Digital Commons Network^™

How Does Being Placed In A Special Education Setting Affect A Student's Self-Concept?, Kristin Fastiggi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the self-concept of classified and non-classified students. Twenty-four students, twelve classified and twelve non-classified, all from Gloucester County, were given the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The test consisted of ten statements related to overall feelings of self-worth or self-acceptance. The students were tested away from their peers and the test was administered by the researcher. Once the study had been carried out the scores were analyzed by the researcher. The non-classified group had an average score of 15.83 (a normal self-esteem is within the range of 15-25). The non-classified group had an average …

The Impact Of Positive Reinforcement And Self-Recording On The On-Task Behavior Of Third Grade Students, Shannon L. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of positive reinforcement and self-recording on the on-task behavior of third grade students. It was hypothesized that third grade students, within a learning community, who employ self-recording strategies and experience positive reinforcement rewards will be on-task a significantly longer length of time than third grade students who do not utilize those strategies. The study consisted of an experimental and a control group. Both groups were observed to determine baseline data. The experimental group was then asked to record their own on-task behavior and received rewards for being on-task a high …

The Effect Of A Constructivist Social Studies Unit On Student Attitudes Toward Social Studies, Kristi L. Arruzzo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a constructivist social studies unit on student attitudes towards social studies. It was hypothesized that students who experienced constructivist based social studies lessons would display a greater interest in social studies topics in the classroom than those who did not experience constructivist based social studies lessons. The subjects in this study were fifty, fourth grade students from a southern New Jersey school district. The study consisted of an experimental and a control group, both of which received a pre-test. While the control group received no difference in teaching style, …

What Happens When A Fifth Grade Class Takes An Inquiry Stance Into Their Own Wellness Through A Critical Literacy Lens?, Casey Shalhoub

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to teach wellness to students in a fifth grade class using inquiry and critical literacy books. I taught lessons that incorporate the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Health to find out how this knowledge affected the students' lives. I worked with twenty-four students in a fifth grade class for a sixteen week period during my student teaching. I used a student questionnaire to gather information and also analyzed the student participation during lessons and responses to what was taught. I found that through the teaching of wellness through inquiry and critical literacy …

A Study Of The Attitudes Of Selected Campus Leaders Toward The Role Of Student Trustees At New Jersey State Colleges And Universities, Matthew S. Minnella

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of college and university presidents, board chairpersons, student trustees and student government presidents at eight member institutions of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) concerning the role of student trustees. The major areas of interest included voting rights, compensation, roles, training, and conflicts of interest. Seventeen campus leaders from NJASCU institutions participated in the study. The subjects were mailed a survey to complete to document their attitudes toward the roles of student trustees. The study found that the majority of selected campus leaders agreed that student …

Division Iii Athletic Trainers' Attitudes Toward Issues And Concerns Of The Athletic Training Profession, Kristin Sacerdote

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the specific issues and concerns that athletic trainers face in the college and university setting. A secondary purpose was to solicit recommendations in addressing the issues and concerns that are present in the profession. Seventy-two certified athletic trainers in the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association (EATA) completed a survey to evaluate their attitudes on the issues and concerns facing athletic trainers in higher education institutions. Those surveyed were asked to identify what were the top issues and concerns facing athletic trainers and what recommendations that they had for addressing these issues. The findings …

Issues, Challenges, And Leadership Qualities Of Participating Njac Head Soccer Coaches At The Division Iii Level, Thomas E. Eichhorn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the issues, challenges, and leadership qualities of NCAA Division III head soccer coaches in a highly competitive and diverse area of the United States. Fifteen head soccer coaches from the New Jersey Athletic Conference completed the Leadership Assessment Instrument and the Issues and Challenges survey to identify similarities amongst state institutions of higher education in New Jersey and to compare similarities between head coaches of male and female soccer programs. Findings suggest there are no distinct differences amongst these institutions or between head coaches of male and female soccer programs. The leadership …

