UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BMPS AND MOSQUITO MANAGEMENT ACROSS A SOCIOECONOMIC GRADIENT(2017) Maeda, Potential Kanoko; Leisnham, Paul T.; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)To reduce nutrient pollution in our waterways and restore impaired watersheds, residents are needed to voluntarily practice a range of stormwater best management practices (BMPs). The overall goal of my thesis was to better understand barriers to BMP implementation by exploring the links among resident demographics, knowledge, and behaviors, as well as mosquito management, so that appropriate education can be more effectively developed and targeted. Importantly, this study found respondents who defined themselves as Caucasian or other races, and that were in owned houses, had higher mean BMP knowledge than respondents that identified themselves as African American and who are renters, respectively. This study also found that one barrier to BMP implementation, concern of mosquito breeding in BMPs, was not significant. Estimated abundances for all mosquito abundance metrics were significantly higher in combined other types of wet containers compared to wet disconnected downspouts, a commonly found BMP.Item A Case Study of the Development of Environmental Action Projects from the Framework of Participatory Action Research within Two Middle School Classrooms(2007-11-26) Charmatz, Kim; McGinnis, J. Randy; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to understand student and teacher empowerment through a socially critical environmental education perspective. The main research question guiding this study was: How do participants make sense of a learning experience in which students design and carry out an environmental action project in their community? This study used participatory action research and critical theory as practical and theoretical frameworks. These frameworks were relevant as this study sought to examine social change, power, and relationships through participants' experiences. The context of this study was within one seventh and one eighth grade classroom participating in environmental projects. The study was conducted in spring 2005 with an additional follow-up data collection period during spring 2006. The school was located in a densely populated metropolitan suburb. Fifty-three students, a teacher researcher, and three science teachers participated. Data sources were written surveys, scores on Middle School Environmental Literacy Survey Instrument (MSELI), observations, interviews, and student work. This study used a mixed methodological approach. Quantitative data analysis involved dependent samples t-test scores on the MSELI before and after the completion of the projects. Qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive analysis approach. This study has implications for educators interested in democratic education. Environmental action projects provide a context for students and teachers to learn interdisciplinary content knowledge, develop personal beliefs, and learn ways to take action in their communities. This pedagogy has the potential to increase cooperation, communication, and tensions within school communities. Students' participation in the development of environmental action projects may lead to feelings of empowerment or being able to make a difference in their community, as an individual or member of a group. Future research is needed to discern why participants experience this type of educational experience differently, for example, how does the type of environmental action project influence individual and group empowerment?