Education Commons^™

Ideal And Actual Mentor Teacher Characteristics As Perceived By Second-Year And Non-Returning First-Year Public School North Carolina Teachers, Barbara D. Tipton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher examined non-returning first-year teachers and second year teachers who taught during the 1994-95 school year. The research design included five research questions with six null hypotheses testing for differences among second year teachers' perceptions and non-returning teachers' perceptions of their mentor teachers. After calculating ratings on desired and demonstrated scales by 464 subjects, criteria were ranked on mentor characteristics on 12 tasks. The extent to which each task was demonstrated during their first year's teaching experience was also calculated. Participants indicated that the ideal mentor would advocate for the novice and would demonstrate a sensitive approach in assisting. …

The Use Of Data In School-Based Decision Making, Walter J. Deboer

Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which various types of commonly available data were used by staff for school-based decision making at 24 elementary schools in the Grand Rapids Public School district. The level of data use w as correlated with measures of school effectiveness. Further correlational analyses examined: (a) whether principals' attitudes toward data influenced the level of data use, (b) whether staff at more effective schools made exemplary or effective use of data to a greater degree, and (c) whether staff at more effective schools were more likely to overcome traditional barriers to data use.

School effectiveness was …

Block Scheduling: From Possibility To Reality?, Frederic M. Muse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines teacher practices and student learning as perceived by teachers within public high schools that have implemented block scheduling. Comparisons are made between the possibilities advanced by block scheduling advocates and the actual results as interpreted from the data gathered. Comparisons are made between teaching and learning with the traditional schedule and the manner in which it takes place with block scheduling. Open-ended questionnaires were developed for use with voluntary participants who had worked with traditional scheduling and now taught with some form of block scheduling. Participants recorded observations based solely upon personal perceptions of experiences with students …

Perceptions Of Year-Round Principals: The Effect Of Year-Round Education In Fulfilling The Recommendations Of The National Commission On Excellence In Education And Goals 2000, Sharon C. O'Dell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to answer research questions designed to determine principals' perceptions of the effect of year-round education (YRE) on students, teachers, and parents. These perceptions were then used to determine if YRE is fulfilling the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education and Goals 2000. There were 27 null hypotheses used to answer eight research questions that guided the study. Analysis of the data revealed that year-round principals perceive YRE as having a significantly positive impact on 25 variables in areas relating to educational opportunities/content, standards and expectations, time/flexibility and operational costs, teaching, and school/parent relations. Analysis …

Self-Concept In Gifted Children: A Developmental And Comparative Study, Sherri L. Evangelista

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the various dimensions of self-concept in gifted children, to compare self-concept in gifted and nongifted children, and to attempt to discover a relationship between self-concept and achievement in gifted children. The 25 subjects who participated in this study were a sample of gifted students taken from a population of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students enrolled in a public elementary school in a suburban area in southern New Jersey. The Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) was used to assess self-concept. Mean self-concept scores and standard deviations were calculated for each subscale. …

Effects Of Choice Restriction On The Intrinsic Motivation To Produce Creative Products, Karen M. Suloff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether choice restriction decreased intrinsic motivation for a task resulting in a less creative product. The study focused on two kindergarten classes in a half day school setting. The students were to make collages. The students were either given choice or no choice of materials when making their collage. The morning class was given choice of materials. They were allowed to freely choose what they wanted from the boxes of materials. The afternoon class was given no choice of materials. They were given materials chosen by the experimenter. Two weeks later the …

The Effects Of Social And Tangible Reinforcement On Vocabulary Acquisition In Whole Language, Carolyn M. Brida

Theses and Dissertations

In this study the effects of social and tangible reinforcement in whole language was measured. The purpose was to determine if there were any significant effects of the various treatment conditions on vocabulary acquisition.

Social reinforcement and tangible reinforcement are used to motivate students to perform (Neihoff & Mesch, 1991) and achieve (Hitz & Driscoll, 1989). The academic performance and achievement of students in the area of vocabulary acquisition is an important part of the academic process. Vocabulary remains a key focus in education (Nagy, 1988). Whole language programs include vocabulary acquisition (Blachowicz & Fisher, 1996).

The sample for this …

Reading Attitude And Academic Achievement In Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Children, Denise L. Moretz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between reading attitudes and academic achievement of elementary school children in grades three, four, and five. Also, the researcher wanted to determine if variables such as gender or time in school affected the relationship between reading attitude and academic achievement.

