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- Title
- Teach them to eat: Complexities of Community Based Organization and Nutrition Education Initiatives in the Prevention of Chronic Disease.
- Creator
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Matos, Allison, Mishtal, Joanna, Matejowsky, Ty, Reyes-Foster, Beatriz, Harris, Shana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis examines how participants of an eight-week nutrition education class utilize disseminated information to manage chronic disease, as well as explores the challenges a community based nutrition education resource center faces in the arena of chronic disease prevention. Per the World Health Organization's Global Report on Diabetes, 422 million adults currently live with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a four-fold increase since the 1980s. Within the U.S., approximately nine percent...
Show moreThis thesis examines how participants of an eight-week nutrition education class utilize disseminated information to manage chronic disease, as well as explores the challenges a community based nutrition education resource center faces in the arena of chronic disease prevention. Per the World Health Organization's Global Report on Diabetes, 422 million adults currently live with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a four-fold increase since the 1980s. Within the U.S., approximately nine percent of the adult population suffers from diabetes, and obesity, a major contributor to the disease, afflicts nearly thirty-five percent. While medical professionals frame the controlling of chronic disease from a pathophysiological perspective by promoting self-care methods and using language rooted in personal responsibility for successful treatment plans, implementation of such strategies by patients is more nuanced. In Orlando, Florida, staff at a community based, non-profit, nutrition resource center, Hebni Nutrition Consultants Inc., has played a key role in advocating for African-American community health in Central Florida, educating clients about chronic disease prevention and management since their establishment in 1995. Using ethnographic methods of participant-observation and semi- structured interviews, this project explores the challenges the staff of Hebni face operating at the intersection of the public and private sectors, as well as how participants of Hebni's programming understand discourses of empowerment, neoliberal ideas of self-care, and individual versus collective identity, when navigating the biomedical world. This project contributes not only to the growing body of research surrounding health disparities in minority communities, but also how neoliberal policies have shifted responsibility of community health and wellbeing from the state and onto private organizations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006478, ucf:52893
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006478
- Title
- Science occupational images and aspirations of African American/ Black elementary students.
- Creator
-
LaMothe, Saron, Hagedorn, W. Bryce, Hopp, Carolyn, Van Horn, Stacy, Blank, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Within the United States, more than a million jobs in science and engineering (S(&)E) are projected over the next few years; yet, the Nation lacks the workforce to meet these demands. Despite the need for a more diverse, qualified workforce, African Americans/Blacks remain disproportionately underrepresented in science occupations, science degree attainment, and in science postsecondary majors. The lack of science participation is reflective of how minority secondary students view science and...
Show moreWithin the United States, more than a million jobs in science and engineering (S(&)E) are projected over the next few years; yet, the Nation lacks the workforce to meet these demands. Despite the need for a more diverse, qualified workforce, African Americans/Blacks remain disproportionately underrepresented in science occupations, science degree attainment, and in science postsecondary majors. The lack of science participation is reflective of how minority secondary students view science and science occupations as many consider the pursuit of a science career as unfavorable. Moreover, minority secondary students, who do choose to pursue science occupations, seem to possess inaccurate (or a lack of) occupational knowledge necessary to do so successfully. Therefore, an understanding of antecedents to career choice will assist educational professionals in addressing the underrepresentation of diverse populations, such as African Americans/Blacks, within the science workforce. The purpose of this study is to garner insight into the science occupational images, occupational and educational aspirations of African American/Black fourth and five grade students. Gottfredson's Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, in conjunction with extant empirical literature, serves as the foundation for the study's conceptual framework. A qualitative case study design was used. The qualitative data provided a contextual understanding of science occupational images, occupational and educational aspirations. Participant-produced drawings, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews served as sources for data collection. Overall, participants lacked some occupational knowledge. Participants viewed scientists as mostly male and Black. Additionally, the occupation of scientist was perceived as a dangerous and of high status. Lastly, half of the participants expressed aspirations to be a scientist, while a majority expressed college educational aspirations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007668, ucf:52493
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007668
- Title
- The Resonance and Residue of the First African American Newspaper: How Freedom's Journal Created Space in the Early 19th Century.
- Creator
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Kasper, Valerie, French, Scot, Vie, Stephanie, Grajeda, Anthony, Voss, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The first African American newspaper, Freedom's Journal, has a historical, rhetorical, and spatial purpose. It not only showed the impact made by African Americans in the fight for their civil rights in the early 19th century, but as an artifact it illustrated and preserved that history allowing it to be studied centuries after the newspaper ceased printing. The purpose of The Resonance and Residue of the First African American Newspaper: How Freedom's Journal Created Space in the Early 19th...
