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A Holistic Model Of The Interplay Of Parent-Adolescent Interaction Varialbes: Outcomes As A Result Of Conflictual Processes, Cliff Blake Mckinney Jan 2004

A Holistic Model Of The Interplay Of Parent-Adolescent Interaction Varialbes: Outcomes As A Result Of Conflictual Processes, Cliff Blake Mckinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many variables have been analyzed in order to understand parent-adolescent interactions and outcomes for adolescents. These variables must be integrated into a model that demonstrates the holistic interplay of parent-adolescent interaction variables so that a more comprehensive understanding of parent-adolescent interactions is achieved. Variables included in the model proposed here were parenting, family environment, expectations, conflict, and outcomes. Parenting, family environment, and conflict were associated with outcomes for adolescents. When the variables were analyzed simultaneously with structural equation modeling, however, the relationship of parenting and adolescent outcomes was mediated wholly for male-father, male-mother, and female-father relationships but remained significant for …

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Possible Use Of P20 Antigen In Serodiagnosis Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Shinchieh Yang Jan 2004

Possible Use Of P20 Antigen In Serodiagnosis Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Shinchieh Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crohn's disease (CD) is an idiopathic, chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorder, which is most commonly involved terminal ileum and colon. The incidence and prevalence of CD has dramatically increased during the last 50 years; however, the etiology and mechanism of this disorder remain unveiled. Besides genetic susceptibility, recent integrated researches investigated the role of environmental triggers such as microflora, measles viruses and mycobacteria in the pathogenesis of CD. The association between M. avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) and CD has been heightened because of clinical resemblance to Johne's disease (JD), a granulomatous enteritis in ruminants caused by MAP. Isolation of MAP from …

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Land Use Effects On Lake Water Quality In Central Florida, Jonathan Seiler Jan 2004

Land Use Effects On Lake Water Quality In Central Florida, Jonathan Seiler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Land use affects the water quality of lakes. Different land use types yield different effects due to varying amounts and constituents of runoff. In this study, the effects of surrounding land use on the water quality of 50 lakes in Seminole County, Florida was assessed. Using GIS, I placed buffers of 100 and 500 m around each lake. The percentages of land use type were calculated within these buffers for 1990 and 1995. An ordination of lakes was done using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to determine if the surrounding land use patterns were adequate to describe the trophic status of …

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Assumption, William Hinton Jan 2004

Assumption, William Hinton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assumption is the story of a slave named Nathan living in a racially hostile environment in antebellum and post-Civil War Louisiana. Assumption Parish was the kind of place where slaves were whipped frequently, where disease and rustic living were the normal course of life, where the swamp, with all its savage foreboding, loomed nearby. It was a place, Nathan discovered, that traded in men's spirits, breaking them little by little for purposes that were difficult for him to comprehend. Like many slaves of his time, Nathan is raised without biological parents. His surrogate mother, Abbie, longs for the day when …

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Cost Of Water Treatment In The Mississippi Embayment Unit / By Sahithi Rondla, Sahithi Rondla Jan 2004

Cost Of Water Treatment In The Mississippi Embayment Unit / By Sahithi Rondla, Sahithi Rondla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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Greens : A Cultural Text Of The South, Brooke Butler Jan 2004

Greens : A Cultural Text Of The South, Brooke Butler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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Antenna Modeling By Infinitesimal Dipoles Using Genetic Algorithms / By Taninder S. Sijher, Taninder Sijher Jan 2004

Antenna Modeling By Infinitesimal Dipoles Using Genetic Algorithms / By Taninder S. Sijher, Taninder Sijher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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A Software-Based Knowledge Management System Using Narrative Texts, Thomas Rudy Mcdaniel Jan 2004

A Software-Based Knowledge Management System Using Narrative Texts, Thomas Rudy Mcdaniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technical and professional communicators have in recent research been challenged to make significant contributions to the field of knowledge management, and to learn or create the new technologies allowing them to do so. The purpose of this dissertation is to make such a combined theoretical and applied contribution from the context of the emerging discipline of Texts and Technology. This dissertation explores the field of knowledge management (KM), particularly its relationship to the related study of artificial intelligence (AI), and then recommends a KM software application based on the principles of narratology and narrative information exchange. The focus of knowledge …

