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- Title
- THE EXPLORATION OF SOCIAL ANXIETY, SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS, AND BUILDING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN THE CLASSROOM: MOLDING A CLASSROOM COMMUNITY.
- Creator
-
Hinton, Nicole, Trenta, Shane, Blanch, Norine, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this thesis is to add a sense of community to a primary level classroom and allow students an opportunity to share their progress with peers. Having a sense of community in the classroom will help the teacher and the students build relationships and reduce the amount of stress and anxiety that students feel, which could impact student learning. This thesis explores programs that have been created to help students build social and life skills that contribute in a community. This...
Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to add a sense of community to a primary level classroom and allow students an opportunity to share their progress with peers. Having a sense of community in the classroom will help the teacher and the students build relationships and reduce the amount of stress and anxiety that students feel, which could impact student learning. This thesis explores programs that have been created to help students build social and life skills that contribute in a community. This thesis also focuses on how the students can make thesis changes within themselves rather than as a community. [ST1] This thesis will teach students how to analyze themselves and then utilize that information to be a part of a community and build relationships with others. To complete this thesis, various programs and books have been reviewed and evaluated. Since there is a lack of focus on building a sense of community in the research, five sessions have been created to focus on building positive relationships and building a sense of community within a school setting. [ST1] Rephrase
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFH2000481, ucf:45714
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000481
- Title
- Crafting Craft Beer Brands: An examination of identity, community, and growth in Orlando area craft breweries.
- Creator
-
Fehribach, Dylan, Matejowsky, Ty, Williams, Lana, Geiger, Vance, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Beer is a commodity that has been produced and consumed by humans for millennia. Within the U.S., the craft beer industry has grown considerably over the last decade, accounting for 19% of all beers sales in 2014. Despite this increased market presence, craft beer marketing and production has received little anthropological consideration. To address this dearth of case studies, I consider the local craft brewery scene, or area of activity, in Orlando Florida. My 2016 ethnographic research...
Show moreBeer is a commodity that has been produced and consumed by humans for millennia. Within the U.S., the craft beer industry has grown considerably over the last decade, accounting for 19% of all beers sales in 2014. Despite this increased market presence, craft beer marketing and production has received little anthropological consideration. To address this dearth of case studies, I consider the local craft brewery scene, or area of activity, in Orlando Florida. My 2016 ethnographic research reveals that the local craft brewery scene exhibits both variation in identity and community locations. Interactions among breweries present opportunities for local breweries to build and grow their brands. Collected data elucidate the choices and decisions that craft brewery operators consider when producing beer, developing facilities, and promoting their beers and brand images. I conclude that the breweries create brand identity and grow their customer base and distribution through planned decisions as well as reactionary choices based on outside events. Such considerations are relevant for understanding the formation of a business's identity and brand identity while producing a craftwork product, as well the communities of each brewery interact with communities outside of the specific scene.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006589, ucf:51267
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006589
- Title
- Community Identity and the Archaeological Complex of T(&)#250;cume, Per(&)#250;: A Synthesis of Cranial and Dental Nonmetric Variation.
- Creator
-
Garrett, Wesley, Toyne, J. Marla, Dupras, Tosha, Schultz, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The archaeological complex of T(&)#250;cume was once a regional center of political and religious importance on the north coast of Per(&)#250; (ca. AD 1000-1532). Previous research into the identity of the individuals interred at the site has yielded conflicting results. Within this intrasite biodistance analysis, community identity as reflected in the cranial and dental nonmetric variation and burial patterns is examined. This research also addresses methodological issues in nonmetric...
Show moreThe archaeological complex of T(&)#250;cume was once a regional center of political and religious importance on the north coast of Per(&)#250; (ca. AD 1000-1532). Previous research into the identity of the individuals interred at the site has yielded conflicting results. Within this intrasite biodistance analysis, community identity as reflected in the cranial and dental nonmetric variation and burial patterns is examined. This research also addresses methodological issues in nonmetric biodistance studies by examining the utility of combining cranial and dental nonmetric datasets. The sample examined (n=161) includes male and female crania from five distinct burial locations within T(&)#250;cume. Gower's coefficient was applied to the cranial and dental nonmetric data separately, then in tandem, and the results were compared using a tanglegram, often employed when comparing phylogenetic dendrograms. There were no major statistically significant differences between males and females, nor were there any clustering patterns associated with sex or burial location. In light of the previous research conducted at T(&)#250;cume, the high degree of biological homogeneity within the site is perhaps a reflection of the broader Lambayeque region. The politico-religious importance of T(&)#250;cume may have had a homogenizing effect on the population, drawing people from throughout the region to participate in both the quotidian and the ritual. This research highlights how large urban spaces of social importance may serve to expand and homogenize the notion of community identity. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of the cranial and dental nonmetric data suggests that there is perhaps no biologically justifiable reason to consider cranial and dental nonmetric data in an exclusive manner.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006218, ucf:51096
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006218
- Title
- SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY DYNAMICS IN FLORIDA SCRUB ECOSYSTEM.
