Digital Commons Network^™

Instructional Strategies Promoting Academic Success In Inclusive Settings At The Elementary School Level, Deborah L. White

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the instructional strategies that promote academic success in inclusive settings at the elementary school ·level. This study also attempted to investigate the most effective instructional strategies perceived by regular education teachers and special education teachers. Seventy-eight subjects from the elementary school level, including thirty- nine (n=39) regular education teachers and thirty-nine (n=39) special education teachers, participated in this study. A survey research design, with a self-developed questionnaire, was used to collect data. Approximately thirty-three percent (33.33%) of the questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed through qualitative and quantitative statistics . The …

An Examination Of Factors Contributing To Exemplary Schools In An Urban Public School District In The Midwest, Gordon D. Griffin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were characteristics that identify exemplary elementary schools. Selection of schools was based on standardized scores, principal tenure, parental involvement, Directors of Elementary School’s opinion, and accreditation status.

The demographic information suggested that both groups of schools were similar in composition. Developing schools demonstrated a significantly greater population of students receiving free lunch and a greater population of minority students. Each school principal and staff received two survey instruments: the Leadership Practices Inventory (Kouzes & Posner, 1992), and the School Assessment Survey (Wilson, 1985). The results were compared to determine which …

Need For The Professional Development The Head Teachers Of Secondary Schools In Pakistan, Muhammad Memon

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Transactional Distance In Asynchronous Telecourses At A Community College Using The Group Embedded Figures Test, Roger J. Brenner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Asynchronous distance education telecourses are the technological version of traditional correspondence courses. Students in asynchronous telecourses receive videos and printed material but they may not have any contact with the instructor or other students. This study analyzed the academic performance of 154 Southwest Virginia Community College students enrolled in 27 different telecourses during one semester. The purpose of this study was to determine if students' cognitive styles impacted their achievement in distance education courses. Students were given the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) which categorized the students as field dependent or field independent. A field dependent's cognitive style is one …

A Model For The Development Of Teachers In A Remote Area Of Western Australia, Jim Heslop

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this article is to describe the shortcomings of the preparation of teachers who are appointed to remote schools within the Ngaanyatjarra Lands district of Western Australia. The article also suggests a model for the development for teachers who are appointed to the region that will address the shortcomings.

Koinonia, Sarah Beth Baldwin, Damon Matthew Seacott

Koinonia

A Mandate for Action in Residential Living and Learning

President's Corner

1996 ACSD Annual Conference Photo Highlights

CoCCA: Christian College Dating & Hot Ideas

Book Review: The Abandoned Generation

Regional Directors

The Community Discovered: The Search For Meaning Through The Integration Of Art And Technology In K-12 Education - Evaluation Progress Report No. 2, Kathy Coufal, Neal Grandgenett, Westside Community Schools

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This second evaluation progress report concerns a 5-year project that links technology and the visual and performing arts with other subject areas to transform the education of K-12 students in Nebraska and nationwide. The report states that the project's focus is to develop curriculum models of engaged student learning using technology and resources of the Information Superhighway, and that a special emphasis has been placed on serving disadvantaged students in rural and urban areas. It also states that the project is being conducted by the Westside Community Schools in Omaha, Nebraska, and that five art museums are currently involved. The …

Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers Regarding The Relevancy And Frequency Of Occurrence Of Program Characteristics Of Alternative High School Programs In North Carolina, Deborah D. Wiseman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to (1) determine which characteristics of alternative schools exist in North Carolina public alternative high schools for at-risk/potential dropouts, (2) determine the degree to which North Carolina alternative school administrators and teachers perceive each characteristic as important, (3) determine if there was a significant difference between administrators' and teachers' perceptions regarding the frequency of occurrence of program characteristics to alternative high school's, (4) determine if there was a significant difference between administrators' and teachers' perceptions regarding the relevancy of program characteristics to alternative high schools, and (5) determine if there was a significant …

Meanings Underlying Student Ratings Of Faculty, Carolyn Ridenour, Stephen J. Blatt

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine how undergraduate students interpret the items on a faculty evaluation instrument. Most research on faculty evaluation is quantitative (Marsh and Bailey 1993). Our first study was also quantitative. After we produced a profile of quantitative ratings of faculty by students across all departments in our university in an earlier study, we wanted to go beneath the numbers to their meaning. We designed the present qualitative study to investigate what the items on that form meant to students.

