Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Self-Concept And Developmental Assets In Adolescents Using Behavioral And Psycho-Educational Interventions, Terriana Milne-Beatty

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent high-risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, susceptibility to peer pressure, violence, committing crimes and academic failure are often attributed to low self-concept, resiliency, minimal personal developmental assets, and deficient life skills. Thirty teens (7 males, 23 females) ages 12-15, from diverse cultures, volunteered for 3 groups, and were given a 4-month, 12-session interactive counseling program that incorporated the creative arts, behavioral, and psycho-educational therapy for the purpose of improving teens' self-concept, assets, and life skills. Pre and Posttest measures of The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale-2 showed mean raw scores being statistically significant for improvements within the entire teen …

Engaged Reading In Third Grade: A Magical Kingdom, Laurie Eva Berry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate how children become engaged readers in a third grade classroom. The study focused on what a teacher did to encourage children to read and environmental factors in the classroom helped create readers. The study was holistic in nature, including profiles of three students (two females and one male) who were chosen because they read if given free time. Observations were used to find out how the children interacted, what reading opportunities they were given, and what a teacher does to cultivate engagement. Qualitative research methodology was used. The data were collected …

The Nonpartisan League Leader's Role In The Development Of The Nonpartisan League, Kim E. Higgs

Theses and Dissertations

This study of the Nonpartisan Leagues (NPL) newspaper, Nonpartisan League Leader, examined the interaction between the social, economic, and political environment of North Dakota at the turn of the century and the founding and growth of the NPL Leader. The impact of mass media, specifically newspapers, on farming communities is a forceful tool in shaping social, economic and political processes of those communities. This impact provides a perspective that news is embedded with values, beliefs, and customs of a specific political, economic and cultural system. The evidence presented in the Letter to the Editor column provided the view that news …

A Real Republican: The Political Life Of Gov. George F. Shafer, Richard K. Stenberg

Theses and Dissertations

Since very little research has been dedicated to the Independent Voters’ Association and its leadership, much of the work of this thesis had to come from manuscript collections, various theses, and other secondary sources. Events surrounding George F. Shafer’s career presented some special problems to the researcher.

After Shafer’s death in 1948, his widow had workmen remove his personal papers from his law office and many were accidentally thrown away. What comprises his remaining papers are in the Special Collections Library at the University of North Dakota. Various campaign speeches are also drawn from the Clyde Duffey and Theodore G. …

Alumni Characteristics That Predict Promoting And Donating To Alma Mater: Implications For Alumni Relations, Sheila Kay Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

Because of declining state funding and rising costs for institutions of higher education, support from alumni is of major interest to university administrators, alumni associations, university advancement officials and other stakeholders. Gifts from alumni are becoming more important in sustaining revenue streams for institutions of higher education. In addition, alumni support their alma maters by recruiting new students and promoting the institution to others. Understanding more about the attitudes which underlie the relationship between alumni and their alma maters provide insights useful to university and alumni relations in building and managing the future of their institutions.

Included in this study …

N-3 Essential Fatty Acids Intake And Depressive Symptoms, Nami Matsumura

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether N-3 fatty acids intake would correlate with a prevalence of mental distresses. The present study consisted of a comprehensive literature review and analysis of preexisting data that were relevant to this study. Two data were primarily used in the assessment. These were the 1994 study of Media and Markets by Simmons Market Research Bureau, Inc. for food intakes, and the report of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the prevalence of Frequent Mental Distress. Due to incompatibility of those two studies additional data- the U.S. population estimates for regions …

Facing The Monster: Responses Of North Dakota Higher Education Leaders To The Potential Impact Of Declining Public School Enrollment On The State's University System, Jane L. Schulz

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the perceptions of leaders of higher education in North Dakota regarding declining public school enrollment and its potential impact on higher education in the state. Educational leaders from three higher education institutions of differing types and other state policymakers were interviewed to determine their responses to the phenomenon of enrollment decline, the impact foreseen on higher education, and the planning activities used or being considered for use in preparation for the possible impact.

