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In the present study, using a relational efficacy framework, I examined the advisory working alliance and its associations with research self-efficacy among clinical and counseling psychology PhD students. Moreover, I examined whether the research training environment (RTE) and relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) mediated the relationship between the advisory working alliance and research self-efficacy. Finally, I examined whether other-efficacy moderated the relationship between RISE and research self-efficacy. Utilizing Qualtrics software, 144 PhD students from American Psychological Association-accredited clinical and counseling psychology programs completed questionnaires measuring the advisory working alliance, RTE, RISE, other efficacy, and research self-efficacy. Results from path analysis found that RISE mediated the relationship between the advisory working alliance and research self-efficacy. Although RTE did not mediate this relationship, the advisory alliance significantly and positively predicted student perceptions of the larger RTE. Moreover, other-efficacy moderated the relationship between RISE and research self-efficacy. It appears that the advisory working alliance transmits relationship-specific information to students that in turn fosters students' perceived research self-efficacy. However, the extent to which this relationship-specific information fosters research self-efficacy may depend in part on the extent to which students view their advisors as adept and competent researchers. Lastly, positive advisory alliances may play a key role in shaping students' perceptions of the larger RTE. Theoretical and training implications are discussed accordingly. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Many studies using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a theoretical platform have emphasized the importance of knowing students' motivational orientations in education, and stated that autonomy-supportive or controlling learning climates are significant to determine students' motivational resources, academic achievement, and classroom engagement. Although there are many studies in the general education domain on these issues, there are few studies which focus specifically on foreign language learning especially basic language skill courses in the relevant literature. By this study, it is aimed to investigate respectively Turkish English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) speaking course students' motivational orientations; to demonstrate the relations among intrinsic and extrinsic orientations of students, their self-perception of competence, autonomy, learning climate and classroom engagement; and lastly to examine the effects of students' perceptions of autonomy supportive or suppressive learning climates on their perceived competence, autonomous regulation, self-determined levels and engagement within the framework of SDT. In order to fulfill these aims, 142 pre-service teachers who are enrolled in EFL speaking courses at preparatory and first grades in a Turkish university were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess these constructs, followed up with oral interviews with seven specially selected participants. In brief, research findings showed that students are generally intrinsically motivated to speak English, and more self-determined motivational orientations are important predictors in determining students' competence, autonomous regulation, and their course engagement. In addition, it also revealed that instructors' autonomy supportive or controlling motivating styles were directly effective on students' self-perceptions about competence and autonomy, and had an indirect effect on students' self-determined levels and classroom engagement with the mediators, competence and autonomy. At the end of the study, in the light of research findings, some effective classroom instruction strategies and suggestions were developed to motivate learners to speak English volitionally by overcoming some psychological barriers. The following are appended: (1) Faculty permission; (2) T-test results about the participants; (3) Questionnaires; (4) Open-ended interview questions; and (5) Full path analysis model.

The purpose of this study was to explore areas of research in regards to how students learn about violent crime on university campuses and what level of awareness they hold regarding their personal safety. A combination of databases was used to measure reported rates of violent crime on campus and in the community and these were compared with students' self-perceptions of safety and personal exposure to violence through an online survey distributed to 7,000 students at eight diverse universities throughout the United States. The survey determined that students were more aware of their personal safety than most researchers were giving them credit for. The students were largely dependent upon and trusting in their university to provide them with the information they needed to keep them safe. The university's internal and external communications messages (emails and news media coverage) were a large factor in determining how safe a student felt. Overall, there were few differences in perceptions of safety from demographics (except year of schooling). There was however strong consistencies in perceptions of universities per university, suggesting that the university itself is actually the greatest factor determining students' self-perceptions of safety and that the university's safety perception was largely determined by through media coverage. The university proved such a strong factor that it even outweighed a students' personal experience with violence as a key factor in how safe a student felt. I believe that this exploratory study now indicates that future research in the field should focus on universities' safety images and whether or not this is making students feel artificially safe or unsafe as a result. Appended are copies of the survey instrument and emails as well as feedback from respondents. (Contains 19 tables and 21 figures.)

The primary purpose of this study was to collect evidence on the construct validity of grit using convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity principles. To accomplish this purpose and extend previous research on grit, college students from two schools completed an instrument comprised of a cognitive ability test, and a questionnaire. The questionnaire was comprised of existing and multiple measures of grit, interest, self-efficacy, locus of control, and conscientiousness along with a number of college success measures. Structural equation modeling was used as the primary statistical analysis technique. Factor analysis, correlation analysis, and path analysis were also used. First, the results from a series of exploratory factor analyses based on four sources of evidence revealed four different factor structures of grit: (a) two-factor structure comprised of perseverance of effort and consistency of interest, (b) three-factor structure comprised of goal attainment, focus, and perseverance, (c) four-factor structure comprised of perseverance of effort, consistency of interest, harmonious passion and obsessive passion, and (d) two-factor structure comprised of grit and passion. Second, the results based on four different path analysis models found conscientiousness to be the sole predictor of both GPA and long-term college goals. Conscientiousness was an even better predictor of college success than cognitive ability -- not grit. Third, a series of correlation analyses based on different measures of grit and conscientiousness found a statistically significant strong positive relationship between grit and conscientiousness. Fourth, the resulting confirmatory factor analysis' Pearson correlation coefficients revealed a statistically significant "strong" to "very strong" positive relationship among all five latent constructs: interest, self-efficacy, locus of control, conscientiousness, and grit. Finally, results from the structural equation model found interest to be a predictor of subjective college success and conscientiousness to be the dominant predictor of both subjective college success and objective college success. Overall, the results from this study indicate that grit was not only hardly distinguishable from conscientiousness and other motivational constructs, it disappeared altogether. The dominant predictor of college success was conscientiousness. The popularity around grit may just be in its name. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Math fluency, which refers to the ability to solve single digit arithmetic problems quickly and accurately, is a foundational mathematical skill. Recent research has examined the role of phonological processing, executive control, and number sense in explaining differences in math fluency performance in school-aged children. Identifying the links between these cognitive abilities and math fluency skills has important implications for screening, assessment, and intervention efforts in schools. As extant mathematics research in the context of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory has evaluated either broad mathematics performance or math calculation skills, little is known about the specific relationships between math fact fluency and broad and narrow cognitive abilities. The present study investigated the relationships among Math Fact Fluency performance and the CHC theory-aligned broad and narrow cognitive abilities using a child-age subset of the Woodcock Johnson IV standardization sample. Results of the path analyses indicated that General Intellectual Ability (GIA) exhibited significant direct and indirect effects on Math Fact Fluency performance. With regard to broad cognitive abilities, Processing Speed had the greatest direct effect on Math Fact Fluency. Likewise, in the narrow abilities model, Perceptual Speed was most related to Math Fact Fluency, after accounting for GIA. Contrary to initial hypotheses, Working Memory, Phonetic Coding, and Attentional Control did not significantly contribute to Math Fact Fluency. Finally, the inclusion of Math Problem Solving within the cognitive abilities model resulted in a moderate direct effect on Math Fact Fluency performance. These findings are discussed in terms of directions for future research as well as implications for clinicians and educators. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Employees in the workplace continue to exhibit low levels of engagement and organizational commitment that impede change initiatives, and despite more than 70 years of research on organization change, higher education organizations fail to regularly implement and institutionalize effective change. This study examined the role a sense of community plays in the change process, including the beliefs of faculty and staff and their commitment to institutionalize change. This study used path analysis to determine the direct and indirect effects of a psychological sense of community, analyzing 114 faculty and staff responses from a public 4-year institution undergoing a significant organizational transformation. The path model resulted in an excellent fit of chi[superscript 2](1) = 9.491 (p = 0.303), CFI = 0.996, and RMSEA = 0.041. Findings indicated that a psychological sense of community directly affects faculty and staff beliefs about change, including appropriateness (R[superscript 2] = 0.296), principal support (R[superscript 2] = 0.399), efficacy (R[superscript 2] = 0.310), and valence (R[superscript 2] = 0.439). Within these change beliefs, appropriateness was the pathway through which a psychological sense of community indirectly affected employees' affective commitment to change (R[superscript 2] = 0.549). The implications of this study provide positive approaches for organizational leaders to appropriately build environments in which employees become engaged through experiencing a sense of belonging, influence, interdependence, and a shared emotional connection that supports and sustains the changes necessary for institutions to succeed in a time when internal and external stakeholders demand change in higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

An individual's choice to share or have control of the sharing or withholding of their personal health information is one of the most significant public policy challenges associated with electronic information exchange. There were four aims of this study. First, to describe predictors of health data sharing preferences of consumers. Second, to test a hypothesized path diagram to understand the strength, path, and direction of relationships between and among the constructs of information privacy, data security, data sharing preferences, and consumer-mediated exchange (C-ME). Third, to create a theoretical model. Fourth, to make recommendations describing data governance structures needed for personally identifiable information in consumer-mediated data management. Study findings indicate two levels of health data sharing preferences exist (a) sharing between providers and (b) personal access to health information. The theoretical model showed data security and information privacy have a positive, direct relationship on consumer health data sharing preferences with respect to the types of data and mechanisms used to share personally identifiable health information. Results of this study were used to propose an integrated system approach to design, management, and control of consumer-mediated data management. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study is to inform and further the discussion of academic (i.e., teachers and school counselors) and non-academic (i.e., parents, family, friends, etc.) validating agents on Latina students' mathematics and science self-concepts. This study found a relationship between Latina students' interactions with academic and non-academic validating agents and their math and science self-concept at the K-12 level. Through the review of the literature the researcher addresses identifiable factors and strategies that inform the field of education in the areas of validation theory, family characteristics, and access to STEM fields for Latina students. The researcher used an established instrument designed, administered, and validated through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For purposes of this study, a categorical subset of participants who self-identified as being a Latina student was used. As a result, the total subset number in this study was N = 1,882. To determine if academic and non-academic validating agents had an observable statistically significant relationship with Latina students' math and science self-concept, a series of one-way ANOVAs were calculated to compare differences in students' math and science self-concept based on academic and non-academic validating agents for the weighted sample of Latinas for the "HLS:09" survey. A path analysis was also employed to assess the factors involved in Latina students' math and science self-concepts. The findings are consistent with previous research involving the influence that academic and non-academic validating agents have on the math and science self-concept of Latina students. The results indicated that students who had teachers that believed in the students, regardless of family background, social economic status or home environment influences had higher math and science self concepts than those who did not. Similarly, it was found that students who had counselors that set high standards of learning and believed that all students could do well had higher math and science self concept than those who did not. Students who had parents that encouraged and discussed taking more math and science courses had higher math and science self concepts than those who did not. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There is evidence that participating in physical exercise reduces stress and the risk of many physical maladies. Exercise is also correlated with higher levels of approach motivation, or a tendency to approach challenge as an opportunity for growth or improvement instead of an opportunity for failure. To date, most research on this relationship has been correlational, so it is not clear whether increasing levels of exercise will also increase the level of approach motivation. If exercise is found to lead to the development of approach motivation, college students might be encouraged to exercise as a means of cultivating this motivational tendency. This is important because approach motives have been found to optimize the transition to adulthood. College students are presented with a plethora of challenges during this time in life, as they learn to live independently (away from home), explore their professional identity, and prepare for their professional lives. College students are more likely to be successful with these challenges if they employ an approach motivational style, as opposed to an avoidant style, which focuses on avoiding failure by reducing or avoiding challenge. Using an 8-week experimental design, participants were assigned to a control group or a treatment group of new exercisers to determine if exercise results in increases in approach motivation. Treatment group participants briskly walked either outdoors or indoors to determine if exercise context moderates the relationship. Given the body of research that suggests spending time outdoors amplifies the benefits of exercise, it was predicted that exercising outdoors (vs. indoors) would have a stronger positive impact on the relationship between exercise and approach motivation. The process model hypothesized in this study suggests that increases in exercise-specific self-efficacy contribute to increases in exercise-specific approach motivation and general self-efficacy, which, in turn, both contribute to increases in general approach motivation. This model was tested using multi-group path analysis. The multi-group path analysis indicates a good fit for the model, with the strongest paths being from exercise-specific self-efficacy to general self-efficacy, exercise-specific self-efficacy to exercise-specific approach motivation, and from exercise-specific approach motivation to global approach motivation. In the individual group path analyses, model fit and path contributions varied. Data from the non-exercising control group fit the model but none of the paths were significant. For the exercising control group the paths from exercise self-efficacy to general self-efficacy, and from general self-efficacy to general approach motivation were all significant, but the path from exercise self-efficacy to exercise-specific approach motivation was not significant. For the indoor exercising treatment group, the paths from exercise-specific self-efficacy to exercise-specific approach motivation and general self-efficacy, and from general self-efficacy to global approach motivation were all significant, but the path from exercise-specific approach motivation to global approach motivation was not significant. The outdoor exercising treatment group experienced significant improvements on all variables except exercise-specific approach motivation, but the data did not fit the model. The prediction that exercising outside would enhance the model outcomes was not supported, however, there may have been confounding variables. Small sample size, variability of outdoor activity location, and perceptions of campus safety may have diluted the treatment's effects. While previous studies have focused on the predictive nature of approach motivation for well-being, this study provides support for one's ability to "develop" approach motivation tendencies. For college students, walking programs may encourage the development of approach motivation at a time when opportunities to approach challenge are abundant. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) students are often characterized as model minorities. However, AAPI students represent many diverse communities and a wide spectrum of achievement. Each AAPI culture may experience varying levels of biculturalism and acculturation that can influence students' academic success. This quantitative study disaggregated and analyzed 2008 standardized CAT/6 seventh-grade reading and mathematics test scores by five AAPI cultures (Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Laotian, and Samoan). Common themes emerged and differences among cultures became evident. Students' test scores were analyzed using variance, correlations, and multiple linear path analysis models. Results showed students in each culture performed differently than other cultures depending upon: parent educations' level, participation in a lunch program, gender, home language, and English language proficiencies. Path analysis models revealed the relative magnitudes of each variable's influence on students' mathematics and reading scores. Variables showed differing degrees of influence among cultures; however, individual student capabilities and English proficiency were consistently the two highest ranked factors influencing student success. Laotians and Samoans often departed from the trends of the other cultures. Administrators and policy makers should disaggregate data to examine their student population. Finding struggling students, even in a group of otherwise thriving students, will help all students receive an equitable education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study explored the factors that impact students' perception of technology benefits and their impact on overall university student satisfaction of 522 undergraduate students at a large Midwestern research university. The purpose of the study was to identify personal (input) and environmental measures that impact student's overall university satisfaction (output), using Astin's Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) theory as the theoretical framework (Astin, 1993). The study followed a quantitative, non-experimental design, and used a series of constructed scales to measure perceived technology benefits and overall student satisfaction. The Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey was administered in 2013 at the campus studied. Results from the Technology module, along with core data provided by the institution, measured the personal and environmental predictor variables. Multiple variable regression and path analysis were used to construct the resulting path diagram. The results of the regression to predict Perceived Technology Benefits indicated a combination of variables explained 25.5% of the variance, depicting a statistically significant model with a small to medium effect size. Results show the Perceived Technology Benefits variable was significantly correlated with seven predictor variables: Instructor Technology Ability, Social Networking, Online Course Preference, Instructor Technology Usage, Engagement with Faculty, Course Specific Behaviors, and Proficiency Social Dimensions. Out of these, the first four entered into the path analysis model. The two strongest predictors were related to the environment, while the other two were input variables. The results of the regression to predict Overall Student Satisfaction indicated a combination of variables explained 32.9% of the variance, depicting a statistically significant model with a medium effect size. Overall Student Satisfaction was significantly correlated with all 13 predictors, with nine entering into the path analysis model: Instructor Technology Ability, Technology Obstacles, Course Specific Behaviors, Instructor Technology Usage, Engagement with Faculty, Socioeconomic Status, Proficiency Social Dimensions, and Online Course Preference. Year-in-school bordered on significance (p = 0.058) and was also included in the final model. This resulted in five input variables and four environmental variables impacting Overall Student Satisfaction. The second research question asked, "Does college of enrollment affect Perceived Technology Benefits and moderate the effects of the technology experience on Overall Student Satisfaction?" College was found to have a significant impact on Perceived Technology Benefits at the p < 0.05 level, but was not found to be significant for Overall Student Satisfaction. Increased emphasis and ongoing research related to technology usage, student and faculty technology satisfaction, implementation, oversight, and administration are recommended in order to properly guide U.S. postsecondary campus instructional technology investments. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation builds on an alternative framework for evaluation of science, technology and innovation (STI) outcomes--the scientific & technical (S&T) human capital which was developed by Bozeman, Dietz and Gaughan (2001). At its core, this framework looks beyond simple economic and publication metrics and instead focuses on scientists' social capital. The premise of the framework is that science does not happen in vacuum and that resources embedded in scientists' social networks are important and enduring outcomes of the scientific process that were not being captured by traditional metrics. This dissertation examines social capital of science and engineering (S&E) graduate students, an underrepresented group of stakeholders in STI evaluations. S&E graduate students are unique for several reasons. In comparison with students in other disciplines, S&E graduate students have a greater proportion of international students; are widely employed by industry in numbers exceeded only by business graduates. And, most importantly, S&E graduates pursue education in fields that contribute the most to the US innovation capacity. This dissertation introduces a multidimensional measure of social capital based on the network theory of social capital proposed by Nan Lin (1999). According to Lin, social capital consists of three components: "availability of resources" and "social embeddedness" in one's network and "mobilization" of these resources. In order to address these elements, the dissertation employs two studies that focus on different components of social capital. Study 1 looks at accessibility of resources in students' social networks and whether students would be likely to mobilize them by using a proxy measure of norms and values about collaborations. The study also addresses the effect of social capital on students' experiences and outcomes, specifically, on their satisfaction and perceived career preparedness. The researcher investigates the mechanisms that explain other students' outcomes by employing data from a matched sample of S&E doctoral students trained at the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers, I/UCRCs (N = 173), and doctoral students from the same universities and disciplines who were trained more traditionally (N = 87). Two exploratory path models demonstrate the important role of "availability" of network resources and "proxy for mobilizing" them on students' perceived career preparedness and satisfaction with their training. Study 2 is a case study of one I/UCRC's whole social network. The researcher attempts to provide a better understanding of the "embeddedness" components of students' social capital in their I/UCRC network. The case study has significant limitations in that findings cannot be generalized to the population of I/UCRC students. Nevertheless, findings are interesting for the one I/UCRC. The students scored significantly higher on preparedness when they had higher out-degree centrality, indicator of how much they reach out to other center's personnel. Also, a visual representation of the whole I/UCRC social network could be used to understand better students' embeddedness. Both studies show that social capital is a very hard concept to measure mainly because of its different dimensions. Nevertheless, they also show that social capital is a useful tool for comparing students' outcomes in different STI programs. A focus on students and social capital is one of the ways the S&T human capital model can be applied in evaluation of the STI programs. Such focus provides a considerable contrast to linear STI metrics that focus on long-term outcomes and often exclude students all together. It is important to provide information about the human side of science in its current state including students' graduate training, experiences and social networks. In addition, inclusion of students provides a view into the future--an opportunity to look at science of tomorrow as the same students will be part of the scientific elite networks in the near future. