Education Commons^™

Exploring Alternative Conceptions In Our Environmental Education Classroom, Gayle A. Buck, Patricia Meduna

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Teaching is an inexact science. Even experienced teachers have difficulty assessing the effectiveness of their lessons and students mastery of concept. Teachers must be particularly careful to avoid introducing or reinforcing student misconceptions. The following describes how we scrutinized and modified our own environmental education teaching practices to ensure that our students were learning what we were teaching. Our inquiry into students’ alternative conceptions about the environment was a very enlightening experience for both of us. Th e process revealed some beliefs that surprised us. However, the real surprise came when we realized that our own lessons reinforced (and sometimes …

Families And Schools In Partnership: Linking Theory, Science And Practice To Promote Children’S Development, Susan M. Sheridan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools: Posters, Addresses, and Presentations

Why Families & Schools in Partnership?
Theory: Ecological Perspectives
Defining Characteristics of Family-School Partnerships
Conjoint Behavioral Consultation
Outcome Research in CBC
Child Participants
Research to Practice: Problem Solving Goals of CBC
Process Research in CBC
Research to Practice: Process Goals & Strategies in CBC
Research Conclusions: Process Variables in CBC

Gen Ms 08 Walter E. Russell Papers Finding Aid, John D. Knowlton

Search the General Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Description:

Dr. Walter E. Russell Papers span the period 1874-1945, the bulk of them 1870s-1880s, consisting of writings on education and allied topics as well as his sermons. There are a small number of printed items and a photograph of the1928 School Summer Session. Russell often used printed material as scrap paper, so forms usually found in the office of an education administrator of the time occur in these Papers.

Date Range:

1874-1945

Size of Collection:

2 ft.

On The Preparation Of High School Mathematics Teachers, Edna Maura Zuffi

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

In this paper I discuss some results got in 1997/98 with Brazilian mathematics school teachers. The research was done to investigate their mathematical language as related to the concept of function. A dichotomy was detected between “formal” and “practical” language they used to express their own conceptions of function, as well as to teach their students this subject. Also, I found teachers’ conceptual images “shrinking” as soon as they were far from their colleges or universities programs.

The Pythagorean Theorem And Area: Postulates Into Theorems, Paul A. Kennedy, Kenneth Evans

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

A Sabbatical Experience: Nurturing A Partnership, R. Michael Krach

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

New Teachers’ Perceptions Of Discipline-Related School Problems And Teacher Satisfaction, Amy L. Kavanaugh

Dissertations

Satisfaction The public is concerned with school safety because of recent school shootings resulting in multiple deaths. Educators are concerned that perceptions of school safety may affect new teacher attrition.

Three questions were examined in this study: (1) What is the trend of new teachers’ perceptions of discipline-related school problems? (2) Do new teachers’ perceptions of school problems vary by teacher gender, school level, size, location, and percentage of minority students?, and (3) Are new teachers’ perceptions of school problems related to their professional satisfaction?

National data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics through the Schools and Staffing …

Rhode Island Teachers Ahead Of The Crowd, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"For teachers this is the time to enjoy the summer break to travel, stay home with their own children or just take a vacation. But for the majority there is something called professional development. Summer is the usual time when teachers go back to school to hone their skills, learn more about their subject area, work for advanced degrees or pick up some new practices for that high tech equipment sitting in the classroom. Like may other professionals who want to advance their careers and keep up with new ideas and practices, teachers also take courses during the school year …

Editorial Introduction, Gordon Wells

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

In this issue of Networks, there are articles by both classroom teachers and university-based practitioners. All are, in one way or another, concerned with the critical role of dialogue and discussion in effective learning and teaching. The issue concludes with the continuation of the exploration of the ethics of practitioner research that was introduced in the contribution to the previous issue by Jane Zeni.

From Desks To A Quest: Understanding The Process Of Teacher Research, Denise I. Dabisch

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

I conducted my first teacher research study in the spring of 2000 as a requirement for a class I was taking at Arizona State University. This one teacher research study has profoundly changed what I think about teaching. Teaching for me, has become a quest: a never-ending pursuit for those things that matter most to my students and me as we work together in my classes. This essay is my story of how I went from seeking the answer to a rather simple question about my teaching practice to pursuing teaching as a quest. It is a story that shows …

Infusing Computer Technology: A Novice Teacher User Meets The Challenge With High School Esl Students, Shelia Baldwin

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

This account is a continuing exploration of my integration of computer technology that expanded to include specifically the use of Hyperstudio, Power Point, and the Internet with ESL students in an American Culture Studies class, an ESL I Reading class, and a Reading remediation class.

