The Influence of Selected Factors on Nonpersistence of Nontraditional Students at a Comprehensive Community College (open access)

The Influence of Selected Factors on Nonpersistence of Nontraditional Students at a Comprehensive Community College

The purpose of the study was to determine the direct influences of selected environmental, academic, and background factors as well as academic outcomes and expression of intent to leave on persistence or non-persistence of nontraditional students at a comprehensive community college in the Dallas County Community College District. The study applied a conceptual model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition. Data for this study were collected during the Fall, 1987 semester from 312 first-year nontraditional students using the two-year institution questionnaires from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. In addition, follow-up surveys were administered to the 97 students who did not re—enroll for the Spring, 1988 semester. The data were analyzed using discriminant function, chi square, and product-moment correlation. For these nontraditional students, educational goal commitment, cumulative grade point average (GPA) and expression of intent to leave at the end of the semester had significant direct influence on persistence or non-persistence decisions. In contrast, environmental factors such as finances, employment status, and family responsibilities, and background factors such as high school academic performance, enrollment status and parents' education level did not directly influence dropout decisions. Nontraditional students reported receiving moderate to high levels of encouragement to remain in college …
Date: May 1989
Creator: Laman, Michael A. (Michael Alan)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Attention and Information Processing Variables in Hypothetically Psychosis-Prone College Students (open access)

Attention and Information Processing Variables in Hypothetically Psychosis-Prone College Students

Considering the explanations of schizophrenia that presume schizophrenia spectrum disorders (e.g., schizotypal personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder, etc.) to be genetically related to schizophrenia, the purpose of this study was to investigate the attention and information processing abilities of individuals who have been identified as schizotypal or psychosis-prone (i.e., schizophrenia spectrum functioning in individuals who do not have schizophrenia). Research indicates that persons identified as psychosis-prone may show attention and information processing deficits similar to individuals with schizophrenia. The identification and description of individuals who later decompensate into schizophrenia would advance the understanding of schizophrenia and its causes. The Chapman's PER-MAG scale (Perceptual Aberration-Magical Ideation) was used to identify 35 hypothetically psychosis-prone college students (schizotypy group) and 42 normal college students (nonschizotypy group) out of the 806 volunteer subjects. Their attention and information processing abilities were measured by COGLAB (a multiparadigmatic cognitive test battery that represents a continuum of cognitive functions, from preattentional to attentional, to conceptual). Their social adjustment was measured by the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS). The hypotheses of the study were that the hypothetically psychosis-prone subjects would perform poorer than controls on COGLAB measures and that COGLAB measures of a more molar nature would better predict social adjustment …
Date: December 1995
Creator: Ottesen, James McBride
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Vocabulary Banks and Scripts on Native English-speaking Students’ Acquisition of Italian (open access)

A Comparison of Vocabulary Banks and Scripts on Native English-speaking Students’ Acquisition of Italian

The study applied behavior analytic principles to foreign language instruction in a college classroom. Two study methods, vocabulary banks and scripts, were compared by assessing the effects on Italian language acquisition, retention, and generalization. Results indicate that students without prior exposure to Italian engaged in more exchanges and emitted more words in script tests compared to vocabulary bank tests. Participants with at least two classes in Italian prior to the study engaged in more exchanges and emitted more words during vocabulary bank tests. Data suggest that different teaching strategies may work for different learners. More research is needed to determine efficient teaching methods and how to ascertain which approaches work best for learners with different histories.
Date: May 2012
Creator: Dean, Brittany L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Recall by University Bible Students After Discussion and After Self-Study (open access)

A Comparison of Recall by University Bible Students After Discussion and After Self-Study

