Digital Commons Network^™

Television Violence: An American And Japanese Comparison, Tanya I. Clausen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the incidents of violence broadcast by American and Japanese television networks, as measured by the Index of Television Violence (ITV), to determine if they differed with respect to (a) the variation between the broadcast networks observed in each country, (b) the variation between the day observed in each country, (c) the variation between the day and the broadcast network observed, (d) the observed incidents of televised violence, and (e) the types of televised violence. Data were gathered from three national broadcast networks in each country on three alternate nights from the hours …

Assessment Of Weight Control Strategies Between Athletes And Nonathletes, Linda K. Buehler

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present study was to assess motivation factors from a cognitive/social learning model for choosing a particular dieting style based on athletic status. One hundred ten athletes and 119 nonathletes were asked to fill out a series of questionnaires which included: A demographics inventory, an experimental questionnaire containing eight dieting methods (5 pathogenic dieting methods and 3 nonpathogenic dieting methods), the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Bulimia Test. The significant findings were: (a) nonathletes smoked to lose weight more often than athletes and athletes exercised to lose weight more often than nonathletes; (b) …

The Identification And Analysis Of Factors Perceived As Important To The Success Of Interactive Distance Education, Terry Dean Goro

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to provide distance education instructors, who teach over a two-way audio and two-way video interactive system, a list of strategies or skills that could be applied in the distance education environment to help ensure success. Further, differences in perceptions among users of the system regarding importance of these strategies were identified.

A Delphi study was done, utilizing a professional panel, to establish important strategies for distance education. The results of the Delphi study resulted in the identification of 99 important items. These items were placed in a survey which was administered to four groups …

Teacher-Parent Interactions And The Effect On Children's Learning In School, Pi-O Bella Chiou

Graduate Research Papers

Since the beginning of civilization, parents have been involved in educating their children. Parents taught their children how to get protection from the harsh weather and predators, and how to obtain their food through hunting, fishing, gathering wild food, and growing crops. Children learned from their parents. Parents historically have been responsible for the earliest education of their children.

The Influence Of Creativity, Family And Teachers On The Attainment Of Eminence, Mary Lynn Espenmiller

Graduate Research Papers

The influence of creativity, family and teachers on the attainment of eminence was examined in this review of literature. The early childhood and education of many eminent adults was investigated to find the effect of these three factors on their achievement. Recommendations from the findings include early identification and nurturing of creative talent with exposure to many adults early in a child's development.

Essential Components Of Middle School Advisory Programs, Daniel F. Guinan

Graduate Research Papers

This review investigates the essential aspects of middle school advisory programs. Advisory is an innovative approach to counseling that involves teachers as advisors to groups of 12 to 15 students. Groups meet at some time within the school day to explore a variety of affective issues involving young adolescents. Advisors are also expected to be advocates for the students in their groups. The review examines several important components of the advisory program, and explains why these issues should be carefully considered when implementing such a program. The aspects investigated are: needs of young adolescents, grouping arrangements, scheduling considerations, attitudes of …

Abraham Tannenbaum's Five Factors Of Giftedness As Reflected In The Life Of American Artist, Georgia O'Keefe, Randi Lou Dingman Kennedy

Graduate Research Papers

This research paper presents an analysis and discussion of Abraham Tannenbaum's five factors of giftedness as evidenced in the life of the eminent American painter, Georgia O'Keeffe. It includes a brief biography of Tannenbaum, a description of his theory, and an analysis of the existence of those factors in the life of O'Keeffe. Examined are the factors of general ability, special ability, nonintellective traits, environmental factors, and chance factors. In this case, it is evident that achieved eminence did depend, to some degree, upon the interweaving of these factors. Thus, they should receive consideration as part of the identification process …

The Social And Cultural Matrix Of Adolescent Substance Abuse, Donald R. Murra

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Practices And Procedures In The Identification Of Gifted African-American Secondary Students, Mary A. Roach

Graduate Research Papers

The identification of gifted African-American students is a critical issue in the field of education for the gifted. It raises a number of questions regarding equity issues with respect to identification of culturally diverse populations as well as to the types of service to be provided to these students. 1 Researchers and writers have offered many reasons for the under representation of minority students in gifted programs. However, field practitioners want answers, and they want to know what to do. This writer is a field practitioner in a large urban high school with an interest in the low ratio of …

Improving Reading Comprehension Through The Formation Of Mental Images, Betty A. Young Schmidt

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review explores recent research to support the hypothesis that training students to form mental images will facilitate comprehension and enable the reader to find more enjoyment while engaged in the reading process. There is a relationship between forming mental images and age. Beginning readers need illustrations to enhance comprehension; however, by the third grade level many students are able to improve their comprehension when instructed in forming mental images. Among poor comprehenders mental imagery was shown to be effective as a memory and comprehension device. The findings of this review suggest to educators that the training of self-generated …

