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Writing mathematical proofs
Full text linkThis text is intended to serve as an IBL style workbook to be used in an undergraduate introductory proof writing course. It covers direct, contrapositive, contradiction, biconditional, existence, uniqueness, induction, and set equality proofs while also covering fundamental topics from number theory, elementary real analysis, functions, and sets with infinite cardinality. It is assumed that the audience has attained a degree of mathematical maturity and has had some exposure to sets and logic, but knowledge of calculus or linear algebra is not required
The effects of exclusionary versus restorative discipline on teacher to student relationships
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference between exclusionary and restorative discipline practices based on teacher to student relationship and teachers’ sense of meaningful work. Using a quantitative research methods, a statistical comparison was done of the two discipline practices. Teacher to student relationships were assessed using the Teacher Network of Relationships Inventory (TNRI) teacher form. Teachers’ Sense of Meaningful Work (MW) was measured using the Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI). This study sampled a 132 ninth and tenth grade teachers working in three urban secondary schools located in the Central New England Region of the U.S. The Mann – Whitney U test was used to analyze the data. The results indicated there was no difference between the two discipline practices and the teachers’ MW. The results did indicate a statistically significant difference between discipline practices based on teacher to student relationships. Teachers using restorative discipline practices ranked their relationships with students significantly higher than teachers using exclusionary discipline practices. There was no statistically significant difference between discipline practices based on the relationship sub-scale scores of Conflict or Intimacy. However, teachers using restorative practices reported a statistically significant difference indicating a higher sense of warmth versus teachers using exclusion. This study was the first to compare secondary schools using exclusionary and restorative discipline practices based on Teacher-to-Student relationships and Teacher Sense of Meaningful Work. The results of this study may provide insight how discipline policies can affect a school’s climate. The results of the study also provide educational leaders with data that illustrates restorative discipline practices may better foster teacher to student relationships. These findings indicate that educational leaders should consider the use of restorative practices as alternatives to exclusionary discipline.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Comparison of classroom organization and behavior management across elementary education teacher preparation programs within colleges and universities in New England
Full text linkThis study was designed to examine general education teacher preparation programs and how colleges and universities in New England approach classroom organization and behavior management in their syllabi. This replication study was based on the 2007 study by Oliver & Reschly who examined syllabi from special education teacher preparation in classroom organization and behavior management. Nine colleges and universities in New England contributed 91 elementary education syllabi. Results indicate that there is still insufficient training in teacher preparation programs in the areas of classroom organization and behavior management. A thematic analysis of the same syllabi was implemented to develop five themes, including Diversity, Professional Skills, Curriculum, Family and Community, and Social Justice. Limitations for the study are discussed along with further research needs in this area.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
International Chinese students’ academic experiences at a U.S. public university
Full text linkThis phenomenological study explored international Chinese students’ academic experiences at a rural public university in America to identify factors with a perceived impact on student academic experience and persistence. Participants included seven undergraduate and five graduate students. Findings indicated that positive academic factors included immersion in American higher education, practical knowledge, and application. Academic challenges include language barriers, unfamiliarity with the U.S. classroom culture, and unfriendly people. Results also showed that learning-related interactions with faculty, peers, and self contributed to their positive academic experiences. Interactions with faculty were experienced as most impactful. As a consequence of the analysis, a practical model that highlights the integration of the three types of interactions centered on the interaction with faculty was proposed. It is offered as a guide for suggested actions by both the university and the international Chinese students to improve students’ academic experiences and persistence at this university.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Pharmaceutical induced behavioral changes in the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus
