Education Commons^™

Public School Principals’ Perceptions In Accredited And Non-Accredited Elementary Schools Regarding Strategies To Improve Student Performance On The Michigan Education Assessment Program, Mattie P. Hampton

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate whether principals of summary accredited elementary schools and principals of non-accredited elementary schools significantly differ in their perceptions in regards to selected strategies used to prepare students for the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP). More specifically, this study attempted to address three focused interrelated questions: (I) Will principals of summary accredited elementary schools and principals of nonaccredited elementary schools significantly differ in their perceptions in regards to selected curriculum strategies used to prepare students for the MEAP? (2) Will principals of summary accredited elementary schools and principals of non-accredited elementary schools …

The Effects Of A Pen Pal Program On Attitude Toward Letter Writing In Fourth Grade Students, Lisa Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted with a group of fourth grade elementary school students in a rural area of southern New Jersey to determine whether engaging in a pen pal program would affect their attitudes toward letter writing, as determined by the scores on a writing questionnaire. The sample was a group of 50 students, consisting of 28 boys and 22 girls, of which 14 percent were black and 86 percent were white. The experimental group exchanged letters with pen pals for a period of eight weeks, while the control group did not. Language instruction for both groups remained the same. …

A Parent Weekly Newsletter And Its Effect On Student Achievement, Brigid Alise Mcguigan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if students whose parents receive a parent weekly newsletter would perform better on a unit test than those students whose parents did not receive a parent weekly newsletter.

The sample in this study consisted of 48 students from a public third grade in southern New Jersey. The experimental group consisted of 22 students whose parents received a weekly newsletter for four weeks, from the teacher, about the current social studies unit being taught. The control group consisted of 26 students who were taught the same social studies unit by the same teacher …

The Effect Of Value Instilling Literature On Elementary Aged Children, Erika S. Pello

Theses and Dissertations

In order to determine the effect of lifeskill instruction on the decision-making skills of third graders, a study was performed in a southern New Jersey elementary school. The sample consisted of approximately forty third grade students between the ages of seven and ten years old. The students in both groups were initially pretested with an opinionnaire, which included twelve multiple-choice questions. Lifeskill education was later incorporated into the curriculum for Group A only, which served as the experimental group for the study. Both classes were then posttested. Two t-tests were performed to determine whether there was a significant difference in …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Academic Achievement, And Popularity On Fourth And Fifth Grade Students, Carolyn M. Arata

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to find two relationships. The first relationship is between academic achievement and self-esteem and the second relationship is between self-esteem and popularity among fourth and fifth grade students.

The population used for the purpose of this study was a multiage classroom consisting of both fourth and fifth grades. The classroom was located in southern New Jersey. The population consisted of both male and female students. The students were given a questionnaire to measure personality and the Nonsexist Personal Attribute Inventory for Children which measured self-esteem. Academic achievement was measured by averaging grades, from mathematics, …

The Effects Of Performance Based Activities On The Achievement Of The Theme Assessment For Beginning Sounds In Kindergarten, Renee Kruse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if students who receive performance based activities would perform better on activities that required the identification of beginning sounds than those who were taught using traditional teaching methods.

The sample in this study consisted of 89 students from a public kindergarten in southern New Jersey. The experimental group consisted of 45 students who received the sorting performance based activities. The control group consisted of 44 students who were exposed to more worksheets and verbal identification of beginning sounds than performance based activities.

A pretest and posttest was used to determine if sorting …

The Effects Of Reinforcement Activities On Reading Comprehension In A Third Grade Classroom, Jessica A.C. Tobin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reinforcement activities on the reading comprehension of third grade students. It was hypothesized that students who completed a hands-on art activity after hearing a story would score significantly higher on a reading comprehension test than those who finished a worksheet activity. Both the students who completed a hands-on art activity and those who did a worksheet activity would score significantly higher on a reading comprehension test than those who received no reinforcement activity after hearing a story. All 23 students in the third grade classroom were given all three …

A Study Comparing Students' Attitudes Toward School In 2000 And In 1979, Rachel C. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare students' attitudes toward school in grade 4 and grade 10 in 1979 and 2000. The researcher analyzed the data gathered from the surveys of 47 students in grade 4 and 47 students in grade 10. The students surveyed attended a private elementary school (grade 4) and a public high school (grade 10), both located in southern New Jersey. The instrument used, the Student Sentiment Index, was analyzed by means of independent t-tests. The results of the 2000 implementation of the survey were then compared to the 1979 administration of the same survey. …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Reading Attitude And Gender In Fourth Grade Children, Crisalinda C. Byro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between reading attitude and gender, to compare reading attitudes between boys and girls on academic and recreational reading, and to attempt to show the difference in reading attitudes between boys and girls in the fourth grade. The seventy-nine (79) subjects who participated in this study were taken from the total population of the three fourth grade classes in a public elementary school in a suburban area in southern New Jersey. The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS; McKenna & Kear, 1990) was used to assess reading attitudes. Mean reading attitude scores …

