Digital Commons Network^™

A Narrative Study Of Selected Introductory College Biology Students' Struggles To Gain An Understanding Of Scale And Measurement., Juliana Guillory Hinton

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Case studies, developed with criteria from Yin's Case Study Research: Design and Methods (1994), probed single mental constructs of four introductory college biology students who were recent high school graduates. Data sources included autobiographical essays, interviews, coconstructed concept maps (Wandersee & Abrams, 1993), a videotape questionnaire, and graphics. A multisensory microscopy experiment provided the setting for the construction of shared meanings by the participants. Concept maps were used then to explore the existing cognitive framework of the participants. This research affirmed the value of supporting graphic organizers for understanding science (Good & Berger, 1998; Hyerle, 1996; Trowbridge & Wandersee, 1998). …

Children's Identity Construction In A Multicultural Setting., Edith Taylor Richardson Powers

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The study of cultural identity has thus far been rather unidimensional, portraying a child as a member of a single cultural group that has a homogeneous culture. Over the past twenty-five years, much of the research on the relationship between culture and education has looked at children's educational processes through the lens of group membership. This study examined six children from different cultures as they constructed their own identities within the multicultural classroom environment over the period of a year. It was designed to examine how individual children take on cultural "ways" that are associated with other cultural groups and …

Female High School Biology Students' Biofilm -Focused Learning: The Contributions Of Three Instructional Strategies To Patterns In Understanding And Motivation., Jo Dale Hill Ales

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This exploratory study examined three instructional strategies used with female high school biology students. The relative contributions of the strategies to student understanding of microbiology and motivation in science were analyzed. The science education community targeted underachievement in science by implementing changes in content and practices (NRC, 1996). Research suggested that teachers facilitate learnirig environments based on human constructivism (Mintzes, Wandersee, & Novak, 1997) that is rooted in meaningful learning theory (Ausubel, Novak & Hanesian, 1978). Teachers were advised to use both visual and verbal instructional strategies (Paivio, 1983) and encourage students to construct understandings by connecting new experiences to …

Environmental Education Programming For The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service., John William Branch

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Environmental education is a component of community-based education programs. Environmental education in the United States and in Louisiana was described (Objectives 1 and 2). Because of rapid changes in environmental science, and the responses of citizens to environmental topics, extension faculty need additional programming techniques and more process and strategic skills training. Programming techniques and skills training were reviewed (Objective 3). Extension has included representatives from key state and federal agencies with expertise in, and responsibility for, environmental topics on its environmental education advisory committees. The Delphi technique was utilized in this study, with agency representatives as panelists, to determine …

A Behavior Analytic Approach To Developing Mathematics Skills In Second Graders: A Precision Teaching Intervention., Bruce Pierce Mortenson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the relative effects of two rates of responding on student endurance, accuracy and retention of basic math skills. Three cohorts, each consisting of four students, participated in the study and received training on two separate math skills. One skill was trained to a rate of responding consistent with a fluency standard and the other skill was trained to a rate of responding consistent with accurate but not fluent performance. The main finding underscored by the present study is that successful learning is enhanced if precipitated by fluent rates of responding. The data presented in each cohort demonstrated …

An Inquiry Into The Impact Of Teacher Variances Within The Implementation Of The Success For All Reading Program In Two School Districts., Karen Parker Guillot

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Elementary school students walk single file to their respective classrooms where literacy should miraculously transpire. For literacy to occur, some schools adopt reading programs provided by their local district or state, while others utilize externally developed program designs. This multiple-case qualitative inquiry examined the externally developed program, Success for All, a program designed to benefit high poverty schools, founded by Robert Slavin and Nancy Madden as well as their cohorts at Johns Hopkins University. This research study examined the variances among seven teachers implementing the SFA reading program, "Reading Wings," in three schools in two school districts in Louisiana. It …

Regional Differences In Understanding Between Two Groups Of High School Science Students On A Complex Environmental Science Concept Known As The Dead Zone Of The Gulf Of Mexico: A Web -Based Approach., Sharon Ann Flanagan

