College of Education Theses & Dissertations

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Open Access
21st Century Skills Development: Learning in Digital Communities: Technology and Collaboration
(University of Oregon, 2012) Short, Barbara; Short, Barbara; Scalise, Kathleen
This study examines some aspects of student performance in the 21st century skills of Information and Communication (ICT) Literacy and collaboration. In this project, extant data from the Assessment and Teaching for 21st Century Skills project (ATC21S) will be examined. ATC21S is a collaborative effort among educational agencies in six countries, universities, educational research groups, high tech innovators and the multinational corporations Cisco, Intel and Microsoft. ATC21S demonstration tasks explore the use of digital literacy and collaborative problem solving constructs in educational assessment. My research investigates evidence from cognitive laboratories and pilots administered in one of the ATC21S demonstration scenarios, a collaborative mathematics/science task called "Global Collaboration Contest: Arctic Trek." Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, I analyze student work samples. Specifically, I (i) develop a rubric as a measurement tool to evaluate the student assessment artifact "Arctic Trek Notebook" for (a) generalized patterns and (b) trends that may indicate skill development in collaborative learning in a digital environment and (ii) conduct descriptive studies among the variables of student age and student notebook characteristics. Results are intended to inform instructional leaders on estimates of student ability in virtual collaboration and to make suggestions for instructional design and professional development for online collaborative learning assessment tasks in K-12 education.
Open Access
A History of the School of Education at the University of Oregon
(University of Oregon, 1964-08) Colvin, Lloyd Wilkinson
The pioneers who settled Oregon had strong convictions about the bearing of education on the individual and the common good. They shared the view expressed in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 that "schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged." But, even though Nathan Dane's prescript was transposed into the territorial government of Oregon, disagreements among educators and among people imbued with varied religious beliefs and diverse customs prevented quick fulfillment of its precepts.
Open Access
An analysis of the role of the assistant superintendent in charge of instruction
(University of Oregon, 1969) Klein, Russel Eugene, 1926-
This study was concerned with the role expectations held for the position of assistant superintendent in charge of instruction by the incumbents of the focal position, superintendents, and principals; and the assistant superintendents' perceptions of the expectations of superintendents and principals. The purpose of the study was three-fold: 1) to determine the degree of intraposition consensus, or agreement, within the three role-defining groups regarding their expectations for the behavior of the assistant superintendent; 2) to determine whether or not there were significant differences among the three role-defining groups regarding their expectations for the behavior of the assistant superintendent; and 3) to determine whether or not there were significant differences between the assistant superintendents' perceptions of the expectations of superintendents and principals and the expectations expressed by assistant superintendents, superintendents, and principals. The study was based upon data collected from 41 superintendents, 50 assistant superintendents, 86 secondary school principals, and 224 elementary school principals. A comprehensive role norm inventory consisting of 71 role norm statements was used to identify respondents' expectations and perceptions regarding the relationship of the position of assistant superintendent to that of superintendent and principal. In addition to posing two questions dealing with intraposition consensus, the study projected fourteen hypotheses. These hypotheses were related to the problem of interposition consensus regarding the expectations of the role-defining groups, and to the relationship of the assistant superintendents' perceptions to their own expectations and to the expectations of superintendents and principals. The level of intraposition consensus for each of the role-defining groups was found to range from an almost complete lack of consensus to almost complete consensus depending upon the particular role norm in question. All role-defining groups exhibited a higher level of intraposition consensus regarding how assistant superintendents should act toward superintendents than they did regarding how assistant superintendents should act toward principals. Intraposition consensus was also higher on dependent behavior role norms than on independent behavior role norms. Perception errors on the part of assistant superintendents occurred more frequently when predicting the expectations of superintendents and principals for the appropriate behavior of assistant superintendents toward principals, than was the case when predicting the expectations of superintendents and principals for appropriate behavior toward superintendents. Assistant superintendents were found to perceive superintendents and principals as having expectations similar to their own expectations for the behavior of the assistant superintendent. In those instances where statistically significant differences occurred between the expectations of one role-defining group and those of another, these differences occurred most often on role norms dealing with assistant superintendents' behavior toward principals. While statistically significant differences occurred on individual role norms, the expectations of superintendents for the behavior of assistant superintendents did not differ significantly with the expectations of principals on 83 per cent of the role norms included in the inventory. statistically, significant differences were found on only four role norms when the expectations of secondary school principals were compared with those of elementary school principals. When the expectations of assistant superintendents were compared with the expectations of superintendents, statistically significant differences were found on only nine role norms. Thus, the expectations of these two groups were similar for 87.3 per cent of all role norms. The expectations of assistant superintendents were found to differ significantly from those of all principals on nine role norms. Again, the expectations of these two groups were similar for 87.3 per cent of all role norms. Thus, the findings of the study supported the hypothesized relationship that assistant superintendents, superintendents, and principals hold similar expectations for the role of the assistant superintendent.