The subjects consisted of seventy students from three intact classrooms. This study took place in a middle class suburban elementary school in southern New Jersey. Twenty-seven students were from third grade, twenty-one students were from fourth grade, and twenty-two students were from fifth grade, Thirty-eight females and thirty-two …

The Effect Of Coeducational And Same-Sex Cooperative Learning Groups On Achievement, Michelle L. Rodier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of coeducational and same sex cooperative learning groups on the achievement of first grade students. It is hypothesized that the academic performance of students in all subject areas while participating in a "same-sex cooperative learning group" will exceed their performance in the "coeducational learning group." The subjects of this study were twenty-two first grade students from a southern New Jersey community. This study was divided into two experimental cycles – cycle A and cycle B. Cycle A included three weeks of coeducational cooperative learning groups and cycle B included three …

The Effect Of Gender And Birth Order On Reading And Mathematics Achievement Among Third Grade Students, Laurie D. Rosenberg-Asch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine that there was no significant correlation between the effect of gender and birth order on reading and mathematics achievement among third grade students.

The sample in this study consisted of students in a third grade class, in a public elementary school in a suburban school district in southern New Jersey. The sample was comprised of forty randomly selected students from two third grade classes in the school. Twenty students were female, and twenty students were male.

Interim report cards were used as the instrument to determine achievement in reading and mathematics. The …

Vocabulary Acquisition Of Target Words By Second Grade Students Through Storybook Read-Aloud Sessions, Joann Ulbrich

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of three conditions of vocabulary presentation were examined to determine which method is optimal for vocabulary acquisition of the meanings of unfamiliar words in elementary school students. The design of this study was similar to that used by A. Brett, L. Rothlein, and M. Hurley (1996). Three intact classes of second grade students, N = 59, in a suburban area in Southern New Jersey were randomly assigned to a control group, a group where students received no explanations of target words when they were read a storybook aloud, or a group where students received brief explanations of target …

The Relationship Of Attendance (Absenteeism) To Achievement And To Single-Parent And Two-Parent Home Status, Kristi H. Weikel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant correlation between student attendance and overall achievement level. This study also investigated if there was a significant difference in the absentee rate of students from single-parent homes versus students from two-parent homes.

The sample in this study consisted of one hundred and thirty-five fourth grade students from an elementary school in southern New Jersey. This was the entire fourth grade population for this district. The school was located in a suburban area.

The report cards were used to determine the grade point averages for the students. Their …

An Investigation Of The Technology-Related Courses And Experiences In Five University Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs, Julie R. Mandes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most relevant issues facing schools today is the incorporation of technology into classroom instruction. The literature reveals that knowledge is the most critical factor which determines the degree to which teachers integrate technology into their instruction. Teachers with high levels of anxiety are less likely to integrate technology into their curricula. Elementary school teachers are not generally comfortable and skilled in the use of instructional technology and are therefore unable to exploit its potential. It was the purpose of this study to define whether or not there is a need for undergraduate teacher education programs to further …

A Comparison Of Multiage Education And Graded Education In The Areas Of Academics, Social Skills And Attitudes Of Participants, Cheryl L. Buff

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the effects of multiage education and graded education on academic performance, social skills development and parent, student and teacher attitudes toward school.

The 34 multiage students and the 27 graded students were assessed through curriculum based tests and informal reading inventories. Statistical analyses were completed A significant difference was found.

Both groups of students completed a social skills development survey. Cafeteria/playground aides were surveyed and discipline referrals were examined to find the percentage of students in each group who received a detention for a discipline violation. Data was collected, and statistically analyzed. No significant difference was found. …

A Preliminary Study Of New Jersey's Charter Schools, Carol Sowney Datz

Theses and Dissertations

Charter schools have recently become an innovative method of educating a portion of today's students. A charter school is a deregulated public school that is performance-based. It operates under a charter (contract) between people who want to start a school and an official body authorized to grant a charter.

On January 11, 1996, New Jersey Governor Christine T. Whitman signed into law The Charter School Program Act of 1995. This act enabled the beginning of New Jersey charter schools. This study investigates the paths New Jersey's eighteen approved charter schools are taking. Becoming familiar with the Charter School Program Act …

Accelerated Reader: A Study Of The Effects On Reading Comprehension And Attitudes In The Fifth Grade, Christine Welk Clegg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if fifth graders, using the Accelerated Reader, a computer-based reading motivation and management program, will demonstrate an increase in reading comprehension scores as tested by their performance in a pre and posttest using the reading comprehension portion of the Metropolitan Achievement Tests. This study will also measure any increase in favorable reading attitudes as measured by a pre and posttest using the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey by McKenna and Kear.

