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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. …

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

Preparing For Inclusion: An Examination Of The Regular Educator's Readiness To Teach Students With Disabilities, Tinamarie Nicolo

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine the readiness of regular educators to accommodate students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Determining the quality and effectiveness of school district professional development/inservice programs intended to train regular educators for the challenges of an inclusive classroom was of particular interest. Prior research asserts that the success of inclusion is dependent upon the advanced planning of district personnel and administrators. Researchers assert that in order for the regular education environment to effectively support students with disabilities, teachers must receive effective inservice training and ongoing technical assistance. This study hypothesized that regular classroom teachers do not feel …

Analysis Of Factors That Contribute To Residence Life Staff Burnout, Antoinette Mascio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to provide an integrative study of the various factors that may interact to produce burnout among Residence Life staff members. This study examines psychosocial, physiological, and environmental conditions that are thought to contribute to burnout among Residence Life staff members.

The participants of this study were 71 student staff members who are employed by the Office of Residents Life, at a co-educational, nonsectarian, state supported college in a rural area of southern New Jersey. The participants consisted of both male and female, graduate and undergraduate students, who range in age from 18 to 33 …

Are Computers Effective Tools In Teaching Reading Comprehension To Learning Disabled Students?, Nicole C. Rockmacher

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, teaching reading comprehension through the use of computers was tested against the traditional book method of teaching reading comprehension, in which students read in a book and the teacher does oral questioning. To carry out the study, six students with similar reading levels were split into two groups of three. The control group did reading comprehension through the traditional method for six stories. The experimental group worked on reading comprehension in Stories and More on the computer, using the same six stories. The reading comprehension section of the Kauffman Test of Educational Achievement was administered individually to …

A Study To Assess Parental Choice: Why Families Choose Assemblies Of God Day Schools Over Public School, Michael Petrucci

Theses and Dissertations

This survey study identified reasons why families in New Jersey chose to send their children to Assembly of God day schools. Once these reasons were identified a survey was sent to 17 Assembly of God schools in New Jersey. The survey included a Likert scale which enabled respondents to prioritize their reasons for selecting one of these private evangelical schools. Nine reasons were listed on the scale which would be ranked in order of importance by the families who were responding.

The analysis of collected data revealed that families ranked their nine choices in the following order, from most important …

The Use Of Behavioral Intervention Techniques In Aiding Autistic Children In The Classroom, James H. Dundee Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide information to support that, through the use of behavioral intervention techniques, especially the use of positive reinforcement, teachers can help to improve the academic success of the child with autism. The purpose of this current study is to view two unique groups of subjects. Subjects for this design consisted of twelve (12) preschool-aged students from the Gloucester County Special Services School District. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group would receive reinforcement for their behaviors and the second group would not. It was hypothesized for this study that …

Differences In Reading Achievement Between Title I Students And Students Not Receiving Title I Services, Melissa Calcagni

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the differences in reading achievement, specifically decoding ability, between first graders receiving Title I services and those not receiving the services. A sample of sixteen first graders from a suburban, racially diverse school in New Castle, Delaware was utilized. Eight of the children were selected for the study simply because they were receiving Title I instruction in the form of a one hour pullout program. The remaining eight children were selected based on test results on the San Diego Quick Assessment. The pre-test/post-test control group design was employed in this study. The Mann-Whitney test was used …

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 …

The Relationship Between Career Maturity And Locus Of Control In College Students, Maryann Kimchick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between locus of control in college students and career maturity. The sample consisted of 39 undergraduates attending a state college in New Jersey. Of the total sample, 5 were male, 34 were female. The mean age of the population was 18, with ages ranging from 18 to 24. The majority of the sample were in their first year in college. Locus of control was assessed with the Rotter Internal-External (I-E) scale and the Career Maturity Inventory Scale (CMI-As) was selected to measure Career Maturity. The data collected was analyzed using …

Parenting Styles And The Influences Upon The Level Of Functioning Of Adolescents, Tamiko Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to view the relationship between parenting styles and the influences upon the level of functioning of adolescents. There were 15 subjects in the study. Several characteristics were examined: level of functioning, family status, educational levels, and parenting styles.

