Digital Commons Network^™

Learning With Personal Computers: Issues, Observations And Perspectives, Helga A.H. Rowe, Irene Brown, Isabel Lesman

Digital learning research

The empirical study discussed in this book was conducted in the Sunrise classrooms at Coombabah State School, Queensland in 1991-92, in which each student had their own laptop computer. Part I provides a theoretical framework for learning and teaching with computers. Part II deals with issues relating to the acquisition of computer literacy. Part III describes the empirical study conducted with 115 Year 6 and Year 7 students, and Part IV deals with issues relating to the professional development of teachers who teach students with computers and with the evaluation of computer software by teachers.

Tales Told Out Of School: Women's Reflections On Their Undergraduate Experience, Blythe Clinchy

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Where does learning really occur? In the classroom? Or out of it? The answer may be different for different learners and that has implications for our ways of teaching.

Report On Domestic Violence And Law Enforcement In A Rural Setting: The Case Of Eastern Kentucky, Neil Websdale

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

A report submitted by Neil Websdale to the Research and Creative Productions Committee in 1992 on domestic violence and the criminal justice response to that violence in Eastern Kentucky.

An Integrated Program For Teaching Writing And Thinking Skills, Edmund James Ady

All Graduate Projects

The nature and development of thought, the connection between thinking and writing, teaching practices associated with the direct teaching of thinking and writing skills were researched and studied. An integrated program of writing and thinking skills was compiled. This program includes techniques for teaching thinking and writing activities and provides step by step procedures to accomplish the integration of thinking skills with writing skills targeted at producing contrast and comparison essays. A discussion and recommendations regarding the program are included.

Enhancing Oral Language Experiences In The Pre-Kindergarten Setting, Anna Kearny

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how an oral language emphasis benefits pre-kindergarten children in preparation for entry into kindergarten. This study investigated the concept of enhancing oral language activities in the classroom. Growth in the cognitive, social, and emotional areas in pre-kindergarten children was noted.

Experience-Based Dialogues In Secondary English-As-A-Second-Language Classrooms, Carlina V. Lobos

All Graduate Projects

An informal study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of experience-based dialogues in the promotion of oral language use in secondary-level English-As-A-Second-Language classrooms. The twenty-one dialogues field-tested in the project were developed interactively, by teacher and students, in the sociocognitive context of each of the learner's background knowledge, experience and immediate communication needs. Experience-based dialogues are a method of language teaching and learning that focuses on the communicative act rather than on isolated or discrete grammatical items. An overview of the results of the informal study was presented here. Strategies for teachers to develop and implement, using this approach, were …

Adapting The Outcome-Based Education Instructional Process To A Fourth Grade Social Studies And Science Curriculum In The Cascade School District, Daniel J. Roche

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to utilize the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) instructional process to develop a curriculum in social studies and science for fourth grade students at Osborn Elementary School, Leavenworth, Washington. To accomplish this purpose, student learning objectives, unit objectives, lesson objectives, and lesson plans were adapted to the OBE instructional model.

The Use Of Ability Grouping In Reading And Some Alternatives, Sherry Lynn Anderson

All Graduate Projects

This study was conducted to determine if attitudes toward and /or practices of ability grouping for reading instruction have changed over the last thirteen years. Current research was reported. A replication of a study by Wilson and Schmits (1978) was completed and analyzed. The results suggest a fairly dramatic change in both attitudes toward and practices of ability grouping. A collection of alternative methods were offered for teachers looking for options to the ability grouping method of teaching reading.

Development Of A Portfolio Assessment Process For Evaluating Student Progress In Writing Skill Development In Primary Grades, Roberta M. Bowers

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a portfolio assessment process to evaluate student progress in writing skill development in the primary grades of Central Elementary School.