- Creator
-
Albarracín, María, Weishampel, John F., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Pyrogenic ecosystems are maintained by fires which vary in frequency, seasonality, and intensity. Florida oak-saw palmetto scrub ecosystem is characterized by fires occurring at intervals of 10-20 years. Diverse factors as private land acquisition and development has created a patchy distribution of scrub ecosystems and also interrupted the natural fire cycle. The effects of fire over plant regeneration and fauna habitat utilization of the scrub have been well characterized in previous...
Show morePyrogenic ecosystems are maintained by fires which vary in frequency, seasonality, and intensity. Florida oak-saw palmetto scrub ecosystem is characterized by fires occurring at intervals of 10-20 years. Diverse factors as private land acquisition and development has created a patchy distribution of scrub ecosystems and also interrupted the natural fire cycle. The effects of fire over plant regeneration and fauna habitat utilization of the scrub have been well characterized in previous research. In the present paper the objective is to characterize the short- and long-term fire effects on the soil microbial community. Fire effects were studied in a chronosequence, comprising a recently burned scrub during a winter-prescribed fire to scrub where fire did not occur for 40 years. The number of culturable cells was reduced by two orders of magnitude by indirect fire effects and environmental factors, principally hydric stress. However, the duration of fire effects was very short since the microbial community returned to pre-fire numbers and activity by day 47 after fire. Microbial community activity was distinctively related to inoculum density in the soil and litter samples. Soil and litter microbial communities showed differences in metabolic activity. There was no difference in substrate utilization pattern, but there was significant seasonal variation related to the decrease in water content during the month of May. Substrate utilization by litter microbial communities was higher during the month of January compared to soil microbial communities and this relationship was inversed during the month of May probably associated to the more stringent conditions, low water availability, on the litter layer. Seasonal effects outweighed fire effects in this study as this environmental constraint determined the microbial community structure and activity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000472, ucf:46353
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000472
- Title
- COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
- Creator
-
Van Dusen, Laurie, Bozeman, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to explore with community college presidents of 292 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Level 1 institutions their perceptions as to the extent to which selected leadership styles presently required in the performance of presidential duties may be required in the future. Also investigated were leadership succession planning and professional development initiatives aimed at identifying and developing future leaders. A total of 209 (71.6%) presidents...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to explore with community college presidents of 292 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Level 1 institutions their perceptions as to the extent to which selected leadership styles presently required in the performance of presidential duties may be required in the future. Also investigated were leadership succession planning and professional development initiatives aimed at identifying and developing future leaders. A total of 209 (71.6%) presidents completed a researcher designed survey. Data analysis resulted in the following major findings. The presidents indicated a high level of support for each of the five leadership styles for current presidents as well as for future leaders. A consultative style of leadership was deemed to be the most important form of leadership for current leaders and increasing in importance for future leaders. Participative leadership was ranked second and could be considered as a transitional alternative for new presidents. The delegative and negotiative leadership styles were cited as the third and fourth most important forms of leadership for current and future leaders. Fifth ranked was the directive or autocratic style of leadership. Three-fourths of community college presidents indicated that they were actively engaged in the identification and development of potential leaders. Presidents were highly supportive of six developmental areas (budgeting, financial management, fund raising, governing boards, internal governance, and politics/relationships) but perceived politics and relationships as being the most critical area of development for future presidents. Presidents, with less than 10 years of service, were more actively engaged in identifying potential future leaders than their longer tenured counterparts. Those planning to retire within the next 6 years indicated the highest level of engagement. Institutional leaders who had been identified for advancement in a succession plan during their careers were more likely to have a succession plan in place in their institution; however, succession planning was largely informal.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000850, ucf:46664
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000850
- Title
- A STUDY OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOLS RECEIVING DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SMALLER LEARNING COMMUNITY GRANTS: 2006-2009.
- Creator
-
Armbruster, Michael, Taylor, Rosemarye, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The focus of this research was to analyze the impact of the United States Department of EducationÂÂÂÂ's Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Grant Program on student achievement in 17 schools in the state of Florida that were issued three-year grants during the school years 2006-2009 as compared to 17 similar schools in the state of Florida that did not receive grant funding. Base-line data for...
