Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Cooperative Learning On Social Interactions And Attitudes Toward English Class In At-Risk Students, Catherine A. Mikionis

Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined the effects of cooperative learning methods on social interactions and attitudes toward English class in 18 at-risk high school students enrolled in a small alternative education program located on a college campus. The findings suggested cooperative learning methods increased students' positive social interactions, increased students' reported number of friends, and decreased students' cut classes. Although no significant difference in overall mean was found on the attitude toward English class survey, students' dislike for participating in class discussions decreased measurably. The implications for this study are such that cooperative learning methods can be effectively used with at-risk …

Impact Of The 1997 Red River Valley Flood On Marital Relationships, Karen M. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the gains in disaster research on families, there is little research on the impact of disasters on marital relationships. This study addresses this under- researched area through the examination of the effects of the 1997 Red River Valley Flood on marital relationships.

Data was collected through in-depth interviews with ten heterosexual married couples. The results indicate that the 1997 Red River Valley Flood did have an impact on marital relationships. However, the impact of the flood appeared to be mediated by the state of the couples' relationships prior to the flood. Couples who reported strong relationships prior to the …

A Study Of Jazz Band Participation By Gender In Secondary High School Instrumental Music Programs, Douglas Penn Barber

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a gender inequity exists in student participation in high school jazz band.

The sample for this study consisted of students involved in the instrumental programs of high schools in South Jersey. A survey was generated by the researcher to collect data on participation. Sixty-eight surveys were mailed and forty-three were returned.

Data were converted to percentages and compared by instrument for participation in the overall program and the jazz program.

On the basis of these data there is a gender inequity in the participation of jazz band. The difference is a …

Factors That Influence Academic Achievement, Leah Georgene Shaffer

Theses and Dissertations

Does environment affect academic achievement? The dispute over environmental influences has been the topic of numerous debates. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between academic achievement and the following environmental factors: family structure, ethnic background, socioeconomic circumstances and family size. The 1,500 participants of this study were collected from a large, extremely diverse elementary school population. From this general population, 134 students were selected for the control group based on participation in the Basic Skills Program. Data was collected using teacher surveys and parent contact information. State and federal guidelines were used when identifying children for Basic Skills …

Women, Sex And Dating: A Qualitative Study Of College Men's Perceptions, Rosemary E. Barke

Theses and Dissertations

A two-hour focus group of ten, 19, 20, and 21-year-old male college studnets who expressed an interest in dataing women was undertaken to gain a deeper understanding of men's perceptions of women, sex, and dating. Data analysis of verbatim transripts was conducted by three female qualitative researchers. Findings suggest that young men experience confusion, frustration, and lack of trust of young women, at the same time that they experience pressure to be sexually active, perceive women as potential status enhancers and objects, and fear contracting sexually transmitted diseases and impregnating young women. Reported readiness for intimate relationships varied within the …

The Effect Of Higher Education On Attitudes And Values: Gender And The Academic Environment, Gayle Robbins

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of exposure to a post-secondary educational environment on attitudes and values was assessed utilizing a cross-sectional research design. Four hundred sixty-two participants completed the Schwartz Value Survey and a social distance scale. Of these, 56 were first and second year undergraduates, 57 were third and fourth year undergraduates, 85 were masters level graduate students, 77 were doctoral level graduate students, 96 were non-tenured faculty and 91 were tenured faculty. It was hypothesized that students and entry level faculty would undergo a socialization processes which would include changes in attitudes and values consistent with established tenured faculty. Oneway ANOVAs …

Aspects Of American Bittern Ecology In Northwest Minnesota, David Anthony Azure

Theses and Dissertations

American bittern breeding populations have been declining for at least 3 decades. Lack of information on life history traits precludes the conclusive determination of causal factors. The objectives of this study, conducted in northwest Minnesota, were to 1) estimate summer home-range size of American bitterns, 2) document local movements and habitat use by American bitterns, and 3) refine capture and marking techniques. Results of this study should facilitate further research and may be useful to wildlife managers for implementing management practices to benefit bitterns.

Radio-marked American bitterns were systematically relocated from May through August, 1996-97. Seasonal core-areas and low-use areas …

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Pyne Poynt Family School, Camden, New Jersey, Carol W. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to improve parent involvement in the school as a result of an increase in school to home communication through the Parent Network.

