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Accounting Education: A Comparative Study of Perception of Learning Outcomes in Traditional and Online Delivery Systems
No full textAs of 2007, over 20% of all higher education students in the U.S took at least one online course (Allen & Seaman, 2008), and over 200 universities offered some measure of online accounting courses (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008).This study compared the student learning outcomes of traditional and online delivery styles in accounting courses at the university level. The survey instruments were distributed by e-mail with a link to ®Survey Monkey to traditional and virtual degree program students at a large private university in Texas and teachers from large public and private colleges in Maryland, Missouri, and Texas. The Student Evaluation Form (SLF) and the Accounting Program Questionnaire (APQ) were two main instruments. The SLF was used to evaluate students’ perception of learning outcomes, and APQ was used to evaluate the teachers’ views of student perception of learning outcomes. The results showed no difference in student perceptions of overall learning outcomes. However, traditional students were more confident of accounting concepts than online students. Factorial ANOVA revealed interactions between enrollment status and delivery systems and significant differences in perception of overall learning outcome between those aged 18-25 and 36-45, as well as a significant difference with age group 26-35 between delivery systems
Repeated Oral Reading Approach Versus Independent Silent Reading Approach for Reading Fluency and Comprehension
No full textThis study compared two reading fluency approaches on students in a low socioeconomic population. These students were exhibiting difficulty in reading fluency, which was believed to have impeded their reading comprehension and achievement. Prior research has shown significant proof for the repeated oral reading approach to be used in fluency instruction; however, it has not shown the independent silent reading approach to be effective. This study intends to fill the gap concerning the lack of research in the area of the two approaches. This study dealt specifically with low socioeconomic third grade student populations. The study used Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) to assess each student\u27s fluency rate and comprehension percentage. The independent-samples t test was used to compare the mean score of the two different groups - experimental and comparison. The paired-samples Mest was used to compare the mean scores of the words correct per minute (WCPM) and comprehension percentage in the pre- and posttest of each group. The one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean score of age, ethnicity, and sibling rank. The experimental and comparison group of low socioeconomic third grade students along with the low-achieving fifth grade students showed a significant increase in fluency rate change from pre- to posttest. However, the testing data suggested that comprehension percentage change did not differ in a statistically significant manner from baseline to end of study for the experimental or comparison third grade groups. The study did show a significant increase for comprehension percentage change at the end of the study for the fifth grade students. In the end, neither group showed any statistical difference in achievement
Exploring the Collaborative Process in the Context of a Cross-Cultural Team From the United States and Zambia
No full textThis ethnographic study examined the affects o f culture, through the lens of Hofstede’s five dimensions o f culture, on team performance and the individual experiences of 11 members a small cross-cultural collaborative team. Three of the team members were from the United States, an individualist culture, and eight were from Zambia, Africa, a collectivist culture. The study describes the thoughts, feelings, expectations, perceptions, interactions, behavior patterns, and collaborative work processes employed by a small cross-cultural collaborative team to communicate, make decisions, allocate assignments, and share leadership responsibilities during a 21 month period in which a Child Development Project Assessment for Zambia was conducted. Individual learning and lived experiences are presented as crafted profiles in the words of the participants
Uninvested Leadership: A Quantitative Analysis of New Troop Leader Perceptions in Relation to Turnover Intentions in the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas
No full textThis quantitative study examined the relationship between volunteer expectations, perceived likelihood and value of outcomes, overall satisfaction, and organizational commitment in relation to turnover intent among new troop leaders in the Girl Scouts of the southwest Texas.
