DigitalCommons@Liberty University

Mentoring Programs: Key Differences in Support for Beginning Teachers

Virginia Fick — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:45:14 PDT

This study explored the issue of mentoring and its problems in aiding in the induction of new teachers into various school systems. Such a study is justified because teacher shortages remain a real threat in many areas of this country. The research sought to demonstrate that a mentor program without clear guidelines and accountability may actually damage new teachers. Some of the goals of a mentoring program were considered: the suitability and selection of mentors, the training of mentors, and program evaluation. A review of the literature included such topics as the high cost of attrition, the needs of new teachers, effective and practical mentoring methods, mentoring disasters, technology and creative ways to mentor, benefits to veteran teachers from mentoring, and the role of leadership in mentoring. A quantitative study of school districts with either very high or low teacher attrition rates sought to reveal what adjustments are necessary for greater teacher retention. A twenty-question survey that measured the perceptions and attitudes of administrators from these districts endeavored to answer some key questions such as why some mentoring programs fail, what mentors are actually doing, and how administrators could strengthen their programs.

Hugo Black’s Wall of Separation of Church and State

Garland L. Goff Jr. — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:20:45 PDT

Justice Hugo Black and his 1947 opinion in Everson v. Board of Education. In this opinion, Justice Black quoted Thomas Jefferson’s term “wall of separation” and further added his own opinion that the wall must be high and impregnable. This meant that from that day forward the separation of church and state would be applied to all aspects of government not just the federal level. Several key factors in Justice Black’s background inclined the Justice to rule unfavorably against religion. First, it is a known fact that Justice Black was a member of the KKK, an organization that was known to be particularly bigoted towards Catholics. Second, Justice Black believed Paul Blanshard’s writings concerning the Catholic Church and shared his mistrust of the Catholic Church. Finally, at the time of his opinion, Justice Black was not a practicing Christian and the evidence shows that the Justice did not believe in the supernatural aspects of Christianity. This evidence supports a conclusion that Justice Black was prejudiced against religion in his decision in Everson v. Board of Education and engaged in judicial activism.

Chivalry in Shakespeare: How the Great Playwright Reveals the Code of Conduct

Anna Goldsmith — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:38:07 PDT

Today’s society understands chivalry in a vastly different context than how chivalry was originally understood in the 14^th and 15^th centuries. For this reason, it is crucial to turn to literature concerning the time period and people that were expected to uphold the code of chivalry at all times. This thesis will research, in depth, William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of King Richard the Second (1597), the first of the four history plays in the second tetralogy. Studying this work will enable the reader to gain a more full understanding of how seriously the noblemen of those days took this code of conduct. Chivalry originally began as a code of conduct for knights and nobility and was not simply a set of actions and characteristics to be performed, but a lifestyle of honor, courage, and selflessness.

Rather than studying a work that exemplifies chivalry in action, Richard II reveals the severity of the consequences that will affect an entire nation if chivalry is abandoned. Through a close study of the play itself and concluding remarks on the personal character of both Richard and his nemesis, Bolingbroke, it becomes obvious that violating chivalry not only affects the individual violator, but can also cause the demise of an entire nation. By studying the negative aspects of Richard and Bolingbroke’s joint disregard for chivalry, it is my hope that the reader will come to understand the importance of adhering to this code of conduct.

Alternative Work Arrangements: An Examination of Job Sharing, Compressed Workweeks, and Flextime

Joseph D. Lutz — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:53:19 PDT

Alternative working arrangements have become increasingly popular in workplaces across America and the world. One segment of alternative work arrangements is schedule flexibility. The three types of flexible schedules examined include: job sharing, compressed workweeks, and flextime. Each arrangement will be examined individually. First, a definition and background information will be given. Then, the benefits of the arrangement will be discussed. Next, the risks and challenges of the arrangement will be examined. Finally, there will be analysis of what conditions are necessary for the arrangement to be successful.

