Education Commons^™

The Effect Of A Mentoring Program On The Self-Esteem Of First Year, Learning Disabled College Students, Nathanael I. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a mentoring program on the self-esteem of first year, learning disabled, college students. A self-esteem assessment was administered prior to the start of the mentoring process. After the students participated in the program for a semester and a half the same self-esteem assessment was given again to determine the change, if any. Also during this time the self-esteem assessment was given to a group of non-learning disabled students in the same manner. The participants attended Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. The participants varied in socioeconomic, race and major …

The Effects Of An Integrated Whole Language And Phonics-Based Instructional Spelling Program On Student Spelling Ability And Self-Concept, Kimberly B. Biberman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to create an integrated phonics and whole language approach to teaching spelling to regular education and resource students. The sample included thirty-nine fourth grade students, which were split into an experimental and a control group. Students in the experimental group completed a spelling pretest and ten weeks of instruction implemented by the researchers. The students in the control group also completed a pretest and completed spelling instruction as followed by the required fourth grade curriculum.

After the study was completed, both groups completed a spelling posttest as well as a self-concept scale in relation …

Teacher Job Satisfaction And Teacher Burnout As A Product Of Years Of Experience In Teaching, Kristin A. Camilli

Theses and Dissertations

As job satisfaction in adulthood has become an important source of personal fulfillment, research in this area has increased in recent years. Teacher job satisfaction and burnout are among the most important factors contributing to the problem of teacher retention. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether years of teaching experience is a predictive factor of job satisfaction and burnout. The study included 60 participants ranging in teaching experience from 1 year to 44 years. It was hypothesized that teachers who have been in the profession for 1-2 or 3-10 years will be less satisfied and will …

Second Language Acquisition: A Study Of A Constructivist Approach To Teaching Versus A Varied Approach, And Its Effectiveness In A First-Year Spanish Class At The Secondary Level, Christina Di Mento Ferus

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a Constructivist approach to teaching, or a varied approach is most effective in teaching a first-year Spanish class at the secondary level. The sample for this study consisted of 40 high school students enrolled in a Spanish I course. All students were given a pretest at the beginning of the second marking period. The test was developed by the researcher, and covered all the concepts that were to be taught throughout that marking period. One class was instructed using a Constructivist approach to teaching, while the other class received a varied …

The Relationship Between Living Situation And Diagnosed Disability In Maltreated Children, Jaime Fleigel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between type of placement and diagnosed disability in maltreated children. Forty maltreated children from New Jersey's child protective service agency were used in this study to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in diagnosed disability in maltreated children with regard to living situation. A review of records was conducted to determine whether the subject had a diagnosed disability and an independent samples t-test was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that there was a relationship between placement type and whether there was a diagnosed disability.

Individual Learning Versus Group Learning In A Suburban Second-Grade Classroom, Devonn Grimm

Theses and Dissertations

There has been a great debate about which learning style is the best for all students. Some propose that individual learning situations enhance the education a student is receiving. However, perhaps a group learning environment would help inclusion and special education students, as well as their average or above average peers. Research indicates that there are benefits and drawbacks to each different teaching style. The present study investigated the difference between group and individual learning styles and their impact on students' individual academic scores. A single second-grade classroom containing many types of students was manipulated and observed. For eight weeks …

An Investigation Of Rowan University Students' Attitudes Toward Homosexuality, Annmarie Panarello

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to investigate undergraduate student attitudes toward homosexuality. Between group differences were explored in terms of (a) gender, (b) religious affiliation, and (c) year of study. One hundred and twenty nine Rowan University undergraduate students participated by answering a homophobia scale questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. A three-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in mean scores between men and women, affirming that women scored lower on the homophobia scale than men. No other between group differences were found to be statistically significant. Implications for future research are discussed.