Open Access
The Basic Factors Involved in a Space Arts Curriculum
(1935-10) Schulderman, Marie
Open Access
Characteristics of Effective Implementation of School Wellness Policies
(University of Oregon, 2012) Ehrlich, Virginia; Ehrlich, Virginia; Conley, David
The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires that most public school districts implement student wellness efforts that promote physical activity and nutrition. Several studies have found that there were no significant changes to schools' nutrition and physical activity environments as a result of previous district wellness policy efforts, making the identification of strategies that will help facilitate actual health-promoting policy and program changes in schools a timely and important goal. This study investigates effective strategies for improving the implementation of school wellness policies with the goal of understanding factors that predict effective and quality policy implementation more clearly. Specifically, this study explores the results of a consultative technical assistance model aimed at implementing a school-based obesity prevention program as a mechanism for school wellness policy implementation in three cohorts over a 4-year period. Analyses suggest that schools in Urban District 1 and Urban District 2 made significantly more progress in implementing health-promoting policy and program changes than did the national schools cohort.
Open Access
Evaluating Psychometric Properties of the Korean Translated Social Emotional Assessment Measure for Korean Preschool Children
(University of Oregon, 2012) Young, Ah Kim Park
Children’s social emotional competence affects school achievement as well as later job success. Social emotional competence can be promoted when appropriate social emotional interventions are provided. To provide quality intervention, it is essential to use measures that include functional skills, promote team collaboration, and monitor changes in children’s performance over time. A Curriculum Based Measure (CBM) can support the connection between assessment and intervention. In Korea, an increasing rate of social emotional problems among young children has been reported. The need for culturally appropriate CBMs for Korean children is critical for providing quality interventions. This study explored whether the Korean translated Social Emotional Assessment Measure (KSEAM) is a valid and reliable measure to assess social emotional competency in Korean preschool children and evaluated teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of the utility of the KSEAM. Participants consisted of 160 parents and 66 teachers of 160 children between the ages of 36 and 77 months. Using data from the initially-completed K-SEAM (n=160), Cronbach’s alphas for parent and teacher data were .95. Correlations between the first and second K-SEAM completed by parents and teachers were statistically significant (i.e., .87 for parents and .81 for teachers). Using the first K-SEAM data completed by parents and teachers (n=160), inter-rater correlation was statistically significant, r = .31, p < .01. Moderate correlations were found between the K-SEAM and the Korean translated Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social Emotion completed by parents as well as teachers (i.e., -.61 for parents, - .54 for teachers). The results show moderate correlation between the K-SEAM and Korean translated Child Behavior Checklist (-.58) or Kongju Early Developmental Assessment System (.48). Most of parents (77.6%) and teachers (74.2%) completed the K-SEAM within 10 to 30 minutes. A majority of parents (88.1%) and teachers (89.4%) felt that items of the K-SEAM were very easy or easy to understand. Most participants felt that the response choices were very easy or easy to select (77.5% of parents, 63.8% of teachers). Over 70% of parents and teachers indicated that the K-SEAM was helpful to identify previously suspected or newly detected concerns about their children’s social emotional development.
Open Access
An Examination of the Impact of Successive and Non-Successive Geometry Classes on High School Student Achievement
(University of Oregon, 2012) Sugg, Steven; Sugg, Steven; Tindal, Gerald
This study examines the impact of successive versus non-successive scheduling of mathematics courses on the achievement of ninth-grade students in a suburban Oregon high school. The Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and student performance on the geometry course final exam were employed to compare the achievement of intact groups of students who had geometry scheduled for two successive trimesters and students who had geometry in two non-successive trimesters. An ANCOVA provides a comparison of students on pre-test and post-test performance. The results show no differences in student mathematics achievement as a result of scheduling differences after the covariate pre-test is examined. The implications are that schools may choose schedules for reasons other than improving student achievement and that scheduling does not impact student achievement.
