Digital Commons Network^™

The Interrater Reliability Of The Psychological Processing Checklist, John A. Nonnemacher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare thirty students' profiles under the Psychological Processing Checklist, a tool that attempts to locate the observable, measurable behaviors evident in a student's classroom performance that might be indicative of an emergent processing deficiency. Two individual instructors rated the same students, all chosen from two fifth grade classrooms in a Southern New Jersey public school, and the results were compared using correlation data. Significant correlations between the two profiles generated for each student, as measured by the Checklist, lent support for the Checklist as a reliable tool. It was hypothesized that the PPC …

The Development And Implementation Of A Co-Curricular Transcript Program At Rowan University, Catherine R. Ragan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research project was to study the process of change while developing and implementing a Co-Curricular Transcript Program at Rowan University. The action research project included a content analysis of available literature, a case study with an existing co-curricular transcript program, program proposals to Rowan administration, focus group interviews and a survey of employers regarding the effectiveness of the co-curricular transcript in evaluating entry-level candidates. The result of this action research project is an online co-curricular transcript program at Rowan University. The results of the employer survey indicated strong support for the program. This project also …

A Survey Of Public Librarians' Attitudes Toward The Marketing Of Library Services, Jon C. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify attitudes of public librarians toward the marketing of library services, and relate these attitudes to selected independent variables. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to 1198 individual members of the New Jersey Library Association. Usable responses were received from 415 public librarians. The results were analyzed using various statistical techniques, including correlations and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Although most of the respondents had generally positive attitudes toward library marketing, there were some statistically significant differences between subgroups. For example, more positive attitudes toward marketing were expressed by library administrators, librarians who had …

Effects Of Induced Mood On Cognitive Processing In Healthy Older And Healthy Younger Adults, Laura J. Kitzan

Theses and Dissertations

Studies of young adults have shown that in the presence of intense mood states (e.g., sad), the frequency of task-irrelevant, mood-related thoughts increase and interfere with task performance. Gunther, Ferraro, and Kirchner (1996) tested induced-mood effects on long-term-memory (LTM) recognition of young adults as the recognition task became more difficult. The sad group had longer reaction times (RT) and higher error rates at the toughest recognition level than the neutral group. Gerard, Zacks, Hasher, and Radvansky (1991) studied age-related changes on LTM retrieval using the same paradigm. While the younger and older adults had longer RT and higher error rates …

Our Duty, Our Rights, Our America: Women In American Nativism 1830 - 1930, Tanis Lovercheck-Saunders

Theses and Dissertations

This paper assesses the role women played in organizing and maintaining anti-Catholic nativist movements between 1830–1930. It analyzes women's motivations for joining nativist sororities and describes the activities they participated in. It pays special attention to women involved in antebellum nativist sororities, late nineteenth century nativist sororities, and the Women of the Ku Klux Klan. It looks at how nativist women used the concepts of Republican Motherhood, woman's moral superiority, and woman's innate patriotism to justify their activities and campaign for woman suffrage.

Toy Or Tool: Student Perceptions Of A Notebook Computer University, Rilla J. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Notebook computers, on many university campuses, have moved beyond being an educational accessory to being mandatory equipment for a college education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and gain an understanding of the sense students make of learning at a notebook university campus. In this phenomenological research study, two classrooms, both “wired” for technology, were observed for student and faculty use of notebook computer technologies. In addition, I visited several other courses across divisions on this notebook computer university campus.

Through the use of classroom observations, and student, faculty, and administrative interviews, I examined the impact of …

The Effect Role Modeling And The Apparent Fatness Of A Physical Educator Has On Student Learning And Attitudes, Kurt K. Weaver

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a physical education instructor appearing overweight versus lean, and role modeling exercise behavior versus “do as I say” on student learning and attitudes.

The results indicated that role modeling desired behavior had a significant and positive effect on the test scores and attitudes of participants. Specifically students who viewed the role modeling tapes scored significantly higher on the knowledge test (ES = 62 SD). The students also showed a significant effect for attitude (F[3,100] = 2.10, p < .05) from the role modeling tapes vs. the “do as I say” tapes.

