Education Commons^™

Profile Of Adolescent Depression, Mary E. Delcorio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine specific factors related to adolescents diagnosed with major depression, admitted to an inpatient adolescent mental health unit. The specific factors are birth order, family stability, history of drug and/or alcohol abuse and gender. There were 31 subjects in this study, ages 11 to 17 years. Of these subjects, 18 were female and 13 were male. The data collected was ex post facto. From the subjects' charts, gender, age, birth order, family stability and history of drug and/or alcohol abuse were obtained. This data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, mostly percentages. The results …

A Comparative Study Of Pull-Out Resource Room Instruction To In-Class Resource Room Instruction, Robin Comerford

Theses and Dissertations

According to The Regular Education Initiative, students with disabilities will be fully integrated into the regular education classroom. Hardman et. al. (1993) found that segregating learning disabled students limits their opportunities to learn appropriate social skills, Weiner (1979) hypothesized that attributions a child makes about himself/herself will affect his/her level of motivation. He also said that children who attribute failure to lack of ability and success to external factors, will develop a learned helplessness. Placing students with disabilities into regular education programs with their non-disabled peers is a movement designed to increase a learning disabled student's self esteem improving their …

A Social Skills Training Program Emphasizing Roleplay Of Social Problem Solving Strategies For Learning Disabled Adolescent Males With Behavior Problems, Anne S. Garman

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a social skills training curriculum for learning disabled adolescent males with behavior problems. The need for such intervention has been established, however, the empirical evidence to support educational programs and strategies which promote effective social skills is just beginning to emerge. Roleplay activities and instruction of social problem solving strategies have been combined in this intervention.

Cooperation, assertion, empathy, and self-control were taught during twelve lessons conducted over a period of six weeks. Five students from a self-contained class at a special services school were used for the study. Pre and …

Factors Relating To Successful Placement In A Minimal Supervision Program For Mentally Retarded Adults, Scott Rahl

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine what characteristics are significant in determining successful adjustment to residence in a minimal supervision apartment program for mentally challenged adults. The subjects consisted of nine women and four men, all of whom are mentally deficient to varying degrees, and four of whom suffer from mental illness as well. The subjects range in age from 22 to 76 with a mean age of 43. The subjects intellectual functioning levels, as determined by their psychological evaluations, were examined along with the rate at which they completed daily living tasks as detailed by their Individual …

Review Of A Partial Care Program For Severely Emotionally Disturbed Youth, Christina Schoener

Theses and Dissertations

The need for research on programs for Emotionally Disturbed (ED) children and adolescents is great. The present study examined a partial care program for ED youth in New Jersey. There were 120 subjects in this study. Several characteristics of these subjects were examined – gender, race, age, diagnosis, and family status. The study also examined the subjects' average length of stay in the program.and reasons for being discharged. In addition, the ratio of clients to staff was studied. The data was collected by examining the files of past and present clients to gather the necessary information. Descriptive statistics were used …

A Study Of The Effects Of A Social Problem Solving Intervention With Emotionally Disturbed Youth At A Special Services School, Wendy E. Sack

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pretest-posttest descriptive study was to examine the efficacy of a SPS training intervention for emotionally disturbed children in the special education system, with respect to social skills acquisition, family environment, reduction in non-compliant behaviors and sociometric status. Participants included eighteen students in four self-contained classrooms of a Special Services Regional Day School. The sample included one white female, eleven white males, three black and three Hispanic males with a mean age of eleven years and ten months.

All classes were exposed to a six month program with lessons from the Readiness Phase of Elias and Clabby's …

Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Youth At Risk For Low Self-Esteem And Depression, Lynne M. Rossi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are at a higher risk for low self-esteem and depression than straight male and female youth. This study further investigated whether gay and bisexual male youth are at a higher risk for low self-esteem and depression than lesbian and bisexual female youth.