Show moreThe focus of this research was to analyze the impact of the United States Department of EducationÂÂÂÂ's Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Grant Program on student achievement in 17 schools in the state of Florida that were issued three-year grants during the school years 2006-2009 as compared to 17 similar schools in the state of Florida that did not receive grant funding. Base-line data for each of the 34 schools consisted of student performance in 2006, one year prior to SLC schools receiving the grant. Student achievement data from the base-line through the three-year grant period for the 17 grant recipients were compared with that of 17 similar Florida schools that were not grant recipients in 2006. Student data were collected from the Florida Department of Education. The data subjected to analyses were comprised of student achievement on the ninth and tenth grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in the areas of reading and mathematics, the graduation rate, and the dropout rate. The data showed an overall improvement in the SLC schoolsÂÂÂÂ' student achievement based on the six areas analyzed. The data collected were then compared to the 17 similar schools to identify any significant differences in the achievement gains in those schools. Although both the SLC schools and the control schools showed overall improvement, no statistically significant relationship was discovered in the achievement of students in SLC schools versus students in similar schools that did not receive the grant dollars during the defined time periods. The overall trend for all 34 schools was similar improvement in student achievement.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003465, ucf:48936
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003465
- Title
- Algorithms for Community Identification in Complex Networks.
- Creator
-
Vasudevan, Mahadevan, Deo, Narsingh, Hughes, Charles, Guha, Ratan, Chatterjee, Mainak, Zhao, Yue, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Complex networks such as the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), and various social and biological networks, are viewed as large, dynamic, random graphs, with properties significantly different from those of the Erd(&)#246;s-R(&)#233;nyi random graphs. In particular, properties such as degree distribution, network distance, transitivity and clustering coefficient of these networks have been empirically shown to diverge from classical random networks. Existence of communities is one such...
Show moreComplex networks such as the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), and various social and biological networks, are viewed as large, dynamic, random graphs, with properties significantly different from those of the Erd(&)#246;s-R(&)#233;nyi random graphs. In particular, properties such as degree distribution, network distance, transitivity and clustering coefficient of these networks have been empirically shown to diverge from classical random networks. Existence of communities is one such property inherent to these networks. A community may informally be defined as a locally-dense induced subgraph, of significant size, in a large globally-sparse graph. Recent empirical results reveal communities in networks spanning across different disciplines (-) physics, statistics, sociology, biology, and linguistics. At least two different questions may be posed on the community structure in large networks: (i) Given a network, detect or extract all (i.e., sets of nodes that constitute) communities; and (ii) Given a node in the network, identify the best community that the given node belongs to, if there exists one. Several algorithms have been proposed to solve the former problem, known as Community Discovery. The latter problem, known as Community Identification, has also been studied, but to a much smaller extent. Both these problems have been shown to be NP-complete, and a number of approximate algorithms have been proposed in recent years. A comprehensive taxonomy of the existing community detection algorithms is presented in this work. Global exploration of these complex networks to pull out communities (community discovery) is time and memory consuming. A more confined approach to mine communities in a given network is investigated in this research. Identifying communities does not require the knowledge of the entire graph. Community identification algorithms exist in the literature, but to a smaller extent. The dissertation presents a thorough description and analysis of the existing techniques to identify communities in large networks. Also a novel heuristic for identifying the community to which a given seed node belongs using only its neighborhood information is presented. An improved definition of a community based on the average degree of the induced subgraph is discussed thoroughly and it is compared with the various definitions in the literature. Next, a faster and accurate algorithm to identify communities in complex networks based on maximizing the average degree is described. The divisive nature of the algorithm (as against the existing agglomerative methods) efficiently identifies communities in large complex networks. The performance of the algorithm on several synthetic and real-world complex networks has also been thoroughly investigated.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004294, ucf:49463
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004294
- Title
- BENCHMARKING COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS' EFFICIENCY:MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS.
- Creator
-
Marathe, Shriram, Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Community Health Centers (CHCs), designed to provide accessible and affordable health care services to low-income families, were first funded by the Federal Government as part of the War on Poverty in the mid-1960s. Improving healthcare organizational performance efficiency is paramount. It is an especially pressing need for CHCs' because they carry a disproportionate burden of caring for the uninsured within limited budgets. Prior studies suffer from conceptual and methodological...