Show moreThe first African American newspaper, Freedom's Journal, has a historical, rhetorical, and spatial purpose. It not only showed the impact made by African Americans in the fight for their civil rights in the early 19th century, but as an artifact it illustrated and preserved that history allowing it to be studied centuries after the newspaper ceased printing. The purpose of The Resonance and Residue of the First African American Newspaper: How Freedom's Journal Created Space in the Early 19th Century is to provide an interdisciplinary approach to historical newspapers that illustrates an alternative history in this country (-) a history of and by African Americans. By combining both print and digital research methods, new historical, rhetorical, and spatial information can be discovered that illustrates how the first African American newspaper fought against the influences of white society in the early 19th century and created a space for the black community that became meaningful enough to transform America into a place in which African Americans identified as Americans. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to combine traditional research and close reading with digital analysis (machine reading) by using different digital tools to illustrate how Freedom's Journal used text to combat the influences/powers that were shaping the early 19th century, and create a new and different type of historical narrative about how one oppressed community was successfully able to fight another dominant community through the use of text.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007028, ucf:52034
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007028
- Title
- "Sealing the Bond": A Qualitative Study of African American Funeral Rituals.
- Creator
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Grant, Danielle, Hastings, Sally, Sandoval, Jennifer, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Death is a universal phenomenon; yet, reactions to death are uniquely diverse. Handling the loss of a loved one has the potential to completely change how an individual sees their world, and their response to death can vary by race, religion, gender, and culture. The bereavement process in many ways is culturally guided, and understanding how culture guides the bereavement process through rituals is imperative. Despite cultural difference, responses to death within the academic community are...
Show moreDeath is a universal phenomenon; yet, reactions to death are uniquely diverse. Handling the loss of a loved one has the potential to completely change how an individual sees their world, and their response to death can vary by race, religion, gender, and culture. The bereavement process in many ways is culturally guided, and understanding how culture guides the bereavement process through rituals is imperative. Despite cultural difference, responses to death within the academic community are only representative of one group of people. This study looks at funeral rituals seen within the African American community, and addresses possible meanings behind the rituals discussed. Through the use of focus groups participants were asked about their experiences while attending African American funerals the meaning behind specific rituals. It was found that within African American funerals there are certain acts that hold special significance for the community and work to strengthen the community. Funerals have a larger symbolic meaning to the African American community and those symbols and meanings are discussed within this study.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006312, ucf:51579
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006312
- Title
- Joining the "Big Leagues": Politics, Race, and the Pursuit of NBA Franchises in Miami and Orlando, 1982-1987.
- Creator
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Hillyer, Garrett, Crepeau, Richard, Lester, Connie, Lyons, Amelia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis analyzes the formation of two National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises(-)the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic(-)and the efforts of groups representing both cities to procure those franchises between 1982 and 1987. Drawing primarily from discourse found in local newspapers, this thesis serves as a case study of the dual nature of sport to both unite and divide communities. While proponents of the NBA in Miami and Orlando preached the social, cultural, and economic benefits...
Show moreThis thesis analyzes the formation of two National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises(-)the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic(-)and the efforts of groups representing both cities to procure those franchises between 1982 and 1987. Drawing primarily from discourse found in local newspapers, this thesis serves as a case study of the dual nature of sport to both unite and divide communities. While proponents of the NBA in Miami and Orlando preached the social, cultural, and economic benefits of sport, they ignored the ways in which the pursuit of sport divided local governments and perpetuated historic hostility toward African-American residents in each city. Debates over basketball arena funding created deep divisions within and between city, county, and state governments. Arena construction ultimately displaced hundreds of families in the historically African-American neighborhoods of Overtown (Miami) and Parramore (Orlando). Still, prospective NBA franchise owners in each city promised residents that professional sport would galvanize their community, provide national relevance, and spur economic revitalization. Although city and team officials attempted to shape the discourse surrounding their NBA pursuit as wholly unifying, underlying discourse revealed divisions within each city.Chapter one explores the history of arena and sport-related politics in Miami, relays the history of racial prejudice by Miami government toward Overtown African Americans, and analyzes how these two histories influenced the funding and location of the city's eventual NBA arena. Similarly, Chapter two explores the history of arena politics in Orlando, relays the history of racial prejudice from municipal government toward Parramore residents, and analyzes the relation of these two elements to the financing and planning of Orlando's arena. Chapter three analyzes prospective NBA ownership groups in Miami and Orlando, their structural makeup, characteristics, and their efforts to sell season-ticket deposits in hopes of luring the league to their city. Chapter four analyzes the underlying destructive discourse surrounding the arenas and prospective franchises, particularly as it relates prejudicial language toward Overtown and Parramore and vitriolic language between Miami and Orlando.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006324, ucf:51554
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006324
- Title
- The Source and Impact of Student Engagement for Black Students in an Urban High School.