Christian Entertainment: Methods Used in Targeting the Christian and Secular Audiences

Shannon R. Benton — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:53:16 PDT

This thesis examines Christian entertainment companies, specifically those producing faith-based films. It includes an in-depth analysis of the tactics used by public relations and marketing specialists to discover how Christian versus non-Christian audiences are targeted during the promotional process of the film and what differences in method possibly exist. Based on the analysis, the conclusion is drawn that this industry generally chooses to target Christian organizations and influential leaders. Reasons for the selection of this target are given, and the effectiveness of communication specialists’ efforts in reaching their defined target is considered in light of the overall mission of Christian entertainment companies.

The Truth Shall Set You Free: The Bible, the Revolution, and the Debate over Slavery in the American South

Kevin Simon — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:18:46 PDT

Before the slavery debate pushed a divided American nation to the brink of civil war, the argument divided the family of God. By the time cannon fire erupted at Fort Sumter, Christians had already staked out positions based on sophisticated lines of argument they used to justify or condemn chattel slavery. The generation coming of age during the Civil War era witnessed a debate more intense and contentious than their ancestors had seen, but in terms of the arguments employed, it broke very little fresh ground. Contrary to the assumption that antebellum apologists in the South invented the defense of slavery as a positive good, the attempt to defend chattel slavery began long before ministers argued for the benefits of the institution in the 1830s. People of God largely supported the growth and virtue of slavery based on a narrow perception informed by their own personal experience. The slavery they knew was benevolent, not the degrading aberration described by abolitionists. The blacks they knew were not the social or intellectual equals of whites and thus, would benefit from being enslaved. The Bible they knew afforded proslavery Christians enough justification to support their preconceived notions. These factors combined to create a defense of slavery they viewed as consistent and justifiable. Christians committed to the same Bible, arrived at completely different conclusions regarding the biblical sanction of slavery. Their willingness to make Scripture fit their preconceived notions concerning the nature of slavery in the American South helped widen the disagreement. Common misconceptions over the racial inferiority of blacks evidenced an intellectual blind-spot that led both sides to equate race slavery with biblical slavery. These misconceptions caused many to claim the Bible sanctioned slavery even as they dismissed any possible scriptural distinction between servitude regulated by the Almighty and the brutal, demeaning brand of race slavery practiced primarily by southerners. Thinkers on both sides commonly considered biblical references, Enlightenment concepts of the natural rights of man, and pragmatic economic and social arguments to construct a formidable polemic. The early arguments informed the later debate, and a common thread wound its way through the dialogue, from colonial days through the national challenge of Reconstruction. While Christians disagreed regarding what Scripture proscribed, they chose to contextualize the Bible and define slavery in a manner best suited to their argument. The debate simmered for over a century. Ironically, it was agreement regarding the racial inferiority of the black that enabled some men to accept slavery while it prevented others from drawing a clear distinction between biblical servitude and race slavery. The volatile combination of misrepresentation, misinterpretation, and ignorance could only remain dormant for so long. The emotionally charged atmosphere of the mid-nineteenth century became the incubator that released the contagion of disunion upon the nation. Many lamented the coming of that dreaded day; others wondered how the nation had maintained a semblance of unity for so long.

Adult Perceptions of the Experience of Being Identified "Talented and Gifted" as Children: A Phenomenological Study

Bradford Summers — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:10:01 PDT

This is a phenomenological study of adult perceptions of the experience of being identified "talented and gifted" as children. Data were gathered by transcribing the video recordings of adults who were students of the Talented and Gifted (TAG) education program in Fairfield, Ohio during 1978-1983. The phenomenological method was used to discover perceptions of a unique population of adults who shared life experiences during elementary and middle school. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of four main themes: Growth, Interpersonal, Future, and Thankfulness. Three facilitating and three challenging subthemes were identified under each main theme. These were: Internal Validation of TAG Identity, Opportunity to Channel Talents and Gifts, Broadminded Thinking for Problem Solving, Overcoming Self-criticism, Setting Priorities Relative to the TAG Identity, Persuading Others, Positive Bonding Within TAG, Respect from Others, Social Confidence, Feelings of Isolation, Being Misunderstood, Ongoing Intellectual Insecurity, TAG Career Preparation, Optimism, Awareness of Responsibility to Achieve Potential, Career Indecision, Boredom With the Status Quo, How to Achieve Potential, Creative Outlet, Positive Memories, Love for Enthusiastic Teachers, Need for Creative Outlet Post-TAG, Creating New Memories, and Disappointed with Other Education. Implications for future practice and research include an eclectic approach to counseling and education with the TAG identity in mind. Cognitive Behavioral, Adlerian, and Existentialist theories and therapies are recommended as a resource for therapists and educators to help gifted people discover what they want out of life, and to help them focus on positive action in the present moment.