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The main research focus of this study was on the regional differences in understanding of two groups of high school science students for a complex environmental scientific phenomenon known as the Dead Zone of the Gulf of Mexico. Participating high school students were drawn from Dead Zone source and effect areas---Iowa chemistry students and Louisiana environmental science students. Students were given a pre- and postinstructional survey concerning environmental issues---including the issue of the Dead Zone or hypoxia of the Gulf of Mexico. The treatment group visited a web site on the Dead Zone constructed for this study, and interacted with …

The Effects Of The Laboratory On College Students' Understanding Of Evolution: Implications For Conceptual Change., Lorna Benita Holtman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated eighty junior and senior college students' understanding of evolutionary biology concepts in lecture-only and lecture-laboratory settings. The evolution lab stressed the processes of evolution, and involved simulations, experiments, discussions, report writing, and reading. Test scores do not reveal everything about the actual process of learning in the laboratory. This study examined conceptual change patterns over a period of one semester using in-depth interviews with eight participants. The study revealed that the lecture-laboratory group performed better than the lecture-only group on certain shared items on the objective examination. The interview participants showed various patterns of conceptual change; that …

An Inquiry Into The Impact Of The Regrow Reading /Writing Strategy On Comprehension In A Community College Setting., Angel Michele Royal

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the REGROW reading/writing strategy on the comprehension of community college students enrolled in a Developmental English course. The study looked specifically at (a) reading and writing as processes, (b) traditional reading comprehension strategies, (c) traditional direct writing instruction, and (d) the impact of the REGROW reading/writing strategy on comprehension. The focus of this study was to conduct six mini-case studies on students classified as below average, average, and above average, and to track their actions when exposed to direct writing instruction and the REGROW reading/writing strategy. By providing in-depth …

Evaluating Alternative Instructional Strategies To Improve Sixth Graders' Reading Comprehension., Emma Mccall Schorzman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Although little empirical evidence supporting various instructional strategies for teaching reading comprehension exists, many educators utilize particular strategies assuming their effectiveness. Because difficulties with comprehension are intensified as students reach the intermediate grades, it is necessary that middle school educators instruct using strategies empirically supported through research. This mixed-method study examined the effectiveness of the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (Stauffer, 1969), the PreP technique (Langer, 1981), and graphic organizers (Barron, 1969), three popular strategies among middle school teachers. Six teachers participated in the two-group design, pretest/posttest study; over a seven-week period, three of the teachers instructed their sixth-grade students using lessons …

School Life On The Mississippi: An Inquiry Into The Impact Of The Louisiana Reform Movement Related To Standards In World History Instruction In Three Secondary School Settings., Michael Joseph Schramm

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of standards on the instruction of world history in three secondary school settings. Contact with the Department of Education of the State of Louisiana found that the implementation of standards had only begun in 1997. After a grace period for implementation, the inaugural testing of the accountability system for these standards occurred in the spring of 2000. Therefore, this study became an exploratory investigation into the use of standards as they impact world history instruction. The first research question was designed to assist the researcher in exploring the influence that …

The Impact Of Implementing Metacognitive Strategies On Instructional And Experiential Scaffolding., Frances Ann Steward

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the mixed multiple case study was to explore scaffolding at home and school. Strategic instructional procedures, metacognitive strategies use, and homework procedures were examined during reading instruction and home assistance for progress. The participants are as follows: (a) The three principals setting the school's instructional tone; (b) The three reading teachers providing modeling, coaching, and encouragement during lesson presentation and feedback; (c) The six students (two fifth graders in each of the three reading classrooms) depending upon assistance for comprehension task completion; and (d) The six family members assisting with homework. The school sites were selected with …

Cultural Adjustment Of Foreign Students In An Institution Of Higher Education., Bridget Oscar Udoh

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Foreign students frequently encounter problems in adjusting to their new social environment when studying at institutions of higher education. The purpose of this study was to describe the level of social difficulty experienced by foreign students from different regions of the world while studying in the United States. The target population for this study consisted of 748 undergraduate foreign students enrolled at Louisiana. State University (LSU) in the spring of 2000. The accessible population was all students enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL). The sample consisted of the 178 undergraduate students enrolled in English 1004 and 1005 (ESL) …