- Creator
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Sims, Deshawn, Hopp, Carolyn, Butler, S. Kent, Puig, Enrique, Butler, Malcolm, Waddell, Jennifer, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The achievement of Black students has repeatedly met only the lowest standards of performance on standardized assessments, which begs the question; do American schools have the capacity to educate Black children? The purpose of this action research manuscript dissertation was to explore the teacher behaviors and instructional strategies that developed a culture of high achievement among Black students as measured by student engagement and discourse, immediately before and after desegregation,...
Show moreThe achievement of Black students has repeatedly met only the lowest standards of performance on standardized assessments, which begs the question; do American schools have the capacity to educate Black children? The purpose of this action research manuscript dissertation was to explore the teacher behaviors and instructional strategies that developed a culture of high achievement among Black students as measured by student engagement and discourse, immediately before and after desegregation, and in classrooms today. The examination of popular theories concerning the education of Black people in the early 1900's and narratives of individuals who attended segregated schools, provided a historical description of the state of Black education. In addition, the connection between student engagement and teacher dispositions was recognized. A review of relevant literature informed this study by providing a conceptual understanding and operational definition of student engagement, teacher dispositions, and discourse. Last, a case study was conducted to bring a local, practical focus to the research. The purpose of this case study was to examine the impact of student engagement on student learning in an urban school with a majority Black student population, as evidenced by student actions and discourse. Data were collected through meetings and classroom observations using the Student Action Coding Sheet. This research found student engagement to be highest in classrooms that balanced certain teacher dispositions and discourse.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006396, ucf:51518
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006396
- Title
- When Oppressed Women Attack: Female-Enacted Violence Through Minority American Female Playwrights' Works.
- Creator
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Busselle, Kate, Boyd, Belinda, Shafer, John, StClaire, Sybil, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As an Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, theatrical violence is something that has always captivated me. When a female combat instructor once told me that even though I throw a great punch I will never be able to use it because women are always on the receiving end of violence in theatre, I wondered if this was truly the case. After a thorough exploration of several works with theatrical violence, I am glad to say that it is not the case. When most scholars examine...
Show moreAs an Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, theatrical violence is something that has always captivated me. When a female combat instructor once told me that even though I throw a great punch I will never be able to use it because women are always on the receiving end of violence in theatre, I wondered if this was truly the case. After a thorough exploration of several works with theatrical violence, I am glad to say that it is not the case. When most scholars examine violence in theatre, the focus is either male-centric or specifically on domestic violence situations involving a male abusing a female. I will examine theatrical violence through a new lens that has yet to be thoroughly critically explored: violence where the female is the aggressor. Through selected works of three American minority female playwrights: Suzan-Lori Parks' In the Blood, Maria Irene Fornes' Conduct of Life, and Young Jean Lee's Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven, I will analyze the female-enacted violence that occurs within these plays using feminist theories and psychology to examine how it happens, why it happens, who the victims are, and what these acts of violence say about minority American women in society today. I will explore the stage directions and dialogue surrounding the violence and analyzing the use or absence of weaponry, the breakdown or build-up of language prior to and after the violent action, and whether or not the violent action occurs before or after a violent action is committed against the female. For comparison, I will also analyze work by an American male playwright with violence in the same way: Tracy Letts' August: Osage County.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006028, ucf:51018
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006028
- Title
- A Phenomenological Investigation of the Lived Experiences of African American Adults in Individual Mental Health Counseling.
- Creator
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Martin, Jessica, Boote, David, Hundley, Gulnora, Robinson, Edward, Hopp, Carolyn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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African Americans continue to access non-emergency mental health care at a lower rate than White Americans, despite have equal risk for mental health issues. Currently, literature in counseling focuses on this deficit and why African Americans do not attend counseling, as opposed to those African Americans who do choose to go into counseling. The purpose of this heuristic phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of adult African American mental health counseling clients...