Further analysis revealed students liked the role modeling instructor better than the …

A Deafening Silence: Various School Systems' Reactions To Student Sexual Victimization By School Personnel, Marilyn K. Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the responses of various school systems to learning of the sexual abuse of students by adult members of the school communities. The focus was on the reasons for the school systems decisions to accept or reject a report of sexual victimization of students, the levels of acceptance or rejection indicated by their reactions to the reports, and the aftermaths of the choices.

Data were gathered primarily through in-depth interviews with victims and their family members and friends, perpetrators, and school administrators, board members, and counselors. Document analysis supplemented the interviews. Themes in the data were elicited by …

Is There An Arab State?, Jeneen Hazem Ezzat

Theses and Dissertations

The nature of the Arab state has been one that has perplexed many scholars.

The Effects Of Perceived Competence And Autonomy Support On Exercise Adherence: A Test Of Self-Determination Theory, Dennis E. Eickhoff

Theses and Dissertations

!t is well known that participation in physical activity has important health benefits for most people. However, despite the widespread knowledge of the potential benefits, a large segment of the population remains inactive and for those who do exercise, adherence is a problem. Thus, the study of factors that may improve adherence to physical activity has important implications for public health and wellness. Social psychological influences that have motivational potential arc of obvious interest. One theory of human motivation, self-determination theory (SDT) has shown excellent utility in many applications, including industry, education, and health care. However, review of the literature …

Char Reaction Kinetics In A Transport Gasifier, Jason P. Jacobsen

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of energy generation, coal gasification is one of the burgeoning technologies that are becoming an attractive alternative to conventional coal conversion. This study will provide valuable data to aid in optimizing and understanding this type of technology, in particular the char reactions of a transport coal gasifier that utilizes the M. W. Kellogg process. It has been very difficult to develop an accurate model for this process due to the lack of kinetic/equilibrium data of the coal char re-bum reaction and its effects on the gasification process.

Char reaction data on carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide …

Am I The Leader? Resident Assistant's Assessment Of Roles And Training, Renee J. Bourdeaux

Theses and Dissertations

Students attend colleges and unversities across the nation in the hopes of receiving an education. Campus culture not only educates students academically, but socially as well. Once area that focuses on developinng community skills is the residential department. A Resident Assistant (RA) is a student who works in the residence halls. RAs must understand four skill areas in order to be effective in their job performance: Leadership, communication, administrative, and problem solving. The questions that this thesis will address by surveying RAs are: "How do RAs perceive their roles and training?", "How can training be improved?", and "Is there a …

Public Politics, Private God: Political Rhetoric Of Religious Morality In Selected American Social Novels, Cigdem Pala Mull

Theses and Dissertations

Religion and politics have been intertwined throughout the history of the United States, starting from the Colonial period to the present. In this study, I argue that the manipulative use of certain religious morality under the guise of objectivity and universality is a threat to individual freedom and democracy. The privileged discourse of religious morality in the context of politics helps maintain and reinforce the patterns of domination and subordination in society. This dissertation analyzes the relationship of the categories of ‘moral’ and ‘ideological’ in the writings of ethical and political critics such as Wayne Booth, Martha C. Nussbaum, Irving …

The Effects Of The Garrison Dam On The Community Of Elbowoods, Melford Mj W. Gunderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to describe and explain the social disorganization and community upheaval of Native Americans in Elbowoods created by the construction of the Garrison Dam. The construction of the Garrison Dam in 1954, by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, was devastating not only for Fort Berthold Indian Reservation but also for Elbowoods. Flooding of the thousands of acres caused the residences of Elbowoods to give up farmland, natural shelter for human and cattle, family structure, community gardens, and a way of life that existed for thousands of years.