Full text linkThe American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus, is both economically and ecologically important and has been used in the laboratory for decades as a model organism for neurobiological studies. More recently, the locomotor activity and biological rhythms of this estuarine keystone species have been shown to be strong and robust, allowing for these behaviors to be used to assess the effects of environmental and physiological perturbations. An emerging threat for marine species is the appearance of hundreds of pharmaceuticals in their environment. Over the past several decades, pharmaceutical sales have increased dramatically worldwide and over four billion prescriptions were issued in 2017 in the United States alone. Unfortunately, a large percentage of these pharmaceuticals pass through humans and wastewater treatment plants virtually unchanged and enter marine and freshwater environments. Thus, pharmaceuticals have been characterized by the EPA as “contaminants of emerging concern” and dozens are readily detected in many of these environments globally. While numerous studies have documented the prevalence and concentration of these compounds in these environments, few studies have addressed the potential harm that these chemicals may have on the development or behavior of these aquatic organisms. Since horseshoe crabs develop and often live in estuaries, this species may be especially affected by pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. The first aim of this research was to determine the developmental and behavioral effects of three pharmaceuticals that are readily found in marine systems on juvenile horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus. Fertilized horseshoe crab eggs were reared in environmentally relevant concentrations of carbamazepine (0-100?g/L), fluoxetine hydrochloride (0-1000 ng/L), and propranolol hydrochloride (0-100 ?g/L) for approximately two months and developmental observations were recorded. After metamorphosis into juveniles, a portion of these animals were further exposed to an environmentally relevant mixture of all three pharmaceuticals. After exposure to one, or all three of these chemicals, activity (linear velocity) was recorded in individuals over 10 days using a video recording system. When horseshoe crabs were exposed to a mixture of all three pharmaceuticals, linear velocity was significantly decreased. Exposure of any one of these pharmaceuticals alone did not significantly affect developmental measures, biological rhythms, or linear velocity. These findings are among the few to indicate behavioral impacts of environmental pharmaceuticals and may be especially important as Limulus is a keystone estuarine species. The second research aim was to determine if the molecular processes of transcriptional and/or post translational regulation control the circatidal rhythms in juvenile horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus. Virtually all organisms, including horseshoe crabs, exhibit a variety of endogenous biological rhythms including circadian and circatidal rhythms. Protein synthesis and subsequent phosphorylation are important parts of the ubiquitous circadian clock mechanism and similar processes are likely involved in the mechanism controlling circatidal rhythms. In this study, kinase inhibitors caused significant lengthening in periodicity as the dose of casein kinase 1 inhibitors increased, suggesting protein kinases play an important role in the molecular mechanism of circatidal rhythms. Additionally, cycloheximide, a translational protein synthesis inhibitor, significantly affected the phase of circatidal rhythms in horseshoe crabs, while the transcriptional inhibitor, actinomycin D, did not. These results suggest that translational regulation plays a more important role than transcriptional regulation in horseshoe crab circatidal rhythms. Overall, the results of this thesis show that juvenile horseshoe crabs are an excellent model for investigating the mechanisms of circatidal rhythms as well as the effects of environmental toxins and pharmaceuticals. The recording system used in this investigation can also be used very broadly with other early developmental stage organisms for both toxicological and behavioral rhythm research.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Why rural teachers stay: examining teacher retention and attrition in New Hampshire’s rural schools
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to examine teacher retention and attrition in rural New Hampshire schools and to that end better understand why teachers choose to stay employed in rural New Hampshire schools. The literature suggests that rural schools are most at risk for retaining highly qualified teachers (Guha, Heally & Adams, 2016; Hyler & Darling-Hamond, 2017; Kaden, Patterson, Malloy, & Allen, 2007). This study focused on New Hampshire rural schools because of the uniqueness of the state’s rural contexts. Based on the review of literature, teacher working conditions, overall job satisfaction, and community engagement informed the conceptual framework that guided this study (Ashiedu & Scott-Ladd, 2012; Darling-Hammond, 2003; Glover et. al., 2016; Hanushek, & Rivkin, 2007; Howley & Howley, 2005; Johnson, Kraft & Papay, 2012; Ladd, 2011; Monk, 2007; Schafft, 2006). This qualitative multi case study was conducted to better understand why teachers choose to stay employed in rural New Hampshire schools, and how the state’s different rural contexts influence teacher retention. The study included three schools, located in the three most rural regions of New Hampshire. Each was considered through sampling procedures to best represent their specific rural context. A cross case analysis was conducted to account for generalizations across all contexts. Data was collected for this qualitative study using pertinent document reviews, administrative interviews, and teacher focus groups. Results from this study revealed insights into why teachers choose to stay employed in rural New Hampshire Schools. This study illuminated the unique sense of place of each school and how each rural context is affected by and addresses teacher retention. The findings of this study suggest teachers will forgo working conditions for strong levels of job satisfaction and community engagement, retaining supportive school leaders supports overall teacher job satisfaction necessary for teacher retention, engagement does not occur in isolation, and personal considerations both draw and remove teachers to and from rural communities. The conclusions of this study identify areas in which rural schools can effectively maintain a highly competent and consistent teaching staff. This could prove advantageous for the continued sustainability of rural schools, rural communities, as well as the state of New Hampshire in general.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Examining relational leadership skills in early childhood administrators
