View All Items

Title: Exploring Intensive Reading Intervention Teachers' Formal and Practical Knowledge of Beginning Reading Instruction Provided to At-Risk First Grade Readers.
Creator: Cortelyou, Kathryn, Biraimah, Karen, Kelley, Michelle, Beverly, Monifa, Clements, Taylar, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study was designed with two goals in mind. The first goal was to describe the formal and practical knowledge of intensive reading intervention teachers related to beginning reading instruction with at-risk first graders. A second goal was to understand any potential relationships between intensive reading teachers' practical knowledge and formal knowledge. These two goals framed the study's three research questions. To answer these three questions, the study was conducted in two phases....
Show moreThis study was designed with two goals in mind. The first goal was to describe the formal and practical knowledge of intensive reading intervention teachers related to beginning reading instruction with at-risk first graders. A second goal was to understand any potential relationships between intensive reading teachers' practical knowledge and formal knowledge. These two goals framed the study's three research questions. To answer these three questions, the study was conducted in two phases. Phase one included 32 participants, all of whom worked in the role of a K-2 intensive reading intervention teacher. Each of these 32 participants completed a background questionnaire and a paper/pencil Teacher Knowledge Assessment (TKA). The TKA measured participants' formal knowledge of beginning reading concepts. Participants' scores on the TKA were then rank-ordered from lowest to highest to help guide the selection of phase two participants. Eight teachers in all participated in phase two of the study dedicated to the study of teachers' practical knowledge of reading. Participants' practical knowledge of reading was explored through three activities including a semi-structured interview, a concept-mapping activity and a videotaped reading lesson. Data analysis revealed several important findings. Intensive reading intervention teachers in this study's sample differed in their formal knowledge of reading, measured by the TKA, and in their practical knowledge of reading, explored through interviews, concept-maps and reading lessons. The TKA revealed that study participants' held more formal knowledge of concepts related to phonology and phonics and less formal knowledge of concepts related to morphology and syllable types. Related to practical knowledge, data analysis revealed that the teachers in this sample differed in their knowledge of beginning reading with subject-matter knowledge accounting for most of the differences. These gaps in subject-matter knowledge also impacted this sample of teachers' use of instructional strategies and purposes of instruction. Data analysis also revealed insight into the relationships between this sample of teachers' formal and practical reading knowledge. In this sample, intensive reading intervention teachers with more formal knowledge of reading concepts as measured on the TKA demonstrated more evidence of these concepts within their instruction provided to at-risk first grade readers. The participants in this sample who had less formal knowledge of beginning reading as measured by the TKA demonstrated less evidence of these concepts within their instruction provided to at-risk first grade readers. Participants with less formal knowledge did accurately calibrate their knowledge of the concepts tested on the TKA but did not equate the lower scores to their practical knowledge and overall teaching efficacy. The findings from this study added several important contributions to the literature on teacher knowledge and beginning reading instruction. First, the study was unique in its focus on intensive reading intervention teachers, thus contributing new findings related to a specialized group of teachers. Secondly, this study contributed descriptions of teachers' practical knowledge with regards to beginning reading instruction. These descriptions are relatively absent in the current literature on teacher knowledge. Thirdly, the results from this study supported earlier findings in favor of a specialized body of subject-matter knowledge, especially related to beginning reading skills and concepts. Finally, the results contributed insight into the relationships between teachers' formal reading knowledge and practical reading knowledge.
Show less
Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004541, ucf:49260
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004541

Title: THE EFFECT OF IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK AND AFTER ACTION REVIEWS (AARS) ON LEARNING, RETENTION AND TRANSFER.
Creator: Sanders, Michael, Williams, Kent, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: An After Action Review (AAR) is the Army training system's performance feedback mechanism. The purpose of the AAR is to improve team (unit) and individual performance in order to increase organizational readiness. While a large body of knowledge exists that discusses instructional strategies, feedback and training systems, neither the AAR process nor the AAR systems have been examined in terms of learning effectiveness and efficiency for embedded trainers as part of a holistic training system...
Show moreAn After Action Review (AAR) is the Army training system's performance feedback mechanism. The purpose of the AAR is to improve team (unit) and individual performance in order to increase organizational readiness. While a large body of knowledge exists that discusses instructional strategies, feedback and training systems, neither the AAR process nor the AAR systems have been examined in terms of learning effectiveness and efficiency for embedded trainers as part of a holistic training system. In this thesis, different feedback methods for embedded training are evaluated based on the timing and type of feedback used during and after training exercises. Those feedback methodologies include: providing Immediate Directive Feedback (IDF) only, the IDF Only feedback condition group; using Immediate Direct Feedback and delayed feedback with open ended prompts to elicit self-elaboration during the AAR, the IDF with AAR feedback condition group; and delaying feedback using opened ended prompts without any IDF, the AAR Only feedback condition group. The results of the experiment support the hypothesis that feedback timing and type do effect skill acquisition, retention and transfer in different ways. Immediate directive feedback has a significant effect in reducing the number of errors committed while acquiring new procedural skills during training. Delayed feedback, in the form of an AAR, has a significant effect on the acquisition, retention and transfer of higher order conceptual knowledge as well as procedural knowledge about a task. The combination of Immediate Directive Feedback with an After Action Review demonstrated the greatest degree of transfer on a transfer task.
Show less
Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000441, ucf:46411
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000441

