Browsing by Subject "Curriculum"
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Item Achieving the Science Standards: A National Study of Inquiry-Based Instruction in High School Science(Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, 1999) Huffman, Douglas; Lawrenz, FrancesThe National Science Teachers Association's SS&C(Scope, Sequence & Coordination)project created a new high school science curriculum that coordinated the content in the four basic sciences (life, earth, physics and chemistry) to allow students to study every science every year. The curriculum sequenced activities to encourage teachers to use inquiry-based instruction where students engage in hands-on activities before teachers define concepts.To examine the impact of SS&C, researchers at CAREI designed a comprehensive study comparing students who took SS&C science in 9th and 10th grade to students who did not take the new course. The study used a time-lag design which compares the prior year's science students to the present year's science students. The purpose of the study was to closely examine the effect of the standards-based curriculum on both the classroom learning environment and on students' achievement in the sciences. Thirteen schools implemented the new science course. The schools were located in California, Iowa, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Texas and the District of Columbia and included more than 4,000 ninth graders and 2,500 tenth grade science students.Item American History: Developing Skills, Understanding Content, and Applying Knowledge: Curriculum(2011) Winkle, Mark; Williams, JuliaThis is an American History curriculum which in six units covers six distinct topics in American history from the time of Columbus arriving in the Bahamas through the Civil War. For most units, I have provided some suggested lessons and assessment pieces, as well as tips for navigating the lessons through some challenging issues. The curriculum doesn’t have complete lesson plans, or assessments, and it is not intended to be used as a textbook or teacher workbook. It’s intended to be a guide on how to teach American History in a way that focuses on students’ skills and on history’s usable lessons. I developed this curriculum while working with high schools students who were at-risk, and the lessons and activities reflect this as much of the work is done as a class, or while actively assisting students. However, the curriculum and lessons can easily be adapted to various ages and abilities. This curriculum is designed to make the study of American history an activity which builds the fundamental skills students need to be successful in school, in work, and as citizens.Item Assessing Christian Discipleship in Catholic Youth Ministry(2008-10) Kaster, Jeffrey JosephThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the intermediate outcomes of a youth ministry curriculum seeking to foster Christian discipleship. The study developed and tested a preliminary Christian Discipleship Scale seeking to operationally define Christian discipleship for assessment purposes. Telephone surveys were conducted with a representative sample (n=76) of young adult Catholics (population=113) who participated in an intensive university/seminary sponsored youth ministry program between 2000 and 2004 as high school youth. Results indicate the curriculum of theological study, justice education, prayer, and vocational discernment was influential in fostering the Christian discipleship practices of theological education, volunteer service, and prayer in these young adults. Further study is warranted on the Christian Discipleship Scale as a tool for assessing Christian discipleship formation in adolescent religious education curricula as results showed it correlated with five variables including frequencies of Mass attendance, frequency of prayer, frequency of reading scripture, involvement in religious groups, and leadership in religious groups.Item Citizenship education in public higher education: curricular strategies to promote the development of civic knowledge, skills, and attitudes.(2012-06) Nobbe, June EllyCitizenship education has long been recognized as a function of public higher education in the United States, and as a public good. Many authors and higher education organizations assert that the civic mission of higher education has receded in the past 15 years. This study examined recommended strategies to reinvigorate the civic mission that included integration of civic themes in curriculum and the use of active learning methods in the classroom. Exposure to a leadership minor course that integrates the two strategies was also included in the research design. The research design examined the effect of these two recommended strategies on the eight outcomes of the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. A web-based survey instrument included items associated with civic themes, active learning methods, exposure to a leadership minor course, demographic variables, pre-college experiences, and selected experiences during college. The Socially Responsible Leadership Scale - Revision 2 was used to measure the dependent variables. The survey was administered to a random sample of junior and seniors at a large public university with very high research activity. The survey was completed by 331 respondents for a 17 percent response rate. Analyses included correlation, t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression. The results provided evidence that the recommended strategies were positively correlated with the dependent variables, and had a