Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Teacher-student relationships have long been identified as an important factor in the success of a student, and in the investment of the teacher. Extensive research has been conducted on the perception and outcomes of teacher-student relationships from the perspective of the teacher and that of the students. However, research on the outcomes, insights, and expectation of teacher-student relationships from the perspective of parents, specifically parents of urban elementary students, is scarce. This study aimed to address the research gap by exploring the lived experiences of urban elementary parents through a phenomenological, qualitative study. Three semi-structured focus groups were held in which the researcher interviewed and facilitated discussions with parents of a child currently in kindergarten- second-grade in an urban school district in Northeastern Ohio. The 16 parent participants were asked to describe characteristics and expectations of high-quality teacher-student relationships, reflecting on their lived experiences and current state as a parent of an elementary student. Participants shared personal anecdotes, reflected on the impact of teachers in their own life, and emphasized the formative role teachers play in all aspects of a child's life. Responses indicated five primary themes when determining expectation and characteristics of teacher-student relationships from the perspective of parents: 1. Strong and consistent communication, 2. Teacher care and connection, 3. Teacher awareness and understanding to individual situations, 4. Holding students and families to high-expectations, and 5. Student engagement and recognition of individualized learning. The results of the study suggest that the teacher-student relationship is pivotal in making meaningful connections and creating a sense of belongingness and interconnectivity for students. Implications of the study indicate the importance of viewing the teacher-student relationship from a comprehensive l (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jane Beese EdD (Committee Chair); Nate Myers PhD (Committee Member); Jake Protivnak PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education; Higher Education; School Administration; Teaching

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2022, Education

Student mobility is commonly related to negative educational effects with mobile students often exhibiting lower achievement scores, more behavioral problems, and poorer grades as compared to non-mobile students. The majority of the literature has focused on the collection of quantitative data to explore this issue. School changes affect students' personally as well as academically. This study focuses on the social-emotional aspects of these changes and attempts to pinpoint strategies mobile students can use to adjust to these changes as well as policies and programs schools can implement to assist students with these adjustments. This phenomenological study focuses on the experiences of a purposively sampled group of twelve former mobile students and eight current school personnel in a large urban district. The phenomenon of school mobility is explored as related through interviews with these individuals and examines the strategies they used or recommended using to assist with acclimation to new schools. Analysis consisted of the transcription, coding, and categorization of data from the interview responses which were used in order to answer the research questions. Responses fell into five distinct themes: academics and teaching styles, attitudes, peers, school personnel, and extra-curricular activities. Recommendations are made regarding the creation of withdrawal and enrollment protocols, the creation of policies regarding the timing of school changes, student buddy groups, and welcoming protocols, and introducing oneself and getting involved. Opportunities and recommendations for future research in the area of student mobility are also explored.

Committee: Diana Garlough (Committee Chair); Treva Jeffries (Committee Member); Adam Calhoun (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology; Education; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Pedagogy; Personal Relationships; Psychology; School Counseling; Teaching

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Leadership Studies

Teacher emotional-social competencies may bare some connection to student perceptions of the quality of relationships with their teachers. Student perceptions of these relationships with teachers may in turn influence student affective and cognitive outcomes in meaningful ways. Teachers with emotional-social deficiencies face challenges in establishing a desirable and productive learning environment for their students. The strength of the relationships between a teacher and the students within their classroom has been identified as being one of the single most influential contributors towards student cognitive and affective outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations that exist amongst teacher emotional-social competencies using the EQi 2.0 and student perceptions of teacher behavior along two dimensions of the Model for Interpersonal Teacher Behavior (MITB). These dimensions (Influence and Proximity) map student perceptions of their relationships with teachers. This study sought to identify a set of teacher EQi scales that best predict student perceptions of teacher Influence and Proximity. The results of the study indicated that all five EQi composite (Self-Perception, Self-Expression, Interpersonal, Decision Making, and Stress Management) and nine subscales (Self-Regard, Emotional Self-Expression, Assertiveness, Interpersonal Relationships, Social Responsibility, Problem Solving, Flexibility, Stress Tolerance, and Optimism) revealed statistically significant positive relationships with teacher Influence. The EQi composite scale of Interpersonal significantly predicts teacher Influence as did the subscale of Social Responsibility.

