Education Commons^™

Effects Of Journal Writing On Mathematics Anxiety, Kevin J. Pelton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of journal writing on mathematics anxiety in developmental algebra classes at the college level. Two classes of "Elementary Algebra," comprised of twenty-three college level students, were used for this experiment. During the six week study, the experimental group, consisting of ten students, wrote in math journals on various mathematics topics assigned by the researcher. The control group, consisting of thirteen students, did not keep a journal. Both groups were pretested and posttested using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale for Adolescents. Independent t-tests were used to analyze the results. It was …

The Effects Of Journal Writing On Academic Achievement In High School Integrated Mathematics I, Jane Lamarra

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the level of academic achievement in responding to open-ended questions between those students who wrote in journals and those who did not write in journals, in an Integrated Mathematics I class.

The sample consisted of thirty-three students from two Integrated Mathematics I classes; there were eighteen students who wrote in journals (the experimental group) and fifteen students who did not write in journals (the control group.) Integrated Mathematics I is a course designed for ninth grade non-college-bound students, where emphasis is placed on skills necessary …

A Comprehensive Description And Critical Analysis Of Portfolio Assessment, Cindy J. Simione

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive description of portfolio assessment and analyze critically the use of portfolios for student assessment at the high school level with specific application to the mathematics content area.

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that demonstrates their learning experiences, knowledge, applications and development over time. There are many variations of portfolio assessment depending upon the specific purpose of compiling the portfolio.

Portfolio assessment is a new trend in the area of student assessment that will address the need for an alternative to traditional pencil and paper testing procedures. …

The Effects Of Intensive Block Scheduling On High School Mathematics, Anna Elena Bogardus, Eileen Star Dubois

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare intensive block scheduling to the traditional scheduling used in the high school setting, especially focusing on the areas of mathematics achievement and the patterns of higher level mathematics course selection.

Surveys were sent to 67 high schools throughout the United States and Canada which are currently using intensive block scheduling. Mathematics supervisors were asked questions regarding: school population, percentage of college bound students, higher level mathematics courses offered, and the sequence of mathematics courses taught leading to Advanced Placement Calculus. The remaining part of the survey requested specific data comparing standardized test …

The Development Of A Mini Course On Fractal Geometry For The Community College Mathematics Student, Kananathan Satchithananthan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to construct a mini introduction to a fractal geometry course appropriate for community college students. The researcher evaluated the related research and the literature related to fractal geometry appropriate for community college students. Fractal geometry lesson plans were constructed. The topics covered in this introduction course include the Koch Curve, Sierpinski's Triangle, iterations, complex numbers and the Mandelbrot set.

The course is intended for students who have completed Calculus I at Atlantic Community College which is located in the southern part of New Jersey. The course is intended to be taught for five weeks …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Basic Skills Mathematics Curriculum For Adult Learners, Shirley Hofer, Annette M. Schenkel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a basic skills mathematics curriculum for adult learners, evaluate student progress, and survey the instructors' opinions.

Gagne's curriculum model was used to develop a new curriculum addressing the problems of the traditional curriculum. Research was cited to substantiate each curriculum change. The new curriculum successfully addressed each of the concepts gathered from the related literature.

Student progress was evaluated at Gloucester County College from January to March of 1996. All of the nine MAT-010 classes used the new curriculum. A dependent t-test was applied to pretest and posttest scores of the New …

The Effect Of Graphing Calculator Use In Algebra One, Anne Lawrence Hudock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the learning of basic concepts of analytic geometry by students instructed with graphing calculators to that of students instructed by traditional methods. Three chapters, covering the basic concepts of analytic geometry, were taught to two separate algebra one classes at Salem High School, Salem, New Jersey over a nine-week period. The control group was taught using traditional instruction and the experimental group was taught using graphing calculator assisted instruction.

A unit test was administered to both the experimental and control groups at the conclusion of the study to evaluate student learning. From …

A Study Comparing Two Methods Of Teaching Inequalities And Polynomials To College Prep Algebra 1 Students, Kimberly Ann O'Rourke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant differences existed in the learning of inequalities and polynomials by using the traditional Algebra I book as opposed to Applied Mathematics units.

