Digital Commons Network^™

Nsu Fischler School Of Education And Human Services Early Childhood Education [2007], Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Practice What You Preach : A Look At Retention Research And Classroom Practice, Angela R. Carpenter

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review examines the subject of grade level retention. A comprehensive overview of the history, trends, and current practices involving retention will provide the background to the research base. Looking at the common reasons students are retained and the short and long-term effects of retention decisions will help answer the question of whether retention research guides school practice. Alternative solutions that can be implemented in lieu of grade level retention or social promotion practices will also be addressed. The majority of grade level retention and social promotion researchers found the practices of retention and social promotion to be unfavorable. …

Motivation For Leisure Reading : A Model Camp Adventure Curriculum, Nicole Beth Geopfert

Graduate Research Papers

Much research has consistently revealed that the percentage of young children choosing to engage in leisure reading is declining. Instead, potential young readers are consumed many other forms of leisure activity such as video games, Internet, computer games, movies, and more. To become lifelong learners, children ought to be motivated to read. The questions explored in this paper are: what are the obstacles to developing avid independent readers and how can we help young children become engaged, recreational readers? This paper presents a review of the literature on reading motivation, reading attitude, and the gender gap in reading.

The information …

Building Relationships To Support Self-Regulation, Sherice Hetrick-Ortman

Graduate Research Papers

Discouraged students come to school unable to learn. Emotional and social factors affect their intrapersonal and interpersonal awareness and place them at high risk for school failure. This paper discusses the application of strategies influenced by; sociomoral atmosphere, trust development, self regulation, emotional intelligence, attachment theory, and cultural awareness.

The research addresses the question: Will emotionally discouraged children be able to regulate their emotions through positive relationship building with the classroom teacher? The results contribute to our knowledge of how to support children's ability to regulate themselves in the absence of external devices.

The Effects Of Using Music And Movement To Enhance Learning, Lisa L. Snitker

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the effects of using music and movement to enhance learning in early childhood years and in the elementary classroom. Information includes Howard Gardner's musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences, the effects of music on brain development in infants and children, studies in the effects of music on spatial-temporal reasoning, how music affects learning in the early childhood and primary years, and the effects of music on special learners. Appropriate for parents, caregivers, and educators, this review provides the basis for incorporating music into everyday early childhood and classroom experiences.

Year Round Schooling, Rita Danielle Fiala

Graduate Research Papers

Research investigating the.effects of year-round schooling on student academic achievement is reviewed in this paper. Traditional, balanced and multi-track calendars are explored and compared. Benefits and drawbacks of a balanced calendar and multi-track calendars are discussed. It is recommended that more long-term research should be conducted on alternative calendars. However, the data that is present suggests that the benefits of a balanced calendar are more prevalent than the traditional calendar.

Reading Strategies For Struggling Readers In The Middle School, Kathleen Claeys

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review focuses on several strategies good readers use to understand and interpret different types of text, such as fiction, non-fiction, and expository. These strategies are ones that struggling readers are not aware of, or these readers do not have the knowledge and experience to utilize the strategies. Teachers need to provide direct instruction of these strategies, generate models of what they look like, demonstrate what the thought process is behind the strategies, and offer students practice in using them with the idea that students will add them to their repertoire of strategies and use them throughout the learning …

Use Of Learning Styles In The Selection Of Instructional Strategies : Does Pedagogy Lead To Practice?, Roger E. Baker

Graduate Research Papers

Much has been written about the importance of learning styles in instructional design. Learning styles can be measured by the use of personality profiles such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Learning styles can also be measured by Learning Style Inventories and defined by cognitive theory such as Gardner's multiple intelligences. This literature review explores the different approaches to the study of learning styles and the practical use of learning style indicators as a tool for selecting instructional strategies.

