Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Guide To The Amelia E. Leconte Collection, Olivia Englehart

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

This collection is organized into two series, each offering a comprehensive glimpse into the life and accomplishments of Amelia Leconte. The first series encompasses a rich assortment of documentation, photographs, and correspondence stemming from Amelia's teaching in Oujda, Morocco. Within this series are documents such as her USA Grant Award Letters, a congratulatory telegram from John F. Kennedy while he was a Massachusetts senator, travel documents, a meticulously kept notebook containing lesson notes and grades, a curated selection of publications on Morocco and notable travel destinations, and speeches delivered upon her return to various high schools. The second series delves …

Guide To The Dr. Owen B. Kiernan Collection, 1934-2010, Undated, Noah Smith, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Owen Kiernan was born on March 9, 1914, in Randolph, Massachusetts. Kiernan graduated from Bridgewater State University in 1935 (known then as Bridgewater State Teachers College) and went on to get his masters at Boston University and his Doctorate at Harvard. Kiernan participated in baseball and basketball while at Bridgewater State and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. After graduating from Bridgewater State in 1935, Kiernan kept a strong connection to the school for the rest of his life.

Kiernan became the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education in 1957. He would stay in that role until …

Practical Femininity: The Student Development Of Legally Blonde’S Elle Woods, Elizabeth S. Rodericks

The Graduate Review

College experiences often involve challenges that can provide the impetus for personal and professional growth. Likewise, Elle Woods of the film Legally Blonde undergoes multiple significant changes in her sense of identity, morality, and ability to take charge of her own life after she is forced to radically change her perspective and priorities. This paper covers her development as a law student and individual according to the student development theories of Chickering’s Seven Vectors of Identity Development, Gilligan’s Theory of Women’s Moral Development, and Baxter Magolda’s Self-Authorship Theory. As a result of her growth, Elle Woods flourishes into a confident, …

Anxiety In Elementary Classrooms, Stephanie Kane

Honors Program Theses and Projects

As the number of students with anxiety increases, elementary school professionals are becoming more aware of the signs, behaviors, and negative outcomes that are shown in a young student with anxiety. This study examined the impact that anxiety has on elementary students’ social and academic growth in the classroom. Interviews were conducted with seven elementary school teachers, two school counselors, and one school nurse from a variety of districts in Eastern Massachusetts. The purpose of the study was to identify the different ways that young students express their anxieties and the effect that this has on their schooling. Several different …

An Exploration Of Manipulatives In Math Education, Jade Monte

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Pre-existing literature has shown that the education system needs to re-evaluate mathematical teaching practices in a manner that can boost students’ confidence in mathematics. Thus, the research is to investigate the use of manipulatives in reducing students’ anxiety by increasing their learning experience and engagement in mathematics. Furthermore, the purpose of this thesis is to explain the interconnectedness of math manipulatives, student engagement, and problem-solving. An in-depth literature review is conducted, which contains definitions, important benefits and methodologies of manipulatives, as well as the teacher’s role regarding these three terms. When manipulatives, student engagement, and problem-solving are in harmony, students …

Investigating Academic Pressures On The Children Of Immigrants, Michelle S. Murphy

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Immigration is a hot button issue in US society, and has been for a while now. Starting with the wave of Irish immigrants in 1815, immigrants were not necessarily greeted with open arms (History.com Editors. 2018). Throughout history, excluding immigrants and treating them poorly became a pattern. This includes the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the quota system placed into action in 1924 (History.com Editors. 2018). Immigrants have always been resisted by American society and treated accordingly.