positive significant effect on most of the eight outcomes. In the regression analyses, exposure to civic themes in curriculum and active learning methods in the classroom was the only block that resulted in a statistically significant F-change value for all eight outcomes when added to the model, highlighting the explanatory power of these two strategies. In summary, the research design found that these two strategies have merit in efforts to develop civic knowledge, skills, and attitudes among undergraduates as defined by the Social Change Model of Leadership Development.Item Comics, curriculum and the classroom: the development and implementation of an arts-integrated Holocaust unit(2014-08) Johnson, Jeremy LeeTraditionally, the Holocaust has been taught to middle school students using a novel like Anne Frank: The Diary of Young Girl. However, with the recent adoption of the Common Core Standards many teachers must incorporate new ways of teaching content, including the use of graphic novels. This study examined how two teachers, an English teacher and reading teacher, worked collaboratively to create and implement a Holocaust unit that asked students to use comics to demonstrate their learning. While the premise of the study was to examine how teachers with no prior experience incorporated graphic novels into their classrooms, the study became something altogether different. I discuss how the teachers relied on me to teach students how to draw figures and explain the conventions of comics with the final goal of creating a research-based comic examining some element from the Holocaust. During this study I was present in the classroom four full days a week. Data collection methods included participant observation, interviews with staff and students and document collection and analysis. Findings could be categorized three ways and include resistance, gender stereotyping and the accuracy and authenticity of student-created comic narratives. Resistance occurred from both teachers and students. The English and reading teachers resisted use of the term "comic" because they considered it not serious enough for a discussion of the Holocaust. The art teacher resisted participation because he felt that comics were a lower form of art that had no place in education. Student resistance came in the form of a young man who, for example, did not believe that the school should be dedicating nine weeks to studying the Holocaust. A second significant finding focused on gendered stereotypes and how assumptions about gender were made visible through students' comments and perceptions of drawing. Interesting gender differences also existed in the ways students drew their final projects with male students' comics exhibiting depersonalization. Information was shared in an almost bullet-point manner whereas female students spent more time developing characters and exploring emotions. The final area of focus was on the ways in which accuracy and authenticity of narratives were brought into question through failure to emphasize citation of sources and inclusion of bibliographies as part of the students' research project, thus devaluing the factual value of their comic Holocaust narratives.Item Creating Connection to Nature: A Curriculum Project Combining Interpretation with Adventure Education(2019-10-14) Bartels, TrishaThe purpose of this project was to create a curriculum that connects participants to nature by incorporating elements of both adventure education (i.e. mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, etc.) into an interpretive program, as well as creating nature connectedness (attentional deployment, sounds, identification, etc.) within participants. As needed, it can be adjusted for experience level of participants and knowledge of local ecology dependent on the provider. The goal of adding these two subjects of outdoor education together, was to enhance nature connectedness, comfortability, skills, knowledge, and behavior within participants. The theoretical basis for this program was based upon a nature connectedness, interpretation, and adventure education. These theories are: Nature Connectedness (Schultz, 2002); Constructivist Learning (Dewey, 1938; Piaget, 1972; Vygotsky, 1980); 15 Principles for Interpretation (Beck & Cable, 2011 p.17); Optimal Arousal Learning (Berlyne, 1968 & Eysenck, 1982); Risk (Ewert, Sibthorp, 2014); Cognitive Behavioral Change/Self Efficacy (Bandura, 1977); Pedagogy Learning (Rozenkranz,1989), and Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1984). The curriculum consists of four units, with two lessons in each unit. These lessons were intended to be used to deepen participants understanding of the natural world and enhance nature connectedness through the interpretation and adventure education subjects. While this curriculum was reviewed by a panel of experts and has one lesson that was pilot tested, it was outside the scope of this project to provide a summative evaluation of all of the lessons and units.Item Effective Modification of a Nonprescription Medicines Course to Optimize Learning of Millennial Generation Students(University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, 2013) Mehta, Bella H; Casper, Kristin AObjective: To describe examples of effective teaching strategies utilized within a required nonprescription therapeutics course, in order to accommodate learning characteristics of Millennials. Case Study: Instructors identified unique characteristics of Millennial generation students through literature review and focused educational workshops. These characteristics include the desire for active learning where didactic lectures make a connection to life, the incorporation of technology, and assignments that focus on team work. Course modifications were then made based on these characteristics including redesign of large group course lectures with incorporation of patient cases, inclusion of a variety of online components including the opportunity to provide course feedback, and active learning small group projects within workshop sections. Evaluation: Student evaluation of the course and instructors significantly improved after introducing changes to the course compared to previous years. Each component of the student evaluation resulted in a statistically significant change in mean score. Verbal and written evaluations indicated a very positive learning experience for students. Grade mean (3.3 vs. 3.8, p<0.001) and range (0.00- 4.00 GPA in 2007 vs. 2.00-4.00 GPA in 2008, p <0.001) also improved compared to previous years. Conclusions: By identifying characteristics of Millennial generation student learners, traditional teaching methods can be modified in order to enhance retention of material and optimize their learning process. Course changes improved the learning experience for students and instructors. Instructors’ willingness to evaluate generational differences and adapt teaching enhances the learning experiences in the classroom for both students and instructors.Item Elementary teachers' perceptions of environmental education.(2010-12) Bengtson, Karen Jo MaierEfforts to develop and implement environmental education (EE) in classrooms across the United States need to be grounded in understanding teachers' perceptions of EE. A case study format was selected as an effective means of eliciting a wide range of the teachers' perceptions and capturing an in-depth elaboration of the complexity and internal consistency of those perceptions. The research questions for this study are: 1) What are the participating elementary teachers' perceptions of EE? 2) What are the participating elementary teachers' perceptions of ideal EE? 3) What are the participating elementary teachers' perceptions of the reality of teaching EE? And 4) How do the individual participating teachers' three types of EE perceptions misalign? Case studies of four elementary classroom teachers from the same school building were constructed from survey questions, interviews, and resource materials. Analysis and interpretation of the data were conducted using two sets of descriptors, strength and development, of the identified themes. The major implications of this study include (a) efforts supporting the implementation of EE need to account for the context that exists in the school, and how the structure of the school interplays with the implementation; (b) the need for teacher professional development in EE with considerations for teaching context, teachers' personal EE connections, and variability in teacher understanding, and (c) the complexity and diversity in the expression of teachers' EE perceptions needs to be attended in EE implementation efforts, as well as in research exploring teacher perceptions of EE.Item Embodying Empowerment: Gender, Schooling, Relationships and Life History in Tanzania(2016-05) Willemsen, LauraThis dissertation explores the interplay of education and empowerment as it is lived by seven young Tanzanian women and developed at a unique all-girls’ secondary school in Tanzania. Drawing on interviews and participant observation from eight trips over four years, this study offers a longitudinal, ethnographic exploration of the school, Sasema Secondary School for Girls, to explore the rationale and production of curricula, pedagogies and practices that draw on global, national and local notions of empowerment and education. This study illuminates the tensions, vulnerabilities, feats and aspirations in young women’s lives through employing a life history approach focusing on three young women’s complete life histories. It examines the role that schooling has played, and has not played, in what these women describe as a contingent movement from vulnerability toward increasing security and well-being. This dissertation advances two main arguments: First, by exploring the practices and pedagogies at Sasema that young women have found to be valuable in their lives both at and beyond school, it demonstrates the significance of, and possibilities for, emotional and social learning through schooling while underscoring the importance of care in schools. As such, this research reinforces calls to conceptualize educational quality beyond the metrics of academic knowledge or vocational skills, traditionally thought of as schooling’s raison d’être, toward more holistic notions of education for the whole person. Second, this study complicates and adds nuance to accepted notions of empowerment through education by offering deeply contextualized portraits of young women’s lives as they understand them to be unfolding. Although empowerment is frequently analyzed in economic or political terms, this work reveals that, for these young women, empowerment is also profoundly psychosocial and even corporeal. Furthermore, additional forces, such as family, religion and community, are at play in their notions of processes that advance their well-being and the well-being of others. As such, this study reveals disjunctures between empowerment through education as it lived by young women in Tanzania and as discussed by scholars of international development, education and gender.Item An exploration of aging lesbians on the North Shore of Lake Superior(2013-04) Nichols, Angela