Title: KNOWLEDGE BASED MEASUREMENT OF ENHANCING BRAIN TISSUE IN ANISOTROPIC MR IMAGERY.
Creator: Leach, Eric, Shah, Mubarak, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Medical Image Analysis has emerged as an important field in the computer vision community. In this thesis, two important issues in medical imaging are addressed and a solution for each is derived and synergistically combined as one coherent system. Firstly, a novel approach is proposed for High Resolution Volume (HRV) construction by combining different frequency components at multiple levels, which are separated by using a multi-resolution pyramid structure. Current clinical imaging...
Show moreMedical Image Analysis has emerged as an important field in the computer vision community. In this thesis, two important issues in medical imaging are addressed and a solution for each is derived and synergistically combined as one coherent system. Firstly, a novel approach is proposed for High Resolution Volume (HRV) construction by combining different frequency components at multiple levels, which are separated by using a multi-resolution pyramid structure. Current clinical imaging protocols make use of multiple orthogonal low resolution scans to measure the size of the tumor. The highly anisotropic data result in difficulty and even errors in tumor assessment. In previous approaches, simple interpolation has been used to construct HRVs from multiple low resolution volumes (LRVs), which fail when large inter-plane spacing is present. In our approach, Laplacian pyramids containing band-pass contents are first computed from registered LRVs. The Laplacian images are expanded in their low resolution axes separately and then fused at each level. A Gaussian pyramid is recovered from the fused Laplacian pyramid, where a volume at the bottom level of the Gaussian pyramid is the constructed HRV. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated by using simulated images. The method has also been applied to real clinical data and promising experimental results are demonstrated. Secondly, a new knowledge-based framework to automatically quantify the volume of enhancing tissue in brain MR images is proposed. Our approach provides an objective and consistent way to evaluate disease progression and assess the treatment plan. In our approach, enhanced regions are first located by comparing the difference between the aligned set of pre- and post-contrast T1 MR images. Since some normal tissues may also become enhanced by the administration of Gd-DTPA, using the intensity difference alone may not be able to distinguish normal tissue from the tumor. Thus, we propose a new knowledge-based method employing knowledge of anatomical structures from a probabilistic brain atlas and the prior distribution of brain tumor to identify the real enhancing tissue. Our approach has two main advantages. i) The results are invariant to the image contrast change due to the usage of the probabilistic knowledge-based framework. ii) Using the segmented regions instead of independent pixels facilitates an approach that is much less sensitive to small registration errors and image noise. The obtained results are compared to the ground truth for validation and it is shown that the proposed method can achieve accurate and consistent measurements.
Show less
Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001803, ucf:47378
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001803

Title: PERCEPTION OF MENTAL ILLNESS BASED UPON ITS PORTRAYAL IN FILM.
Creator: Hanley, Erika, Donley, Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Perceptions can be influenced by the media concerning different groups of people. As a result of the importance of the media in how individuals obtain information and formulate opinions, how different groups are presented whether negatively or positively is important. This research examines the portrayal of mental illness in films and the impact that such portrayals have on the perceptions of mental illness of the viewers. Mental illness representations can be found quite prevalently among...
Show morePerceptions can be influenced by the media concerning different groups of people. As a result of the importance of the media in how individuals obtain information and formulate opinions, how different groups are presented whether negatively or positively is important. This research examines the portrayal of mental illness in films and the impact that such portrayals have on the perceptions of mental illness of the viewers. Mental illness representations can be found quite prevalently among film and the way in which it is represented can be important as to how populations perceive those with mental disorders. This thesis looks to explore perceptions of mental illness and beliefs from those who have viewed films that portray characters with mental disorders. Through the use of an online survey, one hundred and ninety five participants provided data for this study. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that individuals who had seen more films portraying mental illness would have more knowledge and sympathy regarding mental illness compared those who had seen less films portraying mental illness. It was also hypothesized that social stereotypes surrounding mental disorders would be present in the knowledge that individuals had more so than factual data about mental disorders. Women were predicted to express more sympathy than men. A statistical analysis program was used to analyze the resulting data including the use of correlations and t-tests. Evidence indicated that the amount of films viewed portraying mental illness did not have an impact on knowledge or sympathy regarding mental illness. Perceptions of mental illness are still a relevant topic and the awareness of facts surrounding mental disorders should continue to be spread.
Show less
Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFH0004848, ucf:45441
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004848

Title: CRACK MOTHERS, CRACK BABIES, AND BLACK MALE DOPE DEALERS: PRODUCTIONS OF DEVIANCE DURING AMERICA'S CRACK COCAINE PANIC IN THE 1980S.
Creator: Yandow, Chantelle, Schippert, Claudia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A moral panic erupted during the 1980s among the American public when stories about crack cocaine saturated the media. In this thesis I analyze how discursive productions of deviancy operated in the CBS news documentary: 48 Hours on Crack Street (1986) and other print news sources at that time. Three salient characters that appear in news media discourse during the panic are "crack mothers," "crack babies," and "Black male dope dealers." The news media frightened the public with such...
Show moreA moral panic erupted during the 1980s among the American public when stories about crack cocaine saturated the media. In this thesis I analyze how discursive productions of deviancy operated in the CBS news documentary: 48 Hours on Crack Street (1986) and other print news sources at that time. Three salient characters that appear in news media discourse during the panic are "crack mothers," "crack babies," and "Black male dope dealers." The news media frightened the public with such representations (among others) and the public urged politicians to get tough on drug crime to control the so-called crack cocaine plague. Politicians responded with omnibus drug reforms that established mandatory minimum sentences and the controversial 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. The enforcement of the draconian drug laws that were passed in response to the crack cocaine panic continues to be a contributing factor to America's current prison crisis. Moreover, the laws are enforced in ways that disproportionately punish the poor and African-Americans. I conclude that the criminal disenfranchisement of millions of people since the 1980s relates to the media's representation of the crack cocaine "epidemic" and the legislation that was passed to control illicit drugs such as crack cocaine.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFH0003822, ucf:44758
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003822

