Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Agricultural and Extension Education

Increasing STEM literacy to prepare students to enter the workforce is important to fill the growing need for workers in STEM fields. 4-H Youth Development has been a leader in providing out-of-school time STEM programs. Through effective professional development, 4-H professionals may develop knowledge, skills, and confidence in coding and may adopt coding as part of their county programming. The purpose of this study was to explore with a group of 4-H professionals their beliefs about computer coding, coding professional development, and the implementation of a coding curriculum as part of the Ohio State University Extension 4-H Clovers CODE (Creating Opportunities Designed for Everyone) program. The objectives were (a) to explore how 4-H professionals describe their professional development experience with Clovers CODE, (b) gain understanding of whether professional development changes the beliefs of 4-H professionals toward coding, and if so, how; and (c) explore how 4-H professionals describe their implementation experiences of Clovers CODE program content. To address the research questions, this study was designed as a single-case case study that drew on analysis of data from three focus groups with a total of nine participants from Year 1 of Clovers CODE, a review of documents with relevance to the case, and participant observation of Year 2 training. Findings from the study showed that participants thought the training was too condensed and was conducted at a pace that was faster than they could learn the content, were more comfortable with in-person training as compared to virtual training, and indicated a range of confidence in their capability to code. The resources provided to enhance programming and the anticipation of reaching more youth motivated them to participate. Participants perceived a gap in knowledge between themselves and students, and they expressed a range of confidence concerning their implementation of program content. Participa (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Theresa Ferrari (Advisor) Subjects: Agricultural Education; Education; Science Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

The literature has demonstrated that academic skills regress over the summer months when students are not in school, yet little is known about the effect of school breaks on non-academic skills. The following longitudinal study investigates teacher perceptions of how school breaks affect preschool children's social-emotional competencies. Learning rate results demonstrate students lose social-emotional skills and demonstrate increases in behavior concerns over summer break when they are not in school. Additionally, children who have attended preschool in the previous year demonstrate a smoother transition back after summer break as opposed to newly enrolled children. Implications for educators are discussed.

Committee: Kisha Radliff Ph.D. (Advisor); Antoinette Miranda Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joe Wheaton Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education, University of Toledo, 2011, Educational Administration and Supervision

This study investigates whether students who regularly attend the after school program Kids Unlimited show greater academic gains on the Ohio Achievement Assessment than students at the same schools who do not attend Kids Unlimited. This study also investigates whether there is a difference in Ohio Achievement Assessment scores between students who regularly attend Kids Unlimited and those who do not based on gender, grade level, socio-economic status, special education status, race, or school site. And finally, this study investigates whether students who have attended Kids Unlimited for more than one academic year attain higher Ohio Achievement Assessment scores than students who have attended Kids Unlimited for a maximum of one school year. The results of the study show that no significant differences were found in Ohio Achievement Assessment scores for students who regularly attended the after school program Kids Unlimited when compared to students at the same schools who did not attend Kids Unlimited. Statistical differences were found in Ohio Achievement Assessment scores for reading based on gender, grade-level and race and significant differences were found for math achievement scores based on school site, grade-level and race. These differences should be interpreted with caution due to similar significant results for non-Kids Unlimited students and low sample sizes. Finally, no significant differences were found in achievement assessment scores for students who attended Kids Unlimited for more than one academic year when compared to students who attended Kids Unlimited for a maximum of one school year.

Committee: Cynthia Beekley Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Nancy Staub Ed.D. (Committee Member); Dale Snauwaert Ph.D. (Committee Member); James Fritz Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2011, Agricultural and Extension Education

Recently, considerable attention has been directed to identifying features of high quality out-of-school (OST) programs. Research suggests that involvement in OST programs leads to a variety of positive youth development outcomes. While considerable research addresses outcomes, relatively little attends to aspects of program implementation. The purpose of this study was to examine program quality by assessing three point-of-service (POS) features – the learning environment, content, and youth engagement—from two perspectives (adult observer and youth participants) at Adventure Central, an OST program in Dayton, Ohio. An approach combining document review and both observations and surveys provides a deeper understanding of the youth perspective and what staff actually do to create a conducive learning environment and deliver content and how these features might facilitate youth engagement. Two instruments were used to collect data, a 16-item observation tool and a 54-item Program Activity Survey. Both observation and youth survey instruments used a 4-point response scale ranging from “not true” to “very true.” Trained adults conducted observations of sixteen 1-hour activity sessions over the course of four weeks. Two individuals observed each session, compared ratings, and came to consensus on a score for each item. Youth completed the Program Activity Survey after each observation (n=226). This study examined specific POS features that have been shown to lead to positive outcomes for youth who participate in OST programs. It highlighted the importance of assessing POS features and the value of obtaining multiple perspectives within program quality assessments. Some findings were consistent with past research while others contrast with past findings at Adventure Central, illustrating the importance assessing a variety of aspects in OST programming. The results from this study can specifically help improve programming at Adventure Central. Staff training and techni (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Theresa Ferrari PhD (Advisor); Kristi Lekies PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: