Education Commons^™

Reading Attitude And Academic Achievement In Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Children, Denise L. Moretz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between reading attitudes and academic achievement of elementary school children in grades three, four, and five. Also, the researcher wanted to determine if variables such as gender or time in school affected the relationship between reading attitude and academic achievement.

The subjects consisted of seventy students from three intact classrooms. This study took place in a middle class suburban elementary school in southern New Jersey. Twenty-seven students were from third grade, twenty-one students were from fourth grade, and twenty-two students were from fifth grade, Thirty-eight females and thirty-two …

The Effect Of Gender And Birth Order On Reading And Mathematics Achievement Among Third Grade Students, Laurie D. Rosenberg-Asch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine that there was no significant correlation between the effect of gender and birth order on reading and mathematics achievement among third grade students.

The sample in this study consisted of students in a third grade class, in a public elementary school in a suburban school district in southern New Jersey. The sample was comprised of forty randomly selected students from two third grade classes in the school. Twenty students were female, and twenty students were male.

Interim report cards were used as the instrument to determine achievement in reading and mathematics. The …

The Effect Of Coeducational And Same-Sex Cooperative Learning Groups On Achievement, Michelle L. Rodier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of coeducational and same sex cooperative learning groups on the achievement of first grade students. It is hypothesized that the academic performance of students in all subject areas while participating in a "same-sex cooperative learning group" will exceed their performance in the "coeducational learning group." The subjects of this study were twenty-two first grade students from a southern New Jersey community. This study was divided into two experimental cycles – cycle A and cycle B. Cycle A included three weeks of coeducational cooperative learning groups and cycle B included three …

The Effects Of Social And Tangible Reinforcement On Vocabulary Acquisition In Whole Language, Carolyn M. Brida

Theses and Dissertations

In this study the effects of social and tangible reinforcement in whole language was measured. The purpose was to determine if there were any significant effects of the various treatment conditions on vocabulary acquisition.

Social reinforcement and tangible reinforcement are used to motivate students to perform (Neihoff & Mesch, 1991) and achieve (Hitz & Driscoll, 1989). The academic performance and achievement of students in the area of vocabulary acquisition is an important part of the academic process. Vocabulary remains a key focus in education (Nagy, 1988). Whole language programs include vocabulary acquisition (Blachowicz & Fisher, 1996).

The sample for this …

Self-Concept In Gifted Children: A Developmental And Comparative Study, Sherri L. Evangelista

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the various dimensions of self-concept in gifted children, to compare self-concept in gifted and nongifted children, and to attempt to discover a relationship between self-concept and achievement in gifted children. The 25 subjects who participated in this study were a sample of gifted students taken from a population of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students enrolled in a public elementary school in a suburban area in southern New Jersey. The Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) was used to assess self-concept. Mean self-concept scores and standard deviations were calculated for each subscale. …

Effects Of Choice Restriction On The Intrinsic Motivation To Produce Creative Products, Karen M. Suloff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether choice restriction decreased intrinsic motivation for a task resulting in a less creative product. The study focused on two kindergarten classes in a half day school setting. The students were to make collages. The students were either given choice or no choice of materials when making their collage. The morning class was given choice of materials. They were allowed to freely choose what they wanted from the boxes of materials. The afternoon class was given no choice of materials. They were given materials chosen by the experimenter. Two weeks later the …

Vocabulary Acquisition Of Target Words By Second Grade Students Through Storybook Read-Aloud Sessions, Joann Ulbrich

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of three conditions of vocabulary presentation were examined to determine which method is optimal for vocabulary acquisition of the meanings of unfamiliar words in elementary school students. The design of this study was similar to that used by A. Brett, L. Rothlein, and M. Hurley (1996). Three intact classes of second grade students, N = 59, in a suburban area in Southern New Jersey were randomly assigned to a control group, a group where students received no explanations of target words when they were read a storybook aloud, or a group where students received brief explanations of target …

The Relationship Of Attendance (Absenteeism) To Achievement And To Single-Parent And Two-Parent Home Status, Kristi H. Weikel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant correlation between student attendance and overall achievement level. This study also investigated if there was a significant difference in the absentee rate of students from single-parent homes versus students from two-parent homes.

