Education Commons^™

A Study Of The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And School Climate, Christine L. Jensen

Dissertations

The study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership and school climate in elementary schools in w est Michigan with enrollments of 200-800 students. Eighteen school districts with 294 participating teachers completed two questionnaires.

The independent variable of transformational leadership was investigated by using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire to measure teachers' perceptions of leadership factors. The dependent variable of school climate was investigated by using the Organizational Climate Descriptor Questionnaire-Revised Elementary. The questionnaire was used to determine teachers' perceptions of principal openness, teacher openness, and overall school climate.

As a result of the data analysis, the investigation supported that there was …

A Study On The Positive Effect Of Cooperative Learning On The Status Group Problems In The Classroom, Eugene D. Tecce

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that cooperative learning and the teaching of group norms would have on the social ranking of the low status students in the elementary school classroom.

The sample was comprised of 48 fourth grade students. A treatment group consisting of 24 students, and a comparison group of 24 students were pretested and posttested using a sociometric instrument designed to examine the interpersonal relationship patterns of the students.

Introduction of a treatment designed to change the existing pattern of interaction was given to the treatment group. The treatment group met for 18 …

The Relationship Between Parental Involvement And The Reading Achievement Of Third Grade Students, Scott M. Dailey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a correlation between parental involvement and the reading achievement of third grade students.

The subjects in this study were 22 third grade students attending an elementary school in southern New Jersey. The elementary school was located in an urban area.

Each of the subjects was given a parental involvement survey to take home to their parents. It questioned parents about daily reading habits at home with their child. The survey was scored on a scale of 1-4, with a four indicating the highest degree of involvement.

The researcher then …

Achievement And Social Status In The Cooperative Classroom, Natalie Ann Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to research whether student academic achievement and social acceptance of peers could be affected by cooperative learning instruction as opposed to a class where the students were not instructed using cooperative learning. The sample size of the experimental and control group was forty-six. The age of the group ranged from nine to eleven years of age. The sample was not randomly selected. Both classes were administered a pretest and posttest at the beginning of the study. The tests measured academic achievement and social acceptance. Both classes used the same textbook and supplementary materials. The …

Frequency Of Female Contacts Made By Different Sex Teachers During Mathematics Class, Sheila M. Zackavich

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that despite female students' eager attempt to initiate contact in the mathematics classroom, teachers tend to respond to the male students more often than the females.

This has been a questionable factor as to why females elect not to take four years of high school mathematics which exclude them from entering many high paying careers.

The purpose of this study was to observe a male and female teacher during their mathematics class and take frequency counts of all classroom contacts. This was to investigate if there was a significant difference between different sex teachers and their frequency …

Improving Reading Fluency In Elementary School Students With Assisted Reading Techniques, Leonard E. Barker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that third grade students who participated in an assisted reading group would exhibit greater reading fluency than students who practiced repeated reading without a fluent oral model. It was also hypothesized that students who participated in an assisted reading group would exhibit fewer reading miscues than students who practiced repeated reading without a fluent oral model.

Twenty-two third grade students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. There were eleven students in the experimental group and eleven students in the control group. The class read a one hundred word …

Attitudes Of Fourth And Fifth Grade Students Toward Gender And Careers, Valerie B. Sweeten

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine if students in a suburban, southern New Jersey elementary school would have gender-biased attitudes concerning appropriate roles and career aspirations for males and females.

A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 100 students from a total population of 74 fourth grade students and 58 fifth grade students from one school in a southern New Jersey suburban school district. Items on the questionnaire included a list of occupations as well as questions regarding gender and careers.

The hypothesis was not supported because it was found that most of the students did not possess a …

Effects Of Group-Assisted Listening-While-Reading And Repeated Reading On The Fluency Of Fifth Grade Students, Deanne M. Alspach

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to verify the feasibility of using a "group-assisted listening-while-reading approach" or a "repeated reading approach" in a suburban New Jersey intermediate grade setting, the researcher set out to test both strategies in a fifth grade classroom. Using a pretest-posttest control group design and t tests for independent and non independent samples, the researcher found that a group-assisted listening-while-reading approach had a significant impact on increasing the reading fluency in one class (n=20). Students in this group demonstrated greater improvement in reading rate (p<.10) and miscue analysis (p<.01) than counterparts receiving a repeated reading treatment. Both groups also saw significant improvement between the pretest and posttest results with one exception. There was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest of the control group regarding miscue rate improvement. While research on fluency improvement focuses mainly on primary students, similarities in older poor readers necessitated further study. As they lack the necessary fluency development they do not read as often as other students. Yet, the only way to increase fluency is by reading. Researchers have recognized that there must be alternatives to develop fluency in the classroom.