In order to identify barriers to parent involvement in the school, both parents and teachers were surveyed. The parent survey, written in English and Spanish, was designed to ascertain their attitudes toward the school. The responses of sixty-six parents were analyzed. It was found that although a majority of the parents had a positive attitude toward the school, most felt that they did not have skills that could be helpful. Fifty-five teachers …

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Sterling High School District, Cleve W. Bryan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of teacher attitudes on the integration of educational technologies into the curriculum at Sterling High School as a means to assess the effectiveness of the district's technology plan.

A descriptive research method was used in the study that included a school-wide technology survey of teachers and follow-up interviews with 20% of the teaching staff. The technology survey instrument and interview questions were developed by the researcher and reviewed by the technology committee of Sterling High School. Percentages of responses were used as the primary method of data analysis along with …

An Internship Experience In Educational Administration At Haddon Heights Junior-Senior High School, 1997-1998, Ruthmarie Schopfer Weinberg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this internship was to provide the candidate with an opportunity to acquire competencies and skills which are essential to an effective administrator of a secondary school.

The internship focused on the project: Alternate Methods for At-Risk Students Who Disrupt the Educational Environment. The areas addressed in this study were: (1) The purpose and setting of the study, (2) Review of the literature, (3) The design of the study, (4) Presentation of the research findings, (5) Conclusions, implications, and further study, and (6) The need for alternative methods re: Scared Straight – Haddon Heights Style, In-School Suspension, Out-of-School …

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Oakcrest High School, Mays Landing, New Jersey, 1997-1998, Linda R. Brennan

Theses and Dissertations

Early identification of academically at-risk students combined with effective intervention has a significant impact on the academic performance of academically at-risk students. Students were identified as academically at-risk if they failed two classes in one report period or if they failed one class twice during their eighth grade year.

Faculty members volunteered to serve as mentors for these students. Through advising, referring to student resource personnel, reviewing work, or providing a quiet place to study, teachers were committed to providing additional time and assistance to their mentees' educational process.

The identified students were also given contact time and opportunities to …

Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination: Factors Affecting Sex Allocation In A Northern Population Of Snapping Turtles., Lonnie Lee Baumgardt

Theses and Dissertations

Sex in the snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is fated by egg temperature during incubation by a process called temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Natural nests of C. serpentina were manipulated to determine if different clutches incubated together under lab and field conditions would result in equivalent sex ratios among clutches. The plasticity in sex ratio among clutches from both treatments suggests that not only does heritability of sex expression operate in the lab for this TSD population, but also under field conditions where nest temperatures and moisture conditions fluctuate throughout the nesting season. This implies this population of C. serpentina may …

Use Of Cultivated Wild Rice Paddies And Associated Habitats By Migrating And Breeding Waterfowl In Northwest Minnesota., Jay Thor Huseby

Theses and Dissertations

A primary concern for wildlife managers is continued loss and modification of natural habitats and the resulting impacts on natural populations. If habitat alteration continues, more wildlife species will be using affected landscapes, and it will be increasingly important to understand wildlife biology in manipulated environments. I studied use of cultivated wild rice (Zizania palustris) paddies and associated habitats by waterfowl in northwest Minnesota (1993-1995) to evaluate their potential as migration, nesting, and brood-rearing habitat.I censused migrants using paddies during spring and fall and quantified availability of waterfowl food items collected from samples of paddy substrate. Eighteen species and 22.49 …

Increasing Student Achievement With Cooperative Learning, Curriculum Changes, And Portfolio Assessment, Lois S. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to determine if student achievement could be approved by curriculum changes within a cooperative learning framework and the use of portfolio assessment. Students in two classes were involved in the study. Both classes received the same instruction, worksheet and quizzes. In addition, one class worked individually to complete the worksheets to prepare for weekly quizzes. The other class used the cooperative learning technique - Student Teams Achievement Divisions. The cooperative learning students worked in groups of four to complete the worksheets to prepare for the weekly quizzes. The goal was to have everyone in …

A Feasibility Study On Block Scheduling At Egg Harbor Township High School, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, 1997-1998, Joetta M. Surace

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this internship in Educational Administration at the Egg Harbor Township High School in Egg Harbor Township was to provide the intern with experiences which enhance the skills that are vital to achieving success as a school leader. The purpose of this study in the area of change was to conduct a feasibility study on block scheduling by involving all constituent stakeholders in the process during the 1997-98 school year. The intern researched various block scheduling plans, attended workshops on block scheduling, organized a Block Scheduling Study Committee, visited various block-scheduled schools, and made information available to constituent …

An Investigation Of Food Related Versus Socialization Deficits In A Group Of Prader-Willi Syndrome Adults, Janet T. Fioresi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of behavior incidents of adults in a group home setting who have been diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), to determine if the behaviors are more frequently related to food issues or socialization problems with peers and/or staff. It was hypothesized that documented behavior incidents were more frequently due to socialization problems.

