Education Commons^™

Transitioning From Graduate Nurse To Professional Nurse, Jan M. Kamphuis

Theses and Dissertations

Just as the world is facing many changes and transitions, nursing care delivery systems and nursing education systems continue to struggle with significant transitions in nursing practice. New, or novice nurses, find it increasingly difficult to transition from the role of the graduate nurse to professional nurse. It is, therefore, not surprising that the most stressful time during a nurse's career is the first three months of initial employment or that 35% to 60% of nurse graduates change jobs during the first year of employment. Many of these new nurses suffer from early disillusionment with the profession and often leave …

Teacher And Student Attitudes Towards Multicultural Issues, Nathan Taraska

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this research were to (a) measure the multicultural attitudes of teachers in a secondary setting, grades 9-12 (n=6); (b) measure the multicultural attitudes of the students in those teachers' classes (n=92); and (c) determine whether these samples of students and teachers have statistically similar multicultural attitudes that indicate a positive relationship. Teachers and students demonstrated largely positive attitudes towards multicultural issues. A series of t-tests revealed the attitudes of the two groups were statistically similar on 12 of the 13 questionnaire items regarding multicultural issues. Implications for schools, teachers, and multicultural education in …

Process-Writing Instruction In One Teacher's Classes And Its Impact On The Writing Of Her Seventh Grade Students, Christine M. Dicicco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the project was to determine whether process-writing instruction in the classroom was improving one group of seventh grade language arts students' writing. Students in three classes with the same language arts teacher were involved in the study. Over the course of the first three marking periods, writing samples were collected from each of the students involved. Each student's writing was assessed according to criteria on both the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards and the New Jersey Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric. The teacher was also both observed and interviewed in order to determine what process-writing techniques she implemented …

An Investigation Of The Tools And Strategies Used To Present Multiple Perspectives In The Classroom, Christopher P. Madden

Theses and Dissertations

The research question for this project is what are the tools and strategies teachers are using to present multiple perspectives to their students? The data sources for this research included classroom observations, teacher interviews, student questionnaires, and document analysis. Four different teachers were interviewed and had their classes observed. There were a total of 16 observations containing detailed field notes. Twenty-seven students filled out the questionnaire. Documents used in the classroom as tools were collected and analyzed for this research. Four main strategies for presenting multiple perspectives in the classroom were found: open discussion, current events, alternative texts, and movies …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Let Me Learn And Process Writing: A Qualitative Analysis, Grace D. Hagan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between Let Me Learn and process writing. Christine A. Johnston's Let Me Learn Inventory was administered to a middle school class of 27 students, and 8 students were selected with use-first learning patterns in each of the four learning pattern categories. Once the 8 students were selected, the students participated in interviews with questions regarding their learning patterns and writing process style. The researcher then collected three writing samples from each student as well as a novel project. Upon completion of the data collection, the writing samples were analyzed …

Teacher Management Of Homophobia And Homosexuality In High Schools, Sarah Elizabeth Kiyak

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to examine ways in which high school teachers manage issues of homophobia and homosexuality in high schools. Surveys were distributed to teachers in one southern New Jersey high school in order to measure the frequency of tolerance and adherence to policy regarding homosexual issues of students. The survey, constructed of eleven forced response questions using a Likert scale and one open-ended question, was the instrument utilized in this research project. After the completed surveys were returned, the results were tallied and frequency tables were used to analyze the results. The open-ended questions were …

The Perceptions Of School Safety And Discipline And How These Perceptions Affect Teaching Methods And Strategies, James J. Lapsley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions teachers have concerning safety and discipline within their school and how these perceptions affect teaching methods and strategies. The study took place in a large rural area high school with a diverse multi-cultural background of students. This particular school has increasingly been scrutinized for the disruptive behavior of the students and the ability of the administration to handle these problems among the majority of teachers in the school. This study focused on the perceptions the teachers have about their school policies and procedures and the ability the school has in …

A Study Of The Female Formation Of Identity During The High School Years: A Qualitative Analysis, Elisabeth C. Rigney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to examine the factors that influence and affect identity formation by female adolescents during the high school years. Group discussion sessions were held for a sample size of 6 participants that introduced certain topics that were deemed relevant to adolescent females' identity formation. Through the group discussions, participants demonstrated that these topics, including body image, family pressure, and relationships, were inherent to the ways they form identity during the high school years. Upon completion of the data collection, the discussion sessions were coded for each topic and then divided by those responses deemed …