A Study To Assess Motivational Factors In Pursuing Higher Education: A Multicultural Perspective, Reta R. Ramos-Rios

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to (a) determine the motivational factors of students attending Camden County College in Blackwood and to (b) determine if their cultural background played a part in them choosing collective or individualistic reasons to attend. One hundred students were surveyed. Each student was given a survey of 16 questions, eight questions measured individualism and eight measured collectivism. A one-way MANOVA found that the students from Camden County College demonstrated individualistic characteristics regardless of race. The average responses for going to college were more individualistic than hypothesized However, Latinos and African Americans still scored higher on …

The Relationship Between The Time Spent Reading At Home With Parents And Reading Achievement, Robbin F. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to offer support for reading to your child at home during the early elementary years to increase your child's reading readiness at school. It is hypothesized that the more time parents spend reading to their child at home the higher their scores should be on reading assessments. The sample population consists of 15 students, in grades kindergarten and first, from a parochial school located in southern New Jersey. The parents completed a questionnaire and the Marie Clay's Concepts About Print test was administered to the children. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used …

The Effect Of Rock Music As A Source Of Auditory Distraction On The Reading Comprehension Of Undergraduate College Students And The Relationship Between Distractibility And Achievement, Meghan Eileen Rush

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this experimental research study were to (a) examine the effect of rock music as a source of auditory distraction on the reading comprehension of sixteen undergraduate college students; and (b) assess the relationship between distractibility and achievement. Participants in the study were given two reading comprehension examinations in two conditions: music and silent control. Achievement was measured by self-report of grade point average. Statistical analysis of the main effect of rock music on reading comprehension, using a repeated measures t-test, found no significant effect. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between distractibility and achievement. Problems with the …

Using Applied Behavior Analysis To Increase Compliance With A Child With Autism, Rachael Simon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to take an in depth look at ways to modify the specific behavior compliance of a child diagnosed with autism. The subject studied was a two year eleven month year old female who had a diagnosis of severe to moderate autism. Over a five week period, applied behavior analysis, a behavior technique used for individuals with autism, was implemented into her educational programming. Data was collected over this five week period and a one way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) was completed in order to see if her compliance rate had increased after using …

Academic Dishonesty: A Study In The Magnitude Of And Justifications For Academic Dishonesty Among College Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Bryan Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the degree to which college undergraduate and graduate students cheat as well as to examine if the justifications for cheating differed amongst these groups. Cheating behavior scores and justifications for engaging in academically dishonest behavior scores were obtained from 138 college undergraduate and graduate students through the use of a survey. One-way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between the underclassmen, upperclassmen, and graduate students group reporting cheating behaviors. Post hoc tests revealed that underclassmen reported significantly higher levels of cheating than upperclassmen and graduate students. Graduate students were found to …

Two Decades Of Research On The Problem Solving Inventory A Call For Empirical Clarity, Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia, Lisa A. Suzuki

Department of Counseling Scholarship and Creative Works

Heppner, Witty, and Dixon's review of 2 decades of research on the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI) provides highlights of more than 120 studies relating problem-solving appraisal to psychological adjustment, physical health, coping, and educational and vocational issues. Although clearly an impressive body of literature, the level of data reported is uneven with attention to effect sizes (e.g., correlations) and sample descriptors (e.g., race/ethnicity, n size, gender). Acknowledging the importance of the PSI and this major review, we provide commentary on the need for a meta-analysis and the continual expansion of research on the PSI with respect to diversity issues (i.e., …

Correlates Of Depression In Young Adult Caregivers, Mark Gillen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examined depression in young adult caregivers. It was hypothesized that levels of depression in 18 to 40 year olds who provided care to older adult family members would be similar to depression levels of middle age adult caregivers. This study also examined the relationship between depression, gender, employment, physical health, and relationships. Participants included 172 young adult caregivers that were employees of one of three mid-west universities or colleges. All employees in the young adult age range were contacted and provided with a survey packet. The survey included the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and predictor …

The Relationship Between The Use Of Developmentally Appropriate Practice And The Inclusion Of Product-Producing Art Activities In Infant Programs., April D. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Product-producing art activities (PPAA) produce visual products, disregarding developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) and the creative learning experience. Infant programs in Northeast TN were examined to determine if as PPAA levels increased DAP levels decreased, which was unfounded: t (2) = 1.80, n.s. In fact, significant differences were found between programs with high PPAA levels and DAP as indicated by scores on the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (Harms, Cryer, & Clifford, 1990) sub-scales: Furnishings and Displays, t (2) = 7.59, p < .05; Listening and Talking, t (2) = 6.71, p < .05; and Learning Activities, t (2) = 7.29, p < .05. Caregivers' main reason for including PPAA was: positive sensory experience; main reason for exclusion: infant/teacher relationship is more important.