The Inherent Desire To Learn: Intrinsically Motivating First Grade Students, Lara Hansen

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

It was a simple question, innocently asked by one of my first grade students that served as the inspiration and motivation for this study. My class was preparing to begin a project for a math unit. After I explained and discussed the directions, guidelines, and expectations for this project, Kate raised her hand and asked, "What do we get when we are done?" Acting confused (in reality I was not-- I knew exactly what she meant) I asked her to explain the meaning behind her question. Quite matter-of-factly she went on to make clear that she was simply curious as …

Promoting Research Use Among Undergraduate Students Through Service Learning, Laura Dreuth, Martha Dreuth-Fewell

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

In this article, we, the authors, examine a model of service learning for pre-service counselors enrolled in a research methods class. In a review of the counseling and human services literature, we found many references to teaching research methods; only a few articles, however, demonstrated using service learning in counselor or human services education. The students in this project joined a public health department, eight rural elementary schools, and university-based researchers to study bullying and school safety. The undergraduate students supported this project by conducting behavioral observations and informal interviews in the local schools. Positive responses were received from undergraduate …

The Story Of Their Lives: Understanding Our Students' Literacy Practices And Events, Linda S. Bausch

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

The relationship between teacher and student, teacher and class, and teacher, student and class has been acknowledged as one of the most influential structures in a students' life which can effect their identity, their cognition, and their fundamental humaneness within the societal structure of their culture. The foundation of this paper is to investigate and honor students' shared understanding of literacies both in and out of school, utilizing the knowledge they bring from sociocultural contexts. I believe this vision holds great promise as an avenue of extending the literacy paradigm currently available to children in school.

Teacher/Researchers In Early Childhood: Ethical Responsibilities To Children, Helen Hedges

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

The 'teacher as researcher' model has been extensively described in other education sectors (eg. Fueyo & Koorland, 1997; Henson, 1996). This model considers the teacher as a researcher in terms of advancing systematic, professional inquiry (Carr & Kemmis, 1986) by focusing inquiry on teaching and learning practices (Keyes, 2000) and problem-solving (Henson, 1996). Knowledge generated by practitioners will be owned by them and perhaps be more likely than formal research to bring improvement to the profession. Teacher/researchers have a vested interest in the outcome of the research, and are likely to continue to review, evaluate and improve practice after the …

The Effect Of Grading The Work Of Fourth Grade Students In Red Ink And Their Academic Self-Esteem, Jennifer L. Walton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on fourth grade students' academic self-esteem when marking their work in red ink versus blue or black ink. It was hypothesized that there would not be a significant difference in the academic self-esteem of fourth grade students whose work was marked in red ink, compared to their work that was marked in blue or black ink.

The study was a quasi-experimental design, examining students in a fourth grade classroom. Nineteen students participated in the study. Prior to the pretest, student work had been marked in blue or black ink for …

Effects Of A Student Book Club On Third Graders' Literacy Attitudes And Performance, Kirsten M. Bellamy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify a method of improving the reading attitudes of elementary students. A book club program was chosen as the treatment because it incorporates sociocultural perspectives in learning and opportunities to put previously learned skills to use. An experimental and control group of third grade students, with 28 children in each group, were administered the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS), an instrument that tests attitudes toward recreational and academic reading. After determining beginning attitudes, the experimental group participated in a book club, which utilized small group reading sessions followed by whole class discussions of …

The Effectiveness Of Multicultural Storytelling On Attitudes Toward Different Cultures In The Elementary Classroom, Michele Patruno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider the effects of multicultural storytelling and students' attitudes toward different cultures within the classroom. It was hypothesized that exposure to multicultural storytelling in the classroom with a discussion period to follow will produce positive attitudes toward different cultures as opposed to students who are not exposed to the storytelling. The subjects of the study were fifty-five third grade students from a southern New Jersey suburban school district. The study consisted of an experimental and a control group. Each group was administered a pretest and a posttest to determine if changes took place. …

The Effects Of Instructional Games On Student Achievement In The Social Studies, Christine A. Pilotti

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of instructional games on student achievement. It has been suggested by educators that instructional games may increase the performance and motivation of students. According to a pretest-posttest control group design, a sample of 34 students was administered a pretest and then instructed on the history of New Jersey for the same amount of hours. The control group used two worksheets as a supplement to the lessons, whereas the treatment group used two instructional games as a supplement to the lessons.

After analysis of all scores, a t-test for nonindependent samples …

A Study Of The Relationship Between The Amount Of Parental Reading To The Student At Home And The Student's Second Grade Standardized Reading Achievement Score, Kathleen M. Jewell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the amount of time parents spent reading to their child at home and the child' s second grade standardized reading achievement score. This study used a parental survey to question the parents of third grade students in an urban elementary school on their reading habits and those of the student.