The Elementary Teacher’S Role In Moral Education: An Investigation Of One Albuquerque Public School Site, Melanie L. Bauer

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the elementary teacher’s role as a moral educator. The context is the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) in New Mexico. I have investigated the Character Counts! program, the moral education program which has been adopted and utilized by the school district. I describe the goals and rationale behind the Character Counts! program, as written about in existing documentation and literature. In addition, I have conducted interviews with individuals in APS in charge of creating and disseminating such information. I have reported on the perceived effectiveness and shortcomings of the Character Counts! program as described by the people in …

The Professional Development Of Beginning Teachers Of Primary Mathematics, Robert Leonard Sparrow

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Recent documents have recommended a style of teaching for primary classrooms that favours a constructivist viewpoint of learning. The actuality of mathematics classrooms is different from this vision. Newly trained teachers while exposed to, and expounding, a constructivist philosophy are, in many cases, implementing a more traditional, teacher-centred approach to classroom practice. The purpose of this study was twofold: to investigate factors which influence the pedagogical practices and beliefs of beginning teachers of mathematics in primary classrooms and secondly to evaluate a professional development support model for beginning primary mathematics teachers. A model for professional development and support of beginning …

An Examination Of Educational, Occupational, And Religious Characteristics Associated With Decisions Of Suburban Catholic Parents About The Elementary School Education Of Their Children, Paul Edward Ward

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Feasibility Of A Flexibly Delivered Professional Development Program For Teachers In Road Safety Education, Vanessa Hille

Theses : Honours

School-based prevention education programs can contribute to a reduction in childhood road trauma by increasing students' knowledge, attitudes and skills. Professional development (PO) for teachers is needed to ensure effective implementation of health curricula. Access to conventional workshop PD is restricted by obstacles such as time, cost and lack of resources. A flexibly delivered PD program would allow teachers to study when, where and how they prefer. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a flexibly delivered PD program for teachers in road safety education. The target population was teachers from Western Australian primary schools. A …

What Counts As Accountability? : Towards An Accountability Framework For The Pre-Primary, Lennie Barblett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Accountability in the pre-primary year has become a focus for attention as schools develop corporate school plans. Pre-primary teachers can no longer work in isolation and are required to implement the school development plan in order to account for their portion of the school's work. This study aimed to find out how pre-primary teachers accounted for their educational programs and what factors influenced their accountability notions and practices. The study conducted in Western Australia used an ecological theoretical framework. Data was collected using multi-modal techniques and analysed using an interpretive-constructivist approach. Three case studies, a questionnaire and focus groups of …

A Study Of How Elementary School Principals Spend Their Time With Different Quality Levels Of Teachers As A Correlate Of Principal Focus And Time, Gloria Gibba Kieley

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Effect Of Cross-Age Tutoring On Reading Attitude, Joshua John Quick

Masters Theses

One of the greatest challenges facing teachers of reading today is the negative attitude of students toward reading. One suggested means of positively influencing the reading attitude of students is cross-age tutoring. However, a study is needed to establish whether a clear link exists between cross-age tutoring and positive changes in reading attitude. Experimental research was conducted during the course of an academic quarter (nine weeks) to determine whether cross-age tutoring has a positive impact on reading attitude. The subjects of the study were first grade students (n=12). The first graders were identified for the study based on low scores …

Self-Selection Vs. Writing Prompts: A Study To Examine The Effects Topics Have On Elementary Students' Writing, Julie Ann Hall

Masters Theses

The purposes of this study were: 1) to evaluate the quality of writing in first, second, and third graders who were given a writing prompt, 2) to evaluate the quality of writing in first, second, and third graders who self-selected their own writing topic, and 3) to determine if there were any differences in the quality of writing between the two groups.

The researcher was the instructor for all the students who participated in the study. Included in the study were first, second, and third grade students who were present on the day the researcher visited. Approximately half of the …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Standardized Tests On Curricular And Instructional Practices, Jennifer Joy Davis Fox

Masters Theses

Does a student's performance on a standardized test measure the quality of education he/she is receiving? Many students today are being bombarded with standardized assessments mandated by state and district policies. The pressure to perform well on these assessments causes teachers to focus their classroom instructional time on test preparation even at the expense of the non-tested topics and curricular areas. A written survey was designed to determine teachers' perceptions of the influence of standardized tests on curricular and instructional practices. Participating in this study were third and fourth grade teachers (n=67) who administer the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). …