Open Access
Examination of the Spanish Translation of a Developmental Screening Instrument
(University of Oregon, 2012) Pomes, Maria; Pomes, Maria; Squires, Jane
Immigrant populations are growing and permanently changing the demographic profile of the United States. Diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds are manifested in the families in each community, imposing demands and challenges to agencies that provide services to them. A large population of immigrant families, especially first and second generations, experiences a process of acculturation while they are adapting to a new country. Recognizing this reality is crucial when culturally sensitive screening services are offered. Culturally sensitive assessments are not always available to families with young children, and psychometric properties of these instruments are not always thoughtfully studied. As a consequence, families might not receive reliable information about their children's skills. Psychometric examination of properties of screening tools is required to be responsive to the needs of diverse families. This study is aimed at examining the item equivalence of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires 3rd Edition (ASQ-3) for the 9, 18 and 30 month intervals and the cultural appropriateness, readability and utility of the Spanish ASQ-3 translation. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to determine item characteristic invariance across the English and Spanish versions and cultural appropriateness. Findings show that most of the ASQ-3 items function invariantly across language versions, indicating that these items are productive for gathering information, present an adequate hierarchy difficulty for order of items, and are properly using the response categories included on the tool. In addition, most of the values and qualities selected by parents are congruent with the content of activities included on the ASQ-3 items. Parents identified questions as useful for helping them to think more about their children's development. Accessible and sensitive instruments may facilitate parent participation in assessment, increasing the number of children correctly identified as having developmental risk regardless of ethnicity or linguistic background. Implications for practice and research are discussed, supporting cross-cultural studies on parent-completed questionnaires as an effective strategy for conducting screening and monitoring of young children's development in a context of cultural and linguistic diversity.
Open Access
An Experimental Study of the Effects of Negative Sociometric Choices on Interpersonal Relationships in Grade Five Students
(University of Oregon, 1966-03) Cross, Donald A.
Open Access
A History of the Irreducible School Fund in Oregon
(1949-06) Hawk, Norman Ray
Efforts have been made in this study to trace the developments of the Irreducible School Fund and the factors responsible for depriving the schools of the legacy bequeathed by far-seeing statesmen during the formative period of American development. An attempt has been made to analyse the errors of the past and to estimate the resultant losses to the public schools of Oregon. It is now apparent that what was once intended as substantial school aid actually has been a paltry "drop-in-the-bucket" relative to needs.
Open Access
Identification of Students in Late Elementary Grades With Reading Difficulties
(University of Oregon, 2012) Lai, Cheng-Fei; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Kamata, Akihito
Piecewise latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was used to examine growth patterns in reading comprehension and passage reading fluency on easyCBM, a popular formative assessment system. Unlike conventional growth modeling, LCGA takes into account the heterogeneity of growth and may provide reliable predictions for later development. Because current methods for classifying students are still questionable, this modeling technique could be a viable alternative classification method to identifying students at risk for reading difficulty. Results from this study suggested heterogeneity in reading development. The latent classes and growth trajectories from the LCGA models were found to align closely with easyCBM's risk rating system. However, results from one school district did not fully generalize across another. The implications for future research on examining growth in reading are discussed.
Open Access
A Longitudinal and Comparative Study of 8th Grade Students' "Spontaneous" and "Creative" Art Performance and Production
(University of Oregon, 1970-06) Lombard, James Benjamin
This study has incorporated the use of two evaluative criterion measures which purport to measure, in terms of their authors' defining and normative statements, the degree of creativeness visually manifest in art products. The purposes of this study were l) to determine whether there are real .differences in ranking art products of the same population between judge groups employing these measures, and 2) to analyze any ranking fluctuations of the subjects' art products between and among different art tasks and media as determined by the judge groups' evaluation.
Open Access
Mental Health Screening Within a Tiered Model: Investigation of a Strength-Based Approach
(University of Oregon, 2012) Romer, Natalie; Romer, Natalie; Anderson, Cynthia
This study examined the utility of a brief, strength-based approach to mental health screening. A strength-based based approach to mental health screening focuses on the social and emotional competencies taught and supported by the school context. As such, a strength-based approach to mental health screening is aligned with a three-tiered response to intervention model aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of universal supports and early detection of students who may benefit from additional intervention.
