Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Research beliefs'
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Gregory, Virgil L. "Gregory research beliefs scale psychometric properties /." Connect to resource online, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/1891.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2009.Title from screen (viewed on August 27, 2009). School of Social Work, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Cathy Pike, Hea-Won Kim, Margaret Adamek, Drew Appleby. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 317-330).
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Callender, Lucinda R. "Party identification : beliefs and evaluations /." The Ohio State University, 1985. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487261553059028.
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Howell, James Perry. "Psychologists' volunteering : attitudes, beliefs and behaviors toward psychotherapy research /." Norfolk, Virginia : Howell, 1987.
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Parker, Paul Francis. "Development of the Research Paradigm Inventory to Measure Views About Research Practices and Beliefs." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37384.
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The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure the views of educational researchers across the dimensions that comprise research paradigms. The development of the instrument, entitled the Research Paradigm Inventory (RPI), was conducted in the hope of providing a mechanism for future research that will enable the examination of prospective links between the ontological, epistemological and methodological orientations of researchers and graduate students who will serve as future inquirers in the field of education.
During its development and validation, various aspects of the RPI were examined in accordance with the validity framework outlined by Samuel Messick (1989). According to Messick (1989), the validity of measure interpretation and corresponding action can be examined in terms of content, substantive, structural, generalizability, external and consequential forms of evidence. During this study, the content aspect of validity was addressed through the creation of instrument specifications and the development of items that were mapped to those specifications. In addition, the content aspect of validity was addressed by selecting items that were reviewed by experts, pilot tested, field tested and exhibited high technical quality. The substantive aspect of validity was addressed through an analysis of item rating scale functioning, person fit, item difficulty hierarchies and relationships among instrument scale measures. The structural aspect of validity was addressed through a confirmation of the instrumentâ s dimensionality. The generalizability aspect of validity was addressed through an analysis of person reliability, the precision of item/person parameter estimates and item calibration invariance.
The development activities and analyses described above resulted in the creation of six subscales measuring: (1) Realism in Research, (2) Research Objectivism, (3) Quantitative Methodology, (4) Relativism in Research, (5) Research Interpretivism and (6) Qualitative Methodology. Given the evidence collected, these scales appear to provide reasonably reliable and defensible estimates of individualsâ attitudes toward various research practices and beliefs, and should be appropriate for future research studies exploring educational research paradigms.Ph. D.
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Mann, Shelley Donna. "Beliefs to practice in postsecondary science education, the value of research/the research value." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape11/PQDD_0021/NQ37730.pdf.
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Morphew, Jason Wade. "Effect of authentic research experiences on nature of science beliefs." Thesis, Wichita State University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10057/6120.
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Cometa, Lisa. "Consumer Beliefs About Green Hotels." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1331918204.
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Murphy, Noela Winifred, and n/a. "Orientations to Research Higher Degree Supervision: The Interrelatedness of Beliefs about Supervision, Research, Teaching and Learning." Griffith University. Griffith Institute of Higher Education, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20051130.172036.
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This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of research higher degree supervision and thereby its enhancement. My study departs from the current emphasis on issues of practice to offer a set of scholarly understandings embedded in the beliefs that supervisors and candidates hold about supervision and closely related academic mailers. It is aligned with the movement over the past two decades towards concentrating on understanding why teachers and students behave in particular ways, rather than describing what they do and how they do it. I draw on the literature of research higher degree (RI-ID) supervision, the conceptual framework of beliefs research and Gadamer's concept of the hermeneutic circle to argue that supervision is best understood as a plexus of closely related educational beliefs about research, teaching, learning and supervision. Research from this perspective acknowledges supervisions plural, multifunctional character and its holistic nature. The beliefs construct recognises the powerful effect that individualsibeliefs and attitudes have on the way they define educational tasks, make related decisions and prefer to act. Thirty-four participants from one engineering faculty were interviewed about their beliefs about the four components of the supervision plexus. Entire transcripts were coded, using a three-phase, inductive method of analysis incorporating constant-comparative techniques and conceptual field principles, to reveal individuals integrated thinking about the whole process of supervision. This method ensures that the findings remain embedded in the data and retain the richness of individual experience. I identified four different core tendencies to the plexus, based on two bipolar frames - controlling/guiding and task-focussed/person-focussed kinds of beliefs. The result is four global orientations to supervision: controlling/task-focussed, controlling/person-focussed, guiding/task-focussed and guiding/person-focussed. Subcategories accommodate individuals whose beliefs differ in specific aspects but whose focal beliefs fit the global group. Each orientation is elaborated by an orientation belief profile - an integrated system of beliefs about the aspects of the plexus that are common to the individuals in that category iso the profiles describe the orientations as much as they describe the individuals in each category. The beliefs in each profile are organised into six belief clusters and different dimensions of the beliefs describe each orientation. To show the location, density and type of inter-linkages among beliefs and belief clusters orientation webs were drawn. The four webs exhibit a high degree of interconnectedness among beliefs, confirming my contention of a supervision plexus of co-dependent and logically interrelated components. Research findings indicate that practitioners beliefs about teaching are central and powerful in determining their supervisory goals and their predisposition towards particular pedagogical approaches to achieving them. With this advanced understanding of the pedagogy of supervision, a case is built for viewing research higher degree supervision as a teaching activity within the university, and positing its management as a 'joint portfolio' between the teaching and learning centre and the research centre of the university. Other findings are that controlling/task-focussed beliefs are generally favoured by RI-ID candidates and that guiding/person-focussed beliefs more commonly describe the way supervisors think about supervision. Although their strategic enactment may differ according to circumstance, beliefs were found to be consistent across contexts. The supervisors role in shaping candidates' beliefs is seen to be diminished by the influence of candidates' preexisting beliefs about teaching. The study establishes a variety of understandings about supervision within this one engineering faculty, suggesting that pedagogical understandings may be more powerful than disciplinary expectations and attitudes as determinants of supervisory behaviour. The view of RI-ID supervision discussed in this thesis builds on the earlier research in meaningful ways that enhance our understanding of the process as a whole. The thesis provides possibilities for linking that research with more fruitful and rewarding doctoral experiences for supervisors and candidates.
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Scott, Anne, and a. scott@patrick acu edu au. "Preservice teachers� views of similarities and differences in teaching and learning literacy and numeracy." La Trobe University. School of Education, 2005. http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au./thesis/public/adt-LTU20070815.163201.
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This is a report of an investigation of aspects of preservice teachers� perceptions of teaching and learning English and mathematics and factors influencing them.
The participants of the investigation were primary preservice teachers from two tertiary institutions of Victoria, one located inner city, and the other in a regional centre. Of the 349 participants, 163 were commencing and 186 were graduating from their degrees.
Preservice teachers completed questionnaires indicating their intentions to use particular practices in their literacy and numeracy lessons. Thirty-one of the 349 surveyed voluntarily discussed key issues arising from the survey during semi-structured audiotaped sessions. Five lecturers responsible for the planning of the compulsory English and mathematics education units at both institutions were interviewed about the survey data and provided written documentation for their units as evidence of their coursework.
Data analyses indicated that preservice teachers often considered practices equally appropriate for literacy and numeracy teaching and intended to use them in similar ways. It seemed that preservice teachers enter their degrees with strong opinions about teaching and learning based not only on their recollections of experiences as learners but also from more recent relevant experiences such as their dealings with children as babysitters, tutors, and classroom helpers. They also gained knowledge about teaching contexts from their informal but regular conversations with friends and family who teach.
