Education Commons^™

Instruction Of Reading Study Skills In Four Academic Content Areas Of California Secondary Schools, Judith Chibante Neal

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of instruction of reading study skills as revealed by a state-wide survey of teachers. The problem was: To what extent are academic content area teachers in California secondary schools providing instruction in reading study skills as part of their instruction program? An analysis of the problem yielded eight questions related to the perceptions and practices of teachers in the four content areas of English, mathematics, science, and social science. Eleven hypotheses were proposed related to possible differences among sub-groups of teachers. The research was descriptive in nature and employed a …

The Impact Of The "C" Average Policy On The Academic Achievement And Attendance Of Student-Athletes At Stagg High School Between 1981 And 1983, Jean Katherine Fitzgibbons

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the "C" average rule on student achievement at Stagg High School, Stockton, California. This study particularly addressed the issue of whether there were significant differences between athletes' grade point averages (GPA) before implementation of the policy and after. In addition, the study included assessing differences in attendance patterns of the athletes. The 1981-82 school year was identified as the year prior to implementation of the "C" average-rule. The 1982-83 school year was considered the implementation year and, finally, the 1983-84 school year was identified as the year after the …

Characteristics Necessary For Effective Rural Elementary Student Study Teams As A Pre-Referral Intervention Technique, Sandee Kludt

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was two-fold. First, it was conducted to determine if the factors identified as prerequisites for successful general team decision making are also the prerequisites for successful Student Study Team functioning. A secondary purpose was to determine the extent to which these compositional and operational variables are incorporated into current Student Study Team processes.

A Comparative Analysis Of Comprehension Questions In Three California State-Adopted Spanish And English Basal Readers, Ana Maria Bonilla

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there was a variation in the number of questions within a given taxonomy level between parallel Spanish and English basal readers at primary grade levels. A secondary purpose was to determine if questions in parallel Spanish and English series, that extended to fourth grade, facilitated the transition from the Spanish to the English reader. Specifically, the tasks to be accomplished in the study were: (1) to classify reading questions contained in California state-adopted parallel Spanish and English basal readers utilizing Barrett's Taxonomy, (2) to determine the number of questions each …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Parents In Sacramento County Who Choose Home Schooling For Their Children, Elizabeth Louise Knopf

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to (1) investigate the reasons parents in Sacramento County choose home schooling for their child(ren); (2) describe selected characteristics of the parents; (3) describe selected characteristics of their child(ren); (4) describe the educational programs used in the home schools; (5) describe the perceptions home schooling parents have of local public school administrators; and (6) describe the commitment these parents have to home schooling. Method. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data. The population used in this study was 117 families who either filed a private school affidavit with the Sacramento County Office …

A Study Of The Chinese Language Immersion Program In San Francisco: The First Two Years, Winifred Sin Ling Tang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors important to the establishment of a Chinese language immersion program in San Francisco, parent motivations and attitudes toward the program, and the impact of the program on student achievement. Descriptive data collected on the 1st and 2nd year of program implementation included summaries of interviews with school personnel, information from documents of the San Francisco Unified School District, tabulations of parent questionnaire responses, and scores from a kindergarten skills inventory and Cantonese Language Skills Test. The comparative portion of the study included an analysis of CTBS-S scores of the program …

An Investigation Of The Effectiveness Of A Saturday School Program In Reducing The Rate Of Truancy Among Ninth And Tenth Grade Habitually Truant Students, Robert Howard Bell

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken as an empirical investigation to determine whether the rate of truancy, grade point averages and attitudes toward school of habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students were affected after the student's participation in a mandatory Saturday School Program. Subjects were habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students chosen from two selected schools within the Whittier Union High School District in Whittier, California. Of the total sample of 130 students, a total of 55 students participated in a traditional (control) Saturday School Program and 75 students participated in an experimental Saturday School Program. Comparisons were drawn between …

Comprehension Of Extended Narrative Text: The Role Of Spontaneous Mental Imagery While Reading Or Listening, Marilyn Anne Winzenz

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the cognitive processes involved in language comprehension, this research examined the role of naturally occurring mental imagery in facilitating college students' understanding of lengthy narrative prose. During hour-long individual interviews, 40 undergraduates read silently or listened to a 1700 word short story. Subjects were asked to free recall as much as they could of the story and to answer higher level comprehension questions which involved verbal reasoning strategies such as inference and drawing conclusions regarding character development and motivation, theme, plot, and personal relevance. Subjects were also asked to describe the mental images they experienced, if any, and …

Word Processing As An Instructional Tool In The Revision/Editing Stages Of The Writing Process, Marion M. Jensen

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of word processing on students' composition when used as a tool in the revision/editing stages of the writing process.

