Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Classroom Environment On Student Learning, Amy A. Turano

Theses and Dissertations

Classroom environment is a concern among almost all educators. This thesis discusses the four major factors of classroom environment: physical environment, time and instructional management, behavior management, and teacher effectiveness. A goal of this study is to contribute to teacher knowledge about how classroom environments impact student learning. A resource center and a first grade classroom were observed and the teachers of both classes were asked to complete a self-evaluation of their classroom's environment. Both teachers were found to have classroom environments that were conducive to learning.

Innovating Professional Development Standards: A Shift To Utilize Communities Of Practice, Teresa Foulger

Essays in Education

This paper is a report on the findings of an action research study that explored a non-traditional professional development process involving five elementary teachers and a professional developer working as a collaborative community. The interactions within the group focused on the creation and teaching of a three week thematic unit across grade levels and classrooms. Although technology integration was the proposed new learning, instructional strategies and innovative ways to collaborate were also explored. Qualitative data analysis indicated that when professional developers pay close attention to the social nuances and emotional needs of participants, communities of teachers coming together for a …

Implementation Of Problem-Based Learning In Senior Engineering Design-I (Ece 485w), Fawaz Muzaffer Hussain

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Problem-Based Learning is an approach where knowledge is acquired in the context of the problem. Students are provided with the problem specifications and resources that might prove to be helpful in solving the problem. They attack these real world problems in groups, analogous to the practice in the professional engineering world. This mode of teaching was adopted to deliver the Senior Engineering Design — I course (ECE 485W), offered to freshman engineering undergraduate students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Old Dominion University, Norfolk. This thesis documents the various pedagogical methods implemented into the course, which were introduced …

Wright State University College Of Education And Human Services Annual Report, July 1, 2004-June 30, 2005, College Of Education And Human Services, Wright State University

College of Education and Human Services Annual Reports

This Wright State University College of Education and Human Services annual report is from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005.

Student Perception Of Behavior Management Systems, Jennifer L. Dayton

Theses and Dissertations

The following qualitative study focuses on how students perceive classroom behavior management systems. The process of research consisted of observation of students in their natural classroom setting, the completion of the Student Beliefs of Discipline Inventory Survey by the students, and informal interviews. A total of twenty seven fourth and fifth grade students participated in the study. The major themes of the study consisted of the students' perception of responsibility in the classroom and the common misbehaviors identified by the students. The results of the study concluded that a majority of the students want to have some responsibility for decisions …

The Connection Between Gender And Literacy In A First Grade Classroom, Jessica V. Feldman

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a qualitative case study that explores the connection between literacy and gender in a first grade classroom environment. The subjects for this study are twenty first grade students in a regular education classroom located in a southern New Jersey elementary school. For this study, students were observed with the attempt to answer three questions: 1) What gender stereotypes have these first graders internalized coming into the classroom? 2) How are these gender beliefs expressed in the language arts classroom? 3) What are teachers doing to foster these biases in their students? Data collected includes student writings, discussions, …

Statewide Assessment: Its Impact On The Educational World, Erin M. Lanigan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to further investigate the topic of standardized testing. A controversial topic within the educational world, the researcher seeks to discover the views and opinions of these tests from teachers. Surveys, interviews and a research journal are used to collect data for this study. The setting of the study is a small district in the northern part of New Jersey. The subjects in this study are elementary, middle, and high school teachers. There are 52 participants in this study (10 male, 42 female). To analyze the data, the surveys are looked at first in three …

Inclusion: A View From Students And Teachers, Elizabeth A. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine students' and teachers' opinions on the inclusion model and its implementation in classrooms today. This study was conducted in an elementary school (grades one through five) in a K-12 public school district in Roosevelt Township, New Jersey. The participants were 27 second and third grade multiage students as well as 7 second and third grade teachers with varied teaching experiences and certifications. Teacher participants completed open-ended questionnaires while student participants completed surveys in which they used a rating scale to assign their comfort level with varied example situations. Data from the surveys …

Response To Gender In The Classroom: A Look At A Teacher's Reaction To Her Students And Its Effect, Victoria A. Henwood

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to understand a teacher's response to boys and girls in the classroom and determine whether this has an effect on students' perceptions of gender. Using a qualitative study and analyzing interviews, observations, and a gender activity through a data analysis spiral (Creswell 1998) in a first grade classroom with a female teacher, I discovered a teacher's perception of gender influences her interactions with students. Through the gender activity, I found this interaction can help shape a student's perception of gender.

The Effects Of Collaborative Strategic Reading Among Third Grade Students, Inez Lee Barberio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of Collaborative Strategic Reading in a third grade class significantly improved test scores in vocabulary and comprehension in a given social studies unit exam. Two third grade classes were researched. The use of CSR was compared to the testing results of another third grade class that was taught through the use of traditional "textbook" teaching methods. The researcher taught the experimental group through the use of CSR while the control class was taught by their regular classroom teacher. Each class was tested using the same pretest and post-test. Mean …

Exploring The Effect Of Literature Circles On Reading Comprehension And Motivation, Christina Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of literature circles on elementary school children. It was hypothesized that a third grade class that read independently through the use of the literature circle structure will show greater gains in reading comprehension and reading motivation than when the same third grade class does not experience the literature circle structure. The sample included a predetermined class of 24 third-grade students, which consists of 9 females and 15 males.