Full text linkThis study seeks to explore early childhood administrators’ perception of their relational leadership skills and any relationship that may exist between these perceived skills and early childhood administrator characteristics, including teacher turnover experienced. The impact that early childhood leaders have on the organizational climate is significant with studies revealing that teachers who leave do so as a result of low pay (Boyd, 2013; Bloom, 2016), but also due to poor leadership (Hanushek & Rivkin, 2007; Muijs et al., 2004; Young, 2000). With turnover rates more than four times those in elementary education (National Academy of Sciences, 2015), this loss has a negative impact on children’s social and emotional outcomes (Howes, Hamilton, & Philipsen, 1998; Whitebook & Belmm, 1999). For teachers to feel successful in their role, they require administrators who create a climate resulting in positive job satisfaction to decrease turnover (Collie & Shapka, 2012; Van der Vyer et al., 2014) which is inclusive of effective communication and shared decision making (Hale-Jinks et al., 2016; Li et al., 2013). Relational competencies are chosen specifically, as leadership is relational, and the interactions that occur impact each individual within the program and their satisfaction with administrators and job satisfaction (Uhl-Bien, 2006). Early childhood administrators, most of whom are promoted for their excellent teaching skills (Kagan & Hallmark, 2001), are not required to have specific leadership training that encompasses all of the duties required of a leader in an early childhood setting (Whitebook, 2014), thereby creating a need for this study.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Fiction and leadership potential: an investigation into developing leadership concepts in adolescents using fictional characters from a novel
Full text linkThe purpose of this mixed methods study was to discover whether 7th grade students could learn about leadership traits and show greater confidence in their ability to be leaders through the integration of fictional characters from a novel. Quantitative data were gathered from pre and posttests on leadership given to 38 7th graders. All the students received the same instruction, but the experimental group were exposed to additional discussions of the novel Fahrenheit 451 in terms of the leadership traits of the characters from the novel. Qualitative data were gathered from interviews with 32 of the 38 students. The interview transcripts were analyzed after thematic coding and the results of this process were integrated with the quantitative data to confirm that both groups can describe the traits of a leader. Though there was not a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post- test scores for either the experimental or the control group, the interviews revealed that though the students within the control group could describe the traits of leaders in an academic way, the experimental group demonstrated a more holistic understanding by providing contextual examples from the novel as well as from societal, current and personal experiences.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
A Grounded Theory Study on Teacher Empowerment and Retention in High-poverty, Urban Schools
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to determine how teachers seek and experience empowerment in high-poverty, urban school and how empowerment increases retention. This study included a review of literature to provide context on empowerment and retention in high-poverty, urban schools. To further analyze the idea of teacher empowerment and retention within high-poverty, urban schools, a qualitative, grounded theory study was completed. Through the process of remotely interviewing teachers in middle schools within Lawrence, Massachusetts, data were collected and analyzed on reasons teachers continue to stay in high-poverty, urban schools based on their experience working within these settings. Findings identified teachers feeling empowered when having autonomy over their curriculum, and having the ability to provide authentic input into school-wide decisions.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
A high school internship program as an informed decision-making influence: a quantitative case study
Full text linkThis study examined the change of College and Career Readiness (CCR) perceptions high school students reported as a result of a semester long internship program. The primary perceptions being measured included informed decision making, career choice awareness, college choice awareness, and clarity of the students futures after high school. This quantitative case study was grounded in Conley's (2008) defining work on CCR of high school students. Fifteen high school students that completed the internship program replied to pre and post program surveys. The data analysis suggests that internship program interventions can provide high school students with experiences that broaden their understanding of choices and their ability to make informed forward-looking decisions. A Mann-Whitney U analysis did not reveal a statistical significance. However, the results demonstrated practical significance within six constructual factors including, Decision making confidence, education and community awareness, skills and interest confidence, career choice confidence, college choice confidence, and external influences. The data led the researcher to suggest that a broad longitudinal study be conducted across many internship programs that would inform an innovative high school curriculum to redefine CCR as its needs evolve. Limitations of the study are discussed as are additional recommendations.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio