Copyright (c) 2009 Texas State University All rights reserved. http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad Recent documents in Theses and Dissertations-Geography en-us Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:02:47 PDT 3600 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/20 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/20 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:07:49 PDT Geography teacher preparation is a critical issue within the field of geography and social studies education. Recent studies conclude that many geography teachers have little to no coursework in geography and many are not prepared to teach geography in the K-12 classrooms. Attending geography-related professional development, and encouraging more geography coursework during preservice and inservice teacher education, have been traditional methods to alleviate this problem. However, a shortage of qualified geography teachers remains an issue. This research examined factors that influence geography teacher efficacy in order to identify ways in which preservice and inservice education might better prepare, motivate and retain geography teachers. High teacher self-efficacy is correlated with higher levels of student achievement and motivation, increased teacher retention and willingness to implement new innovations, and lower levels of teacher stress and negative affect toward teaching. A mixed methods approach was used to explore and measure geography teacher efficacy and its relationship to education experiences. Data were gathered using focus groups, extensive surveys, and interviews with geography teachers in central Texas. Significant results were found between content knowledge preparation, curricular and instructional knowledge preparation, informal education and interest (primarily travel), and teaching efficacy in geography. Learning ways to improve geography teacher efficacy is beneficial for both teachers and students in K-12 geography, and should be an important consideration for preservice and inservice education programs. Audrey M. Mohan http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/19 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/19 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:43:14 PDT While the conventional housing market favors large lot subdivisions and ranchettes, housing choices in Central Texas are becoming more diverse with the popularity of neotraditional techniques being imported to the region. This research examines the relationship between the ideals of the neotraditional movement, particularly smaller lots, pedestrian-friendly streets, mixing of uses, and the "neotraditional" built environment in Central Texas. Are the neotraditional developments true to their paradigm, or has the design of the neighborhoods been significantly altered? What are the causes and ramifications of the modifications? This research employs a systematic evaluation of the neighborhoods and a subsequent comparison to established neotraditional standards, elucidating a more grounded and nuanced understanding of how New Urbanism is applied in Central Texas. This will ultimately help enable a more thorough evaluation of the merits of the neotraditional movement. John Vernon Foreman http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/18 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/18 Thu, 21 May 2009 14:01:45 PDT While maintaining an important role in an urban community's planning strategy, historic preservation often loses attention when competing with approaches specifically targeting economic revitalization, environmental degradation, and smart growth. Boasting strategic location and unique character, structures listed on the National Historic Register must attract commercial developers willing to commit to enhancing the historical integrity of the building as well as providing it with new economic vitality and relevance in the community. Yet all members of the community, including local and state governments, may have different views regarding the various choices made between modification and conservation in the process. Community participants share no widely-accepted standards by which to measure the end result of an historic redevelopment. Through intercept surveys, interviews, and historic research, this study creates a beneficial tool a historic preservation board may use to begin assessing redevelopment of a historic building. Basing its applicability on a case study of a recently redeveloped structure in Austin, Texas, the instrument aids in promoting community discussion and the overall satisfaction with the both the restored structure and new commercial endeavor. Jennifer Jenny Ainsworth http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/17 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/17 Thu, 21 May 2009 05:22:26 PDT Patterned ground consists of rocks, gravel, and soil, both sorted and unsorted, ordered on a landscape in the appearance of geometric shapes ranging from circles, polygons, nets, and stripes. Patterned ground occurs throughout the world in alpine, subarctic, and arctic regions. These places are increasingly threatened, through climate change, natural and human disturbance, and other disturbances in the surrounding environment of the patterned ground. In order to predict future responses and disturbance reactions of fragile periglacial environments such as patterned ground with active cryoturbation, movement rates need to be determined. Limited research concerning patterned ground in northwestern Montana has been published. In eastern Glacier National Park, patterned ground is evident on several alpine tundra sites; however, rates of movement are not known. Four questions were asked in this dissertation: (1) is surface movement occurring at selected study sites; (2) what are the temporal and spatial movements of individual surface clasts and markers; (3) do the surfaces of the study sites change in appearance over time; and (4) what is the rate of heave occurring at the study sites, temporally and spatially? In eastern Glacier National Park, data were collected from three locations. Sites with microclimate differences were established at each of the three locations to compare and contrast the movement of surface objects over time. One location consisted of needle-ice pans, whereas the other two locations contained relict solifluction treads and risers. Data were collected from 105 markers, 90 nails, and 90 clasts. Observations of marker and clast sorting within turf-banked