ChristineThis ethnographic study explored the lived experiences of aging lesbians on the North Shore of Lake Superior uniting the demographics of age, rural residence, and sexual orientation. Research methods included semi-structured interviews, grand tour, participant observation, field notes, photography, and group discussion. The analytical framework was biography and used participants' life stories to understand their lived experiences. The results reveal how participants learned to adapt to climate, culture, and community in a unique, isolated place. The study also uncovered emergent themes that reveal how aging lesbians feel supported and unsupported by their community. This study reveals the importance of class status in studies about aging lesbians in rural areas and their own perceptions of acceptance and assimilation. Participants' rural location, social environment, and migration are discussed, along with the uniqueness of place, culture and class status.Item Gender, Sex, and Sexuality in Secondary Statistics(2022-06) Parise, MeganStatistics and data analysis have been part of the K-12 mathematics curriculum for the past few decades, and in conjunction with mathematics standards documents, the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education report clarified learning progressions for statistical content in K-12 mathematics (Franklin et al., 2007). Yet many secondary mathematics teachers struggle with teaching statistics because of its dependence on context and its use of variability (Cobb & Moore, 1997). Because of this struggle, secondary mathematics teachers who teach statistics may rely heavily on textbooks and pre-packaged curricula to drive their instruction. However, as I will demonstrate in the first paper of this dissertation, commercially published secondary statistics curricula in the United States often project a narrowed view of the world with respect to the types of contexts they use to develop statistical understanding. The first paper was the impetus for this three-paper series on statistics curricula. In this study, I used queer theory and critical mathematics education to examine the exercises, examples, and other text from three widely circulated statistics textbooks. I then applied critical discourse analysis to develop overarching themes related to the way in which the identities of gender, sex, and sexuality are developed through the sample textbooks. I found that, in addition to defining sex and gender as conflated and binary, the textbooks also construct identities of in ways that maintain strict boundaries between women/females and men/males, and these boundaries uphold heteronormative ideologies. This paper has implications for textbook publishers, teachers, and researchers and has been published in a special issue on Gender in Mathematics in Mathematics Education Research Journal (Parise, 2021). Based on the findings from this paper, I wanted to explore how statistics students and teachers interacted with these identity constructions. Therefore, in the second paper, I examine how statistics students are implicated in telling a heteronormative narrative through statistics textbook word problems that use gender, sex, and sexuality as context. I draw from Gerofsky’s (1996) research which establishes mathematics word problems as genre with specific story-like components. I then apply Wortham’s (2003) work on discursive parallelism to demonstrate how the statistics student engaging in the problem is complacent in completing a heteronormative narrative to be academically successful. As the problem progresses, and the parallelism between the two students is solidified, the real student doing the problem merges with the fictitious student in the word problem. The real student confirms the stereotype that women only date men who are taller than they are and then removes an “abnormally” tall woman from the data set. This narrative is then reinforced by a statistical calculation, the correlation coefficient. This paper has implications for teachers who aim to counter the overwhelmingly heteronormative ideologies present in mathematics and statistics textbooks. The third paper builds on the first two by examining how statistics teachers enact curriculum and analyzing teachers’ commitments and actions that disrupt heteronormative and gender/sex binary narratives in their curricular resources. For paper three, I review background literature on teachers’ use of curriculum as well as on how statistics teachers committed to justice-oriented teaching use curricular materials to attend to social issues in their classrooms. As a theoretical lens, I employed Gutstein’s (2006) teaching mathematics for social justice to create a justice-oriented statistics teaching framework. I interviewed Advanced Placement Statistics teachers who align their teaching philosophies toward justice-oriented statistics teaching and asked questions related to how they use or modify their curricular materials to address issues of sex, gender, and sexuality in class. I found that the type of curricular material mediated the teachers’ perceived authority over modifying the resource, particularly when they use Advanced Placement practice items. Lastly, I discuss how secondary statistics teachers can encourage their students to apply a critical lens to Advanced Placement practice items in order to develop critical statistics literacy.Item The History of Women's Studies at the University of Minnesota, 1973-2013(2013) Bedosky, LaurenItem Integrating Sustainability Education into the University Pre-Service Teacher Elementary Education