The Use Of Rotation Model Sunday School., Heather Renee Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As outlined in this paper, Rotation Model (RM) Sunday school employs early childhood education practices. This study investigates the attitudes of parents, children's Sunday school leaders, and children in RM Sunday school compared to those in Non-Rotation Model (NRM) Sunday school. The purpose of the study was to determine if the attitudes of children and adults involved in RM were more positive than children and adults not participating in the model. Thirteen churches in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia participated in the study. Surveys rating attitudes toward Sunday school were completed by 100 children and 63 adults. Results showed no …

Nasp Standards And Rowan School Psychology Graduates: Does Knowledge Transfer To On-The-Job Skills?, Kristine E. Dipalo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Rowan University is preparing their school psychology graduates to deliver school psychology services according to professional standards set forth by NASP. This study examined the relationship between interns' self evaluations and supervisors' ratings on a measure of job performance. The information gathered was further correlated with job satisfaction. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data from the questionnaires. The results from this study indicate that there is a correlation between self-ratings and supervisors' ratings of job performance. This does not correlate with job satisfaction. The graduates of the school psychology …

Perceptions Of Helpfulness In Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: Congruence And Agreement Between Teachers And Parents, Susan M. Sheridan, William P. Erchul, Melissa S. Brown, Shannon E. Dowd, Emily D. Warnes, Diane C. Marti, Ariadne V. Schemm, John W. Eagle

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) can be considered a help-giving model, wherein consultants work with parents and teachers in an effort to develop constructive partnerships aimed at addressing needs of students for whom both parties share responsibility. The development of strong relationships among systems in a child’s life is related to positive outcomes for children, and congruence among systems is one relationship variable that has received previous research attention. This study examined the degree to which parent and teacher perceptions of the helpfulness of the CBC consultant are congruent, and its relationship with various case outcomes. Correlational analyses suggest that parents’ …

Globalisation And Alcohol, Ian Newman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Alcohol has been a global beverage for centuries. It is the best known and most widely used psychoactive drug. It occurs in nature without human assistance. It is one form of the four universal beverages -- water. milk, fruit/plant juices (which may be fermented), and blood. Alcohol is consumed in almost all societies of the world and all societies acknowledge, either directly or indirectly. its good and its bad affects. Despite the universality of alcohol and more than 5000 years of recorded experience, alcohol and its problems continue to challenge governments. businesses, communities, and families. Over time each society developed …

A Team-Based Approach To The Design And Development Of A Customer Service Training Program For Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators, Donna M. Ure

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the design and development processes used in creating a customer service training program for Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA) by three Instructional Psychology and Technology graduate students from Brigham Young University (the BYU design team). This paper reviews both the product and the process of developing the product. It also contains a formative evaluation of the product and provides a summative evaluation plan to be utilized by DMBA trainers once the product is fully implemented. The strengths and weaknesses of the training program are critiqued and recommendations for improvement are made. Finally, BYU design team members describe …

An Implementation Of A Drill And Practice System To Assist In The Teaching Of Basic Music Theory, Todd C. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

In order to help a group of introductory-level music students achieve a foundational understanding of music theory, a series of computer-based instructional modules were developed using a system called Technology-Assisted Language Learning (TALL). This system, though primarily intended to be used in developing natural language-based instruction, was designed to be flexible enough to handle a broad range of academic subjects. The design of the instruction was largely accomplished via formative evaluation, where student and expert reviews of prototypes played a significant role. Students reviewed three separate prototypes of the instruction, and experts in instructional design and evaluation were also asked …

Using Graphics, Animations, And Data-Driven Animations To Teach The Principles Of Simple Linear Regression To Graduate Students, Daniel Taylor Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the design, development, and evaluation of the Simple Linear Regression Lesson (SLRL), a web-based lesson that uses visual strategies to teach graduate students the principles of simple linear regression. The report includes a literature review on the use of graphics, animations, and data-driven animations in statistics pedagogy and instruction in general. The literature review also summarizes the pertinent instructional design and development theories that informed the creation of the lesson. Following the literature review is a description the SLRL and the methodologies used to develop it. The evaluation section of the report details the methods used during …