The Use Of The Socratic Method In A Contemporary High School Classroom In Developing Problem-Solving, Critical Thinking, And Decision Making Skills, Anna Schneider Muessig

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to attempt to use a modified approach to the Socratic method in a contemporary high school classroom as a means of developing problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills in high school students. The participants in the study were 16 male students and 13 female students from two sections of an eleventh grade Honors English class at a suburban high school in southern New Jersey. These students were selected as a population of convenience during the researcher's Clinical Internship II experience. As a part of regular classroom instruction, the researcher employed a modified form …

Parental Ability To Support Their Children's Education Of Mathematics, Jenny M. Honold

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which parents/guardians can adequately support the success of their children's innovative mathematics curriculum. The study raises questions about the skills and knowledge parents have about today's mathematical practices. Are parents informed enough to sufficiently support their children's mathematical achievement? A qualitative review will take place by collecting student perception surveys, parent perception surveys, parent interviews, and a teacher journal recording home-school communication. This study is concerned with how teachers at Webster Elementary School will better be able to foster an environment where the mathematics needs of parents and children …

Motivating Elementary School Students In Literacy: A Study On Discussion Groups, Beth A. Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research proposal was literacy motivation for students in elementary school. The researcher hypothesized that students who took part in a discussion group, which is a motivational technique used in literacy, would perform better on a comprehension test and had a higher level of motivation to read than students who did not participate in discussion groups. The proposed method included taking a stratified random sample of 6 second grade students that participated in discussion groups daily for two weeks. All students were required to keep a reading log of the books that they read in school and …

Self-Regulated Strategy Development: A Cognitive Strategies Approach To Persuasive Writing, Amy I. Bennet

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the application of Self- Regulated Strategy Development model of writing instruction will improve the writing of persuasive compositions in seven 4th grade students. Self-Regulated Strategy Development pairs mnemonics representing the parts of different genres of writing with self-talk statements used by the students to "think" through the writing process. The students in this study were introduced to these strategies through small group instruction that took place during the regular school day. Through conferencing with the students, and by comparing the compositions written before the SRSD instruction to compositions written …

Looking At The Impact Of Parental Involvement On Student Learning, Carly H. Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study focuses on parental involvement in schools, in particular, the over involvement of some parents. Major themes covered include parent-teacher communication, appropriate involvement in and out of the classroom, and parental interference. Research was conducted by surveying two hundred fifty parents and sixty teachers in one elementary school in conjunction with follow-up interviews and the researcher's field notes. The response rates were low and respondents may share many characteristics, skewing the results. Questions on the surveys were categorized into themes to look for trends. The results find that some parents do interfere with the educational process and children …

Parent-Teacher Communication Methods: Which Ones Do Teachers Utilize, And Why?, Jennifer Ann Clipper

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that parental involvement has positive effects on education. Further, parents are more likely to become involved if they are kept up-to-date with student progress; however, in order for parents to know this information, effective communication needs to be maintained. This study used a survey instrument with open-ended and closed-ended responses (Likert scale) as well as teacher interviews. The sample included fifty teachers in an upper elementary school in southern New Jersey. These respondents' answers helped to determine which methods of home-school communication are currently in use, which are perceived as most effective, and how much time is …

Gesture: Nonverbal Communication Between Teachers And Students, Christina Roviello

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers convey nonverbal messages to their class using gestures, body language, tone and physical body placement. Research shows that nonverbal messages can be very powerful tools with students. Research has also shown that nonverbal gestures paired with verbal communication enhance comprehension. This study's purpose is to find evidence that using nonverbal gestures in the classroom improves teacher direction and class attention and understanding. Data analysis shows that particular students benefit from emblems gesture in the classroom setting. Conclusions and implications of this study suggest that nonverbal communication has an influence on the classroom environment; however, further investigation is required.