Curriculum through the Lens of School Gardens(2016-04) Bluhm, Brian ErrolSustainability is a major challenge the people of the world will need to address in the 21st century. Teachers play an invaluable role in preparing youth to address issues of sustainability. This project was developed to address the lack of training curricula available to educate pre-service elementary school teachers about how teach sustainability. School gardens are the lens through which this project explores sustainability education. The outcome of the thesis project is a curriculum consisting of four-lesson unit for pre-service elementary school teachers. This curriculum uses school gardens to educate pre-service teachers about methods to teach sustainability to their future students.Item Internationalization of the MBA curriculum and its impact on building students' global competencies(2014-08) Carlson, OksanaWith the expansion of international business activities, business schools' leaders and administrators come to a higher understanding of the needs of employers and explore multiple strategies for MBA curriculum internationalization. The process of globalization has changed the skills, knowledge, and competencies expected of the MBA graduates. Studies suggest that corporate leaders expect MBA graduates to not only have technical expertise, but also to understand the dynamics of the globalized business world, to communicate and manage effectively across cultures, and to create innovative solutions for global business challenges (AACSB International, 2011; Ghemawat, 2008; Pitt, Berthon, & Robson, 1997).While many business schools define their mission as educating global business leaders who will make a difference in the world, little or no agreement has been achieved in defining the aspects and components of the MBA curriculum that would help to achieve this goal. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, this study provides a macro- and micro level analysis of the curriculum internationalization strategies adopted by leading business schools in the U.S. By employing a benchmarking analysis of the top MBA programs in the U.S., this study examines the current trends and best practices in MBA curriculum internationalization. The study also employs the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in a more detailed analysis of curriculum internationalization. The new innovative curriculum of the Global MBA program was developed with the insights and recommendations of employers and academic leaders to reflect the needs of the ever-changing globalized business world. By employing a tracer study methodology and a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, this study examines the impact of the internationalized curriculum on building students' global competencies.The data suggest that MBA graduates perceived a significant change in their global competency level before and after the MBA program, and that this change is largely a result of the MBA curriculum and their experiences in the program.Through the combination of the benchmarking survey, analysis of the curricula documents of the leading MBA programs in the U.S., the survey of the MBA graduates in the selected business school, and a series of interviews, a deeper understanding is developed of the importance of the global competencies for MBA graduates. Subsequently the impact of the internationalized MBA curriculum on building students' global competencies is investigated. Broader implications of the study recommend that business schools consider the employers' needs and expectations, and use a systems approach in developing curriculum internationalization strategies.Item iPaddle - Incorporating the Use of iPads ® into an Outdoor Education Curriculum(2016-06) Fillmore, Sheila GThe intersection of hand-held mobile digital technology and environmental education (EE) is a relatively new and unexplored concept. Thus, there is little information on how to effectively incorporate the use of iPads ® (tablet computers) in an EE setting. The purpose of this project was to write curriculum designed to take advantage of iPad technology to enhance middle school students’ ecological and local cultural historical knowledge and their nature awareness as they studied various aspects of a local watershed. The curriculum covered a wide variety of topics such as using your senses, nature journaling, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and local cultural history. This project resulted in recommendations for including iPad applications (apps) that may strengthen portions of local watershed lessons. Techniques for more effectively incorporating this technology are suggested for teachers, in both formal and non-formal educational settings. By implementing the curriculum using iPad technology, educators will learn skills and methods to help students become more engaged in learning outdoors.Item Leadership Matters Literature Review and Curriculum Research(University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, 2010) Herman, MargoThis literature review was prepared for the specific purpose of assessing the environment, resources and need for curriculum designed specifically for youth work supervisors. It includes literature search results as well as synthesizes perspectives from interviews with colleagues and focus groups with youth work supervisors to define curriculum scope and content.Item Leadership practices and pathways that matter to 21st century faith-based principlas(2008-11) Klindworth, Robert F.The purpose of this survey research study was to examine the perceptions of Christian