The non-treatment conditions consisted of small group guided reading lessons. The treatment conditions consisted of the implementation of literature circles. Student reading …

A Christian Constructivist? The Impact Of Worldview On Learning Theories And The Mathematics Education Research Community, Jeffrey Barrett, Dave Klanderman

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

This paper analyzes the role of worldview and its impact on learning theories within the mathematics education research community. The authors propose a scholarly agenda for engaging this issue in future research projects.

James Clerk Maxwell And Why Read Biographies, Sean Bird

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Why do we read about the lives of others? This paper discusses the value of reading biographies and examines the life of physicist-mathematician James Clerk Maxwell.

Will Using A Constructivist Approach Improve Laboratory Work For Phase 6 Electrical Apprentices?, Francis Ashworth

Theses

This study used action research to implement a constructivist approach in the delivery of the electronics and measurements laboratory classes for a phase six group of electrical apprentices in the Electrical Services Engineering Department of the Technologicl University Dublin. The aim of the study was to investigate if the constructivist approach adopted, with a research group, could improve the effectiveness of the two labs. The research group consisted of sixteen, phase six, male electrical apprentices for both the electronics and measurements labs. The students ranged in ages between eighteen and twenty five years of age and were a randomly selected …

Brief 19: The Dean’S Role In Faculty Evaluation, New England Resource Center For Higher Education, University Of Massachusetts Boston

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

Faculty work continues to change in response to the increased emphases on diversity requirements in undergraduate education, partnerships between academic and student affairs, and computer technology (O’Meara, et al, 2003). As even more is learned about strategies for the educational success of their students, faculty will be counted on to tailor their skills and pedagogies to new populations of students. At the same time, colleges and universities must keep pace with these changes by ensuring that expectations about faculty work are clearly defined and are reflected in evaluation and reward structures—and that faculty are supported in their efforts. The quality …

Action Research For Female Science Teacher Development: Case Pakistan, Harcharan Pardhan

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Liora Bresler (Ed.). (2004). Knowing Bodies, Moving Minds: Towards Embodied Teaching And Learning. , Margaret A. Macintyre Latta

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

Each chapter foregrounds embodied significances for learners and learning. Contributing authors draw me into the text in different ways and with different purposes, but all with strong recursive waves rooted in themes of receptivity and relatedness. As I find myself experiencing these waves some are quiet reminders, some carry me away to new thinking, new ideas, and new experiences; some resonate deeply, while others awaken and enliven. Embodied understandings are elicited as I encounter myself within these waves. It is this self-encounter that makes the book so powerful. Gadamer's notion of foregrounding comes into play as concomitantly I engage the …

Annual Report Of The Nebraska Center For Research On Children, Youth, Families And Schools

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Presentations

HISTORY OF CYFS
CENTER SPOTLIGHT
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY SERIES
INNOVATIVE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
SIGNATURE SPEAKER
COLLABORATING RESEARCH FACULTY
INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
ZAMBIA WEEK AT UNL
SPOTLIGHT ON FUNDED GRANTS
EARLY CHILDHOOD FOCUS:
GETTING READY PROJECT
MOUNTAIN PRAIRIE UPGRADE
PARTNERSHIP – EARLY CHILDHOOD
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN FOCUS:
CBC IN THE EARLY GRADES
PARENTS AS TUTORS
PRE-SERVICE TEACHER FOCUS:
GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION
CAPACITY BUILDING AND GROWTH
INVESTING IN RESEARCH SUPPORT
INVESTING IN CAMPUS RESEARCHERS
EXTERNAL FUNDING
EXTERNAL GRANT AWARDS
FACULTY AFFILIATES OF THE CENTER
STUDENT AFFILIATES OF THE CENTER

Computer Use In Preschool: Effects On Social Interactions, Teresa Hartner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the impact of computers on the social behavior of preschoolers, specifically, (a) to study the frequency and level of peer interactions in the computer center, (b) compare these to interactions when the computer center was not available, and (c) investigate gender differences in the computer center.

Fourteen preschool children of various ethnic backgrounds were videotaped or observed for 15 minutes a day for two three week periods. During the first three weeks the computer, housekeeping, block and art centers were observed. During the second three weeks the computer center was not used. …

The Effects Of A Word Study Spelling Program In A Differentiated Classroom, Lauren M. Cassano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if implementing a word study spelling program in a differentiated classroom could improve students' long-term retention of spelling words. This study compared a word study program with a more traditional spelling approach. The findings of the experiment indicated that no significant difference existed between the two different methods of instruction.