The 59 participants, ages 15 to 21, were obtained through a general undergraduate college sample and a selected sample of subjects involved in gay/lesbian community youth groups and college organizations. Of the 59 subjects, 29 were straight males and females and 30 were gay, …

The Effects Of Nursing Home Placement On The Stress Levels Of Caregivers, Ellen E. Thomson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discuss the relationship between nursing home placement and anxiety levels of the people placing their loved ones. The study used 20 subjects from a nursing home in southern New Jersey. Subjects were people who had cared for a parent at home for at least one year prior to placement. Subjects were administered the IPAT anxiety scale on the day of placement and again one month later.

Relationships were shown through T-Tests and correlation coefficients. This study indicated that there were significant changes in anxiety levels of subjects after a one month period.

Perceptions Of Secondary School Mathematics Teachers On The Importance And Presence Of Elements Associated With Effective Staff Development, Paula L. Leo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the importance and the actual practice of elements associated with effective staff development as perceived by Secondary School Mathematics Teachers. A questionnaire consisting of 24 statements was developed by the researcher after a review of the research on effective staff development practices.

An analysis, using the Pearson r correlation coefficient, found r values between -0.17 and 0.4 suggesting a moderate to low correlation between the perceived importance and actual practice of those elements of staff development.

In testing rho, to find the population correlation between perceived importance and perceived …

A Course In Mathematics Appreciation, Daniel J. Kraft

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to create a mini-course in mathematics appreciation at the senior high school level.

The mathematics appreciation course would be offered as an elective to students in the 11th or 12th grade, who are concurrently enrolled in trigonometry or calculus.

The topics covered in the mathematics appreciation course include: systems of numeration, congruences, Diophantine equations, Fibonacci sequences, the golden section, imaginary numbers, the exponential function, pi, perfect numbers, numbers with shape, ciphers, magic squares, and root extraction techniques.

In this study, the student is exposed to mathematical proofs, where appropriate, and is encouraged to create …

A Study To Determine The Effects That Concrete Manipulatives Have On Mathematics Anxiety And Achievement, Nicholas R. Brian Simione

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this five week study was to test any effects that concrete manipulatives had on mathematics anxiety and achievement. Two groups of high school freshmen were selected. A control group (n = 23) was taught using traditional teaching methods of lecture-homework-review-test. An experimental group (n = 20) used concrete manipulatives to reinforce a lesson after it was introduced. Manipulatives replaced worksheets as the sole source of review.

To assess changes in mathematics anxiety in the experimental group, the adolescent version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS-A) was administered. The researcher used dependent t test procedures to determine …

Computer Science Curriculum In The Community College: An Evaluative Study, Rosemary R. Boiano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the sufficiency of the Computer Studies curriculum at Camden County College in meeting the needs of its local job market.

A questionnaire was distributed to 106 computer-based businesses in southern New Jersey, northern Delaware, and the greater Philadelphia area. The purpose of the survey was twofold. it was first necessary to ascertain whether or not these businesses would hire individuals possessing an associate's degree in Computer Science and if so, how many such positions might they have available in any given year. The survey then questioned respondents about the individual needs of …

Journal Writing For College Students In A Developmental Mathematics Class, Mary Anne Dorofee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure academic achievement in a developmental mathematics class through the use of journal writing. Twenty-seven college level students were part of the experiment. Two classes of "Introduction to College Math" were used. Their age levels ranged from students who had just graduated from high school to returning adults in their fifties. A variety of ethnic groups were represented in both classes. The experimental group consisted of eighteen students who kept a journal on various mathematics topics. The control group consisted of nine students and they did not keep a journal. The academic achievement …

Self-Recording Of Attention And Its Effects On Achievement, Harvey N. Gross

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if self-recording of attention to task after cueing improves the performance of learning disabled students. Subjects were fifty-two students in two eighth grade American History classes. The experimental group (n=25) of students had within it a subgroup of thirteen students classified perceptually impaired with moderate to severe attention disorder. Another subgroup of twelve non-learning disabled students within the same class received intervention. The control group (n=27) were all regular education students. Both groups were taught the same lessons using similar formats. A serious limitation of this study is that a small convenience …