Title: COUNSELING STUDENTS' ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS TOWARD LGBTQ INDIVIDUALS AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS.
Creator: McHarg, Samantha, Molina, Olga, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Attitudes and beliefs influence how counselors practice. This study explored four psychosocial factors and their correlation to the attitudes of graduate counseling students' (N = 28) toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) individuals. The four main psychosocial factors that were identified in previous research include knowledge level, religiosity, political affiliation, and previous experience with LGBTQ individuals. The hypothesis of this study was...
Show moreAttitudes and beliefs influence how counselors practice. This study explored four psychosocial factors and their correlation to the attitudes of graduate counseling students' (N = 28) toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) individuals. The four main psychosocial factors that were identified in previous research include knowledge level, religiosity, political affiliation, and previous experience with LGBTQ individuals. The hypothesis of this study was there are relationships between attitudes toward LGBTQ individuals and the aforementioned psychosocial factors. Students were invited to participate through emails sent by the Director of the Counseling Education program. The survey used to collect data included a demographics questionnaire and three scales. The findings did not show any significant correlations between knowledge level, religiosity, and political affiliation and attitudes. Personal relationships and attitudes could not be tested due to limitations of the study. These findings were not congruent with previous research.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004417, ucf:45090
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004417

Title: DOES KNOWLEDGE PREDICT FEAR: PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF MASS SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AND STUDENTS FEAR OF CRIME ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS.
Creator: Rosenbaum, Emily, Donley , Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: On April 16, 2007, 32 students and faculty were killed on the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus, making this incident the deadliest mass school shooting in United States history. Other school shootings, such as the infamous Columbine High School shootings and the more recent Northern Illinois State shootings, have become popular topics in today's social media (Kaminski et al, 2010; Reese 2009). Due to these events, schools and universities have become interested in...
Show moreOn April 16, 2007, 32 students and faculty were killed on the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus, making this incident the deadliest mass school shooting in United States history. Other school shootings, such as the infamous Columbine High School shootings and the more recent Northern Illinois State shootings, have become popular topics in today's social media (Kaminski et al, 2010; Reese 2009). Due to these events, schools and universities have become interested in the safety of their students as well as the students overall feelings towards crime while on their campus. New research studies have taken an interest in students' overall fear of crime and how this fear is impacted by variables including sex of the student and the time of day (Kaminski et al. 2010; Murray 2001). Though these studies have found who is more fearful of crime and which types of crime are feared most among their samples, these studies and others do not take into account whether the student is aware of shooting incidents that have occurred on college campuses around the country. The current study addresses this gap. The purpose of this study is to measure whether a University of Central Florida student's knowledge of mass school shootings influences their own levels of fear regarding crime and criminal victimization. Using an anonymous online survey, data from students at the University of Central Florida was collected and analyzed. The survey used quiz style questioning to gauge a students' overall knowledge on mass school shootings. Other questions such as demographics fear of various types of crime, and fear of different locations on campus were also asked. This research addresses which areas of the University of Central Florida that students fear most (such as the Parking Garages), whether a student who lives in off campus housing is more fearful then a student who lives on campus, and whether having more knowledge of mass school shootings cause more fear of crime in students then those with less knowledge, and do students with more knowledge feel that they will be victimized more. This research hopes to help the University of Central Florida's Counseling center and well as the UCF Police Department to help understand students fears and needs to help create a safer learning environment and help those students in need in addition to adding to the overall literature on fear of crime.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004380, ucf:44989
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004380

Title: An Analysis of Professional Education Course Content Specific to Classroom Management and Student Motivativation Within Selected NCATE Accredited Teacher Preparation Programs.
Creator: Babcock, Donna, Murray, Barbara, Murray, Kenneth, Doherty, Walter, Hutchinson, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The focus of this research was to complete a micro-examination of professional education course content related to classroom management and student motivation in approximately 24 traditional teacher preparation programs (TTPP) drawn from the eight of the 10 largest teacher-producing states. Programs of study, course descriptions from the school catalogs, course syllabi, and student teaching handbooks or field guides for professional education courses were analyzed to determine what, if any,...
Show moreThe focus of this research was to complete a micro-examination of professional education course content related to classroom management and student motivation in approximately 24 traditional teacher preparation programs (TTPP) drawn from the eight of the 10 largest teacher-producing states. Programs of study, course descriptions from the school catalogs, course syllabi, and student teaching handbooks or field guides for professional education courses were analyzed to determine what, if any, knowledge voids existed within selected programs designed to serve preservice teachers. Specifically, the researcher investigated materials to discover the depth and breadth of the professional education course content related to classroom management and student motivation offered to preservice teachers during their higher education undergraduate experience. The findings of the study have documented that a common practice in the programs reviewed was to infuse the content of each key topic, classroom management or student motivation, into other professional education course work. This practice serves to diminish the depth and breadth of the professional course content presented to the preservice teachers which, in turn, dramatically increases the risk of the development of a knowledge void.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004085, ucf:49147
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004085