Ncaa Division Iii Student-Athletes' Attitudes And Knowledge Of Anabolic Steroids, Keith Smicklo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide data on the attitudes, knowledge, and deterrents of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III student-athletes related to illegal steroid abuse. One hundred and two student-athletes from Rowan University completed a survey to evaluate their knowledge of anabolic steroids and the NCAA Division III Drug-testing policy. The student-athletes also responded to statements regarding their current attitudes towards anabolic steroids and some deterrents to the use of steroids. Results indicated that NCAA Division III student-athletes do possess general knowledge of anabolic steroids and feel the use of anabolic steroids during athletic competition is …

Perspectives Of Administrators At Select Art Institutions On Student Involvement And Development Theories And Their Relation To Campus Extracurricular Activities, Mary Ellen Wade

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine extracurricular offerings at art institutions focusing on a few areas, including: (a) the amount of extracurricular offerings, (b) the types of extracurricular offerings, (c) how student affairs administrators viewed overall student participation in the extracurricular offerings, and (d) how demographics of the institution including size of the student population, commuter or residential campus, and the amount of funding received related to the amount of extracurricular activities offered by a particular institution.

This study examined two art institutions. Findings suggested student affairs administrators mostly have knowledge of and apply student development theories …

An Impact Evaluation Of The Dr. Harley E. Flack Male Mentoring Program At Rowan University, Eliezer Marcellus

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct an impact evaluation of the Dr. Harley E. Flack Male Mentoring Program on selected students at Rowan University. The study involved 94 subjects, divided into two groups. Group one consisted of 90 students enrolled in the Dr. Harley E. Flack Male Mentoring Program. Group two consisted of four past and current directors/coordinators of the program.

The data collection instruments included a 23-item survey and an interview schedule. The survey obtained background information, the attitudes of the subjects toward the academic support services provided by the program, and the impact on academic achievement …

The Roles And Responsibilities Of Academic Chairs In Strategic Planning At Rowan University, William F. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the attitudes of department chairs in strategic planning at Rowan University. The researcher surveyed the department chairs within the six academic colleges. A total of 22 department chairs participated in the survey while 20 of these subjects were also interviewed. Participants were administered a Likert-scale survey that measured the attitudinal factors of role, knowledge-experience, and involvement in strategic planning. The survey also measured the attitudes towards the current strategic planning process at Rowan and their recommendations for improvement. Surveys were statistically analyzed to determine means, standard deviations on the attitudinal factors, …

Interventions For Success: Perceptions On Rti, Renee Marie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Current research strongly supports using response to intervention (RTI) to increase the academic achievement of all students, including those who experience academic difficulty in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to extend our understanding of RTI implementation. Specifically, semi-structured interviews were conducted with multiple school professionals at "Granby Elementary School" to document their experiences and perceptions related to referral procedures and early intervention services. The results of this study indicate that students at Granby Elementary are supported by some of the core features of an RTI approach. The key themes which emerged from the data are …

What Are Elementary Students' Perceptions Of Their Homework? An Investigation On Student Achievement And Their Homework Completion, Charles Kenneth Morgenweck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine if there was a relationship between the amount of time special education and general education elementary students spent on homework and their corresponding academic achievement. The participants of the study included 83 fifth through eighth graders from a rural elementary school. Of those 67 were general education students and 16 were special education students. A self-reported survey was provided to participating students, as well as an interview to eight randomly selected students and their parents. The results showed that there was a very slight correlation between the amount of time students …

The Effects Of Social Skills Training To Increase Appropriate Behaviors Of Elementary Students With Disabilities In Physical Education, Rachel P. White

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a social skills training program provided by the researcher during physical education classes. Four male students ages 7 and 8 participated in the study once a week for 45 minutes.

Direct observations were used to collect data on the targeted social skills of sharing, taking turns, saying "Please" and "Thank you", and displaying good sportsmanship before, during and after the training. A single subject design with ABC phases was used to record student behaviors.