Personality Differences Between Men And Women, Lori K. Ingoldsby

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare personality types of men and women and to examine if Jung's predictions of certain personality types occurring more frequently in males is supported. Subjects were 20 male and 20 female undergraduate volunteers, ranging in age from 18-26 years. Personality types were measured using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, form G. A chi-square test for independence showed support that personality type is dependent on gender. A significant difference was found for the following personality attitudes and functions: introversion and extraversion, and thinking and feeling. Men were found to be more likely to be introverted …

A Study To Determine The Effectiveness Of Various Factors In The Reduction Of Mathematics Anxiety, Mindy S. Hutter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if increasing the amount of problem solving, journal writing, group work, and praise would decrease the level of mathematics anxiety experienced by eighth grade students. The forty-seven students involved included twenty-one average to below average students and twenty-six average to above average students. Both groups were pretested and posttested using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale - A. During a six week period, class time contained a high concentration of problem solving, journal writing, group work, and praise. A dependent t test was used to analyze the results.

The conclusions showed a significant …

The Database Management Course At Camden County College And The Effect On The Technological Needs Of Industry, Jennifer R. Lupo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Database Management course at Camden County College to determine if it currently meets the needs of businesses in Camden County. A review of recent literature and the proposal of the Data Processing Management Association expressed that technological courses should be reviewed every two years. The researcher queried one hundred randomly chosen Camden County businesses and twenty-seven Camden County College Database Management students from the Spring, 1995 semester. Opinionnaires were mailed to local businesses and a survey was administered to the students. A comparison was made between industry's needs and the students' …

Remedial Post-Secondary Education And Subsequent College-Level Performance: A Comparative Study, Kelly Rapatski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between remedial instruction in a mathematics course, Basic Algebra, offered at Rowan College, and subsequent performance in a first college-level math course. The subjects utilized in the study consisted of remedial attendees or students who completed the course, test-outs, or students who were placed into the course but tested out of it, and non-remedial students, or those who never needed the course.

Mean grades for each of the three groups were then computed. A chi-square analysis indicated no significant difference between the three groups.

Based on the findings, the decision …

The Effects Of Inclusion Of Moderately Handicapped Students, Leslie B. Kahn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of inclusion of moderately handicapped students in three areas. Handicapped students were observed in order to measure: the number of disturbances they caused, the amount of teacher involvement they required, and the type of social interactions they developed. The students chosen for this study had differing disabilities including physical, emotional and learning handicaps. A sample of three second through fourth grade students was studied. All three of the students were from different communities with similar socioeconomic levels. Although results differed based on the particular handicap, on the average, the handicapped …

Ability Achievement Discrepancies: Diagnosis And Future Implications, Natalie Fischer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was threefold: first to determine if the predicted achievement method is a more accurate statistical method to determine ability achievement discrepancies than the simple difference method; second to determine if the VIQ score on the WISC 111 could predict achievement level as accurately as the FSIQ score; and third to assess the current achievement level of four individuals previously diagnosed with a reading disability. The sample used in this study consisted of eight children who were assessed at the Rowan College Learning and Assessment Center. The statistical procedures employed were based on the WIAT …

A Survey Of The Attitudes Of Elementary School Teachers In Southern New Jersey Towards Art And The Creative Process In Their Classrooms, Elizabeth Diane Tasker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of elementary classroom teachers toward art and the creative process in their classrooms. The hypotheses of the study focused on teachers' attitudes and uses of art as a means of creativity and enhancement of academic subjects.