From the examination of the documentation for coursework and discussions with lecturers, it seemed that the content of the literacy and numeracy education units at the two institutions were similar. Overall, the data indicated that many of the preservice teachers� intentions were consistent with the intent of coursework especially when they described general teaching practices. However, in cases where practices were discipline-specific there were limited changes in preservice teachers� intentions even after completing their courses. The prospective teachers reported that they considered their recent salient experiences of teaching and their observations of teachers� practices in schools more influential than coursework.
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Garrett, Jennifer Walz. "Children, parents and teachers' beliefs about reading." Cincinnati, Ohio : University of Cincinnati, 2007. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ucin1185305689.
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Thesis (Ph. D. in Speech-Language Pathology )--University of Cincinnati, 2007.Keywords: reading beliefs; reading definitions; reading purposes; learning to read; qualitative research. Advisor: Dr. Jo-Anne Prendeville Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed Nov. 20, 2007). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.
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Laux, Katie. "Changing High School Science Teacher Beliefs on Student Voice Through Action Research." Scholar Commons, 2019. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7838.
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The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore how engagement in action research influenced high school science teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices related to student voice and participation. This included exploring any affordances or obstacles they experienced with attempting to increase student voice and participation in their classrooms. I facilitated individual action research projects with the teachers, and they were able to discuss individual action research plans and share ideas with colleagues. Four high school science teachers began this research. While all four teachers were selected as cases, only two of the teachers designed and followed through with their action research plans. The teachers were provided with a hierarchy of student participation and examples of each of the four levels of the hierarchy in order to guide and design their action research. Collected data included transcripts from the action research group meetings, classroom observations, teacher journals, and interviews with teachers. A combination of direct interpretation and thematic coding was used to analyze the data. Direct interpretation involved writing narratives based on what I saw and interpreting events as I experienced them. The teachers either maintained their positive beliefs or formed new beliefs related to the inclusion of student voice. In addition, both teachers successfully used action research as a way to overcome obstacles and increase student voice and participation in their classrooms. This study has implications for teachers who want to use action research to better understand their teaching related to student voice, administrators and teacher educators who want to provide PD opportunities and support to meet individual teacher needs, and researchers who are interested in studying student voice.
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Grubbs, Jeffrey Bryan. "Teacher Belief Research in Art Education: Analyzing a Church of Christ Christian College Art Educator Beliefs and their Influence on Teaching." The Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1284733542.
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Moore, Rita. "Reflective action research through classroom inquiry : seven workplace teachers examine their teaching beliefs /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1996. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9717180.
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Juveland, Sara Racheal. "Foreign Language Students' Beliefs about Homestays." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/289.
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Language students studying abroad are presented with multiple housing options. Living with a host family in a homestay is widely believed to be the most beneficial option. However, little research has been done as to how students' beliefs about homestays may affect their choice of housing. In this study, 116 language students completed the Student Beliefs About Homestays Questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses indicated that students value homestays not only for the opportunity for language acquisition, but also for the inside look at the family life and culture of the host country and for the support a family setting provides. Student beliefs about negative aspects of homestays (such as the possibility of being placed with a bad family) and the role of the homestay placement program were also investigated; several practical implications were drawn for staff in homestay placement programs and language institutions that may improve the homestay experience.
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Solomon, Catherine Ann. "It's numbers and that's it: An exploration of children's beliefs about mathematics through their drawings and words." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Teacher Education, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/8981.
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Children’s beliefs about mathematics involve epistemological beliefs about the subject, its nature and how it works, as well as beliefs about who can and cannot do mathematics. While children’s beliefs about mathematics have been linked to their achievement in mathematics, there is little research that explores beliefs about mathematics in the New Zealand context. A general concern is that students do less well than they could at mathematics; hence many people give up on and disengage from mathematics.
This study explores children’s and their teachers’ beliefs about mathematics and is set against a backdrop of prevailing achievement discourses, both in New Zealand and abroad, that define people’s perceived abilities as usually based on ethnicity and gender. It also considers the multiple worlds of the child, the worlds of mathematics beliefs and of doing school mathematics, the child’s relationships with these worlds and with others who inhabit them.
The study combines complementary theories and methods to examine espoused and enacted mathematics beliefs by adopting a predominantly sociocultural perspective and including a combination of constructivist and pragmatic theories as well as multiple methods of accessing and analysing beliefs. In order to develop a picture of mathematics beliefs, I collected data from a number of sources: mathematics beliefs questionnaires from 823 children at 17 schools, drawings from 180 children at two focus schools, video recordings of multiple mathematics lessons in two focus classrooms and observations. The following year, I revisited, observed and interviewed nine focus children and their teachers. I applied multiple analysis ‘frames’ to the data: factor analysis, adapted visual frameworks, metaphors and themes.
By combining a variety of methods and applying a number of different analysis perspectives, this study exposed a rich and complex landscape of beliefs about mathematics. In particular, the children’s drawings communicated mathematics beliefs by using metaphors such as ‘maths as problem solving’, ‘maths as useful’, ‘maths as life’, and ‘maths as brain burn inducing’. The children and teachers exhibited a range of beliefs about the world of mathematics and who belongs to this world by positioning certain people as good at mathematics, not good at mathematics, or in certain cases, both positions depending on the context. In terms of assigned mathematics identities, both children and teachers refer to the ‘Asian as good at maths’ discourse but do not position Māori and Pasifika as weak; gender was not viewed as important. On the other hand, the children’s responses were influenced by their ethnicities, gender, socioeconomic status and mathematics achievement levels. The implications for primary school mathematics relate to the powerful influence of how mathematics is done, taught and learnt within the dominant context of the Numeracy Projects which governs ability groupings, the dance of the mathematics class, the ascendency of strategy over algorithm, and the notion that there are multiple ways to solve problems. In particular, the implications of inequality inherent in mathematics ability grouping warrants addressing.
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Bradley, Frederick B. III. "Exploring New Teacher Beliefs: Identity, Home-life, and Culture in the Classroom." Scholar Commons, 2019. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7749.
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A persistent shortage of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students, teachers, and professionals is seen by many as a threat to the nation’s global economic standing. Deficits in these areas are often attributed to a lack of quality K-12 STEM education, which is due in large part to a high rate of teacher turnover. Moreover, such teacher attrition has been shown to occur far more often in high-need schools and districts; thus serving to further marginalize disadvantaged members of society.
This study occurs within the context of The Robert Noyce Scholarship Program at our research-intensive university in the southeastern US. The program seeks to improve the recruitment, preparation, and retention of STEM teachers in high-need middle and secondary classrooms, and is likewise partnered with a large, local, title I school district. Central to this program’s approach is, the offering of financial, cohort and mentor support to highly qualified STEM degree holders and majors, who wish to supplement their undergraduate degree, with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). As Noyce scholars work towards their degrees, they also, intern, work, and learn alongside peers, university faculty, district teachers and staff, as well as other science education professionals, in what amounts to a professional support network. It is hoped such a multi-tiered support will allow Noyce graduates to persist beyond their inductive teaching years and develop into highly qualified education practitioners.
This research was designed to explore the beliefs expressed, explored, and developed by Noyce scholars as they participated in a collaborative action research (CAR) based instructional intervention. The Noyce CoP as it was known, centered on a journal club, which was embedded within a master’s level science education field practicum course. Students engaged with literature and gained understanding relevant to the influence of belief systems on how we construct our identity, perceive the conditions in which it happens, and view ourselves and others as we go through the collective process. Access to these new teachers’ beliefs was gained via an online literature discussion board, reflective writings, surveys, and face-to-face collaboration during four “CoP meetings”. The latter proved to be invaluable in promoting opportunities for these new teachers to recognize, critique, and challenge their beliefs, and those of others as well. Accordingly, the CoP served as a research-focused arena for collaborative autobiographical self-reflection, which I contend is ideal for studying new teacher beliefs.
