Digital Commons Network^™

Social Status And The Play Interactions Of Students Labelled Learning Disabled And Their Peers, Tammy S. Bryant

Masters Theses

The relationship between social status and play interactions of students labelled learning disabled and their peers is an area which has received much attention. However, most of the research has focused on students in resource settings. The current study focused on students labelled learning disabled in self-contained settings. The study involved administering the Play With Rating Scale to 41 second and third graders in regular classrooms and to 11 same-aged peers who were learning disabled in self-contained settings. The results were divided into popular/average and unpopular status groups. Thirty-three children were observed at play utilizing an observation tool developed by …

Developing Self-Esteem: A Search For The Missing Element, Douglas Mack

Masters Theses

Educators have long known the impact a child’s self-esteem, or self-concept, has upon his or her ability to perform in the classroom. This paper explores the variables involved in developing self-concept both in theory and the research. The roles of teacher feedback, student failure and success, and difficulty of task are examined and their impact upon student self-esteem assessed. Learning theories such as constructivism and the use of teams in the classroom are also presented and discussed. Self-esteem does not come about simply as a result of prior success. It develops 1) as a child experiences success at tasks he …

A Curriculum Response To Budgetary And Marketing Pressures On A Two-Year Community College Engineering Technology Program (Microprecision Technology), Gerald R. Hough

Masters Theses

The process described is a program level response to institutional-wide budgetary restraints. The program in question is a two-year engineering technology associate degree program (Microprecision Technology). The major focus deals with:

1. reducing unit cost

2. improving marketability (recruiting)

3. improving transferability (as it relates to recruiting

The reductions in cost center around the ratio of contact hours to credit hours in the specialty courses as well as a reduction in the number of such courses. Issues dealing with marketability are directly related to the unique nature of the program and the difficulties involved in the public presentation of such …

Jefferson Middle School: A School Of Achievers, Gary C. Niehaus

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to develop a detailed five-year strategic plan for Jefferson Middle School. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Middle School Future Planning Consortium had twenty-four middle schools across the nation that worked collaboratively to share and build their plans. Jefferson Middle School was part of this consortium. The researcher utilized the ASCD format and the expertise of those schools involved to develop the Jefferson Middle School plan. The format has four major areas of focus: (1) Organization, (2) Core Curriculum, (3) Improved Teaching and (4) Educational Technology.

This field study report is …

The Relationship Of School Enrollment Size With Academic Achievement In Secondary Schools, Randy B. Steinkamp

Masters Theses

This investigation was designed to examine the relationship between school enrollment size and academic achievement. Fourteen schools in the East-Central region of Illinois formed the focus of this study. The schools were grouped according to the number of enrolled students: small-size (less than 300); mid-size (300-799); and large-size (over 800). Data for the study were obtained from the 1987 School Report Cards. Report Cards are documents that were completed by schools in the state of Illinois to review the status of their educational programs.

Data from the Report Cards included measures of academic achievement and also descriptive data on the …

A Survey Of Fifth And Sixth Grade Parents At Jefferson Elementary School, Charleston, Illinois, James M. Louthan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study was to survey parents/guardians of fifth and sixth grade students concerning their opinions of programs, practices and procedures used at Jefferson Elementary School in Charleston, Illinois. An instrument was designed and given to students to take home to be completed by their parents/guardians and returned to school via the student. Results of the survey indicated that, in general, most parents were satisfied with the programs, practices and procedures except for the schoolwide discipline program, certain curricular offerings (handwriting, math and physical education) and the amount of homework assigned. Opinions of the parents surveyed will …

A Study Of The Administrative Agent's Role Of The Regional Superintendent Of Schools In Illinois, John E. Mcnary

Masters Theses

This work contains a study of the administrative agent's role of the Regional Superintendent of Schools in Illinois. The fifty-seven Educational Service Regions (E.S.R.s) in Illinois were surveyed to determine the number of superintendents acting as an administrative agent for a program, the educational experience possessed by each superintendent, the types of services being offered, the total number of dollars that become the responsibility of the administrative agent, the total number of jobs created, the governance structure, and the benefits and detriments of the role as reported by the superintendents. The data gathered by the survey was tabulated and analyzed …

Growth Increments And Condition Factors Of Pomoxis Annularis (White Crappie) In The Years Following Completion Of The Pump Storage Reservoir At Lake Charleston, Charleston, Il, 1982-1988, Herbert Clinton Fairow

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to attempt to document any changes that may have occured due to the construction of a pump storage reservoir at Lake Charleston. The age I white crappie present in the new reservoir were observed to exhibit an increase in first year growth in 1982. This increase was observed in subsequent years but not to the same degree as was observed initially. The age II fish present in the new reservoir in 1982 exhibited a very large increase in growth for the first year of the new impoundment. In the years after 1982 the annual …

Relationship Between Actual And Perceived Physical Fitness In College Students, Barbara A. Barry

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Instructional Leadership: A Self-Assessment Instrument For Principals, John L. Bailey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Evolution/Creation Debate: A Rhetorical Analysis, James V. Miteff

Masters Theses

During the course of human history, many social issues have come and gone. One argument that caught the writer's eye is the argument about how man came to exist.