The sample for this study consisted of eight adults medically diagnosed with PWS in a group home setting. All participants' Behavior Incident Forms (BIR's) were looked at throughout a two year period from January 1, 1996 to December 31, …

A Handbook Of Exemplary Training Activities To Improve Access And Success In Higher Education For Students With Learning Disabilities, Heidi M. Mcgarvey

Theses and Dissertations

The number of learning disabled students attending colleges and universities has increased dramatically in the last ten to fifteen years placing greater demands on college personnel to keep abreast of effective service models and educational interventions for this population.

This project attempted to develop an exemplary model to be used by campus disability service coordinators to provide information and technical assistance to members of the post-secondary and high school community in order to enhance educational opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities.

Information for the project was compiled, analyzed, and evaluated from current literature, professional and peer practices, and the writer's …

An Intern's Experience In Educational Leadership At Salem County Special Services School District, Kathleen A. Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was in fact a growing number of minority students in special education, if minority staff in special education were being hired in proportion to the number of minority students coming to this particular school district, and finally, whether or not the district was addressing cultural diversity among the staff and student populations due to the increase in minority students.

Initially, a questionnaire was developed for the students. One site in the district was targeted because it had thirty-five emotionally disturbed students. Nineteen emotionally disturbed high school minority students were interviewed. …

Introduction To The Fundamentals Of Chemistry, Rose C. Knowles

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis designs a curriculum to fulfill the charter of the Community college in providing an opportunity for an individual student whether traditional or non-traditional to prepare to become more proficient in chemical understanding and be able to apply the concepts and knowledge taught to a career or advanced study. The curriculum should benefit those individuals who either lack or have a poor background in chemistry and strengthen their reasoning ability. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of textbooks currently being published for introductory chemistry. Texts reviewed were readily found on library shelves and supplied through major distributors; chemical journals …

An Examination Of The Positive And Negative Effects Of Retention, Michelle M. Sabia

Theses and Dissertations

Each year many students are misplaced in grade levels and are unable to meet academic expectations. As a result, school administrators, teachers and parents are faced with finding a solution to these children's educational problems. Retention is one alternative that is often considered. Due to the frequency of this practice along with limited options, it is important to look at the academic effects of retention on students. Using teachers' report cards and standardized test results, the effects of retention were studied in six elementary school students. Using a combination of factors including literature reviews and the results of this study, …

Do Smaller Classes Mean Greater Academic Achievement In High School Biology Classes?, Elaine Awalt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if students in small classes would show greater academic achievement in high school biology classes. The study involved two high school biology classes, one with an enrollment of 20 students, and one with an enrollment of 25 students. Both groups of students were given pretests on the subject of invertebrates. A four week study of this topic followed. Teaching techniques and assignments were identical for the two groups. At the end of the four week study a posttest was given to all students.

The results of the pre and posttest were then …

The Effects Of Tactile/Kinesthetic Instructional Strategies In The Biology Classroom, Janice Batten Sees

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the addition of tactile/kinesthetic instruction to the biology classroom could significantly increase learning. Various kinds of tactile/kinesthetic lessons were taught to three experimental groups who also received visual and auditory instruction. These tactile/kinesthetic lessons included task cards, task puzzles, manipulatives, total body movement, and large floor games. The control group only received visual and auditory instruction. The subjects were 84 College Biology students from Buena Regional High School, a school in rural South Jersey. The classes varied in gender and race. The same instructor taught all classes and the length of …

Parallel Implementation Of An Artificial Neural Network Integrated Feature And Architecture Selection Algorithm, Craig W. Rizzo

Theses and Dissertations

The selection of salient features and an appropriate hidden layer architecture contributes significantly to the performance of a neural network. A number of metrics and methodologies exist for estimating these parameters. This research builds on recent efforts to integrate feature and architecture selection for the multilayer perceptron. In the first stage of work a current algorithm is developed in a parallel environment, significantly improving its efficiency and utility. In the second stage, improvements to the algorithm are proposed. With regards to feature selection, a common random number (CRN) addition is proposed. Two new methods of architecture selection are examined, to …

A Novel Regulatory Mechanism Of Glycolysis Via Glycolytic Enzyme-Tubulin Interactions: Modulation By Protein-Tyrosine Kinase Phosphorylation Of Tubulin., K. Warren Volker