faith-based school principals in Minnesota and Wisconsin relative to leadership practices of principals serving in K-12 Christian faith-based schools. Leadership practices considered important by currently practicing faith-based principals were identified, along with the feasibility of such practices. Demographic data about the principals, their schools and communities were collected. Participants also were asked to describe their pathways to their current positions as principals and also to offer their views about design and curricular priorities for faith-based principal preparation programs. A web-based survey was used to collect data. A total of 850 faith-based principals were sent surveys with 288 responding. This response rate resulted in a study confidence level of +/- 5%. Key findings indicated: 1) religious beliefs were significant considerations in decision making involving student discipline, enrollment and budgeting policies; 2) faith-based school culture was unique because religious beliefs permeated curriculum/instruction/assessment, faculty relationships and community interactions; 3) principals in urban settings appeared to value faculty development more highly when compared to principals in rural settings; 4) principals of larger faith-based schools rated the value of personal relationships more highly as compared to principals of smaller schools; 5) faith-based principals with master's degrees or higher rated knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment more highly than principals with only baccalaureate levels of education; 6) an emphasis on the centrality of faith in the principalship was viewed as important for future faith-based principal preparation programs, as was an emphasis on clinical experience; and 7) tension existed between maintaining denominational identity/integrity and a perceived need for marketing/recruiting efforts to maintain or increase enrollments. Implications for policy, principal preparation and continuous learning are offered.Item A Phenomenological Exploration of the Apparel Sizing Practice of Small Womenswear Businesses(2019-02) Carufel, RobinInconsistent garment sizing has plagued the apparel industry from its inception. Solutions to the problem require large anthropometric databases and advanced skills in statistical analysis, which small businesses have no access to or training in. To give a voice to those engaged in sizing practice, this study conducted a phenomenological inquiry into six small womenswear business’ experiences regarding sizing practice. Findings suggest three major influences on sizing practice: Financial Resources, Experience, and Designer Mindset; and three themes are presented regarding how decisions about sizing are incorporated into the apparel design process: Timing of Decisions, Fit Model, and Design Intent. This study concludes with suggestions for how to incorporate technical design and entrepreneurship into apparel design curricula to better serve the student interested in design entrepreneurship, suggestions for easy improvement of sizing practice for small womenswear businesses, as well as suggestions for future research in sizing.Item Practitioners' perceptions of the academic preparation of funeral directors and embalmers in the context of changing death care preferences in the United States(2013-05) LuBrant, Michael PaulThis study investigated practitioners’ perceptions of the a) importance, b) academic preparation related to, and c) adequacy of, funeral service education at academic programs accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) in the context of changing death care preferences in the United States. Participants in this research (n = 240) were funeral directors and/or embalmers sampled from across the United States who a) had completed a funeral service education program accredited by the ABFSE, b) during the past 12 months were employed by, and/or derived income from work for/at a funeral establishment in the United States that sells, or offers to sell, both funeral goods and services to the public, and c) held a license to practice funeral directing and/or embalming. Using a theoretical framework based upon a European approach to evaluation in higher education known as “tuning,” practitioners’ perceptions of the extent to which the ABFSE funeral service education curriculum is properly “tuned” to contemporary workforce needs were measured. An on-line survey instrument was developed for this study, and participants were asked to evaluate the importance of approximately one-third of the 170 ABFSE learning objectives for professional practice. For these same objectives, participants were also asked to evaluate a) the extent to which they believe they were adequately prepared by their funeral service education program to master each learning objective and b) their perception of the adequacy of each set of learning objectives, grouped according to curriculum content This study investigated practitioners’ perceptions of the a) importance, b) academic preparation related to, and c) adequacy of, funeral service education at academic programs accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) in the context of changing death care preferences in the United States. Participants in this research (n = 240) were funeral directors and/or embalmers sampled from across the United States who a) had completed a funeral service education program accredited by the ABFSE, b) during the past 12 months were employed by, and/or derived income from work for/at a funeral establishment in the United States that sells, or offers to sell, both funeral