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze an evolution/creation debate that took place at Columbus College, Georgia, on May 6, 1981. Evolutionary theory was supported by Dr. Schwinner, a paleontologist from Columbus College. His partner was Dr. Frazier, a professor of geology at Columbus College. Creation theory was supported by Dr. Henry Morris, President of the Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, and Dr. Slusher, an astronomer …

Rating Of Perceived Exertion Of Four Swimming Strokes At A Constant Intensity, Betty Lou Hall

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Brotherly Love In Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, Robert Welsh

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Prevalence Of Medication Misuse And Abuse Among The Elderly, Constance Rose Muntz

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Caregiver Variables And The Relationship To Caregiver-Child Interactions In Day Care Centers, Ronna White Albritton

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Disordered Eating, Stress, Failure, And Nutrition Knowledge Among College Women, Deborah J. Fairow

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Learning To Forage, Daniel Von Holten

Masters Theses

Learning to Forage is a collection of poems resulting from my own progression from a rural environment, Walnut, Bureau County, Illinois, to the world outside. I illustrate this progression using a persona called Antaeus, named after the Greek demi-god who received his strength from the earth. Therefore, for the most part, Antaeus is me; as the speaker or consciousness in each poem he is aware of everything that happens in the collection.

In the first poems, Antaeus is comfortable in his farm community, but gradually he becomes aware of the death, decay and stagnation. He becomes dissatisfied with his world, …

The Trials Of Len Small, William R. Harshbarger

Masters Theses

Len Small, governor of Illinois from 1921 to 1929, was a politician associated with the Lorimer-Lundin-Thompson political machine which influenced Illinois politics from 1897 until the late 1920s. During that era, Small held offices in the county and in the state Senate. He served one appointed term as United States subtreasurer, two terms as state treasurer, and two terms as governor. Small ran six times for governor: 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936. He came to the governorship in 1920 following a bitter feud between his patron, William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson and Frank O. Lowden. As a result, …

Transcendent Journeys, Spiritual Frontiers And Analysis, Peter H. Fischer

Masters Theses

Transcendent Journeys, Spiritual Frontiers is a musical composition for mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, violoncello, and conductor. The thesis consists of a reduced conductor's score and a written analysis. The texts are "The Moon and the Yew Tree" by Sylvia Plath, "Heart of Autumn" by Robert Penn Warren, and "Byzantium" by William Butler Yeats. The composition consists of an instrumental prelude, followed by the three poems set as a song cycle.

The music features a different compositional technique for each song: the first song, "The Moon and the Yew Tree," uses mixed mode tertian sonorities; the third song, "Byzantium," …

The United States And German Reunification: The Stalin Note Of 1952, Klaus P. Grillmaier

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the American and West German reaction to the Soviet note of March 10, 1952. In this so-called Stalin Note the Soviet dictator proposed the reunification of Germany on terms of neutrality and acceptance of the Oder and Neisse rivers as the German-Polish border. By launching his proposal Stalin sought to prevent the integration of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) into the Western alliance system.

The paper starts out sketching the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers after World War II. It also analyzes the impact the Cold War had on Europe. …

Female Representation Among State Legislative Elite: The Illinois General Assembly 1922-1986, Juliana J. Helmke

Masters Theses

This study of female representation in the Illinois General Assembly examines 33 general assemblies, beginning with the 53rd General Assembly – election year, 1922 – at which time the first woman was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. Trend lines are used to describe changes in female representation over the 64-year period. The effect of changes in the electoral system and the institutional structure are examined. Social and demographic characteristics of women legislators in Illinois are discussed. This data is then compared to data on legislators elected to the 83rd General Assembly.

Over the 64-year period covered in this …

Communication And Aging: Perceptions Of Family And Friend Interaction On Self Reported Life Satisfaction Among Selected Residents Of Three Nursing Homes, Patricia J. Fetzner

Masters Theses

The study of communication and aging provides great potential for enriching the lives of the elderly. Of course this should be of great interest to each of us as we are all inevitably aging. One rapidly growing area in communication research deals with how communication affects the life satisfaction of the elderly. Of particular interest is the attitudinal effect of family and friend interaction.