Forty-eight parents (n=48) responded to the survey. The results were then analyzed to find the significance of a relationship. A Chi-square analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between the amount of time a parent spends reading to …

The Effect Of Literature Circles On The Perceived Writing Self-Efficacy Of Fourth Grade Students, Shannon Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This quasi-experimental research study purported to determine if fourth grade students who were exposed to the integration of literature circles in their classroom would have significantly different scores on a writing self-efficacy scale than students not exposed to this method of instruction. The sample was comprised of two heterogeneous classes of fourth grade students enrolled at an inner city elementary school in southern New Jersey for a total of 40 students. The nonequivalent control group design was the selected research method. The classes were randomly chosen for either the experimental or control conditions and pretested using the Writer Self-Perception Scale. …

Interview With Marion Ecker, June 23, 2001, Marion Ecker, Michael J. Birkner

Oral Histories

Marion Ecker was interviewed on June 23, 2001 by Michael J. Birkner about her life as a resident of Adams County. Ecker discusses her childhood and education at Shippensburg State, as well as her teaching career in Gettysburg. She also discusses her connections to Gettysburg College, especially the Plank family.

Collection Note: This oral history was selected from the Oral History Collection maintained by Special Collections & College Archives. Transcripts are available for browsing in the Special Collections Reading Room, 4^th floor, Musselman Library. GettDigital contains the complete listing of oral histories done from 1978 to the present. To …

The Effect Of Participatory Instruction On The Motivation Of Third Grade Students, Jessica L. Deck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect differing instructional techniques has on students' motivation in terms of their attitude towards school. Students were pretested using the Inventory to Measure Attitude Towards School and reading (IMATSR). After the pretest, the reading class was conducted in a lecture format with the entire class reading the same novel. Students read a portion of the book and then answered comprehensive questions on a worksheet, prior to discussion. When the book was completed, a comprehensive exam and IMATSR posttest were given. Next, the teacher introduced five books to the class. Each student …

Center For The Advancement Of Research And Teaching, Patricia J. Fanning

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

How Intervention Techniques Altered And Affected Various Teacher And Student Behaviors In A Physical Education Class With The Use Of A Mentor Teacher, Jennifer Lynn Seybert

Student Dissertations & Theses

Teaching behavior was assessed in this study over a period of two months in an elementary physical education setting. One non-certified physical education teacher served as the subject. The subject’s teaching behaviors were recorded during eight forty-five minutes classes. The eight sessions were broken down into four cycles with two observations per cycle. Each observation was followed with feedback from the investigator on problem areas. The subject was given suggestions for improvement. Data was accumulated through the use of the Arizona State University Observation Instrument. Variables recorded included event recording for (a) use of first names, (b) pre-instruction, (c) concurrent …

Sustainable Human Resource Development In Agricultue, Mchivga Alexander Abelega Dr.

Dr. Mchivga Alexander Abelega

No abstract provided.

Succeed-Sponsored Freshman Year Engineering Curriculum Improvements At Nc State: A Longitudinal Study Of Retention, Matthew W. Ohland, Sarah A. Rajala, Timothy J. Anderson

Sarah A. Rajala

NC State’s involvement in the NSF-sponsored SUCCEED Coalition has led to a number of changes to the freshman year of the engineering curriculum as reported previously (e.g., ASEE 1999, Porter, et al.). An explicit objective of these changes was to retain in engineering those students who were qualified and interested in engineering, but were leaving engineering for other reasons. While a number of isolated innovations have been studied and have demonstrated positive benefit, this study looks at each freshman cohort from 1987 through 1998 to evaluate changes in retention in engineering during that period. Eleven cohorts were studied; five (1987- …

Mathematics Memory Verses: Weekly Devotionals For Math Class, Mark Colgan

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2001

Each Monday during the semester I start class with a short devotional on a verse that relates in some way to mathematics. After three weeks I choose one of the three at random for students to write out on their quiz for a possible bonus point. This encourages students to practice memorizing Scripture and it gives us the opportunity to discuss biblical principles that relate to some of the topics we are studying in the course.

I would like to share some of the Bible verses and weekly devotionals I have used in my mathematics classes. These can be organized …

Parables For Mathematicians: With Good News For Curved Beings, Ashley Reiter Ahlin

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2001

Because we often lack the language for talking about such deep matters, the things of God can be hard to understand or talk about. The things that we do see and know were made by the same God of whom we speak. Thus, they are reflections of His nature, purposes, and ways and can help us to think and take about Him. This presentation expresses a parable using the language of math.

Three Problems From Number Theory, Robert Brabenec

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2001

This paper discusses the experiences of Wheaton College mathematics and computer science department colloquium as they explored open-ended problems.