Data were gathered from open-ended interviews and through examination of planning documents of institutions and the North Dakota University System. A …

Activated Carbon Injection For Mercury Control In Coal-Fired Boilers, Randy Ray Brintnell

Theses and Dissertations

Mercury is a toxic compound causing numerous health problems in humans. One of the ways that mercury is released into the atmosphere is through the burning of coal. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the United States consumes i billion tons of coal per year and coal-fired utilities emit 73 tons of mercury per year. Though there arc currently no regulations on mercury emissions, it will remain an environmental concern.

Activated carbon (AC) injection is a proposed technology for mercury control in coal-fired boilers. We are interested in determining whether the diffusion rate or the absorptive capacity of the sorbent …

Certified Athletic Trainers' Perceptions Of Gender Equity And Barriers To Advancement In Selected Practice Settings, Cynthia L. Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if gender and/or practice setting were related to certified athletic trainers' perceptions of gender equity and specifically to barriers to professional advancement by women. This study was used to examine the perceptions of gender equity as viewed by NATA-certified athletic trainers of both genders working in three different practice settings: the secondary school setting, the college/university setting, and the clinical/hospital setting. A total of 600 individuals were selected for the sample, 100 each of men and women from each of the three settings.

The findings of this study revealed that perceptions of …

Codependency Among Nurses: A Rural Urban Comparison, Nancy Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study was undertaken to examine the role of environmental work stressors and family-of-origin dysfunction in the gensis of professional codependency and compare rural and urban samples of nurses using those parameters. The nursing literature presents us with two contradictory explanations of the relation between codependency and nursing. Some see it emerge when a nurse’s wish to care for others is motivated by attempts to fulfill her or his own unmet needs from dysfuctional family experience. Others see the medical institutional expectation of devotion and self-sacrifice by nurses as a causal factor in codependency. Both interpretations are based on …

Application Of Research To Practice Settings: Music Therapy, Desiree Gagner-Tjellesen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical use of music therapy as an independent therapeutic nursing intervention in acute care settings. This study identified its frequency, rationale, and perceived effectiveness as an independent nursing intervention. This research also identified barriers and facilitators to nurses’ utilization of music therapy. Frequency and reasons for use of other independent nursing interventions was also investigated.

An author designed structured questionnaire was utilized in this descriptive study. The census sample (N=321) consisted of registered nurses at a Midwestern acute care facility of greater than fifty beds. Forty-two percent (n=135) participated in the …

The Way We Were (Are): Directing Memory, Gender And Identity In Emma Dongohue's Ladies And Gentlemen, Kathryn J. O'Donnell

Theses and Dissertations

This paper summarizes my research, my script analysis, and the rehearsal process for my production of Ladies and Gentlemen by Emma Donoghue at the University of North Dakota during the fall term of 1999 - 2000. My aim is to explore the particular tensions at play in Donoghue's use of postmodern techniques and traditional narrative style from a director's point of view. The focus of the paper is on the themes of gender, memory, and identity as the site of these tensions. Jeanette R. Malkin's Memory-Theatre and Postmodern Drama offered a methodology in which to examine these themes, while Harold …

Phonological Awareness Of Stress And Syllable, Joshua N. Long

Theses and Dissertations

For a number of years, researches have studied children's intuitive knowledge of sounds and syllables because of contributions of these linguistic units to language learning, and more specifically literacy. Children learn to interpret streams of speech through the development of segmentation skills. This study investigated the abilites of preschool and school age children through measurement of their performance on two-syllable, three-syllable, and four-syllable pseudo-word forms with varying stress patterns. The present study examined the participants' ability to identify targeted syllables and targeted stressed elements. That is, in one group (syllable group), participants were required to identify the location of a …

Drama In The High School English Classroom: Pedagogical Theory And Practical Application, Ann Siegle Drege

Theses and Dissertations

Drama in education is not limited to elementary skits or junior/senior class plays. It can be used in the high school English classroom to engage students in active learning. Drama in the classroom is a pedagogical method, which focuses on the learning process of the participants rather than a polished performance for an audience. The purpose of this dissertation is to address the limited use of drama in the classroom by providing a pedagogical rationale for its use and concrete drama activities for the high school English classroom.