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A Case Study Of The Libraries In The Vanguard Learning Colleges, Linda G. Swaine Jan 2004

A Case Study Of The Libraries In The Vanguard Learning Colleges, Linda G. Swaine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of a learning-centered library from the perspective of the libraries in the 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges which were participants in the Learning College Project sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. The 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges were: Cascadia Community College (WA), Community College of Baltimore County (MD), Community College of Denver (CO), Humber College, (Ontario), Kirkwood Community College (IA), Lane Community College, OR), Madison Area Technical College (WI), Moraine Valley Community College (IL), Palomar College (CA), Richland College (TX), Sinclair Community College (OH), and Valencia Community College (FL). Furthermore, …

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The Influence Of Students' Cognitive Style On A Standardized Reading Test Administered In Three Different Formats, Elizabeth Lynn Blanton Jan 2004

The Influence Of Students' Cognitive Style On A Standardized Reading Test Administered In Three Different Formats, Elizabeth Lynn Blanton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the means of scores on three forms of a standardized reading comprehension test taken by community college students in developmental reading classes. The three forms of the test were administered as a timed multiple-choice test, a constructed response test, and an un-timed multiple-choice test. Scores on the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) were used to classify the students who participated in the study as having field dependent (LOW GEFT), mid-field dependent/independent (MID GEFT), or fieldindependent (HIGH GEFT) tendencies. The paired samples test was used to analyze the scores among the students classified …

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Multiple Scattering Of Light In Inhomogeneous Media And Applications, Claudia Mujat Jan 2004

Multiple Scattering Of Light In Inhomogeneous Media And Applications, Claudia Mujat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Light scattering-based techniques are being developed for non-invasive diagnostics of inhomogeneous media in various fields, such as medicine, biology, and material characterization. However, as most media of interest are highly scattering and have a complex structure, it is difficult to obtain a full analytical solution of the scattering problem without introducing approximations and assumptions about the properties of the system under consideration. Moreover, most of the previous studies deal with idealized scattering situations, rarely encountered in practice. This dissertation provides new analytical, numerical, and experimental solutions to describe subtle effects introduced by the properties of the light sources, and by …

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Water Quality Variations During Nitrification In Drinking Water Distribution Systems, David W. Webb Jan 2004

Water Quality Variations During Nitrification In Drinking Water Distribution Systems, David W. Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents the relationship among the major water quality parameters during a nitrification episode. Nitrification unexpectedly occurred in a chloraminated pilot drinking water distribution system practicing with a 4.0 mg/L as Cl2 residual dosed at 4.5:1 Cl2:NH3-N. Surface, ground and sea water were treated and disinfected with monochloramines to produce finished water quality similar to regional utility water quality. PVC, galvanized, unlined cast iron and lined iron pipes were harvested from regional distribution systems and used to build eighteen pilot distribution systems (PDSs). The PDSs were operated at a 5-day hydraulic residence time (HRT) and ambient temperatures. As seasonal …

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The Design And Development Of A Comprehensive 49 Locus Y-Str Database For Major U.S. Populations, Paulina Niki Berdos Jan 2004

The Design And Development Of A Comprehensive 49 Locus Y-Str Database For Major U.S. Populations, Paulina Niki Berdos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The establishment of a U.S. National Y-STR reference database from a variety of geographically and ethically diverse populations is essential to facilitate the generation of reliable estimates of Y-STR haplotype frequencies. Such multi-locus haplotype frequencies are required to provide a statistical estimate of the significance of a match. Y-STR loci, unlike traditional STR markers, are not independent of one another and are co-inherited as extended haplotypes of linked markers. The estimation of the frequency of occurrence of a particular haplotype therefore necessitates the use of a counting method, which means that the significance of many matches is dependent upon the …

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Recruitment And Restoration Of The Oyster Crassostrea Virginica In Areas With Intense Boating Activity In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Lisa Michele Wall Jan 2004

Recruitment And Restoration Of The Oyster Crassostrea Virginica In Areas With Intense Boating Activity In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Lisa Michele Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Productivity, diversity and survival of estuaries are threatened by explosive coastal population growth and associated recreational activities. One major area of recreational growth has been the number of small pleasure craft motoring in shallow waters at high speeds. On the east coast of Central Florida in the Indian River Lagoon system, intense boating activity occurs year-round and intertidal reefs of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica with dead margins (piles of disarticulated shells) on their seaward edges are commonly found adjacent to major boating channels. The cause(s) of the dead margins is unclear. However, the disarticulated shells may be reducing reef …

