Factors influencing qualified candidates' decisions not to pursue the superintendency

Hodges, Brien S University of Northern Colorado 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

The research topic of this study investigated the factors that may have influenced a qualified candidate's decision not to pursue the superintendency at this time. The significance of this study originated from the 2003, Colorado Association of School Executive's (CASE) Superintendent study, where 80% of respondents indicated that there is a shortage of qualified candidates available for future superintendent vacancies in Colorado. A survey instrument was designed to identify the factors that may influence a qualified candidate's decision not to pursue the superintendency at this time. The questionnaire was validated by a panel of experts consisting of currently seated and retired Colorado superintendents, and the Executive Directors of both the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) and the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB). The results of this study identified the next generation of superintendent candidates are most likely to be: white males between the ages of 46 and 55 years old currently working in Denver metro or outlying suburban school districts with student populations greater than 6,000. These former teachers are most likely to have a master's degree with additional hours and are professional licensed administrators who have served as principals or central office administrators. Cited reasons for not pursuing the superintendency included but were not limited to: "being responsible for having to comply with state regulations (i.e. Colorado Basic Literacy Act)," "being responsible for district accountability," "managing union/association negotiations," "being responsible for board meetings," and "being responsible for having to comply with state regulations (i.e. Colorado Basic Literacy Act).". Recommendations for improvement, include but are not limited to: identifying those who fit the profile as being qualified for, or who are on the typical career path to the superintendency, and offering, improving and implementing programs, courses, curriculum and or professional development opportunities designed specifically for the superintendency. Offering incentives, scholarships, tuition reimbursement, professional memberships, or mentorships to those identified or on the career path to the superintendency may help to further disclose the factors that are influencing qualified candidates' decisions not to seek the superintendency at this time.

Exploring how resident advisors create meaning of their paraprofessional fall training and its transfer: A constructivist case study

Kennedy, Dean F University of Northern Colorado 2009 해외공개박사

Utilizing constructivist research methods, this case study explores how 12 Resident Advisors (RAs) make meaning of the Fall RA training experience, as well as the process of applying what they have learned in training to their living communities. While each RA experienced training and its transfer uniquely, five themes emerged connecting participants' stories: the importance of developing peer relationships, awareness and influence of Resident Directors (RDs), RA experience over time, RA training structure, and RA training content remembered by RAs. Overall, the most critical components of Fall training identified by participants were opportunities to build relationships with their peers, learn from more experienced RAs, and directly apply what was learned during training. Based on participants' responses and the themes as they emerged, future research should be broadened beyond one university's context to include other institutions varying by size, geographic location, and on-campus housing population in order to further learn how RAs make meaning of their training and post-training experiences. Research utilizing a longitudinal component, mixed methods, as well as focusing on individual and collective populations of RAs would add to existing literature in this area. Implications for practice are many. Training designers and supervisors need to connect Fall training to staff development opportunities during the year while continually seeking and including feedback from RAs. In addition, training sessions would likely be more meaningful to participants if team building activities were woven throughout the schedule to foster and strengthen relationships among all RAs. It is important to incorporate returning RAs' perspectives into the design and implementation of training curricula as not only do they provide a significant knowledge base of the RA position, but new RAs look up to their more experienced peers and value their perspectives. Lastly, assessing participants' learning preferences, abilities, and motivations will provide supervisors and training designers a wealth of information to assist in the enhancement of training curricula.

Evidence for anecdotes: Examining use of stories in introductory biology courses with a mixed-methods approach

Kreps, Jennifer Susan University of Northern Colorado 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

Instructional stories can be an effective way to teach science concepts. However, research has not examined the extent to which stories are being used, and how they are received. More research on the use of story in biology classes may lead to more conscious use of story by instructors, which may lead to a better understanding of biological concepts by students. The purpose of this study was to examine how instructors and students use stories in university introductory biology courses, and the degree to which these stories are perceived to be effective. To examine this phenomenon, a nationwide instructor survey, a university-wide student survey, and multiple case studies were used. Two case studies included observation of lectures, interviews with (36) students, and interviews with instructors (4) over two semesters of an organismal biology course. Instructor survey participants (N = 78) were gathered by posting email invitations, and student survey participants (N = 260) were volunteers from introductory biology courses at a middle-sized university. Several types of stories were observed, including personal experience stories, historical anecdotes, and "you" stories. Students reported increased affective learning when stories were told, and remembered mostly humorous stories. In the instructor survey, no significant differences emerged between genders, type of biology taught, or communicator style and instructional story frequency. However, reports of personal experience story frequency did increase significantly (p < .01) with teaching experience, until 26 years of teaching, when it declined. The student survey uncovered no significant differences in story use by gender or ethnicity, although non-science majors reported that their instructors used stories significantly more frequently (p < .01) than did science majors. Simultaneous-entry multiple regression analyses indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between story use and cognitive and affective learning for all groups of students. Story use was a significant predictor of perceived learning loss for non-science majors, but not for science majors. The researcher suggests that stories can be an effective tool to teach biology, particularly if the instructor is aware of her audience and uses stories primarily to help students understand how concepts are related to "real life.".

