Dissertation by Leigh (2012). This study was designed to address questions related to (a) school facility conditions in two elementary schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia and (b) the relationship of school facility conditions to teacher attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between school facility conditions and teacher attitudes. Two instruments were utilized to answer the proposed research questions, the Commonwealth Assessment of Physical Environment (CAPE), and the My Classroom Assessment Protocol (MCAP) instrument. The schools used in this study were selected to provide a contrast between an older and a newer building.
Category: Dissertations and Theses
The Impact of School Building Age on the Academic Achievement of Eighth Grade Pupils from the Public Schools in State of Georgia
Dissertation by Tak Cheung Chan (1979). This study was designed to investigate the relationship of school building age and the academic achievement of pupils taught within school buildings of varying age. The population consisted of all of the standard public schools in the State of Georgia containing eighth grade pupils in 1975-76.
A Case Study on Facility Design: The Impact of New High School Facilities in Virginia on Student Achievement and Staff Attitudes and Behaviors
Dissertation by Bishop, M. E. (2009). This case study involved the examination of three new high schools that opened in the Commonwealth of Virginia between 2006 and 2007. Principal interviews and focus group interviews were conducted between April and June 2008. Document analysis of architectural information was conducted by the researcher for each site location; that analysis yielded shared characteristics of the sites such as floor plans, common professional work areas, use of safety features, and the use of natural lighting throughout instructional and professional spaces.
Building Conditions and Students Achievement and Behavior
Dissertation by Carol Cash (1993)
This study examined the relationship between the condition of school facilities and student achievement and student behavior. The entire population of small, rural high schools in Virginia was used in this study. Building condition was determined by the Commonwealth Assessment of Physical Environment which was completed by personnel in the divisions of the forty-seven schools in the population. Student achievement was determined by the scale scores of the Test of Academic Proficiency for grade eleven during the 1991-1992 school year. Student behavior was determined by the ratio of the number of expulsions, suspensions, and violence/substance abuse incidents to the number of students in each school. All achievement scores were adjusted for socioeconomic status by using the free and reduced lunch numbers for each school. These variables were investigated using analysis of covariance, correlations, and regression analysis.
A Synthesis of Studies Pertaining to Facilities, Student Achievement, and Student Behavior
Dissertation by Linda Lemasters (1997).
This study is a synthesis of the research since 1980 pertaining to the relationships between school facilities and student achievement and school facilities and student behavior. A matrix was developed relevant to the research. This matrix was used to identify not only the researchers and the areas in which the research was conducted, but also the areas in which there was no available research. The former is important to the educator and school designer; the latter is essential for future researchers. (Posted August 14, 2014).
Principals’ Perceptions of the Impact of Building Condition on Student Achievement
Dissertation by Harrison, E.K. (2010).
Although inequity in educational opportunity provided to children (based on poverty, ethnicity, disability, or English as a second language) has led to a massive federal and state initiative to reshape public education (ESEA 1965 and ESEA 2001, known as the No Child Left Behind Act, or NCLB), the issue of the condition of schools such children attend has been resistant to inclusion in the culture of educational reform. This study was undertaken to probe this resistance by examining the perceptions of a specific population of principals whose evaluation and continuing employment was tied to improving student achievement in their schools, in order to assess the condition of their buildings and their identification of condition with effect on student achievement.
A Synthesis of Studies Pertaining to Building Conditions, Student Achievement, Student Behavior, and Student Attitude
Dissertation by Bailey, J.A. (2009).
The relationships between building condition and student achievement, student behavior, and student attitude were investigated by reviewing research. A synthesis of research studies from 1998 through 2008 was completed. A matrix was replicated from Lemasters’ 1997 study that identified the researchers used in each study. The matrix presented each author and the areas each author researched.