The data was collected by interviews, …

Perceptions Of Coaches In Small Colleges Regarding Sport Law And Sport Injury, Richard J. Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine to what extent head coaches in small colleges provided emergency medical care to injured athletes under their supervision. The secondary purpose of this study was to learn what types of sports medicine and sport law background small college head coaches had and would like to have. The third purpose was to describe the confidence level of small college head coaches in caring for student-athletes with medical emergencies. A survey instrument was developed by the writer and sent to 96 small college head coaches from 10 NCAA Division III schools and 6 …

Perceptions Of Women As Superintendents In North Dakota Public School Districts, Lenora R. Stevenson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Parental Perceptions Of Need Of At-Risk Children Age 0-3, Deidra T. Yarbro

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Integer Approximation Of Real Valued Preference Curves, Richard M. Antoine

Theses and Dissertations

A primary challenge of the AFIT Mission Resource Value Assessment Tool is to approximate a given preference curve with integer valued mission ready resources. This thesis evaluated four candidate methods of accomplishing this approximation. The thesis evaluated the implementation of the integer estimation approximation from a purely mathematical perspective. The models were measured against six quality and error measurement standards: convergence on an endpoint, convergence on any interior integer points, characterization of the overall error between the sequence of integer coordinates and the real valued linear function and characterization of the error in each individual dimension of the problem space. …

Middle School Advisories: An Evaluation Of Effectiveness In Creating Greater Affiliation And Self-Concept, Kimberly A. Quigley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a first year middle school advisory program in the areas of school affiliation and early adolescent self-concept. A total of 300 sixth grade students participated in the study, with 100 students from each of three different middle schools in a New Jersey suburban district. The sample consisted of 140 females and 160 males. A combination of different scales was used to create the test packet that was distributed to the participants in order to examine the hypotheses regarding school affiliation and self-concept. Three scales were utilized to measure school …

Study On The Prevalence Of Gastrointestinal Symptoms In Young Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Jennifer Gelsinger

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to gather information on the prevalence of the occurrence of gastrointestinal problems in a selected group of young children with pervasive developmental disorder. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the eating, sleeping, and toileting habits of the selected group of children with PDD; and identify how these habits may or may not relate to the behavior exhibited by the children.

The sample for the study consisted of 50 children with pervasive developmental disorder, ages 2.5 to 12 years of age. All of the children had a post-diagnosis of PDD for …

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Academic Performance And Parental Age, Jamie Melamed

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine the relationship between academic performance and parental age. Parental age has previously been shown to be a strong predictor of academic performance. This study consisted of a survey of 45 undergraduate students at Rowan University to determine the degree to which their parents' ages, both mothers' and fathers', correlated with academic performance as measured by high school class rank, SAT score, and GPA at Rowan. All participants were children of intact families, and the sample consisted of 25 females and 20 males. Both mother's age and father's age were found to correlate strongly with the …

The Effects Of Rotating Schedules And Weekly Tutoring Groups On The Measured Amounts Of Burnout Experienced By Teachers Who Bedside Tutor Students With Low Response Levels, Cara Davis Tomasco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if levels of burnout experienced by seven teachers who bedside tutor medically fragile students with low response levels was reduced when two interventions were implemented over an eight week period. Intervention One was rotating half-hour tutoring schedules. Intervention Two was weekly one hour tutoring groups.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory, Third Edition, a self-administered inventory, used to measure occupational stress and burnout, was implemented to gain baseline scores, and scores after Interventions One and Two. The scores were categorized under the subscales Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment.

Results showed a decrease in …

The Effectiveness Of Using Brain Based Strategies In Classroom Instruction To Enhance Student Learning, Stacey Agin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using Brain-Based strategies to teach science content. Data was gathered over a ten-week period, which encompassed the entire third marking period. The results were found using primarily the students' test scores. The scores were presented in two categories: whole class averages as well as the special education students' averages.