Examining Factors That Influence Elementary Teachers' Dress Habits, Jill K. Camburn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that impact the attire that elementary teachers choose to wear to work. This study was conducted in an upper elementary school (grades three through five) in a large K-12 public school district in Camden County, New Jersey. The participants were 44 elementary, special education, and special area teachers whose teaching experience varied. Participants completed surveys in which they used a Likert-type attitude scale to assign ratings to various possible factors. Data from the surveys was recorded in percentages and organized into groups according to years of experience. Interviews were also …

The Effect Of Graphic Organizers On The Academic Achievement Of Fourth Grade Students, Stephanie Kirschbaum

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect that graphic organizers have on the academic achievement of fourth grade students. The sample was a fourth grade classroom in an elementary school in southern New Jersey. The researcher taught the students two different social studies chapters. The researcher collected data by giving the students two tests for each of the two chapters taught. There were a total of four tests given. These tests were similar in that they were the exact same difficulty level. However, in each chapter there was one test that was constructed using graphic organizers, and …

The Effect Of Different-Sex And Same-Sex Cooperative Learning Groups On Achievement, Jennifer L. Olshefski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of different-sex and same-sex cooperative learning groups on the achievement of fourth grade students. The subjects for this study are nineteen fourth grade students in a regular education classroom in a southern New Jersey elementary school. The students worked in cooperative learning groups during science period. The academic performance of the same-sex cooperative learning groups and the different-sex cooperative learning groups was assessed through student artifacts/work, anecdotal notes/observations, teacher research journal, and a student end-of-study questionnaire. A qualitative approach was used to analyze the data, which revealed that students in …

A Comparison Study Of The Stress Levels Between English Language Learner Students And Native English Language Speaking Students, Christine J. Desrochers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find whether students who are English Language Learners showed significantly higher stress levels than students who spoke English as their native language. A survey was administered to both groups to determine which group showed higher levels of stress. The total sample size was 24 students, with 12 students belonging in each respective group. An independent sample t-test was used to analyze the data. After analysis the study found that there was a significantly higher level of stress found in English Language Learners than there was in Native English Language Speaking students.

The Effectiveness Of Instruction In A Third Grade Classroom Utilizing The Theory Of Multiple Intelligence, Matthew W. Whitaker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of utilizing Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence in a third grade classroom. An experimental group (n = 21) received the treatment teaching method over a two week period. A control group of students (n = 20) was instructed the same unit over the same two week period utilizing a traditional teaching method. Both groups were intact classes prior to the research beginning. A pretest and posttest were administered and a t-test for independent samples was employed to determine if there was a significant difference in achievement between …

Role Of The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards In The 4th Grade Classrooms Of Salem County, Nj, J. Michael Mcqueston

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to examine the role that the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards are playing in the 4^th grade classrooms of Salem County, New Jersey. Through surveying the teachers of Salem County, the researcher was able to assign a level of comfort and usage of the NJCCCS for each school district and compare that level with student achievement on the 2003 NJASK assessment. Additionally the issues of clarity and parsimony of the standards, alignment to the assessment and professional development opportunities available to teachers were also studied. The hypothesis of the study was that …

A Study Examining The Effects Of Athletics On Females' Mathematical Achievement, Genevieve M. Bieg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of a correlation between females who actively participated in athletics and a high achievement in mathematics. A comparison of females who actively participated in athletics and females who did not actively participate in athletics was made using an independent samples t-test.

The design for this study was the use of a survey, data collection and an independent samples t-test. This study used the sample of forty-one sixth grade females. Each female attended the same middle school and had the same math teacher. Each participant filled out a survey that determined …

A Study To Determine If Multimedia Technologies In A Regular Classroom Enhance Learning And Motivation, Carol Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of infusing multimedia technologies in a regular classroom. The purpose of this study was also to demonstrate that with the use of technology, the students would better understand the important concepts covered in the social studies unit, as well as be motivated to learn.

Thirty sixth grade students conducted research using wireless laptops to find information about a prominent African-American who has made a positive contribution to our society. The control group created an oral presentation and constructed a replica in the form of a doll to represent their person. …

The Comparison Of Social And Academic Support Services For Regular And Specially Admitted African American Females At A Predominantly White Institution, Corinne J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) compare the academic and social support services provided to regularly admitted African American females with specially admitted African American females all of whom attend a predominantly white institution, and (b) determine how responsive the predominantly white institution is to the academic and social needs of African American females. The academic and social support for both groups was similar with higher utilization and satisfaction of services among the specially admitted. However, the institution did not prove to be responsive to African American females in many of the social aspects. The results showed that …