Education Commons^™

The Effect Of Using A Read Aloud Nonfiction Picture Book To Strengthen Fifth Grade Students' Comprehension Of Science Content, Jana Robertson Hammond

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a read- aloud nonfiction picture books would increase fifth grade students' science comprehension as measured by a criterion reference test.

Four questions guided the research in this study:

1. What are the benefits of reading aloud to fifth grade students?

2. According to the Fry Readability graph, what is the readability of the Harcourt textbook used in fifth grade and the readability of the nonfiction picture books chosen for this study?

3. Does the use of a read aloud nonfiction picture book increase fifth grade students' comprehension versus a round-robin instruction …

Florida Social Studies Leaders' Perceptions Regarding An Afrocentric Curriculum, Vicki Kaplan Banks

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to gain insight into the perceptions Florida's leaders have regarding the inclusion of an Afrocentric curriculum. The leaders chosen for this study were the Florida Council for the Social Studies Board and the Association of Social Studies Supervisors. These leaders were sent a questionnaire that contained 57 statements about social studies curriculum content in a Likert scale format. The results of the survey were reported by using mean scores and frequency distributions.

The Likert survey statements examined respondents' viewpoints with regard to diversity, Afrocentrism, and Eurocentrism. The results of the survey were used …

Using Electronic Portfolios To Archive Student Performance, Phyllis M. Olmstead

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study regards the use of portfolios for evaluating and documenting student progress and performance. In consideration of the far reaching and global nature of education, the researcher included educators from both the United States and other countries. Based upon the great importance that many countries and states have placed upon servicing students by alternative means, the population sample examined included 500 teachers instructing by both conventional and distance education modalities; Many current educational reform measures and legislative issues concern the attainment of job skills; therefore, both vocational and non-vocational instructors were included in the study.

Examined in the study …

The Emancipatory Effect Of Integrating Communication Research Tenets On Discrete Curriculum Designs, Elizabeth Cheney Michel

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Critical philosophers hold that the underlying cause of our current educational dilemma is a societal condition called modernity, the unique result of the technological orientation that has characterized society for the last two decades. Maintaining that individual human interests cannot be served by an instrumentally-oriented educational system, Habermas declares that the key to effecting change is dynamic, democratic communication in the classroom, oriented in the emancipatory interests of the unique individuals therein. The purpose of this study was to reveal an interdisciplinary link between the tenets of critical educational philosophy and communication theory, and, by implementing the dictates of extant …

An Historical Analysis Of The Philosophies Of The Vocational Education Leaders In Relation To The 1990 Carl D. Perkins Vocational And Applied Technology Education Act Amendments, Cynthia D. Woodley

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Federal vocational education legislation has undergone drastic changes in recent years. This study was designed to determine the educational philosophies of the leaders who pushed for the 1990 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments and the degree to which the amendments reflected the philosophies of those leaders. Data were collected on testimonies given before the United Stated Congress during hearings related to the act, to identify who the leaders were. Once the leaders were identified, the published literature and testimony of each leaders was analyzed using a model developed by Lloyd Duck and the educational philosophy …

Assessing The Effects Of A Program To Improve Questioning Skills Of Nurse Educators In Clinical Post-Conferences: An Initial Study, Diane M. Wink

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The use of cognitively high level questions, those classified in Bloom's taxonomy at the application level and above, has been suggested as a teaching strategy which will help students develop critical thinking abilities. This study was designed to determine the effect of a program to teach nursing faculty how to ask cognitively high level questions.

A convenience sample was used. Subjects in the treatment (N=10) and control (N=4) groups were faculty and the students in their clinical laboratory groups from four National League for Nursing accredited undergraduate nursing programs in the state of Florida. Pre- and post-intervention data on the …

Declines In Student Achievement In Science-- Implications For Public Education, Robert P. Hogan

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

During the 1960s and 1970s, major innovative science curricula were introduced into public schools in the United States, and federal funds were used to improve the quality of science teachers. Nevertheless, student achievement in science has generally declined since 1963. This research focused on changes in four of the key variables related to science achievement--teachers, students, curricula, and school goals. The research examined (a) meta-analyses of the effectiveness of the innovative science curricula on student achievement, (b) research on changes in teacher and student characteristics during the last 30 years, (c) educational literature on changes in the goals of public …

Discrete Mathematics In The Secondary Curriculum A Delphi Study Of Topics And Trends, Ann C. Vining

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Extent Of Agreement On The Implementation Of Instructional Design Principles Among Corporate Training And Development Experts, Elba C. Grovdahl

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A sample of corporate instructional designers and professors of instructional design completed the "Corporate Instructional Design Scale." The data yielded information on the extent of agreement that descriptive statements identified conventionally and systematically designed instruction.

Descriptive and asymmetric log linear (statistical) analyses were conducted. In the asymmetric log linear analyses, the extent of agreement was used as the dependent variable. The three independent variables with three levels each were Program type (conventionally designed instruction, both conventionally and systematically designed instruction, and systematically designed instruction), Instructional component (instructional intents, instructional strategies, and instructional assessments), and Trainer type (professional trainers in manufacturing, …

The Relationship Between Class Activity Levels And Stated Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, Edwin Warner Kinney

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the class activity level to the stated attitude toward physical activity for community college students. The subjects for study were community college students enrolled in their first college level physical education classes. The activity level of each class was classified by the instructor as being either no aerobic activity, moderate aerobic activity or high aerobic activity. A modified version of Keynon's Attitude Toward Physical Activity was the instrument used as a pretest and again as a posttest at the end of the one-semester classes. The A.T.P.A. consists of 54 …

An Applied Orientation Model In A Community College Setting, Ivan Ronald Applebaum

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted at Valencia Community College to determine whether an improved student performance and retention. An orientation, based on the expressed needs of students, was provided to first-time, full-time students. The orientation consisted of an introduction to the institution and its resources, academic skill training, and personal resources management training. There were 22 students who participated for one day, 25 students who participated for two days of orientation, and a control group of 72 students. Although the behavioral outcomes were not generally statistically significant, the trends of all of the dependent measures, i.e., enrollment and withdrawal, were in …