Open Access
Motivating Change in High-Risk Adolescents: An Intervention Focus on the Deviant Friendship Process
(University of Oregon, 2004-03) Knopes, David Ryan
The purpose of the following literature review is not to exhaustively survey the current state of delinquency intervention science. Rather, the goal is to clearly delineate the developmental and peer social processes that reinforce and exacerbate adolescent problem behavior. Reviewed literature focuses on the developmental impact of family of origin, detailing how coercive family dynamics negatively impact social skills development. Consideration is then given to the difficulties children from coercive families have with school transitions. Reviewed research suggests that children who remain reliant on coercive interpersonal processes can commonly be directed by both punishments and interventions towards delinquent peer clustering, inadvertently creating environments that reinforce and exacerbate pre-delinquent social dynamics. Focus is then turned to the unique social and reinforcement dynamics inherent in these delinquent peer groups, identifying language and verbal dynamics as being a special risk factors and predictors of later problem behavior. This review, although necessarily limited in scope, argues that for the highest risk adolescents, delinquent talk and the behavioral reinforcement that it generates within the delinquent peer group is a powerful primer for later delinquent action. I also argue that high-risk adolescents' verbal behaviors are both visible and viable targets for intervention efforts.
Open Access
Policy and Persistence: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Case Study of "Last Mile" Students at Portland State University
(University of Oregon, 2012) Wubbold, Joseph Mark
In an extension of educational attainment research, this exploratory mixed- methods case study examines the influence of institutional policies on the behavior of five cohorts (n=925) of traditional first time, full time (FTFT) freshmen – called “Last Mile” students – at one urban research university located in the Pacific Northwest. Last Milers are defined as FTFT students who persist to the fifth year of enrollment but do not graduate by the end of their sixth year; the cut point for federal graduation rates. Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) was chosen as the theoretical framework for this study as the case subject is undergoing a period of internal change brought on by external forces beyond its control. In a classic PET response, the university has overcome its institutional inertia and is working to improve an area of perceived weakness – graduation rates – before resetting itself. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for this study. Extant student and institutional characteristic data were provided by the case subject. Additional data were collected from Last Mile students via a researcher created online survey. This study supports four findings: 1) Formative interviews, contextual institutional data and student success expenditures data affirm the use of PET as the study’s theoretical framework; 2) Student survey data confirm that most of PSU’s planned interventions are supported and likely to yield the desired results of improved graduation rates, over time; 3) Difficulty obtaining complete student data supports the need for a more systematic approach to centralized data collection, particularly as PSU begins a transition to strategic enrollment management; and 4) As PSU enters the era of managing to metrics, it would be wise to consider the cautionary principle of PET; that organizations treat the time following a change as a trial rather than a reset period. While a trial-period does not guarantee the success of the organizational change, it does provide the necessary conditions for an organization to enact change when it is in the midst of punctuation. These findings have practical application to internal PSU policy and may have theoretical implications for college graduation rate research as well.
Open Access
The Relation of Conceptual Styles and Mode of Perception to Graphic Expression
(University of Oregon, 1969-08) Lovano, Jessie Jacquelyn
Early research in cognition, perception and graphic expression attributes differences in the cognitive and graphic products of children of the same age to differences in the amount of knowledge, facility in reasoning, skills or biogenic determined developmental levels. More recent studies in cognition and perception seem to indicate stable intraindividual consistencies of patterning in coping with and relating verbal and visual information (26) (49). The possibility of an individual performing in a self-consistent manner when processing visual and/or cognitive information into graphic expression has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible relationship of the findings of Witkin (49) on consistencies in mode of perceiving, and the findings of Kagan (22) on consistencies in mode of 2 cognition to the possible consistencies in the mode of graphic expression of boys at five grade levels. This study attempts to determine whether ( 1) an individual's preference for an analytical mode of perceiving and conceptualizing wiH also be demonstrated in his graphic expression, and whether (2) an individual's preference for a global mode of perceiving and conceptualizing will also be demonstrated in his graphic expression. The general assumptions to be tested in this study are that ( 1) individuals perform in a self-consistent manner when processing visual and cognitive information, and that (2) this consistency is also evident in their graphic expressions.