This research follows the path of other science education researchers who recognize the potential of studying new teachers’ beliefs’, to help overcome a perceived cultural disconnect, which has been credited with inhibiting K-12 science teaching and learning. To do so, I position the Noyce CoP as quintain, whose story is told using three themes I constructed: 1) new teacher beliefs about identity and science teaching and learning; 2) new teacher beliefs about home-life and science teaching and learning; and 3) new teacher beliefs about sociocultural-interactions and science teaching and learning. Throughout I incorporate elements of portraiture to not only give you a better idea of who the CoP members are, but also to allow you a view into our CoP meetings, and how we collaborated to construct new knowledge. Qualitative analysis revealed that during the CoP, the scholars and I were able to generate considerable understanding regarding the cultural divide that can exist when teaching science in high-need schools. Moreover, there is also evidence that the CoP served to help these new teachers develop personal and professional ties they can incorporate into their larger support network, and perhaps help them persist through their inductive years of teaching.
keywords: STEM, new teacher beliefs, action research, Noyce, community of practice
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Chapman, Stellina M. Aubuchon. "Oral Health Beliefs as Predictors of Behavior: Formative Research for Oral Health Campaigns in South Africa." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1385140049.
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Johnson, Michelle E., and Amy J. Malkus. "A Scale to Measure Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors in Preschoolers: Design and Validation Research." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4302.
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Kamal, A. "Children's compensatory health beliefs : an exploration of capacity, context, scope and measurement." Thesis, University of Derby, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10545/576936.
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Mouzakitis, Aristides. "An investigation of three Greek mathematics teachers' conceptions of the assessment of pupil attainment in mathematics and its socio-political dimension." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/96253.
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The present study is located within a broader problematic of how inequality is generated and legitimated within schools. It has as its centre of focus three Greek mathematics teachers who are seen as mediating forces between state curricular intentions and the learners. Having social justice as my primary motive for conducting this thesis research, I use the critical theoretic research paradigm as a guiding framework in order to investigate the teachers’ conceptions of the socio-political dimension of the assessment of pupil attainment in mathematics. Through an analysis of the socio-political role of educational assessment I argue that the investigated issue may be considered as a privileged window that can provide a broad perspective from which I can observe how the participants of this study are positioned with respect to the role of mathematics education in the reproduction of unequal class relations. To obtain answers to my assessment-related research questions, through a series of interviews I examine the teachers’ theoretical positions but in addition to that I observe their classroom cultures in the formation of which they play a protagonistic role. Through the teachers’ discourses and their annotated actions, I try to uncover the ways they respond to the contradictions and the dilemmas that might be posed to them by the given educational reality, as well as the tensions they might experience whenever they perceive the incompatibility of what they espouse and what they can achieve. Moving beyond the cognitive and psychological approaches that characterise most of research literature on teacher beliefs into the realm of ideology critique, I use Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis to depict teacher discourses as parts of social practices that are conditioned by social-historical factors and try to show what reproductive effects these discourses can have on social structures, sustaining them or contributing to their transformation.
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Miller, Kevin P. "Essentialist beliefs about homosexuality, attitudes toward gay men and lesbians, and religiosity change within a structure of interconnected beliefs /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1211408615.
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Mitescu, Reagan Emilie. "Examining the relationships among undergraduate teacher candidates' experiences, perceptions, and beliefs about teaching for social justice." Thesis, Boston College, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/1992.
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Thesis advisor: Larry H. LudlowTeacher preparation programs face an urgent call to prepare high-quality and "highly qualified" teachers who teach all students in an increasingly culturally, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse student population, and who work toward closing the achievement gap that separates students along these demographic lines. In response, and as part of the current accountability context, there has been greater focus on outcomes in teacher education. Along different lines, also in response to these challenges, there has been an increase in social justice-oriented teacher preparation programs. This dissertation operates within both of these contexts. Specifically, this dissertation examines one of the many outcomes of teacher education for social justice: teacher candidates' changing beliefs about teaching for social justice and the factors that may or may not be related to their change. Using primarily Rasch rating scale and multiple regression analyses, this dissertation examines longitudinal survey data from two cohorts of undergraduate teacher candidates (N=134) who completed the same social justice-oriented teacher education program. By investigating two cohorts of teacher candidates at the time of entry into the teacher education program and again when they graduated four years later, this study investigated individuals in the aggregate, variability within and across cohorts, and change across time. In addition, this research sought to untangle and identify whether reported experiences and perceptions before and during formal teacher education are related to beliefs about and commitment to teaching for social justice. Findings suggest that from the time of entry to graduation, candidates' beliefs about teaching for social justice were significantly more aligned with the concepts and principles endorsed by the teacher preparation program. Additionally, at particular points in time and across time, there were identifiable perceptions and experiences related to their beliefs about teaching for social justice. In particular, the location of the student teaching experience and candidates' perceptions of their teacher education faculty were significant predictors of their beliefs about teaching for social justice
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation
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Wiffen, Benjamin David Richard. "Online CBT for individuals with Christian beliefs : a pilot randomised controlled trial : and Clinical Research Portfolio." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2014. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5551/.
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Objectives: To investigate proof of concept, feasibility and efficacy of an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) intervention, modified to appeal to Christians who may be reluctant to access secular mental health services. Methods: 52 volunteers with Christian beliefs experiencing low mood or anxiety were recruited (median age=46.5, 25% male) to a pilot randomised waiting-list controlled trial of an online Spiritually-integrated CBT resource, with assessments at baseline, 8 weeks and 12 weeks. Primary outcome measures addressed mood, anxiety and general functioning. Results: No significant differences were found between groups on improvement of primary outcome measures, however there were non-significant trends in favour of those who had access to the course compared with waiting list control on all primary outcome measures. Conclusion: Online CBT targeted at religious groups may be an effective and practical means of promoting evidence-based psychological interventions to individuals who may not otherwise access them.
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Mark, Atia D. "After-School Mentorship Program and Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Middle-School Students." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5571.
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Middle-school students in Nova Scotia are perceived to have low self-efficacy for achieving learning outcomes. Strong self-efficacy beliefs developed through effective curricula have been linked to improved academic performance. However, there is a need for the formal evaluation of effective curricula that aim to improve self-efficacy. The purpose of this project study was to investigate a 10-week, after-school mentorship (ASM) curriculum that has never been evaluated. The outcomes of the curriculum design are to strengthen self-efficacy beliefs via relationship building exercises, public speaking training, and character education. Bandura's theory on self-efficacy, which states that treatment influences can alter the strength of self-efficacy, informed the conceptual framework. Evaluation questions explored apparent changes in the self-efficacy of the students from the perspective of 7 adult-caregivers and the program's instructor. Interview data were triangulated with quantitative descriptive statistics on the self-efficacy scores of 10 middle-grade students before and after program participation using the Children's Hope Scale. Comparison of the mean, median, and mode pre- and posttest scores did not show statistically significant differences in self-efficacy beliefs of the students. However, analysis of interview data revealed that children's self-efficacy beliefs grew, the largest increase being in those described as reserved at the beginning of the program. This study promotes positive social change through an increased understanding that can inform efforts to increase self-efficacy in middle-school students
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Smith, Richard Maurice. "Validating Beliefs: Liberal And Conservative Protestant Views of Sexual Morality in America." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2009. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/38960.
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SociologyPh.D.