Show moreAfrican Americans continue to access non-emergency mental health care at a lower rate than White Americans, despite have equal risk for mental health issues. Currently, literature in counseling focuses on this deficit and why African Americans do not attend counseling, as opposed to those African Americans who do choose to go into counseling. The purpose of this heuristic phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of adult African American mental health counseling clients. Two types of purposive sampling, criterion and snowball, were used to identify and recruit participants. Six African American women were selected for inclusion in this study. Data for this study were collected through two face-to-face audio-recorded interviews with each participant, a demographics questionnaire and researcher field notes.Experiences and meanings identified in this study included: Navigating Crisis, Stigma of Counseling, Counselor and Client Relationship and Acceptance of Self and Others. This study adds a counter-narrative to the counselor literature that highlights African Americans who do choose to become counseling clients, their experiences, and the meanings they take away from that experience.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005838, ucf:50928
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005838
- Title
- Hard Luck Baby.
- Creator
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Lipscomb, Tanya, Thaxton, Terry, Roney, Lisa, Nwakanma, Obi, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Hard Luck Baby is a collection that elucidates the life of a southern, black mother as she grapples with her culture, family, love and the complex reality of black life in America. Hannah, is a woman who was born in the bubbling 40s, raised in the racial 60s and raptured in the drug-infested 80s. It is through these decades that the rough edges of America are exposed. She discusses her life experiences in a manner that allows readers to touch, as much as empathy will allow, the feelings that...
Show moreHard Luck Baby is a collection that elucidates the life of a southern, black mother as she grapples with her culture, family, love and the complex reality of black life in America. Hannah, is a woman who was born in the bubbling 40s, raised in the racial 60s and raptured in the drug-infested 80s. It is through these decades that the rough edges of America are exposed. She discusses her life experiences in a manner that allows readers to touch, as much as empathy will allow, the feelings that contour the deepest areas of her barrel. She shares her first example of love and its reverberations along with various accounts of growth. With minimal mention that demands acknowledgment, Hannah achieves an accurate description of American culture, as it relates to poor black people. She juxtaposes multiple societal and familial norms that contributed to her personal development. She is participating in a self-assigned purge of gripping hard-truths, but the crowning moment starts to take shape as she begins to understand herself and her children. Hard Luck Baby is the music of pained grandparents, parents, siblings, and children played over an American landscape. It is a platform for a woman who has been silenced to speak. Written in first person, many of the poems are stories that might have been told from other perspectives with venom, malice or sorrow, but the speaker takes ownership of her role in creating such emotions. As Hannah speaks, the audience may as well, be sitting crossed-legged on a front porch as she rocks in her chair recalling events from her life. She speaks about love, loss, rejection, disappointment, growth, friendship, fight, and forgiveness. At its close, Hard Luck Baby is an elderly woman giving stern-faced lessons to anyone who would dare to sit and listen.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005827, ucf:50900
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005827
- Title
- African American Head Football Coaches at Division I FBS Schools: A Qualitative Study on Turning Points.
- Creator
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Rivers, Thaddeus, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Owens, J. Thomas, Duke, Jeff, Harrison, Carlton, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation was centered on how the theory 'turning points' explained African American coaches ascension to Head Football Coach at a NCAA Division I FBS school. This work (1) identified traits and characteristics coaches felt they needed in order to become a head coach and (2) described the significant events and people (turning points) in their lives that have influenced their career.This study employed a Constant Comparative method in which participants answered interview questions...
Show moreThis dissertation was centered on how the theory 'turning points' explained African American coaches ascension to Head Football Coach at a NCAA Division I FBS school. This work (1) identified traits and characteristics coaches felt they needed in order to become a head coach and (2) described the significant events and people (turning points) in their lives that have influenced their career.This study employed a Constant Comparative method in which participants answered interview questions designed for them to elaborate on their educational and athletic careers, and those events and people who were major influences in their careers. Commonalities and discords from participant responses resulted in the discovery of five major themes. The themes identified were: Faith, Family, Graduation from college and participation in sport, Joining professional associations, and Previous coaches/administrators worked for/under.The identification and explanation of specific turning points suggest a blueprint for African American assistant coaches aspiring to become a head coach while also providing opportunities for current athletic administrators to increase their attempts at expanding their own networks to include more African Americans as strong candidates for potential open positions for Head Football Coach.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005991, ucf:50781
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005991
- Title
- In Double Exile: A Memoir.