Character education leadership: An investigation of principal efficacy beliefs

Sierman Smith, LeAnn R University of Northern Colorado 2007 해외박사(DDOD)

A study was conducted to analyze the level of efficacy principals have, both individually and collectively, in relation to character education leadership. The study also explored principals' beliefs and their espoused behaviors. The quantitative portion of the survey was based on a previously developed instrument developed by Andrew Milson (2003). Results provided information on principals' self-efficacy as well as their views on general effectiveness of principals across Colorado. Even though all efficacy ratings were high, principals perceived their personal character education leadership efficacy to be slightly better than the character education leadership efficacy of their peers. The research also provided important data about the influence demographic variables have on educational leaders' perceptions of their effectiveness as character education leaders. The qualitative portion of the survey imparts educators and interest groups with an understanding of how educational leaders' personal values related to their beliefs about their own efficacy as character education leaders. The researcher identified, through the use of metaphors, themes such as values, incorporation of character education in daily interactions, and beliefs about the principal's role as character education leader. The metaphor, which emerged from principal's responses, was The Code of the West. Results indicated principal's personal values overwhelmingly matched their behaviors in terms of interactions and character education leadership practices.

Analytical and performance approach of "Danzas en el Sentimiento Andino" by Luis Antonio Escobar

Gomez-Giraldo, Julian University of Northern Colorado 2013 해외박사(DDOD)

Colombian composer Luis Antonio Escobar (1925--1993) made important contributions to the music of the second half of the twentieth century. He was very active as a composer in Berlin, The United States and Colombia during the 1960s and 1970s with prominent ensembles performing his music. Nevertheless, due to the lack of publications and the fact of his living in Colombia, a country with limited international musical exposure at that time, his compositions fell into oblivion. Biographical information about Escobar has been scarce and difficult to find in printed and scholarly materials; Amparo Angel, his wife, remains one of the most reliable sources of information. His symphonic works, in particular the Danzas en el Sentimiento Andino (1992), composed one year before his death, deserve special attention, and an analysis of this work with a view to informing an idiomatic performance has become a compelling task. An appreciation of the inclusion of Colombian traditional music in his compositions and the possible influence of his professors, Nikolas Nabokov and Boris Blacher, are also important aspects of this study.

Elementary physical educators' perspectives of curriculum and instruction in the United States and Thailand

Nampai, Udon University of Northern Colorado 2015 해외박사(DDOD)

The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs, perspectives, and opinions of physical education (PE) teachers regarding PE curriculum (the content and teaching styles, the purpose of PE, and the potential improvements related to PE curriculum) at the elementary level by: (a) examining current curricular and instructional practices and perspectives of exemplary Thai PE teachers; and (b) examining curriculum development and instructional practices of current exemplary PE teachers in the United States (U.S.). The participants were eight exemplary PE teachers. A semi-structured interview design was utilized in order to gather information of participants' perspectives. Each interview lasted approximately 45 minutes. All interviews were audio recorded and later transcribed for analysis. Data collection occurred in three ways: (a) in-depth semi-structured interviews; (b) documents; and (c) semi-structured follow-up interviews. Data were analyzed using a thematic coding method in order to find the significant statements that related to research questions. The findings regarding the purpose of elementary PE indicated that the participants in the U.S. thought it should focus on educating students about the value of physical activity and lifelong healthy lifestyles and promote fun and enjoyment in PE classes. Participants in Thailand shared that the purpose should emphasize the development of good fundamental skills and engage students so that they develop a love for and good attitudes in PE. For PE content, participants in the U.S. thought it should include five areas: movement skills, emotional and social skills, physical fitness and personal wellness, prevention and risk management, and basic sport skills. Participants in Thailand shared that PE content should include: movement skills, basic sport skills, Thai traditional games, and morality. Findings related to teaching styles found that participants in the U.S. implemented: peer teaching; cooperative learning; direct instruction, demonstration, and feedback; and personal responsibility. Participants in Thailand utilized group process, demonstrating skills, and self-study and multimedia. In addition, findings also indicated that all participants in Thailand implemented standards provided by the Ministry of Education of Thailand. Participants in the United States adhered to the district, state, or national standards as a guide to create PE curriculum. The findings from this study will provide a clearer understanding of how PE teachers in each country feel regarding the elementary PE curriculum. Especially for PE teachers in Thailand, they will learn new knowledge to improve elementary PE pedagogy through higher quality elementary PE curricula in Thailand.