There are multiple pedagogical advantages for using drama as a method. Drama …

Re-Evaluation Of Wave Transmission Coefficients For Submerged Breakwater Physical Models, Harry Charles Friebel

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing interest in utilizing submerged breakwaters and artificial reefs for shoreline stabilization requires accurate models and relationships for predicting wave attenuation. The objective of this paper is to develop an empirical model as an improvement to existing wave transmission models. This will provide the required design criteria for use in future submerged breakwater designs. An extensive study of existing literature on submerged breakwaters and associated wave attenuation was performed, followed by a detailed statistical analysis of existing data sets to determine an alternate model for the wave transmission coefficient. A total of five data sets from physical model studies were …

Obtaining Objective Measurements Of Reaction Times To Auditory Alarms, Andrew George Neubauer

Theses and Dissertations

Several pulse parameters that were believed to affect response time to auditory alarms were investigated in a factorial experiment. 18 subjects, (14 male, 4 female), participated in an experiment where the effects of inter-pulse interval (125, 250, and 500 milliseconds) and pulse format (sine, sawtooth, and square waves) on both selfreported ratings of workload and reaction time to alarms (auditory and visual) were explored. The results show that alarms with a shorter inter-pulse interval produced the fastest reaction times. Subjective preferences were rated as equal. Accuracy was equal across groups as measured by amount of errors in responding to auditory …

The Competency Program In Minnesota, Darlene L. Berg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and parents in regard to Minnesota's Competency Program. The study was designed to address the pros and cons that have emerged from the program implementation and the possible differences in perceptions of participants according to role and school size.

The study was done through a questionnaire that utilized a Likert Scale. The format was designed to draw upon a study done by Harvey (1990) who identified 12 components that he saw as essential for overcoming any new change or for a new program to be effective. The …

Development Of A World Wide Web Site For The Occupational Safety And Environment Health Program In The Industrial Technology Department At The University Of North Dakota, Zachary D. Knoop

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Business Alumni And Business Faculty Perceptions Of Graduates' Finance Capabilities: A Study Of Selected Small Private Colleges In The Upper Midwest, Dennis I. Bolen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine what within the introduction to finance curriculum has prepared undergraduate business major alumni to succeed at their degreegranting institutions and later to meet the demands of the business world. This included the importance of topical coverage and skills, as perceived by both undergraduate business major alumni and corresponding school finance instructors. Specifically, the preparation afforded by the introduction to finance course was assessed within business departments of selected Upper Midwest institutions of higher learning. Findings of the study were compared to organizational pronouncements of the Finance Management Association International, and the American …

Becoming A Reader: Guidelines For A Braille Learner, Joanne Tokar

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Impact Of The Implementation Of The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards On Time Allocation For Elementary Mathematics Instruction, Angela Napoliello-Ivory

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for mathematics instruction three years after their approval by the State Board of Education. A survey methodology was used. The survey was mailed to the New Jersey school districts that include an elementary school. In addition to demographic information, the districts were asked how much time is allocated to mathematics instruction daily. The districts were also asked how much time is spent in direct instruction, in seatwork, and in problem solving each day, and has there been a change over the last …

A Survey Comparing Attitudes Towards Mathematics Of Students In The Interactive Mathematics Program, Anne Marie Dewitt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant differences existed between the attitudes of students enrolled in the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) and students enrolled in traditional courses towards mathematics.

The population used for this study was comprised of approximately one hundred students from three IMP classes and students from three college preparatory geometry classes at Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken, New Jersey. A survey was designed to obtain information about students' attitudes toward mathematics. Survey questions were designed to measure their enjoyment of mathematics and their perceived value of mathematics. One-sample and two-sample t-tests were performed to …

A Study Of The Effect Of Computer-Based Mastery Quizzes On Student Learning, Darren Provine

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to measure the effect of mastery quiz techniques on the test scores of undergraduate students enrolled in computer science classes.

The experimental group took on-line mastery quizzes, administered over the Internet via web browser; the control group followed a relatively standard pop quiz methodology. Test scores of these groups were compared at the end of the study.