While many debates about sexual morality seem to be dominated by conservative, right wing Protestants, there are differing worldviews within Protestantism as there are in the larger American culture. In Protestantism, disparate beliefs about sexual morality have caused division between groups. Concurrently, these differing perspectives have bled into the larger discourse about sexual morality in the United States. Each group has spokespeople who attempt to validate what individuals should believe about issues like the family, sexuality, and how Protestants, and Americans in general, should think and act regarding these issues. Prior research provided a limited analysis about the views and conversations of these spokespeople and their arguments to validate their positions on sexual morality issues. To better understand how Protestants attempt to validate their beliefs, I focus on what liberals and conservatives say about sexual morality issues. In particular, what do those in influential positions (i.e., authors and pastors) tell others? To answer this question, I conduct a content analysis of 30 Protestant sex advice manuals and 20 in-depth pastoral interviews. The results indicate not only the differences and similarities of beliefs, but also that many spokespeople use various forms of validation besides, or in addition to, biblical texts. The influential are influenced greatly by their own personal biases and views of gender, maybe even more than their particular religious beliefs. Future research should explore whether there is a definitive correlation between spokespersons' messages and listeners' adherence.
Temple University--Theses
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Copeland, Trinaa L. "African American Christian Senior Pastor's Beliefs About Mental Health Treatment." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6191.
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In the African American community, the Black Church and its clergy have served as gatekeepers to formal mental health treatment. Little is known about the beliefs of African American Christian senior pastors about mental health treatment and their personal views influencing their counsel to congregants seeking support through the church. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of African American Christian senior pastors in relation to how they understand mental health treatment and provide it to their congregants. The research questions explored three areas: (a) the senior pastors' experiences in rendering mental health treatment, (b) the senior pastors' personal experiences with mental health treatment, and (c) the senior pastors' views on their effectiveness in rendering mental health treatment to congregants. An emergent hand coding analysis of participant narratives collected from 6 participant semi-structured interviews generated 3 main themes and 14 sub-themes related to participant experiences. The results showed the senior pastors not wanting to do harm when congregants sought mental health support through the church; hence, the pastors referred congregants to formal treatment when issues were beyond their scope. Also most of the senior pastors felt comfortable participating in formal mental treatment as needed because it was beneficial for addressing personal and professional challenges. This study can assist the mental health community in making positive social change via the development of relationships and/or partnerships with African American Christian senior pastors looking to refer congregants to formal mental health treatment.
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Liviero, Sara. "Teachers' reported beliefs about the role of grammar, and their observed pedagogical practices of foreign languages teaching in England." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/16005.
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The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate teachers’ beliefs about a fundamental aspect of foreign language teaching: grammar. Whilst progressively reinstated in the national curriculum and consistently sustained by foreign languages teachers’ practices, grammar’s perceived irrelevance for assessment criteria of the nationally adopted method of assessment - the General Certificate of Secondary Education – kept it caught in conflicting discourses of policy, linguistic research and teaching practices. Whilst foreign languages policy and practice kept converging towards increasing focus on forms in language education along correspondences with linguistic research, the assessment has remained focused on generic communicative, skill-focused criteria. My small-scale research aimed to find how foreign languages teachers translated grammar teaching policy and possible theoretical guidelines in their teaching practices, by collecting data through interviews, observations and think-alouds. The findings revealed disparate educational contexts, approaches, as well as interpretations of grammar teaching. It led me to realise the necessity to probe further into a much more thorough theoretical and methodological underpinning of foreign languages education. As this study concludes, the secondary foreign languages curriculum has become disapplied, and schools and teachers have been left to devise their idiosyncratic foreign language learning strategies and rationales. As foreign languages teaching becomes anchored in the primary education curricular provision, this research hopes to document the need to frame theoretical and methodological guidelines, a consistent foreign languages education rationale, leading to a consistent and convincing education and provision of future foreign language teachers.
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Carter, Nari. "Preservice Special Education Teachers' Beliefs About Effective Reading Instruction for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2011. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4256.
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No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002) mandated that all students learn to read and specified that instructional practice in schools be informed by scientifically-based research. NCLB specifically aimed to improve reading achievement among struggling readers, students with disabilities, and other marginalized students. The National Reading Panel and reading experts have identified instructional practices for teaching reading to struggling readers; and yet, teachers do not always implement effective practices in their classrooms. To identify factors that influence teachers’ practice, I conducted a literature review of teachers’ beliefs about reading instruction. The results of the review were mixed in terms of whether teachers believed that research-validated practices were effective for teaching reading to struggling readers. In some instances, teachers’ beliefs acted as barriers for addressing students’ instructional needs, and teachers’ beliefs and practices were both congruent and incongruent.
If teachers fail to implement effective practices, the long-term outlook for poor readers is dismal, particularly for students with disabilities. Considerable research indicates that students with disabilities need intense, explicit, skill-based instruction to acquire basic reading skills. Although some of the studies reviewed provide evidence that special education teachers believe that explicit, skill-based approaches are effective for teaching reading to students with disabilities, more research is needed to understand how special education teachers’ beliefs influence their instructional practice.
The purpose for this research was to describe preservice special education teachers’ beliefs about reading instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities. Results indicated that preservice special education teachers held varying beliefs about reading instruction. The preservice teachers described explicit, skill-based instruction as effective for teaching reading to students with disabilities, and they also thought that skill-based instruction, combined with balanced literacy, addressed students’ instructional needs. Affective response and teaching experience influenced teachers’ beliefs. Teachers who perceived that the use of explicit, skillbased methods contributed to students’ progress implemented such practices in their classrooms. Those who did not believe that the use of explicit methods for teaching reading supported student learning, implemented practices that did not align with research-validated perspectives.
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Rino, Joseph S. "Supporting an Understanding of Mathematics Teacher Educators:Identifying Shared Beliefs and Ways of Enacting Their Craft." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2015. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5576.
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For many preservice elementary and secondary teachers, the first time they encounter the notion that mathematics can be taught in ways other than what they experienced is in their teacher preparation program. Therefore, the potential impact of the mathematics teacher educator on the understanding and development of preservice teachers is immense, especially as that impact is considered in connection to the various reform efforts related to mathematics education that have spread across the country for the past three decades. Given the scarcity of systematic research focused on mathematics teacher educators, the author sought to understand defining characteristics of that role. He looked specifically for beliefs that mathematics teacher educators have in common as well as shared ways of enacting their craft by interviewing 16 university professors from around the United States who support the learning and development of preservice and inservice mathematics teachers. The beliefs that emerged from this study related to mathematics teaching, the learning of mathematics teaching, and the teaching of mathematics teaching. Potential communities of practice were also identified, through which the enactment of mathematics teacher educators' craft could be better understood. The specific beliefs and ways of interacting are discussed in terms of how they can support development and reflection among current and prospective mathematics teacher educators, as well as how they can support continued systematic research of mathematics teacher education.
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Gibbons, Rebecca E. "Survey research in postsecondary chemistry education: Measurements of faculty members’ instructional practice and students’ affect." Scholar Commons, 2018. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7296.
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Collection of data through survey-type measurements and analysis contributes rich, meaningful information to the chemical education research enterprise. This dissertation reports two strands of research that each contribute a “snapshot” of the state of chemical education on two different levels. The first uses survey research methods, collecting data from faculty members to learn about postsecondary chemistry education across the United States. The second uses survey instruments of student achievement emotions within the organic chemistry classroom, collecting longitudinal data to learn about the relationships of emotions with achievement over time. Both areas are of interest because chemical education research produces evidence-based instructional practices as well as survey instruments of student characteristics, many of which are ready to be used in classroom, yet there is a recognized disconnect between development of these products and enacted practices. The research in this dissertation improves upon previous methodology in both strands of research included while reporting data with implications for instructional, research, and policy matters.