Recall of expository prose after one of two learning techniques was determined. Pearson correlation did not discover a significant difference between the recall writings of the examinees who studied by discussion and those who studied by underlining. The significance of the difference between two proportions found that the group which underlined recalled significantly better than the group which discussed what they had read. This highly significant difference was almost identical when all synonyms from the Turbo Lightning computer program were considered correct recall and analyzed by the significance of the difference between two proportions.
Date: May 1987
Creator: Stovall, Johnny Harold
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Impact of Sociocultural and Information Communication Technology Adoption Factors on the Everyday Life Information Seeking Behavior of Saudi Students in the United States

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
This study analyzes the sociocultural factors that affect Saudi students in the U.S. as they seek information and explores to what extent these factors impact their everyday life information seeking (ELIS) behavior and their information technology behavior (ITB). The factors in this study illustrate the unique sociocultural values that distinguish Saudi students from other international student groups: gender segregation, emphasis on religion, social support, and utilization of the consultation concept. After collecting data from an online survey, the data from linear regression analyses revealed that only one culture factor (the language barrier) showed a significant impact on Saudi student ELIS in the U.S., while the other factors were not statistically significant. Also, the findings indicated that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) were statistically significant to the ELIS of Saudi students. Furthermore, the study showed that after academic information, food and drink, entertainment, and health were the top student needs, the top ranking sources for everyday life seeking information were social media and the Internet. The findings of the study help to shed light on a sizable user group. As the fourth largest group of international students in the U.S., Saudi students have been underrepresented in research. …
Date: May 2019
Creator: Alkahtani, Latifah M
System: The UNT Digital Library
Understanding the Motivation of Vietnamese International Students and Their Higher Education Experiences in the United States (open access)

Understanding the Motivation of Vietnamese International Students and Their Higher Education Experiences in the United States

This research describes what motivates Vietnamese students to come to the U.S. to study for a degree, what outcomes they expect, and what they experience academically and culturally while studying in the U.S. Currently the surge of international students from Vietnam has reached an all time high of 13,112 students to the U.S. This moves the relatively small South East Asian nation to the ranking of ninth among all nations for the number of international students sent to the U.S. in depth interviews were conducted fall semester 2011 with 11 students enrolled in two large public universities in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Denton Metro area. the participants were students from Vietnam holding J-1 or F-1 visas who were in their sophomore year or beyond. Interviews were conducted with these undergraduate and graduate students on the campus where each was enrolled. Interview transcripts were provided to participants for their review and comments. Ethnograph qualitative research software was used to analyze and code the data. These students reported that the increased number of students coming to study in the U.S. is because of the reputation of higher education in the U.S., relatives living in the U.S. who create a support system, and economic growth …
Date: May 2012
Creator: Miller, Randy Scott
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Cultural Interaction Between Thai Students and North Texas State University (open access)

A Study of the Cultural Interaction Between Thai Students and North Texas State University

Because international students are an increasingly significant aspect in American colleges and universities and on the North Texas State University campus in particular, this study was undertaken to explore the intercultural clash which Thai students at North Texas State University experience. Twenty-two Thai students were interviewed in depth using the oral history method. Ten faculty and administrators who work with international students were interviewed concerning their observations of Thai students. The information gleaned from these thirty-two interviews and from an examination of the basic socio-cultural differences between Thailand and the United States resulted in the isolation of the following basic difficulties. 1. Thais do not have command of written and oral English. 2. Americans do not have an appreciation of foreigners and lack tolerance in everyday exchanges with them. 3. Thais avoid becoming involved in American society. 4. Thais are not efficiently prepared for the American classroom. 5. American instructors do not appear prepared to handle the problems of Thai students. The study also developed a number of suggested solutions: 1. Raise the consciousness of Americans concerning Thai students; 2. Provide more effective ways of improving oral and listening skills in the English proficiency of Thai students beginning with American-directed …
Date: December 1986
Creator: Bohlcke, Diane
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Vocabulary Instruction with Fourth Grade Students Participating in an Individualized Reading Program (open access)