After receiving parental permission, the study began in a third grade classroom with 20 students. A pretest/posttest design was used in two phases. Phase I of the study used a traditional spelling approach using basal words obtained from the Scholastic reading series. …

Have Your Π And Eat It Too! Using A Course Website To Facilitate Student-Centered Learning And Improve The Effectiveness Of The High School Mathematics Experience, Jeffrey Bretsch

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends that teachers provide their students with opportunities for student-centered learning. This often occurs in the form of discovery learning, hands-on learning, and interdisciplinary learning. These types of learning experiences fall under the umbrella of the educational theory of constructivism. Constructivism, in short, asserts that meaningful learning occurs when students actively construct their own understanding, making connections and drawing their own conclusions in response to genuine experiences. Many educators would agree that this type of learning is the ideal, but is not generally feasible due to the broad nature of the mathematics curriculum …

Whatever Happened To Lisa Simpson? An Exploration Of Female Adolescent Development Through Problem Based Learning, Amy Perrault

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

As a teacher for the past six years in a girls’ school, I have met and had the chance to interact with hundreds of adolescent girls. Over time I have come to realize how much adolescence seems to have changed since I was in their shoes. The media inundates them with messages about what is cool, hip, and acceptable—music videos, fashion, and the internet provide the frame of reference against which today’s young woman compares her own self worth. While girls have always looked to society’s standards to help them develop as individuals, at no time in history have the …

Computer Use And Integration Of Middle School Teachers, Susan Panco Medio

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study asks: Could it be that teachers who have high integration of computer use have different identifiable characteristics than teachers that have a low integration of computer use?

A data collection instrument was developed and distributed to 56 teachers at Landis Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey. The 20 questions on the survey that pertained to computer use and integration were assessed and a score was given to each subject. These scores were used to run independent sample t tests.

As a result of this study it was found that teachers that have a high computer …

High-Stakes Testing And Special Populations, Gary H. Sherwin, Todd Jennings

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This opinion paper critically examines the use of high-stakes testing on special populations. Without appropriate accommodations, standardized exams are not valid for some students with special needs. Unfortunately, many classroom teachers who must initiate testing accommodations lack knowledge of appropriate accommodations and regularly fail to provide the necessary testing accommodations. The deficit understanding of testing accommodations makes comparisons between classrooms, schools, and districts invalid since some scores loose validity. Solutions specific to standardized testing and students with special needs are offered and a more encompassing solution to the problems incurred from these tests when used for high-stakes is suggested.

High-Stakes Testing And Assessment: One Is Not The Other, Enrique Murillo, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Since the institution of the common school and the advent of universal education, Americans have placed tremendous faith in public schools. Public education cultivates an informed citizenry, one of the pillars of a liberal democracy. But more importantly, schools are a repository for our common dreams of human potential and individual self-actualization. Because they so thoroughly shape the lives and life-chances of our youth, school issues are freighted with an emotional charge. Education remains the last fully public American institution, one in which millions of students cast their common lot daily and strive to become better readers, better citizens, better …

To Wonder, Wander, And Linger In The World Of Standardized Testing, Randall Wright, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

The standards movement began as a nobly-intended effort to establish a core curriculum—a template of knowledge and skills that would guide teaching and learning across the K-12 curriculum. Our attempts to standardize curriculum may have unintended and deleterious side-effect: The atrophying of the mind’s natural tendencies for exploratory play and inherently imaginative dimensions. This paper engages us in a critical remembering of our pedagogical relationships with children. It reminds us of children’s ways of being and asks how we might engage them in a rigorous appreciation of curricular literacies without thwarting their wonderful wanderings. Ultimately, we worry about the place …

Volume 16, Number 02, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 16, Number 02 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Mentoring Educational Leaders - A Study To Define The Skills Of A Mentor, Janet Boling Larch

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The efficacy of mentoring for educational leaders is of growing concern in the field of principal preparation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to define and describe the skills of an educational mentor. The participants in this study were five mentors and five proteges who had completed the Indiana mentor/protege pilot project, "Mentoring and CoachingDeveloping Educational Leaders." This pilot was launched in October, 2002 and was developed by The Indiana Professional Standards Board in conjunction with the Indiana University Consortium and The National Association of Secondary School Principals. Subjects were tape recorded by the researcher in face-to-face interviews. Coding …

Promoting And Investigating Students’ Uptake Of Reflective Practice: A Pakistan Case, Jane Rarieya

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Today reflection is considered one of the essential principles underlying good teaching practice and teacher education. However, this tacit acknowledgement that teachers need to be reflective practitioners and the development of reflective practice has largely been in the West. Teachers in Pakistan and most of the developing world are generally unaware of what the term ‘reflective practice’ means. This article presents findings of a study that was undertaken to observe course participants' uptake of an alternate approach to engaging students in reflective practice during a module offered to students in the Masters programme at the Aga Khan University–Institute for Educational …

Teaching And Trading: Local Voices And Global Issues From Central Asia, Sarfaroz Niyozov, Duishon Shamatov

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.