assessment and construction of
multiple choice exams. This activity could also provide a feedback to students
about their own knowledge and the correctness of their answers.
3:40 – 4:30 P.M. MENTOR SESSION...................................................................... Cornwall
Presider: Linda W. Morse, Mississippi State
University
Hosted by MSERA Mentors, this
session provided opportunities for attendees to collaborate with one or more
long-term members of MSERA about attendees’ existing or potential research
projects, proposed or draft manuscripts, dissertation ideas, data analysis,
program evaluation projects, and other research-related topics. These sessions were offered primarily for new
graduate students and professional members of the Mid-South Educational
Research Association.
Session 7.3
3:40 – 4:30 P.M. INSTRUCTION.................................................................................. Devon
Presider: John A. Sargent, East Texas
Baptist University
A Paradigmatic Shift In
Assessing Far Transfer of Learning: Order Out of Chaos
Via the Barnett-Ceci
Taxonomic Framework
Gerald J. Calais, McNeese State
University
Despite a century of
research, debates about the nature of far transfer, the frequency of its
occurrence, and the essence of its fundamental mechanisms have yet to be
resolved. This confusion is because of a
lack of a clearly operational definition of transfer and the failure to
identify the various relevant dimensions for determining if and when transfer
materializes, resulting in a comparison of "apples and oranges." To overcome this chaos, a taxonomic framework
is employed to view previously published studies within this framework along
nine pertinent contextual and content dimensions. Information gleaned from articles and
empirical studies was selected from psychologists of various theoretical
orientations, including, but not limited to, the following: Susan Barnett, John
Bransford, Anne Brown, Stephen Ceci, Zhe Chen, Micheline Chi, Mary Gick, Diane
Halpern, Robert Haskell, Keith Holyoak, Lauren Resnick, and Robert Sternberg.
Barnett and Ceci's
paradigmatic shift entails a definition of far transfer predicated on a
taxonomic framework for interpreting the research literature on transfer along
three content dimensions (learned skill, performance change, and memory
demands) and six context dimensions (knowledge domain, physical context,
temporal context, functional context, social context, and modality). Their proposed taxonomy addressed only the
end points of the transfer process, not the components of the transition
process per se.
Systematic explorations of
the intersections of the taxonomic dimensions should facilitate our ability to
predict when, where, and how far transfer occurs. However, since this taxonomic framework centers
only on the end points of transfer, a complete theory of transfer awaits
acknowledgement of the systematic variations in transfer because of individual
differences in the representation and deployment of knowledge, metacognition,
or underlying eductive processes. This
paradigmatic shift in assessing transfer, undoubtedly, will also impact
classroom instruction and assessment, curriculum design, teacher educator
programs, national standards, and state standards and benchmarks.
Multimedia Case Studies
in the Classroom: Impact on Learning Skills and Teaching Strategies
Jarrett M. Landor-Ngemi, University
of Southern Mississippi
Undergraduate education in
the U.S. continues to be criticized for failing to develop students’
higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills needed in the new information
and technology-based economy. Recently, use of multimedia instructional
materials, particularly in the form of multimedia case studies to convey
real-world technical concepts and applications such as those taught in
information technology (IT) courses, has been advocated increasingly in the
educational technology literature (Evans 1992; Carlstrom 1993; Hsi &
Agogino 1994; Raju & Sankar 1999; Mbarika et al. 2003b; Bradley et al.
2005). While the impact of multimedia instructional materials on “perceived”
user learning has been previously studied (e.g. Landauer 1995; Dillon &
Gabbard 1999; Bradley et al., 2005), their impact on “actual” learning has, to
date, received little research attention. Literature on past research was
compiled from top information and technology publications.
Although positive effects
have been reported on multimedia instruction, several studies have cast doubts
on existing assessment approaches. First, previous studies were mostly based on
“perceived” learning (as reported by the students/learners). Second, past
studies did not assess learning in terms of improving students’ higher-order
cognitive skills (Raju et al. 2002; Mbarika et al. 2003a). Third, qualitative
research instruments were the preferred approaches used to collect
self-reported attitudes toward the learning environment (Landauer 1995; Dillon
& Gabbard 1999). To conclude, it was evident that most published research
in the field of instructional technology that purported to have found no
significant difference in learning effectiveness between technology-based and
conventional delivery modes for the most part are flawed (Joy & Garcia,
2000). The researcher proposed an investigation to answer the question: What combination of instructional strategies
and delivery media will best produce the desired learning outcome for the intended
audience?