Metacognitive Prereading Activities To Enhance Reading Comprehension, Katherine Laws

All Graduate Projects

This study investigated metacognitive prereading strategies content area teachers might utilize for process emphasis reading comprehension. The literature review showed the shift in reading comprehension instruction from a word based emphasis to an interactive process emphasis, described content area reading instruction and metacognition. A selection of metacognitive prereading activities was included for use by teachers in content area classrooms. Implications of using the activities were discussed.

A Research And An Adaptation Of Methodologies To Develop Supplementary Materials And Activities For The Study Of Foreign Language, Melané Mildré

All Graduate Projects

The use of a typical textbook tor the instruction of the first year study of the Spanish language appears to be tedious as well as inadequate in its presentation of grammar drills, vocabulary selection, and its potential of allowing the student to develop fluency in the language. As a result, the writer researched a variety of methodologies currently being employed in the instruction of foreign language. Intending to improve upon the usage of a textbook as well as to add variety to the classroom procedure, the writer then developed or adapted supplementary materials to correlate to the textbook presently being …

Preventing Reading Failure: A Handbook For Understanding Reading Recovery, Marianne Nash

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a handboook designed for use by primary teachers who are interested in learning more about Reading Recovery. The handbook covers the following issues: 1) a brief description of Reading Recovery, 2) how to get a program started, 3) how to select, plan for, and when to discontinue students from Reading Recovery services, 4) Reading Recovery teaching procedures, 5) where training sites are located, 6) a bibliography of suggested books, and 7) obtaining books through mini-grant applications and book orders.

Teachers' Beliefs Regarding School-Wide Integration Of Mildly Handicapped Students In The Ephrata School District, Charlotte Throgmorton

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to determine the attitudes of teachers in the Ephrata. Washington. School District regarding the school-wide integration of mildly handicapped students in the classroom and the supports needed to insure its success. To accomplish this purpose, a survey instrument was designed and administered to elicit teacher responses. Survey responses were tabulated by frequency, rank order, percentage, and average, and provided a basis for descriptive analysis of data obtained.

Effective Strategies For Teaching At-Risk African American Males: An Inservice Manual, Ethel L. Wellington-Peak

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop an inservice training manual to guide the delivery of teacher training sessions designed to implement effective teaching strategies for at-risk African American male students at Larchmont Elementary School, in the Tacoma, Washington school district.

A Comparison Of The Performance Of African American Preschool Children On The Wppsi And Wppsi-R, Cynthia A. Vandervelde

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) (Wechsler, 1967) has long been one of the most widely used instruments for the assessment of preschool children's intelligence. The recently published Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Revised (WPPSI-R) (Wechsler, 1989) was designed to replace the WPPSI as the instrument of choice for the purposes of making classification, placement, and program evaluation decisions. Thus, data concerning the comparability of the two instruments is of particular importance to educators. This study investigated the relationship between the WPPSI and the WPPSI-R among a sample of predominantly lower socioeconomic status African American …

The Market For Teaching Scholars, Laurie Richlin

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

To what extent will the hiring institutions accept a candidate whose devotion is to teaching? The answer depends greatly on the type of institution.

Development And Application Of A Diligence-Ability Regression Model For Explaining And Predicting Competence Among Juniors And Seniors In Selected Michigan High Schools, Hinsdale Bernard

Dissertations

Problem. There has been growing concern that high-school students should be held more responsible fortheir educational results. This study aimed at developing a diligence inventory (DI) to measure the nature and extent of student involvement in their education.

The purpose of the study was to develop the DI and to formulate a multiple-regression equation to predict competence (semester GPA) from diligence and ability (ACT score). It was envisioned that this model could suggest intervention for improved student performance through the diligence component.

Method. Two hundred and thirty-seven high-school juniors and seniors participated in the study. Item analysis and factor analysis …

Sustaining And Impinging Factors On Teaching Satisfaction Of Effective Middle Level Teachers, Cheryl D. Hoversten

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the ontogeny of effective middle level teachers. The study was a search through their lives, both professional and private, for those elements that they perceived have contributed to their professional development and consequent attitudes and perspectives on teaching.