A Study of Vocabulary Instruction with Fourth Grade Students Participating in an Individualized Reading Program

he purpose of this study was to determine the effects of one approach to vocabulary instruction on the reading and writing vocabulary of fourth grade students in an individualized reading program. The vocabulary instructional approach used student-selected vocabulary words as well as instruction in vocabulary strategies such as context clues, structural analysis, and definition strategies. The twelve week study exposed one fourth grade classroom to vocabulary instruction in a Reading Workshop setting. Major components of the program were mini-lessons, which often involved vocabulary strategies, the silent reading of self-selected books, one-on-one researcher/student interactions, and the self-selection of vocabulary words. The research design is descriptive in nature and used both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative data included student interviews, teacher interviews, student writing samples, and field note observations. Quantitative data included vocabulary test scores from two groups of students, Group A and Group B. Group A participated in the self-selected vocabulary approach and received vocabulary instruction from the researcher acting as participant observer. Group B received some vocabulary instruction from their classroom teacher, but did not participate in the same program. The test was constructed weekly from a class (Group A) generated list of ten words. Results from vocabulary tests …
Date: May 2000
Creator: Pilgrim, Jodi L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elementary Students' Critical Examination of Characters in Children's Literature Depicting Social Justice (open access)

Elementary Students' Critical Examination of Characters in Children's Literature Depicting Social Justice

Despite the ruling of Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka, segregation in schools is still quite visible with suburban schools educating a student body of more than 70% White and urban schools comprised of mostly Black, Hispanic, and Asian students. Ideally, a school should dispel social and structural inequities through curriculum and quality resources, but fallibly, schools continue to be the vehicles to maintaining the status quo. Students who develop critical awareness and cultivate a critical literacy stance can become agents of change toward a more democratic society. In the current study, urban upper-elementary-age students were asked to engage in a critical literacy event by critically examining the power positions of characters in books that depict historical social injustice. The six female participants met in several sessions to read books and a newspaper article, use a critical reader response tool, and then engage in critical conversations about the books' characters. Their dialogue was recorded and analyzed using a critical discourse qualitative methodology. The findings show that older elementary students are capable of seeing multiple perspectives of an issue and can explain characters' power from born from privilege and fueled by fear and how a shift in power may …
Date: August 2016
Creator: Paiva, Deanne
System: The UNT Digital Library
Problem-Based Learning for Training Teachers of Students with Behavioral Disorders in Hong Kong (open access)

Problem-Based Learning for Training Teachers of Students with Behavioral Disorders in Hong Kong

This study attempts to explore the perceived value of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in training teachers of students with behavioral disorders (E/BD) in Hong Kong. It represents an effort to improve the predominately lecture focussed approach adopted in many preparation programs. Data on the training needs of Hong Kong teachers were also acquired and 31 knowledge/skills areas related to teaching students with E/BD were identified. Subjects viewed the PBL approach as dynamic, interesting and incentive driven. It develops skills involved in group learning, self-directed learning, use of information resources and problem-solving. Most important, teachers felt they were supported to explore the practical problems they personally encountered in the classroom and actions they could take to resolve them. Difficulties in using PBL included a lack of resources and the tendencies of most Chinese students to accept rather than challenge others' ideas.
Date: August 1999
Creator: Heung, Vivian Woon King
System: The UNT Digital Library
The effects of commitment, commitment with rational justification, and an educational technique on smoking behavior with college students (open access)

The effects of commitment, commitment with rational justification, and an educational technique on smoking behavior with college students

Eight groups of approximately ten college students each who smoked at least one package of cigarettes a day were observed for two 30 -minute sessions a week for a 5-week period. During the treatment session, students either made commitments not to smoke during post-treatment sessions, made commitments along with reasons, only gave reasons why they should not smoke, or made no statements.
Date: December 1975
Creator: O'Banion, Dan R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vietnamese Students' Translanguaging in a Bilingual Context: Communications within a Student Organization at a US University (open access)

Vietnamese Students' Translanguaging in a Bilingual Context: Communications within a Student Organization at a US University