Open Access
Relative Effects of Delayed Versus Immediate Reinforcement Within an Interdependent Group-Oriented Contingency System
(University of Oregon, 2012) Coughlin, Cristy; Coughlin, Cristy; Anderson, Cindy
The current study sought to add to the literature on applying interdependent group-oriented contingency systems with randomized components to academic performance. This study expanded previous work, which has only examined effects on elementary classrooms and students with disabilities, by implementing a similar intervention within a general education, secondary classroom. Given the restricted time that teachers have to learn and implement interventions, while simultaneously carrying out all their additional responsibilities in the classroom, it is necessary for school psychologists to consider these limitations when recommending interventions. In previous work involving interdependent group-oriented contingencies, the delivery of reinforcement has been relatively immediate. While this is an ideal arrangement, it may be infeasible for middle and high school teachers to ensure reinforcement of academic performance occurs immediately within the class period. This study examined whether the delivery of reinforcement can be delayed within an interdependent group-oriented contingency system and still improve the academic performance of students in the classroom, which will allow the teacher more time for evaluating the quality of student work and, in turn, impact the acceptability of the intervention. One middle school, general education classroom served as the setting for this study. Academic performance data, including in-class work completion and accuracy rates, were collected class-wide and data on social behavior variables were gathered for 3 students exhibiting moderate to high levels of off-task behavior, based on teacher perception. An alternating treatments design was employed with two intervention conditions: one condition included immediate reinforcement and the other involved delivering reinforcement to students a day later. The interdependent group-oriented contingency intervention implemented included procedures for randomly selecting target behaviors, criteria, and reinforcers.
Open Access
A Study of the Change of Student Teachers' Concerns Through Early Field Experiences
(University of Oregon, 1971-06) Harp, Max William
The present study examined the change in stated professional concerns of education students during a term of field experience. Three groups of students engaged in different kinds of field experience early in their training were investigated. The first purpose of the present study was to examine the change in stated concerns of education students as they engaged in one of three field experience programs at the University of Oregon. The focus of the study was the elevation of concerns of future teachers from self-survival concerns, such as "What will the teachers think of me" or "Will I be accepted as a teacher?" toward pupil-centered-teaching concerns, such as "How do I meet individual needs, specify objectives, and measure pupil progress?" Three populations of students were included in the study. Each group was at a different point in the training program in which they were enrolled. The groups were not compared. The major purpose of the study was to examine the change in concerns of each individual group during one academic term.
Open Access
Teaching for Conceptual Change in a Density Unit Taught to 7th Graders: Comparing Two Teaching Methodologies - Scientific Inquiry and a Traditional Approach
(University of Oregon, 2012) Holveck, Susan; Holveck, Susan; Zvoch, Keith
This mixed methods study was designed to compare the effect of using an inquiry teaching methodology and a more traditional teaching methodology on the learning gains of students who were taught a five-week conceptual change unit on density.
Open Access
The Technological Imperative in Educational Organizations: An Investigation of Structural and Personnel Factors Associated with the Flexibility of Instructional Technology in Public Elementary Schools
(University of Oregon, 1978-12) Balderson, James Henry
This study of public elementary school organizations explored relationships among properties of three major variables: technology, structure and personnel. The relationships were examined (a) in the light of Charles Perrow's theoretical formulation of the "technological imperative" which states that the nature of an organization's technology determines the nature of its organizational structure and (b) in the light of the author's notion that the educational attitudes of organizational personnel were likely to affect the technology and structure of educational organizations. The general research problem was stated as follows: Are public elementary school organizations characterized by systematic variation in relationships among properties of personnel attitudes, technology and structure? Four research questions were derived from the study's theoretical framework: 1. Is there evidence that the technological imperative operates in educational organizations? This question was addressed by an examination of (1.1) relationships of instructional flexibility (a measure of technological routineness) with the following structural characteristics: (a) bureaucratization of teacher behavior, (b) influence over school-wide matters, and (c) influence over classroom matters; and (1.2) the effects of control variables on the hypothesized negative relationship between instructional flexibility and bureaucratization of teacher behavior. 2. What weights may be assigned to characteristics of supervisory and instructional personnel regarding their association , if any, with instructional flexibility and properties of organizational structure? This question was addressed by an examination of (2.1) relationships of the educational attitudes of principals and staffs with instructional flexibility and (2.2) bureaucratization of teacher behavior and (2.3) the powers of two models to describe causal relationships among these variables. 3. What few variables compared with instructional flexibility best predict bureaucratization of teacher behavior? 4. What few variables compared with bureaucratization of teacher behavior best predict instructional flexibility? Data was collected by a questionnaire survey of 41 elementary schools in a large urban western Canadian school district. Computerized multivariate statistical techniques, including path analysis, were used to examine the data.