Committee: Rachel Vannatta Ph.D. (Advisor); Nora Engebretsen Ph.D. (Other); Carole Burnworth Ph.D. (Committee Member); Judith Jackson May Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paul Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology

BS, Kent State University, 2015, College of Communication and Information / School of Media and Journalism

This thesis analyzes the relationship between students and university and college presidents.The thesis identifies key areas that determine and influence student perspectives of institutional leaders. Participants in a research study shared perspectives, opinions, and experiences that shaped their awareness of their institutional leader. Student experiences, interactions, networks, and interests are just a few of the factors that may influence student perceptions of university and college presidents. By beginning to determine these factors and how they related to each specific student, such as what organizations a student may be involved in, one can better understand the factors that influence and motivate student awareness of university leaders.

Committee: Timothy Roberts (Advisor); Eric Mansfield (Committee Member); Candace Bowen (Committee Member); Brenda McKenzie (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Higher Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2012, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

College student personnel (CSP) professional preparation program faculty are a unique group in higher education because their work spans both student affairs and academic affairs functions. The purpose of this Q methodology study was to explore the perspectives that full-time, tenure-track CSP faculty hold about full-time, tenure-track, non-CSP faculty. Specifically, this study examined what factors emerged when CSP faculty at Carnegie Classification Research Universities/High Research Activity institutions were asked to model their viewpoints about faculty via a Q sort. This process involved CSP faculty placing 36 statements about faculty and faculty life into a forced distribution grid representing the array of statements with which they most agreed to the statements with which they most disagreed. A total of 28 CSP faculty participated, with 18 completing the sorts in person and 10 completing the sorts online. Post-sort interviews with participants and demographic data were also collected. Q factor analysis of the sorts revealed two viewpoints about faculty. One viewpoint focuses on the professional contributions of faculty. The second factor focuses on the difficulties of academic life and the mixed successes faculty have in meeting the demands of their job. This study serves as a foundation for further research into perceptions about faculty among student affairs faculty and practitioners.

Committee: Mark Kretovics PhD (Committee Chair); Susan Iverson PhD (Committee Member); Steven Brown PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2024, Communication Sciences and Disorders

Past research suggests that exposure shapes careers in speech-language pathology and related healthcare fields including occupational therapy and nursing. With the growing demand for professionals in speech-language pathology (SLP) and the lack of understanding in stakeholder perspectives, there needs to be more research surrounding the impact of experiences in SLP on career choices. This study investigates the influence of current and previous experiences of university students in SLP on their career choices. Participants completed an online questionnaire to assess their experience with SLP and the extent to which this experience influenced their career paths. Among 160 respondents, 44% reported receiving SLP services themselves. Fifteen of these participants who had received services completed a follow-up semi-structured interview. The interviews revealed several themes regarding the perspectives of the services received and the impact of SLP experiences on their career choices. Themes were developed surrounding the influences of confidence, comfortable learning environment, family support, and peer judgements. In terms of career decision, individuals' motivation to reciprocate, their career qualities being shaped, and career perspectives varied throughout interviewees. These findings are discussed in the context within the ecological perspective and the existing evidence base. Implications for practice and future research directions are also explored.

Committee: Joann P. Benigno (Advisor) Subjects: Speech Therapy

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

Developmental education has been in the hot seat for several decades with its critics calling for reform and its practitioners asserting its effectiveness given time. Wedged in the middle of this highly debated topic are the students who place into developmental education; students who should have a voice in the debate. This practitioner action research study brought students to the research table and asked them about their experiences in developmental education and how these experiences impacted them. Three distinct research tools modified for the online environment were used to collect data: a group-level assessment, photovoice, and semi-structured interviews. A combination of relational cultural theory and new literacy studies was used to analyze the data and draw conclusions. I argue that students placed into developmental education experience two separate spaces in higher education: a space of marginalization and inequity, as well as a space of benefit and care.

Committee: Constance| Kendall Theado Ph.D (Committee Chair); Miriam Raider-Roth Ed.D (Committee Member); Mark Sulzer Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Community College Education; Education

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2021, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This study examines motivational factors based on college students' and faculties' perceptions of motivation using a three-phase mixed-methods research design. The purpose of this research is to determine which factors are most impactful to students' perceptions and actions, so that these data can be used to inform programmatic decisions and course design in the university's education department. The quantitative data collection, which comprised Phases One and Two, utilized the College Student version of the MUSIC® Inventory, as well as the Professor version of the MUSIC® Inventory. Both are designed to determine the factors that impact student motivation (Jones, 2020). The results of the study suggest that the Care factor is the most impactful to student motivation, as its mean was consistently the highest rated across all data collections. When faculty and student survey responses were compared using a paired sample t-test, the Usefulness factor was rated statistically different. In Phase Three, a purposive and representative sample of 12 participants with equal representation from faculty and students utilized interviews to gain insight into their diverse perspectives of motivation and care. Care was a cross-cutting theme in both student and faculty interviews. Five themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: Caring for the Individual, Caring for the Professional, Conflicting Perceptions of Motivational Factors, Candidates' Transference of Caring Actions, and COVID Implications are Both Positive and Negative. Students identified actions from faculty that model the feeling of being cared for (Noddings, 2010, 2013), as well as the need for more meaningful connections to their field. Results from the interviews aligned to the survey results, as the Caring factor remained the most impactful to motivation, and there were varying perceptions of the Usefulness factor.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Committee Chair); Patrick Spearman PhD (Committee Member); Kenneth Miller PhD (Committee Member); Jen Hollinger EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, EDU Teaching and Learning