General Educators And Their Needs For Inclusion Classrooms, Lisa B. Minkin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the perceptions of available inclusion supports by elementary teachers and their attitudes toward inclusion education. This correlational study used a non-random, convenience population: all thirty-nine members taught in a common district that implemented inclusion. They completed a closed-ended questionnaire which measured attitudes toward inclusion and their perceptions of available supports.

The research yielded inconsistent evidence related to the null hypothesis. Attitudes of teachers concerning inclusion and their perceived level of supports were not found to be statistically related. However, there were corresponding percentages of those who considered substantial resources …

A Correlational Study Of Teachers' Attitudes Towards The Computer And The Use Of Computer-Assisted Instruction In The Classroom, Lynn Karen Lore

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the relationship between the attitude of the classroom teacher towards computers and the utilization of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAl) in the classroom instructions. The teachers were from three public schools and one private school in urban and rural districts of southern New Jersey.

The teachers completed a Computer Attitude Survey (CAS), and a Computer Assisted Instruction Survey (CAIS). The CAS measured the attitude of the teacher in four areas: their anxiety towards computers, confidence in their ability, liking of computers, and their perceptions of the usefulness of computers. Each subclass and the overall score …

The Status Of Middle Level Schools In Berrien County, Michigan Following Michigan Public Act 25, Judith A. Burns

Dissertations

Michigan Public Act 25 of 1990 mandated public school reform. One of 4 components of Public Act 25 is the development of a 3 to 5 year School Improvement Plan (SIP). The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine middle level school improvement in Berrien County, Michigan, for evidence that developmentally appropriate middle level education is promoted.

This 2-part investigation involved analyzing SIPs submitted for 1992-93 school year using a content analysis format and interviews with each building principal or designee. The content analysis format was developed by Sweeney and Cooper in 1992 to analyze SIPs of Wayne County, …

Teaching/ Learning Experiences: Meanings Constructed By Participants Ini A Degree Completion Program For Adult Students, Natalie K. Manbeck

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning that teachers and their adult students construct of their classroom experiences and to see how those meanings impact the teaching/ learning process. Because of the multiple factors affecting an educational experience, this study took the view that this should be explored in a holistic way. Most educational research focuses on the teacher's perspective, with students and their learning considered as the result of the educational process. In order to more fully understand what is occurring in classrooms and what students are actually learning, it is important to ascertain student perceptions …

A Survey Of The State Of Teacher Effectiveness In Four South Jersey High Schools, Maryanne A. Knudsen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' subjective perception of their teaching effectiveness and the factors that facilitate and/or inhibit their sense of efficacy in four South Jersey high schools. In addition, two problems were examined as to the impact of class size on teaching efficacy and does experience in teaching affect a teacher's sense of effectiveness?

The sample was selected from high school teachers in a two county area in southern New Jersey. Teachers were given a questionnaire to complete which was designed to identify important attitudes toward teaching efficacy. A total of 275 questionnaires were distributed …

Volume 09, Number 02, Richard F. Welch Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 09, Number 02 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Perceptions And Hiring Practices Of Tennessee Superintendents And Directors Of Schools Relating To The Desired Technological Skills Of High School Principals, J. M. Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to reveal what technological skills are inquired about by superintendents/directors of schools in the state of Tennessee when hiring high school principals. The study further reveals perceptions that superintendents/directors of schools have for the desirability of high school principals to possess technological skills and their perceptions of how capable current high school principals are for possessing those skills. The study was based on a total population of 139 school superintendents in the state of Tennessee. Surveys were mailed in early Nov, 1995. One hundred-two surveys were completed and returned. Findings were divided into two …