- Creator
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Beckwin, Deborah, Nwakanma, Obi, Roney, Lisa, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In Double Exile: A Memoir examines the life of a family of Ghanaian immigrants and their journeys of acculturation, and the impact of the father's spiraling mental health issues on his family. Through the eyes of their daughter, this thesis briefly explores their lives on the right side of the Atlantic, as medical professionals, and then focuses on the life of their daughter born in America on the left side of the Atlantic. As novelist Georges Simenon has said, (")I am at home everywhere, and...
Show moreIn Double Exile: A Memoir examines the life of a family of Ghanaian immigrants and their journeys of acculturation, and the impact of the father's spiraling mental health issues on his family. Through the eyes of their daughter, this thesis briefly explores their lives on the right side of the Atlantic, as medical professionals, and then focuses on the life of their daughter born in America on the left side of the Atlantic. As novelist Georges Simenon has said, (")I am at home everywhere, and nowhere. I am never a stranger and I never quite belong.(") This memoir explores this tension between alienation and connection, as a second-generation immigrant grows up navigating between various cultures: to dominant American culture, evangelical Christian/Southern culture, African-American culture, and Ghanaian culture. In an attempt to understand the present, this thesis is a sankofa journey back into the author's history. Spanning over four decades, the memoir uncovers various exilic configurations: exiled from family, from ethnic heritage, from home, and from one's self.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005304, ucf:50529
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005304
- Title
- Comprehension of Science Text by African American Fifth and Sixth Grade Students: The Effects of a Metalinguistic Approach.
- Creator
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Davis, Karen, Rosa-Lugo, Linda, Kent-Walsh, Jennifer, Ehren, Barbara, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, Rivers, Kenyatta, Crevecoeur, Edwidge, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Scientific literacy has been at the forefront of science education reform for the past 20 years, particularly for students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds (Lee et. al., 2005; Pearson, Moje (&) Greenleaf, 2010). The ability to extract meaning from text is an important skill. Yet many students struggle with effectively comprehending what they read, particularly in content areas of science, math and history. According to the National Assessment Educational Progress ...
Show moreScientific literacy has been at the forefront of science education reform for the past 20 years, particularly for students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds (Lee et. al., 2005; Pearson, Moje (&) Greenleaf, 2010). The ability to extract meaning from text is an important skill. Yet many students struggle with effectively comprehending what they read, particularly in content areas of science, math and history. According to the National Assessment Educational Progress (NAEP, 2013) report, adolescents are not acquiring advanced literacy skills needed to succeed in the workplace and academic setting. Literacy experts have called for the use of disciplinary literacy approaches to engage learners with the content in ways that mirror what scientists, historians and mathematicians do to gain understanding in their disciplines (Moje, 2006; Shanahan (&) Shanahan, 2008). Although disciplinary literacy instruction is promising, there is limited empirical research on the effectiveness of discipline-specific literacy approaches. The present study examined the effects of a metalinguistic approach on the comprehension of science text among African American 5 and 6th grade students. The focus of the instructional protocol was to explicitly teach adverbial clauses and assist students to unpack adverbial clauses through the use of a graphic organizer. The process of unpacking complex sentences aimed to facilitate comprehension of science text by engaging the participants in analysis and discussion of the meaning obtained from the adverbial clauses. This study employed an experimental single-case multiple-probe across participants design. Visual Analysis (VA) and the Improvement Rate Difference (IRD) were used to analyze the data. The results of VA and IRD indicated that all participants demonstrated progress between baseline and treatment phases. Overall, the results of the investigation suggest that it is possible for 5th and 6th grade African American students to benefit from instruction that closely analyzes language. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005322, ucf:50525
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005322
- Title
- A Comparison of Students' and Parents' Mathematics Attitudes and Achievement At A Private Historically Black University.
- Creator
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Childs, Kristopher, Dixon, Juli, Hynes, Mike, Haciomeroglu, Erhan, Swan, Bonnie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The focus of this research was to compare students' and their parents' mathematical attitudes using the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Instrument (ATMI). The sample consisted of 476 newly-enrolled students and 263 parents attending the New Student Orientation and Leadership program at a private historically black university. The sample was predominantly African American, with 96% of the students and 95% of the parents identifying themselves as African American. The ATMI total score and...