Today linguistic hybridity is often conceptualized as translanguaging. The present study of translanguaging was a linguistic ethnography, which meant investigating cultural issues as well as linguistic practices. The focus was on bilingual speakers of Vietnamese and English, two "named" languages that differ considerably in morphology, syntax, and orthography. This study, conducted over four and a half months, was situated in the Vietnamese Student Organization of a U.S. university, and it included 37 participants. The research was intended to answer two questions: what forms of translanguaging did these bilinguals use? and what reasons did they provide for instances of translanguaging? In capturing the language use of this community, my role was participant-observer, which entailed observing and audio-recording conversations in three kinds of settings: group meetings, social gatherings, and Facebook communications. Additional insights came from discourse-based interviews, focused on instances of translanguaging by 10 individuals. In the group meetings and Facebook conversations, it was conventional for the major language to be English, whereas in the social gatherings it was Vietnamese. My attention in analyzing these interactions was on patterns of translanguaging that occurred within sentences and those occurring outside sentence boundaries. Overall, most translanguaging occurred intra-sententially, as single words from one language …
Date: August 2018
Creator: Nguyen, Dung Thi
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Novice Special Education Teachers’ Preparation to Teach Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (open access)

A Study of Novice Special Education Teachers’ Preparation to Teach Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of this study is to identify novice teachers’ perception of their preparedness to teach a class designed for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) after graduation from a traditional university-based special education program or from a special education alternative certification program. Teacher preparedness and the need for highly qualified teachers of students with ASD are relevant topics, as the prevalence rate of ASD continues to increase. This phenomenological qualitative study explores novice teachers’ perceptions of preparedness to teach students with ASD and their knowledge about teaching students with ASD. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with six novice special education teachers of students with ASD. Results indicated that novice teachers of students with ASD have knowledge of autism and evidence-based practices (EBP), which they ascertained primarily through experiences such as; working directly with students with ASD, however, preservice education programs provided the participants with cursory information related to knowledge of ASD and EBP.
Date: May 2014
Creator: Callaway, Stacey E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Seeking in a Balkan Country: A Case Study of College Students Seeking and Use of Information (open access)

Information Seeking in a Balkan Country: A Case Study of College Students Seeking and Use of Information

Using a case study approach this study investigated how college students in Vlore, Albania seek and use information resources for academic and personal needs and whether they follow a pattern similar to Brenda Dervin's sense-making, or Marcia Bates' berry-picking information seeking models. Influencing factors studied were economic factors, information communication technologies and information culture/policy. A literature review showed that no previous published research has studied information seeking behavior of college age students and faculty in Albania. Thirty-four college students and two full time faculty completed a survey and a smaller group were interviewed. The results of the study indicate that Google is the main source for seeking information for both academic and personal purposes. College students are not introduced or taught on how to evaluate information sources. The information communication technology needs improvement to support information needs. The library as a major information resource was not apparent to most students. College students utilize berry-picking as the information seeking model and faculty use sense-making, as a model of information seeking. This study adds to the knowledge of the information seeking behavior of college students in a developing country, the need for information literacy courses at the university level, and the identification …
Date: December 2018
Creator: Kabashi, Artemida
System: The UNT Digital Library
Attitude of Resident Students and Staff of Selected Public Universities in Texas Toward In Loco Parentis (open access)

Attitude of Resident Students and Staff of Selected Public Universities in Texas Toward In Loco Parentis

This study assesses the attitudes of resident college students and staffs toward the concept in loco parents as it pertains to residence hall administration. It also describes relationships between attitudes toward in loco parentis combinations of four demographic variables: university, status (staff or resident) academic level, and sex. The chi-square analysis indicated thirty-one significant relationships between attitudes toward the eleven residence hall situations and the four demographic variables. Major findings indicated that: (a) resident students and staffs were ambiguous toward in loco parents; (b) resident students and staffs were for or against in loco parents depending upon the situation (eleven situations are discussed); (c) attitudes of resident students and staffs were similar in most situations; and (d) the majority of resident students and staff members felt positively toward an objective description of in loco parentis, but this attitude did not prevail when the concept was manifested in university staff behavior in typical residence hall situations.
Date: August 1978
Creator: Zeagler, Arnold M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Two Methods of Teaching Life Career Planning to Junior High School Students (open access)