Title: EMERGENT WRITING SKILLS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT.
Creator: Pavelko, Stacey, Lieberman, R. Jane, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Much research demonstrates that alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and emergent writing are all significant predictors of later reading and writing outcomes, and that children with language impairments (LI) are particularly at risk for later literacy difficulties. Further, children with LI consistently demonstrate depressed emergent literacy skills in the areas of phonological awareness, print concepts, and alphabet knowledge; however, little is known about their emergent writing...
Show moreMuch research demonstrates that alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and emergent writing are all significant predictors of later reading and writing outcomes, and that children with language impairments (LI) are particularly at risk for later literacy difficulties. Further, children with LI consistently demonstrate depressed emergent literacy skills in the areas of phonological awareness, print concepts, and alphabet knowledge; however, little is known about their emergent writing skills. Therefore, the purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to compare the emergent writing skills of preschool children with language impairment to their typically developing peers using a range of writing tasks and a detailed, consistent scoring rubric for each task; and, (2) to explore the relationships among emergent writing skills and alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and oral language. The participants included four groups of preschool children: 11 4-year-old children with LI; 11 4-year-old language typical (LT) children, age-matched to children with LI; 20 4-year-old children with typical language; and, 21 5-year-old children with typical language. Children with language impairment scored between 70 and 84 on the Language Index of Assessment of Literacy and Language (ALL) (Lombardino, Lieberman, & Brown, 2005), and children with typical language scored between 85 and 115. All children passed a bilateral hearing screen, scored within the normal range on a non-verbal intelligence screen, demonstrated an unremarkable developmental history relative to sensory, neurological, and motor performance, spoke English as their primary language, and had mothers with at least a high school education or equivalent. During two sessions, children were administered the ALL and five emergent writing tasks: Write Letters, Write Name, Write CVC Words, Picture Description, and Sentence Retell. The writing tasks and accompanying scoring rubrics were adopted from a previous study by Puranik and Lonigan (2009). Results indicated that children with LI demonstrated significantly less advanced letter and word writing skills than their language typical, age-matched peers. In addition, significant relationships between all emergent writing tasks and alphabet knowledge were observed for all children as well as significant relationships between oral language and phonological awareness for children with typical language. No significant relationships between any of the emergent writing tasks and phonological awareness or between oral language and alphabet knowledge were found. Further, results indicated the same developmental patterns exist in written as well as oral language for children with LI. This study has therapeutic implications for speech-language pathologists. In particular, emergent writing tasks need to be included in comprehensive assessment and intervention approaches for children with LI. Assessments need to yield accurate descriptions of emergent writing skills relevant to later literacy outcomes. Finally, integrated intervention approaches that combine initial sound awareness tasks with alphabet knowledge and emergent writing tasks may achieve the best learning outcomes.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004067, ucf:49138
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004067

Title: INCREMENTAL LIFECYCLE VALIDATION OF KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS THROUGH COMMONKADS.
Creator: Batarseh, Feras, Gonzalez, Avelino, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This dissertation introduces a novel validation method for knowledge-based systems (KBS).Validation is an essential phase in the development lifecycle of knowledge-based systems. Validation ensures that the system is valid, reliable and that it reflects the knowledge of the expert and meets the specifications. Although many validation methods have been introduced for knowledge-based systems, there is still a need for an incremental validation method based on a lifecycle model. Lifecycle...
Show moreThis dissertation introduces a novel validation method for knowledge-based systems (KBS).Validation is an essential phase in the development lifecycle of knowledge-based systems. Validation ensures that the system is valid, reliable and that it reflects the knowledge of the expert and meets the specifications. Although many validation methods have been introduced for knowledge-based systems, there is still a need for an incremental validation method based on a lifecycle model. Lifecycle models provide a general framework for the developer and a mapping technique from the system into the validation process. They support reusability, modularity and offer guidelines for knowledge engineers to achieve high quality systems. CommonKADS is a set of models that helps to represent and analyze knowledge-based systems. It offers a de facto standard for building knowledge-based systems. Additionally, CommonKADS is a knowledge representation-independent model. It has powerful models that can represent many domains. Defining an incremental validation method based on a conceptual lifecycle model (such as CommonKADS) has a number of advantages such as reducing time and effort, ease of implementation when having a template to follow, well-structured design, and better tracking of errors when they occur. Moreover, the validation method introduced in this dissertation is based on case testing and selecting an appropriate set of test cases to validate the system. The validation method defined makes use of results of prior test cases in an incremental validation procedure. This facilitates defining a minimal set of test cases that provides complete and effective system coverage. CommonKADS doesn't define validation, verification or testing in any of its models. This research seeks to establish a direct relation between validation and lifecycle models, and introduces a validation method for KBS embedded into CommonKADS.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003621, ucf:48879
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003621

Title: A Framework for Measuring the Value-Added of Knowledge Processes with Analysis of Process Interactions and Dynamics.
Creator: Cintron, Jose, Rabelo, Luis, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Thompson, William, Ajayi, Richard, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The most known and widely used methods use cash flows and tangible assets to measure the impact of investments in the organization's outputs. But in the last decade many newer organizations whose outputs are heavily dependent on information technology utilize knowledge as their main asset. These organizations' market values lie on the knowledge of its employees and their technological capabilities. In the current technology-based business landscape the value added by assets utilized for...
Show moreThe most known and widely used methods use cash flows and tangible assets to measure the impact of investments in the organization's outputs. But in the last decade many newer organizations whose outputs are heavily dependent on information technology utilize knowledge as their main asset. These organizations' market values lie on the knowledge of its employees and their technological capabilities. In the current technology-based business landscape the value added by assets utilized for generation of outputs cannot be appropriately measured and managed without considering the role that intangible assets and knowledge play in executing processes. The analysis of processes for comparison and decision making based on intangible value added can be accomplished using the knowledge required to execute processes. The measurement of value added by knowledge can provide a more realistic framework for analysis of processes where traditional cost methods are not appropriate, enabling managers to better allocate and control knowledge-based processes. Further consideration of interactions and complexity between proposed process alternatives can yield answers about where and when investments can improve value-added while dynamically providing higher returns on investment.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004983, ucf:49585
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004983

