Education Commons^™

Walking Lightly On The Planet: A Curriculum Enrichment For The Pinelands Science Unit Of The Cherry Hill Environmental Education Residency Program On Pinelands Ecology, Elaine Ruth Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project is designed to produce written curriculum materials in Pinelands ecology. The written curriculum materials produced are intended to be implemented as part of the Pinelands Science Unit of the Cherry Hill Environmental Education Residency Program, also known as CHEER.

The written curriculum materials will include pre-trip, resident trip, and follow up assessment materials and activities that follow the given format for all Cherry Hill science units. The structure of such a program will allow, if desired, interdisciplinary coordination between science, math, English and ecology that correlate with the existing CHEER program. Through this experience it is expected …

An Investigation Of The Appropriateness Of Computer-Based Instruction To The Royal Australian Air Force Ciscon Mustering, Linda M. New

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) uses traditional methods of training for all of its personnel, including the newly formed Communications and Information Systems Controllers (CISCON) mustering. The formation of this mustering and the concurrent formation on every RAAF base of a Base Information Systems Centre (BISC) brought to light training needs that were not being met. Using many different forms of stimulation to activate learning, computer-based instruction (CBI), in particular multimedia, represents an alternative method of presenting training.This research investigated the applicability of CBI to the RAAF by matching its features with the training needs of the CISCONs …

The Comparative Effectiveness Of Computer-Mediated Communication Supplemented Satellite Distance Education And Traditional Face-To-Face Education, Megan C. Block

Theses and Dissertations

Satellite distance education delivery typically has one main drawback -- limited student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction. Telecommunications technology, more specifically computer-mediated communication (CMC), has made it possible for educational institutions to overcome this drawback. This research examines the comparative effectiveness of CMC supplemented satellite distance education delivery and traditional face-to-face education delivery. The three dependent variables that were measured to compare the two educational delivery methods included: performance, interaction, and attitude outcomes. Pre- and post-course instruments were administered in a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design to students enrolled in an Air Force Institute of Technology's School of Systems and Logistics software engineering Professional …

The Effect Of "Project Adventure" On Self-Esteem Of Learning Disabled Students, Nava Shaked

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of "Project Adventure," a program of physical activity, and self-esteem on learning disabled children and non-disabled children. The hypothesis was that the "Project Adventure" program would have a positive effect on the self-esteem of all the students, with an especially strong effect on the Learning Disabled students.

The subjects, 22 regular education students and 11 Learning Disabled students participated in a 9 week Project Adventure program in Oakcrest High School (Mays Landing, New Jersey). The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory had been used for assessment as a pretest and a posttest. The …

The Relationship Between Non-Native English Speakers' English Proficiency And Their Callings In The Lds Church In The United States, Dena Marie Wright Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

As part of BYU's Distance Learning Project to teach English for gospel purposes, a committee created a survey to assess the English needs of LDS non-native English speakers in native-language units in the United States. This thesis uses several sections of the survey to correlate proficiency, callings in the Church, and demographic information. In addition to survey data, this thesis uses qualitative information from focus groups, and interviews to illustrate the statistical findings. The theory underlying this research is that learning precedes involvement in a community. Although learning in the LDS Church community is multi-faceted, this study examines the learning …

Effect Of Parenting Style And Supervision On Adolescent Risky Behavior And Academic Achievement, David L. Mccullough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether correlations existed between parenting style, degree of supervision, risky behavior (substance use) and academic achievement. Subjects' responses were also summarized to develop a profile of the population's behaviors and attitudes.

The study was based on 57 high school seniors' responses to a 95-item questionnaire which they voluntarily completed during their home economics class at Woodstown High School in southern New Jersey.

Relationships were analyzed by applying the chi square test for independence using the critical value of alpha at .05. The results of this analysis indicated that the hypothesized relationships approached …

The Effect Of A Drug Use Prevention Curriculum On A Measure Of Self-Esteem, Irven E. Simpkins Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Longitudinal studies have indicated that drug use prevention curricula are effective in increasing students' knowledge of the harmful effects of drugs, improving their social skills, and developing healthier interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effect of a drug use prevention curriculum on students' self-esteem over a short time span. Sixty-seven students were pretested with a measure of self-esteem after being divided into a target and a control group. Five lessons were taught to the target group over a period of five weeks. All students were then posttested and the results were analyzed using a …

Academic Achievement And Divorce, Christine M. Neilio

Theses and Dissertations

Divorce is a major crisis in the life of a child and can lead to a decline in academic achievement. Numerous studies indicate that children of divorce show lower academic achievement than those from intact families. Studies have shown that children from one parent families score lower on achievement tests but the reasons for the test scores vary based on the individual situation.