A Comparison of Two Methods of Teaching Life Career Planning to Junior High School Students

The problem of this study was a comparison of two methods of teaching life career planning to junior high school students. In this study, the experimental group was taught by means of the Life Career game, and the control group was taught by a teacher-directed technique using more traditional methods and materials.
Date: August 1971
Creator: Joyce, John F.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Student Belonging: A Critical Narrative Inquiry of Grenadian Secondary Students' Storied Experiences in Schooling

Including all students through the educative processes is instrumental to their success. Each student's journey through education is therefore impacted by the ways they are included in the classroom. As such, social inclusion, and academic inclusion underpinned by a general sense of belonging are key elements impacting students' successes in schooling. Both globally and nationally school systems face challenges in enacting policies, pedagogies, and practices to meet the needs of increasingly diverse student populations. Student voice which has historically been absent from the literature can be a valuable tool in accounting for the lived experiences of diverse students with or without a formal label of dis/ability. Student voice can (re)present a revelatory tool that can be acted upon in responding to these diverse needs. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore how secondary students in Grenada with or without a label of learning dis/ability but who are considered as part of responsive inclusive education, experience a sense of belonging through academic and social inclusion. This qualitative study using critical narrative inquiry pursued through semi-structured interviews with students, their teachers and parents revealed resonant threads of strained responsive education, childism and coloniality, the pedagogy of nice and an elusive …
Date: May 2022
Creator: Henry-Packer, Caroline Jacinta
System: The UNT Digital Library
Leadership Styles that Contribute to African American Male Students' Discretionary Disciplinary Incidence Rates (open access)

Leadership Styles that Contribute to African American Male Students' Discretionary Disciplinary Incidence Rates

Factors that influence a school leader's disciplinary determination for student discretionary decisions are many times difficult to measure. The purpose of this study was to investigate leadership style factors that may be linked to contributable factors for African American male disciplinary incidents. The following leadership factors were examined: (a)self -awareness, (b) collaborative dialogue, (c) drive to achieve, (d) internalization of campus disciplinary vision, (e) building relationships, and (f) proactive decision making. This study focused on identifying various leadership styles of administrators that impact the disciplinary rates of African American males at each campus studied. Data for this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study included a survey, a focus group, and one-on-one semi structured interviews. Participants were campus administrators having more than one year of experience as a campus administrator and were completing at least one full year at their current campus site. The analysis of quantitative data collected from the survey of campus administrators' leadership emotional intelligence provided insight into the research questions. The qualitative findings revealed that for campus administrators in the selected urban north Texas school, their leadership style does not significantly contribute to African American male's discretionary disciplinary incident rates. However qualitative data revealed discrepancies in administrators' …
Date: May 2022
Creator: White, Samantha L
System: The UNT Digital Library
To Determine the Correct Organization, Content, and Method of a Course of Marital Relations for Senior High School Students (open access)

To Determine the Correct Organization, Content, and Method of a Course of Marital Relations for Senior High School Students

It is the purpose of this study to determine the correct organization, content, and method of a course on marital relations for senior high school students. The organization, content, and method are to be determined by the needs and interests of the individuals concerned; educational theory, psychology, and philosophy; and medical, clinical, and research science.
Date: June 1940
Creator: Yost, Thelma Chitwood
System: The UNT Digital Library
Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Case Study of an Urban Middle School (open access)

Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Case Study of an Urban Middle School