Ministry of Memories: Keys to Pastoral Care of Non-Cognitive Persons

Reginald Corfield — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:09:56 PDT

This work is intended to examine and study the theological and moral reasons to provide pastoral care to persons who have limited or no cognition. Dementia, Alzheimer's, certain other medical conditions and the aging process cause a loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, behavior and judgment. Most Clergy wrestle with the fact as to whether there is any purpose in ministering to such persons especially when there is no verbal or non-verbal response. This paper involves surveys, research, collection of historical and biblical data and medical science to evaluate the disease process and explore ways in which to communicate with them and in turn help them connect with God. This thesis will also help families of non-cognitive persons, caregivers, peers and the writer to better understand ways in which to love and care for these marginalized people.

Media Convergence of Newspapers: A Content Analysis of the Houston Chronicle's Print- and Web-based Content

Amanda Sullivan — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:58:20 PDT

The channels of news media have changed. The traditional route of receiving news via a newspaper has evolved into a more digital path, leaving many to question the future of the print publication. This study evaluates the print- and Web-based content of the Houston Chronicle. The researcher adds to the field of research on news media by analyzing the online and print content of the publication, creating a new way to categorize and evaluate the subject matter by placing it into four categories: repetition, adaptation, representation, and unique. The researcher seeks to answer three research questions, discovering how each medium exemplifies elements of media convergence.

The Effects of Technology Instruction on the Academic Achievement of Fifth Grade Students

Karen Davis — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:51:18 PDT

A digital native is an individual born between 1981 and 2001, and children born after 2001 are called millennials. Educators are expected to meet the needs of today's technologically savvy students. Some researchers assert that an academic `moral panic' is taking place that lacks the empirical and theoretical knowledge to support the claims that education needs to change to meet the needs of digital natives and millennials. The problem is that considering that the majority of students today are digital natives are educators meeting the learning needs of their students. This research study focused on the use of instructional technology and how it effects student achievement for fifth grade science and math instruction. Using the 2010 and 2011 math and science CRCT test scores, the SPSS statistical software was employed to run an independent sample t test to measure the mean difference between the experimental and control groups. The results found that the use of technological instruction in this instance did not increase student academic achievement.

The Effects of Single-Gender Classes on Students' Physical Fitness Test Performances and Attitudes

Zachary Wilson — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:51:15 PDT

The purpose of this pretest-posttest control group study was to test the Social Cognitive Theory by comparing the effects of class type, coeducational or single-gender, on physical fitness test performance and attitudes, controlling for previous fitness levels, among sixth-grade male and female physical education students at a Northwest Georgia Middle School. A total of 277 students participated in the newly state-mandated FitnessGram physical fitness test as part of their regular physical education class. The groups then participated in standard physical education lessons for four weeks. Then, in each of the two sixth-grade physical education periods, students were divided among the teachers according to gender, resulting in a female-only group, a male-only group, and a typical coeducational group. Students again participated in the FitnessGram with their newly formed groups. Afterwards, students were given the Physical Fitness Attitudinal Scale to determine their attitudes about physical education and fitness. The data collected were then analyzed by ANCOVA and MANOVA to determine the effect of gender-grouped classes on physical fitness test performance and student attitudes. The data revealed statistically significant differences between participant groups' performances on some but not all parts of the FitnessGram physical fitness assessment. The data did not show a statistically significant difference between student attitudes toward physical fitness with and without single-gender grouping on the Physical Fitness Attitudinal Scale.