Title: Quasi-Experimental Study: The Effects of Virtual Covert Audio Coaching on Teachers' Transfer of Knowledge from Professional Development to Classroom Practice.
Creator: Jackson-Lee, Marilyn, Hines, Rebecca, Gunter, Glenda, Boote, David, Boulware, Donald, Sena, Leslie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACTA quasi-experimental multiple time series design was used to analyze and compare the impact of two types of instructional coaching, face-to-face and virtual covert audio provided with Bluetooth technology, on teacher transfer of knowledge learned in professional development into classroom practice. Teacher transfer across baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases was analyzed. The study was conducted at a public elementary school in a Florida suburban school district with...
Show moreABSTRACTA quasi-experimental multiple time series design was used to analyze and compare the impact of two types of instructional coaching, face-to-face and virtual covert audio provided with Bluetooth technology, on teacher transfer of knowledge learned in professional development into classroom practice. Teacher transfer across baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases was analyzed. The study was conducted at a public elementary school in a Florida suburban school district with approximately 750 students. Twelve teachers were randomly selected from teachers who volunteered to attend professional development. Six teachers (one from each grade level K-5) in the treatment group received virtual covert audio coaching. Six teachers (one from each grade level K-5) in the control group received face-to-face coaching.Professional development was on RallyCoach(TM), a Kagan cooperative learning structure, which allows students to interact and practice procedural learning such as calculating math algorithms, defending a point of view, or editing writing. This structure was chosen to provide teachers with an instructional tool to teach and provide students practice for the speaking and listening strand of the Common Core State Standards. RallyCoach(TM) was also chosen to increase student engagement.Data analysis included descriptive statistics and visual analysis methods. Both the control and treatment groups increased the mean (level) percentages of RallyCoachTM components implemented across time from baseline to intervention and from intervention to maintenance. There was an increasing trend line for implementation of RallyCoachTM components across phases for both study groups. The decreasing standard deviation across phases represented a decreasing variability of data and can be considered to show a treatment affect for both types of coaching. Teachers who received both types of coaching continued increased implementation into the maintenance phase when the coaching intervention was removed. Data analysis revealed an increasing percentage of student pairs providing positive student-to-student interaction with an increasing trend line and a decreasing standard deviation (reduced variability) across time over phases. Face-to-face and virtual coaching had a positive impact on student-to-student positive interaction.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004867, ucf:49675
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004867

Title: SUPPORTING A STANDARDS-BASED TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A CASE STUDY OF AN EXPERT MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER.
Creator: Akyuz, Didem, Dixon, Juli K., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Although it has been more than 20 years since the publication of Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989) and 10 years since the second version of standards, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), the research underlines the lack of essential practices for standards-based teaching (Franke, Kazemi, & Battey, 2007). The literature also emphasizes the importance of planning in standards-based teaching, although few studies focus on the direct...
Show moreAlthough it has been more than 20 years since the publication of Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989) and 10 years since the second version of standards, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), the research underlines the lack of essential practices for standards-based teaching (Franke, Kazemi, & Battey, 2007). The literature also emphasizes the importance of planning in standards-based teaching, although few studies focus on the direct planning of the teacher (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001). The aim of the current study was to conduct a case study to extract the planning and classroom practices of an expert seventh grade mathematics teacher. The extracted practices were interpreted using the teaching-in-context theory which is based on the beliefs, goals, and knowledge of the teacher. The case study was conducted in a design experiment environment where the instructional sequence was revised based on the classroom instruction. The data were collected through different resources including videotapes of classroom sessions, teacher notes, students' artifacts, audiotapes of daily teacher interviews, weekly teacher meetings and classroom small groups in five weeks. Transcripts were used to observe the action patterns of the teacher during both planning and classroom practices. By triangulating the data, planning practices were separated into five categories: preparation, reflection, anticipation, assessment, and revision. These practices were interrelated in an environment of collaboration. Classroom practices also were categorized into five groups, namely creating and sustaining social norms, facilitating genuine mathematical discourse, supporting the development of sociomathematical norms, capitalizing on students' imagery to create inscriptions and notation, and developing small groups as communities of learners. Similar to the planning practices, these were also highly interrelated with social norms playing a key role in application of all other practices. The results showed that the expert teacher used a diverse set of practices with each practice comprised of multiple actions to create and sustain a standards-based environment. The results also indicated that standards-based teaching requires a rich and connected body of knowledge about students, curriculum, content, and literature. It was found that the depth of the teacher's knowledge allowed her to develop practices that were consistent with her beliefs and goals. Finally, the planning and classroom practices were found to be highly interrelated. While effective planning practices facilitated the application of standards-based teaching, the classroom teaching practices equipped the teacher with the data necessary to perform effective planning practices.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003449, ucf:48395
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003449