A national survey of postsecondary chemistry faculty uses a stratified sampling procedure to gather information about the state of education in chemistry classrooms. The use of the teacher-centered systemic reform model of educational change enables us to use the data collected in the survey to gather empirical support of the relationship between faculty members’ beliefs about how students learn chemistry more effectively, faculty members’ self-efficacy for instruction and chemistry content, and the instructional practices that they utilize in the course for which they felt they had the most influence. This information is paramount for the developers of evidence-based instructional practices as well as parties interested in determining the methods best suited to the dissemination of these tools. Professional development activities designed to inspire the use of evidence-based instructional tools or techniques must acknowledge the belief systems of faculty members and the need for change in these beliefs prior to the incorporation of new methods. These results present a call for reform efforts on fostering change from its core, i.e., the beliefs of those who ultimately adopt evidence-based instructional practices. Dissemination and design should incorporate training and materials that highlight the process by which faculty members interpret reformed practices within their belief system, and explore belief change in the complex context of education reform.
Another example of the use of national survey data is the determination of the niche distribution of classroom response systems, also known as clickers. It is determined in this study that clickers are used more often in large courses taught at the lower level across the United States. This niche is deemed a more suitable situation for the use of clickers than others. This information is important for researchers developing tools intended for use within the classroom. Despite the possibility for use in all contexts, the national population of faculty members will adopt tools in the contexts which are deemed most suitable; the niche markets of educational tools can provide insight in to best development practices also well as direction for the optimization of the experience for the most frequent users of these tools.
The other set of studies in this dissertation utilize the control-value theory of achievement emotions in the postsecondary organic chemistry context to explore nuanced relationships of affect with achievement. These studies utilize a longitudinal panel data collection mechanism, enhancing our ability to understand relationships. The control-value theory posits that there are a set of nine achievement emotions, dictated by control and value, which influence achievement. Two of these achievement emotions, anxiety and enjoyment, are determined in one study to fluctuate over the semester of organic chemistry and significantly influence achievement as measured by examination scores. These are supported by their theoretical interpretation as activating emotions, and when experienced, inspire students to take measures that ultimately either increase or reduce their success. A deactivating emotion, boredom, is measured in another study and found to also hold a reciprocal relationship with achievement when measured over time. In both studies, results show that the reciprocal causation model with an exam snowballing effect best fits data among the alternative models. There is a small and significant negative relationship between anxiety and performance contrasted with a positive relationship between enjoyment and performance throughout the semester. Negative relationships were observed between boredom and examination performance across the term. In addition, relationships were observed to be stronger at the beginning of the course term. Future research should consider achievement emotions in light of educational reforms to ensure that innovative curricula or pedagogies are functioning in the classroom as intended.
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Yang, Lily L. "Assessment of consumers' knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and beliefs of food handling and beef safety handling behaviors." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/84496.
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Consumers desire tender, juicy, and flavorful cuts of beef. Mechanical tenderization (MT) and enhancement methods applied to lower valued beef cuts can improve tenderness, flavor or juiciness, increasing desirability for the consumer. However, these processes can introduce pathogens that may be present on the exterior of the meat into the sterile interior. This process renders an ‘intact’ product ‘non-intact’ and requires altered cooking methods to ensure safety. The primary pathogens of concern for beef products are Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC). STEC are associated with approximately 265,000 illnesses and 3,600 hospitalizations annually. Since 2006, there have been 6 STEC outbreaks in the United States and 18 cases in Canada attributed to MT beef (MTB). The pathogen has also been implicated in 136 non-intact beef-related recalls. Due to the potential food safety hazards associated with MTB, mandatory labeling of these products was mandated in 2015 to inform consumers on how to safely handle the product. While this is a good step to inform consumers, it is unclear how familiar they are with the terms associated with these processes. Consumer’s knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, awareness, and behaviors related to MTBs is quite limited. This study uses an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, to assess consumer knowledge of MTB. Qualitative focus groups conducted throughout urban and rural North Carolina and Virginia found that although participants purchased MTBs, they were unaware of the process, did not prepare MTBs properly, wanted to know more about the process, and wanted applicable risk messages. A nationwide survey developed from the focus group findings found that demographic differences were associated with knowledge of; and how participants interact with MTBs. How demographics influence consumer’s beef safety knowledge, practices, and risky behaviors was further explored. Demographic characteristics were highly correlated with consumers’ behaviors surrounding beef storage, refrigerator temperature knowledge, defrosting behaviors, meat washing, and meat preparation behaviors. Collectively, the mixed methods research design provided insight into specific demographic characteristics related to consumer attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding beef safety. This data will help inform the development of well-crafted, culturally, and socially relevant risk messaging that may promote safe handling behaviors.Ph. D.
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Ramukumba, Mokholelana Margaret. "The role of beliefs, conceptualisations and experiences of OBE in teaching practice." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5378.
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Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.Bibliography
The implementation of OBE has significant implications for teachers’ work; adopting an OBE approach entails reconstruction of professional knowledge and a redefinition of planning procedures, teaching approaches and assessment practices. A teacher attempting to make sense of OBE, learning outcomes, assessment standards, band levels, NQF, etc. will inevitably bring his/her worldviews, past experiences and beliefs into the process of teaching and learning, and would also need to engage with new concepts to keep track of the changes in meaning and priorities. Within this changing education scenario OBE, as an initiative, offers opportunities for new pedagogies to flourish, marking a departure from the safe haven of traditional pedagogy. Therefore a perspective on teachers’ beliefs regarding OBE can provide an alternative interpretive lens for researchers through understanding teachers’ actions and thoughts. Purpose: The aim was to examine strategies teachers employ in their classrooms in response to their beliefs about OBE. Teachers’ epistemological beliefs were explored and linked to OBE pedagogical frameworks and classroom management practices. Their belief systems were divided into three categories – the teachers’ views about OBE, mathematics knowledge, and the teaching and learning of mathematics. This study was based on the belief that conceptions are specific meanings given to phenomena, derived from different experiences involved in helping individuals make sense of their world. Furthermore, those worldviews in turn influence how new information is perceived. Methodology: The researcher adopted a qualitative exploratory design. The method of choice for this study was a combination of elements of phenomenology and ethnography. Nineteen teachers were interviewed and observed. The sample was drawn from two former Model C schools and three township schools. Data were analysed qualitatively. Findings: The findings confirmed that there are multiple beliefs that constitute a personal epistemology. Therefore, to investigate some unique entities of the belief system such as OBE requires examining the broader belief system. The majority of teachers responded to OBE implementation with uncertainty, anger, frustration and anxiety. In the absence of certainty about OBE and faced with a myriad of classroom iv challenges, teachers relied on their experience to make decisions regarding what was important to know, they drew on their own personal teaching theories more than what they thought about OBE to make judgments of learning processes. This study concludes that the link between teachers’ beliefs, conceptualisation of OBE and teaching practice is weak. Their beliefs about the nature of mathematics knowledge, teaching and learning mathematics had stronger connections with, and represented the basis for teachers’ pedagogical purpose behind their preferred teaching practice.
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Baker, Amanda A. "Pronunciation Pedagogy: Second Language Teacher Cognition and Practice." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2011. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/alesl_diss/16.