Humor Me to Heaven: Humor's Redemptive Role in the Works of Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor, and Marilynne Robinson

Stephanie Johnson — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:10:55 PDT

Humor is the topic of many psychological, social, and cultural studies, but this project examines humor under a new lens. Humor's unique qualities explored in this study prove that humor is capable of more than just causing laughter; the nature of humor allows it to unveil truths about humanity, both spiritual and physical, through exposing man's flaws. This quality is especially important to consider when analyzing humor in the context of literature, in which humor also works as an aesthetic element. This study searches several short stories by Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor along with Marilynne Robinson's Gilead to reveal that each author implements in her works the element of humor in her own style, making humor an integral component in her fiction. Considering the unique qualities of humor and recognizing humor as an aesthetic element in the selected works show that these authors use humor as more than a mere literary element; their uses of humor, though they vary in form, work to convey significant themes of redemption throughout their stories. The term redemption defined in this thesis refers to a new and truthful perspective that humor creates for the characters, audience, or both. Since this new perspective ultimately points to spiritual truths about man's nature, this discovery lends more credit to humor than other scholars have previously offered.

School Change: Adolescents Transitioning from Conventional Schooling to Home-Based Online Education

Harvey Klamm — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:04:36 PDT

This hermeneutic phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of six recently graduated adolescents to extrapolate the valued essence of their transitional encounters in changing from conventional school to home-based online schooling. The homeschool research shifted the emphasis from the outcome-based academic achievement studies prevalent during the past 20 years to a focus on internal and external factors impacting student learning within this technological instructional process. Findings produced from analysis and interpretation of reflective adolescent lived experiences revealed rich truth regarding the internal emotions, environmental adaptations, academic ramifications, and social adaptations encountered when changing from conventional schooling to home-based online school. Cognitive, maturational, and social skills showed reported gains in the move from conventional school to home-based online school. Gender differences were not reported as major contributing adjustment factors. The greatest transitional ramifications were noted by participants who made a geographic move while simultaneously enrolling in home-based online school. The magnitude of the loss in social capital was accentuated by the geographic move. Adolescent attitude in acceptance of the move was a defining element, leading to successful re-establishment of new social capital or resulting in social and psychological withdrawal.

Teachers and Hand-Held Graphing Technology: An Examination of Concerns

Edward Helton — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:04:31 PDT

The purpose of this nonexperimental causal-comparative study was to examine the concerns of teachers in reference to the graphing calculator, as measured by the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) and compare the results to a combination of levels of concerns between groups. The study participants were high school teachers of mathematics in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee (n = 128). This study utilized a two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine the effect of two independent variables, formal training and experience teaching with a graphing calculator, on seven dependent variables, teachers' Stages of Concern (stages 0-6). Also, a one-way MANOVA was conducted to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in means between the dependent variables, teachers Stages of Concern (stages 0-6), and the independent variable, the state where a teacher was employed (Georgia or Tennessee). The results for the two-way MANOVA were statistically significant for the teaching experience main effect. The one-way MANOVA was found to be significant at stage 0.

She's Sold: Persuading American Women Through Advertising

Bethany L. Keef — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:58:08 PDT

This study attempted to analyze the effects of an advertising campaign on American women in to illustrate that these women are vastly unaware of just how influential advertising is on their thoughts and actions. It aimed to make women more aware of the presence of advertising in their lives by giving a brief history of the subject, by outlining some current claims in the field, and by introducing a new concept known as shared gender culture. To follow up on secondary research, this study also conducted an experiment on thirty-four women ages eighteen to fifty-five to discover their reactions to a new, never seen advertising campaign for beef. The study attempted to persuade and analyze the effects of persuasion. The study was conducted by survey and asked women their thoughts on and uses of beef before and after revealing the entire print campaign to them. Results showed that half of the participants were not persuaded by the campaign at all through their first and only viewing of it; 26.5% of the women consider themselves entirely invulnerable to advertising persuasion at all. Many women showed great distrust for claims in advertisements, calling them false. Those who did admit to persuasion did so out of a desire to be sexy, happy, healthy, and nurturing to others.

Our Covenant Constitution: The Covenantal Nature of the United States Constitution

William T. Crabtree — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:58:03 PDT

The problem with the national government and politics in the United States today is that citizens and politicians have both forgotten, ignored, and undermined the nature and significance of the U.S. Constitution as a civil covenant based on civil and religious liberty and limited government. This thesis proposes to analyze the nature of the Constitution as a civil covenant and how a proper interpretation and application of it as such can solve many of today’s most pressing political problems. It will discuss the nature and history of civil covenants, examine the mechanics of the Constitution in the creation of a Federal Republic, briefly trace the breakdown of this system through sundry events and policies in American history, and delineate a few possible solutions.