Title: EXPLORING THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHOLE NUMBER CONCEPTS AND OPERATIONS: A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF PROSPECTIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS.
Creator: Safi, Farshid, Dixon, Juli K., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This research project aimed to extend the research literature by providing greater insight into the way individual prospective teachers develop their conceptual understanding of whole number concepts and operations in a social context. In this qualitative study, a case study analysis provided the opportunity for careful exploration of the manner in which prospective teachers' understanding changed and the ways two selected participants reorganized their mathematical thinking within a...
Show moreThis research project aimed to extend the research literature by providing greater insight into the way individual prospective teachers develop their conceptual understanding of whole number concepts and operations in a social context. In this qualitative study, a case study analysis provided the opportunity for careful exploration of the manner in which prospective teachers' understanding changed and the ways two selected participants reorganized their mathematical thinking within a classroom teaching experiment. While previous research efforts insisted on creating a dichotomy of choosing the individual or the collective understanding, through the utilization of the emergent perspective both the individual and the social aspects were considered. Specifically, using the emergent perspective as a theoretical framework, this research endeavor has outlined the mathematical conceptions and activities of individual prospective teachers and thus has provided the psychological perspective correlate to the social perspective's classroom mathematical practices. As the research participants progressed through an instructional sequence taught entirely in base-8, a case study approach was used to select and analyze two individuals. In order to gain a more thorough understanding of the individual perspective, this research endeavor focused on whether teachers with varying initial content knowledge developed differently through this instructional sequence. The first participant initially demonstrated "Low-Content" knowledge according to the CKT-M instrument database questions which measure content knowledge for teaching mathematics. She developed a greater understanding of place value concepts and was able to apply this new knowledge to gain a deeper sense of the rationale behind counting strategies and addition and subtraction operations. She did not demonstrate the ability to consistently make sense of multiplication and division strategies. She participated in the classroom argumentation primarily by providing claims and data as she illustrated the way she would use different procedures to solve addition and subtraction problems. The second participant illustrated "High-Content" knowledge based on the CKT-M instrument. She already possessed a solid foundation in understanding place value concepts and throughout the instructional sequence developed various ways to connect and build on her initial understanding through the synthesis of multiple pedagogical content tools. She demonstrated conceptual understanding of counting strategies, and all four whole number operations. Furthermore, by exploring various ways that other prospective teachers solved the problems, she also presented a greater pedagogical perspective in how other prospective teachers think mathematically. This prospective teacher showed a shift in her participation in classroom argumentation as she began by providing claims and data at the outset of the instructional sequence. Later on, she predominantly provided the warrants and backings to integrate the mathematical concepts and pedagogical tools used to develop greater understanding of whole number operations. These results indicate the findings based on the individual case-study analysis of prospective elementary school teachers and the cross-case analysis that ensued. The researcher contends that through the synthesis of the findings of this project along with current relevant research efforts, teacher educators and educational policy makers can revisit and possibly revise instructional practices and sequences in order to develop teachers with greater conceptual understanding of concepts vital to elementary mathematics.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002811, ucf:48097
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002811

Title: CONTRIBUTIONS BY INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING IN ARCHITECTURAL, ENGINEERING, AND CONSTRUCTION FIRMS.
Creator: Beaver, Robert, Kotnour, Timothy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Organizations with multiple operating requirements require support functions to assist in execution of strategic goals. This effort, in turn, requires management of engineering activities in control of projects and in sustaining facilities. High level strategies include employing engineering support that consists of a project management function encompassing technical and managerial disciplines. The architecture/engineering, and construction office (AEC) is the subject of this research....
Show moreOrganizations with multiple operating requirements require support functions to assist in execution of strategic goals. This effort, in turn, requires management of engineering activities in control of projects and in sustaining facilities. High level strategies include employing engineering support that consists of a project management function encompassing technical and managerial disciplines. The architecture/engineering, and construction office (AEC) is the subject of this research. Engineering and construction oriented organizations have experienced challenges to their abilities to learn and grow. This has potential detrimental implications for these organizations if support functions cannot keep pace with changing objectives and strategy. The competitive nature and low industry margins as well as uniqueness of projects as challenges facing engineering and construction. The differentiated nature of projects tasks also creates a need for temporary and dedicated modes of operation and thereby tends to promote highly dispersed management practices that do not dovetail very well with other organizational processes. Organizational learning is a means to enhance and support knowledge management for improving performance. The problem addressed through this research is the gap between desired and achieved individual and group learning by members of the AEC, and the members' abilities to distinguish between the need for adaptive learning or innovation. This research addresses learning by individuals and groups, and the strategies employed through an empirical study (survey). A conceptual model for organizational learning contributions by individuals and groups is presented and tested for confirmation of exploitive or explorative learning strategies for individuals, and directions composed of depth and breadth of learning. Strategies for groups are tested for internal or external search orientations and directions toward the single or multi-discipline unit. The survey is analyzed by method of principal components extraction and further interpreted to reveal factors that are correlated by Pearson product moment coefficients and tested for significance for potential relationships to factors for outcomes. Correlation across dependent variables prevented interpretation of the most significant factors for group learning strategies. However, results provide possible support for direction in supporting processes that promote networking among individuals and group structures that recognize the dual nature of knowledge - that required for technical competency and that required for success in the organization. Recommendations for practitioners include adjustments to knowledge acquisition direction, promoting external collaboration among firms, and provision of dual succession pathways through technical expertise or organizational processes for senior staff.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002682, ucf:48194
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002682

Title: TRANSFER WITHIN FYC: TRACING THE OPERALIZATION OF WRITING-RELATED KNOWLEDGE AND CONCEPTS IN COMPOSITION.
Creator: Martinez, Laura, Wardle, Elizabeth, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study traces the transfer of writing-related knowledge and concepts from the composition classroom into the writing assignments composed by students within the same course. Working in a first-year-composition classroom taught through a writing-about-writing curriculum, the researcher observed students as they navigated from the initial learning of concepts such as rhetorical situations, writing processes, and discourse communities, into an application of these concepts in various writing...
Show moreThis study traces the transfer of writing-related knowledge and concepts from the composition classroom into the writing assignments composed by students within the same course. Working in a first-year-composition classroom taught through a writing-about-writing curriculum, the researcher observed students as they navigated from the initial learning of concepts such as rhetorical situations, writing processes, and discourse communities, into an application of these concepts in various writing assignments, including rhetorical analyses and discourse community profiles. By analyzing a composition instructor's objectives for her assignments and observing the interaction between students and their instructor in a single composition course for the duration of one semester, the researcher traced how students operationalized knowledge from the classroom and applied it in their own writing. After tracing this operalization through interviews with the instructor, observation of class activities and analysis of assignment sheets and student papers, the researcher proposes that instructors may encourage transfer within their composition classrooms by adequately presenting assignment objectives to students, and by allowing sufficient scaffolding of writing tasks. In this way, the researcher explains that students may be able to understand the objectives of their writing assignments in a way that may encourage them to apply the knowledge they learned in the classroom to the writing tasks assigned by their instructor.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003696, ucf:48829
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003696

Title: The Moral Oppression of the Teaching Profession: Learning to Transcend.
Creator: Smith, Rebecca, Hewitt, Randall, Carter, Shannon, Terzian, Sevan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis is both descriptive and philosophical, and at its core, it justifies the need for social foundations of education courses and programs in the university setting. It begins by analyzing the meaning of oppression and the part knowledge plays in confining the individual. The analysis then draws upon Patricia Hill Collins' theory of intersecting oppressions to get at the complexities and restrictions of working in the public schooling institution. It works through the ways in which...
Show moreThis thesis is both descriptive and philosophical, and at its core, it justifies the need for social foundations of education courses and programs in the university setting. It begins by analyzing the meaning of oppression and the part knowledge plays in confining the individual. The analysis then draws upon Patricia Hill Collins' theory of intersecting oppressions to get at the complexities and restrictions of working in the public schooling institution. It works through the ways in which sexist, classist, and racist practices afflict everyone in the institution through the bureaucratic mechanism and collateral oppression. The four components that make up the wires on the cage (gender, class, race, and bureaucracy) not only confine; they cause varying degrees of direct and indirect harms (psychological, emotional, moral, financial) to those on the inside. The concept of the institutional cage is then merged with Rodman Webb's work on schools as total institutions. Through an analysis on the characteristics of total institutions, it becomes apparent that standardization, technological developments, and the influence of venture philanthropy have brought schools more in-line with the total institution. The study then clarifies the ways in which corporatic, bureaucratic, and technocratic mentalities infect the institution, where they intersect, and how they restrict those within. The components coalesce into the conceptualization of moral oppression: the act of being coerced to ignore and suppress one's morality, moral impulses, and moral way of knowing. The remainder of the study explores the meaning of moral action and suggests some ways educators can let go of the ways of thinking and acting that may be keeping them from confidently doing what they know to be good and just.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004940, ucf:49621
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004940

Title: An investigation of the use of disciplinary texts and achievement on End-of-Course examinations in high school U.S. History courses.
Creator: Downs, Jocelyn, Williams-Fjeldhe, Karri, Kelley, Michelle, Boote, David, Murray, Barbara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to examine whether a disparity exists between teacher expectations of honors and non-honors U. S. History students and if students who read more for U. S. History perform better on the U. S. History End-of-Course (EOC) examination. To generate answers to the research questions, both teachers and students in U. S. History courses were surveyed as to how much time was spent reading for U. S. History content both during class and for homework. The student surveys...
Show moreABSTRACTThis study was conducted to examine whether a disparity exists between teacher expectations of honors and non-honors U. S. History students and if students who read more for U. S. History perform better on the U. S. History End-of-Course (EOC) examination. To generate answers to the research questions, both teachers and students in U. S. History courses were surveyed as to how much time was spent reading for U. S. History content both during class and for homework. The student surveys were matched to the U. S. History EOC Developmental Scale Scores to determine if students who responded as reading more for the course had higher achievement on the EOC examination. Five teacher surveys were completed, and 144 student surveys were analyzed, and comparisons were made using U. S. History EOC Developmental Scale Scores. Teachers surveyed did not appear to vary their expectations of student whether the students were in an honors or non-honors course. Approximately 71% of non-honors and 73% of honors students in this study were reading U. S. History homework content on a regular basis. Though not statistically significant, results did indicate a positive trend between students who read more for U. S. History content and achievement on the EOC examination. This study revealed the implementation of a standardized EOC examination may account for equally rigorous teacher expectations of both honors and non-honors students. All students have the same final evaluation and expectation of passing the EOC; therefore, all students are expected to learn the content.
Show less
Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005459, ucf:50389
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005459

Title: The Effect of Health Education on Clinical and Self-Reported Outcomes of Diabetes in a Medical Practice.
Creator: Rav-Marathe, Karen, Wan, Thomas, Fottler, Myron, Matusitz, Jonathan, Zhang, Ning, March, Allan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A majority of diabetes self-management programs have been shown to improve knowledge, attitude, practice, and health care outcomes. However, in the literature the underlying causal mechanisms for the improvement attributable to health education have not been explored, especially, how diabetes educational intervention may affect diabetes care outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to identify the causal mechanisms responsible for improved knowledge, attitude, practice and outcomes, so...
Show moreA majority of diabetes self-management programs have been shown to improve knowledge, attitude, practice, and health care outcomes. However, in the literature the underlying causal mechanisms for the improvement attributable to health education have not been explored, especially, how diabetes educational intervention may affect diabetes care outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to identify the causal mechanisms responsible for improved knowledge, attitude, practice and outcomes, so that educational interventions can be tailored efficiently and effectively to patients who are most likely to benefit from self-care management. The study used the knowledge, attitude, practice and outcome (KAP-O) framework. The specific purpose of the study was to examine the causes of variation in the outcomes of glycated hemoglobin (A1C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), functional capacity (FC), and poor perceived health (PPH).An experimental study with a randomized control trial design involving 141 participants was conducted. The experimental group (N = 87) and control group (N = 52) were comparable in terms of demographics and major diagnoses. The experimental group received diabetes education. The control and experimental groups received usual customary care. Knowledge, attitude, practice, functional capacity and poor perceived health were measured before and after intervention using reliable and valid instruments. The study used a tailored attitudinal instrument. Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) were measured before and after intervention. Multiple analytic strategies were applied to examine the experimental data.The four outcome variables of (A1C), (LDLC), (FC), and (PPH) did not constitute one common factor measurement model for outcome evaluation. Results of the Independent sample t-test showed that health educational intervention directly improves knowledge about diabetes. The path analysis of panel regression showed that health educational intervention directly lowers glycated hemoglobin (A1C). The causal modeling of {(Exp_Status)-(K-T2)-(A-T2)-(P-T2)} model showed that health educational intervention also indirectly improves preventive practice via knowledge. The effect of attitude (A-T2) was greater than the effect of knowledge on preventive practice of self-care. The difference-in-differences analysis showed that difference in practice (DP) statistically significantly affects the difference in glycated hemoglobin (DA1C). The greater the preventive practice, the greater the lowering of glycated hemoglobin (A1C), indicating a better control of diabetes. The data from this experiment do not support a strong causal path of experimental effects on outcomes via knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-care.The study should be replicated using the KAP-O model in research based on multi-centers, multiple providers, and a diverse population of Type 2 diabetes patients. The study should assess outcomes more than four times over a period of one to two years to elicit the trajectory of change in outcome variables. Knowledge and attitude should be assessed at baseline and continuously improved for the duration of the study.?
Show less
Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005541, ucf:50311
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005541