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Over the past few decades, increasing research has examined the cognitions (knowledge and beliefs) of second language (L2) teachers. Such efforts have provided insight into what constitutes teachers' beliefs and knowledge about teaching, how these cognitions have developed and how they are reflected in classroom practice (see Borg, 2006). Although numerous studies have been conducted into the curricular areas of L2 grammar and, to a lesser extent, L2 literacy, far fewer have examined L2 teachers' cognitions concerning L2 pronunciation instruction. The purpose of the present study, therefore, was to explore some of the dynamic relationships that exist between L2 teachers’ cognitions and actual pedagogical practices, how these cognitions
have developed over time, and what relationships exist between both students’ and teachers’ perceptions. In the study, the cognitions and practices - as they relate to the teaching of L2 pronunciation - of five experienced teachers in an Intensive English program were investigated. The teachers participated in three types of data collection procedures over one semester - three semi-structured interviews, five classroom observations, and two stimulated recall interviews. Also, their students completed questionnaires. Findings revealed that, in terms of the development of teachers' cognitions, a graduate course dedicated to pronunciation pedagogy had the greatest impact of the teachers’ cognitions. In addition, all teachers experienced some degree of insecurity about teaching pronunciation. This was especially true for teachers who had never taken a course in pronunciation pedagogy. Yet even those teacher with specific training in pronunciation pedagogy lacked confidence in certain areas, especially in how to diagnose and address problems with pronunciation. Furthermore, some of the teachers were hesitant to assess students' pronunciation, fearing that negative feedback might be damaging to the learners' identities. However, through viewing the results of the student questionnaires, the participant-teachers were surprised to learn that students favored receiving explicit feedback in class in front of their peers over other types of feedback. One final major finding was that the teachers predominantly employed controlled techniques when teaching pronunciation and that, of all the techniques used, guided techniques were used less frequently.
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Coon, Garson George. "Examining beliefs about the causes of unemployment and poverty, an analysis of the causal models from the research literature." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape15/PQDD_0025/NQ30242.pdf.
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Lloyd, Susan L. "Examining a framework of dialogue e-mails and inquiry into practice to scaffold reflective practice in preservice teachers during their early field experience." [Tampa, Fla.] : University of South Florida, 2005. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/SFE0001150.
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Napolitano, Amanda. "Graduate Students’ Beliefs and Perceptions of Student Engagement and Learning Platforms in Higher Education." Thesis, NSUWorks, 2017. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/135.
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This applied dissertation was designed to understand and explore the experiences of graduate students at a public four-year higher education institution in the southeastern region of the United States. This study utilized an interview based phenomenological qualitative study design approach for data collection and analysis. Committees in the field of higher education reviewed and approved the interview protocol. The research study and data analysis were conducted in the Spring Semester of 2017. The researcher employed semi-structured interviews that were guided by ten protocol questions. Transcription accuracy, credibility, and trustworthiness were established through diligent adherence to university protocols. The collected data revealed themes that supported the researchers’ understanding of graduate students’ perception of engagement and experiences in face-to-face, online, and blended classroom settings.
The qualitative research study provides in-depth insight for future enrollees and program development. The selected institution’s IRB and Nova Southeastern University’s IRB granted permission to conduct the study. A phenomenological approach was used to maximize exploration of graduate students’ perception of engagement and experiences in face-to-face, online, and blended graduate level classroom settings. Ten protocol questions guided the semi-structured interviews. Subsequent to the scheduled 60-minute interviews, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to describe the meaning of several individuals’ perceptions. The most prevalent theme that emerged was a lack of meaningful social interaction, or student engagement, in online formats. Once the data had been analyzed, recommendations for future research were provided to support the needs of a graduate student population on university campuses.
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Carpenter, Jan Marie. "Negotiating Meaning with Educational Practice: Alignment of Preservice Teachers' Mission, Identity, and Beliefs with the Practice of Collaborative Action Research." PDXScholar, 2010. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/395.
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The case study examined how three preservice teachers within a Master of Arts in Teaching program at a small, private university negotiated meaning around an educational practice--collaborative action research. Preservice teachers must negotiate multiple, and often competing, internal and external discourses as they sort out what educational practices, policies, organizational structures to accept or reject as presented in the teacher education program. This negotiation is a dynamic, contextual, unique meaning-making process that extends, redirects, dismisses, reinterprets, modifies, or confirms prior beliefs (Wenger, 1998). Korthagen's (2004) model for facilitating understanding and reflection was used to explore the process of negotiating meaning. Known as the Onion Model, it includes six levels: the environment, behavior, competencies, beliefs, identity, and mission. When alignment occurs between all levels, Korthagen explained that individuals experience wholeness, energy, and presence. In contrast, tensions can occur within a level or between levels of the Onion Model and limit the effectiveness of the preservice teacher regarding the area in question. Reflecting on the collaborative action research experience through the layers of the Korthagen's model may allow preservice teachers (and professors) to identify degrees of alignment and areas of tension as preservice teachers negotiate meaning. Once identified, areas of tension can be deconstructed and better understood; self-understanding can empower individuals to assume an active and powerful role in their professional developmental. To explore how preservice teachers negotiated their identity regarding collaborative action research, the following research questions guided the study: (1) How do preservice teachers' trajectories align with the practice of collaborative action research? (2) How do individuals negotiate meaning regarding the practice of collaborative action research? (3) How do preservice teachers frame collaborative action research in relation to their future practice? Triangulated data from interviews, observations, and document analysis was collected, analyzed, and interpreted to provide insight into preservice teachers' process of negotiating meaning around a nontraditional educational practice. Each participant traveled a unique and emotional journey through the process of collaborative action research and their personal trajectory did influence the way they negotiated the practice of collaborative action research. Findings included: (a) each participant had a dominant trait that influenced areas of alignment and misalignment between their trajectory and the practice of collaborative action research; (b) some participants exhibited visible misalignments while the misalignments of others were hidden; (c) participants relied on personal strengths to reestablish the perception of alignment as they negotiated meaning through the practice of collaborative action research; (d) the way misalignments were negotiated limited the transformational potential of the learning experience of collaborative action research; and (e) participants' expectations for their future use of the practice of collaborative action research aligned with their dominant traits.
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Schafer, Adam G. L. "Investigating High School Chemistry Teacher Assessment Beliefs and Practices During Assessment Design and Interpretation of Assessment Results." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1585931518315268.
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Mpeta, Mamotena. "The influence of the beliefs of teachers and learners on the teaching and learning of evolution." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/40231.
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This study explores and describes the beliefs of teachers and learners with regards to the concept of biological evolution and how those beliefs affect the teaching and the learning of the concept. Multiple research methods were used to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data from Grade 12 Life Sciences learners and teachers from five secondary schools in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. Quantitative data included biographical information. The Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) was used to assess acceptance of evolution by learners. Qualitative data included opinions of teachers and learners about evolution and how it was taught and learned. The results showed that the background of the participants, such as religion and from whom they had first heard of evolution, had a strong influence on their beliefs about evolution. Most of the learners and the five teachers in the study held Christian beliefs and some of them perceived evolution to be in conflict with those beliefs. There was moderate acceptance of evolution by learners. In teaching evolution, all the teachers engaged learners in discussions and debates about evolution, and encouraged them to separate their beliefs from evolution in order to avoid ‘the conflict’. Despite their Christian beliefs and the dissonance between them and evolution, learners were motivated to learn evolution. They felt that evolution was responding to some of the questions they had about themselves, and therefore wanted to understand it more. There was a perception from both teachers and learners that there was not enough evidence in support of evolution, and this is what brings the doubt about its validity. The research encourages further exploration of learners’ and teachers’ beliefs, and assistance of teachers in the nature of science, better understanding of the concept of evolution. In addition, the research advocates assistance for teachers on how to deal with Life Sciences topics perceived to be controversial.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
gm2014
Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
unrestricted
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Onmalela, Bilip Alix Carole. "Eliciting salient beliefs in research on theory of planned behavior: an investigation of the attitude of Millennials toward consumption philanthropy." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/38178.
