Oklahoma Correctional
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EDUCATION ON AN ISLAND: OKLAHOMA CORRECTIONAL EDUCATORS’ VIEWS OF INTERNAL TEACHER TRAITS AND SUCCESSFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ON INCARCERATED ADULT STUDENTS IN AN INSTITUTIONAL SETTING By JEANA DAWN ELY Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford, Oklahoma 1990 Master of Science in Human Resources Administration East Central University Ada, Oklahoma 2001 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December, 2011 EDUCATION ON AN ISLAND: OKLAHOMA CORRECTIONAL EDUCATORS’ VIEWS OF INTERNAL TEACHER TRAITS AND SUCCESSFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ON INCARCERATED ADULT STUDENTS IN AN INSTITUTIONAL SETTING Dissertation Approved : Dr. Mary Jo Self Dissertation Adviser Dr. Lynna Ausburn Committee Member Dr. Pam Brown Committee Member Dr. Bernita Krumm Outside Committee Member Dr. Sheryl A. Tucker Dean of the Graduate College ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 8 Purpose ............................................................................................................................... 9 Research Questions ............................................................................................................ 9 Significance of Study ......................................................................................................... 10 Limitations .......................................................................................................................... 10 Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 11 Definition of Key Terms ..................................................................................................... 11 Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................................... 15 Organization of the Study .................................................................................................. 22 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................................................................. 23 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 23 Internal Teacher Traits ...................................................................................................... 27 Learning Environments ...................................................................................................... 38 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 47 Summary Chapter 2 .......................................................................................................... 49 III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN ................................................................... 51 Research Design and Theoretical Framework .................................................................. 51 Procedures ........................................................................................................................ 54 Preparation for Collecting Data .................................................................................... 54 Data Collection Week ................................................................................................... 56 Travel ......................................................................................................................... 56 Administration of Survey ............................................................................................ 59 Summary Chapter 3 .......................................................................................................... 66 iii Chapter Page IV. FINDINGS ........................................................................................................................... 67 Process I – Quantitative Data and Analysis ...................................................................... 67 Summary of Process I ..................................................................................................... 112 Process II – Qualitative Data and Analysis ..................................................................... 115 Summary of Process II .................................................................................................... 125 Summary Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................ 126 V. SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................ 127 Review of Study ............................................................................................................... 127 Population ........................................................................................................................ 128 Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 128 Interpretation of Findings and Implications ...................................................................... 128 Process I ................................................................................................................... 129 Process II .................................................................................................................. 145 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 145 Recommendations for Future Research ......................................................................... 151 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 152 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ 160 APPENDIX A – Solicitation Script ................................................................................... 161 APPENDIX B – Consent Form ........................................................................................ 163 APPENDIX C – Survey/ Permission to Contact .............................................................. 166 APPENDIX D – Interview Questions ............................................................................... 174 APPENDIX E – IRB Letter ............................................................................................... 178 VITA ...................................................................................................................................... 184 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ 186 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1-Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................... 21 Figure 2- Oklahoma Department of Corrections Facility Locations ...................................... 58 Figure 3- Gender ................................................................................................................... 69 Figure 4- Age Groups............................................................................................................ 70 Figure 5- Highest Degree Earned ......................................................................................... 71 Figure 6- College Attended By State .................................................................................... 72 Figure 7- Oklahoma Colleges Attended By Region .............................................................. 73 Figure 8- Job Satisfaction Rating .......................................................................................... 76 Figure 9- Correctional Educators at Each Security Level ..................................................... 77 Figure 10- Facility .................................................................................................................. 78 Figure 11- Grade Level Taught ............................................................................................. 79 Figure 12- Correctional Educators Teaching Multiple Grade Levels .................................... 80 Figure 13- Average Class Size ............................................................................................. 81 Figure 14- Years Teaching With DOC (Corrections only) ..................................................... 82 Figure 15- Total Years Teaching Experience (Public and Corrections) ............................... 83 Figure 16- Certification By State ........................................................................................... 85 Figure 17- Certification Area ................................................................................................. 86 Figure 18- Multiple Certification Areas .................................................................................. 87 Figure 19- Subject Certification Categories held by DOC Correctional Educators .............. 88 Figure 20- Training Received in the Last Year (2010) ......................................................... 91 Figure 21- Training Received