The sample in this study consisted of one hundred and thirty-five fourth grade students from an elementary school in southern New Jersey. This was the entire fourth grade population for this district. The school was located in a suburban area.

The report cards were used to determine the grade point averages for the students. Their …

An Investigation Of The Technology-Related Courses And Experiences In Five University Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs, Julie R. Mandes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most relevant issues facing schools today is the incorporation of technology into classroom instruction. The literature reveals that knowledge is the most critical factor which determines the degree to which teachers integrate technology into their instruction. Teachers with high levels of anxiety are less likely to integrate technology into their curricula. Elementary school teachers are not generally comfortable and skilled in the use of instructional technology and are therefore unable to exploit its potential. It was the purpose of this study to define whether or not there is a need for undergraduate teacher education programs to further …

A Study On The Differences Of Teaching Mathematics And Science Separately And Integrated, Dori Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined if teaching science and mathematics with an integrated approach would increase students' achievement. It also determined whether males or females achieved higher in science and mathematics when taught with the integrated approach. as compared to teaching the two disciplines separately. It determined whether the attitudes of the fourth grade students improved when mathematics and science were taught with an integrated approach.

The group participating in this study consisted of one fourth grade class. The total population of the study was sixteen fourth grade, heterogeneously grouped students. The class consisted of twelve female and four male students.

For …

A Parent And Student Handbook For The Howard M. Phifer Middle School, Valerie Anne O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to determine if there was any significant difference in the expressed needs of the parents and students of the Howard M. Phifer Middle School and the expressed information in various districts' middle school handbooks.

The sample in this study was one hundred and thirty-five randomly selected sixth graders in the Howard M. Phifer Middle School, Pennsauken, New Jersey and their parents.

The sixth grade students and their parents responded to a twenty-five question needs assessment. A comparison of other districts' middle school handbooks was also used to compile information for a middle school handbook for Howard …

A Comparison Of Multiage Education And Graded Education In The Areas Of Academics, Social Skills And Attitudes Of Participants, Cheryl L. Buff

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the effects of multiage education and graded education on academic performance, social skills development and parent, student and teacher attitudes toward school.

The 34 multiage students and the 27 graded students were assessed through curriculum based tests and informal reading inventories. Statistical analyses were completed A significant difference was found.

Both groups of students completed a social skills development survey. Cafeteria/playground aides were surveyed and discipline referrals were examined to find the percentage of students in each group who received a detention for a discipline violation. Data was collected, and statistically analyzed. No significant difference was found. …

Accelerated Reader: A Study Of The Effects On Reading Comprehension And Attitudes In The Fifth Grade, Christine Welk Clegg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if fifth graders, using the Accelerated Reader, a computer-based reading motivation and management program, will demonstrate an increase in reading comprehension scores as tested by their performance in a pre and posttest using the reading comprehension portion of the Metropolitan Achievement Tests. This study will also measure any increase in favorable reading attitudes as measured by a pre and posttest using the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey by McKenna and Kear.

Two classes were selected from the fifth grade at D'Ippolito Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey to participate in this study. Both …

A Preliminary Study Of New Jersey's Charter Schools, Carol Sowney Datz

Theses and Dissertations

Charter schools have recently become an innovative method of educating a portion of today's students. A charter school is a deregulated public school that is performance-based. It operates under a charter (contract) between people who want to start a school and an official body authorized to grant a charter.

On January 11, 1996, New Jersey Governor Christine T. Whitman signed into law The Charter School Program Act of 1995. This act enabled the beginning of New Jersey charter schools. This study investigates the paths New Jersey's eighteen approved charter schools are taking. Becoming familiar with the Charter School Program Act …

The Enhancement Of Verbalization Skills Of Teenagers With Moderate Mental Retardation Through Augmentative Communication Intervention, Marydee Gaidis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if persons with moderate mental retardation, who have poor verbal skills, can improve the length of verbalizations through the use of a simple augmentative communication device.