A sample of 12 teachers was obtained through reputational-case selection, a process by which teachers were nominated by experts on the basis of their professional expertise. All participants were middle level teachers from two Midwestern states who had at least 10 years of teaching experience.

A career history interview, which focused on critical shifts …

Acer 1991-1992, 62nd Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

This annual report examines recent changes in Australian education. Two strong emerging trends emerging are: increasing participation rates as more young people stay in the formal education system beyond the compulsory years and a shift in focus from the input in education to outcomes and sharpening of the way in which the outcomes are defined. The report includes: (1) Director's Comment: Competence or Expertise?; (2) Highlights of the Year for ACER; (3) Research and Development Activities (Overview of Themes, Beyond the Compulsory School Years; Cognition, Technology and the Classroom; Teachers and Teaching; Educational Management and Change; Assessment and Reporting; Measurement …

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Learning Style Prescriptions And/Or Modality-Based Instruction On The Spelling Achievement Of Fifth-Grade Students, Nancy D'Isa Turner

Dissertations

Problem

Learning style has been studied extensively across the United States since the early 1970s. Much research has involved Rita and Kenneth Dunns' model and associated Learning Style Inventory. In 1991, Robert Zenhausern developed the Homework Disc software program which correlates with the Dunns' work and yields learning style prescriptions for students. The use of these study strategies at the elementary level has not been broadly examined. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of prescriptions on spelling achievement of fifth-grade students.

Method

A total of 65 students (33 males, 32 females) in three intact groups participated in this study. The …

Factor Analysis Of The Personal Profile System, Thomas G. Henkel, James Noel Wilmoth

Publications

Principal components extraction with orthogonal and oblique rotations tested construct validity for the Personal Profile System. MOST-LIKE endorsements of 96 behavioral descriptors were coded with 4, LEAST-LIKE with 1, and unendorsed with 2.5. Descriptor data from 1,045 senior noncommissioned Air Force officers were normalized. Four factors accounted for 85% of total variance, with 19 descriptors loading significantly on two factors and the remaining 77 on just one factor. The measure of sampling adequacy for every descriptor exceeded .94. One factor for the varimax-rotated (best) analysis was bi-scalar, loading on Steadiness and Compliance descriptors; a second resembled Influencing, a third loaded …

Parallel Form Test-Retest Reliability And Predictive Validity Of A Curriculum-Based Measurement Academic Readiness Test, Stanley F. Hanus

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to help a local school district in rural Iowa determine the reliability and predictive validity of a Curriculum-Based Measurement Academic Readiness Test (CBM-ART). The subjects were 85 kindergarten students and 77 first grade students enrolled in regular education. The total sample of 162 students was approximately 88% Caucasian, 8% Native American, 2% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. Parallel forms of the test were administered at a 14-day interval, with resulting reliability coefficients ranging from .76 to .94 with a median coefficient of .88. Validity coefficients computed between CBM measures administered in kindergarten and Iowa Tests …

The Effects Of Combining Direct Instruction, Metacognitive Instruction And Co-Operative Learning Strategies To Teaching Summarizing To Year 6 Students, D. A. Bergin

Theses : Honours

Summarizing is one of several study skills students are asked to do as evidence of their ability to learn from texts and it is one which students find difficult. Research suggests that part of the difficulty students experience with summarizing is due to the lack of instruction students received in summary writing and the quality of that instruction. Therefore the purpose of this study was to design an instructional procedure for teaching summary writing to primary school students and to investigate the; effects this form of instruction had on students' summaries. This study involved pre-testing, instruction in summarizing, followed by …

A Case Study Of Two Year Six Classes Involved In A Health-Related Fitness Intervention, Andrew T. Medland

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Children are not as active as they may appear and they do not voluntarily engage in moderate to high intensity activity as commonly perceived by the general public. With coronary heart disease risk factors now found to have origins in childhood there is a real need for children to adopt lifestyles that will produce healthier adults. In Perth the Western Australian Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition project (WASPAN) has been implemented, as a Year 6 intervention, addressing the problems of poor nutritional habits and low activity levels. The focus of this case-study was to describe the physical activity component of …

