This study investigated the effects of teacher sense of efficacy for literacy instruction on reading achievement in grades three through eight. In previous studies, a teacher's sense of efficacy was shown to be correlated to student achievement (Ashton & Webb, 1986; Moore & Esselman, 1992). However, research attempting to uncover the…

The Diversity Scorecard Project evaluated in this study was created by the University of Southern California's Center for Urban Education. It was designed to create awareness among institutional members about the state of inequities in educational outcomes for underrepresented students. The Diversity Scorecard Project facilitators' aimed…

This study examined teacher efficacy and teacher commitment in recent graduates of a preservice teacher education program. Specifically, an exploratory analysis on the qualities of these graduates that were related to teacher efficacy and teacher commitment after completion of the preservice teacher education program was conducted. Participants…

Native Hawaiians come from a tradition of success and resilience. Sumida and Meyer (2006) report that Native Hawaiians were among the most literate people in the world in the 1840's where they had the highest literacy rate west of the Rockies. By 1893, nearly 100 Hawaiian newspapers were in print and circulation in the Hawaiian Islands…

The purpose of this study was to examine a possible relationship between student perceptions of parental involvement and student goal orientation for an ethnically diverse fifth grade elementary population from high-poverty schools. This study was quantitative in nature and employed the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS) to assess the…

K-12 schools with large immigrant populations face a myriad of challenges, including low academic achievement and high dropout rates of Latino students. Parental involvement is a practical strategy in positively influencing student outcomes along the K-12 continuum. To this end, it is essential that immigrant impacted schools work together with…

The purpose of this study was to further understand the perceptions of MAT@USC teacher candidates and how their perceptions and previous experiences affect the educational experiences of Latino English language learners. Three questions were developed to guide this study: (1) What are the perceptions of MAT@USC candidates in selected courses…

Across the Germanic language family, we find a type of movement traditionally termed "topicalization," which may be realized in Germanic languages which possess the so-called Verb-Second (V2) constraint, as well as those without it. I will henceforward call this phenomenon "fronting" to avoid theoretical assumptions. This…

Higher education has entered an era of globalization where the movement of minds is fashioning out a new university. This study defines and describes globalization and its impact on higher education. It presents the uses and methodologies of rankings and global measurements which are increasing in scope and breadth as the university system aims to…

The processes of globalization have an impact on society in numerous ways. As a result, higher education institutions around the world attempt to adjust to these changes through internationalization efforts. Amongst the key stakeholders who play an important role in assuring that these efforts are successful is the faculty because it is this body…

This study investigated the practices, processes, and success rates of 15 entrepreneurial alliances in the Texas charter school industry. The research involved interdisciplinary industries (business and education) and focused on how a specific type of alliance structure utilized social innovation to exploit opportunity and impact change in the…

Based upon theories of computer mediated communication of Herring and Lemke and the work of genre scholars such as Askehave, Santini, and Devitt, this qualitative study explored how computer mediated communication shapes writing genres in an online classroom. Genre embodies the context and users' purpose for any textual communication. Through…

Software vulnerabilities originating from insecure code are one of the leading causes of security problems people face today. Unfortunately, many software developers have not been adequately trained in writing secure programs that are resistant from attacks violating program confidentiality, integrity, and availability, a style of programming…

This dissertation presents the results of an exploratory study which examined the use of synchronous text-based communication technologies (SMS texting and instant messaging) by undergraduate university students generally 18 to 24 years old. Preliminary focus groups were conducted in order to gain additional understanding of their usage of these…

Purpose: This study examined the triadic relationships between the early interventionist, the parent and the child in a parent-implemented communication intervention for toddlers. Specifically, relationships between coaching strategies used by interventionists, parents' implementation of communication intervention strategies, child…