Relationship Of Perceived Autonomy And Grade Point Average, Nancy J. Benninger

Theses and Dissertations

This correlational study examined the relationship between perceived autonomy and grade point average. The sample was twenty-six ten and eleven year old fifth grade students in one class of an elementary school. Perceived autonomy was measured by the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, a forty item self-report questionnaire. Grade point average was calculated for the first three marking periods of the school year. The Pearson r calculation was not significant at the .01 level, Results did indicate a positive relationship between perceived autonomy and grade point average.

A Descriptive Study Of The Implementation Process For All-Day Alternate Day Kindergarten Schedules In Michigan Public Schools, Kenneth G. Drenth

Dissertations

This research project was initiated and designed to gather data on the decision making, implementation, and evaluative processes being used in Michigan schools implementing all-day alternate day kindergarten schedules.

The major issues of concern w ere an assessment of preplanning activities transpiring prior to implementation, staff development preparations, parental involvement in the decision-making process, and evaluative data collected.

Data were collected during the fall of 1994 via a questionnaire sent to 68 Michigan school districts that had implemented an all-day alternate day kindergarten. The same questionnaire was also sent to five Michigan school districts that had implemented the all-day alternate …

Spelling: A Comparison Between A Formal Text-Based Program And An Integrated Approach, Kathleen Gamble

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to determine if there was any discernible difference in students' spelling performance within classrooms employing the formal text-based methodology and classrooms employing an integrated approach.

The sample in this study was 49 third grade, heterogeneously grouped students from a suburban area school in New Jersey. There were two classrooms involved with all students in each classroom participating in the study.

Third grade students in the study were administered a pretest and posttest in word recognition and vocabulary. A comparison of the mean test scores in the areas of word recognition and vocabulary for each group within …

The Examination Of Academic Achievement And Self-Concept Between Early And Late Entrants Of First Grade Pupils, Terri J. Wells

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not students who entered first grade at an earlier chronological age could successfully compete with late-entrance students regarding academics and self-concepts. Research suggests that there may be a link between school success and chronological age for elementary students.

A study was constructed that included 18 first grade students of the same class. The 18 students were classified as being either "Early" or "Late" entrants. Late entrants were those students who were born between October, 1987 and March, 1988. Early entrants were those students who were born between April, 1988 and …

A Study Of The Effects Of Teachers' Mathematics Anxiety And Mathematics Teaching Confidence Level On Their Attitudes Toward Manipulative Use, Jacqueline L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the effect of teachers' mathematics anxiety and their mathematics teaching confidence level on their attitudes towards manipulative use. To investigate this, a survey was developed and distributed to all of the mathematics teachers in the eight elementary schools in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The survey was composed of fifty-five statements. These statements were rated on a five point Likert type scale. Thirteen of the statements researched mathematics anxiety in the sample teachers. Twelve of the statements investigated the confidence level of teachers as they instructed their students in the subject of mathematics. …

The Effectiveness Of Using Portfolio Assessment To Improve Instructional Planning And To Determine Attitudes Toward Mathematics Of Sixth Grade Students, Heather A. Moran

Theses and Dissertations

It was the purpose of this study to determine the effectiveness of using information gained from portfolio assessment to improve the quality of instructional planning in order to meet the needs of a specific group of students. This study also evaluated the change in attitude toward mathematics of the control and the experimental groups. A unit on the addition and subtraction of fractions was taught by this researcher to two different sixth grade classes. The control group was instructed using lessons designed from textbook recommendations and the experimental group was taught using lessons designed from a combination of textbook recommendations …

Gender Differences In Computing: Attitudes, Use, And Stereotypes, Mary S. O'Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the grade level at which students' attitudes towards computers begin to change. Application and gender bias towards computers were also examined. To achieve this, a survey was developed and administered to selected students in the third through eighth grades in the Egg Harbor City School District. in addition to the survey, students were asked to draw a "computer expert." Comparisons were made between males and females and the elementary and junior high grade levels.

Independent "t" tests were performed to identify significant differences at the .05 level. Significant differences in attitudes towards computers were …

A Study Examining The Effectiveness Of Teaching Reading Using A Literature-Based Approach Vs. A Basal Approach, Tammy L. Vance

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if first grade students who were instructed following a literature based program would demonstrate a better understanding of reading. A comparison was made between the test scores and attitudes of those first grade students using a literature based reading program and those first grade students using a basal program.

The design for this study was a pretest posttest design with one treatment group and one control group, both having 24 students. Both groups were pretested and posttested using the Scott, Foresman Celebrate Reading (1993), Anthology Assessment. This test was selected to measure …

Comparison Of Developmentally Oriented Kindergartens And Academically Oriented Kindergartens, Lori Ann Weyer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if students enrolled in a kindergarten with a curriculum stressing academic skills perform better or worse on standardized tests than students in a developmentally oriented program by the end of first grade.