The Effects Of Parent Involvement On Student Achievement, Melodie Devon Sherer

Graduate Research Papers

Research from the late 1970s to present indicates a growing need for parent involvement in their children's education. The benefits of parent/teacher collaboration and cooperation can be seen in academic achievement and social and emotional development. Attitudes of parents, teachers, and administrators vary as to how parents should be involved. These attitudes and previous experiences can either hinder or enhance parent involvement. There are a variety of methods for achieving positive parent involvement. Research suggests that home learning act ties are the most effective for involving the greatest number of parents, thus impacting more students. Home learning activities, designed by …

The Effect Of A Time Line Technique To Supplement The Teaching Of American History In Fifth Grade, Kay M. Treiber

Graduate Research Papers

The effects of nine months of a daily enrichment procedure for teaching American history to fifth grade students were investigated. This enrichment procedure was designed to enhance the historical thinking ability of the experimental group. Historical thinking is defined as using critical thinking skills to make connections between specific events and the time line of history (Booth, 1980). Learners in the treatment group received a daily holistic time line approach to American history followed by the sequential units. The time line approach established the whole picture of history using ten major events which the students use daily to deduce the …

Beyond The Broken Cord: Strategies For Teaching Children Affected By Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Joy Ann Hodgin Tokheim

Graduate Research Papers

Michael Dorris, an author and educator, writes poignantly in his book, The Broken Cord, about his adopted son's struggle with life as a victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Dorris is one of thousands of parents who have experienced the emotional pain, the fears, and the frustrations of raising a child affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. At the time Dorris wrote The Broken Cord, it was generally accepted by medical, psychological, and educational experts that efforts to change the behaviors or build independent living skills in children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome were an exercise in futility.

Retellings To Assess Comprehension Of Expository Text, Eileen M. Toillion

Graduate Research Papers

Chapter I was implemented in 1965 as a federally funded supplemental program to assist disadvantaged children in becoming better readers. Since that time changes have occurred in reading instruction and assessment. Traditionally, instruction focused on phonics to decode and question and answer tests to assess comprehension. Today, teachers stress phonics less and use authentic assessments to evaluate comprehension. This study sought to determine if retellings would improve comprehension of expository text following instruction in the conventions of expository text. Five, third grade, Chapter I students (four girls and one boy) rendered a pre-instruction retelling, followed by instruction in the conventions …

Student Violence In The Schools, Juan J. Barthelemy

Graduate Research Papers

Acts of student violence in the schools are increasing (Chance, 1990; Crosby, 1993; Rich, 1992; Urben, 1986), especially in the larger cities in the United States (Hellman & Beaton, 1986). These acts of violence include violence toward other students as well as toward the school personnel and property. In this paper I will discuss selected aspects of violence in the schools. More specifically, I discuss the prevalence of violence in the schools, school based interventions and implications for the practice of school psychologists.

Student Questions: Can They Lead To More Active Involvement In The Learning Process?, Marjorie L. Miller

Graduate Research Papers

The need for children to be actively involved in learning has become more obvious and prevalent in the elementary school. The difficulty seen in my inner city school of 650 students in pre-school through sixth grade is that while there is, indeed, a lot of activity occurring in classrooms, the most needy students are not the ones who are actively involved. While most students are actively learning, some students purposely try to disengage themselves from learning (Vacca & Padak, 1990). At the same time teachers are trying to engage them in the learning process so that they will understand and …

The Effects Of Transformational Curriculum On A Second Grade Social Sciences Program, Lori A. Randall

Graduate Research Papers

From the White House to the statehouse to our local schools, politicians, educators, and even some parents have been worrying about the condition of education in our schools. Some criticize our present educational system, citing reports about the inability of American students to perform as well on content area tests as students from other nations (Brooks & Brooks, 1993 ). Many educators believe that questions regarding understanding and meaning are much more important than the results derived from achievement tests: the process is valued more than the product. Even though educators may feel this way, many still do skill and …

Student Perceptions Of Curricular Modifications For Identified Gifted Students In Rural Iowa, Leann S. Morris

Graduate Research Papers

This investigation describes the need for ongoing qualitative evaluation of gifted programs in rural Iowa, Area Education Agency 14 school districts, in order to plan curricular modifications that match better the unique needs of the gifted learner. The research questions addressed in the study included questions about modifications in curricular content, process, and product. It was found that curricular modifications in process occurred the most frequently, followed by modifications in product, and least often found were modifications in content. The most frequent curricular modification in content was in the area of creative and critical thinking, with the least frequent being …

Effects Of Teacher Guidance Activities On Students' Sense Of Belonging In The Classroom, Ann Renee Jacobs

Graduate Research Papers

In the present study, the effects of teacher-directed guidance activities on transescents' sense of belonging were examined. Students in the treatment group participated in a teacher-directed guidance activity daily for two weeks. Students in the control group did not participate in the activities. A Likert scale pretest was given to both groups to measure their sense of belonging in the classroom before the study. The posttest was administered to both groups after the experimental treatment to see if the guidance activities had increased the experimental group's sense of belonging and to see if the control group's sense of belonging remained …

Learning Centers To Facilitate A Multi-Age, Heterogeneous-Grouped Classroom, Kimberly Kvigne