terraces occurred between 2003 and 2006, whereas observations of vertical heaving, using nails, occurred between 2005 and 2006. Field data and repeat photography techniques were used to measure and observe marker and clast position changes over time. Types of marker movement were classified into four types: lateral, vertical tilt, burial, and overturning. Clasts were classified by: lateral movement, vertical tilt, burial and rotation. Nails were measured in millimeters from the surface to the nail head. The results of this research confirmed that the surface of needle-ice pans and relict solifluction treads were exhibiting active surface movement. Laterally, clasts moved more than markers at the same sites. Gravel and sediment burial occurred more frequently with markers than clasts. A majority of the sites changed little in surface appearance over time. Miniature sorted circles with fine sediment enclosed by gravel were observed at two sites in 2003 and another site in 2004 but the circles have since been in a state of disorganization. Possible reformation of the miniature sorted circles at one of the sites was observed in 2006. Differential frost heaving, as evidenced by the heaving upwards of nails, is occurring at the 3 locations. Surface wash was determined to be a process operating at one location, whereas the other two locations were dominated by frost-related processes. Processes not eliminated as contributors or instigators of lateral and vertical surface movement were: desiccation cracking, differential frost heaving, primary frost sorting, and convective cells. Future research directions include the excavation of the study sites to determine the depth of movement and the monitoring of the subsurface temperature of the sites. Additionally, future research will include the assessment of changes in rate of surface movement in response to environmental changes. Carol Frances Sawyer http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/16 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/16 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:26:07 PDT A phenomenographic analysis of elementary teacher candidates attending a large university in north Texas was conducted during the Spring and Fall of 2007. The research study was conducted in two phases with a total of 150 participants. Analysis of the data sought to describe the diversity of conceptions of geography as well as the diversity of conceptions of learning geography held by this participant group. Three conceptions of geography emerged from the data analysis. Two of the three conceptions represent a surface (or shallow) conception of geography and one conception was interpreted to be relational in nature. Four conceptions of learning of geography were found. One of these conceptions of learning geography represents the highest level of phenomenographic categorization; "growing or changing as a person or teacher." Overall the data suggests that the participants of the study have a more advanced understanding of pedagogy than of the content of geography. This apparent disconnect between the conceptions of the content of a subject and the conceptions of learning that subject has not been previously reported in the academic literature. Brian D. Earle http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/15 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/15 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:05:59 PDT Geographic Information Science (GIS) researchers analyze digital data to identify spatial patterns quantitatively. Following a similar approach, this thesis research reveals the diffusion dynamics of GIS research through analyzing the field's publications. A total of 985 GIS journal articles published between 1997 and 2007 in six different academic journals were examined. By assuming that each article was conducted at the institution listed as the primary author's affiliation, each journal article is evaluated using latent semantic analysis to reveal a set of correlations between the research themes of the articles year-by-year and location-by-location. With knowledge of the location and time of each publication, we show the spatial and thematic evolution of research activities in GIS. David Aaron Parr http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/14 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/14 Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:35 PDT Parks created on post-disaster landscapes present unique opportunities for education, research, tourism, and other activities, yet there are obstacles to their development for these purposes. Stakeholder conflicts, financial troubles, technical issues, or safety concerns may complicate park creation on these sites. This study examines parks that have been or are being developed on disaster sites, including Texas's Canyon Lake Gorge where a disaster scar is being developed into a natural interpretive area where education, research, and tourism are now taking place. The goal of this research is to highlight the opportunities and obstacles involved in post-disaster park making and inspire further research into this type of recovery plan. It also seeks to encourage decision-makers to consider park development as a viable option in the wake of a disaster. The study asks the questions: Where have parks been created on lands that have been devastated by either natural or human-induced disasters? What are the prospects and problems for creating these post-disaster parks? In the wake of a disaster, many important decisions have to be made, including what to do with the land affected by the event. This research is the first to examine the creation of parks in places that are known to be or are expected to be hazardous to human users. As such, the scholarly contribution of this research is to evaluate this form of adaptation or adjustment to societal risk perception as hazard mitigation. Furthermore, it is hoped that the results of this research will be useful to local government officials, park managers, community members, disaster recovery experts, non-governmental agencies, private landowners, and other decision-makers for post-disaster sites. Dorothy Caroline Ibes http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/13 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/13 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:23:43 PST Existing research comparing models of residential exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is insufficient. A comparison of these exposure models is necessary for