The data was collected by a self-designed survey in order to assess the specific parenting style that an adolescent may have been subjected to and an observational rating scale was utilized to assess the level of functioning of each subject.

It was discovered that 66.6% of the subjects were reared by a care provider who favored …

Effectiveness Of Conflict Resolution Programs In The Schools: A Study Of Students’ Coping Skills Before And After Participation In A Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation Program, Tammy Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate students' coping styles before and after a conflict resolution program intervention. The 6th grade middle school class was administered the Coping Response Inventory (CRI) prior to receiving the conflict resolution training. The conflict resolution/peer mediation program was designed to empower students by giving them the tools to challenge and solve problems. The program focuses on the following areas: affirmation, communication, conflict resolution, cooperation, and bias awareness/appreciation of differences.

The demographics include the following: The sample group consisted of 6th grade suburban middle school students. There were 21 subjects. 57% were male and …

Pre-Referral Intervention And Follow-Up: An Analysis Of The Pupil Assistance Committee (Pac), Jocelyn Camba

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to descriptively analyze the interventions selected and the subsequent follow-up information of the students referred to the Pupil Assistance Committee (PAC).

The sample includes twenty-one students from one New Jersey suburban elementary school which consists of kindergarten through grade six. Data was collected from actual referrals to the Pupil Assistance Committee. Additional data was collected regarding current educational placements and the status of the sample. The design of this study is a descriptive analysis. A coding instrument was used to record data from student files. The major method of data analysis is frequencies and …

A Comparison Of Burnout Levels Between Special Educators And Regular Educators, Andrea Liddle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers who work with mentally and physically handicapped children in special education schools have a higher incidence of burnout than teachers who work in regular education schools.

Twenty regular educators from a public school, k-12, and twenty special educators from two private special education schools, k-12, participated in the study. The special educators taught children with moderate levels of mental retardation and multiple handicaps, Each participant completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Educator's Survey.

Three two-tailed t-tests were computed to compare the means of the three subscales of the burnout survey: Emotional …

What Are Counselor And Client Perspectives On The Preferred Time Frames For The Use Of Assessment Instruments In Career Counseling Of Adults In Career Transition?, Ronald L. Sutton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the timing of assessment instrument usage and the perceived value of assessment instruments for adult clients in career transition counseling settings. Comparisons of career counselor and adult client perspectives on assessment instrument usefulness were also studied. A mailed self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect data. Fifteen counselors and 47 clients, associated with the downsizing of an electric utility company's regional office in southern New Jersey, responded and formed the basis of all data analysis. An independent t Test for unequal groups was used to compare counselor and cheat ratings …

School Bullying And Alcohol And Other Drug Attitudes Survey In Southern New Jersey, Gail J. Tilley

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is the extent of school bulling in southern New Jersey as measured by an adapted version of the Olweus Bully Questionnaire. The students (n=232) surveyed were fourth and fifth graders in a suburban community in southern New Jersey. It was found that 11% of fourth graders and 15% of fifth graders surveyed self-report bullying other students. It was also found that 20% of fourth and fifth graders surveyed indicated that they had been bullied. These percentages matched the trends found by Olweus in Norway. Students in southern New Jersey were also surveyed on their attitudes …

A Descriptive Analysis On The Effect Of The Congruency Between National And State Guidelines For School Psychology Training Programs, Jacqueline J. Olsh

Theses and Dissertations

Each of the 50 states has independently developed guidelines for the minimum training required of school psychologists, providing for variation among the required curriculums. NASP has developed guidelines for training and experience at a national level as a means of establishing uniformity in training. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the congruency between national and state training guidelines has an effect on the percentage of nationally approved school psychology programs. The training guidelines of the 50 states were obtained. A listing of school psychology training programs as well as those nationally approved by state was acquired. The …

A Study Of The N-Body Problem In Celestial Mechanics For College Students, John Atsu-Swanzy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to investigate simple solutions of the many-body problem otherwise known as the n-body problem. The study focuses on elementary solutions of the n-body problem that can be understood by undergraduate students and college preparatory students of applied. mathematics.

Historical origins of the problems were traced to the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks. Further development and interest dated back to the time of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and finally to Newton who proposed its modern form.