Pornography and Human Trafficking: The Beliefs of the Effects of Personal Pornography Use

Chelsea M. Thompson — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:58:00 PDT

Each individual has different beliefs about the effects of pornography use in relation to the self, a romantic relationship, the family, and society as a whole. There is research that shows pornography tends to negatively affect these areas of life and there is also evidence for some human trafficking occurring within the pornography industry. Thus, the ultimate goal of this thesis is to not only assess what people believe about those involved in the pornography industry, but to test whether information about the pornography industry might change people’s beliefs about their personal pornography use. Human nature tends to not equate one’s personal actions with effects, especially negative results. If there were no users of pornography, then there would be no demand. Therefore, one’s actions do affect the pornography industry and human trafficking.

A survey was created that assessed beliefs about the effects of one’s personal pornography use. Then, these beliefs were assessed again after information about the pornography industry was presented. The research question was whether the information would change one’s beliefs about pornography use in relation to the family and society, with an emphasis on the negative aspects of pornography such as human trafficking. The 100 participants were recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk through an online format. After being presented with statistics about sex trafficking and the pornography industry, participants did change their beliefs about personal pornography use.

Kingdom Consequences: Socio-Political Dimensions of Evangelistic Preaching

Kenneth Kinton — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:45:11 PDT

This study examines biblical, historical, and theoretcial trends in evangelistic preaching. This has been accomplished using biblical evidence, as well as insights from theologians and scholars within the realm of society, politics, and Christianity. The study provides a suggested methodology of sermon preparation for communicating to the modern Church.

Defined by What We Are Not: The Role of Anti-Catholicism in the Formation of Early American Identity

Brandi Hatfield Marchant — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:35:55 PDT

From the colonial era through the mid-nineteenth century, anti-Catholicism colored key points of development in America's early history. Amidst the English colonial experience, the Revolution and establishment of the republic, and the educational reform efforts of the nineteenth-century, anti-Catholicism emerged as a fundamental factor in the development of America's characteristically Protestant political and religious identity. While many studies of early American anti-Catholicism focus on one region or time period, drawing connections across geographic boundaries and constructed historical periods attests to the sentiment's pervasive and enduring influence. While this sentiment varied in intensity throughout America over time, its presence profoundly shaped the country's cultural orientation. While American political culture espoused ideals of religious toleration, the anti-Catholicism of its early history reveal that this toleration had its limits. Since the colonial era, America had been populated almost solely by Protestants. Even by the mid-nineteenth century, the Catholic population's significant growth still left them far behind the Protestant majority. While the New World represented a place of religious freedom for its early settlers, these people were nearly all Protestants who carried with them a strong aversion to the Catholicism of the Old World. Establishing a fundamentally Protestant society, Americans embraced the ideal of religious toleration, largely understanding this concept as it applied to interactions among various Protestant denominations. As greater numbers of Catholics arrived in America, they requested an equal share of religious liberty, forcing Protestants to consider how these newcomers and their faith would affect American culture. Since Catholicism seemed to embody the very Old World values American Protestants had abandoned, efforts to preserve liberty against the corrupting influences challenged the country's ideal of religious toleration.

Random Number Generation: Types and Techniques

David F. DiCarlo — Thu, 03 May 2012 05:55:26 PDT

What does it mean to have random numbers? Without understanding where a group of numbers came from, it is impossible to know if they were randomly generated. However, common sense claims that if the process to generate these numbers is truly understood, then the numbers could not be random. Methods that are able to let their internal workings be known without sacrificing random results are what this paper sets out to describe. Beginning with a study of what it really means for something to be random, this paper dives into the topic of random number generators and summarizes the key areas. It covers the two main groups of generators, true-random and pseudo-random, and gives practical examples of both. To make the information more applicable, real life examples of currently used and currently available generators are provided as well. Knowing the how and why of a number sequence without knowing the values that will come is possible, and this thesis explains how it is accomplished.