The population used for this study was comprised of students from two college prep Algebra I classes at Collingswood High School, Collingswood, New Jersey. The experimental group was taught inequalities and polynomials using the Applied Mathematics units and the control group was taught these subjects using the traditional Algebra 1 book. At the beginning of the study, the mean of each group's first marking period grades was used …

Written Guidance Document For Municipalities For Storm Water Permitting In Gloucester County, Krista Lee Fritz

Theses and Dissertations

To date, no such general permit has been issued to an individual municipality for stormwater dischargers. This thesis focused on the design of a stormwater characterization plan that was acceptable to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and provided the basis for municipal stormwater permitting by municipalities within Gloucester County.

The author produced a written guidance document that enabled individual municipalities located in Gloucester County to research data on and design on their own, using this step-by-step approach to stormwater permitting, a plan that is acceptable to NJDEP for a "General Municipal Stormwater" permit to control stormwater discharges within …

An Enrichment Unit On Local Water Resources And Water Conservation To Supplement Eighth Grade Earth Science Curriculum, Michele Junod Memis

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is no written curriculum for educating students about local water resources and water conservation practices in the Glassboro Eighth Grade Earth Science Curriculum. Utilizing all available references and agencies, (federal, state and local) the author created an enrichment unit dealing with local water resources and water conservation practices to supplement the existing Eighth Grade Science Curriculum, specifically the Geology unit of the Merrill Earth Science textbook. The lessons are hands-on activities which promote critical thinking, problem solving, and cooperative learning. Though designed for a specific audience and for a specific reason, lessons in the unit can be easily …

A Study To Increase Educational Interaction Between The Adult/Child Within The Treehouse At The Philadelphia Zoo, Jennifer L. Studley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to conduct a study assessing adult/child interaction in the TREEHOUSE that will yield a series of recommendations to assist in meeting the educational objectives of the TREEHOUSE.

The author conducted a naturalistic study employing adult/child observations and interviews. The groups studied consisted of between two and five individuals, including one adult and one child. Twenty-two groups were observed and eleven groups were interviewed, four of which were both observed and interviewed. Data was recorded and analyzed. Major findings were presented in the form of text, graphs and charts.

Interaction between adults and children did …

Development Of A Grant Proposal For Funding Of A Nonprofit Land Conservation Organization, Janet Eisenhauer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to solve the dilemma of how to acquire funding for operational expenses of a private nonprofit land conservation organization through foundation grants. A model grant proposal is also developed as part of the study.

The methods employed to determine strategies and to develop a grant proposal for funding of operational expenses for a private nonprofit land conservation organization include: review of literature on grantswriting, and interviews with foundation representatives, conservation organization grantswriters and others in the field of conservation organization fund raising.

Based on the literature review and interviews carried out, it was determined …

Enrichment Course In Environmental Education For Studying Coastal Wetlands Ecology Through The Visual Arts, Cynthia Lynn Hasbrouck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop an environmental education course to be offered to students in grades 4-6 at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. The course was designed to teach coastal wetlands ecology through the visual arts to supplement and enrich the current environmental education program offered by the Institute. Although the course is designed specifically for use at the Institute, the activities can be adapted to a similar wetland site and used in part by a resourceful teacher to suit the needs of students of any age or level.

The course format consists of …

Enhancement Of Coastal Dredge Disposal Sites To Create Habitat For Endangered, Threatened, And Protected Species, Mary Beth Simpson

Theses and Dissertations

As human activities and development along the shoreline continue to increase, more and more wildlife habitat is lost, leaving many species with a precarious prospect for survival. Biologists and environmentalists are continually exploring options which may prevent plants and animals from becoming extinct. Strategic placement of new sites is becoming increasingly valuable as a management tool.

the purpose of this study was to develop a plan for enhancement of a cluster of dredged material islands, in order to create suitable habitat for four endangered, threatened, and protected animal species.

Four dredged material islands were assessed for suitability. Surveys were conducted …

The Construction Of Effective Cooperative Learning Groups For Successful High School Biology Instruction, Diana I. Probasco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to determine the effect of balancing learning styles in the construction of cooperative learning groups. The investigation attempted to determine if science instruction and subsequent achievement can be enhanced by establishing effective cooperative learning groups. The Learning Style Inventory was used to determine learning styles. Then groups were formed based on either construction of balanced or unbalanced cooperative learning groups. Students then completed group activities as contained in the Celebrate Immunity Team Pack. Pretests and posttests were administered in order to measure cognitive gains. A statistical analysis of the results of the groups showed …