Through a three-part study using an experimenter made pretest and posttest, the effectiveness of treatment could be determined, The study included two fifteen-year-old males with Down's Syndrome from a private school for the handicapped. Both subjects had significant difficulty with speech production and showed great weakness in the area of independently requesting services during community-based instruction. Baseline data was collected in the classroom setting. Each subject …

Preparing For Inclusion: An Examination Of The Regular Educator's Readiness To Teach Students With Disabilities, Tinamarie Nicolo

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine the readiness of regular educators to accommodate students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Determining the quality and effectiveness of school district professional development/inservice programs intended to train regular educators for the challenges of an inclusive classroom was of particular interest. Prior research asserts that the success of inclusion is dependent upon the advanced planning of district personnel and administrators. Researchers assert that in order for the regular education environment to effectively support students with disabilities, teachers must receive effective inservice training and ongoing technical assistance. This study hypothesized that regular classroom teachers do not feel …

An Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of A Social Skills Training Program With Young Multiply Handicapped Students, Michele L. Kratz

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to analyze the efficacy of a formal social skills training (SST) program on a group of self-contained, multiply handicapped students. The treatment group, consisting of 24 students, underwent five months of formal SST, at least three times a week for a 30 to 50 minute period. The participating teachers were trained in, and followed, Elias and Clabby's Social Decision Making and Problem Solving: Revised Readiness Curriculum (1988). They were asked to complete pre- and post test Likert scales (Social Problem Solving Skills Checklist) on the presence of specific social skills in each student.

Average gains in …

How Does Phonemic Awareness Affect Reading Ability With At-Risk Students On The Primary Level, Denise D. Layne

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how phonemic awareness affects reading ability with at-risk students on the primary level. Subjects were from two second grade classes at an elementary school. Phonological activities were provided during 30 minute class periods 5 times each week for 10 weeks. Instruction centered on finding words that rhyme, words with same blends and words with vowel sounds. Subjects completed a pre- and post-test using the Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation. Findings suggest that both groups' scores increased on the post-testing. But the experimental group improved 76.4% greater than the control group.

Analysis Of Factors That Contribute To Residence Life Staff Burnout, Antoinette Mascio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to provide an integrative study of the various factors that may interact to produce burnout among Residence Life staff members. This study examines psychosocial, physiological, and environmental conditions that are thought to contribute to burnout among Residence Life staff members.

The participants of this study were 71 student staff members who are employed by the Office of Residents Life, at a co-educational, nonsectarian, state supported college in a rural area of southern New Jersey. The participants consisted of both male and female, graduate and undergraduate students, who range in age from 18 to 33 …

Are Computers Effective Tools In Teaching Reading Comprehension To Learning Disabled Students?, Nicole C. Rockmacher

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, teaching reading comprehension through the use of computers was tested against the traditional book method of teaching reading comprehension, in which students read in a book and the teacher does oral questioning. To carry out the study, six students with similar reading levels were split into two groups of three. The control group did reading comprehension through the traditional method for six stories. The experimental group worked on reading comprehension in Stories and More on the computer, using the same six stories. The reading comprehension section of the Kauffman Test of Educational Achievement was administered individually to …

Comparison Of Academic Success Between Students Who Live In Single Parent Households And Students Who Live In Two-Parent Households, Susan A. Ficco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of thus study was to compare the impact household composition has on the academic achievement of elementary school students. The sample contained 83 third and fourth grade students from a small Southern New Jersey school district, 22 from single parent households, and 61 from two parent households. The grade point averages for reading, language and mathematics were recorded for two consecutive marking periods and the measuring device used was a paired sample t-test. The results of the study show a high correlation between household composition and academic achievement. The grade point averages of the students in two parent …

The Use Of Behavioral Intervention Techniques In Aiding Autistic Children In The Classroom, James H. Dundee Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide information to support that, through the use of behavioral intervention techniques, especially the use of positive reinforcement, teachers can help to improve the academic success of the child with autism. The purpose of this current study is to view two unique groups of subjects. Subjects for this design consisted of twelve (12) preschool-aged students from the Gloucester County Special Services School District. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group would receive reinforcement for their behaviors and the second group would not. It was hypothesized for this study that …

The Effect Of Participation In An Instrumental Music Program On Students With Serious Emotional Disturbance, William R. Brody

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of an instrumental program on ten seriously emotionally disturbed students ranging in age from ten to eighteen. The study utilized a pretest/posttest with no control group. The pro-ed behavior rating profile second edition (BRP-2) was used as the testing instrument (parent, student and teacher BRP-2 were utilized). No statistically significant differences were found utilizing a T-test. The short duration of this study and the part-time nature of the music department utilized for this study have contributed to the yielding of inconclusive results. Promising recommendations for follow-up study are included.