Theses and Dissertations

Glycolytic enzymes have been shown to bind to the cytoskeletal protein, tubulin. These protein-protein interactions have been hypothesized to provide compartmentation of glycolysis in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells via the cytoskeleton, a component of the microtrabecular lattice.Previously, in my thesis work, it was determined that four enzymes of glycolysis (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, aldolase, pyruvate kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase-muscle type) had high affinity for the $\alpha$-subunit C-terminal region of tubulin. When this region was removed proteolytically, binding was diminished. The localization of the glycolytic enzyme domain on tubulin, phosphorylation of this domain, and in vivo effects of the domain are investigated …

Synthesis Of Group 4 Metallocenes., Qing Yang

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is divided into four subjects. They are: (1) the improved synthesis of known group 4 metallocenes; (2) the synthesis of new group 4 metallocenes; (3) the synthesis of new geminal diindenes, potential ligands for highly reactive polyolefin catalysts, and the improved synthesis of a known ligand precursor; and (4) the application of group 4 metallocenes in C-H activation.Rac-EBIZrCl$\sb2$ is prepared in 66% isolated yield via a non-aqueous, non-acidic workup. Additionally, the preparation of ligand precursor 1,2-(3-indenyl)ethane is significantly improved by inverse addition of indenyl anion to 1,2-dibromoethane. (THI)$\rm\sb2TiCl\sb2,$(THI)$\rm\sb2ZrCl\sb2,$ and previously unreported (THI)$\rm\sb2HfCl\sb2$ are prepared in 69%, 67%, and …

Chemical Synthesis, Bacterial Expression, And Characterization Of Pro-Gnrh/Gap, A Precursor Protein Of Two Biologically Active Peptide Hormones, Louis E. Mcadory

Theses and Dissertations

Two biologically active peptides, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and GnRH associated peptide (GAP) are both derived from a common prohormone precursor protein, pro-GnRH/GAP. Both peptides are cosecreted from hypothalamic neurosecretory granules and are involved in the regulation of mammalian reproduction. A calcium dependent, neutral pH serine protease discovered in this laboratory, GAP-releasing enzyme, is the most likely processing enzyme of pro-GnRH/GAP. GAP-releasing enzyme is immunologically related to PC1/3, a member of the prohormone convertase (PC) class of processing endoproteinases.

GAP-releasing enzyme recognizes the eight residue processing site within pro-GnRH/GAP, G⁶LRPGGKR¹³, and correctly cleaves the R^{13 …}

A Raster-Based Gis Analysis Of The Cumulative Impacts Of Humans And Beaver On Wetland Area And Types In The Chickahominy River Watershed (Virginia, Usa) From 1953 To 1994, Alexandra Dunya Syphard

Theses and Dissertations

Despite increased recognition of wetland functions and values, wetland loss and degradation continues in the United States. Digital wetlands and uplands coverages were analyzed to compare the cumulative impacts of humans and beaver (Castor canadensis) on wetland types in the Chickahominy River watershed (Virginia, USA) from 1953 to 1994. A vector-based approach was used for data manipulation, and a raster-based approach was chosen to analyze geographic change over time. Study findings indicated that anthropogenic activities were responsible for both wetland loss and gain in the watershed, and beavers substantially influenced shifting between wetland types. Wetland area increased 4% over 41 …

Communication Styles And Stages Of A Mentoring Relationship : A Comparison Of Genders, Christi K. Braun

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Female Medical Residents And Stress: Origins, Impacts, And Coping Responses, Brenda Mcgehee Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Stress research studies of medical residents in the 1970s and 1980s found that female residents cope less well than male residents. Coping strategies, as well as origins and impact of stress, of 12 female residents were examined in the contexts of their environment. This qualitative ethnographic study was organized around the transactional cognitive theory of stress and coping. Female residents coped well, with use of a variety of strong support relationships, and were creative and flexible in combining their personal and professional lives. The quality of interpersonal communication and support, rather than the existence, appeared to have the greatest effect …

Employment Discrimination On The Basis Of Sexual Orientation In Institutions Of Higher Education: A Survey Of Faculty Opinions, Catherine Ann Christie

Theses and Dissertations

Federal law does not prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. As is the case for other professionals, an educator who is a gay male or lesbian has had no protection from this form of discrimination unless it is specifically prohibited by a state or local law, or an institutional policy. Because they have been legally prohibited from marrying, domestic partners of gay and lesbian educators have not been entitled to share the employment benefits of their partners. This study examined opinions of faculty in four-year colleges and universities in Arkansas regarding employment discrimination based on sexual orientation in institutions …