The public school curriculum is designed primarily for visual learners, thereby causing insurmountable access barriers for students with visual impairments (SVIs) in education. The inherently visual nature of mathematics, in particular, poses multiple challenges to these students because many essential mathematical concepts are abstract, and they are taught primarily from a visual perspective. This puts SVIs at a definite disadvantage because they have to rely on other senses of attaining knowledge compared to their sighted peers who are privileged in perceiving and processing information through vision. Family members and educators are thus required to provide alternative means for these students to access mathematical content. It is important to investigate how educators adapt to serve the needs of SVIs in the field of mathematics, as well as understanding how these students perceive this support and its impact on their ability to learn mathematics. Current literature about the teaching and learning experiences of mathematics within this population is minimal. Hardly any qualitative investigations have been conducted that simultaneously collect and analyze the perceptions and experiences of the key stakeholders in mathematics education, such as SVIs, families, and educators. The overarching aim of this study is to explore the mathematics learning experiences of students with visual impairments. The study documents both the perspectives of their family members and the teaching experiences of educators regarding their mathematics education across general education school settings in the state of Ohio. The study seeks to better understand how family members and educators address SVIs in mathematics education. The study further attempts to gain insight into students' perceptions, beliefs, and views concerning the types of academic and personal support that they may or may not receive from their educators and family members in this field of study. This study is s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Laurie Katz Ph.D. (Advisor); Emily Rodgers Ph.D. (Committee Member); Theodore Chao Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Technology; Educational Theory; Families and Family Life; Instructional Design; Mathematics Education; Secondary Education; Special Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Education, University of Toledo, 2019, Educational Administration and Supervision

The contemporary adolescent is experiencing stress, depression, anxiety, and/or other pressures stemming from modern-day burdens inside and outside school at an alarming rate. Students attending urban schools in areas of high poverty face multiple at-risk factors which can compound and intensify these emotions and experiences already present for adolescents. Studies have revealed improvements in classroom behavior or student achievement after students were trained with Mindfulness techniques for periods of time. This qualitative study focused on the voices of adolescent students attending an urban high school with a high poverty/high minority population where daily Mindfulness practices were delivered in one of their classrooms. The results of 31 student interviews revealed that the students developed some form of self-awareness and the understanding of how to self-regulate in order to focus on their work, lives, relationships, and interactions with others. This was found to be true even if the students did not equate these skills with learning about Mindfulness. School leaders considering Mindfulness can utilize this study to advocate decisions on its delivery taking place during instructional time.

Committee: Nancy Staub (Committee Chair); Randall Vesely (Committee Member); Edward Janak (Committee Member); Debra Harmening (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership

PHD, Kent State University, 2015, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies

Although a number of theories have emerged on translation assessment, little empirical research has been conducted in the area. Research that reveals student perspectives on translation assessment is even scarcer, despite the fact that students are also major stakeholders in translation education. The projects associated with this pilot observational study are designed to compare the effectiveness of two assessment models used to evaluate the work of translation students based on their translation results and to observe whether there is a significant correlation between student perspectives on translation assessment via a survey (see Appendix E) and the improvements in the quality of their edited translations assessed by me and an independent judge. The focus of the study is on formative exercises as the effectiveness of the two models is potentially observed in student revisions reflecting the error mitigation. The first assessment model used is the Indonesian translation bandscale (henceforth: the LBI Bandscale; see Appendix A), which has been applied to assess students' final translations (as summative assessment) in a translator training program operated by the Translation Center of the International Language Institution of the University of Indonesia (PP LBI UI). The second model is the American Translators Association Framework for Error Marking (henceforth: the ATA Framework; see Appendix B). The framework was originally designed for certification, but it is also used in conjunction with detailed feedback to assess students' translations in some Kent State University translation classes. The participants taking part in the project are continuing education students attending the General Translation Course at PP LBI UI in Jakarta, Indonesia. The results aim to discover whether one framework of translation assessment is more effective than the other and whether the correlation between student perspectives (collected via a survey) and their translation result (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sue Ellen Wright (Advisor) Subjects: Modern Language

