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Effects Of Reading Styles On African-American Preschoolers Of Disadvantage., Elizabeth Nowlin Witt
Effects Of Reading Styles On African-American Preschoolers Of Disadvantage., Elizabeth Nowlin Witt
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study investigated the effects of two styles of storybook reading within the storybook reading event (SBRE) upon African-American preschoolers of disadvantage (AAP-D). One style, performance-oriented, was thought to be closer to cultural frameworks familiar for this population. This style was contrasted with the interactive style familiar to children of middle-class. Each style was utilized with two groups of five children (ten children per condition) across three storybooks, which were each read six times. Pre- and posttesting were used to determine changes in language (semantic and discourse ability, as measured by retelling), literacy, and world knowledge. A control group of …
Linking Postsecondary Sub -Baccalaureate Institutional Experience To The Career Planning Needs Of Future Workforce., Joycelyn Harrison Brunswick
Linking Postsecondary Sub -Baccalaureate Institutional Experience To The Career Planning Needs Of Future Workforce., Joycelyn Harrison Brunswick
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Recent changes in the labor market and predictions by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that many of the jobs available in the 21st century will not require a four-year college degree, in contrast to what many high school students perceive will provide their entree to a successful career. Jobs which will be in demand necessitate highly specialized skills which can be developed at post-secondary sub-baccalaureate (PSSB) institutions. High school graduates who do not have the ability, time, money or inclination to earn a bachelor's degree may well obtain economic security by acquiring those skills in great demand, enabling them …
Factors Influencing The Retention Of Adult Volunteer Leaders In The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service 4 -H Program., Ismet Boz
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The main purpose of this study was to determine contributions adult volunteer leaders make for 4-H and to identify factors influencing the retention of adult volunteer 4-H leaders in the Louisiana Cooperative Extension 4-H Program. A random sample of 196 adult volunteer 4-H leaders from 10 Louisiana parishes were the participants of this study. The data collection instrument was pre-tested for reliability and yielded a .96 Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficient for its 84 scale items. Anticipating approximately a 50% response rate, 400 surveys were mailed out in September, 1999. After two attempts were made for follow-up 218 usable surveys …
A Narrative Study Of Selected Introductory College Biology Students' Struggles To Gain An Understanding Of Scale And Measurement., Juliana Guillory Hinton
A Narrative Study Of Selected Introductory College Biology Students' Struggles To Gain An Understanding Of Scale And Measurement., Juliana Guillory Hinton
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Case studies, developed with criteria from Yin's Case Study Research: Design and Methods (1994), probed single mental constructs of four introductory college biology students who were recent high school graduates. Data sources included autobiographical essays, interviews, coconstructed concept maps (Wandersee & Abrams, 1993), a videotape questionnaire, and graphics. A multisensory microscopy experiment provided the setting for the construction of shared meanings by the participants. Concept maps were used then to explore the existing cognitive framework of the participants. This research affirmed the value of supporting graphic organizers for understanding science (Good & Berger, 1998; Hyerle, 1996; Trowbridge & Wandersee, 1998). …
Children's Identity Construction In A Multicultural Setting., Edith Taylor Richardson Powers
Children's Identity Construction In A Multicultural Setting., Edith Taylor Richardson Powers
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The study of cultural identity has thus far been rather unidimensional, portraying a child as a member of a single cultural group that has a homogeneous culture. Over the past twenty-five years, much of the research on the relationship between culture and education has looked at children's educational processes through the lens of group membership. This study examined six children from different cultures as they constructed their own identities within the multicultural classroom environment over the period of a year. It was designed to examine how individual children take on cultural "ways" that are associated with other cultural groups and …
Input And Environmental Characteristics In Student Success: First -Term Gpa And Predicting Retention At An Historically Black University., Marcus S. Babaoye
Input And Environmental Characteristics In Student Success: First -Term Gpa And Predicting Retention At An Historically Black University., Marcus S. Babaoye
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study is aimed at determining the input and environmental factors which contribute to the academic success or failure of students at an historically black institution. Three files were merged with first-time and transfer freshmen characteristics to serve as a basis for the quantitative analyses. On the qualitative front, a case study of college life at Southern University, Baton Rouge was performed. Data were collected from interviews with students, recent graduates, and University personnel. Additionally, the case study involve analyses of institutional records between 1993--1997. The quantitative data analyses revealed that ACT scores, gender, enrollment status, age, and housing arrangement …
First Graders' Efferent And Aesthetic Responses To Informational Trade Books., Kay Monroe Broders
First Graders' Efferent And Aesthetic Responses To Informational Trade Books., Kay Monroe Broders