Show moreThe focus of this research was to compare students' and their parents' mathematical attitudes using the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Instrument (ATMI). The sample consisted of 476 newly-enrolled students and 263 parents attending the New Student Orientation and Leadership program at a private historically black university. The sample was predominantly African American, with 96% of the students and 95% of the parents identifying themselves as African American. The ATMI total score and subscale scores of self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation were explored to determine if there was a relationship between the mathematics attitudes of students enrolled at a private historically black university and their parents'. Analysis was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between the students' mathematics academic achievement as demonstrated on the ACT/SAT by the mathematics subset score and their mathematics attitude. Additional analysis was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between students' mathematics academic achievement as demonstrated on the ACT/SAT by the mathematics subset score and their parents' mathematics attitude. The researcher found a statistically significant relationship between mathematics attitudes of students and their mothers as measured by the ATMI total score and subscales: self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation. The researcher found a statistically significant relationship between mathematics attitudes of students and their fathers as measured by the ATMI motivation subscale. No statistically significant relationship was found between students' mathematics academic achievement as demonstrated on the ACT/SAT by the mathematics subset score and their parents' mathematics attitude total score or the subscale scores. A statistically significant relationship between students' academic achievement and their attitudes towards mathematics total score and subscale scores: self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation was found in this research. The findings of this study provide a line of research to further explore mathematics attitudes and its relationship to African American student achievement.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005316, ucf:50514
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005316
- Title
- Closing the reading achievement gap between African American students and their peers at a suburban middle school: The impact of school improvement plans.
- Creator
-
Hutchins, Jason, Hopp, Carolyn, Robinson, Edward, Vitale, Thomas, Hayes, Grant, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The goal of this Dissertation in Practice was to design a School Improvement Plan focused on improving reading performance of African American students at Suburban Middle School (SMS). The problem of practice was that African American students at Suburban Middle School have performed significantly lower than their White peers over the course of the 2009-2013 school years in reading performance. The reading deficiencies of African American students needed to be directly addressed in a new...
Show moreThe goal of this Dissertation in Practice was to design a School Improvement Plan focused on improving reading performance of African American students at Suburban Middle School (SMS). The problem of practice was that African American students at Suburban Middle School have performed significantly lower than their White peers over the course of the 2009-2013 school years in reading performance. The reading deficiencies of African American students needed to be directly addressed in a new School Improvement Plan (SIP). The literature review of this study found that there are many different components that influence the reading performance of African American students. For this Dissertation in Practice, a new School Improvement Plan focused primarily on 6 different areas will be the end result. The components that will be examined are: 1) school climate, 2) utilization of data, 3) parental involvement, 4) professional development, 5) instructional strategies, and 6) collaboration. While these are the 6 key elements of successful models, there were also additional sub groupings within each element that also had an influence on student achievement levels.In addition to examining previous School Improvement Plans at SMS, the end result and final deliverable was a School Improvement Plan designed to close the existing achievement gap in reading between African American students and their peers at SMS. Suggested use for the new model of the School Improvement Plan was to focus specifically on the 6 key elements to address the reading performance of African American students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005351, ucf:50478
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005351
- Title
- A Systematic Review of Research on Successful African American Students in Mathematics: Implications for Seminole High School.
- Creator
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Vong, Trung, Boote, David, Vitale, Thomas, Robinson, Edward, Hayes, Grant, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to synthesize the counter-narratives of mathematically successful African American students. The gap in educational achievement between African American and White students is well documented in the United States, especially in mathematics education. Although Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores have increased for both groups at Seminole High School, the gap has remained over 30% for nearly a decade. Most research on this topic has focused on the reasons...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to synthesize the counter-narratives of mathematically successful African American students. The gap in educational achievement between African American and White students is well documented in the United States, especially in mathematics education. Although Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores have increased for both groups at Seminole High School, the gap has remained over 30% for nearly a decade. Most research on this topic has focused on the reasons why African American students fail to achieve. Various individual, social, and organizational factors have been suggested. However, a growing body of research has highlighted the stories of mathematically successful African American students.Using best evidence review methods, an exhaustive review of the literature identified 22 research articles published between 2004 and 2013. All studies collected interview data with mathematically successful African American middle school, high school, and higher education students in the United States. Meta-synthesis was used to synthesize findings across studies. Among the 151 participants across 22 studies, six common experiences were identified as contributing to students' mathematical success: supportive teachers, supportive family, supportive peers, a strong mathematics identity, ability to deal with racial stereotype, and supportive organizations. Most importantly, this meta-synthesis highlights the tendency of prior research to focus on de-contextualized factors rather than understanding students holistically within their broader social and community environment. Insights from this study lead to several recommendations for improving mathematics education for African American students at Seminole High School and for suggested future research on this topic.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005438, ucf:50387
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005438
- Title
- The Role of Invitational Theory on Minority Student Enrollment in Advanced Placement Courses.