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Spanish

This thesis investigates instructor and student perspectives on oral proficiency assessment in university foreign language courses. Given the various interpretations of oral proficiency, this study examines the different components of linguistic competence, four models of oral proficiency assessment, and seven standardized exams that measure oral proficiency. In order to investigate student and instructor perspectives, 135 students and seven instructors of intermediate-level French, German, and Spanish university courses were surveyed. The results indicate students from the three languages courses find that oral exams accurately measure their language level and they feel adequately prepared to take oral exams. Additionally, instructors and students find comprehensibility to be the most important skill for evaluating oral proficiency. The implications of this study are that the oral proficiency exams in university classrooms remain acceptable to students if they comply with the criteria for foreign language testing (Carroll, 1980) and the washback effect (Krashen & Terrell, 1983).

Committee: Lynn Pearson PhD (Advisor); Brigid Burke PhD (Committee Member); Cindy Ducar PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Foreign Language; Higher Education; Linguistics; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2015, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

Play as pedagogy is waning in kindergarten classrooms as state mandated educational reforms are shifting emphasis from developmentally appropriate practices that emphasize play and child-centered learning to standards-based instruction, heavily reliant on standardized measures of assessment and teacher directed instruction. This phenomenological study investigated the lived experience of two kindergarten classrooms, with emphasis on teachers and students perceptions of play and how play was experienced in each classroom. Outcomes demonstrate that the teachers' perceptions of educational reforms and accountability measures have the greatest impact on the experience of play in each classroom. Each classroom experiences play differently, with one classroom experiencing an average of 60 minutes of play a day, and the second classroom experiencing 5 hours and 45 minutes of play each day. Student perceptions of play demonstrate that kindergarten children view play as a fun experience that is an open- ended and child-directed, allowing them to make decisions about both with whom and what they play. Further, kindergarten students shared their perceptions about work in kindergarten. Work was overwhelmingly described as a teacher-directed activity that was required by the teacher and elicited some type of formal learning.

Committee: Eugene Geist PhD (Committee Chair); Machtmes Krisanna PhD (Committee Member); Jung Jeesun PhD (Committee Member); Janson Greg PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2009, Social Work

This study examined factors associated with student perceptions of their social work field placement with using Adult Learning Theory concepts and the CSWE Core Competencies. Congruency between field instructor perception of student practice skills and the student self evaluations were also examined. The results of this study identified orientation to learn, more specifically, student enrollment status and rank, as being correlated with self perceived practice skills. It was found that there was a significant difference between ASAP and second year MSW, as well as with full-time and part-time students in how they rated their competencies in field. It was also discovered that on average field instructors rated their student's skills higher than the student scored themselves. Knowing what makes up a successful field placement, will not only help social work schools and colleges improve their field education program and overall curriculum, but will also help to better service the students, clients, community and ultimately, the social work profession.

Committee: Holly Dabelko-Schoeny PhD (Committee Chair); Tom Gregoire PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2008, Communication Studies

While many studies exist on the effects or benefits of studying abroad, few studies seek to examine study abroad from a student point-of-view. Based on previous studies of the outcomes of study abroad programs, this thesis examined the student perspective of the impact of participation in a study abroad program. The research drew on her participation in several different study abroad programs and experience as a study abroad advisor/coordinator in order to bring a unique and personal appreciation of the inner workings of various study abroad programs to the inquiry. This study used grounded theory to examine data collected from student questionnaires, focus group sessions, and personal interviews to gauge the experience of ten university students, 18 years and older, who participated in a study abroad/education abroad program of any length while enrolled as a student at a mid-sized midwestern university. The overarching query guiding this study sought to examine students' perspective on the impact of participation in a study abroad program. In order to unearth a response to that guiding theme, five specific research questions were posed: (1) What sort of impact does participation in a study abroad program have on its student participants? (2) How are students' perceptions of the impacts of study abroad similar or different to the effects found or predicted by other scholarly studies? (3) Why do individuals choose to study abroad? (4) Do students think they experienced culture shock? (5) If yes, how does culture shock influence a student's study abroad experience? Seven themes pertaining to students' perspective of their study abroad experiences emerged from the data collected from the group of students who participated in this study. These themes, in no particular order of significance, included topics relating to study abroad as goal fulfillment, culture shock and the study abroad experience, perceived influences of studying abroad, learning culture, returning home (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lara Martin Lengel Ph.D. (Advisor); Stephen Croucher Ph.D. (Committee Member); Bruce Edwards Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication