Education Commons^™

Environmental Economics A Teacher's Guide, Sandra Allmond Bagley

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this thesis is to incorporate economics into lectures on environmental issues. This guide introduces several environmental issues, discusses the laws and regulations governing these issues, and discusses the economic instruments discussed in this guide are those that have been incorporated into environmental laws. These instruments allow environmental protection goals to be met at the least cost. Economic instruments are more flexible than command and control regulations and allow firms to choose the least cost method of reaching goals. Economic instruments also encourage advances in new technology. Students will be more receptive to the concept of using economics …

Avoiding Pitfalls In Administrative Internships, M. Scott Korpak

Masters Theses

Educational leaders and researchers are concerned about the number of qualified candidates for school leadership positions (Tracy, G. & Weaver, C. 2000). In response to this need, many school districts are promoting administrative internships. Through this project, the author sought to learn more about the following challenges: What does the current research literature say about administrative internships, and what are some of the common pitfalls that administrative interns face, especially in the area of journal preparation and the corresponding guidelines of the Human Subject Institutional Review Board.

Through this project, recommendations were formulated for future interns and their advisors. Common …

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Impostor Phenomenon Of Female Teachers For Kindergarten Through Grade 12, Sheila F. Matthews

Dissertations

Some researchers have recognized the importance of understanding women’s experiences. Some psychosocial characteristics, such as low levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy, and low success expectations have been identified as barriers for women’s career development (Betz, 1994). Because many women have continued to select careers that are considered as female-dominated (e.g., teaching) and because psychosocial characteristics and experiences of teachers such as self-esteem and the impostor phenomenon can have an influence on their students’ self-esteem, this researcher believed that this is an important topic for continued research. Although these two concepts, self-esteem and impostor phenomenon, have been documented as two unrelated …

Coherence And Historical Understanding In Children's Biography And Historical Nonfiction Literature: A Content Analysis Of Selected Orbis Pictus Books, Sandip Leeanne Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate a selection of children's historical nonfiction literature for evidence of coherence. Although research has been conducted on coherence of textbook material and its influences on comprehension there has been limited study on coherence in children's nonfiction literature. Generally, textual coherence has been seen as critical in the comprehensibility of content area textbooks because it concerns the unity of connections among ideas and information. Disciplinary coherence concerns the extent to which authors of historical text show readers how historians think and write. Since young readers are apprentices in learning historical content and conventions …

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 …

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 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. …

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 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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

Teachers' Perceptions And Practices In Feedback And Assessment Of Efl Writing, Yosra Mohamed Wagih Kotb

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Teton Science School's Journeys Place-Based Education Program As Effective Environmental Education Teacher Training, John Hayes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is an analysis of survey research data evaluating Journeys, a place-based environmental education teacher inservice training program developed and administered by Teton Science School. Information gleaned from stakeholder interviews was used to develop the specific evaluation questions. A self-administered mail survey was then sent to all teachers known to have received Journeys training.

Nearly all trained teachers go on to use Journeys with their classes, and show a commitment to making Journeys a permanent part of their classroom. Teachers generally agreed that their involvement with Journeys has had positive effects on their teaching behaviors and attitudes towards teaching. …

A Study To Determine The Teacher Education Students Five Year Performances On Praxis Ii Assessment At Morehead State University, Yuliana Susanto

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Vocational Education/Technology by Yuliana Susanto on April 30, 2001.

Revitalization Not Retirement: A Case For Transformative Professional Development That Echoes The Voices Of Eight Veteran Literacy Teachers, Mary Ann Johnson

Educational Studies Dissertations

Guided by the central question "How do professional development opportunities regarding the use of running records effect the thinking and practice of veteran teachers ?", this study investigated the way in which eight highly experienced literacy teachers learned to use formative assessment to guide instruction of a student at risk of failure in reading. From the most veteran teacher with thirty-three years to the "baby" with fifteen years of service to children, they represented a seasoned group of early childhood professionals willing to grapple with formative assessment, a concept for which all admitted they had been ill-prepared. Through this action …

The Effect Of Space And Furnishings On Academic Readiness Scores Of West Virginia Preschoolers, J. Elise Coccari

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effect of space and furnishings, as measured by the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R), on the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale –Revised (BBCS-R) was investigated. The data analyzed was collected as part of the West Virginia Educare Initiative and included the SRC from 65 preschool students, ranging in age from 2 years, 6 months to 5 years, 0 months. The first subtest score on the ECERS-R, space and furnishings, was also calculated for each child’s classroom. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the SRC on the BBCS-R and the space and …

The Relationship Between Receptive Language Skills And School Readiness, Patricia Slack Hines

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between language and academic readiness. The current study included 56 preschool children. Specifically, 9 two year olds participated, 18 three year olds participated, 21 four year olds, and 8 five year olds participated. Twenty- three were female and twenty-three were male. Each child was administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT III), followed by both the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale – Revised or BBCS-R. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the standard scores of the PPVT III, and the …

The Effect Of Staff Development Of Teachers In The Use Of Higher Order Questioning Strategies On Third Grade Students' Rubric Science Assessment Performance, Maryrose Caulfield-Sloan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Affectiveness Of A Standards-Based, Technology-Connected Staff Development Program, Lee Geary Grafton

Theses Digitization Project

One role of an administrator is to provide and assess staff development programs. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a 120-hour standards-based, technology-connnected staff development program on participating teachers' instruction.

Introduction To Bridge Procedure Guide (A Course Development In Maritime English), Olena Svitlychna

MA TESOL Collection

The paper presents a course development in maritime English and provides justification of the main pedagogical bases and principles of the materials. Introduction to Bridge Procedure Guide is designed to enable trainees with lower intermediate and intermediate level of English to discuss bridge procedures as well as to improve their general productive and receptive skills. The paper includes Introduction setting for the main teaching methods and techniques, Table of Contents, Introduction to Bridge Procedure Guide with Jigsaw Activities, the Key to the exercises, and English-Russian Vocabulary, Bibliography. The course materials have been field tested and will be used in Odessa …

A Two-Week Intensive Teacher Training Course For European Teachers, Olga Shepel

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a teacher-training course designed for the Eastern European context. The aim of this course is to introduce trainees to different ways of teaching the language, to give them a chance to analyze their actions and to share their knowledge with their colleagues during the course. It covers most of the teaching aspects, such as presenting new materials, classroom management, problem solving and many others. This paper can be used as a manual for teacher trainers.

A Certificate Program In Teaching English To Brazilian-Portuguese Speakers, Sonia Regina Moussalli

MA TESOL Collection

This paper intends to present and describe a project of a teacher certificate program for Brazilian EFL teachers. First, I will introduce relevant information on the context and background where this project will take place including the reasoning behind this program, and an investigation of the prospective participants’ needs. Second, I will explore a study of some educational assumptions including teaching effectiveness, efficiency, competence, performance and some principles for the preparation of effective EFL teachers. Third, I will provide the readers a description of the goals and objectives of the program, along with, a detailed description of the courses. Finally, …

Using A Story As A Basis For Working With Language And Culture, Marie Finnigan Miyashi

MA TESOL Collection

The focus of this paper is the development of linguistic materials for adult ESL/EFL students based on the use of a story involving and ethical or moral dilemma. The story and follow-up activities which are presented can be utilized in a variety of settings. This paper will describe how this framework was originally used for intercultural seminars as well as how it can be used to teach linguistic aspects of language in the ESL/EFL classroom. I relate my personal history in learning to use stories with adult learners, and discuss my beliefs regarding their value in the classroom. A module …

University Students As Near Peer English Teachers In A Weekend English Camp For High School Students In Japan, Annie Marquez

MA TESOL Collection

This paper presents a way to use university students as near peer role models and student leaders for a weekend English camp experience for a small group of high school students. It explores the basic design for the project, and outlines the rationale for the syllabus for preparing the near peer role models in a semester conversation class at a Japanese university. It details each of the activities used during the English camp experience, and shares reflections from the participants on the community experience.

Using Children’S Books In The Adult English As A Second Language Classroom, Patricia Connors Little

MA TESOL Collection

This paper reports my personal story of using children’s books in the adult English as a Second Language classroom. The introduction explains how and why I came to the decision to use the books. Chapters One through Four are an overview of the books I used in my classroom and explain our collective classroom experience using them. Additionally the paper contains my classroom observations and reflections which helped guide me in selecting stories and lesson planning. The document highlights some of the advantages of using children’s books as well as some suggestions for ESL teachers who are interested in exploring …

A Journey To The Edge: Autobiographical Writing In The Esl Classroom, Deborah Lafferty

MA TESOL Collection

I teach ESL at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. One class project was the creating and publishing of a collection of the students’ autobiographical writings. This paper documents the process that my students and I engaged in. We used the process approach to writing and peer response. This paper discusses the theory behind this approach and its practical application in the classroom, the questions, concerns and dilemmas that I encountered and my responses to them. I also include the changes I would implement in a future project of this kind. The final product, The Golden Gate of Hope, …

Movement, Rhythms, And Music: Active Curriculums For Teaching Foreign Languages To Beginning Learners, Patricia Guillemin Gregory

MA TESOL Collection

Our task as educators is to fit our teaching methods to our learners. Middle school students have specific characteristics that can seem to interfere with learning. Among these characteristics are a bounty of energy and restlessness. The key for the teacher is to channel this energy into learning activities.

To understand a class and develop a teaching strategy for that class, the teacher should analyze the learning styles of the students. From the results of this analysis, the teacher can build effective lesson plans which match the trends that appear in the class.

With this data in hand, the teacher …

“Making Teaching Lexis And Structures To Adult Efl Learners More Effective Through Creating A Learning Community And Fostering Some Specific Learning Skills.” (A Curriculum For A Short-Term Development Course For Non-Native Speaker Efl Teachers), Oleksandr Klyevanov

MA TESOL Collection

Nowadays, EFL teachers are exposed to a large number of different approaches to teaching English. All of them, no matter how much they differ, focus on the objectives shared by all teachers regardless of their theoretical background, namely teaching lexis and structures. However, some approaches ignore what I have come to believe are necessities: creating a learning community, teaching strategies for retention and recycling lexical and structural items. By learning community I mean a group of learners who are focused on learning the target subject of knowledge, who expend their energies on learning, who feel secure being together and working …