Show moreCommunity Health Centers (CHCs), designed to provide accessible and affordable health care services to low-income families, were first funded by the Federal Government as part of the War on Poverty in the mid-1960s. Improving healthcare organizational performance efficiency is paramount. It is an especially pressing need for CHCs' because they carry a disproportionate burden of caring for the uninsured within limited budgets. Prior studies suffer from conceptual and methodological limitations. A longitudinal multivariate analysis of factors influencing the performance of CHCs is needed. The purpose of this study is to benchmark CHC performance in terms of technical and cost efficiency, and examine factors that affect its variation. A theoretically grounded non-experimental study design is used, with five waves of panel data from 493 CHCs for the years 2000 through 2004. This study found that data mining and predictor tree analysis of factors influencing the variation in CHCs' technical and cost efficiency yielded inconsistent results. A declining trend in technical efficiency scores over the five-year study period was observed. Based on growth curve modeling, the three factors that influenced technical efficiency at the initial period of the study are: the percentages of Medicare, Medicaid, and Hispanic population being served by the CHCs. The five factors that positively influenced the variation in cost efficiency at the initial period were: the initial score of technical efficiency, the percentage of Hispanic patient population, staffing mix (ratio of providers to total staff), pay mix (ratio of federal grant dollars to total revenue), and percentage of Medicare-eligible. The initial cost-efficiency score and the initial technical efficiency score are negatively associated with the growth trend of technical efficiency. The initial level of technical efficiency is not statistically significantly associated with the growth trend of cost efficiency. The two factors influencing the growth trend of cost efficiency are the growth trend of technical efficiency (with a positive influence) and the initial level of cost efficiency (with a negative influence). Analysis of the effects of contextual and organizational-structural variables on the technical efficiency and cost efficiency of community health centers found that the explanatory power of the predictors is much greater for cost efficiency than for technical efficiency. The study lends support to contingency theory and confirms the independent and additive influences of contextual and organizational predictors on efficiency. Irrespective of the efficiency measures, contextual factors have much more influence on CHCs' efficiency than design (organizational structural) factors do. The three study hypotheses supported by multivariate analysis are: technical efficiency is associated with contextual factors and organizational factors; cost efficiency is associated with contextual factors and organizational factors; and technical efficiency positively affects cost efficiency.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001408, ucf:47067
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001408
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION, EXPECTATIONS ABOUT COUNSELING AND GENDER ON ATTITUDES TOWARD HELP SEEKING BEHAVIORS AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS.
- Creator
-
Fernandez, Jose, Bozeman, William, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Researchers have determined that college student-athletes are an underrepresented population when it comes to utilizing college counseling services. Traditional students have appeared for counseling services more so than student-athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between attitudes toward help seeking behavior and (a) expectations about counseling, (b) athlete status, and (c) gender of respondent among community college students. The study included 195...
Show moreResearchers have determined that college student-athletes are an underrepresented population when it comes to utilizing college counseling services. Traditional students have appeared for counseling services more so than student-athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between attitudes toward help seeking behavior and (a) expectations about counseling, (b) athlete status, and (c) gender of respondent among community college students. The study included 195 students at a central Florida community college, 74 student-athletes and 121 non-athlete students. The participants were asked to convey their counseling expectations by completing the Expectations About Counseling-Brief Form. Respondents were also asked to complete the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale to measure their attitudes toward help seeking behavior. Further qualitative data was accumulated during an interview with one student-athlete from each of the five intercollegiate athletic teams. For this study, two hypotheses were considered. First, it was hypothesized that a significant relationship existed between attitudes toward help seeking behavior and expectations about counseling and that expectations about counseling were expected to account for a significant amount of variance in attitudes toward help seeking behavior. Results of the data analyses revealed that respondents' attitudes toward help-seeking behavior correlated significantly with only two of the four counseling expectation factors. A positive correlation was discovered for the factor of Personal Commitment and a negative correlation for the factor of Counselor Expertise. Linear regression analysis supported that expectations about counseling were expected to account for a significant amount of variance in attitudes toward help-seeking behavior. The second hypothesis hypothesized that there would be no statistically significant difference in attitudes toward help-seeking behavior based on athletic participation (student-athlete versus non-athlete students) or gender of respondent. The results of a MANOVA indicated that gender of respondent did have a statistically significant effect on attitudes toward help-seeking behavior; therefore this hypothesis was only partially supported. Based on these findings, implications for counseling student-athletes and non-athlete students are discussed. Interpretations of data analyses are included and study limitations and delimitations are identified. Finally, suggestions for future research are identified and discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000391, ucf:46335
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000391
- Title
- LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS GAINED AS A RESULT OF INVOLVEMENT IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT LEADER PROGRAM.