determining whether changes in exposure measurements may influence the results. The risk of oral cleft birth defects was found to be associated with exposures to organic solvents with most findings suggesting a significant association. Using a case-control approach, this dissertation investigated how two exposure measurements possibly identified the association between residential exposures to air concentrations of VOCs released through the use of solvents and the occurrence of oral cleft defects in Texas. Model 1 was based on an air dispersion model and two interpolation methods - inverse distance weight (IDW) and ordinary kriging (OK) - and model 2 was based on distance proximity. This research also considered the risk of oral clefts according to maternal age and additional risk factors associated with this congenital malformation. The results of the risk estimate analysis did not confirm a statistically significant increased odds ratio for the analysis of VOC concentrations for any of the models when median exposure values were considered. However, when exposure values were classified into quintiles, the model results were significant. Model 2 estimates identified absence of risk according to the furthest distance from the site for mothers of all ages (OR 0.69 95% CI 0.52-0.93). Also, results from both models revealed significant associations according to maternal age groups. These estimates were more consistent for mothers at the oldest age group as associations for mothers at the youngest age group (younger than 20) and the third age group (25-29) were only identified by results of model 1. Model 1 also identified risk for mothers at 35 years of age or older living in areas with VOC concentrations higher than the median concentration value for both the IDW (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.06-3.6) and the OK interpolation (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.12-3.79). However findings of model 2 do not indicate associations for the analysis based on median distance values. In the analysis regarding concentration quintiles, model 1 identified risk for mothers at the oldest age group if they lived in areas with higher VOC concentrations as the odds ratios based on the OK interpolation were significant for the 4th (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.05-8.41) and 5th quintiles (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.2-10.85). The results of the IDW interpolation also identified significant risk according to the largest exposure level (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3-10.1). In the case of model 2, the results of the analysis concerning older mothers indicated that there was a decrease in risk according to the second and third quintile distances as they presented significant decreased odds ratios (0.27, 95% 0.09- 0.85 and 0.29, 95% 0.1-0.86, respectively). In addition, regarding the logistic regression analysis examining possible risk factors, results indicated that male gender of the child (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.17-1.7), low birthweight (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.23-2.36), and 12 years of maternal education (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.02-1.8) were positively associated with the risk of oral clefts. On the other hand, African-American ethnicity proved to be a protective factor against these birth defects (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.96). These findings indicate that, among other factors, exposure to solvent-VOCs may contribute to the risk of having a child with oral clefts and also suggest that the comparison of exposure assessment in studies examining exposure to air pollution needs to be considered. The exposure models appear to provide distinct outcomes as model 1 identified the presence of risk according to different age groups, while model 2 identified the absence of risk and for only one age group. Furthermore, the results of the statistical analyses considering diverse maternal age groups and VOC levels of exposure may contribute to the awareness of the potential susceptibility of older mothers to differing levels of exposure to air pollution. Ionara De Lima Wilson http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/12 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/12 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:03:04 PST This dissertation investigates the spatial distribution of alluvial and bedrock channel types in the Upper Guadalupe River in central Texas. The objectives of this work are to investigate the controls on the spatial distribution of alluvial-tending and bedrock-tending reaches and gravel bars in the Guadalupe River. Through traditional field and statistical techniques, this research examines channel reach type and depositional landforms. The purpose of this research is to investigate watershed scale controls on the distribution of reach type in a mixed alluvial-bedrock channel in central Texas and to explain observed differences between alluvial and bedrock reaches. Observed differences between reach types include the distribution of depositional landforms, channel planform geometry, and channel width. A comparison of reach characteristics between alluvial and bedrock reaches is presented including slope, reach length and transitions, sinuosity and floodplain width. An analysis of bar characteristics including their spacing, type, and grain size is also included. The spatial distribution of geologic and soil units in the study area are compared for the correlation to different channel reach types or transitions. Results that pertain to human effects on the fluvial geomorphology in the study reach are presented and separated from the natural processes. The distribution of forcing agents, including roads and dams, is included. The natural forcing effects of tributaries are also addressed. The combined processes of bedrock incision and sediment transport are active in creating the mixed alluvial-bedrock fluvial landscape of the Upper Guadalupe River. Rivers in the Balcones Escarpment region in central Texas are unique with respect to climate, hydrology, and sediment supply. This research aims to provide a foundation to build a conceptual model of mixed alluvial-bedrock fluvial landscape evolution in central Texas. Amanda Keen-Zebert http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/11 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/11 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:33:59 PST Jana L. Harter