Many challenges exist in designing instruction to the personal level including costs, time, and instructor limits. Philosophical questions on the benefits …

Integrating The Humanities And Sciences: The Human Journey: Sacred Heart University's Common Core, Michelle Loris Ph.D., Nicole Cauvin, Kathryn Lafontana

English Faculty Publications

One way to respond to the crisis in the humanities is to integrate learning for our students. In fact one of higher education's greatest challenges today is for faculty to develop ways to integrate knowledge and learning across the disiciplines. This essay describes a common core curriculum, THE HUMAN JOURNEY, which engages students in an integrated, common, and coherent understanding of the humanities,arts, and sciences, and the Catholic intellectual tradition framed by four enduring questions of human meaning and value. THE HUMAN JOURNEY is a five course sequence including literature, history, the social and natural sciences, and religious studies and …

Understanding Multiple Intelligences: Best Practice: Effective Programs Meet The Needs Of People With Diverse Intelligences, Sky Mcclain, Allison Brody

Education about the Environment

Have you ever wondered why someone who is very smart has trouble using a map? Why one person can follow a map, but is confused by written instructions? Howard Gardner devised an explanation with the theory of multiple intelligences, presented in his 1983 book Frames of Mind.

Gardner questioned the idea that intelligence is a single entity and that it can be measured simply using IQ tests. Rather, he argued that each of us perceives and processes information in multiple ways. And our learning styles reflect these multiple intelligences, with some of us learning more easily by seeing, others by …

Differentiated Instruction: Flexibility Without Breaking, Shellie Hipsky

Essays in Education

Teachers are often challenged by the wide variety of student’s ability levels and backgrounds. This essay reflects on the practical strategies for classroom teachers to differentiate lessons to meet the needs of all students. Suggestions and approaches include: tiered instruction, flexible grouping, anchor activities, and learning contracts.

Generating A Gender Balance: Making Introductory Information Systems Courses A Positive Experience, Rosemary Stockdale, Susan Stoney

Research outputs pre 2011

There is a growing shortfall of graduates entering the IT profession. The situation is exacerbated by the continuing decline in the number of women undertaking IT related degrees. However, there are an increasing number of students taking business degrees that have a small information systems component, although few students choose to major in IS. Using a qualitative reflective approach we identify the perceptions and experiences of female undergraduates taking introductory IS courses in two universities, one in Australia and one in New Zealand. We discuss ways of improving the delivery of introductory IS courses in order to make information systems …

Year 12 Curriculum Content And Achievement Standards, Gabrielle Matters, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

This study provides the first Australia-wide picture of what is expected of students taking five subjects—English (including Literature), Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Australian History—in the final years of secondary school. The study addresses three broad questions: What is currently taught in these five subjects across Australia? This question is addressed through an analysis of the content of senior school curricula in the five subjects in all Australian states and territories. The study documents similarities and differences in approaches and in the content (subject matter and skills/understandings) emphasised in state and territory curriculum documents. What is the 'essential' content (subject matter …

Research On The Progressive Achievement Tests And Academic Achievement In Schools, Gerard Fogarty

Assessment and Reporting

This report presents three studies examining research conducted in Queensland on Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) published by Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). In study 1 ‘Predictive Validity of the Progressive Achievement Tests for Boys’, a battery of tests was used to assess vocabulary, comprehension, and numeracy skill levels of students commencing study at a regional high school. The tests were used as a screening tool to identify students who might benefit from additional instruction and also to select high achieving students for participation in extension work, maths competitions, and the like. Test results were later correlated with performance in …

Research Summary: Characteristics Of Exemplary Schools For Young Adolescents, P. Gayle Andrews, Micki M. Caskey, Vincent A. Anfara Jr.