This resistance against immigrants has only grown since the 2016 Presidential election. Immigrants and their families have been stereotyped as uneducated and who “steal …

Where They Live: Homelessness, School Location, And Academic Success, Alison Knoll

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The trauma and stress of homelessness on both children and their families can be devastating and damaging, especially to elementary school children. A teacher’s understanding of the social emotional needs of housing insecure children is critical to their student's social emotional and academic well-being. This study will map the location of schools in major urban areas in Eastern Massachusetts and identify the homeless shelters, transitional homes, and community resources within the area. The purpose of this research is to make clear the relationship between a school's locations and the needs of the children they serve. This study will also provide …

Lolita In The Contemporary American Classroom: Pedagogical And Learning Approaches, Jasmine Revels

Master’s Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study is to discover effective collegiate-level teaching and learning strategies for Vladimir Nabokov’s 1958 novel Lolita in the midst of the current American political and social climate. Some of the factors of the current political and social climate in the United States thought to have an effect on the teaching of Lolita, and were thus considered for further inquiry, were cancel culture, the Me Too Movement, and trigger warnings. Primary research was collected from college students and English college professors. To obtain this research and the opinions of respondents regarding this topic, a combination of both …

The Psychology Of Dance

The Graduate Review

No abstract provided.

Success In Transition Preparation For Post-Secondary Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Sophie Scrimgeour

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Students with disabilities face a wide range of barriers in their transition from school-to-work that their family and community can help them to overcome. The transition from school-to-work has become a heightened topic of interest, especially when it comes to the transition of a student with a disability.

Factors Impacting Students’ Perceptions Of Mathematics, Amber Souza

Honors Program Theses and Projects

I want to be able to present math in a positive light to all of my future students, regardless of race, gender, and math background. However, for teachers as a whole to be able to take this important step, they must first develop a deeper understanding of why math is a sore spot for many students.

Restraints In Massachusetts Public Schools, Elyce Hall

Master’s Theses and Projects

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the moral and legal issues around physically restraining students in Massachusetts public schools. As Massachusetts law is written, the use of restraints on a student should be the last possible resort. However, this thesis used data on restraint use from the Massachusetts Department of Education and a survey of school administrators to gain a better understanding of the 38,994 student restraints that were used in 2016-2017 school year. Findings of this study include that Hispanic and African-American students were more likely to attend schools that used restraints than those that did …

Voices On Campus: Academic And Free Speech In The Digital Age, Lawrence Friedman

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Teaching Note - Bring Class Concepts To Life: Implementing Intensive Interview Projects For Deep Learning, Kimberly E. Fox, Norma Anderson

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Disparities In U.S. Elementary And Secondary Public Education, Myhanh D. Barrette

The Graduate Review

Educational disparities in America’s elementary and secondary public education are illustrated by official statistics on school readiness in young children, per pupil expenditures, high school graduation rates, standardized test scores, advanced courses enrollment, high school dropout rates, school disciplinary actions, and college entrance and completion rates. The astounding disproportionate difference in achievement (or lack thereof) between Black and minority students compared to their White counterparts raises alarming concerns regarding two important aspects of public education: equal access and equal quality. This paper attempts to understand our society’s view of education throughout the nation’s history in order to analyze important public …

Guide To The Massachusetts Association For Health, Physical Education, Recreation And Dance Collection, 1935-Current, Lenora Robinson

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) is a non-profit organization for professionals and students dedicated to promoting healthy and active lifestyles. The organization was in existence in 1935 as Massachusetts Society of the American Physical Education Association, before changing to the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation and finally adding “Dance” to its name in 1983. MAHPERD is a division of the Eastern District Association of SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) America, a national organization started in 1885 as American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. AAHPERD became SHAPE America …

Teaching Note - Yes, We Can Make A Difference: Bsu Alumni Light The Way For Service Learning, Marybeth Tobin

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Sustainability In The Curriculum And Teaching Of Economics: Transforming Introductory Macroeconomics, Madhavi Venkatesan

Economics Faculty Publications

Present models of economic growth primarily focus on the role of expenditures as captured in the commonly cited economic indicator, gross domestic product (GDP), where GDP is defined as the sum of final goods and services sold within a country’s natural borders. Noting that a country’s expenditures are referred to as “aggregate expenditures” and that the majority of spending is specific to consumption or consumer spending, especially in the United States where this spending category is nearly two-thirds of annual GDP (other expenditure categories for GDP include investment spending, government spending and foreign spending as proxied by net exports), there …