- Creator
-
Torres, Chanda, Kaplan, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to assess whether participation in a community college student leader program had an effect on the leadership behaviors of students based on five (5) practices measured by a student leadership practices inventory. By assessing these leadership behaviors, the community college was able to determine the effectiveness of the program and ways to improve the program's curriculum. This study addressed the following: 1) whether students who participated in a student...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to assess whether participation in a community college student leader program had an effect on the leadership behaviors of students based on five (5) practices measured by a student leadership practices inventory. By assessing these leadership behaviors, the community college was able to determine the effectiveness of the program and ways to improve the program's curriculum. This study addressed the following: 1) whether students who participated in a student leader program in a community college showed significant growth in leadership behaviors; 2) whether the growth in leadership behaviors of students who participated in a student leader program in a community college were significantly different from each other in regard to gender; 3) whether the growth in leadership behaviors of students who participated in a student leader program in a community college were significantly different from each other in regard to age. The student Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) developed by Kouzes and Posner (2002) was used as the main instrument in this study. The student Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is a questionnaire with thirty (30) behavioral statements--six (6) for each of The Five Practices. The population of this study consisted of 62 student leaders who were participants in a student leader program at a community college. A pre LPI was given to 62 student leaders in the beginning of the school term. A post LPI was given to 62 student leaders at the end of the school term. Thirteen of the original student leaders dropped out of the program and were replaced by new student leaders. Thus, the total number of useable inventories for data input in this study was 49; this yielded a 79% return rate. This study supports the research that students who were involved in a leadership program gained leadership behaviors. In comparing the student leaders' pretest and posttest scores of the LPI, it showed that there was a significant difference in each leadership behavior. These leadership behaviors were: Challenging the Process, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Modeling the Way, and Encouraging the Heart. The results of this study also showed no significant difference in the student leaders' scores in the LPI in relation to the student's age group. According to Astin (1993), the student's age at the time of college entry was not significantly associated with changes in Leadership scores. This evidence supports the argument that increases in leadership skills during undergraduate years is associated with the college experience rather than the student's maturation. There were no significant differences between the male and female student leaders in regard to the five leadership practices with the exception of the leadership practice Challenging the Process. In this study, the male student leaders scored higher, 24.79, than the female student leaders, 22.37, in Challenging the Process. The focus group in this study highlighted the leadership behaviors the student leaders gained as a result of their involvement in the student leader program. Not only did the students grow in the leadership behaviors measured by the LPI, they also gained other leadership skills. In regard to their growth as a student leader, the students felt that they grew in many different areas. The opportunity allowed them to network with students, faculty, administration and staff, and gain leadership skills. These leadership skills included: listening skills, communication skills, stress management, multitasking and customer service. The students also believed in the importance of taking initiative, practicing patience and developing others.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002049, ucf:47604
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002049
- Title
- Black Males In Programs For High Achievers At A Community College: Exploring The Qualitative Nature Of Academic Success.
- Creator
-
Jones, Gerald, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Owens, J. Thomas, Butler, Malcolm, Bosley, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Most of the literature concentrating on Black males, focuses on retention problems that have gone unresolved. The purpose of this study was to explore qualitatively the nature of the academic success of Black males in programs for high achievers at a community college. A detailed literature review was completed, focusing on educational themes such as motivation, high achievers, persistence, and honors programs. The theoretical framework used was GRIT developed by Duckworth (2007). The...
Show moreMost of the literature concentrating on Black males, focuses on retention problems that have gone unresolved. The purpose of this study was to explore qualitatively the nature of the academic success of Black males in programs for high achievers at a community college. A detailed literature review was completed, focusing on educational themes such as motivation, high achievers, persistence, and honors programs. The theoretical framework used was GRIT developed by Duckworth (2007). The researcher used a six-step process as suggested by Moustakas (1994) to determine results. In addition, interviews were conducted with seven Black males who were defined as high achievers. The following six themes were identified from this phenomenology approach: supporting family, starting early, guilt, involvement, no failure, and academic success.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007021, ucf:52040
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007021
- Title
- A Study of Hospital-Newspaper Relations in Florida.
- Creator
-
Lennon, Mary C.K., ,, Social Sciences
- Abstract / Description
-
Florida Technological University College of Social Sciences Thesis
- Date Issued
- 1977
- Identifier
- CFR0008128, ucf:52965
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0008128
- Title
- A STUDY OF THE COMPARISON BETWEEN TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL CLIMATE AND THE EXISTENCE OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY DIMENSIONS.
- Creator
-
Kelton, Kathryn, McGee, Janet, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research study was conducted to determine whether teachersÂÂ' perceptions of climate within a school had a significant influence on the dimensions that support a community of professional learners. Teachers from ten middle schools in one central Florida school district completed a combined survey design which included questions pertaining to both climate characteristics and Professional Learning Community (PLC) dimensions. Foundational theories regarding both...
