Popular platforms such as Facebook and Twitter integrate third-party apps from developers to enhance the experience of their users. While third-party apps are widely used to provide legitimate functionality, the abuse of third-party apps by attackers is also becoming prevalent. Attackers are abusing third-party apps to orchestrate their malicious…

This descriptive case study is a qualitative investigation into the perceptions of tenth grade students who experienced a ninth-grade transitional model high school academy within a large PreK-12 suburban school district. Specifically, this study provided the opportunity to examine the success of one Ninth Grade Academy, identify areas of concern…

This applied dissertation was designed to provide perceptual teacher data as well as summative testing data to educational leaders concerning the effects of implementing Investigations in Number, Data, and Space® (Investigations) in three Title I elementary school settings, two Title I schools, and one non-Title I school. Data collected during…

More than thirty years of research has shown that the practical value of business-IT alignment is significant and that its importance derives from strategic impact on business outcomes. The purpose of this exploratory study is to identify the current-state of business-IT alignment maturity within the hospital organization. Data for this study was…

Repeated Reading is a common reading intervention that has been used to help students read fluently since 1979. There are many variations of Repeated Reading that have been investigated and found to be effective. However, there is a relative research deficit on the effectiveness of software programs for administering Repeated Reading. This…

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to investigate the implementation of the "Foundational Behaviors of Professional Practice" in undergraduate athletic training education program curriculums accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education [CAATE]. Specifically, this study examined the educational and…

Underprepared college students are a continuing challenge for higher education institutions. Many students arrive at institutions of higher education with weak academic skills and are unable to do college-level school work. As a result, developmental education programs are required to address these inadequacies in student preparation. The purpose…

This study investigated relationships among teacher practices, student motivation and student achievement on standardized mathematics assessments using an Achievement Goal Theory framework. From 2006 through 2009, 800 public school students participated in mathematics assessments and completed surveys measuring perceptions of teacher practices and…

This dissertation is a combination of two research areas, experimental physical chemistry, Chapters I to V, and chemical education, Chapters VI to VII. Chapters I to V describe research on the water-mediated chemistry of oxidized atmospheric molecules and the impact that water has on the spectra of these environmental systems. The role of water…

Achievement goal theory is considered to be a well-researched field. However, this research has been primarily through surveys, and not enough attention has been paid to the cognitive aspects of how children perceive goals. Additionally, the mastery-avoidance construct is relatively new to the achievement goal literature, with little research to…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-depth investigation of an executive team, to determine which internal and external factors impacted the team and to determine in what ways action research interventions improved the team's effectiveness. Methodology: The subjects in this study were seven members of a school district…

The purpose of the present study was to identify components of an optional mock exam review session (e.g. requiring students to write answers, providing students grading keys for questions) responsible for improvements in student performance on application-based short-essay exams in an undergraduate behavior modification course. Both…

This purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the North Carolina charter schools. The variables were chosen based on the researcher's inference from literature reviews discussing common factors from qualitative charter school studies. The indicators were used to determine if charter schools could be categorized as effective or…

While research supports that formative assessment can improve student learning, it is rarely used and difficult to implement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the use of student handheld response systems (SRS) as a tool for formative assessment in high school classes as well as teachers' attitudes towards this…

This study investigated the qualitatively different ways which students experienced human-centered design. The findings of this research are important in developing effective design learning experiences and have potential impact across design education. This study provides the basis for being able to assess learning of human-centered design which…