The relationship among rumination and distraction in pathological gamblers

Washington, Fred A University of Northern Colorado 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

The relationship of rumination and distraction between pathological gamblers and a control group of individuals not meeting the criteria for pathological gambling was investigated. The South Oaks Gambling Screen was used to determine if participants were probable pathological gamblers. The pathological gambling group was recruited from Gamblers Anonymous groups (n=68) and the control group was a convenience sample (n=57). An abbreviated form of the Response Style Questionnaire was administered to examine the participants' level of rumination and distraction. A 2 x 2 MANOVA model was used with gambling status and gender as independent variables. A significant difference (p<.000) was found indicating that the pathological gambling group experiences more rumination than the control group. Implications for a new addition to treatment were suggested.

The impact of an introductory college-level biology class on biology self-efficacy and attitude towards science

Thomas, Megan Elizabeth University of Northern Colorado 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

Self-efficacy theory was first introduced in a seminal article by Albert Bandura in 1977 entitled "Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change". Since its original introduction, self-efficacy has been a major focus of academic performance, anxiety, career development, and teacher retention research. Self-efficacy can be defined as the belief an individual possesses about their ability to perform a given task. Bandura proposed that self-efficacy should be measured at the highest level of specificity due to the fact that different people are efficacious in different areas. Interested in students' efficacy toward biology, Ebert-May, Baldwin, & Allred (1997) created and validated a survey to measure students' biology self-efficacy. Their survey was modeled after the guidelines for science literacy, and loaded to three sub-factors; methods of biology, generalization to other science courses, and application of the concepts. As self-efficacy theory has been related to effort expenditure and persistence (Bandura, 1977; 1997), one might think it would have some effect on students' attitudes toward the topic at hand. The current research investigated what changes in biology self-efficacy occurred after an introductory biology course with an inquiry based laboratory learning environment. In addition, changes in students' attitudes towards science were explored and how self-efficacy might affect them.

Predictors of satisfied users of assistive technology

Warren, Joan E University of Northern Colorado 2007 해외공개박사

In everyday activities, technology assists us. With so many uses for technology to assist and improve daily lives, further research was beneficial to look at the impact of assistive technology for those with disabilities. From the initial CR4AT study who used AT, 1,118 individuals were used to assess Satisfaction by disability group. Disability groups were those who had mental health issues, cognitive impairments, those who were blind or had low vision, those who were deaf and hard of hearing, and those who classified themselves as having a mobility disability. The purpose of this study was to conduct a correlational research. Two research questions were asked to address the potential for a predictor of Satisfaction with AT. The six characteristics in relation to satisfaction included: (a) the Group the individual belonged to based on their disability; (b) the ethnicity/race of the individual; (c) the education level of the individual; (d) who paid for the AT; (e) the income level of the individual using the AT; as well as, (f) how complicated the AT device was to use. Each of these characteristics were compared to the user's satisfaction to see if any or all of these characteristics could be used as a predictor of AT satisfaction. Two research questions were asked to address the potential for a predictor of Satisfaction. ANOVA and a Multiple Regression were done ex post facto using secondary data from the initial CR4AT initial study. These methods allowed the researcher to determine the relationship of variables that predict variability in satisfaction based on disability type and to test a model predicting satisfaction with using assistive technology devices. Results for this study showed that there were no significant characteristics that predicted satisfaction between persons with different disabilities, and a regression model did not significantly predict satisfaction with assistive technology, however, four significant individual effect coded predictors of satisfaction were found in the model (White race, income less than $9,999 per year, less than high school diploma, and some college without a diploma).

An analysis of team Web site content and college choice factors of NCAA Division III cross-country runners

Finley, Peter S University of Northern Colorado 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

The recruitment of student-athletes is important for the success of collegiate teams at all NCAA levels. However, for non-revenue sports, recruiting budgets are often limited. The Web presents a means to distribute program information that might be of interest to recruits. This dissertation sought to determine precisely what content is present on NCAA Division III cross country Web sites and what content is important to prospects as they make their college choice. Also examined were the uses of Web-based means of communication to begin a dialogue between coaches and prospects. A content analysis of 181 randomly sampled Web sites was conducted. Further, a survey of freshmen athletes from the same 181 programs was used to explore their college selection process. A series of One-Way ANOVAs were used to determine areas of significant difference between groups based on gender and ability. Results suggested that the Web, and specifically team Web sites, were important sources of information for college selection but that many team Web sites were lacking salient information. Web-based means of communication were preferred by prospects as they contacted coaches. In several cases, Web content was found to be most likely to influence the college choice of higher ability male athletes. This research is significant for the college coaches who are interested in recruiting in a cost-effective manner and in updating their Web site to assist in this process. Several recommendations are made based on the results that can help college coaches in constructing a recruit-friendly team Web site.