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Evolving Models From Observed Human Performance, Hans Karl Gustav Fernlund Jan 2004

Evolving Models From Observed Human Performance, Hans Karl Gustav Fernlund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To create a realistic environment, many simulations require simulated agents with human behavior patterns. Manually creating such agents with realistic behavior is often a tedious and time-consuming task. This dissertation describes a new approach that automatically builds human behavior models for simulated agents by observing human performance. The research described in this dissertation synergistically combines Context-Based Reasoning, a paradigm especially developed to model tactical human performance within simulated agents, with Genetic Programming, a machine learning algorithm to construct the behavior knowledge in accordance to the paradigm. This synergistic combination of well-documented AI methodologies has resulted in a new algorithm that …

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Genetic Analysis Of Rhoa Signaling During Epithelial Morphogenesis In Drosophila, Amanda Fitch Leppert Jan 2004

Genetic Analysis Of Rhoa Signaling During Epithelial Morphogenesis In Drosophila, Amanda Fitch Leppert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Epithelial morphogenesis is contingent upon cell shape changes. Cell shape changes are the driving force for the metamorphosis of the adult Drosophila leg from the leg imaginal disc precursor. Genetic analysis has identified several Drosophila genes involved in regulating cell shape changes during leg disc morphogenesis. These include members of the RhoA signaling pathway and the product of the Stubble-stubbloid (Sb-sbd) locus, a transmembrane serine protease. Mutations in the Sb-sbd gene interact genetically with the members of the RhoA signaling pathway, however the nature of the relationship between Sb-sbd serine protease activity and RhoA signaling is not understood. To identify …

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An Investigation Into The Apparent Over-Representation Of Blacks In Educable Mentally Handicapped Programs In K-12 Schools Within The 67 Florida Public School Districts, Arlene H. Thomson Jan 2004

An Investigation Into The Apparent Over-Representation Of Blacks In Educable Mentally Handicapped Programs In K-12 Schools Within The 67 Florida Public School Districts, Arlene H. Thomson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Placement into educable mentally handicapped (EMH) programs is necessary for some students in order to allow them the opportunity to receive an education appropriate for their special needs. Nonetheless, identification as EMH is often perceived as negative and demeaning. Decades of research have substantiated the over-representation of black students into certain categories of special education, including EMH, in comparison to white and Hispanic students. This disparity has raised questions within schools, academe and research communities, and legislative and governing bodies as to the causes, compelling factors, and related variables impacting the phenomenon. This study investigated the apparent over-representation of blacks …

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Finite Element Analysis Of A Test Specimen For Strength Of A Co-Polymer Layer At A Bone-Implant Interface, Nitin Chhabra Jan 2004

Finite Element Analysis Of A Test Specimen For Strength Of A Co-Polymer Layer At A Bone-Implant Interface, Nitin Chhabra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this work is to evaluate the mechanical strength of a co-polymer of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and methylmethacrylate (MMA), so that it can be applied as an interfacial layer between bone cement and steel implants to improve their performance and life. Finite element (FE) analysis techniques are used to assess the behavior of the interface layer under static and dynamic loading conditions. The material property of the co-polymer is a function of its composition and water saturation. The factors affecting the strength of the bone-implant interface are many. Implant interfacial fracture can lead to decreased stability. Fatigue life is …

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Mitochondrial Dna Analysis By Pyrosequencing, Patsy-Ann Susan Hastings Jan 2004

Mitochondrial Dna Analysis By Pyrosequencing, Patsy-Ann Susan Hastings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial DNA (deoxyribo nucleic acid) is typically used in forensic casework when small quantities of high molecular weight quality DNA is not expected to be present thus negating the chances of obtaining usable nuclear DNA. Typical samples that utilized mitochondrial DNA analysis are: hair, bones, teeth, ancient remains (samples or remains that are at least 100 years old) or very old samples (samples that are less than 100 but greater than 10 years old). The current method used to evaluate mitochondrial DNA is Sanger sequencing. Although robust, it is also time consuming and labor intensive, on the other hand pyrosequencing …