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Master of ScienceDepartment of Journalism and Mass Communications
Sam Mwangi
Consumption philanthropy (CP) provides consumers with an opportunity to support charities through consumption of charity-linked products promoted by corporations. Although research on consumers’ response to corporate philanthropy continues to grow, little is known about contextual factors that influence young donors’ willingness to participate in CP. Moreover, CP, also known as cause marketing (CM), has received little attention in public relations research. This study attempts to reduce the gap in the literature. Drawing from the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this research is to examine beliefs about altruistic goals, perceptions, perceived support, and external control beliefs related to CP participation among Millennials. Findings indicate that the primary factors influencing the participation willingness of the Millennial consumer group are the portion of the proceeds that benefits the cause, the beneficiary, and a high social pressure. Also, Millennials have expectations from their participation in consumption philanthropy programs. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for research and practices regarding messaging strategies for consumer advertising campaigns.
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Gregory, Virgil L. Jr. "Gregory Research Beliefs Scale: Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties." 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/1891.
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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)GREGORY RESEARCH BELIEFS SCALE: FACTOR STRUCTURE AND PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES The study at hand involves developing the Gregory Research Beliefs Scale (GRBS) to reliably and validly measure social work students’ beliefs about the function of research in social work practice. Research has considerable actual and potential benefits for practice. Social work students’ beliefs about this construct are vital. A description of the advantages of using research to inform practice is given. Additionally, the Council on Social Work Education and National Association of Social Workers’ policies that mandate the merger of research and practice are also provided to further justify the need for adequate psychometric evaluation of the construct. Details of the literature search strategy are described and critical evaluations of the empirical articles are conducted. Based on critical evaluations of instruments which have previously measured the same construct, a number of psychometric shortcomings are outlined to validate the need for further scale development of the construct. The present study’s objectives were to develop a scale which has an empirically and theoretically supported factor structure, acceptable coefficient alpha levels, empirically supported discriminant (divergent) validity, concurrent criterion validity, and known–groups criterion validity. Steps for developing the GRBS’s items, response format, sample, research design, and statistical tests are specified and conducted to determine the factor structure and psychometric properties. Finally, the strengths, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.
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Smith, James Scott. "Perceptions and beliefs of selected music education research studies." Thesis, 2016. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/19551.
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This qualitative study was designed to ascertain the perceptions of students, parents, music teachers, school administrators, and school board members regarding a correlation between music participation and academic success. While all the interviewees were from different schools, they represented one school district. Each interview was audio-recorded for the perceptions of the six research synopses I provided the interviewees to read.
The problem I investigated was to determine if research findings affect the attitude of individuals who are closely associated with school music. Do music teachers, school administrators, school board members, and music students and their parents believe these studies? The purpose of my dissertation was to ascertain what fourteen individuals believed in regarding the research studies presented to them. What they believed and comprehended from reading six research synopsis reports pertaining to a relationship between music participation and academic achievement. The research studies were chosen by me because of the relationship between music education and academic success. I explored the understanding and meaning that individuals associated with school music education assigned to these selected research findings in music education. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, a qualitative descriptive design was employed to examine the understanding and beliefs of selected individuals involved with school music education concerning selected research on music participation and academic success.
Specific questions I investigated were: 1) To what extent do participants believe and understand the selected research supporting a connection between music and academic achievement? 2) What is the nature of understanding the selected research supporting a connection between music and academic achievement for participants? 3) What meanings do participants assign to selected research supporting a connection between music and academic achievement? 4) For participants, is there a connection between their musical biographies and perception and interpretation of selected research supporting a connection between music and academic achievement? 5) To what extent do these selected research findings influence participants?
All interviewees reflected on the functionality of music participation to further academic success. In addition, interviewees mentioned missing variables of the findings of the researchers. While many of the interviewees did not believe music participation to be the contributing factor for academic success, they did believe parental involvement was a key factor for student’s academic success.
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Liu, Chin-Wen, and 劉晉妏. "The research of the Kitchen God's myths and beliefs." Thesis, 2018. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/kebhk8.
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Kennedy, Lauren Ashlee. "The importance of incorporating researcher beliefs into statistical models." Thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/113117.
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In this thesis I consider how statistical assumptions are driven by the assumptions
the researcher makes about the data. I focus specifically on assumptions surrounding
data generation, namely: a) the shape of distribution expected, b) the process by
which data were obtained, c) the shape of the outcome distribution, and d) inferring
information about missing data.
Each chapter of this thesis will focus on one of these assumptions using a combination
of tools. I use existing methods and propose new models before exploring from a
cognitive perspective the types of inference people make. This allows us to explore
the concept of researcher assumptions, and to consider where building them in to
the statistical model might be beneficial. In three of the four main chapters of this
thesis, I use simulation methods to compare models. The models I consider are
both Bayesian and frequentist in framework. The aim of these simulations is not
to compare frameworks, but to compare different model structures to ascertain the
structure that allows the most accurate claims about the data to be made.
There are four main arguments presented in this thesis. First I argue that it is very
rare to conduct statistical tests without making some sort of assumption about the
data. Second, I demonstrate that for distributional assumptions in a particular type of data, models where the assumptions are not violated can improve the accuracy of
the claims made. Thirdly, I present two models that match the assumed generative
process of two types of data; contaminated data and data with a heterogeneous
effect. I demonstrate that these models are not only more accurate, they also allow
the researcher to make richer claims about their data. Finally I experimentally investigate
a well-known finding in cognitive psychology|a dislike for ambiguous or
missing data. I replicate this preference whilst demonstrating that people are still
sensitive to underlying distributional information. Together these findings suggest
that the researcher is both sensitive to and makes assumptions about the data. Creating
and using statistical models that do not violate the assumptions the researcher
makes is important, but building more complicated assumptions into the model can
give a richer and more accurate understanding of the data.Thesis (Ph.D.) (Research by Publication) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2018
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Kelly, Gretchen Leigh. "Beliefs of very elderly men and women about clinical research /." 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/fullcit/3149151.
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Ho, Wen-Cheng, and 何文正. "Research on the Application of the Almanac in Folk Beliefs." Thesis, 2015. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/7wa9px.
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碩士南華大學
宗教學研究所
103
What's the right time to worship our ancestors at Chinese New Year's Eve? What's the best time to open the door to hold ceremony to worship our Gods on New Year's Day? Which direction is leading to a lucky and prosperous futureon new-year-greeting each year? When is the best time to reopen business after New Year holidays, which shall lead to success? "Lunar Calendar" provides the key references for Chinese religion, belief, and tradition practice in daily life. "Lunar Calendar" is the accumulation of the wisdoms and experiences of the Chinese ancestors over thousands of years, which cannot be possibly accomplished by any individual's intelligence and efforts. Revised repeatedly over thousands of years, the "Lunar Calendar" is passed on generation after generation, which has shaped the Chinese culture and made it richer, and will last for years to come.The"LunaCalendar" provides a systematic algorithm, teaching offspring how Nature and Universe works. From fortune telling, business or financial management to the Emperor ruling, the Lunar Calendar is an important resource and guidance to Chinese people. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of "Lunar Calendar" on beliefs of Chinese people. Why can it last for thousands of years in Chinese history?Why has it still been broadly disseminated and used among people in spite of public opinion that the "Lunar Calendar" is simply a superstition? This study is focusing on how to apply "Lunar Calendar" in people’s real life. The "LunarCalendar" and "Folk Beliefs" will be discussed in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5, the three important stages of life, birth, marriage, and death, will be discussed in details respectively and conclusion will be drawn afterwards. In addition, it is believed that the "Lunar Calendar" and "Feng Shui" are like needle and thread, being complementary. Both "Lunar Calendar" and "Folk Beliefs" provide basic needs to comfort and caress the helpless souls on the course of life. The so called Chinese philosophy, "Good Timing, Beneficial Topography, Harmonious Relationship", is to guide people effectively managing time, staying away from bad lucks, and advancing to good fortune. At last, this study also puts effort on discussion of the connection between "Lunar Calendar" and "Good Timing". In order to properly explain the behaviors and rationales behind picking the "Good Timing" based on "Lunar Calendar" for daily events, the "Year, Month, Day, Hour" of "Good Timing" is converted to Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. The historical origins of the practice, including related topics and events requiring picking "Good Timing", Gods-Evils system, and the cultural background regarding “Guidelines to Good Timing” are reviewed.