- Creator
-
McDonald, Jason, Murray, Kenneth, Murray, Barbara, Baldwin, Lee, Hutchinson, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The number of students enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) classes has been increasing in Florida and across the nation over the last decade. However, this trend is not happening for traditionally underserved groups of students such as African Americans, Hispanics, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. These minority groups are underrepresented in AP classes, while Asian and White students are overrepresented. This trend is alarming because there are qualified minority students...
Show moreThe number of students enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) classes has been increasing in Florida and across the nation over the last decade. However, this trend is not happening for traditionally underserved groups of students such as African Americans, Hispanics, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. These minority groups are underrepresented in AP classes, while Asian and White students are overrepresented. This trend is alarming because there are qualified minority students who have a great chance of being successful in AP classes according to AP Potential(TM) data. For some reason though, these qualified minority and low income students are nevertheless not enrolling in AP classes. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether or not the extension of inviting messages to enroll in AP courses was dependent upon students' ethnic and/or socioeconomic background. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed to examine how the role of invitational theory affects minority student enrollment in AP classes. Mean scale scores from a survey were used to measure student attitudes about how welcoming and inviting schools were when it came to student recruitment into AP classes. T-tests and an analysis of variance were used to determine if there were differences in attitudes among students currently enrolled in AP classes, students of various economic means, and students of various ethnicities. Results from this study found that students already in AP classes felt very invited to challenge themselves in AP classes by teachers, administrators, parents, and peers. Richer students, Whites, and Asians also felt more invited to join AP classes than did poorer, African American, and Hispanic students, though these results were not statistically significant. To increase enrollment in AP classes, the overwhelming response from students was that schools should advertise the pros and cons of taking an AP class. Future research should examine students' perspectives regarding inviting school cultures in regions outside of the southeastern United States. Researchers should also focus on students in urban high schools as previous research has only examined student attitudes in rural and suburban high schools. Finally, future research should examine inviting school cultures from other stakeholders' perspectives such as parents and teachers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005529, ucf:50329
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005529
- Title
- The Class Appeal of Marcus Garvey's Propaganda and His Relationship with the Black American Left Through August 1920.
- Creator
-
Cravero, Geoffrey, Lester, Connie, Walker, Ezekiel, Cassanello, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis examines the class appeal of Marcus Garvey's propaganda and his relationship with the black American left through the end of his movement's formative years to reveal aspects of his political thought that are not entirely represented in the historiography. Although several historians have addressed Garvey's affiliation with the black American left there has not yet been a consummate study on the nature of that relationship. This study examines the class element of Garvey's...
Show moreThis thesis examines the class appeal of Marcus Garvey's propaganda and his relationship with the black American left through the end of his movement's formative years to reveal aspects of his political thought that are not entirely represented in the historiography. Although several historians have addressed Garvey's affiliation with the black American left there has not yet been a consummate study on the nature of that relationship. This study examines the class element of Garvey's propaganda from his formative years through his radical phase, tracing the evolution of his ideas and attributing factors to those changes.Garvey influenced and was influenced by the labor movement and the class appeal of his propaganda was much stronger than historians have allowed. Garvey ultimately distanced himself and his program from the left for a number of reasons. The United States Justice Department's campaign to infiltrate his organization and remove him at the height of the Red Scare caused him to distance his program from the left. Since Garvey was pragmatic, not ideologically driven, and economic theory was secondary to black autonomy in his philosophy, increased criticism from former associates in the black American left, coupled with his exclusion from African-American intelligentsia, impacted his decision to embrace an alternative program. During the final years of his radical phase Garvey's ideas, program and relationships were impacted by a collision of the personal and political in his world. Understanding the complexity of Garvey's evolving ideology, and looking at the causes for those changes, are crucial to the study of the movement and its impact.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005593, ucf:50245
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005593
- Title
- Lonely Monsters.
- Creator
-
Davis, Patricia, Rushin, Pat, Thaxton, Terry, Neal, Mary, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Lonely Monsters is a full-length feature screenplay that explores the ways in which a classic damsel narrative may be reconsidered. It offers ideas on how death and girlhood may find symmetry. The characters within Lonely Monsters deal with loss, identity of the self versus the world's ideas on self-identity, place, gender, and class. Utilizing the elements of a fairy tale, the narrative seeks to complicate the roles of gender in a cautionary tale. Set in the fictional Florida town of Puerto...