Educational systems can play an important role in helping children of divorce deal with their problems. Teachers and counselors are very important to the success or failure of children in coping with problems associated with divorce. Since …

A Study On The Positive Effect Of Cooperative Learning On The Status Group Problems In The Classroom, Eugene D. Tecce

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that cooperative learning and the teaching of group norms would have on the social ranking of the low status students in the elementary school classroom.

The sample was comprised of 48 fourth grade students. A treatment group consisting of 24 students, and a comparison group of 24 students were pretested and posttested using a sociometric instrument designed to examine the interpersonal relationship patterns of the students.

Introduction of a treatment designed to change the existing pattern of interaction was given to the treatment group. The treatment group met for 18 …

Improving Reading Fluency In Elementary School Students With Assisted Reading Techniques, Leonard E. Barker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that third grade students who participated in an assisted reading group would exhibit greater reading fluency than students who practiced repeated reading without a fluent oral model. It was also hypothesized that students who participated in an assisted reading group would exhibit fewer reading miscues than students who practiced repeated reading without a fluent oral model.

Twenty-two third grade students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. There were eleven students in the experimental group and eleven students in the control group. The class read a one hundred word …

The Relationship Between Parental Involvement And The Reading Achievement Of Third Grade Students, Scott M. Dailey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a correlation between parental involvement and the reading achievement of third grade students.

The subjects in this study were 22 third grade students attending an elementary school in southern New Jersey. The elementary school was located in an urban area.

Each of the subjects was given a parental involvement survey to take home to their parents. It questioned parents about daily reading habits at home with their child. The survey was scored on a scale of 1-4, with a four indicating the highest degree of involvement.

The researcher then …

Achievement And Social Status In The Cooperative Classroom, Natalie Ann Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to research whether student academic achievement and social acceptance of peers could be affected by cooperative learning instruction as opposed to a class where the students were not instructed using cooperative learning. The sample size of the experimental and control group was forty-six. The age of the group ranged from nine to eleven years of age. The sample was not randomly selected. Both classes were administered a pretest and posttest at the beginning of the study. The tests measured academic achievement and social acceptance. Both classes used the same textbook and supplementary materials. The …

Attitudes Of Fourth And Fifth Grade Students Toward Gender And Careers, Valerie B. Sweeten

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine if students in a suburban, southern New Jersey elementary school would have gender-biased attitudes concerning appropriate roles and career aspirations for males and females.

A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 100 students from a total population of 74 fourth grade students and 58 fifth grade students from one school in a southern New Jersey suburban school district. Items on the questionnaire included a list of occupations as well as questions regarding gender and careers.

The hypothesis was not supported because it was found that most of the students did not possess a …

Frequency Of Female Contacts Made By Different Sex Teachers During Mathematics Class, Sheila M. Zackavich

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that despite female students' eager attempt to initiate contact in the mathematics classroom, teachers tend to respond to the male students more often than the females.

This has been a questionable factor as to why females elect not to take four years of high school mathematics which exclude them from entering many high paying careers.

The purpose of this study was to observe a male and female teacher during their mathematics class and take frequency counts of all classroom contacts. This was to investigate if there was a significant difference between different sex teachers and their frequency …

Effects Of Group-Assisted Listening-While-Reading And Repeated Reading On The Fluency Of Fifth Grade Students, Deanne M. Alspach

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to verify the feasibility of using a "group-assisted listening-while-reading approach" or a "repeated reading approach" in a suburban New Jersey intermediate grade setting, the researcher set out to test both strategies in a fifth grade classroom. Using a pretest-posttest control group design and t tests for independent and non independent samples, the researcher found that a group-assisted listening-while-reading approach had a significant impact on increasing the reading fluency in one class (n=20). Students in this group demonstrated greater improvement in reading rate (p<.10) and miscue analysis (p<.01) than counterparts receiving a repeated reading treatment. Both groups also saw significant improvement between the pretest and posttest results with one exception. There was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest of the control group regarding miscue rate improvement. While research on fluency improvement focuses mainly on primary students, similarities in older poor readers necessitated further study. As they lack the necessary fluency development they do not read as often as other students. Yet, the only way to increase fluency is by reading. Researchers have recognized that there must be alternatives to develop fluency in the classroom.