The results indicate that all students increased the appropriate target behaviors and reduced inappropriate behaviors …

The Effects Of Psychological Birth Order On Goldberg's "Big 5" Personality Traits, Carol S. Kiedaisch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not birth order had any influence on personality traits. Based on the theories of Alfred Adler, that position in the family effects our perceptions and roles within the family, we surveyed seventy-two undergraduate students at Rowan University using two questionnaires. The first questionnaire was the Campbell-White PBOI which looks at the relationship between birth order and psychological birth order. The results of the questionnaire, using Pearson Chi Square, showed no significance between birth order and psychological birth order. The second questionnaire looked at birth order and the five personality traits …

Locus Of Control And Risk Behavior Among College Students, Lauren R. Matricardi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship if any between an individual's locus of control (internal or external) and their degree of engaging in risk behavior. Participants were male (N=8) and female (N=24) undergraduate college students from Rowan University. Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale was used to assess the subject's attributions (internal vs. external) for the outcomes of his or her behavior. To assess the amount of risk behavior in the subjects, items from the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) were used. A demographic questionnaire was also used. Regression analysis showed that there was …

Impact Of Educational Attainment Before Diagnosis On Functioning Level After Diagnosis, Rachele M. Weichmann

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) locate any impact between the amount of education attained prior to the diagnosis of a mental illness and functionality after the diagnosis of a mental illness, (b) to see if the type of diagnosis, whether it had psychotic or non-psychotic features, had an effect on these results, and (c) to see if the relationship between these variables would plateau at the higher levels of education. The researcher examined the case histories of a group of adults with mental illness (n = 122), looking for the number of educational years each individual completed …

Early Intervention And Applied Behavior Analysis: A Case Study, Kathleen I. Westcott

Theses and Dissertations

This is a case study that examines the effectiveness of early intervention and applied behavior analysis. The subject was a two year old male diagnosed with Autism. The subject received applied behavior analysis in his home for a period of two months at a rate of four hours per week. The goal of this study was determine whether or not early intervention and applied behavior analysis increase the cognitive and behavioral functioning of the subject. The effectiveness was measured by the subject's ability to complete three goals set by the family and the early intervention program at Rowan University. The …

A Study Of The Changing Complexion Of Academic Governance In New Jersey Community Colleges, George J. Hakun

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the forces of change that will affect community colleges in New Jersey and to capture the attitudes of stakeholders towards the impact of these forces as they relate to the future of the structure of academic governance. The target population of this study was community college administrators and faculty in five community colleges in southern New Jersey (n=90). The study included a random sample of administrators and faculty members, with an overall response rate of 43.5%. In addition to the survey, 12 stakeholders were randomly chosen to participate in interviews, representing a …

The Relationship Between Social Engagement And Academic Engagement In A Group Of 3rd, 5th, And 7th Grade Students, Christine Marie Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate if there is a relationship between the social engagement and academic engagement of 3^rd, 5^th, and 7^th grade students. The secondary purpose of this study is to examine whether a student's grade level contributes to the strength of this relationship. Sixty-one (31 males and 30 females) 3^rd, 5^th, and 7^th grade students, between the ages of 8 and 13, participated in this study. They were recruited from both elementary and middle schools in a suburban New Jersey school district. Each student …

Effects Of Implementing Kinesthetic Activities In The Classroom, Amanda R. Coppola

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects kinesthetic lessons could have on academic achievement as well as learner attitudes. Subjects included 72 fifth grade science students from a suburban elementary school in Southern New Jersey. There were two control groups and two experimental groups. Throughout the three-week study, the experimental groups were presented with kinesthetic lessons, visual instruction and auditory instruction. The control groups received only visual and auditory instruction. Students completed one quiz and one test during the study, along with two Likert-type attitudinal questionnaires, which were completed both before and after the study. Independent samples …

Context Dependent Memory For Relaxing Conditions, Kimberly Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Although there are many studies on Context Dependent Memory (CDM), few studies have investigated CDM and relaxing environments. A recent British study by Cassaday, Bloomfield, and Hayward (2002) examined context dependent memory, relaxing conditions, and college student performance. The current study is a replication of the Cassaday, Bloomfield, and Hayward (2002) study. Participants in this experiment were 28 college students from a state university. The current study was a 2 x 2 between-subjects design with two independent variables: learning context and testing context. For all learning conditions participants completed a free recall task and a problem-solving task called the Tower …

The Effect Of Income On Students' Behavior And Parental Involvement, Alison Hoell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of social economic status on a child's behavior and his parental involvement. By obtaining archival files of students formerly enrolled at the Abbott center, Tiny Tots Preschool in Vineland, NJ, the researcher was able to correlate the amount of behavior problems with parental involvement and income.