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of the study was to describe young children's efferent and aesthetic responses to informational trade books. During the study a first-grade teacher read aloud the trade books to the whole class and four children were interviewed following the read-alouds using a standard open-ended interview approach. A scale developed for the study was used to code the efferent and aesthetic level of the responses as: most efferent, primarily efferent, primarily aesthetic, and most aesthetic. Data were analyzed to answer the following questions: (1) Do children have aesthetic as well as efferent responses to informational trade books? If so, how …
Environmental Education Programming For The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service., John William Branch
Environmental Education Programming For The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service., John William Branch
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Environmental education is a component of community-based education programs. Environmental education in the United States and in Louisiana was described (Objectives 1 and 2). Because of rapid changes in environmental science, and the responses of citizens to environmental topics, extension faculty need additional programming techniques and more process and strategic skills training. Programming techniques and skills training were reviewed (Objective 3). Extension has included representatives from key state and federal agencies with expertise in, and responsibility for, environmental topics on its environmental education advisory committees. The Delphi technique was utilized in this study, with agency representatives as panelists, to determine …
Factors Influencing The Decision To Transfer As Perceived By Students Currently Enrolled In A Four -Year University Who Have Transferred From Another Four -Year University., Brenda Griffin Hanson
Factors Influencing The Decision To Transfer As Perceived By Students Currently Enrolled In A Four -Year University Who Have Transferred From Another Four -Year University., Brenda Griffin Hanson
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study is to identify and describe selected perceptual, academic, and personal demographic characteristics of transfer students that transfer from four-year to four-year institutions to facilitate implementation of policies, intervention procedures for retention, and recruitment. The population was students currently enrolled in one public funded, Carnegie Class Masters-II, four-year university in the southern region of the United States who have transferred from another four-year institution within the previous year. Data for the study was collected as part of a two-stage process, and includes both primary and secondary information. Primary data collection was the information provided by the …
Evaluating Alternative Instructional Strategies To Improve Sixth Graders' Reading Comprehension., Emma Mccall Schorzman
Evaluating Alternative Instructional Strategies To Improve Sixth Graders' Reading Comprehension., Emma Mccall Schorzman
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Although little empirical evidence supporting various instructional strategies for teaching reading comprehension exists, many educators utilize particular strategies assuming their effectiveness. Because difficulties with comprehension are intensified as students reach the intermediate grades, it is necessary that middle school educators instruct using strategies empirically supported through research. This mixed-method study examined the effectiveness of the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (Stauffer, 1969), the PreP technique (Langer, 1981), and graphic organizers (Barron, 1969), three popular strategies among middle school teachers. Six teachers participated in the two-group design, pretest/posttest study; over a seven-week period, three of the teachers instructed their sixth-grade students using lessons …
School Life On The Mississippi: An Inquiry Into The Impact Of The Louisiana Reform Movement Related To Standards In World History Instruction In Three Secondary School Settings., Michael Joseph Schramm
School Life On The Mississippi: An Inquiry Into The Impact Of The Louisiana Reform Movement Related To Standards In World History Instruction In Three Secondary School Settings., Michael Joseph Schramm
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of standards on the instruction of world history in three secondary school settings. Contact with the Department of Education of the State of Louisiana found that the implementation of standards had only begun in 1997. After a grace period for implementation, the inaugural testing of the accountability system for these standards occurred in the spring of 2000. Therefore, this study became an exploratory investigation into the use of standards as they impact world history instruction. The first research question was designed to assist the researcher in exploring the influence that …
The History Of Our Lady Of The Lake College, 1923--2000: A Study Of Organizational Change., Linda Carol Rakestraw Pendergast
The History Of Our Lady Of The Lake College, 1923--2000: A Study Of Organizational Change., Linda Carol Rakestraw Pendergast
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This qualitative research study investigated the history of Our Lady of the Lake College from 1923 through 2000. It endeavored to determine the influence of the times, the events, the people, and the traditions that have contributed to its development and progress in the seventy-seven years that have passed since it was established. The study also sought to document the important institutional events that transpired during this time period and establish a continuity of the College's progress through the years from a hospital-based diploma program in nursing to a free standing degree granting institution. In addition to the evolutionary development …
Mapping The Learning Organization: Exploring A Model Of Organizational Learning., Sandra Grin Mae Kaiser