Show moreThis research study was conducted to determine whether teachersÂÂ' perceptions of climate within a school had a significant influence on the dimensions that support a community of professional learners. Teachers from ten middle schools in one central Florida school district completed a combined survey design which included questions pertaining to both climate characteristics and Professional Learning Community (PLC) dimensions. Foundational theories regarding both learning organizations and organizational climate were explored. Recent research on the development of professional learning communities and school climate was also examined. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to investigate each research question; these statistics included Spearman rho correlations, multiple regressions, and chi-square analyses. Findings demonstrated that the null hypotheses were rejected or partially rejected for each research question. Significant relationships were found between teachersÂÂ' perceptions of school climate and the dimensions of a PLC. Of the demographic variables, only years of teaching experience was found to be not significantly related to the school climate dimensions. The implications of these results validate the importance of building a climate of supportive principal behavior and committed and collegial teacher behaviors, as demonstrated by the significant relationship of these characteristics to schools exhibiting higher degrees of the dimensions that constitute a PLC. Educational stakeholders wishing to develop schools into job-embedded communities of learners with evidence of the five dimensions (shared leadership, shared vision, collective creativity, peer review and supportive conditions) must attend to developing the climate behaviors necessary for that to occur. As demonstrated by the research results, establishing an appropriate school climate that promotes professional interaction, support, and teacher commitment to students is a strong place to begin.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003333, ucf:48460
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003333
- Title
- PERCEPTIONS OF RISK AND NEED IN THE CLASSIFICATION AND SUPERVISION OF OFFENDERS IN THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS SETTING: THE ROLE OF GENDER.
- Creator
-
Gould, Laurie, Paoline, Eugene, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Risk has emerged as a defining feature of punishment in the United States. Feeley and Simon (1992) note that contemporary punishment is increasingly moving away from rehabilitation (the old penology) and moving toward the management and control of offenders (the new penology), often though actuarial techniques. While the profusion of risk assessment instruments, now entering their fourth generation, provides some support for the assertion that risk is indeed an important element in...
Show moreRisk has emerged as a defining feature of punishment in the United States. Feeley and Simon (1992) note that contemporary punishment is increasingly moving away from rehabilitation (the old penology) and moving toward the management and control of offenders (the new penology), often though actuarial techniques. While the profusion of risk assessment instruments, now entering their fourth generation, provides some support for the assertion that risk is indeed an important element in corrections, it was previously unknown if the risk model applied to all offenders, particularly female offenders. This dissertation addressed that gap by examining whether the risk model applied to female offenders in the community corrections setting. This dissertation surveyed 93 community corrections officers employed by the Orange County Community Corrections Department. The findings suggest that the department has incorporated many elements of the new penology into the classification and supervision of offenders in each of its units, though several gender differences were noted. Classification overrides, the perceived level of risk to the community, supervision decisions, and the perceived importance of risk and need factors were all examined in this study. The results indicate that some elements of classification and supervision function uniformly for offenders and operate irrespective of gender, but some areas, such as the perceived level of risk to the community and the perceived importance of risk factors, are influenced by gender.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002008, ucf:47623
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002008
- Title
- PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGES' PREPARATIONS FOR THE ADVENT OF HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION.
- Creator
-
Wyly, Sharon, Tubbs, LeVester, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Throughout the literature, researchers reported on the problems that post-secondary institutions have had with technology (Birchard, 2001; Green, 2003; Starrett & Rogers, 2003;). Given limited budgets and the need to train faculty and staff, many colleges have struggled to find a way to use technology to enhance, not hinder, pedagogy (Cuban, 2001; Oppenheimer, 2003). This study was conducted to examine the impact of the federally mandated change in the television standard to high definition...
Show moreThroughout the literature, researchers reported on the problems that post-secondary institutions have had with technology (Birchard, 2001; Green, 2003; Starrett & Rogers, 2003;). Given limited budgets and the need to train faculty and staff, many colleges have struggled to find a way to use technology to enhance, not hinder, pedagogy (Cuban, 2001; Oppenheimer, 2003). This study was conducted to examine the impact of the federally mandated change in the television standard to high definition television (HDTV) on Florida's community colleges. Surveys were sent to the chief technology officers of the 28 community colleges in Florida. Additionally, eight interviews were conducted in five of the institutions. From both the qualitative data and the quantitative data, a picture emerged of the institutions and the conversion status. Of the 17 survey respondents, 11 reported no plans for conversion. Of those that did have plans for conversion, few concrete details were reported. Instead, the representatives of the institutions seemed to believe that it was not necessary to make plans for the change to HDTV. Costs represented the major concern of the survey respondents with implementation and training listed as the second and third most important issues. Many participants from the community colleges had some thoughts about HDTV, but these were more on the departmental level rather than college-wide. HDTV was projected to become the television standard in February 2009. The long lead time on this innovation should have provided community colleges with time to plan. As revealed, however, community colleges in Florida failed to plan for change.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002005, ucf:47629
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002005
- Title
- EFFECTS ON TEACHERS' MATHEMATICS CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OF A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY.