goods and services to the public, and c) held a license to practice funeral directing and/or embalming. Using a theoretical framework based upon a European approach to evaluation in higher education known as “tuning,” practitioners’ perceptions of the extent to which the ABFSE funeral service education curriculum is properly “tuned” to contemporary workforce needs were measured. An on-line survey instrument was developed for this study, and participants were asked to evaluate the importance of approximately one-third of the 170 ABFSE learning objectives for professional practice. For these same objectives, participants were also asked to evaluate a) the extent to which they believe they were adequately prepared by their funeral service education program to master each learning objective and b) their perception of the adequacy of each set of learning objectives, grouped according to curriculum content This study investigated practitioners’ perceptions of the a) importance, b) academic preparation related to, and c) adequacy of, funeral service education at academic programs accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) in the context of changing death care preferences in the United States. Participants in this research (n = 240) were funeral directors and/or embalmers sampled from across the United States who a) had completed a funeral service education program accredited by the ABFSE, b) during the past 12 months were employed by, and/or derived income from work for/at a funeral establishment in the United States that sells, or offers to sell, both funeral goods and services to the public, and c) held a license to practice funeral directing and/or embalming. Using a theoretical framework based upon a European approach to evaluation in higher education known as “tuning,” practitioners’ perceptions of the extent to which the ABFSE funeral service education curriculum is properly “tuned” to contemporary workforce needs were measured. An on-line survey instrument was developed for this study, and participants were asked to evaluate the importance of approximately one-third of the 170 ABFSE learning objectives for professional practice. For these same objectives, participants were also asked to evaluate a) the extent to which they believe they were adequately prepared by their funeral service education program to master each learning objective and b) their perception of the adequacy of each set of learning objectives, grouped according to curriculum content area, for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Perceptions of academic preparation for both the National Board Examination (NBE) and entry-level work-related responsibilities were also measured. Finally, participants were asked to recommend ways of improving funeral service education at ABFSE-accredited programs. The results of this study indicated that the majority of the 170 ABFSE learning objectives (n = 158) were perceived to be at least (important) to the contemporary practice of funeral service. Of the 19 curriculum content areas, three (Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, and Small Business Management) were perceived as having an inadequate number of learning objectives for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Concerning the perception of academic preparation for the purpose of mastering the learning objectives, the perception of either (no preparation) or (minimal preparation) was observed for 63 learning objectives within the curriculum content areas of Accounting, Business Law, Communication Skills, Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Management, Funeral Service Merchandising, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, History of Funeral Directing and Embalming, Small Business Management, and Sociology. With respect to workforce preparation, practitioners generally perceived themselves to have been well prepared by the funeral service education program they area, for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Perceptions of academic preparation for both the National Board Examination (NBE) and entry-level work-related responsibilities were also measured. Finally, participants were asked to recommend ways of improving funeral service education at ABFSE-accredited programs. The results of this study indicated that the majority of the 170 ABFSE learning objectives (n = 158) were perceived to be at least (important) to the contemporary practice of funeral service. Of the 19 curriculum content areas, three (Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, and Small Business Management) were perceived as having an inadequate number of learning objectives for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Concerning the perception of academic preparation for the purpose of mastering the learning objectives, the perception of either (no preparation) or (minimal preparation) was observed for 63 learning objectives within the curriculum content areas of Accounting, Business Law, Communication Skills, Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Management, Funeral Service Merchandising, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, History of Funeral Directing and Embalming, Small Business Management, and Sociology. With respect to workforce preparation, practitioners generally perceived themselves to have been well prepared by the funeral service education program they area, for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Perceptions of academic preparation for both the National Board Examination (NBE) and entry-level work-related responsibilities were also