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Basic Study Of Micromachined Dep (Dielectrophoretic) Manipulator, Vivek Sundaram Jan 2004

Basic Study Of Micromachined Dep (Dielectrophoretic) Manipulator, Vivek Sundaram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The capability of manipulating microparticle in small volumes is fundamental to many biological and medical applications, including separation and detection of cells. The development of microtools for effective sample handling and separation in such volumes is still a challenge. DEP (dielectrophoresis) is one of the most widely used methods in handling the microparticles. In this thesis we show that forces generated by nonuniform electric field (DEP) can be used for trapping and separating the microparticles (latex beads). This work further explores the DEP force based on different electrode geometries and medium conductivity. A micromanipulator for latex bead separation was designed, …

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Individual Carbon Nanotube Probes And Field Emitters Fabrication And T, Guangyu Chai Jan 2004

Individual Carbon Nanotube Probes And Field Emitters Fabrication And T, Guangyu Chai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in 1999, they have attracted much attention due to their unique mechanical and electrical properties and potential applications. Yet their nanosize makes the study of individual CNTs easier said than done. In our laboratory, carbon fibers with nanotube cores have been synthesized with conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The single multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) sticks out as a tip of the carbon fiber. In order to pick up the individual CNT tips, focused ion beam (FIB) technique is applied to cut and adhere the samples. The carbon fiber with nanotube tip was …

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Habitat Use And Seasonal Activity Of Selected Snakes On John F. Kenned, Karen Dyer Jan 2004

Habitat Use And Seasonal Activity Of Selected Snakes On John F. Kenned, Karen Dyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An intensive, replicated monthly sampling of snake communities inhabiting four habitat types was conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County, Florida from November 2002 through October 2003. Thirteen species (580 individuals plus 74 recaptures) plus one hybrid were captured. The three most commonly captured species, Coluber constrictor, Thamnophis sirtalis, and Thamnophis sauritus, combined made up 85% of the sample. These three species were active during every month of the year, but showed modal activity patterns typical of Temperate Zone snakes. Monthly snake captures were correlated with monthly captures of potential prey species and with mean monthly temperature. Species …

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Degradation Of Halogenated Aliphatic Compounds In Sequential Anaerobic, Scott Hoxworth Jan 2004

Degradation Of Halogenated Aliphatic Compounds In Sequential Anaerobic, Scott Hoxworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to utilize an alternating anaerobic/aerobic sequence to biologically transform perchloroethylene to non-hazardous end products such as ethylene, CO2 and H2 using a single microbial consortia in a methanogenic and/or a homoacetogenic environment followed by a aerobic methanotrophic environment. Reductive dechlorination of PCE and TCE to cDCE and VC in an anaerobic environment is typically carried out by methanogens, sulfidogens, or homoacetogens but often (e.g. in-situ) leads to an accumulation of daughter compounds (cDCE, VC) which are more toxic than their parent compounds (PCE, TCE). Furthermore, PCE is resistant to degradation in aerobic environments while …

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Evaluation Of Immunogenicity Of Transgenic Chloroplast Derived Protect, Vijay Koya Jan 2004

Evaluation Of Immunogenicity Of Transgenic Chloroplast Derived Protect, Vijay Koya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anthrax, a fatal bacterial infection is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive, spore forming, capsulated, rod shaped organism. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists anthrax as Category A biological agent due to its severity of impact on human health, high mortality rate, acuteness of the disease and potential for delivery as a biological weapon. The currently available human vaccine in the United States (AVA anthrax vaccine adsorbed) is prepared from Alum adsorbed formalin treated supernatant culture of toxigenic, non-encapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis with the principle component being protective antigen (PA83). Evaluation of anthrax vaccine given to nearly 400,000 US …

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Toward Building A Social Robot With An Emotion-Based Internal Control, Andreas Marpaung Jan 2004

Toward Building A Social Robot With An Emotion-Based Internal Control, Andreas Marpaung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we aim at modeling some aspects of the functional role of emotions on an autonomous embodied agent. We begin by describing our robotic prototype, Cherry--a robot with the task of being a tour guide and an office assistant for the Computer Science Department at the University of Central Florida. Cherry did not have a formal emotion representation of internal states, but did have the ability to express emotions through her multimodal interface. The thesis presents the results of a survey we performed via our social informatics approach where we found that: (1) the idea of having emotions …