Relationship Of Perceived Autonomy And Grade Point Average, Nancy J. Benninger

Theses and Dissertations

This correlational study examined the relationship between perceived autonomy and grade point average. The sample was twenty-six ten and eleven year old fifth grade students in one class of an elementary school. Perceived autonomy was measured by the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, a forty item self-report questionnaire. Grade point average was calculated for the first three marking periods of the school year. The Pearson r calculation was not significant at the .01 level, Results did indicate a positive relationship between perceived autonomy and grade point average.

Gender Differences In Computing: Attitudes, Use, And Stereotypes, Mary S. O'Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the grade level at which students' attitudes towards computers begin to change. Application and gender bias towards computers were also examined. To achieve this, a survey was developed and administered to selected students in the third through eighth grades in the Egg Harbor City School District. in addition to the survey, students were asked to draw a "computer expert." Comparisons were made between males and females and the elementary and junior high grade levels.

Independent "t" tests were performed to identify significant differences at the .05 level. Significant differences in attitudes towards computers were …

Spelling: A Comparison Between A Formal Text-Based Program And An Integrated Approach, Kathleen Gamble

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to determine if there was any discernible difference in students' spelling performance within classrooms employing the formal text-based methodology and classrooms employing an integrated approach.

The sample in this study was 49 third grade, heterogeneously grouped students from a suburban area school in New Jersey. There were two classrooms involved with all students in each classroom participating in the study.

Third grade students in the study were administered a pretest and posttest in word recognition and vocabulary. A comparison of the mean test scores in the areas of word recognition and vocabulary for each group within …

Comparison Of Developmentally Oriented Kindergartens And Academically Oriented Kindergartens, Lori Ann Weyer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if students enrolled in a kindergarten with a curriculum stressing academic skills perform better or worse on standardized tests than students in a developmentally oriented program by the end of first grade.

A survey was developed to establish if a kindergarten curriculum was developmentally oriented or academically oriented. This survey was sent to schools in Gloucester and Morris Counties in New Jersey. Mean Iowa basic skills tests were then used to determine if academically oriented kindergarten curriculums score significantly higher than developmentally oriented curriculums by the end of kindergarten. Also, the mean …

A Study Of The Effects Of Teachers' Mathematics Anxiety And Mathematics Teaching Confidence Level On Their Attitudes Toward Manipulative Use, Jacqueline L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the effect of teachers' mathematics anxiety and their mathematics teaching confidence level on their attitudes towards manipulative use. To investigate this, a survey was developed and distributed to all of the mathematics teachers in the eight elementary schools in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The survey was composed of fifty-five statements. These statements were rated on a five point Likert type scale. Thirteen of the statements researched mathematics anxiety in the sample teachers. Twelve of the statements investigated the confidence level of teachers as they instructed their students in the subject of mathematics. …

The Examination Of Academic Achievement And Self-Concept Between Early And Late Entrants Of First Grade Pupils, Terri J. Wells

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not students who entered first grade at an earlier chronological age could successfully compete with late-entrance students regarding academics and self-concepts. Research suggests that there may be a link between school success and chronological age for elementary students.

A study was constructed that included 18 first grade students of the same class. The 18 students were classified as being either "Early" or "Late" entrants. Late entrants were those students who were born between October, 1987 and March, 1988. Early entrants were those students who were born between April, 1988 and …

A Study Of The Effect Of A Computer Writing Program On The Writing Ability Of Elementary School Students, Barbara A. Autuore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences in the creative writing of students would arise between a group of second grade students using a computer writing program and a group of second grade students using the traditional pencil and paper method of writing. The students were also given an attitude survey to determine whether or not the computer had an effect on their attitudes toward writing.

Students In both the control and experimental groups were holistically rated on a pre-test writing sample. Both groups were also given an attitude pre-test. One group of students wrote stories …

A Study Of The Effects Of Using The Word Processor And Telecommunications In The Writing Process For Elementary Students, Andrea J. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

It is the responsibility of an elementary teacher to provide students every opportunity to succeed in the classroom. Writing compositions, using correct style, form and mechanics can be a complex task for elementary students. If a method can be used to assist the relief of these complexities involved in the writing process, then this development should be encouraged.