Graduate Research Papers

Grouping by grade levels in school can facilitate subject matter and skill-driven curriculum centered on textbooks. Child centered programs focus on nurturing the potential of each child (Anderson, 1987). If schools are to offer all students equity and excellence, they must view all students as worthy and capable of learning. These three goals for educational programs can promote equity and excellence: (1) Students must be challenged to learn as much as they are capable of learning. (2) The personal-social development of students is an integral part of the program. Academic achievement must never be at the cost of personal development. …

The Gifted Learning-Disabled Child: Inherent Problems In The Identification Process, Kimberly M. Nunez

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review was to investigate a special group of students that are both gifted and learning disabled. Once the literature evidenced the existence of such a special population, a list of their characteristics was subsequently drawn from the literature review. In addition, specific identification procedures to nominate, screen, and select gifted learning-disabled students were compiled and examined. Based on the review of the literature, it was concluded that educators possess a very limited or stereotypical knowledge about gifted learning-disabled children and youth that may keep these children from being identified for participation in appropriate school programs.

A Descriptive Study Of Substance-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Selected Behaviors Of Sixth Grade Students Before And After Participation In The ‘Dare Program', Ronald J. Dankert

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Family And Adolescent Delinquency, Doris Kriener Weigel

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools: A Reflective Essay, Terry L. Strait

Graduate Research Papers

As I reflect upon becoming an educator, I found myself reminiscing about the people who shared in forming my values and vision. It was a group of people who through their thoughts and actions motivated me into becoming a teacher and continuing my education to become an administrator. As a non-traditional student, I have gathered many thoughts, feelings, and emotions about education and my role as an educator. I have been molded by those around me who I thought were effective teachers and great role models.

Humor And Grief, Shelia D. Behrens

Graduate Research Papers

Humor is more than just laughter. It is a device that is rarely acknowledged as an important coping tool (Klein, 1989). Humor has been used successfully to diminish discomfort, manage sensitive situations, reduce anxiety, and enhance communication (DeSpelder & Strickland, 1992; Johnson, 1990). Humor is a key element in the human repertoire (Nahemow, 1986). It can be an important means of coping that gives a new perspective to situations. Grief is also a part of the human repertoire. There are numerous emotional reactions (heartbreak, anguish, anger, disgust, etc.) involved in the grief process. Each person has his or her own …

Sexual Abuse Experienced In Childhood: A Predisposing Factor For The Development Of Eating Disorders In Females, Lois O. Fink

Graduate Research Papers

"An unacknowledged trauma is like a wound that never heals over and may start to bleed again at any time" (Miller, 1984, as cited in Kearney-Cooke & Striegel-Moore, 1994, p. 305). Previous research has suggested a strong relationship between child sexual abuse and the development of a wide range o.f maladaptive responses among females (Browne & Finkelhor, 1986; Sloan & Leichner, 1986). These maladaptive responses may include the development of behavioral, physical, and psychological problems. One of the more recent manifestations of psychosomatic symptoms being investigated is the possible linkage between child sexual abuse (CSA) and eating disorders, specifically anorexia …

A Review Of The Literature On Remarried Families: Three Key Structural Components Of The Remarried Family Phenomena, Jennifer A. Sheka

Graduate Research Papers

It is estimated that 60% of all first marriages in the United States end in divorce (Pasley, Dollahite & Ihinger-Tallman, 1993). Worthington & Hong (1992) suggested that 75-80% of all divorced persons remarry, and that remarried families are the fastest growing type of family in the United States. One out of five marriages is a remarriage for one or both spouses (Ganong & Coleman, 1989). Visher and Visher (1982) identified a trend indicating that 45 % of families would be single-parent or remarried families by 1990. These statistics are important because they represent a significant number of the families within …

Predictable Pattern Books With Beginning Readers In A Chapter 1 Classroom, Susan E. O'Brien

Graduate Research Papers

In school reading programs, students need opportunities to engage in the language processes. They need experiences that are meaningful to them and ones in which they find success. Children can enhance their literacy with an abundance of quality literature experiences and exposure to a print rich literary environment (Meek, 1982). One means of supporting beginning readers in breaking the written language code is to provide opportunities in the instructional program to experience language patterns over and over, such as are found in predictable pattern books. These works provide a source of support for children while they are trying to make …

Long-Term Effects Of Social Skills Training On The Social Competence Of Children, Stephanie Lynn Schmitz

Graduate Research Papers

When one hears the term "social skills" many different ideas may come to mind. Yet no one can deny that social skills are an extremely important aspect of every person's life. This paper is devoted to defining and examining the long-term effects of social skills training on the social competence of children.

Learning Strategy Instruction, Darla J. Stack

Graduate Research Papers

Strategic learning is defined by Deshler and Lenz (1989) as "how the person thinks and acts when planning, executing and evaluating performance on a task and its outcomes". Knowledge about strategic learning has been available for about 20 years (Ellis, Deshler, Lenz, Schumaker, & Clark, 1990); however, learning is generally assessed by evaluating a finished product (i.e., book report, math examination, science project), not by assessing the strategic process defined by Deshler and Lenz. The learner's overt actions, not the covert actions, are typically considered a measure of learning (Clift, Ghatala, Naus, & Poole, 1990).