Teaching With Audacity: A Board Game For Urban Studies, Colby King, Matthew Cazessus

Sociology Faculty Publications

In order to improve undergraduate students’ mastery of urban theory, we developed an active‐learning module that allows participants to compete with one another in a board game of strategic planning and coalition formation called “AudaCity.” Utilizing a games‐based learning design, the game places players in the roles of adversarial property developers, political actors, and zoning committees all seeking to build and raise rent from developments within a spatially constrained urban grid. Game mechanics such as proximity bonuses and limitations to available space compel players to simultaneously compete against and collaborate with their peers to advance their development agenda while thwarting …

"I Cannot Teach Because I Am Not Smart": Working Class Mothers’ Support For Their Children's Education In Japan, Yoko Yamamoto

2013 New England Association for Asian Studies Conference

Social class is a powerful element which predicts mothers’ support for their children’s academic development in Japan. Middle class mothers tend to hold higher educational expectations, invest in their children’s educational opportunities, and interact with the teachers more frequently than working class mothers (Stevenson & Stigler, 1992; Yamamoto, 2006). While ample evidence shows social class differences in parents’ academic support, few have examined why working class mothers are not as involved in their children’s education as middle class mothers. In order to understand the mechanisms of social class reproduction and mobility, it is critical to investigate the experiences and elements …

Predictors Of Chinese College Students’ Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Deana Andrade

Undergraduate Review

Historically, filial piety has been a fundamental tenet in Chinese culture. Respecting older adults was expected in society and is an important principle of China’s filial piety responsibility within its culture. However, demographic transformation and economic and social changes in rapidly modernizing societies challenge traditional values. Very little empirical research has examined the factors which influence the attitudes toward older adults among Chinese college students. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that predict attitudes of Chinese college students toward the aging population.

Guide To The Mary Jo Moriarty Collection, 1915-1998, Caitlin Gette-King, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Brief Biographical Sketch

Mary Jo Moriarty was born in Boston and received her bachelor’s degree in history from Villa Maria College and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the Boston University School of Education. Moriarty worked as a health and physical education teacher at Hyannis State Teachers College from 1937 until the school’s closing in 1944. She moved with the college’s health and physical education program to Bridgewater State Teachers College when the two merged. She taught as a professor in the Physical Education Department, and later served as chairwoman of the Physical Education Major and the Department of Health …

Guide To The Hyannis State Normal School Records, 1894-1994, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Administrative History:

The State Normal School at Hyannis, Massachusetts provided almost fifty years of progressive educational training, influencing generations of teachers and students in Massachusetts and beyond. The Hyannis State Normal School opened on September 9, 1897, under the leadership of its longest serving principal, William A. Baldwin.

Hyannis State Normal School became the State Teachers College at Hyannis in 1932, when the Massachusetts Legislature voted to grant college status to the State Normal Schools. In 1937 the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education granted the college permission to offer summer sessions carrying credits leading to a Master’s degree in education. The …

1984-2004: Twenty Years Of Adult Literacy Education In South Africa: A Chronicle Of Frustration, Ruth D. Farrar

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Presidential Fellow: Progress At Marc: Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center At Bridgewater State College, Elizabeth Englander

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Breaking Away: A Study Of First Generation College Students And Their Families, Howard London

Sociology Faculty Publications

Detailed family histories were taken of students who were the first in their families to go to college. This paper utilizes the psychoanalytic and family systems theory of Helm Stierlin and others to explore (1) how college matriculation for first-generation students is linked to multi-generational family dynamics, and (2) how these students reconcile (or do not reconcile) the often conflicting requirements of family membership and educational mobility. The same modernity that creates the possibility of opportunity for these students is seen also to create the potential for biographical and social dislocation.