Show moreLonely Monsters is a full-length feature screenplay that explores the ways in which a classic damsel narrative may be reconsidered. It offers ideas on how death and girlhood may find symmetry. The characters within Lonely Monsters deal with loss, identity of the self versus the world's ideas on self-identity, place, gender, and class. Utilizing the elements of a fairy tale, the narrative seeks to complicate the roles of gender in a cautionary tale. Set in the fictional Florida town of Puerto Palmera, an economic divide between the Estates and the Glades makes for a ripe, troublesome environment for a foul modern-day aristocrat who masquerades as a grandiose and romantic prince. The story's protagonist, Fisher Franklin, loses two key relationships(-)as well as her sound mind(-)in the wake of the false prince's folly. Utilizing her experiences as a child within the lavish lives of the Estates(-)at the desire of a wealthy and secretive benefactor with motives of her own(-)Fisher creates a persona who becomes entangled in a lustful and dangerous liaison with Wyatt Sharpe, the villainous playboy. By assuming this persona, Fisher recasts herself as the damsel, the monster, and the heroine.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005600, ucf:50232
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005600
- Title
- The Normalization Process of Multimodal Composition: "Unseeing" People of Color in Multimodal Composition Scholarship.
- Creator
-
Davis, Yumani, Rios, Gabriela, Roozen, Kevin, Pigg, Stacey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study attempts to identify normalization cues within multimodal scholarship to highlight moments of (")un-seeing(") multimodal composing practices and theoretical contributions from non-Western traditions. Advocates of this approach to teaching composition understand it as an effective way for incorporating other voices into the curricular structures of composition courses. However, the instructional resources do not include or cite research that does not lend itself easily to dominant...
Show moreThis study attempts to identify normalization cues within multimodal scholarship to highlight moments of (")un-seeing(") multimodal composing practices and theoretical contributions from non-Western traditions. Advocates of this approach to teaching composition understand it as an effective way for incorporating other voices into the curricular structures of composition courses. However, the instructional resources do not include or cite research that does not lend itself easily to dominant views of composing within academia. I assert that academia must go further with how value is assessed. There is research that acknowledges the multiliteracies practices found within subcultures of America, and plenty of work that deems the communicative practices observed in these subcultural communities as valuable. However, it is more than just including and citing scholarship from and about people of color's compositional practices, academia must also employ these ways of knowing and being to fully empower students and utilize the knowledge that the students bring with them to the FYC classroom. The dominant assignment genre in academia is the academic essay. Other dominant methods of communication and transferring scholarship are the journal article, annotated bibliography, proposal, and personal essay. Not to mention the many scholars who have critiqued academia for privileging print literacies, which although may be multimodal, promotes a multimodality of one culture and ideological standpoint. Although the seminal texts from the study offer exceptional multimodal composition research and classroom resources, if we can agree that (")the mission of education is to ensure that all students benefit from learning in ways that allow them to participate fully in public, community, and economic life(") and that literacy pedagogy, essentially what the FYC course offers, (")is expected to play a particularly important role in fulfilling this mission,(") then failing to see the value and utilize the scholarship from and about people of color ensures those that are marginalized continue to be (")un-seen(") and students remain unprepared for the tasks of composing and communicating outside of school (New London Group 60).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005779, ucf:50071
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005779
- Title
- A Case Study Exploring the Relationship between Culturally Responsive Teaching and a Mathematical Practice of the Common Core State Standards.
- Creator
-
Howse, Tashana, Dixon, Juli, Haciomeroglu, Erhan, Andreasen, Janet, Adams, Thomasenia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This collective case study explores the nature of the relationship between teachers' use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices and students' engagement in constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others (SMP3). This study was informed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative related to developing mathematically proficient students through the use of student engagement practices consistent with the standards for mathematical practice. As a means to support...
Show moreThis collective case study explores the nature of the relationship between teachers' use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices and students' engagement in constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others (SMP3). This study was informed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative related to developing mathematically proficient students through the use of student engagement practices consistent with the standards for mathematical practice. As a means to support teachers' facilitating specific student engagement practices, professional development was provided. This study is situated in the growing body of research associated with student engagement and cultural identity. The case of two teachers was defined from interviews, classroom observations, journal prompts, and student artifacts. Data was collected before, during, and after professional development following a cross-case analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) shift in teacher practice; (b) depth and breadth of the knowledge of culturally responsive teaching and standard for mathematical practice three; (c) teacher reflection and reception; and (d) classroom management. The findings suggest that the shift in teacher practice can be supported by professional development focused on reflective practice. This shift is impacted by classroom management and teachers' depth and breadth of their knowledge of CRT and SMP3.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005005, ucf:50009
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005005