Title: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY INVOLVING FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS LEARNING FRACTIONS THROUGH A SITUATIVE PERSPECTIVE WITH STORY PROBLEMS.
Creator: Allen, Colleen, Dixon, Juli, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACT The purpose of this action research study was to investigate the affects of teaching through a situative perspective with story problems on students' understanding of fraction concepts and operations in my fifth-grade mathematics classroom. Students participated in twelve weeks of instruction. Data was collected in the form of pre and post tests, audiotaped and videotaped recordings of instructional sessions, and student work samples. Data analysis revealed that my students...
Show moreABSTRACT The purpose of this action research study was to investigate the affects of teaching through a situative perspective with story problems on students' understanding of fraction concepts and operations in my fifth-grade mathematics classroom. Students participated in twelve weeks of instruction. Data was collected in the form of pre and post tests, audiotaped and videotaped recordings of instructional sessions, and student work samples. Data analysis revealed that my students constructed their own knowledge about various fraction concepts and operations because students engaged in discussions, after solving story problems, that developed, extended and restructured their knowledge. One example of this occurred after students had solved an equal-sharing problem. Two students came up with different answers and another student explained why both answers were equivalent. Student work samples and post test results indicated that the one student's explanation was understood, adopted and extended by all the students in my class. The data also revealed that students' pictures typically represented the context and action of the story problems. For example, subtraction problems dealing with length were usually represented by number lines or horizontal rectangles with crossed-out markings to show the subtraction operation. Throughout this research study, I discovered that my students were capable of learning from each other and solving problems for which they have no preconceived algorithm. I also learned that analyzing students' work and listening to their discussions in ways that focused on their thinking, not their answers, provided me with information about what my students were grasping and not grasping.
Show less
Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000538, ucf:46423
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000538

Knowledge (7)	+ -
knowledge (6)	+ -
Knowledge Management (5)	+ -
attitudes (4)	+ -
Expertise (3)	+ -

content knowledge (3)	+ -
knowledge acquisition (3)	+ -
knowledge management (3)	+ -
natural language processing (3)	+ -
Confidence (2)	+ -
High School (2)	+ -
Immigration (2)	+ -
Knowledge Representation (2)	+ -
Knowledge Structures (2)	+ -
Machine Learning (2)	+ -
Simulation (2)	+ -
beliefs (2)	+ -
civic knowledge (2)	+ -
discourse (2)	+ -
knowledge structures (2)	+ -
knowledge voids (2)	+ -
narrative (2)	+ -
narratology (2)	+ -
pedagogical content knowledge (2)	+ -
preservice teachers (2)	+ -
problem solving (2)	+ -
21st Century School (1)	+ -
ALEKS (1)	+ -
Abilities (1)	+ -
Abstract Declarative Knowledge (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (67)	+ -
Honors Collection (13)	+ -

University of Central Florida (80)	+ -
Dixon, Juli (4)	+ -
Murray, Barbara (4)	+ -
Boote, David (3)	+ -
Dombrowski, Paul (3)	+ -

Gomez, Fernando (3)	+ -
Hewitt, Randall (3)	+ -
Hopp, Carolyn (3)	+ -
Kotnour, Timothy (3)	+ -
Rabelo, Luis (3)	+ -
Williams, Kent (3)	+ -
Andreasen, Janet (2)	+ -
Dixon, Juli K. (2)	+ -
Doherty, Walter (2)	+ -
Elshennawy, Ahmad (2)	+ -
Gunter, Glenda (2)	+ -
Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie (2)	+ -
Hartshorne, Richard (2)	+ -
Jahani, Shiva (2)	+ -
Jentsch, Florian (2)	+ -
Karwowski, Waldemar (2)	+ -
Kelley, Michelle (2)	+ -
Knuckey, Jonathan (2)	+ -
Murray, Kenneth (2)	+ -
Ortiz, Enrique (2)	+ -
Russell, William (2)	+ -
Safi, Farshid (2)	+ -
Salas, Eduardo (2)	+ -
Sims, Valerie (2)	+ -
Sukthankar, Gita (2)	+ -

Search In

Pages

Pages

Sort Results By:

Narrow results by:

Topical Subject

Collection

Type of Resource

Language

Creator

Format

Owner