Understanding why people voluntarily give of their time and talent is at the heart of the research agenda of many scholars and practitioners. If organizational leaders better understand the expectations of those who give of their time and the degree to which their expectations are being met, research suggests that leaders are in a better position to create an environment that satisfies and retains individuals over time (Henderson, 1991; Skoglund, 2006). Research has been done on volunteer motivation (e.g. Smith, 1982; Snyder, Clary, & Stukas, 1999; Snyder & Omoto, 1995; Wilson, 2000;), but few studies have been devoted to the study of volunteerism within specific contexts. Through the lens of expectancy theory, this quantitative study examined the relationship between volunteer expectations, perceived likelihood and value of outcomes, overall satisfaction, and organizational commitment in relation to turnover intent among new troop leaders in the Girl Scouts of the southwest Texas. The findings showed that volunteer satisfaction, expectations, anticipated length of involvement, and organizational commitment were most predictive of turnover intent. Results indicated that satisfaction had the highest overall impact on intention to quit. Neither the instrumentality nor valence of outcomes was found to be predictive of turnover intent, though these factors may influence the initial decision to volunteer. Moreover, comparisons between demographic variables resulted in no significant differences regarding turnover intent
Why Teachers Stay: A Phenomenological Study in Teacher Retention
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative study was to look at the experiences of veteran teachers in public schools in central Texas. Veteran teachers from secondary schools were interviewed and the information collected from the interviews was analyzed to ascertain the lived experience among veteran public school teachers in Texas and how their experience related to their classroom retention. Research done by the Texas Education Agency in 2003 showed the impact on the lives and academic achievement of students excelled at a greater rate when a student was educated by a veteran teacher versus a teacher with 4 or less years of teaching experience. With the influx of teachers leaving the profession yearly, the number of veteran teachers in classrooms has diminished. For this phenomenological study in teacher retention, veteran teachers were interviewed to obtain their experience and denote the impact that experience had on student achievement and the impact it placed on veteran teachers desire to remain in the classroom. The participants were interviewed in the areas of personal satisfaction; educational training and background; job satisfaction; salary range; support on the job; career background and future career plans. Information ascertained from the guided interviews in the cited areas was recorded, coded and analyzed for common themes. As the transcripts were analyzed, the researcher found emerging themes among the participants. The experience of these veteran teachers revealed certain common elements that evidenced the phenomenon of their retention. The elements found were: an overall positive attitude regarding their occupation; support on the job; love of students and subject; value of education/learning; natural teaching ability; desire to stay on the job and professional development; all which played an active role in them remaining in the classroom, as well as, what factors encourage novice educators to become veterans in the field of teaching
Leadership Styles of Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Instructors in a United States Southwest Metropolitan Secondary School District
No full textThe purpose of this exploratory study was to identify AFJROTC Aerospace Science Instructor leadership styles and the extent to which leadership outcomes were achieved in a Southwest metropolitan secondary school district as perceived by instructors and by cadets.
Instructors within AFJROTC programs are accountable to multiple stakeholders to include the school district, school administrators, parents and students. Additionally, they are accountable to the U.S. Air Force and to administrators of the AFJROTC program. This presents a challenging environment for instructors\u27 that highlights the need for effective leadership. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify AFJROTC Aerospace Science Instructor leadership styles and the extent to which leadership outcomes were achieved in a Southwest metropolitan secondary school district as perceived by instructors and by cadets. The literature review consisted of four main sections: (a) Evolution of Leadership Theory, (b) Military Leadership, (c) Leadership Culture, and (d) Leader\u27s Role
The study involved six secondary high schools with AFJROTC programs. The study methodology was quantitative and used a combination of questionnaire and survey to gather data. The leadership assessment instrument was the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X developed by Bass (1985) and refined by Bass and Avolio (1995). There were 1,100 possible cadet participants and 20 possible Aerospace Science Instructor (ASI) participants. Twelve instructors responded to the questionnaire 60% (12 out of 20). Two hundred and forty one cadets responded to the questionnaire for a response rate of 21.90% (241 out of 1,100)
The Relationship Between Athlete\u27s Perception of Intercollegiate Basketball Coach Leadership Behavior and Team Cohesiveness in Taiwan