Two classes were selected from the fifth grade at D'Ippolito Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey to participate in this study. Both …

A Parent And Student Handbook For The Howard M. Phifer Middle School, Valerie Anne O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to determine if there was any significant difference in the expressed needs of the parents and students of the Howard M. Phifer Middle School and the expressed information in various districts' middle school handbooks.

The sample in this study was one hundred and thirty-five randomly selected sixth graders in the Howard M. Phifer Middle School, Pennsauken, New Jersey and their parents.

The sixth grade students and their parents responded to a twenty-five question needs assessment. A comparison of other districts' middle school handbooks was also used to compile information for a middle school handbook for Howard …

A Study On The Differences Of Teaching Mathematics And Science Separately And Integrated, Dori Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined if teaching science and mathematics with an integrated approach would increase students' achievement. It also determined whether males or females achieved higher in science and mathematics when taught with the integrated approach. as compared to teaching the two disciplines separately. It determined whether the attitudes of the fourth grade students improved when mathematics and science were taught with an integrated approach.

The group participating in this study consisted of one fourth grade class. The total population of the study was sixteen fourth grade, heterogeneously grouped students. The class consisted of twelve female and four male students.

For …

The Whole Child: The Importance Of Considering All Aspects Of A Young Child, Kristin L. Houle

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

This paper synthesizes information from several researchers and well-known educators, philosophers, and theorists in the field of early childhood education. I intend to show that all sides of a child's life, including social, emotional familial, cultural, and cognitive capabilities be taken into consideration before making any decisions regarding the education or welfare of that child. Educational and intervention strategies are discussed, and examples of developmentally appropriate practice are given. The paper ends with a guide for teachers of children ages 3-5 to use when planning a program designed to benefit the whole child.

A Study Of The Perceptions Among Counselors And High School Students Regarding The Need For A Community College In Cape May County, New Jersey, Michelle D. Myles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare high school guidance counselors' perceptions in general regarding college attendance with those of their graduating students. It was posited, as well, that guidance counselor rankings and the student rankings of five college-choice aspects would be related; namely, that the guidance counselors' choices would be ranked in the same order that the high school students' choices were ranked, and that the students' choices would be significantly related to those aspects relevant to community college attendance. A pilot study was conducted first over phone interviews of the guidance counselors from the four public high …

Performance-Based Curriculum And Sight-Singing: The Effects On Attitudes And Singing Achievements Of Fifth- And Sixth-Grade Music Students, Pamela J. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to gather information concerning literacy training and the use of a performance-based curriculum with fifth- and sixth-grade music students. The problems of the study were to determine the effects of different combinations of sight-singing training and CME instruction on the singing achievement and attitudes of upper elementary school students.

Twelve fifth- and twelve sixth-grade classes from an intermediate school participated in the study. The classes were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions involving various combinations of sight-singing training and CME. All classes were taught by the same instructor for one 45-minute period …

An Examination Of Ronald Edmonds' Effective Schools Theory Applied To Various Grades In Two Demographically Different Oklahoma City Elementary Schools, Faluv Tunley

McCabe Thesis Collection

Effective schools research has been a key to the improvement of education for many urban school children, especially in large cities such as New York City and Chicago, Illinois. This research has revealed many different ideologies on helping a child learn, helping teachers teach, and giving administrators the tools to handle their schools more efficiently. Effective schools research also addresses parents and their involvement in the school system. One researcher who constantly pushed Effective Schools research is Dr. Ronald R. Edmonds. Edmonds, along with many other researchers helped to restructure the urban area schools in New York City and Michigan …

Identifying Industrial Education And Training Needs: Developing A Community College Custom Program, Don H. Lovelace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined manufacturing firms' characteristics and environmental factors and their relationships to the perceived importance of basic workplace skills and the preferences of employers toward customized training partnerships with community colleges. Key individuals in the human resource departments responsible for planning and decision making of employing companies were surveyed. The Workplace Education Survey was used to collect data on the employers' perceptions about the importance of basic skills groups, about workplace-based customized training as the preferred means of delivering training in each of seven basic skills groups to their employees, and to determine their preferences for providers of the …