The Buck Stops Here: Outside Grants And The General Education Process, Sandra Kanter

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

The Buck Stops Here: Outside Grants and the General Education Curriculum Change Process describes the process of general education curriculum change in six New England institutions. All had received money from foundations or governmental agencies to assist them in reforming their general education curricula. The essay is an examination of the importance of outside funds in the process of designing and implementing major changes in the general education curriculum. It explores when outside funds are most helpful and how institutions and funding agencies can improve the change process.

Readiness And Achievement Motivation: An Investigation Of The Validity Of The Readiness Scales In Hersey And Blanchard's Situational Leadership, Xiaoping Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the construct validity of the two instruments measuring readiness in Situational Leadership: the Readiness Scales--Manager Rating Form and Staff Member Rating Form--developed by Hambleton, Blanchard, and Hersey (1977). The study examined the relationships between readiness and achievement motivation, and between readiness and faculty education and work experience. The study also explored the concurrent validity of the two instruments measuring McClelland's (1961) achievement motivation: The Achievement Orientation Scale and The NachNaff Scale. The respondents were 66 department chairs and 156 faculty from 12 comprehensive institutions in the South. Data on faculty readiness were …

The Influence Of Junior First Grade On Academic Ability And Self-Concept Of Academic Ability, Mary Ann Boettger

Dissertations

The educational practice of retaining students in junior first grade for a year between kindergarten and first grade was the focus of this study.

Four groups of 1983-1984 students were compared in 1990-1991: (1) those recommended for first and placed in first grade (F-F), (2) those recommended for junior first and placed in junior first grade (JF-JF), (3) those recommended for junior first and placed in first grade (JF-F), and (4) those borderline between junior first and kindergarten, but placed in first grade (B-F).

The groups were compared on gender, birth month, retention, absences, and lunch status, as well as …

Teacher Retention And Teacher Satisfaction In Lutheran Secondary Schools, Cary L. Stelmachowicz

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between teacher retention and the nine subscales of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Teacher Satisfaction Survey (Schmitt & Loher, 1986) for teachers in Lutheran secondary schools. Both former and current Lutheran secondary teachers (262) were surveyed to identify sources of satisfaction levels that may induce teachers to leave Lutheran secondary education.

The survey instrument used was the Teacher Satisfaction Survey developed by the NASSP. The survey includes nine subscales of satisfaction: administration, compensation, opportunities for advancement, student responsibility and discipline, curriculum and job tasks, coworkers, parents and …

A Study Of The Effects On Second-Grade Students Of A Leadership Curriculum, Michael Frazee

Dissertations

Investigators of leadership behavior have largely overlooked the period during early childhood when adjustment to the group is initially acquired and practiced. This study was designed to determine whether leadership skills could be taught to second-grade students. The purpose of the research was to determine the effectiveness of the Leadership Is Vital to Education (L.I.V.E.) (Lockett, 1982) leadership curriculum.

A major assumption in this study was that leadership development could be an appropriate outcome of the elementary school curriculum and could be facilitated by introducing a specific leadership-training component into the existing curriculum. The objective was to determine whether the …

A Delphi Forecast Of 1996 Roles: Air Force Institute Of Technology Information Resource Management Graduates Assigned To Base Level, David O. Block

Theses and Dissertations

Graduates of the Air Force Institute of Technology's Information Resource Management master's degree program who are subsequently assigned to base-level positions believe their IRM expertise is wasted in base administration roles that preclude the use of their up-to-date technical educations in managing automated information resources. This research forecasts the role AFIT IRM graduates assigned to base-level positions will need to fill by the year 1996. The research further determined what changes are necessary to resolve the perceived differences between current and forecast roles for these graduates. The Delphi survey method of forecasting was selected as an effective method of discovering …