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two dangers are associated with any list purporting to include the characteristics of exemplary schools for young adolescents. One danger is a perception that the list is exhaustive—that it includes everything that needs to be considered. In reality, a list cannot capture the subtleties and complexities of schooling. A second danger is that each component will be seen as somehow self-contained, something that can be addressed in isolation. Instead, research demonstrates that the characteristics listed above are “an interacting and interdependent group of practices that form a unified whole… [that] must be dealt with holistically, systemically, to ensure success” (Jackson …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Selected Factors On School Grades In Public High Schools In The State Of Florida, Joseph Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of selected factors on school grades in public high schools in the state of Florida. A sample of 316 public high schools was created using data obtained from the Florida Education and the Florida High School Athletic Association. The selected factors that were chosen to be measured in the study were: minority percentage as measured by the proportion of minority students in relation to the total student body at a given school, socio economic status percentage (SES) as measured by the proportion of students participating in the …

Limited English Proficient Students And Their Teachers Attitudes Of The Learning Environment In Mathematics Classes, Michelle C. Snider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study described the attitudes of students who are limited English proficient (LEP) and their teachers toward the learning environment within their mathematics classes. Data collected via a student survey, student and teacher interviews, and classroom observations were analyzed in this mixed-method study to investigate these attitudes. Accuracy of the findings was confirmed via triangulation. A population of 79 students was chosen through purposive sampling methods that included LEP and non-LEP students in algebra and geometry classes. Students were administered a 30-item questionnaire using the What is Happening in This Class? survey. Scores provided from the survey's six scales were …

Learning Languages In A Digital World, Aleidine Kramer Moeller, Janine M. Theiler

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Aleidine J. Moeller, Editor
Janine Theiler, Assistant Editor

I. Embracing Technology: Tools Teacher Can Use to Improve Language Learning — Introduction to the section: Frauke Hachtmann, Katie Hayes, Leyla Masmaliyeva, Malia Perkins

1 Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning — Dennie Hoopingarner and Vineet Bansal

2 Leveraging Podcasting for Language Learning — Dan Schmit

3 Using PowerPoint Templates to Enhance Student Presentations — J. Sanford Dugan

II. Teacher Education and Professional Development: Agents of Change — Introduction to the section: Silvia Betta and Janine Theiler

4 Preparing for the ACTFL/NCATE Program Report: Three Case Studies — Susan Colville-Hall, Bonnie Fonseca-Greber, …

About The Authors, Volume 25 (2007)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the editors and authors/contributors of volume 25 (2007) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Faculty Development Through Student Learning Initiatives: Lessons Learned, Nancy Simpson, Jean Layne, Adalet Baris Gunersel, Blake Godkin, Fred Froyd

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

A project aimed at improving student learning while facilitating the professional development of faculty participants in the area of teaching has yielded a rich collection of data. In addition to providing critical information about how faculty members think, the project has broadened our thinking regarding the link between student learning initiatives and faculty development. The project has also increased our understanding of the interests of faculty members who are not typically clients of faculty development centers and motivated thinking on how to serve the professional development goals of this group.

“Heritage Rocks”: Principles And Best Practices Of Effective Intercultural Teaching And Learning, Peter Frederick, Mary James

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This portrayal of the intercultural teaching/learning culture and classroom stories at one fully multicultural institution, Heritage University, itself reflecting many diverse “heritages,” provides a glimpse into the faces of the future of higher education in America. We offer several examples and a synthesis of the principles and best practices of effective intercultural teaching and learning, with the intention of helping other institutions move intercultural education from the margins to the “center,” thereby preparing both teachers and learners for effective intercultural learning and living in the 21st century.

In The Eye Of The Storm: Students' Perceptions Of Helpful Faculty Actions Following A Collective Tragedy, Therese A. Huston, Michele Dipietro

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

On occasion, our campus communities are shaken by national tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or by local tragedies such as the murder of a faculty member or student. Because these are unusual circumstances, faculty are often initially confused about how to respond, and later have little or no sense of how effective their actions have been (DiPietro, 2003). This chapter investigates the most common instructor responses following a tragedy and which of those responses students find most helpful. Implications for faculty and faculty developers are discussed.