The purpose of this study was to determine if fourth grade students will become better writers producing clearer style, form, and mechanics when using the word processor in the writing process. It will also determine if the use of telecommunications will cause …

The Effectiveness Of Using Portfolio Assessment To Improve Instructional Planning And To Determine Attitudes Toward Mathematics Of Sixth Grade Students, Heather A. Moran

Theses and Dissertations

It was the purpose of this study to determine the effectiveness of using information gained from portfolio assessment to improve the quality of instructional planning in order to meet the needs of a specific group of students. This study also evaluated the change in attitude toward mathematics of the control and the experimental groups. A unit on the addition and subtraction of fractions was taught by this researcher to two different sixth grade classes. The control group was instructed using lessons designed from textbook recommendations and the experimental group was taught using lessons designed from a combination of textbook recommendations …

A Study Of The Effect Of Desktop Publishing In Writing Instruction Versus Traditional Pencil And Paper On The Length And Detail Of Students' Compositions, Christine Sonsini

Theses and Dissertations

This study was based on the following question: Could it be that first grade students who receive primary writing instruction using The Children's Writing and Publishing Center computer software program compose longer and more detailed texts than those first grade students who receive traditional primary writing instruction using pencil and paper?

One group of students received primary writing instruction using a desktop publishing software program, while the other group received primary writing instruction using pencil and paper. After receiving an equal amount of instructional and individual writing time, both groups were given the same writing assignment. The students' compositions were …

A Study Examining The Effectiveness Of Teaching Reading Using A Literature-Based Approach Vs. A Basal Approach, Tammy L. Vance

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if first grade students who were instructed following a literature based program would demonstrate a better understanding of reading. A comparison was made between the test scores and attitudes of those first grade students using a literature based reading program and those first grade students using a basal program.

The design for this study was a pretest posttest design with one treatment group and one control group, both having 24 students. Both groups were pretested and posttested using the Scott, Foresman Celebrate Reading (1993), Anthology Assessment. This test was selected to measure …

A Comparative Study Of Black And Euro-Americans' Learning Styles And Aesthetic Preferences For Painting Styles, Jane E. Graziano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions between the aesthetic criteria for evaluating art and learning styles between cultures. The problems were to investigate differences among learning styles and aesthetic preferences for painting styles between Black and Euro-American students.

Fifty-five undergraduates of Black-American and Euro-American descent from a state college in rural southern New Jersey participated in the study. The Group Embedded Figures Test was administered to determine the learning styles of field-sensitive or field-independence for each student. Students were instructed to find and trace the given simple figure within the given complex figure. Section one consisted …

De-Institutionalized Skills: Utilized Or Useless, Linda Golden

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis was on the topic of de-institutionalized skills. My goal was to discover if my subjects had gained, lost, or maintained skill areas since they have left the institutional setting. These subjects, a total of 11 male adults with mental retardation, now reside in two group living facilities. Their ages range from 31 - 62 years and their Intelligence Quotients range from 63 - 68.

Two test booklets were used to gather raw score means for functioning levels. Four main skill areas were assessed: Communication, Daily Living, Socialization, and Motor. Results exhibited growth for most domain and subdomain skill …

A Study To Determine The Effects Of The Use Of Sign Language With Mildly Mentally Retarded Students On Social Interaction And Communication, Catherine Serafinelli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine if the use of sign language with mildly mentally retarded children would increase their social interaction and communication. All the children in the study have been described as having moderate to severe language delays. Pre and post intervention observations were conducted for five consecutive days during free play in the classroom setting. After the completion of data collection, intervention was begun. Intervention consisted of a selection of basic signed vocabulary pertinent to classroom activities which were introduced during a sign circle three afternoons a week for ten minute sessions. After the signs …

Generalization Of Organizational Skills From One Setting To Another, Kristine J. Jansen

Theses and Dissertations

Learning disabled students have consistently had difficulty generalizing organizational skills from a resource center, where the skills are taught, to a mainstream classroom without support. This study hypothesized that organizational skills taught in a mainstream classroom with resource support (inclusion) would generalize more frequently to a mainstream classroom without resource support than skills taught in the resource center. Ten seventh grade students with learning disabilities were taught strategies for organizing themselves to complete classwork and homework, keep an organized notebook and come prepared to class. Mainstream classroom teachers felt these four skills were necessary for students to become successful in …