The hypothesis of this study is that children of lower socio-economic status tend to have more behavior problems and less parental involvement than children of higher socio-economic status. This hypothesis was partially supported by the study. The study found that the majority of students …

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Birth Order And Individual's Locus Of Control, Rachel Heiblim

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to uncover any possible correlational relationships between Individual's birth order and their locus of control. The Austrian psychologist, Alfred Adler, had some theories concerning birth order which were of particular interest to the author as the ideas for this study were unfolding. Fifty adults (n = 50) from a major northeastern university, eighty four percent of whom were female and sixteen percent of whom were male, served as participants. Subjects completed Rotter's twenty nine question internal / external locus of control scale as well as a demographic survey which provided the researcher with …

Gender Role Development In Early Versus Late Adolescence, Andrea Buchma

Theses and Dissertations

Gender roles have been a subject that has been explored through the years. Previous research looked mainly on gender roles and childhood. In the present research, a different outlook of gender roles in adolescence was investigated. This research looked at a sample of 126 middle school and high school students. The students were each given a survey comprised of the Bem Sex Role Inventory and a simple gender recognition test. Test scores were compared with the variables of sex and age (early or late adolescent) through univariate analyses of variance, or ANOVA. The research found an association between gender recognition …

Does Phonological Processing, A Specific Subtype Of Dyslexia, Impact Performance On Intelligence Tests?, Lara Z. Lisnyj

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a specific subtype of dyslexia, namely phonological processing, on performance and the results of ability on IQ testing. Twenty-two records from a learning center in southern New Jersey were used for data in this study. The sample consisted of 12 male and 10 female children's charts. These children were tested at the learning center in 2005. The age range of the sample is six to eleven years-old. There is no identification of any kind in this study. The information used from the charts included: full scale IQ scores from …

The Effects Of Learning Goals On Self-Concept And Intrinsic Motivation In The Learning Disabled Student: A Case Study, Lindsay S. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to increase levels of self-concept and intrinsic motivation in a 9^th grade student with a specific learning disability in mathematics through the use of weekly learning goals and the introduction of problem-solving strategies. Over the course of the six week study, the student experienced a significant rise in overall self-concept and intrinsic motivation as indicated by the results of two, One-Way ANOVA's from two self-report scales completed by the student. Implications for generalization of this study's results should include sample size, degree of learning disability, and administration of intervention techniques.

Achievement Goals Affect Academic Success And Help Seeking Behavior Of Undergraduates, Meghan Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine how achievement goals affect students' academic success and help seeking behavior. The three goal orientations measured in this present study are mastery, performance-approach, and work avoidance. A questionnaire is used to assess the students' goal orientation. The researcher also asked the students to self report their current cumulative GPA and the number of times a semester they visit their professors for help. One way ANOVAs were used to determine which achievement goal had the highest GPA and which had the most help seeking behavior. A correlation was also done to determine if …

Piloting The Implementation And Assessment Of A New First Year Experience At Rowan University, Stephen A. Bonora

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of freshmen residents of Evergreen Hall at Rowan University during the 2005/2006 school year. The purpose of the FYI program in Evergreen Hall was to increase student retention. Half of the residents in Evergreen Hall were full participants (FP) in the program, meaning that they had a connected experience where their orientation leader for the summer before the freshmen year was also the RA the student had in the fall semester. The other half involved were non-full participants (NFP) the students had a different orientation leader and RA. This study …

What Are Teachers' Perspectives On Their Competence In Teaching Students With Disabilities?, Tara Wessel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate special and regular education teachers' perspectives on issues such as training, experience, and education in teaching students with learning disabilities in inclusive settings. Twenty kindergarten, 1^st, and 2^nd grade teachers employed in an urban school district participated in the study. Of those, 13 are regular education teachers, and 7 are special education teachers. They responded to ten survey questions. Five teachers were randomly selected to participate in an interview in school. The results showed that special education teachers demonstrated a greater deal of competence in teaching students with disabilities …