Managing Scarce Resources In Training Projects, Richard D. Busby, James J. Goldsmith

Publications & Research

Every training organization has a limited amount of people, time and/or money available to complete a project, and this limited resource availability undoubtedly will affect the scope and success of projects the organization undertakes. Busby and Goldsmith discuss the knowledge and skills thing in the instructional design field will need to successfully address these circumstances. The authors begin the chapter by defining what they mean by "resources" and "resource scarcity," and then go on to describe how resource availability and the scope of a project affect one another. They then discuss such basic economic concepts as supply and demand and …

Thailand Ties, Raymond J. Dagenais

Publications & Research

One of the resolutions I witnessed moving forward at the Summer 2006 National Congress on Science Education in Toronto, Canada involved expanding our learning through international collaborations. The Congress encouraged National Science Teacher Association affiliates to make an effort to connect with educators in other countries in order to both learn and share ideas and issues facing the science education community. With the already large numbers of students from other cultures in many school systems in the United States and the increasing quality of students coming out of science programs in other countries, it has become imperative that we better …

Geometric Reasoning In Four-Year-Old Children, Christina Eyres Sales

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study addresses the curriculum issues of young children's geometric knowledge and how they can learn about geometry in early education. To investigate, I designed a pattern block frame activity that was the focus of a seven-week intervention with four-year-old children in a constructivist classroom. All children were considered at-risk for school failure. The investigation is rooted in my unsatisfying experiences with pattern blocks in my preschool classrooms.

Data were obtained from a pre and posttest assessment administered to ascertain the effects of the intervention on all children in the classroom and from observations of children's behavior as they engaged …

2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2007-2008 undergraduate catalog for Morehead State University.

Preservice Teachers' Procedural And Conceptual Understanding Of Fractions And The Effects Of Inquiry-Based Learning On This Understanding, Hope Marchionda

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT Non-negative rational numbers play a major role in the K-8 curriculum and continue to permeate mathematics content through high school and college in all strands of mathematics. The difficulty that both students and teachers encounter with these concepts is well documented in the literature. This study looked at preservice teacher knowledge and how an alternative means of instruction might improve their conceptual understanding of fractions. To accomplish this task, the study took place in two stages over the course of two semesters. During the first stage, preservice teachers' conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions and their associated algorithms were …

An Investigation Of Proportional Thinking Among High School Students, Kirsten Dooley

All Dissertations

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics suggests that formal proportional reasoning instruction take place during grades five through eight (1989). While extensive research has explored both pre-instructional and intra-instructional student proportional thinking strategies, little research has been done on post-instructional proportional thinking strategies used by high-school aged students. As proportional reasoning is fundamental for success in Algebra and other advanced mathematics, it seems relevant to verify that these students retain their reasoning abilities and can apply them in both high school and college mathematical situations.
This study sought to: (1) determine whether high-school students from specific rural, low-income school …

A Laptop-Learning Initiative: Relationships With Student Achievement, Technology Proficiency, And Attitude Towards Technology, Kevin Scott Nicholas

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between a laptop learning initiative, student achievement, technology proficiency, and attitude towards technology. The initiative, Project One-on-One, was designed to provide teachers with the ability to teach technology integrated lessons in classrooms with a student-to computer ratio of 1:1. This was accomplished by utilizing two mobile laptop labs that were financed through a national grant competition. The variables that were examined in the study were three years of eighth-grade student achievement scores from the criterion-referenced Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) test and the Louisiana Center for Educational Technology’s Technology Proficiency …

The Effects Of Professional Development To Create Standards-Based Curriculum On Student Achievement In Fourth And Fifth Grade Mathematics Classrooms, Amy E. Mcbride Martin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics determined there were several concepts or "standards" needed for quality teaching of math. While few dispute their importance, little support and resources are provided to help teachers understand and meet these standards. Long term professional development which focuses on how to teach with these standards could play a crucial role in improving the academic achievement of students. In this study, professional development opportunities were provided for teachers to explore the various elements of mathematics and develop a better understanding of how to teach them. The main purpose of the research was to study …