Mapping The Learning Organization: Exploring A Model Of Organizational Learning., Sandra Grin Mae Kaiser
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
A field study examined the effects of Learning Organization variables on organizational learning and on performance drivers. Four hundred and thirty-nine employees of a nuclear power-production facility completed inventories asking about perceptions of the organization. Variables measured through a learning lens included leadership, culture, mission and strategy, management practices, organizational structure, organizational systems, climate, motivation, learning, innovation, and external alignment Hierarchial regression analyses were employed to examine the role of organizational variables in explaining variance in learning, innovation, and external alignment. Variables were entered into regression models based on the Byrke-Litwin Model of organizations. The study also examined the role …
Sociomathematical Norms Of Elementary School Classrooms: Crossnational Perspectives On The *Reform Of Mathematics Teaching., Jeongsuk Pang
Sociomathematical Norms Of Elementary School Classrooms: Crossnational Perspectives On The *Reform Of Mathematics Teaching., Jeongsuk Pang
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Mathematics education reform in the United States has marshaled large-scale support for instructional innovation, and enlisted the participation and allegiance of large numbers of mathematics teachers. However, there is concern that many teachers have not grasped the full implications of the reform ideals. This study explored the breakdown that may occur between teachers' adoption of reform objectives and their successful incorporation of reform ideals by comparing and contrasting two reform-oriented classrooms. This study was an exploratory, qualitative, comparative case study using constant comparative analysis. Seven mathematics lessons were video-taped from each class, and intensive interviews conducted with the two teachers. …
The Impact Of Human Resource Expenditures And The Minimum Foundation Program's Level 3 Subsidy On Academic Productivity In Louisiana., John Paul Beaudoin
The Impact Of Human Resource Expenditures And The Minimum Foundation Program's Level 3 Subsidy On Academic Productivity In Louisiana., John Paul Beaudoin
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study investigated the impact of instructional salaries with and without a state-sponsored, supply-side subsidy on the academic productivity of schools in Louisiana. The subsidy under investigation was the Level 3 allocation for instructional salaries outlined in Louisiana's Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) that provides fiscal support for educational costs to local school boards. An educational production function model within the general systems framework outlined by Rossmiller and Geske (1977) was used in this study. All selected variables were aggregated to the school-level, which served as the unit of analysis for the study. The study's final sample (n = 296) approximated …
Comparing Interventions On Disruptive Classroom Behaviors Derived From Descriptive Analysis, Experimental Analysis, And Reinforcer Assessment., Heather Peshak George
Comparing Interventions On Disruptive Classroom Behaviors Derived From Descriptive Analysis, Experimental Analysis, And Reinforcer Assessment., Heather Peshak George
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study investigated whether descriptive analyses, experimental analyses, and reinforcer assessments produced similar patterns of data. Descriptive analyses were conducted to identify baseline levels of disruptive behavior and to systematically describe the co-variation between disruptive behaviors and teacher attention, peer attention, and the academic task. Data on disruptive behavior were analyzed by computing conditional probabilities associated with the preceding and maintaining stimuli (e.g., peer attention). Experimental analyses were conducted to examine the extent to which disruptive behavior was sensitive to the instructional task or to the systematically programmed consequences (e.g., teacher attention). A preference assessment was conducted to identify preferred …
Regional Differences In Understanding Between Two Groups Of High School Science Students On A Complex Environmental Science Concept Known As The Dead Zone Of The Gulf Of Mexico: A Web -Based Approach., Sharon Ann Flanagan
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The main research focus of this study was on the regional differences in understanding of two groups of high school science students for a complex environmental scientific phenomenon known as the Dead Zone of the Gulf of Mexico. Participating high school students were drawn from Dead Zone source and effect areas---Iowa chemistry students and Louisiana environmental science students. Students were given a pre- and postinstructional survey concerning environmental issues---including the issue of the Dead Zone or hypoxia of the Gulf of Mexico. The treatment group visited a web site on the Dead Zone constructed for this study, and interacted with …
An Inquiry Into The Impact Of Teacher Variances Within The Implementation Of The Success For All Reading Program In Two School Districts., Karen Parker Guillot
An Inquiry Into The Impact Of Teacher Variances Within The Implementation Of The Success For All Reading Program In Two School Districts., Karen Parker Guillot
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Elementary school students walk single file to their respective classrooms where literacy should miraculously transpire. For literacy to occur, some schools adopt reading programs provided by their local district or state, while others utilize externally developed program designs. This multiple-case qualitative inquiry examined the externally developed program, Success for All, a program designed to benefit high poverty schools, founded by Robert Slavin and Nancy Madden as well as their cohorts at Johns Hopkins University. This research study examined the variances among seven teachers implementing the SFA reading program, "Reading Wings," in three schools in two school districts in Louisiana. It …