A Case Study Of An Elementary School-Based Health Clinic, Sheila K. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to perform a qualitative analysis of an elementary school-based health clinic (SBHC). This situational analysis was performed to further understand the impact of accessible primary health care on an elementary school population. Data were collected through 30 participant interviews of parents, educators and medical personnel. Additional data were collected through the clinic files, and a t-test was used to compare the attendance and achievement data of clinic consumers for the clinic year against records from the previous year. The researcher presented information on the steps of SBHC development to include community campaign procedures. The …

The Woman High School Principal In Tennessee: A Qualitative Study, Doris W. Vanhuss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to give an indepth and insightful description of the personal and professional worlds of the women high school principals of grades 9-12 in Tennessee in 1993. Specific areas which were addressed in the study included: (1) personal background information, (2) career paths and goals, (3) personal influences upon the women (4) possible barriers, (5) the role(s) of the woman high school principal, and (6) job demands. The data were gathered through a demographic questionnaire and the process of the long interview with open-ended questions with all seventeen of the women high school principals …

Homework, An Educational Instructional Technique Used In The Middle School Special Education Classroom, Charles R. Murphy

Theses & Honors Papers

The assignment patterns, frequency, and perceptions of homework as an educational instructional device was investigated in middle school special education classroom teachers. A general topic questionnaire was generated and administered to each of the middle school special education teachers who volunteered for this study. A population sample was used in the survey to represent, determine, and investigate the application of homework as an instructional technique. The survey also referenced specific questions on teachers' attitudes and perspectives on whether homework should be employed as a device to improve learning, comprehension, and retention of materials being presented in the classroom. The results …

Perceptions Of Recent Teacher Education Graduates Regarding Their Preparation To Teach, Julie Marie Barrett

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of. this study was to investigate how recent graduates of a special education and an elementary education program perceived their preparation to teach. Sixty-five recent graduates responded to a twenty-two item Teacher Perception Likert-Scale questionnaire regarding their perceptions about their education. The results were analyzed by calculating means for three separate indices within the questionnaire to provide information on overall satisfaction. A t-test indicated no significant differences at the .OS level for each index between special education and elementary education graduates . Elementary education subjects more frequently chose "strongly disagreed" or "disagreed" than did special education graduates as …

A Comparison Of The Learning Styles Of Community College Versus Four-Year College And Male Versus Female College Students, Michele M. Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the learning styles of community college versus four year college General Psychology students and male versus female college students from the combined groups, to ascertain if differences in learning style existed between the groups. The study identified David Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory elements that were important to the males/females and community college/four-year college students.

The sample included 16 General Psychology students from Salem Community College, and 29 General Psychology students from Rowan College. There were 27 female and 18 male students who participated from Salem Community College and Rowan College combined.

All …

Management Education: Valuing 'Differences' In The Classroom, Gloria Gordon Phd

Gloria Gordon PhD

In this paper a discussion is presented for the inclusion of the valuing of 'differences' between people as the cornerstone of hospitality management education curricula using a three-pronged approach. The models advocated for achieving this aim are 'identity development' (Myers, 1991), Action Learning (Revans, 1969) and Awareness and Competence (Howells, 1982). It is argued that the nature of the hospitality industry and the global environment which it serves demands such educational processes if self-aware, critical and ethical managers are to be developed. Empowerment of students through the development of critical thinking skills will enable them to become aware and reflective …

Koinonia, Miriam Sallers, Ron L. Coffey, Becky Leithold, Dennis W. Perry Jr.

Koinonia

The Purpose of Higher Education

President's Corner

The Editor's Disk

CoCCA: Volunteer Service...Required? & Hot Ideas

New Professionals Retreat, ACSD Archives Announcement

Book Preview: "What on Earth Are We Doing?"