No full textThe purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between athletes\u27 perceptions of intercollegiate basketball team cohesiveness and leadership behaviors of their coaches in Taiwan. A quantitative inquiry approach was used including two surveys delivered to 371 athletes. The Leadership Scale for Sports and Group Environment Questionnaire were administered to identify factors related to leadership behaviors and team cohesiveness. The research found a relationship between leadership behaviors and cohesiveness. Results partially match others in concluding that training and instruction, positive feedback, social support, and democratic behavior contribute to higher levels of task cohesion. The canonical procedure showed a strong correlation among the five leadership scales and the four sub-factors of group environment. The regression model showed that Training and Instruction, Democratic Behavior, and Individual Attraction to Group-Social made a significant contribution to the prediction of Team Performance as measured by win-loss percentage. Democratic behavior had a negative correlation to team performance. When modeling data from only female athletes, the model explained 14.8% of the variance in performance. When modeling with male, the model was not significant. Female coaches were perceived stronger in Training and Instruction, Democratic Behavior, Social Support, and Positive Feedback. In addition, the coach that had the same gender with athletes was perceived stronger in Training and Instruction, Democratic Behavior, Autocratic Behavior, Social Support, Positive Feedback, and Individual Attraction to Group-Social
The Possible Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Performance in Small Business Development Center Regional Groups in Texas
No full textThe purpose of this study was to assess the possible relationship between the regional group emotional intelligence (EI) of Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counselors and directors, as measured by the Bar-On EQ-i 125 instrument, and the performance of SBDC regions in the State of Texas as measured regionally by jobs created, access to capital (loans) and new business starts. One hundred and three SBDC participant EI scores were divided into their respective regional groups and the mean of each group assessed. These group mean scores were used in an aggregate correlational assessment which used existing group performance data from the four regional SBDCs in Texas. The attempt to establish a correlation between group mean EI and group performance was inconclusive. There were, however, statistically significant correlations with performance seen in the EI subfactors of empathy, reality testing, social responsibility and stress tolerance. The work also contains recommendations for further research
Transformation from Entrepreneur to Happeneur: Disrupting the Status Quo
No full textThis qualitative program evaluation was conducted to determine the efficacy and usefulness of a two-pronged Internet business-development education program in promoting the entrepreneurial competencies of a group of executive and business coaches who participated in the 26-week-long Charter Happeneurship Program (CHP). Eight CHP members, 4 females and 4 males, whose ages ranged from 35 to 65, participated in the study. Interviews were conducted with the participants, who were located throughout the United States and in 3 international locations. The analysis revealed 4 major themes and 14 sub-themes that related to the perceived success of the program. The 4 major themes were: (a) entrepreneurial background, (b) delivery of program, (c) delivery of instruction, and (d) outcomes. The majority of the participants reported less-than-positive feelings about the efficacy and usefulness of the Internet technology skills acquisition component of the CHP in terms of how well it met their Internet entrepreneurship needs and expectations. Whether participants viewed this segment as positive or negative depended on their perceptions about the course curriculum and the delivery of instruction, their comfort with technology, and the level of support they received. By contrast, all participants viewed the professional development component as positive and satisfactory. This module offered them the opportunity for enhanced self-knowledge, critical self-reflection, and greater insights into their entrepreneurial propensities, strengths, and weaknesses. Overall this transformative learning experience stimulated a desire among the participants to learn more about what Internet entrepreneurial strategies work best. Despite challenges faced during the active CHP engagement, the participants still reported motivation to take action on their Internet entrepreneurial visions. The conclusion drawn from this study was entrepreneurship education programs could offer opportunities for aspiring and nascent entrepreneurs to shorten their learning curve and improve upon their entrepreneurial acumen through hands-on practice within a structured learner-centered setting. Recommendations focus on (a) the need for key stakeholders to ensure compatibility between what is being taught and supporting the needs of the learners, and (b) the importance of conducting ongoing evaluations and assessments to obtain feedback to benchmark what works and for developing and delivering effective curricula adequate for the task in entrepreneurship course offerings
Exploring Cultural Influence on Leadership Practices: A Case Study of Eight Taiwanese Immigrant Entrepreneurs in the Hotel Industry in South Texas
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the influence of culture on the leadership practices o f Taiwanese immigrant entrepreneurs in south Texas hotels Eight Taiwanese immigrant entrepreneurs and 55 of their employees participated in this study. Based on the findings, these Taiwanese entrepreneurs have certainly faced significant challenges in both cultural and leadership issues, such as facing cultural differences and dealing with human resource problems. In n.any cases, cultural issues and leadership challenges blended together as a greater challenge when they operated their hotels or motels. However, the participants value their acculturation experiences highly and it shows in the positive consequences, such as personal maturity and the successful careers of these immigrant entrepreneurs. The results of the study indicate that transformative learning was apparent throughout the acculturation process for these Taiwanese immigrant entrepreneurs. Conclusions are drawn in order to raise awareness of cultural and leadership influences for minority immigrant entrepreneurs, especially in the hotel industry