The subjects of this study include forty-six fifth grade students, ranging in ages from 10-11. Twenty-one are enrolled in the researcher's homeroom class, and twenty-one in a comparable fifth grade class in the same school. The researcher is the science …

The Relationship Between Eye Color And Behavioral Inhibition In Preschoolers, Dana P. Huff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to study the rate of behavioral inhibition in preschoolers as related to eye color. One study was conducted on 50 preschool age children randomly selected from a learning center. Subjects were not chosen for specific behavioral characteristics, though an emphasis was put on acquiring an even number of blue-eyed children versus brown or green-eyed children. Twenty-two blue-eyed children and 28 brown-eyed and green-eyed children participated. Classroom teachers filled out the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation, Preschool Edition, based on observable characteristics demonstrated by each child. It is a Likert-scale rating form that compiles summary …

An Interrater Reliability Study Of The Psychological Processing Checklist, Sophia Lusinski

Theses and Dissertations

This research was undertaken to conduct an interrater reliability study of the Psychological Processing Checklist, which proposes to assess in children deficits in cognitive processes.

A sample of 30 Hispanic students, male and female, ages ranging from 6 to 10, enrolled in a Bilingual Program in a district of a city in Southern New Jersey was randomly selected to participate.

Two different teachers rated each individual: one bilingual and/or ESL, the other a mainstream regular classroom teacher. Both used the Psychological Processing Checklist to rate each student.

A Study Of The Effects Of First Year Implementation Of The Everyday Mathematics Program In A Second Grade Classroom, Johanna Vicchairelli

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of the first year of the Everyday Mathematics Program for a group of 21 second graders was evaluated through a pre and post-test study during the 2000-2001 school year. The students in the study had not experienced the program in kindergarten and grade one. Math achievement was evaluated using the individually administered KeyMath Diagnostic Inventory of Essential Math Skills. Scores reflected progress in the areas of Basic Concepts, Operations and Applications. Student perceptions about math were measured using an Interest Inventory fall/spring. In addition, teacher perceptions and parent reflections were gathered to assess adaptability reactions. Standard scores, scaled …

The Effects Of Music On The Task Persistence Of Multiple Disabled Children In A Self-Contained Classroom, Lois Lapierre Lang

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of background Mozart music on the task persistence of multiple disabled children in a self-contained classroom.

The subject sample included five children ages five to nine with multiple disabilities including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and moderate cognitive delays.

The procedure used an A-B-A research design. Baseline data was collected for five consecutive days during morning arrival and individual seat work. This was followed by an intervention of playing background Mozart music during these two time periods for ten consecutive days. Baseline data was again collected for five days. A paired t …

Social Outcomes Of Inclusion On Adolescent Male Students With Asperger's Syndrome, Marc Cannuli

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to find whether students who have Asperger's Syndrome benefit in social skills from being included in the regular classroom. Despite the positive effects that may occur for the student being in the regular setting, it is hypothesized that the social skill deficits and behaviors of a student with Asperger' s Syndrome will not affect their success in the regular education setting. A self-contained classroom was compared to an inclusion classroom using four male subjects with Asperger's. Appropriate conversations and two-way conversations were observed. Collection of data consisted of counting occurrences and finding the means …

The Effects Of Sensory Stimulation On Students With Traumatic Brain Injury As Compared To Students With Developmental Disabilities, Eileen M. Bertolino-Russell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if Sensory Stimulation had an effect on the motor development and communication skills of the students with Traumatic Brain Injury as compared to the students with Developmental Disabilities. Four students participated in this study: two were Traumatic Brain Injured and the other two were Developmentally Disabled.

To establish change over time the students' communication and motor skills were observed individually three times a week for four weeks. Eight domains were covered; responses could be verbal or non-verbal.

The results indicated that Sensory Stimulation proved to be beneficial because all four students showed …

The Effects Of Block Scheduling On Students With Learning Disabilities, Karen Markart-Garofalo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that block scheduling has on students with learning disabilities, specifically high school students. In retrospect, the surveys offered a comparison between the regular students and the learning disabled. Staff surveys provided insights to areas that need to be addressed relating specifically to the learning disabled student and block scheduling.

Surveys were distributed to 64 learning disabled students, 60 regular education students, and 38 staff members. The surveys were designed to elicit their opinions about block scheduling and how it has had an effect on the students' learning.

It was determined …