measured. Finally, participants were asked to recommend ways of improving funeral service education at ABFSE-accredited programs. The results of this study indicated that the majority of the 170 ABFSE learning objectives (n = 158) were perceived to be at least (important) to the contemporary practice of funeral service. Of the 19 curriculum content areas, three (Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, and Small Business Management) were perceived as having an inadequate number of learning objectives for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Concerning the perception of academic preparation for the purpose of mastering the learning objectives, the perception of either (no preparation) or (minimal preparation) was observed for 63 learning objectives within the curriculum content areas of Accounting, Business Law, Communication Skills, Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Management, Funeral Service Merchandising, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, History of Funeral Directing and Embalming, Small Business Management, and Sociology. With respect to workforce preparation, practitioners generally perceived themselves to have been well prepared by the funeral service education program they area, for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Perceptions of academic preparation for both the National Board Examination (NBE) and entry-level work-related responsibilities were also measured. Finally, participants were asked to recommend ways of improving funeral service education at ABFSE-accredited programs. The results of this study indicated that the majority of the 170 ABFSE learning objectives (n = 158) were perceived to be at least (important) to the contemporary practice of funeral service. Of the 19 curriculum content areas, three (Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, and Small Business Management) were perceived as having an inadequate number of learning objectives for the contemporary practice of funeral service. Concerning the perception of academic preparation for the purpose of mastering the learning objectives, the perception of either (no preparation) or (minimal preparation) was observed for 63 learning objectives within the curriculum content areas of Accounting, Business Law, Communication Skills, Funeral Directing, Funeral Service Management, Funeral Service Merchandising, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, History of Funeral Directing and Embalming, Small Business Management, and Sociology. With respect to workforce preparation, practitioners generally perceived themselves to have been well prepared by the funeral service education program they had completed to take the National Board Examination (NBE) of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, but not well prepared for the work they were expected to perform as entry-level funeral directors and/or embalmers. This study found evidence of a significant negative relationship between perceived preparation to take the NBE and perceived qualification to enter the workforce as an entry-level funeral director and/or embalmer. The results also indicated a disparity in annual income for work in funeral service between genders, with women earning significantly less money than men employed in similar positions. Practitioners recommended an expansion of work-related clinical experiences for students as part of their funeral service education, as well as increased efforts to prepare students for the kinds of work-related funeral directing activities they will experience following graduation.Item Relationships between discourse, reader identity, and reading self-efficacy in a high school English classroom: a mixed methods, critical ethnographic study(2014-05) Kolb, Christopher L.Understanding that academic motivation and engagement are critical for youths' literacy learning and achievement in schools, this mixed methods, critical ethnographic study explored how social and discursive constructions of reading and literacy in a high school English classroom (for example, what was valued as reading in the classroom context) contributed to youths' self-perceptions as readers. Supported by a theoretical framework including sociocognitive, sociocultural, and critical perspectives, I considered how classroom curricula, pedagogical practices, and everyday classroom interactions influenced students' reader identities and reading self-efficacy. A combination of qualitative and quantitative data sources - including participant observations, classroom artifacts, audio-video recordings of classroom activities, semi-structured interviews, and student surveys - provided rich accounts of the classroom cultural context; the social and discursive construction of classroom expectations and practices related to reading and literacy; and the influence of these classroom discourses on students' identities and self-efficacy. Methods of analysis included constant comparative analyses, critical discourse analyses, and descriptive statistical analyses. Findings indicated that while students' self-efficacy beliefs were influenced by local classroom practices, definitions, and values for reading (especially as classroom discourses encouraged reading with multimodal texts), their reader identities depended largely on well-established, fixed ideologies of reading. These findings suggest that while teachers might marshal features of curriculum and pedagogy to support positive developments in students' reading self-efficacy, it might be more challenging to encourage similar changes in students' overall identities as readers.