Analytical and numerical solutions of specific n-body problems were solved to demonstrate solvability of certain types of n-body problems. Analytical …

Date Rape: Attitudes And Perceptions, Elizabeth Young

Theses and Dissertations

The reasons date rape victims are often blamed for their own assault may be associated with sex-role identification and a lack of education. This study aims to examine the relationship between an individual's measure of sex-role traditionality and their attitudes towards rape by using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory combined with the Rape Attitudes and Perceptions Questionnaire which were administered to two mixed gender classes consisting of 30 juniors and seniors in a rural high school. Approximately one week after the surveys were taken, both classes watched When Romance Turns to Rape, which contains several vignettes on date rape. Then …

African-American Identity, The Quality Of School Life And Academic Achievement, Michael James Mcintire

Theses and Dissertations

Although some studies have linked educational outcomes to identity status (Francis 1981; Hummel & Roselli 1983), only Taylor, Lasten, Flickinger, Roberts and Fulmore, L.D. (1994) have attempted to link educational outcomes to the racial identity status of minority group members. Given the theorized importance of adequate racial identity development for the future psychological health of minority group members, and the impact of educational achievement in high school on subsequent educational, economic, and social outcomes, the present study is designed to assess the quality of school life and the racial identity of African-American high school students, and to determine the extent …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Both Parents And Teachers On Whether Pharmacological Interventions Along With Behavior Modification Work In Controlling Behavior In Students With Add, Carol L. Gallucci

Theses and Dissertations

More and more students are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and placed on medication.

This study looks at students in both private and public schools who are already diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and are on medication. Both parents and teachers of the same student filled out surveys inquiring whether behavior modification is used along with medication in controlling student behavior at home and in the classroom.

There are 25 pairs of participants in this study. Twenty pairs of respondents are from private schools, with five pairs from public schools.

The surveys sent out included nine questions for parents and …

A Comparison Of Two Pre-Referral Intervention Committees, Tammy L. Kouser

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to descriptively analyze two pre-referral intervention committees in a New Jersey suburban school district. The committee is also labeled Pupil Assistance Committee (PAC).

The sample was the two committees observed by the researcher. Questionnaires were also filled out by referral teachers to suggest effectiveness of the committees. The referral teachers vary in age and sex.

This study yielded the following findings: the make up of the committees were very similar, the format of the two committees greatly differed, the number of interventions and time spent on students varied between schools, the effectiveness suggested by …

The Impact Of Interscholastic Activity Program Participation On Self-Concept, Melanie L. Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Self-concept is one of the most important constructs in an individual's life. It is the backbone of personal development. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether adolescent students participating in an interscholastic athletic program (basketball) accomplish more substantial gains in self-concept than their non-participant peers. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS:2) was used to assess the baseline data of 40 high school students. Twenty of the students composed the non-active control group, while 20 students composed the experimental, active group. After a ten-week interval, post-test data was gathered. Although results differed based on individual scores, on the average, …

The Effects Of A Cross-Age Peer Tutoring Read Aloud Program On Learning Disabled Resource Room Students, Jeffery G. Wellington

Theses and Dissertations

Preventing school failure of special education students is an issue of immense proportion. Apart from academic needs, many special education students have needs in other areas such as improved self esteem, social skills and behavior that far outweigh the needs of regular education students. This study was designed to investigate the effects of a cross-age peer tutoring read aloud program on sixteen fifth and sixth grade learning resource room students. The subjects' self concept, behavior, discipline referral rate and absenteeism rate were examined in a pre/post intervention design. The subjects were required to tutor by reading aloud to third grade …

Significant Factors Contributing To The Successful Inclusion Of Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities Into General K-2 Classrooms, Bonni Rubin-Sugarman

Theses and Dissertations

Since 1975 a federal law has made the local school district responsible for the education of ALL children living within its geographical boundaries, This law, originally known as the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142), and now known as IDEA or The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, guarantees that children with disabilities will have a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. This free and appropriate public education would afford children with disabilities the opportunity, to the maximum extent possible, to be educated in their neighborhood school alongside their non-disabled peers.

The purpose of this …