ACSD Northwest Regional Activity

Career Development: Much More Than Placement

The Relationship Between Principals' Length Of Administrative Experience And Organizational Leadership Behavior In Elementary Schools In Saudi Arabia, Hamad Adbulaziz Alkherb

Dissertations

The study examined educational leadership behaviors among elementary school principals in Qasim region of Saudi Arabia. Seven independent variables using a survey questionnaire among a randomly selected sample from the identified population. Self-reporting elicited, first, critical background information and, second, data concerning 60 specific leadership behavior items important to work issues, critical areas of educational administration, professional relationship situations, and leadership problems ordinarily confronted. Items were grouped according to five categories of twelve items each.

Ninety-six principals or 80% of the survey sample of 120 responded. Focus of the study derived importantly from an extensive and complex review of literature …

The Community Discovered: The Search For Meaning Through The Integration Of Art And Technology In K-12 Education - Evaluation Progress Report No. 1, Kathy Coufal, Neal Grandgenett, Westside Community Schools

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The project of focus in this evaluation progress report is currently completing the second year of full operation and is a 5-year project that links technology and the visual and performing arts with other subject areas to transform the education of K-12 students in Nebraska and nationwide. The report notes that special emphasis is placed on serving disadvantaged students in rural and urban areas. It states that the project's focus is to develop curriculum models of engaged student learning using technology and resources of the "Information Superhighway," and that five museums are also involved. The report explains that the project …

Nebraska Internet Evaluation Project: Year 2 Progress Report, Neal Topp, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Nebraska Consortium Of Educational Service Units

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The goals of the Internet Evaluation Project, undertaken cooperatively by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Nebraska Consortium of Educational Service Units, focus on a long range assessment of Internet integration into the K-12 Nebraska schools and the support delivered by the Educational Service Units (ESUs). The purpose of this report is to relate progress, after 24 months, of a comprehensive evaluation process, which is examining the impact on teachers, students, and schools. In addition to a pre-training and post-training teacher survey data, information is being gathered from machine-based ESU server support data, and observed classroom uses and …

An Evaluation Of The Central Washington University "Merge" Teacher Preparation Program, Sara K. Black

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to assess pre-service teachers perceptions of their training in the Merge Program. Merge is a pilot teacher preparation program at Central Washington University characterized by enhanced early field experience, integration of coursework, and integration of special education and regular education. To accomplish the purpose stated above, participants in the Merge Program were surveyed and data was analyzed. Current research on field experience, integration of coursework, and integration of special and regular education was reviewed.

The Power Of An Idea..., Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSA History

It is our privilege to share with you the First Decade Report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, an educational laboratory engaged in serious inquiry about critical issues of teaching and learning.

Ten years ago, IMSA opened its doors with 210 students, 12 faculty members, 21 courses, no residence halls, no computers, no external programs, many unanswered questions and an uncertain future. During our early years, we faced many challenges; these strengthened our resolve and deepened our commitment to transform teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology.

While IMSA is still a very young enterprise, in ten short …

Honoring Exemplary Teaching In Research Universities, Mary Deane Sorcinelli, Barbara Gross Davis

Mary Deane Sorcinelli

Faculty surveys and interviews suggest that such elements as input from faculty, administrators, and students and the provision of varied awards for good teaching are important to the success of recognition programs at research universities.

Progress Maps: Assessment Resource Kit, Geoff N. Masters, Margaret Forster

Assessment Resource Kit

A progress map describes the nature of development in an area of learning and so provides a frame of reference for monitoring individual growth. An essential feature of a progress map is that it describes and illustrates developing competence. This issue in the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series discusses how to construct a progress map and check against student achievement for revision of progress, elaborating, and refining descriptions of typical progress through an area of learning, and setting benchmarks. It comprises five articles on different aspects progress maps: 1. What is a progress map; 2. Drafting a progress map; …