Elementary classroom teachers from seven constituent districts to a regional high school in southern New Jersey constituted the sample of the study. Teachers were given a four part questionnaire to complete. The instrument was designed to gather information on demographics, general information about art in the classroom, and attitudes towards art. A total of …

Effect Of Computer Assisted Instruction On Written Expressive Language Of Mildly Mentally Retarded Students, Vicki R. Newman

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of computer assisted instruction on the written expressive language of mildly mentally retarded students was investigated. The quality of written work samples produced using paper and pencil was determined and compared to the quality of the expressive language samples produced on the computer after computer assisted instruction was implemented. Attitude toward writing with both modes of expression was measured. The results indicated that computer assisted instruction improved the quality of written expressive language in the areas of product length, legibility and mechanical construction. It did not significantly improve the content, complexity or thematic maturity of ideas produced on …

The Development Of A Unit On Fractal Geometry Appropriate For The High School Student, Ira A. Fine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a three week fractal geometry unit plan and analyze its success at the high school level. The researcher evaluated the research and literature related to fractal geometry and fractal geometry education suitable for the high school student. A fractal geometry unit plan was constructed. Topics covered in the unit plan included introductory concepts, the Koch curve, Sierpinski's triangle, coastline length, the chaos game, complex numbers, the Mandelbrot set and computer generated fractal images.

The unit plan was taught to three tenth grade honors geometry classes at Washington Township High School in Southern …

Comorbidity Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Educational Classification Among In-Patient Populations Of Children And Adolescents, Holly Berezow-Ricker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an ex post facto study of an in-patient population of 39 adolescents between the ages of twelve and eighteen at a New Jersey State Psychiatric Hospital for Adolescents and 74 pre-adolescents and adolescents between the ages of seven and fifteen at a Private Residential School in New Jersey. Of this population of N=113, n=48 were determined to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with an incidence rate of 42.5%. Significant co-morbidity of ADHD and Depression, Conduct Disorder/Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Psychotic Disorders, and Learning Disabilities were found. The incidence of co-morbidity of ADHD and Educational Classification was found …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between Degree Of Brain Dominance And Student Preference For Spatial Dimensionality In The Production Of Art At The High School Level, Darlene Ann Gates

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to investigate relationships between hemisphericity and preference for spatial-dimensionality in the production of art and to determine whether cognitive processes are different in students who prefer different spatial activities. Specifically, this study investigated the relationships between students' preference for two and three dimensional art projects and their scores on Excell's Hemispheric Mode Indicator (HMI) test.

The total population of eighty-five art students from a rural, regional New Jersey high school were included in this study. Two instruments were administered. Scores from the teacher-made survey served as data for criterion measure one and determined spatial-dimensionality …

Intrinsic Motivation In Students: A Comparison Of Students With Learning Problems And Their Non-Handicapped Peers, Karen D'Orazio

Theses and Dissertations

The question of what motivates a child to learn has been an important interest to educators, psychologists, and parents as well. Within the domain of motivation, "intrinsic motivation" is an area that holds promise to students with learning problems. The purpose of this study is to see whether students with learning problems are less intrinsically motivated than their non-handicapped peers.

There are two groups of subjects: 30 third grade students in self-contained classrooms and 30 third grade students in regular classrooms. Each subject was given the "Scale of Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Orientation in the Classroom." Statistical procedures were used to …

A Study Of Characteristics In Learning Disabled Dropouts Who Have Returned To Adult Education Programs, Deborah A. Ciapanna

Theses and Dissertations

The first purpose of this study is to identify common characteristics in a sample population of learning disabled dropouts who have returned to an adult basic education program. The second purpose is to identify characteristics of this same population which are attributed to their success in an adult education program. If we examine the information as reported by those learning disabled individuals who have been unsuccessful in completing their education, warning signals may be identified for other potential dropouts. Intervention strategies could also be created to encourage learning disabled students to stay in school. In addition, strategies may be developed …

Cognitive Apprenticeship: Authentic Problem-Solving Experiences Challenges Traditional Isolated Learning Outcomes, Nancy R. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine if seventh grade basic skills and special education students who experienced different teaching styles would demonstrate an increased ability to solve problems on a criterion-referenced test. Pre and posttesting requiring multiple choice responses were given to a sample of 27 seventh grade students. The Control group consisted of 11 BSI students while the experimental group of sixteen students contained 6 classified, 2 ESL students, and 8 borderline BSI students.

A task performance project, Games-Recycled Math, in which students of the experimental group planned, designed, and constructed a mathematical game, was designed and implemented …