- Creator
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Price, Beverley, Kaplan, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this research was to study the implementation of a professional learning community comprised of one group of third-grade teachers in a Florida elementary school where the emphasis was on research-based practices in the teaching of mathematics. Investigated were the growth of teachers' content knowledge in mathematics, specifically in the areas of multiplication and division, and the effects of their professional learning within their classrooms. Specifically this study looked...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to study the implementation of a professional learning community comprised of one group of third-grade teachers in a Florida elementary school where the emphasis was on research-based practices in the teaching of mathematics. Investigated were the growth of teachers' content knowledge in mathematics, specifically in the areas of multiplication and division, and the effects of their professional learning within their classrooms. Specifically this study looked at whether or not the participation of a group of third grade teachers in a professional learning community PLC improved the mathematical content knowledge of the participants of the study. This research design called for the research to be conducted in three phases. In Phase I, the researcher interviewed all participants using a researcher-designed interview guide. A researcher-adapted survey, based upon previously released items Ball (2008) was administered as a pre-test of mathematical content knowledge,. In Phase II of the study, the researcher documented the activities that occurred within a 10-week long professional learning community (PLC) of third-grade teachers. In Phase III of the research, a post-study interview was conducted with each of the participants by an independent observer to elicit participants' perceptions and observations based on their participation in the PLC. A post-test of content knowledge was also administered to the participants. Several themes were identified in the research study. These themes led to recommendations for practice and future research. Themes were related to the lack of mathematical understanding experienced by some teachers and the lack of professional development specifically related to mathematics, the value of the professional learning community, and the benefits of sharing current research and best practices. During this study, the participants were able to read and share examples of research-based best practices in mathematics, and participants then used this new information and additional mathematics content knowledge in their classrooms in teaching their students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003619, ucf:48856
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003619
- Title
- Nursing Students and Tuckman's Theory: Building Community Using Cohort Development.
- Creator
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Austin, George, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Owens, James, Boyd, Tammy, Cox, Thomas, Allred, Kelly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study explored the phenomenon of first year students who lived in a nursing living learning community and their experiences during their first year. The researcher utilized a qualitative research methodology to investigate the social and academic aspects that influenced these students as they worked to prepare to apply to the nursing program on their way to becoming nurses. Of the 68 students who lived in the community in the first two years, 12 were interviewed in a face-to-face setting...
Show moreThis study explored the phenomenon of first year students who lived in a nursing living learning community and their experiences during their first year. The researcher utilized a qualitative research methodology to investigate the social and academic aspects that influenced these students as they worked to prepare to apply to the nursing program on their way to becoming nurses. Of the 68 students who lived in the community in the first two years, 12 were interviewed in a face-to-face setting. The researcher used Tuckman's Stages of Group Development as the framework for this study, recognizing that groups go through several stages depending on the length of time that the group is together. The participants' experiences were examined on a group and individual level, in order to fully understand their experiences in the community, including their persistence through applying to and enrolling in the nursing program. This study brought voice to the experiences of the students, helping to understand why they came together, how the community developed, and what lessons the students took away from living in this community. It was made clear during the interviews that the students chose to live in the community where they would be surrounded by students with the same goals. They also felt very strongly about academics taking a priority over social events, and believed that the community should have a second semester common course to keep the students working together throughout the duration of the first year.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004972, ucf:49576
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004972
- Title
- UNDERSTANDING COLLABORATION, ITS ANTECEDENTS AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES IN SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
- Creator
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Concha, Maritza, Kapucu , Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study is to assess the motivations of community-based organizations (CBOs) staff to participate in service partnerships and their influence on collaboration practices and perceived outcomes of collaborative efforts. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between exogenous variables (motivational factors) and endogenous variables (inter-organizational collaboration and perceived outcomes). This study also uses qualitative methods to address...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to assess the motivations of community-based organizations (CBOs) staff to participate in service partnerships and their influence on collaboration practices and perceived outcomes of collaborative efforts. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between exogenous variables (motivational factors) and endogenous variables (inter-organizational collaboration and perceived outcomes). This study also uses qualitative methods to address perceptions on collaboration not captured by the survey instrument. A total of 538 service partnership staff (supervisors and front liners) received the survey's link or a copy of the survey to participate. Out of the 538, 217 completed the survey which represents a 40% response rate. Due to missing responses and multiple outliers, 201 observations were used for analysis. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that the development of service partnerships are mostly affected by environmental factors related to solving social problems which accounts for 37% of variance in inter-organizational collaboration. Empirical evidence from this study has shown that CBOs staff have the tendency to work for the purpose of meeting their social missions. Furthermore, inter-organizational collaboration accounts for 76% of variance in perceived outcomes. When a three factor collaboration model was created, it was further noticed that cognitive and resource reciprocity statistically significant influence perceived outcomes where differences in the perceptions of front liners and supervisors were also found. These findings highlight important aspects to understand the collaboration dynamics of service partnerships and also points out the different views of community based organization staff regarding the motivation to collaborate and the impact of collaboration practices in perceived collaboration outcomes. However, it is also important to note that findings on the comparison between front liners and supervisors are exploratory in nature as there could be other external factors that could affect the impact in inter-organizational collaboration and collaboration outcomes. Regarding the focus groups, three themes emerged with respect to the motivations for participating in service partnerships. Agents for social change, building relationships and needs of resources are recurrent themes that explained the desires to collaborate. On collaboration practices, two main general themes emerged which are interdependence and partnership values. Lastly, impacting the community, sustainability issues and expanding services were the main themes found when perception of service partnership outcomes was addressed. Findings of this study suggest further exploration on multi-dimensional models of collaboration, investigate differences in staff perceptions, and continue exploring the influence of social threat responsiveness in inter-organizational collaboration and perceived partnerships outcomes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003959, ucf:48709
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003959
- Title
- Flying under the LiDAR: relating forest structure to bat community diversity.