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Chang, Wan-ru, and 張婉如. "A Research on the case teacher’s beliefs of PromotingEnvironmental Education." Thesis, 2010. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/26964532473180784224.
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碩士靜宜大學
生態學研究所
98
Abstract The literature about evolutionary context of the world environment conference let us know that the positive consensus of the current strategies from the whole world for solving environmental problems must be “the environmental education”, and that the promotion of environmental education depends on that the school teacher carries out the teaching exactly, teacher''s teaching behavior and performance, and then may attribute to the teacher’s belief for the teaching. Therefore, if we understand the teacher’s belief of promoting environmental education, it is helpful for us to promote environmental education. In this research the researcher enters the case teacher’s teaching scene by using the qualitative research technique, and in the natural process the researcher carries out these ways：the depth interview with case teacher, and the classroom observation, and the reflections notes in order to understand the teacher’s belief of promoting environmental education and the influential factors of the case teacher establishing her environmental education belief, and how the case teacher overcome these difficulties and bottleneck she had suffered when she promoted environmental education, and the relationship between the teacher’s belief of promoting environmental education and her actual teaching behavior. The research shows the case teacher’s belief about the environment ethics is ecocentrism, the case teacher considers that the humanity should respect the nature and take the voluntary and responsibility to the natural ecology.The case teacher''s belief of the environmental education is that we should promote environmental education for the purpose of solving environment problems and begin from the environmental education. The ideal environmental education should be fulfilled by students to go into the outdoors and to experience the natural ecological environment actually. Moreover, the environmental education teaching needs teachers’ enthusiasm and the sense of mission.The case teacher''s belief of environmental education teaching is that the environmental education may implement by combine the environmental education with “the ecology education” and “the life education” and “the school standard curriculum” , and that the teaching process may raise students the abilities of observation and solving the question, and that the ultimate objective of environmental education is to promote the students’ concern for the ecological environment then to protect environment.The factor of affecting the case teacher to establishe her environmental education belief is that her personality and the family background and the experience of study and participating the teacher further education outside school and so on the school environment atmosphere. The difficulties and bottleneck from the case teacher promoting environmental education are that school lacks real “the researching and developing curriculum team” , and that the curriculum and the teaching materials are loose and non-system, and that school lacks the teachers with liking similarly the ecology education, and that teachers’ participation is not positive. The case teacher overcome difficulties and bottleneck in these ways: she is optimistic and upholds her belief and adjusts her belief timely and she never gives up. Finally the research finds that the teacher’s belief of promoting environmental education is almost consistent with her teaching.
48
Lee, Huiju, and 李蕙如. "Research On How Religious Beliefs Influence On Causes Of Poverty." Thesis, 2012. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/98542545437334267623.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺北大學
社會學系
100
Religious beliefs usually imply some sorts of viewpoints on secular life. This thesis wishes to reveal how self-reported religions believers attribute the reasons of personal poverty. The data-set used was collected by the research project “Taiwan Social Change Survey” 2007. One way ANOVA as well as multiple regression analysis were utilized to find out the patterns of different religions believers in their attribution of personal poverty. The result reveals that different religions believers do attribute differently in some aspects. In short, Buddhists emphasize more on socio-economic opportunity structure and the Christians less so. Both Taoists and Christians do not think "fate" as a significant factor. The non-believers are similar to the Christians. In contrast, The new religions believers tend to take fate as a significant factor, however, not working hard on the part of the poor is also recognized for them as a major factor. Lastly, the folk religionists seem to agree on several factors causing personal poverty.
49
Pirie, Michelle Karen. "Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding HIV sero-positivity in the workplace." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6790.
Full textAbstract:
M.A.AIDS, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, has become a serious public health concern in most cities in countries worldwide. Since the discovery of AIDS there have been impressive advances in the understanding of the AIDS virus, its routes of transmission and its methods of prevention. But even these hard-won-discoveries have not yet led to a drug that can cure this deadly disease or to a vaccine that can prevent it. In the light of this it would appear that a different approach to the management of AIDS is currently of utmost necessity. AIDS can be prevented by empowering individuals with the knowledge of AIDS transmission and prevention, thereby eliminating their ignorance and increasing their understanding, empathy and compassion for those currently involved in dealing with this struggle. The implications of AIDS and the HI-virus (human immunodeficiency virus) range far beyond the AIDS/HIV patients themselves. The affects of HIV and AIDS are felt by family members, partners and friends whose relationships are placed under immense strain, co-workers who are confronted with their own fear and compassion and by those at high risk for the disorder who are continually faced with ridicule and discrimination. This study focused specifically on the workforce of South Africa whose economic productivity is essential for South Africa's continual development and existence. In the absence of a fully developed and integrated social infrastructure, South Africa is reliant on its workforce for its monetary contribution in support of the unemployed, underprivileged, disabled and desolate of this country. The aim of this study was to obtain a better level of understanding of the workforce's knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS, to become aware of misunderstandings and myths which could hamper prevention and to review current methods of public education in order to enhance future methods of knowledge empowerment. A healthy workforce can constitute a strong support network, and thereby not place further strain on an already overwhelmed economy and government.
50
Yu, Lian Tai, and 連黛玉. "Research of Motherhood Beliefs and Dual-career Family Role's Beliefs of the Middle-aged Dual Career Women in Singapore." Thesis, 2010. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/61074886483033301908.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立暨南國際大學
輔導與諮商研究所
98
The objective of the research is to find out the beliefs of middle age dual career female in Singapore. This research was based on the convenience sampling of 107 relevant surveys done on middle age dual-career female. Research instruments include evaluation of the role of a female’s dual-career belief and motherhood’s belief. The analysis was based on Descriptive Statistics, one-way ANOVA, Stepwise Multiple Regression analysis, Pearsons Product-Moment Correlation. The main findings were as follows: 1. The belief of middle age dual-career female scores highest in “Ethics” and lowest in “Expectation”. On the other hand, under the non-rational belief, “Perfectionism” is the highest while “Dependency” is the lowest. The overall belief of the role of a dual-career family trends to rationality. 2. There is no significant difference in the belief of a dual-career female motherhood’s role in terms of their background. 3. The family role of Singapore dual-career middle age female in the area of “over worry” showed a variation by the number of children. The other areas did not show variation in terms of age, education, occupation, number of children and age of youngest child. 4. There was significant predictability of motherhood’s belief in area of “Ethics” in terms of their educational background. The other areas did not show obvious predictability in terms of age, education, occupation, number of children and age of youngest child. 5. There were significant predictabilities of dual-career family’s role in “Responsibility” and “Dependency” in terms of their occupation. The other did not show significant predictability in terms of age, education, occupation, number of children and age of youngest child. 6. “Dual-career family role’s belief” and “motherhood’s belief” showed low level of positive correlate. With the above findings, the researcher raised suggestion to relevant government body and women’s social organization.