This single-case study examines the consensus building strategies employed by the Digital Writing Collaborative (DWC) at Miami University in support of the implementation of a multimodal first-year composition curriculum. This study focuses on circumstances within the institution that facilitated the curricular shift, specific strategies employed in developing institutional consensus, and how institutional stakeholders are working toward sustainability of the new curriculum. Miami Universi... Michele Ninacs. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Williamson, Michael M. Committee members: Susan Leist; Gian Pagnucci. Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
As the United States becomes an increasingly diverse society, the need for an understanding of the psychological impact of the immigrant and second-generation experience increases. Acculturation, ethnic identity, and worldview have been identified as factors that contribute to the mental health of minority populations. The influence of these variables on interpersonal relationships, however, has not been studied. This research sought to better understand the impact these three variables have ... Malika Kapadia. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: McHugh, Maureen C. Committee members: Rita Drapkin; Beverly Goodwin. Psy.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
This research focused on the effectiveness of transitional first grade programs as an intervention to improve the academic success of students through third grade. This study investigated two groups of students, students who attended a transitional first grade program and students who were regularly promoted. Several limitations were present in this study that may have influenced the validity of the results. The results of this research indicated age, and not academic readiness scores, was ... Megan Lynn Buchner-Horsh. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Black, Lynanne Committee members: William Barker; Becky Knickelbein; Edward Levinson. D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
This study examined elementary school teachers' perceptions of technology after participating in a field test, the I3 Project. The study explored and assessed how elementary teachers reported technology in terms of knowledge, attitude, and technology implementation in the classroom. The results revealed that the technology experience, the I3 Project, had a strong positive impact on the teachers' technological literacy, their pedagogical knowledge of technology, their confidence in teaching... Sandra E Cavanaugh. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Bieger, George R. Committee members: James Hooks; Mark Twiest. D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
This study evaluates the ways gendered landscapes in postmodern novels by John Fowles and Julian Barnes challenge the reader-as-explorer's assumptions about gender's fluidity and craft what Sigmund Freud might call "polymorphous perversity." It examines how authors rely on Edenic images of landscape to shape the future and engender narratologically androgynous texts. Using ecofeminism and psychoanalysis as "lenses," I examine gendered geographical, national, and textual landscapes in several ... Jill Elizabeth Wagner. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Wilson, Cheryl Committee members: Christopher Orchard; Mike Sell. Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
The present study attempted to understand how the backgrounds and current experiences of a number of Saudi Arabian EFL professionals in graduate school in the United States have influenced their English literacy development. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain the Saudis' perspective on what helped or hindered them in acquiring and developing English as their second language, both in their home country and in the countries where they pursued advanced degrees in English, as well ... Ghassan Mohammed Osailan. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Fontaine, Jeannine M. Committee members: Gary Dean; Michael Williamson. Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
This case study design evaluated the program outcome effects of a peer leader program within the First-Year Seminar (FYS) on first-to-second year persistence, grade point average performance and academic and social integration levels of first-year, fulltime students. Differences in the characteristics of students on gender and race on the outcome measures were also considered. Analysis from six-year institutional data indicated that the Peer Leader Component option had significant benefits... Jessamine M Montero. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Yan, Wenfan Committee members: Cathy Kaufman; Robert Millward. D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
Many alterations have been made to education in America to develop and improve quality, including changes to the master schedule. Various types of scheduling formats have been designed over the years to fulfill a variety of educational needs. The complex rationale for transitioning impacts the benefits a school can achieve from the scheduling format. One such format, block scheduling, allows educators to use multiple strategies to meet individual student needs and develop greater student und... Lawrence Pryzblick. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Lare, Douglas; Marcoline, Joseph Committee members: David Rheinheimer. D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
This dissertation explores the perceptions prevalent in the discourse community of English teachers in Thailand regarding the role of English and English Language Teaching (ELT). In particular, this study seeks to determine to what extent these perceptions show characteristics of de facto colonialism in the local ELT context, which is identified by critical applied linguists. The participants were Thai teachers of English from the lower northern region of the country. Data were derived fr... Phongsakorn Methitham. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Fontaine, Jeannine M. Committee members: Sharon Deckert; Eugene Thibadeau. Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
This dissertation explored the meaning of power and voice through a participatory action research (PAR) project. The setting for the research was an Early Head Start program located in rural Western Pennsylvania. In this dissertation I explored whether and in what ways the principles of PAR contributed to impacting the strength of local voice in relevant dialogue and how those who participated in the PAR project perceived that their voice made a contribution. I also addressed the interconn... Barbara A Feroz. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Boser, Susan R. Committee members: Robert Ackerman; Betsy Crane; Daniel Heckert. Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
The present dissertation offers a critical study of how two contemporary U.S. women writers critique, resist, dismantle and disrupt the hegemonic discourse that represents U.S. Third World women as a monolithic and homogeneous category. The unsettling of the monolithic image of U.S. Third World women is pursued through providing an analysis of the cultural imagery of gender, in which the focus is specifically on two key images: the veil and the house. In this research, I show how the two writ... Mais Yusuf ALQutami. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Comfort, Susan Committee members: David Downing; Ronald Emerick. Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
Although incidents of child abuse and neglect are largely handled through child protection services agencies and juvenile dependency courts, criminal justice agencies have the authority and responsibility to intervene in cases of criminal child maltreatment (Brown & Riley, 1986). The magnitude and prevalence of child maltreatment within the United States is difficult to determine as no data system captures all forms of known maltreatment across various agencies who investigate abuse and negle... Mari B Pierce. Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis. Advisors: Roberts, Jennifer J. Committee members: Timothy Austin; Erika Davis Frenzel; John Lewis. Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2009. English