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Dewatering Of Biosolids By Sodium Ferrate, Andrea Rios Jan 2004

Dewatering Of Biosolids By Sodium Ferrate, Andrea Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the liquid form of ferrate for dewatering of biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities. Two different ferrate products prepared using calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite were used. Samples of anaerobic digested sludge and waste activated sludge with solids content of 2.1% and 0.95 %, respectively were conditioned with both products to evaluate and compare their effectiveness. Centrifugation and filtration of the sludge after conditioning were used. For centrifugation the volume reduction and the turbidity of the supernatant after centrifugation were evaluated. For filtration, the Capillary Suction Time test was used. The optimum …

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Cellular Immune Response And Gene Expression Profiling In Crohn's Dise, Claudia Romero Jan 2004

Cellular Immune Response And Gene Expression Profiling In Crohn's Dise, Claudia Romero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the chronic debate in the etiology of crohn's disease (cd), a debilitating inflammatory bowel disease (ibd) closely related to ulcerative colitis (uc), an emerging interest in a possible mycobacterial role has been marked. Granuloma and pathologic manifestations in cd resemble aspects found in tuberculosis, leprosy and paratuberculosis. The latter, a chronic enteritis in cattle, goat, sheep and primates, which is similar to human enteritis, also known as cd, is caused by a fastidious, slow growing mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (map). Due to the similarities between cd and paratuberculosis, a mycobacterial cause in cd has been proposed. Recent discovery of …

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Low Power Cmos Circuit Design And Reliability Analysis For Wireless Me, Md Anwar Sadat Jan 2004

Low Power Cmos Circuit Design And Reliability Analysis For Wireless Me, Md Anwar Sadat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A sensor node 'AccuMicroMotion' is proposed that has the ability to detect motion in 6 degrees of freedom for the application of physiological activity monitoring. It is expected to be light weight, low power, small and cheap. The sensor node may collect and transmit 3 axes of acceleration and 3 axes of angular rotation signals from MEMS transducers wirelessly to a nearby base station while attached to or implanted in human body. This dissertation proposes a wireless electronic system-on-a-single-chip to implement the sensor in a traditional CMOS process. The system is low power and may operate 50 hours from a …

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Commissioning Of An Arc-Melting/Vacuum Quench Furnace Facility For Fabrication Of Ni-Ti-Fe Shape Memory Alloys, And The Characterization, Jagat Singh Jan 2004

Commissioning Of An Arc-Melting/Vacuum Quench Furnace Facility For Fabrication Of Ni-Ti-Fe Shape Memory Alloys, And The Characterization, Jagat Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shape memory alloys when deformed can produce strains as high as 8%. Heating results in a phase transformation and associated recovery of all the accumulated strain, a phenomenon known as shape memory. This strain recovery can occur against large forces, resulting in their use as actuators. The goal of this project is to lower the operating temperature range of shape memory alloys in order for them to be used in cryogenic switches, seals, valves, fluid-line repair and self-healing gaskets for space related technologies. The Ni-Ti-Fe alloy system, previously used in Grumman F-14 aircrafts and activated at 120 K, is further …

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The Effects Of The Teacher's Use Of Guided Inquiry In The Fifth Grade Classroom, Deborah Strickland Spiess Jan 2004

The Effects Of The Teacher's Use Of Guided Inquiry In The Fifth Grade Classroom, Deborah Strickland Spiess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF THE TEACHER'S USE OF GUIDED INQUIRY IN A FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE CLASSROOM. INQUIRY IS SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL(2000), AND INDICATES THAT ALL STUDENTS SHOULD DEVELOP THE ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND DEVELOP UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY (P.21). THIS STUDY WAS A QUALITATIVE ACTION RESEARCH DESIGN, FOCUSING ON SEVENTEEN STUDENTS AND THEIR RESPONSES TO A GUIDED INQUIRY METHOD OF SCIENCE INSTRUCTION ON MATTER, ENERGY AND MOTION, AND EARTH AND SPACE. AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE AND STUDENTS' ATTITUDES ABOUT SCIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM WAS CONDUCTED ABOUT EACH UNIT OF INSTRUCTION. THE …

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