This was a qualitative study that used the procedures of case study design while incorporating ethnographic techniques of interviewing and non-participant observation in classrooms with six selected students, six teachers, and eight interviews of selected administrators and staff members in one middle school in a large Texas urban school district. The purpose of this study was to understand the educational experiences and perceptions of selected immigrant students and their mainstream teachers. Following the method of case study design, the educational experiences of English Language Learner (ELL) students were examined in the naturally occurring context of the school and the classroom. Because the goal of case studies is to understand a given phenomenon from the perceptions of the participants (referred to as “emic” perspective) all participants were interviewed in-depth in order to understand their unique perceptions. The study took place during a five-month period in the spring of 2002. Data were analyzed concurrently during data collection and were framed by Geneva Gay's (2000) characteristics of culturally responsive teaching. The findings and interpretation of data are divided into three parts that encompass the results of the five research questions that guided this study. Part one presents the teachers' perceptions and addresses the …
Date: December 2002
Creator: Curtin, Ellen Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of the Saudi University in Meeting the Needs of Female Students as Perceived by Females in Two Saudi Universities (open access)

The Role of the Saudi University in Meeting the Needs of Female Students as Perceived by Females in Two Saudi Universities

The problem of this study concerns the needs of female students and their perceptions of satisfaction with the role of the two female institutions of higher education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU) and the College of Education for Girls.
Date: August 1991
Creator: Own, Wafa M. (Wafa Mohammed)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Some Innovations in an Oral Approach to Teaching English to Spanish-Speaking Students: Eighth Grade Level (open access)

Some Innovations in an Oral Approach to Teaching English to Spanish-Speaking Students: Eighth Grade Level

The aim of this thesis is to suggest how some of the trends mentioned above may be incorporated into a program to help the eighth grade Spanish-speaking student in a predominately English-speaking school, to help the student who has not only given up the idea of getting an education himself, but is considered by his teachers "too late" to reach.
Date: January 1970
Creator: Woolsey, Normada L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effects on the Use of Technology-Based Self-Monitoring for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis (open access)

Effects on the Use of Technology-Based Self-Monitoring for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

Self-monitoring involves teaching students to be aware of their own behavior, and be able to record whether the behavior happened or not. The present study uses meta-analysis of single case design (SCD) studies to evaluate the effectiveness of self-monitoring interventions that use electronic devices during implementation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Eligible studies were accessed to determine design quality, and examine the use of self-monitoring for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Studies were evaluated against inclusion-exclusion criteria. The studies that met inclusion criteria (n = 15) were assessed with the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for methodological rigor. The WWC standards were applied to baseline and intervention phases. There were a total of 12 studies with 32 students diagnosed with ASD that met SCD standards without, and with reservations. The 12 studies were evaluated using the Tau-U effect size metric to quantify the percentage of change that was attributed to the self-monitoring intervention. Overall, omnibus Tau-U was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.89, 1.0]). Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Date: May 2019
Creator: Robertson, Ryan S
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationships of Text Structure and Signaling in the Foreign Language Reading of Female Junior College Students in Japan (open access)

The Relationships of Text Structure and Signaling in the Foreign Language Reading of Female Junior College Students in Japan

The effects of top-level text structure and signaling on the reading recall of Japanese female junior college students studying English as a foreign language were investigated in this study. One hundred thirty-two subjects were selected from a private female junior college in Tokyo. The students were divided into three groups—high, average, and low reading comprehension levels—based on the results of the Test of Reading Comprehension. The instrument used to measure students' recall ability was developed from expository passages taken from a biology textbook. The passages were rearranged to show identifiable top-level structure, collection of description, causation, problem/solution, or comparison. Each passage was divided into two versions: a with-signaling version, in which top-level structure was explicitly stated by signaling words or phrases, and a without-signaling version, where signaling words or phrases were omitted. After the students were stratified on reading comprehension, they were assigned to eight different versions of text—two of each of the four top-level text structures, one with- and one without-signaling. In the recall test, students were instructed to read the text and to remember as much as they could.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Kano, Noriko
System: The UNT Digital Library