Critical Connections: Meaningful Mentoring Relationships Between Women Doctoral Students And Their Dissertation Chairpersons., Dawn Deann Wallace

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research is to explore meaningful mentoring relationships between women doctoral students and their advisors. Specifically, this study examines how graduate women and their advisors navigate and perceive their mentoring relationships during the doctoral program of study. Although research in higher education has addressed the lived experiences of women doctoral students, few have examined the doctoral student/advisor mentoring dynamic from both the student and advisor perspectives. This study provides an understanding of the mentoring experiences of women doctoral students and advisors through qualitative conversation. The participants in the study are 6 women post-doctoral students and their advisors, …

Effects Of Reading Styles On African-American Preschoolers Of Disadvantage., Elizabeth Nowlin Witt

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the effects of two styles of storybook reading within the storybook reading event (SBRE) upon African-American preschoolers of disadvantage (AAP-D). One style, performance-oriented, was thought to be closer to cultural frameworks familiar for this population. This style was contrasted with the interactive style familiar to children of middle-class. Each style was utilized with two groups of five children (ten children per condition) across three storybooks, which were each read six times. Pre- and posttesting were used to determine changes in language (semantic and discourse ability, as measured by retelling), literacy, and world knowledge. A control group of …

Officials In Sport: An Evaluation Of The Progress Made By The Sport Industry In Response To The Recommendations In The 1994 "A Fair Go" Report, Andrew Taggart, Rod Rate

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Physical And Sport Education In Australia: Organisation, Placement And Related Issues, Andrew Taggart, Stephen Goodwin

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper provides a review of how physical and sport education in Australian schools is organised and administered. The roles and responsibilities of education and sport personnel are outlined. Issues of equity are addressed as is the extent of student participation. Implementation of physical and sport education programs, the links between PE and sport and teacher involvement are also discussed. The context of the new millennium and the place of government schools in Australia provides a backdrop for the interpretation of the review. The review assumes an advocacy orientation, and so presents a position paper that reacts to the macropolitical …

The Perceived Effects Of State -Mandated Testing In New Hampshire, Stephen A. Kossakoski

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: (1) to examine the perceptions of third grade teachers in the state of New Hampshire concerning the state's mandated testing program, and (2) to determine if there was a relationship between teachers' perceptions and their schools' socioeconomic status. The survey instrument designed for this study contained 61 closed response Likert scale items that measured teachers' perceptions regarding changes in curriculum and instruction, sources of pressure to improve test scores, and attitude toward the third grade test. A stratified random sample of 310 third grade teachers was selected to participate in this study. The percentage …

Tuned In: Television And The Teaching Of Writing, Bronwyn Thomas Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

College writing teachers often consider the reading and writing experiences students have had in elementary and high school classes as their only relevant discursive influences. When they do so they risk ignoring what is perhaps the most powerful and ubiquitous form of public discourse and communication in our society: television. This dissertation explores how the pervasive discourse of popular culture on television influences the ways in which incoming college students perceive and engage in writing and reading when they enter a first-year composition course. Through interviews with students and observations of them watching television, I have studied the skills students …

Mathematics And Socio -Cultural Behavior: A Case Study Of The Enculturation Of A New Mathematician, Timothy Byron Gutmann

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that mathematics as we know it is a product of the socio-cultural climate in which it was developed. This research attempts to address the related question of how being involved in mathematics influences the socio-cultural lives of mathematicians. A new Ph.D. mathematician hired in his first faculty position was observed for a period of 13 weeks, most during his first semester. Analysis of this long-term, in depth case study followed ethnographic methods and drew on theories of rites of passage, organizational socialization, self-identity, and evolution. The role of mathematics in the departmental culture and in the newcomer's …

The Effects Of The Provision Of An Interactive Teaching Program And Word Processors On The Writing Of Year 9 Students With Learning Disabilities, Cecily Cropley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Three male year nine students with learning disabilities were given an intervention program that involved use of a word processor to write science fiction stories. The program was conducted over a five-week period. The effects of the use of the word processor alone were compared to the effects of the provision of an interactive teaching course program in conjunction with a word processor. The treatment program was a single subject treatment design. One participant's writing improved to an equal extent whether or not an interactive teaching program was provided. A second participant's fluency, spelling and the number of unique words …