Procedure: Two experimental groups were established; Group A Computer, Group B No Computer. For each group, the generic method of teaching writing remained the same. Group A, however, was able to use the microcomputer in editing their work; Group B was not. Final essays were scored by independent raters and the data were analyzed by the use of the independent 1-test. A Pearson product -moment correlation coefficient was computed to …

Effects Of Peer Mentoring On The Achievement And Persistence Of Academically Underprepared College Freshmen, Ann Ferden Austad

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a peer mentoring program incorporating learning styles impacts upon the achievement and persistence of entry-level academically underprepared college students.

PROCEDURE: Subjects were freshmen at Bemidji State University during the fall terms of 1985 and 1986 who were assigned to remedial/developmental English because of low placement test scores. An experimental group of 31 English 100 students participated in Connections: The Student-to-Student Mentoring Network, a pilot program designed to help underprepared students make a successful transition into college. The experimental group was compared to a control group of 40 students who were …

The Effects Of Word Processing And Two Common Instructional Methods On The Essay Revisions Of Twelfth Grade Students, Jon Louis Walther

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Statement of the problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction between two common instructional methods--the use of editing questions and the use of models--and word processing in the revisions of twelfth-grade students. This study addressed the following questions: Will students' revisions of analytical essays be significantly affected by the used of word processing? Will students' revisions be significantly affected by the use of editing questions or writing models? And will there be a significant interaction between instructional method and computer use? Methods. A sample of 33 twelfth-grade students wrote four essays under four different conditions: word …

Visually Displayed-Emg Biofeedback : Training Muscle Relaxation In Hearing Impaired Children :A Thesis ..., Cheryl Renee Bene

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to test the use of visually displayed EMG biofeedback as a means for training hearing impaired adolescents to reduce anterior temporalis or frontalis muscle tension . Five male and four female hearing impaired students between the ages of 13 and 15 were chosen from the California School for the Deaf, Fremont, CA to serve as participants. Each participant was randomly assigned to either an experimental or control condition. Participants in the experimental groups were given five 15 minute EMG biofeedback training sessions. An additional group of 4 adolescents with normal hearing from Marshall …

San Joaquin County Teachers' Perceptions Of Collective Bargaining, Richard Kent Rogers

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions teachers in California's San Joaquin County have regarding collective bargaining. The problem. To determine to what extent teachers perceive that collective bargaining has had an affect upon wages, working conditions, communications, and morale. Furthermore, to determine to what extent teachers support statewide collective bargaining. In addition, to determine if teachers' perceptions of collective bargaining vary based on the number of years taught, gender, grade level taught, and current level of association involvement. Methodology. The research was descriptive in nature and employed a survey questionnaire which consisted …

Development Of Data Base Software To Facilitate Instrument Selection In The Adapted Physical Education Assessment Process, Charles Jay Anema

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study discussed in this thesis was to compile adapted physical education assessment instrument information into a matrix which matches test categories with parameters appropriate to the selection of a specific assessment instrument. From this matrix, a data base software program was developed. Use of the data base software program and thesis will enable the adapted physical educator to select a proper assessment instrument.

The Impact Of Increased Graduation Requirements On The High School Population Of Stockton Unified School District, Donald Lee Bradstreet

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of increased high school graduation requirements on the student population of one California school district. An increase in graduation requirements was imposed by state legislation and the local school board in response to a nationwide call to improve America's education which dominated educational attention during the early 1980's. The class entering Stockton high schools as ninth graders in 1982 was the last class required to meet the old requirements and the class entering in 1983 was the first class required to meet the increased standards.

First Language Instruction And Second Language Acquisition Among Spanish Speaking High School Students: A Case Study, Dolores Villarreal Del Barco

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This case-study had as its principal focus the applicability of James Cummins' theory of developmental interdependence in language acquisition to secondary age students. This theory postulates that, for younger children, the development and strengthening of the first language can ultimately lead to a more rapid and efficient acquisition of the second. The study set out to test the hypothesis that secondary age Limited English Proficient (LEP) students who receive Primary Language Arts instruction demonstrate higher levels of English acquisition than do comparable students who do not receive this instruction. The primary language of the students was Spanish. A quasi-experimental research …

Influences Of Censorship Challenges On State Textbook Adoption Criteria Which Affect School Curriculum, Karen Marie Moore

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study explored censorship in the public schools through the analysis of the changing textbook adoption criteria of the twenty-two adoption states to determine if new, subtle challenges of censorship suggest previously undiscovered effects on the established school curriculum. Adoption criteria (1975-76 and 1985-86) from the twenty-two adoption states were requested. State statutes were also reviewed. A content analysis focusing on the specified criteria needed for text adoption and the amount of public participation in the adoption process was conducted. It was found that few requirements have been added to the textbook adoption criteria since 1975 although some changes have …