Session 7.4
3:40 – 4:30 P.M. MULTICULTURAL............................................................................. Dorset
Presider: Shelly Albritton, University of
Central Arkansas
Preservice and Inservice
Teachers' Attitudes Toward Multicultural Issues
in Tennessee's Public
Schools
Barbara N. Young and Donald Snead,
Middle Tennessee State University
The public schools in
Tennessee are experiencing an influx of linguistically and culturally diverse
students. Many teachers are exhibiting a
level of frustration when teaching these students because their personal
background and preparation for teaching diverse students is limited. The purpose of this study was to ascertain
teachers' multicultural knowledge, cross-cultural perceptions, and attitudes
about different cultures as a function of both preservice professional
preparation and graduate education curriculum. Accomplishing this goal required
the administration of the Multicultural/Diversity Scale-Revised (MCR) at
pre/post points.
Data were collected from 90 preservice
and 90 inservice teachers. Inquirers used a quantitative descriptive
statistical design to analyze these data. Reliability was computed on the
instrument, which indicated a .90 index. The data collected in this study
indicated a significant difference among preservice students in the category of
Acceptance for pretest data; however, no significant difference emerged in this
category for posttest data. Inquirers surmised that the difference was not
present in posttest data because of the instruction administered during the
course between pretest and posttest data collection.
The researchers suggested
that there will be a significant difference between the undergraduate preservice
teachers and graduate inservices teachers' perceptions of and attitudes toward
cultural issues as they relate to the public school environment. Furthermore, researchers will look at
specific data as these data relate to respondents' replies within specific
courses.
Teaching for
Diversity: Multicultural Teacher
Education and Preservice
Teachers' Beliefs About
Diversity
Jay Feng and Leonard Lancette, Mercer
University
With increasing diversity in
schools, it is an educational imperative that teachers be prepared to work
effectively with learners of diversity. Yet, it is not clear if there is one
best approach for multicultural teacher education, infusion or separation. This
study investigated how multicultural principles have been integrated in a
teacher education program and preservice teachers' beliefs about diversity.
All instructors in the
undergraduate teacher education program were surveyed on the extent that
multicultural education is integrated in teaching, using the Integration of
Multicultural Education into Curriculum Questionnaire (MECQ). All student teachers in the program were
surveyed on both their personal and professional beliefs about diversity, using
the Personal Beliefs About Diversity Scale (PBDS-I) and Professional Beliefs
About Diversity Scale (PBDS-II), respectively.
Based on descriptive
statistics obtained from returned valid surveys, effective strategies for
multicultural teacher education were discussed, and questions were also raised
for further investigation.
Diversity in Adult
English Language Learning Programs
Lishu Yin and Dwight Hare, Mississippi
State University
English language learners
(ELL) are individuals “learning English who are not native speakers “(Diaz-Rico,
2004, p.1). Federal legislation defines
ELL as individuals “limited in English proficiency (with) the potential to
benefit from instruction in English and literacy” (Rice & Stavrianos,
1995). About two thirds of recent
immigrants (three years or less) were ELL, and about 76% of the 12 to 14
million adult ELL living in the U.S. were immigrants (Chisman, Wriglen, &
Ewen, 1993). Almost two million adult
ELL were enrolled in state-administrated English as a Second Language (ESL)
programs in 1998 (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). Adult ELL are served in: (1) community college programs, (2)
university-intensive language programs, (3) private language institutes, (4)
government-funded classes, and (5) non-government sponsored classes (Diaz-Rico,
2004).
The issues for adult ELL are:
(1) change of immigrant status, and economic and family responsibilities have
an impact on the learners’ class presence, attitude, and behaviors; (2)
“Generation 1.5” are educated in America, but their English is not good enough
for academic work at postsecondary institutions; (3) the diversity of ELL
yields linguistic diversity, which creates a challenge in teaching; and (4) there
is difficulty in retaining good ELL instructors because of their second-class
status, especially with a part-time schedule.
With their rapid change in
demographics, ELL have become a challenge to serve. This research examined: (1) characteristics
of the adult ELL, (2) their purpose in learning English, (3) challenges of
intercultural language teaching, and (4) preparation of ELL teachers from
diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Suggestions on how to work
with adult ELL included: (1) ELL teachers should teach American culture and the
skills to compare American culture with their native culture, and (2) staff
development such as inservice workshop, conferences, action research, and
self-directed learning can be offered to ELL instructors.
3:40 – 4:30 P.M. EXHIBITS/Internet Café.................................................................... Essex