Differences In Reading Achievement Between Title I Students And Students Not Receiving Title I Services, Melissa Calcagni

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the differences in reading achievement, specifically decoding ability, between first graders receiving Title I services and those not receiving the services. A sample of sixteen first graders from a suburban, racially diverse school in New Castle, Delaware was utilized. Eight of the children were selected for the study simply because they were receiving Title I instruction in the form of a one hour pullout program. The remaining eight children were selected based on test results on the San Diego Quick Assessment. The pre-test/post-test control group design was employed in this study. The Mann-Whitney test was used …

A Study To Assess Parental Choice: Why Families Choose Assemblies Of God Day Schools Over Public School, Michael Petrucci

Theses and Dissertations

This survey study identified reasons why families in New Jersey chose to send their children to Assembly of God day schools. Once these reasons were identified a survey was sent to 17 Assembly of God schools in New Jersey. The survey included a Likert scale which enabled respondents to prioritize their reasons for selecting one of these private evangelical schools. Nine reasons were listed on the scale which would be ranked in order of importance by the families who were responding.

The analysis of collected data revealed that families ranked their nine choices in the following order, from most important …

A Study Of The Perceptions Among Counselors And High School Students Regarding The Need For A Community College In Cape May County, New Jersey, Michelle D. Myles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare high school guidance counselors' perceptions in general regarding college attendance with those of their graduating students. It was posited, as well, that guidance counselor rankings and the student rankings of five college-choice aspects would be related; namely, that the guidance counselors' choices would be ranked in the same order that the high school students' choices were ranked, and that the students' choices would be significantly related to those aspects relevant to community college attendance. A pilot study was conducted first over phone interviews of the guidance counselors from the four public high …

Pre-Referral Intervention And Follow-Up: An Analysis Of The Pupil Assistance Committee (Pac), Jocelyn Camba

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to descriptively analyze the interventions selected and the subsequent follow-up information of the students referred to the Pupil Assistance Committee (PAC).

The sample includes twenty-one students from one New Jersey suburban elementary school which consists of kindergarten through grade six. Data was collected from actual referrals to the Pupil Assistance Committee. Additional data was collected regarding current educational placements and the status of the sample. The design of this study is a descriptive analysis. A coding instrument was used to record data from student files. The major method of data analysis is frequencies and …

A Criterion Related Validity Study Of Chapman's Elements In Art Test, Susan E. Chapman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to create and investigate the psychometric properties of a tool which evaluated fourth and fifth grade student's performance in the visual arts.

The subjects for the study included 104 fourth and fifth graders from a public elementary and middle school in southern New Jersey, comprising students from a diverse socioeconomic background and ethnicity.

The scores for the Chapman's Element in Art Test and the Clark's Drawing Ability Test were compared. Pearson product moment correlations were computed among the data for both tests. On the basis of the correlation acquired from the study, it may …

What Are Counselor And Client Perspectives On The Preferred Time Frames For The Use Of Assessment Instruments In Career Counseling Of Adults In Career Transition?, Ronald L. Sutton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the timing of assessment instrument usage and the perceived value of assessment instruments for adult clients in career transition counseling settings. Comparisons of career counselor and adult client perspectives on assessment instrument usefulness were also studied. A mailed self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect data. Fifteen counselors and 47 clients, associated with the downsizing of an electric utility company's regional office in southern New Jersey, responded and formed the basis of all data analysis. An independent t Test for unequal groups was used to compare counselor and cheat ratings …

A Comparison Of Burnout Levels Between Special Educators And Regular Educators, Andrea Liddle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers who work with mentally and physically handicapped children in special education schools have a higher incidence of burnout than teachers who work in regular education schools.

Twenty regular educators from a public school, k-12, and twenty special educators from two private special education schools, k-12, participated in the study. The special educators taught children with moderate levels of mental retardation and multiple handicaps, Each participant completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Educator's Survey.

Three two-tailed t-tests were computed to compare the means of the three subscales of the burnout survey: Emotional …