The Nexus Explored: A Generalised Model Of Learning Styles, Damian Gordon, Gordon Bull

Conference papers

The controversy over learning style (the unique way of thinking and reasoning that characterizes an individual learner) as to whether or not it is a stable cognitive factor is one which has raged on for a number of years, and has been reinvigorated recently with the advent of easy-to-use courseware development tools and the consequent development of virtual learning environments. This paper surveys a number of different learning styles models and it concludes there is a large degree of commonality between the different theories, which allows us to distill key or core learning style characteristics which point the way to …

Alcohol Expectancies Among High School Students In China, Duane F. Shell, Ian Newman, Ming Qu

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: There is little systematic information on the patterns of Chinese adolescents' alcohol expectancies and the influence of expectancies on drinking behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine Chinese high school students' alcohol expectancies and gender and drinking status (non-drinker, occasional drinker, regular drinker) differences in expectancies.

Method: We administered the Chinese Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (CAEQ) to a convenience sample of 1244 high school students (M = 627; F = 617) from schools in Huhhot City, Chayouhou Qi, and Tongliao City in Inner Mongolia, China.
Results: We identified eight expectancy factors: three negative (general negative consequences, harm …

Using Weblogs In Scholarship And Teaching, David Wiley, Trey Martindale

Faculty Publications

The web has become an important resource for teaching and learning (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2003). One reason the web is such a vital resource is that it allows almost anyone to contribute to its "holdings." Tools like HTML editors and FTP clients have made web publishing available to many teachers and students. However, the challenge of learning to use these tools has been a barrier to web publishing for many. Weblogs reduce the technical barriers to effective web publishing significantly.

Thinking About Andragogy: The International Foundation For Its Research, Theory And Practice Linkage In Adult Education And Human Resource Development, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

More than 50 major works published in English from national and international sources on Andragogy are presented here, in order to provide a clear and understandable, international foundation for the linkage between the research, theory and practice of andragogy, and its application to HRD. The six themes provided a foundation for the linkage: Evolution of the term; historical antecedents shaping the concept; comparison of American and European understanding; popularizing of American concept; practical application; and theory, research, and definition.

Non-Native English Speakers And Their Experience In College: A Study Based On Interview Conducted With International Students At The University Of Massachusetts In Amherst, Amadou Kamara

Master's Capstone Projects

This study explores the experiences of international students within their learning environment and the community at large from the vintage point of being second, third, or fourth language speakers of English. Six undergraduate participants ( three male and three female) were selected from five disciplines and·one undeclared major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A phenomenological interviewing process was used to explore the experiences of the non-native English speakers. Three sixty-minute interviews were conducted with each of the participants and later transcribed. The study explores the educational and social experiences of the participants in college, and also their experiences of …

Hope And Guidance For Parents Of Children With Ocd: A Review Of Freeing Your Child From Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder [Book Review Section], Richard J. Cowan, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

A favorable review of Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by T.E. Chansky (Crown Publishers, 2004). From the review: "Closely following March and Mulle's (1998) treatment protocol, this book is guided by the philosophy that an individual with OCD must “boss back” symptoms in order to break the symptom cycle. With this approach OCD is objectified (and externalized) as a “brain bully” or enemy that can be overcome with knowledge, determination, and support. Separating the child from his/her OCD symptoms is an effective, concrete technique that children and adolescents will readily comprehend. Such a tactic reminds parents that their child …

Education Chronicle Issue 1 Number 3, Touro College School Of Education And Psychology - Graduate Division

Yearbooks and Newsletters

"An informational publication of the School of Education and Psychology - Graduate Division"

Speech-Language Pathologists' Opinions On Communication Disorders And Violence, Dixie Sanger, Barbara J. Moore-Brown, Judith Montgomery, Susan Hellerich

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: This study investigated the opinions of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding their role, education, and training in serving students with communication disorders who have been involved in violence.

Method: A survey consisting of 26 items was given to 598 SLPs from eight states representing geographic regions of the United States.

Results: Participants acknowledged that violence is an increasing concern. They also recognized the valuable role they have in planning prevention programs and serving on multidisciplinary teams. In contrast, SLPs' opinions suggested that they did not feel well trained to deal with violence, nor did they feel that …