Early research dealing with the elderly focused on two theories: 1. Activity theory, which is the idea that social activity is essential to an older person's sense of well being and; 2. Disengagement theory, which suggests …

Some Factors Affecting Male Mating Success In The Giant Waterbug (Belostoma Flumineum Say), Karyn S. Crisman

Masters Theses

Giant waterbugs (Subfamily Belostomatinae) are interesting in that males provide exclusive post-copulatory care of young. This unusual behavior makes this species an excellent study system for investigations of sexual selection theory because in such systems, sex role reversals are predicted. Previous studies indicate that role reversal in giant waterbugs is not complete because males still court females. It is assumed that from this courtship display females can assess male quality and "choose" a superior male. If some males are chosen over others then differential mating success results. This study was undertaken to ascertain some of the factors that affect male …

Opening Lines In Classroom And Social Settings: A Study Of The Initiator's First Conversational Sequence, Julie E. Hutcheson

Masters Theses

This study examined various types of opening lines that college students use with strangers in classrooms and social settings. An opening line was defined as the initial turn of the conversational sequence. The responses received by the students, through an open-ended survey, were analyzed and categorized using content analysis. The results revealed many similarities among the two settings in eight pre-established categories and three new categories except for in one of the newest categories. The social setting in one of the newest categories received more sarcastic conversational sequences than the classroom. This study provides examples pertaining to many opening lines …

Effects Of Methylxanthines On Newborn Rat Respiration, Craig Gatto

Masters Theses

Methylxanthines (MX), such as theophylline, are commonly used in the treatment of recurrent apnea due to their stimulant effects on the respiratory center. Structure-activity studies have demonstrated that substitution of alkyl groups on the 3-position of the xanthine nucleus results in increased bronchodilator potency, while substitution on the 1-position is important for adenosine antagonism and CNS stimulation. Three different alkylxanthines were studied to determine the structural requirements for respiratory stimulation. Respiratory rates and volumes were determined in 4- to 7-day-old rats using a volume displacement body plethysmograph. Measurements were made before and at 5 minute intervals after subcutaneous (s.c.) injection …

Cranial Variations And Skull Suture Obliterations As Related To Age In The Coyote (Canis Latrans), Kurt Daine

Masters Theses

Three criteria, skull size, development of the postorbital process, and cranial suture obliteration were examined to evaluate their effectiveness as possible age indicators in the coyote (Canis latrans). Two collections of coyote skulls were evaluated. The first was 130 skulls of known age, from Utah, which were used to compare the above characteristics to the age of the animal. The second was 151 Illinois Department of Conservation (DOC) skulls of unknown age, which were used in conjunction with the known age skulls to evaluate differences in skull size and observer and inter-observer subjectivity in the classification of suture …

Understory Changes Following A Prescribed Burn In A Central Illinois Oak-Hickory Forest, Charity Rae Hilchen

Masters Theses

The understory of Baber Woods, Edgar County, Illinois, was surveyed from April to September, 1988, following a low intensity fall burn in November, 1987. From plots sampled in the spring, summer and fall, differences in the composition of the herbaceous and woody components between the burn and control areas were determined. The herbaceous component of the burn area was found to compose a significantly higher percentage (X² . _{05 , 2} =12.49) of the importance values (IV) over all the sampling periods. Acer saccharum was found in significantly lower frequency (X² . _{05 , 2} =24.8) in the …

Cyanogenesis In The Euphorbiaceae, Lucinda L. Horton

Masters Theses

Fresh samples of nine species included in the family Euphorbiaceae, Acalypha qracilens, Acalypha ostryaefolia, Acalypha rhomboidea, Acalypha virginica, Chamaesyce maculata, Chamaesyce supina, Cnidoscolus stimulosus, Euphorbia corollata, and Poinsettia dentata, were tested for the production of cyanide using the Feigl-Anger technique. Two of these taxa were tested for polymorphism of cyanogenesis by repeated testing of the same individuals within a population. Two of these nine species, Acalypha ostryaefolia and Cnidoscolus stimulosis, gave positive results, although not every individual tested was positive. One of the species tested for polymorphism, Acalypha ostryaefolia, …

Woody Vegetation Of A Mesic Sand-Forest In Mason County, Illinois, Sean E. Jenkins

Masters Theses

An inventory was completed of the woody vegetation of a 6.5 hectare section of a mesic sand-forest near Forest City, Mason County, Illinois. This forest, which is located on stabilized sand dunes in the Illinois River Section of the Illinois River and Mississippi River Sand Areas Division, has a stand composition of 247.5 stems/ha (above 10 cm dbh.), and a basal area of 16.1 sq. m/ha. A total of 21 woody species are present on the site with Black oak comprising 84% of the Basal area and 61% of the total individuals, and having an importance value of 144.9. Black …

Nesting Dynamics Of The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia Sialis) In Southeastern Illinois, Susan E. Nelle

Masters Theses

Data collected from 1981 through 1988 from an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) nesting box trail, involving 512 nests and 2176 eggs, in Crawford County, Illinois, were analyzed and compared to similar published works. The average nesting season lasted 167.4 days, ran from 17 March through 31 August, and was divided into three breeding peaks (or phases). Most breeding pairs were observed with either one or two clutches per season; however, triple-brooded pairs were also present, the clutches of which coincided well with the three peaks. Most data showed a decrease as the season progressed. For example, mean clutch …