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There often exists an immense disparity between the idealized goals of classroom teachers and the actual shortcomings of these educators. Strategies have been devised and programs have been implemented to enable teachers to be successful; however, these practices often lack the empowerment to sustain teachers through the arduous tasks and demands of being an educator. Teacher education programs, professional development, and teacher curriculum are oftentimes not designed to equip teachers to overcome adversity and discouragement, let alone thrive in the teaching profession. The question is, then, "Why do some teachers persevere through adversity, while demonstrating effective practices?" The research on teacher effectiveness has largely examined the techniques and strategies that equip teachers to be effective, but there is very little research that has investigated the effect of teacher spirituality upon teachers' beliefs regarding their own efficacy (teacher self-efficacy). The study included 333 teacher participants from 2 school districts in San Gabriel Valley, California, representing elementary, middle, and high schools. The 16-item Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) was used to measure teacher spirituality, which included the 2 constructs of "connection to God" and "transcendent beliefs regarding life". The 24-item Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) was utilized to measure teacher self-efficacy. The scale was comprised of 3 constructs: "student engagement", "instructional strategies", and "classroom management". Path analysis was conducted to explore significant path coefficients between the constructs. The study revealed that "transcendent beliefs regarding life" had a direct effect on "student engagement", along with indirect effects on both "instructional strategies" and "classroom management". Although "connection to God" possessed no direct effect on teacher self-efficacy, the construct was significantly related to "transcendent beliefs regarding life". It is recommended that a confirmatory study be conducted to better understand both the direct and indirect relationships of "connection to God" and "transcendent beliefs regarding life" with "student engagement" and "instructional strategies". [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The relationships that students have with their parents and peers permeate their lives both inside and outside of the classroom. The purpose of the present exploratory study is to assess (a) the psychometric quality of measures gauging the latent variables of adolescents' perceptions of their relatedness to both parents and peers and (b) the effects that these latent variables have on each other and on student-perceived academic competence. The nationally representative study sample consists of 8,607 students in Grades 6 to 10 who responded to the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey. The survey data were obtained from an extant, publicly available data set. The data were used to build targeted latent variables measuring sense of relatedness to parents, sense of relatedness to peers, and students' perceived academic competence. The student responses to survey items serve as observed indicators of the latent variables of interest (relatedness to parents, relatedness to peers, and perceived academic competence). These items were used to build the scales measuring perceived relatedness to parents, perceived relatedness to peers, and perceived academic competence. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the constructed scales are structurally valid--that is, good model fit was demonstrated. Reliability analysis indicated acceptable reliability for the perceived relatedness to parents scale, but lower reliability estimates for the perceived relatedness to peers and perceived academic competence scales. Path analysis conducted within a structural equation modeling framework was used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of perceived relatedness to parents and perceived relatedness to peers on perceived academic competence, controlling for differences in socioeconomic status, gender, age, and minority status. Results indicate that both perceived relatedness to parents and perceived relatedness to peers have a positive and statistically significant effect on perceived academic competence. The analysis also yielded a positive and significant indirect effect of perceived relatedness to parents on perceived academic competence via perceived relatedness to peers. Findings on validity and reliability can be used to inform methodological decisions in similar research on testing for validity and reliability of variables gauging relatedness and relationships as well as to assess the effect these variables have on perceived academic competence, achievement, and success in general. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study sought to understand how parental cultural competence (PCC) develops for transracial adoptive parents. PCC refers to the use of cultural socialization by parents for supporting the racial and ethnic identity development of their transracially-adopted children. PCC remains an under researched area within transracial adoption research despite the importance of PCC for predicting positive outcomes for transracially-adopted children. The current study tested the impact of personal multicultural experiences, perceived discrimination, post-adoption support, and social support as significant in the development of PCC using moderated mediation path-analysis of cross-sectional data. Results from this study (n = 201) found a mediated relationship between perceived discrimination and PCC by multicultural experiences. Types of perceived discrimination revealed only racism and discrimination based on transracial adoptive family status were associated with PCC. Sexism and homophobia were associated with a portion of PCC, specifically, racial awareness, but did not predict proactive cultural activities such as coping with racism and planning multicultural activities. One moderated relationship was significant with post-adoption support interacting with the relationships between multicultural experiences and parental cultural competence. The interaction showed when participants had high multicultural experiences, more post-adoption support reduced parental cultural competence. Implications of the results are discussed including issues in post-adoption support, clinical implications for family therapy, and the viability of the construct "cultural competence" in transracial adoption. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study considered whether unmet financial need served as a predictor of retention and how the addition of lottery tuition assistance (LTA) to a financial aid package reduced unmet financial need. Retention was defined as a student who started in Fall, 2008 and returned in Fall, 2009.The two-year college, Greenville Technical College, considered in this study was a mid-size, public, two-year college in the southeastern United States. Path analysis techniques were used to evaluate a model of retention and analyze the relationship between lottery tuition assistance, unmet financial need and retention. Demographic, academic and financial variables were utilized in the study. The model fit statistics indicated a plausible model for retention. Findings from the study showed that unmet financial need had a significant effect on retention. As unmet financial need increases, the probability that a student will be retained decreases. GPA had a significant effect on retention. As GPA increases the probability that a student will be retained increases. Lottery tuition assistance had an indirect effect on retention acting through GPA. The secondary purpose of the study was to determine how the addition of LTA to the financial aid package reduced unmet financial need and the characteristics of students who received LTA. 35.7% of the cohort received lottery tuition assistance. A majority of students who received LTA did not have unmet financial need and therefore had no reduction in unmet financial need. An examination of students who received LTA revealed that most of the students were White/non-Hispanics between the ages of 16 and 21. The conclusion is that a significant negative relationship exists between unmet financial need and retention and that lottery tuition assistance reduces unmet financial need for only 15% of the students in the cohort. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The present research examines the role of morphological awareness in reading comprehension of high school emergent bilinguals. As an increasing number of research studies contribute to our understanding of morphological awareness, i.e. the ability to reflect on and manipulate morphologically complex derived words, we are better able to appreciate some essential components of reading that may have been overlooked in past decades. Previous research suggests that morphological awareness contributes to academic reading vocabulary and higher-level text comprehension, both crucial to the success of secondary school students in the United States (U.S.). The population in the present study is newcomer Spanish-speaking high school students who have a range of reading ability in the first language (L1), and have emerging second language (L2) English and literacy skills. There are two overarching research questions in this study: the first considers the role of linguistic variables, namely Spanish-English cognates, the frequency of morphologically complex derived words, the degree of phonological transparency in morphologically related words, and the linguistic context: semantic or syntactic. The second examines the effect of morphological awareness on reading comprehension in the L1 Spanish, in the L2 English, and across these languages. The effect of morphological awareness on reading comprehension is considered through reading vocabulary as a mediating variable, and analyzed with a series of multiple regression path analyses. Both questions consider differences between L1 Spanish low-proficiency (2nd-4th grade) and high-proficiency (7th-11th grade) readers. Several important contributions come from this study. The first is that linguistic variables do have a significant effect on morphological awareness, with strongest effects from cognates and frequency in English. Second, morphological awareness makes a strong contribution to reading comprehension in both the L1 Spanish and L2 English; and the shared contribution of morphological awareness and reading vocabulary of these two predictors together is strongest. Furthermore, L1 morphological awareness contributes to L2 reading comprehension for those who are reading above the third grade proficiency in English. Implications from this research suggest that higher morphological awareness skills in L1 Spanish helps to foster L2 English vocabulary and reading comprehension skills. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examined the extent to which academic leaders and government officials in Poland differ in their notions of good university governance, and sought to uncover how these notions intersect with global trends in higher education governance. The research objective was to identify the criteria that determine what reforms of university governance in Poland are likely be perceived as acceptable by the two groups of most powerful higher education stakeholders. The dissertation is set against the background of a crisis of public confidence in Polish higher education. After two decades of rapid and uneven system growth, there is broad agreement that the governance framework adopted by public universities in the post-communist transition is hampering higher education institutions' effectiveness and relevance. Path dependence theory suggests that institutional trajectories reinforce social and institutional arrangements selected in the past, constraining the range of future options. In Poland, key stakeholders' conceptions of governance are hypothesized to involve elements of three distinct models of higher education that played a significant role in shaping the nation's universities: the "Humboldtian" model of academic self-rule, the state-centered Soviet model, and the market-based or Anglo-Saxon model. It is also hypothesized that the path of higher education institutions in Poland is influenced by the legacy of hostile foreign rule reinforced in the period of real socialism in Polish social architecture. This legacy affects higher education by virtue of a strong public-private dichotomy, displayed in a distrust of public processes, dual norms of achievement, hostility between the governing and the governed, and populist notions of equality. The implications of these models for institutional governance are operationalized for the purposed of the analytic framework. The author adopted a qualitative approach with elements of ethnography, and the technique of elite interviewing. Study participants included representatives of the Polish government and leaders of four academic institutions in a large academic center. Study findings show that policy actors and academic leaders included in the sample hold distinct views related to the institutional structure of higher education institution, their mission, and the logic of their relationship to the state. Policy actors see higher education institutions as instruments of national development that are at their best when managed by professionals and held accountable by external stakeholders. In contrast, academics see them as autonomous social institutions engaged in the preservation of culture and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, best governed by academic insiders on the basis of social trust. Both visions emerging within the study are recognized by respondents as problematic in Poland's social environment. The notion of external accountability is complicated by the weakness of civil society and a perceived lack of readiness to assume responsibility for the public good in higher education. Meanwhile, the current model of academic self-rule renders academic leaders hostage to their constituencies while setting them at odds with the dominant academic ethos. Likewise, treating higher education institutions as instruments of the state does not achieve desired ends due to regulative mandates and output measures stalling innovation. The alternative, an institutional logic of trust-based accountability preferred by academic leaders, is proving as difficult due to strong norms of in-group loyalty that hamper merit-based evaluation. Divergent views identified in the findings are interpreted as a conflict of two "rationalized myths"--accepted narratives of formal structures rationally fostering desirable ends. They are blueprints whose main attraction is not predicted viability or effectiveness, but symbolic association with a set of deeply held values. The two myths clash within the Polish system in such a way that both sets of goals are compromised. Suggested avenues to escape the impasse are values shared by both myths and therefore potential as sites of path-dependent transformation. These values include merit-based funding for research innovation, elite education, the development of "soft skills," and the empowerment of middle management. Whether path-dependent transformation occurs will be affected by three considerations emerging from the data: the insufficiency of system-wide solutions introduced from the top down by means of regulation alone, the need of new structures for new aims, and the dangers of unreflexive borrowing of foreign organizational forms. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Self-generated questions are a central mechanism for learning, yet students' questions are often infrequent during classroom instruction. As a result, little is known about the nature of student questioning during typical instructional contexts such as listening to a lecture, including the extent and nature of student-generated questions, how students evaluate their questions, and the relations among questions, motivations, and achievement. This study examined the questions undergraduate students (N = 103) generated during 8 lectures in an introductory chemistry course. Students recorded and appraised their question in daily question logs and reported lecture-specific self-efficacy beliefs. Self-efficacy, personal interest, goal orientations, and other motivational self-beliefs were measured before and after the unit. Primary analyses included testing path models, multiple regressions, and latent class analyses. Overall, results indicated that several characteristics of student questioning during lectures were significantly related to various motivations and achievement. Higher end-of-class self-efficacy was associated with fewer procedural questions and more questions that reflected smaller knowledge deficits. Lower exam scores were associated with questions reflecting broader knowledge deficits and students' appraisals that their questions had less value for others than for themselves. Individual goal orientations collectively and positively predicted question appraisals. The questions students generated and their relations with motivational variables and achievement are discussed in light of the learning task and academic context. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Adaptation, or adjustment, is a psycho-social process that occurs when an individual accepts and integrates into his or her life a transition from one situation to another situation (Schlossberg, 1981). Many individuals struggle with transitions because transitions involve changes in the environment, roles, routines, and/or ways of looking at the world. The present investigation examines the transition from high school to college, and explores the interpersonal and individual ways that students manage the changes accompanying this transition. Using Transition Theory as a framework, students' social support networks, coping strategies, self-esteem, and depression are posited to influence students' adaptation to college through educational commitment. 197 students took part in the study by completing an online survey. Students answered questions about their communication with peers, family, and teachers, the coping strategies they employed during the transition, their level of self-esteem, their level of depression, their degree of educational commitment, their extent of adjustment, and questions pertaining to demographic information. A path analysis examined the relationships under investigation. The results of the present study revealed that self-esteem was the strongest predictor of students' adjustment, followed by depression, educational commitment, teacher support, peer support, and family support. While previous studies have not explored the role of educational commitment in the adaptation process, the findings revealed mediation effects. In particular, educational commitment mediated the effects of peer support, family support, teacher support, and self-esteem on students' adaptation. Contrary to the hypothesis, students' coping strategies were not significant predictors of students' adaptation to college. Together, the findings indicate that adaptation is not just a process that happens psychologically within students, but rather adjustment is also a social process that occurs between individuals. Overall, the present study extends the current literature on the transition and adaptation process by clearly identifying and comparing the effects of individual-level variables and interpersonal variables, and by introducing a mediator variable that captures new relationships in the adaptation process. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The objective of this dissertation was to evaluate a bystander behavior program at the Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS) in Roanoke, Virginia. Specifically, this dissertation examined the: (1) preliminary measurement properties of a newly developed bystander behavior intention scale; (2) impact of the bystander intervention at JCHS; and (3) underlying processes that influence bystander behaviors. Approximately 25 percent of college students are in a physically abusive dating relationship (Miller, 2011). Bystander programs are one strategy to decrease dating violence and increase prosocial behaviors (Banyard, 2008; Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007; McMahon & Banyard, 2012). This is one of the first known studies to define bystander behaviors towards dating violence and evaluate a bystander behavior program that was designed to be less resource intensive for college campuses with limited time and funding. This dissertation used a quasi-experimental study design to evaluate the bystander behavior intervention at JCHS. The methods of concept mapping and cognitive interviews were used to develop the survey items (Beatty & Willis, 2007; Kane & Trochim, 2006). Internal consistency of the scale was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the factor structure. Difference-in-difference methods were used to evaluate the program impact (Wooldridge, 2009), and path analysis was used to examine the factors that drive bystander behaviors (DeVellis, 1991). First, the EFA identified that bystander behavioral intentions to prevent dating violence represented a uni-dimensional factor structure with strong factor loadings and internal consistency. Second, using the difference-in-difference method, results showed a positive increase in bystander behaviors before and after the intervention after adjusting for potential confounders. No significant changes were found for bystander intentions, self-efficacy, social norms, or attitudes pre- and post-intervention. Third, results from the multivariate path analysis model show that bystander intentions do not mediate the relationship between self-efficacy, social norms, and attitudes and bystander behaviors, as hypothesized by the Integrated Behavioral Model (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010). However, results suggest that self-efficacy has a moderately strong direct relationship to bystander behaviors. These findings show that a less resource intensive intervention can increase bystander behaviors to prevent dating violence. However, more research is needed to understand the drivers of bystander behaviors, which will help programs target their interventions more effectively in the future. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Our connections to the digital world are invoked by brands, but the intersection of branding and interaction design is still an under-investigated area. Particularly, current websites are designed not only to support essential user tasks, but also to communicate an institution's intended brand values and traits. What we do not yet know, however, is "which design factors affect which aspect of a brand." To demystify this issue, three sub-projects were conducted. The first project developed a systematic approach for evaluating the branding effectiveness of content-intensive websites (BREW). BREW gauges users' brand perceptions on four well-known branding constructs: "brand as product," "brand as organization," "user image," and "brand as person." It also provides rich guidelines for eBranding researchers in regard to planning and executing a user study and making improvement recommendations based on the study results. The second project offered a standardized perceived usability questionnaire entitled DEEP (design-oriented evaluation of perceived web usability). DEEP captures the perceived website usability on five design-oriented dimensions: "content," "information architecture," "navigation," "layout consistency," and "visual guidance." While existing questionnaires assess more holistic concepts, such as ease-of-use and learnability, DEEP can more transparently reveal where the problem actually lies. Moreover, DEEP suggests that the two most critical and reliable usability dimensions are interface consistency and visual guidance. Capitalizing on the BREW approach and the findings from DEEP, a controlled experiment (N = 261) was conducted by manipulating interface consistency and visual guidance of an anonymized university website to see how these variables may affect the university's image. Unexpectedly, consistency did not significantly predict brand image, while the effect of visual guidance on brand perception showed a remarkable gender difference. When visual guidance was significantly worsened, females became much less satisfied with the university in terms of brand as product (e.g., teaching and research quality) and user image (e.g., students' characteristics). In contrast, males' perceptions of the university's brand image stayed the same in most circumstances. The reason for this gender difference was revealed through a further path analysis and a follow-up interview, which inspired new research directions to unpack even more the nexus between branding and interaction design. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Phonological awareness and morphological awareness have been shown to affect Chinese children's reading development. Previous studies conducted in Hong Kong, which required children to read two-character words only or a mixture of single-character and two-character words in a Chinese reading test, exclusively found that morphological awareness was more important than phonological awareness in Chinese reading. The studies conducted in China and Taiwan, which measured Chinese reading only at the single-character level, revealed that morphological awareness and phonological awareness both had their unique contributions to Chinese reading. One possible reason for these somewhat inconsistent results may lie in the fact that reading two-character words presumably involves the analysis of morphological structures, which is rarely engaged in single-character reading. To address the inconsistency in previous findings, the present study aims to separately examine single-character reading and two-character reading among Chinese children in Taiwan, and how phonological awareness and morphological awareness affect the two aspects of Chinese reading. In addition, phonetic radical awareness and semantic radical awareness are also important in learning to read Chinese and theoretically can be fostered by phonological awareness and morphological awareness, respectively. Given this, radical awareness could possibly mediate the relationship between phonological awareness/morphological awareness and Chinese reading. This mediation issue is also investigated in the present study. In this study, a total of 109 monolingual Chinese third graders in Taiwan were administered a battery of tests measuring phonological awareness (onset-rime awareness), morphological awareness (homophone awareness and morphological construction), phonetic radical awareness, semantic radical awareness, vocabulary knowledge, and abilities of single-character and two-character reading. A series of multiple regression analyses and path analyses were conducted to analyze the data. It was found that morphological awareness played a greater role than phonological awareness in both single-character and two-character reading. In addition, phonetic radical awareness completely mediated the relationship between phonological awareness and single-character reading, whereas semantic radical awareness only partially mediated the relationship between morphological awareness and two-character reading. The results are explained from the linguistic, orthographic and developmental perspectives. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this two phase mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to investigate factors that predict preservice teachers' intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms and their ability to carry out their intentions during student teaching. The first phase explored factors based on the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) and the impact of Web 2.0 project on the DTPB factors related to preservice teachers' intentions to integrate Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms. The second, follow-up phase explored preservice teachers' actual practices using Web 2.0 technologies during their student teaching experiences and their perceptions of the factors that facilitated or impeded Web 2.0 technology use in a classroom environment. Surveys and interviews were employed to answer the research questions for both phases of the study. In the first phase, the data were collected via online survey (n = 189) and semi-structured interviews (n = 12). Results of a path analysis showed that preservice teachers' perceived usefulness of Web 2.0 technologies as the strongest determinant of their attitudes. Attitudes, in turn, had the strongest effect on their intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms. Qualitative analysis of open ended survey responses and interview data revealed that preservice teachers considered Web 2.0 technologies useful for improving student engagement, interaction, communication, and enhancing their students' overall learning experiences by using innovative learning tools to which students can relate. Moreover, results indicated that preservice teachers intended to use mostly video editing/sharing technologies, wikis, online office tools, and blogs to improve their students' learning. Furthermore, preservice teachers' attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and intentions to integrate Web 2.0 technologies in a classroom increased significantly after they worked on a Web 2.0 project. In the second phase, which occurred one year after the initial phase, the results of the quantitative survey (n = 14) and qualitative interview (n = 6) data showed that most (12 of 14) of the sampled preservice teachers were able to translate their intentions to actions during student teaching. Although they had previously suggested they intended to use several Web 2.0 tools (video editing/sharing, wikis, blogs, online office tools, etc.), they mostly used video editing/sharing (YouTube) within the classroom. Of the eleven preservice teachers who used Web 2.0 technologies, seven self-reported using Web 2.0 technologies as instructional delivery tools and six reported using them to facilitate student-centered learning. Most (10 of 11) of the preservice teachers' perceived the usefulness of Web 2.0 technologies, their own knowledge and skills (10 of 11), ease of use (7 of 11) and access to technology (7 of 11) as strong facilitators for their use. Two preservice teachers, who had intended to but did not to use Web 2.0 technologies, reported poor access to technology and a lack of support from their supervising teachers as impediments. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Educational reform is most likely to be successful when teachers are knowledgeable about the intended reform, and when their concerns about the reform are understood and addressed. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is an effort to establish a set of nationwide expectations for students and teachers. This study examined teacher understanding of and concerns about mathematical modeling--one of the eight mathematical practice standards in the CCSS. A researcher-developed survey was used combining items from an instrument assessing teachers' understanding of the CCSS with an instrument measuring teacher concerns about curriculum reform. Items specific to mathematical modeling, as well as demographic and open-ended questions, were used to augment these items. Data were collected from 364 teachers in grades K through 12 in eight California school districts. Statistical analysis was used to determine relationships between key variables and teacher concerns and factors that contribute to level of teacher understanding. Interviews of selected participants were conducted to augment quantitative data. Statistical analyses employed included descriptive statistics to determine teachers' understanding of mathematical modeling and willingness to change practice, logistic regression to determine which variables were significant predictors of understanding and to predict group membership regarding understanding of modeling, and factor analysis to determine variables related to teacher concerns about modeling. Multiple regressions were run using resulting factors to determine variables contributing to understanding of modeling. Path analysis was conducted to determine variables that contributed to implementation of modeling in the classroom. Results of the survey and interviews demonstrate that most teachers surveyed understand mathematical modeling and are willing to change their practice to include modeling. The Stages of Concern instrument demonstrated that, at this early stage of CCSS implementation, teachers express, primarily, concerns about "self," including time, available materials, and professional development. Further analysis demonstrates that professional development is a key variable in successful transition to the CCSS. Analysis of the results of the survey, as well as the interviews with selected teachers, produced implications for professional development in the transition to the CCSS. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For decades, higher education institutions have been increasingly reliant upon part-time faculty. As the role of part-time faculty in colleges and universities has evolved and gained prominence, it is increasingly important to gain a deeper understanding of their perceptions of job involvement considered as potential predictor of turnover and absenteeism. There are very few studies focusing on part-time faculty. Available research tends to be concerned with inequality in terms of income, benefits, working conditions, and opportunities for career advancement compared to full-time faculty, while perceptions of how distributive justice among part-time faculty members might be associated with their perceived levels of job involvement remain comparatively neglected. This study focused on exploring relationships between job involvement and other job-related variables, including perceived levels of distributive justice; whether or not part-time work status was voluntary or involuntary, or the position was primary or non-primary. Perceived levels of overqualified underemployment and perception of empowerment were also considered. The study population was drawn from an existing database. The target population of the study was 165 part-time faculty members in the continuing education field at higher education institutions in the United States. OLS regression, ANOVA, and path analysis were utilized to explore the relationships between job involvement and the other job-related variables among part-time faculty in the study. The analyses revealed that whether or not part-time work was voluntary, and the position was primary or non-primary did not significantly influence levels of job involvement. Furthermore, perceived distributive justice did not affect part-time faculty job involvement significantly. Levels of perceived distributive justice among part-time faculty members only influenced job involvement through empowerment. Empowering part-time faculty appears to be an essential element in efforts to enhance perceived levels of job involvement among part-time faculty. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The role of the "principal" in encouraging and supporting parent involvement has not received as much research attention as it would seem to merit. While the recent literature on parent involvement is extensive, virtually none are devoted to investigating the impact of school leadership, particularly the function of the principal on parent involvement. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of the principal in improving the level of parental involvement and its relative impact on student achievement. For the purpose of this study, 250 secondary school administrators from Title I schools of the Southern California school districts were sampled through an available sampling technique. The resultant sample for the final analysis was 93 parent involvement designees. A correlation research design was used to examine the relationship among principals' leadership, six types of parent involvement, and student achievement. Specifically, multiple regressions as well as path model analysis were employed as the analytical techniques. The result of the analysis showed that among Joyce Epstein's six types of parent involvement (parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community), communicating, volunteering, decision making and time allocation were the significant predictors of academic performance index (API) scores in schools. However, in the face of the free lunch consideration in an economically challenged environment, such as those investigated in this study, the API of schools are only significantly predicted by two types of parent involvement, communicating and decision making. Recommendations based on the findings to the educational practices and policies were discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Teacher quality has received increasing focus over the past decade, yet, by some measures, teachers rarely improve after their first few years of teaching, and not all teachers seem driven to improve. Traditional models of professional learning have emphasized the processes that teachers take part in as a facilitator of their improvement. Research by Dweck suggests that implicit beliefs about ability can have a powerful influence on learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers' professional learning is influenced by their underlying goals and beliefs. In particular, this study tested a multiple linear path model that attempts to explain variation in teachers' professional learning activities. A new variable, teacher mindset, was developed to operationalize teachers' conceptions about the nature of teaching ability. The path model explores how teacher mindset, self-theories, teacher efficacy, and goal orientation interact to predict teachers' participation in professional learning activities. 312 teachers from 92 elementary schools in Los Angeles participated in a voluntary survey designed and pilot-tested by the researcher. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation generated five composite professional learning activity variables (PLAs). Through multiple regression analysis, teacher efficacy emerged as a significant predictor of four PLAs , while teacher mindset and learning goal orientation emerged as significant predictors of three PLAs. The path analyses provided strong support for the hypothesized model. The anticipated relationships between the variables appeared in most [3 out of 5 paths] of the analyses performed. Both in regression analyses and the path analyses, teacher mindset emerged as a significant predictor more frequently than any other variable. The findings suggest that the improvement of teachers may depend on the variables highlighted in this study, most notably teacher mindset. Implications for teacher education, professional development, and education policy are discussed. Further research should investigate the role of teacher mindset in other contexts and test the path model with other populations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Beginning algebra is a gatekeeper course into the pipeline to higher mathematics courses required for respected professions in engineering, science, statistics, mathematics, education, and technology. Beginning algebra can also be a perfect storm if the necessary foundational skills are not within a student's grasp. What skills ensure beginning algebra success? "Focus on Fractions" worked with beginning algebra students in community college to explore fraction fluency, specifically by determining their fraction skills, knowledge, and understandings and assessing how important fraction skills were to their algebra success (measured by course grade). A quantitative study employed multiple linear path analysis with data from student surveys of demographics, self-efficacy beliefs, and behaviors along with placement test conceptual subscores and final course grades. The sample comprised 563 students at two diverse colleges in Rancho Santiago Community College District. Direct and indirect predictors of a higher course grade included higher ratings of student self-efficacy beliefs about mathematics skills, understanding of fractions, and reasoning with fractions and higher fraction and decimal subscores on the placement exam (Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project Level I Algebra Readiness). Self-efficacy beliefs actually were stronger predictors than placement exam subscores. Student belief about the likelihood of passing the course was a strong predictor. A qualitative study of interviews with 24 community college students enrolled in beginning algebra found most students (62.5%) had a high school background in Algebra II. Most students were negative about their mathematics and fraction skills. Most gave inadequate explanations of fractions, instead giving rote rules and algorithms. Few gave meaningful real-life fraction application examples. Students successfully used sketches to aid understanding and accuracy. Most students were open to discussing their reasoning during interviews and exploring the problems afterward. Students appeared to take responsibility for their own learning and recognized they had not taken responsibility in high school. "Focus on Fractions" demonstrates that students not fluent in fractions lack skills vital for beginning algebra success. The research establishes the value of fraction interventions for community college students before they take college mathematics courses, as well as the importance of good fraction teaching tools for elementary teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Several facets of the undergraduate experience have been linked with the importance students assign to prosocial values (e.g., helping people in need), including academic major, exposure to social and cultural diversity, community service, and a prosocial institutional ethos. However, these factors have not been examined within a single framework that links prosocial value development to educative conditions and critical psychological assets, including empathy, existential engagement, prosocial expectancies, and social problem understanding. Longitudinal data were derived from the responses of 7,709 undergraduate students (59 percent female, 15 percent non-White ethnicity, modal age = 18) who completed the CIRP Freshman Survey during 1991 and the College Senior Survey as graduating seniors during 1995. Responses were examined with multiple regression and path analysis. The multiple regression results demonstrated that gains in empathy, existential engagement, and prosocial expectancies, as well as perceived change in social problem understanding, predicted greater prioritization of helping people in need than of being financially well off during the senior year (ß = 0.08-0.14). Majoring in any field, relative to majoring in business or economics, was positively associated with prosocial value prioritization. Particularly large associations with prosocial value prioritization were observed among students who majored in the humanities, psychology, social sciences, caring-oriented fields (e.g., education), and biology (ß = 0.37-0.50), relative to majoring in business. Path model results indicated that majoring in the social sciences was indirectly associated with the value measure via perceived change in social problem understanding, and majoring in the humanities predicted value orientation via existential engagement. Participation in diversity workshops, the completion of diversity coursework, and frequent cross-racial interactions predicted greater prosocial value development (ß = 0.06-0.16). The relationship between diversity and value orientation was at least partly mediated by empathy. Participation in volunteerism only (ß = 0.20), or a combination of service-learning and volunteerism (ß = 0.33) but not service-learning alone, was positively associated with the development of a prosocial value orientation. Moreover, an analysis of the organizational context of service revealed that service through educational, healthcare, community relief, and social services organizations (but not through public safety, political, recreational, or environmental organizations) was uniquely associated with senior-year value orientation (ß = 0.08-0.15). Although the duration of service was positively associated with prosocial value prioritization, direct contrasts of service duration categories indicated that participation in service for less than one month did not predict gains in prosocial value development relative to no service. Furthermore, experiences of 7-12 months were not associated with greater prosocial value development relative to service duration of more than 12 months. Each service variable was also indirectly associated with value orientation: the combination of service-learning and volunteerism via social problem understanding; social services organization via each psychological asset; community relief organization via existential engagement and social problem understanding; and service duration via empathy, prosocial outcome expectancies, and social problem understanding. Finally, exposure to a prosocial ethos was also positively associated with prosocial value prioritization (ß = 0.14), an association that was partly mediated by existential engagement. The findings suggest that prosocial value development can be promoted by (a) ensuring that major curricula explicitly endorse the prioritization of prosocial ideals, incite a reasoned examination of ethical dilemmas, and connect specialized knowledge with social problems and solutions; (b) increasing exposure to a general civic curriculum, including diversity coursework and high-quality service-learning courses; (c) facilitating interactions among students of diverse backgrounds; (d) promoting participation in a co-curriculum that includes diversity workshops and volunteerism through humanitarian organizations; and (e) cultivating a campus community that expects and recognizes the pursuit of prosocial ideals. Among the future directions for research, a longitudinal analysis of multiple time lags is needed to understand the dynamic changes in the reflective evaluation, affirmation, and enactment of personal values during college. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This research explored IT governance framework adoption, leveraging established IS theories. It applied both the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the technology, organization, environment (TOE) models. The study consisted of developing a model utilizing TOE and TAM, deriving relevant hypotheses. Interviews with a group of practitioners piloted a four-page Web-based survey, which was then deployed to large groups via social media and email. Statistical analysis approaches included SPSS, Excel, and the primary tool SmartPLS, which leverages the second generation statistical approaches of structural equation modeling - partial least squares (SEM-PLS). This path modeling technique measured the relationships between the independent and dependent latent variables of the research model. The results illustrated the strength of the model. The relevance of the core TAM model was validated. Hypotheses pertaining to the impact of perceived usefulness on intent were strongly supported. The aspect of ease of use was also supported. Hence, TAM was confirmed as an appropriate theory to provide insight into the adoption of IT governance frameworks. The study also found that organizational norms and support had a significant relationship with intent to adopt. The hypotheses that TOE factors influenced adoption were not strongly supported in this study. These aspects may nevertheless prove more material in a broader and less homogenous population. The other finding was that organizations had implemented tailored frameworks, not a single standard framework. The majority had established governance in some areas, although not throughout, while very few indicated that there was none in place. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Virtual teams are increasingly viewed as a powerful determinant of competitive advantage in geographically distributed organizations. This study was designed to provide insights into the interdependencies between virtual collaboration, collaboration technologies, knowledge transfer, and virtual team performance in an effort to understand whether this interplay strengthens the effectiveness of virtual teams. The results of path analysis and multiple regression of data gathered from a sample of 219 key informants revealed that the four constructs were interlaced. The study provided evidence to support the thesis that virtual collaboration and collaboration technologies support lead to successful knowledge transfer, which in turn leads to effective team performance in geographically distributed organizations. The study findings substantiated the interrelationships and confirmed the predicted alternative hypotheses. Based on social impact theory, the study shed light on the importance of a holistic approach encompassing the four constructs to maximize the beneficial effects of virtual teams. The researcher concluded that the significance of the relationships between the variables implies a strategic planning framework for aligning virtual collaborative systems with organizational goals. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This quantitative study examines the relationship of philosophical beliefs of administrators of Lutheran schools and the influence of those beliefs on discipline decision-making styles, job satisfaction, and other factors. The study patterns the survey work from William Perry (1999) and other theorists regarding philosophy and ethics. A theoretical framework postulates a positive relationship of objectivist philosophy with directed decision-making style and interpretivist philosophy with participative decision-making style. The administrators from two Lutheran education organization's listserves, through invitation, participated in the qualitative online survey. The investigation uses path analysis, factor analysis, and regressions to explore survey and descriptive data. Some contextual variables such as gender and training have statistically significant relationships to decision-making styles and decision actions. Objectivist philosophy correlates to the selection of directive decision-making styles, while interpretivist philosophy correlates to participative decision-making style. There did not seem to be a strong relationship to religious faith and the selection of the objectivist philosophy, but data allow for a new category of visionary educators. Factors of the student did not influence satisfaction and self-reported effectiveness of administrators. Included are limitations and future study suggestions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study was conducted to (a) explore high achieving high school students' perceptions of the teaching profession, (b) examine the influence of these perceptions on intentions to teach, and (c) test a recruitment suite of tools to determine the effectiveness of recruitment messaging and strategies. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) served as the theoretical framework for this study. Using the TPB allowed examination of students' behavioral, normative, and control beliefs as well as their attitudes, subjective norms, and efficacy and how those components affected intentions to teach. Participants included high school seniors in the top 20% of their class. A mixed methods approach was employed to identify how the characteristics that students value when considering a profession were aligned with those they believed to be true about the teaching profession. Additionally mixing methods allowed for a more thorough exploration of the matter and an in-depth depiction of perceptions and intentions to teach. Results from a confirmatory path analysis showed students' perceived behavioral control, a measure of efficacy, and attitudes toward teaching were predictive of intention to teach and accounted for 25% of the variation in intention to teach scores. A series of exploratory structural equation models was developed to examine additional paths that might be useful in understanding students' intention to teach. Three additional, important paths were found among TPB variables that accounted for an additional 14% of the variation in intention scores. Additionally, these paths had implications for recruitment practice. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data-status, societal importance, influences of important others, teaching as a backup option, and barriers. The discussion focused on implications for recruitment practice and research, limitations, and conclusions. The following conclusions were drawn: (a) students must be provided with knowledge about the teaching profession to overcome stereotypical beliefs, (b) recruitment must begin much earlier, (c) parents must be better informed about teaching, (d) use of a longer recruitment process with multiple touch points must be used to inform and inspire students, and (e) students must be provided with practice teaching opportunities and systematic observational opportunities, which can foster increased efficacy for teaching. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Understanding the drivers to encourage employees' security compliance behavior is increasingly important in today's highly networked environment to protect computer and information assets of the company. The traditional approach for corporations to implement technology-based controls, to prevent security breaches is no longer sufficient. Companies must rely on their staff to make sensible decisions while executing security tasks. Effective information security protection requires the proper balance among technology, policies, processes, and people to mitigate the risks. This research investigated the effect of awareness exposure on antecedences to compliance behavior intent in the corporate environment. A four-month security awareness campaign was implemented as a part of the action research and empirical data was collected to measure the effectiveness of the campaign based on a research model of security compliance behavior intent. The analysis of the data indicated that the campaign was effective in improving four research constructs, compliance knowledge of security policies, perceived vulnerability in security, attitudes towards security compliance, and self-efficacy of security policy. The data indicated that one type of campaign event, informal Q & A, was the most effective because it provided the opportunity to directly interacting with the employees to address their questions and concerns. The path analysis of the research model indicated that attitudes towards security compliance is the most significant construct in the model to influence employees' intent to comply and perceived vulnerability is the most significant impact on the attitude. This research also demonstrated awareness exposure had moderate effects on security compliance and could be used to positively influence attitudes towards security compliance and intent to comply with security policy. These insights help substantiate organizational investment for future security awareness programs and enable corporations to effectively protect company information assets by utilizing employees who are highly knowledgeable in security policies and highly motivated to perform security procedures. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Cancer can be one of the most serious diseases that can result in a costly reduction in the quality of life. Among a number of cancer risk factors, tobacco use has been identified as the leading preventable cause of deaths. Prior research has suggested that cancer information seeking may be a pre-step to adopt health protective behaviors that can prevent the development of cancer. However, little is known about factors that lead cancer information seeking behaviors of smokers, former smokers and nonsmokers. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, it aimed to offer a model by merging constructs that have been shown to be effective to predict health preventive behaviors, especially cancer information seeking behaviors, with the more recent factors. Second, it examined cancer information seeking behaviors, proposed by the model, comparing smokers, former smokers and nonsmokers. This study used the first cycle of the Health Information National Trends Survey 4 data set collected in 2012. Path analyses were employed to test the proposed relationships among risk perception, perceived ambiguity, cancer worry, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and cancer information seeking for sub-groups, segmented by smoking status. Results from the path analysis featuring a multiple group comparison indicated that the proposed model did not fit the data well. Thus, separate path analyses were subsequently conducted for smokers, former smokers and nonsmokers. One of the main findings was the roles of risk perception and cancer worry in cancer information seeking. Regardless of smoking status, risk perception was positively related to cancer worry, and then, cancer worry was positively related to cancer information seeking. In addition, perceived ambiguity affected cancer information seeking via response efficacy and cancer worry. Greater perceived ambiguity was associated with less response efficacy for all three groups and with greater cancer worry for former smokers and nonsmokers. Then, subsequently, response efficacy was positively associated with cancer information seeking for former smokers and nonsmokers. Finally, although not hypothesized, self-efficacy was negatively associated with risk perception for smokers and former smokers. The findings of this study provide a better understanding of cancer information seeking behaviors of smokers, former smokers and nonsmokers. Additionally, they suggest that health communication professionals should design messages to increase risk perception and cancer worry as well as to decrease perceived ambiguity, which may in turn help lead effective cancer prevention efforts. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Institutions of higher learning are engaged in a difficult process of ensuring that more students are successful in student learning and persist into future coursework. Four-year and two-year institutions differ greatly in their approaches to dealing with academic progress and degree completion. With the integration of a variety of technologies into teaching and learning, determining which of these technological tools can foster greater levels of student success is a key issue. Research has focused on attaining higher levels of student success that are attributed to active and collaborative learning, driven by student-generated, ubiquitous, transparent environments. This research attempts to answer the question: can social networking technologies, linked with academic coursework and student support services, increase levels of self-efficacy leading to student success and retention? The constructs used to measure the outcomes of participating in a social networking environment include perceived sociability of the technology used and the formal and informal peer interactions that occur and self-efficacy levels. In a design-based research environment, an experiment took place over the course of three semesters. It was proposed that the perceived sociability and formal and informal peer interactions will increase the students' self-efficacy levels. This impact will drive higher levels of student success and retention in their academic career endeavors. The research takes place in the framework of design-based research, and focuses on defining technology as a process, not just an artifact that can impact teaching and learning methods. Results support the theories related to perceived sociability of computer learning environments, effects of peer interaction and self-efficacy on course completion, and retention. There was considerable overall support for the proposed theoretical model. However differential effects of the social networking treatment were mixed as not all the results showed a significant difference in impact between the treatment and control groups. A path analysis evaluation showed that peer interaction and the treatment intervention had a predicted effect on academic self-efficacy. A test of indirect effects of using the social networking on student success and retention showed small, but significant, indirect effects mediated through self-efficacy. This indirect impact of the social networking treatment on student success through self-efficacy provides support for the overall conceptual model. The results do provide a great deal of practical guidance as the aim to create a campus-wide social networking environment continues at the selected college. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Most organizations spend millions of dollars due to the impact of improperly implemented database application systems as evidenced by poor data quality problems. The purpose of this quantitative study was to use, and extend, the technology acceptance model (TAM) to assess the impact of information quality and technical quality factors on database application implementation success with the goal of addressing the prevalent poor data quality issue. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for path analysis in this research. Implementation success was evaluated in accordance with the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention to use database systems in accordance with TAM. The Internet questionnaire design used for this research was drawn through Survey Monkey and sent to the members of the Database Administrator Professionals (DAP), and International Information Management Association (IIMA) groups on Linkedln. Findings from this study, based on data collected from the usable sample size of 290, showed that there was statistically significant evidence to indicate that information quality influenced perceived ease of use (ß = 0.33, p < 0.001). Similarly, statistically significant evidence was found to indicate that technical quality influenced information quality (ß = 0.67, p < 0.001), perceived usefulness (ß = 0.30, p < 0.001), and perceived ease of use (ß = 0.51, p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant evidence was found to indicate that information quality influenced perceived usefulness (ß = -0.12, p = 0.123). The findings from this study extend the TAM framework and makes significant contribution to both theory and practice in the information technology (IT) profession. For practical application of the findings from this study, a number of recommendations have been advanced. The IT managers should encourage the use of proper technology for implementing database application systems, as well as encourage the development of database application systems that are relatively easy to use. For future research, it is recommended that further studies be conducted to investigate the applicability of the behavioral control factors, such as self-efficacy and facilitating condition, on information quality and perceived usefulness. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to investigate Internet usage and its relationship with the acculturation of the Horn of Africa immigrants residing in urban Minnesota. Technology has and continues to be a cultural amplifier; in just two decades from its initial availability to the general public, the Internet has made geographical differences practically irrelevant, making the world a virtual small village. Social interactions that were once only possible face-to-face can now take place online. This innovation in communication plays a crucial role in the acculturation process of immigrants, allowing them access not only to social media platforms, but mapping tools, translation websites, online banking, video sharing sites and many other potentially empowering resources that affect how they encounter life in their new environments. This study utilizes Berry's bi-dimensional theory of acculturation to investigate the relationship between Internet usage and acculturation. Berry's four dimensions of acculturation provide a theoretical guideline for this study. Also employed here are communication theoretical perspectives in studying Internet usage and acculturation. The participants were 292 Horn of Africa immigrants attending English language classes in adult education programs in the upper Midwestern part of the U.S. A series of multiple regression analyses are used to determine the unique contribution of each variable in predicting acculturation. The study revealed statistically significant relationships among Internet social-networking usage and dimensions of acculturation. The most powerful predictor of Internet usage was level of education, often achieved prior to immigrating to the U.S. Internet usage did contribute to integration, the most successful strategy for acculturation of immigrants from this group. Perceived English language competency alone accounted for 15% of the variance in integration and 17% of the variance in assimilation. Based on these findings, path models for Internet usage and acculturation are proposed. Further, implications for both research and practice are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The study reported here tests a model that includes several factors thought to contribute to the comprehension of static multimedia learning materials (i.e. background knowledge, working memory, attention to components as measured with eye movement measures). The model examines the effects of working memory capacity, domain specific (biology) and related domain (geoscience) background knowledge on the visual attention to static multimedia text, and their collective influence on reading comprehension. A similar model has been tested with a previous cohort of students, and has been found to have a good fit to the data (Fitzhugh, Cromley, Newcombe, Perez and Wills, 2010). The present study tests the efficacy of visual cues (signaling) on the comprehension of multimedia texts and the effects of signaling on the relationships between cognitive factors and visual attention. Analysis of Covariance indicated that signaling interacts with background knowledge. Signaling also changes the distribution of attention to varying components of the multimedia display. The path model shows that signaling alters the relationship between domain specific background knowledge (biology) and comprehension as well as that of related background knowledge (geoscience) on comprehension. The nature of the relationships indicates that the characteristics of the reading material influence the type of background knowledge that contributes to comprehension. Results are discussed in terms of their application to a classroom setting. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Organizational commitment has been a topic of extensive interest in the organizational behavior literature since the 1950's. It has been associated with workforce stability, decreased absenteeism, organizational citizenship behaviors, and decreased turnover. This study focuses on the relationships between organizational commitment and turnover; particularly amongst K-12 school principals. A principal of a school is much like the CEO of a company. Principals impact schools in many ways. They supervise staff, develop culture, implement and enforce rules, guide instruction and ensure that all students receive a quality education. The United States is facing a shortage of principals. Many principals are nearing retirement age. Others are simply choosing to leave the profession. In many cases there are shortages of applicants and/or qualified candidates for available positions. Many teachers hold administrative credentials but, for various reasons, choose not to pursue the principalship. School systems are facing difficulties filling principal positions. One potential solution is to endeavor to keep current principals on the job. Organizational commitment is highly correlated with intent to stay; promoting the suggestion that schools may retain principals for longer periods where organizational commitment is significantly higher. This study focuses on the impact of job autonomy, psychological empowerment, and distributive justice on organizational commitment. The study uses data from a web-based survey of 1,078 principals. The data were collected from K-12 principals in the Midwest United States. The sample includes elementary and secondary principals from public, private/parochial schools, and charter schools. Hypotheses regarding the impact of job autonomy, psychological empowerment, and distributive justice on organizational commitment were tested using multiple regression and path analysis. Increases in each of these variables were found to be significantly associated with increases in organizational commitment. In addition, some support was found for the moderating effects of distributive justice and demographic variables on the relationship between job autonomy and organizational commitment, and on the relationship between psychological empowerment and organizational commitment. Implications for those who supervise principals are discussed. For instance, principals may be provided latitude and discretion in terms of the scheduling and sequencing of supervisory work, and may employ consultative, mutual-means approaches in principal evaluation. School systems should, moreover, provide appropriate professional development in order to increase feelings of self-efficacy. Recommendations for future research are also suggested, including replicating the study in other regions and with other organizational types, as well as including other variables, such as perceived organizational support, resistance to change, conflict, and teamwork. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Whereas sleep is often thought of as a common health issue among college students, few, if any, researchers have comprehensively evaluated correlates and predictors of sleep quality and quantity within this population. Most often, studies of this type are used by researchers to assess particular categories of correlates and predictors (e.g., emotional and mental health, student employment, substance abuse, etc.). The present study was conducted to determine correlates and predictors of sleep quantity and quality using among randomly selected college students at a Midwestern four-year research university with high research activity. A classroom survey comprised of the "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form 36," a sleep journal, and demographic questions was administered to students enrolled in 18 University Core Curriculum classes during the spring 2011 semester. Four hundred and sixty student surveys were used for data analysis. Average weekday sleep length was found to be statistically significantly correlated only with mental wellbeing. No statistically significant correlations were found between any of the potential predictor variables and the dependent variables of average weekend day sleep length. Overall sleep quality was found to be statistically significantly correlated with mental and physical wellbeing. Using path analysis, three reduced models, one for each of the three dependent variables (weekday sleep length, weekend day sleep length, and overall sleep quality, were produced. Through X[superscript 2] testing, reduced models for all three models fit the full model's data; deleted paths did not contribute to the model. As a whole, students are getting adequate sleep length, but possess poor sleep quality. Sleep quality and sleep quantity, are influenced by different factors, creating challenges for those wishing to provide education, prevention and intervention services. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The California Department of Education (CDE) has long asserted that success Algebra I by Grade 8 is the goal for all California public school students. In fact, the state's accountability system penalizes schools that do not require all of their students to take the Algebra I end-of-course examination by Grade 8 (CDE, 2009). In this dissertation, the relationship between increasing the percentage of students in the state of California taking the Algebra I California Standards Test (CST), by Grade 8, and success in Algebra I by Grade 9 and Algebra II by Grade 11 is examined. In this quantitative study, regressions, box plots, and a path analysis are utilized to examine trends in participation in Algebra I by Grade 8 and success in Algebra I by Grade 8, Algebra I by Grade 9, Algebra II by Grade 10, and Algebra II by Grade 11. These trends are captured from CST test data taken from 152 school districts between 2003 and 2011. It is determined that increasing numbers of students are participating in Algebra I by Grade 8. It is also determined that success over time increased for students in Algebra I by Grade 8, Algebra I by Grade 9, Algebra II by Grade 10 and Algebra II by Grade 11 over this same period. It is confirmed that socioeconomic status is highly correlated with success in Algebra I by Grade 8, Algebra I by Grade 9, Algebra II by Grade 10, and Algebra II by Grade 11. However, it also is concluded that participation in Algebra I by Grade 8 is significantly correlated with higher rates of success in Algebra I by Grade 9 and Algebra II by Grade 11. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are considered in this dissertation and suggestions are provided for future avenues of research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Citizen science programs are joint efforts between hobbyists and professional scientists designed to collect data to support scientific research. Through these programs, biologists study species population trends while citizen scientists improve their content knowledge and science skills. The purpose of the present mixed method quasi-experimental study was to examine how involvement in a horseshoe crab citizen science intervention affected middle school student academic achievement and career motivation within a social cognitive career framework. Eighty six eighth graders from two schools were assigned into either a treatment or comparison group. Individuals from the treatment school received instruction from field experts on site and collected data for a biological researcher and a mock survey. The comparison group studied ecological niches within the same geographical area during class instruction; however, students did not conduct field research. All students responded to a series of surveys and content measures related to self-efficacy, interest, outcome expectations, choice goals, and academic achievement. Further, members of the treatment group participated in qualitative interviews to examine perceptions of their scientific observation skills and career influences. Findings supported the hypothesis that the treatment group would outperform the comparison group on all measures with the exception of choice goals. Path analysis results indicated that the interaction among self-efficacy, interest, content knowledge, and outcome expectations directly and indirectly influenced choice goals. In terms of gender, results confirmed the hypothesis that there would be no gender differences based on self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and choice goals although treatment males outperformed females on academic achievement. In addition, qualitative analysis corresponded with these findings by examining the influence this type of intervention had on student performance and career interests. The implications of this study are to highlight the benefits of collaborative opportunities with field experts during outdoor experiences on student academic and career path development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of the current study was to extend the research on number sense to the middle school level and to simultaneously consider socioemotional elements related to the construct at this developmental stage. Its genesis was initially rooted in an ongoing and dramatic emphasis by U.S. policymakers, researchers, and educators on improving mathematics achievement in order to compete globally in technology and innovation. Despite debates about optimal curriculum and instruction, tremendous support exists for the construct of number sense. However, middle school research examining the phenomena has been limited to intervention protocols targeting specific skillsets and better measurement of its domains. Concomitantly, educational research has produced ample evidence of the decline in student mathematics motivation over time, and the corresponding literature establishes a link between mathematics self-concept and mathematics achievement, particularly during adolescence. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 provides a sample of 4,425 U.S. eighth graders for the present study, assessed directly and indirectly in cognitive, demographic, and affective domains. Multiple regression analyses confirmed the hypotheses that number sense predicts both mathematics self-concept and mathematics achievement at the middle school level, when controlling for gender, race, socioeconomic status, and special education services. Additionally, a path analysis with Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) and the Sobel test revealed that mathematics self-concept mediates the relationship between number sense and mathematics achievement. This indirect effect, when combined with the direct effect of number sense, results in a significant, medium total effect value of 0.35 for the model. By incorporating this knowledge regarding the interconnection of these three constructs into mathematics curriculum and instruction, as well as teacher education, the United States can move closer to bringing about equity of opportunity and motivating students to pursue more complex mathematics coursework and subsequently professions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The advent of No Child Left Behind led to increased teacher accountability for student performance and placed strict sanctions in place for failure to meet a certain level of performance each year. With instructional time at a premium, it is imperative that educators have brief academic assessments that accurately predict performance on high-stakes state assessments. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a widely used type of assessment that can be used for benchmarking and progress monitoring. The majority of research about CBM is focused on reading, so additional research on CBM in written expression (CBM-WE) is warranted. This study examined the predictive power of brief measures of writing accuracy (CBM-WE metrics Correct Word Sequences [CWS] and Correct minus Incorrect Word Sequences [CIWS]) and writing complexity (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability index) with respect to the PSSA Writing assessment. Other factors in PSSA Writing score prediction included type of writing prompt (expository or narrative), length of sample (three or five minutes), and time of year (fall or winter). Demographic variables of sex and resource availability were also considered. Archival data were collected from one elementary school in a rural district in the northeastern United States that conducted universal screenings of writing. The sample consisted of 196 students in fifth grade receiving regular education. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation, MANOVA, ANOVA, mixed between-within subjects ANOVA, and path analysis. The main conclusions of the study were, (1) female participants performed significantly than males higher on CBM-WE metrics, (2) resource availability was not a significant factor in performance on any writing measure, (3) participants performed significantly higher when given expository prompts, (4) 5-minute expository CBM-WE measures were highest correlated with PSSA Writing performance and should be considered in combination with the indirect effect of sex mediated by CBM-WE score, and (5) F-K Grade Level readability scores are not significantly positively correlated with PSSA Writing scores and should not be used as a predictor of high-stakes writing assessment scores. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Reading is a complex process involving numerous skills and abilities contributing to acquiring meaning from text. Individuals without the requisite reading skills will have difficulty not only in school but throughout their lifetimes. The purpose of the study was to compare the reading ability of incoming college freshmen with that of adults with low literacy found in Mellard, Fall, and Woods (2010). Incoming college freshmen took tests on seven critical reading components: phonemic decoding, word recognition, vocabulary, WMS, reading fluency, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension. The associations between the reading components were used to compare the path model derived by Mellard, Fall, and Woods (2010) using adults with low literacy and incoming college freshmen. Subsequently, the best fitting model for incoming college freshmen was found to determine the associations between the reading components for incoming college freshmen. The two groups significantly differed in the path estimates using the path model from Mellard, Fall, and Woods (2010). Adults with low literacy had stronger paths for the early developing reading components, because they typically have difficulty in these areas. Incoming college freshmen had a stronger vocabulary and reading comprehension path than did adults with low literacy. The best fitting model for incoming college freshmen suggested that word recognition does not make a strong contribution on reading fluency once paths between WMS and vocabulary with reading fluency were included in the model. Overall, incoming college freshmen are skilled on most of the critical reading components, especially the later developing ones like vocabulary and reading comprehension. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

An investigation was conducted to determine the best criterion for advancement to a new reading passage during the commonly used classroom strategy of repeated reading. Knowing when to move students to a new passage during the repeated reading process was considered of value to teachers in efficiently using student learning time. The study also explored the effect of demographic variables (age, ethnicity, gender, SES, and beginning reading ability) on predicting outcome measures based on repeated reading scores. A complex multi-level structural equation model was developed to study (a) the growth of student's ability to read words with speed and accuracy and (b) how student demographic features affect growth rates. This multilevel structural equation model used included two phases: multilevel growth modeling and path analysis. It was found that using a hot (or final) read-advancement criterion provided a better model fit than the hypothesized advancement criterion of a student's increase or gain between cold (beginning) and hot (final) reads. Also, student growth during repeated reading was found to be constant once a minimum words-read-correctly-per-minute (WRCM) criterion of 25 was reached. Repeated reading was shown to be a strategy that worked equally well for all students with little variance explained by the slope of student growth. Furthermore, the strategy was shown to be effective for non-White learners and showed promise in helping to close the achievement gap. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The significance of integrating technology use in higher education instruction is undeniable. The benefits include those related to access to instruction by underserved populations, adequately preparing students for future careers, capitalizing on best instructional practices, developing higher order thinking activities, and engaging students whose relationships with technology are increasingly native, among others. The significance of the current study is based on the fact that few prior studies focused on the factors that support, or inhibit, the use of educational technology by faculty in schools of education. The data collection instrument was a survey designed by the principal investigator based on review of the literature and professional experience. Five constructs were addressed by the survey: institutional policies, belief in the learning benefits, efficacy with integrating technology with content, barriers to technology use, and personal uses of technology. The survey was administered online and targeted 379 full and part time faculty in schools of education throughout the U.S. A total of 203 faculty members responded which was a response rate of 53%. Several path analyses were conducted to determine the variables that most related with the dependent variable, rate of technology adoption for professional instructional purposes. The variable that had the strongest relationship with the adoption rate for professional use was the adoption rate for personal use. This held true for all subgroups except part-time and older faculty. Suggestions for future research include the use of additional data sources to measure the variables described here. Study of the role of institutional policies in technology adoption should consider administrator perspectives in addition to those of faculty. Study of learning benefits should consider students' views in addition to those of faculty. Finally, efficacy variables should consider perspectives of college leaders and administrators. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Nursing professionals are held to a variety of roles and responsibilities specific to their field. The success of nursing professionals in their specified roles is essential for quality of care and the success of the healthcare workforce. The current study explored the relationships between personality type, emotional intelligence, social maturity, and job performance among nursing professionals using a theory-based approach. The sample consisted of 57 nursing professionals who were employed in two 100-bed East Texas Hospitals. Data were collected over a 4-day period at each hospital. Testing included a demographic questionnaire, the Emotional Skills Assessment Process, Myers Briggs Type Indicator Form M, Vineland Social Maturity Test, and a Job performance evaluation. Data were analyzed using a Path Analysis Multiple Regression technique. Results suggest that nurses who scored higher in the Empathy category on the Emotional Skills Assessment Process were perceived by their employers as satisfactory in overall job performance and in the specific job performance categories initiative, knowledge, and communication. Results also indicate that nurses who scored higher on the feeling subscale of the Myers Briggs Personality Assessment were perceived by their employers as unsatisfactory in overall job performance and in the specific job performance categories attitude, knowledge, and quality. Nurses who scored high on the communication subscale of the Vineland Social Maturity Scale were perceived by their employers as satisfactory in job performance. Additionally, nurses who scored high on the socialization subscale of the Vineland Social Maturity Scale were perceived by their employers as unsatisfactory in safety, personal appearance, and quality. The results of the path analysis and correlation tests revealed the following relationships: (1) Vineland socialization score and job performance quality, (2) Vineland communication score and job performance safety, (3) Vineland communication and Vineland socialization scores, (4) ESAP empathy scores and job performance attitude, (5) Myers Briggs feeling scores and job performance attitude, and (6) Myers Briggs feeling score and ESAP empathy score. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]