A survey was developed to establish if a kindergarten curriculum was developmentally oriented or academically oriented. This survey was sent to schools in Gloucester and Morris Counties in New Jersey. Mean Iowa basic skills tests were then used to determine if academically oriented kindergarten curriculums score significantly higher than developmentally oriented curriculums by the end of kindergarten. Also, the mean …

A Study Of The Effects Of Using The Word Processor And Telecommunications In The Writing Process For Elementary Students, Andrea J. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

It is the responsibility of an elementary teacher to provide students every opportunity to succeed in the classroom. Writing compositions, using correct style, form and mechanics can be a complex task for elementary students. If a method can be used to assist the relief of these complexities involved in the writing process, then this development should be encouraged.

The purpose of this study was to determine if fourth grade students will become better writers producing clearer style, form, and mechanics when using the word processor in the writing process. It will also determine if the use of telecommunications will cause …

A Study Of The Effect Of Desktop Publishing In Writing Instruction Versus Traditional Pencil And Paper On The Length And Detail Of Students' Compositions, Christine Sonsini

Theses and Dissertations

This study was based on the following question: Could it be that first grade students who receive primary writing instruction using The Children's Writing and Publishing Center computer software program compose longer and more detailed texts than those first grade students who receive traditional primary writing instruction using pencil and paper?

One group of students received primary writing instruction using a desktop publishing software program, while the other group received primary writing instruction using pencil and paper. After receiving an equal amount of instructional and individual writing time, both groups were given the same writing assignment. The students' compositions were …

A Study Of The Effect Of A Computer Writing Program On The Writing Ability Of Elementary School Students, Barbara A. Autuore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences in the creative writing of students would arise between a group of second grade students using a computer writing program and a group of second grade students using the traditional pencil and paper method of writing. The students were also given an attitude survey to determine whether or not the computer had an effect on their attitudes toward writing.

Students In both the control and experimental groups were holistically rated on a pre-test writing sample. Both groups were also given an attitude pre-test. One group of students wrote stories …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …

The Role Of Transformational Leadership In The Collaborative Development Of A Full Inclusion Program: An Action Research Study, Paul R. Hain

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation is a critical action research study on full inclusion for students with learning disabilities. The study describes how full inclusion for 16 students with learning disabilities in three regular classes was implemented in an Illinois elementary school over a one year period. The purpose of this study is to describe how transformational leadership, collaborative decision-making and action research helped in the development of full inclusion.

Action research was the method used to 1) observe and collect data about the project, 2) to analyze what was happening, and 3) help guide the inclusion teaching team in taking actions …

A Study Of The Effect Of Developmental Kindergarten Placement On Student Achievement: Issues And Other Alternatives For The "Unready" Child, Sandra F. Earley

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of developmental kindergarten placement beyond third grade and whether differences exist in levels of academic achievement between students who participated in developmental kindergarten and those who were recommended to attend but did not.

The target population of this study spanned 3 years and included 203 kindergarten eligible students in a suburban school district in mid- Michigan who were recommended to attend developmental kindergarten. The accessible population was 105 of the original 203 students.

The Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) reading and mathematics test mean scores were analyzed for both groups …

Learning Style, Teaching Style, And Attitude Toward Change As Predictors For The Adoption Of Computer Technology By Elementary School Teachers, Bernadette C. Kelley

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the learning style, teaching style, and attitude toward change of elementary school teachers and the relationship of these variables to the adoption of computer technology into teaching and learning strategies. The researcher used four instruments to gather data about the preferred learning style, teaching style, attitude toward change, and current utilization of computer technology both personally and with students.

Survey forms were delivered to seven selected elementary schools in a Northeast Florida public school district. An educational technology survey was distributed to each of the 200 elementary school teachers in these schools. The return rate of completed …

Vision And The Ideal Teacher: Implications For Educational Practice, Rosalind Victoria Aaron

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe how and why teachers with a vision of an ideal teacher have chosen teaching as their profession and to articulate how that vision has influenced their educational practice.

Procedure. This study was conducted in the classroom setting using qualitative methods. The qualitative techniques were informal and formal interviews, non-participant observations, and personal journal entries.

Conclusions. The findings of the study revealed that the three teachers do have visions, which they clearly articulated. Their visions resulted from their interaction with others, but specifically with some of their former teachers. As new ideas, …

Teacher Efficacy And The Use Of Specific Instructional Practices By Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Science Teachers In The United States, Larry Dale Burton

Dissertations

Problem. Current reform efforts in science education are constructivist in nature and call for major changes in the way science has been taught in the schools. Teacher efficacy, a measure of perceived instructional empowerment, is one variable which has been linked to teacher change and general classroom innovation. However, the specific relationship between efficacy and innovative science instruction had not been examined.

Method. This descriptive study employed a correlational design utilizing cross-sectional survey methodology. Data were collected via a three-part survey instrument. The purpose ofthis design was to gather descriptive data on science education in seventh- and eighth-grade classes in …