- Creator
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Butterfield, Anna, Weishampel, John, Noss, Reed, King, Joshua, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Bats are important to many ecological processes such as pollination, insect (and by proxy, disease) control, and seed dispersal and can be used to monitor ecosystem health. However, they are facing unprecedented extinction risks from habitat degradation as well as pressures from pathogens (e.g., white-nose syndrome) and wind turbines. LiDAR allows ecologists to measure structural variables of forested landscapes with increased precision and accuracy at broader spatial scales than previously...
Show moreBats are important to many ecological processes such as pollination, insect (and by proxy, disease) control, and seed dispersal and can be used to monitor ecosystem health. However, they are facing unprecedented extinction risks from habitat degradation as well as pressures from pathogens (e.g., white-nose syndrome) and wind turbines. LiDAR allows ecologists to measure structural variables of forested landscapes with increased precision and accuracy at broader spatial scales than previously possible. This study used airborne LiDAR to classify forest habitat/canopy structure at the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS) in north central Florida. LiDAR data were acquired by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) airborne observation platform in summer 2014. OSBS consists of open-canopy pine savannas, closed-canopy hardwood hammocks, and seasonally inundated basin marshes. Multiple forest structural parameters (e.g., mean, maximum, and standard deviation of canopy height) were derived from LiDAR point clouds using the USDA software program FUSION. K-means clustering was used to segregate each 5x5 m raster across the ~3765 ha OSBS area into six different clusters based on the derived canopy metrics. Cluster averages for maximum, mean, and standard deviation of return heights ranged from 0 to 19.4 m, 0 to 15.3 m, and 0 to 3.0 m, respectively. To determine the relationships among these landscape-canopy features and bat species diversity and abundances, AnaBat II bat detectors were deployed from May to September in 2015 stratified by these distinct clusters. A statistical regression model selection approach was performed in order to evaluate how forest structural attributes such as understory clutter, vertical canopy structure, open and closed canopy, etc. and landscape metrics influence bat communities. The most informative models showed that a combination of site-specific (e.g., midstory clutter and entropy) and landscape level attributes (e.g., area of water and service road length) contributed to bat community patterns. This knowledge provides a deeper understanding of habitat-species interactions to better manage survival of these species and provides insight into new tools for landscape management as they apply to specific species.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006177, ucf:51151
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006177
- Title
- Female student services staff perceptions of safety on a state college campus: An exploratory study.
- Creator
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Chimera, Catherine, Owens, J. Thomas, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Preston, Michael, Haciomeroglu, Erhan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of female student services staff members' perceptions of safety on a state college campus. Through the lens of social construction theory, six staff members were interviewed about their views of safety both on and off campus. The goal of this study was to better understand how female staff members formed their perceptions of safety on campus, through social, political and cultural processes. The results of this...
Show moreThe purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of female student services staff members' perceptions of safety on a state college campus. Through the lens of social construction theory, six staff members were interviewed about their views of safety both on and off campus. The goal of this study was to better understand how female staff members formed their perceptions of safety on campus, through social, political and cultural processes. The results of this study were that although the informants all were aware of the same threats and dangers on campus, they each had differing views on how safe they were while on campus. Of the six interviewed, two expressed daily concern for their safety, two were aware of dangers, but not overly fearful, and two did not feel fearful for their safety at all. Although each informant knew about their campus safety amenities, only two had used their services, one that expressed concern daily, and one that was not overly fearful. Social influences such as televised news programs and Internet articles played a factor in how the employees viewed their safety. Overall, seven major themes were discovered including campus concern, concern over student behavior, self-protection, off campus concerns, social influences, lack of concern, and lack of information. The study concluded with the researcher's recommendations that female student services staff members become knowledgeable about crimes happening on their campuses and about utilizing services they have available to them, as well as emphasizing the importance of office location, especially the proximity to coworkers working similar schedules.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006448, ucf:51420
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006448