A two-sample t-test showed no statistically significant difference in the scores of the two groups.

The Impact Of The Interdisciplinary Mathematics And Science Program On Students' Attitudes At Oakcrest High School, Norma J. Boakes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects on students' attitudes of an interdisciplinary program at a rural high school in southern New Jersey.

The interdisciplinary mathematics and science program of Oakcrest High School that began in 1998 involved teaming a non-college prep ninth grade mathematics course with the same level general science course. A group of 30 students who had participated in this program were selected; then a Likert-style 22 question attitude survey was developed and implemented to determine the impact the program had on students' attitudes. An analysis of the survey included a one-sample t-test on …

Incorporating The Wilson Reading System Into A First Grade Reading Curriculum, Barbara Colton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the ability of the Wilson Reading System, when incorporated into a regular education inclusion classroom curriculum, to support the reading needs of all learners, particularly special needs students. Subjects for this study were first grade students from two regular education classrooms. The experimental classroom was an inclusion setting containing two students eligible for special education and related services, and two students supported with basic skills for reading. The control classroom had one student supported in basic skills for reading. Results reveal that students in the inclusion or experimental classroom provided with supplemental …

Classroom Management Styles And Their Link To Discipline Infractions, Joseph F. Mcginty

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study is to compare the classroom management styles of academic teachers to the number of in class discipline infractions, at the Burlington County Institute of Technology Vocational High School located in Medford, New Jersey. This particular sample involved eighteen academic teachers over a four-week period.

Interviews involved the building principal, the vice-principals, and assorted academic teachers. Data were compiled from surveys, personal interviews and the school's computer data bank. Data analysis consisted of using information collected from the database, interviews, questionnaires, and review of literature, to identify areas of improvement in teacher classroom management …

The Effectiveness Of The Peer Mediation Program In Improving The Atmosphere In The School And Reducing Violent Acts In The School Setting, Robert Milavsky

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact mediation has in reducing violence in the school setting. Through the use of survey instrumentation, the researcher will gather feedback from disputants regarding the effectiveness of the program in resolving their problems. Along with a survey instrument, the researcher will conduct monthly mediation meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to gather information from the mediators in regards to both effective and ineffective mediations and ways to improve the total program.

Survey instruments will go out to all individuals participating in a mediation. It will be distributed approximately two weeks …

A Study To Determine That If By Establishing An Equity Awareness Baseline That Programs And Activities Can Be Identified To Reduce Levels Of Gender Bias At The Westampton Township Middle School, Michael Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a gender bias-free environment for students at the Westampton Township Middle School utilizing an action research survey model in order to establish a staff and student equity awareness baseline. Using this baseline, resources will be identified and committed to programs and activities to address and reduce levels of identified gender bias.

To establish the baseline, surveys were developed. One survey was developed for staff and another for students. Thirty-nine of forty-two teachers participated in the staff survey. Three hundred out of three hundred and six 6th, 7th and 8th grade students participated …

Should Triton High School Continue Its Study Hall Policies And Procedures?, Bill Westerby

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study was to determine if Triton High School should continue its current study hall policies and procedures. Conclusions are drawn based upon data collected using action research, which included observations, interviews, and surveys. All study hall periods were observed. Students, teachers, and varying administrative levels were interviewed.

The intern concluded that Triton High School should revise its current policies and procedures regarding study hall. A strong belief that study hall should be available to a student remains, but the perceptions of students, teachers, and administrators is negative. Recommendations to improve the perceptions are to empower the …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Portfolio Assessment For Pre-First And First Grade Teachers In Pemberton Township School District, Ursula M. Csercsevits

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to discover the effects of portfolio assessment as perceived by pre-first and first grade teachers using community based action research. The outcome of this study is data that assists in evaluating the continued use of portfolio assessment as it exists, or determining the need for adjustment to the practice. The sample group consisted of forty-two pre-first and first grade teachers currently using portfolio assessment. Data collection of this action research study began with a questionnaire distributed to all members of the sample. The cycle of research continued with interviews, classroom observations and a review …