Developing Students' Understanding Of Similar Figures: A Perceptual Approach., Danny Ray Mcnabb
Developing Students' Understanding Of Similar Figures: A Perceptual Approach., Danny Ray Mcnabb
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Children encounter and recognize similar figures in their everyday experiences with such things as basketballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, ping-pong balls; or a candy bar that comes in various sizes of the same shape. Yet their school experience with the mathematics of similarity generally does not build on these perceptual intuitions. Traditional mathematics curricula bypass students' visual intuitions and their quantitative understandings, proceeding directly to set piece problems solved by formal algebraic methods. The result for many students is that the topic of similarity contributes to their evolving view of mathematics as a domain of complex procedural methods divorced from …
A Longitudinal Study Of Students Academic Achievement Change: A Multilevel Structural Equation Model From A Multiple Group Perspective., John Kipngeno Rugutt
A Longitudinal Study Of Students Academic Achievement Change: A Multilevel Structural Equation Model From A Multiple Group Perspective., John Kipngeno Rugutt
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The focus of this study was three-fold: First, to determine if the growth parameters (intercepts and slopes) in mathematics and language were related within domains and ethnicity. Second, to determine if the pattern of interrelationships among the individual achievement growth parameters were the same for African American and White students. Third, to establish whether there existed discernible patterns variability in academic growth parameters within each ethnicity over time. The study employed a three-wave longitudinal panel design, with data drawn from Louisiana State Department of Education. The data were then analyzed utilizing both a multilevel structural equation methodology and hierarchical linear …
The Voice Of The People: Reasons Laypersons Support K--12 Art Education., Lucienne Bond Simon
The Voice Of The People: Reasons Laypersons Support K--12 Art Education., Lucienne Bond Simon
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
In the midst of generating theory for classrooms, philosophizing on the meaning and relevance of art education, determining policy and practices for classrooms, even providing advocacy literature in favor of art education, few references have been made to laypersons' ideas about art education. Lest the layperson (non-art education professional)---the "human element" [Pinar, Reynolds, Slattery, & Taubman, 1995, p. 102)---be overlooked, disregarded, and/or marginalized from considerations about art education, their ideas must be solicited, honored, and respected. Since the mission of art education is to educate future laypersons and not (necessarily) future artists, members of the profession as well as policymakers …
Cross -Age Peers As Partners: Students' Perspectives On The Reciprocal Effects Of Paired Reading Using Cross-Age Peer Tutors., Karen Elizabeth Eason
Cross -Age Peers As Partners: Students' Perspectives On The Reciprocal Effects Of Paired Reading Using Cross-Age Peer Tutors., Karen Elizabeth Eason
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study was to observe students implementing Paired Reading with cross-age peer tutors and to describe the attitudes and perceptions of the tutors about the reciprocal effects of participating in this program. This study examined the following aspects of the fourth grade students' perspectives on the reciprocal effects of cross-age peer tutoring using Paired Reading: (a) the interactions of the fourth grade tutor with the kindergarten tutee during tutoring sessions, (b) the tutor's perception of the effectiveness of her role as a teacher using cross-age peer tutors, and (c) the students' attitudes about and perceptions of themselves …
Performance Assessment And English Skill., Zhenghe Zhang
Performance Assessment And English Skill., Zhenghe Zhang
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Recent developments in the philosophy of validity, highlighting the importance of investigating the consequences of assessment use, provide theoretical support for the move toward performance assessment. Numerous issues related to the choice of assessment approach (e.g., multiple-choice or performance-based) are not well understood today. This study investigated the potential interaction between assessment approach and the English skill of the examinee and the similarity of the information provided by multiple-choice and essay writing tests. Four hypotheses were examined in this study. Hypothesis 1 results indicated that students who were native speakers of English (regular students) achieved higher scores on the writing …
A Behavior Analytic Approach To Developing Mathematics Skills In Second Graders: A Precision Teaching Intervention., Bruce Pierce Mortenson
A Behavior Analytic Approach To Developing Mathematics Skills In Second Graders: A Precision Teaching Intervention., Bruce Pierce Mortenson
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study examined the relative effects of two rates of responding on student endurance, accuracy and retention of basic math skills. Three cohorts, each consisting of four students, participated in the study and received training on two separate math skills. One skill was trained to a rate of responding consistent with a fluency standard and the other skill was trained to a rate of responding consistent with accurate but not fluent performance. The main finding underscored by the present study is that successful learning is enhanced if precipitated by fluent rates of responding. The data presented in each cohort demonstrated …