The Relationship Of Experience, Education, And Tennessee Career Ladder Status To Teachers' Perceptions Of Staff Development Needs In Block Scheduled Programs, Rita S. Mullins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem related to this study was to develop a clearer understanding of the staff development needs of high school classroom teachers implementing block scheduled programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers' perceptions of staff development needs differed when teaching experience, education (highest degree earned), and Tennessee Career Ladder status were considered. Four levels of each independent variable were analyzed by six categories of perceptions, the dependent variables. The categories were: (a) Planning, (b) Knowledge, (c) Satisfaction with staff development, (d) Adult learning strategies, (e) Level of involvement, and (f) Impact on student testing and grades. …

The Relationship Between Personality Traits And Transformational Leadership Among North Carolina Elementary Public School Principals, Robert J. Mcgrattan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between personality traits as identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and transformational leadership as measured by The Nature of School Leadership. The subjects were 74 North Carolina public school elementary principals. The principals completed the MBTI. Principals also provided pertinent demographic information. Selected teachers in each school were asked to give their perception of the principal as a transformational leader by completing The Nature of School Leadership. Data were analyzed to look for significant relationships between personality and demographics as they related to transformational leadership. The analysis of demographic information yielded gender as a significant …

Teachers' Expressed Beliefs And Practices About Developmentally Appropriate Education Of Multi-Age And Single-Age Classrooms, Dale P. Lynch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the expressed beliefs and practices about developmental education from early childhood teachers in Tennessee's First Educational District. A questionnaire measuring expressed beliefs and practices was administered to teachers (kindergarten through third grade) in public schools with both multi-age and single-age classrooms. The area of teaching specialization along with the number of years taught within the organization structure are paramount in the study. Teachers' expressed beliefs concerning the amount of outside influences with planning and implementing instruction are also noted. Educators were asked to respond to 36 likert-type items regarding their beliefs about …

Assessing Professional Development Needs Of Elementary Teachers Implementing Inclusion Of Children With Disabilities In General Education Classrooms, Patricia D. Burgess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A descriptive study was conducted to identify authentic professional development needs of elementary teachers preparing, implementing, and maintaining inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classrooms in Northeast Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to contribute information of identified professional development needs of elementary teachers to current research on responsible inclusive education. Data were collected from 325 elementary teachers randomly assigned to the sample using a 65-item survey designed for this study. Three subsections of the survey, Assessing Professional Development Needs of Teachers Implementing Inclusion in Grades PreK-8, assessed the perceived needs of conditions, areas, and foundations …

Using A Constant Tie Delay To Teach Measurement To Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities, Emily S. Lovell

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to teach the parts of an inch in sixteenths, using a constant time delay procedure. Constant time delay is a virtually effortless, or near errorless, instructional process involving the simultaneous delivery of a target stimulus and a controlling prompt for a limited number of trials, followed by trials where the target stimulus is presented, but the controlling prompt is delayed for a constant time period. The study was conducted with 6 sixth-grade students in a self­ contained math class for students with learning disabilities. The subject group contained 5 males and 1 female. Each …

Parent Perceptions Of Behavior Management Strategies Used In Elementary And Secondary Special Education Programs For Students With Learning Disabilities, Natalie Buritsch

Theses & Honors Papers

A descriptive study was designed to investigate parent perceptions of behavior management strategies used in elementary and secondary special education programs for students with learning disabilities. A questionnaire was used to obtain the perceptions of 130 members of the Leaming _Disabilities Association of Virginia. In particular, three questions were examined: Do parents of children in elementary school differ from those having children in secondary schools regarding their perceptions of classroom management techniques? Do parents have different perceptions about a resource classroom compared to a self-contained classroom? Do parents differ in their perceptions of the teacher use of classroom management versus …

The Comparative Effects Of Manual Drafting And Computer Assisted Drafting On Secondary Students' Sectional View And Auxiliary View Drawings, Glenn R. Smith Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effects CAD and manual drafting have on the effectiveness of teaching technical drawing techniques to secondary students. The problem of the study was to compare CAD and manual methods using the sectional view and auxiliary view techniques of Technical Drawing on second level Mechanical Drawing students.

The researcher, as the teacher, taught the concepts of the two technical drawing techniques, sectional view and auxiliary view drawings. During each section of the study, one group was assigned to complete drawings using the computer assisted drafting method and the other group used …