Conceptions Of Learning Identified By Indigenous Students Entering A University Preparation Course, Alison M. Bunker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The increase in Indigenous participation in university courses in recent years has not been matched by an increase in graduation. In the mainstream university population, student success has been linked to approaches to learning, which are linked to conceptions of learning. This study investigates what conceptions of learning Indigenous students identify at the beginning of their university career. Thirty six students completed a 'Reflections on Learning Inventory' developed by Meyer (1995). Nine of these students were interviewed in depth about what they thought learning was and how they would go about it. The interview analysis for each of the nine …

What Counts As Accountability? : Towards An Accountability Framework For The Pre-Primary, Lennie Barblett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Accountability in the pre-primary year has become a focus for attention as schools develop corporate school plans. Pre-primary teachers can no longer work in isolation and are required to implement the school development plan in order to account for their portion of the school's work. This study aimed to find out how pre-primary teachers accounted for their educational programs and what factors influenced their accountability notions and practices. The study conducted in Western Australia used an ecological theoretical framework. Data was collected using multi-modal techniques and analysed using an interpretive-constructivist approach. Three case studies, a questionnaire and focus groups of …

The General Board Of Education In Western Australia 1847-1871: Its Establishment And Performance, Derek Jowle

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis is a history of the politics of education in nineteenth century Western Australia with a particular focus on educational administration. It traces the activities of the educational pioneers in Western Australia and in particular synthesises research material from a wide variety of sources to demonstrate and explain: •How and why these pioneers established an education system in Western Australia; •The difficulties faced by the pioneers and how they overcame those difficulties; •Why the General Board of Education ("the Board"), which was formed by the early pioneers, was established in 1847; •How and why the Board was terminated in …

Risk Management And The Rogue Trader: Trading-Related Losses, Director & Officer Liability, Prudent Risk Management, Insurance Risk Transfer, The Role Of Education, Jeffrey S. Grange

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

Nsu Graduate Teacher Education Program (Gtep) Class Schedule Fall–Winter–Summer 2000–2001, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Developing A Web-Based Assessment Instrument, Robin L. Galloway

Graduate Research Papers

Public demand for affordable and quality higher education continues to pressure institutions to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning experiences. Traditional paper surveys have been utilized to gather data in the past. The World Wide Web can provide many of the same benefits in delivering a survey instrument while offering more convenience, lower costs, and a more flexible data set.

This report of the graduate project documents the process employed when developing a web-based assessment instrument. It outlines a method and procedure for connecting a web site with a FileMaker Pro database. In addition, it provides documentation for the implementation …

Is It Wise? : The Ursuline Studies Program Revisited, Connie S. Swift

Graduate Research Papers

Katherine Keough, chairwoman of the education department at Xavier University in Cincinnati is quoted in USA Today as saying, "It almost smacks of a Chinese mind, a black mind, a white mind, a female mind .... It suggests that brains are gender-specific or that knowledge is gender-specific" (Manning, 1992, p. 6A). Keough is referring to Ursuline College's use of Women's Ways of Knowing as the basis for its college core curriculum, fearing this may cause further division between men and women (Manning, 1992, p. 6A). Anne Marie Diedrich, O.S.U., Ph.D., president of Ursuline College, disagrees: We're not saying that ours …

Preschoolers And Technology : Effects Of Computer Use On The Preschool Child, Amy M. Clymer

Graduate Research Papers

Computer technology was investigated to examine technology's role in the education of preschool children. A comprehensive review of published literature was performed to determine the effects technology has on the social, cognitive, and emotional development of preschoolers and the guidelines for using computer technology with young children. Computer technology, implemented into preexisting educational activities and curricula, can assist in developing social and cognitive skills in preschool-age children. Computers assist in a child's ability to scaffold information. Appropriate computer software encourages preschoolers to think and act independently. Software that focuses on drill-and-practice skills can be detrimental to the mental growth of …

Mali: Pour Une Plus Grande Responsabilisation Des Agents De Santé Dans Le Plaidoyer Contre L'Excision, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.