A Study Of The Effects Of Two Instructional Programs In Reading On Student Reading Self -Efficacy, Personal Perceptions Of The Learning Environment And Reading Levels., Cathy Elaine Smith Daniel
A Study Of The Effects Of Two Instructional Programs In Reading On Student Reading Self -Efficacy, Personal Perceptions Of The Learning Environment And Reading Levels., Cathy Elaine Smith Daniel
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study was to examine differences in students' reading self-efficacy, students' personal perceptions of the learning environment, and change in reading level across instructional programs. In addition, the study explores the relationship between students' personal perceptions of the learning environment as measured by the My Class Inventory-Short Personal Form (MCI-SPF) and student reading self-efficacy as measured by the Reader Self-Perception Scale (RSPS). Analyses showed that: (1) Students in the Success for All (SFA) reading program exhibited higher levels of general reading self-efficacy than did students in the language-based comparison group, (2) Students in the SFA instructional program …
An Examination Of The Baby Boom Generation's Financial Preparations For Retirement., Jeanette Adcock Tucker
An Examination Of The Baby Boom Generation's Financial Preparations For Retirement., Jeanette Adcock Tucker
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
There has been much concern that the financial status of the 76 million American baby boomers will be inadequate when they reach retirement. The overall purpose of the current study was to examine the baby boom generation's financial preparations for retirement. The family resource management conceptual framework of Deacon and Firebaugh (1988) provided the theoretical base for the study. Data were obtained from 398 baby boomers who responded to the 1999 Retirement Confidence Survey. Depending on the nature of the dependent variable, multiple linear regression or logistic analysis tests were used to determine relationships between the input, throughput, and output …
Female High School Biology Students' Biofilm -Focused Learning: The Contributions Of Three Instructional Strategies To Patterns In Understanding And Motivation., Jo Dale Hill Ales
Female High School Biology Students' Biofilm -Focused Learning: The Contributions Of Three Instructional Strategies To Patterns In Understanding And Motivation., Jo Dale Hill Ales
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This exploratory study examined three instructional strategies used with female high school biology students. The relative contributions of the strategies to student understanding of microbiology and motivation in science were analyzed. The science education community targeted underachievement in science by implementing changes in content and practices (NRC, 1996). Research suggested that teachers facilitate learnirig environments based on human constructivism (Mintzes, Wandersee, & Novak, 1997) that is rooted in meaningful learning theory (Ausubel, Novak & Hanesian, 1978). Teachers were advised to use both visual and verbal instructional strategies (Paivio, 1983) and encourage students to construct understandings by connecting new experiences to …
Intention To Leave Teaching: A Study Of Louisiana Elementary School Teachers Early In Their Careers., Karen Elizabeth Callender
Intention To Leave Teaching: A Study Of Louisiana Elementary School Teachers Early In Their Careers., Karen Elizabeth Callender
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the intention to leave teaching of teachers early in their careers and the variables: teacher self-efficacy, teacher age, school size, community type, socioeconomic background of student population, student discipline, and salary. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to investigate these relationships. Survey data were collected from kindergarten through fifth grade teachers in Louisiana public schools, and interviews were conducted with those reporting the highest intention to leave. The quantitative data revealed school size to be significantly related to teacher intention to leave teaching, and teacher self-efficacy, student SES, …
Understanding The Biological Concept "Bird": A Kindergarten Case Study., Dilek Buchholz
Understanding The Biological Concept "Bird": A Kindergarten Case Study., Dilek Buchholz
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study of 14 students in a metropolitan public school in the Deep South was to find out, during a period of three months, what these kindergarten-aged children knew about birds, whether this knowledge represented current scientific thought, if such science instruction meaningfully affected their prior knowledge, and if so, what the factors during instruction that seemed to influence their understanding of the concept of bird were. The research was conducted in three phases; preinstruction interviews, instruction, and postinstruction interviews. The theoretical framework for this research was based on the Human Constructivism theory of …
The Effects Of The Laboratory On College Students' Understanding Of Evolution: Implications For Conceptual Change., Lorna Benita Holtman
The Effects Of The Laboratory On College Students' Understanding Of Evolution: Implications For Conceptual Change., Lorna Benita Holtman
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study investigated eighty junior and senior college students' understanding of evolutionary biology concepts in lecture-only and lecture-laboratory settings. The evolution lab stressed the processes of evolution, and involved simulations, experiments, discussions, report writing, and reading. Test scores do not reveal everything about the actual process of learning in the laboratory. This study examined conceptual change patterns over a period of one semester using in-depth interviews with eight participants. The study revealed that the lecture-laboratory group performed better than the lecture-only group on certain shared items on the objective examination. The interview participants showed various patterns of conceptual change; that …